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SAMJ: South African Medical Journal
On-line version ISSN 2078-5135
Print version ISSN 0256-9574
SAMJ, S. Afr. med. j. vol.100 n.12 Cape Town Dec. 2010
NHI consensus: fix the existing system or risk failure
It's not often that 360 doctors of varying disciplines, anxiously awaiting the birth of a much-fêted infant, agree on the diagnosis and urgent treatment of its severely ailing mother. That's what happened at the South African Medical Association (SAMA)'s prenatal 'check-up' of the impending National Health Insurance (NHI), at Emperor's Palace in Gauteng early this October. Everyone, from NHI midwives Dr Aaron Motsoaledi (national health minister) and Dr Olive Shisana (its chief nurse), to individuals like social security economist Alex van den Heever (who at best fears a failure to thrive), believes the diagnosis of the health care system upon which an effective NHI will depend is blindingly obvious. They also agreed on a 10-point treatment plan for the ailing matriarch (one aspect of which is the NHI, aimed at providing vital health equity and access for all). That left only one real question: Does 'Mama Nzantsi' have the human and financial capital, let alone the management capacity, to carry, give birth to and then nurture this NHI child to maturity?
That's where the core debate lay over the two-day conference, replete with argument, debate, murmuring and dissent - essential ingredients for the tailoring of an appropriate and effective NHI - if the midwives keep their promise to study SAMA's facilitated input. Motsoaledi found no dissenters when he diagnosed the cause of the malaise as 'a destructive, unsustainable, expensive curative health system', where, he quipped, 'each of the 50 million of us seem entitled to one major disease per year'. His consensual 10-point treatment plan highlighted what is wrong, pointing to a historical lack of leadership or social compact with all role-players (now being addressed, inter alia, through an ambitious public/private counselling and testing campaign aimed at reaching 15 million people by June next year). Motsoaledi admitted that hospital hygiene and infection control are 'dismal', that there is a dire lack of minimum standards, that the management of facilities and finances is abysmal, and openly complained that the planning and development of human resources had 'gone completely haywire'.
Aaron's treatment plan
He said poor infrastructure was being addressed via the renovation of five major hospitals, the cost of which would exceed the construction price for all Soccer World Cup stadia. The HIV/AIDS pandemic finally had a realistic and comprehensive plan, with targets, best practice treatment protocols, major financing and drug supply cost containments and improved drug supply chain management tools. There would also be a 'pragmatic rationalisation' of some 60 000 community development workers while the overall drug policy, acquisition, supply chain and expiry/wastage were being probed and overhauled. Research, or the dire lack of it, was also on the 10-point agenda.
Expanding on several points, Motsoaledi said the nursing curriculum was 'completely messed up' when colleges were closed down and the decision taken in 1986 to only train via universities, resulting in 'an army with commanders and no riflemen' (one estimate is 98 000 professional nurses to 35 000 enrolled nurses). Eight medical schools had produced 1 200 doctors for the past 8 years, further aggravating the shortage and illustrating the dire need for a ninth. Keen to illustrate just how far his government had moved from the denialism and obfuscation of the Mbeki/Tshabalala-Msimang era, Motsoaledi said the overall plan was aimed at countering a forbidding fourfold epidemic of HIV/TB, maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity, non-communicable diseases, and injury and violence. 'Most other countries are spending less for better health outcomes. Our spending has not kept pace with the disease burden. Is this money or mismanagement? Mismanagement is clear, but spending also declined at a time when our burden of disease was increasing.'
He said 'Bantu education' had left the country 'with a monster in our midst', where most locals compared poorly with residents of other SADC countries. Worse, South Africa had 17% of the world's HIV pandemic (with just 0.7% of the global population) - 23 times the global average. TB prevalence was the world's worst at seven times the global average, while HIV/TB co-infection stood at 73%. Motsoaledi described the maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity figures as 'embarrassing', having 'soared way above the Millennium Development Goals bar when other countries are showing improvements'. 'Falling pregnant, being born or living for the first five years is very risky in South Africa,' he said, adding that the success of any country was measured by the number of children who died in childbirth or by the age of five. While South Africa met the World Bank's criteria for a country's survival (an independent judiciary, bank security and security of tenure), its Gini coefficient was the world's worst. One World Bank advisor confided to him: 'Solve your gap between the rich and poor and you'll achieve stability'. Motsoaledi said this further emphasised how important the speedy entrenchment of an NHI system was. He and his new Director General, Precious Matsotso, rebuffed suggestions from the floor that '10-point action, not a 10-point plan' was needed, citing many ongoing rehabilitation measures. Other delegates accused them of building the NHI on romantic idealism rather than pragmatism steeped in reality.
Redirect resources and ID cost drivers - Shisana
Dr Olive Shisana, chairperson of the 23-person NHI Ministerial Advisory Task Team, said the project's success and incremental roll-out from 2012, when it would cost R128 billion (nearly tripling to R375.5 billion by 2025), would be built on the 'redirection' of resources via stringent budget measures and identification of cost drivers. The biggest systemic cost drivers at present were ARVs (where much greater purchasing efficiencies could be achieved), the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) and equipment. 'Unless we address these three (before 2012), it will be very difficult to start the process,' she admitted in response to a question on how the current R11 billion shortfall on the 2012 NHI budget would be addressed. Shisana said probes into the health care staffing crisis showed a disproportionate increase in management and administrative structures at national and provincial level. Her team was working with the Colleges of Medicine and the Committee of University Deans to establish how many doctors and specialists were needed (let alone how to address the current 35% shortfall on existing public sector posts). Nursing colleges would shortly be opened and a better balance between academic and bedside training strived for. Supportive legislation needed passing, minimum standards for compliance and subsequent gradual NHI hospital accreditation was being completed while management standards were being drastically improved with a hospital-byhospital audit of managers and CEOs. She added: 'We must make sure we have sufficient health professionals capable of doing the work they are supposed to - and ensure a change of attitude and clinical standards across the board in management. We'd like to see public hospital facilities become just as good as private.'
Several speakers at the conference and commentators afterwards questioned the assumptions upon which the NHI is being built. Economist and ad hoc government advisor, Alex van den Heever, parodied the NHI committee's commitment in 1995 to the rapid establishment of a district health system which it then claimed was 'of the highest priority and at the core of the entire health strategy'. Added to this, a White Paper in 1997 outlined a primary health care package that put communities at the centre of delivery, electing people to advocate for them on health matters. Instead, what the country got (6 years later in the National Health Act) were 6 people (1 representing the provincial health minister and 5 nominees from relevant municipal councils) and 3 -5 people drawn from metropolitan, district and local municipal councils.
Reform track record bodes ill - Van den Heever
'Reform promises don't mean a lot if you've seen them all before. The district health system is at the core. None of what was proposed there has happened. It's very easy to promise grand things - the reality will probably be very different,' he predicted. Van den Heever said South Africa had a major 'performance problem' in the delivery of public services in general with education matching health, 'which strongly points to a generalised problem with governance and accountability'. This 'inconvenient evidence' was being largely ignored in current debates. When it came to the financing of the health sector, no peer developing country spent 8% of its GDP (envisaged for South Africa, up from the current 3.4%) through the public system. Tony Twine, a top economist with Econometrix (a highly regarded private analysis and planning consultancy), questioned the NHI budgeting assumption that South Africa would achieve an economic growth rate of over 7% per year for 13 consecutive years. Growth of between 3.5% and 4.5% was far more realistic, meaning that health care expenditure would consume between 22.8% and 28.2% of all government spending and up to 8.5% of GDP by 2025. 'If GDP growth remains as low as 2% per year, as it did for 20 years between 1975 and 1995, the NHI would simply be unaffordable,' he warned, adding that his realistic prediction of 3.5 - 4.5% might be affordable but would create deep friction with other high-priority government targets (education, housing and productive infrastructure). Twine said increasing the general tax load (as proposed) 'too much' would simply weigh down the economy, limiting growth and job creation. In a seeming riposte to Van den Heever's district health criticisms, Shisana said her team had based their proposals on a systematic review of 85 studies of primary health care models globally. They then cherry-picked those that had improved delivery. Structure, process and outcomes were central and under-served areas would be contracted first, with decentralisation and locally developed plans a key element. 'Patient advocacy will be critical - we want to avoid a situation like in the United Kingdom where 10% of patients who visit facilities end up with the wrong care,' she added.
Olive gets huffy with Alex
Dr Shisana's obvious annoyance with Van den Heever's critique drew loud interjections and murmurs from her audience when she described his presentation as 'full of holes'. 'You're not trained in public health and it's difficult to interpret what you show,' she added, pointing to the success of the recent Soccer World Cup as an example of what South Africans could do when they chose to work collectively. She said the buying power of the NHI fund would be 'massive', thus cutting costs while various complementary means of meeting the escalating budget were being investigated. These included a flat surcharge on income (payroll tax) and VAT while tax deductions for medical schemes were also being considered. 'No one option is deemed to be exclusively desirable but we've told Treasury that we can't go for co-payments, that's out,' she revealed. Asked by Izindaba how she characterised the basic differences between herself and Van den Heever, Shisana replied, 'He's an economist looking at social security. I'm coming from the angle of the NHI. While the two might eventually be one in a policy position, they are separate policies. He wants to see social health insurance falling under a social security umbrella and we say, no, the NHI is run by the national health minister delivering to the health sector. It can't be driven by social security experts; it must be driven by the health sector - that's crucial in terms of consultation'.
She said that only two provinces currently had unqualified audits and that financial improvement plans existed for the other seven while for certain blood products, the NHLS was more expensive than the private sector. On the 'upside', the national health department had received an unqualified audit for the first time in 7 years. 'The area of NHI revenue has not been clearly fleshed out in the ANC's document and will probably be contained in government policy when that comes out. It's the prerogative of the Minister of Finance and work is being done on the macro-economic impact of the NHI,' she revealed.
Chris Bateman


