The Great Orme's famous goats are set for TV stardom.
The BBC magazine programme The One Show have been in Llandudno filming the herd, which made national news last week when it descend on the town, causing havoc for local residents.
The show will focus on how local school Ysgol San Sior is getting increasingly fed up with the goats.
They have munched their way through hundreds of pounds' worth of trees and plants, much to headteacher's frustration.
Headteacher Ian Jones said: "The goats come to our school field a lot, and have managed to decimate 150 of our newly planted trees.
"We didn't have any apples last year as the goats had eaten all our apple blossom, and they destroyed some of the apple trees as well by breaking a lot of the branches."
He continued: "The goats were back in the field over the weekend, and The One Show were hoping to film them, but unfortunately they were gone before they had a chance to get here but they are coming back at a later date with one of the presenter's.
"They've been in contact since November as they'd heard that one of my first jobs of the day is to chase the goats off the field."
Mr Jones added: "We also sometimes have to keep the children away from the field as quite a few of them caught ticks from playing there that would have been brought there by the goats.
"I'm not saying we should get rid of the goats but I do think there's too many of them I believe there are around 120 goats, perhaps some should be moved off the mountain."
The feral goats on the Great Orme have been the subject of lengthy debate over many years about their welfare, management and impact on nearby properties. Several organisations have an interest in the goats by virtue of land ownership, conservation or animal welfare. These organisations are, Conwy Council , Mostyn Estates Ltd, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the RSPCA .
A Conwy council spokeswoman said: "Conwy County Council resolved in 2001 to reduce the herd size over the long term. This has been achieved through a combination of relocating groups of animals (to conservation organisations/sites in the UK) and through birth control; initially by implanting nanny goats with progesterone and, more recently, through the use of the contraceptive vaccine Gonacon."
The herd will be subject to ongoing control via the methods already agreed in order to maintain the herd at a reasonable but viable level. This will be subject to review by the Country Park Management Advisory Group.
The herd of Kashmiri goats were a gift to Lord Mostyn from Queen Victoria and spend their time living on the heights of the Great Orme , but are regarded as wild animals.


How much are cervical herniated disc cases worth?
Metro Verdicts Monthly's graph in this month's issue is median settlements and verdicts in cervical (neck) herniated disc cases in Maryland, Washington, D.C, and Virginia. The median cervical herniated disc case in Maryland is $40,000. The Washington D.C. and Virginia medians are $50,000 and $36,000, respectively.
I always qualify this data with a "for what it is worth" caveat. In the case of cervical herniated disc injuries, it is a "for what it is worth" squared. If a person says they are an actor, there are a lot of different degrees of being an actor. She may be Meryl Streep or her signature role may be "Crazed Killer #12" in a 5-second cameo appearance in a B movie.
Herniated disc injuries are the same thing. Some people are walking around with cervical herniated discs that they cannot feel. For others, their lives are virtually destroyed by the injury.
The other problem is I do not think plaintiffs attorneys properly value disc injuries and, consistent with my post on Monday, lawyers settle these cases too quickly. Insurance companies are just too quick to shoot these claims down. But they change their tune when they know they are in for a fight.
This is particularly true with neck injuries (usually between C4-C6) as opposed to back injuries because some herniated disc injuries are relatively benign. But the fact that there are some smaller herniations should not alter the value of the cases as long as the symptoms clearly match the location of the injury.
What If My Injury Was Preexisting?
If I had a preexisting injury, how does it impact my claim? Good question.
Our law firm has successfully handled scores of herniated disc injury cases, earning our clients millions of dollars on these claims. We know the science of these cases and how to present them to an insurance company and a jury. Call 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.
There are two types of preexisting disc injuries: (1) those where the patient had real symptoms and treatment, and (2) those where the patient did not have any problems until the accident.
The first scenario can be a challenge. If you were having problems before the accident, we need to be able to get testimony from your treating doctor that "thin slices" out the problems before the accident and the problems after. If the treating orthopedic doctor or neurosurgeon cannot do that, then that is a real problem.
But if you have a disc injury and you didn't even know you had it before the accident, this is a lot easier situation. Many people have latent injuries that would have never become a problem if not for the trauma of the collision. Insurance companies fight these types of claims hard but we are almost always going to win these case.
Our lawyers handle serious herniated disc cases throughout the United States. Call 800-553-8082 to discuss your herniated disc injury claim or click here for a free no obligation online consultation.
What is the value of head injury cases?
I'm fortunate in that I don't get many headaches, a blessing I attribute to good hydration and genetic good fortune. On the rare occasion that I do get them, they are debilitating. It is hard to enjoy much of anything in life when you have anything north of a mild headache.
Juries struggle with figuring out how to value personal injury cases when the primary injury is a head injury that caused — and may be continuing to cause — headaches.
Saying you suffered a head injury in an accident is sort of like saying your nephew is an actor. He might be Will Smith, but he also might be an understudy in a local dinner theater production.
Our law firm has successfully handled scores of foot and ankle serious injury accident cases. If you want someone to fight for you, lawyers that knows these cases, call 800-553-8082 or get a free Internet consultation.
I think I have a pretty good handle on the settlement value of ankle fracture cases. We have handled a lot of foot and ankle injury cases over the years. My first foot and ankle case was 17 years ago when I sued the New England Patriots and their team doctors that ultimately settled. Over the course of that lawsuit, I probably met with a half dozen of the best foot and ankle surgeons in the country.
Since then, Miller & Zois has handled scores of foot and ankle injury case and procured millions of dollars for our clients in these cases. My last ankle injury verdict was in Prince George's County was the 6th biggest verdict that year, according to Washingtonian Magazine. We know the science of these cases and how to maximize the settlement and trial value of these claims.
It is amazing how low these are. These are from a few years ago but I think the number has not changed in 2018. Sure, some ankle fractures can be treated with conservative care if the fracture displacement is two millimeters or less or if there is no talar shift. But it is difficult to imagine getting less than six figures in the vast majority of these cases. I don't know how much insurance policy limits came into play in these cases. But, either way, these numbers are just way too low.
One of the problems, I think, is not distinguishing between a good result and a good outcome for the patient. A good result for an orthopedic surgeon is a good looking x-ray. The fracture is healed, mobility is good and the ankle joint is where it's supposed to be. But you can have a good x-ray and still have a permanent injury, particularly when there is hardware is keeping the ankle together.
Two more points of interest in this data. First, don't get an ankle fracture in Virginia. It is amazing to me how low these Virginia verdicts are. I have to think this data is screwed up in some way. Second, it is interesting that Maryland ankle fracture verdicts are 33% higher than Washington, D.C. verdicts, given that the Maryland median was much less than Washington, D.C. for both fractured shoulder and rotator cuff verdicts.
The Federal Tort Claims Act News (who knew there was such a publication?) wrote an article about how Jury Verdict Research Case Evaluation Software was predicting the values of verdicts in a particular slip and fall case with an ankle fracture. In this case, the jury predicted a probable verdict of $117,600 with only a 33% chance of success on liability (maybe a tough slip and fall case on liability). I just struggle to see how a case with a good fracture could be valued so low.
One more point: median settlement values is the midpoint of the data, not the average. So included in the math are a lot of awful cases that probably never should have been filed in the first place. So why not just quote the average? Well, the high range of these ankle verdicts is $5,250,804. That also distorts the statistics. The take-home message: settlement and verdict statistics are invariably misleading.
These are 15 factors that drive the trial and settlement value of your ankle fracture case.
All of these factors lead to the question of how is the ankle injury permanent and, if so, how severe is the permanency.
This will give you another way to look at value: sample verdicts and settlements. But please remember that no two cases are alike and you cannot figure out the value of your case just by comparing your case with a similar case. No two cases are the same and someone's verdict is just a poor predictor of what the outcome in your case will be. Certainly, along with other tools, it can shed light on value. No question. But you just cannot put too much into it.
2014, Maryland: $96,789 Verdict – The plaintiff was driving on a two-lane road when another car hit him head-on. He suffered a comminuted ankle fracture as a result of the crash. The plaintiff had to have two screws permanently implanted in his leg, and developed a permanent limp as a result of his injuries. The jury awarded him $96,789. This is one of those cases I'm talking about, right? A permanent limp is only worth $96,000?
2013, Maryland: $260,506 Verdict – When the plaintiff was inside of a Taco Bell restaurant, a fight ensued, and the plaintiff was struck in the face by an employee. He fell backward as a result of the fight which caused his ankle to become fractured. He had to receive two surgeries to fix his ankle and developed an infection. Additionally, he claimed that he had limited mobility in his ankle. The defendants contended that he provoked the fight. The jury awarded him $260,506.
2014, Pennsylvania: $847,362 Verdict – As the plaintiff was exiting her apartment when she slipped and fell on icy steps. She sued the property owner, claiming that they negligently maintained the steps by failing to remove snow and freezing rain. Plaintiff alleged that the defendants failed to inspect the property over the previous night, which led to the hazardous condition. She suffered an ankle fracture, which required implementation of screws in her ankle, leading to arthritis. She also alleged that her ability to stand was compromised.
2014, Pennsylvania: $225,000 Settlement – The plaintiff was crossing a street when she stepped in an uneven asphalt patch. This caused her ankle to roll, leading to a fracture. She sued the city, alleging that they failed to maintain a dangerous condition. She had to receive surgery, where two screws were implanted in her ankle. The plaintiff had to undergo physical therapy and claimed that she suffers pain and swelling during prolonged periods of standing. The defense claimed that the alleged injuries were fully healed. Still, the parties reached a pretrial settlement.
2014, Virginia: $2,000,000 Verdict – The plaintiff was a 59-year-old shipyard worker who slipped and fell on a patch of black ice while taking his car in for service. He sued the dealership, alleging that they failed to maintain a lesser-used sidewalk and that they knew that it commonly ices over. He suffered an ankle fracture and claimed that the injury aggravated a pre-existing back injury. He had to receive surgery to repair his ankle and additional surgery to alleviate back pain. The defendants claimed that he had previously inquired about the back surgery prior to the fall. The jury awarded him $2,000,000.
2010, North Carolina: $10,397,291 Verdict – The plaintiff was interested in purchasing a new boat. While on a demonstration with a boat salesman, the boat hit choppy waters causing the plaintiff to be thrown up and down in the boat. He fractured both ankles, one of which required surgery. The plaintiff claimed that the defendant was operating the boat at unsafe speeds given the choppiness of the water. He sued the boat operator and the marina and received a $10,397,291 judgment. This case underscores impact on the amount of the verdict a good lost wage claim can make. This man was a urologist and most of the damage award accounted for his past and future earnings.
2010, North Carolina: $80,000 Settlement – The plaintiff was operating her vehicle when she was struck by another motorist trying to enter the street from a cross street. She suffered an ankle fracture as a result of the accident. The parties eventually settled for $80,000. We have no more information on the severity of the claim.
If you have an ankle fracture case in Maryland or Washington, D.C., call me at 800-553-8082 or fill out this claim form online. We can help you. If you are outside of the Baltimore-D.C. area and you have a serious ankle fracture, call me or find my bio and email me. I can (probably) help you find the right lawyer to maximize the value of your ankle fracture claim.
What Are Wrist Injuries Worth?
Metro Verdicts Monthly provides the median verdict and settlement value of wrist fracture cases over the last 22 years. The average settlement/verdict in Washington D.C. is $105,000. Maryland is less than half that: $50,000. The average settlement/verdict in a wrist fracture case in Virginia is $52,583.
Maryland jury verdicts in series personal injury cases are generally higher in the District of Columbia. Again, I don't know the methodology of how MVM gets its numbers. If they rely on personal injury lawyers reporting that data – which I do not think they do – then that could possibly skew the data as could a lot of other things that only a statistician could find. Particularly since Metro Verdicts includes settlements in their statistics, it is hard not to suspect that data could be skewed.
Jury Verdict Research found that the median jury verdict in arm nerve damage cases over the last 10 years was $81,095.
Arm nerve damage is defined by the study as injuries to the median nerve, radial nerve, ulnar nerve, musculocutaneous nerve, and axillary nerve which are all branches of the brachial plexus. Carpal tunnel injuries were, however, specifically excluded from this study. Why? The vast majority of carpal tunnel injury cases are not the result of medical malpractice or a motor vehicle accident. Before you get outraged, it is absolutely true that people get CPS all of the time from tensing up and gripping the steering wheel before a crash. It is just that most of these injuries are not caused by car accidents.
Metro Verdicts Monthly has a graph that reflects the median verdicts and settlements when the injury victim loses vision in one eye in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The median for the loss of vision in one eye in Maryland is $231,000. You could drive a truck through the gap between Washington, D.C. and Virginia's median settlements in verdicts with loss of vision in one eye cases: Washington, D.C.'s median is $162,500; Virginia's is $320,000. If you read graphs regularly, you would expect Washington, D.C. and Virginia to be reversed because Virginia as a whole typically has more conservative verdicts.
These numbers are a bit misleading. I think because most loss of vision cases are products liability cases. Many products liability cases have questionable liability which decreases the average and median recoveries. If liability is not an issue, the values of these cases are much higher.
A recent Jury Verdict Research analysis of jury verdicts found that the overall median award for the amputation of one toe is $119,008. The median award for foot nerve damage or tarsal tunnel syndrome accident cases was $143,265. Underscoring the difficulties of the healing process in the complex structures that are our feet, the median award for foot injuries generally is $98,583.
The median for foot injuries generally makes sense to me. I'm stunned that the average verdict for an amputated toe is as low as it is. You have to remember that unless this is a lawnmower case, it is likely that the plaintiff suffered other injuries as well. In any event, I certainly value my 10 toes more than American juries.
This blog post is about the settlement value of personal injury cases in Maryland and the chances that a plaintiff will prevail at trial?
How Often Do Victims Win Personal Injury Lawsuits?
After my blog entry about New Hampshire verdicts, I received a few emails from Maryland lawyers asking if I knew the data for Maryland plaintiffs. In Maryland, the accident victim is successful at trial in 83% of auto accident personal injury cases.


