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Gaps in the Existing Public Health Informatics Training Programs: A Challenge to the Development of a Skilled Global Workforce
by Ashish Joshi, MD, MPH, and Douglas Marcel Puricelli Perin
The objective of this study was to explore public health informatics (PHI) training programs that currently exist to meet the growing demand for a trained global workforce. We used several search engines, scientific databases, and the websites of informatics organizations; sources included PubMed, Google, the American Medical Informatics Association, and the International Medical Informatics Association. The search was conducted from May to July 2011 and from January to February 2012 using key words such as informatics, public health informatics, or biomedical informatics along with academic programs, training, certificate, graduate programs, or postgraduate programs. Course titles and catalog descriptions were gathered from the program or institution websites. Variables included PHI program categories, location and mode of delivery, program credits, and costs. Each course was then categorized based on its title and description as available on the Internet. Finally, we matched course titles and descriptions with the competencies for PHIs determined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Descriptive analysis was performed to report means and frequency distributions for continuous and categorical variables. Stratified analysis was performed to explore average credits and cost per credit among both the public and private institutions. Fifteen PHI programs were identified across 13 different institutions, the majority of which were US-based. The average number of credits and the associated costs required to obtain PHI training were much higher in private as compared to public institutions. The study results suggest that a need for online contextual and cost-effective PHI training programs exists to address the growing needs of professionals worldwide who are using technology to improve public health in their respective countries.
Keywords: public health informatics; training; global workforce
The primary focus of public health is prevention, with a key focus on responding to the health needs of individuals as well as populations. Informatics applications in public health are being increasingly used to gather, process, interpret, represent, and disseminate relevant information from a variety of sources.1 Along with the rapid increase in the transference of information within and across public health programs and structures comes the need for trained professionals capable of managing data systems from a population perspective.2 Computers and mobile devices-from cell phones to handheld personal digital assistants-are commonly used by today's health workers and policy makers.3 These tools are essential to informatics, which has been defined as the science that studies the use and processing of data, information, and knowledge.4 The term biomedical informatics was proposed to designate a new field of study that combines the use of information for problem solving and decision making with biomedicine.5 But a more comprehensive denomination came with biomedical and health informatics, which was defined as the "optimal use of information, often aided by the use of technology, to improve individual health, health care, public health, and biomedical research."6 Various subspecialties are included under this term, but defining them in more specific terms is difficult and not satisfactory from the public health perspective. Public health informatics (PHI) is the field in which today's information revolution meets the specific needs of public health.7 It is also defined as information, computer science, and technology systematically applied to public health practice, research, and learning.8
Improvements in the quality of health services through health informatics have been achieved in developed and developing countries alike.9, 10 The latter, often limited by structural deficiencies and stringent economies, are experiencing exponential growth in information and communication technology. This growth can be demonstrated in the number of mobile phones and the extent of Internet access easily available to the general population.11, 12 Currently, health providers can deliver good-quality medical service even in remote locations. Telehealth programs, for example, make use of satellite communications.13 Many challenges and barriers still need to be overcome, however.14 The need for public health informaticians in developing nations has been identified in many different studies and reports, and more collaboration among countries in organizing public health on a global scale is required.15, 16 One way of promoting the global view on a local scale is through the development of partnerships between established international global health centers and local institutions based in developing nations, where learning centers can be created to facilitate the implementation of public health systems.17
The information revolution that has occurred since the beginning of the 21st century has laid the foundation for the development of PHI as a solid discipline. Since the establishment of an agenda for PHI training in 2001, numerous programs offering degrees and certificates in PHI have been created, and PHI competencies have been developed and vetted.18 In 2002, the Public Health Informatics Competencies Working Group firmly established that public health professionals should have informatics competencies, which are defined as "a public health worker's measurable performance, skill, or knowledge related to the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health."19 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health agencies employ two categories of public health informaticians: the first includes researchers, scientists, project managers, and program advisors, while the second is made up of chief information officers and other senior agency personnel.20 To ensure the high level of competency required by these senior professionals in the 21st century, it is essential that we qualify public health informaticians with the best knowledge and methods available. A prior study analyzed existing biomedical and health information programs.21 To our knowledge, no similar work has been done to examine PHI programs. It is extremely important, therefore, to determine the current availability of PHI programs and what they have to offer.
The primary objective of this study is to explore PHI training programs that currently exist in order to meet the growing demand for a trained PHI workforce. The goal is to examine, from the perspective of a possible stakeholder, what information is readily available online.
The search method, keywords, and databases used can be seen in Figure 1. The study was performed from May to July 2011 and from January to February 2012. Once we identified the PHI programs available, course titles and catalog descriptions were gathered from the program or institution websites. Programs not listing curricular details were removed from consideration. We used the Health Informatics World Wide website22 in addition to other online search engines to gather information about the PHI programs. Once the information was collected, the institutions' websites were visited to verify the information. We directly contacted the institutions for which we could not find individual course descriptions, and they eventually referred us to the information provided on their websites. Data relating to several variables were gathered from the final list of analyzed programs. These variables included PHI program categories (short-term, certificate, master's or PhD, and fellowship programs), location (within the United States and outside the United States), mode of delivery (face-to-face, online, and both), and the minimum number of credits required to complete the program. Additional information gathered included total cost and cost per credit hour for the existing PHI programs. Each course was then categorized based on nonexclusive keywords found in its title and description available on the Internet into the following categories: public health, information/computer science, management, surveillance, evaluation, geography, global, legal, and research. Courses that presented the keyword public health were further categorized as epidemiology, biostatistics, health promotion, environmental health, or health administration courses, or, when we could not relate the course to a specific domain, as general public health courses. Finally, we matched the course titles and descriptions with the competencies for public health informaticians determined by the CDC.
Figure 1: Flow Chart of the Search Conducted to Identify Existing PHI Training Programs
Descriptive analysis was performed to report the means and frequency distributions for continuous and categorical variables as appropriate. Further stratified analysis was performed to explore average credits required and cost per credit among both the public and the private institutions. Similarly, we performed stratified analysis to determine the frequency distribution of the different program areas engaged in existing PHI training programs. All analysis was performed using SAS version 9.1.
Our search showed that 15 programs across 13 institutions offered some kind of PHI training. Fourteen programs were US-based, and one was offered by an institution outside the United States (see Table 1). Eleven (73 percent) of the programs were certificate programs (see Figure 2). None of the institutions offered a PhD program specializing in PHI. Of the 13 institutions, 8 (62 percent) were public, and 5 (38 percent) were private.
Figure 2: Types of PHI Training Programs
Of the PHI training programs offered by the public institutions, 67 percent (six of nine programs) were certificate programs, compared to 83 percent (five of six) of the programs that were offered by the private institutions. Of all the PHI training programs, seven were offered completely online, and six used a face-to-face approach. In two programs, online and in-person classes complemented each other.
The average number of credits required to obtain a certificate in PHI was 18 (minimum 15, maximum 26). The average number of credits needed to obtain a certificate in PHI was much higher among private institutions as compared to public institutions. One institution offered 50 Continuing Medical Education (CME) units, while the other one did not mention the number of credits on the website. Two institutions offered master's degree programs in PHI, one requiring 48 credits and the other requiring 51. One public institution in the United States offered a two-year fellowship in PHI.
Table 1: Existing PHI Programs
Institution (Country)
Degree Offered
Michigan State University (USA) Graduate Certificate in Public Health Informatics 15 $16,804 Online website
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University (USA) Graduate Certificate in Public Health Informatics 26 $38,220 In person website
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University (USA) Master's of Science in Public Health (MSPH) in Public Health Informatics 48 $63,200 In person website
Johns Hopkins (USA) Certificate in Public Health Informatics 21 $19,383 Online website
University of Illinois (USA) Public Health Informatics Certificate Program 16 $11,840 Online website
University of Illinois (USA) Master in Public Health in Public Health Informatics 51 $37,740 Online website
Nova Southeastern University (USA) Graduate Certificate in Public Health Informatics 18 $9,630 Online website
Indiana University (USA) Certificate in Informatics for Public Health Professionals (Public Health Leader) 18 $16,417 In person website
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (USA) Certificate in Public Health Informatics 2 years Not possible to determine In person website
University of Utah (USA) AMIA 10×10 in Public Health Informatics 50 CME $2,195 Online website
University of Minnesota (USA) Leadership in Health Information Technology for Health Professional Certificate 15 $13,167 Online and in person website
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (USA) Certificate in Public Health Informatics 15 $11,475 In person website
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (USA) Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program 2 years Paid Fellowship In person website
Center for Public Health Informatics (India) Certificate in Public Health Informatics 24 $1,000 Online website
The average cost per credit hour for certificate programs in PHI offered in the United States was much higher in private institutions ($1,034 per credit hour) as compared to public institutions ($832 per credit hour). The average cost to acquire a certificate in PHI from a US-based private institution would be $22,411, as compared to $13,033 in a US-based public institution. The total average cost for US-based programs is $20,714, including the CME training. Programs offered completely online averaged $14,085 in tuition costs, including the CME training, while the remaining ones cost on average $27,901. One institution based outside the United States offered a PHI certificate for only $42 per credit hour, and the overall program fee was $1,000 for a one-year online program. The estimates of the above-mentioned program fees were based on the out-of-state total costs found on the websites divided by the number of credits required to obtain a certificate in PHI, or the total program fees as mentioned in certain cases.
We found 125 courses across 15 PHI training programs delivering education related to the use of technology in public health. We categorized the courses based on their title and the description when available. Of the 125 courses, 74 had public health in the title or the description of the course, followed by health (n = 27), clinical (n = 13), and population health (n = 4). Seven courses were not classified, either because their title did not include the above terms, because their description did not include any of the above terms, or because no description was available. Ninety-three courses had an information/computer science component in the title or in the description of the courses when available. Fifteen courses included research, and twenty-seven specifically referred to evaluation in either the title or the description of the course. For the rest, 6 courses mentioned geography, surveillance was found in 9 courses, 22 courses were classified as legal, 24 were classified as management, and 7 were classified as global. For 42 courses, we could not find a description on the Internet. Of the 74 public health courses identified, 25 courses were classified into particular domains of public health, of which health administration was identified as the largest subspecialty, with 10 courses found (see Figure 3). The remaining 49 public health courses were not specific to any particular domain.
Figure 3: Number of PHI Training Courses within Public Health Domains
When we specifically matched the courses to the established CDC competencies for public health informaticians, all programs addressed at least some of the components.23 The predominant themes were strategy development, knowledge and project management, interoperability, and integration with clinical and population health. However, in our analysis based on the titles and descriptions of the courses offered, no PHI program completely covered all of the CDC competencies. (see Figure 4).
Figure 4: CDC Competencies Covered by Programs According to Course Titles and Available Description
CDC Competencies Covered by Programs According to Course Titles and Available Description
Note: The labeling of the competencies is based on the classification provided in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and University of Washington's Center for Public Health Informatics. Competencies for Public Health Informaticians. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009. The competencies are as follows:
A. Supports development of strategic direction for public health informatics within the enterprise.
B. Participates in development of knowledge management tools for the enterprise.
C. Uses informatics standards.
D. Ensures that knowledge, information, and data needs of project or program users and stakeholders are met.
E. Supports information system development, procurement, and implementation that meet public health program needs.
F1. Manages IT operations related to project or program (for public health agencies with internal IT operations).
F2. Monitors IT operations managed by external organizations.
G. Communicates with cross-disciplinary leaders and team members.
H. Evaluates information systems and applications.
I. Participates in applied public health informatics research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.
J. Contributes to development of public health information systems that are interoperable with other relevant information systems.
K. Supports use of informatics to integrate clinical health, environmental risk, and population health.
L. Implements solutions that ensure confidentiality, security, and integrity while maximizing availability of information for public health.
M. Conducts education and training in public health informatics.
The information age we currently live in was made possible by developments in information and communication technologies that contribute to social and economic improvements, such as higher employment and productivity, and consequently provide better access to an improved quality of life.24 Information and communication technologies accomplish these benefits either directly, through improved healthcare provision and disease prevention, or indirectly, by contributing to broader determinants of population health such as improved social infrastructure and economic growth. Technology can play a role in higher learning and continuing education, enabling healthcare professionals in developing countries to be informed about advances in knowledge.25
There is a growing recognition worldwide that an essential component for the successful deployment of health information technology (HIT) is a competent workforce. It is increasingly recognized that well-trained PHI professionals should have knowledge not only of information technology but also of public health, business and management, and other disciplines. An assessment of the English workforce estimated that 25,000 full-time equivalents (FTEs) out of 1.3 million workers in the English National Health Services were employed in health informatics.26 "[An] Australian analysis also focused on the 'health informatics' workforce that included all individuals who were involved in health information systems. This study estimated a workforce of about 12,000 individuals in a country with a population of about 21 million. . . . [An] analysis from Canada . . . estimated about 32,450 HIT professionals in Canada, although [it] did not provide overall numbers of healthcare professionals that would allow determination of staffing ratios."27 A study in the United States focusing on the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) "estimated [a] need for 7,600 FTE for installation of [electronic health records (EHRs)] . . . , 28,600 FTE for the . . . hospitals that do not have EHRs, and 420 FTE to implement the infrastructure to connect the network. Similarly, the Office of the National Coordinator for HIT (ONC) has estimated that the goals for EHR adoption . . . would require 50,000 new personnel."28 These numbers do not address the specific workforce requirements for PHI professionals, however.
The worldwide need for skilled public health informaticians is evident. The workforce needs to understand the many facets of healthcare, including public health, health promotion, health services research, and information and communication technology.29 Our Internet search for available PHI training programs resulted in only 15 programs offered by 13 different institutions. Of these, only one program was based outside the United States, although seven of them could be taken online. These numbers are not sufficient enough to adequately address the growing global demand for professionals in the field of PHI, especially when we consider the challenges that already exist.
The programs are not adequately standardized, and at times it was difficult to find the necessary information about the PHI courses and the competencies covered in these courses. Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health has a new format for its graduate courses, and very little information is available regarding the PHI program itself. Johns Hopkins University describes the Certificate in Public Health Informatics and its main objectives but does not provide information for the individual courses that make up the program. This is also true for the Nova Southeastern University certificate program and the University of Utah short-term training program. Some of the new PHI programs had limited information available.
PHI programs should be more cost-effective and should be commonly offered as online modules to address global workforce deficiencies. Online programs have a higher potential for reaching larger audiences on an international level, as long-distance and web-based classes are not limited by physical or national boundaries. Additional solutions in developing countries, however, will involve improving education for workers and building workforce capacity.30, 31 Some barriers and challenges are easily recognizable. We found only one PHI program established outside the United States, which is a considerable deficiency when trying to address the need for a competent workforce in countries with limited resources. The average cost for completing a PHI program from a US-based institution is around $20,714, which could be a major limiting factor for individuals in developing countries. Another possible limiting factor could be the cost of living for individuals preferring to complete a program in person. The average cost for programs offered completely online was $14,085, still a very high amount for professionals living in low- and middle-income countries.
Results of the analysis of the titles and the course descriptions of the existing PHI training programs helped us to demonstrate their cross-disciplinary nature. Various other disciplines apart from public health, such as information and computer science, geography, legal affairs, and management, are included in the curricula of PHI training programs. Global health was addressed in a very limited manner, however, as only 7 out of 125 courses made a reference to health in a global perspective. This could be an important limiting factor when facing the growing need for public health informaticians in the developing world, where the context in which technology can help address healthcare issues is different from the US paradigm.
When analyzing the competencies covered in these courses, we found that they are mainly based on the competencies developed by the CDC.32 The framework that these competencies primarily follow might not be adequate in the context of the developing world.33 Furthermore, none of the existing courses covers all of the competencies proposed by the CDC, or at least it is not clear how they will be addressed from the curricula provided on the program or institution websites. Areas that appear to receive less coverage in the existing programs are management and monitoring of information technology operations, cross-disciplinary communication, and applied PHI research and education. Currently, it is very difficult to assess the level of training that is being offered to potential PHI professionals. The information provided online by the institutions that offer PHI programs can at times be confusing or even incomplete.
Several limitations exist in the current study. One limitation might be an incomplete search related to finding PHI programs. Existing PHI programs might include some programs for which information is not available on the Internet. We might have missed some programs due to information overload on the Internet even though every possible effort was made to identify the best sources for information about PHI programs. Another limitation might be the noninclusion of PHI programs not available in English. For the classification of the courses into one or more CDC competencies, we relied on the information provided by the course title and description, when available. Due to limited information and description on the Internet, we were not able to classify and categorize all of the courses or to match all of them with the CDC competencies. Contact was initiated with the universities for whom the information was not available on the Internet.
Despite these limitations, however, the existing scenario reflects a tremendous need to develop new contextual and cost-effective PHI training programs. Good quality must be ensured, while programs must also be accessible to the individuals who have the greatest need for such training to meet the healthcare needs of their populations through the successful adoption of technology. The currently available training has yet to meet the needs of the global workplace, providing individuals who have PHI training within specific competency domains.
The design, implementation, and management of public health information systems present a global challenge that can be addressed only by a workforce skilled in the area of PHI. More PHI programs that account for the specific challenges of the developing world must be designed and established. Creation of these programs should be stimulated, and public health researchers must undertake further study to investigate and identify what is needed to solidify the emerging discipline of PHI.
Ashish Joshi, MD, MPH, is an assistant professor at the Center for Global Health and Development and the Department of Health Services Research and Administration at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE.
Douglas Marcel Puricelli Perin is a research assistant at the Center for Global Health and Development and the Department of Health Services Research and Administration at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE.
1. Rockefeller Foundation. "Public Health Informatics." In From Silos to Systems: An Overview of eHealth's Transformative Power. New York: Rockefeller Foundation, 2006, 14–19.
2. Yasnoff, W. A., P. W. O'Carroll, D. Koo, R. W. Linkins, and E. M. Kilbourne. "Public Health Informatics: Improving and Transforming Public Health in the Information Age." Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 6, no. 6 (2000): 67–75.
3. Rockefeller Foundation. "Public Health Informatics."
4. Bernstam, E. V., J. W. Smith, and T. R. Johnson. "What Is Biomedical Informatics?" Journal of Biomedical Informatics 43, no. 1 (2010): 104–10.
5. Shortliffe, E. H., and M. S. Blois. "The Computer Meets Medicine and Biology: Emergence of a Discipline." In E. H. Shortliffe and J. J. Cimino (Editors), Biomedical Informatics: Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine. 3rd ed. New York: Springer Science+Business Media, 2006, 3–45.
6. Hersh, W. "A Stimulus to Define Informatics and Health Information Technology." BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 9 (2009): 24.
7. Yasnoff, W. A., P. W. O'Carroll, D. Koo, R. W. Linkins, and E. M. Kilbourne. "Public Health Informatics: Improving and Transforming Public Health in the Information Age."
9. Shekelle, P. G., S. C. Morton, and E. B. Keeler. Costs and Benefits of Health Information Technology (AHRQ Publication No. 06-E006). Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 132. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, April 2006, 1–71.
10. Detmer, D. E. "Information Technology for Quality Health Care: A Summary of United Kingdom and United States Experiences." Quality in Health Care 9, no. 3 (2000): 181–89.
11. Chandrasekhar, C. P., and J. Ghosh. "Information and Communication Technologies and Health in Low Income Countries: The Potential and the Constraints." Bulletin of the World Health Organization 79, no. 9 (2001): 850–55.
12. Hersh, W. "Health Care Information Technology: Progress and Barriers." Journal of the American Medical Association 292 (2004): 2273–74.
13. Hersh, W., A. Margolis, F. Quirós, and P. Otero. "Building a Health Informatics Workforce in Developing Countries." Health Affairs (Project Hope) 29, no. 2 (2010): 274–77.
14. Tomasi, E., L. A. Facchini, and M. F. Maia. "Health Information Technology in Primary Health Care in Developing Countries: A Literature Review." Bulletin of the World Health Organization 82, no. 11 (2004): 867–74.
15. Hersh, W., A. Margolis, F. Quirós, and P. Otero. "Building a Health Informatics Workforce in Developing Countries."
16. Rockefeller Foundation. "Public Health Informatics."
18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and University of Washington's Center for Public Health Informatics. Competencies for Public Health Informaticians. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009.
19. O'Carroll, P. W, and the Public Health Informatics Competencies Working Group. Informatics Competencies for Public Health Professionals. Seattle, WA: Northwest Center for Public Health Practice, 2002.
20. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and University of Washington's Center for Public Health Informatics. Competencies for Public Health Informaticians.
21. Kampov-Polevoi, J., and B. M. Hemminger. "A Curricula-based Comparison of Biomedical and Health Informatics Programs in the USA." Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association 18, no. 2 (2011): 195–202.
22. Institute of Medical Biometry and Medical Informatics. "Public Health Informatics, Economics of Care." Health Informatics World Wide. 2010. Available at http://www.hiww.orgPHI.html (accessed April 20, 2012).
24. Chandrasekhar, C. P., and J. Ghosh. "Information and Communication Technologies and Health in Low Income Countries: The Potential and the Constraints."
26. Hersh, W. "The Health Information Technology Workforce: Estimations of Demands and a Framework for Requirements." Applied Clinical Informatics 1 (2010): 200.
29. Committee on Educating Public Health Professionals for the 21st Century. "The Future of Public Health Education." In Who Will Keep the Public Healthy? Educating Public Health Professionals for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2003, 61–107.
33. Tomasi, E., L. A. Facchini, and M. F. Maia. "Health Information Technology in Primary Health Care in Developing Countries: A Literature Review."
Article citation:Joshi, Ashish; Perin, Douglas Marcel . "Gaps in the Existing Public Health Informatics Training Programs: A Challenge to the Development of a Skilled Global Workforce." Perspectives in Health Information Management (Fall 2012).
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The past RWC provided disappointing outcomes for many teams. For some, expectations were high for quarter and semi final advancement with hopes for a place in the finals. For squads with less lofty ambitions, two or three pool wins would have constituted success.
Here is an arbitrary list ranking the nations by discontent.
1.Ireland - The Irish had never made it to the semifinals in the past world cups. The team won the 2014 Six Nations championship albeit on points differential. Last autumn, they defeated Australia 26-23 and South Africa 29-15 in Dublin. They marched through Pool D play 4-0. Then, they met Argentina in the quarterfinals, giving up a quick 14 points in ten minutes. The Irish narrowed the deficit to 23-20 in the second half before Los Pumas rolled up 20 more points to humiliate Ireland 43-20. It's on to "Wait 'til next cup."
2.England - Toughest RWC pool with Wales and Australia but playing in front of the hometown crowd. Led Wales by ten points and lost. The Red Roses never recovered and Australia hammered them out of the tournament. First time the hosts never advanced in world cup competition. A national rugby malaise hangs over the nation that gifted rugby to the world.
3.France - Okay, not the best French team in years. And, historically, the menace to the All Blacks in world cup matches. Went 3-1 in the pool, and advanced to the next round. Result: New Zealand 62 - Les Bleus 13, a significant rout that demonstrated the disparity in team capabilities.
4.Tonga - Most thought Tonga had a good chance to win two games in a pool. However, Georgia proved to be the Pool's C Cinderella fifteen beating Tonga 17-10, and the Europeans ended 2-2.
5.Samoa - In Pool B, the prediction was that the Samoans would beat Japan and the USA, and, perhaps contend with a weak Scotland squad for an upset third victory. Instead, the Japanese won, as did the Scots, leaving Samoa to beat the USA for its only victory.
6.Fiji - Played in the most difficult pool, and other than a thumping by England 33-11 in the opener, did not disgrace themselves against Wales and Australia. A win against a top tier nation eluded them again.
7.Canada - Did not have a good Pacific Nations tournament. Confident they could beat Romania and went ahead by 15-0 in the second half. But Romania came back to win 17-15 and send the Canadians to 0-4.
8.USA - The Eagles had been 0-4 in past RWCs. They beat Japan and Canada in the Pacific Nations Cup so expectations were up. Led Scotland at the half and lost. Then the disappointing whitewash against South Africa, the only shutout of the event. A 0-4 result again and questions about the progress of rugby in America.
9.Uruguay - Entered in the most difficult pool and beaten by big margins against the four, first ten seeds. Managed two tries in the tournament, a small consolation.
10.Namibia - The last nation to qualify. But had close games, only losing to Tonga by a point. For a small nation it was a welcome victory even with a 0-4 outcome.
11.Italy - Won two and lost two. Lost to France and Ireland whom they play in the Six Nations Championship and beat Canada and Romania. Still remain a midland fifteen that needs to improve.