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Browsing The Grieg Academy, Department of Music by Subject "Norwegian"
Now showing items 1-1 of 1
Music Therapy, Trust and Child Welfare. In a Norwegian context (The University of Bergen, 2017-12-22)This thesis theoretically explores the concept of trust in music therapy with adolescents in a Norwegian child welfare context. By reviewing literature describing the Norwegian music therapy practice in child welfare and ...Master thesis

subset: commoncrawl


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Written By: NM State Athletic Dept.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The New Mexico State football team dropped its home opener 44-21 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday, Sept. 7, at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
The Aggies (0-2) collected 253 passing yards with senior quarterback Andrew McDonald leading the way with 186 yards on 22-of-31 passing. Senior running back Germi Morrison directed the ground attack with a pair of rushing touchdowns. Defensively, senior safety Davis Cazares and senior linebacker Trashaun Nixon both recorded a game-high 11 tackles.
The Aggies went three-and-out on the first drive against the Golden Gophers (2-0), but the Aggie defense caused the same situation for the Minnesota offense on its opening drive. After one more drive from each team, senior defensive end Willie Mobley recorded his first quarterback sack as an Aggie, pushing Minnesota back to a third-and-16.
That did not stop the Gophers as the team was close enough to kick a 45-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead over the Aggies with 7:29 on the clock. Both offenses stalled on the next three drives until Minnesota started its last drive of the first quarter at its own 48. Quarterback Philip Nelson threw the ball for a 48-yard pass to Derrick Engel for a first down. The Aggies stopped the Gophers to bring up third-and-five at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter opened with an incomplete pass by the Gophers before kicking a 22-yard field goal to increase the score to 6-0 with 14:50 to go in the second quarter.
With the Aggies taking over on their own 18 yard line, McDonald was sacked for a loss of eight yards. Junior punter Cayle Chapman-Brown came in for a career-long 73 yard punt for the Aggies, forcing Minnesota to take over at its own six yard line.
Minnesota worked for a 94 yard gain, resulting in its first touchdown of the game, a 14-yard touchdown rush for a 13-0 lead with 8:42 left in the half.
NM State came back after the touchdown for a 33-yard pass from McDonald to junior wide receiver Joseph Matthews. The Aggies continued to move the chains with an eight-yard rush by wide receiver junior wide receiver Jordan Bergstrom before a 12-yard gain, moving the ball to the two-yard line. NM State found its way into the end zone with a one-yard gain from junior running back Brandon Betancourt, marking his first career touchdown as an Aggie.
The Gophers worked for a 72-yard drive after the kickoff for a touchdown of their own, but not before NM State's Nixon forced a fumble that was recovered by the Golden Gophers inside their own end zone for its second touchdown of the game, moving the score to 20-7 with 2:38 to play in the half.
The Aggies went three-and-out after the Gopher touchdown and Chapman-Brown punted the ball 44 yards back to Minnesota's Marcus Jones, who ran it back for a 65-yard touchdown.
NM State ended the half with a couple of short passes from McDonald for a pair of first downs and the ball sitting on the Aggie 44-yard line as the clock ran out on the half.
The second half opened with a 65-yards gain by the Gophers that resulted in a 27-yard field goal. The Aggies answered back with a 72-yard drive bringing NM State to the one-yard line before McDonald handed off to Morrison, who ran it in for the Aggies second touchdown of the game.
The fourth quarter kicked off with senior Kevin Laudermill grabbing his first career interception, good for the fourth Aggie interception of the season. The Aggies began their drive on the Minnesota 34-yard line, but came up short of a first down, turning the ball back over to the Gophers on their own 10-yard line with 12:48 left in the game.
Minnesota drove the ball into the end zone on a one-yard rush for a 37-14 lead over the Aggies after a 90-yard drive. The Golden Gophers came up with a fumble recovery for a 50-yard run and a touchdown with 5:49 on the clock.
The Aggies made their last effort in the final minutes of the game with a 75-yard drive resulting in their third one-yard rushing touchdown of the game.
The Aggies continue at home with the Battle of I-10 Rivalry game versus UTEP on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Aggie Memorial Stadium, at 6 p.m.


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After Hours in the Bakery at Baker & Banker
For anyone with a sweet tooth like mine, it's a fantasy come true to eat to your stomach's content in a bakery after it's closed for the night.
I wasn't exactly let loose to scour the pantry, though. Instead, I was invited recently to dine as a guest of the restaurant with a few other food writers in what is essentially the private dining room at Baker & Banker in San Francisco.
The acclaimed restaurant in Pacific Heights, owned by husband-and-wife Pastry Chef Lori Baker and Chef Jeff Banker, also has an adjacent bakery. After closing each night, the bakery is available for private parties. It has to be a small one, though, as there's enough room for only eight at the one table set up right by the bakery counter. There's also a minimum of five diners required.
To get to it, you walk into the restaurant, head to the back, go through the small kitchen, and walk down a few stairs right into the heart of the bakery.


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Happiness Retreat (Weekday)
- Art of Living Retreat Center
- 639 Whispering Hills Road Boone, NC 28607
- May 15 - 17, 2019 (3 days)
- Hotel Room Single - $685.00 Hotel Room Double Sharing - $575.00 Retreat Room Single - $615.00 Retreat Room Double Sharing - $535.00 Retreat Room Triple Sharing - $495.00
About This Event
Live with Joy, Purpose and Confidence
Within you lie vast, untapped possibilities waiting to be discovered. Through The Happiness Retreat you'll learn practical and powerful techniques that will enable you to gain a greater vision of who you are and benefit you for the rest of your life. You will find yourself enabled to create a more joyous, purposeful life, and gain the confidence to stretch and grow beyond limiting beliefs
In today's demanding, distracting world your mind can be stuck in the past or in the future. But happiness is here in the present moment. It cannot be experienced when you're regretting yesterday or worried about tomorrow. During The Happiness Retreat you'll reconnect with your unlimited power and freedom — not as a concept, but as a direct experience.
Sudarshan Kriya®
The centerpiece of The Happiness Retreat is Sudarshan Kriya, a powerful breathing technique that uses specific, natural rhythms to not only release stress at the deepest level, but also balance and integrate mind, body and heart.
Your course will also include:
Stretching and low-impact yoga for health, circulation, and physical well-being.
Guided meditation and breathing techniques that increase energy and deeply relax the body and mind.
Skills for handling negative emotions and situations.
Practical wisdom for improving focus at work and harmony in relationships.
Guided interactive processes
1-hour Pottery Class* (Shipping/Glazing fee not included)*
*Participants are strongly encouraged to book these activities prior to arriving on-site.
Health Benefits
Research has demonstrated that Sudarshan Kriya and the related practices you'll learn can bring about the following benefits:
Can significantly reduce (the stress hormone) cortisol
Are effective in relieving depression and anxiety
Help to restore normal sleep patterns, and
Increase prolactin (the hormone associated with well-being)
By the end of the course you'll be equipped with specific techniques that you can practice every day. The value of these practices is both cumulative and immediate; you can look forward to continued and increasing benefits. You'll also have access to ongoing follow-up programs which take place all over the world.
Please note that it's required to attend all sessions of the course.
If you're a licensed professional in a health-related field you may be able to earn continuing education units for attending The Happiness Retreat. Please contact Art of Living Foundation's CEU Administrator for additional information on this at (contact info blocked).
Reviews To review this event, visit the page for the venue or retreat leaders (above).
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Dec 4 - 10, 2020 (7 days)
The Fasting Farm – North Carolina, USA North Carolina, USA10 Nights
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We're glad you've joined our retreat community. See you around :)Return to my event ×


