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Published on 11.01.13 in Vol 15, No 1 (2013): January
Accessing Suicide-Related Information on the Internet: A Retrospective Observational Study of Search Behavior
Paul Wai-Ching Wong1,2*, PsyD;
King-Wa Fu2,3*, Ph.D;
Rickey Sai-Pong Yau2*, BEng;
Helen Hei-Man Ma1,2*, MA;
Yik-Wa Law1,2*, Ph.D;
Shu-Sen Chang2*, MD, PhD;
Paul Siu-Fai Yip1,2*, PhD
1Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, China (Hong Kong)
2Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China (Hong Kong)
3Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China (Hong Kong)
*all authors contributed equally
Paul Wai-Ching Wong, PsyD
Department of Social Work and Social Administration
Room 511, The Jockey Club Tower, The Centennial Campus,
Pokfulam,
China (Hong Kong)
Fax:852 2858 7604
Email: paulw@hku.hk
Background: The Internet's potential impact on suicide is of major public health interest as easy online access to pro-suicide information or specific suicide methods may increase suicide risk among vulnerable Internet users. Little is known, however, about users' actual searching and browsing behaviors of online suicide-related information.
Objective: To investigate what webpages people actually clicked on after searching with suicide-related queries on a search engine and to examine what queries people used to get access to pro-suicide websites.
Methods: A retrospective observational study was done. We used a web search dataset released by America Online (AOL). The dataset was randomly sampled from all AOL subscribers' web queries between March and May 2006 and generated by 657,000 service subscribers.
Results: We found 5526 search queries (0.026%, 5526/21,000,000) that included the keyword "suicide". The 5526 search queries included 1586 different search terms and were generated by 1625 unique subscribers (0.25%, 1625/657,000). Of these queries, 61.38% (3392/5526) were followed by users clicking on a search result. Of these 3392 queries, 1344 (39.62%) webpages were clicked on by 930 unique users but only 1314 of those webpages were accessible during the study period. Each clicked-through webpage was classified into 11 categories. The categories of the most visited webpages were: entertainment (30.13%; 396/1314), scientific information (18.31%; 240/1314), and community resources (14.53%; 191/1314). Among the 1314 accessed webpages, we could identify only two pro-suicide websites. We found that the search terms used to access these sites included "commiting suicide with a gas oven", "hairless goat", "pictures of murder by strangulation", and "photo of a severe burn". A limitation of our study is that the database may be dated and confined to mainly English webpages.
Conclusions: Searching or browsing suicide-related or pro-suicide webpages was uncommon, although a small group of users did access websites that contain detailed suicide method information.
Internet search;
Pagerank;
Suicide information;
Information seeking;
Search behavior;
Internet usage is growing exponentially with one third of the world population having Internet access as of 2011, of which 45% were users below the age of 25. The number of Internet users from developing countries has increased from 44% in 2006 to 62% in 2011 [1]. The proliferation and reach of the Internet and its impact on suicide and self-harm behaviors has recently come to the attention of the general public, especially to parents of children and young individuals, suicide prevention professionals, and governments [2]. There is little evidence, however, to either support or refute the notion that the use of the Internet is intrinsically damaging [3].
Infodemiology is a new area of research described as "the science of distribution and determinants of information in an electronic medium," [4] specifically, the Internet, to inform public health and policy [5]. Recent applications of this methodology include "infoveillance," the tracking and surveillance of online data for the purpose of predicting influenza outbreaks [6] and the online spread of smoking cessation awareness [7], as well as investigating public search trends in preventing avian flu [8]. The real-time nature of this methodology means that results are timely and may have significant impact in guiding policy making.
In the area of suicide prevention, Dobson [9] has estimated that more than 100,000 suicide-related websites were available on the Internet but due to many search engines' conservative policies regarding the exposure or sharing of corporate data, there are no reliable data on the prevalence of websites with suicide-related content [10]. The major concerns about the potential role of Internet on suicidal behavior are: 1) the Internet as a major source of readily accessible information on suicide methods and suicidal communication, 2) access to suicide-related information and discussions online by vulnerable, impressionable individuals (eg, the distressed, stressed, and depressed) [11], and young people [12,13] contributes to the increased risk of suicide attempts and completion for them as ways to solve problems or to regulate negative emotions [14,15], and 3) the Internet as an efficient and communal medium for people to meet and arrange suicide pacts [16-18]. Due to the interactive nature of the Internet, Becker and Schmidt [19] argued that the Internet might have even more impact on copycat suicides than print media, eg, the Sorrows of Young Werther. This is the influential book from which the term "Werther effect" arose, which describes the effect of a widely publicized suicide causing emulated suicides.
Search engines on the Internet are often assumed to be an efficient, if not the preferred, gateway for access to suicide-related information [2,20]. A handful of infodemiological studies have been conducted to examine the types of information suicidal individuals might find on the Internet through search engines [15,21-23]. A similar "supply-based" research methodology [4] was adopted in these studies where various self-chosen suicide-related keywords (eg, "suicide", "suicide methods", "ways to commit suicide", or "how to kill yourself") were entered into several popular search engines, ie, Google, Yahoo!, and the search results were classified into pro-suicide, anti-suicide, or neutral websites. Around 11%, 25%, and 5% of the search result websites were categorized as pro-suicide in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, respectively [21-23]. Based on these findings, the researchers advocated a number of potential suicide prevention initiatives: 1) Internet service providers and website hosting companies should do more to remove pro-suicide websites [23], 2) Internet service providers may consider strategies to increase the likelihood that vulnerable individuals access helpful rather than potentially harmful websites in times of crisis [21], and 3) enhance access to anti-suicide websites [20] in order to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits of the effects that search engines may have on suicide and suicide prevention. Indeed, a number of national-level policies or initiatives have been implemented in Australia (ie, making the promotion of suicide on the Internet illegal), and in Japan and Korea (ie, specific pro-suicide websites blocked by Internet service providers) [21].
Although prior research has shown that pro-suicide information on methods of suicide are easily accessible through search engines, the findings invited the criticism that the keywords and phrases used were pre-selected by researchers and thus had poor generalizability since the studies were not grounded in the naturalistic search behavior of non-researchers, web-savvy, or suicidal people [24]. Anecdotal evidence has been reported in the literature showing that people who have engaged in attempted suicides had searched for specific ways of committing suicide through the Internet, eg, [25]. There is no empirical data, however, on the general public's actual web searching behavior for suicide-related information through search engines. This information is needed to generate empirically informed suicide research and prevention strategies on the Internet. The current infodemiological study aims to address this research gap by using a demand-based method [4] investigating the actual searching behavior for suicide-related information on search engines using a publicly accessible dataset released by the America Online (AOL). We examined the search queries people used to access pro-suicide websites through AOL's search engine. Two research questions regarding suicide and the Internet were examined: 1) What websites do people access to when they search using queries containing "suicide"?, and 2) What search queries (both suicide and non-suicide included) do people use that result in access to pro-suicide websites?
A web search dataset released by the AOL is publicly accessible for data analysis (see similar research in [26]). This dataset is currently the largest publicly accessible search query log on the Internet and represented approximately 1.5% of the total number of search queries conducted through the AOL search engine, which had a 6.7% share of the overall search market in 2006 [27]. The dataset was a random sampling from all AOL subscribers' search queries between March and May 2006 and consisted of roughly 21 million instances of such queries, collected from roughly 657,000 AOL subscribers [28].
Each entry contained an anonymous service subscriber identity code (ID), time of submission, the rank position, and domain of the clicked-through webpage. A single search query represents one individual click on the "search" button as initiated by a user, regardless of whether the user clicked on any of the webpages in the results page(s). A unique set of one or more keywords used in a search query constitutes the search term(s). A click-through is where a webpage in the returned search results was accessed by an individual click following a single instance of a search query and consequently that webpage is referred to as a clicked-through webpage. The number of click-throughs can also be referred to as traffic.
In response to concerns about privacy, additional measures were taken to replace all possible personal identifiable information from the dataset before undertaking analysis. Each unique subscriber was assigned a random identifier number. The Human Research Ethics Committee for Nonclinical Faculties of the University of Hong Kong approved the ethical aspect of the study protocol.
To address our first research question, any search query containing the keyword suicide in the search term(s) was retrieved from the dataset, and the contents of all clicked-through webpages following these search queries were then content analyzed to derive categories for analysis. Researchers PW and RY independently categorized all of the identified webpages, and each created an initial coding frame. The two coding frames were then compared and refined to develop a consensus coding frame. All of the clicked-through webpages were subsequently individually re-categorized by researchers PW and RY to form the final coding frame. Using the final coding frame, coding disagreements between PW and RY that could not be resolved were referred to the third researcher KWF, who analyzed those blinded to the codes assigned by researchers PW and RY. In most cases, this approach resolved the disagreements but when a decision still could not be made, researchers PW, RY, and KWF jointly visited the clicked-through webpage and discussed the rationale for their coding until agreement was reached.
To address our second research question, web domains from the webpages in the above 11 categories that appeared to encourage suicide or promote the individual right of dying by suicide regardless of medical grounds [23] were identified and content analyzed, and all the search terms used to access these pro-suicide web domains, including ones that did not contain the keyword suicide and additionally the ones found through the first stage of data coding, were identified and examined.
Categories of Search Results
We found 5526 search queries (0.026%, 5526/21,000,000) that included the keyword suicide. The 5526 search queries were generated by 1586 unique search terms and 1625 unique users (0.25%, 1625/657,000). The three most frequently used search terms were "suicide" (9.79%, 541/5526), "suicide girls" (5.34%, 295/5526), and "how to commit suicide" (2.17%, 120/5526). Of the 5526 search queries, 3392 (61.38% of 5526) clicked through to a resulting webpage.
Of 3392 search queries with a click-through, 1344 unique webpages were clicked through by 930 unique users using 908 unique search terms. Of the 1344 webpages, 30 webpages were found to be inaccessible during the study period (October to November 2011) and returned error messages such as "page could not be found", "forbidden access", or "unable to display page" resulting in 1314 accessible clicked-through webpages. The three most frequently used search terms were also "suicide" (7.61%, 257/3392), "suicide girls" (4.95%, 168/3392), and "how to commit suicide" (2.74%, 93/3392).
Each clicked-through webpage was classified into 11 categories:
Entertainment (eg, writing, pictures, music about suicide): Webpages of original writing, pictures, music, or other content that may contain the keyword "suicide" for the purpose of amusement but not necessarily related to the conscious act of killing oneself.
Scientific Information: Webpages containing general educational materials, suicide statistics, and research studies.
Community Resources: Peer support or non-governmental organization webpages related to suicide prevention.
Specific Case/Incident: Webpages related to specific cases of highly publicized suicides.
Specific Means: Webpages that explicitly provide details on the methods of suicide, except drug overdose (see below).
Overdose and Suicide: There was a noticeable number of webpages that specifically addressed drug overdose or drug-related suicide information, and hence, a separate category from the Specific Means category was created.
Religion and Suicide: Webpages with information on suicide from a religious perspective.
Physician-Assisted Suicide: Webpages that contained information on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.
Discussion Forum: Any webpages with an interface primarily for discussion between users.
Families and Friends of Suicide/Attempt: Webpages with information about funeral arrangements and resources for family/friends of suicides.
Afterlife: Webpages with information and opinions related to "life after death" from suicide as well as life after surviving a suicide attempt. This category was singled out from the "religion and suicide" category because users used search terms that specifically included "afterlife", and these searches may or may not involve religiosity issues.
Among the 1314 webpages, the proportions of the webpage categories are as follows: entertainment (writings, pictures, music about suicide) (30.14%, 396/1314), scientific information (18.26%, 240/1314), community resources (14.54%, 191/1314), specific case/incident (11.04%, 145/1314), specific means (10.65%, 140/1314), overdose and suicide (4.72%, 62/1314), religion and suicide (4.11%, 54/1314), physician-assisted suicide (2.51%, 33/1314), discussion forum (2.28%, 30/1314), families and friends of suicide/attempt (1.60%, 21/1314), and afterlife (0.91%, 12/1314).
From the search queries, 78.01% of the traffic (2646/3392) went to a webpage link belonging to first page of the search results, 9.17% (311/3392) of the traffic went to the second page of search results, and 10.23% (347/3392) went to the third to fifth page of search results, while only 2.59% (88/3392) trickled to the sixth page or onwards in the search results. These results are generally consistent with current search engine data where links that are higher in the search engine results page, especially on the first page of the search results, tend to get majority of the traffic [29,30].
Clicked-Through Webpages and Search Terms Containing the Keyword "Suicide"
Table 1 shows the three most commonly used search terms for each webpage category, their usage frequencies, and the number of unique users for each search term. For webpages in the entertainment category, for example, the most commonly used search term that resulted in a click-through to a webpage was "suicide girls", which was used 247 times (number of queries = 247) by 23 unique users.
Category Search term Frequency No. of unique users
1) Entertainment (eg, writings, pictures, and music about suicide) suicide girls 247 23
suicidegirls 90 11
suicidegirls.com 46 8
virgin suicides 46 2
2) Scientific information suicide 69 49
free essays on adolescent depression and suicide risks 28 1
adolescent depression and suicide risks 25 1
3) Community resources suicide 130 89
suicide help 29 12
suicide prevention 16 12
teen suicide 16 11
4) Specific case/incident famous suicide 1970 richard cunningham 28 1
vachel lindsay suicide 16 1
christopher lee anderson suicide 15 1
5) Specific means how to commit suicide 70 21
ways to commit suicide 36 8
suicide 24 18
6) Overdose and suicide how to commit suicide 17 13
cymbalta and suicide 14 1
suicide by overdose of kadian 8 1
suicide by overdosing 8 1
7) Religion and suicide how to commit suicide 13 10
sermons preach for person who committed suicide 13 1
suicide in the bible 11 3
8) Physician-assisted suicide assisted suicide 46 19
physician assisted suicide 13 8
should america allow suicide euthanasia 8 1
9) Discussion forum how to commit suicide 11 10
Xxsuicide's xanga site 10 1
suicideroadmap - myspace blog 9 8
10) Families and friends of suicide/attempt suicide memorials 17 1
survivors of suicide 8 3
suicidememorialwall.com 4 1
11) Afterlife suicide and the after life 9 1
after life suicide 4 1
Table 1. Top three search terms and their search frequencies in each category.
When suicide was used as a single keyword search term (number of search queries = 256; 19.48%; 256/1314), users mostly clicked through to webpages that belong to the "community resources" (130 search queries), "scientific information" (69 search queries), and "specific means" categories (24 search queries). In contrast, when the search term "how to commit suicide" was used, the users most commonly clicked through to webpages in the "specific means" (70 queries), "overdose and suicide" (17 queries), and "religion and suicide" categories (13 queries).
The search terms most commonly used to access webpages in the "entertainment" category included the keywords in the names of a specific adult website and a novel cum movie. The "specific case/incident" category top search terms involved the keywords in the names of two famous individuals and a teenager who died from suicide; of note, each of these three search queries were contributed by one single user. Webpages in the "specific means" category were most commonly clicked through when users used the search terms "how to commit suicide", "ways to commit suicide", and "suicide".
Table 2 shows the top three most clicked webpages of each category. The webpages with more than 40 click-throughs during the data collection period included "http://www.suicidegirls.com" (entertainment), "http://suicidegirls.com" (entertainment), "http://metanoia.org" (community resource), "http://www.satanservice.org" (specific means), and "http://www.cdc.gov" (scientific information). In the entertainment category, the two most clicked webpages led to the same web domain, which was an adult website. Wikipedia, an online information resource (Figure 1), followed by an automobile parts branded e-store ("http://www.suicidedoors.com") were also in the most clicked webpages for the entertainment category. For the specific case/incident category, Wikipedia came up on top again with the most click-throughs, in addition to a news webpage and a social networking webpage.
Figure 1. Suicide page on Wikipedia.
Category Webpage Frequency No. of unique users
1) Entertainment (writings, pictures, music, about suicide) http://www.suicidegirls.com 153 76
http://suicidegirls.com 78 59
http://en.wikipedia.org 21 18
http://www.suicidedoors.com 21 16
2) Scientific information http://www.cdc.gov 43 35
http://www.psycom.net 25 23
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 15 13
3) Community resources http://www.metanoia.org 86 81
http://kidshealth.org 20 17
http://www.afsp.org 16 14
http://www.focusas.com 16 10
4) Specific case/incident http://en.wikipedia.org 18 13
http://news.bbc.co.uk 7 5
http://profile.myspace.com 7 6
5) Specific means http://www.satanservice.org 49 39
http://www.mouchette.org 21 18
http://extremeriver.org 14 13
6) Overdose and suicide http://www.a1b2c3.com 31 23
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 7 5
http://www.everything2.com 5 5
7) Religion and suicide http://www.religioustolerance.org 16 13
http://www.believers.org 13 11
http://en.wikipedia.org 7 5
8) Physician-assisted suicide http://www.assistedsuicide.org 13 11
http://www.religioustolerance.org 10 9
http://www.amsa.org 5 5
http://www.euthanasia.com 5 5
9) Discussion forum http://www.xanga.com 14 2
http://www.zenhex.com 13 12
http://lifeflame.6.forumer.com 5 5
10) Families and friends of suicide/attempt http://www.suicidememorialwall.com 9 4
http://www.survivorsofsuicide.com 7 6
http://www.parentsofsuicide.com 5 4
11) Afterlife http://www.near-death.com 5 3
http://samvak.tripod.com 3 1
Table 2. Top three most clicked-through webpages of each category, their click-through frequencies, and the number of unique users.
