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Your house is cosy as long as the plumbing, heating and electric systems are in tip top condition. Although it might not be too difficult obtaining the ideal apparatus, installing them calls for professionalism, reliability, a high level of expertise, which you can only attain with our company, Plumbing Care Services. We have been in operation over the past 2 decades and have been offering excellent services for an electric heating system, gas heating system and combi boiler repairs and services in Bristol. And, naturally, plumbers Bristol.
For additional information on our planned plumbing services, heating maintenance, combi boiler repairs, central heating system services or our 24-hour emergency plumbing professional services in Bristol please telephone 03333 441 399
Plumbing Care Services supply the following solutions:
Without a properly working central heating boiler in your house, life can be extremely uncomfortable during the freezing winter months. You probably should start by having a reliable central heating boiler and also have it taken care of or repaired by qualified Plumbers. Our team will help you select the best central heating boiler for your property. In case you have a pre-existing boiler that needs a repair, we can easily do that for you with an economical price. Regardless of whether or not your combi boiler performs heavy-duty industrial services or gentle home responsibilities, our team members have the technological know- how to deal with either of these. They make use of the same professionalism and trust across the board, which means you are given expert plumbing services regardless of whether you've got a small combi- boiler or maybe a significant commercial heating system.
The value of a cost-effective and effective central heating systems cannot be undervalued. Winter generally seems to arrive sooner each and every year and continue for a longer period. Your house should remain warm not merely to improve your health and that of your members of the family also for the water system, such as the pipes, which might break due to freezing in winter. To ensure you along with your home are warm during the chilly months, our engineers are at hand to fit the newest energy- efficient Worcester Bosch boilers. Installing a brand new energy-efficient boiler can help to eliminate your heating expenses.
Undetected gas leakages may cause your property to go up in flames, causing massive loss of property and personal life. If you're a Property Owner the safety of one's tenants is your responsibility. We carry out substantial inspections just to make certain there are no failures of your home heating. If you're a Property Manager, you can relax since we will check the safety of the gas equipment and provides you with a certificate if your system posts a clean bill of health. We also perform business oriented boiler testing and investigations.
Keeping your plumbing system up-to-date and in working order may be quite an obstacle for you, however, not for the dedicated group of Plumbing Engineers at Plumbing Care Services. Each plumber on our team is properly trained to undertake any sort of plumbing fix.
In addition, we provide the services of an emergency plumbing professional for out of hours domestic plumbing emergency situations. Our emergency plumbers in Bristol supply speedy, warm and friendly and effective services, to get your plumbing related trouble solved rapidly and also at a low- cost.
Whether or not you'll need a booked appointment for upkeep or even an emergency or out of hours local plumber, Plumbing Care Services experienced team are here to help you.
You might not understand that your central heating systems draw in sludge, rust along with other contaminants in the course of their operations. If these unnecessary components aren't identified and removed early enough, they may inflict serious damage in your heating devices. We have a specific power-flushing tool which uses a water jet to clean your central heating system. This will increase the overall performance within your home heating devices and reduce energy monthly bills. It is a lower- price solution that commonly pays for itself fairly quickly, by way of a far better working central heating system.
To make certain your gas boiler is functioning at its best all the time, we conduct regular checks in order to spot any problems before they create a breakdown of the heating system. Whether you are a homeowner or possibly a property manager, you'll take advantage of a wide range of boiler maintenance and repair solutions which include looking for any problems with timers and controls, upgrading corroded or broken plumbing, making sure your apparatus abide by the latest Gas regulations, as well as seeing that no sludge or any other contaminant is stopping your home heating systems. Our gas boiler, combi- boiler and central heating solutions ensure your system is working at 100% performance. Whenever we establish your combi boiler is approaching the end of its tether, we'll choose to remedy a repair or give you the advice to get another one. We can provide you with a new combi boiler price absolutely free.
There are lots of Plumbing companies in Bristol providing boiler system maintenance and plumbing services. We believe you'll do well to choose us simply because our services are amongst the best available. Here are some reasons you should employ us:
A very important factor we are proud of, as a service company is our very skilled and committed staff members. With extensive backgrounds in combi-boiler instalment, services and repairs, electrical and gas heating and boilers, they are the best placed to identify and fix your home heating or plumbing related problems. Our strategy of regular in- house training has gone quite some distance in ensuring our qualified professionals stay up to date with all the most recently released central heating boilers, heating system equipment and modern day plumbing remedies. Our testimonials and reviews have pushed us to the #1 spot in service delivery.
We are where we are as a result of our extensive history in top rated service delivery. For over two decades, we've been installing, repairing and maintaining central heating boiler both for commercial and domestic customers. In addition, every plumbing engineer in our team can handle a variety of plumbing emergency situations or repairs, usually during the first visit. Every day we increase the rising number of content clients we have worked for and this is a testimony to the great heights we have gone being a service delivery company. You can be part of this increasing number of thrilled clients by getting us to look after your plumbing related demands.
You can expect cost-free consultations in addition to cost-free quotations if you would like to buy a brand new boiler, or combi- boiler. Additionally, you be happy to discover we give comprehensive guarantees on the products and services we offer you so you won't have to invest anymore should elements fail to surpass your requirements – even though this hardly ever transpires.
Our 24×7 emergency local plumbers in Bristol are local, so you do not have to pay for travelling time. We provide very reasonable prices without any hidden charges.
We understand that any heating equipment using gas is a potential threat to the safety of your residence or place of work. For this reason, if there is any difficulty and you give us a call, you won't have very long to wait since it is our policy to reach you during the hour no matter the time of the day and distance. For this reason, we make use of a number of Plumbers all through Bristol, Thornbury, Yate, Weston-Super-Mare and Bristol, and then we are able to get to you quickly and fix your heating systems or repair your plumbing quickly.
In case you have questions or choose to get further details, you are able to contact us on 03333 441 399. We'll be delighted to provide one of the best in boiler repair, installation and routine maintenance expert services in Bristol. For more information about Plumbers In Bristol please visit our page
Fill in the form below and we'll be in touch as soon as possible.
Whether you need kitchen plumbing installed, or you need a new boiler, we do it all. Find out how we can help you today, call 03333 441 399
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Thanks to our reputation as the top plumbing and central heating company in Bristol, Somerset & Gloucestershire, we've been given Approved Installer status from a variety of well-known names in the industry, including Worcester Bosch, Glow Worm, Baxi and Vaillant.


