text:
Posts Tagged: community gardens
Growing Solutions in Urban Communities
On Saturday, March 31, Angelenos celebrated the Mayor's "Good Food Day of Service." Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, and numerous community partners organized this city-wide event to highlight the importance of healthy food and celebrate the legacy of César Chávez. There were 100 participating sites around the city, all featuring community service focused on healthy food access.
I participated at the Glassell Park Community Garden in Northeast Los Angeles by giving several short workshops on container gardening. I had not visited this garden before, and found its history especially interesting. Wedged between apartment buildings and houses, the garden just got started last July, yet already seems to be a hub of community activity. Previously, it was the site of a house that was a notorious drug distribution center. The story of this site was featured in the Los Angeles Times last April. The house was demolished and the lot donated to the City. The area's city councilman believed that a community garden on the site could help the neighborhood heal from years of exposure to criminal activity, and enlisted the partners necessary to make it happen.
In this situation, a community garden was viewed as part of a solution to an urban problem. The notion that growing gardens can help solve urban challenges is becoming common among policymakers. Many municipal leaders are now looking to community gardens and other types of urban agriculture to address issues that range from illegal dumping on vacant lots to lack of access to fresh produce in urban "food deserts." Cities around California and the U.S. are developing policies to support urban agriculture. San Diego, for example, recently passed new policies supporting urban agriculture. A summary of urban agriculture policies in other major US cities was recently released that shows how extensive this movement is across the country. Urban agriculture can encompass everything from community and school gardens, to small commercial farms, to raising bees and chickens in the city.
As for members of the Glassell Park Garden in Los Angeles, they are happy with their small piece of urban paradise. After a drawing, the winners of two remaining plots were announced Saturday, to the great excitement of all participants. To hear from one of the garden's organizers, who is also a UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener, visit this Good Food LA YouTube clip.
Urban agriculture can help improve access to healthful food
A community garden takes root
Growing your own food. Raising awareness of food and environmental injustice. And creating a green community. These are the goals of the UC Riverside community garden initiative called Cultivate R-Space. At the community garden – a student-run "living experiment" that partners with UCR Sustainability – students grow and harvest their own food such as tomatoes, squash, potatoes and lettuce. Those who want just the experience of working in the garden grow flowers.
Located on campus, the nearly quarter-acre community garden has 20 plots to offer. Tools, water and seeds are provided at no charge to users. UCR Dining Services supplies the compost.
"It's not as easy to work in the garden as it sounds," cautions Cynthia De Leon, a junior who got involved in managing and using the garden last year. "It requires energy and a whole lot of passion. If anything, the garden teaches you how hard it is to grow food and exposes you to issues surrounding food and agriculture. Working in the community garden takes commitment, time and effort. To make sure interested students are fully dedicated, we ask that they first volunteer about two hours a week. If after a few weeks they continue to show an interest, we assign them a plot."
A plan being worked out now by Cultivate R-Space is to allow faculty and staff to use the community garden for a small membership fee. The fees will kick in when the garden moves, in the very near future, to a location close to campus, occupying about an acre of land. Plans are also under way to get colleges on campus – the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Bourns College of Engineering – involved to promote research and hands-on learning about various social issues around agriculture and the modern food system. Serving as a learning platform, the community garden already is being used for soil science; the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program; and Undergraduate Research in the Community.
"Our goal is not to feed everyone with this garden, and we understand we cannot grow food for all," says junior Elizabeth Tizcareno, who also got involved with the garden last year. "This space is a model for tangible solutions that other communities in Riverside and elsewhere can adopt. The garden is an integral tool for researching how to develop sustainable neighborhoods. It is about developing a model that can be recreated elsewhere in order to sustain ourselves, our families, and live healthier and more equitable lives."
The community garden has helped launch an Urban Garden Seminar at UCR that De Leon and Tizcareno facilitate. Held in the spring quarter, the weekly seminar includes a discussion of a food-related topic, guest speakers and field trips.
"The seminar has opened up an invaluable learning space – with hands-on experience – for students to learn about the garden and agriculture, as well as food injustice, such as the very high cost of some foods, occurring in Riverside and elsewhere," Tizcareno says. "Food connects people and facilitates community formation. The goal of the seminar is that the students, even after they graduate, will create gardens in their communities for growing food."
Both De Leon and Tizcareno plan to attend freshman orientation each year to spread the word about Cultivate R-Space and how it works with community-based organizations such as Growcology, a nonprofit in Riverside that creates sustainable programs, and Riverside's Parks and Recreation Department. They hope to recruit many new users of the UCR Community Garden.
They plan, too, to take with them a sustainability award that Cultivate R-Space received in July 2011 from the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference: the Best Practice Award for Campus-Community Partnerships.
More information about Cultivate R-Space can be obtained by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Master Gardeners develop garden at Veterans' Home
Beautiful gardens are brimming with color and life at the Veterans' Home in Ventura. These gardens have been planned, planted and cared for by a group of Ventura County UCCE Master Gardeners and many people in the community.
Flowers and ornamental trees provide color and shade. Raised garden beds are filled with a wide assortment of vegetables to enhance nutrition and dinner salads of residents. An orchard of donated fruit trees has taken root on the west side of the building. Garden lectures provide enrichment for the mind.
An additional vegetable garden and succulent garden are planned.
Started shortly after the home opened, the gardens and the activity they generate provide much joy and nutrition to the Veterans' who reside at the home. To learn more, or if interested in becoming involved, contact Master Gardener Barbara Hill.
Raised garden beds allow elderly residents to garden without bending over.
A resident enjoys a 'dry stream bed' in the Veteran's Home Garden.
Grant High School grows food and leadership
Recently, UC's Agricultural Sustainability Institute gave me the opportunity to visit Grant Union High School in Sacramento to learn about their GEO Environmental and Design Academy, which includes a gardening and cooking program.
The school is in an economically challenged area, and about half the students are English language learners.
Teacher Ann Marie Kennedy said something interesting about the students enrolled in the program: "They are disconnected from agriculture, but they are not disconnected from food."
The Grant garden is essentially a shared school and community garden, which I believe is one of the best models for school garden sustainability. Community gardeners have individual plots, but assist in the school garden areas. Some of the community gardeners have children or grandchildren enrolled at Grant, but others are connected to the school simply through their love of gardening and the opportunity to cultivate food.
During our visit, we worked alongside the students to harvest, wash and chop vegetables to make chicken and vegetable chow mein and garden-fresh salad for lunch. We also sampled Grant's salsa, which is sold commercially, providing a real-life business incubator for seniors in the program.
The lunch was simple ... and simply amazing. Not only the food, but the chance to speak with students and learn about how the program has influenced their lives. The students said they are eating more fruits and vegetables and bringing the practice home to their families.
I ended my visit with enormous gratitude for the work of Grant Union High staff and profound awe for the students. I have a great deal of confidence in a future that includes their leadership.
But I also left with the idea that this exceptional program should not be the exception, but rather, the norm. If we are truly committed to a healthy future and a healthy nation, we need programs like this, that provide opportunities for youth engagement with soil, healthy food and mentors who will encourage their leadership abilities.
Victory Gardens: Join the garden revolution
Rose Hayden-Smith, Ventura County Cooperative Extension director and U.S. historian is passionate about the power and possibilities inherent in gardening. She uses her extensive knowledge of homefront war efforts to help influence public policy in regards to local food systems.
Earlier this year Dr. Hayden-Smith gave a lecture, Victory Gardens: Join the Garden Revolution, at the San Diego Natural History Museum about this topic.
More about the lecture.
At no point in our lifetimes has the interest in gardening, urban agriculture, and local food systems been so intense. It's coming from all fronts—economic need, challenges presented by climate change, community-development needs, health and nutrition, food security, reconnecting youth with land, changing understandings of how we use space in urban areas, and a growing desire of Americans for civic engagement and participatory democracy. The past has the ability to inform the present. Review historical case studies, learn about current national policies and models, and discover the future work needed to sustain the Victory Garden model as part of the overall local food movement. Also, learn about urban agriculture and how the local food-systems movement is addressing a wide range of challenges facing Americans today.
The presentation has been archived on our website. The presentation begins approximately six minutes into the video. In addition to the inspiring message, many sources for further reading and a way to connect to the movement are available towards the end.
Learn more about victory and community gardens on Ventura County Cooperative Extension's previous related posts.


