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Ranked among the nation's most integrated healthcare systems, Community Health Network is Central Indiana's leader in providing convenient access to exceptional healthcare services, where and when patients need them—in hospitals, health pavilions, workplaces, schools and homes.
TUESDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Children whose mothers smoked one or more packs of cigarettes a day during pregnancy have poorer reading skills than other children, a new study finds.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 5,000 children in the United Kingdom, and compared their scores on a series of tests assessing how accurately a child reads aloud and comprehends what he or she reads. The children were tested at ages 7 and 9.
On average, children whose mothers smoked at least one pack of cigarettes a day during pregnancy scored 21 percent lower on the tests than children born to nonsmoking mothers, according to the study published this month in the Journal of Pediatrics.
In a class of 31 students with similar backgrounds and education, a child of a mother who smokes will rank an average of seven places lower in reading accuracy and comprehension ability than a child of a nonsmoking mother, the researchers concluded.
"It's not a little difference -- it's a big difference in accuracy and comprehension at a critical time when children are being assessed, and are getting a sense of what it means to be successful," study author Dr. Jeffrey Gruen, a professor of pediatrics and genetics at Yale School of Medicine, said in a Yale news release.
The effects of smoking during pregnancy are especially strong in children with an underlying speech disorder, which suggests an interaction between nicotine exposure in the womb and a highly heritable trait such as speech ability, Gruen added.
The study found an association between maternal smoking and children's reading skills, but it didn't prove cause-and-effect.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about the smoking during pregnancy.
-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Call 471-6636
I was in Market Place shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. While shopping there, there was a real, real nice obviously Islamic woman. She was dressed in traditional attire and had two small children. She was very, very nice, very, very mannerly and I even spoke with one of her kids. I didn't see her any more until she was in the checkout line, a few people in front of me. There was this old moron man, who made a very, very, very crude and prejudicial remark about her and her religion. She obviously overheard it and her feelings were very hurt, and so were mine, for her. For just a brief second, I was ashamed to be a fellow American with someone who would act that way.
Anybody still flying the Confederate flag at these times, I consider a true traitor. Go get a dictionary. Look up the word "united." Love it or leave it, my friend.
There are so many people who have lost their jobs here lately and there will be so many families this Thanksgiving and Christmas who won't have any food, shelter; there will be many young children who won't receive a gift or present for Christmas. These people have been working all their lives need help and can't get any help. The reason they can't get any help is because so much fraud has been committed in the welfare system. Too may people are committing fraud, and by committing this fraud, they keep others from getting the help they need. There's no reason in this country, the United States of America, with all the programs they have, that anyone should have to go hungry or homeless. Of all the children in this country and all the families who are losing their jobs and homes, there is no help. I see people who are on welfare driving big, expensive cars and a working person can't even buy a car.
I live on Lillian Drive and am calling to thank Danny Russell, my paper man, and Wendy for writing the subjects I send in to the paper. Danny is the most outstanding young man I've had for a paper boy and I really appreciate him. I'm reading my paper on Saturday night and am really enjoying it. Thank you Danny and Wendy.
Does anyone have pigeons for sale? If so, please put a phone number in SpeakOut.
On Oct. 4 you had an ad in the paper. It's this time of year and if you have wood for sale to put your phone number in the paper. I have called in for two weeks and it still isn't on. We have the firewood you're seeking. Call us at 471-4193. I don't know how you put that one in but not mine. I'm still looking for an ad that I have firewood for people who want it.
Sorry caller. We don't routinely print items that could be considered a classified ad in SpeakOut. However, we had made an exception since it was a response to a SpeakOut request. We apologize for the oversight.
A lady in St. Louis is looking for a lost uncle. If you have any information, you can contact me at (573) 649-3324 and I will contact her. His name is Harold Britt and his wife is Maureen Britt. They had no children but he had some brothers. At one time, he lived in North St. Louis on Grand Avenue. The lady is named Jerry Pallardy.
I wonder how many people would have poured money into the Red Cross in New York City had they known the head administrator's salary was $450,000 annually. Now she's resigning and that fact has been publicized. How could anyone accept that amount if they were truly trying to help people in need? Will a large percentage of the funds intended for victims of the Sept. 11 tragedy be siphoned off for administrative costs? Even the administrator thought these funds should have been kept separate from other Red Cross funds. And so do I. I've always heard if you want your donation to get to the people who need it, give it to the Salvation Army. I believe that more than ever now.

subset: commoncrawl


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Swallowing Center - Bullhead City, AZ
- WebMD Physician Directory of Bullhead City Gastroenterologist Doctors
- Related Swallowing Articles
- Bullhead City Emergency Contacts
- Nearby Bullhead City Hospitals
- Find a Local Pharmacy on RxList - Bullhead City
Bullhead City Gastroenterologist Doctors for Swallowing
Type of Physician: Gastroenterologist
What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated.
Specialty: Gastroenterology
Common Name: GI Doctor
Gastroenterologist Doctors in Bullhead City * results
- 2
Hitendra D. Chauhan
Midwest Internal Medicine PLLC
1840 Mesquite Ave Ste B
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
(928) 453-8500
- 30 years experience
- 1 office location(s)
- 3
Jeffrey M. Niizawa
Bullhead City Gastroenterology
2020 Silver Creek Rd Ste A220
Bullhead City, AZ 86442
(928) 763-2500
- 27 years experience
- 1 office location(s)
- 4
Wilson N. Otero
Colorado River Gastroenterology
1225 Hancock Rd Ste 205
Bullhead City, AZ 86442
(928) 704-3712
- 38 years experience
- 1 office location(s)
- 5
Vinod K. Singh
GI Institute Arizona
1520 E Hammer Ln Ste 101
Fort Mohave, AZ 86426
(928) 768-4333
- 36 years experience
- 1 office location(s)
- 6
Carol A. Lee-Collins
High Desert Gastroenterology
3116 N Stockton Hill Rd
Kingman, AZ 86401
(928) 681-8715
- 30 years experience
- 1 office location(s)
- 7
Charles E. Kelly II
Kelly Clinic
2160 Airway Ave
Kingman, AZ 86409
(928) 757-4661
- 31 years experience
- 1 office location(s)
Don't see your city? Use the WebMD Physician Directory to expand your search.
Dysphagia facts
- Dysphagia means difficulty swallowing.
- Swallowing is a complex action involving the muscles and nerves within the pharynx and esophagus, a swallowing center in the brain, and nerves that connect the phary...
Other Related Swallowing Articles
Emergency Contact for Bullhead City
- In case of Emergency, call 911
Nearby Bullhead City Hospitals results
- 1Western Arizona Regional Med Ct
2735 Silver Creek Rd
Bullhead City, Arizona 86442
(928) 763-227
- 2Valley View Medical Center
5330 S Highway 95
Bullhead City, Arizona 86426
(928) 788-227
- 3Colorado River Medical Center
1401 Bailey Ave
Bullhead City, Arizona 92363
(760) 326-453
- 4Kingman Regional Medical Center
3269 Stockton Hill Rd
Bullhead City, Arizona 86409
(928) 757-210
* Provider Directory Terms of Use:
The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval.
You are prohibited from using, downloading, republishing, selling, duplicating, or "scraping" for commercial or any other purpose whatsoever, the Provider Directory or any of the data listings or other information contained therein, in whole or in part, in any medium whatsoever.
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The use of WebMD Provider Directory by any entity or individual to verify the credentials of Providers is prohibited. The database of Provider information which drives WebMD Provider Directory does not contain sufficient information with which to verify Provider credentials under the standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) of the Utilization Review Accreditation Committee (URAC).
By using the WebMD Provider Directory, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.