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Snaith
in the county of East Riding of Yorkshire
Earl Shilton
10 of the Prettiest Villages in Dorset
Picturesque Villages to visit near London
Pictures of Great Thorness
in the county of Isle of Wight
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If you would like to add a description of Great Thorness, please use our Great Thorness forum here. To upload your Great Thorness photography and create your very own 'Pictures of England Gallery', click here or here to join the site and become part of the Pictures of England community, or simply see below for nearby recommended towns, attractions, and Great Thorness accommodation.
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Recommended towns & villages near Great Thorness
Cowes (52 Pictures) in the county of Isle of Wight
(3.2 miles, 5.2 km, direction NE of Great Thorness)
The most famous yachting resort in the world. Cowes dates back to Tudor times and is divided in two by the River Medina, creating East and West Cowes..
Carisbrooke (23 Pictures) in the county of Isle of Wight
(3.3 miles, 5.2 km, direction SE of Great Thorness)
Carisbrooke sits close to Newport on the lovely Isle of Wight...
Newport (21 Pictures) in the county of Isle of Wight
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Exbury (15 Pictures) in the county of Hampshire
(5.1 miles, 8.1 km, direction N of Great Thorness)
Standing close to the saltmarshes and creeks along the Beaulieu River, in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Exbury must be one of the most captivating villages for miles around...
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The common lands of Uffington, Baulking and Woolstone were enclosed in 1776

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Implementing rating in angularjs I am trying to do rating implementation in angular js. I have a star and on click of the star , I am supposed to display numbers (1, 2 , 3) inside a rounded horizontal bar. Now say if i click 2 from this bar, number 2 should be returned back by hiding the horizontal bar. Please help me in doing this. I have tried displaying the star as below. But unsure how to implement the numbers inside the bar onclick of this star.
I am able to find queries related to star rating, but nothing about this particular scenario.
The below code displays the star icon. All I need to do is associate a horizontal bar with numbers on click of this star icon. It would be great if could provide me with some guidelines on how to do this

Adding the controller code:
.controller('QuestionaireCtrl', function($scope) {
  $scope.heading = "Questionaire";
  // $scope.rating = true;
  // $scope.responses = {
  //   "q1":"",
  //   "rating":0
  // };
  $scope.ratingData = {
   "CISCO":{
      "headcount":"30",
      "questions":{
         "Contractual/Commercial Aspects":[
            {
               "question":"SLA/SLO is reported on time, everytime?",
               "rating":"1"
            },
            {
               "question":"Test outcomes are aligned with Contractual commitments?",
               "rating":"2"
            },
            {
               "question":"Test scope is clear and baselined?",
               "rating":"2"
            },
            {
               "question":"Contractual Dependencies with respect to  resource, infrastructure, Schedule and costs are defined and managed?",
               "rating":"3"
            },
            {
               "question":"Contractual commitments and base solution are understood by the Delivery team?",
               "rating":"2"
            },
            {
               "question":"Productivity commitments are delivered to the client?",
               "rating":"2"
            },
            {
               "question":"Profitability and revenue improvement opportunities are continuously identified?",
               "rating":"2"
            }
         ],

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


But – I was impressed like it was my first visit all over again.
This place is just incredible. As an athlete, there is everything you could want, in one place. Beautiful 400m track with an inner jogging lane, 8 jumping pits, high jump area, and there was a total of 21 sprint lanes. Just insane! Most tracks don't have full sprint lanes on both sides of the track, but the US OTC does!
On the walk down to the track, we passed a massive BMX track (see below).
Then – there was the weight room! I love a clean, shiny, weight room, with organized weights, and a calm environment. This weight room is the dream weight room. Natural light, so many platforms, so many squat racks… don't need much else!
Definitely looking forward to these meets! This trip down to Southern Cali is actually my sixth time competing down here, and my seventh trip total. Let's hope for Lucky Number Seven!
You make us proud! Wishing you the best in these races!


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With just a little over 24 hours to go until The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills returns for its highly-anticipated eighth season, there's just one thing missing: The taglines.
Bravo has finally released the first look at the season's new opening credits sequence, complete with over-sized diamonds and cheeky puns galore. So, whose new tagline stands out as an instant fave? Did OGs Kyle Richards and Lisa Vanderpump rely on their experience to deliver a GIF-able gem? How about relative latecomers Lisa Rinna, Erika Girardi or Dorit Kemsley? And did fresh blood Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave rise to the occasion immediately out of the gate?
Whose tagline is your favorite? Sound off in the comments below!
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills returns for season eight on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. on Bravo.