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In his few published remarks concerning the nature of religious faith, Wittgenstein calls into question the function of historical events in the grounding of religious convictions. In a series of lectures and notebook entries dating from the decade between 1930 and 1940, he argues that language operates uniquely when used to communicate ideas of religious significance. Whereas non-religious correspondence functions within the scope of one linguistic register, Wittgenstein claims, religious utterance moves within a unique system of reference, one reliant upon visual representation. Until we recognize the disparity between commonplace speech and religious assertions we run the risk of confusing the role of historical data in the founding of faith.
In this paper I offer a reading of Wittgenstein's earliest commentary on ethics and aesthetics given in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. This material, I argue, provides the epistemological backdrop against which his comments on the relation of historical propositions to faith come into focus, and clarifies the ambiguities found in his later lectures and notes. I suggest that Wittgenstein's philosophy of ethics and aesthetics, as expounded in the Tractatus, explains his reluctance to include historical facts among the types of factors involved in expressing and determining religious belief. Irreducible to mere facts, religious discourse overflows assertoric propositions and demands that we modulate our hermeneutic approach accordingly.
While these themes recur throughout his corpus, Wittgenstein gives them special attention in the concluding pages of the Tractatus. In stark contrast to the book's reliance on rigorous, analytic argumentation the final passages of the Tractatus abandon strict logical development in favor of speculative reflection on the nature of ethics. Wittgenstein closes his book by establishing an ontology that imposes severe limits on our capacity to convey ethical values in language.
He writes:
(6.4) All propositions are of equal value.
(6.41) The sense of the world must lie outside the world. In the world everything is as it is and happens as it does happen. In it here is no value – and if there were, it would be of no value.
If there is a value which is of value, it must lie outside all happening and being-so. For all happening and being so is accidental. […] It must lie outside the world.
(6.42) Hence also there can be no ethical propositions. Propositions cannot express anything higher.
In claiming that "All propositions are of equal value" I take Wittgenstein to mean that all propositions embody nothing more than facts, and cannot possess greater or lesser value as mere observational statements. At best, factual statements in the form of propositions can convey relative value judgments, but never objective value. Genuine value, if it exists, cannot derive from the realm of "happening and being-so" – the realm of facts – but must emanate from "outside the world".
Eight years after the publication of the Tractatus, Wittgenstein provided a commentary on these enigmatic remarks in a lecture on ethics. Collected in an essay entitled "Ethics, Life and Faith", the lecture demonstrates how little Wittgenstein's thoughts on the nature of ethics changed in the decade following his first book.
In the lecture, he says, "Every judgment of relative value is a mere statement of facts and can therefore be put in such a form that it loses all the appearance of a judgment of value" (290). Statements such as, "The right way to play poker is to first deal the cards" expresses a subjective preference in relation to a specified goal, namely to play poker in accordance with the rules, and might also take the form: "The way to play poker by the rules is to first deal the cards". We would be mistaken to consider this type of proposition, the kind that communicates facts concerning the attainment of a specified goal, an absolute value judgment, for it expresses value only insofar as its goal possesses value. But goals themselves possess no absolute value, only other facts relating to other goals.
Even the sum total of facts communicate nothing of absolute value, says Wittgenstein. If scientists were capable of documenting every fact of the universe and formulated every true proposition possible, the resulting data would consist of equally valuable propositions, none more ethically pertinent than the others. "[A]ll the facts described would," he writes, "stand on the same level and in the same way all propositions stand on the same level. There are no propositions which, in any absolute sense, are sublime, important, or trivial" (291). So long as our propositions consist of statements of fact, they remain outside the realm of ethics. It is no wonder then that in the Tractatus Wittgenstein writes, "(6.52) We feel that even if all possible scientific questions be answered, the problems of life have still not been touched at all." Science, as the study of facts, cannot supply solutions to life's ultimate concerns, and Wittgenstein clearly counts ethics among these most pressing questions.
One is tempted to interpret Wittgenstein as arguing that, because all our propositions must necessarily take the form of factual statements – statements that say nothing of ethics – ethics does not exist. Indeed, several of his remarks support such a reading. In "Ethics, Life and Faith" he writes, "And now I must say that if I contemplate what Ethics really would have to be if there were such a science, this result seems to me quite obvious. It seems to me obvious that nothing we could ever think or say should be the thing" (291). But while he remains skeptical of our ability to reify ethics into a science of thought or language, Wittgenstein nonetheless recognizes the existence of a transcendent ethical reality.
Much to the dismay of his colleagues in the Vienna Circle, Wittgenstein admits of a broader medium of knowledge beyond the analytic-linguistic confines of logical positivism. While supporters such as Betrand Russell enthusiastically championed Wittgenstein's condemnation of what both men perceived to be insupportable indulgences in the history of metaphysics, Russell could not understand Wittgenstein's insistence on retaining a notion of the mystical. Wittgenstein himself leaves no question about his position on this subject. In the Tractatus he writes, "(6.522) There is indeed the inexpressible. This shows itself; it is the mystical." Philosophers have placed such an emphasis on the negative component of Wittgenstein's philosophy – namely, the limitations he places on the propositional force of language – that some critics tend to overlook his affirmation of mystical experience. But only through his exposition of the mystical can we make sense of Wittgenstein's position concerning the function of historical facts in the acquisition of religious belief.
Against the ardent materialism of Russell and the other positivists, Wittgenstein defended the existence of an irreducibly mystical component to existence. We do not come to comprehend ethics by way of propositional statements, he claimed, but through a mystical experience that overflows language. What constitutes a mystical experience? In the Tractatus, Wittgenstein offers an answer: "(6.44) Not how the world is, is the mystical, but that it is." Alone, the comment does little to explain what Wittgenstein means by mystical, but he develops the concept in "Ethics, Life and Faith". In that lecture he attempts to give concrete examples of "absolute or ethical value" despite the inability of language to capture its mystical essence. He offers up his "wonder at the existence of the world" (294) as a paradigmatic experience of absolute value, and here we have as straightforward a presentation of the mystical as Wittgenstein is willing to supply us. A careful analysis of the example will give us insight into how the mystical relates to faith and belief.
Wittgenstein stresses that, though genuine, the mystical experience remains nonsensical. "[I]t is nonsense to say that I wonder at the existence of the world," he writes, "because I cannot imagine it not existing" (293). Language complicates rather than clarifies the mystical experience by bringing to bear a logical apparatus that fails to render the experience coherent. When we attempt to convey the experiential significance of the mystical encounter in language we strip the experience of its essential properties by reducing it to a mere retelling of facts, facts that on their face do not make sense.
But facts alone do not underlie the mystical experience, Wittgenstein claims, and the use of similes, so common in ethical discourse, distorts rather than clarifies the experience's relation to facts. While "in ethical and religious language we seem constantly to be using similes" in appropriate and meaningful ways, we actually obscure the mystical experience by suggesting that a simile represents the facts of the encounter (294). When we attempt to drop the simile and state the facts themselves, as we can with other similes, "we find that there are no such facts" (294). Here the tension appears irreconcilable. On the one hand we experience the mystical encounter with the absolute as an actual experience – one rooted in factual conditions and susceptible of the same type of description common to other forms of experience – and on the other we must acknowledge that facts cannot convey the absolute value of the mystical. Wittgenstein admits, "It is the paradox that an experience, a fact, should seem to have supernatural value" (294).The "miracle" of the mystical encounter, as Wittgenstein calls is, departs the moment we employ a simile, and all our attempts to embody these experiences in language remain nonsensical.
Where does that leave the ethical, and what does Wittgenstein's philosophy of ethics say concerning his comments on religion? While it exists in a precarious ontological space somewhere between fact and nonsense, Wittgenstein fully acknowledges his encounter with the ethical in the form of mystical experience. As both ethics and the mystical constitute fundamentally religious concerns, I want to now suggest we draw parallels between Wittgenstein's philosophy of ethics and his understanding of the role of religious-historical facts. In both instances, Wittgenstein stresses the importance of experience over that of linguistic utterance, so that just as ethics cannot be reduced to factual statements, neither can religious belief be primarily a relation to historical facts. If either is to maintain ultimate significance or "absolute value," they must derive from a paradoxical experience of the mystical.
In the space that remains, I will consider how Wittgenstein might conceive of the paradigmatic encounter with religious truth. While he clearly rejects the notion that religious belief is grounded upon one's acceptance of historical events, I do not think he aims to undermine the authenticity of those factual occurrences so much as to insist that facts are not the crucial determiner of absolute value. If religion possesses such value, then it too must "lie outside the world", for facts themselves maintain only relative value.
In an aphorism collected in Culture and Value, Wittgenstein writes, "Christianity is not a doctrine, not, I mean, a theory about what has happened and will happen to the human soul, but a description of something that actually takes place in human life" (28e). At face value, Wittgenstein seems to deny the relevance of historical fact and the doctrine of salvation to the Christian faith, a notion that would clearly violate Christian orthodoxy. But by framing the aphorism within the context of Wittgenstein's philosophy of ethics and value we can posit an alternative reading. In much the same way that ethical propositions cannot embody the paradox of absolute value, neither can historical propositions convey the absolute significance and paradox of religion. In both instances, an existential experience of the absolute overflows language's capacity to contain the essence of the encounter.
If language cannot serve as the medium through which we encounter the religious paradox, how do we experience it? Foreshadowing the direction his later philosophy would take, Wittgenstein writes in the Tractatus, "(6.421) It is clear that ethics cannot be expressed. Ethics are transcendental. (Ethics and aesthetics are one)". By "ethics and aesthetics are one", I take Wittgenstein to mean that, like aesthetic objects, ethics shows itself. And indeed he writes a page later, "(6.522) [. . .] This shows itself; it is the mystical." I do not think we ought to overlook Wittgenstein's equating of ethics with aesthetics, for I believe it indicates the form of experience that the absolute, including the religious absolute, manifests itself.
In his "Lectures on Religious Belief", delivered around 1938, Wittgenstein considers a common religious-historical proposition: "Take 'God created man'. Pictures of Michelangelo showing that creation of the world. In general, there is nothing which explains the meanings of words as well as a picture" (63). Wittgenstein suggests here that the visual rather than the verbal is the ideal mode for comprehending the mystical paradox of creation. Throughout his later work he stresses the primacy of the pictorial over the verbal, and unfolds a theory of language tied directly to the formulation of mental images. The importance of the contrast, I think, is that what is perceived visually is experienced in a phenomenologically distinct, and perhaps more compelling way, than that of verbal propositions. None of the problems that arise when experience is transcribed into language complicate the encounter with the absolute as visual phenomena, and clearly Wittgenstein understands the visual mode of experience to possess a unique epistemological significance.
Religion shows itself, whether literally or figuratively, to be absolute in experience alone. Our encounter with linguistically embodied historical-religious facts remain bound to this world and possess only relative value, but encounters with the absolute can occur in the course of daily life. Wittgenstein draws his lecture in "Ethics, Life and Faith" to a close with these words: "Life can educate one to a belief in God. And experiences too are what bring this about," (304). Our reified relation to historical facts – none of which we have any direct experience of – cannot undergird our faith; we must see to believe.
Wittgenstein, Ludwig, G. H. Von Wright, and Heikki Nyman. Culture and Value. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1984. Print.
Wittgenstein, Ludwig, and Anthony Kenny. "Ethics, Life and Faith." The Wittgenstein Reader. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2006. Print.
Wittgenstein, Ludwig, and Cyril Barrett. "Lectures on Religious Belief." Lectures & Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology, and Religious Belief. Berkeley: University of California, 1966. Print.
Wittgenstein, Ludwig, and C. K. Ogden. Tractatus Logico-philosophicus. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

subset: commoncrawl


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I will do it tomorrow.davidmark wrote:
self.string = prefix + "." + suffix
Post exactly what was sent (and how) and I'll run some more tests...
The message is from one of my tablets which I call Origin.... and i have devised Origin in such a way that right now I can't access anything on it, I'm waiting for it to reboot (I have a reboot on a timer).
So once it's rebooted I can see what message it sent because I don't remember it by heart. Will keep you posted.


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At Beddington Park Primary School, we are very fortunate to have a group of fantastic prefects, in addition to our head boy and head girl.
At the beginning of year six, pupils are given the opportunity to nominate themselves to become a prefect. The pupils then put together a short presentation about why they would make a successful prefect. It is always a pleasure to listen to the thoughtful and inspiring presentations from our year six pupils. Following this, their classmates vote for the person that they feel would make the best prefect. Once the votes are counted, the winners are announced, and these pupils will become the new prefects for the remainder of the academic year. A head boy and head girl will also be chosen by Mr Cooke and a wide panel of the Senior Leadership Team. The head boy and head girl represent the pupils in our school and each give a speech at our prize-giving awards evening.
Being a prefect is a fantastic opportunity for the pupils to demonstrate their leadership skills, and for them to become role-models for younger children. Prefects are dedicated to making our school an even better place to be, and give up some of their own lunchtime to monitor and support positive behaviour.
Comments From Our Community…
- My child is making excellent progress. Very happy with ethos of school. Very dedicated staff – excellent leadership team.
- Very happy with my son's development at the school. Great staff, lovely school with a lovely atmosphere.
- Best decision I made.
- Very pleased with my son's progression in his speech, as this was my biggest concern coming into a new school.
- He loves coming in each day.