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Job Details
Development Program Specialist
Industry: Non Profit( NGO / Inter-Governmental)
Employment Type: Permanent
Location: Harare
Job Summary
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Zimbabwe is seeking applications from qualified persons to fill the position of Development Program Specialist who performs a program officer function. S/he provides expert advice in all aspects of program operations and has a full range of consultative, advisory, program performance, and information gathering of a broad scope and complexity. S/he serves as a main liaison person with senior government officials in the Ministry of Finance and with other donor officials and nongovernmental entities as needed on budget and programmatic issues including influencing program policy by virtue of being an expert in host country affairs and in the field of development assistance. The incumbent is expected to establish effective working relationships with the highest level USAID, Government of Zimbabwe, nongovernmental, and other donor officials, The incumbent is also called upon occasionally and on a delegated basis to represent Program Team Leader in program operations matters.
Basic Position Qualifications:
Education (20 points): A Bachelors degree in political science, economics, development studies, law, management or other related area.
Experience (30 points): A minimum of 5 years' experience working in design, implementation, and administration of private and/or public sector development programs. Senior level mafnagement experience within an international development organization is highly desired.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities: (50 points)
- Representation: The incumbent must be able to develop and maintain contacts with various stakeholders.
- Resource management: The incumbent must be able to effectively identify, mobilize, and draw upon the expertise of technical and managerial personnel in the mission. In addition, incumbent will be responsible for designing and managing contracts to provide development services such as evaluations, technical support in a variety of different areas, and special topic studies and assessments.
- Analysis and Reporting: Ability to conduct data analysis and research using the latest information technologies, along with possessing a basic facility with using standard office software for managing databases is required.
- Public presentation skills: Incumbent must be comfortable with preparing and delivering public presentations to internal and external audiences. Teamwork and leadership: The incumbent should have the ability to both lead and participate as a member of a team. Both as a team leader and member, be able to motivate others to accomplish mission goals. S/he will also be expected to plan and work independently on multiple tasks simultaneously with minimal supervision.
Scoring of the knowledge, skills and abilities criteria will be done through initial paper review, and finalized after the oral interview and/or written exercise.
Application Process:
Applicants who fail to follow all the application requirements will not be shortlisted.Interested applicants must address all the above qualifications in their application. An application should be addressed to the Human Resources Office and include:
1. An application letter, detailing how the applicant meets the above minimum qualifications. Please type in the letter your response to each item,
e.g. Education, and state how you meet the requirement. Failure to do this will result in you not being shortlisted. Your letter must address each of the qualifications listed above.
2. A current resume relevant to the position (preferably no more than 2 pages) (Relevant documentation supporting the minimum requirements listed above should be available upon request, if called for an interview, but do not have to be attached to the application.
Selection Process:
After an initial application screening, the best qualified applicants will be invited to a testing process, which may include an oral interview and a written exercise. The written exercise may consist of a timed session, where the candidate will workon the computer and answer a specific question, using either word or excel or both. The final phase of the selection process is the probationary period of one year. Medical and security clearances are also required before employment can begin. Please note: only short listed candidates will be contacted with the results of the final selection. Due to the number of applicants, if you do not hear from us by May 31, 2012, you were not short listed.
1. Both email and hand delivered applications are accepted. Please submit email applications via email to: zimrecruit[at]usaid.gov (Please note: Applications should not be Vmofe than 1mb in size if emailed.)
2. Please indicate Reference: 12-12 Development Program Specialist in the subject line of the application email and in the subject line of your application letter.
3. Hand delivered applications should be addressed to the Human Resources Office and submitted to 1 Pascoe Avenue, Belgravia, Harare, no later than the due date.
Closing Date: May 2, 2012
Please Register to apply online.


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Nationally Competitive Awards
There are a number of national awards that offer funding for current graduate students, and the search for them can be stressful and somewhat overwhelming. In order to make the process of searching for an applicable award easier, we have compiled a list of national awards that directly pertain to current graduate students. The following awards are separated by specific interest. Click on the title of each award to read detailed information about the award, eligibility requirements and application deadlines.
Graham Foundation Carter Manny Award
For doctoral students that focus their scholarly work on architecture and its role in arts, culture and society. Two types of Carter Manny Awards are offered: a research award ($15,000) and a writing award ($20,000).
Sir John Soane's Foundation Traveling Fellowship
This fellowship is for someone who wants to travel to London to study the Sir John Soane collection, museum or research a topic that concerns either of the two.
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award is for students that show great creativity and promise, and who have financial need. The Award is for up to three years and can be used here at UC.
Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship
This fellowship is awarded in three areas: music; architectural design and history, art and design, theatre, dance, or instrumental or vocal music; and art, architecture, dance, landscape architecture, theatre, or urban and regional planning.
World Studio AIGA Scholarships
These scholarships are for undergraduate and graduate students and are meant to help minority students fund their studies within design and arts disciplines.
American Association for University Women (AAUW) Educational Fuding and Awards
There are six different fellowships and grants available through the AAUW that support education, international students and community action.
Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowships
There are three options for Fellowships throught the Spencer Foundation: postdoctoral fellowships, dissertation fellowships and exemplary dissertation award essays. The focus of these fellowships is the improvement of education.
Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships
Fellowships are available at the predoctoral, dissertation and postdoctoral level.
Jack Kent Cooke Dissertation Fellowship Award
This scholarship supports doctoral students working on dissertations that "further the understanding of the educational pathways and experiences of high-achieving, low-income students." You must have successfully defended your dissertation proposal to receive this award.
GEM Fellowships
GEM offers three fellowships: one for an MS engineering student, one for a PhD engineering student and one for a PhD science student.
National Defense Science & Engineering Fellowship
The DoD will offer three-year graduate fellowships to approximately 200 graduate students in any of the fifteen scientific disciplines that relate to areas of DoD interest. See the website for a complete list.
Whitaker International Program
This program offers two types of graduate fellowships, but both are offered to students who want to travel abroad to finish some of their coursework. See the website for full details.
Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
The Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship "provides outstanding benefits and opportunities to students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems."
Exploration Fund of the Explorer's Club
This award helps fund field research and travel for graduate students just starting their research careers.
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Scholarships
Scroll through this list of scholarships to find those for graduate students. There are multiple pages and multiple options, but be sure to check the requirements before applying.
William Proctor Prize for Scientific Achievement
Awarded by Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, this prize goes to a scientist who has made a significant contribution to scientific research. The award recipient must also be ready to communicate their results to researchers across disciplines.
Environmental Concerns
Environmental Research and Education Foundation
Awards are given to master's, doctoral and post-doctoral students doing excellent work in the field of waste management research and education.
Health Fields
Judson Daland Prize
This prize is awarded for outstanding patient-oriented research by the American Philosophical Society.
International Foundation for Ethical Research
These grants are offered to support "the development and implementation of scientific methods that advance science and replace the use of animals in research, testing, or education." Both master's and PhD students in the sciences and human or veterinary medicine are eligible.
Tylenol Scholarships
Tylenol offers more than $8.9 million in scholarships for those seeking a degree in the healthcare fields. Graduate students are eligible to apply.
Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
Up to five $35,000 fellowships are awarded each year to students/writers with exceptional screenplays.
National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship
This fellowship program offers $25,000 in prose and poetry grants every year. The program runs on a two-year cycle, alternating between prose and poetry fellowships. Check the website to see which type of fellowship is currently offered.
Public Service
Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship
For graduating graduate students that want to spend 6-9 months in Washington D.C. to get the "Washington perspective" on the major issues in peace and security today.
Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program
This program supports promising graduate students who want to go into Foreign Services of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It's for those interested in working on the front lines with issues like poverty, hunger, injustice and disease.
Fulbright-Clinton Fellowship
Formerly the Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship, this fellowship provides the opportunity for a graduate student to spend a year in a professional placement at a foreign government ministry or institution. See the fellowship page for more detailed instructions.
Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program
For graduate students interested in working for the Foreign Service after graduation. Students must be working towards a degree in a relevant area for future work with the Foreign Service. See the fellowship page for the detailed components of this program.
Social Sciences
Violet and Cyril Franks Scholarship
For full-time graduate students doing scholarly projects focused on understanding and reducing stigma related to mental illness using the psychological perspective.
Upjohn Institute of Employment Research
This award goes to the best dissertation focused on employment-related issues. The dissertation can come from any discipline, but it must have a substantial focus on policy.
Scott and Paul Pearsall Scholarships
For all full time graduate students whose work focuses on increasing the public's understanding of psychological pain and stigma associated with dealing with physical disabilities.
Lizette Peterson-Homer Injury Prevention Award
This award supports research into psycological and behavioral aspects of injury prevention in children and adolescents. See the award site for more specific requirements.
Various Disciplines
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright program provides a grant to fund students, scholars, teachers, and professionals to conduct research projects in another country. See the Graduate School's Fulbright Program page for more information on applying.
The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. See the Graduate School's NSF GRP page for more information on applying.
More Information
Some of the above information is from the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards, while some is from The Chronicle of Higher Education. If you have any questions about specific national awards, please contact the person listed on the award's page. If you have questions about applying for national awards, please contact Pam Person:
Pam Person, Director of Nationally Competitive Awards


text:
NEW DELHI: Between moral policing and immoral policemen, taking a stroll down the seaside is becoming fraught with danger in Mumbai. For the young and restless, it isn't just about couples wanting to spend a few moments together.
The recent rape case on Marine Drive has re-opened all the old wounds — from being one of the most tolerant cities, the rise and rise of moral policing has left tourists, couples, and fun-loving youngsters in Mumbai at the mercy of either goons or the heavy hand of the law.


text: "Nearly every song I've ever written has been written after I've heard another song. When I was 16 I wrote a series of songs all based on Ziggy Stardust. I was influenced a lot by Bowie and although I can't remember the titles, every one was a rip-off from the tracks on the Ziggy Stardust LP. All the names were changed but apart from that they were the same. I still do that now but I disguise them much more. Most people think I've been influenced by Bowie, but most of the things that people pick up on are completely wrong anyway. I don't like Bowie's lyrics very much these days. I don't think he writes very good lyrics anymore."Gary Numan, In The City, 1979


text:
I found a slight problem however. Some of the sea glass got buried in the pink sand when the ornament was inadvertently shaken. And the ornament, filled about halfway with sand, is most likely too heavy to hang from a tree. Nevertheless we will find a home for it and put it to use!
It is pretty, don't you think?
We also made the painted glass ornaments... simple, elegant and sophisticated and yet easy enough for your preschooler to master. And what a great gift for a child to give a parent, grandparent or teacher! And what fun they are to make. I plan on making a few to give as hostess gifts.
unfortunately the photograph doesn't do it justice.
To make these painted glass ornaments you'll need:
Some glass balls (about $1 a piece)
Some poster paints
Some Scotch tape
Some pretty ribbon
* Take the metal hook off of the ornament and squeeze desired amounts paints directly into the ornament, as many or as few colors as you desire.
* Apply a piece of tape over the ornament's opening and shake. (If doing this with a preschooler you may want to help them shake the ornament!) Shake until the entire ball is covered.
* The paint will naturally make beautiful patterns and no two will be alike!
* When the ornament is complete remove the tape and secure the metal hook back in place.
* Find a pretty ribbon, tie it on to the ornament and trim the ends as needed.
* Set aside in a safe place.
NB... I was just informed by the fabulously talented and crafty Pink & Green Mama that you should leave the ornaments uncovered and set to dry for about 2 weeks!