Search Terms Used to Find Pro-suicide Websites
Among the 1314 accessed webpages, we could identify only two clicked-through websites that were considered pro-suicide. They are "http://www.suicidemethods.net" and "http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org". The two websites not only provide information on methods of suicide but also portray a positive attitude towards the choice of using suicide as a way to ease pain. Table 3 shows the searches terms that were used to access the two websites (ie, "how to kill yourself", "best way to commit suicide", and "euthanasia"), the frequency of their usage, and the number of unique users for each search term. We found that the commonly used search terms included "pictures of murder by strangulation" and "photo of a severe burn" for "http://www.suicidemethods.net" and "committing suicide with a gas oven", and "hairless goat" for "http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org". It is noteworthy that 23 and 14 unique users visited "http://www.suicidemethods.net" and "http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org" respectively during the data collection period. It is important to view these numbers in context, especially given the fact that a single unique user contributed to the entire search query frequency of both "committing suicide with a gas oven" and "methods to commit suicide", while the top two of search query frequency for "http://www.suicidemethods.net" were a result of only two unique users.
Website Search term Frequency No. of unique users
http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org committing suicide with a gas oven 27 1
hairless goat 22 1
how to kill yourself 18 3
methods to commit suicide 11 1
euthanasia 10 2
best way to commit suicide 5 1
butcher pig 4 1
committing suicide 4 1
how to die painlessly 3 1
the church of euthanasia 1 1
butchering the human carcass for human consumption 1 1
dog sex kkh 1 1
http://www.suicidemethods.net pictures of murder by strangulation 26 1
photo of a severe burns 22 1
pro choice suicide 7 1
suicidal websites 6 1
suicide murder pics 6 1
suicide pics 6 1
suicide methods 5 2
asphyxia pics 4 1
gory pictures 3 3
gory photos 2 2
homicide pictures 2 2
pictures of suicides 2 2
suicide 2 1
bloody suicide jump pictures 1 1
cut wrist pictures 1 1
gory autopsy pictures 1 1
hanging suicide 1 1
shotgun wounds 1 1
suicide attempt 1 1
suicide and hell 1 1
suicide photos 1 1
Table 3. Search terms used to access the two pro-suicide websites.
This is a retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the naturalistic web searching behavior on a search engine by online users looking for content using suicide-related keywords. Specifically, we examined users' search terms with the keyword "suicide" and investigated the types of webpages they had accessed in the search results of AOL's search engine, one of the major search engines in the United States during the data collection period. As such, the database used in this study might be dated, confined to an English-dominated search engine, and mainly limited to North America; nonetheless, this is the most comprehensive database of its kind that is freely available in the public domain for exploration. Due to online privacy developments, no other comparable publicly available datasets exist. Although using Google's search trend tool, Google Trends, may provide some data on searching behaviors, comparisons would be difficult on many levels, including sampling ambiguity, lack of information on absolute search numbers, normalization of search results, lack of details on scaling of search results, and inability to access fine-grained searches.
Despite being a older dataset, especially in the context of the Internet where content and usage behavior is constantly changing, the findings still have relevance because, unlike prior studies that took a more computational perspective to suicide-related Internet searches, we used a naturalistic approach by looking at the users' actual search behaviors. Rather than merely looking at what is available for our perusal on the Internet, which is subject to constant change, we examined the subsequent behavior with returned results, which seems relatively consistent even over time [29,30]. Furthermore, the detailed results of the search terms that we have been able to access through this dataset are not currently available anywhere since search trend tools are not able to drill down to this level of detail, and therefore, this may be the only glimpse into detailed search behavior of online users.
Utilizing this type of dataset, however, means that although users' search result click-throughs were logged, we do not have a record of the search results webpages they could see and potentially access. Also, users' behavior after accessing the webpages cannot be examined. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify search trends, patterns, and popular click paths that allow us to gain insight into users' searching goals and intent as well as pages that had high visibility based on the keywords used in the search queries.
Presumably there are many existing websites that contain information about suicide, making the Internet's role in suicides a point of concern. Our findings highlight three important findings on Internet users' naturalistic web search behaviors that may challenge the underlying assumptions behind past studies suggesting that the Internet is intrinsically harmful because pro-suicide information can be found easily using suicide-related search terms. First, despite previous studies finding that pro-suicide and how-to-commit-suicide websites are easily accessible through search engines [15,21-23], our study showed that for AOL searches with suicide-related search terms, users generally accessed webpages in the search results that provided entertainment, scientific information, news, and resource information. About 10% of webpages accessed included information about specific means of suicide, or about 15% if overdose and suicide webpages are included. These preliminary findings could be interpreted as an indication of users' search intent when they use suicide-related search terms. Second, only a very small proportion of users visited websites in the search results that were traditionally seen as potentially negative or harmful websites and among the clicked-through webpages, we could identify only two websites that may be considered as pro-suicide, showing detailed information of how to complete suicide and encouraging viewers to use suicide as a problem-solving strategy. Third, further investigation revealed that the majority of users did not use search terms that contained the keyword "suicide" to gain access to the two pro-suicide websites. More interestingly, according to the search terms that were used to access the pro-suicide websites, users may have been searching for gory images of unnatural deaths rather than for descriptive information on ways to commit suicide.
The Internet and Suicide Prevention
In traditional media, newspapers, radio, and television were the major sources for information and their consumers were perceived as passive receivers of information. Information portrayed in traditional media was mainly contributed by professional journalists, and hence, regulation of that information was relatively straightforward. In terms of suicide information in traditional media, since information about suicide cases are presented and received passively by the masses, media reporting guidelines on suicide information developed for professionals has been considered as a core prevention strategy [31]. With the development of the Internet, we have stepped into the information age, which has revolutionized the ways we consume and produce information and transformed how we organize knowledge [32].
In the Web 2.0 era, the new media is interactive. People become proactive consumers and producers of information. Not only can people search for information and contribute, messages and information can also be widely and easily shared among friends via social media and networks. The ease and low cost of creating and copying content on the Internet contributed to its exponential growth and now, the amount of information that can be found on the Internet can be considered as almost infinite. In 2004, Google's whole data storage was approximately five petabytes, which is the quantity of data a thousand times larger than the Library of Congress's print collection [33]. According to a recent survey, there are 346,004,403 websites on the Internet as of June 2011 [34], and Google announced on July 2008 that it had processed over one trillion unique URLs [35], while Bing estimated that there were one trillion pages of content in 2009 [36]. Internet users, who can now also be contributors of information, do not have any obligations to follow reporting guidelines. Furthermore, content on the Internet can be easily copied, re-posted, cached, and reproduced in mirror-websites, and blocked websites can be bypassed easily through encrypted connections. A good example is the WikiLeaks site "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikiLeaks", which had many mirror websites created when authorities tried to shut down and remove all the content from original website. The properties of this new medium make restricting access to particular websites difficult and impractical. Although the exact number of pro-suicide websites on the Internet is unknown, it is close to impossible to remove such websites from the Internet, regardless of whether they are easy or difficult to access.
Actual Behavior and Intent of Suicide-Related Searches Online
Internet users use the Internet for various reasons. Segev and Ahituv conducted a cross-national analysis of popular search queries used in Google and Yahoo! over a 24-month period from January 2004 to December 2005 and found that there are cultural differences related to Internet usage [10]. They found that in many English-speaking and Western countries, the most popular searches were related to entertainment. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, information searches and email are the two major online activities among adult Internet users [37], and communication and entertainment are the most common ones among young people [38]. Accordingly, the "uses and gratifications theory" [39], a well-known theory in the field of media studies, states that the information people choose to access is largely dependent on their media consumption needs and desire. In other words, although negative information is easily accessible through new media, whether people access it largely depends on what they are looking for.
Our findings have provided a glimpse into the information consumption preferences of online users and corroborates prior studies on people's Internet usage. Even for a domain-specific topic, suicide, our study generated consistent findings that most search engine users in the United States used suicide-related queries to search for websites that belong to the entertainment category.
Although pro-suicide websites and websites that contain detailed information on suicide methods can be accessed easily, the majority of search engine users, at least in the United States, did not access them using suicide-related queries. A number of keywords used to access pro-suicide webpages were instead related to violent or bloody pictures including "gory pictures", "gory photos", and "homicide pictures". With these queries, we suspect that those who accessed the websites might not have an intent to die. Westerlund [40] has suggested that the fascination with pro-suicide content, particularly the morbid and violent descriptions may be a manifestation of a meaningful process in which the producer or consumer of this content is building an identity, acting out aggressive impulses, or even rebelling against the dominant culture. An interesting future study would be to explore the motivations behind why non-suicidal individuals access suicide-related information. The AOL data are very much based on a Western population and according to Segev and Ahituv's findings [10], we do not know whether people in other countries behave similarly or differently. Recently developed free tools, like Google Trends and Google Insights for Search, may help to conduct a cross-national comparison study on this topic. With that information, however, we are still far from understanding how Internet users process information collected from the Internet and whether pro-suicide information leads to suicidal behaviors.
In-depth interviews with individuals with nearly lethal suicidal behavior may help to understand this phenomenon. In Biddle et al's study [25], 22 individuals who survived nearly fatal suicide attempts were interviewed on the information sources that informed their choice of suicide method. They found that about 36% of the attempters' choices of suicide method were found through the Internet. Interestingly, according to the transcripts cited in their paper, some attempters were "inspired" by online footage of Saddam Hussein's execution or Wikipedia, which contains detailed information on suicide methods despite being a general information website. They wrote "the sites accessed by these respondents tended to be those containing professional information and resources (including online chemists), general knowledge sites (eg, Wikipedia), or news sites, including BBC news. Specific 'suicide sites' were accessed less frequently…" (p.705 of [25]). This information is essential to inform further development of suicide prevention work on the Internet.
In our study, we found that a small group of individuals intentionally searched for information about ways to complete suicide and an even smaller group of individuals were eager to find discussion forums using suicide-related keywords. A few individuals used queries like "suicide by overdose of XX" or "suicide by XX" to get access to webpages that provide information on prescribed drugs and suicide. In contrast, websites that include information on suicide means were accessed by larger numbers of unique users. One individual used a specific discussion forum address as a query ("xxsuicide's xanga site" as shown in the table) to get access to that particular webpage 10 times.
There is a lack of research on suicide pacts arranged online, and so it is difficult to predict the major consequence of a large number of discussants getting access to this sort of discussion forum. On one hand, there have been some documented instances of completed suicide pacts in Japan [18], and on the other hand, there is evidence for the positive effects of joining an online community, like Facebook, which may enhance ones' positive affective state and also increase ones' social support [41].
What Can Be Done to Minimize the Negative Impact of the Internet on Suicide?
Current efforts to reduce the potential negative impact of the Internet on suicide include remedial actions like removing and blocking entries of harmful websites by using Internet filters, constant monitoring of potential harmful websites by "web-based police officers" as implemented in Japan and Korea, and displaying helpline resources information while users key in suicide-related queries. These strategies are in place in an attempt to either shield suicidal and vulnerable individuals from suggestive material or abort their suicidal wishes by diverting their attention to help resources. There are several challenges that these strategies face. First, these strategies do not observe the way that information is created, found, and accessed online. Accordingly then, restricting or removing potentially harmful websites is an arduous if not impossible task. Furthermore, cyber regulations are extremely difficult to enforce since the Internet is not clearly under any jurisdiction, and identification of a physical user can be elusive.
Instead, it is important to further investigate the natural online behavior especially of vulnerable individuals and integrate that information with the way that search engines provide information. With the Internet inundated with information, the major search engines, ie, Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, have complex algorithms to return relevant search results to users. Consistent with the uses and gratification theory, relevance in a search engine is defined by variables such as user popularity, credible web domains, and high-quality content. As such, well-made and informative websites will tend to rank higher in search results and also be visited more often. Consequently, instead of the labor-intensive strategy of finding, sorting, and removing potentially harmful websites, more resources and effort should be spent on developing high-quality, informative, interactive, and user-friendly websites that maximize the likelihood of ranking highly in search results and therefore, being found and accessed.
Also, more recent studies find that the Internet provides more positive than negative effects on the vulnerable, especially in enhancing the social support of isolated individuals though social networking sites [11,42]. Mental health providers and researchers should make use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in strengthening their traditional practices in a fashion that could not be achieved in pre-digital times.
Our research presented the naturalistic search behavior of search engine subscribers using any search terms with the keyword "suicide". Currently we know that cybersuicide or Internet suicide pacts represent a small fraction of overall suicides. While those attempting suicide have searched for suicide-related information on the Internet before completing the act, we also know that the Internet can provide a unique platform to reach those individuals previously inaccessible, and web-based psychotherapies are producing promising results in helping depressed individuals, with the acknowledgment of the potential digital divide phenomenon. As such, it can be concluded that we should neither underestimate nor overestimate the potential negative impact of the Internet on suicide.
However, the threshold between offline and online activities is quickly receding and in the near future will soon disappear. It is uncertain how much of today's searching, and even learning, behavior will remain unchanged. There are plenty of daily examples that show how much of our learning behavior has transformed. "Siri" (Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface) is an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator that functions as an application for Apple's operating system and answers questions, makes recommendations, and performs actions by delegating requests to a set of web services to iPhone users. Google Images, a searching tool for images on the Internet, may help Google users to search for visual information using image or pictures. These are just a few examples. Suicide research and prevention strategies must keep up with the emerging trend and pace of ICT in order to prevent more unnecessary tragic deaths.
We thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions. The publication of this article was partly supported by the General Research Fund (HKU 756211H granted to PW).
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Ayers JW, Althouse BM, Allem JP, Ford DE, Ribisl KM, Cohen JE. A novel evaluation of World No Tobacco day in Latin America. J Med Internet Res 2012;14(3):e77 [FREE Full text] [CrossRef] [Medline]
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McGee M. Top Google Ranking Gets Twice The Traffic Of #2 Ranking: Chitika. 2010. URL: http://searchengineland.com/value-of-top-google-ranking-42904 [accessed 2012-05-22] [WebCite Cache]
Goodwin D. Top Google Result Gets 36. 2011. URL: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2049695/Top-Google-Result-Gets-36.4-of-Clicks-Study [accessed 2012-05-22] [WebCite Cache]
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Moreno MA, Jelenchicka L, Koffb R, Eikoffc J, Diermyerd C, Christakise DA. Internet use and multitasking among older adolescents: An experience sampling approach. Computers in Human Behavior 2012 Feb;28(4):1097-1102. [CrossRef]
Katz E, Blumler JG, Gurevitch M. Utilization of mass communication by the individual. In: Blumler JG, editor. The uses of mass communications: Current perspectives on gratifications research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications; 1974:19-32.
Westerlund M. The production of pro-suicide content on the Internet: a counter-discourse activity. New Media & Society 2011.
Mauri M, Cipresso P, Balgera A, Villamira M, Riva G. Why is Facebook so successful? Psychophysiological measures describe a core flow state while using Facebook. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw 2011 Dec;14(12):723-731. [CrossRef] [Medline]
Silenzio VM, Duberstein PR, Tang W, Lu N, Tu X, Homan CM. Connecting the invisible dots: reaching lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents and young adults at risk for suicide through online social networks. Soc Sci Med 2009 Aug;69(3):469-474 [FREE Full text] [CrossRef] [Medline]
Edited by G Eysenbach; submitted 23.05.12; peer-reviewed by M Westerlund; comments to author 25.08.12; revised version received 30.08.12; accepted 26.09.12; published 11.01.13
©Paul Wai-Ching Wong, King-Wa Fu, Rickey Sai-Pong Yau, Helen Hei-Man Ma, Yik-Wa Law, Shu-Sen Chang, Paul Siu-Fai Yip. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 11.01.2013.