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Retro Wide Black Bakelite Clamper Bracelet
Bakelite is a resin material that was produced in the early 1900's and was the first plastic substance made of synthetic components. Initially used for its electrically non-conductive and heat resistant properties in radio and telephone castings, the material was also used in other products such as kids' toys, kitchenware and jewelry. Typically made of bright, beautiful colors, Bakelite has become very collectible over recent years and is appreciated amongst many.
This fabulous Bakelite bracelet from the Retro (ca1940's) era is a fun and funky piece! The bold bracelet, which is made of black Bakelite, is particularly wide, has a "clamper" style design with the original hinge on one side. The bracelet features a decorative pattern of gold colored metallic accents on the front surface, including two ridged gold stripes with small gold dots in between. The opposing side has a smooth black surface with a polished finish and is slightly more narrow and thin than the front surface. The simple yet attractive black and gold colors would compliment any ensemble and give the piece a very wearable, everyday look. It's a fantastic and fun Retro bracelet and would make a perfect addition to any Bakelite collection!
Measurements: The inside of the bracelet (where a wrist would rest) measures 2 1/4" wide and 1 3/4" tall. The surface of the bracelet measures 1 1/8" wide and is approximately 5/8" thick.
Condition: The overall condition of the bracelet is excellent. Besides normal surface wear, there is no apparent damage to the Bakelite and the clamper hinge is secure and in good working condition.


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A successful content marketing strategy involves a number of different "cogs" all working together cohesively to help you strategize, create and promote your content.
The best way to do that?
Using a number of different tools in tandem will give you the ability to streamline your content efforts,accomplish your content goals and become overall more efficient and productive.
But a simple Google search will present you with a number of "81 content marketing tools" or "56 content marketing tools you need to know about".
Do you actually have time to read through all of them and evaluate what you need and what works best together?
In order to create a well-oiled content marketing engine, you don't need 81 tools, or even 56. You just need a group of tools that work well together to help you produce the kind of results you're looking for.
In this blog post, we want to show you a simple content marketing stack of tools you can use whether you're a solo founder writing your own content, a small content marketing team of three, or even a fully-fledged content machine.
Even greater? Every tool listed here is free. It's understandable getting buy-in for content marketing is tough. It's not as easy to measure ROI or conversion as it is for let's say, paid advertising.
Getting buy in for someone to create your content is a tough task in itself, we don't want to burden you with having to get buy in for a plethora of monthly expensive tools too.
We haven't created this guide lightly though. This isn't just a rehashed version of "top content marketing tools". These are the exact free tools we use in our agency to attract, convert and wow our customers.
And remember, no one single is going to rapidly improve your content marketing, but using the tools below in unison will help you align your content efforts and make researching, producing and promoting content a helluva lot easier.
Let's dive in,
Content marketing tools for discovery and ideation
Before you put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboards, you need to come up with some content ideas.
We're big believers in not simply writing a list of content ideas and calling it a day as you work your way down the list.
The problem with this method is it doesn't think about the strategy behind the content. The mistake most people make with content marketing is not developing a thorough enough strategy to support the content they're producing. Meaning, they know the "what" but they have no idea of the "why" behind the content.
First, we recommend keyword research and although there are a number of paid tools that can help you do this like SEMRush or Ahrefs, you don't have to spend a lot (if anything) to understand what terms and phrases are most searched for.
In fact, you can do it with Google's own search engine and Google Keyword Planner. For the entirety of this post, we're going to pretend you have an email marketing SaaS tool and use that example to show you how to use these content marketing tools.
Keyword research using Google
The first thing we do when it comes to creating a new content marketing campaign is to establish an idea of the types of searches your users will be looking for. In order to do that we use a tool called: Answer the Public.
Enter a generic search term based on the overall theme of your content. Then, click "Get Questions".
You'll be presented with a series of charts that look like the one below:
These are helpful for those who want a visual approach to looking at the types of questions users are asking.
However, we find it most useful to use the "Download CSV" feature which will download the entirety of the search to a spreadsheet.
To organize this data, we use Google Sheets (which is free). When you first input the data, it will look something like this:
However, that isn't aesthetically pleasing and is missing some columns which we'll need further down the keyword research phase.
We delete the first two columns (modifier and modifier type) and add the following columns after the "suggestion column". (results on Google and suggested bid).
We use Google Adwords as a free tool to find out great content opportunities and keywords to target. Open Google Adwords (or create an account if you don't already have one).
We then click on "keyword planner" and you'll be presented with a page that looks like this:
We want to focus on the "search volume data and trends section. Starting from the top of your list on the spreadsheet you just created, enter each question.
We like to do one at a time. This is a very time consuming and manual task, but taking time to look focus on your keyword research will help you in the long run.
Once we click "Get Search Volume", we'll be presented with a page that looks like the one below. We then want to input the "average monthly searches" and "suggested bid" into our spreadsheet.
For the sake of the spreadsheet, where it says values like 10-100, choose the highest value. So in this case, we'd write "100".
We also added a "results on Google column to our spreadsheet. Here, all you need to do is take the question or term you're looking at, Google it and see how many results show.
Once you've completed your spreadsheet, highlight it all and click this button.
This will allow you to order your results based on monthly searches, results, or suggested bids.
For most keyword research search results, you might find yourself having to sift through hundreds, if not thousands of different questions.
For starters, some of the questions might not be relevant to your SaaS company and so you can delete them.
You also might want to think about hiring a VA to input all the data for you. As we've said, we're only choosing free content marketing tools so if you did decide to use a paid tool, this entire process would be expedited.
Content marketing tools for content creation
When it comes to content creation, you have a few options. You can either create the content straight into your CMS or use a tool like Google Docs to create, edit and save your content.
In fact, this post itself was first published in Google Docs. The brilliant thing about Google Docs is the ability to collaborate.
For instance, if you work with in-house or freelance designers, you can assign specific tasks to them.
Editing your content with Hemingway and Grammarly
No one writes a perfect blog post straight away. When you're tasked with writing day in and day out, there comes a time where you might need some help with editing your content.
For basic spelling and grammar errors, we recommend Grammarly. There is a free version of the tool and it does the job well in regards to picking up careless errors you might have missed simply because you wrote the piece of content yourself.
Remember, your users won't trust you if your content is littered with spelling errors. Readers want to feel as though you've spent time putting your content together not like it was rushed last minute.
However, we find it is sometimes unreliable and you should take suggestions with a pinch of salt when it comes to errors.
Second, when it comes to sentence structure, we recommend Hemingway app. Hemingway was prolifically known for his short sentences and easy-to-read paragraphs. The same should be said for online content, where your readers naturally have less of an attention span.
If you want your writing to be high-quality, Hemingway is an app you should consider adding to your arsenal.
If you do use Hemingway, pay particular attention to the readability score which can be found on the right hand side of the screen. You're aiming for a readability score of X which means your blog post is easy to read. It also helps you eliminate the use of passive voice or hard-to-read sentences.
Adding images to your content.
If you didn't already know, using images in your blog posts helps get rid of the monotony of reading a block of text. And as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so it's helpful to include images in your blog posts.
However, for some writers, while they are creative when it comes to putting words on paper, the same doesn't go for creating images.
Nonetheless, there are two core free tools we use in our agency to keep our content marketing interesting through the use of images.
Creating charts, images and more in Canva
Canva is a free design tool you can use a range of different images.
There is a free and a paid version. The paid version includes downloading your files with a transparent background. You can also pay extra to get access to extra features too.
The wide-range of preset designs will help you create bespoke images for your blog posts so they feel unique.
Using Pablo to create awesome header images
Pablo is a side-project created by the guys at Buffer. It's a great tool if you want to highlight a specific quote or phrase to add emphasis, but lack the design skills to create the image yourself on a tool like Photoshop.
What's more, they curate their images from Unsplash, which is another free image sourcing tool.
Through their simple and easy-to-use app, you can choose the background for your image, the font you want to use, as well as other editing features.
Saving the images is simple too.
Alternatively, you could hire a freelance designer, or seek help from an in-house design team to help you create images, but this guide focuses on free tools.
Content marketing tools for organization
For any content strategy, staying organized and on top of what needs to be done, what's currently being doing and what is complete is important. For content organization we've found Trello is a great way to ensure your content is always on time, with the right people and completed to the highest quality.
Trello is a free productivity or task management tool, easy to use, and the kanban element helps you understand what stage each piece of content is at.
We've found this approach is the best for small content teams. You might have need for other columns as well though so feel free to experiment with what works best for you and your team.
The great thing about this drag and drop tool is the inbuilt calendar feature where you can assign due dates to a specific piece of content.
As you can see, we've added the due date for this piece of content. However, the calendar is an add-on feature (free). To use it, follow these steps:
Click the "power-ups" button.
Scroll down on the screen until you see the "calendar"
Now, when you view your Trello board for your business you should see the calendar button in the top right-hand corner. Click on that and you'll get a calendar view where you can see all the content and when it's due.
This productivity and collaboration tool is great for keeping a team of writers clued up about what content is in the pipeline.
Organizing your content with Google Drive
All our work is done on the cloud. This is especially effective for our fully remote team. It means you can access your work from anywhere. It means you don't have to deal with saving documents as "blog post new new new version".
In our Google Drive, we try to keep the folder hierarchy easy to use and simple for anyone to access and know where to navigate.
As shown in the video above, we have a separate folder for each client and one benefit of working with Google Drive is we can limit who can access each folder so only relevant persons can view the files within each folder.
Tools for marketing and distribution
We've mentioned before if you don't come up with a well-planned strategy to distribute and promote your content, it is unlikely to go far. Sharing and distributing your content to the world is another task in and of itself, but automating that process with a free tool like Buffer can take away some of the stress that involves.
The great thing about Buffer is you can Buffer pretty much anything. Download the Buffer browser extension and whenever you're on a page, or want to buffer an image you can do so easily.
Click the little buffer icon to the right-hand side then you'll be presented with a screen that looks like this:
You can then edit the tweet, pick a scheduled time, or just add it to your queue.You can even preset your own schedule to ensure you're posting content at the best times.
Go one step further and use the power scheduler.
You should always remember people are selfish, you included. But if you want to get your content shared wider than your own network, you should consider using influencers.
But one way to increase the likelihood of an influencer in your industry sharing your content with their wide network is to mention them in your post.
Then, when your post is live, you can drop them a message to let them know you've included them, and it will increase your chance of being shared.
But you might be wondering how you find influencers?
For that, you can use the free version of Buzzsumo. Buzzsumo is a tool that allows you to analyze which content performs the best for any given search topic and find influencers who are likely to share that content too.
You'll then see a list of top shared content for that search term. In this example, I used the phrase "email marketing".
If you click the "view sharers" on any given article, you'll be able to see a list of the people who most shared the content based on their social ranking.
If you've written a better piece of content than the one you've found on Buzzsumo (and you should make sure every piece of content you put out is better than the rest of the web). You'll be able to reach out with an email script like the following.
The aim here is to keep your email as short and succinct as possible. As an influencer, the person you're emailing is likely going to be super busy and get requests like these all the time. The best way to increase the chance of them actually sharing it is making sure your content is actually better than the rest of the web, and you're not just creating unwanted noise.
Tools for analytics
There is no point creating content and not looking at it again. You need to constantly check your analytics to can see how your content is performing, what is working and what isn't. That way, you'll be able to hone in on what is working and cut out what's not bringing you positive ROI.
Google analytics is free and allows you track so many different aspects of your content marketing efforts. You can work out:
- How much traffic your content generates
- Where your traffic comes from (source)
- Which pieces of your content performs the best
- Which keywords are bringing you the most traffic
So for a data-obsessed founder like you, this information is invaluable for analyzing your content strategy, especially if you're hoping to scale your content marketing efforts in the future.
The channel section lets you know where your traffic is coming from. In the above example, we can see a majority of the traffic comes from organic search. This is good and points towards you having your content optimized for the right keywords, however, it also tells you that you could improve the traffic you get from social channels or your email marketing effort
Let's face it, when you put together a sample list of content marketing tools you plan to use to run your business, there are lots. And even if you narrow this down by free-tools, there are still lots.
And for a time-strapped marketer like you, you don't have time to go away and research what tools what, work tools don't work and which tools work well together.
That's why we've put this guide together, a list of the best free content marketing tools that actually help you generate results.
We've taken away the guesswork with our tried and tested tool selection. A selection we use with our own marketing and our own clients too.