text:
Double click on above image to view full picture
Classic Carry-On
- Extra sturdy 18-ounce canvas construction.
- Meets most airline size requirements for carry on.
- Two exterior gusseted pockets hold any items you want quick access to.
- Leather straps and high quality roller buckles on both sides keep flaps closed securely.
- Adjustable shoulder strap and cotton web handles with leather snap grip make toting the bag a breeze.
- Two full length pockets (one zippered).
- Interior is lined with pockets for pens, a calculator, business cards, notebooks, etc.
- Guaranteed for life. Made in the USA.
Customer Reviews (12)
- Great BriefcaseReview by Red
- ExcellentReview by Red
Items 11 to 12 of 12 total
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text:
Grant helps charity to promote community integration
Published by Anonymous for 24dash.com in Communities and also in Housing
Grant helps charity to settle refugees in North East
A charity that helps African asylum seekers and refugees to settle and integrate into the North East of England has been given a £15,400 grant.
African Community Advice North East (ACANE) will use the funds from the Byker Community Trust (BCT) to help with the running of its centre on the Byker Wall Estate and to purchase new computer equipment.
It will mean the charity can continue to offer a meeting place for the community, providing advice and support, as well as resources for those who are looking for employment or training.
"The funding from the BCT will not only help with the running costs of our centre, it has also allowed us to purchase new equipment that will benefit hundreds of local people, not just the African community," said Gaby Kitoko, Development Manager at ACANE.
Gaby added: "The centre is such an important resource for Byker, especially for young people, and we encourage as many Byker residents as possible to come along and take advantage of the facilities."
The funding has been awarded from the BCT's £1 million community participatory budget programme, which offers local people and community groups the opportunity to bid for funding to support projects that will benefit the Byker Estate and its residents.
"ACANE was initially set up to support African refugees and asylum seekers coming into Newcastle, and that remains its core mission, but it has now become a support for the whole of the Byker community," said Jill Haley, chief executive of the BCT. "This is exactly the sort of project that the CPB was set up to support and I know that the ACANE team are making a real difference with the investment they're received."
Established in 2000 in response to the government's decision to disperse asylum seekers to different regions of the UK, ACANE has remained true to its original aims, while also helping newcomers from Africa to become an integral part of the Byker community.
People from all races and backgrounds now see the ACANE centre as a place to socialise, seek advice and access the internet. Regular events are also held, open to the whole community.
Gaby and his co-worker, Joe Kamanga, both came to the UK as refugees themselves, so are aware of the challenges faced by people arriving from Africa and the communities where they come to live.
As well as the open centre the ACANE team also offer an after-school youth club, one-to-one information sessions, translation services and support with job searches.
The BCT manages 1,800 properties in Newcastle.
Calls to amend rural housing policy
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text:
POSTED ON Saturday, 07.16.2011 / 3:12 PM ET
We know you've all been waiting for the rundown of the skills competition. So here it goes:
|Blue Team
|White Team
|The Hardest Shot:
|1. Mayfield
|1. Pedan
|2. Theoret
|2. Donovan
|3. Katic
|3. Trivino
Each player will have two shots. Both shots count, but only the hardest shot (miles per hour) will be recorded.
|The Rapid Fire Test:
|1. Persson
|1. DiBenedetto
|2. de Haan
|2. Lee
|3. Sundstrom
|3. Ness
|4. Cizikas
|4. Nelson
|Shooting on Rosen/Nilsson
|Shooting on Riopel/Rawlings
This competition tests the goalies. All three skaters will be armed with three pucks each and will shoot from inside the top of the faceoff circle. Each goalie will face nine shots each.
|The Breakaway:
|1. Niederreiter
|1. Kichton
|2. Strome
|2. Ullstrom
|3. Kabanov
|3. Rakhshani
|Shooting on Nilsson
|Shooting on Rawlings
This is the standard shootout challenge. Each skater will have one opportunity to score on the other team's goaltender.
|Team Breakaway:
|Shooting on Rosen
|Shooting on Riopel
All the skaters from each team will participate in this challenge. All the skaters must be on their bench other than the two players trying to score. The first skater will start on the blueline as he heads for a shot on his opposing team's goaltender. If he misses the shot, he must place the puck back on the blueline before his teammate is allowed on the ice to take the next shot. The first team to score seven goals wins.
Scoring: The winning team of each skills competition will be awarded one point, which will be added on to the final score from the scrimmage.
POSTED ON Saturday, 07.16.2011 / 2:25 PM ET
The Islanders equipment staff have worked hard to complete the setup of both the Blue Team and White Team's locker rooms and now they're ready for the game to begin. Here are a few photos of the dressing rooms.
The Blue Locker Room:
The White Locker Room:
POSTED ON Saturday, 07.16.2011 / 1:00 PM ET
After each team's morning skate, I spoke with a few players from each team and had all of them size up their competition. What I learned: the atmosphere in the two locker rooms was very different.
Calvin de Haan and Nino Niederreiter, players for the Blue Team, gave some detailed answers, but were primarily down to business. But when I walked into the White Team's locker room and spoke to Aaron Ness and Rhett Rakhshani, their answers were quite comedic. So who will take the cake tonight, the down to business Blue Team or the fun and energetic White Team?
Here's what the Blue Team had to say:
Calvin de Haan
Q: Tell me, what do you expect from tonight's game?
de Haan: I think it's going to be a pretty high-tempo game. A lot of guys are trying to make first impressions and some are trying to make lasting impressions as well. I think guys are going to work hard out there, especially for some of the camp invites. It's a chance to make a name for themselves.
Q: Which team do you think will win?
de Haan: We think we're going to win. You have to be confident, but at the same time you can't be cocky, it's a fine line. Their top line definitely has a lot of skill, with (Rhett) Rakhshani and (David) Ullstrom up there. They had great seasons last year. And they have the pest up front too, (Justin) DiBenedetto. He's going to try to get under our skin, I can tell you that right now. Other than that, they have a solid squad just like us. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Q: What's the best part about the skills competition?
de Haan: The skills competition is a good time to show some creativity that we have as players and as goalies to stop the puck, making incredible saves on breakaways, but it's competitive as well because it's an aspect of the game. It's a good way to show your creativity.
Nino Niederreiter
Q: Who do you think will win tonight?
Niederreiter: I have no idea. I think we have a very good team and my opinion, we're probably going to win. We have great skill. Kirill (Kabanov), Ryan (Strome) and I have some good chemistry so far, we've been passing a lot. They've got good skills and good shots, so I think it's going to be a good line.
Q: Do you think it will be a close game?
Niederreiter: It's definitely going to be a good battle. We both have good teams. It's always fun to play summer hockey. There's going to be a lot of good skill out there and we'll be competing hard so it will be very fun.
Here's what the White Team had to say:
Aaron Ness
Q: What do you think of your competition?
Ness: I haven't had the chance to see them, but I think we're the harder working team. I think we're a little more skilled too, on both ends. We've got great goaltending and really great coaches (Brent Thompson and Geoff Sanderson) so it will be a good game, but hopefully we'll come out on top.
Q: So you're not going to size them up for me at all?
Ness: I haven't really had a chance to look at the roster yet. I usually like to study that before the game starts, so a couple hours before the game I'll check out the roster and memorize some of their numbers. So it won't be until pregame that I'm going to know this stuff.
Q: Want to give me a more serious answer?
Ness: I think both teams are pretty even tonight. You never know until you jump on the ice. We didn't get the chance to watch them at all this week because they were on the ice when we were in the gym and vice versa so it will be fun to see what they have. It should be a good game.
