text: If you are depending on media organizations for financial advice, specifically CNN, MSNBC, Fox, etc, then I can understand why you might be upset with economic science. This is pretty common for all the sciences, people would rather ask their politicians or news organizations if the Theory of Evolution/Big Bang Theory/ Global Warming is real than the actual scientists. However, the assumption that a system we create and change is totally within our control is rather false, otherwise car accidents would be a thing of the past and house fires would be a lot less common. Every little variable counts, and economics is no different, you could be as rich as you want and there is a good chance that things can go totally against you due to minor changes outside your control. Once again, Chaos Theory helps us understand why that is. On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 2:30 PM, Aaron Welch <n2nightfall at gmail.com> wrote: > Apples and oranges Stephen. There is no psychological element to climate > change. Human behavior cannot immediately effect a total collapse of the > climate. The climate system functions without our input and the economy is > driven by our choices and values. > > -AW > > On Apr 15, 2013, at 1:05 PM, Stephen Kraus <ub3ratl4sf00 at gmail.com> wrote: > > Lets put it this way: > > When the Glass Steagall Act was struck down, it was already estimated by > many economists that it would lead to a financial crisis in the future, and > while it took some time for it to happen and they couldn't estimated > EXACTLY what would happen. > > Same thing could be said of Climate Change: Science has been proclaiming > it would happen for years, with much booing and anger from the public at > large, but now we are starting to see the effects and the models are > beginning to line up, doesn't make climate science any less valid. > > > On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 12:37 PM, William Wade <willm.wade at gmail.com>wrote: > >> "Let the firestorm begin! ;-)" >> Are you attempting a forecast? To the stake! >> (Reminds me also that I love the new player in the weather site and api >> business: forecast.io ) >> >> >> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 12:31 PM, kitepilot at kitepilot.com < >> kitepilot at kitepilot.com> wrote: >> >>> From economics to aviation... >>> Pilots *KNOW* that the weather forecast is nothing else than a horoscope >>> with numbers. >>> <duck> >>> Does that equalize the 'Science of Economy' with the 'Science of >>> Astrology'? >>> Let the firestorm begin! ;-) >>> </duck> >>> ET >>> >>> Randy Yates writes: >>> >>>> There's very few sciences that I don't trust, economics is one of them. >>>> Call it backward thinking if you want, but I find economics experts >>>> about >>>> as credible as big foot experts. I wouldn't even trust a super computer >>>> mining big data to predict the economy. There's too many factors that >>>> come >>>> into play to change it. There's the obvious things like natural >>>> disasters >>>> and the outbreak of war, but there's also events like a damn economics >>>> expert making a TV appearance or writing an article about something. All >>>> those things can alter the natural flow of the economy. So I don't see >>>> it >>>> as a very accurate science. A physicists can't get on TV and talk about >>>> gravity and cause gravity to change its behavior. >>>> >>>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 11:17 AM, Stephen Kraus <ub3ratl4sf00 at gmail.com>wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> Paul Krugman actually predicted the housing crisis. A few economists >>>>> did >>>>> actually. >>>>> I am in no way saying the banking industry is perfect, after all, they >>>>> purposely wanted the removal of the Glass-Steagall Act so that they >>>>> could >>>>> make trades and investments they knew were bad just to make a quick >>>>> buck. >>>>> Its why regulation and deregulation is a double edged sword, some >>>>> regulations are heavy handed sure, but some were also put in place to >>>>> protect people and prevent overzealous companies from causing >>>>> intentional >>>>> harm for the sake of profit. >>>>> Randy, c'mon now. So I guess based on that logic, any and all experts >>>>> should be dismissed as apparently they have not a clue? That is very >>>>> backwards thinking. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone is wrong at >>>>> some >>>>> point in time, that is not the same as saying 'People studying systems >>>>> like >>>>> an economy as a science are wrong because they know nothing despite >>>>> their >>>>> credentials' >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 11:09 AM, Aaron welch <n2nightfall at gmail.com>wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> Josh, the difficulty would increase to make finding blocks that much >>>>>> harder and the value that much higher. Imagine it like the first >>>>>> stock >>>>>> certificate for GE or Coke and how much those would be worth today >>>>>> after >>>>>> all the stock splits. >>>>>> -AW >>>>>> >>>>>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 10:47 AM, Joshua Estes <f1gm3nt at gmail.com> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> https://www.google.com/search?**q=inventor%20committed%20to%** >>>>>>> 20mental%20institution<https://www.google.com/search?q=inventor%20committed%20to%20mental%20institution> >>>>>>> Even the smartest people are wrong some of the time. >>>>>>> 1: When you start out learning something say economics, you read >>>>>>> everything you can on the subject. Eventually you can recall things >>>>>>> based >>>>>>> on previous work or come up with your own theories. At some point you >>>>>>> believe in your idea so strongly that no one else is right. You die, >>>>>>> you >>>>>>> leave your legacy of books and papers behind. >>>>>>> Goto 1; >>>>>>> This process repeats itself over and over again. One of my biggest >>>>>>> questions I have with bitcoins, which I haven't bothered to ask yet, >>>>>>> is if >>>>>>> each block contains transactions that are to be tracked. What >>>>>>> happens when >>>>>>> the last block is found? Does the system fail at that point? Bitcoins >>>>>>> interest me because it makes me ask questions, other people's >>>>>>> questions >>>>>>> about bitcoins interest me as well. Nothing is set yet and this whole >>>>>>> "experiment" could fail. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> - Joshua Estes >>>>>>> @JoshuaEstes >>>>>>> "If you live periods of your life in misery, when you remember back >>>>>>> to >>>>>>> those times, all you'll remember is the misery. The misery robs you >>>>>>> of >>>>>>> great memories you could otherwise be making." >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 9:27 AM, Stephen Kraus < >>>>>>> ub3ratl4sf00 at gmail.com>wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Randy, thank you, yes, deflation. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 10:20 AM, Randy Yates <lpcustom at gmail.com>wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Isn't that rapid deflation? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 10:18 AM, Stephen Kraus < >>>>>>>>> ub3ratl4sf00 at gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> And Lynn, I think you are probably one of the smartest people >>>>>>>>>> here, >>>>>>>>>> so I find it hard to criticize your argument because they are >>>>>>>>>> usually >>>>>>>>>> fairly well thought out. >>>>>>>>>> My other big thing with Bitcoins is the rapid inflation. I mean >>>>>>>>>> look >>>>>>>>>> at that guy who paid for a pizza in bitcoins a couple years ago, >>>>>>>>>> the amount >>>>>>>>>> he paid for the pizza would now be worth hundreds of thousands of >>>>>>>>>> dollars! >>>>>>>>>> Even inflation from the early 1900s to now isn't nearly that bad. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 10:10 AM, Stephen Kraus < >>>>>>>>>> ub3ratl4sf00 at gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> I criticize it because numerous economics professors criticize >>>>>>>>>>> it. >>>>>>>>>>> Look, I'm all for you doing Bitcoin, its your time and your >>>>>>>>>>> processing power, not mine. >>>>>>>>>>> But lets be perfectly honest: When a bunch of people who spend >>>>>>>>>>> their >>>>>>>>>>> entire lives studying economic systems inside and out say its a >>>>>>>>>>> waste and >>>>>>>>>>> it will lead nowhere, I'm of the mind to take their opinions >>>>>>>>>>> into account. >>>>>>>>>>> Especially when a Nobel Laureate is saying so. >>>>>>>>>>> Right now, I've watched the Bitcoin trends from Mt. Gox and it is >>>>>>>>>>> bouncy as hell, repeatedly bubbles then pops. It doesn't matter >>>>>>>>>>> how often >>>>>>>>>>> it spikes if it cannot stay consistent at a certain value for >>>>>>>>>>> long or >>>>>>>>>>> trends rapidly up and down. >>>>>>>>>>> Just read this thread, ignore some of the goofiness and listen to >>>>>>>>>>> some of the people in it. I find their opinions seem to reflect >>>>>>>>>>> a lot of >>>>>>>>>>> people I know in the economics fields: >>>>>>>>>>> http://forums.somethingawful.**com/showthread.php?threadid=** >>>>>>>>>>> 3543334&pagenumber=70#lastpost<http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3543334&pagenumber=70#lastpost> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 9:29 AM, Lynn Dixon <boodaddy at gmail.com>wrote: >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> What is surprising to me is the vast number of people that will >>>>>>>>>>>> jump in and criticize the currency after doing no research on >>>>>>>>>>>> it. They >>>>>>>>>>>> will read a few articles on the web, or maybe even some horrid >>>>>>>>>>>> bitcointalk >>>>>>>>>>>> forum posts and simply make an assumption that is usually >>>>>>>>>>>> incorrect. >>>>>>>>>>>> The currency works, and works well. I have been mining for a >>>>>>>>>>>> while >>>>>>>>>>>> now, nearly two years, and I have personally made some >>>>>>>>>>>> impressive returns. >>>>>>>>>>>> I have also used the currency quite a bit. I have used it as a >>>>>>>>>>>> vehicle of >>>>>>>>>>>> exchange when dealing with foreign currency, I have used it as >>>>>>>>>>>> a vehicle of >>>>>>>>>>>> exchange for goods and services, and I even accept bitcoin as >>>>>>>>>>>> payment for >>>>>>>>>>>> my web hosting company. >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 8:02 AM, Mike Robinson < >>>>>>>>>>>> miker at sundialservices.com> wrote: >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> These are just my thoughts – but I see a bully pulpit here, and >>>>>>>>>>>>> I'll be brief. >>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wanted to fleece a bunch of nerds, how would you do it? >>>>>>>>>>>>> Well, first of all, you'd promise them, one way or another, >>>>>>>>>>>>> "easy money." >>>>>>>>>>>>> In fact, knowing that many of them spend hours each day in >>>>>>>>>>>>> gam-environments where guns never run out of ammo, you'd >>>>>>>>>>>>> promise them "make >>>>>>>>>>>>> your own money." An altogether synthetic currency system. >>>>>>>>>>>>> "World Money, >>>>>>>>>>>>> Release 2.0." >>>>>>>>>>>>> You'd slow-roll the whole thing. Just toss the ball out onto >>>>>>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>>>>>> field almost unmentioned. Aside from the obvious need for >>>>>>>>>>>>> plausible denial >>>>>>>>>>>>> when the sheet hits the fan, you're playing hard to get, in >>>>>>>>>>>>> the form of a >>>>>>>>>>>>> cryptographic-based puzzle that can only be brute-forced, but >>>>>>>>>>>>> that can be >>>>>>>>>>>>> shown to be solvable. Add a few more promises – that the >>>>>>>>>>>>> supply of this >>>>>>>>>>>>> "money" will always be limited (never mind how) – and wait for >>>>>>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>>>>>> Powerball Effect to take hold of its own accord. A very large >>>>>>>>>>>>> number of >>>>>>>>>>>>> paper cards are thrown away near my driveway, because I live >>>>>>>>>>>>> on a country >>>>>>>>>>>>> road about a quarter-mile from a convenience store. I pick >>>>>>>>>>>>> them up by the >>>>>>>>>>>>> hundreds. >>>>>>>>>>>>> Meanwhile, start selling supplies .. for real money. And >>>>>>>>>>>>> books, >>>>>>>>>>>>> of course. Every now and then, grab a quiet instant-success >>>>>>>>>>>>> headline, say >>>>>>>>>>>>> by selling a Ferrari (a Ford will NOT do ...) for this "new >>>>>>>>>>>>> money." Then >>>>>>>>>>>>> wait. >>>>>>>>>>>>> It's a Crowd Psychology 101 play, people, and I just want to >>>>>>>>>>>>> say >>>>>>>>>>>>> .. there are some things in this ol' world that are truly >>>>>>>>>>>>> ancient, and >>>>>>>>>>>>> finding new and creative ways to rip off your fellow-man by >>>>>>>>>>>>> leveraging his >>>>>>>>>>>>> own gullibility is one of them. I don't want my Chattanooga >>>>>>>>>>>>> virtual >>>>>>>>>>>>> friends to be among those many that will eventually be hurt. >>>>>>>>>>>>> #undef soapbox .. Thank you. >>>>>>>>>>>>> – Mike Robinson >>>>>>>>>>>>> (615) 268-3829 >>>>>>>>>>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>>>>>>>>>> Chugalug mailing list >>>>>>>>>>>>> Chugalug at chugalug.org >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/chugalug<http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug> >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>>>>>>>>> Chugalug mailing list >>>>>>>>>>>> Chugalug at chugalug.org >>>>>>>>>>>> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/chugalug<http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug> >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>>>>>>> Chugalug mailing list >>>>>>>>>> Chugalug at chugalug.org >>>>>>>>>> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/chugalug<http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>>> Google reads my email! >>>>>>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>>>>>> Chugalug mailing list >>>>>>>>> Chugalug at chugalug.org >>>>>>>>> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/chugalug<http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>>>>> Chugalug mailing list >>>>>>>> Chugalug at chugalug.org >>>>>>>> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/chugalug<http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>>>> Chugalug mailing list >>>>>>> Chugalug at chugalug.org >>>>>>> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/chugalug<http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Aaron Welch >>>>>> Chief Mechanic @ Geek Ventures >>>>>> 423-505-9999 >>>>>> n2nightfall at gmail.com >>>>>> "Enabling people to do great things with their own ideas." >>>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>>> Chugalug mailing list >>>>>> Chugalug at chugalug.org >>>>>> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/chugalug<http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>> Chugalug mailing list >>>>> Chugalug at chugalug.org >>>>> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/chugalug<http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> -- >>>> Google reads my email! >>>> >>> ______________________________**_________________ >>> Chugalug mailing list >>> Chugalug at chugalug.org >>> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/**mailman/listinfo/chugalug<http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug> >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Chugalug mailing list >> Chugalug at chugalug.org >> http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug >> >> > _______________________________________________ > Chugalug mailing list > Chugalug at chugalug.org > http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug > > > _______________________________________________ > Chugalug mailing list > Chugalug at chugalug.org > http://chugalug.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/chugalug > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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text:
The SER-Ontario 2016 scholarship application is open. Applications are due January 18, 2016. This scholarship is valued at $2,000 and is non-renewable.
The SER Ontario Scholarships are available to either Canadian citizens or landed immigrants attending a college or university in Ontario. Students may apply during any year of their academic program, but m... read more
2 November 2015
Durham, NC, USA - When restoring coastal wetlands, it's long been common practice to leave space between new plants to prevent overcrowding and reduce competition for nutrients and sunlight.
It turns out, that's likely all wrong.
A new Duke University-led study, conducted to restore degraded salt marshes in Florida and the Netherlands, has found that clu... read more
15 October 2015
Des Moines, Iowa, USA – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will award $30 million to projects in six states to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on private and tribal agricultural lands. The projects are being funded under the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), a program authorized by the 2014 Farm Bil... read more
9 November 2015
Maryland, USA - I volunteered to staff the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' exhibit building at the state fair on Aug. 30, something I've done many times before I retired from my job at the DNR.
Talking with people about "critters" and answering questions about what DNR employees do is enjoyable and educational. Watching children and adults peer... read more
9 November 2015
New Mexico, USA - With all the talk about global warming these days it is rare to hear "promising future" and "native plants and pollinators" in the same sentence. But restoration ecologist Melanie Gisler makes a career out of the hopeful act of researching and restoring native plants. She directs the Southwest Program of the Oregon-based Institute f... read more
26th October 2015
Costa Rica - Rakan Zahawi had a problem. Zahawi, a scientist with the Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica, had teamed up with a group from the University of Maryland and the University of California-Santa Cruz to test a new technique to monitor the recovery of tropical forests. They were planning to fly unmanned aerial vehicles, a.k.a. drones, over a hand... read more
October 20, 2015 - Rwanda has undergone a remarkable economic and social reconstruction in recent years and recorded consistent growth rates of 8 per cent a year between 2001 and 2012, according to the BBC's Country Profile....click here to read the full story from CPAfrica. read more
Washington, DC (September 14 2015)-The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) today announced Bethanie Walder will become the organization's new Executive Director. Ms. Walder brings more than 20 years' experience in conservation, restoration and organizational development.
Prior to joining SER, Walder served as the Executive Director of Wildlands CPR, where she oversaw sever... read more
The full Conference Programme for SER2015 is now available online. Visit http://ser2015.org/outline-programme to download.
Conference Highlights
SER2015 provides the premier opportunity to develop collaborations and share research findings, best practices, and new ideas with researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and industry professionals working in the field of ecological r... read more
PUNE: Urban planners and researchers have raised the pitch for an ecosystem restoration policy to compliment the Centre's ambitious Smart City Mission.
Several studies have shown that devastating floods, waterlogging, caving in of hillocks, depleting water-table and vanishing green cover have become common traits of cities that are facing the challenge of massive stress on urban ecology.... read more
1133 15th St. NW, Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20005 USA
Tel: 202.299.9518