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Making the Stinky, Sticky, Slimy Beloved Superfood of Japan: NYrture Natto | food. curated.
1 Comment on Making the Stinky, Sticky, Slimy Beloved Superfood of Japan: NYrture Natto | food. curated.
But, to me, that's fun, you know it's interesting. It's something to talk about. Nacho truly, is the Japanese cheese? It's a vegan version of a you know, really complex umami rich, like washed rind, cheese and yeah. Many cheese lovers really enjoy natto and see that that parallel in the flavor profile, it's a food that I feel like more people need to have access to, because I think it can benefit a lot of people by incorporating it into their diets hi.
My name is ana anat ani, i'm the founder and owner of nurture food, which makes natto in brooklyn new york natto is, is really a ubiquitous food and everyday food. That's most commonly eaten for breakfast. Yes, I feel, like I have sort of taken on the mission of being a cheerleader, a spokesperson, an evangelist for natto in the in America, and it really is because I I truly believe that natto is just so special, so unique.
I think, if there's any food on earth that deserves to be called a superfood, it's not Oh in a weird way: I'm I'm an urban farmer, an urban microbe farmer, I grow bacteria and those bacteria eat soybeans and they help me produce natto yeah, I'm a nerd! So this is day one of nature's natto making process every bath starts with this step, which is me hand sorting through the beans about the process and our beans are beautiful and fantastic.
I like to think that every single nacho being we sell, has passed underneath my eyes, I'm a microbiologist actually and that's how I got into this business just being fascinated by by the by the power of of the microbial world. And so you know I'm interested in how consuming some of these good bacteria, these probiotics types of bacteria, in the form of fermented foods, how that impacts, human health, our first products, so those little white nuts are actually chemically pure umami taste.
I mean there's documentation like written documentation describing natto for over a thousand years in the West and in America it's virtually unknown. It makes me think that if more adults would come to natto with just an open minds, a lot more of them might find that they actually like it. This might be excessive, but I readed them ten times. You know soak them, agitate them and then dump out the water, and then they sit in the bath overnight are able to of to hydrate.
So they will swell to over twice twice the weight and volume. When I first learned how to make not two from a fifth generation not to maker in Tokyo, he told me that the most important step was to choose the best bean you could to start with, and he was right. The best nachos soybeans in America are grown in the northern Midwest, mostly in North Dakota, and something that a lot of people don't realize is that most of the natto that's made in the world ie the natto that's made and sold in Japan is actually most of It is made from u.
S. Grown soy and the bulk of that also from North Dakota. Specifically, so we also have black soybeans and then another brown bean which is certified organic natto soybeans, are are very different from the typical commodity soybean. Thus they're non-gmo sort of by definition, but soybeans that are used to make nacho by any decent automaker our really beans that have been selected carefully selected over generations to be ideal.
For this particular fermentation process. What makes nurture natto unique our natto is fresh. It's never been frozen, unlike all all the natto that is imported from Japan is frozen before export and that's important one because you know freezing and thawing foods can really affect its taste and its texture. But two if people are motivated by eating natto for its health benefits, freezing and thawing also significantly damages those health benefits as well.
Oh is it got some sugar to it? It has at least three completely unique properties that are, unlike any other food on earth. Okay, number one: it's probiotic right: it's fermented with bacillus subtlest, which is a member of the healthy gut microbiome. So it's a probiotic bacteria that isn't found in any other fermented foods, certainly in the West. So a second one is that natto is the most concentrated food source of vitamin k2 of any food on earth and it beats any other by an order of magnitude, and so vitamin k2 is essential for for bone health.
But it's also very important for cardiovascular health. It doesn't matter how much calcium you eat if you don't have enough vitamin k2 to help recruit it out of your bloodstream and bring it to your bones. It accumulates and causes arterial calcification and leads to heart disease. The third reason is that there's an enzyme named after natto, it's called natto kinase, and this enzyme is a natural blood thinner.
It has an enzymatic activity which actually has been shown to be capable of breaking down blood clots and the only natural source of it is natto. Well, there are some cardiologists, actually you who are starting to promote. Not to so you know, we're really hoping to work with health, healthcare providers to educate them and hel them educate their patients. Whether your reason is the vitamin k2 or the natto kinase content or or the probiotics.
You know why not at least give it a try and eat the food which is one delicious. I think cheaper than taking a pill and three you get all three of these benefits at once. Many Japanese people have told me that our natto is the most delicious. Not toe that they've ever had either here or even in Japan, which is great to hear. I've also gone to the National nacho competition in Japan and met many natto producers from Japan and also gotten really high praise from natto producers in Japan.
I think this favorite moment of mine in the entire you know week-long process of making the nacho is that moment like after the fermentation is complete when I get to just pull back the film on on a fresh tray of nacho and just see that Nevernever stickiness, Those spiderwebs sort of coming off the off the beans and sort of the the the more resistance I have from those strings, the better. I know the fermentation is the better than natto, so it's also sort of a quality control assessment at the same time, but I love that feeling of like the the biofilm resisting my pull so yeah.
We really look at this as as a long game we're at the very beginning of it right now, but you know I I suspect it may take ten years, maybe twenty years or not so to become known enough for people to recognize it as a thing as A food so it'll take a while and a lot of Education and exposure like this to just spread the word or logo. Many people comment on our logo. It's actually a mathematical function, it's a Fermont spiral or a parabolic spiral, and I loved it because the center of it kind of looks like a yin-yang symbol and to me it represents the two ingredients and our food, the soybeans and the probiotic bacteria.
It's sort of coming together and synergizing and making something better, bigger, more beautiful than the two components alone.
Tags artisans, brooklyn, cooking, entrepreneurs, fermentation, Food, food curated, food documentaries, food makers, food videos, foodie, good food, gothamist, grubstreet, heart health, inspiring, james beard award, natto, nattokinase, nyc food, Recipes, small business, storytelling, superfood, wellness
How To Make The Clover Club Classic Cocktail | Drinks Made Easy
No Comments on How To Make The Clover Club Classic Cocktail | Drinks Made Easy
So it could be even older than that. First, printing now a lot of modern folks know of this drink because of one of the rock stars of the bartending world. Julie Rayner, who has a bar in Brooklyn, called the clover club, and this became one of their signature drinks. If you don't know Julie check her out, she is a bona fide badass, but this is a great cocktail. If you hadn't had before, you definitely need to check it out to make the clover club you'll start with a half an ounce of raspberry syrup.
However, if you don't already have raspberries here, a good workaround is 1/2, an ounce of simple syrup and four raspberries that you're then just going to muddle. You might be thinking wait, but that's a bit more volume than half an ounce you're right, but you're going to get a little bit of a reduction when you're making a series using heat. So this is an approximation for overall labor again raspberry syrups are great to have for desserts, etc.
But if you're just making one cocktail, it's a great workaround. Next, we're add: half an ounce of dry vermouth, half an ounce of fresh lemon juice, one and a half ounces of gin and only a quarter ounce of egg whites. Now, if you like your dream to be extra emulsified or you really like the kind of whiskey sour foam, you can add a little bit more and we're going to start by doing a dry shake any time you have egg whites.
This is really imperative. If you want to get a nice foam on your cocktail, now you're going to have a lot of ice and get a wet, then we're going to double strain into a coupe. Now you wouldn't normally need to double strain, but because we're muddling the raspberries is a good idea to basically keep all the pulp and seeds out of your drink garnish with a skewer of fresh raspberries and easy. As that you have the clover club, it's a great classic cocktail that, unlike a lot of modern raspberry drinks that are quite sweet, there's a lot of subtle aspects to this with the vermouth and just the touch of raspberry and the egg whites is bring it all Together, if you're looking for something that has a lot of complexity of flavor but isn't overly sweet, try this drink out? If you have any comments, please be sure to leave them below.
We will get back to you as soon as we can cheers from drinks made easy
Tags at home cocktails, brooklyn, classic cocktails, clover club bar, drinks at home, gin and juice, gin cocktails, gin drinks, homemade cocktails, how to make a clover club cocktail, how to make classic drinks, how to make cocktails, how to make drinks, how to make gin drinks, julie reiner, make cocktails, make drinks, paradise cocktail, raspberry cocktails, raspberry drinks, the clover club, the clover club cocktail, the ideal bartender, the old fashioned