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In this English lesson you will learn how to use the verb DO in English.
DO is one of the most common verbs in English. In this lesson you will see how we use it as an auxiliary verbs and as a normal or ordinary verb.
'Do' as an auxiliary verb
We use 'do' as an auxiliary verb in questions and negatives.
Juan doesn't like sushi.
Does Juan like Sushi? No, he doesn't.
I do enjoy going to the park on a Sunday afternoon. (emphatic)
You don't like sushi, do you? (question tag)
A - 'Tom stinks at chess. B - 'Yes, he does.' (agreement)
We live in a big city and so does Jenny. (addition)
A - 'Shall I call you later?' B - 'Please do.' (approval or permission)
Do as a normal verb
We can also use 'do' as a normal or ordinary very.
What are you doing here do early?
Jenny is in the bathroom doing her hair.
We didn't do anything special yesterday.
How are you doing at school?
How do you do? What do you do for a living?
I only have a red pen. Will it do?
Please watch the video for more examples and to see 'do' in more context.
Here's another English lesson for you to look at.
I also have English courses available on curious.com. Please have a look.


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Our patrons and ambassadors
Our patrons
Dr Hilary Jones
We are delighted to announce that Breakfast TV's health editor, Dr Hilary Jones, has become a Patron for the charity. Having supported the charity in the media, and having met chief executive Ali Stunt on a number of occasions, Dr Hilary Jones highly values the work of the charity.
Hilary aims to support Pancreatic Cancer Action's work with our pancreatic cancer medical educational tools and help raise awareness of the disease among the public.
He said: "I am passionate about supporting Pancreatic Cancer Action with their vital work as I believe this disease to have one of the most lethal diagnoses of all common cancers.
"It's got a worse outlook than lung, bowel and breast cancer, and more awareness and education is desperately needed. The charity do a lot of work with GPs and in my own personal experience, educating primary care sector is one of the most important factors in improving early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer."
Nick Hewer
Popular TV personality and businessman Nick Hewer became a patron of Pancreatic Cancer Action in 2015.
Nick first met Ali Stunt, chief executive and founder of Pancreatic Cancer Action, when he was the guest speaker at a House of Commons event held by the charity in November 2012. Nick was then re-introduced to Ali this year by his friend Larry Rees who sadly faces a terminal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Mr Hewer said: "I am very pleased to become patron of Pancreatic Cancer Action. After meeting Ali, I was hugely impressed by the charity's approach and ambition. I'm aware first hand, through the loss of a family member and a number of close friends, of the devastating impact of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and I know that so much more needs to be done to improve survival rates for patients. The charity is determined to achieve this by focussing on early diagnosis and making the public and medical community more aware of the symptoms and risks."
Hugh Grant
The BAFTA and Golden Globe award winning actor has a deeply personal experience of pancreatic cancer as his mother Fynvola became seriously ill and sadly died from the grim disease in 2001. Hugh Grant has starred in many well known and successful box office hits including Notting Hill, Bridget Jones' Diary and About A Boy. He is currently involved in the new 3D animated movie The Pirates!: Band of Misfits.
Ali Stunt, CEO of Pancreatic Cancer Action explains, "We are so delighted that Hugh Grant has agreed to lend his support to our charity and become our patron. Hugh is an internationally recognised film star but also someone who has experienced the tragedy of the illness. He totally supports our aim which is to make more people aware of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer enabling early diagnosis in time for surgery, currently the only cure."
Hugh Grant comments, "I am very pleased to become patron of Pancreatic Cancer Action. The charity is determined to improve the statistics of this deadly disease by focusing on early diagnosis and by making more people, including medical professionals, aware of the symptoms and risks of pancreatic cancer. I totally support Ali and her team's efforts."
Joanna David
British actress, Joanna David became our patron in December 2012.
Joanna is one of the UK's most cherished actresses and has been a familiar face on our TV screens as well as in the theatre and in film for many years. Numerous television credits include 'Sense and Sensibility', 'Rebecca', 'The Forsyte Saga', 'Inspector Morse', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Rumpole of the Bailey', 'Dalziel and Pascoe', , 'A Touch of Frost' plus many more.
Joanna's film credits include 'One Plus One', 'The Soul Keeper', 'Secret Friends', 'Rogue Trader' and 'One of those Days'. Joanna is also a highly experienced broadcaster for BBC Radio and has also recorded many novels for audio cassette/CD.
Joanna is married to actor Edward Fox and her son Freddie Fox and daughter Emilia Fox are also well-known actors.
Rupert Lycett Green
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Rupert Lycett Green, former Saville Row tailor and designer, has become our most recent Patron. Rupert has supported PCA for many years with his biggest event, a 140-mile walk across the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park, raising over £56,000!
Rupert was married to Candida Rose Lycett Green, author and daughter of John Betjeman, before she sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2014.
Rupert says "I truly believe that early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is key to improving survival. The small charity does a huge amount to help raise awareness, educate medical professionals and fund research."
"Candida would have been proud of me and I'm pretty sure my children think it's good."
Rupert will help to achieve Pancreatic Cancer Actions objective – to save lives through early diagnosis – as the current survival rate of the disease is under 7%.
Our ambassadors
Dr Ellie Cannon, GP ambassador
Media doctor and practising GP, Dr Ellie Cannon, joined forces with Pancreatic Cancer Action with 2016, to support our work to improve early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Dr Ellie is best known for her columns in the Mail on Sunday and weekly appearance on Sky News. Her role will involve supporting the charity's primary care education work. She says:
"Pancreatic cancer is one of the only cancers that is increasing in incidence and mortality Most pancreatic cancer patients are diagnosed too late. I support Pancreatic Cancer Action's aim to get more patients diagnosed early and in time for life-saving surgery.
I hope to be able to use my ambassador role to help the charity spread their message and raise awareness of pancreatic cancer"
Ade Williams, Pharmacist ambassador
Ade Williams is Lead Pharmacist at the multi-award winning Bedminster Pharmacy, a Healthy Living Pharmacy in South Bristol. He was the UK Community Pharmacist of the Year 2017 and the inaugural Royal Pharmaceutical Society Patient Champion 2017.
He actively works to increase public understanding of community pharmacies' work and roles within the NHS whilst also highlighting ways to broaden access to the extensive expertise offered by the whole pharmacy team.
He has written a blog all about why he supports Pancreatic Cancer Action. Read it here.


