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May 6, 2014
Support Kidnapped Nigerian Girls!
More than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls have been kidnapped and reportedly forced to marry their captors. Urge authorities to #BringBackOurGirls!
Take Action Now
July 21, 2014
A migrant of Afro-descendant origin has been in prison in Mexico since 2009. He was tortured to falsely implicate himself. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience.
July 10, 2014
Two threatening telephone calls were made to staff members of a human rights organization
in Oaxaca State, south-western Mexico.
July 9, 2014
The influx of unaccompanied children at the U.S. border is a humanitarian crisis. Fleeing terrible conditions, they face risky journeys and harsh conditions of detention with limited protection in...
July 7, 2014
Honduran journalist and human rights defender Dina Meza has faced increasing harassment and intimidation. This harassment has also extended to a close family member. Their safety is at risk.


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Niagara Gazette
February 26, 2013
Nancy Ruth Musall
Niagara Gazette
Nancy Ruth Musall (nee Stange), age 73, of North Tonawanda, February 25, 2013 in Niagara Hospice House, after a brief illness. Nancy was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, the Ladies Aide and the Altar Guild. Nancy had retired from Ricmar Electric. She enjoyed quilting, baking and camping. She was the daughter of the late William and Ruth Stange.
Beloved wife of Richard Musall; dear mother of Timothy (Maryellen) Musall, Kenneth Musall, Suzette (William) Drenko and Amy (Jon) Chase; grandmother of seven grandchildren. Sister of Carol (Stanley) Woodcock of Pendleton and the late Colleen Syruws. Sister-in-law of William Syruws of Bergholz; aunt of several nieces and nephews.
Friends may call at the Fretthold Funeral Home Inc., 1241 Oliver St. at Ward Rd., in North Tonawanda on Thursday & Friday from 7-9 PM. A funeral service will be held on Saturday at 11 AM from St. John Lutheran Church, the Rev. Mark Aurenhamer will officiate. Interment in St. John Lutheran Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Niagara Hospice or St. John Lutheran Church.
Guest register at frettholdfuneralhome.com.
Guest Book

subset: commoncrawl


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Banana Oat Bars85 Reviews 7 Pics
Prep5 m
Cook35 m
Ready In45 m
"These bars are lower in fat than most bar cookies."
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Adjust Servings
Original recipe yields 3 dozen
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Mix together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix together bananas, egg whites, milk and vanilla. Beat all together.
- Bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan which has been sprayed with non-stick spray for about 35 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. You may sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, if desired.
Share It
Reviews (85)Rate This Recipe
We love these in my household ... it's become a regular for us. Here's the key: bake in a 9x9 square pan so the bars will be thicker (think of it more like cake) You can't think of these as cookies, they are certainly more cake like. Also, try using half white sugar and half brown sugar. Finally, I add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract ... gives it a nice flavor.
This is the best guilt-less feel good snack ever. I made slight changes to the recipe though. I used 1.5 cup bananas (2 medium sized bananas) and decreased the sugar to 1/3 cup. I used 1/3 cup skim yogurt instead of milk, 1.5 tsp cinnamon, dash of nutmeg, 1 whole egg and 1 egg white instead of 2 egg whites to produce a gooey center. I also replaced the raisins with chopped walnuts. This might contain a little more fats because of the egg yolk and walnuts, but i think it all evens out eventually and its soooo worth it. I made half into drop cookies and half into bars. The drop cookies taste wonderful with its soft center and crispy outer covering, but the bars come a very close second. Its best eaten warm right out of the oven. Thanks for posting this up!!
I've made these twice now for my twin toddlers. The first time the taste was great, but as everyone said, they were pretty crumbly even when baked in an 11x7 pan. But they were good enough that I didn't want to give up so the 2nd time I added 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup shredded coconut and substituted about 1/3 cup brown sugar for the white sugar, still using an 11x7 pan. This time they definitely came out like *cookie* bars - a little denser but very moist and flavorful. I'm not sure if it was the flour or the coconut or both that made them stay together, but they've been a hit -- easy to cut, pick up and eat with sticky little hands. Thanks for a great idea. I think I'll try adding a nut butter next time.
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Amount Per Serving (18 total)
- Calories
- 72 cal
- 4%
- Fat
- 0.5 g
- < 1%
- Carbs
- 16.1 g
- 5%
- Protein
- 1.6 g
- 3%
- Cholesterol
- < 1 mg
- < 1%
- Sodium
- 98 mg
- 4%
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
previous recipe:
Frosted Banana Bars
next recipe:
Banana Oat and Bran Cookies


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By Trevor Brown
David Narcomey, a business owner and member of the Seminole Nation, said he sees dangers beyond just the religious issues at stake over the controversial Sharia law state question.
Narcomey agrees with several law experts that tribal relations and international trade within the state could feel the unintended consequences of State Question 755. Voters overwhelmingly approved the ballot measure last week that bars judges from considering international or Islamic Sharia law when deciding cases.
"This could blossom into a major threat to the sovereignty of our Indian nations," Narcomey said. "There really is just a remote chance it could happen, but Pandora's box can be opened with just that one case."
The state question garnered national attention when Muneer Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oklahoma, filed a lawsuit against the state question on grounds it unfairly targets his religion. A U.S. District court judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday to stop the state question from taking effect.
Oklahoma University law professor Taiawagi Helton, along with many other legal experts, said he thinks there are First Amendment problems by singling out the one religion. But Helton said the lesser-discussed language created by the state question that courts cannot look to the "legal precepts of other nations or cultures" could pose a problem if it is applied to tribal legal cases.
Helton, who specializes in American Indian law, said the "ambiguous" language could be interpreted in a way for the state to reject rulings based on tribal laws. He said an "opportunistic" person could argue tribal laws do not apply in arbitration cases or when the state is called to resolve a dispute.
Barbara Warner, executive director of the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission, said she too has heard concerns the state question could carry a "detrimental" impact to tribes.
However, Helton said tribal nations should not worry too much yet since he is confident courts will strike down the state question. In addition, he said federal law often would trump the state's ruling because of the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.
"I think you have to separate the likely effect from the possible effect," he said. "And the likely effect is it won't have much effect at all."
Effect on international trade
Peter Krug, an OU law professor who specializes in international law, said Oklahoma businesses that deal with companies overseas also could feel the side effects from the state questions.
Krug said many transactions between companies rely on international treaties to uphold contracts. With the state question banning courts from making rulings based on "international law," he said this would create instability of how state judges can rule on these types of cases.
Krug said he doubts the authors of the state question intended to make changes to international treaties. However, he said lawyers could take advantage of the lack of clarity in the language of the state question's Constitutional amendment to challenge cases.
"I do see this as something courts will have to wrestle with," he said. "I think we will see extended legal arguments from both sides, and, quite honestly, any court decision that addresses State Question 755 will likely be appealed."
Trevor Brown covers the Oklahoma statehouse for CNHI. He can be reached at email@example.com.
Definitions outlined in SQ 755:
- International law is also known as the law of nations. It deals with the conduct of international organizations and independent nations, such as countries, states and tribes. It deals with their relationship with each other. It also deals with some of their relationships with persons.
- The law of nations is formed by the general assent of civilized nations. Sources of international law also include international agreements, as well as treaties.
- Sharia Law is Islamic law. It is based on two principal sources, the Koran and the teaching of Mohammed.
Source: Text of the ballot measure


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The idea that America is in debt is possibly the most widespread misconception in our country. It is also probably the most damaging, as it negatively affects government spending. Every deficit dollar allocated by Congress is done so with fiscal conservatives fretting about our ability to someday pay back all of these "borrowed" dollars.
Those fiscal conservatives are idiots.
The U.S. dollar is a fiat currency. Dollars can only be created by the U.S. government (for simplicity, it helps to think of the Fed, the Treasury, and the government as a single entity, as they work in concert). All dollars are introduced into the economy by deficit spending.
When large amounts of dollars are amassed, the people, banks, businesses, or countries that hold them often choose to "invest" those dollars in federal government bonds, as they earn a bit of interest, and are basically non-risk places to park money. This is our "National Debt." As you might have already figured out, it's not really debt at all. It is more akin to a savings account – and nobody says that a bank is "in debt" to you just because you have some money in a savings account there.