subset: commoncrawl


text:
GREENVILLE, N.C. - A classroom at East Carolina University's College of Nursing of Wednesday was filled with pregnant women gladly having their abdomens pushed and pulled, measured and diagrammed.
Doing the hands-on examinations were about a dozen nurses studying online and on the ECU campus to advance their primary care skills by becoming certified nurse midwives, the only program of its kind in North Carolina.
The students - and their patient-facilitators - were there because of their passionate wish to share the birth experience fully and get life off to a healthy start for babies, they said.
Article Photos
AP photo
Danielle Anspach lays on a hospital bed as midwifery students Catalina Valencia, center, and Kristen Montgomery, right, practice basic procedures at ECU's College of Nursing in Greenville, N.C.
Chesna Barrett of Winterville lay on a bed, 29 weeks pregnant, patiently watching four students have their way with her daughter, Amelia, who was tucked safely away inside.
"This is a different experience than my first birth. I wanted to try something different this time. It's pretty good," Barrett said. "I get to share this."
Erin Kitchin was unique among the pregnant mothers, all nurses, who were helping their fellow nurses get trained at nurse midwifery (pronounced, "mid- wiff-ery"). Her husband, Benjamin, is the first man accepted into the ECU program.
"Midwives take a lot more time, they're more down to earth and don't push you so much to get the delivery done," Kitchin said. "They want to know how you feel and are more comfortable to be with. I love them."
Second-year nurse midwifery student Cherese Infinito, a mother of four, is convinced she was made for the program.
"After I had my first baby, program leaders called me and said this is what I was supposed to do" Infinito said. "I agreed, but I wasn't even a nurse then, so I quit my job as a recreation supervisor and went to nursing school, and now am going for my master's degree in nurse midwifery."
The mother and student said she feels passionate about women and women's health choices and needs to be part of the midwifery experience.
"Birth doesn't have to happen (in a strict medical setting). You can listen to and trust your body," Infinito said.
There are some misunderstandings among the general population about what certified nurse midwives do, according to educators in the program.
"A lot of people use the term 'nurse midwife' incorrectly," said Becky Bagley, a clinical associate professor of nursing and director of ECU's nurse midwifery program. Certified nurse midwives are registered nurses with advanced level degrees, training and preparation in miwifery. They provide primary care to women.
Only 11 of the state's 250 nurse midwives actually deliver babies in a home setting, Bagley said. They work mostly in large hospitals and medical centers like Vidant and others, as part of a care delivery team. Many are delivery room nurses in addition to being midwives, she said.
Nurse midwives are able to provide health care to women throughout their lives, not just during pregnancy and birth, but right into the menopause years, said Pamela Reis, a doctoral assistant professor of nursing and nurse midwifery at ECU and a board certified nurse practitioner.
The numbers surrounding women's gynecological and obstetrical health care underscore the need for more of them, Reis said.
Of North Carolina's 100 counties, 31 have no access to an obstetrics and gynecology provider, with 11 more having only one or two such providers, and 47 counties have no access to nurse midwives, she said. Nurse midwives currently attend about 12 percent of all vaginal births in North Carolina.
"That's not nearly enough to meet women's needs," Reis said. "The shockingly high infant mortality rates in eastern North Carolina while the rest of the state is showing decreases indicates that there is a huge need here," she said.
Nurse midwifery is beginning to make inroads toward national recognition as effective quality primary care through programs like the one at ECU. They fit into the larger role nursing is called to play in health care reform, Reis said.
One of four key findings of a 2010 report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine called for full partnership among nurses, physicians and other health care professionals in redesigning health care in the United States.
"We're now demonstrating that the quality of outcomes in patient care is better when there is a collaborative effort in designing care," Reis said.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology supports nurse midwives becoming their primary care partners in caring for women, she said, and collaboration among professionals is the ideal way to combine resources while health care reformers are trying to figure out how to increase access to quality health care in a the most cost-efficient way possible.
The ECU nurse midwifery program has its program online in hope of reaching potential students in the more rural areas of the state who can stay in those areas and provide services to the population with which they are familiar, Bagley said.
Nurse midwives can operate as self-sufficient businesses, and the ECU program tries to help in that area by offering an online "mini-business institute," teaching them how to develop either an independent practice or work within a physician practice.