Q: How is your team's chemistry?
Ness: It's been good. There have only been a couple practices so we're kind of jumping right into it. I think we worked hard this week. I think we're ready to jump out there and into a game situation.
Q: Mark Katic said he was going to try the knuckle puck during the skills competition. Do you have any hidden skills or surprises up your sleeve?
Ness: No, I don't have any moves. I'm more of a shooting guy. I'm just going to go down, shoot as hard as I can, close my eyes and hopefully it goes in. I don't know what a knuckle puck is, but we'll see.
Rhett Rakhshani
Q: You have the mentality that you guys are going to win tonight?
Rakhshani: That's not our mentality. That is what's going to happen. We're going to win. The biggest concern for them right now is do we want to just beat them or do we want to embarrass them. Because I think that's what it comes down to. We're all friends and we're all Islanders here, but at the end of the day, where do we stop? Do we stop at three goals? Five goals? A ten-goal lead? That's important for us and that's what we'll be talking about – how much we want to beat them by. It will be fun. We're excited to work on some moves out there and work hard.
Q: When I went into the other room, they were more sizing up the competition and you guys are a little more comedic in your responses. Why do you think that is?
Rakhshani: That's because they're worried about us. They're very worried.
Q: So you guys are worried, not at all about the other team?
Rakhshani: No. You respect all opponents, but you fear none. We'll respect them enough not to completely embarrass them.
Q: Skills competition, do you have any moves planned?
Rakhshani: I don't know. We'll see what event I'm chosen for. Everyone tries to have fun out there and has some fun moves or will pull something crazy out of their sleeves, so it should be fun.
POSTED ON Saturday, 07.16.2011 / 11:06 AM ET
After a long week of Mini-Camp anticipation, it's finally the day of the Blue & White Scrimmage and Skills Competition.
Today will run just like a normal game day. The Blue Team had their morning skate at 10 a.m., followed by the White Team at 11:00 a.m. After the skate, the players will go back, relax, have lunch and maybe take a nap before coming back to Nassau Coliseum for a competitive, yet fun Blue & White Scrimmage which will be followed by a Skills Competition.
Blue Team Lineups:
37 Kirill Kabanov - 8 Ryan Strome - 25 Nino Niederreiter
62 Tyler McNeely - 53 Casey Cizikas - 56 John Persson
64 Ben Thomson - 28 Johan Sundstrom - 61 Mitchell Theoret
42 Max LeSieur - 54 Tony Romano - 6 Max Capuano
* Will rotate with seven men
3 Calvin de Haan - 63 Scott Mayfield
71 Mark Katic - 41 Robbie Russo
33 Benn Olson - 58 Bennett Schneider
50 Teigan Zahn
52 Chris Rawlings (First period)
34 Nicola Riopel (Second period)
White Team Lineups:
18 Justin DiBenedetto - 45 David Ullstrom - 49 Rhett Rakhshani
58 Anders Lee - 11 Brock Nelson - 56 Cody McNaughton
63 Danny Linell - 38 Corey Trivino - 62 KJ Tiefenwerth
61 Dan O'Donoghue - 37 Ben Rosen - 64 Stephen Alonge
* Will rotate with seven men
24 Aaron Ness - 29 Matt Donovan
42 Andrey Pedan - 41 Brenden Kichton
33 Art Bidlevskii - 6 Mike Marcou
50 Mei Ushu
34 Cody Rosen (First period)
52 Anders Nilsson (Second period)
POSTED ON Friday, 07.15.2011 / 11:04 PM ET
By Jamie Palatini - / 2011 Mini-Camp
|David Ullstrom shows off his Mets gear at Citi Field prior to the Mets vs. Phillies game on Friday, July 15, 2011.
Although only a handful of player at this week's mini-camp are from the New York Area, there are a few notables who consider themselves big Mets fans. David Ullstrom, Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin were decked out in Mets shirts and hats for the game, urging on the home team.
Cizikas and Justin DiBenedetto did their best Howie Rose/Butch Goring impressions as they tried their hand at some play-by-play during the fifth inning.
Friday night's Mets game was also camp invite Art Bidlevskii's first baseball game. Hear what he thought of the experience, and see if his play-by-play skills were close to the team of Cizikas and DiBenedetto.
Although the Mets dropped the 7-2 decision to the Phillies, the players were able to use the opportunity to spend some time with each other one last time before facing off in Saturday night's Blue and White Scrimmage.
POSTED ON Friday, 07.15.2011 / 4:43 PM ET
Here's more of an inside look from within the locker room at Islanders Mini-Camp on Friday, July 15, 2011.
POSTED ON Thursday, 07.14.2011 / 5:35 PM ET
Click the photo to view photo galleries from Islanders Mini-Camp thus far.
|Andrey Pedan (blue) and Danny Linell (orange) skating at Nassau Coliseum during an on-ice session of Islanders Mini-Camp on Wednesday, July 13, 2011.
POSTED ON Thursday, 07.14.2011 / 5:25 PM ET
POSTED ON Wednesday, 07.13.2011 / 4:36 PM ET
"It was my first time on the ice here at the Nassau (Coliseum)," Strome said. "It's good to kind of get that under your belt and get the first one out of the way. It was good to get back on the ice. That's what we're here for and that's the fun part. So it was great."
Even though the campaign for a new arena is in full swing, Strome still thought it was cool to be skating at the original Coliseum, where four Stanley Cups were won.
"It was cool," Strome said about skating at the Nassau Coliseum. "It could be a big part of my future. Hopefully it is. It's great to have that first experience under your belt. It was very exciting and little nerve racking at first, but it's just hockey and I had a lot of fun."
|Ryan Strome takes a shot on Anders Nilsson during a on-ice session at Islanders Mini-Camp on Wednesday, July 13, 2011.
"He's been up for a couple of games in the NHL and he knows what it takes," Strome said. "I've been talking to him a little bit, giving me a little advice and I'm just trying to following in his footsteps and learn everything I can."
He's also received a bit of mentoring from fellow Mississauga native and first round pick, John Tavares. The two even shared a few text messages yesterday, with Tavares asking Strome how he's doing.
"(Prior to the draft) we kind of joked about it (being on the same team) a little bit," Strome said. "It's reality now. He's a good role model and a good guy to look up to. He works so hard. He's such a professional and we all know how good he is. So it's great to kind of learn from him and see what he does every day, just go under his wing a little bit and learn everything I can. He's a good guy and he's helped me out a lot."
Tavares, the first overall selection in 2009, made his transition from Junior to the NHL rather quickly, playing pros the very same season he was drafted. Niederreiter, drafted fifth overall in 2010, played nine games last season and is hoping to make the Islanders roster straight out of Training Camp this year.
So if Strome wants to follow in his teammates footsteps, he said, "This is work time. I want to make the team and this is the first time. So yeah, this is exciting and it's something I've dreamed of my whole life, but it's down to business now. They're (management, coaches and scouts) all watching, they're all watching 24/7. So it's definitely time for work."
Fans will get to see Strome's talent first-hand on Saturday night when he and the rest of the prospects gear up for the Blue & White Scrimmage and Skills Competition.
"That's what we're all here for, to play," Strome said. "Hopefully the fans get a good look at the future and what the Islanders have here. I think it's a bright future, so I'm very excited."
POSTED ON Wednesday, 07.13.2011 / 10:28 AM ET
The White Team took the ice for their first on-ice session at 10 a.m. while the Blue Team were completing their first off-ice session with Islanders Strength & Conditioning Coach Jesse Demers. Coaches consisted of Islanders head coach Jack Capuano, Islanders skills coach Bernie Cassell, Islanders goalie coach Mike Dunham, Islanders player development personnel Eric Cairns and Geoff Sanderson, and Sound Tigers assistant coach Eric Boguniecki.
The group did a couple warm-up laps before meeting again at the center circle as Rhett Rakhshani and David Ullstrom led the stretches.
While the White Team skated, a cloud of Islanders personnel sat in the rafters of the 200 section, including Islanders General Manager Garth Snow and a slew of scouts. If the prospects weren't nervous prior to the start of camp, they could be now.
The White Team:
Stephen Alonge, Justin DiBenedetto, Brett Gallant, Anders Lee, Danny Linell, Cody McNaughton, Brock Nelson, Dan O'Donoghue, Rhett Rakhshani, Ben Rosen, KJ Tiefenwerth, Corey Trivino, David Ullstrom
Art Bidlevskii, Matt Donovan, Brenden Kichton, Mike Marcou, Andrey Pedan, Mei Ushu
Anders Nilsson and Cody Rosen


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Buying Index Funds
Buying an index fund is a little like a zen kōan.
Kōans are simple questions (like "what's the sound of one hand clapping?") that are intended to incite doubt and show a student how little he/she knows.
On the surface, index funds are really simple: set up an account at E*Trade, Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, or any place offering index funds; deposit a few grand into the account; click on the fund you want.
But, of course, the whole thing is a little more complex.
First, you have to figure out what kind of index fund you want. Is there an index you want your fund to be measured against? Do you want an index fund or an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund)? How much do you want to invest? Are you going for domestic or international funds? Do you want a fund linked to a specific market (like tech)? What sound does a tree make when it falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it?
One thing you will need to accept (just like those zen students) is that you don't know everything about investing. One of the best reasons to invest in index funds, actually, is because you don't know that much but want to invest—and you want someone else to decide which investments might make the most sense. Once you accept that you don't know everything, you can learn enough about index funds to decide which ones you want.
How very zen of you.


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The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant (Infantry), [then Sergeant First Class] Robert Lewis Howard (ASN: RA-14628152), United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, in action against enemy aggressor forces at Republic of Vietnam, on 30 December 1968. First Lieutenant Howard, distinguished himself while serving as platoon sergeant of an American-Vietnamese platoon which was on a mission to rescue a missing American soldier in enemy controlled territory. The platoon had left its helicopter landing zone and was moving out on its mission when it was attacked by an estimated two-company force. During the initial engagement, First Lieutenant Howard was wounded and his weapon destroyed by a grenade explosion. First Lieutenant Howard saw his platoon leader had been wounded seriously and was exposed to fire. Although unable to walk, and weaponless, First Lieutenant Howard unhesitatingly crawled through a hail of fire to retrieve his wounded leader. As First Lieutenant Howard was administering first aid and removing the officer's equipment, an enemy bullet struck one of the ammunition pouches on the lieutenant's belt, detonating several magazines of ammunition. First Lieutenant Howard momentarily sought cover and then realizing that he must rejoin the platoon, which had been disorganized by the enemy attack, he again began dragging the seriously wounded officer toward the platoon area. Through his outstanding example of indomitable courage and bravery, First Lieutenant Howard was able to rally the platoon into an organized defense force. With complete disregard for his safety, First Lieutenant Howard crawled from position to position, administering first aid to the wounded, giving encouragement to the defenders and directing their fire on the encircling enemy. For 3 1/2 hours First Lieutenant Howard's small force and supporting aircraft successfully repulsed enemy attacks and finally were in sufficient control to permit the landing of rescue helicopters. First Lieutenant Howard personally supervised the loading of his men and did not leave the bullet-swept landing zone until all were aboard safely. First Lieutenant Howard's gallantry in action, his complete devotion to the welfare of his men at the risk of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the United States Army.General Orders: Department of the Army, General Orders No. 16 (March 24, 1971)
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Sergeant First Class Robert Lewis Howard (ASN: RA-14628152), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Command and Control (Central), 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Sergeant First Class Howard distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 21 November 1967, as Special Forces Advisor to a joint American and Vietnamese reconnaissance patrol conducting a search mission near the Laotian border. His patrol discovered a huge rice and ammunition cache surrounded by an enemy bunker complex. Sergeant Howard led a small team to provide security while the remainder of the unit began to destroy the stored supplies. His team encountered four North Vietnamese Army soldiers, and Sergeant Howard killed them with a fierce burst of rifle fire. He and his men were immediately pinned down by a murderous curtain of fire which erupted from a nearby enemy machine gun position. With complete disregard for his safety, Sergeant Howard crawled toward the emplacement and killed a North Vietnamese sniper who was firing at him as he maneuvered. He then charged the bunker, eliminating its occupants with rifle fire. A second machine gun position unleashed a savage barrage. Sergeant Howard moved his troops to a covered location and directed an air strike against the fortified bunker. While assessing the bomb damage, Sergeant Howard was fired upon by North Vietnamese soldiers in the bunker who had survived the blasts. Pinned down directly outside the strongpoint with a blazing machine gun barrel only six inches above his head, he threw a hand grenade into the aperture of the emplacement, killing the gunners and temporarily silencing the weapon. He then dashed to his team's location and secured a light anti-tank weapon. As the enemy machine gun resumed firing, Sergeant Howard stood up amid a withering hail of bullets, fired his weapon, and completely demolished the position. His fearless and determined actions in close combat enabled the remainder of the patrol to destroy the enemy cache. Sergeant First Class Howard's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2018 (May 2, 1968)
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant First Class Robert Lewis Howard (ASN: RA-14628152), United States Army, for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. Sergeant First Class Howard distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions from 12 to 20 November 1968, during an operation deep within enemy-held territory. As his platoon was being inserted into the area, it came under heavy fie from all directions. Sergeant Howard leaped from his helicopter before it touched down and began to return fire, providing protection for his men while they dismounted and moved safely off the landing zone. Seeing two enemy soldiers in a wood line, he charged their position and killed them both. When the unit was attacked by a company-size force on the night of 16 November, he went to each platoon member, encouraging them and directing their fire while completely exposing himself to the communist barrage. Two days later while Sergeant Howard was leading the point element, the platoon was ambushed by an estimated two North Vietnamese Army companies. He skillfully maneuvered his men so that the enemy was caught in a deadly crossfire and the ambush was broken. The following day, Sergeant Howard had again taken the point element when he observed an estimated battalion-size ambush. Although wounded in the initial exchange of fire, he exposed himself to the aggressors to place effective fire on them and enable his platoon to take cover. Moving from position to position, he administered first aid to the wounded and set up a landing zone so that they could be evacuated. As the first ambulance helicopter came in, it was struck by hostile machine gun fire and burst into flames. Sergeant Howard, although wounded a second time, ran one hundred and fifty meters to where the ship had crashed and rescued a trapped pilot from the blazing wreckage. Once the entire crew was free from the aircraft, he led them back to the platoon while providing covering fire. Three hours later another helicopter succeeded in landing and the casualties were evacuated, but Sergeant Howard refused to leave. The next morning, he saw three North Vietnamese soldiers maneuvering towards his element and immediately opened fire, killing them.General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 371 (February 3, 1969)


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I keep hearing, "Oh 'The Hunger Games' is definitely the new Twilight." I don't believe that's true.
The "Twilight" and "Hunger Games" series of books and movies (the first "Hunger Games" film opens March 23) appeal to teens for different reasons, but for me, there's no contest between the two. "Hunger Games" is in its own category. It's so different and amazing and, well, better.
First of all, "Twilight" is completely unbelievable. And I'm not just talking about the fact that vampires are present, because "Hunger Games" has some fantasy stuff, too (think genetically altered bees whose sting can make you go crazy). I'm talking about the way people act in the story. The students at Forks High School think it's strange that the kids in the Cullen family are all dating each other, yet they treat it like it's no big deal.
If I saw that siblings, related by blood or not, were dating, I would probably have to tell someone, because that is just not OK.
And when "Twilight's" Bella figures out that Edward is a vampire, does she start staying as far away as possible from him? No. Instead, she goes out into the middle of a forest with him all alone to confront him. Most people would probably scream and run away, but not Bella!
Katniss, from "Hunger Games," has far more believable reactions to things that happen in her life. When Prim, her sister, is chosen to compete to the death just for entertainment, Katniss volunteers to be District 12's tribute. And she freaks out about her decision later. While she's willing to die 10 times over to save Prim, Katniss still is overtaken with fear. Now that is something I can relate to.
Plus, "Hunger Games" has something for everyone. While I usually dislike futuristic books, I loved "Hunger Games" because of the romance and action. The world in "Hunger Games" is so familiar to our own world that without even realizing it, a person would be able to relate so much better to Panem than Forks, even though Forks is an actual town in Washington.
The citizens living in the "Hunger Games'" Capitol are obsessed with altering their appearances by changing their skin tone or dying their hair crazy colors. Hello, that's exactly like the stars in Hollywood with their orange tans and bleached hair. And just as the citizens are obsessed with watching the games, people love watching reality TV. Now, I realize watching young people kill each other isn't the reality TV we're used to, but if you think about it, it's still observing people's lives.
It's the heroines in these series that really stand out. Bella is way too dependent on Edward for her happiness. She blows off all her friends to hang out with him and falls into depression when he leaves her in "New Moon" (the second book in the series). And for some reason, Bella has this twisted idea that if she does daring things that could possibly kill her, she'll be able to see Edward again. Bella needs to get some help if she seriously believes that she's seeing Edward.
Katniss, on the other hand, doesn't depend on guys to make things all better for her. When Prim gets chosen at the reaping, Katniss doesn't wait for someone to step up and volunteer to take Prim's place. Instead, she volunteers herself. And when Katniss is thrust into the arena, she doesn't chase after Peeta so he can protect her and make her happy. She runs off, survives on her own and ends up taking care of Peeta.
If Bella were forced into the games, she would most likely be the first person dead. I have this vision of her standing in the middle of the open field, shivering, crying and calling out Edward's name.
Which person would you rather be? The dependent, emotional mess or the independent, strong leader? I think the answer is pretty obvious. So is the answer to the question "Is 'Hunger Games' really better than 'Twilight?' "
The Life in Perspective board is made up of teens who write columns and features for this newspaper. Sara Zollner attends Castro Valley High School. Reach her at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The Scarlet Letter
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Scarlet Letter The Supernatural Quotes
How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Why dost thou smile so at me?" inquired Hester, troubled at the expression of his eyes. "Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us? Hast thou enticed me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?" (4.33)
You'd think that, if you sold your soul to the devil, you'd know about it—but here, Hester is trying to figure out if she actually did. Apparently, Chillingworth is so good as the whole creepy thing that he's actually being confused for the Devil.
Quote #5
Dames of elevated rank, likewise, whose doors she entered in the way of her occupation, were accustomed to distil drops of bitterness into her heart, sometimes through that alchemy of quiet malice, by which women can concoct a subtile poison from ordinary trifles, and sometimes, also, by a courser expression, that fell upon the sufferer's defenceless breast like a rough blow upon an ulcerated wound. (5.8)
Alchemists were like (emphasis on the "like") scientists who were primarily concerned with (1) turning everyday metals into gold, and (2) concocting the elixir of life. Here, our narrator describes the coldness of the "elevated" ladies toward Hester. Their mean words are like those cool little sponges that, when dry, are the size of your pinky nail, and that, when wet, grow to be the size of your hand. That's where the alchemy comes in —these women say civil things to Hester, but these words have huge, hurtful meanings beneath them.
Quote #6
They averred that the symbol was not mere scarlet cloth tinged in an earthly dyepot, but was red-hot with infernal fire, and could be seen glowing all alight whenever Hester Prynne walked abroad in the nighttime. And we must needs say it seared Hester's bosom so deeply, that perhaps there was more truth in the rumor than our modern incredulity may be inclined to admit. (5.12)
Infernal fire, eh? That's a pretty hefty thing to have to carry around on your chest everyday. And yet, people seem to be more taken by its color and its glowing qualities than they are by what it represents (adultery, temptation, the Devil). We get a feeling that these townspeople are kind of in awe of the scarlet A and not for entirely negative reasons. It almost seems like the townspeople talk more about the A than they do about Hester's sin.


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If you consider Hawaiian shirts a thing of the past, then you haven't taken a good look at Reyn Spooner's charming and beach-friendly styles. Reyn Spooner's roots stem back to 1962, when founder Reyn McCullough purchased swimwear makers Spooners of Waikiki, housed in a little grass hut under the Waikiki Beach palm trees. Over the next five decades McCullough transformed this shack into an award winning company that has partnerships and collaborations with Opening Ceremony, Urban Outfitters – and Disney. Reyn Spooner's success can be attributed to the company's subtler take on the bright traditional prints of Hawaiian style shirts – using traditional woodblock methods, its shirts are made with the fabric turned wrong side out. In 2010, Reyn Spooner launched its completely revamped and re-engineered Modern Collection featuring slim-fit flattering pants and shorts, trendy swimwear and tropical blazers catering to the younger and more modern man. The company even puts out a commemorative Christmas shirt every year, so if you're looking for a trendy take on a golfing Santa, look no further.
Layer up for those cooler spring evenings with this smart selection of lightweight knits, which ranges from striped cardigans to v-necks to hoodies. Hey, even if you find yourself forgoing the extra layer it's always nice to have one around in case your lady friend gets chilly.
Laid-back wardrobe essentials that are perfect for spring layering.
Embrace the season's most eye-catching trend with this stylish assortment of shorts, shirts, trunks, and more. Shop the look in this sale, from Burkman Bros, Reyn Spooner, John Varvatos, and more.
At some point this summer it will be way too hot for long sleeves. When that time comes, make sure you're prepared with our latest selection of stylish short sleeve button-ups. From plaids to stripes to checks, stay cool and in style no matter how high the temperature rises.


text: Sir David Jason, who starred in Sky One's hugely successful adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather, has signed up to star in the channel's next big adaptation of the fantasy writer's work, The Colour Of Magic. Hogfather was Sky One's big break-out success last year (one the channel's few bright programming spots). In Hogfather, Sir David played Death's little helper Albert, but for The Colour Of Magic he's signed on to play wizard Rincewald (correction.. big typo.. sorry, it's been a long morning already RINCEWIND!). He told The Sun: "I liked Hogfather, but The Colour of Magic is better."


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Play any type of Game at Y8.com. The biggest Game Collection to play free online. Flash, Unity 3D, Html5, Android, Java and Shockwave.
An exemplary balance between realism and fun, Digital Paintball 3.0 is meant for people who have ever tried their hand at simulated paint-ball games, loved them, and would like to play like a pro. The game has team objectives of high-value, short range bullets, and power-packed tactics.
The experience of this revitalizing, all-new game is likely to appeal to novice players and hard-core professionals. All that it takes for a person's elimination is a single shot. The fast pacing calls for laying of strategies for quick defense, dodging, running at break-neck speed, and making unbelievably dangerous jumps. The simulations adhere so closely to realism that it becomes difficult not to duck each time an opponent comes towards you.
You can create your custom maps and invite friends to play against each other with real time multiplayer experience.


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The Campbellsville man found guilty in 2003 of raping and sodomizing a 9-year-old girl is taking his case to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
William R. Payne, 42, was found guilty of nine counts of first-degree rape and five counts of first-degree sodomy and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The girl, who was 13 years old at the time of the trial, testified that while her mother was working nights, Payne forced her to have sex with him. Payne denied the accusations.
Taylor County jail staff have denied allegations in a lawsuit filed against them by a former inmate.
Lebanon attorney Ted Lavit filed the lawsuit on behalf of Greensburg resident Dusty D. Nunn on Friday, Aug. 13 in Taylor Circuit Court.
The lawsuit names defendants Rick Benningfield, individually and as Taylor County jailer, and B.J. Milby and John Hawkins, individually and in their capacity as deputies at the jail.
A Munfordville man has been arrested and charged with using a computer to lure a minor for sex.
Henley Garland Albert, 61, of 1285 Horton Lane was arrested at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24.
Taylor County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Pickard investigated the case as a part of an ongoing investigation into Internet crimes against children.
Albert was charged with five counts of unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sex and five counts of distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor.
Phil Hays plans to end the year in a big way. The local veterinarian is training for his first half ironman-length triathlon - a total of 70 miles of swimming, biking and running. The full ironman triathlon is 140 miles.
It all began with the TV show "The Biggest Loser."
"We were at work [at The Animal Hospital] talking about 'The Biggest Loser' and we decided to put some cash in and see who could lose the most weight," Hays said.
Losing 30 pounds, Hays tied for first place in the office competition.
Meredith Ann Scalos, daughter of Bradley and Karen Scalos, was named Taylor County's Junior Miss for 2011 at the conclusion of Saturday evening's program at Hamilton Auditorium.
In addition to winning the title of Taylor County's Junior Miss, Scalos was also a preliminary winner in self-expression, talent and interview.
Hope Wigginton, daughter of Scott and Elizabeth Wigginton, was the first runner-up while Lauren Eastridge, daughter of Jay and Jessica Eastridge, was second runner-up, and Melissa Dillery, daughter of Scott and Susan Dillery was third runner-up.
A hearing has been set in a Campbellsville City Councilman's lawsuit alleging that one of his fellow candidates doesn't live in the city.
Steven C. Call of Nunery & Bennett PLLC in Campbellsville filed the suit earlier this month at Taylor Circuit Clerk Rodney Burress' office on behalf of attorney and Councilman David A. Nunery.
Nunery's lawsuit asks that a judge decide whether candidate Walter Ray Rafferty lives inside the Campbellsville city limits.
They broadened their horizons, lived on their own and made new friends.
This summer, six students from Taylor County and Campbellsville High schools attended Governor's Scholars Programs at Murray State University and Bellarmine University. GSP was also offered at Centre College, though no local students chose that campus.
Melanie Brockman from Campbellsville High School, and Brandi Cox, Melissa Dillery, Hailey Gregory, Meredith Scalos and Hope Wigginton from Taylor County High School attended the program this year.
In an effort to balance its budget, the state will close the majority of its offices on Friday for one of six furlough days in the coming fiscal year.
Services at some local offices may be disrupted by the furloughs but will remain open. Others will be closed on those days.
The Circuit Clerk's office and the County Clerk's office will both be open. The Taylor County PVA office and the Commonwealth Attorney's office will be closed.
"My dog won't bite." Many local mail carriers have heard those words. And several have found out the hard way that that dog will, in fact, bite.
Residents on Gowdy Street may have noticed that their mailboxes were empty one day last week. It wasn't because they had no mail, but rather there was a loose dog preventing mail carrier Ben Goodman from delivering to that street.
"The carrier hadn't seen that dog before and every time he went down that street, the dog would chase him," said Campbellsville Postmaster Tony Kush.
An East Broadway home was damaged in a fire Monday morning.
According to a news release from the Campbellsville Fire Department, a fire started in the basement of the home at 1702 E. Broadway sometime around 10 a.m.
The home is owned by Bo Grant, who was not at home at the time of the fire.
There was moderate fire damage in the basement, according to Assistant Chief Bill Hall, and heavy smoke damage throughout the rest of the house.
Personnel from Campbellsville/Taylor County Rescue and the Campbellsville Police Department assisted.
Copyright © 2016
The Central Kentucky News-Journal is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Campbellsville, KY and the surrounding area.


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The assignment activity module allows teachers to collect work from students, review it and provide feedback including grades.
Used for keeping attendance in Moodle.
The Certificate module creates PDF certificates/diplomas for students of the course and is completely customizable.
The Chat activity module allows participants to have a real-time synchronous discussion via the web. This is a useful way to get a different understanding of each other and the topic being discussed – the mode of using a chat room is quite different from the asynchronous forums. The Chat module contains a number of features for managing and reviewing chat discussions.
Choice activity is very simple – the teacher asks a question and specifies a choice of multiple responses. It can be useful as a quick poll to stimulate thinking about a topic; to allow the class to vote on a direction for the course; or to gather research consent.
The database activity module allows the teacher and/or students to build, display and search a bank of record entries about any conceivable topic. The format and structure of these entries can be almost unlimited, including images, files, URLs, numbers and text amongst other things.
The Feedback module allows you to create and conduct surveys to collect feedback from Students. It is smaller in scope and therefore easier to use than the Questionnaire module, and unlike the Survey tool allows you to write your own questions, rather than choose from a list of pre-written survey instruments.
The forum module is an activity where students and teachers can exchange ideas by posting comments. There are four basic forum types. Forum posts can be graded by the teacher or other students.
The Glossary activity allows participants to create and maintain a list of definitions, like a dictionary.
Hot Potatoes Quiz
The Hot Potatoes activity module allows teachers to administer Hot Potatoes and TexToys quizzes via Moodle. These quizzes are created on the teacher's computer and then uploaded to the Moodle course. After students have attempted the quizzes, a number of reports are available which show how individual questions were answered and some statistical trends in the scores.
The lesson module presents a series of HTML pages to the student, who is usually asked to make some sort of choice underneath the content area. The choice will send them to a specific page in the Lesson. In a Lesson page's simplest form, the student can select a continue button at the bottom of the page, which will send them to the next page in the Lesson.
The Moodle Questionnaire module is a survey-like type of activity. It allows teachers to create a wide range of questions to get student feedback e.g. on a course or activities. The goals of the Questionnaire module are quite different from those of the Moodle Lesson or Quiz modules. With Questionnaire you do not test or assess the student, you gather data.
The Quiz activity module allows the teacher to design and set quizzes consisting of a large variety of Question types, including multiple choice, true-false, and short answer questions. These questions are kept in the Question bank and can be re-used in multiple quizzes. Quizzes can be configured to allow multiple attempts. Each attempt is automatically marked, and the teacher can choose whether to give feedback and/or show the correct answers.
The Survey activity module is a course activity that provides a number of verified survey instruments, including COLLES (Constructivist On-Line Learning Environment Survey) and ATTLS (Attitudes to Thinking and Learning Survey), which have been found useful in assessing and stimulating learning in online environments. Teachers can use these to gather data from their students that will help them learn about their class and reflect on their own teaching.
A wiki activity is a collection of collaboratively authored web documents. Basically, a wiki page is a web page everyone in your class can create together, right in the browser, without needing to know HTML. A wiki starts with one front page. Each author can add other pages to the wiki by simply creating a link to a page that doesn't exist yet.
Add an IMS content package
IMS is a body which helps define technical standards for various things, including e-learning material. The IMS Content Packaging specification makes it possible to store chunks of material in a standard format which can be re-used in different systems, without having to convert the material into new formats.
Compose a text page
A Text page resource is a simple page written using plain text. Text pages aren't pretty, but they're a good place to put some information or instructions.
Compose a web page
A web page is a resource that has a link in the center column of a course home page for the student to use. It is like a single page document that has the HTML editor tool which the teacher uses to create content.
Display a directory
The Directory resource type can be used to display a whole directory (and its subdirectories) from your course files area. Students can then browse and view all those files.
Insert a Label
A label is a way to add text to the content area of your course. Labels can be used to give a quick instruction or for telling users what to click on next.
Link to a file or website
You may add a link to a file or a website on your moodle pages using this resource.