Back in the gold standard days, the creation of dollars was restricted by our gold holdings. When the government wanted to create more dollars than we could back with gold, they actually did borrow in the form of bonds. Happily, those days are over, and dollar creation is no longer restricted by our gold holdings. The government can create as many dollars as it needs, with zero risk of default. The only danger is demand-pull inflation, which has never been a problem. But
regardless, some number of new dollars are needed to account for savings, growth, and other forms of leakage, so deficit spending is necessary to keep the economy from contracting.
The government is still required by law to issue bonds in the same amount as the federal deficit. This law is a holdover from the gold standard days. But now, sales of government bonds are used to control the interbank lending rate. By controlling the sale of these bonds (and buying them at auction when necessary), the government can keep the interest rate where they want it.
Given that the country is not borrowing dollars, and there is no danger of interest rates rising until the government decides to raise them, there is no good reason to lower government spending. Government spending accounts for about one quarter of our GDP, and any cuts in that spending are felt deeply by the economy.
So the next time you hear a presidential candidate talk about the need to lower the deficit, run the other way, because that guy simply does not understand how the economy functions.


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Informational Interviewing Guide
- What is an informational interview?
- How to Find People to Interview
- Setting Up the Interview
- Preparing for the Interview
- The Meeting
- After the Interview
- Links
What is an informational interview?
An opportunity to gain information, advice and insight on career fields or job search strategies through one-on-one conversations with professionals working in a particular field. Informational interviews are not about asking for a job!
Through informational interviews you:
- Explore careers, set career goals and make appropriate career decisions
- Gain perspective on the nature of the work and the skills needed to be successful in the career field
- Develop knowledge of industry trends and the vocabulary of the career field
- Gain exposure to various jobs and different organizational cultures
- Develop a professional network which will be helpful with a job search
- Learn how to market yourself effectively during a job search
- Build confidence in your job interviewing skills
How to Find People to Interview
Create a list of all the people you know. Do any of them work in your field of interest or do they have contact with someone who does? Don't hesitate to ask family, friends, co-workers, supervisors, classmates, etc. if they know anyone working in a career field related to your interest and if they would be willing to introduce you to that person. Other ways to find people to interview:
- Contact the KSC Office of Alumni and Parent Relations to connect with alumni working in your field of interest
- Ask professors and ACA staff if they have personal contacts or know of any organizations that hire people in your field of interest
- Network Online - use LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook
- Company websites and other online sources (professional journals, hoovers.com, etc) will help you identify organizations and people within those organizations you should contact
- Call the Chamber of Commerce (or visit their website) to get a listing of businesses in the area that are related to your career choice
Setting Up the Interview
Once you have a list of people you want to interview, it is time to contact these people to schedule a 20-30 minute meeting. You can contact someone by email, mail, or phone.
Your initial contact with the person should include:
- An introduction of yourself
- Why you are contacting the person and how you found his/her name
- An explanation of your interests, experiences, background, etc. related to the career field
- Why you are interested in speaking with him/her
- Your contact information or how you will contact the person to follow-up (for e-mails, letters or if leaving a voicemail message)
Preparing for the Interview
Research the organization/company/career field and the person you are meeting with. This can be done through a company's website, online resources such as hoovers.com, conducting a "Google" search, or talking to someone who knows the industry and/or the person. Preparing for the interview shows respect for the interviewee.
Prepare a list of questions which will help you gather the information you need and stimulate a conversation between you and the professional. Possible questions include:
General career field
- What credentials or degrees are required for entry into this kind of work?
- What types of prior experience are absolutely essential? What experiences do you recommend?
- What skills or abilities are most essential for success in this job/ career field?
- What is the typical career path in this field?
- Describe a typical work day or work week.
- What parts of the job do you find most satisfying/challenging?
- How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, hours of work, vacation schedule, place
- of residence?
- How often do people in your line of work change jobs?
- What is the job outlook for the career field?
- What are typical entry-level jobs in this field?
- What types of employers hire people with your background; what are some representative job titles?
- How do people find out about these jobs; where are they advertised? Any job hunting
- strategies you suggest?
- How does one advance?
- What advice would you give to someone starting out in this field?
- What professional associations/journals would you recommend?
- What are the most important trends/issues in the career field?
Specific to company
- What is the organizational structure of the company? What is the organizational culture?
- What types of formal or on-the-job training does the organization provide?
- Where is the organization expanding?
- How does this organization compare with its competition (if applicable)?
Final and important question
- Is there anyone else you can recommend I speak with for additional information?
The Meeting
- Remember that you are gathering information, not asking for a job! Therefore, you will be doing the interviewing. Focus on the interviewee's views, opinions, and feelings.
- Begin by introducing yourself and reaffirming your purpose (to get information).
- Limit your questions to the ones that are really important to you.
- As you near the end of your interview, ask for referrals to others in the field, adding "May I say that you suggested I call?"
After the Interview
- Send a thank-you note - express your appreciation for the interview and mention a couple of pieces of helpful advice from the meeting.
- Stay in touch - This may be a person who can help you when you begin your job search.
Contact Academic and Career Advising
Academic and Career Advising Office
Elliot Center
229 Main Street
Keene, New Hampshire 03435


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Car Forums / Ford / Ford Focus
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Ford Focus Prices Paid and Buying Experience
I just test drove'em all (SE & SES) over the weekend & fell in love w/ the SES, which neither Mazda nor Volvo can match this final tuning. My God, for just over $14k, I can have an "ultra comfy yet sporty" SES w/ ABS & audiophile.
Even if price is no object, where else are you gonna find a car that handles & rides this good w/ compact length, width & turning circle. Not the Civic, not even the C-class or the 3-series!
As an ST owner, I'm jealous of the comfy-riding SES.
I wish there was more serious price posting in this thread but here is mine:
18,060 sticker
16,187 (after emplyee discount)
-2500 (rebate)
13,687 (before trade-in)
-1687 (trade in of 1995 Ford Windstar with 118K)
12,000 (plus ttl)
I feel I should have sold the trade-in outright and maybe got another 200-400 off the 13,687 price but it seems like that is no-haggle price...so overall I am happy witht he deal (esp. with gas prices climbing)
igor2 Posts: 148Options: Side airbags, Sunroof, Automatic:
just over 13K, with tazes in PA 14.5k.
and no haggling.. I was gonna wait a counple of months to save up for good down payment and all.. but with such discounts.. I got almost 30% off that is something to mention...
The only thing i don't like is that there was no car with ABS available when IWas looking: I would trade the sunroof for abs anytime...
Yeah the Family PLan does not allow haggling, but as edmunds said, you would most probably get this low only with LOTS of haggle, and this way, the sales guy is still my friend :-) and i closed the deal with ease and comfort...
Lastly: I too liked the Mazda, and was lookking elswhere, but I dilike sedans greatly, and for the value no one beats Ford (other reall need to look and stop bundling big engines and appearance packages with hatchback... ).
With a Kia (2001) not sounding particularly good I went in and got her a focus too (3 door coupe with jet black - it a ZX3 - very nice looking, super sporty looking - my daughter loves it).
Anyway I was able to 'haggle' the price down another $237.00 off the FFP...I think it all depends on the disposition of your sales manager. But it takes a lot of nerve to try to ask for much more off the price they have on these, for sure...
Just bought 2005 ZX4 SES with following options:
. Traction Control
. Side Airbags
. Heated Seats and outside mirrors
. Auto. transmission
The SES comes with many standard features. Its not the best compact car out there, but at these price they offer a great value. The closest compact car with some of these features are Civic and Corolla and they run around $18K and still not get all of these features. I also looked at Accord EX-L which you can get around $21.5K and have all (except traction contro)l I wanted traction control, heated seats and ABS for safety and comfort during winter.
Ford MSRP: 19100
Ford Family Plan Price: 14723 (including 2500 case rebate)
- 523 additional discount
+ 299 doc. fee
The dealer was Quirk Ford in Quincy, MA. I have bought from there before and I bought through their internet sales guy. We worked out the price via email. They tried to push the warranty, but I was not interested. I did not argue much about the doc. fee as they would have simply reduced the additional discount. Plus, at these price I just felt that this was a fair deal for everybody.
I really like the way it drives. It feels more sporty than Civic or Corolla. The engine is more popowerfulhan Civic/Corolla. The standard radio in SES is 6 CD-MP3 in dash changer with duplicate audio control on the steering wheel. There is no option to get power seats, but its kind of thing you adjust only once in a while. The back seats are comfortable for kids or adults for short ride. The trunk is big for a compact car. I will see if it gives 34 MPG as advertised. At high speeds (70+) you can hear the engine and road noise.
Overall this is a good commute car with decent gas mileage and fun ride.
"Its not the best compact car out there..."