You are a highly motivated, result-oriented self-starter, enjoy working in a fast-pace environment, and can deliver successful results with minimal guidance.
Present findings and recommendations to senior-level/non-technical stakeholders.
Data driven mindset with degree in a quantitative discipline such as Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering, or Mathematics.
Fluent in SQL, Excel, and visualization tools such as Tableau or Qlikview; experience with a statistical programming language (e.g., R, Python) and/or web analytics tools (e.g., Adobe Ominture, Google Analytics) preferred.
4-6 years of relevant work experience in analyzing large, multi-dimensional data sets and synthesizing data insights into actionable recommendations.
Prior work experience with management consulting, investment banking, website analytics and/or consumer financial products is highly valued.


Wow Looky Here! Horse Riders,Hunters and ALL You Country Lovin Folks That Love the Area at Karbers Ridge,Garden of the Gods,High Knob & the Ohio Riverway. Built Your Dream Here!!! Lot Adjoins Shawnee Forest,has Gentle Slope,Small Shed. Public Water,Electric Available & High Speed Internet(coming soon).There are Several Other Parcels to Choose From SEE Plat Attached. Parcel C(3.74A's-$39k)Parcel D(5.424A's-$46,500)Parcel E(5.463A'e-$46,500) Parcel F(2.663A's) Plus Owner Has a 4.647 Acre Wooded Tract on Henry Hicks Rd listed at $39,000 with Utilities along Road. Owner WILL CONSIDER Contract for Deed. Terms-Min 20% Down,6% Interest,Max Payoff 10 Years.