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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England vs South Africa Preview
All the talking is over and we're ready for the opening game of the 2019 Cricket World Cup as hosts England take on a dangerous South Africa outfit.
Eoin Morgan's side have produced a scintillating brand of cricket in recent years and have consequently propelled themselves to the top of the ICC World Rankings.
They start the tournament as favourites and boast a side packed full of firepower with the likes of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler in their ranks.
The ability to consistently put scores of 350+ on the board has been crucial to their success in recent times, and they just might have found the missing ingredient to their side with the addition of a world-class pace bowler in Jofra Archer.
Barbadian-born, Archer only qualified to play for England this year and has already shown his capabilities as he forced himself into the squad at the last minute.
The preparations for the World Cup have also been promising after a convincing 4-0 series victory over Pakistan. They then suffered a narrow loss to Australia in a warm-up match without a couple key players, before a resounding victory over Afghanistan.
England's side largely picks itself for the opening game with Roy and Bairstow opening the batting, whilst Joe Root, Morgan, Stokes and Buttler complete a formidable top six. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid will start the tournament as the two spin options, with Liam Dawson waiting in the wings if the latter's recent injury issues persist.
Archer and Chris Woakes are almost certain to line up at the Kia Oval, and it seems that the only selection decision rests with the extra seam bowler. Liam Plunkett is probably in the driving seat to get the nod initially if Mark Wood isn't deemed fit enough, but it's a long tournament and both of those two will feature along with Surrey's Tom Curran at various stages.
England are favourites to win the opening game but they face a South Africa who shouldn't be underestimated. They may be without the star quality of AB De Villiers from previous tournaments but the likes of Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis are more than capable against any attack.
In Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir, they possess two of the best limited overs bowlers in world cricket over the last few years and England will have to be wary. South Africa have always been highly fancied going into previous tournaments but they have come unstuck on each occasion, usually from a positive position where they have failed to get themselves over the line.
This tournament is slightly different as all the talk beforehand has been about whether England can deliver on home soil, and the likes of India and Australia have also been touted as potential winners. Not many people have mentioned South Africa but there is still a core of players there that can deliver on the biggest stage and they are more than capable of progressing to the semi-finals.
It promises to be a fantastic match to start the tournament, and if both teams have aspirations of going all the way then they won't want to get off to a losing start.
Fancy either of these sides to lift the trophy this summer? Well you can collect valuable Rewards4Cricket points when backing your favourite with either of our two betting partners, bet365 or Betfred.
Plus, if you currently don't have an account with either of them, you can collect up to £20 in Rewards4Cricket points after your initial deposit!
by Matt Gibbs at Rewards4Cricket
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Musical sensation Shammah Vocals and veteran artist Piksy on Saturday night both picked up two awards at the Urban Music People (UMP) held at Robins Parks in Blantyre.
In what most people say well deserved wins, Shammah Vocals got Best AfroSoul Act and Best Urban GospelAct.
Speaking when he accepted both gongs, Shammah Vocals, in the company of a crowd of people close to him and fans said he owed the success to his Producer Jay Emm, and his fans for their support.
Pisky got Best Artist of the year and his hit 'Umakwana' went away with song the year gong.
Kelly Kay received his 5th award in the category of Best RnB/Afropop Artist/Group.
Other big winners of the night were VJ Ken, Njuchi Eli and Toast, Henwood and Tuno.
The video director, VJKen gave an emphatic speech saying he has broken a record just a year into the music video business.
Sadly, "In heaven, all the interesting people are missing." – Fredrich Nietzsche.