The large Satmar sect includes has tens of thousands of followers worldwide, the majority of them in the New York areas. Since 2006, the community has been divided into two factions, led by rival brothers and rabbis Aron and Zalman Teitelbaum. Members of both sects are anti-Zionist, believing that it is sacrilege to create a Jewish state before the arrival of the Messiah.


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REQUEST A REVENUE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
5 Tips for Building a Strong Foundation for a Surgery Center
Here are five tips for bringing new surgeons into the surgery center.
1. Hire the right administrator
Give yourself enough time and create a good culture. The best administrator for your center will be attracted to your culture and environment because it matches his or her values, says Tom Jacobs, CEO and co-founder of MedHQ. Give yourself enough time to interview several candidates and select the best one from a pool of talented professionals. "The owners should decide what the core values of the center are before the hiring process," he says. "For example, do the owners want a 'family-like' feel among the staff, or a more corporate/professional approach? Neither is the right or wrong way, they're just different approaches. Whatever the choice, those things can be taken and put into interview guides and then can be used to screen for candidates who have those values."
2. Do a physician gut check before bringing on a new partner
While it's tempting to make your decision about investing in a surgery center based on the extra revenue it could generate, surgeons must place more importance on patient care to really succeed. "It's a mistake to just think about how much money you'll be making," says Marcus Williamson, president of the spine division of Symbion Health Care. "Focus on the type of staff you are willing to acquire; focus on the referring physicians you'll attract. Conceptualize your practice."
As they spend time in the surgery center, physicians will need to monitor their outcomes in the outpatient setting. Mr. Williamson says 50 percent of their focus should be on their ability to promote their own outcomes, while the other 50 percent is on risk management. A few of the metrics to monitor patient outcomes include:
Surgery time
Amount of prescription drugs patients are on before the surgery
Blood loss during surgery
Surgical recovery
Return to work time
Many surgeons find benefits in bringing on a corporate partner or entity to help them cross the bridge from concept to reality. "The corporate partner should have success rates, success stories and physicians you can talk to about their experience of developing market entry strategies," says Mr. Williamson. "Tap into those resources and you'll have an easier transition."
Moving toward success with outpatient total joint replacement surgeries
Give Your Revenue Cycle a Tune-Up: Boost collections with transparency and…
Improve the Patient Experience
3. Align physicians with payors and the center
Physician alignment with the payor is important because when physicians aren't aligned with the payor, they aren't aligned with the center and their procedures won't be paid. Physicians who aren't aligned with the center often have up to a 20 percent denial rate. They tend to perform surgeries without achieving prior authorization or use materials not covered in their contract.
"Surgeons must understand their contracts and perform procedures based on coverage," says Steve Arnold, MD, chief medical officer at Access MediQuip. "We want to show payors that our physicians are aligned with them and us on quality, utilization, and administration."
4. Make sure surgeons are bringing all possible cases to the surgery center
If surgeons aren't bringing all their ASC-appropriate cases to the surgery center, you are losing patient volume and revenue. The success of a surgery center depends on the physician partners and credentialed physicians performing cases there, so make sure you are accommodating the special needs of each surgeon.
"If you've got a busy surgeon who is bringing only some of his eligible cases to the center and taking the remainder to the hospital, have a conversation about why that is and what you can do for him," says Catherine Sayers, director of operations at Pinnacle III. "Figure out why those cases aren't coming your way — maybe the surgeon doesn't have enough block time – and see what you can do to bring those cases into your center."
Sometimes, physicians may be taking cases to the hospital instead of the surgery center because they aren't aware of advancements in technology making those procedures appropriate in the outpatient setting.
"With careful patient selection many more complex, higher acuity cases are being done safely in the surgery centers today," says Amanda Kane, manager of business development at Blue Chip Surgical Partners. "Surgeons are bringing ACL cases to the surgery center, as well as unicompartmental knee replacements, which haven't been done in the past. Expanding the breadth of cases really helps drive ASC volume without having to recruit additional surgeons."
However, make sure the surgeon is comfortable performing these more complex cases in the surgery center.
5. Standardize daily processes
Growth in the future is dependent on the strength of your company's foundation. "You have to have very strong processes that are standardized and repeatable, which allows you to do business," says Nader Samii, CEO of National Medical Billing Services. "The key is to focus on standardized processes so quality doesn't suffer as you continue to grow."
National Medical Billing Services has grown five-fold over the past year and a half, which Mr. Samii attributes to giving a great business culture and customer-focused mindset. He says the company is constantly focused on how it can continue to grow and innovate by anticipating the market.
"We are trying to figure out how to use technology to grow our company in a scalable way," he says. "Companies need to get away from the old mindsets and use technology to their advantage."
Ref. Becker's Healthcare
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"They are us and we are them. National's approach since being with us has been as a partner or better yet a family who cares about our success and does everything in its power to assist us in being successful."
DIRECTOR OF NURSING | LOS ALAMITOS, CALIFORNIA
"National Medical's coding audit identified that our previous billing partner was coding and billing our ASC claims improperly. We were actually losing money on some cases because costly implant charges were not being coded and billed correctly. National Medical was able to go back and capture significant lost revenue. Their specialized, ASC expert coders have maximized our revenue and compliance."
MEDICAL DIRECTOR | CLEVELAND, OHIO
"I can already tell the difference in the quality of work compared to our previous billing company. The responses and willingness to help us be successful shows in how fast we receive a response, resolution and the wealth of knowledge you share with us. Thank you!"
ASC ADMINISTRATOR | FREMONT, CA
"National Medical's expertise in the ASC market revealed that our contracts were reimbursing less than Medicare and in some cases only 38% of Medicare. Due to their expertise and experience, they were able to renegotiate better contracts and increase our contract reimbursement by 305%. We're now able to bring additional cases to our center."
ASC ADMINISTRATOR | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
"Before we hired National Medical, we were handing billing in house and were averaging $811 for each surgery. In our very first year with National Medical, with the same number of cases, we have increased our cash per case to $1,400. That represents an increase of approximately $600 per case, or 73 percent, all of which is pure profit for us. In absolute terms, that means an additional $90,000 per month to us on the same number of cases."
OWNER AND CEO, SURGERY CENTER | BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
"We have not second guessed our decision to switch billing companies once since transitioning to National Medical. Their team seems to remind us constantly why it was such a good decision!
ASC ADMINISTRATOR | SOUTHLAKE, TX
"National Medical consistently exceeds our expectations by going above and beyond every day. Their team is proactive, highly attentive and smart. To top it off, their detailed analytics team provides us with powerful insights into our business, allowing us to make informed decisions. In short, they are the perfect partner for all of our revenue cycle needs."
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Discussion for Bio-Process Lab B.
yello i'm new 2 scioly and this is one of my events. any advice from ppl who have done this?
I've always wanted my last words to be "Oh! What does this button do?"
When you take your practice tests, be sure to time them because the stations are usually timed.
At our state competition we had 4 minutes between each rotation.
How else are other competitions set up? How many minutes did you have for specific tasks?
It'd be good to hear from those with a bit more experience than me.
Location: Apparently a question mark by itself is too short for this slot.
Well, in my experience, (which isn't a lot, cause I only did this event once) there are stations and you answer questions and you don't have lot of time for each station. cause my partner and I were like frantic going from one station to the next, and my partner was arguing with me on how to do the key thing and we couldn't finish...so you should know how to work microscopes too. and seventh grade science helps.
I am in division B and i am new to this event, any links would be greatly appreciated.
There are links on the national science olympiad site.
Any suggestions on how to stody for this comp?
I want to be an engineer when I grow up.
Favorite school subjects: college algebra and technology.
I am not the assasinator.
thanks. can anyone tell me a good link for getting notes?
penguino wrote: yello i'm new 2 scioly and this is one of my events. any advice from ppl who have done this?
same as the person who is new i have never done this and need help any pointers??
WHOOP WHOOP!!! YAH BOYZ!! HAHAHAHA!!
you need to have general biology knowledege so what i do is i read an AP Biology book or an SAT II biology book or any biology textbook.
Also, you need to practice conducting labs and time yourself while you're at it. And know how to use a bunch of equipment like triple beam balance.
and also stuff like indicators and what they mean when they react with a substance.
Yeah..so we're new to this event. Is there any special information or tips we need to know?