text:
Developments, news and strategies for drug development specific to phase I through Phase III global clinical trial management, execution, project management and outsourcing. Go→
News, articles and issues specific to clinical trial practice and implementation at the investigative site level. Go→
Strategies and innovations related to how clinical professionals are utilizing technology internal and external to their organizations to advance clinical trials. Go→
News, articles and issues specific to laboratories role in the clinical trial, including ECG, imaging, genotyping, tissue samples and more. Go→
News, developments and strategies for clinical trials conduct in relation to the FDA, EMEA and other global regulatory authorities overseeing the drug development industry. Go→
News, articles and strategies related to clinical trial design which impact postmarketing studies, therapeutic areas, adaptive trials, statistics, protocols and more. Go→
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has appointed 10 members to its new Advisory Panel on Clinical Trials. These members will support PCORI's staff, Board, and Methodology Committee by providing expertise on the design and implementation of randomized controlled trials. Topics they will be advising include the selection of appropriate patient-centered outcomes, informed consent of study participants, periodic evaluations of PCORI's clinical trial portfolio, and the readiness of trial results for dissemination.
Read the full release here.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The weather's supposed to be wet and stormy this weekend. Just the perfect November weather for college football teams to slip and slide in the mud while dodging puddles on the field and scrambling to retain traction. Just the right conditions for the fans to travel to Rice Stadium and TDECU Stadium ... More >>
A more concrete picture of the high-speed bullet train from Dallas to Houston is emerging now that Texas Central Railway, the private company behind the multibillion dollar project, has revealed the two routes the line may take. The bullet train, meant to rival air travel between the two cities, w ... More >>
Back in 2010, when the wheels of realignment began to slowly grind college football's conference structure into the made-for-TV, geography-agnostic menu of fabricated rivalries, rumors abounded that the University of Texas would get the ball rolling by joining forces with the Big Ten. Largely a Mid ... More >>
Stop me if this sounds familiar. The heavily favored Houston Cougars open up the season at home against a team from Central Texas. But instead of winning the game by double digits, the Cougars are upset by double digits. Just replace Texas State with UTSA and make the final score 27-7. But there's o ... More >>
It's not always fun in the sun in Texas.
George Strait trivia time: do you know the second-to-last place King George will have ever played as a regular touring artist? If you had the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo Thursday night, you win, but sadly we still can't help you get tickets to the grand finale tomorrow night in Arlington's AT&T Stadium. ... More >>
Free Press Summer Fest dodged a pretty serious bullet this year. When festival officials announced that the grounds around Eleanor Tinsley Park needed to be evacuated around 2 p.m. last Saturday afternoon, some of us who were there had visions of pandemonium at the exits and the kind of heavy rains ... More >>
All future UHD buildings will have them.
Selena Gomez Reliant Stadium March 9th, 2014 There are plenty of reasons why Selena Gomez may have mailed in Sunday night's performance at RodeoHouston. Perhaps she didn't take the Daylight Saving Time change well. Perhaps as a North Texas native, she has an irrational dislike of Houston. Perhaps s ... More >>
If you live around here and you haven't heard about the Eagle Ford Shale oil and natural gas play in the past few years, you just haven't been paying attention. The shale play that stretches from South Texas into Mexico is one of the key developments that has revitalized the U.S. energy sector after ... More >>
The Republican Party has changed since George W. Bush's presidency -- it is more conservative. Indeed, many conservatives blamed Bush for the party's woes because he was insufficiently Republican (of course, these complaints only started in 2006 with electoral defeats, there was a deafening silence ... More >>
Oil industry types and environmentalists alike have been arguing about the Keystone XL Pipeline for years now. Oil people wanted the Transcanada line put in because it would tote barrels worth of bitumen, the sticky black tar sands crude, thousands of miles from Canada to the Gulf Coast. But now, de ... More >>
As the tributes and memorials keep pouring out for George P. Mitchell, father of fracking, savior of Galveston and creator of the Woodlands, it seems pretty clear that he was a pretty cool dude. In fact, Mitchell was cool enough that he and famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking were buddies w ... More >>
It must be a tricky thing being the Environmental Protection Agency, especially when it comes to the political minefield that is fracking. Hydraulic fracturing - the process of shooting sand, water and chemicals into an oil well to get the oil and natural gas trapped in the formation flowing - is a ... More >>
We've all seen the video. We couldn't help watching it, how the flames were licking the sides of the building, the smoke was coming out in plumes. We watched it, knowing what was about to happen, but it still came as a surprise when the fireball erupted and the fertilizer plant in that small North T ... More >>
Even as Randy Travis clings to life in a North Texas hospital, his spartan brand of country music feels like a thing of the past. At the very least, it's hard to imagine songs like "Forever and Ever, Amen" or "Deeper Than the Holler" ever crying out for a "Cruise"-style remix. Or the North Carolina- ... More >>
These new Texans tailgating songs are guaranteed to give you a winning season.
Once upon a time, way back when, the United States was at the top of the oil-production food chain, because, basically, you could poke a hole in the ground seemingly just about anywhere and the black gold would come bubbling up. (Seriously, that's basically what happened when they dug down 1,139 fee ... More >>
Most people reading about the killings of Kaufman County officials earlier this year - Mark Hasse, an assistant district attorney was shot on the courthouse steps in January, then District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife were found dead in their home on Easter weekend - responded with the appro ... More >>
"It's hog killin' weather," my grandmother announced in weary voice, her East Texas twang hobbling the words as they spilled out. It's hawg killun waythuh. She sat her purse down on the kitchen counter and shuffled into the living room as my mother closed the garage door behind us with a sigh. No on ... More >>
UPDATED (Thursday, 2:50 p.m.) to reflect the Houston-area roots of a few ACL performers this year, as pointed out by reader comments. We stand by our original point, though. As most of our readers no doubt know by now, the Austin City Limits Music Festival announced its 2013 lineup at the stroke of ... More >>
After two bombs exploded at today's Boston Marathon -- with a third reportedly detonating at JFK Library minutes ago -- Houston's local media scene has attempted to gather the facts of the fast-breaking story. However, instead of doing the tradition leg-work that, you know, delineates the media's re ... More >>
Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're in there too. See the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link. If you spend any time at Fitzgerald's, you ... More >>
TSU restarts its jazz program, tapping into the talents of the fabled Joe Sample and kids looking for a place to play.
Unless you're actively seeking out the absolute gnarliest music you can find, it's easy to forget that there's a whole world of extreme sounds out there, roiling just underground. Local grindcore destructors P.L.F. (neé Pretty Little Flower) have seen a pretty big chunk of that world. Since forming ... More >>
While the rest of the music business has been slow to awaken from its holiday slumbers, the biggest shows in Houston this weekend come from two artists who have been up a long, long time -- 87 years, to be exact: Bluesman B.B. King and country crooner Ray Price. (Actually, Price will turn 87 on Satu ... More >>
"Well, gentlemen, you are about to see a baked Appel." Those were the last words of one George Appel, a cop-killer electrocuted by the state of New York back in 1928, and it might just be the greatest such utterance of all time. Not that Appel hasn't had some competition over the years. At his 196 ... More >>
It's been a big year for craft beer in Texas. One of the biggest stories, however, is news that hasn't quite made its way down to Houston. Dallas is currently experiencing a boom in breweries as big as, if not bigger than, the expansion Houston and Austin have seen in past years. Dallas/Fort Worth a ... More >>
This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we're counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston's cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least o ... More >>
Houston's ten best iced coffee crinks
Master distiller Troy Smith points to a few sacks of corn on the floor of the small warehouse that houses Yellow Rose Distillery in a quiet, residential area just north of Tomball. "We use organic corn from North Texas," he says. "And we grind it all by hand." That corn is the most important ingred ... More >>
My grandmother and grandfather had their first date at a Mexican restaurant in Oak Cliff, just south of downtown Dallas, after the end of World War II. These days, there are still plenty of Mexican restaurants to be found in this rapidly gentrifying part of town, but it's now also home to an eclecti ... More >>
It's no secret that the Houston Cougars (4-0) have problems when it comes to playing the UTEP Miners (2-2). No matter how good the Coogs might be, or how bad the Miners might be, the game is a struggle. They've played eight times, and each team has won four times. The Coogs are 2-1 for the past thr ... More >>
The UCLA cheerleaders probably weren't too happy after Saturday's gameThe Houston Cougars did their best impersonation of the Houston Texans on Saturday. They dominated the first half, playing a fantastic two quarters that masterfully mixed their passing and running games. Case Keenum showe ... More >>
Bad teachers abound in Texas.Recent weeks have seen a rash of cases involving high school teachers having sexual relationships with students past the age of consent. These cases differ from sexual assaults in that while they are second-degree felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison, ... More >>
I got to cross another item off of my list of radio career "firsts" this past week, attending my first Radio Row in Dallas for this year's Super Bowl from Monday through Wednesday. For someone that grew up on sports talk radio, the feeling I got walking around Radio Row was the same feelin ... More >>
The Owls soar over the PiratesThe Rice Owls have shown glimpses of what the offense can do when everything comes together. The running game has worked at spots. The passing game to the tight ends has been mostly effective. Teams have had trouble with the Owls when running the wildcat.But th ... More >>
The Owls season resembles a natural disasterThe season didn't start out this way for Rice. Sure they lost to Texas, but they were competitive and they stayed close for most of the game. They struggled against North Texas, but still got the win. The loss to Northwestern stung, but once again ... More >>
Thanks for the Iraq War, RangersIf you're an Astros fan, you might be surprised to learn that the baseball season did not end back in July -- that was just when the Astros season was deemed over. Baseball has continued to be played and, for the first time ever, the Texas Rangers are within a step ... More >>
Texas music legend Rusty Wier has passed away according to a post from North Texas disc jockey Shayne Hollinger on the Galleywinter Texas music chat site. One of the original Austin Cosmic Cowboys with the likes of Jerry Jeff Walker and Michael Martin Murphy, Wier has been a fixture on the Texas ... More >>
Houston, whenever you worry the right-wing loons are making you look bad, take solace in this: There's always Dallas.North Texas was perhaps the country's capital of the awe-inspiring movement that kept schoolkids from hearing a president speak about staying in school. And the Dallas area played ... More >>
Not many acts on MySpace list as their influences Merle Haggard and Fleetwood Mac. Or George Jones and Sheryl Crow. But Dallas outfit Blacktop Gypsy does, and it doesn't take many listens to their music to get the connections. Certainly the template is country but with three women in the mix there's ... More >>
As loyal Houstonians, far be it from us to pass up a chance to make fun of our neighbors a few hundred miles up I-45, but this time we're hardly the only ones. Dallas showed up on NBC's Today show, popular music blog Idolator and XXL magazine's Web site – and that's just this morning - for ... More >>
Vlog Spot
Finally, someone figures out how to craft an interesting rock/hip-hop blend
Sometimes in the game of cops and robbers, telling your story is no defense
Young conservatives start to monitor liberal college profs
How Ken Bentsen got run over by a rainbow