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Brand: Robert Abbey
Collection: Halo
Model: C1324
Type: Sconces
Finish: Brushed Chrome w/ Polished Chrome
Height: 13.00"
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Product Specifications
Extension: 4.88
Finish: Brushed Chrome w/ Polished Chrome
Top to Outlet:
Canopy: 3.5``x0.6875``
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At Robert Abbey, design is our passion. We work very hard to bring our customers the most trend right merchandise with the highest quality standards at the best prices possible. Your success means our success, and we never forget that. We want to assure our customers that we are redoubling our efforts to meet the challenges that we all face in an ever shifting and very competitive marketplace.
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Here's the latest article from the Southeast USA site at BellaOnline.com.
Calloway Gardens Georgia
Calloway Gardens Georgia is the perfect destination for both relaxation and excitement as visitors explore their many featured adventures.
Please visit southeastusa.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Southeast USA.
To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Southeast USA located here -
I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!
Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!
Cynthia Parker, Southeast USA Editor
One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com


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MAKE pal Michael writes in with word about OpenMoko – Linux based phone (Neo1973) running OpenMoko –
I'm sure you've heard about the OpenMoko project. The news event today is that they have put up an extensive website describing the hardware, the software, the look and feel, the APIs, source code, developement invironment, etc. etc. etc.
I'm blown away. I think this is one of the most revolutionary projects in a long time.
Main Page – OpenMoko – Link.


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MOORESVILLE, NC (December 13, 2013) – Despite the best efforts of Mother Nature, Juan Pablo Montoya completed his first two IndyCar Series oval track tests for Team Penske this week at both Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and Auto Club Speedway (ACS). The team was originally scheduled to test at ACS on Monday, Dec. 9 and PIR on Wednesday, Dec. 11, but high winds in Fontana, Calif. forced an adjustment to the schedule as the Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet instead ran at PIR on Tuesday and ACS on Thursday.
The tests marked the first time in an IndyCar on an oval for the 1999 CART Series champion and 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner since the 2000 season. Team Penske teammate, Helio Castroneves, turned a handful of laps at each venue before turning things over to Montoya. Each day Montoya improved his lap times and was able to get close to the times set by Castroneves, a 16-time oval winner in IndyCar, including three Indianapolis 500 victories.
"These were two important tests for me, especially the Phoenix test," said Montoya, who ran his first test for the team at the Sebring road course on Nov. 25-26. "The short ovals are going to be my biggest challenge because you have to run flat-out. That wasn't the case when I was in the series in 1999 and 2000. The speed you carry through the corners is unbelievable."
In his NASCAR Cup Series career, Montoya made a combined 25 starts at both PIR and ACS.
"The way you drive these two tracks is completely different from NASCAR to IndyCar," continued Montoya. "We're running about six seconds a lap faster than in NASCAR. I appreciate Helio making time to come out. He was a huge help. I learned a long time ago that it's easier on you to work on the car and make it do what you want. Before I would just drive it but today we had a great plan and took small steps to get where we needed to be."
In addition to Castroneves, engineers from all three Team Penske teams were in attendance at both tests. Everyone came away impressed with Montoya and excited about his addition to the Team Penske lineup.
"I told Roger (Penske) that it's easy to see why he has so much success in this series," said Montoya. "These cars are so fast. The people on these teams are very talented. I'm excited about this chapter of my career."
Montoya will make his Team Penske debut in the opening race of the 2014 IndyCar Series season at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 30. Montoya will participate in several more test sessions with the team over the next several weeks to continue his preparation for the 2014 season.


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Contact: Peter Pappas or Jennifer Rankin Byrne
(571) 272-8400 or email@example.com;
Washington- U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) David Kappos announced today plans to open the first ever USPTO satellite office in Detroit, Mich., in 2011. The new office is expected to create more than 100 new jobs in its first year and provide a boost to the region's innovation economy.
The office will represent the first phase of the USPTO's Nationwide Workforce Program, an effort to hire more patent examiners and seek out additional resources and technical expertise in locations across the country.
"The current backlog of patent applications delays the commercialization of American innovation and the creation of new jobs and economic growth," Locke said. "Recruiting and retaining top patent examiners from across the country is an integral part of reducing the backlog. We're very excited to bring the first ever satellite office of our nation's innovation agency to one of the country's most important innovation centers-the city of Detroit."
The Detroit office will enable the USPTO to draw upon Michigan's highly qualified workforce to help reduce the backlog of more than 700,000 patent applications. A year ago, the patent backlog stood at nearly 750,000 applications, but an agency push to get it below 700,000 has led to the first significant reduction in the patent backlog in a decade.
"The Nationwide Workforce Program represents a shift in the way the USPTO does business from a human capital and stakeholder outreach perspective," Kappos said. "Establishing satellite offices in geographically and economically diverse areas of the country will enable the agency to better recruit and retain a broad range of talented patent professionals."
Following an evaluation of the first satellite office, the USPTO will consider opening additional offices, which would provide the patent applicant community and our nation's innovators greater access to the USPTO and the services it offers.
"We're thrilled that the U.S. Commerce Department has chosen Detroit as the site to open a new satellite office, which means more than 100 new, high-paying jobs right here in Michigan," said Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. "The new satellite office will help serve our state's innovators and entrepreneurs to make sure they have the resources needed to succeed."
A specific location and anticipated opening date for the new Detroit office will be announced in the coming months. The office will work closely with the Commerce Department's CommerceConnect facility in Pontiac, Mich.
The USPTO considered a broad range of factors in its decision to locate the new satellite office in Detroit. The city fulfilled a number of critical criteria, including having a high percentage of scientists and engineers in the workforce, providing access to major research institutions, particularly leading universities, and supporting a high volume of patenting activity and significant numbers of patent agents and attorneys in the area.
As the USPTO explores expansion into other areas of the country, the agency will continue to engage with employees and stakeholders to determine the most effective use of satellite offices as centers of applicant and public engagement, as well as the most efficient distribution of human resources.


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Glowworm main content.
Now open! Reserve your timed-entry tickets. Read more about health and safety.
Part of the Creatures of Light exhibition.
A stream flows through the Waitomo caves. As visitors paddle, they look up at what seem to be stars in a pitch-black night. But they aren't stars. They're bioluminescent glowworms—the hungry larvae of small flies living near the cavern roof. Their steady light lures prey into the long, sticky traps the larvae have hung from the cave ceiling.
Glowworms living on the roof of the Waitomo Caves drop sticky threads from their bioluminescent tails, which glow brighter when the larva is hungry. When aquatic insects hatch from the stream below, they fly toward the light and become tangled in this line. Like an angler feeling a tug, the glowworm reels in and eats its catch.
The larva's "fishing lines," mucus threads studded with adhesive droplets, hang from a horizontal "runway" fixed to the cave wall with a kind of glue secreted by the glowworm. The runway functions as the larva's home base; the animal can slide easily from end to end in order to drop lines or reel in prey. Glowworms maintain even spacing on the cave ceiling. That's because a glowworm will attack and eat another larva that tries to set up shop too close.


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The Texas Mid-Coast Refuge Complex
The thunder of 40,000 snow geese taking flight, the salty breeze off the Texas Gulf, or the sight of a 12-foot alligator loafing on a muddy bank make a trip to Texas Mid-Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex a sensory banquet in any season.
Three national wildlife refuges - Brazoria, San Bernard and Big Boggy - form a vital complex of coastal wetlands harboring more than 300 bird species. They serve as an end point of the Central Flyway for waterfowl in winter, and an entry point for neotropical migratory songbirds tired from a 600-mile Gulf crossing from Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula. Located just south of Houston, the refuge complex offers haven for both wildlife and people.
For wildlife, the expanse of salt and freshwater marshes, sloughs, ponds, coastal prairies, and bottomland forest represent feasting and lodging for all or part of the year. For people, these vestiges of wild Texas offer exceptional wildlife watching.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with
others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
All images Credit to and Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unless specified otherwise.