Than what is?
The Accord may be a slightly better car overall, but who sez it's a compact? Except when comes to resale, it sure digs into your wallet in a rather compact way.
At under 67" width, the Focus evades Japan's wide-car tax, which should start at 170cm.
I bought the fun little narrow-&-tall BUT STABLE Focus ST b/c these wider Mazda3 & S40 actually got a narrower rear-glass visibility to offer instant safe passing to the right, plus the new electro-hydraulic steering assist hurts steering feel. Other "telephone booth" cars w/ high chair tend to feel tippy over high-speed corners b/c their platforms aren't German designed.
By the way, how many compact cars rides as smoothly as the Focus SES?
What was the additional discount for. Is there further discounts to be gotten over the Family price and the 2500 rebate. I know I pulled up a car that matches my needs on the Ford site. But it comes up to 13850 or so there. If I could add Traction Control
, ABS, and Side airbags for onl 700 more I'd do that.
I looked at Civic and to get ABS, you have to get EX trim ($17K), and you still would not get traction cotrol. Also, heated seats, 6 CD in dash changer and duplicate audio controls are not available in any Civic trim. I liked the quiet ride of Civic and interior quality, but I would be paying lot more ($3K) and get lot less in a Civic.
Some dealers would not go below the Ford Family Plan, but Quirk and few others I talked to were ready to discount below the Family price. In my opinion, dealers with huge Focus inventory (20+ focus on lot) were ready to discount below the family plan price, while others with little inventory (<5 focus on lot) were not willing to discount. In New England region, I did not find many 2005 Focus SES left over. Many dealres had the S or few SE trim, but only few had SES trim
Add $150 for heated seats and you would get Family price of $14723.
I should qualify my self when using the tem "best". Focus is "best value" in compact car and that is why I chose it. There are better compact car in terms of build quality and interior material quality. e.g the arm rest between front passanger is so small and fixed that you can barely rest your arm on it. Honda make it a sliding arm rest so that you can position it the way you like it. The ride is much quieter in Civic/Corolla. The hood and the trunk are both padded with insulation in Civic/Corolla while Focus leaves them unpadded. The sound of closing doors on Focus gives you "hollow" feeling, using the swicth for the front map light sounds like it is going to break soon.
What Focus lacks in the material and build, it make up in features and value. I looked at Accord EX-L because that was the next higher level car that offered everything I wanted in the Focus. Even in Accord, you get traction control in EX-V6 only. Even Focus' big brother Taurus did not offer all these options in a car. You would have to get the Ford Five Hundread to get them.
I could not believe that Focus offers all modern options except side curtain bags for front and rear. And you can mix and match options; only choose what you want. I did not care for sunroof and leather, so I got one without it. In Civic, you cannot mix and match many of these options.
explorerx4 Central CTPosts: 9,614last year i bought a focus too. you are right about the materials and quality of build. it could be better. my wife and i still enjoy the heck out of it, although we don't have to drive it if we don't want to. it has tons of features. i looked at corollas/civics too. to get abs on a corolla, the only ones i found were 's' models which stickered at about 20g's.
based on what i paid for the focus, i could only get a 2 door civic 'vp'.
i have a moonroof and heated seats, so i'm happy no matter what the climate.
i just washed the focus and parked it in the street. a couple of people on their walks, were giving it looks that seemed like envy, to me. i know one of them drives a big buick.
Yes your right about the Civic and ABS. also the same on the Mazda it's pretty expensive. I'm in Southern California so am willing to pass on the traction control and ABS. Also I don't care that much about the 5 disk CD. But still would go for the SES since I want the cruise control, leather steering wheel and 16 inch tires.
Anyway so far didn't find anyone willing to nogioate from the Family price + rebate.
In fact I get that price anyway because where I work gives me an x-plan price (i think thats whats it called) and was told that its the same as the f-plan price. Anyway been exchanging emails with an abnoxious Ford internet sales guy, went to the ford site found a car and emailed him to find out if he had a local discount above the Ford family and rebate. He emailed back and said he'll give me a special internet price and I can only get it if I see him. Then next email sends me an invoice with the same price the Ford web site gives you and says its his special deal and he's only around 3 days a week. When I mentioned I could get the same price by just walking in the door and seeing anyone, he emails back that he expected loyalty for all the work he did for me (an email giving me the Ford family price) and was outraged that I'd be so disloyal as to buy the car from someone elese there. Anyway I'm still waiting to see what happens with the Fplan after the 6th. I heard it's mostly will be extended. If not I wonder if they will increase the rebate, I which case I already get the X-plan so that would be to my advantage.
You're right about the Focus' interior material. I got to warn all of you before buying an '05 Focus -- the air coming out of the vents of my charcoal interior kept giving me (& everyone else) a nauseating plastic smell, & I had this '05 ST since Oct '04.
I don't lower the seat all the way, so my right elbow feels just right & relaxing resting on that high center armrest while shifting the stick.
Other than that, the Focus' elastic ride & responsive handling is like a dream, & the Civic/Corolla can't even come close.
likeitornot Posts: 42Sorry I didn't see any Zx4 forums or really anywhere to ask this..
I'm either buying a New Focus Sedan or a used. So far it seems like the new is only like 20-40 more than the used.
I was thinking instead, maybe go with a used LX which would be even cheaper. But I can't find too much online about the LX's. Are these the ones with themost problems and to stay away from? I guess it was anything before 2004 that's bad because of the recalls?
Or are focuses better in general new, less problems? I hear a lot of problems iwth these cars so I'm kind of worried. I really like the focus though so..
occupant1 Posts: 408Five Star Ford here in North Richland Hills TX has told me that they are "having a sale" this weekend (yeah yeah) and all 2006 Focuses are $4000 off sticker. So I'm wondering, would that work? The cars I am looking at are various ZX4 S sedans, AC and auto, no other options, MSRP of $16020. So that's $12,020 plus tax/title/plates. The Simple Plan price accoring to Ford is $15,333 ($687 off sticker) less $1500 rebate for a final price of $13,833 and this dealer is $1813 under that? Am I in for a gimmick sales tactic or are others finding basic Focus sedans down around $12K?


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Soft Stag® Leather Slips-Ons
Step into a comfort-soft fit instantly!
These quality Soft Stags are fashioned with twin elastic gores that stretch with every motion of your foot. Featuring smoothest Leather uppers with manmade mesh trim, a full lining of foam-backed, breathable mesh, a removable insole that you can replace with your own orthotic, and last, but not least, a flexible TPR outsole with traction tread. Order now!
- $29.99
- 2 for $55.97 -
- 3 for $80.95
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Excellent Fit and Feel. I love them it is like there is nothing on my feet but I have support as well. I was having foot pain in both feet until i switched to these shoes. I bought 2 pair. I only have them a month but they seem to be holding up pretty good. My shoes only last about 6 months before they have to be retired so it looks like these shoes are winners.
Haband Email List
Join the Haband mailing list to receive Haband news and special offers.


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Two-Factor and Multifactor Authentication Strategies
New & Notable
Looking for something else?
Two-Factor and Multifactor Authentication Strategies News
July 08, 2014
Multifactor authentication key to cloud security success
Following the collapse of an AWS-based cloud hosting provider, experts say enterprises should prioritize use of multifactor authentication.
April 30, 2013
McAfee jumps into IAM with one-time password, cloud SSO products
McAfee introduces two new identity and access management (IAM) products.
April 23, 2013
2013 Verizon DBIR: Authentication attacks affect all organizations
The 2013 Verizon data breach report details how authentication attacks affect organizations of all sizes, blaming single-factor passwords.
October 05, 2012
Microsoft acquires multifactor authentication vendor PhoneFactor
Microsoft has purchased the multifactor factor authentication platform vendor for an undisclosed amount.
Two-Factor and Multifactor Authentication Strategies Get Started
Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content
soft token
A soft token is a software-based security token that generates a single-use login PIN. Traditionally, a security token has been a hardware device that produces a new, secure and individual PIN for each use and displays it on a built-in LCD display.... Continue Reading
FIDO (Fast Identity Online)
FIDO (Fast ID Online) is an open standard for a secure and easy-to-use universal authentication interface created to address the lack of interoperability among strong authentication devices. The FIDO standard supports multifactor authentication and... Continue Reading
multifactor authentication (MFA)
Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a security system that requires more than one form of authentication to verify the legitimacy of a transaction. MFA combines two or more independent credentials: what the user knows (password), what the user has (... Continue Reading
Evaluate Two-Factor and Multifactor Authentication Strategies Vendors & Products
Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.