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It's a funny thing, regret. Personally I try to live my life without it. Not that I don't have any, of course I do (Boy could I tell you some stories!), but I try to live my life without dwelling on them. I don't see the point. We live, we learn, we move on.
That said, I do have a few regrets about my time in France; some big (like having a gaping four year gap in my career... this is what keeps me awake at night) and lots little. The little stuff is basically made up of things that I wish I had gone out and done and seen, but I always thought I had more time. That's the thing about being my type of expat (as in an expat married to a local, type), I was here, like here-here. I wasn't on a work assignment or a visa for a definite window of time, I lived here, indefinitely, and for all I knew I could have been here for the rest of my life, so there was always 'later' or 'the next long weekend'.
For instance, I haven't been to Versailles. Ver-freaking-sailles! Four years in France and I haven't seen the Hall of Mirrors or those legendary whirly, twirly gardens. That's definitely on the list for a future visit. I've never been to Bordeaux or Champagne either. Me never being to those two places is like a nun having never been to church.
I've always wanted to see ASM Clermont play a match at home. I've seen them play against Toulon in Marseille before but I'm sure that's nothing compared to watching them run out onto the pitch at Stade Marcel-Michelin, cheered on by the massive Yellow Army. I'm sad I've missed out on that.
I've never been to Barcelona. I'm sure a bunch of you are thinking, "wrong country", but Barcelona is only a five hour drive from The LPV... it's closer than going to French Maman's house. And Geneva, Switzerland is only four hours away, Pisa, Italy only six... AARRGGHH! I should really stop doing this to myself; squirting lemon juice in a paper cut would be less painful.
So sure, I missed out on loads, but what I didn't miss out on was life. I've lived everyday life in Le Petit Village... I've made friends with my postman, boulanger and boucher. The barman always greets me with a kiss (of course he does) and the lady in the épicerie can finally understand my accent. Maybe I can't cross off cities on my bucketlist, but I can cross off 'being a French girl in a French village' and that's pretty darn special.
Boo, I totally commented on your last post too, but they aren't showing up for some reason. To summarise: I think that's a problem common to all expats, except perhaps if you really have a short fixed term stay. But as you say, you're getting a much richer & more authentic experience at least!
Oh, I feel your pain, Sarah! After two years in the Netherlands and having seen A LOT I also regret not having made to some places that I will probably never see during a holiday (like the Frisian Islands), but that's life I guess. I did and see as much as I could but free time and extra money aren't unlimited resources.
Ah, I totally understand! It is so hard to do it all and still have a life - but at the end of your days I don't think that not seeing the leaning tower is going to keep you up at night, instead you will be full of wonderful memories spent with people not places!
I'm an expert at saying "I'll do that sometime soon", and then never actually getting around to it. I was just saying to someone less than an hour ago how I feel that it's been so so long since I've been anywhere new (or just someplace that wasn't visiting family - mine or my boyfriend's). I'm getting the itch.
I went to Versailles as part of an organized trip back in 2005. All I really wanted to see was the Hall of Mirrors, and it was CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS! I was so upset. And yet, I've been in France for almost 7 years now and still haven't made it back. It doesn't help that I also really hate crowds.
And I hear you on the gaps in the CV thing. Scares the hell out of me. It's pretty much the only thing keeping me in my Masters from hell program. If I drop out, I don't know how I'd explain the two years and not finishing it thing.
I understand exactly what you are saying but you will be back some time and you will have Versailles etc to look forward to. I remember my year in France which had an end date and I tried to pack everything in but the important part was making friends, speaking French and just living in France.
'We live, we learn, we move on' - I really like that - must remember that one!
I feel ya. No matter how much you do, you'll never have done everything!
Best of luck on getting everything together for your move!
All those are just places that will be there. You are so right, you lived life as a French girl in a French village - that's way more special than taking a cheesy photo holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa!
it's so hard to do it all! I lived in London for nearly a year so it was good in a sense because it forced me to do some things because I was on a timeline. but I also wish I had stayed even longer and been able to soak up the local stuff. now you have plans for future visits!
Sometimes it's better knowing you have a timescale, just like jackie jade says, but then what you have had is priceless and the stories are so much more than a fleeting visit in the hall of mirrors. Plus, as we always say, you've got to leave some things for the next time otherwise what will you do when you come back.
I have the same attitude and I hope when we leave la semi-grande ville I will be able to do the same!
I totally get the regret thing. . I regret many things that we/I did not do, see or experience in the years we lived in Argentina .. but those pale in the regrets one might have when faced with loss.
So my thoughts on regret these days are to remember it every day .. remind yourself to make this day one that you will have no regrets about.
Hi! Sorry, but I did not understand what you said about Barcelona: "I'm sure a bunch of you are thinking, "wrong country"-----What did you mean?
I just meant that it's not in France. A lot of people probably might not realize how close Barcelona and Spain actually is to me here in Le Petit Village - it's closer than Paris!
Yes, being there and experiencing all those things was more important. There are lots of things I didn't see when I lived in England for several years so I understand. I've realized that even on vacation, I'd rather get a feel for the place and the people than check tourist spots off a list. And remember that you'll be back.
So special! I'm not sure whether I like being on a time scale or not. It does force me to get out and see things, but I hardly ever feel relaxed!
I guess you always have to miss out on some things. But there really is nothing to feel sorry about. And I mean, you can still visit Barcelona at some point. Or do other things you did not find the time for yet. You rock, so don't worry about anything.
This post made me sad. And then it made me happy. And now I'm sitting here feeling all nostalgic and wanting to go back to Europe. There is always something that we end up missing, but the nice thing is that now you just have excuses to come back!
P.S. If you get museum overload at all, then you definitely will at Versailles. It's impossible to really see it all as it is just massive and overwhelming. Still worth a visit, though.
Holy cow, this is what I get for taking a hiatus from blogs. Your moving. I've got to back track to catch up. Good luck with the move. And I agree, I look back at my five yrs in Beijing and four years in Indonesia and realize there places I didn't visit, but I lived the local life, made local friendships, and thats priceless!
Very inspiring post! Have a wonderful weekend!
Like lots of people have said, your time becoming "French" was probably more priceless and adventurous than visiting tourist sites...and if you HAD done those things there would always be another thing to wish you had done. No, you spent time with your friends, with your lovely hubby, your French family, making links that can't be broken: if you'd been away every weekend cramming "visiting places" into your life you would have missed out on the "living" and the "being". Which is what you can never get from being on holiday in a place.
Versailles: forget it! The last several times I attempted to see the palace there were 50 Chinese busloads of tourists in front of me.
Don't worry about the gap in your career. Add it to your resume as "immersed yourself in the French culture, learning the language and gaining an understanding of ..."
I totally get that - it isn't til I have visitors here in Canada that I see more of it and remember how cool it is!
You'll probably see more as a visitor than you even did as a resident. It's just the way it seems to work!
Love this post and your advice about dropping regret - we live, we learn and we move on. Beautifully said. The Piaf clip is priceless, btw.
I can't even comment on this because I have so many happy/sad thoughts so I just shared the link on Twitter. I hope that's okay.
I hope you enjoy and savor these last few days in the LPV!!