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We have temporarily closed our e-shop as we are creating stock for our first flagship shop in Beauly, Scotland which we hope to open in October.
What better way to reduce your plastic consumption than with this lovely Lemon and Cream Rose water carafe and tumbler? A simple and elegant solution to bring some charm and a pop of colour to your nightstand whilst keeping the water fresh overnight.
Each carafe and tumbler is hand painted in the UK and are made to order therefore; the designs and colours may differ slightly from the photographs shown.
Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery.
Glass is a sustainable material because it can be recycled in closed-loop.
Disclaimer – the inks we use are non-toxic but not food-safe meaning that the paints should never come in contact with food. It has been advised when painting a glass to keep the painted design below 2cm from the lip, which is what we do with all our glassware.
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Defriending Joe Hill: Stegner's lesson for the Oscars
Like most people who write about the West, I think about Wallace Stegner a lot. He's like a brilliant, beloved, occasionally exasperating uncle. He said many things first and best, and, though he could get a bit stuffy at times, we youngsters have to admit that -- even now, almost two decades after his death -- he's still right more often than not.
Recently, I ran across Joe Hill, Stegner's 1950 "fictional biography" of the legendary labor organizer and musician. Most of the Stegner I've read is Late Stegner: confident, massively eloquent, aphoristic about the failings and promise of the West. Joe Hill is Middle Stegner, published when the author was in his early 40s: rougher, more tentative in both style and ideas, but at least as interesting as any Stegner I know.
Countless writers and musicians have told, and sung, the legend of Joe Hill. Swedish-born itinerant laborer, songwriter for the Industrial Workers of the World, and, finally, martyr, Hill was killed by state firing squad after a controversial murder conviction in Salt Lake City in 1915. "Don't waste any time in mourning," he wrote to I.W.W. leader Bill Haywood. "Organize."
And so the man became an enduring myth.
Stegner, who grew up partly in Salt Lake, knew the legend. (As a young man, he dated the daughter of the warden of the prison where Hill was held.) When he began researching his book, he expected to find that the real Joe Hill was the victim of an industry frame-up. After reading as many documents as he could find and tracking down people who had met Hill, Stegner concluded that the Utah courts convicted the organizer on flimsy evidence, and killed him unjustly. But he also believed that Hill, with his flair for self-dramatization, might well have participated in the armed robbery he was accused of, which killed two men, and then turned his case into a rallying cry for the cause he loved.
Joe Hill doesn't convict Joe Hill, but it allows, even encourages, the reader to do so. It portrays Hill as a complex, not always likable man: talented, passionate, taciturn, sporadically violent, far from the Christ-like image seen on union flyers and posters. Some critics say Hill resembles Stegner's own father, a cold drifter always on the losing end of the Western boom.
Stegner knew the West and its people were complicated, and demolishing myths was his business. Fictionalizing a real historical character is tricky, both artistically and ethically, but with so few facts at hand, Stegner felt fiction was the only way to examine the legend of Joe Hill. "I contented myself with trying to make him a man, such a man as he might have been," writes Stegner in the book's introduction, "with his legend at his feet like a lengthening shadow."
Joe Hill received little notice, sold poorly, and put Stegner off novel-writing for more than a decade. But it continues to be read, and it continues to complicate the received wisdom about both Hill and Stegner. It's easy to assume that we know the truth about Joe Hill, just as it's easy to assume that we know all there is to know about Stegner. Joe Hill is a reminder that it's irresponsible, even dangerous, to do so.
In one of his final interviews, Stegner reflected on his decision to fictionalize Hill. "I think probably any living person, any person with living relatives who can be hurt, should be exempt from that kind of invention," he told professor Robert Keller.
Which brings me to a man Joe Hill -- mythical, fictional or actual -- surely would have despised: the 26-year-old billionaire Mark Zuckerberg. The Social Network, the triple-Oscar-winning movie about Zuckerberg's founding of Facebook about Zuckerberg's founding of Facebook, is, like Joe Hill, a smart, highly entertaining and partly fictional biography. But where Joe Hill used a historical skeleton to build a plausible alternative to a longstanding legend, The Social Network deliberately departs from known facts -- in effect, constructing a myth about a living person. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who never met Zuckerberg, created "Mark Zuckerberg," a character who dresses and sometimes acts like the real Zuckerberg, but shares few of his motivations.
"I don't want my fidelity to be to the truth; I want it to be to storytelling," Sorkin told an interviewer. "I feel like, had I met Mark, I would have felt a certain obligation to make the character sound like Mark, walk like Mark, all of those things. And frankly, I probably would have had an affection for him that I wouldn't have wanted to betray."
Maybe, in my discomfort with such blurred boundaries, I'm being a bit stuffy myself. Maybe we're savvy enough as a society to assume that all movies, even those about living people, are fiction. I doubt it. A seductive narrative can stick with us for generations, even when we know the real truth. Fiction based on real lives, past or present, demands careful handling, and clear labeling.
Zuckerberg doesn't need me or anyone else to shed tears for him. But as we who live in the West know, and as Stegner knew far better than most, myths can be persistent and pernicious. We don't need to build them on purpose.
HCN contributing editor Michelle Nijhuis is a 2011 Alicia Patterson Foundation fellow.


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When you think of pasta art, dried elbow pasta glued to paper is the image typically called to mind; but that is not the case with Pasta artist Linda Miller Nicholson. She uses natural dyes from fruits, vegetables and herbs to create her gorgeous colors; and she mixes those colors directly into her pasta dough that she shapes and cuts to create her works of art. So cool!
- © 2020 (a)squaredstudio, llc. firstname.lastname@example.com 860.685.0741
- Google Rating4.9Based on 74 reviews(a)squaredstudio Web Design & Graphic Design4.9jess dorner(a)squared studio is professional, knowledgeable, and helpful in so many ways! I needed everything including a logo and brand, professional photos and a website and they delivered top-notch, quality service and product. My website is beautiful!! I highly recommend (a)squared studio if you are looking for the best!Jonathan GrubbI've worked with the team at (a)squaredstudio on dozens and dozens of projects over the years. Their work is superb. (a)squaredstudio understands how to listen to their clients so that they can deliver a product that communicates to the end-user (it's all about conversion; "pretty" doesn't cut it anymore; "cheap" isn't worth your time). Alex, Ashley and the team at (a)squaredstudio are the only web development and design company I trust.Pure Granite & StoneI am very happy with our new website! Alex and his team listened to all of my ideas and feedback. They worked quickly and I would highly recommend them!hadria hermeleI wish I could give this highly skilled team more than 5 stars!! You will be hard pressed to find another design company with the expertise, talent, and professionalism that this group possesses. 10/10 recommend, you will not be disappointed!Donyell GarciaAlex and the team did a fantastic job taking my ideas and making them a reality. Very patient with all of my changes/revisions and could really tell they put 100% effort to make the best website for my company. Would highly recommend!!!Brad Sammis(a)squared designed a logo, signs, brochures, business cards, stationery and did photography for me. I had a mental image of what I wanted created, and in each case they created exactly what I had envisioned. They listened intently, worked efficiently, and communicated well. 5/5, would recommend to anyone.Christina Sanchez BEST-4-BristolIt is an absolute delight to announce that B.E.S.T.-4-Bristol has a NEW WEBSITE! It has been a long process making sure that the new website is it up to date with current trends and resources. The team at (A)SQUAREDSTUDIO did a great job! Over the past year, we worked together to create a space for the community to find information about the Coalition, find resources and stay up to date with current events in prevention.Vincent SmithOutstanding experience working with (a)squared, their creativity is off the chart! With little more than a basic conversation about what we wanted from our website they captured it perfectly. I cannot recommend highly enough. Give them a call, you'll be glad you did.Karen LarkinGreat experience the first website they built for us and another great experience recently when they updated and modernized it for us. Friendly and talented folks who know what they're doing, have great ideas and are easy to work with.Daniel MaloneGreat to work with Alex! He did a fantastic job with taking ideas and making our brewery logo. Looking forward to working with you more in the future.Molly StrautWorking with (a)squared has been (and continues to be) a wonderful experience! Ashley and Alex have worked closely to help us not only recreate our website but also continue to help us work on other aspects and marketing for our firm. They've been nothing but fast and completely responsive to our ideas and needs, I look forward to continuing work with them and would definitely suggest their expertise to others.J. C. Merritt(a)squaredstudio is a 10/10. Customer service, quality of work and price are perfect. They really care about your company and it shows. I could not be happier with our website and all the services that we use them for. We are a General Contracting in CT with a vibrant on line presence thanks to Alex and Ashley.carey deborahThe (a)squared studio team created and delivered a beautiful new website for our small arts non-profit, on budget and on time. From their detailed proposal through their user training, every step they took exceeded our expectations!