SlickLogin acquisition: A game changer for Google and 2FA industry?
Google's recent acquisition of two-factor authentication vendor StickLogin could push it ahead in the secure identity management industry. Continue Reading
Password-free authentication: Figuring out FIDO
Will open FIDO standards for better interoperability of next-generation authentication technologies actually work? Continue Reading
Figuring out FIDO as the first products emerge
The Fast Identity Online (FIDO) standards reached the public draft stage in February, and the first deployments of FIDO-ready technologies followed in April. As industry players such as Google, Microsoft and RSA work on stronger authentication ... Continue Reading
Manage Two-Factor and Multifactor Authentication Strategies
Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.
John Pescatore: Evasion techniques aiding advanced targeted attacks
Video: SANS Institute's John Pescatore says though new evasion techniques are aiding advanced targeted attacks, defense matters as much as response. Continue Reading
In dog days of enterprise authentication, can FIDO Alliance help?
Enterprise authentication practices are plagued with problems. IAM expert Michele Chubirka examines whether the FIDO Alliance can offer solutions. Continue Reading
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text:
BOSTON — There was a time when Rick Ankiel was Stephen Strasburg. Sure, he's left-handed and he didn't come with nearly the hype that Strasburg did, given the advancements in media from 1999, when Ankiel made his major league debut, and 2009, when Strasburg was drafted by the Nationals. But in a lot of ways, he was.
"Feels like another life," Ankiel said Saturday afternoon in the visitor's clubhouse at Fenway Park.
Ankiel, a second-round pick of the Cardinals out of high school, has a golden left arm. It's on display often from center field now, but back then it was coming at you from the pitchers mound.
He could throw in the mid-to-upper 90s and had a curveball that made batters buckle. Tom Verducci called him "The Can't Miss Kid" and Sports Illustrated splashed him across their pages at 19 — just like another Nationals player.
"Temptation, thy name is Rick Ankiel," Verducci wrote in a June 1999 issue of Sports Illustrated. "Temptation cannot legally buy a beer or rent a car, spends off days trolling the local mall and regards Hooters as fine dining. Temptation also has a 95-mph fastball with more late movement than a strip joint and a knee-buckling breaking ball that curves as sharply as Lombard Street. For a scout who has been in the game almost half a century, Temptation is like nothing he's ever seen before. Temptation is the best pitching prospect in baseball."
So the Nationals center fielder knows a thing or two about pitching, that's for sure. And he loves watching Strasburg.
"When I'm watching him, I can live vicariously through him and have fun with it," he said.
Ankiel's path from that point has been well documented, his pitching career lasting just three years in the major leagues. But in this life, the one where he's a 32-year-old outfielder for one of the best teams in baseball, Ankiel has taken on a mentoring type of role, talking most noticeably with Bryce Harper on many occasions.
That mentoring spilled over into the pitching side recently, though.
After he struck out 13 Red Sox Friday night, Strasburg called what happened with his breaking ball something of a "breakthrough," and pointed to a recent conversation he'd had with Ankiel about the pitch.
"I think I have a tendency to almost try and throw it down in the zone, like throw a two-strike curveball in the dirt, and not really trust it," Strasburg said.
He was slow, though, to turn to Ankiel for advice — a common feeling, Ankiel said, recalling how hesitant he was to approach guys like Darryl Kile, Pat Hentgen and Matt Morris on those Cardinals teams of his youth. But hitting coach Rick Eckstein and first base coach Trent Jewett urged Strasburg to go to him.
"They kind of pulled me aside and said, 'Hey, just ask him,'" Strasburg said. "He had one of the best curveballs in the game and he knew how to throw it, and he knew how to use it to his advantage."
"I kind of felt that way sometimes, too," Ankiel said. "Because you don't know how receptive guys are. You don't really want to be like, 'Hey! Blah blah blah.' You kind of pick your battles, maybe hint here and there and see where it goes. But it was good, and I'm happy we did it."
Ankiel declined to go into specifics of what he discussed with Strasburg, though he made sure to laud the right-hander for going out and putting into practice some of the things they talked about.
"When I was a rookie and people came to me and they give you advice, you hear it," Ankiel said. "Sometimes it doesn't always sink in, and it might be a month later when you're like 'Hey, I realize what they're talking about.' But it's nice to give back. People gave to me when I came and I think part of going through it and part of being in this game, where you get older and see things, is you pass that knowledge along and hope that it helps."
"(Our bench) has just been tremendous," said bench coach Randy Knorr, including Ankiel. "Because we've got so many young guys on the team. I see them in the dugout, they talk to them all the time. Sometimes you get these veteran guys where they're more on the selfish side and they don't take that role. I think that hurts the club. I think we benefit from that, and that's probably why we're winning, because they pick the kids up and they're not doing well and they get them back in and keep them focused. You couldn't ask for a better group of guys on the bench. They're outstanding."


text:
Vaishnav (Vaishnav)
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Aiming for top 4 n if we can get the title... just icing on the cake. Lol above all we didn't invest much. Man utd invested more than 50m. Spurs more than 100m....
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Better than all your players lol
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By Jessica Bruha
The Norman Transcript
NORMAN — The number of inmates in the Cleveland County jail reached an all-time high Monday, with the jail still remaining understaffed.
Cleveland County Undersheriff Rhett Burnett said the count at 8 a.m. Monday was 449 inmates.
One hundred and 20 of those need to be transported to the Department of Corrections, and 114 of the inmates currently have judgment and sentencing on file, Burnett said. The DOC is scheduled to take around 10 to 15 inmates per month.
While the jail remains understaffed, the sheriff's department has been going through applications to hire 12 more people to reach a completed staff of detention officers.
"We're handling it OK, but we don't have our full compliment," he said. "We're trying to get those final 12 hired."
Burnett said they have received hundreds of applications, but the hiring process takes longer than a regular job would. Since it is a detention center and a law enforcement-type job, personal history statements have to be taken and initial background checks, several interviews and a final background check must be done. Polygraphs and drug tests also are taken, he said.
"We're trying to find the right people to work in there," Burnett said. "We don't want to get in too big of a hurry."
The undersheriff said a lot of people staffing the jail go to other law enforcement jobs internally and externally. Sometimes those people are going out into the field or working in transport or they're moving to other jobs that may be better paying, he said.
"I encourage anyone interested to apply. It's a good job with good benefits," Burnett said.
As for the number of inmates they are handling, he said he expects that number to come down.
"The courts and judges do their best to help us. Everybody is working together as a team," he said.
Those interested in applying for a detention officer position must be at least 19 years old and be United States citizens. They must have a high school diploma or GED as well as a valid driver's license and insurable driving record. Applicants also cannot have felony or major misdemeanor convictions or pending criminal charges.
Applications may be picked up at CCSO, 128 S. Peters Ave., or downloaded at www.ccso-ok.us.
For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.


text:
Southwest Appetizer Cheesecake19 Reviews 2 Pics
Prep20 m
Cook1 h 10 m
Ready In5 h 50 m
"This is a beautiful appetizer, and always a crowd pleaser. Spread this cake on crackers or serve with corn chips."
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Adjust Servings
Original recipe yields 1 9-inch springform cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Combine crushed tortilla chips and melted butter in a small mixing bowl. Press mixture into a 9-inch springform pan to form the crust.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, Colby-Jack cheese, cottage cheese, eggs and green chile peppers. Spread this mixture evenly into the crust.
- Bake for 1 hour. When finished baking, remove cake from oven and let cool 5 minutes.
- Combine the jalapeno dip and 8 ounces sour cream in a small mixing bowl. Spread this mixture over the cheesecake to cover any cracks. Return to cake the oven and bake 10 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for at least 4 hours. When cooled, dollop remaining sour cream on top of the cake (in the center). Arrange the tomatoes, black olives, and green onions around the sour cream in concentric circles.
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Reviews (19)Rate This Recipe
I made this but with some changes based on another recipe for a similar appetizer because of the reviews saying it is too bland. I mixed 1/2 a package of taco seasoning mix into the cream cheese mixture before baking, used canned, diced green chiles instead of jalapeno dip, 2 cups of "Mexican Blend" grated cheese and no cottage cheese. I added the remaining taco seasoning to the sour cream topping. It smelled sooooooo good while baking, I could hardly stay out of it! Served with tortilla chips, it went over very well at the potluck I took it to. Everyone is also impressed by how pretty it is with the rings of black olive, tomato and green onion arranged on top. I think a way to avert the soggy bottom crust might be to prebake the crust lined springform pan in the oven for 10 minutes or so. I am going to try that next time.