Would you be interested in saving money on your groceries? Want to save over 60% on your teas? Earth's General Store can do just that when compared to David's Tea, a popular national chain of tea store.
Why we compared our prices with David's Tea?
Over the past two weeks two incidents have caused me to dig deeper into the prices of our teas in comparison with this chain.
The other week one of my staff told me that they had bought some very nice Banaspaty Assam tea from David's Tea. She did not know we carried this tea from the same region in India. I decided to do some investigation.
our tea is priced at 12$/100gm and according to their website you can buy 100gm for 17.80$. This is over 2.5 times more expensive than the product we offer.
PS – for the extra 62% cost to you from David's you do get a nice tin can but do you think that can is worth 40-60$s? At our store we encourage you to bring in your own container therefore reducing the resources needed to make more and more containers – Refill, Don't Landfill!
The other incident was that a customer ordered in some Egyptian Nile Delta Chamomile/camomile. When we received it I realized that we had mispriced it over the past few years. We were selling it for 19% below our cost (not a good business model). When I told the person that ordered in the 3 kilograms of it they told me that they thought we had made a mistake and the new price was still very reasonable. I decided to investigate this tea as well.
Our supplier described the tea as Egyptian Chamomile and our supplier called it Nile Delta Camomile from Egypt.
Our tea was priced at 6.20$/100gm and David's was priced at 13.80$/100 grams. This was a slightly over twice the price that we charge for chamomile from the same region in Egypt.
This significant price difference really surprised me so I decided to check several others since we carry almost 60 different varieties of tea/tisanes and 27 of them were carried by David's.
The descriptions used in this table are what we use for our teas. There will be times that we list a tea as Fair Trade and/or Organic but David's Tea may not have those designations.
The largest amount that David's lists on each of their teas is 500gm. Of course David's Tea might have a price per kilogram that would be less. Our price is regardless of the quantity you purchase since all of our loose teas are sold by weight so there is no penalty or reward for buying more or less. I based the comparison on the the 100gm size they offer since this is about what the average person would purchase. If I compared the prices based on their standard 50gm tins then the difference is a little greater and less if you were buying their 500gm package.
David's Tea is a successful specialty tea company and has caught the awareness with regards to the health benefits of teas. I like that David's Tea is a Canadian company.
BUT if you want to save some serious money on your tea purchases you might want to check out our offering.
If you are interested in checking out our listing of our teas you can do so online (photos and graphics coming soon) and of course you can drop into the store and see what we have available since smelling the teas is very pleasant.
The prices quoted in this article were in effect on the date it was published to the internet.


Barbaro Double Buckle Boot by Rachel Comey. Silver pebbled leather low ankle boot with double buckled straps at heel.
Rounded toe / Seam down front foot / Low ankle height / Back piece hugs back ankle with padded top edge / Straps with 5 holes for adjustable widths wrap around back of boot & buckle at outer side / Distressed gold-tone buckles / Chunky 3" high wooden heel curves at back / Leather insole & sole / Rubber piece on heel / Color: Silver / 100% Leather / Dustbag included.


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Home » Off-the-grid homes are coming to your neighborhood, as climate change creates suburban survivalists
Off-the-grid homes are coming to your neighborhood, as climate change creates suburban survivalists
The Atlantic hurricane season doesn't official begin until June 1, but excessive spring flooding has already displaced thousands of residents in Louisiana.
A freak ice storm in Texas in February took out much of the state's power grid, plunging nearly 10 million people into a cold, dark catastrophe. More than 150 people died, and at an estimated $200 billion, it was the costliest natural disaster in the state's history.
And California's last wildfire season set the record for the largest amount of land burned in modern history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fires destroyed over 10,000 structures and cost over $10 billion in property damage.
The growing effects of climate change are no longer seasonal. Increasingly extreme weather from climate change is now a year-round phenomenon. This has homebuilders reconsidering how they design and power new homes, and how to take them off the grid, so they can be more environmentally sustainable, as well as operational when disaster hits. It also has traditional homebuyers thinking more like survivalists.
"More severe storms each year are going to further and further indicate the needs for resilient development," said Ben Keys, associate professor of real estate at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School
Keys studies the effects of climate change on real estate and the growing need for housing that can function off the grid. This goes well beyond solar panels
"These houses can be built in much more efficient ways, so not just solar, but they can have their own water filters, other sources of electricity generation and a number of other efficient ways to manage their utilities," said Keys.
#globalwarming #climatechange #carboncompensation #bluesky #climateemergency #climatecrisis #blueskye #blueskyefoundation #greentechexchange #zerocarbon #climatenews #blueskyelife
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/21/climate-change-creates-demand-for-off-the-grid-homes-.html


Blowout Sale! Up to 69% off on Routers at Pacs BG. Top brands include Asus, Mikrotik, OMNIHIL, Belkin, NETGEAR, KNACRO, Amped, Amped Wireless, TP-Link, HooToo, Huawei Routers, Card-King, D-Link, Sophos, Novatel, Open-Mesh, & Linksys. Hurry! Limited time offers. Offers valid only while supplies last.


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Los enfrentamientos en el noreste de la frontera entre Rusia y Ucrania de 2022 son una serie de escaramuzas fronterizas a lo largo de los límites internacionales de ambos países, desde donde anteriormente se había desarrollado la campaña de Ucrania central. Comenzó el 6 de abril de 2022 cuando el ejército ucraniano bombardeó la óblast de Kursk de Rusia con morteros y múltiples lanzacohetes en toda la región. Los funcionarios ucranianos dicen que los ataques al otro lado de la frontera ocurren todos los días.

Fondo
El 4 de abril, las fuerzas rusas se habían marchado y retirado de la Óblast de Sumy como parte del fracaso general de la ofensiva rusa hacia Kiev, pero los bombardeos continuaban al otro lado de la frontera.

Incidentes
El gobernador de la óblast de Kursk anunció que el 6 de abril un puesto fronterizo en el raión de Sudzhansky había sido bombardeado, según informes, por fuerzas ucranianas. El 9 de abril, se anunció que otro puesto fronterizo había sido bombardeado, esta vez en Yelizavetovka.

Según funcionarios ucranianos, las fuerzas rusas bombardearon la frontera entre Rusia y Ucrania y dañaron gravemente 2 aldeas. Se dispararon más de 30 morteros desde el asentamiento ruso de Gorodishche.

Las fuerzas rusas comenzaron a bombardear el raión de Shostka con lanzacohetes el 8 de mayo. Las fuerzas rusas también destruyeron un cementerio judío.

El 12 de mayo, un civil murió debido al bombardeo.

El 13 de mayo, Rusia disparó contra una aldea fronteriza en el raión de Shostka utilizando misiles aéreos no guiados.

Mientras continuaban los bombardeos, las fuerzas rusas derrotaron a algunos elementos de la Guardia fronteriza de Ucrania y entraron en Shostka el 16 de mayo. La lucha continuó hasta el 17 de mayo, cuando finalmente fueron expulsados.

El 21 de mayo, 6 ataques aéreos y de artillería rusos alcanzaron el asentamiento fronterizo de Kucherivka.

Los aviones de guerra rusos atacaron dos aldeas en Shostka el 24 de mayo.

El 28 de mayo, aviones de combate rusos atacaron la frontera con Ucrania y comenzaron a disparar morteros desde la aldea rusa de Troebortnoe.

Las fuerzas rusas utilizaron flechillas en las aldeas fronterizas del raión de Shostka el 30 de mayo. Las flechitas se utilizaron previamente para matar a civiles en Bucha durante la Batalla de Bucha a principios de la guerra. Las fuerzas rusas bombardearon un pueblo toda la noche. Según Kyiv Independent, las fuerzas rusas bombardearon la frontera más de 20 veces desde la aldea rusa de Zyornovo.

El 4 de junio, aviones rusos destruyeron una localidad en la frontera con 6 misiles que se estaban desplegando en Nikolaevka. Tres horas después, hubo explosiones en el raión de Velyka Pysarivka en la óblast de Sumy. También se informó de bombardeos en raión de Nóvgorod-Síversky en la óblast de Chernígov.

El 8 de junio, las fuerzas rusas destruyeron un edificio del Control Fronterizo de Ucrania desde el puesto de control fronterizo ruso de Troebortnoe.

Las fuerzas rusas dispararon 7 veces el 10 de junio. Los morteros y la artillería fueron disparados desde Zyornovo y Strachevo en la óblast de Briansk. Unas cuatro aldeas fueron destruidas en las regiones de Sumy y Chernígov.

El 19 de junio, las fuerzas rusas dispararon morteros contra la ciudad de Seredina-Buda en la óblast de Sumy. Se provocó un gran incendio y los residentes tuvieron que evacuar la ciudad.

Las fuerzas rusas dispararon misiles desde Bielorrusia hacia la ciudad de Desna en la óblast de Chernígov el 25 de junio. Alrededor de 20 fueron fusilados.

Una persona murió y otra resultó herida cuando las tropas rusas dispararon contra Yunakivka, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia y Shalyhyne el 26 de junio en la óblast de Sumy. Se lanzaron alrededor de 150 proyectiles, siendo Krasnopillia la que más sufrió, como dijo Zhyvytskyi, "fue destruida".

El 27 de junio, el gobernador Dmytro Zhyvytskyi declaró que los rusos atacaron las cromadas de Krasnopillia y Bilopillia, dejando a una persona herida.

Se escucharon disparos en Krasnopilla, Velyka Pysarivka y Khotin el 30 de junio. Se dispararon alrededor de 70 tiros en Krasnopilla, 10 ataques con misiles en Velyka Pysarivka y morteros de 120 mm en Khotin. También se informó de ataques con morteros en Semenivka.

Las fuerzas rusas dispararon con artillería y morteros en Sumy, tres veces el 3 de julio. Las fuerzas rusas dispararon contra Shalyhyne en raión de Shostka con 12 ataques registrados. Luego, las tropas rusas dispararon contra Esman. Más tarde ese día, 14 proyectiles de mortero fueron lanzados nuevamente sobre Shalyhyne.

El 4 de julio, un helicóptero ruso disparó contra una escuela de Esman.