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Are you being served?
So there's been a teacup-based-storm about M&S letting someone refuse to sell something which might anger their chosen magic man in the sky. This isn't a new thing.. remember Asda and the 'morning after' pill?
I'm a 'their gaff, their rules' guy, so I think that they can do what they want to accommodate people with particular preferences. Customers and staff alike can go elsewhere if they don't like it.
The public position, therefore, interests me not.. but I am interested in how organisations themselves are supposed to deal with this. Misanthrope Girl shows how quickly things can get silly. The employer has three options in these cases..
1. Zero tolerance: You're selling what we're selling. The end.
Easy. The downside is that you might piss people off by not providing a route to solve a problem which has a mutually beneficial solution. For this to work, it has to be rigorous – as soon as a single accommodation is made you've switched to option 3. In an organisation the size of M&S, with so many decision makers at so many levels, this is unworkable.
2. Draw a line: We'll accommodate preferences on one side of it, but not the other.
This is what most companies tend to do. The intention is to accomodate people with genuine issues in a clear and non-discriminatory way, whilst making sure people can't take the piss. It's, pretty much, impossible. As soon as a rule is written down you will find people queueing up to abuse it, push the boundaries, or say why it's unfair. Witness, if you will, any company where they have tried to implement a dress policy that's somewhere between 'strictly business attire' and 'free for all'. If you draw the line at 'religious beliefs' then how do you police that? Which religions count as religions.. how come the Christians don't have to work on Sundays, but the Jedi's (0.7% of the population – more than Judaism, Sikhism and Buddhism) aren't allowed special leave on May 4th?
3. Case-by-case: If you have a preference then talk to us and we'll see what we can do.
This should work. This should always be the answer. The best thing about this is that it leaves it to the employees to decide if their issue is important enough to raise. Democratise it. If you've got a big issue then you'll find out in due course and then (and only then) should you have to write a rulebook. This is even an approach used in areas of employment law – such as 'flexible working' where you have a statutory right to ask for it, but your employer has the right to say no.
Unfortunately, this option is fraught with it's own problems. What happens with it emerges that Milly Muslim was transferred from the food hall because she didn't want to sell booze to infidels.. but Cathy Catholic was refused a move out of homeware where she had a problem selling duvets to gays? Ladies and gentlemen, we have a clear-cut case of religious discrimination even if Milly was granted her transfer because the food hall was overstaffed anyway, and Cathy didn't get hers because her store only actually sold homeware. Claims of this nature can be expensive and disruptive. Careers can be ruined. Organisations like M&S fear giving too much discretion down the chain of command – not just because the senior people are managerialist control freaks, but because the implications of a decision can go far beyond what would be conceived by a supervisor or store manager.. and when lower level people make mistakes that hit the headlines the calls are for the guys at the top to fall on their swords.
If you've spent time working at the levels of a company where the wider implications of these decisions are felt, then you'll understand why there isn't actually a right answer. I'll look at the decisions organisations take with interest, and I'll decide whether I think they got one right or wrong.. but I won't judge them either way because I know how hard it is.
As an aside.. as a trainee auditor I was informally offered the chance to decline assignments at companies in the meat business because I was vegetarian. I'm not *that kind of vegetarian*, and I never did decline a meat-based client, and the only person I knew who used that 'exemption' was lying about being a vegetarian to get out of going to an abattoir stocktake on a Saturday.


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Players preparing up for the annual summer touch competition at Sixways can enjoy another taste of the rugby action this Thursday (May 17).
Warriors are hosting a fantastic six-a-side league over eight weeks and open to all age groups.
And this Thursday we have our second free 'Try Out' day at Sixways from 7pm until 9pm. The day is open to teams, who want to have some trails and learn the rules, or individuals to come along and find a team.
"We held our first Try Out day at the weekend and were delighted by the turnout and interest despite the wet weather," said Mike Panoho, Warriors Community Rugby Coach. "I would now urge any players who are interested in the competition to come out and sample the fun at our last Try Out day before the big kick-off this summer."
The summer touch rugby competition will start on Thursday, May 24 and then every Thursday evening afterwards for eight weeks. We are running separate men's competition and mixed tournament.
A host of teams have already signed up to socialise, team-build and compete in this non-contact sport for all ages and abilities. Don't miss out and book your place today!
The membership and registration fee for a season is £300 per team which means for a minimum of ten players per team, that's only £30 per head.
This is the perfect chance for you to battle against your rivals in a fun, friendly, and safe environment and stand out as Warriors Summer of Touch champions, with the opportunity to perform in the national final at Twickenham Stadium during the Middlesex Sevens on August 18 and win £5,000 worth of Gilbert kit.
So fill the empty rugby void before the World Cup and start the new Guinness Premiership season by becoming a star yourself through the biggest and best leagues in the country through Premiership touch rugby.
For more information call Mike Panoho on 01905 459316 or email email@example.com. Or you can book on-line at www.touchrugby.co.uk/worcesterwarriors


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The EU is doing more to protect air passengers, highlights MEP Nessa Childers
As thousands of families prepare their travel arrangements for the mid-term break and Easter holidays, the EU has said that airlines must do more to compensate passengers hit by overbooking, delays and cancellations.
Today, the European Parliament voted in a raft of regulations to offer plane passengers greater projection.
'We are an island nation and we rely more heavily than other countries on airports and air travel,' independent MEP Nessa Childers said from Strasbourg, where voting is taking place.
'For too long passengers in Europe have been out of pocket and hugely inconvenienced when airlines don't get their planes off the ground – today's voting builds on existing legislation and further protects our rights from the moment we book our tickets.'
Compensation ranging from €250 to €600 – dependent on the flight distance – is currently available, but only a small minority of people actually end up claiming. The EU wants to ensure that airlines are required by law to do more to offer a greater number of eligible passengers the money they are entitled to.
Officials also want to guarantee that those with a return flight can board their inbound flight – even if they didn't take their initial outbound seat. And passengers should be able, the EU says, to disembark from the plane if it's been sitting on the tarmac for more than two hours.
'Every passenger has the right to high-quality services and today sees a major advancement in passenger freedom and consumer rights,' Ms Childers added.
Passengers have previously said that although similar legislation has been in place since 2005, rights were not adequately explained to them, or that compensation was only reluctantly released by their airlines after prohibitively long-winded procedures were followed.