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The Citizen Sky Project - Workshop III
Sponsored by:
The National Science Foundation and
The American Association of Variable Star Observers
When and Where:
The 3rd Citizen Sky Project Workshop will be held Friday-Sunday, March 22-24 at AAVSO Headquarters in Cambridge, MA. We will kick-off the 3-day workshop with a meet-and-greet the evening of Thursday, March 21st.
Goals and Structure:
Data Mining Workshop
Friday, October 17, 2008
9:00 am — 12:00 pm
9:00 am
Introductionpowerpoint | pdf | video
Paula Szkody
15 minutes
9:15 am
Preliminary Schedule
Scientific Paper Session Schedule and Powerpoint Presentations (when available)
AAVSO 95th Spring Meeting
Rockford, Illinois
May 4-5, 2006
Attendee List
Photo Gallery
The AAVSO has held three Professional-Amateur meetings in collaboration with NASA, Sonoma State University, and New Mexico State University


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For more pictures just go to www.flickr.com/TrelleborgAgri
All of the images are free for you to use. If you publish them please state "'Copyright Trelleborg Wheel Systems".
To download one of these images to your computer, click on the image using the right mouse button (on PC) or hold the mouse button down (on Mac). On the menu shown, select "Save Target As…".
Launched by Italian magazine Trattori in 1998, the awards scheme celebrates the very latest innovation in tractor design and technology from the world's leading manufacturers and agricultural machineries.


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Israeli forces shot a young Palestinian man dead on Monday near the Tappuah checkpoint south of Nablus
Israeli troops opened fire at two young Palestinian men around noon on Monday in the Jabal Sbeih area of the village of Beita near the Tappuah checkpoint, local Palestinian media reported. It is still unclear as to why the two young men were fired upon.
An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma'an News Agency that an Israeli military patrol was passing through the area when it "encountered a group of Palestinians hurling rocks at a main road, which endangered both civilians and vehicles."
"The forces called them to halt and fired warning shots, and when they didn't comply they responded to the threat with direct fire which wounded one of the attackers."
The spokeswoman said the military attempted to treat the man on site, but he quickly died of his wounds.
"A military police investigation has been opened into the matter," she added.
Nablus TV named the young man killed, a resident of Beita, as Imam Jamil Dweikat. At this point, his age is unclear.
The Israeli liaison department officially notified the Palestinian Authority that Israeli troops had killed the young man and that his body is being held by the Israeli army.
Dweikat is the 50th Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in As the year comes to a close, the total total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli armed forces is 2,335, including those killed during this summer's violence in the Gaza Strip.
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Although it is currently possible to install and activate Avast Pro Antivirus, we are gradually discontinuing support for this product and upgrading users to Avast Premium Security.
If you purchased Avast Pro Antivirus and received an order confirmation email containing a license file, you need to insert the file to Avast Pro Antivirus to activate the product.
Before following the activation steps in this article, ensure the latest version of Avast Pro Antivirus is installed on your PC. For instructions, refer to the following article:
Activate Avast Pro Antivirus
You may have received a license file in an old order confirmation email, or in case you requested a copy of your license.
If you received an activation code instead of a license file, refer to the following article for instructions:
To activate Avast Pro Antivirus with your license file:
- Open your order confirmation email.
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License.avastlicfile to save it.
- Select a familiar location to save the file (for example, your desktop) and click Save.
- Right-click the Avast icon in your system tray and select Subscription information.
- On the My licenses screen, click Enter a valid activation code.
- Click Use a license file.
- Locate the previously saved
License.avastlicfile and click Open.
- Check your license details for the inserted file. If you have a license file for interchangeable products, you can click on a listed item and select an alternative license from the drop-down menu. Then click Continue to return to the My licenses screen.
Your Avast Pro Antivirus license is now activated. The expiration date of your license appears under Licenses on this PC.
You can activate your license on the number of PCs you specify when making the purchase. The number of PCs in your license is specified in your order confirmation email.
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- Avast Pro Antivirus 19.x
- Microsoft Windows 10 Home / Pro / Enterprise / Education - 32 / 64-bit
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Did Mary (the mother of Christ) die? If yes, where? When? Was she buried? Where was she buried? And lastly did she go to heaven?
I point you to the Scriptures, our only infallible rule of faith and practice, inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16), and answer according to that Word. As to the first question, she most certainly did die. "It is given to all men to die…" (Heb. 9:27). Scripture gives us no reason to believe any but Enoch and Elijah were spared death.
As to the last question, she most certainly did go to heaven, for we read in Acts 1:14 that she was in the upper room with the rest of the disciples and others praying. She therefore was a believer and thus she died believing in Jesus. All who trust in Christ and his death for their sins are saved. Have you done so?
As to the questions of when she died, where she died, whether she was buried (seems likely) and where, Scripture does not tell us, and there are no reliable historical sources. Traditions exist that she moved to Ephesus with the apostle John, to whose care Jesus committed her. That is speculation, however.
Hope this helps.
"Questions and Answers" is a weekly feature of the OPC website. The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent.
The questions come from individuals like yourself. If you have questions about biblical and theological matters, you are invited to send them by e-mail by using the "Pose a Question" link on the OPC home page or by clicking here.
At least one new question is posted each week, so there should always be something new here for you to read. (For those people who would like to look at previous questions and answers, they will continue to be available as well.)
The purpose of the OPC website's "Questions and Answers" is to respond to biblical and theological questions. Matters of church discipline, disputes, or debates go beyond the scope of our work. We recommend that you present your concerns in these areas to the appropriate judicatory. In most cases this will be to a local pastor, elder, or session. We do not want the website to replace personal involvement in, or commitment to, the local, visible church.
While we will respond to every serious questioner, we are not bound to give a substantive answer to every question, should we deem the question to be beyond the scope of our purpose or our own ability to answer.
You will receive an answer by e-mail. Please be patient as many of our respondents are busy pastors. The response to your question may take up to two (2) weeks. Some of the questions submitted will be chosen to be posted here, along with the corresponding answers.
Note that the "Questions and Answers" posted on the site have been editedall personal references are removed, Scripture references or from some source may be added, and sometimes portions are expandedto make the questions and answers more useful to a larger audience.
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Lemons Pattern
Design by Laura Vitali
Shower Curtain
Shower Curtain
If MOMA had a shower, this would be it. Turn your tub into an art gallery (but don't sell tickets, that would be awkward). These shower curtains work the way they all do — you know the drill. We provide the curtain, you provide the hooks and rod. 100% polyester, machine washable, 71" x 74" of glorious canvas for your favorite artist.
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1. Omernik's Level III Ecoregions of the Continental United States, 2003
2003. United States. Environmental Protection Agency. This polygon shapefile shows Omernik's Level III ecoregions, derived from a 1:7,500,000 map created by J.M. Omernik in 1987 and from refinements of... National Atlas of the United States.


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If you've lost friends to Trion Worlds' massively-multiplayer online role-playing game Rift, prepare to get them back in an annoying fashion next week, when the 1.2 update hooks its claws into Facebook.
Now that the rifts from the Plane of Death have been sorted out, it's time for Earth and Fire to have their go in Rift's second major update, The Spoils of War. Players can expect a heaping helping of story peppered with booming zone-wide alerts that the forces of Earth and Fire are invading every few seconds. There'll be new raid rifts, a fresh expert group rift, and rifts specifically aimed at rewarding crafters for standing around all day.
There's even a new sort of "What If?" instance called a Sliver, in which players are transported to an alternate reality in which the invading rift forces have won.
So yes, tons of new content, but the real meat of patch 1.2 lies in the new features being added to the game. Features like a Looking for Group tool, something no adventurer should be without, and a wardrobe, allowing players to store five outfits for instantaneous costume changes. Players are even being given a new Role slot they can use to swap between five different character builds on-the-fly.
And of course there's Facebook.
Starting with Rift update 1.2, players will be able to link their Facebook account to the game, uploading screenshots, achievements, and YouTube videos from inside the game to their profile pages. It's a feature many MMO makers are slipping into their games these days in order to keep their players in touch with the real world, sort of.
What surprises me about this new integration is I had no idea you could record YouTube videos within the game without using a program like Fraps. Lo and behold there is an option to log in to your YouTube account and hotkeys to start and stop recording up to ten minutes of video at a time.
The prelude to Spoils of War is already active on Rift servers. Look for the big patch 1.2 update to hit on May 10, and if you aren't a player, be prepared to block Rift messages on Facebook.