text:
BigUnit 38-31
SA Spurs -1.5
CHI Bulls -9
Under 185.5 CHI Bulls-DET Pistons
"We have to make it more of a priority in these last nine games to play more of a solid game especially on defense," Blazers coach Terry Stotts told the team's official website. Rest for both, + monday games = under
Great thread Mavin and the Friends!
I signed up with Covers entirely for the reason to be part of this thread (and now one on MLB forum of course) as well as to participate in your Binary Options Trading Signals if you will allow me.
Sports Int.. if your asking because i got spurs -1 is because i have that bet way before they declared lbj and wade out..
Musicmatt1 49-56-1
MIL Bucks -12
Over 192 MIN Timberwolves - BOS Celtics
LA Clippers -4
As we have more teams clinching playoff seeds, we have had less ATS
covers by Home playoff contenders. Bucks
have not clinched at this point, and I think they are looking to build some
momentum entering the playoffs.
According to my data, a non playoff team at home has only been favored
3 times versus a playoff contender since March 18, 2013. All 3 road playoff contenders won these
matchups but more importantly, the Over hit.
Only thing that worries me is how streaky the Celtics shooters are,
hoping they are on tonight after being off last night.
The Clippers lost 3 of 4 on their recent road trip including the last
2. This is their first game back at home
and they desperately need a win here to stop this slide. Similar to Grizzlies who beat Rockets this
past Friday.
Copyright © 1995-


text:
Woodcock are small, unusual birds that migrate at night and are rarely seen. Closely related to sandpipers and snipe, they are migratory shorebirds that have adapted to life in wooded areas. They feed on earthworms, grubs and insects by probing the ground with their long, narrow bill. These birds prefer wooded thickets that provide them with lots of shade. The soft ground under dense cover also provides an ideal place to look for insects. And that same cover makes a challenging hunting ground where a good pointing dog will definitely increase your chances of success. Host Lawrence Pyne accompanies hunters from the Ugly Dog Hunting Company on a woodcock hunt in Milton and the Champlain Islands.
- Pennsylvanian Game Commission: Woodcock
- The Upland Almanac
- Vermont Outdoor Guide Association:
Vermont Hunting Guides, Services
and Information
- Terry Wilson & Nancy Anisfield
The Ugly Dog Hunting Company
1067 Silver Street
Hinesburg, VT 05461


text:
Serta Hadley Eurotop Queen Mattress Only
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text:
on March 21, 2013 - 8:55 PM
LOCKPORT – A man who illegally possessed the painkiller hydrocodone in North Tonawanda last year was placed on three years' probation Thursday by Niagara County Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas.
Daniel P. Schwartz, 32, of Main Street, City of Tonawanda, had pleaded guilty to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested Feb. 24, 2012.
Defense attorney David Gossell said Schwartz started using painkillers after a 2009 back injury and subsequent disc replacement surgery.


text:
Top Definition
chris ate beth's pussy for breakfast and had cunt breath for the day.
di clothes off 25 maggio 2006
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
The odour of one's breath having previously dined on bearded clam or split beaver.
Open the window dude - you got minging cunt breath.
di Irritatus Maximus 19 settembre 2007
to have breath bad as a smelly cunt. cunt
Christ Stu ! You cuntbreath ! Some brandy last nite or what ??
di Big T 11 novembre 2003
bad pussy,breath
you have cuntbreath
di slayer 25 agosto 2003


text:
In the most recent PennLive.com PIAA Class AAAA high school boys basketball rankings by Michael Bullock, the Williamsport Millionaires ranked seventh.
The Millionaires visited Altoona for a matchup with Altoona Area High School and demonstrated to everyone in attendance they are legit.
Williamsport routed the Mountain Lions, 69-43, in a matchup between a pair of independent teams at the Altoona Fieldhouse.
"I told everyone last year that they were the best team we played all year," Altoona coach Paul Hasson said. "Even with our tough schedule we play, they are the best team we played this year so far."
The Millionaires came out and set the tone early, when Isaiah Washington, a junior 6-4 guard for Williamsport, sank a pair of treys in the first 2:45 of the first quarter.
After a Christopher Kinley layup, gave Williamsport an 8-2 lead, Brandon Lytle scored on a layup, cutting the Millionaires' lead to just two. Following Jahad Thomas making one-of-two at the line, Altoona scored four of the next six points, with junior forwards Tony Acrie and Manny Span coming through.
Acrie scored on a putback of a teammate's miss, and Span made a long jumper just inside the arc. The Millionaires scored the final four points of the quarter to up their lead to 15-8.
After Kinley scored the first four points of the second quarter, the Mountain Lions went on a 7-3 run over the next 90 seconds, with Lytle's trey highlighting the run.
The run allowed the Mountain Lions to cut the deficit to just seven (22-15), which would be the smallest deficit they would have for the remainder of the game.
The most exciting play of the game came with 2:40 left in the second quarter, when Washington was on the receiving end of an alley oop, slamming it home to up the Millionaires' lead to 26-15.
"They [Altoona] did a nice job of controlling the tempo in the first half," Williamsport coach Allen Taylor said. "Their big guys did an outstanding job of playing physically. We expected that. I thought they did a great job of controlling our inside game in the first half."
Span came out strong in the third quarter, scoring four field goals for eight of his team-high 14 points in the frame.
But besides Span's points, the Mountain Lions scored just five additional points, with Givens scoring three and Acrie scoring the other bucket. The Millionaires began the fourth quarter by 14 of the first 18 points scored.
Williamsport benefited from five Altoona turnovers during that run. When Tyler Gardner scored the second of consecutive baskets with 1:07 remaining, it gave Williamsport it's largest lead of the game at 29 points. David Simmons came off the bench to make a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws and helped make the final of 69-43.
"We played well in the first half, but they seemed to take it up a few notches in the second half," Hasson said.
Altoona fell to 8-11 and plays Central Mountain Monday in hopes of winning its first game since DeShae Lee went down with an injury. It will be senior day that night.
Williamsport, now 17-3, plays Jersey Shore Monday in Williamsport.
WILLIAMSPORT (69): Washington 8 1-2 20, Thomas 8 1-4 17, Stelly 0 2-2 2, Gardner 2 0-0 4, Harris 1 0-0 2, Ross 2 0-0 4, Watson 2 0-0 4, Kinley 6 2-2 14, Johnson 1 0-0 2, Bashnick 0 0-0 0, Fedoriw 0 0-0 0. Totals 30 6-10 69.
ALTOONA (43): Simmons 1 2-2 5, Lytle 2 0-0 5, Dry 0 2-2 2, Hancock 0 0-0 0, Span 7 0-0 14, Acrie 3 0-0 6, Samuel 1 0-0 2, Givens 4 1-6 9, Pope 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 5-10 43.
Williamsport15 13 21 20 - 69
Altoona8 11 13 11 - 43
3-point field goals: Williamsport 3 (Washington 3); Altoona 2 (Simmons, Lytle).
Records: Williamsport (17-2); Altoona (8-11).
JV: Williamsport won 39-36. High scorers Boone, W, 20; Pope, A, 10.KLinly