text:
Q: Get third highest date from the collection I have a array of DateTime object , I want to get the third highest date from it.
DateTime[] dateTimes = new DateTime[]
            {
                new DateTime(2001, 04, 14),
                new DateTime(2061, 12, 29),
                new DateTime(2019, 10, 21),
                new DateTime(1973, 01, 07),
                new DateTime(2014, 07, 19),
                new DateTime(1992, 03, 11),
                new DateTime(2019, 10, 21)
            };

            var third = dateTimes.Select(d => new
            {
                d.Year,
                d.Month,
                FormattedDate = new DateTime(d.Year, d.Month, d.Day)
            })
            .Distinct()
            .OrderByDescending(d => d.Year)
            .ThenByDescending(d => d.Month)
            .Skip(2)
            .Select(d => d.FormattedDate);

this is returning a collection , the result should be 19-07-2014

A: Select after Skip returns the rest of the collection. You need FirstOrDefault at the end:
var third = dateTimes.Select(d => new
{
    d.Year,
    d.Month,
    FormattedDate = new DateTime(d.Year, d.Month, d.Day)
})
.Distinct()
.OrderByDescending(d => d.Year)
.ThenByDescending(d => d.Month)
.Skip(2)
.Select(d => d.FormattedDate)
.FirstOrDefault();

After that you need to check the result for the default value, which will be returned if the original sequence has fewer than three distinct elements.