El 5 de julio, las tropas rusas lanzaron un ataque con misiles en la ciudad de Shostka en el que se destruyeron empresas privadas y se dañaron alrededor de 24 edificios residenciales. Las fuerzas rusas también dispararon contra Semenivka en la óblast de Chernígov.

Las fuerzas rusas dispararon contra Shalyhyne, Bilopillia, Znob-Novhorodske y Krasnopillia el 12 de julio y Krasnopillia fue alcanzada dos veces con lanzacohetes.

El 13 de julio, bombardearon cuatro aldeas en la óblast de Sumy.

El 16 de julio, las fuerzas rusas destruyeron una granja y una escuela en Esman.

El 17 de julio, las tropas rusas bombardearon Velyka Pysarivka, Krasnopillia, Khotin, Bilopillia, Shalyhyne, Nova Sloboda, Esman y Seredyna-Buda en Sumy Oblast, así como Snovsk en la óblast de Chernígov.

Se informó de explosiones en Hlukhiv el 18 de julio. Shalyhyne también sufrió ataques al igual que Khotin. Mykolayivka sufrió ataques de MLRS.

El 24 de julio, las fuerzas rusas dispararon 12 veces contra la óblast de Sumy, principalmente contra las aldeas de Shalyhyne, Mykolaivka, Bilopillia, Khotin, Yunakivka y Krasnopillia. Según los informes, una persona murió y dos aviones militares dispararon contra Nicolaiev. Más tarde ese mismo día, funcionarios ucranianos admitieron que las óblasts de Sumy y Chernígov fueron atacados todos los días.

Se escucharon explosiones al otro lado de la frontera con la óblast de Sumy, donde se reportaron 55 el 26 de julio. Una mujer resultó herida. Los pueblos atacados fueron Esman, Krasnopil y Seredino-Budsk. También se escucharon explosiones en la óblast de Chernígov Se reportaron más de 20 explosiones.

Las fuerzas rusas bombardearon la óblast de Sumy, 44 veces el 28 de julio. El mismo día, las fuerzas rusas en territorio bielorruso lanzaron misiles sobre Honcharivska en la óblast de Chernígov.

Las tropas rusas bombardearon fuertemente Semenivka en la óblast de Chernígov el 29 de julio. El edificio administrativo de la ciudad sufrió graves daños.

Véase también
 Guerra ruso-ucraniana

Referencias

Batallas de la invasión rusa de Ucrania de 2022
Frontera Rusia-Ucrania

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Can Mine That Bird Take the Preakness?
Every year following the first Saturday in May, a standard question about the latest Derby winner is: Can he handle the distance in the Belmont?
It's always assumed -- or at least it has been for maybe a couple of decades now -- that the Derby winner will be comfortable with the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) course. After all, it's simply a change from 10 to 9.5 furlongs (a difference of 330 feet, or the length of a football field with one endzone). For most horses bred from today's speed-favoring bloodlines, the shorter distance is actually a preference.
I have no doubt that Mine That Bird is qualified to contest this year's Belmont field, and he could even be considered a reasonable favorite for the race based on his sire's Belmont win and his own closing kick this past Saturday.
But he won't win the Preakness (gr. I).
Call me a spoil-sport, but I just don't think it's going to happen. He'll face a more mature field with fewer "factors" that allow the proverbial anything to happen in the Derby. There'll be any number of sprinter/milers that can stretch their talents from 8 or 8.5 to 9.5 furlongs. There'll be fresh horses. There'll be Pimlico specialists. There probably won't be a sloppy track and a (semi-) open rail and a slew of last-minute defections by all the erstwhile favorites.
What does the future hold for Mine That Bird? I sure hope the answer is many good things. I hope he goes out there and knocks 'em dead come Breeders' Cup Marathon time. And thrills the crowds at the Spa and at Del Mar and back "home" in the Southwest where hometown crowds will adore him. I wish him a dozen graded victories each year for the next 10 years. But I don't think the Preakness will be one of them.


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Norway's Viktor Hovland rolls to U.S. Amateur Championship
Chris Keane/USGA
By Brentley Romine August 19, 2018 10:32 pm
By Brentley Romine | August 19, 2018 10:32 pm
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Back in 2013, Oklahoma State head coach Alan Bratton took a recruiting trip to the European Boys' Team Championship at Murcar Links in Scotland. His main target was a Norwegian teen named Kristoffer Ventura, who ended up signing and playing four years for the Cowboys.
But there was another Norwegian kid who caught his eye on that trip.
"A little, dark-haired guy," Bratton said. "I really liked the way he struck his irons, and what I liked even more was his competitiveness. He was in a big, big match there and it went to a playoff, and I just got to see him hit some really clutch shots.
"… That was a big deal for a young guy to rise to the occasion on that stage."
That young guy was Viktor Hovland. And five years later, on a cool Sunday at iconic Pebble Beach, Bratton got a front-row seat to the now-20-year-old Oklahoma State junior starring on a much grander stage.
Hovland, the world's fifth-ranked amateur yet frustrated by his inability to win golf tournaments outside of Norway, rolled through the match-play portion of the 118th U.S. Amateur, his victorious week culminating with a 6-and-5 victory over UCLA sophomore Devon Bling in the scheduled 36-hole final.
In his trek to the title, Hovland played just 102 holes, tying the U.S. Amateur record. He ended two consecutive matches on the 12th hole, including a Round-of-16 win over fellow countryman and friend Kristoffer Reitan. His match against Bling ended one hole later, continuing a streak of lopsided finals at Pebble. (David Gossett beat Sung Yoon Kim, 9 and 8, in 1999, and Jack Nicklaus topped H. Dudley Wysong Jr., 8 and 6, in 1961.)
"I always thought I had a pretty good vocabulary, but yeah, I'm lost for words," said Hovland, whose victory this spring at the Valspar Collegiate was his only win outside of his native country until Sunday. "I've only won once before, and to win the U.S. Amateur as my second win is really cool. It's hard to top that. I just hope it's the start of something great."
Hovland has a lot to look forward to – spots in next year's U.S. Open and British Open, a likely invitation to the Masters and a handful of expected PGA Tour sponsor exemptions. Pretty sweet, as Hovland would say.
He also couldn't help but glance at the distinguished names on the Havemeyer Trophy during the ceremony on Pebble's 13th green. The first one he saw was Billy Mayfair's, but soon names such as Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer came into focus.
What he couldn't see was a Norwegian player etched on the golden prize.
Norway's golf history is shorter than Pebble's iconic 109-yard seventh hole. Suzann Pettersen is a decorated LPGA golfer and major winner. But on the men's side, just six Norwegian golfers are ranked inside the top 1,000 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Kristian Krogh Johannessen is the lowest at No. 481. There are only six in the top 1,000 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking, as well.
The Oklahoma State Cowboy, Viktor Hovland, won this showdown. Congratulations to the 118th #USAmateur champion! pic.twitter.com/ZZHmO3kSW4
— USGA (@USGA) August 19, 2018
Hovland didn't have any Norwegian golf stars to look up to when he started playing golf at 4 years old. His father picked up the game only because he drove past a driving range on the way to work back when he had a job in the U.S., and Hovland took more interest in other sports at first – soccer and taekwondo – before ultimately choosing golf at age 12.
The winters in Norway are harsh, limiting golf to about seven months out of the year. (Hovland lived about 20 minutes from an indoor practice facility, but even then he could only hit 100-yard shots from one corner of the building to the other.) And while the youth system is growing, it is still very green.
Hovland has overcome so many obstacles to get to where he is now, most recently some swing troubles that saw him struggle to find the center of the clubface and get the ball in the air for much of last year. Hovland fixed the issue by spending three days with swing coach Denny Lucas in Jupiter, Fla., during Thanksgiving break. He also developed a "big slice" with his driver earlier this summer, which forced him to use a swing drill during his first European Tour start, in Germany, and cameras caught the two-second pause at the top of his swing, making Hovland a hot topic on social media.
Now, Hovland is on a trajectory that will not only make him the first Norwegian to play at Augusta National but also possibly Norway's first male golf hero to inspire new generations of players.
"I'm just trying to do the best I can," Hovland said. "But it would be sweet to kind of be the front man for Norway."
Hovland has proved himself a worthy front-runner – in more ways than one. He led for all but 19 of those 102 holes this week, and never trailed in his final 86. Against Bling, he held the advantage from the fourth hole on after delivering one of the more impressive up-and-down birdies in the championship's history.
After missing his drive right at the 292-yard par-4 hole, Hovland found his ball sitting up in the hazard, about 40 feet down the cliff on an ice plant.
After turning this into a birdie, Viktor Hovland was on his way to the U.S. Amateur title. (Chris Keane/USGA)
"The slope was pretty steep," Hovland said. "I didn't want to fall when I hit the shot. So I was just trying to just make contact and hit it up there. … That was just a hit-and-hope moment."
Hovland knocked his ball to inside of 3 feet.
"What a shot," said Bratton, who caddied for Hovland all week. "He'll never forget that birdie."
Hovland later won four consecutive holes at Nos. 8-11, including three of those with par. He didn't have his best stuff Sunday morning, hitting just six fairways, but he managed to hold on for a 4-up lead after the first 18 holes.
In the afternoon, Hovland took the first hole, but Bling, ranked 302nd in the world, didn't quit. The 18-year-old from Ridgecrest, Calif., had most of the crowd support, including from some of his Bruin teammates. He also was playing with a heavy heart as his mother, who died in 2013, had always wanted her son to excel in U.S. Golf Association championships.
"I had friends and family and teammates, and there were people crowded in restaurants back in Ridgecrest watching," Bling said. "I could feel all the support."
Bling, who played the first 18 in 5 over, matched Hovland hole for hole for much of the closing stretch. He drained a 27-footer for birdie to halve No. 4, the 22nd hole, and three holes later canned a 36-footer for par to halve No. 7. He earned the biggest roar, though, at No. 9, when he got a 50-footer for birdie to drop.
But with Bling still 4 down, all Hovland needed to do was hold steady. When Bling double bogeyed the par-4 11th, Hovland moved back to 5 up. And on the next hole, the par-3 12th, par was enough to move the match to dormie as Bling three-putted from 38 feet.
Needing to win the last six holes to force extras, Bling missed a 28-footer birdie putt at the par-4 13th to end the match.
"Momentum is a big thing, and if you don't make putts, it's very hard to make or get momentum," Hovland said. "I felt a couple places I made the right putts at the right time or I hit the right shots at the right time."
An emotional week ended in defeat for UCLA's Devon Bling in the 2018 U.S. Amateur Championship final. (Chris Keane/USGA)
Back in Norway, it was already Monday. Hovland said he didn't know if his parents had stayed up to watch the live stream.
"I hope they managed to see it," Hovland said.
It was still Sunday evening, though, in Hovland's adopted home of Stillwater, Okla., where three years ago he decided was the place he wanted to play his college golf.
At the time, Hovland wasn't a highly-sought-after recruit and flew mostly under the radar as his friend Reitan received much of the attention. He did generate some interest from Texas Tech, TCU and Tennessee, among others, but Oklahoma State made the biggest impression.
Bratton offered no other scholarships for the Class of 2016.
"He was the only guy I wanted," Bratton said.
Less than two weeks before signing day in fall of 2015, Hovland made his official visit to Oklahoma State with his mother. It was then that he first saw the clubhouse at Karsten Creek, lined with trophies and pictures of Cowboy greats.
"You see Charles Howell III, Pablo Martin, Peter Uihlein, Rickie (Fowler), all those guys," Hovland said. "And you win one tournament or you finish second and you play pretty good, and then you get back there and you look at their records, and it brings you more down to earth.
"But hopefully after winning this tournament, I can kind of start building on that resume and get myself a picture on that wall."
The chances of that are very good.
Not only did Hovland dominate the field at Pebble Beach, but he also went 3-0 in match play to lead Oklahoma State to the NCAA title last spring. He was first-team All-Big 12 as a freshman and then a first-team All-American this past season. This summer also included a runner-up finish at the European Amateur and a trip to the Round of 16 at the British Amateur.
"We're going to have to rip some more wallpaper down," Bratton said. "We just re-did it before NCAAs. But that's a good thing. We love that. We'll keep tearing that down every week."
That knack for shining on big stages that Bratton first saw in 2013? Hovland still has it – now more than ever.
A sign of more greatness to come for the future of Norway. Gwk
Golf, U.S. Amateur 2018, Viktor Hovland, Digital Edition
PGA Tour schedule and results: 2018-19 season
Inspiration from late Heather Farr has driven Val Skinner's LIFE Event for 20 years
More Digital Edition