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Sunday, September 25, 2016
Sermon Audio | Sunday, Sept.25, 2016 | Real Disciples, Do Doubt – True disciples seek God's truth, keep call, and do despite doubt for Christ. | Matt. 11:1-19 | Rev. Garret L. Rain
Direct link to message audio file found HERE.
Posted by EBC at 2:40 PM No comments:
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Please note: some data visualisations and functionality in our releases will be unavailable for short periods between 6pm Friday 30 October and 9pm Sunday 1 November due to AIHW Network Maintenance.
For contact details and services, visit:
Various types of care are provided to admitted patients. The care type describes the overall nature of a clinical service provided to an admitted patient during an episode of care. Care type can be classified as:
In the data visualisation below you can explore the number of hospitalisations by care type for public and private hospitals between 2014–15 and
2018–19, and by hospital, between 2011–12 to 2018–19.
In 2018–19, for the public and private sectors combined:
The proportions of hospitalisations for each care type varied by hospital sector. Public hospitals accounted for 62% of hospitalisations for Acute care, while private hospitals accounted for 80% of hospitalisations for Rehabilitation care.
In 2018–19:
Between 2014–15 and 2018–19 the number of hospitalisations for Acute care increased by 3.4% on average per year for public hospitals, and by 1.0% per year for private hospitals.
This section presents information on Newborn care provided for 2018–19. Newborns receiving care may have both 'qualified' and 'unqualified' days. (Refer to below 'More information about the data' section to find definitions for qualified and unqualified care)
Between 2014–15 and 2018–19:
Between 2014–15 and 2018–19, Rehabilitation care rose by an average of 5.0% per year in private hospitals and fell by 2.3% per year in public hospitals.
Palliative care is defined as care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is optimisation of the quality of life of a patient with an active and advanced life-limiting illness.
Mental health care is defined as care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is improvement in the symptoms and/or psychosocial, environmental and physical functioning related to a patient's mental disorder.
For 2018–19, mental health care refers to hospitalisations for which the care type was reported as Mental health. The care type Mental health was introduced from 1 July 2015. Prior to this, mental health admitted patient activity was assigned to one of the other care types.
What other information is available?
More information, Appendixes and caveat information, and data tables are available in the Info & downloads section.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are availabe in the Glossary.
An episode of Acute care for an admitted patient is one in which the principal clinical intent is to do one or more of the following:
Rehabilitation care is care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is improvement in the functioning of a patient with an impairment, activity limitation, or participation restriction due to a health condition.
Rehabilitation care is always:
Palliative care is defined as care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is optimisation of the quality of life of a patient with an active and advanced life-limiting illness. The patient will have complex physical, psychosocial and/or spiritual needs.
Palliative care is always:
Mental health care:
Mental health care differs from mental health-related care reported in AIHW Mental health services reports. A separation is classified as mental health-related if:
'Qualified' newborn
A day is considered 'qualified' for health insurance benefits purposes when a newborn meets at least 1 of the following criteria:
A newborn admission to hospital can occur at any time within the first 9 days of life, including at the time of birth.
'Unqualified' newborn
The reporting of unqualified newborns has changed over time and varies across jurisdictions. Prior to 2017–18, newborn episodes involving unqualified care were routinely excluded from national reporting on the basis that they didn't meet admission criteria for all purposes. However, due to changes in Newborn care practices (such as care being provided to unqualified newborns on the ward rather than in a special care nursery) stakeholders have expressed interest in the reporting of all newborn episodes, regardless of qualification status. Newborn care is reported in this section in total, or for both qualified and unqualified newborns, as indicated.
Last updated 20/02/2020 v24.0
Staphylococcus aureus (also S. aureus, or 'Golden staph') is a type of bacteria that can cause Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB), an infection of the bloodstream.
SAB can be acquired after a patient receives medical care or treatment in a hospital. Contracting a Staph. aureus bloodstream infection while in hospital can be life threatening and hospitals aim to have as few cases as possible.
This measure is sourced from the National Staphylococcus aureus Bacteraemia Data Collection (NSABDC). Data for public hospitals are provided by state and territory health authorities, while data for participating private hospitals are provided on a voluntary basis by individual private hospitals and private sector hospital groups.
The current nationally agreed benchmark set under the National Healthcare Agreement (NHA) is no more than 2.0 cases of healthcare-associated Staph. aureus bloodstream infections per 10,000 days of patient care for public hospitals in each state and territory.
In the data visualisation below you can explore information on healthcare associated infections by hospital between 2010–11 and 2018–19.
Changes over time
Private hospitals participate in the NSABDC on a voluntary basis. The casemix of patients treated in private hospitals may also be different to that in public hospitals, therefore direct comparisons are unreliable. Not all private hospitals report data and reported data may not be representative of the sector as a whole.
NSABDC Data Quality Statement
National Healthcare Agreement: PI 22-Healthcare associated infections: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia
Appendixes and caveat information is available on the About the data page.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.
Data for public hospitals are provided by state and territory health authorities. Data for private hospitals are voluntarily provided by individual private hospitals and private sector hospital groups. The nationally agreed benchmark set under the National Healthcare Agreement (NHA) is no more than 2.0 cases of healthcare-associated S. aureus per 10,000 days of patient care for public hospitals in each state and territory.
The SAB infection rate is calculated as the number of healthcare-associated cases of S. aureus divided by the total number of patient days under surveillance (x 10,000).
Rates based on less than 5,000 patient days under surveillance are denoted as NP.
If the surveillance rate (patient days under surveillance/total number of patient days) is less than 95%, the rate is reported as interpret with caution (using the symbol *), as the sample under surveillance may not be representative of the hospital.
A case (patient-episode) of SAB infection is defined as a positive blood culture for S. aureus. For surveillance purposes, only the first isolate per patient is counted, unless at least 14 days has passed without a positive blood culture, after which an additional episode is recorded.
A SAB infection is considered to be healthcare-associated if the first positive blood culture is collected more than 48 hours after hospital admission or less than 48 hours after discharge, or if the first positive blood culture is collected 48 hours or less after admission and one or more of the following clinical criteria was met for the case of S. aureus:
The definition of healthcare-associated S. aureus was developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission). The Commission changed the definition in 2016, with clarification of the neutropenia criterion above. This definition of a healthcare-associated case of S. aureus was used by all states and territories for the 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 and 2018–19 reporting years.
Data for 2010–11 to 2014–15 are provided according to the previous neutropenia criterion available at: http://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/index.phtml/item id/598734.
Patient days under surveillance is the total number of days of admitted patient care under surveillance by infection control surveillance systems within the hospital.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when some of the bacteria that cause infections resist the effects of the medicines used to treat them. This may lead to 'treatment failure', or the inability to treat the cause of the infection (Department of Health, 2020). Methicillin is an antimicrobial used to treat SAB infections.
A SAB infection that is identified by a laboratory as being caused by a methicillin-resistant strain of S. aureus is referred to as MRSA. A SAB case that is identified by a laboratory as being caused by a S. aureus strain that is sensitive to commonly used antimicrobials (methicillin-sensitive) is referred to as MSSA.
SAB infection caused by MRSA may cause more harm to patients and is associated with poorer patient outcomes as there are fewer antimicrobials available to treat the infection.
More information on antimicrobial resistance is available from the Department of Health website.
Hand hygiene 'moments'
Hand hygiene is a key intervention to prevent or reduce Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs), including S. aureus bloodstream (SAB) infections. Hand hygiene in hospitals generally refers to the washing and/or use of alcohol-based rubs by healthcare workers to clean their hands. Hand hygiene rates are calculated using the number of observed correct hand hygiene 'moments', or opportunities, in a specified audit period. 'Moments' of hand hygiene indicate when there is a perceived or actual risk of pathogen transmission from one surface to another via a person's hands, and are defined in the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on Hand Hygiene.
The National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) aims to educate and promote standardised hand hygiene practice in all Australian hospitals, and includes auditing and reporting processes for hospitals to measure how they are performing. The NHHI measures correct hand hygiene in the 5 critical moments determined by the WHO (modified slightly to reflect Australian health care conditions):
As of 1 November 2019, the NHHI coordination and support role is provided by the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC). The AIHW is currently working with the ACSQHC to review and establish new processes for publication of hand hygiene data from both public and private hospitals.
Hand hygiene data on MyHospitals currently reflects NHHI historical information to 2015. These will be updated when the current review process is complete and new arrangements are in place for reporting.
Hand hygiene data are provided by state and territory health authorities for public hospitals and by individual private hospitals. The data are derived from audits of hand hygiene opportunities, 'moments', that are conducted up to three times per year under the National Hand Hygiene Initiative.
Hospitals that provide information on hand hygiene report:
The estimated rate is compared to the national benchmark and is reported as:
Calculation of hand hygiene rates
The estimated hand hygiene rate for a hospital is a measure of how often (as a percentage) hand hygiene is correctly performed. It is calculated by dividing the number of observed hand hygiene 'moments' where proper hand hygiene was practised in a specified Audit Period, by the total number of observed hand hygiene 'moments' in the same Audit Period, and multiplying by 100. The rate is rounded to one decimal place.
Hand hygiene rate estimates and confidence intervals
Since the hand hygiene rates are based on audits from a sample of hand hygiene 'moments', in a sample of hospital wards the calculation is only an estimate of the true rate for that hospital, and is associated with a 95% confidence interval.
A 'confidence interval' is a statistical term describing the range ('interval') within which we can be sure ('confident') the true rate falls. Confidence intervals indicate the reliability of the estimated rate and are calculated using data provided by hospitals.
When only a small number of 'moments' are audited, the confidence interval is larger, meaning we are less sure of the true rate. When a large number of 'moments' are audited, the confidence interval is smaller, meaning we are more sure of the true rate.
Interim national benchmark
An interim benchmark (compliance rate) of 70% for hand hygiene reporting was initially advised by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. This benchmark was increased to 75% in 2016, and increased again to 80% in 2017.
Length of stay is the number of days between admission to hospital, and separation. The Average Length of Stay (ALOS) is calculated as the total number of patient days reported for the hospital (or group of hospitals), divided by the number of hospitalisations.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) presents comparative information on the ALOS for overnight hospitalisations as an indicator of efficiency. The comparability of international ALOS may be affected by differences in definitions of hospitals, collection periods and admission practices.
The ALOS for selected AR-DRGs is an indicator of Efficiency and sustainability under the Australian Health Performance Framework (AHPF).
In the data visualisation below, you can view the ALOS by selected medical procedures, by state and territory, and by type of hospital (peer group).
Significant changes in ALOS over time may be related to changes in admission practices and improvements in the coverage of reporting.
Average length of stay
The average length of stay (ALOS) is calculated as the total number of patient days reported for the hospital (or group of hospitals), divided by the number of separations. Two measures for ALOS are presented:
Performance indicator: Average length of stay for selected AR-DRGs
The ALOS for selected AR-DRGs is an indicator of Efficiency and sustainability under the Australian Health Performance Framework (AHPF). The selected AR-DRGs were chosen on the basis of:
Due to changes in the AR-DRG classification, the data presented here are not comparable with the data presented in previous years.
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This is a heavy weight woven fabric that is suitable for upholstery, cushions and heavy weight curtaining. It features a bold aztec diamond pattern in warm colours across the design.This fabric does not pattern match across widths when joining for curtains.
Fabric Composition : 60% Cotton, 40% Polyester
Fabric Width : 140cm/55″
Pattern Repeat : 32cm/12.5″
Suggested Uses : Upholstery, Curtains, Cushions, Bench Seats, Bags
Price is per metre of fabric. Please alter quantity to the number of metres you require. Wherever possible, fabric will be sent in one continuous length. For help with calculating requirements, see our guide to measuring for curtains, which includes our curtain fabric calculator.
- As with all natural fabrics, may be subject to shrinkage on washing. If washing is desired, please hand wash fabric before cutting and making up item. For best results we recommend curtains should be dry-cleaned.
- Free sample is available on request. Click here to request a sample by email. Please be sure to include your full name and address.
- Colours are represented as accurately as possible given the limitations of photography and screens. Please request a sample to ensure colour is as you expect.
- All fabrics will be taken off the roll and folded for despatch.
- Please note that all fabrics are also on sale in our shop in Bridport, Dorset. Therefore on rare occasions the stock listed online may have been sold in the shop and not be available. If this is the case we will contact you to discuss options (many fabrics can be re-stocked).


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Wildenthal's appointment follows the recent announcement that UT Dallas President Dr. David E. Daniel will take on a new role as deputy chancellor and chief operating officer of the UT System.
The appointments are effective July 1. The UT System will launch a national search to select UT Dallas' next president.
"I sincerely appreciate being asked by Chancellor McRaven to take interim leadership responsibility for UT Dallas," said Wildenthal, who holds the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair of Academic Leadership. "It is an honor and a challenge that I will strive to meet successfully." Read More


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Entertainment + Media Law
Egolf + Ferlic + Martinez + Harwood provides advice and representation to a wide range of media and entertainment clients throughout New Mexico. The Firm serves magazine and newspaper publishers, actors, film and television production companies, writers and artists by offering services ranging from negotiations to libel protection to contract drafting. As New Mexico's film and television industry expands, the Firm is uniquely positioned to use its wide network to assist clients to navigate through the state's various regulatory, cultural and judicial mazes. Egolf + Ferlic + Martinez + Harwood also represents artists and galleries throughout the state in managing challenges unique to New Mexico's exciting art world.