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100% Recycled Cotton Canvas Bag.
• Treat stains with gel, Marseille soap or baking soda before wash.
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• If ironing, spray on water and use high heat on the reverse side.
Read more about responsible laundry & ecological wardrobe maintanence


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The attractive Miranda Damask Fitted Tablecloth features a two-toned, damask pattern that brings an upscale touch of elegance to any setting. Ideal for shows or dining. We now offer the option of two invisible slits in the pleated corners so the panel can be lifted for storage at trade shows or four invisible slits for comfortable dining. Yes, this is the well-known Miranda Damask fabric. It is high end, 50% Cotton, 50% Spun Polyester, manufactured with pride in the United States. No clips or pins required, all one piece. Wrinkle and stain resistant fabric. Designed for both indoor and outdoor entertaining in mind, the Damask fitted table covers have not only classic elegance but the weight of the fabric along with the two tones results in a spectacular polished look. In addition, the modern fit option, called non-pleated or box style looks sleek and modern. Available four-sided or three-sided as well. 10 Beautiful two-tone colors to select from. Manufactured and ready to ship in only one business day.
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Individual First Aid Kits (IFAK) Help Save Lives in Tucson Shooting - links for training and amazon sells the parts5Share The United States military has long been at the forefront of providing lifesaving training and equipment to soldiers in combat. The Sheriff's Department recognized the extreme value of taking these advancements and putting them into the hands of first responders in the field. In June 2010, all of our deputies were given an Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) designed for blunt force and penetrating trauma commonly associated with traumatic gunshot and stab wounds. Extensive research was conducted to develop these kits to include collaboration with SWAT trained paramedics and emergency room physicians. By the end of July 2010, every deputy had been trained and possessed the skills to successfully employ the IFAKs. The value of this equipment cannot be overstated in providing initial life saving measures to victims until advanced medical support arrives.These kits contain:* 1 – SOF tactical tourniquet* 2 – Emergency 6" military bandages* 1 – Asherman chest seal* 1 – Quick Clot combat gauze* 1 - Pair of EMT shears
From Wired (whould they lie? )http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/12/the-apocalyse-i.html
Add shotguns, polearms and samurai swords to the list if you are waiting for the Zombie Apocalypse......
John Baichtal: How did Tokyo Hackerspace members react to the disaster?Akiba: I don't think anyone could really ignore what was going on. The mailing list was a fountain of information from people who were trying to debunk a lot of the sensationalism that was going on in the media. Luckily, we have members from scientific and technical backgrounds who would put a lot of the information into perspective. This was especially helpful for the nuclear meltdown.A lot of the electronics guys went straight to work on putting together designs to scavenge power from the surroundings. One really innovative design is to use car batteries as phone chargers. There were a huge amount of cars that were wrecked by the tsunami and they were just lying around. They came up with the idea to salvage the batteries which have enough capacity to charge multiple phones and also run a wifi router.We were also looking at different ways to detect radiation. A toxicologist in the hackerspace recommended dosimeters made out of x-ray film. He was also informing everyone about radiation including safe levels, standard thresholds that would require potassium iodide (KI), side effects of KI, how much seaweed would provide enough iodine for protection, etc. We were also investigating Kearny fallout meters as a poor man's way to detect nuclear fallout.The artists and writers in the hackerspace immediately started worrying about the displaced children and started up a project to bring them art supplies and activity/coloring books. Adults in disaster situations are so caught up in surviving the moment that children often get ignored. But for children, their homes are the center of their lives, and to have it torn from under them so immediately must be traumatic.A Tokyo hackerspace member in Kamogawa got together with the locals to set up a refugee center at an unused, abandonded elementary school. The community in Kamogawa consists of many rice farmers so food would be plentiful. He organized a group of around 60 locals and immediately started cleaning up the school, setting up network access, soliciting donations of materials and money, and contacting government agencies.And of course, for almost everything in the hackerspace, people were offering to donate time and money left and right. People would be researching topics on the mailing list, organizing fundraisers, volunteering at disaster relief groups, and calming each other down. I was surprised how fast everyone moved.JB: Did the disaster affect any of the members personally?A: We were all shaken up by the earthquake. After that, there were horrifying images all over the news about the tsunami leveling complete towns. Following that were continuous aftershocks, some of them quite powerful. It got to the point where you would start to feel phantom aftershocks.A lot of us were gearing up to start assisting relief efforts and planning what needed to be done. This was my first experience with such a large scale disaster occurring so close to me. There were other members who assisted with Katrina and they were giving advice about what to expect and how events would unfold.However around Sunday, there were explosions at the Fukushima power plant and radiation levels spiked on Monday and Tuesday. That basically shut down all of Tokyo and that's when people started fleeing the city. All of this happening in such a short time span took its toll, not only on the members, but basically on all the residents of Tokyo. Riding the train to the hackerspace meeting, you could see the tension in the air. Jaws were clenched, there was complete silence on the train, and everyone was glued to their phone screens to check for updates.The nuclear meltdown was bad enough, but the rolling blackouts added even more uncertainty. You couldn't be sure if you could make it home at night because the trains could stop at anytime. We had to give ourselves a margin of 2-3 hours for any type of travel because the train schedules were so uncertain.At the same time, staple items like bottled water and dry goods disappeared from shelves within days of the earthquake. You had to literally race out to check store shelves because you weren't sure how long the food runs would last. With a gasoline shortage going on at the same time, it was questionable how long shelves could stay stocked. The convenience store underneath my apartment was almost stripped bare of food.All of this happening at the same time will of course affect hackerspace members. There were a lot of tense posts on the mailing lists, pessimism, paranoia, but at the same time, there were a lot of positive posts about what could be done to take control of the situation.The situation outside of the hackerspace was significantly worse in my opinion. The international media was talking up the events in Tokyo as a potential Chernobyl and many of us had to calm down people we knew. Many people I knew had bags packed and were ready to flee the city. I can't say that I blame them, since many had families with small children. Risking a child's life on an uncertain situation was a tall gamble.After people got over the initial shock of everything, the radiation levels started going down, and more information was available, people started calming down and that's when we were really able to start moving on a lot of projects. It's still unfolding, but I think the rebuilding effort has already started and we're planning to do as much as we can.JB: Do you see hackerspaces as being ideally suited for helping out in disaster situations?A: This is an interesting question. We had a discussion yesterday about hackerspaces and community resilience. Hackerspaces foster a maker culture where you're encouraged to take apart, modify, and build things. In normal life, you can pretty much buy anything that you would need for everyday living. But in a disaster scenario, but this all breaks down in a disaster scenario. At that time, normal life ceases and you suddenly need a lot of things customized to a particular situation. Geiger counters were devices that used to be only purchased by people working with radioactive materials, paranoid militia, and weather geeks. Now they are becoming an everyday item in Tokyo.What is needed in the quake area are power sources. One of our members who was up in Sendai when the quake and tsunami hit said that when he was at the shelter, people really just wanted communications. They wanted to let people know they were okay and to make sure others were okay. There were so many calls going around up there that many cell phones died within a day. Since there was no power, there was no way to charge them. In that situation, devices like a Minty Boost or phone chargers that could work off of scavenged power like car batteries, hand dynamos, or solar would have been extremely useful. It still is extremely useful because only a skeleton power grid has been constructed so far and in the tsunami areas there is still no power. Its assumed everyone evacuated but people are still there picking through rubble, looking for loved ones, and searching for survivors.One of the points made by the discussion was that if a major disaster were to strike an area that had an active hackerspace, we believe that the members of the hackerspace would be the first people to pull the community together. Hackerspaces have tools and members with knowledge about how to make things from scratch and modify devices to suit their needs. If NYC Resistor existed when 9/11 occurred, I suspect that they would have had people and devices out there monitoring the situation immediately, and figuring out ways to address needs as the situation unfolded.If a major environmental disaster were to hit San Francisco, I can imagine that Noisebridge would have weather balloons, monitoring stations, and software to disseminate all the information to the public within days.One of the things that really struck me was how fast the other hackerspaces responded to our call for help and support. Within one day, we had offers coming out of hackerspaces in Oklahoma, Arizona, Detroit, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Germany, Singapore, and many other places. Our server went down the day after we posted the message due to traffic overload and the admins had to change the DNS and re-route the traffic just to log into it. At the moment, Ohmspace in Oklahoma is selling T-shirts and stickers with our lanterns to help us raise funds. Heatsync in Arizona is building out 300 lanterns. HackJam in Hong Kong is sending us a load of pre-built Minty Boosts. We have offers of building out another 1000 lanterns. And an informal hackerspace in Idaho spearheaded by Reuseum is helping us with fundraising, geiger counters, and lanterns.So hackerspaces not only contribute to community resiliency by having the capability to make and modify things as needed. There is also a network of support from other hackerspaces that can respond almost immediately to a cry for help. Hackerspaces are a relatively new phenomenon in that they only started taking off around 2007 to 2008. I think this might be the first time where we are able to see what hackerspaces can do in a situation like this. I also think this provides valuable information for the future where hackerspaces can have items ready to assist in disaster response. In Tokyo Hackerspace, we're putting together a plan to have designs specifically for disaster situations and that are ready to go immediately. They'll all be OSHW/OSS and we'd like to start an effort to work with first responders like search and rescue organizations to train them on how to use the technology. That way, first responders can set up mobile charging stations, set up wide area portable intranets, and have a variety of tools at their disposal based on the situation.JB: Tell me about how other hackerspaces made donations to Tokyo Hackerspace. Who helped, what did you get and what did you do with it?A: This is still unfolding. A lot of the groups involved were mentioned above, but I'm sure I also left out some. The volume of emails and coordinating things is unbelievable and my brain capacity feel more limited than usual recently.But anyways, the most immediate help we received were financial donations. We received around $2500 at the moment of this writing. ~$1000 was for donations for art supplies for children. $1500 was for lanterns. Approximately $1000 has been used so far for the lanterns to handle the mask charge, solar cells, parts, and shipping on 150 lanterns. We've also located a store of hand-dynamo phone chargers in Akihabara at a surplus shop so we're using some of the donations to buy and send them up north.We should have at least 500 additional lanterns coming in from abroad, many from hackerspaces. Many of these will be missing solar cells and mason jars so we're saving the remaining donations to purchase whatever is needed to finish any incoming lanterns.