text:
& Deals
& Celebrations
or Login
Join FREE
Log In
Sandwich a rainbow of frozen fruit flavors between layers of prepared angel-food cake in this fairytale-pretty frozen confection, dressed in a swirl of whipped-cream frosting.
©2013 General Mills, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This information will only be used to send an email to your friend(s) and will not be saved. Please read our Privacy Policy.
A long serrated knife or an electric knife works well for slicing the cake.
Winter Fruit and Nut Cake
Macadamia Fudge Torte
Lime-Kiwi Cloud with Strawberry Sauce
Molten Mocha Cakes
Strawberries and Cream Pie
Grands!® Good Morning Orange-Walnut Biscuits


text:
1,956 results
SORT BY Relevancy
Care Break: What's the Worst Caregiving Emotion?
in Caregiving
Tell us: What's the worst caregiving emotion?
Your Seven Significant Caregiving Moments
in Caregiving
Join Denise and Bruce McIntyre for another episode of Care Break. In this show, we'd love know: What are your seven significant caregiving moments? Call us during our show to share yours.
About Bruce: Bruce lives to encourage and inspire as many people as possible, especially caregivers and those living with a chronic condition. He is the author of *Resilient Life *and *Graceful Transitions. *He has served as a non-profit, church, and business leader. You can purchase *Graceful Transitions* at caregiving.com and read more from Bruce at brucemcintyre.com.
Innovating Caregiving Solutions
in Caregiving
Linda Noelker, Senior Vice President of the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, will join Denise to discuss the Innovation in Caregiving Award. The award recognizes adults who, in the course of caring for an adult aged 60 or older invents a device or technique that solves a caregiving challenge or finds a new application for an existing device or technique that supports caregiving and eases the burden on caregivers.
Mary Stoudemire, a family caregiver and 2012 award winner, will discuss her past winning design: a lap capelet she designed for her sister.
Care Break: What's the Best Caregiving Emotion?
in Caregiving
Join Denise and Bruce McIntyre for another edition of Care Break.
In this show, they'll share their thoughts about the best caregiving emotion. Feel free to cal and share yours.
Is Caregiving a Burden?
in Caregiving
Give us a call tonight and share your thoughts about this question:
Is caregiving a burden?
To Survive Caregiving
in Health
How does a doctor cope when she specializes in older adults and struggles to care for her own ailing parent?
Join host Tami Neumann as she sits down in conversations with Dr. Cheryl Woodson as she shares her experience as a daughter caregiver and her work as a Geriatrician.
You will find practical no nonsense advice on taking care of your loved ones and how to survive caregiving.
Learn more about Dr. Woodson.
Caregiving and Caring for Yourself: Essentials
in Health
November is National Family Caregivers Month. According to the Caregiver Action Network, about 29% of the U.S. population will provide care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member or friend during a given year, spending an average of 20 hours a week providing care. On this show, we'll discuss the issue of caregiving, why it's so important for caregivers to take time for themselves, and the ways in which men and women differ when it comes to what each needs. No calls - listen only mode.
Dating During Caregiving
in Caregiving
Michele-Marie Roberts of http://wavelengthdating.com discusses dating during caregiving and how to introduce a new love to your caregiving situation.
Guilt, Kids and Caregiving
in Caregiving
G-J, who cares for her husband and they raise their son, and Angela, who cares for her mom as she raised her two children, join Denise to talk about fighting the guilt when kids and caregiving collide.
Dating During Caregiving
in Caregiving
As a former caregiver to another adult and a single parent raising two young sons with autism, Michele-Marie Roberts understands the problems well; but after a particularly disastrous date, she decided to take matters into her own hands. The result is WAVELENGTH dating, http://wavelengthdating.com, a dating website that makes it easy for people like her to meet other singles on their same wavelength.
Michele-Marie will offer tips and suggestions to help you feel comfortable and confident as you date during your caregiving experience.
Co-Caregiving with a Sibling
in Caregiving
Michelle, who cared for her mom, talks with Denise about sharing caregiving responsibilities with her brother.
Facing Decisions During Caregiving
in Caregiving
What's it like to face and manage decisions during caegiving? Trish, who cares for her brother, and Chris, who cares for his partner, join Denise for a discussion about decisions during caregiving. Trish and Chris both blog on CareGiving.com.
Trish also edits our CareGifters book series; our lastest book in the series is the recently-released Decisions. Trish and Chris also will discuss their contributions to the Decisions book.
- ...
Today's Best Podcasts
Join Host Live Chats
- Smart Politricks (3 chatters)


text:
What are you reading the week of October 27- November 2?
Find a Conversation
What are you reading the week of October 27- November 2?
|Mon, 10-28-2013 - 1:22pm
So what are you reading this week?
Are you reading anything special for Halloween?
|Mon, 10-28-2013 - 7:29pm
I just going to start The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold.
This book involves the mysterious disappearance of a man but I didn't choose it because it's Halloween.
|Tue, 10-29-2013 - 2:43pm
I'm still reading Lady Lazarus by Michelle Lang. I've only got about 40 pages left to go, I'm liking it a lot. The main character is an untrained teenage Jewish witch in 1938 in Hungary. There's another book with these characters.
Next up is Devilish by Maureen Johnson. And no, this isn't Halloween- themed for me, either.