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Description: This course focuses on the fundamental principles that inform research-based literacy and reading
instruction. It is designed to give
educators an overview of the relationships among phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition,
vocabulary, and fluency. Learners study the developmental stages through which young children gain
independence in the use of phonemic awareness, phonics, and word recognition, as well as the
increasing levels of complex skills required for students to increase their vocabulary and comprehension
skills in grades K8.
Learners will also explore the literacy needs of English language learners (ELL),
students with learning disabilities, and other struggling readers. As a final task, learners will create a two-week literacy plan for their classrooms. Upon completion of this course, learners will have a strong
foundation of research-based literacy instruction methods and activities to draw from as they transform
their teaching practices to meet the specific needs of their students, the curricular goals of their school
district, and their state standards.
Note: This is a facilitated course. Learners submit coursework and participate in asynchronous discussions throughout the course term and receive graded feedback.
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Poll Finds Support for Womack, Less for Thomas
Published: Saturday, October 5, 2013 at 11:16 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, October 5, 2013 at 11:16 p.m.
LAKELAND | A majority of Lakeland voters say Lakeland Police Chief Lisa Womack should stay in her job, but a majority of voters say either that City Manager Doug Thomas should go or that they are unsure about whether he should keep his job.
View charts
The Lakeland Civic Poll by Florida Southern College and The Ledger was conducted by telephone Sept. 29 to Oct. 4 from the FSC campus. Overall results are from 402 adults identifying themselves as registered voters living within the city's limits. The telephone numbers used in the survey were formed at random by Survey Sampling International in Connecticut using a computer programmed to ensure each area of the city was represented. It includes numbers from listed and unlisted land lines and from cellphone numbers. In addition, a segment of directory-listed numbers also was selected randomly. Training of interviewers and monitoring of the calling process was done by a Ledger employee with more than 20 years experience in polling field management. The analysis of the poll results was completed by FSC political science professor Bruce Anderson, who also sought independent confirmation from Penn State University professor Zachary Baumann. No employee of The Ledger was involved in conducting the analysis of the polling data. The results from the survey have a margin of sampling error of 5 percentage points. That means that there is a 19 out of 20 chance that the results from the poll are within 5 percentage points of the answers that researchers would have received had they asked every one of Lakeland's 58,532 voters the same questions. In questions where the subgroups were smaller, the margin of sampling error will be larger. In addition to sampling error, the practical difficulties of conducting any poll can induce other forms of error into the results.
Those were the results of a poll conducted by Florida Southern College and The Ledger between Sept. 29 and Friday.
The poll comes after a monthslong sex scandal and other problems that have enveloped the Lakeland Police Department, including the recent arrest of an officer charged with armed sexual battery and armed stalking.
The poll has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.
Of 402 respondents, 51 percent said Womack should stay in the job, which two city commissioners recently called for her to leave, and 47 percent said they approved of Womack's handling of the situations at LPD.
Twenty-eight percent said she should leave, and 18 percent said they didn't know.
Womack did not respond to a request for comment Saturday.
The chief fared better than her boss, Thomas.
Thirty-four percent of respondents said he should stay, but 59 percent said either that Thomas should leave his job, 26 percent, or that they have not made up their minds, 33 percent.
Thomas also did not respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Lakeland city commissioners reached Saturday were split on the implications of the poll.
Lakeland Mayor Gow Fields said the support for Womack is consistent with calls and emails he's received from residents.
"Two out of three calls and emails support the chief," Fields said.
Fields, who has voiced support for Womack, said the chief had much support when she inherited a troubled department three years ago. In 2008, about 95 percent of the Police Benevolent Association cast a vote of no confidence against former chief Roger Boatner.
Fields said city officials initially thought the vote by the police union was only over financial issues, but they learned later that officers also wanted increased accountability within the department.
That's what they've received in Womack, the mayor said.
City Commissioner Howard Wiggs, who has said Womack should be fired and is opposing Fields in the Nov. 5 mayoral election, said support for the chief doesn't surprise him.
The general public hasn't heard from officers who are dissatisfied with leadership at LPD, he said.
Wiggs said at least 30 officers have told him about issues of intimidation and a lack of leadership at the department.
"They are concerned about losing their jobs," he said. "The average person would not be aware of that information."
Wiggs is the only commissioner who has said Thomas should be fired. He said the numbers about Thomas show people think the city manager should have better handled the crisis at LPD by taking charge of the issue instead of allowing the mayor to react to it.
"We haven't seen Doug leading the conversation," Wiggs said. "I don't think managerial efficiencies are in place."
Fields said he wasn't surprised Thomas received less support than Womack.
"It's helped her to be in front of the camera more," he said.
Thomas hasn't been asked to explain himself as much as Womack, Fields said.
The mayor described the difference in support as insightful, but added that it isn't clear why there is more disapproval for Thomas.
"Is it they don't think he's been aggressive enough in support for the chief? Or is it that he should have fired the chief?" Fields asked.
Survey respondents interviewed Saturday who said they thought Thomas should go pointed to multiple reasons for their opinion.
Sharon Cox, 59, said Thomas had not done enough to question Womack.
Joe Leithead, 68, said Thomas had not done enough to support Womack.
In supporting Thomas, John McArthur, 76, said the city manager has made "a mistake or two" but said the issues were hidden from him.
Commissioners Edie Yates and Justin Troller each said they thought Thomas' numbers were worse than Womack's because she gets more public attention than Thomas.
"It's a matter of visibility," Yates said. "Given the press and the circumstances and all that has been in the news media and the circumstances that have occurred in the last six months and all that he (Thomas) has had to deal with, I am pleased that the numbers are that high."
Commissioners Phillip Walker and Keith Merritt could not be reached Saturday.
Commissioner Don Selvage said he wasn't surprised about the support for Womack or the lack of support for Thomas. Selvage has said Womack should be fired.
"The chief has been trying to get things straight," he said.
Womack has put proper processes in place, Selvage said, but she isn't the right person to change the overall culture at the department.
"The indications I've seen have led me to believe that she is not going to be able to change the culture over there," he said.
The lack of support for Thomas reflects that all the problems at the department have occurred under him, Selvage said.
He said Thomas has made mistakes but that, overall, he's been professional, loyal and has tried to guide the city through the issues.
"I've disagreed with some of his decisions," Selvage said. "But I haven't lost confidence in him."
He said he told Thomas from the beginning that he should have brought in State Attorney Jerry Hill, The Ledger and Sheriff Grady Judd to discuss the problems at LPD.
Hill has issued letters critical of Womack and of LPD, and his office investigated a variety of sexual misconduct and other problems at the department.
His investigators wrote reports critical of behavior and how problems have been handled at LPD. Some elected officials have suggested Judd be brought in to help identify and address problems within the department.
"They've circled the wagons and it has cost us," Selvage said of Thomas and Fields. "I think Doug and Gow have chosen to be defensive and insular, and it has hurt us.
"Having said that, they have been polite, deliberate and courteous through most of this."
Troller said the results mirror what he has found in his email inbox and is why the commission has such a tough decision in front of them.
"This just shows you the complexity of what we're dealing with as a community and that half of our electorate is going to be disappointed one way or another," Troller said. "There is no winner here."
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text: Posted February 24, 2013 didn't we have a top fifteen defense last year without him? i'd prefer to bring in a stopgap that can play CB2 at or around vet minimum and provide solid depth, leadership, and rotation with guys like thomas and norman. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 18.104.22.168
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I'm a budding flash designer...well learning and loving it anyway.
Can someone please let me in on the secrets of creating a partial loader. I basically want a portion of the site to load (like quicker) and the rest to load as my clients read the first part...does that make sense.
Thanking you all in advance
Aussiechickie ( aka Donna)


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Arts & Life
Trader Joe's Lower Greenville store celebrates its grand opening
Photo: Michael Ainsworth/Staff Photographer
Dallas- and Texas-themed murals add local flavor to the Greenville Avenue store.
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Sudeep filming Rakta Charitra with Vivek Oberoi
Sudeep"s association with RGV has made him very busy in Bollywood. Now, he is playing the role of a real-life DCP in Ram Gopal Varma"s Rakta Charitra. "It"s a modern-day Mahabharata, with Shatrughan Sinha, Vivek Oberoi, Zarina Wahab, Raj Babbar, Surya and Ranjeet playing major roles," the Bangalore Times quotes him as saying. "It"s a five-hour-long bilingual in Hindi and Telugu. It"ll release in two parts, each of two-and-a-half hours" duration. The second part will be released 30 days after the first," he adds.
Soon Sudeep will be heading to Mumbai to shoot Phoonk sequel Phoonk 2, which is also produced under RGV"s banner. The movie is a debut directorial venture of Milind Gadagkar. Sudeep says, "I"m doing the sequel for my friend Milind."
Sudeep says that RGV has always surprised him with offers. Now under his banner, the actor has planned to debut as a director with a remake of Kannada movie Just Maath Maathalli. "I"ve finalised the production house, but I"m yet to zero in on the cast. A couple of actors have already shown interest in being part of the film," the Bangalore Times reports him as saying.
However, he has already finished the shooting of another RGV"s movie Rann, which is slated for a January 2010 release. He is also working on to direct a bilingual project in Kannada and Hindi next year. He says, but it all depends on how the movie Rann does at the Box Office.
Let us wish him bright future in B-town.