A: Is there a reason you're comparing just year and month? This should work fine:
var third = dateTimes.Distinct().OrderByDescending(d => d).Skip(2).FirstOrDefault();

There's also no need to create a new DateTime based on your example array. However, if you want to strip the time of day, you can add Select(d => d.Date) to the mix:
var third = dateTimes.Select(d => d.Date).Distinct().OrderByDescending(d => d).Skip(2).FirstOrDefault();

A: There is some convolution here. There is no need to project into a separate object that isn't being used. Simply use the formatted date in your projection.
var third = dateTimes.Select(d => new DateTime(d.Year, d.Month, d.Day))
    .Distinct()
    .OrderByDescending(d => d)
    .Skip(2)
    .FirstOrDefault();

This will give you 7/19/2014

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Pink patches in HDR images are caused by overexposed areas in your source photos. When most or all of your source images are too bright (overexposed), your HDR software (such as Photomatix) has troubles processing the information, and oversaturates the areas.
Fortunately, removing these pink areas are easy with a little planning, and / or a little photoshop.
The best solution is to shoot more frames at a wider range of exposures. If you ensure you have at least one photo that is not overexposed, you'll have a better resulting image. For some situations, it's as easy as bumping up your shutter speed. In others, it may involve a higher aperture.
If you've already taken your shots and need to remove pink overexposed areas, you can do this using Photoshop's Colour Replacement Tool.
To use the tool, set the colour you wish to REPLACE as the background colour, and set the colour you wish to replace it with, as the foreground. To get the colour of the pink, hold down ALT and click on the pink area.
In the settings, set "Limits" to "Discontiguous", "Tolerance" to 30%, "Sampling" mode to "Background swatch" and "Mode" to "Colour".
Now you can simply paint over the affected areas. You may need to select the colour more than once, as there might be various shades of pink.


text:
The New Normal: Social distancing and quarantines are here to stay for the foreseeable future
by Mark James | Mar 19, 2020 | Uncategorized
Everyone is coming to terms with Coronavirus and what it'll mean for themselves and their businesses. Change creates that double-edged sword of opportunity and risk. Capitalising on opportunities and mitigating risks is what a good strategy is all about. However, before we begin to look to the future, we must first understand the current situation and how long it's likely to be with us.
Many people seem to have formed the view that the isolation we are going through is a 3 to 6-month prospect. The Singapore government is currently saying 12 months. Unfortunately, when reviewing the situation and latest literature I've come to the conclusion we're likely stuck with social distancing and quarantine measures for much longer. How much longer? Until we have a vaccine that can be effectively distributed… Best guess? 18 months.
So quarantine and social distancing is 'The New Normal'.
My view has numerous assumptions which I'll unpack below. Let me know if I've made a mistake (I'd love to be wrong!).
For the coronavirus to burn out by itself we need to collectively develop herd immunity. What is herd immunity? Here is the definition straight from Wikipedia.
Herd immunity (also called herd effect, community immunity, population immunity, or social immunity) is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a large percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through infection or vaccination.
So the two pathways to end the pandemic are a vaccine or immunity through infection. Immunity through infection has received much press recently in the world's media as a strategy initially being pursued by the UK government. The plan was to allow the more resilient UK citizens to get infected while protecting the high-risk citizens to hopefully build a level of herd immunity quickly. The UK government has since publicly backtracked away from this approach.
An indicative figure for effective herd immunity is 70% immunity within the population. So, 70% of a population needs to have been infected and survived to provide sufficient immunity for the pandemic to end. The problem is, and the thing that stopped the UK from implementing such a strategy, is the relatively high proportion of hospitalisation and critical care required for people infected by the coronavirus. Hospitals will be overwhelmed unless we aggressively suppress transmission via quarantine and social distancing to reduce the number of cases occurring at any one time to a relative trickle. Unfortunately, this suppression approach will require a long time for Herd Immunity to be reached. So long in fact that we're likely to have a vaccine before we get there…
Let's take Australia as an example –
Australian Population 24,600,000
Population infected to achieve Herd Immunity (assume requires 70%) 17,220,000
Number of infected people who will show symptoms (70% of population) 12,054,000
Number of symptomatic people that will require hospitalisation (20%) 2,410,800
Number of hospitalised people that will require intensive care in ICU (30%) 723,240
Total Days in an ICU required (assume 5 days per IC person, so 5 x ICU cases) 3,616,200
Days filling available ICU beds at capacity (assume 4000 ICU beds) 904.05
Years 2.48
So assuming we completely max out all available ICU beds in Australia (and this is ICU beds at short-term surge levels; who knows if we can maintain that number longer term) and use them with 100% efficiency (which is obviously impossible) it'll still take almost 2.5 years to reach 70% immunity within the Australian population.
We can shorten the time by increasing the infection rate and overwhelm our hospitals or we can maintain high levels of social distancing and quarantine and hope a vaccine comes sooner rather than later… Which I suspect is the approach most countries will follow.
So as a business leader, please don't assume you can hold off the current situation and just outlast this pandemic. You must embrace change and formulate a strategy that will allow you to survive and hopefully thrive in what will become the new normal.
At MBE, we help business leaders build world-class businesses. We address strategic and operational weaknesses within each business through a systemic approach to business excellence designed exclusively for small to medium businesses.
Register for our webinar to find out more. Register Now
Note: Many assumptions were based on the paper published on the 16th March 2020 by the Imperial College COVID-19 response team. You can find it here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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andrewang@leenlee.com.sg
ANG Andrew
The Hon. Justice (Ret'd) Andrew Ang retired as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore on 26 February 2014, after having served almost 10 years on the Bench.
During his judicial tenure, Justice Ang was the Chairman of the Singapore Mediation Centre (2006 to 2011) and of the Legal Heritage Committee (from 2011). He was also Vice-Chairman of the Law Reform Committee (2006 to 2011) and a member of the National University of Singapore's Law Advisory Board.
Prior to his elevation to the Bench in May 2004, Justice Ang was a Senior Partner and Head of Lee & Lee's Banking & Corporate Department. In his career with Lee & Lee over a 30-year period, he acquired expertise over a broad spectrum of work including banking, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, corporate insolvency, income taxation and complex real estate transactions.
Chambers Global, in their directory of The World's Leading Lawyers (in both the 2002 and 2003 editions) named him as one of two leading lawyers in the top tier of Banking and Finance practice in Singapore, while the Asia Pacific Legal 500 (2002 edition) described him as "widely admired".
In 2003, he was also named as one of three experts in Mergers and Acquisitions in Singapore by the International Financial Law Review.
Justice Ang was conferred the Public Service Medal by the President of The Republic of Singapore in 2000 and held the following positions, inter alia:
Member of Monetary Authority of Singapore Appeal Advisory Panel;
Board Member of the Land Transport Authority and Member of the Executive Committee;
Director of Keppel Corporation Ltd and Member of the Executive Committee;
Director and Chairman of Remuneration Committee of Isetan (Singapore) Ltd;
Hon Treasurer and Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Directors; and
Member of the Steering Committee, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore
Prior to commencing practice as an Advocate and Solicitor, he was a lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of Singapore, where he taught Contract Law, Law of Torts, Equity and Trusts, and Revenue Law.
Justice Ang wrote several reported High Court judgments in relation to arbitration including the following:
Anwar Siraj v Teo Hee Lai Building Construction Pte Ltd [2007] 2 SLR(R) 500;
The "Duden" [2008] 4 SLR(R) 984;
Car & Cars Pte Ltd v Volkswagen AG [2010] 1 SLR 625;
Transocean Offshore International Ventures Ltd v Burgundy Global Exploration Corp [2010] 2 SLR 821;
AZT v AZV [2012] 3 SLR 794; and
Front Row Investment Holdings (Singapore) Pte Ltd v Daimler South East Asia Pte Ltd [2010] SGHC 80