text:
Tag: Zombies (1-10 of 79)
'The Walking Dead': Welcome to Terminus
Last week's episode of The Walking Dead hit new levels on the WTF?!? meter as Lizzie stabbed her sister Mika and then Carol put a bullet in Lizzie's brain. How would the AMC drama follow that up while also setting the table for next week's season 4 finale? Well, we just found out. [SPOILER ALERT: Read on only if you have already watched Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead.] READ FULL STORY
'Family Feud' player's zombie answer is an epic fail -- VIDEO
One contestant's answer on the game show Family Feud made for a moment that was both awkward and hilarious.
When host Steve Harvey asked the players to name something they knew about zombies, contestant Christie's kneejerk reaction was to make a comment on race. The moment makes for some jaw-dropping television, but it is Harvey's hilarious reaction that really makes this clip funny.
Watch the segment from Family Feud below:
What I'm Watching Now: The fantastic anti-zombie drama 'The Returned'
If you've already bingewatched every single critically acclaimed show out there, and you're wondering what to watch next, TV critic Melissa Maerz has a few suggestions. Her column, "What I'm Watching Now," is devoted to the best underhyped series on television (or Amazon, or Netflix, or whatever iDevice you're using), whether they're just premiering or have been lingering on your friends' season pass queues for years.
When is a zombie not a zombie? Do you have to be a full-fledged skull-munching, low-moaning, slow-walker to qualify? Or is being "undead" more of a philosophical problem, one that's less about the flesh than it is about the braaain?
My coworkers and I have been debating this lately, because many of us are addicted to the French drama The Returned, one of the coolest, creepiest new shows on TV. (It premieres Halloween night on Sundance. Watch it now so you're up to speed when Carlton Cuse of Lost adapts it for American television.) It's nothing like The Walking Dead. So everyone wants to know: Can you really call it a zombie drama if nobody's corpse is rotting?
Watching the drama unfold — slowly, moodily, over a goosebumpy soundtrack by Mogwai — you might find yourself waiting for some nightstalker to suddenly flip out and gorge himself on pancreas and spleen, just to stop everything from feeling so impossibly chic, so impeccably French. But The Returned strips away the usual conventions of the genre, which is exactly what makes it so deeply unsettling. What's left is an affecting meditation on grief. The story begins with a hold-your-breath shot of school bus careening off an Alpine cliff, with children trapped inside. (I got flashbacks of The Sweet Hereafter.) Four years later, as the victims' families gather for a group therapy session, one of the children who was killed in the crash comes back: 15-year-old Camille (Yara Pilartz) suddenly shows up inside her mother's house, ravenously hungry — but only for spaghetti. Soon, others like Camille start appearing all over town. There's Simon (Pierre Perrier), the sexy drummer with the Strokes haircut, who's searching for his fiance, unaware that she's now engaged to another man. There's Victor (Swann Nambotin), the strange little boy who lurks in bus stops. Oh, and there's Serge (Guillaume Gouix), the serial killer who guts his victims and snacks on their organs. Uh… yum?
But despite Serge's fondness for human paté, none of the "returned" are particularly zombie-like. (This seems to be a trend lately: just look at the perfectly preserved dead boy in ABC's upcoming series Resurrection, or the lifelike teenagers in BBC America's In the Flesh.) They're all impossibly young, with apple cheeks and dewy eyes and stylish, maggot-free outfits. They use actual words rather than just vowel sounds, and they're able to convey real emotions beyond "vaguely starving" or "frustrated that I must drag this decaying foot behind me." Yes, they've been resurrected for mysterious reasons — it has something to do with rising dam levels, an erratic power supply, and other things that make people who work for the French government shout, "Zut Alors!" — but other than that, they're pretty normal. "Am I some kind of zombie?" Camille asks the local priest, Pierre (Jean-François Sivadier). "No, you're not some kind of zombie," he replies. "Than what am I?" she asks. The answer? Something much scarier. Sadder, too. Maybe she's just like the rest of us.
'The Walking Dead' cast, more celebs celebrate the comic book's 10th anniversary at Comic-Con party
The Walking Dead took Comic-Con by storm yet again with another packed Hall H panel on Friday, but the celebrations for the zombie series didn't stop there. Celebs and other Comic-Con attendees celebrated the comic book and the AMC TV show it inspired at a party near the San Diego Convention Center last night.
A follow-up to last year's 100th issue celebration for The Walking Dead in Petco Park during Comic-Con, this year's Hyundai-sponsored event celebrating the comic book's 10th anniversary was in a parking lot in downtown San Diego. (Zachary Levi's Nerd HQ had commandeered Petco Park.)
Weezer performed at the event — so yes, a bunch of Hollywood celebs did rock out to A-lister wannabe anthem "Beverly Hills." Nathan Fillion beelined for the center of the pit in front of the stage as soon as he arrived. Among the other attendees were Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin, Fillion's Castle co-star Molly Quinn, Buffy alum Seth Green, and Vampire Diaries actor Paul Wesley. Of course, talent from AMC's The Walking Dead were also in attendance, including Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene), David Morrissey (the Governor), comic book creator and executive producer Robert Kirkman, and Danai Gurira (Michonne).
'World War Z' is actually the story of Brad Pitt
World War Z doesn't really fit in with Brad Pitt's filmography. He might be one of the most famous and instantly recognizable human beings in the history of eyesight, but Pitt has mostly avoided the summer-blockbuster game. The last time he headlined big-budget PG-13 action films was 2004's Troy and 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith — and even in those films, Pitt's characters weren't exactly typical heroes. (Achilles was a prideful douche rocket; Mr. Smith was a cheerful sociopath hunting down his own wife.) READ FULL STORY
This week's cover: Brad Pitt's epic struggle to make 'World War Z'
Nobody ever said making the most expensive zombie movie of all time would be easy. For Brad Pitt and the filmmakers behind the upcoming thriller World War Z, it certainly hasn't been. This week's issue of EW takes you inside the tumultuous production of the blockbuster hopeful, which has involved reshoots, re-writes, and a budget that has ballooned from $125 million to over $170 million. "These movies are very intricate puzzles, and you have to keep winding the mechanisms," Pitt says, while on the Paramount lot. READ FULL STORY
EW's Entertainers of the Year: Joss Whedon on how 'The Avengers' exposed his angry inner Hulk
There are good years, and then there are great years, and then there are the kinds of years that Joss Whedon had in 2012. In May, Lionsgate released Cabin In The Woods, the long-delayed, widely acclaimed po-mo horror flick, co-written and produced by the cult pop auteur. (Drew Goddard co-wrote and directed the film.) In July, Whedon attended Comic-Con and celebrated the tenth anniversary of his gone-too-soon TV series Firefly at one of the most emotional panels the annual fan-fest has ever seen. In September, Whedon went to the Toronto International Film Festival and premiered Much Ado About Nothing, a micro-budget, literally homemade adaptation of the Shakespeare comedy. "That was an incredible experience," recalls Nathan Fillion, who stars in the film (set for release next summer). "The man got three standing ovations before he got on stage. That's just indicative of the kind of fandom that Joss creates. I have never seen anything like it." In October, The CW aired – for the first time on television – Whedon's 2008 Emmy-winning online opus Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Shortly before Halloween, the man who created Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and Dollhouse took to the Web to say a few words about the defining issue of the 2012 presidential campaign – a zombie apocalypse – via a very funny, very personal, very partisan video viewed by over 7 million people.
Oh, and there was Marvel's The Avengers. Whedon wrote and directed that, too. Grossed $1.5 billion worldwide. Maybe you saw it.
'ZombiU preview': Plus in-game images of brain-hungry Brits -- EXCLUSIVE
The most promising title launching alongside Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console doesn't star Mario or any of his Mushroom Kingdom pals, but rather a bunch of brain-craving walking corpses. That's right, following a full afternoon of hands-on time with many of the family-friendly hardware's day-one offerings, it's the very Mature-rated ZombiU that's got me anxious to get back behind that funky new gamepad.
Set in modern-day London, Ubisoft's fresh take on the rotting flesh genre puts players in the midst of a plague that's turned most of our friends from across the pond into crazed people-eaters. While undead hordes are as common as exploding barrels and breakable crates in contemporary games, they're treated as something different in ZombiU: an actual threat. Forgoing the action-movie antics of recent horror titles in favor of a terrifying survival experience, ZombiU is more about staying alive than pumping buckshot into bad guys. READ FULL STORY
'Walking Dead' graph breaks down every episode
Have you ever wondered why you keep watching The Walking Dead, even when nothing ever seems to happen? Well, thanks to this colorful graph from the good people over at Blame It On The Voices, now we know and — spoiler alert! — it's because all the episodes follow basically the same pattern. Check it out below (NSFW):
Latest Videos
- 'Dancing With the Stars' season 19 champ is...
- 'The Voice': Two eliminated singers are...
- Ferguson police officer gives first TV Q&A
- 'Sherlock' first photo from new special
- 'Insurgent' music gig to Joseph Trapanese
- Joel McHale's 'Comments Section' pilot at E!
- 'Hart of Dixie' return moved up to Dec. 15
- Bill Cosby biographer tweets: 'I was wrong'
- George Eads exiting 'CSI'
- 'Star Wars VII' trailer debuts this weekend
From Our Partners
TV Recaps
Wed, Nov 26 | ABC Comments +
Wed, Nov 26 | The CW Comments +
Wed, Nov 26 | Fox Comments +
Wed, Nov 26 | The CW Comments +
Wed, Nov 26 | NBC Comments +
Tue, Nov 25 | NBC Comments +


text:
Drag the home icon in this panel and drop it onto the "house icon" in the tool bar for the browser
Select "Yes" from the popup window and you're done!
Associated Press
AUBURN, Wash. — Seven people were wounded, at least two critically, when a gunman opened fire at a casino near Seattle, authorities said.
Auburn Police Commander Jamie Sidell said the shooting happened at a nightclub inside the Muckleshoot Casino at about 1:30 a.m. PDT Sunday.
An armed, 42-year-old Covington-area man entered the club looking for a woman who was possibly his wife or girlfriend, Sidell said. He discovered her with another man and shot them both.
The man then fired multiple rounds, hitting five more people, Sidell said.
He started to flee the club, but a security officer tackled him. The man was detained and has been arrested, Sidell said.
Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg said four of the victims _ three women and a man _ were brought to her Seattle facility, about 30 miles north of Auburn. She said two were in critical condition and two were serious.
The other three shooting victims were transported to Valley Medical Center in Renton, which declined to release information on their conditions Sunday.
Two other people received minor injuries while trying to flee the scene with the rest of the crowd, police said.
No names were released. Sidell said the suspect likely would have an initial court appearance Monday.
Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press


text:
Bronze Regent Chandelier
Item# 093523
$1,699.00 $1,427.16
Item#: 093523
in stock, ships Premier Home Delivery, allow 2 to 4 weeks
Product Actions
The Details
Bronze Regent Chandelier
$1,699.00 $1,427.16
Dimensions: 31" dia. x 40" h
Item#: 093523
Inspired by the opulence of Versailles, this formal statement piece is grand in scale. With laced filigree and an embossed body, it's finished in antiqued bronze. Antique glazed, octagonal crystals flow gracefully from the top and are gathered gently underneath.
- If chandelier shades are used, maximum wattage decreases to 25 watt candelabra bulbs.
- Ships with three feet of hand-painted chain and seven feet of wire.
- All metal sealed and lacquered.
- Professional installation recommended.
The Short List
$44.00 $36.96
Item# 099317S
Starting at $3,599.00 $2,843.21
Item# 727229
$2,249.00 $2,001.61
Item# 306106
$4,499.00 $4,004.11
Item# 306108


text:
Drag the home icon in this panel and drop it onto the "house icon" in the tool bar for the browser
Select "Yes" from the popup window and you're done!
By PoliceOne Staff
PASO ROBLES, Calif. — Officer Brett Oswald was killed Sunday by a passing vehicle that struck his parked cruiser.
Officer Oswald responded to a report that a vehicle had hit a tree on South River Road in Paso Robles, Calif. After investigating, the officer determined that no accident had occurred and that the vehicle was abandoned. He called for a tow truck and was waiting next to his patrol car, when a passing vehicle crossed the double yellow lines and struck his cruiser. The force of the impact rammed the patrol car into Officer Oswald.
The officer was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.