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The Disk Utility program in Mac OS X enables you to create disk images (.dmg), similar to those you encounter when you install software on your Mac. When you double-click on this type of file, your computer mounts it as though it were a DVD or hard drive. In fact, you can think of mounted disk images as virtual drives. You can also add password protection to disk images when you create them. Without the correct password, it's almost impossible to read the contents of an encrypted disk image, so it's a great way to transfer data securely via flash drive, CD, or DVD or travel with files you want to keep confidential.
It's important to note, however, that the Macintosh Disk Utility does not replace the use of FileVault for storing data more permanently on a dekstop or laptop Mac. Remember, too, that Level 1 data must be permanently removed from portable devices if it is not covered by a current and approved business need.
To create a disk image from a folder on your Mac, first open Disk Utility. You'll find it in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder.
ITS has also prepared a short video tutorial to illustrate the process of creating a Disk Image.
Now you can transfer the disk image easily and securely via USB drive or other means. The only way to access the data inside the disk image is by entering the correct password.
Note that Disk Utility can make disk images from folders, but not from individual files. If you want to create a disk image for a single file, just create and name a new folder, place your file inside, and make a new disk image from that folder using the steps above.


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Over The Sea, Then Under The Knife
Patients worldwide are heading to hospitals in Asia for affordable, high-quality surgery
Shaun Reese's bad knee had been nagging him for months. He had torn a ligament a couple of years earlier that never healed properly, and the pain was getting worse. But the 48-year-old building contractor from Wyoming didn't have health insurance, so he kept putting off dealing with the problem. Then a friend suggested he fly to Thailand for some sun -- and a spot of surgery on the side.
After some investigation, Reese took the advice, and in January he hopped a plane for Bangkok's Bumrungrad Hospital, where he had arthroscopic knee surgery. Total cost: $5,000 -- half for the surgery and the rest for airfare and three weeks recuperation on the beach. Back home, he would have paid $6,500 for the operation alone. In Thailand, he says, "the people are supernice, and the facilities are nice and clean and convenient." So nice, clean, and convenient, in fact, that Reese says he may return next year for a hip replacement.
Welshman Cyril Parry's problem wasn't the cost of surgery. He had coverage from Britain's National Health Service but had been waiting more than four years for a hip replacement. As his pain increased, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Online, he found the Web site of the Apollo Hospital in Madras, India, and discovered that a doctor there had worked with a pioneer of hip-replacement surgery in Britain. "His credentials were impeccable," Parry says. Although his family thought he was daft, 59-year-old Parry flew to Madras in November and had the operation. Less than two weeks later, he was home. Total cost: $8,300, which he paid out of pocket. He is thrilled with the results. "I could not have gone anywhere better," says Parry. But he notes that, upon his return, "the nurses at the NHS gave me an attitude of near-hostility for going overseas for my operation."
FEARS OF AVIAN FLU. Those NHS nurses -- and their counterparts elsewhere in the developed world -- may have to shed their attitude. Parry and Reese are among a growing army of patients traveling to Asia for medical care. Thailand's private hospitals treated more than 308,000 patients from abroad in 2002, generating some $280 million in revenue, according to the Thai Private Hospital Assn. And the business is growing. While just around 10,000 international patients checked in to Indian hospitals for everything from hernias to heart surgery last year, health-care tourism in India could become a $1 billion business by 2012, according to a 2002 report by McKinsey & Co. and the Confederation of Indian Industry. Singapore attracted 200,000 foreign patients in 2002 and aims to treat 1 million annually by 2010. Medical care "will be a global business," says C.E. Tan, marketing manager at Parkway Group Healthcare, a chain of hospitals in Singapore that treated 122,000 foreign patients last year.
One potential hitch in the global ambitions of Asian hospitals: The region is seen as a breeding ground for infectious disease. This year's avian flu outbreak will surely cause some would-be patients to check into local hospitals rather than fly to Asia. Last year's SARS epidemic took a big bite out of business for many facilities in the region. Although Thailand had no reported cases of the disease, "SARS kicked us quite badly," says Ralf Krewer, marketing manager at the International Medical Center of Bangkok Hospital. "Nobody wanted to get on a plane." And many foreigners are concerned about the safety of the blood supply in developing nations, although officials say those worries are unfounded. The blood used in Thai hospitals is monitored "by the International Red Cross, and every blood-donor clinic is inspected," says Surapong Ambhanwong, former president of the Thai Private Hospital Assn. and a board member of the country's National Blood Donor center.
Those are valid concerns. But on price alone, you don't have to be a brain surgeon to do the math. In India or Thailand, a heart bypass costs $8,000 to $15,000, cataract surgery $500 per eye, and a root canal $80 to $225 per tooth. Those prices are a fraction of what U.S. hospitals or dentists might charge. And in both countries, privately run hospitals often provide foreign patients with live video consultations before they arrive, a personal paramedic, airport transfers in either a limousine or ambulance, and a couple of weeks in a hotel to recuperate.
While people have long traveled to far-flung, exotic locales for nose jobs, tummy tucks, and breast enhancements, Thailand wants to woo foreigners in need of nonelective medical treatment. A key catalyst for private Thai hospitals was the financial crisis of 1997-98. With their own middle-class clientele devastated by the economic collapse, they were faced with a sharp drop in local business. So the hospitals started courting foreigners living in Thailand to help fill their empty wards. That campaign was so successful that they began targeting expatriates and nationals from countries lacking high-quality medical facilities, such as Vietnam and Bangladesh. Last year, more than 150,000 international patients (including those seeking outpatient care) from 140 countries came to Bumrungrad, generating 20% of its $112 million in revenue. Now, Bumrungrad is reaching even farther afield, with referral offices in Oman, Australia, and the Netherlands.
India has similar ambitions. Naresh Trehan, executive director and chief cardiac surgeon of the Escorts Heart Institute & Research Centre Ltd. in New Delhi, in August led a mission to Britain to pitch the NHS the idea of sending patients to India for everything from reconstructive surgery to cancer treatment. The NHS says it's not interested, but Trehan says some private insurers are considering the proposal. Although India's public hospitals are often rundown and underequipped, Trehan is confident that private Indian facilities can hold their own in the global operating theater. "We stand tall with the rest of them in the world," says Trehan, who spent 20 years practicing as a cardiac surgeon in New York. "People's impression of India's health care is the 1940s and 1950s," he says. But in recent years, high-end medicine there has "taken a quantum leap."
To ease the concerns of potential patients, some of these hospitals are pursuing accreditation from the same groups that oversee medical facilities in the U.S. and Britain. Escorts is accredited by the British Standards Institute. Both Escorts and the Apollo Group hospitals are seeking certification from the U.S.-based Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. And Bumrungrad has already received accreditation from the Joint Commission. "We are trying to position ourselves as the Mayo Clinic of Asia, to be known as a referral center in this part of the world for patients from all over the world," says Ruben Toral, Bumrungrad's director of international programs.
The facilities are spending big bucks to attract more paying clients from abroad. Bangkok Hospital is building a $7.7 million, 104-bed heart center to be reserved entirely for foreign patients. In December, Escorts inaugurated a $20 million, 170-bed cardiac wing. To keep their customers satisfied, the hospitals often look more like luxury spas than sick bays. Bangkok Hospital features single rooms only (with adjoining quarters for family members) and offers in-room Internet access. It serves four different cuisines -- Thai, Japanese, and two Western selections -- every night. Bumrungrad's soaring lobby features a Starbucks café, a soothing fountain, and dozens of comfortable armchairs where patients and guests can relax. "I would give this five stars," says Yvonne Wilmink, a native of the Netherlands who traveled from her home in Sri Lanka for knee surgery.
True, even five-star hospitals aren't for everyone if they're thousands of kilometers from home. Those with decent health insurance will probably stay put for surgery. But Asian medical facilities are betting that for people in developing markets where health care is subpar, or for those on long waiting lists, or for anyone with inadequate coverage at home, the trip might be just what the doctor ordered.
By Frederik Balfour in Bangkok and Manjeet Kripalani in Bombay, with Kerry Capell and Laura Cohn in London


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