text:
This Stray Dog Did the Most Heartwarming Random Act of Kindness Ever
Basma Fawzy September 15, 2020, 2:33 pm in Pets & Animals
I think most of us agree that dogs are the kindest and sweetest creatures ever. They are loyal, and they always go above and beyond to protect and help their families. Wait a minute. Dogs also help whoever needs help. And the stray dog in this story is a great example of how kind dogs really are. They will go out of their way to help a stranger as well.
This beautiful and inspiring story happened in a town called Izmit in Turkey where a group of actors were participating in a theatrical performance. Actor Numan Ertuğrul Uzunsoy was playing a character that has recently fallen off a horse and was pretending to be in great pain. Apparently he was giving an amazing performance because someone believed he was really injured. [h/t: 9GAG]
Image Credit: İzmit Belediyesi/The Dodo
This someone was no one but a stray dog who interrupted the performance to help. He wanted to help the man apparently no one was helping. It was such a sweet moment. The actor said: "I felt warmth on my face." After being met with this kindness, he stopped acting. He said: "I was very happy when I felt the dog's kisses. I was very touched. He was like an angel who wanted to help me. It was a very emotional moment for me. I was not expecting it."
Of course, no one minded that the play was interrupted. Everyone simply loved the dog. It was such an amazing moment that no one could have ever expected. The dog was taken away from the stage and he eventually strolled away. No one knows now where he might be but we hope he gets back. The actor wants to help him find a home.
What a sweet and a kind dog. He definitely has a heart of gold. Not everyone can show such compassion and willingness to help. God bless the sweet dog. I'm sure this actor will remember this act of kindness for as long as he shall live.
Upvotes percentage: 64.285714%
Downvotes percentage: 35.714286%
Numan Ertuğrul Uzunsoystray dogstray dog helps actor
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Services & Notices
Traditional Language
Contemporary Language
5 Marks of Mission
Diddy Disciples
Companions of the Wolds
Christenings & Weddings
Brookenby
Claxby
Croxby
Kirmond le Mire
Normanby le Wold
North WIllingham
Stainton le Vale
Tealby
Servery Project
Thoresway
Walesby
Walesby-Old Church
Snow 'Drop-in" Kirmond le Mire'
Service of Light
We try to make sure that people who have jobs in the church always behave well and in a way that is helpful to you. We never want anyone or anything in church to frighten you, confuse you or worry you. It is important that you tell us if something is upsetting you or if you are worried about something that's happening or something somebody is doing. Click the logo opposite to find out more ...
A social event at All Saints Tealby
Servery & WC Project
All Saints, Tealby
Tealby is well known for its connection to the Tennyson family and the church contains many memorials to the family members. The Chancel construction was funded by the Tennyson family in the 19th century and may cynically be described as a "to the glory of the Tennysons and the memory of God". The village of Tealby has a population of approximately 500. Its main industries are farming and tourism with the Viking Way and Tennyson history being its main attractions. The village has two pubs, a community owned village shop, and several other local businesses.
All Saints church is used regularly for worship and the festival of lights and carol services are particularly popular. All Saints is used by the whole community and many have celebrated their marriages and baptisms here as well as funerals and burials within the churchyard which is still open for use. The church regularly organizes very popular musical events to raise funds. The Viking Way long distance footpath passes near the church and, as our visitors book records, many walkers take time to enjoy our rural location and to visit the church to experience its peace. The church is normally open during daylight hours from 9.30am till 4.30pm.
All Saints Church, Tealby towards the eastern end of the village on the main road through the village, Rasen road. It is close to the Viking Way and from the churchyard there are commanding views over the village towards Lincoln Cathedral more than 20 miles away. Tealby Primary School is nearby in Front Street. More recently the church now sits on the 'Journey of Faith' pilgrimage route form Louth to Lincoln
The Domesday Book does not mention the church but architectural evidence suggest that one must have existed, if not before, then shortly after the Norman Conquest. The first known vicar was Alan of Tevelsby (Tealby) who was appointed by Sixhill Priory in 1220. During the Middle Ages work was done to heighten the tower and add the splendid clerestory (raised central section of the nave). By the early 19th
Tealby, All Saints, LN8 3XW
53°24'07.7"N 0°15'38.6"W
© 2019 All rights reserved. The Walesby Group of Parishes


text: Attorney General John Ashcroft has led regular early-morning prayer meetings in his government office, according to the February issue of Vanity Fair. A lawyer who left the Justice Department said employees were reluctant to object for fear of retribution. Ashcroft, son of a Pentecostal preacher, also likened himself to Jesus Christ in his memoir, Lessons From a Father to His Son, referring to his political defeats and victories as "crucifixions" and "resurrections." (Ashcroft famously lost the Missouri senatorial race to a dead man.) More disturbing to DOJ employees was their new boss's move after he joined the office. Ashcroft excised the phrases "We are proud of the Justice Department" and "There is no higher calling than public service" from department letters. His staff explained his reason: "Pride is one of the seven deadly sins.... There is a higher calling than public service, which is a service to God."


Please join us for our first chapter meeting for 2017 in Worcester!
Dr. Joyce Zhao from Jordi Labs will be speaking to us about the use of analytical methods in the cosmetics/personal care industry. For more information about the topics to be covered at this meeting, please go HERE!
Thank you, Pat, for all of your work and dedication to making 2016 a productive and successful year for our members! We are grateful for your service and look forward to building on top of your successes in 2017.
The 2016 IFSCC was a wonderful opportunity to connect with people from all over the personal care and cosmetic science industries and to learn more about the newest developments in basic research and technology. Below are some photos from our members who attended the conference in sunny Orlando.


text:
Asteroid 2016 TX68 Comes 1/10th The Distance From Earth To Moon In Two Weeks! Feb 2016, Video, UFO Sighting News.
Date of Asteroid: Mon, March 7-8, 2016
Distance from Earth: 14,000 miles
Size of Asteroid: 25-55 meters
Name of Asteroid: 2016 TX68
Source URL: http://www.albanydailystar.com/science/nasa-earth-defence-office-works-asteroid-2016-tx68-will-pass-no-need-worry-16723.html
This baby is heading our way in just a few days. NASA says it will come about 14,000 miles from Earth. Now something that needs to be said is back in 2013 a meteor that was 20 square meters exploded over Chelyabinks, Russia. It...was 18 miles above the city, yet luckily it explode before it hit the city. Its explosion had the power of 25-30 atomic bombs and injured over 1,500 and damaged tens of thousands of buildings. Its total weight was more that the Eiffel tower.
Now, NASA tells us that Asteroid 2016 TX68 will pass within 14,000 miles? Thats 1/10th the distance from Earth to the moon. Are you freaking kidding me? At about 50 meters across this could destroy a dozen cities if it hits the ground. But if it explodes over the city, thousands of people could get hurt. Also, every asteroid has smaller parts that tag along with it. Did NASA take this into account? No! What happens if this asteroid breaks up and does a shotgun effect on a country somewhere? We really needs more info on this one, but NASA...wont reveal much more.
News states:
Scientists have unveiled that an asteroid known as 2016 TX68, larger than an 18-wheel tractor trailer truck moving at more than 34,000 mph, will make a close pass by earth in two weeks. The asteroid, around 100 feet long, has no chance of hitting earth. Scientists said that the asteroid may help raise attention towards tracking the thousands of asteroids passing around space that could severely impact, if ever they hit our planet. The asteroid in question is expected to fly as close as 19,245 miles to Earth at 4:06 pm Pacific time on Monday, March 7. Astronomer Gerald McKeegan at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland said that he knows the pass by would be quite close, but there is no risk of any collision and henceforth, no need to worry. It has also been unveiled that the asteroid pass-by would end as far as 10.7 million miles away because researchers have not been able to identify its precise orbit. The asteroid pass by would not be visible to naked eye. Even if it would then it will be the first time that an asteroid of such a size has come close to earth in three years. The asteroid was discovered three years back and has been traveling as far out as an area between Mars and Jupiter every 780 days. (more at source).
Click here to purchase affordable meteorites, hold the thing of dreams.


Roofing Superstore is proud to offer a number of Dektite fixing kits, in a range of sizes and at our famously competitive prices. Deks have been the market leaders in innovative pipe flashings and other products within the roofing heating and plumbing industries for 15 years, and provide high quality products throughout.
What are Dektite fixing kits?
Dektite fixing kits provide everything you will need to fit Dektite's range of EPDM and silicone flashings onto metal roofs. There are two types of kit available – small and large, depending on the number of flashings you are fitting.
The small Dektite fixing kit contains a tube of low modulus silicone, along with 25 self drilling screws, 25 silver colour caps for the screws, and an instruction leaflet detailing how to fix the flashings.
The large Dektite fixing kit contains 3 tubes of low modulus silicone, along with 75 self drilling screws, 75 silver colour caps and an instruction leaflet.
If you have any questions about Dektite fixing kits and whether they have what you need for your roofing project, don't hesitate to call our team on 01752 692760, or use the live chat and they will be more than happy to help.


People, who want to develop their knowledge for doing homework, for helping their children's homework also for teaching their students properly, can contact loqonujodohok.gq for our human physiology and anatomy homework help. Now is the time to redefine your true self using Slader's free Human Anatomy And Physiology answers. Shed the societal and cultural narratives holding you back and let free step-by-step Human Anatomy And Physiology textbook solutions reorient your old paradigms.


Today we'll look at Tile Shop Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTS) and reflect on its potential as an investment. In particular, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), as that can give us insight into how profitably the company is able to employ capital in its business.
So, Tile Shop Holdings has an ROCE of 7.6%.
Is Tile Shop Holdings's ROCE Good?
One way to assess ROCE is to compare similar companies. Using our data, Tile Shop Holdings's ROCE appears to be significantly below the 13% average in the Specialty Retail industry. This performance is not ideal, as it suggests the company may not be deploying its capital as effectively as some competitors. Separate from how Tile Shop Holdings stacks up against its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms is mediocre; relative to the returns on government bonds. It is possible that there are more rewarding investments out there.
Tile Shop Holdings's current ROCE of 7.6% is lower than 3 years ago, when the company reported a 15% ROCE. Therefore we wonder if the company is facing new headwinds.
When considering this metric, keep in mind that it is backwards looking, and not necessarily predictive. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Tile Shop Holdings.
Do Tile Shop Holdings's Current Liabilities Skew Its ROCE?
Tile Shop Holdings has total liabilities of US$51m and total assets of US$298m. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 17% of its total assets. This very reasonable level of current liabilities would not boost the ROCE by much.
With that in mind, we're not overly impressed with Tile Shop Holdings's ROCE, so it may not be the most appealing prospect. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20.