text:
An integrated medical database system for the emergency medical transportation business. The system includes a dispatch and demographic module, a clinical module, an administration module and a billing module. Each module may communicate data with one or more of the other modules to form a system incorporating data sharing, thus achieving an end-to-end automation of emergency medical care accounting. Internal consistency checks are performed by the system to ensure that proper treatments are performed according to a chosen diagnosis. The system includes a billing modifier module operating on data from the dispatch and demographic module. In one embodiment, the billing modifier module applies Geographic Practice Cost Index (GPCI) and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) billing modifiers based on modifiable computerized rules so as to provide a more accurate charge to the payer. The results of the billing modifier module are forwarded to the billing module.
1. An integrated emergency medical transportation database system having a billing modifier module, the system comprising:
a medical emergency database configured to store at least clinical encounter information and transport information, wherein the transport information is associated with the clinical encounter information by at least including a location of a patient medical emergency; and
a billing modifier module configured to access the clinical encounter location stored in the medical emergency database and configured to compare the clinical encounter location to a list of geographic areas, and further configured so that the result of the comparison is used to determine at least one billing modifier to be applied to the medical charges associated with the medical emergency.
2. The system of
3. The system of
4. The system of
5. The system of
6. The system of
7. The system of
8. The system of
9. The system of
10. The system of
11. A method of billing modification for an integrated emergency medical transportation database system, the method comprising:
collecting at least clinical encounter information and transport information into a medical emergency database, wherein the transport information is associated with the clinical encounter information by at least including a location of a patient medical emergency;
accessing the clinical encounter location stored in the medical emergency database;
comparing the clinical encounter location to a list of geographic areas;
determining a billing modifier based on the comparison; and
applying the billing modifier to the medical charges associated with the medical emergency.
12. The method of
13. The system of
14. The method of
15. The method of
16. The method of
17. The method of
18. The method of
19. The system of
20. The system of
21. The system of
22. The system of
23. The system of
24. The system of
25. The system of
26. The system of
27. The method of
28. The method of
29. The method of
30. The method of
31. The method of
32. The method of
33. An integrated emergency medical transportation database system having a billing modifier module, the system comprising:
a medical emergency database configured to store at least clinical encounter information and transport information, wherein the transport information is associated with the clinical encounter information by at least including a location of a patient medical emergency; and
a billing modifier module configured to access the clinical encounter location stored in the medical emergency database and configured to compare the clinical encounter location to a list of geographic areas, and further configured so that the result of the comparison is used to determine at least one enhancement factor to be applied to the medical charges associated with the medical emergency.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/246,263, filed Nov. 6, 2000 and titled �INTEGRATED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION DATABASE SYSTEM WITH APPLICATION OF BILLING MODIFIERS,� which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/007,644 entitled �DATA ACCURACY FILTER FOR INTEGRATED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION DATABASE SYSTEM,� filed on even date herewith, U.S. application Ser. No. 10/007,641 entitled �COMPLIANCE AUDIT FOR INTEGRATED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION DATABASE SYSTEM,� filed on even date herewith, and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/012,884 entitled �INTEGRATED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION DATABASE AND VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK SYSTEM,� filed on even date herewith.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an integrated medical database system. More specifically, this invention relates to a billing modifier module for a medical database in the emergency medical transportation industry.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Current documentation procedures in the medical transport industry are based on an inefficient paper and pencil technology. Important information is frequently collected on loose sheets of paper. In the environment of emergency medical transport, little time is available to neatly chart and document all pertinent and required information on a single document. Dispatch data, demographic data and clinical data are normally tracked as fragmented pieces of information that are later coalesced into a complete patient chart. In many cases, these data include the same information, thus forcing the input of redundant information. The resultant chart is therefore vulnerable to being incomplete and unreliable. In a medical setting, incomplete information can lead to disastrous clinical results.
This same technology is used to support industry quality improvement and billing procedures and submit letters of transport justification. This paperwork is usually carried out well after the date the patient is encountered, prolonging account receivable times in many instances to the point of compromising and jeopardizing service compensation. Inventory stocking and tracking is similarly a victim of extended turnover times and is often incomplete and inaccurate.
The fragmentation throughout the medical transport environment is also evident in the myriad of entities throughout the country practicing different standards of care and documentation. As is the case in other segments of the healthcare industry, even seemingly simple tasks of communicating among the various entities, as well as among sections of a single providing entity, is severely hampered by the lack of a common communication format. This is especially evident when certain aspects of the system (such as computerized clinical laboratory result displays) have been upgraded with a uniquely tailored computerized system, while the remaining functions are still performed in an archaic manner. While the upgraded system may be effective for one singular aspect, such as dispatching, lab reporting, or chart dictating, the remainder of the system does not improve its effectiveness due to the other archaic components.
Current federal reimbursement changes for medical transportation are directed to acknowledge rural transports as being more expensive to accomplish because of the distances involved and the lower volume of transports. Current methods of attaching these modifiers are labor intensive and error prone. In many cases they are just not done because of the difficulty in applying them. There are significant financial benefits to adding these modifiers correctly and there are significant compliance risks to adding them incorrectly. What is desired is a capability to consistently apply transport associated modifiers in a compliant fashion. Furthermore, a capability where billing modifiers are applied to transport information would enhance a medical database system and is therefore also needed. Such billing modifiers would allow rural providers a financial advantage to offset low volumes of work, for example.
One aspect of the present invention is an integrated emergency medical transportation database system having a billing modifier module, the system comprising a medical emergency database configured to store at least clinical encounter information, patient demographic data and transport information; and a billing modifier module, wherein the billing modifier module accesses a clinical encounter location stored in the medical emergency database and compares the clinical encounter location to a list of geographic areas, and wherein the result of the comparison is used to apply billing modifiers to the medical charges associated with the medical emergency.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of billing modification for an integrated emergency medical transportation database system, the method comprising collecting at least clinical encounter information, patient demographic data and transport information into a medical emergency database; accessing a clinical encounter location stored in the medical emergency database; and comparing the clinical encounter location to a list of geographic areas, wherein the result of the comparison is used to apply a billing modifier to the medical charges associated with the medical emergency.
The following detailed description presents a description of certain specific embodiments of the present invention. In this description, reference is made to the drawings wherein like parts are designated with like numerals throughout.
For convenience, the discussion of the invention is organized into the following principal sections: Introduction, Hardware Overview, Data Flow Between Modules, Description of Software Module, and Conclusion.
In certain embodiments, the present invention relates to an object oriented, interactive, international, client-server service for the medical transport industry. The service may integrate all aspects of patient record documentation into a single complete electronic chart. A server computer provides chart database information access to multiple transport providers simultaneously by securely transmitting, storing and maintaining standardized patient data, for instance, using guidelines set forth by the Scrambling Standards Organization. Individual transport-providing entities, such as helicopter and ambulance companies, obtain coded access to this server via phone lines with a modem equipped personal computer. Security is maintained by assigning each entity a unique code or identifier. Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) lines, Digital Satellite Systems (DSS), dedicated trunk lines (T1, T3, etc.), cable modem, DSL, or digital wireless systems may also be used for communication.
Each crew member involved in the patient's chart documentation, i.e., dispatcher, flight nurse, paramedic and physician, as well as administrator and collector, possess coded access to chart portions relevant to their responsibilities and level of care provided. The chart is then electronically generated from the compendium of the information entered in a standardized fashion and in accordance with minimum industry documentation requirements and the inventory of financial health care standards. The system provides complete and accurate chart documentation and maintains internal consistency between each separate module. Furthermore, any sentinel events are automatically referred to the appropriate, responsible party. A sentinel event is any action during the encounter that might require a further review. Examples of sentinel events are scene times exceeding 40 minutes, nonsensical or inconsistent data entry by an emergency transport crew member, supply shortages for equipment not utilized or repeated claim denials.
Billing can be submitted electronically to the appropriate party in an appropriate format that reduces the accounts receivable times for each patient encounter. Letters of justification are automatically generated as well as follow up letters and utilization review reports. Inventory reports and lists of necessary base supplies and medicines are also electronically updated to appropriate supply centers and administrators. Customized and research reports can also be provided rapidly.
Data security and an automatic backup are provided. Although the chart data is normally made the property of the respective transport service provider, the system can retain non-proprietary data to provide industry benchmarking, quality assurance analysis and clinical research opportunities. Such standardized data collection and documentation will furthermore enable the development of an Emergency Medical Services data library to assist in the justification and legislation of governmental preventive policies for public safety.
The database application may be programmed in, for instance, ACIUS's 4th Dimension (4D) language and used in conjunction with the 4D Server and Client program. Also, another alternative computer environment is Microsoft Corporation's Visual Basic language with C++ middleware, and the BackOffice SQL Server program. It can therefore run in a standard Windows/Macintosh point-and-click office environment, and requires no additional, specialized software programming from the user. Of course, other standard or non-standard computer environments may support various embodiments of the medical database system 10.