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Half Broke Horses: a True Life Novel
This Sunday in our Booksplus program (Library Room 2B at 2p.m.) we will be discussing Jeannette Walls' rousing true fiction story Half Broke Horses about her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, a feisty woman who grew up in the still wild west of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in the early years of the last century. You may be familiar with the author's first book The Glass Castle; it made many best books of the year lists when it came out in 2005 and still has a wide readership.
What a gripping opening. A flash flood rips through the family ranch one evening and Lily her brother and sister hear a loud rumbling as the earth shakes beneath them. Lily grabs the youngest and runs for the only tree in the field. They spend a harrowing night hanging on to branches as massive flood waters drown the field. Although Lily is only ten at the time, she keeps both children awake by making them say their math tables, the names of the states, and any other long list she can remember.
Their family ranch makes hard-scrabble sound nice. They don't even have a real house--just a dugout on the banks of the Salt Draw. One year another storm destroys the whole place, but luckily for the Caseys, that flood was the last straw for their neighbors. They abandon their ranch house nearby. Lily's dad and hired man rip it apart and bring it back to the Salt Draw and reconstitute it so Lily finally has a real home.
Lily's dad is an ex-con accused of murdering a man--the threat of more imprisonment drove him away from good land he owned in New Mexico. Although he has a limp and a major speech impediment, he's super at training horses. As Lily herself becomes. She suffers some terrible falls, but just gets back on and keeps riding.
Her parents are terrible at providing a living. Her mother prays a lot but can't handle the homestead's problems. She's more concerned with keeping her skin fair and marrying off her daughters. Since their arid land is too small and dry to raise cattle, Lily's dad decides to raise peacocks for the "carriage trade." Except there is no carriage trade. Eventually, they are forced to head to New Mexico.
Lily's mom sends her to boarding school, but too late. Lily is too untamed, too wild, too similar to her own wild horses. But even with only a couple year's schooling she manages to secure a teaching job in a remote town in Arizona. So, at age fifteen, she saddles up her horse and rides alone five hundred miles over mountains and desert. This is her first of many teaching jobs. (She eventually gets her college degree.)
At one new Arizona town, two men try to have some fun with her by making her ride a wild horse before they will give Lily her first paycheck. But she rides the bronco in fine style--"nine little pony" she says afterward. The men are nonplussed but befriend her. On weekends they bring Lily to horse races and this is where Lily meets her future husband, "Big Jim," another man amazed by her horse skills and sense of adventure.
Lily gets in trouble in a Mormon town for teaching the girls about Amelia Earhart and other women explorers. She takes flying lessons herself.
This novel is adventure-packed, told in a first person, authentic-sounding voice, about a woman who would not let poverty or society's prejudices keep her down. For those who love the American West, it's like a journey across beautiful landscapes and back in time.
Another fine memoir--a beautiful evocative coming-of-age story that is set in Africa is Alexandra Fuller's Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight.
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The "Hash House Harriers" (HHH) are a loosely-knit international group of runners and cyclists with chapters in over 160 countries around the world. The Sydney Bike Hash conducts monthly rides ("hashes") around greater Sydney. A typical bike hash involves one or two members ("hares") marking a "trail" using chalk arrows through cycle ways, roads and trails for the "pack" to follow on their bikes. Trails leave from a pre-arranged starting point, typically via two or more pub stops, to a pre-arranged ending point, where the beer and drinks and nibbles are! At the end, a "Circle" will be conducted where the ride will be reviewed and "charges" will be bestowed for various misdeads on trail.
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Author Affiliations: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester (Dr Glance), and Columbia University School of Nursing, New York (Dr Stone), New York; Center for Health Policy Research, Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine (Dr Mukamel); and RAND Health, RAND, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Dr Dick).
Objective To explore the clinical impact and economic burden of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in trauma patients using a nationally representative database.
Design Retrospective study.
Setting The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample.
Patients Trauma patients.
Main Outcome Measures We examined the association between HAIs (sepsis, pneumonia, Staphylococcus infections, and Clostridium difficile– associated disease) and in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and inpatient costs using logistic regression and generalized linear models.
Results After controlling for patient demographics, mechanism of injury, injury type, injury severity, and comorbidities, we found that mortality, cost, and length of stay were significantly higher in patients with HAIs compared with patients without HAIs. Patients with sepsis had a nearly 6-fold higher odds of death compared with patients without an HAI (odds ratio, 5.78; 95% confidence interval, 5.03-6.64; P < .001). Patients with other HAIs had a 1.5- to1.9-fold higher odds of mortality compared with controls (P < .005). Patients with HAIs had costs that were approximately 2- to 2.5-fold higher compared with patients without HAIs (P < .001). The median length of stay was approximately 2-fold higher in patients with HAIs compared with patients without HAIs (P < .001).
Conclusions Trauma patients with HAIs are at increased risk for mortality, have longer lengths of stay, and incur higher inpatient costs. In light of the preventability of many HAIs and the magnitude of the clinical and economic burden associated with HAIs, policies aiming to decrease the incidence of HAIs may have a potentially large impact on outcomes in injured patients.
The Institute of Medicine has focused attention on preventing medical errors and improving patient safety.1 Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are the most common complication in hospitalized patients,2 with an estimated incidence of 4.5 HAIs per 100 hospital admissions and an annual cost between $35 billion and $45 billion.3 Hospital-acquired infections result in more than 90 000 deaths each year,4,5 ranking death due to HAIs among the top 5 leading causes of death in the United States.6
Quiz Ref IDTrauma patients are at especially high risk for the development of infections7 because of disruptions in tissue integrity and impaired host defense mechanisms.8,9 Trauma remains one of the main causes of mortality worldwide10 and is responsible for nearly one-third of "all lost years of productive life before age 65, exceeding losses from heart disease, cancer, and stroke combined."11 Infections are a leading cause of death in trauma patients.8 However, to our knowledge, the clinical and economic outcomes of HAIs in trauma patients have not been previously reported using a large nationally representative patient sample.
In light of the preventability of many HAIs, obtaining a better understanding of the clinical impact of HAI on outcomes in trauma patients may provide the impetus for the implementation of best practices for infection control in injured patients. Recent evidence suggests significant variability in outcomes across trauma centers: trauma patients admitted to the highest-mortality hospitals had a 70% higher odds of dying compared with patients admitted to average hospitals.12 Some of these differences in outcomes across hospitals may result from differences in hospital HAI rates. A better understanding of the economic cost of HAI in injured patients may also create a strong business case for reducing the incidence of HAIs in this patient population.
The goal of this study was to explore the clinical impact and economic burden of HAIs in trauma patients using a nationally representative database. The analysis will focus on in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), and hospital cost. We selected HAIs associated with sepsis, pneumonia, Staphylococcus infections, and Clostridium infections because these conditions can be identified using administrative data.13- 16 We assumed that infections in patients admitted with traumatic injuries were likely to be HAIs because infection, or illness related to infection, was not the reason for admission of injured patients.
This study was based on data from the 2005 and 2006 Nationwide Inpatient Sample developed by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample is the largest all-payer hospital inpatient database in the United States and includes data from a 20% stratified sample of US hospitals. The discharge data contain information on patient demographics, admission source, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic and injury codes, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality comorbidity measures,17 charges, LOS, in-hospital mortality, hospital characteristics, and hospital identifiers. Hospital trauma center status was obtained from the American Hospital Association Annual Survey. Hospital costs were calculated by multiplying the total hospital charges by the group average cost to charges ratios (defined as a weighed average for the hospitals in a group based on state, urban/rural, hospital ownership, and hospital size).18
Quiz Ref IDThe study population consisted of patients admitted with a principal ICD-9-CM diagnosis of trauma (codes 800-959.9) and LOS more than 3 days, after excluding patients with burns (ICD-9-CM codes 940-949); unspecified injuries (ICD-9-CM codes 959-959.9); and hip fractures (ICD-9-CM codes 820-820.9) and patients with the following isolated injuries: late effects of injury (ICD-9-CM codes 905-909.9), superficial injuries (ICD-9-CM codes 910-924.9), or foreign bodies (ICD-9-CM codes 930-939.0). Patients with LOS less than 3 days were excluded because we assumed that patients who were either discharged or died within 3 days would not have time to have developed HAIs. From this initial cohort of 190 480 patient records, we excluded 25 939 patients with missing External Cause-of-Injury Coding (Ecodes), 8802 patients with nontraumatic mechanisms (eg, poisoning, drowning, suffocation), 746 patients missing demographic information (age, sex, or death status), 2857 patients who were transferred out, and 243 patient records from hospitals with a hospital case volume greater than 500 cases with zero mortality rates. The final study cohort consisted of 155 891 patient records (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Study population. Ecodes indicates External Cause-of-Injury Coding; ICD-9, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision; LOS, length of stay.
For the purpose of this analysis, 4 different HAI groups were defined using ICD-9-CM codes: (1) sepsis, (2) pneumonia, (3) Staphylococcus infections, and (4) Clostridium difficile– associated disease (CDAD). The criteria used for identifying HAIs are shown in Table 1. Individual patients could have more than 1 HAI. The criteria used to identify cases with sepsis and pneumonia have been previously validated13,19 and used by other investigators.14 Criteria used to identify Staphylococcus infections and CDAD are based on previously published algorithms.15,16 We assumed that all cases identified using these algorithms represented HAIs since it is unlikely that patients admitted with traumatic injuries would have preexisting infections.
Quiz Ref IDThe outcome variables of interest were mortality, LOS, and hospital cost. Separate patient-level analyses were conducted to examine the association between each of the outcome variables and the presence of either sepsis, pneumonia, Staphylococcus infection, or CDAD.
In the first set of analyses, we explored the association between mortality and sepsis, after controlling for patient demographics (age and sex), mechanisms of injury, injury severity, and comorbidities using logistic regression. Patient comorbidities were coded using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Comorbidity Algorithm.17 Injury severity was coded using empirically derived estimates of injury severity based on the previously validated Trauma Mortality Probability Model.12,20 Backward stepwise selection and clinical judgment were used to select comorbidity variables for inclusion in the regression model. Robust variance estimators were used to account for the nonindependence of observations within hospitals. The effect of sepsis on mortality was assessed using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR). We repeated these analyses using either pneumonia, Staphylococcus infection, or CDAD as the exposure variable. In each of the analyses, the reference category only included patients without any of the HAIs (as defined earlier).
In the second set of analyses, we explored the association between cost and sepsis, after controlling for patient demographics (age and sex), mechanisms of injury, injury, comorbidities, and hospital factors (teaching status, rurality, geographic region). The ICD-9-CM injury diagnoses were coded as binary indicator variables. We used a generalized linear model21 with a log link function and a gamma variance function. The variance function was selected using an approach previously described by Manning and Mullahy.22 Robust variance estimators were used because patient outcomes in the same hospital may be correlated.23 The adjusted ratio of hospital cost for patients with sepsis compared with patients without an HAI was assessed by exponentiating the estimated model parameter for cost (eAppendix). We repeated these analyses using either pneumonia, Staphylococcus infection, or CDAD as the exposure variable. In the third set of analyses, we separately explored the association between LOS and each of the HAI categories. The models were specified using the same functional form as the cost models.
In the final analysis, we estimated a prediction model for composite measure of HAI (sepsis, pneumonia, Staphylococcus, or CDAD) as a function of patient demographics (age and sex), mechanisms of injury, injury severity, body region, and comorbidities. Backward stepwise selection was used to select comorbidity variables for inclusion in the regression model. Robust variance estimators were used to account for the nonindependence of observations within hospitals.
All statistical analyses were performed using Stata SE/MP version 11.0 (StataCorp, College Station, Texas). The performance of the logistic regression models (for mortality) was assessed using measures of discrimination (C-statistic) and calibration (the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic).
Table 2 displays information on hospital demographics. Sixty-two percent of the hospitals were located in urban areas and 80% of the hospitals were nonteaching institutions. The hospitals were distributed across all 4 major geographic regions.
Table 3 summarizes patient demographics and comorbidities. Patients with pneumonia and Staphylococcus infections were more likely to be younger than control patients, whereas patients with CDAD were older than control patients. Compared with controls, patients with sepsis, pneumonia, and Staphylococcus infections were less likely to be female. Across all patient groups, the most common mechanism of injury was blunt trauma. However, patients with pneumonia were more likely to be in a motor vehicle accident compared with controls (35.2% vs 18.4%) and also more likely to sustain pedestrian trauma (15.6% vs 7.4%). The incidence of congestive heart failure was higher in patients with sepsis and CDAD compared with patients without HAIs. Patients with sepsis and CDAD were also more likely to have renal failure compared with controls. A higher percentage of patients with CDAD had chronic pulmonary disease compared with controls.
Quiz Ref IDPatients with HAIs were less likely to be female (AOR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.66-0.75). Patients whose mechanism of injury was either a motor vehicle accident (AOR, 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.36; P value <.001), gunshot wound (AOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.12-1.45; P value <.001), stab wound (AOR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.48-2.06; P value <.001), or pedestrian trauma (AOR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.34-1.64; P value <.001) were more likely to develop an HAI compared with blunt trauma patients (Table 4). Patients with injuries to the head (AOR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.21-1.43; P value <.001) or chest region (AOR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14-1.30; P value <.001) had a higher risk of HAI, whereas injuries to the extremities (AOR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.74-0.87; P value <.001) were associated with a lower risk of HAI, compared with abdominal injuries.
Crude mortality rates, costs, and LOS were all much higher in patients with HAIs compared with patients without HAIs (Table 5). The overall mortality rate for control patients was 1.99%, compared with 21.2% for patients with sepsis, 10.6% for patients with pneumonia, 7.91% for patients with Staphylococcus infections, and 7.27% for patients with CDAD. Compared with other injury mechanisms, low-fall patients with HAIs experienced the highest mortality.
Total inpatient costs were between 2.6 to 6 times higher in patients with HAI compared with patients without HAIs (Table 5). Patients with sepsis ($60 398) and pneumonia ($77 393) had the highest median costs compared with control patients ($12 849). Inpatients with HAI had nearly a 3- to 4-fold higher LOS compared with patients without HAIs.
After controlling for patient demographics, mechanism of injury, injury type, and comorbidities, we found that mortality, cost, and LOS were significantly higher in patients with HAIs compared with patients without HAIs (Figures 2, 3, and 4). Patients with sepsis had a nearly 6-fold higher odds of death compared with patients without an HAI (OR, 5.78; 95% CI, 5.03-6.64; P < .001). Patients with other HAIs had a 1.5- to 1.9-fold higher odds of mortality compared with controls (P < .005). Patients with HAIs had costs that were 2- to 2.5-fold higher compared with patients without HAIs (P < .001). The median LOS was approximately 2-fold higher in patients with HAIs compared with patients without HAIs (P < .001).
Figure 2. Impact on mortality of hospital-acquired infections controlling for patient demographics, mechanism of injury, injury severity, and comorbidities. CI indicates confidence interval; OR, odds ratio.
Figure 3. Impact on inpatient costs of hospital-acquired infections controlling for patient demographics, mechanism of injury, injury, comorbidities, and hospital factors (teaching status, rurality, geographic region). CI indicates confidence interval.
Figure 4. Impact on length of stay (LOS) of hospital-acquired infections controlling for patient demographics, mechanism of injury, injury, comorbidities, and hospital factors (teaching status, rurality, geographic region). CI indicates confidence interval.
The logistic regression models exhibited excellent discrimination. The C-statistics for the mortality models ranged between 0.88 and 0.90; the C-statistic for the model predicting HAIs was 0.76. Model calibration, assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic, ranged between 31 and 186 and is acceptable given the Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic's well-known sensitivity to sample size and the very large size of our patient cohort.24
Quiz Ref IDIn this study based on the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we found that trauma patients with HAIs are at increased risk for mortality, have longer LOS, and incur higher inpatient costs. In particular, trauma patients with sepsis had a 6-fold higher risk of mortality, whereas patients with other HAIs had a nearly 1.5- to 2-fold higher mortality compared with patients without an HAI. Furthermore, patients with HAIs had LOS and inpatient costs that were approximately 2-fold higher than patients without HAIs.
Reducing HAIs is one of the top priorities in the efforts by the federal government and nongovernmental entities to improve patient safety and health care outcomes in the United States. In particular, the US Department of Health and Human Services has established a national agenda for HAI prevention in an Action Plan that outlines a strategy to reduce the incidence of HAIs by 75% over a 5-year period.25 Furthermore, in this action plan, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and CDAD acquired in the acute hospital setting have been identified as priority areas. The National Quality Forum has identified the prevention of health care–associated infections as a key area for improving patient safety in its list of Safe Practices for Better Healthcare.26 Three of the 6 recommended practices in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's 100 000 Lives Campaign are focused on the prevention of HAIs.27 Mandatory public reporting of hospital HAI rates is becoming more widespread as part of the effort to increase transparency and accountability to achieve reductions in HAIs.28- 30 Finally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is no longer reimbursing hospitals for some HAIs as part of the legislatively mandated initiative to penalize hospitals for hospital-acquired conditions.31- 33
To our knowledge, our study is the first population-based epidemiologic study of HAIs in trauma patients using a large nationally representative database. Many of the previous studies on trauma patients with HAIs have focused on identifying risk factors for the development of HAIs.9,34- 42 Other studies have described the epidemiologic features of HAI in the trauma patients7,43- 48 Our findings confirm the findings of previous studies that HAIs in trauma patients are associated with increased mortality,36 LOS,8,36,47 and cost.8,47 In 2 of these previous studies, researchers did not find an independent association between HAI and mortality.45,47 All of these prior studies were relatively small and all were single-center studies, limiting the generalizability of their findings.
There are several important limitations to our study. First, administrative data are not as accurate as clinical records and do not capture all instances of HAIs. However, the accuracy of administrative data for identifying cases of sepsis has been validated in a previous epidemiologic study.13 For pneumonias, ICD-9-CM codes demonstrate high specificity for the detection of pneumonias, but the sensitivity is approximately 50%. The accuracy of ICD-9-CM codes for detecting cases of Staphylococcus infections and CDAD is largely unknown.15,16 The undercoding of other hospital-acquired complications using administrative data has been confirmed in validation studies of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Patient Safety Indicators.49 The undercoding of HAIs may be a source of bias in our analysis and may lead us to underestimate the impact of HAIs on outcomes if a significant number of patients with HAIs are included in the reference population of patients without HAIs.
Second, the use of the Trauma Mortality Probability Model may not have completely adjusted for disease severity because of the lack of information on patient physiology in administrative data.20 The Trauma Mortality Probability Model– ICD-9 is based on ICD-9-CM injury codes but does not include important information on patient physiology such as Glasgow Coma Scale scores and vital signs on hospital admission. However, the statistical performance of the Trauma Mortality Probability Model– ICD-9 is excellent, minimizing the potential for omitted variable bias.20 Third, we were unable to explore the impact of HAIs on other important quality domains such as functional outcomes because these outcome data are not included in administrative data. Future work exploring the impact of HAIs on other quality domains will be necessary once these additional outcomes data become available.
Third, the Nationwide Inpatient Sample does not allow us to determine whether infections identified as HAIs were present on admission or developed as a complication of the hospital stay. Therefore, it is possible that some of the infections represent community-acquired infections as opposed to HAIs. However, it is likely that most infections in trauma patients are hospital acquired. Although this is a reasonable assumption for trauma patients, we were not able to verify this assumption because of the absence of a present-on-admission indicator in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Despite these limitations, to our knowledge, this study is the first analysis of the impact of HAIs in trauma patients using a large nationally representative database. Although it shares many of the same limitations of other epidemiological investigations conducted using large administrative data sets, it has the advantage of a large sample size not possible in studies based on prospectively collected clinical data.
Finally, our estimate of the association between HAIs and LOS may overestimate the effect of HAI on LOS. A priori, patients who develop HAIs would be expected to have longer LOS. However, patients who stay longer in the hospital would also be expected to be at higher risk of developing HAIs. As a result, the estimated correlation may overstate the influence of HAI on LOS. Statistical techniques to deal with this problem of endogeneity between LOS and HAIs, ie, the use of instrumental variables, would not be feasible here. This limitation is partially offset because the LOS model includes many of the important determinants of LOS. This same issue applies to the association between HAIs and cost because the LOS is an important element of cost. The practical impact of this bias from a policy perspective is lessened by the fact that policies designed to reduce the likelihood of HAIs could also include efforts to reduce LOS.
In summary, HAIs are associated with increased mortality, LOS, and inpatient costs in patients admitted with traumatic injuries. In light of the preventability of many hospital-acquired conditions50,51 and the magnitude of the clinical and economic burden of HAIs, the current emphasis on implementing interventions aiming to decrease the incidence of HAIs may have a potentially large impact. The current shift in payment policies away from "output-based funding" toward "outcomes-based funding" may act as a catalyst for patient safety initiatives designed to reduce HAIs and improve patient outcomes.32 Future studies will be necessary to assess the impact of recent changes in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services payment policies on the incidence of HAIs.
Correspondence: Laurent G. Glance, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 604, Rochester, NY 14642 (firstname.lastname@example.com).
Accepted for Publication: December 10, 2010.
Published Online: March 21, 2011. doi:10.1001/archsurg.2011.41
Author Contributions: Dr Glance had full access to the data and takes responsibility for the accuracy of the data analysis. Study concept and design: Glance, Mukamel, and Dick. Acquisition of data: Glance. Analysis and interpretation of data: Glance, Stone, and Dick. Drafting of the manuscript: Glance, Stone, and Dick. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Glance, Stone, Mukamel, and Dick. Statistical analysis: Glance, Mukamel, and Dick. Obtained funding: Glance and Dick. Administrative, technical, and material support: Glance. Study supervision: Glance.
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Funding/Support: This project was supported by grant RO1 HS 16737 from the Agency for Healthcare and Quality Research and grant R01 NR01 0107 from the National Institutes of Health (Prevention of Nosocomial Infections and Cost-Effectiveness).
Disclaimer: The views presented in this article are those of the authors and may not reflect those of the Agency for Healthcare and Quality Research and the National Institutes of Health.
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text:
Gus was 8 years old yesterday.
My Darling boy xxxx
Gus was 8 years old yesterday.
My Darling boy xxxx
Gus, hope you had a lovely day, wishing you many more
Jasper 21/Dec/05 - 28 August 2014 my best friend, my soulmate
Gabby 8/Nov/07,
Felix the cat 4/April/10
Hope you had a lovley day and hope you have another 8 years.
Rosie-06/06 - Ebony-01/07 Harley-08/08
" My sunshine doesn't come from the skies, it comes from the love in my dogs eyes "
Hi Gus
Hope you had a great day.
Brian M
Poppy the Tri, Daisy the Blen, Rosie the Ruby and Lily the B & T
Belated Gus!!!
Teri, Remus, Loki, Leopold
3 cats - Rumor, Serenity, & Thor
Hi Gus, Hope you had a very and wishing you many more to come.
A very Happy 8th Birthday GUS
We need Birthday pics
Once owned by Rudeepoohs
then rescued by CaraMia and Minnie Moo.
Missing all my girls every day....
A belated Gus! Hope your owners gave you lots of goodies! May you have many, many more s
Heather R
Gus says 'Thanks' to everyone for the Birthday wishes
(claire- new pics of him and his brothers in the gallery section)