EAD Offroad carries hand throttles from GenRight and more. If you can't find what you are looking for please call us at (888) 521-0170 or send us an email.
This is a Hand Throttle. It is a simple lever that is mounted to the shifter of a manual transmission. It is the single best product any 4 wheeler with a stick shift (manual) transmission can buy! It allows the driver to apply the throttle with his/her "hand" while your feet are working the ..


Yakult's corporate activities are centered on the development, manufacture and sale of food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and are conducted under the corporate philosophy of "We contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world through pursuit of excellence in life science in general and our research and experience in microorganisms in particular," and based on the Shirota-ism principles of "preventive medicine," "a healthy intestinal tract leads to a long life," and "a price anyone can afford". We are actively tackling a number of issues in building a sustainable society based on the belief that our corporate activities themselves are a social responsibility, as we believe that in order for people to be healthy, everything around them must also be healthy.
I feel that nowadays there are growing social demands and expectations placed upon companies. As a global movement, the 2015 Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been adopted and become the common language for the world to achieve a sustainable society. In response to this movement, the Yakult Group has incorporated SDGs into its CSR framework, and this year's report clarifies the links between the Yakult CSR Action Plan and each SDG, as well as the SDGs to which Yakult is contributing through its business activities. In this way, we have visualized the goals we need to focus on, and are proactively working to achieve them.
Furthermore, both in and outside Japan there is a growing focus on ESG investment, which evaluates corporate initiatives for the environment, society and governance (ESG) — also the pillars of CSR — and non-financial information disclosure. Yakult Honsha is included in one of the Government Pension Investment Fund's ESG indices, and moving forward we will respond to the expectations of investors who value ESG initiatives by promoting and actively disclosing our CSR activities.
As we develop our operations in and outside Japan with this awareness of the importance of CSR, we will continue to work to contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world.
The Group works in accordance with the seven core subjects of the global CSR standard ISO 26000, and based on our corporate philosophy of contributing to the health and happiness of our customers, current social needs, and other factors, we have made health, local communities, and the environment our three key areas of CSR, and organized the seven core subjects in the order, "I. Consumer Issues," "II. Community Involvement and Development," "III. The Environment," "IV. Labor Practices," "V. Human Rights," "VI. Fair Operating Practices," and "VII. Organizational Governance." Additionally, we have established a CSR Action Plan that we actively follow while clarifying the relation with SDGs and ESG,. I will introduce a few topics within this system. within this system.
In addition to delivering products that contribute to people's health primarily via home delivery by more than 80,000 Yakult Ladies worldwide, the Yakult Group also carries out awareness-raising measures aimed at establishing healthy living habits, and activities that contribute to the community.
In Japan, we actively dispatch guest lecturers to speak at elementary schools and other locations on the topic of intestinal health, and had over 270,000 participants in fiscal 2017. We also had over 380,000 participants in our health-related lectures for local communities held at community facilities, elderly care facilities, and Yakult centers (Yakult Ladies sales hubs). Furthermore, along with partnering with local governments to make Courtesy Visits to around 40,000 older people living alone, we also team up with 828 local governments, police and fire departments nationwide to run community safety watch and crime prevention activities, helping build safe, secure and comfortable local communities.
Outside Japan we are also raising awareness on health, and contributing to the revitalization of local communities. As an example, in this report we introduce our initiatives in Mexico.
Here in Japan, our Yakult Lady home delivery system was awarded the METI Minister's Prize at the Second Nihon Service Award in June 2018, praised as a service that was born in Japan and is now familiar across borders and generations. Moving forward, we will further develop this world-class service system.
In March 2018, we established our Policy on Community Development Activities, which clarifies the goals and aspirations of our wide-ranging community support activities. We will continue to expand and deepen our activities using this policy as a foundation.
The pursuit of excellence in life science is the foundation of the Yakult Group. To drive innovation, we believe it is essential not only to promote research and development at the Yakult Central Institute in Kunitachi City, Tokyo, but to also collaborate with external organizations.
One example is our joint research with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that began in fiscal 2014. From fiscal 2017, astronauts on long-term missions on the International Space Station have regularly consumed probiotics to scientifically verify their effects on immune functions and the intestinal environment — the world's first experiment on probiotics intake in space.
We also promote initiatives to deepen understanding of probiotics through scientific events. In October 2017 we held the Nature Café symposium in partnership with Springer Nature, inviting renowned researchers to participate in a panel discussion. By holding such events, we are able to communicate our slogan "Yakult, dedicated to science" both in and outside Japan, create a point of contact with global scientists, and promote understanding of probiotics around the world.
We incorporate environmental activities at each stage of our operations under the three major themes of the Yakult Sustainable Ecology 2020 initiative: "realization of a low-carbon society" (in response to climate change), "efficient use of resources," and "efforts to preserve and utilize biodiversity".
Responding to climate change can simultaneously be both a risk and an opportunity for our operations. Generally, an increase in natural disasters due to climate change can be considered a risk to operations and the procurement of raw materials. On the other hand, it is also an opportunity to build energy- and resource-saving production and distribution systems, promote initiatives such as environment-conscious packaging, and as a result receive positive evaluations from our stakeholders.
To preserve and utilize biodiversity, we are actively engaged in greening activities around our institute and plants, and treeplanting activities overseas in countries such as China and Indonesia.
Additionally, to raise environmental awareness among employees, we regularly run training sessions and campaigns. In fiscal 2017, we held a CSR campaign in conjunction with the Japan Committee for United Nations Decade on Biodiversity's My Action Declaration program.
The Group established its Statement on Health in September 2017. It further details our recognition that the health of our employees is both our social responsibility and essential to realizing our corporate philosophy of "contributing to the health and happiness of people around the world." Specifically, along with promoting the streamlining of duties we maintain thorough labor management, and are working to reduce long working hours and improve the rate of paid holidays taken. In February 2018 these initiatives were recognized with certification by the government as a "White 500" company for outstanding health and productivity management.
In April 2017, ISO 20400 was published, providing guidance on sustainable procurement, and coming at a time when there is growing attention on procurement that is environmentally and socially responsible. The Yakult Group established its CSR Procurement Policy in March 2018 based on these international trends. In corporation with business partners, we promote fair and equitable procurement activities throughout the supply chain while not only complying with national and local laws and regulations, and respecting international codes of conduct, but also considering human rights, labor, safety, and health. Furthermore, as a company widely trusted by our stakeholders, we promote transparent management by thoroughly ensuring compliance, practicing governance based on the objectives of the Corporate Governance Code, and actively disclosing information.
As detailed above, we are strongly aware of our social responsibilities as a global company, and aim to achieve our action targets as a Group based on the key themes of the Yakult CSR Action Plan. Moreover, we will fulfill our social responsibilities by responding to ESG assessments and contributing to the achievement of SDGs. We welcome your candid feedback, and ask for your continued support going forward.
We at the Yakult Group will implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities by generating tangible benefits in accordance with our corporate philosophy and realizing sustainable corporate growth. Specific CSR activities in accordance with this objective are articulated in our Basic Policy on CSR, which was formulated in April 2012.
beneficial relationships with all stakeholders.
In order for the Yakult Group to take effective actions in the three key areas of CSR, from fiscal 2015 we have been systemizing our CSR activities in accordance with ISO 26000, the international standard for social responsibility.
Specifically, in fiscal 2016 we formulated the Yakult CSR Action Plan, which clarifies the focus of our three key CSR areas in accordance with the seven core subjects of ISO 26000, and in fiscal 2017 relevant departments set concrete action targets and implemented activities accordingly.
Additionally, we believe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be addressed as shared global challenges to achieve a sustainable society, and have included our approach to contributing to the achievement of SDGs in the CSR Action Plan.
Specifically, of the 17 SDGs, we have identified those that are highly relevant to the Group, and after clarifying their relationship with the seven core subjects and key themes in the Yakult CSR Action Plan, we are implementing initiatives at each stage of operations.
We have established a CSR Promotion Committee that is chaired by the General Manager of Management Support Division (Senior Managing Executive Officer) and made up of officers from each division.
Members of the committee discuss policies and measures for promoting CSR and monitor the progress of each activity. Matters considered by this committee are brought up for discussion at the Executive Officers Committee when necessary.