This was ok, nothing I would rave about. It has a lot of ingredients for the final effect. If I made it again I would leave out the tortilla chips, by the next day they were soggy!
To avoid the soggy crust problems, I simply greased the springform pan, then dusted it with dry breadcrumbs. I then served it with crackers and tortilla chips, rendering a crust unnecessary. I substituted sharp cheddar for the Colby. I mistakenly purchased a can of jalapenos instead of mild green chilis - I ended up using about half the can. It added a bit of zip, but the rest of the filling really tempered it. Everyone I served it to asked me how I could cram so much flavor into a little bite, so it was well-received!
Similar Recipes
Basic Cheesecake
Rhubarb Cheesecake
Shrimp Scampi Cheesecake Appetizer
Sun-Dried Tomato Cheesecake Squares
Pumpkin Cheesecake II
Shrimp Appetizer
Amount Per Serving (20 total)
- Calories
- 274 cal
- 14%
- Fat
- 23.3 g
- 36%
- Carbs
- 7.8 g
- 3%
- Protein
- 8.9 g
- 18%
- Cholesterol
- 99 mg
- 33%
- Sodium
- 384 mg
- 15%
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
previous recipe:
Basic Cheesecake
next recipe:
Sun-Dried Tomato Cheesecake Squares


text:
Orlando Magic Tickets
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When Orlando Magic returned to the conference finals for the first time since 1996, they had to face Cleveland Cavaliers who were defeated with the Magic's key player Dwight Howard scoring 40 points, which was a high score for him in a playoff game. The series was also succeeded by the team and they also won the rights to face a prominent team in a major tournament. Currently, Orlando Magic is contributing a huge share in the construction of a new arena which will be an entertainment center replacing Amyway Arena, the traditional center.
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Employee Resources•
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This chapter establishes general policy and procedures pertaining, to the management of laboratory services.
There are two major Federal regulatory programs for clinical laboratories, both of which are currently administered by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHs). The two programs are: (1) Medicare and Medicaid certification of facilities receiving reimbursement under these programs, and (2) licensure of laboratories testing interstate commerce under the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Act of 1967 (CLIA-1967). It is Indian Health Service (IHS) policy that every effort must be made to assure that IHS laboratories meet- and/or-exceed the standards published by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH), the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for Clinical Laboratories or the HCFA Regulatory Requirements.
This revised chapter describes the policies, procedures, responsibilities and guidelines of the Laboratory Service. It brings up to date the chapter's goal and objectives, standards, scope of program services, and the staffing criteria and responsibilities to be followed in attaining and maintaining accreditation by HCFA, JCAH, and CAP. This accreditation is to provide a continued effort for improvement of the health care of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN).
The goal of the laboratory services is to provide the best possible support in anatomical pathology and clinical laboratory services to the clinical staff in the provision of comprehensive health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives, thereby assisting them in meeting the overall goal of the IHS.
The Chief, Laboratory Services Program, IHS, is responsible to the Director, Indian Health Service, through the Director, Division of Clinical and Preventive Services, IHS, Headquarters (HQ), as coordinator, consultant and advisor for all matters and activities relating to the laboratory services, program.
The incumbent is responsible for coordination, formulation and development of IHS-wide laboratory policies, procedures and standards.
Responsibilities of Area Laboratory Program Officers
Area Laboratory Program Officers are the principal consultants and technical advisors responsible to the Area Director and his/her staff regarding the scope of the Area-wide program, its operations, quality of service, priorities and identification of unmet needs. Their specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
The Service Unit Laboratory Supervisor is responsible to the Service Unit Director for the total Service Unit laboratory program, its quality assurance program and quality of services. The specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
Anatomic pathology services consist of processing tissues to study the changes in structure of diseased organs and tissues.
Surgical Pathology
All specimens removed during a surgical procedure should be properly labeled and sent to the pathologists, who shall determine the extent of examinations necessary for diagnoses. Exceptions are those agreed to by the medical staff (e.g., placentas from term normal delivery). The specimen must be accompanied by pertinent clinical information, including its source and the pre-operative and post-operative surgical diagnoses. Although a microscopic examination of all specimens is desirable, certain exceptions can be established with the approval of the medical staff. Special stains with specific positive controls may be needed to help with diagnosis. The final product is a surgical pathology report containing the gross, microscopic findings and the diagnosis. The histopathologic diagnosis helps the attending physician with clinical diagnosis, therapeutic decisions, follow-up.
Rapid intraoperative surgical pathology consultation (frozen section) is done to help with an immediate surgical decision. The pathologist must be experienced, conservative in attitude and reliable in judgment. A great degree of accuracy is a must. If a diagnosis cannot be made with certainty, it should be deferred for permanent sections. A verbal report of the diagnosis is made directly to the surgeon in the operating room 15-20 minutes from the time the specimen is received. The frozen section diagnosis is written on the requisition and becomes part of the final report.
Formalin fixed tissues are kept at least 30 days or until the cases are signed out. Paraffin blocks must be clearly identified and stored in a cool place for as long as possible. Microscopic glass slides must be clearly identified, with permanent etchings, stored at room temperature, protected against damage and readily, available for use in consultation. In most facilities the reports and glass slides are kept indefinitely.
Cytodiagnostic services to meet the needs of the hospital should be available. Cells from various sites are suitable for cytologic examination: exfoliated cells from epithelial/endothelial surfaces, brushings, washings, body fluids fine needle aspirated material. Cytopreparatory techniques include: smearing onto slides, cytocentrifugation, membrane filtration, cell block preparation, high speed blending. The Papanicolaou stained& cytology slides are screened by a cytotechnologist. The quality of this service shall be insured by direct supervision of a pathologist or a physician with training in cytopathology, who shall review all suspicious, and positive cases and 10% of the negative cases. All reports and all abnormal slides should be kept indefinitely. Negative slides may be discarded after 2 years.
Before entering into a contract or laboratory services, the following guides will be followed.
Individuals having responsibility for the issuance of contracts for laboratory services will familiarize themselves with the regulations as outlined in CLIA and by the state involved.
Cervical cytology contracts require the use of standardized reporting terminology for the results of cervical cytologic examinations. This will facilitate the clinical interpretation of cytology reports and provide uniform data throughout the IHS.
Unsatisfactory (cite reason and recommendation)
No abnormal cells
Mild squamous atypis
Mild squamous atypis
Inflammation (with organism if identified)
Regeneration and repair
Viral effect
Others (specify)
Inflammation (with organism if identified)
Regeneration and repair
Viral effect
Others (specify)
Cytologic finding consistent with dysplasia
Severe (carcinoma in situ)
Severe (carcinoma in situ)
Cytologic findings consistent with invasive
squamous-cell carcinoma
squamous-cell carcinoma
Abnormal cells not specifically categorized.
In deciding to purchase the services of a reference laboratory by means of competitive bid techniques, various critical factors must be analyzed. These can be divided into five major areas: 1) operations; 2) accreditations; 3) staffing; 4) quality control and preventive maintenance; and 5) account (user) satisfaction.
If possible, review the reference laboratory's financial statement to determine the, liquidity of the assets, of the corporation as well as the net profit contribution. In addition, the organization should have been in operation for a period of three years (thus suggesting some organizational stability), and if possible, demonstrate the growth over the same period of time. Laboratories that have been in operation for a period of less than one year should be evaluated very carefully. The financial statement will also indicate whether or not the laboratory is privately owned or part of a parent organization.
Include in the on-site visit an inspection of the laboratory's accreditation. The accrediting agencies should be identified, and the accreditation date should be current. In addition, reports of previous visits should be available upon request. Such reports should indicate that the laboratory has consistently demonstrated good to excellent performance in proficiency testing surveys, i.e., a minimum of 90%.
Account Satisfaction
Request an unedited user list from the reference laboratory. Use this list to conduct a random sample of the users to ascertain whether or not they are satisfied with the services and the quality of the results. It is appropriate to ask them what kind of financial arrangements had been negotiated between them and the reference laboratory; however, such information will probably not be provided.
Personnel records should be available for your review upon your visit to a reference laboratory. Your review of the personnel records should identify whether or not personnel are qualified to perform the tests routinely conducted by the reference laboratory. In addition, the personnel records should indicate whether or not individuals are employed on a full-time or part-time basis and the shift(s) that, the individual(s) work. In addition, personnel records should indicate whether or not the individual(s) are classified as supervisory personnel. It is important to identify the distribution of staff and supervisory individuals per shift. For example, many reference laboratories perform the bulk of their work on night shift.