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The Hidden Gems of South Thailand
A perfect tropical holiday is incomplete, if not complemented with ravishing beaches, picturesque scenery, electrifying wild adventure and stimulating party nights. There is no place comparable to southern Thailand that has such a perfect blend of leisure, out-of-the-grid island destinations; timeless cultural monuments; and vibrant nightlife. Your vacation starts in Krabi, which houses some of the most dense and untouched jungles of the country.
**Rate Information: This cost is for one person on a double/twin sharing basis.
Reviews 0 Reviews0/5
Vacation Style Holiday TypeExperiential
Activity Level Challenging
The coast of Krabi is dotted with impeccable white beach islands and glittering turquoise waters. A stroll around KhaoLak gives you the closest visualisation of the ethnic local Thai culture. It is one of the few places free from corporate takeovers or excessive tourist distractions. KhaoSok National Park discovery tour by Travstore is meticulously designed to let you experience every inch of the rich rain forest ambience. The final destination: Phuket is one of the best hangouts for endless parties and shopping frenzies. It is highlighted with a tour of the James Bond island, the iconic vegetation infested limestone cliff, that starred in hundreds of silver screen movies. This is arguably one of the best itineraries to experience Thailand.
|Package Code
|Travel Style
|No. of Cities
|Activity level
|Number of Nights
|Starting city
|Ending city
3 Nights – Krabi, 2 Nights – KhaoLak, 3 Nights – Phuket
Package Highlights:
- Ride an elephant through the natural green sceneries in Krabi.
- Take a dip and experience the reviving powers of the Emerald hot springs near the Tiger temple.
- Witness the magical sunset along with a lip-smacking BBQ buffet in Podaisland.
- Drift peacefully in a camouflaged Sok river creek on a canoe in the KhaoSok National park, as wild macaques swing over you.
- Sail through the limestone cliffs near the James bond island.
- Wander in the lanes of Phuket and explore the sino-portugese architecture, Buddhist temples, cultural centres and over 50 other landmarks.
- A panoramic view of Phuket skyline from the Rang hill view point.
Trip at A Glance:
Day 1: Arrive in Krabi
Day 2: Jungle tour (Emerald pool & hot water springs)
Day 3: Krabi 7 Island tour
Day 4: Arrive in KhaoLak
Day 5: KhaoSok National discovery park tour
Day 6: Arrive in Phuket
Day 7: Travstore's Original Discovery tour
Day 8: James Bond Island tour
Day 9: Departure from Phuket
Activities Details
- Jungle tour ( Emerald pool and Hot water springs ) – 7-8 Hours
- Krabi 7 Island tour – 8-9 Hours
- KhaoSok National Discovery Park tour – 8-9 Hours
- Original Phuket discovery tour – 4-5 Hours
- James Bond Island tour – 8-9 Hours
3 Nights Accommodation with daily breakfast in Krabi
2 Nights Accommodation with daily breakfast in Khao Lak
3 Nights Accommodation with daily breakfast in Phuket
- English speaking guide on every tour
- 8 * Breakfast
- 3 * Lunch
- 1 * Dinner
- Krabi airport to Krabi Hotel on Private basis
- Krabi hotel to Khao Lak hotel on Private basis
- Khao Lak hotel to Phuket Hotel on Private basis
- Phuket Hotel to Phuket airport on Private basis
Travel Insurance:
- Travstore offers Travel Insurance
Terms & Conditions:
- Rates are valid for 2 travelers traveling together
- All tours are Join tours & can be upgraded to Private tours which will carry a surcharge
- For SIC tours, transfers will wait maximum 10 mins from confirmed time, if transfers are missed, guests are required to reach attraction on their own. Arranging transfers will attract additional surcharge.
- All rates are for base category rooms only
- All SIC Transfer rates valid only for hotels located in Downtown areas. Hotels Located far from city center may have to pay extra cost for the pickup
- Rates are valid for Travel between 01st April 2017- 31st October 2017
- This package doesn't include any flight to or from Koh Samui. You are required to arrange these flights.
Day 1
Arrive in Krabi
Our services start right after you disembark at the Krabi airport. If you do not have a prior visa, you will need to proceed to Visa-on-arrival which will be assisted by a Travstore representative. Approximately half an hour away is your hotel, where you will be checked in. Your appointments are done for the day, and you can relax in your hotel or explore a bit of the town at your ease. Some recommendations are: the Krabi night market for some street shopping or the walking street for some moderate night outs. Make sure you get a good night's sleep for the coming day's jungle adventure.
Meals: No meals for Day 1
Day 2
Tiger Temple & Jungle Trek
We start from the hotel after breakfast, to the Tiger Temple and the Emerald spring on the outskirts of the city. It takes an hour and three quarters to reach the starting point of the jungle trek. An elephant ride through the tropical greens is included in the plan, which will be either at the beginning of the day or the extreme end of the day, depending on the program date. A small stroll will take you to the infamous emerald pool where you can take a dip and relax in its waters. The hot springs give a soothing relaxation that no metro spa can replicate. An hour is set aside for lunch, which is followed by a short transit to the Tiger Temple. Voted one of the most exotic temples, this cave temple is sure to give you the chills. A thousand year old tree next to the temple is a huge attention seeker. After a leisure tour, you are escorted back to the hotel.
- Breakfast in Hotel
- Lunch
Things to remember:
- Wear comfortable clothes, as you would be spending sometime in hot springs pool
- Jungle tour ( Emerald pool and Hot water springs ) – 7-8 Hours
- You need to climb 1237 steps to reach tiger temple
Day 3
Krabi Pier & Podaisland
You have a lazy wake-up this day, as the plan does not start until 12pm. A transfer vehicle will pick you up from your hotel doorstep and take you to the Krabi pier, the parking spot of all the tourist long-boats in the area. You are taken on a long sail through the archipelago dotting the horizon from Krabi. A pleasant sail can be enjoyed from the deck or you can go snorkelling in the sparkling sea water. A rustic continental BBQ dinner is served on the white shares of Podaisland, before turning back to Krabi. You will be driven back to hotel by the end of day.
- Breakfast in Hotel
- Dinner during 7 island tour
Things to Remember:
- It's an Island tour & not dinner cruise
- Wear comfortable clothes for island tour
- If you are lucky you can witness a bioluminescent plankton
- Krabi 7 Island tour – 8-9 Hours
Day 4
Way to KhaoLak
This day is the transit on road to KhaoLak. After a late breakfast, you will be checked out of the hotel. The journey takes at least two and half hours from Krabi and is brimmed with pleasant tropics. You will be checked into your hotel immediately after reaching KhaoLak, and the remaining day is left free. KhaoLak is free from the tourist rush and portrays the authentic Thai lifestyle in the streets. Every visual in the town is unique and exciting.
- Breakfast in hotel
Day 5
KhaoSok National Park
Wake up early in the morning as your ride awaits, to take you to the KhaoSok National Park from your hotel. With quick stops at local markets and street stalls, this ride is made as exciting as possible. The tour starts from the elephant camp, where you can take an elephant ride or just pet and feed the baby elephant calves. The next stop is the KhaoSok viewpoint, high up on a hill, giving an excellent panoramic view. A simple Thai lunch is served in the park before proceeding to a Sok river creek, where you go for canoeing or snorkelling in its pleasant waters. Tall lime stone cliffs, exotic wildlife are abundant in the park, and the itinerary is carefully planned to make the most of it. You will be escorted back to the hotel before sunset, leaving a free evening for leisure.
- Breakfast in Hotel
- Lunch
Things to remember:
- Wear your trekking shoes, as you would spend some time exploring
- Khao Sok National Discovery Park tour – 8-9 Hours
Day 6
Way to Phuket
After a late breakfast, you will be checked out and ridden on road to Phuket. This hundred kilometre road trip takes at least two hours and stretches on a beautiful beach side highway. Phuket is the most happening city in the tour plan and is filled with clubs, hangout spots, markets, shopping malls and historical monuments. After a quick check-in, you will have a whole day free to explore the city. Make sure to check the next day's city tour itinerary to stay exclusive of the next day's destinations.
- Breakfast in Hotel
Day 7
Phuket Pearl Factory
Phuket's original day tour by Travstore aims to exhaustively portray the beauty, uniqueness and cultural diversity of the city. After breakfast,board the City Tour bus, which will be waiting for you at your hotel. The first stop is the Watch along temple, a Buddhist shrine of peace and tranquility. Then we proceed to the Thalang road, where you can take a little stroll and discover the cultural cocktail and architectural spectacle of Sino-Portuguese buildings around. You will then be led to the Rung hill view point where you can savour a local Thai meal with an picturesque view of the city skyline. This is followed by a tour around the Phuket pearl factory, explaining concisely the timeline of pearl farming and their post-processing. You will be dropped back to your hotel before sunset.
- Breakfast in Hotel
Day 8
Royal Phuket Marina Pier & PhangNga Bay
The day's plan starts after an early breakfast, with a pickup from the hotel and a transit to the Royal Phuket Marina pier. You will be boarded onto a speedboat that stings through the magnificent PhangNga bay where every view is a picture clicking moment. Circling around the iconic limestone cliffs standing from the sea is an experience one will never forget. Lunch is served with Thai delicacies on the floating restaurant at the Panyee Island, augmented with a perfect view of the archipelago. This is followed by a visit to the James Bond island,immortalized in the movie "Man with the Golden Gun". The rest of the afternoon is left free to swim or relax at one of the island beaches. You will be transferred back to the hotel by the end of the evening.
- Breakfast in Hotel
- Lunch during James bond island tour
Things to Remember:
- James Bond Island tour – 8-9 Hours
Day 9
Keep your bags packed and passports handy; you have reached the end of the trip. You will be checked out and transfers will be arranged from your hotel according to the time of your departing flight. Assistance will be given by the Travstore representative for any issue.
- Breakfast in Hotel
Option 1 – 3 Star budget hotels: $509 per person on double sharing
- 3 Nights in Ibis Krabi in Krabi(Standrad Room)
- 2 Nights in Palm Galleria Resort in Khao Lak(Superior Room)
- 3 Nights in Sawaddi Patong Resort in Phuket(Superior Room)
Option 2 – 4 Star Standard hotels: $623 per person on double sharing
- 3 Nights in Deevana Plaza Krabi in Krabi(Deluxe Room)
- 2 Nights in Manathai Hotels & Resort in Khao Lak(Deluxe Balcony Room)
- 3 Nights in Banthai Beach Resort & Spa in Phuket(Superior Room)
Option 3 – 5 Star hotels: $1091 per person on double sharing
- 3 Nights in Amari Vogue Krabi in Krabi(Deluxe Room)
- 2 Nights in Pullman Khao Lak in Khao Lak(Deluxe Room)
- 3 Nights in Amari Phuket in Phuket(Superior Ocean Facing Room)