JB: Why was the Geiger counter project needed? Didn't citizens of Tokyo have access to radiation data?A: Within one day of the nuclear meltdown, independent geiger counters started appearing on Ustream. They were from geiger kits made by Strawberry Linux in Japan. At the time, those were the only source of radiation data available to the public. The government only released radiation data after strong demands by the residents, international media, and representatives of different countries. Before that, the government would only release radiation readings once per day and it would be disseminated to the public like a weather report. There were many complaints internationally that the government was not releasing enough information and so they started releasing radiation data approximately a week after the incident started.As you can imagine, people in the hackerspace and probably the tech community in general, is skeptical of government data. We wanted independent corroboration that the government data was accurate. In fact, most countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency decided to collect their own data independent of the government. The public should have access to something similar. Since then, there have been numerous geiger counters that have popped up and the collective information seems to match the numbers we're seeing from the government. That allows people to have more confidence that the government numbers are accurate and reliable.A day after the Fukushima explosions, we ordered 10 geiger tubes off of eBay and requested quotes for geiger tubes from LND. By that time, there was already a run on geiger counters and most suppliers were sold out. About two days after the meltdown started, Reuseum contacted us saying he had some geiger counters if were interested. We immediately ordered two of them. They had to go and pick them up from their warehouse. After that, there was uncertainty in shipping because many airlines were halting flights to Narita due to increased levels of radiation. They had to check with FedEx and UPS to see who could get it to us the fastest. FedEx said they were waiting to see how things turned out and so they didn't know when they would be able to ship out the package. So Reuseum contacted UPS and they were able to get the geiger counters to us in about four days.JB: How did you get other hackerspace members involved?A: At the Tuesday hackerspace meeting after the earthquake, things were very tense. We had to figure out what needed to be done and we just put together a list. After that, we jumped on whichever project we thought we could be most effective in. Once we had the list going, we got to work on it and afterwards figured out what the priorities were. But the important thing was that we had to take some kind of action. Sitting around was the worst thing we could do because then you just get stuck in all the armageddon news that was being floated around. By doing something, we were able to take control of our own situations, and get our minds out of the helpless and powerless mentality. Looking back, I'd say that it didn't matter whether a decision on a project was right or wrong. The most important thing was that a decision was made and the project moved forward. We sifted through things after we got the momentum going.Once we got the projects going, people would spontaneously jump on them. For the geiger project, we had multiple volunteers saying they'd donate time on the software side. A few days later, SEEED studio let us know there was a collaborative project for OSHW geiger counters. After that, Pachube informed us that they were upgrading the accounts of people making radiation-related feeds in Japan, allowing us to have a large amount of feeds and unlimited history. Things just started working out and evolved with the situation.The long range WiFi project also had multiple volunteering time and effort. We had a workday and we configured routers in repeater mode and tested out high gain directional antennas. One of the members set up an Asterisk server so we could test out VoIP data. We had a conference call with one of the member's wife who was a survivor of the Kobe earthquake. She said that it was a great effort but when she was in that situation, what mattered were immediate needs. Based on her feedback, we decided to postpone the long range WiFi project for the time being to focus on whatever we could get out immediately.Lauren started the Tohoku Smiles project with the art supplies for kids. She's heavily involved with the Democrats Abroad community in Asia and solicited a lot of donations from them for the supplies. This project is also on hold temporarily though to focus on immediate needs.Chris Harrington started up a shelter in Kamogawa. He was part of our rice farm sensor network project and also started a farm out there. He's an active member of the local community and they've been trying to decide what to do with an abandoned public school. There were not enough children around to justify keeping the school open. He was looking into turning it into an art gallery last year. After this situation happened, he discussed it with the community leaders and they went forward with converting it into a shelter. Since then, he's had local groups from Tokyo and neighboring towns coming out to assist in cleaning the school and prepping it for refugees. Many evacuees from Fukushima will probably be residing there while the area is either cleaned up or the government can relocate them. As soon as he started the project up, there were many offers of support from the hackerspace and we informed him that we could drive a truck out there with supplies. We also sent him one of the geiger counters we received so they can scan incoming food donations to assure people the food they were eating was safe.The lantern project took on a life of its own. We had lots of hackerspaces offering help to assemble them, sending us parts, and also sending us donations for it. We also have lots of volunteers in Tokyo to help us with the assembly.So as you can see, all of the projects were independently started and basically originated spontaneously. They're also evolving spontaneously. Eventually, more organization will be built in, but its beautiful to see something like this.JB: Regarding the geiger counters, what were some technical obstacles that you overcame?A: The first priority was to minimize the risk that I'd destroy the device. I tried to keep the modifications as non-invasive as possible to prevent this. This is always nerve racking.I wasn't sure at first if it was actually possible to digitize the signals. The first instinct was to probe the output to the VU meter but it felt like it would be too risky. We were talking about the possibility of probing the chirps from the speaker in the hackerspace so I decided to try out this method. I wasn't sure if they were using a dual rail supply (+/- voltages) to power the speaker so I started probing the speaker signal. It turns out that it was a single ended supply from 0 to 8V. The voltage was slightly high but if I limited the current, it should be okay for the arduino. I wrote a quick sketch that would just loop until it detected a high on the input from the speaker. I was able to hear all the chirps so I decided to follow this approach.The next obstacle was powering the device. I wanted to just solder wires on the battery terminals inside the box, but they were covered with some type of glue or epoxy. I didn't want to try and remove it so I decided to solder wires on the batteries themselves. The batteries were alkaline so I didn't want to risk outputting current from an external supply while the batteries were giving up charge too. I know that alkaline batteries don't like being charged and I didn't want to risk having the batteries malfunction. I insulated the batteries so they wouldn't make contact with the battery terminals. I then used the copper tape we use to solder EL wire to solder wires on to the insulated part of the batteries. The batteries were just to help the copper tape make contact with the battery terminals. The power was supplied by the 3.3V regulator output on the Freakduino boards.Finally, the last obstacle was getting data into Pachube. It was the first time interfacing to Pachube so I used their Processing interface tutorial. It was mostly painless except for some minor hiccups with some stupid coding errors.JB: Why did you use the Freakduino and Chibi [which Akiba designed and sells] in the project, other than that I assume you have them lying around?A: My first instinct was to use the Arduino Duemilanova I have on my bench. I was aware that by using my board, it would look like I was turning a bad situation into a marketing opportunity. When I did a preliminary scan of measurements, I found that the readings outside my apartment were about 2-3x the readings inside. I decided that I wanted to keep the geiger outside since that was where I thought it'd be the most effective in monitoring. It would also be able to see spikes in radiation. If you look at Geiger Maps and zoom in on the Tokyo area, you can see that there are very definite differences in measurements from geiger counters that are located indoors versus outdoors. You can check the sensor position by looking up the Pachube profile on those sensors. The government geiger counters and the ones from research labs were all located outdoors so I figured it was best for me to do the same.Locating the geiger outdoors would mean that I'd have to run a cable from the inside of my apartment to the outside. The temperatures were cold at night and since the radioactivity was mostly from airborne particles, I didn't want to have my door open all the time. Running a USB cable outside would mean that the door would have to be slightly ajar which I didn't want to do. I tested out a wireless interface and got it to work quickly. I then put it outside with just a thin AC cable and saw that I was able to shut my balcony door. That was the reason I decided to use the Freakduino although to be honest, I don't mind the publicity either. It's kind of moot point, though. Shop sales were decimated by the nuclear event since many people are scared of anything coming out of Tokyo due to the nuclear meltdown.Are you a hackerspace member with an event you'd like to publicize? Send it to firstname.lastname@example.com or tweet me at @johnbaichtal and I'll post it. Also feel free to subscribe to my hackerspaces Twitter list. Hackerspace Happenings will run weekly Tuesdays, and the next one will come out April 5th.Posted by John Baichtal | Tuesday March 29th, 2011 5:00 PM
So my brain was working last night,....for a change.Now that Osama bin Laden is dead....what if his corpse reanimated.....like a zombie?Osama Bin Zombie.......wow what a thought!