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on January 9, 2013 - 12:14 AM
, updated January 9, 2013 at 12:29 AM
By Bucky Gleason
In today's world, where the information superhighway has become a new-and-improved, five-lane superspeedway, people demand answers sooner than yesterday. It's a product of the 24/7 news cycle, in which they want to know what's happening in 24 hours, seven days in advance.
It was no surprise that within minutes after the story broke about the Bills hiring Doug Marrone that someone sent me this text: "Good hire?"
On its own, it was a simple question. Unfortunately, there was no easy answer, at least not one that was guaranteed to stand the test of time.
You want the truth? I have no idea if Marrone was a good hire.
If the Bills had hired Bill Belichick, or some buffoon Ralph Wilson selected, I would have had a better idea. Marrone's didn't lead me to either extreme. He was like most candidates who were available. He had different gigs on different levels with varying degrees of success.
He started as a volunteer assistant at Cortland State. He spent a year at the Coast Guard Academy, another at Northeastern, two years at Georgia Tech, another year at Georgia. He was an offensive line coach and offensive coordinator in the NFL. He exceeded minimal standards for improvement as a head coach at Syracuse.
Marrone is young and has a reputation for thinking outside of the box. It beats panicking because there were eight men in the box. He worked under good people. He has a good reputation. He paid his dues. He looks like a good fit, but the same argument could have been made — and would have been made — if the Bills hired anyone else.
I'll say it again: every coach has strengths and weaknesses and comes with risk and reward. It's been that way since leather helmets. Marv Levy and Jim Kelly were often criticized during the Bills' glory days. Gregg Williams, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron and Chan Gailey each had flashes of success.
Keep that in mind with Marrone in charge and trying to find his way. The Bills have been on a road to nowhere for 13 straight seasons. For the fans' sake, let's hope he takes the first exit, blows a U-turn and leads them to a Super Bowl. He may very well succeed, but there's an equal chance he'll fail.
Honestly, I don't know. Neither does Sean Payton. Or Kevin Mawae. Or Russ Brandon. Or Doug Marrone, for that matter. Anybody who claims to know is either lying to you or lying to himself.
We'll find out as things play out. Give him a chance before drawing a conclusion either way. This much is guaranteed: The results will speak for themselves.
No more 'broken' Jochen
Jason Pominville couldn't have been serious Tuesday when making a pitch to bring back "Broken" Jochen Hecht for a few more twirls with the Sabres — could he?
"He looks great," Pominville told News reporter Mike Harrington.
Great? If Hecht passes for great, I'd love to hear Pominville's definition of "useless."
Hecht, 35, has a history of concussion problems and was overpaid and mostly ineffective when he was healthy. He had 21 goals three years ago when, if you remember, almost everything he threw toward the crease ended up in the net. The Sabres are thin down the middle, but they can't be that desperate.
How about playing the kids?
If they re-signed Hecht at this stage, it would mean GM Darcy Regier failed to address his biggest problem. It also would serve as yet another in a long line of examples of him being smitten with his own players. And the Sabres wonder why people, starting with me, criticize them for being stale.
Questions about Lewis
Ray Lewis was a great player and evolved into a terrific leader, but he leads the list of athletes who leave me most conflicted. The mere mention of his name still makes me wonder about exactly what happened in 2000, when he was implicated in a stabbing that left two men dead in Atlanta.
Lewis and two acquaintances were indicted on murder and assault charges. Lewis accepted a plea deal and testified against his friends, both of whom were cleared. Lewis later paid off the families of both victims an undisclosed amount of money. Police never found a white suit they claimed was bloodied in the fight and later dumped.
He played another 13 years, made roughly $80 million, was selected for 12 more Pro Bowls, won Super Bowl XXXV, was named Super Bowl MVP and had a spotless record after the slayings. He became a devout Christian, philanthropist and leader in the community. He has a street named after him in Baltimore.
By most accounts, he's a good guy who is headed straight for the Hall of Fame. He has been showered with praise in recent weeks after announcing he would retire after the season. It must be nauseating for the families of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar, the two victims who died in the street.
Following Miss Alabama
The power of television: Katherine Webb had about 2,000 followers on Twitter before the BCS national championship game between Notre Dame and Alabama. She woke up to more than 104,000 followers and had more than 156,000 followers by Tuesday afternoon.
Who is Katherine Webb, you ask?
She's the girlfriend of Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron and 2012 Miss Alabama. On Monday, she was known as the woman who left ESPN announcer Brent Musberger and commentator Kirk Herbstreit needing a cold shower.
In case you changed channels, here's the exchange between Musberger and Herbstreit that should have been left in the locker room:
Musberger: "You quarterbacks, you get all the good looking women. What a beautiful woman."
Herbstreit: "Wow!"
Musberger: "Whoa!"
Herbstreit: "AJ's doing some things right down in Tuscaloosa."
Musberger: "If you're a youngster in Alabama, start getting the football out and throw it around the backyard with pop."
One person who wasn't offended was Webb, who told TMZ.com that she was flattered by the attention.
"I've been reading on Twitter that Musburger had backlash that he's 'creepy'," Webb told TMZ. "If I were to see him I would say, 'I don't think you're creepy at all!' "
Yeah, well I do.
Will Morris get Hall call?
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will likely take their place in the Hall of Fame, but don't be surprised if neither receives the 75 percent of votes that are needed. Results will be released today, and it sounds as if writers will punish them after they were implicated in the steroid scandal.
No problem there, but let's hope the Baseball Writers' Association of America comes to its senses and sends Jack Morris to Cooperstown.
Morris had 66.7 percent of the vote last year and should be in the Hall. He had 254 wins, a 3.90 ERA and 28 shutouts among his 175 complete games.
MLB Network will air the Hall of Fame selection show today beginning at noon with the class of inductees to be announced at 2 p.m.
For years, 300 wins appeared to be a magic number for pitchers. The milestone is outdated. Starters throw fewer innings these days, giving them fewer decisions. Morris was a horse who won the World Series with three different teams — Detroit, Minnesota and Toronto — had three 20-win seasons and won 15 games or more in 12 seasons.
"I don't know how to defend this. I really hate to have to do this," Morris told the Pioneer Press of St. Paul, Minn. "There is a growing trend of guys who are caught up into this numbers deal: WHIP and RIP and ZIP. I don't know what it all means. I know this: I threw more pitches, got more people out, had more complete games, did all the things starting pitchers are supposed to have done, than anybody in my time."
The last time the BBWAA didn't vote someone into the Hall was 1996, when the Veterans Committee added Earl Weaver and Jim Bunning. The writers didn't add anyone in 1971, but the veterans voted for Satchel Paige. This could mark the first time since 1960 that no living member will be honored.
Stats Inc.
151 — Division I basketball teams ahead of Duke in rebounds per game even though the Blue Devils were the top-ranked team in the country at 14-0.
2 — Quarterbacks in NFL history who started a playoff game in his first five seasons after Joe Flacco joined Otto Graham.
0 — Times in which Canada failed to win a medal in the World Junior Championships since 1998 before getting shut out this year in Russia.
Quick hits
• Portland guard Damian Lillard is the class of NBA rookies with 18.2 points and 38.1 minutes per game. Second among rooks in points per 48 minutes, however, was former St. Bonaventure star Andrew Nicholson. He was averaging 25.4 points per 48 minutes and was 11th in actual scoring at 7.3 ppg with Orlando.
• Jets coach Rex Ryan, while explaining his team's failures, also addressed his artwork on his right arm. Daily News photographers uncovered a tattoo depicting Ryan's wife wearing, of all things, a Mark Sanchez jersey. "There's a question — is that a real tattoo or not?" he said. "I'll keep you guessing. ... I know what you're thinking, 'Obviously, if Sanchez doesn't play well, that number is changing.' That's pretty much a given."
• Carmelo Anthony insisted that he walked to the Celtics' team bus looking for a discussion, not a fight, with Kevin Garnett. Anthony, who shot 6 of 26 from the floor, thought Garnett's trash talking crossed the line. He wouldn't repeat what was said, but Twitter was abuzz with suggestions that the comments were about Anthony's wife, La La.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Zac Unger didn't feel like much of a fireman at first. Most of his fellow recruits seemed to have planned for the job all their lives; he was an Ivy League grad responding to an ad at a bus stop. He couldn't keep his boots shined, and he looked terrible in his uniform. Working Fire is the story of how, from this unlikely beginning, Zac Unger came to feel at home among this close-knit tribe, came to master his work's demands, and came to know what it is to see the world through a firefighter's eyes. From the raw material of his days' work—alarm calls both harrowing and hilarious, moments of triumph and grief—Unger has forged a timeless story of finding one's path, and a rousing adventure about the bravery and sacrifice of everyday heroes.
On the web: http://www.zacunger.com
ALA Best Books for Young Adults – winner
"An inside view of firefighting that vividly re-creates the excitement and fear intrinsic to it." —The Washington Post
"Filled with revelatory nuggets… that refreshingly humanize these courageous warriors." —Entertainment Weekly