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Interim Report of Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide: a vanity building project is taking money from where it is sorely needed
Update 26 September 2022: Extensive coverage of government response to the Interim Report included this from the Minister and the Acting Prime Minister.
The Interim Report. Recommendations 2-5 are about funding and staffing of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. More money is not the only answer to these issues but observers cannot but be aware that the extensions to the Australian War Memorial are costing $548 million (and this amount is likely to increase). Surely, our priorities as a nation are badly wrong when a poorly justified vanity building project can proceed, while men and women who serve the nation are suffering, partly from lack of resources in the responsible department. And the money that is going on the big build at the War Memorial is coming from the same portfolio that has failed veterans, ADF members and their families.
Extensive ABC coverage. Various radio talkback gigs by the Minister.
From the Honest History vault: Charlotte Palmer and David Stephens posted this piece in 2020: 'Evidence-based interventions for PTSD related to military service: what is the role of the Australian War Memorial?'. Much of it is taken up with disputing the claim that the big build at the Memorial can provide a 'therapeutic milieu' for suffering veterans. The article also contains, however, material on PTSD, 'moral injury' and other aspects of how military service affects individuals.
See also other material on the Honest History site. Use our Search engine with the terms 'suicide', 'veterans' and 'Royal Commission'.
11 August 2022 updated
‹ Stanley, Peter: Forty questions about The Digger of Kokoda
Lessons from History: for policy-makers and policy-takers – which means the rest of us: Book note ›
Click here for all items related to: Aftermath, Australia's war history


My twilight moment on May 1st, once again, dealt with emergency communications, when all normal sources of power (especially electricity) fail due to a local emergency or disaster. Most government EOCs (Emergency Operation Centers) and non-profit groups who maintain emergency networks (Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) consist of licensed Hams who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communication duty in the public service when a disaster strikes. Most licensed amateur radio operators do not belong to these organizations, but may play a significant role at the neighborhood level as a volunteer citizen. All Amateur Radio Operators are licensed by the FCC to communicate on Ham radio bands using radio, television, and Internet linked technology. One of these spontaneous groups is known as Neighborhood HamWatch.
Volunteer Amateur Radio Operators can relay information about the needs and condition of their neighborhoods to official local governmental EOCs. The negative psychological impact of isolation is reduced when these operators maintain contact with one another. NHW groups are not clubs or non-profit organizations. No certification or special training is required to participate in order to transmit messages from their neighborhoods.
Petaluma, for example, had such a neighborhood centered emergency communications network when it had an active CERT program from 2006 to 2012. At one time, 30 of these CERT grads made up a Community Emergency Radio Network (CERN), and conducted periodic citywide field exercises that included contact with the City's EOC and the Salvation Army radio room. A small group of NHW volunteers who hope to revive and preserve this earlier model is currently continuing to hold weekly exercises and monthly meetings. As they recruit additional Hams in the 94952 & 94954 zip code areas, they hope to use the Police Department's map of the city (four Beats & fifteen Districts) to see how well the city's neighborhoods are served by volunteer amateur radio operators.
Note: Top photograph is from QST Magazine, April 2015.


Quincy Scarloey Leggois a fictitious character from the YouTube comedy series The Lenny Leggo Show.
Quincy Leggo is Lenny Leggo's older brother, estimated to be a few years older than Lenny, although the exact number of years the two are apart is not clear.
Quincy is relatively stronger than Lenny, having spent more time in his life body building, beginning at age 15 (The even younger Lenny did not begin body building until he was 18).
While physically stronger, Quincy is, clearly, not as smart as his younger brother. He has gotten into a lot more trouble with the law than Lenny has, including, on at least three occasions, a DUI. On one occasion, Lenny had to bail out Quincy, on the condition that Quincy did not get behind the wheel of a car drunk anymore. Quincy promised, but ended up back in prison less than three months later for committing graffiti on his neighbor's wall (again, he was drunk on the occasion). Although he initially refused, Lenny was compelled to bail out Quincy again, as the incident did not involve getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Quincy fiercely despises P.S.S Studios, the company that his brother Lenny works for. Because Lenny is a director for the PSS game-show "Hit That Button!" and because PSS has a policy that proclaims relatives of PSS employees ineligible to appear on "Hit That Button!", Quincy is therefore ineligible himself. He has unsuccessfully tried on numerous occasions to sneak his way into the game-show by means of false identity; at times, even going as far as to disguise himself as an old women, a handicapped senior citizen, and as a homeless guy: after none of these attempts worked, Quincy was finally evicted from the building entirely.
Having failed time and time again to sneak in through the front (and ultimately ending up permanently evicted), Quincy managed to bypass security and sneak his way into the studio through the back door. However, later that day, having failed to be called up as a contestant, he came to the realization that, because he had bypassed security, he also bypassed registration, therefore there would be no possible way for his name to even be called up onto stage. This rendered his succeeding attempt at sneaking into the studio a complete failure.
Lenny often miscalls Quincy "Qwerty", for some reason.
His birthday is August 9th.
Quincy is a returning character from the original prototype series incarnation "The Lenny Lego Show". He debuted in "The Lenny Lego Movie 3", one of the films based off of the series, offering to fight alongside Lenny to defeat the main antagonist Clonebot. He would return to guest star in two episodes of the show, the Season 8 episode "Superbowl Sunday", and the Season 9 Finale "The Lenny Lego Show: the 4th of July Special 2.
Exactly as Lenny was and will become, his last name was originally "Lego" as that was he was built of during his original incarnation and will become a human character for his new incarnation.