Since this is the peak workload for that particular reference laboratory the greatest amount of staff should be employed on this shift. Another critical factor that needs to be assessed, is the availability of in-service and continuing education activities to reference laboratory personnel. A review of the employee personnel files can indicate the frequency with which the individuals are able to attend such presentations. Clearly, individuals should go to at least one continuing education activity per year. Finally, the rate of employee turnover should be examined for the previous 24 months. Consistent turnover in staff and supervisory positions is a good indicator that the laboratory has some substantial management problems. In such situations, a consumer of services from such a laboratory must be cautious before signing any contractual agreement.
A critical review of the quality control data and preventive maintenance records is most important. Such a review clearly gives the potential consumer of laboratory services strong indicators as to the quality of overall operations. All laboratory manuals should show documented evidence of annual review and have up-to-date reference citations. The proficiency testing data should not show a total number of deficiencies greater than 10% throughout any proficiency testing year. Daily quality control documentation should also be examined. Deficiencies should be detected and recorded in an approximate frequency of 1 out of every 20. Reference laboratories that show no deficiencies during any 20 day period are probably not recording or performing their quality control. All deficiencies in quality control should be clearly documented and include that normality has been restored during a period of time not exceeding five days. All quality control deficiencies and data should be reviewed and signed by the laboratory director or his designee. If, on initial examination, quality control and preventive maintenance data appear acceptable, you as the potential account should request that the potential reference laboratory accept split samples from you as a test of proficiency.
In addition, such a practice should be incorporated into a contractual agreement signed with any reference laboratory, for which no fee till be levied by the reference laboratory. The advantage of such an up front agreement is that the account is going to periodically inspect its proficiency.
Individuals charged with the responsibility of managing competitive bid situations should consider the following:
I. Operations
7a. Are the SFs complete, free-standing labs?
7b. What procedures do the SFs perform? Specify.
7c. Do all SFs use procedures identical to those used in the main labs? Specify if different.
8a Do SFs have same hours of operations? Specify if different by each SF.
9a. Does this laboratory usually perform the tests on all specimens submitted for analysis?
9b. What is the total number of tests performed per year per section?
10a. Which test(s) are referred?
10b. What are laboratories are used as reference?
10c. What percentage of these tests per year are referred to another lab for analysis?
12a. Why is this laboratory willing to offer such a discount? Explain (see 1-5 above).
12b. Term of price protection (1 year, 2 years, greater).
13a. If not, how is specimen pickup/delivery handled? How are stats handled?
18a. Did you tour the laboratory?
II. Accreditation
III. Account Satisfaction
IV. Staffing
24a. Specify the number of FTE and PTEs by shift.
24b. Specify the number of MT, MLT, and CLA, OJT by shift.
24c. Specify the number of supervisors.
35a. Turnover staff positions/shift.
35b. Is turnover primarily in one or two specific sections or shift(s)? Specify.
V. Quality Control (QC) & Preventive Maintenance
43a. Total number of PT specimens per year?
43b. Total number of deficiencies per year?
43c. Number of successive deficiencies per year?
43d. Names of PT program providers.
The JCAH standards state:
"Good personnel and supervision are very important factors. It would be ideal if every hospital had its own pathologist. The amount of work in smaller hospitals does not justify the full-time services of a pathologist .
The JCAH believes strongly that if a hospital does not have the full-time services of a pathologist, it should at least have the services of a pathologist on a regular part-time or consultative basis. A hospital is not criticized for sending tissues out to a pathologist but if that hospital has not been regularly visited by or had its laboratory supervised by a pathologist, it must of necessity be scrutinized very carefully as to quality of services given."
In those facilities maintaining laboratory services which do not have a pathologist on the staff, the Indian Health Service Area Director will require that consultative services be furnished by a pathologist on the staff to the Area Office or an Area Medical Center or by contractual arrangement with a private practitioner or group qualified in the respective specialties. In either event, on-site consultation, inspection and evaluation shall be held with a written report to be filed at the facility and in the Area, Office, demonstrating that the standards have been met. The Indian Health Service Area Director shall arrange for adequate consultation from a pathologist, either IHS staff or under contract.
The autopsy is generally done to determine the cause of death, extent of disease, effect of treatment, etc. The information obtained may then be used for clinico-pathologic correlation, QA program, expanding knowledge on disease process and management. Each autopsy procedure and autopsy report shall be sufficiently thorough to meet the needs of the medical staff. A provisional anatomic diagnosis should be available for patient's medical records within 24-48 work hours. The autopsy report including the final anatomic diagnosis should be completed in one month for uncomplicated cases, and in 2-3 months in complicated cases.
Title 42, Part 35, Sub-part A., Section 35.16 (Rev.) of the Code of Federal Regulations provides:
"Autopsies, or other post-mortem operations, including removal of tissue for transplanting, may be performed on the body of a deceased patient only by direction of the officer in charge and only if consented to in writing by a person authorized under the law of the State in which the station or hospital is located to permit an autopsy or such other post-mortem operation under the particular death involved."
"Restrictions or limitations imposed by the person consenting thereto on the extent of the autopsy or other post-mortem operation shall be observed. Documents embodying consent shall be made a part of the clinical record (Emphasis supplied).
Laboratory staffing must be given a high priority to ensure high standards and accurate laboratory results and that accreditation requirements by HCFA, JCAH , and CAP are met, Depending upon the size of the laboratory, a combination of technologists and technicians may be used. The ratio of technologists and technicians must be adequate to ensure the technician is working under direct supervision of a technologist.
The GS 644 standards for medical technologists specify the minimum qualifications for medical technologists. Technologist positions must be filled with personnel who meet these standards.
The GS 645 standards for medical technicians specify the minimum qualifications for medical technicians. Personnel must meet these standards to qualify at the technician level.
There shall be sufficient qualified personnel with documented training and experience to supervise and conduct the work of the laboratory. JCAH requires that personnel working alone, or on call back must meet the technologies standards and/or be supervised by a Medical Technologist.
For accreditation, CAP requires the medical technologist to meet the supervisor qualifications to be supervisor of the laboratory. All work performed in the laboratory must be reviewed and signed by the supervisor before the reports go out from the "laboratory Work done by a laboratorian on call must be reviewed and signed the next workday by the supervisor.
Job descriptions for the GS-644 and 645 categories should be written in the OPM, Factor Evaluation System (FES) format. These descriptions must be inclusive of all functions expected to be performed by the person as well as physical capabilities and environmental demands.
Laboratories operating under P.L. 93-638 contracts must use personnel meeting the above A-D in order to obtain and continue accreditation programs.
Each clinical laboratory shall have a quality assurance policy which complies with the standards established by HCFA, JCAH, and CAP. The policy should include but not be limited to the following:
The quality assurance systems within the pathology laboratory shall be designed to insure the quality and appropriateness of laboratory data.
Each procedure performed in the laboratory must be checked at least daily for its intended reactivity by the use of reference material. Acceptable limits for standards and controls shall be established covering the range of clinically significant values. Standard deviation, coefficient of variation and other statistical data will be used to monitor the daily operation of the laboratory. The laboratory supervisor in collaboration with the clinical director will assist in evaluating the quality control reports on a routine basis.
Participation in the, CAP proficiency testing program is required. Unknown specimens are received at least quarterly from the XAP to be analyzed in the same manner as patient samples. Appropriate records must be ma in trained for each. proficiency survey. Any analyte shown to be outside the acceptable limits must have documented response of action taken to resolve the out of limits analyte.
Instruments and equipment must be evaluated at established intervals to ensure their proper function at all times. Appropriate records must be maintained for each instrument or piece of equipment, showing the date of inspection, or performance evaluation, along with significant corrective action taken in response to revealed defects.
There shall be active participation in the ongoing Service Unit quality assurance program. The QA program is designed to objectively and systematically monitor and evaluate the quality and appropriateness of patient care, pursue opportunities in improved patient care and resolve identified problems. Laboratory quality assurance activities should be integrated and coordinated with all other Service Unit quality assurance activities. There must be a program for the validation of new testing methods which includes valid calibration techniques along with an established procedure for continual surveillance of the results obtained, using suitable reference samples. Each clinical discipline is responsible for identifying and resolving problems related to patient care.