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Platinum Level Sponsors
Novo Nordisk is pleased to be a Platinum Level Sponsor of the Friends for Life® conference, supporting the Family and Friends Banquet and Sports Central.
Since 1981, LifeScan, Inc. has been committed to creating a world without limits for people with diabetes. They revolutionized home blood glucose testing with the introduction of OneTouch® Technology in 1987. An innovator in self-monitoring, more than three million people depend on OneTouch® Brand Meters for simple testing and accurate results. LifeScan, an early sponsor of Children With Diabetes, is proud to be a Platinum Level Sponsor of Friends for Life® 2013.
Sanofi Diabetes is pleased to be a Platinum Level Sponsor of the Friends for Life® conference.
Gold Level Sponsors
Abbott Diabetes Care, a division of global health care company Abbott, is committed to improving the lives of people with diabetes. The company manufactures, distributes and markets innovative glucose monitoring systems and offers valuable services to help patients and healthcare professionals better manage diabetes care needs. Abbott Diabetes Care is pleased to a Gold Level Sponsor of the 2013 Friends for Life® conference. For more information, visit www.abbottdiabetescare.com.
Silver Level Sponsors
After years of research, and thousands of in-depth conversations with people with diabetes and their health care providers Tandem Diabetes Care®, has developed the t:slim® the first touch screen insulin delivery system, which has the footprint of a credit card and the design of a smart phone. It is the first insulin pump with a touch screen and an intuitive interface that is easy to learn and easy to use.
Insulet Corporation is an innovative medical device company dedicated to improving the lives of people with diabetes. Insulet's OmniPod® Insulin Management System is a revolutionary insulin infusion system that gives kids the freedom to be kids, and parents the peace of mind of continuous insulin therapy. The OmniPod System packs all the functionality of today's "smart" insulin pumps in two discreet, easy-to-use wireless parts, with virtually pain-free insertion, an integrated FreeStyle® blood glucose meter, and, best of all, no cumbersome tubing. For complete details about the OmniPod System and to read stories from real OmniPod users, please visit www.MyOmniPod.com. Insulet is pleased to be a Silver Level Sponsor, supporting the Adults with Type 1 programming on both Thursday and Friday at Friends for Life® 2013.
Dexcom, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, California, develops and markets continuous glucose monitoring systems for use by diabetes patients, as well as blood glucose monitoring systems used by healthcare providers in hospital critical care settings. The newest tool available to help people with diabetes manage their condition is the Dexcom G4® PLATINUM Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system that is currently FDA approved for patients 18 and older. For more information on the Dexcom CGM, please visit www.dexcom.com.
As part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Diabetes Companies, Animas is dedicated to creating a world without limits for people with diabetes through a wide range of products, including the OneTouch® Ping® Glucose Management System, and the Animas® 2020 insulin pump. Animas, from the Latin word meaning "true inner self or soul," has been committed since 1996 to meeting individual patient needs through the development of life-performance technology and customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Animas is pleased to be a Silver Level Sponsor of childcare at Friends for Life® 2013! To learn more about Animas, visit www.animas.com.
Bronze Level Sponsors
Medtronic (www.medtronicdiabetes.com) is the world leader in advanced diabetes management solutions. For 30 years, Medtronic has been helping people with diabetes live longer, healthier lives. The company's products include the MiniMed® Revel™ system, the #1 prescribed insulin pump with integrated Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) and CareLink® therapy management software. Medtronic is committed to delivering therapies that provide better control and unmatched support for people with diabetes and their care partners. Medtronic is proud to be a Bronze Level Sponsor of the Children with Diabetes conference.
Friends of CWD
One of the first sponsors of Children With Diabetes in their very first year, the Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation are proud to support this important fun and educational event for families affected by diabetes. The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation is the organization of choice for those who are serious, passionate and committed to curing diabetes. Its mission – to provide the Diabetes Research Institute with the funding necessary to cure diabetes now – is a testament to the belief that tomorrow is not soon enough to cure those living with diabetes. The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine leads the world in cure-focused research. As the largest and most comprehensive research center dedicated to curing diabetes, the DRI is aggressively working to develop a biological cure. Researchers have already shown that diabetes can be reversed through islet transplantation, with some study patients living insulin free for more than a decade. The Institute is now building upon these promising outcomes by developing a DRI BioHub, an integrated "mini organ" that mimics that native pancreas, containing thousands of insulin-producing cells that sense blood sugar levels and produce the precise insulin needed in real time. The Diabetes Research Institute and Foundation were created for one reason – to cure diabetes – which is and will continue to be its singular focus until that goal is reached. For the millions of children and adults affected by diabetes, the Diabetes Research Institute is the best hope for a cure. For more information, please visit www.DiabetesResearch.org or call 800-321-3437.
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is now the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF research is to improve the lives of all people affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners who share this goal. In addition to our research funding and leadership, JDRF's outreach efforts provide practical support and resources for people with type 1 diabetes and their families every step of the way as they live with T1D. JDRF is proud to partner with Children with Diabetes by sponsoring regional and national conferences as a charity partner, and supporting sessions at Friends for Life®. For more information, visit the JDRF website at www.jdrf.org, or call 800-533-CURE.
Perrigo Diabetes Care is reducing the cost of diabetes management by delivering high quality innovative products along with powerful diabetes educational content supporting retailer store brands. Visit booth # 617 to learn more about our new technologies and innovations:
Speaking of lows, quickly go to the Dex4 sponsored "low stations" if you find yourself needing to correct a low blood sugar.
- Onsyc blood glucose testing technology that is accurate and affordable - onsyncdiabetes.com
- Clickfine pen needles with patented click-on technology for fast and easy needle change - myclickfine.com
- Dex4 glucose tablets, gels, and liquids to correct low blood sugar fast dex4.com
Friends for Life 2013 Conference and Expo Introduction - Registration - Exhibitors - Sponsors - Convention Center Map (PDF) Faculty - Youth Faculty - Grandparents Faculty - CWD Staff - Sports Central Staff Schedule: Parents & Adults - Youth - Focus Groups - Social Events Childcare Form (PDF) - FAQs Reports from 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001
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Lucchino hopes Ortiz extension becomes reality
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino confirmed Friday that the club at least opened dialogue with David Ortiz and agent Fern Cuza regarding a one-year contract extension with the beloved slugger.
"Obviously, we're not going to talk about the negotiations in any public way, but we did have a chance to see David yesterday and have a conversation with him," said Lucchino. "Other than that, we're going to give it the priority it deserves."
And it should come as no surprise that ownership fully supports the idea of making sure Ortiz extends his career with the Red Sox beyond 2014.
"We want it to happen," Lucchino said. "We want him to be a guy who essentially came in with us, even though it was 2003, our second year, and stayed with us for the rest of his career. I know it's a great thing for us. I think it's a great thing for David and it will be a great thing for baseball and Red Sox fans. He feels connected. He feels committed. He's certainly one of the most important faces in baseball, so we're eager to resolve something, if it can be done."