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Technology for good has become a somewhat overused phrase in recent years, but providing tech experiences that help solve world problems or bring joy to people is at the core of the concept. (Hacker Noon wrote a useful working description of "tech for good" in a recent Medium post). These types of technology experiences are becoming increasingly sought after among users, with 81% stating they desire tech experiences with a social impact purpose in a recent 2018 study. In other words, the consumer shift toward purchasing from socially-conscious brands of all industries also applies to technology. Because ultimately, time is the most invaluable asset we possess and all technologies are vying for our finite set of time and attention. The growth of many "tech for good" companies across various industries speaks to the opportunities to create differentiated experiences for users that drive business value. We want to highlight a few of the many companies that provide exemplary cases.
Ecosia, a search engine, plants trees as a result of profit generated from searches and search engine ads. With over 7 million active users, the search engine has planted 36+ million trees to date, partnering with local nonprofits around the world to do so. Their tree counter within the search engine provides the user feedback on the number of trees their usage of the search engine has generated. In addition to tree planting, they are also adamant about protecting user privacy, unlike the major search engine players. Through anonymized searches and the company's stance against the sale of search data to advertising companies, Ecosia stands by its mission to use technology that positively impacts the world. The reward has been noteworthy year over year growth in its user base.
Atlas Run provides a great test case within the health and wellness space. Through logging of exercise (running, biking, walking) users earn money towards impact projects around the world. This idea isn't new, but the company has created a growing community of users who get incentivized to exercise through the social impact they create by doing so.
DoneGood provides a curated platform of socially-conscious brands for consumers to select from, allowing consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions in alignment with their values. DoneGood's recommendations algorithm, which provides socially-conscious brand alternatives when on company sites, is particularly noteworthy.
At Jukko, our mission is to use mobile advertising as a tool for building empathy and empowering users to make an impact in the world. With great user disdain and distrust of mobile advertising, the opportunities to provide more interesting, engaging and impactful experiences to more effectively monetize is what we are building upon.


I found this piece of bottle cap art in my local Ross store clearance section, I love the scalloped edges! I pulled out my handy tape measure and the interior was the perfect size to place my 14" mirror. I brought it home and gave it two coats of metallic gold spray paint.
After a little super glue to the back of the mirror I placed it carefully in the middle of the painted bottle cap and put a couple of cans on top to hold it into place. I let it dry for a day before using a dot of super glue to attach a picture frame hook to the back side of the bottle cap and hung it in the entryway. A little paint, craft mirror and a repurposed piece of art transformed into a one-of-a-kind mirror!
The hand painted wall tutorial coming soon!


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Low price high quality restaurant chairs, available in various colors and finishes.
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Pastor Stan was born and raised in the Washington Baptist Church community. His family has been active members of the church for 60+ years. It was here he committed his life to Christ and later surrendered to the Lord's call into the ministry. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been a pastor for 34 years with the last 25 years being the Senior Pastor of Washington.
Josh was born on Feb 14th in Rock Hill, SC, and raised in Greenville. He attended North Greenville University and graduated from Covington Theological Seminary. He has served in full-time ministry since 2003 in many different capacities with youth and children. During his time in ministry, he has had the opportunity to lead many mission trips to countries around the world and states. He has been to five continents, 45 states, and has hiked 100 miles in Yellowstone National Park. He and his wife Janet have four children and have been at WBC since September of 2013.
Rusty is a graduate of Anderson University and Covington Theological Seminary. He served as interim Youth/Children's pastor at Washington for several years before being called to serve as Youth Pastor at Lugoff First Baptist. Eight years ago Washington called him back as full-time Youth Pastor. He and his wife Amber have three children. Rusty's passion is seeing people come to know the Lord and walk with Him.


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Q: Why should I use Iesi.Collections instead of the traditional System.Collection? Was research on how (for convetion) define a Many Many where table where both fields are primary key and found this post.
So decide to install the Iesi.Collections in my library domain.
But there came a doubt. In the "Iesi.Collections" outperforms "System.Collections" Iesi.Collections?
Why should I use?
It is better in performance?

A: Iesi.Collections was originally released in 2004, when the .NET Framework was at v1.1. As of .NET 3.5, the .NET Framework includes a HashSet collection type, which provides the Set functionality that Iesi.Collections was intended to address. Unless you have a specific reason to use Iesi.Collections (e.g., NHibernate depends on it), it probably makes sense to use the standard .NET classes instead, since they are more likely to be supported and maintained.


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Q: Add custom route to Apigility I am new to Zend Framework 2 - Apigility, i created the basic API with the Apigility UI and connected the api with a remote database.
Now i want to create a custom POST route for user login something like: /users/login. What are the steps to create a route like that? Is there any guide?
Thanks in advance!

A: If you want to use Apigility for this kind of thing I'm not sure I would create a custom route.
You should create a whole new RESTful api for this with the route /user/login
Then you can use the create method of the generated resource to generate a login

A: My approach would be to create a RESTful endpoint on /user for CRUDing accounts (if necessary) then implement OAuth2 authentication with zf-oauth2.  Enrico Zimuel wrote a very good introduction to OAuth2 in Apigility on his blog: http://www.zimuel.it/oauth2-apigility/
I've built something similar to what you're looking for based on ZfcUser and Apigility:

*

*https://github.com/adamlundrigan/LdcZfcUserOAuth2

*https://github.com/adamlundrigan/LdcZfcUserApi
Though those modules are not ready for primetime (that project fell off the rails so they may not even work anymore) you can get a sense of the approach I was taking there.
Those two modules plus LdcOAuth2CryptoToken were a first step towards integrating Satellizer with Apigility.


A healthy relationship with food, requires a healthy relationship with one's self. One of the most powerful ways to achieve this, is with mindfulness. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a pioneer in the field, defines mindfulness as "the awareness that arises, through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally, in the service of self-understanding and wisdom." In other words, it's about making a conscious decision, to really witness, whatever it is you're feeling, thinking about, or experiencing, right here and right now. It involves accepting, and being curious about, whatever you observe. For example, if an emotion arises in your body, such as sadness or anger, you don't call it good or bad, or right or wrong. You don't fight, resist, or push it away. Rather, you "sit with it" and learn from it. What does this emotion feel like in my body? What is its purpose? Why is it here? You let mindfulness increase your understanding, of who you are, what you need, and most importantly, how to live your life well. Perhaps, Pema Chödrön, an American Tibetan Buddhist, said it best "The most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently." Mindfulness allows us to do just that.
Now, for the impressive news – mindfulness has the power to positively impact every single factor or condition on this list. A regular mindfulness or meditation practice re-wires your brain. As a result, you're less anxious, happier, more resilient, more accepting of yourself and others, better able to regulate your emotions and tune into the emotions of others, less likely to give into cravings, and better able to develop and maintain strong relationships. In other words, mindfulness decreases your risk of disordered eating, because it makes you a calmer, happier, healthier, and better-adjusted person – one who doesn't need food as a coping tool for life.
Practicing mindfulness makes you a calmer, happier, healthier, and better-adjusted person. This decreases your need to misuse or abuse food. Commit to making mindfulness a regular part of each day.
P.S. Meditation usually feels hard, before it feels easy. Be patient and compassionate with yourself as you go. In time, your efforts will be rewarded. Lastly, if you've experienced severe trauma in your life, starting meditation with a qualified practitioner to guide you, is recommended.


6 Months Blogging - Some Musings | La Petite Noob | A Toronto-Based Fashion and Lifestyle Blog.
Congratulations on 6 months of blogging...here's to many more!
Congrats on your 6 month mark!
Your blog is an inspiration, come going.


Intermittent fasting has been shown to be an effective method of controlling blood glucose levels in men at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A Kangaroo Island farmer with more fresh figs than he can deal with is preparing for the commercial launch of Australia's first genuine fig vinegar.
Australia's legendary inland sea is filling, greening the desert and attracting wildlife and tourists from far and wide.
The South Australian government has committed A$60 million to build a world-class food and hospitality school in Adelaide.
Australian energy generator AGL has secured the right to develop, own and operate a 250-megawatt pumped hydro energy storage project at Hillgrove Resources Limited's Kanmantoo copper mine in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia.
SA Water Environmental Opportunities Manager Greg Ingleton testing tarmac temperature at Adelaide Airport during the trial.
A business case is being finalised for a project to grow a commercial farm crop to reduce runway air temperatures at a major airport in South Australia.
Kangaroo Island Spirits has launched a gin boasting 48 botanicals grown in its distillery garden including juniper berries, which it says is an Australian first.
A leading Australian craft distiller is capitalising on a chance encounter with a koala to go one better than the German creators of globally renowned gin Monkey 47.
Australian researchers are developing short-term weather forecasts for solar farms to help them precisely predict output as little as five minutes in advance.
An electronics development platform invented in South Australia is being used to design an Artificial Intelligence scarecrow to stop wild animals such as elephants and monkeys from destroying crops in Bhutan.