Groningen is doing quite well in the Dutch startup scene. The city has the largest number of successful startups after Amsterdam. We take a look at some of the most interesting ones.
Groningen's long standing city slogan is 'Nothing tops Groningen'. Recently the city has adopted a second slogan: 'Groningen, city of talent', in light of its success as a startup city.
But wait, doesn't every city in The Netherlands wants to be the next happening place, nowadays? Indeed, especially since StartupDelta saw the light of day, a staggering number of startup portals, creative environments and entrepreneur-friendly office spaces popped up in every sizable city in the country. Every city has its specialty and is eager to showcase it.
Groningen's specialties, according to StartupDelta, are data services, energy and healthy ageing. Of course, in reality there is much more happening in Groningen. And maybe, this northern city has the rights to brag about its status as a happening startup hub.
Every year Deloitte publishes the Technology Fast50-ranking, a list of the fifty fastest growing Dutch technology companies. Seven companies from Groningen are present on the 2015 edition of list. To put this in perspective: Twelve companies on the list are from Amsterdam, four from Eindhoven and three each from Rotterdam, Utrecht and Enschede. Groningen is the only city with a consistently growing number of listed companies over the last four years.
As the Fast50 list includes all fast growing companies, not all of them should be considered startups. Still, there are some impressive Groningen startups and scale-ups on the list.
VoIPGRID, a provider of corporate communication solutions was founded in 2010. VoIPGRID is a spin-off of scale-up Voys (founded in 2006), which is also on the list. Both startups were founded by entrepreneur Mark Vletter, who also founded coding startup Devhouse Spindle.
Looking for Booking is a corporate travel site and was founded in 2005, so is not really a startup anymore. As a fast growing internet company, it could be considered a scale-up.
The same is true for Frank (formerly known as Experty), which was founded in 2008, but is still growing fast. Frank is a provider of niche market web shops in seven European countries.
Diagnoptics, founded in 2003, is a MedTech company which started as a spin-off of the Groningen University Medical Centre. This scale-up fits firmly in the 'healthy ageing' category, one of Groningen's specialties. Diagnoptics develops advanced non-invasive diagnostic tools such as the Age Reader, a device that measures Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) to provide a risk prediction for chronic diseases.
Groningen produced many other startups and scale-ups, which might not be on the Deloitte Fast50 list, but are worth mentioning as well.
The poster child of the Groningen startup scene is HackerOne. The security startup lets companies hire (friendly) hackers to discover software vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Hackers are paid bounties if bugs or breaches are found. Customers include over a hundred companies, including Adobe, Airbnb, Twitter and Yahoo. Last year, HackerOne was the youngest company to feature in the top five of the biggest startup deals of 2015. The company operates from its headquarters in San Francisco, but has recenlty announced it will also expand its activities in Groningen.
Social media engagement platform Crowdynews was founded in 2010. Recently they received 3.7 million euro in additional funding, just one year after a previous 2.5 million euro investment.
Simplicate, which produces a SaaS-based accountancy solution for SME's, was founded in 2012. Recently, Simplicate received a 1 million euro investment.
File transfer and storage startupAttachingIT, which was selected for the Microsoft Ventures accelerator in 2014.
Chordify, founded in 2012, is a music startup which lets its users turn any music into chords. Chordify pitched during Web Summit 2015 in Dublin.