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Top Definition
Intentionally posing in other people's photos, for a later surprise.
Usually people making funny faces in the background, without the knowledge of the main subjects of the photo.
Usually people making funny faces in the background, without the knowledge of the main subjects of the photo.
Jim is always photobombing, he messed ups some of the best photos from the wedding.
by U8IK May 06, 2008
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
The fine art of ruining other people's photos. Usually by running in the background or making a silly face in the background. It's usually done to strangers, but shit man, you better run if they notice at the moment, because you might get your ass kicked.
Hey Geo, check out them tourist. Let's do some photo bombing on them.
by SiLentThReaD July 22, 2008
The fine art of ruining other peoples photos
dood ive been photo bombing ms nadler all nite
by swastikool November 06, 2008
The act where one or several persons ruin (sometimes improve) a photo by performing funny acts in the background which may include a dry gangbang, holding stick like objects up to your crotch or raising your clothing.
Hey Johnno's been photobombing all the photos from the party. See his ass in the shop window in the background?
by ladiesman219 June 23, 2009
Benedict Cumberbatch at the oscars.
Sally: "Have you seen that photobomb at the oscars?"
John: "Photo bombing? Oh, you mean that Benedict Cumberbatch?"
John: "Photo bombing? Oh, you mean that Benedict Cumberbatch?"
by Ghetlg March 07, 2014
Any picture involving someone with an awkward smile, or an open mouthed attempt.
Damn, look at those pictures from homecoming. Alex is totally photo bombing every one.
by Sesudes October 04, 2011