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Teen Heartthrobs' Girlfriends
Have You Ever Resented a Heartthrob's Real-Life Love?
Disney teen queen Selena Gomez was taken to task by Ellen DeGeneres today for downplaying her relationship with Justin Bieber back in September, when she referred to him as her "little brother." It's kind of a creepy comment in retrospect, now that we've been privy to plenty of dates and un-sibling-like PDA between the two, but it's no wonder Selena would want to keep her Bieber fever under wraps for as long as possible — hell hath no fury like a tween's scorn for her heartthrob's other woman. Or something like that.
Selena may be the most recent famous girlfriend to receive angsty death threats, but she's by no means the first; Justin Timberlake's three-year relationship with Britney Spears, Joe Jonas's recently kaput fling with Ashley Greene, and Robert Pattinson's not-officially-official romance with Kristen Stewart have all sparked some pretty intense reactions among their respective fan bases.
I can almost relate: at the risk of dating myself, I boycotted No Doubt for a good six months when Gavin Rossdale started dating Gwen Stefani (I'm over it now, thanks). I'm guessing most of us don't harbor any ill will toward 18-year-old Selena, but have you ever felt resentful of a heartthrob's real-life mate? Tell me about it in the comments!


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Users are at the core of any website. As web designers and developers we have to ensure they have a great experience, so this week we have rounded up our top 5 UX resources.
1. Don't make me think
"Don't make me think" is a fantastic book by Steve Krug which takes a common sense approach to web usability. It's a great book for anyone who is at the beginning of their UX career or a web designer that needs a user experience refresh.
2. UX apprentice
By Theresa Neil & Balsamiq, UX Apprentice is also another great resource for those looking at gaining more knowledge about user experience design. The website is designed to teach you the basics of UX using a process of discovery, strategy and then design. Once you've got the basics, UX Apprentice gives you pointers of where to learn more.
3. Gliffy.com
We've tried a fair few wire framing tools in our time and we're quite impressed with Gliffy. It's simple, easy to use, and basic which is definitely a positive. Gliffyq isn't solely for UX design as you can create professional Flowcharts, Wireframes, UML diagrams, Networks and more — which means it's a really flexible tool. Gliffy isn't free, however you can get a free trial for 30 days.
4. Website stencil kit
There's nothing quite like pencil and paper when getting your ideas down quickly. However in the process of knocking out a quick layout or wireframe it's very easy to create something that is mess and perhaps not 100% clear. UI Stencils allow you to quickly generate ideas with a simple, yet comprehensive set of icons and symbols. We absolutely love these stencils as well as the paper templates. You can buy a Website Stencil Kit here.
5. UX. Stack Exchage
Nothing helps you learn a new skill like asking questions and getting involved with discussions. UX. Stack Exhange is a truly great resource when trying to understand and develop your user experience knowledge.


text: Elopements in Evergreen Garden – the perfect location to enjoy your Wedding and Honeymoon on the Gold Coast, Australia. This secret garden is the beautiful backdrop to celebrate your elopement privately or with loved ones. We look after everything for you so you can relax and enjoy a stress free day full of love and laughter. Just Elope!


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2016 Buick Verano Leather Group
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Finding a used Buick Verano Near You
Looking for a used Buick Verano near you? DriveTime has 36 used Buick Veranos for sale nationwide, and we might just have the one you're looking for.
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2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising ten Southeast Asian states. Since its formation on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, the organisation's membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
But what would happen if every ASEAN country united today to form a United ASEAN Superstate? As improbable as it sounds, it would still be interesting to explore this hypothetical scenario to shed some light on the true scale of ASEAN's economic power and influence on the world stage.
ASEAN would be the third most populous country in the world.
The 10 member countries of ASEAN have a combined population of approximately 625 million people or about 8.8% of the world's population. If ASEAN were a single country, it would have the third largest population in the world behind India (1.31 Billion) and China (1.39 Billion).
ASEAN would be the seventh largest country in the world by land area
ASEAN covers a land area of 4.4 million square kilometers, 3% of the total land area of Earth. When put on the world stage, it would be the 7th largest country in the world surpassing India (3.29 Million Square kilometers) but behind Australia (7.68 Million Square kilometers)
Undoubtedly, ASEAN as a country would have a rich bio-diversity and geography, ranging from the rainforests of Sumatra, the picturesque beaches of Thailand to the majestic peak of Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia. Given its proximity to the equator, The climate of ASEAN would be mainly tropical–hot and humid all year round with plentiful rainfall. Northern Vietnam and the Myanmar Himalayas would be the only regions in Southeast Asia that feature a subtropical climate, which has a cold winter with snow.
ASEAN would be the world's sixth largest economy
A united ASEAN Superstate would have a combined nominal GDP of over US$2.8 trillion. As a single entity, it would rank as the sixth largest economy in the world, behind the USA, China, Japan, India and Germany. It is projected to rank as the fourth-largest economy by 2050. The ASEAN economy would also have the third-largest labor force in the world, behind China and India.
ASEAN would have an incredibly diverse racial and religious make-up
A united ASEAN Superstate would be incredibly diverse. No single religion or race would constitute an outright majority of the population. With about 240 million adherents or 42% of the total population, Sunni Islam would be the largest religion in ASEAN. Buddhism would be practiced by 18% of the population followed closely behind by Christianity at 17%. The remaining 23% is a diverse mix of adherents of Folk Religions, Confucianism, Hindus, Agnostics and Atheists.
As a single entity, ASEAN would be the world's largest Muslim country, the second largest Buddhist country and the fourth largest Christian country by population.
ASEAN is even more racially diverse. Centuries of influence from India, China, the Arabs and the West produced an environment where no one people or religion is homogeneous. The largest ethnic group would be the Javanese with a population of 100 million or 16% of the population. This is followed by the Viets (75 Million / 12%), Thais (51 Million / 8%), Sundanese (39 Million / 6%), Chinese (33 Million / 5%), Bamars (30 Million / 4.8%) and Malays (28 Million / 4.5). The challenge facing the Government of a united ASEAN would be to somehow unite the hundreds of ethnic groups, each with its own unique culture and language.
ASEAN would have the world's second largest military
With 1.827 Million active duty personnel, a united ASEAN would have the world's second largest military, behind China (2.33 Million). With a combined military expenditure of US$38.2 Billion, ASEAN would have the world's tenth largest military budget in the world, behind Germany (US$41 Billion). Interestingly, Singapore alone would contribute 26 percent of ASEAN's total military spending despite only having 0.8% of the total ASEAN population.
The people of ASEAN would be relatively poor
A single ASEAN state would have a nominal GDP per capita of roughly US$4,160. This would put ASEAN at 103 in the world, behind Albania (US$4,203) but ahead of Guatemala (US$4,089). With a Human Development Index of 0.684, ASEAN would be ranked the 110th most developed country, on par with Gabon, Africa. A united ASEAN would also be plagued with endemic corruption. With an average Corruption Perception Index rank of 102.8, ASEAN would be ranked on par with Ethiopia.
This would present the hypothetical ASEAN Government with unique challenges. Unlike the European Union, ASEAN lacks strong institutional rule of law. Endemic corruption would divert billions of dollars in public money to line the pockets of public officials and their cronies. Worker exploitation and underground slavery would also be commonplace amid ASEAN's relatively weak labour laws. Income inequality would also be a pertinent issue, given the rural – urban divide. The lack of proper infrastructure such as highways, railroads, power lines and schools constitutes a barrier to social mobility. To uplift millions from poverty, the Government would have to improve access for ASEAN's rural population to the cities.
As improbable as it sounds, entertaining the scenario of a single ASEAN superstate would give us a wider perspective of the inherent strengths and weaknesses of this institution. ASEAN's strengths lies in its young, vibrant and diverse population. It is an emerging economy endowed with resources and a large labour force. However, it needs to strengthen its laws and institutions to stamp out corruption, human rights abuses poverty and income inequality.
If done right ASEAN, integration has the potential to propel Southeast Asia to become the next global superpower along with India and China.


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Convalmore 1981-1997 | 16 Year Old | First Cask 89/604/116£300.00 £250.00
- Strength 46%
- Region Speyside
- Bottle Size 70cl
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Speyside is in the Grampian region of the Highlands. A small district which is home to over 80 of Scotland's distilleries and is far and away the distilling heartland of the country. Speyside whiskies are of a relatively broad spectrum of flavour but are generally lighter, usually unpeated malts, with a medium body and pleasant, fruity character. The more fulsome styles are usually matured in ex sherry casks which lends them that rich nutty, chocolatey, earthy, dry or sweet dark fruit character indicative of this style. It is home some of the most famous distilleries in Scotland such as Macallan, Glenlivet, Aberlour and Glenfiddich.