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Mike Rafalczyk - Trombone
First started playing at the age of 14 in 1978, and already formed his first band in 1981. In 1990 he began studying jazz at the Folkwang-Hochschule in Essen (Germany), from which he graduated in 1994.
As a trombone and bluesharp player and as a singer, he has toured and recorded with the following musicians and bands:
Since 1999, permanent member of Albie Donnelly's "Supercharge", "Champion" Jack Dupree, Peanuts Huckoo (USA, performed with L.Armstrong/Glenn Miller), Ken Colyer (tp, GB), Roy Williams (tb, GB), John Barnes (sax, GB ), John Crocker (sax) and Vic Pitt (b), both musicians for Chris Barber, Phillip Catherine (g, F), Musician at the following theaters: Duisburg, Oberhausen, Dortmund, Wuppertal, in productions like "Dreigroschenoper", "Buddy Boldens Blues", "Bugsy Malone", "Girls, Girls, Girls". Musician at "Komm' Mit Mann!s" during 10 years. Festivals in: Dresden, Kempten, Bilbao (E), Eslöv (S), Basel (CH), St. Guermine (F), Copenhagen (DK), Verona (I)
Mike Rafalczyk's pro tips
Breathing and embouchure for brass players
Professional trombone playing - Part 1


Are We Teaching Our Children to Be Successful or to Feel Entitled?
Madison was in her high school class for 10 minutes before wandering out. She didn't return, which was nothing unusual. She drops in and out of class regularly without a word to anyone. Sometimes she returns, but other times she's absent for most of the period.
Her teacher (my husband) doesn't know where she goes. Madison's psychiatrist has diagnosed her as having an anxiety disorder, so her teachers have been told to allow her to leave class any time she feels anxious. When she misses assignments, it's the responsibility of her teachers to make sure she has enough extra time to finish them.
Currently she's nine days late turning in a project that was supposed to take 18 days. That means her teacher has to give her nine extra days to make up the work, one day for each day missed.
But the recent week-long spring break doesn't count toward those makeup days. Neither do weekends, despite the fact that Madison was on a vacation with her parents before spring break and missed several days due to sickness later. Only official school days are considered legitimate makeup days.
Madison is bright and capable, but she has a 504 classification, which means she receives special accommodations under the federal civil rights 504 statute that bars discrimination against children with disabilities.
Jeremy also has a 504. His doctor diagnosed him with IED (Intermittent Explosive Disorder), an impulse-control disorder causing sudden episodes of unwarranted anger. The disorder is characterized by hostility, impulsivity, and recurrent aggressiveness.
Andrew, another 504 student, was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). People with OCD get frustrated if everything isn't perfect. When Andrew got upset about an assignment, he smashed his computer.
My husband probably went against school policy by requiring him to buy another computer, but Andrew came up with the money, my husband purchased the computer, and Andrew hasn't had a temper tantrum since then.
I've changed the names of these students, but the situations are real. My husband teaches in a high-income area and the school is high-performing, ranking right up at the top of schools nationwide. Parents are affluent and students are competing to get into the best colleges.
The school has some good things going for it. It's diverse, with a lot of students from outside the United States whose parents have come here to work in the technology industry.
It's a state of the art school with a beautiful, expensive building, an amazing Culinary Arts department and a laptop for every student.
Some students can already write advanced computer programs and a few have won state-wide competitions. A lot of them participate in extracurricular activities and make top scores on the SAT.
But beneath the success, there's an undercurrent of dysfunction. Several students have committed suicide, leading to school-wide sessions on suicide prevention. Over a third of the students are on medication for mental or emotional health. The absentee rate, especially before and after holidays, is astronomical.
When a doctor diagnoses a student as suffering from a physical or mental condition that substantially limits a major life activity, the student qualifies for special accommodations under the 504 statute.
Adequate accommodation could mean overlooking disruptive behavior, allowing extra time to complete homework assignments and tests, or providing a different, individualized curriculum that isn't as difficult for the child to master.
When my husband taught in a low-income area, there were plenty of disruptive students and plenty of students who wanted to wander out of class, but there were no visits to psychiatrists and no 504's.
Teachers were given free rein to demand a certain level of accountability, and students flourished when more was expected of them.
Due to the three-hour commute, my husband eventually transferred to his current school. For the first several years, he taught a lot of students with 504 classifications. This year he decided to teach all AP (Advanced Placement) classes. He figured AP students wouldn't require special treatment, since AP classes count as college credits and add several points to a student's GPA.
He was wrong. Everybody wanted to be in these classes because of the extra GPA points, but parents still demanded special accommodation. This was a source of contention, because the curriculum wasn't supposed to be modified or "dumbed down" if a student wanted to earn college credits.
Most of the students are bright. They could complete the work if they weren't missing so many classes, on their cell phones or socializing with friends. Madison (the girl who keeps leaving class) is extremely social when she's there.
Some students earn B's and C's despite their behavior, but they're upset when they don't get A's. Their parents are upset, too, if the number of irate emails sent to teachers is any indication. Having B's and C's on their record might not get them into the best universities.
My husband and I support the federal rights 504 statute ensuring that schools can't discriminate against children with disabilities. We are beneficiaries of the statute, since our severely autistic grandson needs special accommodations. He's incapable of doing what other kids his age are able to do, and in a different era would be kept out of public school.
But like a lot of things that start out good, the 504 statute has morphed into something that enables bright, capable students to goof off.
Parents would probably be surprised at how their children rose to the occasion if more were demanded of them. Why is working during spring break or on a weekend considered a hardship when the student has just returned from the Bahamas or from a European vacation?
How is allowing a student to wander in and out of class helping her work through her anxiety issues?
Why should a teenager be allowed to disrupt class with angry, negative outbursts that resemble a toddler's tantrums (except for the profanity)?
If teenagers have emotional and mental issues, they should get the help they need. But failing to teach self-control and accountability is harming more than helping them. It's human nature to get away with as much as we possibly can. As we get older, we develop values that help us curb those tendencies. How are we helping children develop values and strength of character if we make allowances for everything they feel like doing?
Children should learn that the grade you earn is the grade you get.
They should be taught that it isn't respectful or acceptable to disrupt class with uncontrolled outbursts.
And they should understand that you can't go through life making excuses and blaming others; education is an opportunity that comes with some requirements.
There are still a lot of good parents and good teachers. But the other ones are making the most noise and demanding the most attention.
My church minister once said, "School teaches children to make a living. We teach them to make a life." Parents who believe they are helping their children succeed by enabling them not to fail might want to ask if they are teaching their children to make a life.
Bebe is Christian, writer, reader, publisher and founder Priority Publishing, Inc., nonprofit advocate, hiker, wife, mom, believes in sharing your gifts.