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Round Table by Cherner
designed by Benjamin Cherner
Introduced in 2003, Cherner tables are designed to complement Cherner seating. Perfect in a formal or informal setting, the tables are strong and lightweight.
- Made entirely in the U.S.A.
- Finishes available: classic walnut, clear beech, classic ebony, and natural walnut
- Custom finishes available
- Tops are 1-1/8" cross-ply plywood with a profiled exposed edge
- Dimensions: 29.5" h x 40-48" dia
Cherner products have been specified for commercial, institutional and residential environments since 1992. The Cherner Chair Company works closely with architects, designers and furniture collectors to provide custom finishes, review upholstery options, or help select products from our classic finishes and Spinneybeck leather options.
Materials & Measurements
Molded plywood construction
Overall: 29.5" h x 40-48" diameter
Environmental Information
Assembled from wood collected from sustainably managed forests and with steel that is 100 percent recyclable, with 25 percent recycled content, all components are finished with coatings that emit negligible VOCs. All packaging and shipping materials are also repeatedly recyclable.
About The Manufacturer
Although best known for his furniture design, Norman Cherner's work included almost all aspects of design: from graphics, glassware and lighting, to his pioneering work in prefabricated housing.
With Benjamin Cherner's decision to join with his brother Thomas to form the Cherner Chair Company in 1999, it brought back into production many of Norman Cherner's most popular designs. Utilizing his original drawings and specifications, the reissued designs are manufactured with the same attention to detail found in the original hand made classics.
Not only has the company reissued the molded plywood chairs, stools and tables, the Cherner Chair Company has also introduced new designs by Benjamin Cherner.
Related Categories
Shipping & Delivery
Free In Home Delivery: Free
Product Q&A
The Cherner Round Table comes with a two-year warranty.
For more information, please see the Cherner warranty guide.


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Top Definition
A sophisticated sex robot sent back through time to change the future for one lucky lady.
I am the Shermanator. You have been targeted for Shermanation.
от Major Miner 16 май 2007
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
your everyday geeky kid with thick facial hair, a big nose and thick glasses, and usually has bad b.o.
Oh my god! Look at the new kid! Hes a total Shermanator!
от John 06 януари 2005
a very cool cat named valorie
the shermanator is a cool cat
от sherm 22 юни 2003