As illustrated, the server computer can access a chart database 13. The chart database 13 stores the previously described electronic charts corresponding to patients that have utilized emergency medical transportation. The server computer can also access a statistical database 14 to store and extract statistical information from data entered during patient encounters. The collected statistics might include, for example, average scene and transport times, number of transport requests per demographic region and time of year, average number of advanced procedures performed by crew members and number of complications encountered. In addition, the database 14 can hold information relating to the average length of time to process claims by category and payment plan.
The server computer can also be linked to a regional trauma database 15. The database 15 holds information relating to local trauma centers, emergency medical practice and other local trauma-related information.
The dispatch module on the server computer 12 can be accessed via an interface to a dispatch computer 20, which might reside, for example, at the dispatch center that receives the initial call to deploy an emergency medical team. The dispatch computer 20 can provide just a communications interface to the server computer 12 so that it acts as computer terminal, or it can contain a portion of the dispatch module.
Based on the scene location and needs of the patient, the dispatch center might deploy a helicopter 24, airplane 25, ambulance 26, or other transportation mechanism. The dispatch computer 20 communicates with software for collecting information on the patient encounter and scheduling and deploying a crew to assist the injured patient. Within the medical database system 10, the helicopter 24, airplane 25 or ambulance 26 would include a portable computer or computing device 30 (note that the portable computer 30 may be any electronic device that includes computing capability) that is used by the emergency medical team during the patient encounter. A wireless connection 32 can be made by the portable computer 30 to the server computer 12 to update the database 14 after any data has been entered. In other embodiments, other ways of communication with the server 12 can be used. The portable computer 30 can include clinical and diagnosis modules to assist the emergency medical team in treating the injured patient, or can act as a terminal to communicate with these modules on the server computer 12. As will be explained below, the clinical and diagnosis modules can help the emergency medical team determine the proper diagnosis and treatment of the patient.
The medical database system 10 also includes a billing computer 36 in communication with the server computer 12. The billing computer 36 interfaces with the server computer 12 to run the billing module for tracking charges. The software billing module can be stored directly on the billing computer 36 or, alternatively, stored on the server 12 and accessed via the billing computer 36. The billing module is used to track charges, inventory, and medical equipment. In addition, it is used during the patient encounter for providing billing functions within the medical database system 10. The billing computer 36 communicates with a laser printer 38 to provide printed reports and bills to hospitals, patients and medical centers.
An administration computer 40 interfaces with the server computer 12 to provide run administrative reports. These reports might relate to the statistical information contained in the statistical database 14. In addition, the administration computer 40 might run reports that relate to payroll, inventory, flight training or many other administrative issues.
It should be noted that the dispatch interface computer 20, portable computer 30, billing computer 36 and administration computer 40 can communicate with the server computer 12 through a variety of mechanisms, as shown by connection paths 32 and 33. For example, a wireless LAN or cellular network may connect each computer with one another. In another embodiment, dedicated or dial-up phone lines can be used to communicate between the different computers. Communication mechanisms may include networks such as the Internet and may include virtual private networks (VPNs), which are further discussed in Applicant's copending patent application Ser. No. 10/012,884, entitled INTEGRATED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION DATABASE AND VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK SYSTEM, and which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Referring now to
Patient demographics and patient lab information 124 is processed within the transfer submodule 116. Flight tracking and other transportation information 126 is processed within the flight submodule 118. Once the various submodules within the dispatch module 100 have processed their respective information, a set of patient demographic information 130 and flight/transport information 135 is made available to the remaining modules. For example, some of the patient demographic information 130 is imported into the clinical module 105.
In addition, many other pieces of data are placed within the clinical module 105. For example, the general assessment 140 of the patient that is taken by the emergency medical team is imported into the clinical module for further processing. In addition, other incident information 142 such as the type of incident (car accident, motorcycle accident, etc.) is sent to the clinical module 105. Prior treatment information 144 obtained from a physical exam of the patient or other information is also sent to the clinical module 105.
The prior treatment information might be important in determining whether the patient had already been treated for similar injuries thereby affecting the clinical diagnosis. Information collected from the physical exam 146 at the scene is also sent to the clinical module 105. In addition, any diagnosis 148 from the attending emergency medical team can be sent to the clinical module 105. It should be noted, as discussed below, that the medical database system 10 may also provide a diagnosis based on the physical exam information 146 and other information within the clinical module 105. This will be explained in more detail below.
Information relating to the treatment 150 of the patient is also sent to the clinical module 105. The medical database system 10 also includes a quality assurance database 152 which allows the emergency medical team to make suggestions or other comments that may be useful in additional treatments or incidents. For example, if the emergency medical team notes that a particular series of exam results has led to a unique diagnosis, this information can be input into the clinical module 105. Thus, the next time these same physical exam results are seen in a patient, the new diagnosis can be suggested to the emergency medical team.
Once the clinical module 105 has received its necessary information, data is output to the billing module 110. For example, a description of the diagnosis 160, a treatment description 162 or ICD-9 codes 165 can be sent from the clinical module 105 to the billing module 110. As is well known, ICD-9 codes are a set of unique codes referring to most well known medical procedures. These codes are used throughout the insurance industry to obtain payment for various medical procedures. In addition to the data from the clinical module 105, patient data 168 can be obtained from the patient demographic information 130. The flight/transport information 135 can be processed by a billing modifiers module 166. The processed data from the billing modifiers module 166 can be fed into the billing module 110. The billing modifiers module 166 will be described in conjunction with
The Billing Modifiers Module
Referring now to
As described above, specific transport information is collected at the dispatch and demographic module 100, such as by the transport (flight) submodule 118. In one embodiment, the collected transport data is screened for patient pick-up ZIP code and GPS data to generate the transport information 135. The transport information 135 can be forwarded to the billing modifiers module process 166.
In one embodiment, there are two billing modifiers: GPCI and MSA. These modifiers are multiplicative and increase the bill when they are applied. These modifiers are designed to allow rural providers a financial advantage to offset low volumes of work. The MSA is a yes/no answer (a MSA status of no means rural) and the GPCI is a number, such as, for example 0.933. Once the flight information 135 has been generated from the dispatch module 100, a determination is made at a decision state 1102 whether the ZIP code and global positioning satellite coordinates of the patient pick-up point are within a GPCI and/or a MSA.
This determination is made by linking the flight information 135 to a GPCI/MSA library 1110 that stores the ZIP codes, GPS coordinates and/or latitude/longitude of the GPCI and MSA areas along with the appropriate factor to be used to adjust bills within the designated area. Table 1 illustrates an exemplary portion of one embodiment of the library 1110.
More specifically, at state 1102, the ZIP code and GPS coordinate data (converted to ZIP code in one embodiment) are evaluated and compared to the GPCI/MSA library 1110 so as to allow a modifier to be attached to the claim consistently. The GPCI is applied to every claim for the bill at this point as each ZIP code has a specific index. Note that all claims have an associated GPCI based on ZIP code. Pick-ups within an MSA are not eligible for this modifier unless they are acknowledged as appropriate for the Goldsmith correction. The Goldsmith correction is used in ZIP codes that are largely rural but have more than 50,000 people (definition of an MSA) in the ZIP code in one small area of the ZIP code. For example, a big city located in one corner of a ZIP code with a huge rural area would be eligible for Goldsmith correction.
However, if the ZIP code and/or GPS coordinates of the flight information are within a GPCI and/or MSA area, the correct fee modifiers are applied by state 1112 to recalculate the appropriate transport charges before forwarding them to the billing module 110. More particularly, if the pickup ZIP code and/or GPS coordinate indicates that the location is NOT in a MSA, then the modifier is applied. Once the MSA status (if applicable) and GPCI have been applied, the charges are recalculated with these modifiers.
As an example, a ZIP code 92075 is compared to the library 1110,
In one embodiment, an example of the processing at state 1112 follows:
Thus, prior to assembling data for entry into the billing module 110, the process 166 analyzes the patient pick up data, including ZIP code and GPS coordinates, to apply the proper MSA and GPCI billing modifiers. These modifiers preferably include the Goldsmith correction factor of the MSA. The billing modifiers module process 166 thus correctly adjusts the bill to properly charge for pick-ups within these particular areas.
At the completion of state 1112, or if the MSA modifiers do not need to be applied, as determined at decision state 1102, process 166 completes and then the record is released for billing review and bill preparation at the billing module 110. That is, if the data is not sufficient enough to apply modifiers, or has already recalculated with modifiers, the charges are forwarded to the billing module 110 and are placed directly on electronic or paper forms. The charges with modifiers and those not eligible for MSA status are tracked such that impact of the application of modifiers is reportable to demonstrate fiscal advantage of the modifiers at 170.
Specific blocks, sections, devices, functions and modules may have been set forth. However, a skilled technologist will realize that there are many ways to partition the system of the present invention, and that there are many parts, components, modules or functions that may be substituted for those listed above.
As should be appreciated by a skilled technologist, the processes that are undergone by the above described software may be arbitrarily redistributed to other modules, or combined together in a single module, or made available in a shareable dynamic link library. The software may be written in any programming language such as C, C++, BASIC or Visual BASIC, Pascal, Java, and FORTRAN and executed under a well-known operating system, such as variants of Windows, Macintosh, Unix, Linux, VxWorks, or other operating system. C, C++, BASIC or Visual BASIC, Pascal, Java, and FORTRAN are industry standard programming languages for which many commercial compilers can be used to create executable code. A database programming language such as ACIUS's 4th Dimension (4D) language used in conjunction with the 4D Server and Client program may also be used.
While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present invention as would be understood to those in the art as equivalent and the scope and context of the present invention is to be interpreted as including such equivalents and construed in accordance with the claims appended hereto.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
Legal Events
Original Image