The laboratory role of patient care monitoring activities must include:
The following Quality Assurance components will be the essential steps used in the assessment of important aspects of patient care and the correction of identified problems:
The ever-increasing complexity of procedures and techniques in laboratories requires that technologists and technicians be provided training opportunities to keep abreast of developments. Training programs, including in-service workshops, Area or Regional refresher courses, Centers for Disease Control courses, etc., shall be established by the Areas. All technologists and technicians and aides are encouraged to participate in training activities, preferably biannually, to the extent that the Area can support this. It is vital to the program that all personnel be kept abreast of developments in the field of laboratory science.
Records and reports are required to be maintained by the laboratory. The manner in which the records are maintained can vary as long as the information is retrievable.
Information required:
All laboratories will participate in the College of American Pathologist's (CAP workload recording program. The ability to measure technical workloads in medical laboratories in a uniform manner is essential for management in order to review past experiences and for projection of future trends in equipment and staffing. To obtain this uniform measure of technical workloads each laboratory must participate EACH month in the CAP workload recording (WLR). The WLR is a management tool designed to effectively measure the productive time expended by technical, clerical, and aide staff. The CAP WLR is an established and validated system for providing essential management information. The CAP method is based on a standardized unit value per procedure that represents the mean number of laboratory workload units (expressed in minutes) of time required to perform all the steps necessary to complete the defined procedure once. These expressed units are specified time spent on a defined procedure. Nonspecified hours should be monitored.
The nonspecified hours are also used when developing staffing requirements. Nonspecified hours consist of the time spent in the laboratory doing tasks such as: administrative activities, computer oriented activities and those not set up in the specified WLR.
The WLR must be sent to CAP. by the 10th of each month to be entered in the CAP computer system. If the information does not reach CAP, by the l0th, there will be no information received for that month.
Management application received from CAP each month with the KR are: paid productivity, worked productivity and specified productivity. This data is a management aid designed to measure the productivity of the laboratory. and determine appropriate staffing requirements, space. requirements, current and projected service capabilities.
The Health Objectives of the Nation as presented by the Surgeon General are grouped into 3 categories: Preventive Health Services, Health Protection, and Health Promotion. Emphasis has traditionally been on primary prevention but it can be expected that parallel efforts in the secondary and tertiary realms will follow. Even the best primary prevention efforts will not prevent the development of diseases of intrinsic origin. Early case finding and the monitoring of therapy to minimize the progress of disease represents an important and traditional role for IHS Laboritorians.
Activities in which IHS Laboratorians should participate are:
Infection control for the clinic and hospital
Safety programs for the clinic, hospital, schools and community
Safety procedures for specimen handling by, non-laboratory individuals, patient and health-care providers.
Support the teaching of primary care providers concerning the need for appropriate prenatal and postnatal care, making a contribution to healthier, pregnancies and improved infant health.
Reduced sodium intake
Weight loss
Physical activity
Stress reduction
Over 100 different medical tests can be performed outside of the laboratory. Correlation studies and monitoring performance of users are laboratory responsibilities. Examples of medical tests that can be performed at home or at the bedside are:
Detection of occult blood
Pregnancy Tests
Public health nurses
Community health representatives; and
Community health aids.
Each laboratory must prepare a Laboratory Safety Manual, which should be readily available to all employees.
The safety responsibilities of the laboratory include the following:
NOTE: Beware of steam which will permeate heat ,resistant gloves.
To provide a uniform policy and procedure for indicating the presence of certain hazards that may not be apparent to the casual observer.
Concentration (if applicable)
Date Received (or prepared)
Date places in service
Storage requirements
Expiration Date
Caution required
Type of hazard (poison, irritant, inhalant, carcinogen) Precautions (do not pipet, avoid skin contact, do not inhale, use only in enclosed area, use only in ventilated area, etc.) Instruction in case of accident (wash immediately).
Heat resistant gloves are permeable, steam or hot liquids can soak through and cause injury.
Need for caution...........................CAUTION
Type of hazard..............................IRRITANT
Precautions to be observed ..... AVOID SKIN CONTACT.....DO NOT PIPET
Instructions in case of accident..... WASH EXPOSED AREA IMMEDIATELY
NOTE: If large quantities of a hazardous material are being disposed of, special precautions may be required. Local and regional regulations for environmental protection should be checked for compliance. Consideration should also be given to recovery and reclaiming materials.
NOTE: Inventories may have to be reported to the Director of Safety, DHHS annually, but the extent of the requirement is not certain. Inventory reporting may not be required for non-Federal laboratories.
A simple method of compliance is to use an isolation or glove box or safety cabinet to provide safe storage and controlled access.
Laboratories handling highly virulent infectious agents must have specific plans for handling accidents. Procedures for such circumstances are beyond the scope of this manual. The reader is referred to other sources such as DHEW publication CDC 75-8118, "Laboratory Safety at the Centers for Disease Control," Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia.
To prevent any possible nosocomial transmission of AIDS or other opportunistic infections to laboratory personnel.
Laboratory personnel handling blood and other samples from AIDS patients should be aware of the known, potential infectiousness of such samples. Groups at highest risk of acquiring AIDS continue to be homosexual males, intravenous drug users, Haitians and patients who are frequent recipients of blood and blood products (e.g. hemophiliacs.) The failure to identify cases. among friends, relatives and co-workers of AIDS patients provides evidence that casual contact offers minimal risk of acquiring the syndrome. No evidence currently exists that casual contact in the community or during the performance of one's job places a worker in any increased risk for acquiring AIDS.
A large percentage, perhaps all, of AIDS patients are infected with Cytomegalovirus (CMV). CMV infection of a fetus can be acquired in vitro, causing cytomegalic inclusion disease, a very serious and often fatal neonatal infection. AIDS patients also are frequently infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the virus responsible for infectious mononucleosis. Because of the prevalence of CMV and EBV in AIDS patients, it is recommended that female staff in the childbearing years be made aware of the risks of CMV infection in pregnancy.
Epidemiologic evidence suggests that, the transmission of AIDS is similar to that of Hepatitis B and because as many as 204 of the AIDS patients are chronic carriers of the Hepatitis B virus, Laboratory personnel should use the same precautions when handling specimens from patients with AIDS as those used for HBV.
Specifically laboratory personnel should avoid direct contact with blood, blood products, excretions, secretions and tissues of patients on AIDS precautions.
Isolation patients in IHS hospitals are clearly identified. This ensures the safety of all other patients and employees. Body fluids of AIDS patients should be treated with the same precautions taken from those patients with HBV. Notification of isolation precaution should appear on orders directed to various departments (e.g., Laboratory, Diagnostic Radiology, Dietary, Phlebotomy).
Needlesticks and specimen spills should be reported immediately to the Laboratory Supervisor as well as the Hospital Epidemiology Service and Employee Health Office.
All laboratory personnel should be aware of and follow precautions instituted for AIDS patients. Laboratory personnel should be made aware of both the known transmissibility of agents commonly infecting these patients (e.g., CMV, HBV, and EBV). The importance of following proper Laboratory procedures cannot be overemphasized.
Amounts disposed on this manner are negligible.
Complaints: Must be filed in writing and directed to:
Director of Regulatory Operations
US Atomic Energy Commission
Washington, DC 20545
It is reemphasized that not all of the policies listed above are required by law. The policies should be modified to comply, with prevailing State or Federal regulations and meet the needs of the individual laboratory in regard to the type and extent of exposure encountered.
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NEWS: Tue. Feb 22, 2011
Feb 22nd @ 6:13 pm
Steve Wilson asking Commissioners for increased funding…During the Montrose County Board of County Commissioners meeting this morning Steve Wilson approached the board requesting additional funding for the Naturita and Olathe Medical clinics. He pointed out that this past year the clinics have seen a significant increase in patients. County Manager Jesse Smith responded by saying [...]


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When are you the most productive?
If you're like most people, it's unlikely that you answered "during the day in the office." It might be early in the morning or late at night when no one else is around. It might be a special room in your house or a quiet spot in the library.
For me, it's when I'm on a plane. There are almost no interruptions, even if there is in-flight wireless. Of course, there are distractions – food, movies, seat mates – but for the most part these can be controlled by me. I choose to let them interrupt me.
I've previously blogged that research has shown people are not good at multitasking. It impairs your ability to think for yourself and increases the likelihood that you rely on conventional wisdom. Multitasking reduces productivity.
Jason Fried explores the causes of poor office productivity in a talk at TEDx Midwest by drawing an analogy between interrupting sleep and work. We know we don't feel rested if our sleep is interrupted; even if we sleep for many hours. By extension, we shouldn't expect to be productive if we're constantly interrupted, even if we're in the office for many hours.