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Digital Storytelling (EL231: Topics in Creative Writing)
Dennis G. Jerz / 16 Oct 2013
Meets SHU's "Artistic Expression" core requirement.
EL231 "Digital Storytelling"
(Dec 18-Jan 22)
Unit 1 (Dec 18-22) mostly experiencing digital stories (reading, watching, listening, playing, whatever), and reading articles & discussing them online.
(We take a break Dec 23-Jan 1: no classes, no homework.)
Unit 2 (Jan 2-7) trying out 4-5 tools for creating digital stories, and learning two in a little more detail.
Unit 3 (Jan 8-14) planning and creating your own original digital story.
Unit 4 (Jan 15-22) revising, polishing, and presenting your digital artifact.
Regular Semester Begins (Jan 23)
Final Reflection (Jan 29) Submit final version of digital artifact.
Grades Due (Jan 31) my deadline for submitting final grades.
What is storytelling? What makes a story digital? How does storytelling change when it becomes digital? What can we learn about storytelling from stories that are born digital — stories that could not happen in any other medium? How do we go about making, revising, evaluating, and sharing such stories?
What would a student in a "Digital Storytelling" course create? Here are some examples:
A hypertext choose-your-own-adventure story.
A fictional relationship that unfolds in real time, across multiple Twitter or Facebook accounts (all controlled by the student-author).
A collection of images, sound clips, and words, carefully chosen to create a specific effect.
A collaborative wiki that presents Wikipedia-style articles about an event that never took place (but should have).
An activist website that combines personal stories, factual research, and a call to action.
A news story that uses photos, sound, interactive maps, and traditional writing to tell a compelling story.
A video that uses traditional cinema techniques as well as special effects, creative editing, and social media engagement to explore (and perhaps participate in) the viral video phenomenon.
An augmented reality story (such as a real-world treasure hunt or "assassination" game, with clues embedded into a fictional online narrative).
Something else — something completely different, that nobody has imagined before.
More details about each unit follow.
Unit 1: Discovery and Exploration (Dec 18-23)
We will study examples of innovative, influential, and otherwise noteworthy digital stories. These will include text-based interactive fiction from the 70s and 80s and from today; point-and-click adventure games from the 90s and from today; literary and creative hypertext; virtual reality communities; and various exploratory, emerging examples. Successful completion of this unit will include sampling (reading, watching, playing etc.) digital artifacts; reading academic and news articles about the artifacts, their creators, and their significance; participating in online discussions with your peers; and writing a short reflection paper.
Unit 2: Analysis and Skill-Building (Jan 2-7)
Students will choose a small number of digital genres to explore in greater detail; students will familiarize themselves with 3-5 different content creation tools (such as Scratch for 2D games, Blender3D for 3D games, Inform for text-based games, ChoiceScript for multiple-choice games like "Choice of the Dragon," etc.). All of these tools are free. Successful completion of this unit will include creating an entry-level artifact in each tool (basically completing a tutorial and supplying some original content), choosing two different artifacts to develop in more detail (to the level of an exploratory draft), and writing a short synthesis paper.
Unit 3: Planning and Creating an Original Digital Narrative (Jan 8-14)
Students will propose, plan, and build an original digital storytelling project. The project can be a game, creative nonfiction, a landscape to explore, a puzzle to solve, a position to argue, or some other computer-mediated artifact that your user can experience as a digital story. You may create your own version of one of the storytelling genres we explored in Unit 1, or you may choose a completely different genre. You may use one of the tools we explored in Unit 2, or a completely different tool. Successful completion of this unit involves researching, planning, prototyping, self-assessing, completing, and sharing with the class a digital storytelling artifact.
Unit 4: User-testing, Revising, and Presenting the Artifact (Jan 15-22; final due date Jan 29)
Students will present their digital artifact to volunteers (not students in this class) who closely represent the intended audience, and then revise the artifact with those results in mind. (For example, if users found a particular puzzle impossible to solve, or they wanted more opportunities to interact with a particular character, or they give up before getting to what you consider to be the most important part, you would revise your artifact accordingly.)Successful completion of this unit will involve recording and reporting the experiences of at least three volunteers, demonstrating how you applied specific user feedback to improve some specific part of your project, presenting a polished version of your project to the class (and, if you choose, to the general public); and writing an analytical self-reflection paper (due Jan 29, the last day I will accept any work).
16 Oct 2013 in Academia, Books, Cyberculture, Design, Games, Humanities, Literacy, Literature, Media, Modding, Rhetoric, Technology, Writing. Tags: blender3d
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Health Issues and Medical »
Medical »
Obese people and drug users who refuse treatment could have benefits cut
Author Topic: Obese people and drug users who refuse treatment could have benefits cut (Read 2140 times)
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/29/benefits-drugs-alcohol-obesity-refusing-treatment-review
David Cameron launches review by Dame Carol Black of welfare for those with drug, alcohol or obesity problems.
A full-scale review is to be launched into whether tens of thousands of obese people and those with drug and alcohol problems should be deprived of benefits unless they accept treatment.
A consultation paper launched on Wednesday for a review to be completed before the end of the year by Dame Carol Black admits strong ethical issues are at stake. But it also questions whether such people should continue to receive benefits if they refuse government-provided treatment.
The review, which was limited to obese people when it was first outlined in February, will now be expanded to include the cost of drug dependency and alcoholism to society and taxpayers.
The consultation paper stresses that the purpose of the review is not punitive but to "consider how best to support those suffering from long-term yet treatable conditions back into work or to remain in work".
The review is designed to "establish the role such treatable conditions play in causing worklessness and estimate the associated cost to the exchequer and the economy".
It will also consider the groups most at risk of becoming workless through treatable conditions in future and the support available to them, including incentives on employers.
The Black review points out that "long-term conditions such as drug addiction and alcohol dependence, or obesity, can seriously affect people's chances of taking up and remaining in rewarding employment".
In England alone, research from 2008 and 2010 indicated that one in 15 working-age benefit claimants are dependent on drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine, and one in 25 working-age benefit claimants are suffering from alcohol dependency.
On the basis that these ratios have remained broadly constant since this research was carried out, the government estimates that in August last year "about 280,000 working-age benefit claimants are suffering from addiction to opiates, and 170,000 from alcohol dependency".
The paper calculates that, in May 2014, there were 7,440 working-age disability living allowance claimants whose main disabling condition was obesity. There were also 240 incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants, and 1,540 people claiming employment and support allowance.
But the government believes this underestimates the total number of benefit claimants with obesity, since some of that group will have other main disabling conditions recorded that may be caused, or made worse, by obesity.
The paper says: "While many long-term conditions are potentially treatable, the current system fails to ensure everyone receives effective healthcare or specialist employment support. This keeps many people out of work – trapping them in worklessness and welfare dependency.
"For about 90,000 people claiming employment and support allowance, their illness is primarily due to their drug or alcohol addiction. Of these, about 8,000 have been claiming incapacity benefits for five years or more."
Dependent drug users are vulnerable to overdoses, blood-borne viruses and general poor health. Furthermore, research from 1996 to 2000 suggests there are between 200,000 and 300,000 children in England and Wales where one or both parents have drug misuse problems.
Being overweight is associated with increases in the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, several types of cancers, and musculoskeletal conditions, and is also associated with poor mental health in adults, and stigma and bullying in childhood.
Current government estimates suggest "harmful alcohol consumption costs about £3.5bn per year to the NHS, £11bn in crime and more than £7bn to the economy in lost productivity, and the societal costs of drug addiction are estimated to be £15.4bn".
In addition, the Department of Health estimates costs of more than £5bn a year to the NHS and £27bn to the economy from obesity, with almost 25% of adults and about 15% of children being obese.
The prime minister, David Cameron, will say: "Our one-nation approach is about giving everyone the opportunity to improve their lives, and for some that means dealing with those underlying health issues first and foremost.
"Whether it is drug or alcohol problems, or preventable conditions in terms of obesity, support and treatment will be there for you. And we must look at what we do when people simply say no thanks and refuse that help, but expect taxpayers to carry on funding their benefits.
"Over the next five years, I want to see many more people coming off sick benefit and into work and Carol Black will report back to me on how best to achieve that."
Black will say: "Addiction to drugs and alcohol, and in some cases extreme obesity, can have a profoundly damaging impact on people's chances of taking up meaningful employment."
This article was amended on 29 July 2015. An earlier version stated that research in 2008 and 2010 indicated one in four working-age benefit claimants were suffering from alcohol dependency. This has been corrected.
Location: Eastern US
Welcome to our community forum ...
Re: Obese people and drug users who refuse treatment could have benefits cut
Thanks for this Chipper. I'm bumping this for anyone interested, because it so reminds me of how policy/laws are enacted here in the U.S.
If I'm reading this correctly, the paper points out the the current system FAILS to effectively help or address this populations myriad needs. Ok, nothing new w/big govt there & good to see its acknowledged. But David Cameron seems to ignore this FACT as well as the "strong ethical issues" the paper points out, & says he wants to use this information to go after those who "won't" use an admittedly ineffective system so the taxpayers won't be have to carry their lazy butts? Umm ok, that'll fix things.
Just curious, who pays HIS salary? Here, we taxpayers do & a certain pols receive salary & benefits FOR LIFE. That's a pretty big suck off the govt teat compared to the average welfare recipient.
Our systems' pretty screwy too; I'm just surprised at the similar bassakwards approach & continued "shaming" of people (who already have very few voices to speak up for their needs), with no actual solution for those that want help. :/ end rant.
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.
Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
Last Login:Yesterday at 04:57:22 AM
Just some more neoliberal punishment of the undeserving poor.
It will be interesting to see which way the medical profession go with this because it can't be enacted without them and it seems to go against the Hippocratic oath,BUT contract negotiation in the health system are on us again.........guess we'll see if they're more interested in more money or morality.
Quote from: nick on August 20, 2015, 12:00:41 AM
Nick, how does your healthcare system work where you are? Here, the DEA & FDA too, have literally made many physicians decide to retire or change specialties because of the risk of being audited, prosecuted & possibly jailed. My take on it is akin to malpractice suits, they've looked at the risks & said "I'm outta here" - not just pain management either, family practice, ortho etc etc.
Were/are there doctors who prescribe irresponsibly? Yes, but not nearly as much as first though. Matter if fact I just read one of Chippers great articles-its fairly new, maybe 2012 ? - that said (paraphrasing) that doctor shopping etc is NOT NEARLY THE PROBLEM IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE. Just more of spending taxpayer money to "fix" an imaginary crisis.
Do you have the equivalent political pressures on practitioners in your country?
Anyone have experience with "Mission Treatment"? (NV,CA,AZ,OK)
Started by Esoteric Anhydride Methadone and Buprenorphine Maintenance
NZ: Police promise not to charge ice users — could this be the answer ?
Drug decriminalization would bring health benefits, internal federal study says
by OpiXPO
How a party drug could become the next blockbuster antidepression treatment
Started by Chip Health Issues and Medical
by Zoops
(DMT) Could psychedelic drug ayahuasca have health benefits?
Started by Chip Hallucinogens/Psychedelics
Scientists have found how to make people HALLUCINATE whilst gathering metrics
Exploring the Potential Benefits of Hallucinogens for Mental Health
USA: San Francisco to force treatment on mentally ill drug users
[US: Medicaid] Researchers pose as heroin users to find treatment gaps
Dangerous cut / rotting flesh
Started by dysmorphic Cocaine
by 10kites