text:
The quality of the product is excellent. The price of the product was very fair and was lower than any price I could find locally or on other sites.
I love hummels and my children all play soccer I loved my new addition and the price was reasonable and the description was spot on
Items must be returned in new or unused condition and contain all original materials included with the shipment. More details
FINAL SALE EXCLUSION: Items marked as FINAL SALE are not returnable unless the problem you experience is the result of our error.
Our standard shipping method is ground shipping. We also offer expedited shipping for most items. Your final shipping cost and estimated delivery timeframe will be available at checkout.
Standard shipping details
Expedited shipping details
* For your safety, some orders go through our loss prevention department. If we select your order for this process, we will immediately notify you that there may be up to a 3-day delay on your order.
** Most Oversize orders are delivered within 1-4 weeks. Some orders may take 6 weeks to be delivered.


text:
November 28, 2014
A young man accused in two different cases of alleged sexual abuse will stand trial on both charges. Tuesday, David Knotek waived his second preliminary hearing, moving the case forward.
The children are four and seven years old.
Knotek was arrested in late February. Both crimes allegedly happened at "Kidz First Daycare," off 50th and Leavenworth.
So far, the company has declined to comment on the case.
Knotek is in Douglas County jail under a $1,050,000 bond.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
|3rd Annual Lego Build Off Begins
Event Type: Youth Services Program
Date: 3/1/2014
Start Time: 9:30 AM
Come in and pick up an entry form and information packet for the Lisle Library Lego Build Off. The program will run from March 1st to March 31st. Participants compete to see who can build the most interesting Lego creation. The Top 3 creations will be featured on the library teen blog and display case for the month of April.
Other Information:
For ages 8 to 15Contact Number: 630-971-1675
Presenter: John Ferrari


text:
View Job
Fundraising Coordinator
Muscular Dystrophy Association | Atlanta GA 30303 USA | Full Time | Posted: 10/24/2014
Job Descriptiontop
Make a difference in millions of lives every day by utilizing your sales, relationship building and event management skills both in your community and across the country by joining the MDA, as a salaried Fundraising/Business Development Coordinator. You will be responsible for securing new business and meeting monthly, quarterly and annual goals in order to create new, as well as foster existing, corporate sponsor relationships that support MDA's mission and services in a fast paced and dynamic work environment.
Just as the MDA is driven to meet its healthcare, medical research and social service mission you must be driven to develop new business, interact with the local community and cultivate relationships with corporate sponsors and MDA families. Through various business development techniques you will encourage participation and support for MDA fundraising programs and special events while managing a fulfilling and challenging work environment.
Responsibilities include:
• Identify new corporate sponsors and maximize fund development opportunities through various business development techniques including cold-calling, following up on warm leads and attending networking events; consistently research ways to create partnerships with local businesses
. • Utilize New Business Development System by tracking daily sales activity and generating leads.
• Actively participate in the execution and management of MDA's fundraising programs including the ability to multi-task, handling logistics and follow through on multiple events/programs at the same time
. • Effectively engage donors of all levels, recognizing and championing the value and potential of stakeholders; meet with sponsors and patient families to educate them about MDA's fundraising events and special events, answering any questions that may arise.
• Advise and assist in the development of an organization-wide fundraising strategy, plan and budget - including effective strategies for raising funds
. • Deliver organized, structured, and persuasive presentations
• Communicate MDA's healthcare and research involvement and social services to the local community and increase sponsorship of events.
• Maintain existing relationships by ensuring effective public relations and communication with existing sponsors and families to keep them abreast of existing and upcoming community engagements.
Job Requirements
• Bachelor's degree required
• Demonstrated sales and business development experience with a track record of successfully meeting sales quota.
• Experience in leveraging existing business while continually generating new sales
• Excellent verbal communication and active listening skills
• Professional, confident and driven work style with a competitive spirit
• Strong organization, multi-tasking and time management skills with the ability to work in a demanding self-directed work schedule
• Effectively utilizes tools/resources to work efficiently
• Demonstrates the highest level of personal and ethical standards
• Working knowledge of computers and personal communication devices
• A valid state driver's license, a satisfactory driving record and reliable transportation
• Bilingual skills a plus
Job Detailstop
|Atlanta, GA, 30303, United States
|Association / Membership / Union
|Pref Degree
Location Maptop
Contact Informationtop
|Contact Name
|Jackie Mudrey
|How to apply
|Employer provided a link where your application will be accepted. Click on the link below and follow instructions.
|Click Here (apply to job)


text:
England selected two new players for its ICC World Twenty20 cricket squad as the team regroups following its rout by Australia.
Australia slumped to 273-8 on the opening day of the first Ashes cricket Test as England's Stuart Broad took five wickets.
Stuart Broad took six wickets in 45 balls as England beat Australia by 74 runs in the fourth cricket Test to clinch its third straight Ashes series victory.
Stuart Broad took seven wickets as England won the first Test against New Zealand by 170 runs at Lord's Cricket Ground.
Ian Bell's unbeaten half-century helped England to a 261-run lead over Australia after day three of the opening Test of the Ashes cricket series.
England batsman Jonathan Trott must overcome his doubts -- and those of teammates and supporters -- to return from the stress-related illness that knocked him out of the Ashes cricket series, a London-based psychiatrist involved in elite sports said.
England bowler Stuart Broad will miss the remainder of the Ashes with a stomach injury, while Australia opener Simon Katich is unlikely to play again in the cricket series because of an Achilles problem.
Ross Taylor smashed a career-best 131 as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 110 runs to move atop their group at the Cricket World Cup.
Stuart Broad's six-wicket haul helped England take control of the second cricket Test against New Zealand in Wellington.
England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad will miss next week's two-match series in India with a bruised left heel, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on its website.


text:
'First pucks' have different fates - 11-04-13
It has recently happened three times in just as many weeks. A Penguins player has gotten a puck for a first career achievement.
For rookie defenseman Olli Maatta and right winger Jayson Megna, they've gotten pucks for scoring their first goals in the NHL. Saturday night in Columbus, goaltender Jeff Zatkoff received one for his first career win and shutout.
Virtually every player receives the puck for these types of milestone in the same fashion after a game. The fate of these pucks varies however. Some are prominently displayed in a player's home. Others are given to loved ones as gifts. Others collect dust in some dark corner of a closet.
Recently, several veteran members of the Penguins discussed what they've done with their "first pucks."
Sidney Crosby (above), center - "It's at my [parent's] house. I don't know if it's on the wall. I want to say it's with my jersey from my first NHL game ... with an 8-by-10 [photo] of me celebrating. I think it's me, [former Penguins forwards] Zigmund Palffy and [Mark Recchi]. "
Craig Adams, right wing – "They [the Hurricanes] put it on my plaque for me. I think it's at home … my mom and dad's home. I think it's in a box somewhere. They just moved. I have a bunch of stuff still with them I need to ship down at some point and bring into my house. "
Brandon Sutter, center – "I've still got it at home. Scored at the Mellon Arena [as a member of the Hurricanes]. It's got a Penguins logo on it. I put the puck over 'Flower's' [Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury] shoulder. Got an 'assist' from [Penguins defenseman] Brooks Orpik who gave the puck to me and I went in and scored. I know I have it home. "
Brooks Orpik, defenseman – "It's sitting on a shelf. We've got a room above our garage at home in Boston. It's like a little case that opens up and it says the date and [other information] on it. "
Tanner Glass, left winger – "It's framed. It's in a closet at my parent's house I think. It will go on a wall one day maybe. "
Kris Letang, defenseman – "The team framed it. It's at my mom's house. "
Matt D'Agostini, right winger – "I got the puck and it's hanging on a little plaque that the Montreal Canadiens made up for me in my parents house back home in Canada."
Chris Kunitz (right), left winger – "The team that I was playing for [Mighty Ducks] put it in a frame from the game with a score sheet and stuff. I gave it to my parents. They have it in their house. "
Robert Bortuzzo, defenseman – "I got the puck and it sat in my dressing room stall for the whole year. Then I went home and gave it to my dad. I think it's sitting on a shelf with some other junk. "
Joe Vitale, center - "It was in Colorado. My dad got a frame for it and a picture of the goal with the lineup sheet. The whole bit. I've got it in storage somewhere. "
Matt Niskanen, defenseman - "I have plaque with all my first-goal pucks from different levels. My first high school puck, college, pro. And a little name plate that says the date and who was in net and stuff like that. "
Pascal Dupuis, right winger - "Still have it in my house. It's framed in a little plaque. "
Deryk Engelland, defenseman – "I've probably got it somewhere. I don't know if it's back home or somewhere. I'll figure something out [for displaying it]. "
Marc-Andre Fleury, goaltender – "It's back home [in Quebec]. I put white tape around it. It's on a shelf in the office. I keep it there.
Chuck Kobasew, right winger – "That was in Vancouver in my second or third game in the league. It was a special moment for me because I grew up in Vancouver. Had a lot of friends and family at the game. I gave the puck to a close friend of mine. He had cancer. He told me to go score in that game. I was able to give him the puck before he passed away. "
Rob Scuderi, defenseman – "It's sitting on a shelf at the house. It's maybe not something you think about now because you're still playing. When you look back on it, I think it something you're glad you kept. If we're ever short on pucks or something, I might take it out and use it. "
Jussi Jokinen, left winger – "Obviously, it's a really good thing to everybody. I have it in a special place at my home back in Finland with some of my other big things like my Olympic medals and world championship medals. "
(Photos: Crosby-Gregory Shamus/Getty Images; Kunitz-Donald Miralle/Getty Images)


text:
Culinary gift ideas
I would appreciate any help in advance. I am looking for an interesting culinary gift for my sister who is a dedicated home cook. She got a very nice chef knive for Christmas, and now it's birthday time. She has all the basics, isn't into wine, and I'm having a hard time thinking of something interesting to give as a gift. Anyone have a good idea? Thanks.
If she lives near a Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table, maybe a gift certificate with a pamphlet of their cooking class offerings? That way, she can purchase equipment from the store if she likes, or if she's inclined, take a class on how to make something new.
My sister once gave me a gift certificate to a one day class at the Institute for Culinary Education. You could look into something like that. She gave me a certificate for any single class so that I could choose.
If you want to give an actual item, I think these slate cheese boards and coasters from Brooklyn Slate company are really simple, clean, and beautiful for presentation/ entertaining. http://www.brooklynslate.com/
when you say she has all the basics I assume you mean things like food processor, mixer, knives, bowls, etc . . . . .
I love getting fun/unusual ingredients . . .
really good balsamic
salts (smoked, pink, grey, fleur de sel, etc)
Tahitian vanilla beans
flours (King Arthur has lots, I love the french flower and the italian "00" flour for breads and pasta/pizza respectively)
a gift certificate to D'Artangnan (game meats and lots of fun "European" stuff)
a gift certificate to Rancho Gordo (awesome beans)
Depending on what type of food she cooks there are other equipment things that are "fun" to have
a really good mandolin
a chinois strainer
past maker (or attachment if she has a kitchenaide - I love my pasta roller attachments)
le creuset (love them)
If she entertains
I can never have enough platters of all shapes and sizes. I now buy 3 of any kind that I get. Mine are almost exclusively all white which makes mixing and matching very easy.
If you can give me a little more to go on I'm sure I can come up with more ideas. . . . . .
re: thimes
I'm not a huge fan of gift certificates, but that is just me. I am leaning away from gifting food because I would find it a more lasting gift if it was something you could use multiple times. On the other hand if there is a 'bacon of the month club' she would like that for sure. She is a definate mid-western home cook so I want to get her something she will actually use. Going in another direction I was thinking of some culinary inspired t-shirts a la "I heart bacon' or something.
Thanks again.
re: mikey031
Honestly, this kind of stuff is so personal, it might be best to just ask her. I spent a long time picking out my food mill, and I would have been a little bit disappointed if someone gifted me a different one. Don't get me wrong, any gift is appreciated, but depending on what she plans to use these things for, she might not really want the exact item you pick out, but would possibly feel too guilty to exchange it or buy something similar in addition (e.g., she wants a le creuset to make oblong roasts in, but you get her a smallish round one).
If people like to be surprised in your family, maybe you could at least subtly float the idea of whatever it is and see how she reacts.
re: mikey031
Ruhlman's Charcuterie and a slab of pork belly? She can have a crack at making her own bacon.
re: wattacetti
I love to receive gift certificates, but I'm still a little squeamish about giving them--weird, huh? Love to comparison shop with 'em--oh, but I'm talking about gift certificates/gift cards that can be used at various stores, like an Am Ex card. That way I'm not locked into, say W.S. and their nutty prices.
re: mikey031
mikey031 - there *is* a bacon of the month club. I recommend the one from Zingermann's in Ann Arbor MI (they will ship). A friend just raves about the bacon he gets from them.
re: Niki in Dayton
+1 on the Zingerman's. Look online at their catalog, Zingermans.com You said she was a midwest cook. Is she anywhere near MI? They have hands on baking classes that are great and would make a nice gift.
re: mikey031
thinkgeek.com has bacon gifts
and zazzle.com has all kinds of stuff as well
if u want actual bacon as a gift Nueskes is reallly goood
or a bacon explosion from bbqaddicts.com
What about Penzey's spices? They have some nice gift sets, it's not something people always think of getting for themselves, especially if they don't live near a store. It would help if we knew what she likes to do, eg. bake, cook, enjoys meat/steaks, has kitchen space, how much you want to spend, whether you'd like something she can use every day (like a good set of steak knives, a bread knife) or on special occasions. One gift I like, that I'd never buy myself, is a special holiday cake plate. For a day to day thing, I'd love a remote control thermometer for meat (so we can walk around, away from the oven and not worry about not hearing it). If she likes bread, I gave my niece the book Artisan Bread in 5 minutes and everything she needs to use it.
re: chowser
+1 on Penzey's. Now that's one store-specific gift card I'd love!
re: chowser
I definitely agree with this. I've given the Penzeys' "Ethnic Milwaukee" set (which is probably a much smaller gift than what you would give your sister, but they have more expensive, wide-ranging spice packages, too) to several foodie friends, and they've loved them. More recently, I created my own spice package from Penzey's for my mom (I included things like the top-grade Kashmiri saffron, which she probably would not have bought for herself) for her birthday, and she loved it! I think spices are an excellent gift.
re: chowser
This is a great idea.
pestle and mortar? a tagine? year's subscription to a monthly cookery magazine? a few of the more unusual baking tins, like madeleine moulds/ramekins/bundt tins/dariole moulds?
Hi Mikey. I know you didn't fancy any food items because of their lack of longevity. However, I thought I would suggest this anyway. How about a really nice food hamper? There are plenty to choose from, and they don't necessarily all contain just food. This site is good for all sorts of gift hampers - http://www.highlandfayre.co.uk/.
Hope this helps
A gift card is a really good idea. Here are some websites that any foodie and cook would love to get a card from:
http://www.gourmetfoodmall.com/ (This site is joint venture of numerous gourmet food sites)
Instead of a gift certificate, have you thought about paying for a class? I'm in London and there are specialist butchers and fishmongers who do a one day or half a day courses in butchery, seafood cookery etc. Could be an option if you know of something that she wants to perfect or get more experience in.
re: ultimatepotato
I got a thermapen instant read thermometer as a gift and use it quite a lot - an extravagant "makes it all easier" item. I use it especially for breads,meats, grilling and have subsequently given a couple as gifts. Wow - just checked "google shopping" and one vendor ( that I'm not otherwise familiar with) has them at about 65% off......
re: janeh
Wow, that thermopen sounds too good to be true -- and it is. I asked my husband (The Duke of Electronics) to look at the vendor. Site registered on 8/25/11; only contact info is an e-mail address; site is reg to a suite in L.A.
Oh, and this: "In an effort to keep our prices extremely low, Electronics Emporium exclusively processes JCB cards at preferred merchant rates. While this helps you to pay less money, it also means we are unable to accept other forms of payment."
(JCB = Japan Credit Bureau)
re: DuchessNukem
Oh,well - glad you checked out the site ( as I would before ordering anything!). Anyway, the thermapen is a pricey item but a great tool to have. I think that mine came from the King Arthur Flour site when they had a sale.
I've gone to two weddings recently where the couple were accomplished home cooks. Gave both a nice big Boos cutting board. Worked out great because the cutting board seems to be one of those basics where everyone has a servicable version, but pretty much nobody has taken the time to splurge on the nice version that's going to make prep time even more pleasurable.
Did she like the chef kinife? If she did, I would get her other knives from the same collection.
William and Bounds Chrome Nutmeg Twister !
Check on Amazon, good price I thought !
I love mine and use it daily ~ it's well made
and works beautifully. I nearly swooned at the smell
of fresh nutmeg when I opened the package.
AND I gifted one to MY sister the foodie, and she loves it, too :-)
You have to find an incredibly useful, unique and affordable culinary gift for your sister. It's not hard though. Do your homework first. Check if her cooking utensils are complete or not yet. Whatever is lacking, that's one idea. To add some "spice", include a unique cook book. Place them in gift hampers: inside it is your personalise dedication. You can have more ideas just in case you'll find this helpful: http://www.bradfordsbakers.com/


text:
Welcome to Our World
This is the official site for the Gabriel's World Mystery/Thriller/LGBT book series by AR Fiano.
Gabriel's World offers compelling stories of crimes, conspiracies, social issues, and exploration of ethical pathways–with strong, intelligent, and compassionate characters. While the series is the Mystery/Thriller genre, a significant part of the stories involves the personal life of the characters–in settings of intense emotion, spirituality, and sensuality.
The Gabriel's World website features short fiction with the characters in Gabriel's World (both mystery and relationship themes), and other extras for readers.
The series has gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and straight cisgender characters. The stories are not about the characters being LGBT, but about having strong characters who are LGBT and allies.
Please sign up for news from Gabriel's World newsletter to the right, for periodic news and exclusive extras. You can follow Gabriel's World on various social medias outlets.
The first two books in the series, The Hanged Man and Two-Faced Woman are for sale as eBooks on Amazon (also in print editions), and also Smashwords, iTunes, Diesel, Kobo and Barnes & Noble. The third book in the series, The Book of Joel, has just been published on Amazon as an eBook and print edition.
The Gabriel's World series and author AR Fiano is on Goodreads, Shefari, and LibraryThing. Gabriel's World products (LGBT and Gabriel's World inspired designs on t-shirts, mugs, buttons and more at Cafe Press).
Fans from across the US have contacted Gabriel's World to talk about their favorite book or character. Many thanks to you all.
Welcome, international readers of Gabriel's World! Gabriel's World has fans in the UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Japan. The Gabriel's World website can be translated to different languages through the GTS service at the bottom of this page. International LGBTQIA persons and organizations are invited to contact the author to say hi, and if you're interested in Gabriel's World projects (such as translated stories) and Skyped speaking arrangements.
Bought the eBooks? Have them signed by clicking on the link below.
The creative licensing for Gabriel's World is at the bottom of this page. If you are interested in sharing or using any of the creative work in this site, or are interested in other creative collaborations, contact the author at: email@example.com.
You may link and/or deep link to any page or post in this site so long as Gabriel's World and its author are credited.


text:
Northwest Indiana husband charged with beating wife and her boyfriend
BY ERIN GUERRA Sun-Times Media December 28, 2012 7:18PM
Updated: December 28, 2012 7:18PM
A northwest Indiana husband is charged with allegedly beating his naked wife and her boyfriend after finding them in bed in Valparaiso.
The woman's boyfriend, 43, told police Juan Esquivel-Reyes, 47, of Union Township, Ind., knocked on the door of his condo in the 1300 block of Winding Ridge Road in at 4:20 p.m. Thursday, according to a police report. Her husband allegedly had seen his wife's car outside the man's home.
When no one answered, Esquivel-Reyes allegedly walked in through an unlocked door of the condo and found the two in bed and started kicking and punching the woman, police said.
The man alleged pulled Esquivel-Reyes off her and Esquivel-Reyes then turned to him — allegedly kicking, punching and scratching until he left the condo, police said.
The woman insisted nothing happened and only reluctantly gave police her husband's information. When officers found Esquivel-Reyes at home, he reportedly admitted entering the residence uninvited but denied attacking anyone.
Esquivel-Reyes was arrested at 7:30 p.m. Thursday for felony residential entry, misdemeanor battery causing injury and misdemeanor domestic battery.


text:
Sterling eChecking
sterling free checking » youth » banking solutions » personal banking
Our FREE, flexible checking account lets you choose how and when you want to bank—in person, at ATMs, online, by phone, or with eStatements. This fee-free account makes banking that much easier!
Call or visit us today at one of our convenient locations. We will answer all your questions and help you open up an account that is perfect for you! *Paper statements available for $2.50.