Of course, hardly anyone has long stretches of uninterrupted time. A few years ago I was able to schedule my day in one-hour blocks; these days I track 15 minute increments. If we're not careful, we get lots of tasks done but precious little meaningful work.
Fried claims that the distractions don't come from Facebook or YouTube or other Web sites. In his words, these are "just modern-day smoke breaks that employees voluntarily take to clear their minds." While these inerrruptions are voluntary, the real problems are managers and meetings which force involuntary interruptions.
The talk challenges the conventional wisdom that employees are less productive when they work from home because they are more likely to be distracted. Instead, by keeping them away from managers and meetings, Fried believes that they will have higher productivity at home. They save commute time, they have higher job satisfaction and they are more productive. It makes me wonder whether corporations should be spending millions of dollars on large office buildings.
Fried suggests a three-part approach for helping employees be more productive when they are in the office:
Counter-intuitive, but intriguing. Would it work in your office?
Following me on Twitter (@jbecher) isn't work.
Other Recommended Reading
Mental Accounting Explains Why You Buy Things You Don't Need
So true – and the recommendations are interesting.
Only thing I'm not sure about: email – think that for anything that requires discussion rather than just notification, email tends to be very inefficient.
I couldn't agree more. As a manager, I've even tried to recognize which of my employees work better in the office and which work better from home or on the go. In this day and age, with all of the technology we have at our disposal, we now have some new considerations to take into account when building a productive team.
Notification from IM will disturb us a lot. So I removed all the IMs in my computer. Will Check mails only at the start or while shutting down my PC.
Time management works very differently with each individual. I found over the past year that I could not be productive using just online reminders and planning tools. I found that I work best with an old school pen and paper, writing down and scratching off tasks as they are completed. Though I am enamored and still use the online tools I work using them in conjunction with my own methods.
"No-talk Thursdays"? Yikes! Part of the psychological sense of being constantly interrupted is the reality of being confined, scrutinized, and lacking privacy. Rules to chill interaction would only add to that. When I worked as a writer in a startup with an understanding boss, I used to leave the office and work in a cafe down the street. People knew where to find me, yet I had some distance.


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Jeff Bercovici, Forbes Staff
I cover technology with an emphasis on social and digital media.
The Washington Post Co. reported its first-quarter earnings on Friday, and the news coming out of the newspaper division was mostly grim. The unit lost $22.6 million in the quarter, with revenue down 8% and revenue from print advertising specifically falling 17%.
Meanwhile, the Post just reported one of the biggest circulation drops of any major newspaper with the lucrative Sunday edition selling 5.2% fewer copies and the daily edition skidding almost 10%. Oh, and newsroom leaders are so distressed about the way the business decline is affecting them, they held a secret meeting with the paper's president, Steve Hills — without inviting executive editor Marcus Brauchli.
Now, are you ready for the really bad news?
Check out the chart below from AppData.com. It shows the number of monthly average users (MAU) of the Washington Post Social Reader, an app that encourages Facebook users to read and recommend articles from the Post's website.
For those readers who suffer from chart-blindness, AppData shows Social Reader's MAU falling from 17.4 million to 9.2 million over the past 30 days.
It would be hard to overstate the importance and centrality of the Social Reader to the Post's strategy. When I interviewed the Post Co.'s chief digital officer, Vijay Ravindran, earlier this year he pointed to the app as one of the company's most promising new products, a way of bringing precious new younger readers to a franchise that has been otherwise challenged to reach them.
It's in large part the promise of social-powered distribution that has induced Post chairman Don Graham to keep the paper's digital editions free. This even though other newspapers are having real success with various types of paywalls, and even though Warren Buffett, the company's biggest and most influential outside shareholder, has made it clear he thinks papers must charge for their digital content.
In other words, if the trend in the chart above is genuine and not some kind of blip, the Post needs to completely reevaluate the assumptions underlying its digital distribution strategy. And fast.
Update: It doesn't seem to be a blip. Buzzfeed's John Herrman notes that other Facebook-based media consumption apps, including the Guardian's, are showing signs of audience collapse as well.
Meanwhile, here's what an AppData spokeswoman told me, via email.
The data from AppData comes directly from Facebook. The data is accurate; no methodology/implementation change from AppData would cause the change.
Facebook is constantly testing how social readers/open-graph-enabled apps appear and and how much distribution they get in the news feed. This may impact the active user counts for all social reading apps, including others like The Guardian. For example, it recently started grouping social reader stories in a "Trending Articles" aggregation.
Many Facebook users are still learning about social reading apps, deciding whether they want to use them or not, and whether they want to share activity with their friends. The peak growth of the Washington Post Social Reader may have come from users trying it out, and since then has come back down.
Update 2: As AppData's spokeswoman suggested, the falloff does appear to Facebook's introduction of a "trending articles" module as a means of displaying social news articles in users' feeds. TechCrunch has details. Exactly what this means for the news organizations that were just starting to get used to all that new Facebook-powered readership is unclear. Says TechCrunch, "just because there was massive organic referral traffic to be had until now is no guarantee it will return."
Writing at GigaOm, Mathew Ingram says relying on social readers to drive traffic is a "Faustian bargain." As these (temporary?) drops in audience show, Facebook can deprive publishers of traffic as easily as it can bestow it upon them. When its own interests come into conflict with publishers' aims, Facebook will side with itself every time.
I feel that content producers really missed the mark when it comes to emphasizing the value and role of online advertising.
Advertisers feel that their online advertising dollars are wasted if they don't get action immediately, in the form of clicks or sales. This thinking is severely flawed. Does Burger King consider their TV dollars wasted if people don't drop the remote and run out for a Whopper as soon as the spot airs? No, response is measured in sales in the weeks or months after a campaign.
Digital media is different in the tracking it allows, but readers and viewers are the same. Those selling ads online need to emphasize that the game has not changed as much as people think.
I'm not saying WAPO isn't in trouble, but that app was one of the dumbest ideas ever. It's so annoying when you're on FB and you want to read an article, only to be told you have accept some App that wants your personal data. I always decline, then go google the headline because I don't need Wapo knowing everything I read. Not even to mention how annoying it would be for the App to alert all my friends to every article I happen to read. Can't I have some privacy in my reading habits. I'm guessing that why people turned off the App – it's just too intrusive. Doesn't mean people don't still check out content occasionally on the Wash Post.
Marc – I allow some of the apps, but give them limited access. When allowing, you can control who sees information. I always switch it from friends or everyone to just me.
They're less extreme than they used to be but the problem is often what information publishers wanted. The WP used to demand your friends' info, which is a complete non-starter for me. Now they want all of your likes and the ability to post as you, the former still being a deal-breaker for me. This is a common Facebook pathology: many people might be comfortable sharing their info but don't want to make the same decision for their friends and family.
More to the point, their marketing greed was enough that they broke all links for anyone who didn't sign up. I doubt they'll ever release the information but I'd imagine the bounce rate was staggering and they've definitely acquired a bad reputation which won't change easily.
Totally agree with Marc. I see so many articles via the Social Reader app that I want to read, but don't follow the app because I don't want all my friends to see what I read. The line, "This app will be able to post to your timeline," turns me off completely. If I click a link it should take me directly to the article then prompt me with the opportunity to share when I'm headed to another page or site. Get the people to your site first, then bug them about sharing your content.
I think the problem with frictionless sharing is the complete lack of friction. There should be a reminder that content is going to be shared (and an option not to share it) — a change Hulu recently introduced in their Facebook app. Otherwise, people are going to stop using them, as Washington Post Social Reader users appear to have done.
Yahoo news does it a much better way… and gives you lots of choices per story.
I guess I'm not sure what social media has to do with it. Surely I'm not the only former WaPost reader out there.
The Post aggressively kept moving its op-ed pages to the right, and I can't think of any reason why liberal readers would want to read a formerly liberal newspaper that has been a neo-conservative news organ for decades now.
It's not the newspaper it used to be and more's the pity for that.
I don't understand the idea behind these social readers. When I click on a post that's shared through one, there is literally NO way to see the content unless I install the app myself. They're turning away page views in droves by forcing readers to install the app, which if any of them have common sense, they won't do. The only people who click through are those who don't realize what they're doing. How many people using social reader do you think actually know every article they read is being shared online?
Good point, Paul – if I click on a news link in social media which then asks me to install an app, I tend to copy the title, open a new tab and paste it into my search bar – which is probably not the behavior they were hoping for, but I don't think an unusual response.