text:
adamsalberg.com
Some of the Things Inside
by Dael Orlandersmith
Presented by Waterwell @ PPAS/Joe's Pub
New York, NY • April 2016
photo credit: ryan jensen
Director: Allison Talis
Set Design: Bryce Cutler
Lighting Design: Cecilia Durban
Costume Design: Deanna Frieman
Sound Design: Adam Salberg
Some of the Things Inside is a world premiere new work by Dael Orlandersmith, produced as part of the Waterwell New Works Lab in partnership with the Professional Performing Arts School in NYC.
Some of the Things Inside explores the social pressures teenagers face every day as they attempt to navigate their relationships at school and at home. In particular, the show examines the impact of racism and misogyny on young adults. The design concept for the show was to create realistic environments, supported by ambient and abstract music to highlight and underscore moments of internal and explicit conflict.
—Adam Salberg, Sound Designer
photo credit: bryce cutler
She was filling and refilling this chipped off glass with vodka in her torn nightgown telling me, pleading with me, saying "I feel so alone. No one understand me. Never has. Why can't we be close? You and I are mother and daughter. Your father left us. He left ME. We're all each other has in the world - we are it. I would kill myself for you. I would die for you. You always pull away from me. You always have. I just want us to be close. You're my daughter..." Scene 2
Something happens. After a while, you get used to it. You get used to yelling, hitting. You don't like it, but you get used to it. Because NOW you know if you do something wrong, or something THEY think is wrong, you know what they're going to do now. Scene 3
I am scared. I'm thinking nobody will believe me because of the way he looks. And he's so popular. Scene 5
All you saw, all you CHOSE to see, was a black boy, or a brown boy, wearing a hoodie. Scene 15
Music Research
© Copyright , Adam Salberg. All rights reserved.


Representatives from the following law schools are scheduled to be on this year's law panel at Virginia Tech: the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Washington and Lee University School of Law, and the West Virginia University College of Law. The panelists will comment on topics of interest to pre-law students such as how to decide whether to pursue a legal career, how to prepare for law school, the application and admissions processes, issues of timing and financial aid, what life is like as a law student, and career choices available to those with law degrees. The panelists will also hold a question and answer session with the audience.
The spring 2018 law panel is open to all members of the University community and is likely to be of particular interest to those considering the possibility of a legal career. It will be held on Monday, March 26, 2018, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, in the New Classroom Building, room 260, on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus. This event is being organized and sponsored by Virginia Tech's pre-law chapter of Phi Alpha Delta and the University pre-law advisors. For additional information, please contact vtpad@vt.edu or prelaw@vt.edu.


Job Duties and Tasks for: "General and Operations Manager"
1) Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, and/or distribution of products.
2) Manage staff, preparing work schedules and assigning specific duties.
3) Review financial statements, sales and activity reports, and other performance data to measure productivity and goal achievement and to determine areas needing cost reduction and program improvement.
4) Establish and implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, and procedures, conferring with board members, organization officials, and staff members as necessary.
5) Determine staffing requirements, and interview, hire and train new employees, or oversee those personnel processes.
6) Monitor businesses and agencies to ensure that they efficiently and effectively provide needed services while staying within budgetary limits.
7) Oversee activities directly related to making products or providing services.
8) Direct and coordinate organization's financial and budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, and increase efficiency.
9) Determine goods and services to be sold, and set prices and credit terms, based on forecasts of customer demand.
10) Manage the movement of goods into and out of production facilities.
11) Locate, select, and procure merchandise for resale, representing management in purchase negotiations.
Is being a "General and Operations Manager" your very best career choice?
12) Perform sales floor work such as greeting and assisting customers, stocking shelves, and taking inventory.
13) Develop and implement product marketing strategies including advertising campaigns and sales promotions.
14) Plan and direct activities such as sales promotions, coordinating with other department heads as required.
15) Direct non-merchandising departments of businesses, such as advertising and purchasing.
16) Recommend locations for new facilities or oversee the remodeling of current facilities.
17) Plan store layouts, and design displays.
See the Future Outlook and Educational Requirements for "General and Operations Manager"


Attention, fans of Meghan Markle's pregnancy style, followers of Victoria Beckham's designs, and all those who just fancy a new addition to their wardrobe.
Marks & Spencer is set to sell a skirt that's the perfect dupe for a Victoria Beckham print worn by Meghan Markle at the Commonwealth Day Service back in March.
In case you don't have a photographic memory when it comes to each and every outfit the Duchess of Sussex has ever worn, let's do a quick recap.
On 11 March – one of Meghan Markle's final public appearances before she gives birth – Meghan was spotted wearing a chain-print shirt dress designed by Victoria Beckham.
The dress was pretty dreamy, pairing neutral black and white shades with an easy-to-wear chain link print. Of course, it sold out pretty quickly after Meghan's appearance, but at £1,668 it wasn't exactly an option for the average person.
That's why we're excited to note that Marks & Spencer is releasing a skirt with a similar print, at a far more affordable price point of just £39.50.
While the Victoria Beckham print shows chains, the M&S print has ropes in a similar twisted position, and uses the same colour palette of cream and black.
The M&S skirt is a soft A-line shape so it's super flattering, and can be dressed up or down.
If you'd like to recreate Meghan's look on the cheap, you'll need to pair the skirt with a matching rope print top, a cream coat, and a hat.
The skirt hasn't hit stores just yet, but expect a frenzy the moment it does. If Meghan wears something, it's guaranteed to be a full-on trend.


text:
Q: One physical server, Hyper-V, two IPs, two virtual servers (win + *nix) I have one physical Windows 2008 server with Hyper-V installed. I also have IIS running on this physical machine and I'm fine with that.
I also have an additional IP address and I want to use it for CentOS. The way for me is to create virtual server with Hyper-V, and install CentOS.
But I can't figure out how to set up routing and link this additional IP address to CentOS with Hyper-V. I even can't do that with Windows XP on installed on virtual server.
It seems it's quite tricky and non-obvious cos I've spent more that 20 hours on that with no any results. I also googled for some documentation, but couldn't find what I need.
Would you be so kind to point me to some docs/papers where I can find information on this? Thanks.

A: When you installed Hyper-V you should have been asked to create a virtual network connection.  If you weren't, fire up the Hyper-V manager, highlight your server, and select Virtual Network Manager from the right-hand action panel.  From there create and External network.
Then, in the Hyper-V settings for your guest, connect the network adapter to the external network you just created.
Within CentOS, assign the IP address as normal.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Lincolnshire Police
Formal complaint claims judge's Rooney remarks 'demonise' travellers
The complaint relates to remarks he made when sentencing the family
Robert Langley
11 member of the family were jailed (Image: Lincs Police)
Comments a crown court judge made when sentencing members of the Rooney family for modern slavery offences have led to a formal complaint.
A traveller organisation has accused Judge Timothy Spencer QC of "fostering the idea that travellers are criminals" after comments made during sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court earlier this month.
Judge Spencer told the family: "You claimed that what went on at Drinsey was no different from what was going on at any travellers' camps around this country, that all travellers had workers operating under similar conditions.
Fear, beatings, and people treated like dirt – full details emerge of the 'living hell' of the Rooney empire
"Sadly, I very much fear that you may be correct about that. But that does not make any of it right."
His comments have provoked a backlash from the National Alliance of Gypsy Traveller and Roma Women, who have lodged a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO).
Shay Clipson, chair of the alliance, said: "He speculated that he offences committed were probably widespread - which is just not true.
"It's not the his role to speculate, and in doing so he has demonised the traveller community.
"By making such a speculation, in his position, he is fostering the idea that travellers are criminals.
"I've never visited a site, and I've visited many, where slaves are being kept.
Inside the Rooney empire - footage shows the plush middle class lifestyle some led as others lived in squalid caravans
"If he felt moved to make a social commentary, there are many vulnerable people living on the streets who could be exploited by people who do not have their best interest at heart from all kinds of backgrounds.
"This is what he should be asking about."
The JCIO confirmed they are looking into the complaint.
A spokesperson said: " I can confirm the JCIO is investigating HHJ Spencer in connection with a case which concluded at Nottingham Crown Court on 12 September."
The Rooney family members' crimes were exposed after police raided locations in Drinsey Nook and Washingborough in Lincolnshire, as well as other locations in Nottinghamshire and London, including traveller camps, on September 22, 2014 under Operation Pottery and 18 victims aged between 18 and 63 were ultimately saved.
Many were homeless, had learning difficulties, or were drug addicts or alcoholics who were taken in by members of the Rooney family and promised roofs over their heads and work.
However, the accommodation often turned out to be filthy caravans with no proper toilets on traveller sites.
And the work doing block paving and Tarmacking was poorly paid at best – and mostly there was no pay apart from small amounts of tobacco or booze.
Eleven members of the Rooney family were jailed earlier this month for up to 15 years for crimes relating to modern slavery going back almost three decades.
Shocking pictures and videos of the places were people were held at Drinsey Nook were released by police after a series of linked trials that began in 2016.
Rooney family convicted of modern slavery
Police smash modern slavery ring
Horrifying stories of the victims
Inside the slaves squalid caravans
How police cracked the case


NHL Note - Nashville Predators Forsberg, Filip - NHL - Are You Watching This?!
Dec 31, 2017 - 7:45 AM LW Filip Forsberg (upper-body injury) was placed on injured reserve Saturday and the team recalled C Frederick Gaudreau from Milwaukee of the AHL. Forsberg leads the Predators in goals with 15.


They did a stellar job. The lifeguard who performed this rescue should be commended for his efforts.
Brinkmeyer said it is important for parents and caregivers to know that when a child is in the pool, they must keep an eye on them and know where they can and can't touch the bottom of the pool — and make sure the child understands that.
The Wilson Park Pool is managed by the Granite City Park District, and features a wading pool and water slide as well as the main pool.


text:
Ежегодник по философии и феноменологическим исследованиям (Jahrbuch für Philosophie und phänomenologische Forschung) — периодическое издание, учреждённое Эдмундом Гуссерлем и его учениками в Гёттингене в 1912 году, и выпускающийся вплоть до 1930 года.

Ежегодник имел колоссальное влияние на развитие феноменологического движения в философии на его начальных этапах. Эдмунд Гуссерль, как основоположник школы феноменологии, в 1912 году принимает решение о создании ежегодника, который способствовал распространению и развитию идей феноменологии в философских академических кругах Германии. В состав редакционной коллегии журнала входили Оскар Беккер, Мориц Гайгер, Александр Пфендер, Адольф Райнах и Макс Шелер. Гуссерль оставался главным редактором журнала вплоть до 1930 года. С началом Первой мировой войны многие ученики Гуссерля ушли на фронт, и ряды активистов-феноменологов значительно поредели. Война унесла жизнь одного из самых талантливых учеников Гуссерля и редактора «Ежегодника» Адольфа Райнаха. В 1916 году его место занял Мартин Хайдеггер. На тот момент Гуссерль вступил на должность преподавателя философии во Фрайбургском университете, где «Ежегодник» продолжил свою деятельность.

В первом выпуске журнала печатается первая книга труда «Идей к чистой феноменологии и феноменологической философии» Гуссерля под названием «Общее введение в чистую феноменологию», или так называемые «Идеи I». В этой книге Гуссерль описал основные положения феноменологии, а также публично объявил о своём переходе на позиции трансцендентальной феноменологии.

8 апреля 1926 г. в день рождения Гуссерля Хайдеггер представляет своему учителю рукопись главного труда своей жизни «Бытие и время» с посвящением «Эдмунду Гуссерлю в почитании и дружбе», и уже в феврале 1927 г. в восьмом выпуске «Ежегодника» публикуется «Первая половина» хайдеггеровского трактата. Известно также, что в том же выпуске была опубликована работа Оскара Беккера «Математическое существование. Исследование по логике и онтологии математических феноменов», считающаяся его самой масштабной работой.

После того, как «Ежегодник» Гуссерля перестал выпускаться в 1930 г., такой формат развития феноменологической мысли не стал менее популярным. В 1968 году философ Анна-Тереза Тыменецка издала серию книг под названием «Аналекта Гуссерлиана: Ежегодник по феноменологическим исследованиям» («Analecta Husseliana: The Yearbook of Phenomenological Research»), которая фактически является продолжением «Ежегодника» Гуссерля. Основной темой этих книг так же были феноменология, философия, человек и его образ жизни.

На данный момент в России издаётся подобный «Ежегодник» под руководством центра феноменологической философии РГГУ.

Примечания

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home Top News Hygiene highest priority for travellers: Skyscanner survey
Hygiene highest priority for travellers: Skyscanner survey
By TTG Asia
/ Posted on 3 July, 2020 11:23
Global travellers looking to book holiday accommodation in the post-Covid era prioritise sanitation and hygiene over price and location, according to a Skyscanner survey.
The survey, which sought to find out how planning for a stay will evolve post-Covid-19, was conducted among 2,300 travellers from the UK, the US, Australia, South Korea, and Singapore (131 respondents) visiting Skyscanner's site from June 12-22, 2020.
Stringent sanitation and health checks are the new must-haves: Skyscanner
When it comes to booking a property in the future, 55 per cent of Skyscanner users score sanitation and hygiene practices as "extremely important", compared to price (48 per cent) and location (45 per cent). Reward and loyalty programmes ranked lowest (11 per cent), after brand reputation (21 per cent) and star rating (20 per cent).
When it comes to the importance of flexible room change/cancellation policies, nearly half of (47 per cent) Singapore travellers rate it as "extremely important", the highest across all surveyed countries, against the global average of 29 per cent.
This shift in traveller preference can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, with travellers saying that hygiene and sanitation practices (73 per cent) and flexible cancellation policies (61 per cent) have become "more important than before".
In response, Skyscanner has recently introduced cleanliness ratings on most accommodation listed on its site. These ratings are retrieved from TripAdvisor's reviews in real-time.
Ulf Waschbusch, director of product – hotels for Skyscanner, commented on the new feature: "The cleanliness rating provides a clear indication of the accommodation's hygiene standards, allowing travellers to make more informed accommodation choices.
"It is still early days for the industry's recovery, but travellers have already determined that hygiene and flexibility are the new necessities in the face of Covid-19. Moving forward, it is imperative that travel providers not only implement measures to instill consumer confidence, but also find new ways to inform the holiday booking experience."
Cleanliness scores are currently presented on Skyscanner desktop and mobile web platforms
Skyscanner data also revealed that the hotel experience will be reshaped. Nearly half (46 per cent) of the surveyed travellers said they will avoid shared amenities and common areas such as fitness facilities. Some 40 per cent of them would also prefer to dine outdoors, if given the option.
Having activities in-room is especially attractive to Singapore travellers, with nearly a third of them (31 per cent) saying they will look out for in-room experiences offered by the property, as compared to the global average of 19 per cent. This presents accommodation providers with opportunities to reinvent the hotel experience to offer add-ons such as private spa treatments and indoor workout videos.
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text:
Franklin Mann may refer to:

 Franklin B. Mann (born 1941), American politician in the state of Florida
 Franklin Ware Mann (1856–1916), American physician and inventor