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By Aiswarya Lakshmi March 17, 2017
TEN Strengthens Vessel Base
Photo: Tsakos Energy Navigation
Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN)'s growth has continued unabated in 2017 with the delivery of one VLCC, the Hercules I, one aframax tanker the Marathon TS and the shuttle tanker Lisboa, currently all under long-term employment to solid counterparties.
These came on the back of nine vessels that were delivered or acquired in 2016 and will be followed in 2017 by the last four, of nine, aframaxes that were built against long-term employment to a Norwegian oil major.
With the delivery of these remaining high-end aframaxes, TEN's fully fixed, fully financed newbuilding program will complete and increase the Company's vessels in the water to 65 vessels, and the fleet's available days under secured employment, for this year so far to 63%, averaging approximately 2.7 years.
The intention of management is to increase this coverage further with placements under secured contracts, ideally with profit sharing provisions, of some of its vessels currently operating under flexible charters, without materially reducing its exposure in the spot market, which is expected to firm up again after a large part of the current (low) order book is delivered and as oil prices remain range bound.
Concurrent with this integral growth, management would also explore opportunities to profitably divest some of its vessels around the 10 year of age mark either through direct sales or other related structured transactions as they become available.
In addition, separately from the growth achieved via the newbuilding program, the Company remains on the lookout for additional opportunities, in the sectors which it operates, in order to further solidify the industrial nature of its business and enhance its cash flow visibility going forward.
On January 2017, the Company took delivery of the VLCC Hercules I from Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea which has subsequently been chartered for a period of up to 18 months to a significant North American oil company.
In February 2017 the aframax tanker Marathon TS was delivered from Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries, the fifth in a series of nine aframaxes built against long-term contracts for a Norwegian oil major.
On March 10, 2017, the Company took delivery of the DP2 suezmax shuttle tanker Lisboa from Sungdong Shipbuilding in South Korea. The vessel was built against an eight year contract, with an option to extend to eleven years, to a major European oil concern and gross revenues from this employment, may reach $200 million over its maximum potential duration.
"The industrial nature of our recent charters fits in well with the Company's strategy in building and operating vessels to accommodate the long-term needs of international oil concerns," stated Nikolas P. Tsakos, President and CEO of TEN and current Chairman of INTERTANKO.
"With our entire newbuilding program chartered on long-term accretive employment to first class end-users, TEN's new phase will be in full force within 2017. The long-term business further solidifies our balance-sheet, ensures TEN's continued profitability and dividend distribution. This should ultimately be reflected in our share's true valuation," Tsakos concluded.
• Tsakos Energy Navigation • Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries • Hercules
MOL Works on Environmental Agenda
Setting the Course for Low Carbon Shipping


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Book Review|How Does the Classic Marriage Plot Stand Up in 2014?
How Does the Classic Marriage Plot Stand Up in 2014?
By Francine Prose and Dana Stevens
Each week in Bookends, two writers take on questions about the world of books. This week, Francine Prose and Dana Stevens discuss whether the classic marriage plot — desire, courtship, happily ever after — stand up in 2014?
By Francine Prose
In literature, marriage is a metaphor for order and harmony restored, for the broken, disrupted world mended and made right.
When Chekhov said that a writer requires only two characters because "the center of gravity should reside in two: he and she," the couple he had in mind were probably not amicable co-workers, both contentedly married to other people and without the faintest erotic interest in each other. Presumably, he meant something closer to the gravitational pull of passion.
Francine ProseCreditIllustration by R. Kikuo Johnson
Given that human survival has some connection to courtship, it's no wonder readers have an endless appetite for stories about love, a hunger undiminished by time, culture or the latest divorce statistics. To read about mating is to be reassured that our species has a future. But what kind of future do we envision for the enraptured lovers? Chekhov wrote over 600 short stories, but I can't recall one that ends, "And they lived happily ever after." Indeed his "Lady With the Dog" concludes with the adulterous Gurov, briefly reunited with his adored (and married) Anna, realizing that the hardest part still lies before them — a last line that may well be the polar opposite of happily ever after.
Whenever I hear the phrase "happily ever after," I visualize the Don Martin cartoon I first saw in Mad Magazine and have loved since I was a child. The frog has been kissed and transformed into the handsome prince; he and his bride are riding off into the sunset. But in the next frame, a large housefly buzzes past. A long, ribbonlike tongue shoots out of the prince's mouth and snags the delicious insect morsel. How will the princess's happiness be affected by her husband's unusual dietary preferences?
So while the romantic thinks "happily ever after," the realist thinks "housefly." And yet I imagine most of us are simultaneously or alternately romantic and realistic, and consequently able to hold both phrases — both situations — in mind. The audience for the Barbara Cartland romance or the Victorian novel, the Shakespeare comedy or the Hollywood drama wants to see the lovers defeat fate's cruel or simply mischievous efforts to keep them apart, even if some large fraction of that audience is wondering why the last child-support check hasn't arrived. Tears well up in my eyes each time I read the end of Heinrich von Kleist's "Marquise of O" — the Marquise has forgiven her suitor, the impetuous Russian Count F, and "a whole series of young Russians now followed the first" — though I have my doubts about a marriage that began with a rape. How satisfied we are when Jane Eyre weds her Mr. Rochester, however haunted we may remain by the ghost of his mad first wife.
So why do writers as brilliant and perceptive as Kleist and Charlotte Brontë (and of course Jane Austen) seem to come down so unambiguously on the side of "happily ever after"? Is it because they were single? (Brontë married only in the last year of her life.) Because, given the rarity of divorce among their acquaintances, they failed to notice the discordant marriages that may have been even more common in their day than in ours? And why, knowing all that we know now, are we still so pleased and persuaded by happy romantic endings?
Perhaps it's because, in literature, marriage signifies not only marriage but something more. As we may dimly recall learning in high school, marriage is a metaphor for order and harmony restored, for the broken, disrupted world mended and made right. We understand that periods of misery and horror alternate with eras of relative tranquillity and peace. We want to believe in enduring love partly because we know that we will always be subject to, and at the mercy of, the pendulum swing between chaos and cohesion, happiness and heartbreak. And so we continue to root for the enchanted couple even as we hear the steady, ominous drone of the housefly slowly but inevitably entering their orbit.
Francine Prose is the author of 20 works of fiction and nonfiction, among them the novel "Blue Angel," a National Book Award nominee, and the guide "Reading Like a Writer," a New York Times best seller. A new novel, "Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932" will be published next year. Currently a distinguished visiting writer at Bard College, she is the recipient of numerous grants and awards; a contributing editor at Harper's, Saveur and Bomb; a former president of the PEN American Center; and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
◆ ◆ ◆
By Dana Stevens
Even if some love stories hew to the same format, there are signs that our understanding of 'happily ever after' is beginning to shift.
Dana StevensCreditIllustration by R. Kikuo Johnson
The idea that the pursuit of private domestic happiness, as expressed in the romantic union of a man and a woman through marriage, is a fit subject for storytelling is a notion with a specific, if difficult to pinpoint, historical life span. It's not clear exactly when marriage began to shift from being conceived primarily as an economic and sexual arrangement — what the 18th-century philosopher Immanuel Kant bluntly defined as a lifelong contract for the mutual use of the genitals — and began to move toward something closer to our modern understanding of the marriage relationship as one of reciprocal affection and shared responsibility. Many scholars have argued that the rise of the marriage plot is tied up with the simultaneous emergence of the novel as a genre and the middle class as a social force — though of course, Shakespeare was busy devising clever obstacle courses for his hapless, verbose, frequently cross-dressed lovers long before that. (And even earlier in literary history, the figures of medieval courtly romance were pining for their socially proscribed beloveds in ways that can still seem remarkably modern.)
Whenever the marriage plot in its current form can be said to have taken shape, it seems safe to say that, as the 21st century gets underway, it's a tradition as much in flux as the institution of marriage itself. First, there's the unseating of heterosexual normativity from its millenniums-long reign as the only comprehensible form of romantic partnership. If a man can marry a man and a woman a woman — if our understanding of gender and kinship can transform at a level that profound, as it seems to be doing more rapidly than anyone could have predicted — then surely the culture at large can find stories to tell that are larger, deeper and more aware of human complexity than "boy meets boy" or "girl meets girl" or even "trans man meets lesbian." Even if a dispiriting number of contemporary love stories — including those involving same-sex partners — do continue to hew to that same rigid format, there are also signs that our common understanding of "happily ever after" is beginning to shift.
This past year alone, in the world of film — which, as the dominant popular art form of the last century, can be said to have picked up the marriage-plot baton from narrative fiction — we've seen movies like Richard Linklater's "Before Midnight," the third installment of a two-decade-spanning trilogy that treats long-term romantic partnership (not marriage — significantly, the character played by Julie Delpy resists that step) as a permanent negotiation involving countless small compromises, disappointments and, often, self-deceptions. More radically, Spike Jonze's man-meets-software romance "Her" imagines a very near future in which love breaks down not just traditional gender binaries but the line between human and nonhuman itself (and in which the familiar "love triangle" becomes a complex love polyhedron involving hundreds of simultaneous human and digital paramours).
Whatever form the marriage plot assumes as it continues to evolve, it seems clear that the richest and most ambitious love stories will be those that aren't afraid to call into question what we mean both by "love" and by "story," whether by opening up the closed temporal loop of "happily ever after" (in the style of Michel Gondry's mind-bending, time-shifting sci-fi romance "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") or acknowledging the impermanence and imperfection of all relationships (like Woody Allen's "Annie Hall," which could be seen as an early turning point in the reinvention of the contemporary rom-com). The freeze-frame kiss that's marked the end of so many Hollywood romances — the image of a man and a woman joined forever in changeless heterosexual bliss, the ultimate teleological goal of all love — is coming unfrozen, and what happens after those two pairs of lips separate is ours to decide.
Dana Stevens is the film critic at Slate and a co-host of the Slate Culture Gabfest podcast. She has also written for The Atlantic and Bookforum, among other publications.
A version of this article appears in print on , Page 31 of the Sunday Book Review with the headline: Bookends. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe
Bookends: Columnists