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Senator Inouye, Willie K and "Danny Boy"
December 30, 2012 - Ray Tsuchiyama
Spouse C. and I were among the crowd at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center on a bright sunny Saturday morning – the sky was a transcendent blue, the West Maui mountains startlingly green. After signing the guestbook, my spouse C. and I sat in the Castle auditorium and gazed at Senator Daniel Inouye's body, lying on the stage, flanked by the United States and Hawai'i State flags.
Much was made by the emcee – the affable attorney Anthony "Tony" Takitani, a Baldwin graduate, of the Senator's ties to Maui: the Senator's mother was born in Puukolii on the West-Side, of his late first spouse who hailed from Wailuku, and of his frequent trips to Maui for dedications and political rallies.
Takitani introduced political dignitaries and community leaders, ranging from Maui Mayor Arakawa to the new Lt. Governor Shan S. Tsutsui to OHA Trustee Collette Machado, the Senator's former field staffer on Moloka'i. There was also music including "Amazing Grace" by the Maui Choir, a hula, and the opening "God Bless America" by Maui born-and-raised Uluwehi Guerrero.
Then for the final musical tribute, Takitani called upon Willie K and the song "Danny Boy", one of the late Senator's favorites.
If there was a defining, heart-stopping moment, this was it. Willie K had no supporting musicians, just his ukulele. He was dressed very simply, as if he had dropped by my house for a coffee and a malasada.
The slow-moving ballad "Danny Boy" has a rich, long history, going back to 1913 – one year before the First World War and the year when Maui High opened its doors for students and eleven years before Senator Inouye was born – when the lyrics were written by the prolific Frederic Edward Weatherly, a talented English composer who wrote over 3,000 songs, plus having a "day job" as a London lawyer. He set the words to an anonymous probably late 18th century tune (perhaps played on harps) now known as "Londonderry Air" (it is the anthem for Northern Ireland – but cherished by all Irish in the global diaspora, in Australia, North America, – yet ironically written by an British subject).
During the First World War the words were taken to be about parents sending off boy soldiers being sent to battle and death in the trenches. In the 1920s "Danny Boy" became a popular funeral song at Irish wakes in East Coast cities, and by the 1930s when Daniel Inouye may have first heard it on the radio in Honolulu, there were already various singers' (and lyrics) interpretations, and in the post-World War II period, the range of singers who have recorded the song is extraordinary, including Judy Garland, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Cher, Eric Clapton, Conway Twitty, and Joan Baez.
But why would Willie K's rendition be so unique, his tenor voice transforming the lyrics into a beautiful spell-binding moment, stopping time altogether -- with just a ukulele for musical accompaniment (not an instrument that Frederic E. Weatherly would have heard in Edwardian London).
Mauian born-and-raised, Willie Kahaiali'i (Willie K is his stage name) was a child prodigy, raised in a musical family, led by his respected musician father Manu Kahaiali'i. What made Willie unique throughout his career was his curiosity about music, from the Hawaiian, Jazz and early Rhythm and Blues he heard in his childhood to his older period, when his influences included many iconic musicians in rock or Country/Western or other forms, like B.B. King.
Unexpectedly for a "local" musician (and perhaps we should never assume or stereotype), Willie K has a deep interest in another musical genre: opera, sung in Italian lyrics as the opera musical/performing genre developed in Italy, so far from Maui. Willie K's childhood influences included Mario Lanza, perhaps one of the 20th century's top tenor voices – a precursor to the famous Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.
He is very familiar with the "Vesti La Giubba" ("Put On the Costume") tenor aria from Ruggero Leoncavallo's late 19th century opera "Pagliacci". This is a bittersweet scene (perhaps the most powerful in all opera) where the protagonist (Canio) discovers his wife's betrayal, yet he puts on his clown make-up and alternately weeps and laughs to do the next show. If done well – and Enrico Caruso was the best – the singing "sad" clown scene drove crowds to tears in Europe (it is no accident that Caruso's recording of "Vesti la Giubba" reached the first 1 million platinum sales in history).
With the Hawaii Youth Symphony, Willie K has done "Nessun Dorma" ("And None Shall Sleep": the tenor aria piece from the Puccini classic "Turandot") and the fun, happy, upbeat "Funiculi, Funicula" (about the Mt. Vesuvius cable car) – so he is not unfamiliar with the soaring tenor demands, a la Pavarotti, for a ballad like "Danny Boy", which has closing high notes that put unique strains on even the best of "Irish" tenors. By spring of this year, he had perfected "Danny Boy" at a Four Seasons Resort Hotel (Wailea) concert, and afterwards concert-goers were clamoring for him to record the song for his next CD, so by fate he was already training for the closing of the celebration of the Senators's inspiring life at the MACC. He is truly a talented individual in many musical genres.
Completely entranced, listening to Willie K's tenor voice in the silent Castle theater, as I closed my eyes, I could envision Senator Inouye smiling and nodding, a complex figure himself, with so many diverse influences, of pre-War Honolulu to far-away northern Italy where the beautiful Italian opera was born and where he was wounded in a horrific battle to the long halls of Washington D.C. -- and always back to Maui, his home island in many ways.
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The case of an Elkins man who has been accused of making methamphetamine in a Davis Avenue apartment was bound over to Randolph County Circuit Court Tuesday.
Magistrate George M. Riggleman found probable cause in the case of 25-year-old Michael Brook Ketterman in Randolph County Magistrate Court, despite strong protests from Ketterman's attorney, James Hawkins.
Ketterman, Jason William Hebb, 32, of Elkins and Carl Larry Manley, 38, also of Elkins, were each arrested and charged with one felony count of operating or attempting to operate a clandestine lab March 16 at an apartment building in the 200 block of Davis Avenue.
During Tuesday's preliminary hearing, Patrolman B.D. Tice with the Elkins Police Department testified that he'd been dispatched to the building after the landlord reported a copper theft.
Based on information from a witness to the alleged crime, Tice knocked on the door of an apartment, believing the alleged perpetrators were inside.
"At first, I was just going to try to convince them to return the copper, but then I heard a bunch of noise, people running around, running water, flushing toilets," Tice said. "That's usually a pretty good indication that someone's trying to get rid of drugs."
Tice said someone eventually opened the apartment door about an inch and he immediately detected a "common smell," associated with methamphetamine labs.
"At that point, my tongue actually went numb," Tice testified. The officer said he saw mason jars lying on the floor with plastic tubing, and subsequently evacuated the three men inside - Ketterman, Hebb and Manley - for safety reasons.
Upon obtaining a search warrant for the apartment, Tice found a slew of products commonly used to make meth, including lye, coffee filters, plastic tubing, Coleman fuel, lithium batteries and a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine - approximately 21 grams of it.
"As we were removing the subjects, Mr. Ketterman told me that there was no active cook in there (the apartment) - that they (Hebb and Manley) cooked it outside and brought it back upstairs," Tice said. Ketterman also told Tice he hadn't been involved in the cook and that he'd arrived at the residence about five minutes before Tice did, the officer said.
During cross-examination, Hawkins lamented what he claimed was a lack of evidence specifically linking Ketterman to the alleged crime.
"Mr. Ketterman never acknowledged being involved in the cook?" Hawkins asked.
"No," Tice answered.
"And you don't have any evidence that he participated in this?"
"That's correct," Tice replied.
Hawkins pointed out that Tice couldn't definitively connect any of the defendants to the lab.
"Any of them could be innocent you don't know," Hawkins said.
"Any of them could be," Tice replied, "or any of them could be guilty."
"So you arrest them all and let them sort it out later?" Hawkins asked.
Tice pointed out that Ketterman was present when someone was attempting to operate a lab and hadn't taken any action to extricate himself from the area.
In his closing argument, Hawkins said that the state hadn't presented any evidence indicating Ketterman had played a role in creating the lab.
"I challenge the state in its rebuttal to come up with evidence other than him being there," Hawkins said forcefully. "Mere presence at the scene of a crime does not make you guilty of the offense. (Tice) can't tell if Mr. Ketterman was at the apartment for one minute or five minutes or 10 minutes or an hour or less. The state is required to offer proof that this man committed a crime, but we don't even have evidence of that. You can't even show that he had any precursors.
"You can't throw something at the wall and hope it sticks," Hawkins continued, referring to Tice's arrest of all three men.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Lori Gray countered that Hawkins' arguments were based on a number of hypotheticals, including the assumption that Ketterman was telling the truth.
"So I guess she's not going to tell us how he participated," Hawkins retorted.
"There was meth, there was a final product, it burned the officer's tongue," Gray said. "He did not offer up any evidence - "
"I object," Hawkins interrupted. "That is a Fifth Amendment right. He does not have to prove he's innocent."
Gray said Hawkins had misinterpreted what she was about to say.
"I'm done," she said.
After a minute or two of silence, Riggleman announced his decision, saying he was going to find probable cause and bind it over to the grand jury.
"I'd like to know what Michael Ketterman did to operate or attempt to operate it (a lab)," Hawkins said.
"He was there," Riggleman replied.
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Hired farmworkers make up less than 1 percent of all U.S. wage and salary workers, but they play an essential role in U.S. agriculture. Wages, salaries, and contract labor expenses represent roughly 17 percent of total variable farm costs and as much as 40 percent of costs in labor-intensive crops such as fruit, vegetables, and nursery products. ERS conducts research on a range of farm labor issues, including:
For a summary of recent findings and longer-term trends, see Hired Farm Labor Held Steady in Great Recession, in the December 2011 issue of Amber Waves.
Last updated: Thursday, October 30, 2014
For more information contact: Thomas Hertz


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When STS9 relocated from Atlanta to Santa Cruz, Calif., in 2000, the band covered almost as much space geographically as it does musically in a concert.
"It's just a lifestyle thing; the weather, the scenery, the community, being close to the urban areas. It kind of gave everybody a little something to choose from," percussionist Jeffree Lerner said.
Short for Sound Tribe Sector 9, STS9 has been developing an intricate blend of instrumental rock and electronic music on stages around the country since 1998. The group will play Thursday, Feb. 28 in MontBleu Theatre.
"It's a lot of inspiration and passion," Lerner said. "We all have a deep love and appreciation for music with regard to culture and what it's done for our lives."
STS9 is Lerner and pals Hunter Brown (guitar), David Murphy (bass), David Phipps (keyboards) and Zach Velmer (drums). Each combines his live instruments with an array of electronic sampling to create an intertwining and far-reaching mosaic of sounds and sensations.
"As a DJ would pull records from a crate, we're pulling samples from our studio sessions," Lerner said. "So we're actually sampling ourselves and creating rhythmic textures and ambience through computer programs, and being able to play those things and treat it like an instrument."
This is not to say that the band is merely jamming over looped recordings, a misconception that Lerner was quick to clarify. Rather, he said, the band puts a wide array of recorded samples at its fingertips and employs each just as they would a note on an individual instrument.
"There's not much looping or sequencing going on," he said. "It's more actual triggering and using it like instruments."
Lerner described the balance that the band views between live instrumentation and electronic sampling and arranging.
"I and the band treat them as equals, treat them as instruments, treat them just like you're pulling the guitar out of the case, and try to use them that way," Lerner said. "We're not trying to take shortcuts or make things easier; it's just the music that we're feeling, creating. It's really the tools that are available to the culture. Throughout history, at any given point in musical history, there were instruments that weren't developed and some others that were, and the music reflects that. Now, these are the tools that we have to work with. We're not leaving any of the old behind, but bringing that with us."
In addition to studio samples of the band, STS9 uses vocal cuts sampled from other recordings or recorded live by guest artists. The band members have done limited vocal work themselves, but are working toward broadening that portion of their music, Lerner said, noting that they've had other priorities as an instrumental band.
That said, STS9 makes good use of the power of human speech even within its instrumental framework.
"We love vocals, vocals do amazing things for your band," Lerner said. "One track in particular, 'When the Dust Settles' off our last album, has just four words basically, 'all sound, all light.' It's really amazing what that human element, that voice, does to the track when I watch the crowd. Vocals are really powerful, man."
Improvisation is another key component of STS9's sonic arsenal. All of the band members improvise within a given framework in their live shows, Lerner said.
"There's structure to the songs, but within that there's also openness for growth and change, so songs evolve and change over time," he said. "It's like a debate. You go into a debate with subject matter; call that the structure of the song. But within that, you can pontificate on different aspects, take a left turn here or take your argument there. Sometimes improvisation comes from mistakes; a computer might crash out, or a string breaks. Within that, there's room for expression."
Whether fine-tuning their range of samples or perfecting the balance of improvisation within a song, STS9 remains committed to improving the experience of concert-goers.
"We're not the band that just goes out and noodles," Lerner said. "We're trying to make it a little more pinpoint, we're going after emotional response. Based on our experience, we're starting to realize what moves people. The flow of not only a song, but the show; the Shakespearean flow of the set; the peaks, the valleys, and how to really give a fan what they want and make them want to come back."


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"In The People Business"
2373 West Tennessee Street
Directions Tallahassee, FL 32304
Proctor Honda presents one of the largest selections of used cars for sale in Tallahassee. Our wide selection of used cars includes Honda models, as well as used cars manufactured by other brands. Proctor Honda built its vast used car inventory by accepting quality trade-in vehicles. Proctor Honda also offers certified used cars that undergo rigorous inspections that cover more than 100 points. Our team of certified service technicians meticulously examine every used car up for certification to ensure the interior, exterior, safety, and performance features met high quality standards. Backed by generous Honda warranties, a certified used vehicle can provide superior performance for more than 10 years. Look for the certified emblem on the used cars that line the Proctor Honda lot.
Please feel free to browse our inventory and receive an online E-Price. Whether you are shopping for used cars in Tallahassee, Crawfordville, Havana, Quincy, Perry, FL or surrounding areas, we are confident we have the right car for you. If you don't see the car you are looking for in our current invnetory, try our CarFinder tool and we will help you look!
Visit the Honda Proctor website for daily updates on used car specials. We offer our customers the best value on the purchase of used cars. After finding the used car that matches your buying criteria and fits within your budget, stop by Proctor Honda for a test drive. You can find Proctor Honda less than two miles south of Interstate 10, next to Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium.