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UPDATE: The latest bomb in the culture war: The prelates, the president, and the pill
UPDATE: A few more weighing in now on the HHS contraception mandate. Probably the most well-rounded is Grant Gallicho at Commonweal [1], who spins out lots of possibilities about why the O administration decided to go the route of extending the deadline for a year. Turns out 28 states already have a contraception mandate; it could be that the administration is leaving the door open either for a Supreme Court challenge or some legal way for employees of Catholic hospitals, for example, to provide the coverage without becoming morally implicated in it.
Michael Sean Winters, a self-professed liberal Democrat, says at NCR [2]that this decision cost Obama Winters' vote. Ron Dreher, who blogs for The American Conservative, [3] lays into Obama pretty hard. The only outlier, also at Commonweal, is from Eric Bugyis, who argues [4] that it is the conscience rights of individual women who will be violated if they are not provided coverage for contraception.
I think it's clear that the Obama administration has made at least a political mistake in not expanding the exemption. They may lose in the courts anyway, but I think you could make an argument here to let the market decide. This will be a very popular benefit, and if a nurse has the option of working at another hospital where such coverage would be provided, I think he or she likely would. Just as Catholic colleges and universities have had to create some kind of equal benefits package for gay professors--to attract the best talent--the same may be true for hospitals or other Catholic institutions affected by this legislation.
I admit the bishops have a powerful issue here with religious liberty, but this contraceptive mandate seems like a strange hill to die on. Even if Catholic institutions are "forced" to pay for coverage of birth control pills, it remains up to individuals to purchase and/or use them. Is Catholic "religious liberty" predicated on the ability to prevent people who don't share our beliefs about contraception from having access to them through a workplace benefits packages? I'm not so sure.
ORIGINAL POST: Oh boy, oh boy: If the bishops weren't already locked and loaded for a fight about religious freedom, the Obama administration just handed them new ammunition. The Department of Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule today that requires Catholic organizations to include contraceptive coverage and sterilization in health plans for women, giving religious organizations a further year to comply. (Washington Post coverage here [5]; AP here [6].) Archbishop of New York and U.S. bishops' conference president Timothy Dolan has already fired back [7], promising a fight in opposition to what Dolan calls an "edict."
No matter where you stand on the either moral issue of contraception or the policy issue of whether women should be able to get it without cost, this is going to be more than a tempest in a tea kettle, especially with an election looming. Clearly the administration has decided that what will certainly be a popular benefit for women of childbearing age is worth the political heat the Democrats will take from the bishops and Catholics opposed to contraception.
At the same time, the bishops have a powerful argument that Catholic organizations are going to be "forced" to pay for something church teaching considers immoral. Even if Catholics by and large disagree with the church's teaching on artificial forms of contraception, they may be convinced that the administration is indeed trampling on the conscience rights and religious freedom of those who do. The editors of Commonweal magazine, generally leaning to the left in matters of politics, counseled the administration to enlarge the religious exemption for this rule [8], which I think would have been the more politically wise decision.
The bishops have clearly chosen to make their stand on religious liberty swing on marriage and contraception; their opinions on these matters may be out of step with majorities of both Americans and Catholics (smaller majorities with the latter), but I don't think that's going to matter. The bishops have effectively changed the topic of debate to "religious freedom." We're clearly in an us-versus-them situation, and I don't see any way out. Someone is going to lose.


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Since seeing this video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSFf6LZU ... re=related
I'm wanting to install Amiga OS 4.1, but it seems that PC hardware isn't actually supported because the Amigas hardware architecture was so different.
Does anyone know if this is possible? Booting in 7 seconds and shutting down in 1 is pretty impressive. The system seems really fast too. I'm an Ubuntu user right now but I'm thinking either Amiga or Haiku will win soon.

subset: commoncrawl


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(a) A county board of education shall make decisions affecting the filling of vacancies in professional positions of employment on the basis of the applicant with the highest qualifications: Provided, That the county superintendent shall be hired under separate criteria pursuant to section two, article four, chapter eighteen of this code.
(b) In judging qualifications for the filling of vacancies of professional positions of employment, consideration shall be given to each of the following:
(1) Appropriate certification, licensure or both;
(2) Amount of experience relevant to the position or, in the case of a classroom teaching position, the amount of teaching experience in the required certification area;
(3) The amount of course work, degree level or both in the relevant field and degree level generally;
(4) Academic achievement;
(5) In the case of a principal or classroom teaching position, certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards;
(6) Specialized training relevant to performing the duties of the job;
(7) Past performance evaluations conducted pursuant to section twelve, article two of this chapter and section two, article three-c of this chapter or, in the case of a classroom teacher, past evaluations of the applicants performance in the teaching profession;
(8) Seniority;
(9) Other measures or indicators upon which the relative qualifications of the applicant may fairly be judged;
(10) In the case of a classroom teaching position, the recommendation of the principal of the school at which the applicant will be performing a majority of his or her duties; and
(11) In the case of a classroom teaching position, the recommendation, if any, resulting from the process established pursuant to the provisions of section five, article five-a, chapter eighteen of this code by the faculty senate of the school at which the employee will be performing a majority of his or her duties.
(c) When filling of a vacancy pursuant to this section, a county board is entitled to determine the appropriate weight to apply to each of the criterion when assessing an applicants qualifications: Provided, That if one or more permanently employed instructional personnel apply for a classroom teaching position and meet the standards set forth in the job posting, each criterion under subsection (b) of this section shall be given equal weight except that the criterion in subdivisions (10) and (11) shall each be double weighted.
(d) For a classroom teaching position, if the principal and faculty senate recommend the same applicant pursuant to subdivisions (10) and (11), subsection (b) of this section, and the superintendent concurs with those recommendations, then the other provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this section do not apply and the county board shall appoint that applicant notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary.
(e) The state board shall promulgate a rule, including an emergency rule if necessary, in accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to implement and interpret the provisions of this section. The rule may provide for t a classroom teacher who directly participates in making recommendations pursuant to this section to be compensated at the appropriate daily rate during periods of participation beyond his or her individual contract.
(f) The recommendations of the principal and faculty senate made pursuant to subdivisions (10) and (11), subsection (b) of this section shall be based on a determination as to which applicant is the most highly qualified for the position: Provided, That nothing in this subsection may require principals or faculty senates to assign any amount of weight to any factor in making a recommendation.
(g) With the exception of guidance counselors, the seniority of classroom teachers, as defined in section one, article one of this chapter, shall be determined on the basis of the length of time the employee has been employed as a regular full-time certified and/or licensed professional educator by the county board of education and shall be granted in all areas that the employee is certified, licensed or both.
(h) Upon completion of one hundred thirty-three days of employment in any one school year, substitute teachers, except retired teachers and other retired professional educators employed as substitutes, shall accrue seniority exclusively for the purpose of applying for employment as a permanent, full-time professional employee. One hundred thirty-three days or more of said employment shall be prorated and shall vest as a fraction of the school year worked by the permanent, full-time teacher.
(i) Guidance counselors and all other professional employees, as defined in section one, article one of this chapter, except classroom teachers, shall gain seniority in their nonteaching area of professional employment on the basis of the length of time the employee has been employed by the county board of education in that area: Provided, That if an employee is certified as a classroom teacher, the employee accrues classroom teaching seniority for the time that employee is employed in another professional area. For the purposes of accruing seniority under this paragraph, employment as principal, supervisor or central office administrator, as defined in section one, article one of this chapter, shall be considered one area of employment.
(j) Employment for a full employment term equals one year of seniority, but an employee may not accrue more than one year of seniority during any given fiscal year. Employment for less than the full employment term shall be prorated. A random selection system established by the employees and approved by the county board shall be used to determine the priority if two or more employees accumulate identical seniority: Provided, That when two or more principals have accumulated identical seniority, decisions on reductions in force shall be based on qualifications.
(k) Whenever a county board is required to reduce the number of professional personnel in its employment, the employee with the least amount of seniority shall be properly notified and released from employment pursuant to the provisions of section two, article two of this chapter. The provisions of this subsection are subject to the following:
(1) All persons employed in a certification area to be reduced who are employed under a temporary permit shall be properly notified and released before a fully certified employee in such a position is subject to release;
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, for any vacancy in an established, existing or newly created position that, on or before March 1, is known to exist for the ensuing school year, upon recommendation of the superintendent, the board shall appoint the successful applicant from among all qualified applicants. All employees subject to release shall be considered applicants for the positions for which they are qualified and shall be considered before posting such vacancies for application by nonemployees;
(3) An employee subject to release shall be employed in any other professional position where the employee is certified and was previously employed or to any lateral area for which the employee is certified, licensed or both, if the employees seniority is greater than the seniority of any other employee in that area of certification, licensure or both;
(4) If an employee subject to release holds certification, licensure or both in more than one lateral area and if the employees seniority is greater than the seniority of any other employee in one or more of those areas of certification, licensure or both, the employee subject to release shall be employed in the professional position held by the employee with the least seniority in any of those areas of certification, licensure or both; and
(5) If, prior to August 1 of the year, a reduction in force is approved, the reason for any particular reduction in force no longer exists as determined by the county board in its sole and exclusive judgment, the board shall rescind the reduction in force or transfer and shall notify the released employee in writing of his or her right to be restored to his or her position of employment. Within five days of being so notified, the released employee shall notify the board, in writing, of his or her intent to resume his or her position of employment or the right to be restored shall terminate. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision, if there is another employee on the preferred recall list with proper certification and higher seniority, that person shall be placed in the position restored as a result of the reduction in force being rescinded.
(l) For the purpose of this article, all positions which meet the definition of "classroom teacher" as defined in section one, article one of this chapter shall be lateral positions. For all other professional positions, the county board of education shall adopt a policy by October 31, 1993, and may modify the policy thereafter as necessary, which defines which positions shall be lateral positions. In adopting the policy, the board shall give consideration to the rank of each position in terms of title; nature of responsibilities; salary level; certification, licensure or both; and days in the period of employment.
(m) All professional personnel whose seniority with the county board is insufficient to allow their retention by the county board during a reduction in work force shall be placed upon a preferred recall list. As to any professional position opening within the area where they had previously been employed or to any lateral area for which they have certification, licensure or both, the employee shall be recalled on the basis of seniority if no regular, full-time professional personnel, or those returning from leaves of absence with greater seniority, are qualified, apply for and accept the position.
(n) Before position openings that are known or expected to extend for twenty consecutive employment days or longer for professional personnel may be filled by the board, the board shall be required to notify all qualified professional personnel on the preferred list and give them an opportunity to apply, but failure to apply shall not cause the employee to forfeit any right to recall. The notice shall be sent by certified mail to the last known address of the employee, and it shall be the duty of each professional personnel to notify the board of continued availability annually, of any change in address or of any change in certification, licensure or both.
(o) Openings in established, existing or newly created positions shall be processed as follows:
(1) Boards shall be required to post and date notices of each opening at least once. At their discretion, boards may post an opening for a position other than classroom teacher more than once in order to attract more qualified applicants. At their discretion, boards may post an opening for a classroom teacher one additional time after the first posting in order to attract more qualified applicants only if fewer than three individuals apply during the first posting subject to the following:
(A) Each notice shall be posted in conspicuous working places for all professional personnel to observe for at least five working days;
(B) At least one notice shall be posted within twenty working days of the position openings and shall include the job description;
(C) Any special criteria or skills that are required by the position shall be specifically stated in the job description and directly related to the performance of the job;
(D) Postings for vacancies made pursuant to this section shall be written so as to ensure that the largest possible pool of qualified applicants may apply; and
(E) Job postings may not require criteria which are not necessary for the successful performance of the job and may not be written with the intent to favor a specific applicant;
(2) No vacancy may be filled until after the five-day minimum posting period of the most recent posted notice of the vacancy;
(3) If one or more applicants under all the postings for a vacancy meets the qualifications listed in the job posting, the successful applicant to fill the vacancy shall be selected by the board within thirty working days of the end of the first posting period;
(4) A position held by a teacher who is certified, licensed or both, who has been issued a permit for full-time employment and is working toward certification in the permit area shall not be subject to posting if the certificate is awarded within five years; and
(5) Nothing provided herein may prevent the county board of education from eliminating a position due to lack of need.
(p) Notwithstanding any other provision of the code to the contrary, where the total number of classroom teaching positions in an elementary school does not increase from one school year to the next, but there exists in that school a need to realign the number of teachers in one or more grade levels, kindergarten through six, teachers at the school may be reassigned to grade levels for which they are certified without that position being posted: Provided, That the employee and the county board mutually agree to the reassignment.
(q) Reductions in classroom teaching positions in elementary schools shall be processed as follows:
(1) When the total number of classroom teaching positions in an elementary school needs to be reduced, the reduction shall be made on the basis of seniority with the least senior classroom teacher being recommended for transfer; and
(2) When a specified grade level needs to be reduced and the least senior employee in the school is not in that grade level, the least senior classroom teacher in the grade level that needs to be reduced shall be reassigned to the position made vacant by the transfer of the least senior classroom teacher in the school without that position being posted: Provided, That the employee is certified, licensed or both and agrees to the reassignment.
(r) Any board failing to comply with the provisions of this article may be compelled to do so by mandamus and shall be liable to any party prevailing against the board for court costs and reasonable attorney fees as determined and established by the court. Further, employees denied promotion or employment in violation of this section shall be awarded the job, pay and any applicable benefits retroactive to the date of the violation and payable entirely from local funds. Further, the board shall be liable to any party prevailing against the board for any court reporter costs including copies of transcripts.
(s) The county board shall compile, update annually on July 1 and make available by electronic or other means to all employees a list of all professional personnel employed by the county, their areas of certification and their seniority.
(t) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, upon recommendation of the principal and approval by the classroom teacher and county board, a classroom teacher assigned to the school may at any time be assigned to a new or existing classroom teacher position at the school without the position being posted.


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Appointments are scheduled through the Student Health Center with a doctorate level psychology interns, a Clinical Psychologist, Medical Physician or Registered Nurse.
Student Services provides professional counseling faculty who are available to students and provide Academic, Career, Transfer, Personal, and Crisis Counseling. Their holistic approach allows them to assess and identify each student's needs and commence with brief counseling. At times, there is not a clear objective in the student's mind as to why he/she is meeting with the counselor or he/she does not want staff to know why an appointment is being scheduled. The student may make the appointment indicating he/she wants academic advisement, but as the discussion develops, issues of a personal nature arise that need to be addressed prior to academic advisement taking place. In some cases, counselors refer the student to other on campus or off campus resources, as appropriate.
To arrange an appointment at the Student Health Center you may telephone or come to the center. The Office Assistant will schedule an appointment for you at the first available time. If you wish to request a specific counselor, you may do so. Otherwise, you will be assigned to a therapist who has the most immediate opening. You may call at anytime during the semester to request a session.
To schedule your first appointment, come to the Health Center at SSC 177 or call (949) 582-4606. Plan to arrive 10 minutes before your first appointment in order to complete necessary paperwork. During your first session, your counselor will listen to your concerns and will discuss your goals for counseling. Also, your counselor will help you to identify possible options and alternatives for meeting your needs.
Counseling appointments always begin on the hour and last one hour. It is important that you arrive on time so that you receive the best possible service. When an appointment must be missed, you must call or come to the Student Health Center to cancel or reschedule.
Crisis intervention is available during the regular hours of the Student Health Center. You do not need a pre-scheduled appointment to see a counselor if you are experiencing a true crisis.
When urgent on-campus emergencies occur outside of Student Health Center hours, please contact the Campus Police at (949) 582-4585 or (949) 582-4444.


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U.S. satirical publication The Onion apologized Monday for a "crude and offensive" remark it tweeted about Best Actress Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis, 9.
Although she lost the Best Actress prize to "Silver Linings Playbook" star Jennifer Lawrence, Quvenzhane still went down in the history books as the youngest person ever to be nominated for the award.
"Everyone else seems afraid to say it, but that Quvenzhane Wallis is kind of a [expletive], right?" The Onion tweeted Sunday night, then quickly deleted the post.
CNET said it was unclear what prompted the mean-spirited barb toward the child on her big night, but attributed its fast removal from the Internet to Onion staffers realizing it was a mistake.
Actor Wendell Pierce was one of the Twitter users outraged by the quip. He demanded that whoever wrote the comment take responsibility and apologize for it.
"Let him defend that abhorrent verbal attack of a child," he tweeted. "You call it humor I call it horrendous."
Steve Hannah, The Onion's chief executive officer, acknowledged Monday in a statement to Fox News the comment about Quvenzhane was "crude and offensive -- not to mention inconsistent with The Onion's commitment to parody and satire, however biting."
"In addition, we are taking immediate steps to discipline those individuals responsible," Hannah wrote. "Miss Wallis, you are young and talented and deserve better. All of us at The Onion are deeply sorry."
Quvenzhane was announced as the star of the new movie musical version of "Annie" Sunday.


text: teeth LCC Opens New Dental Clinic To Serve Patients And Train Students By Angela Kellner • Apr 15, 2014 Angela Kellner Since the great recession, job security has been elusive. One bright spot is the health care field. Lane Community College in Eugene offers training programs to help students land well-paying jobs in the health care industry, including dental care. Lane recently opened a new dental clinic on Willamette Street where students can learn by treating patients.


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Rated best app for wine shoppers by NY Times, NPR, Mashable - Hello Vino will help you in the wine aisle - the free app gives you wine recommendations for meals, occasions, holidays, and by taste preference. NO SNOBS ALLOWED!
★ RECOMMENDATIONS ★ You don't need to know anything about wine to use Hello Vino. All you have to do is tell the app what you're eating, or provide your taste preferences, and Hello Vino will help you pick the perfect bottle off the shelf.
★ WINE LABEL IMAGE RECOGNITION ★ Ever purchased a wine based on the design of its label? Now you actually have a good excuse! Snap a pic of the wine label and Hello Vino will give you all the goods (tasting notes, ratings, food pairings and more!).
★ NEVER FORGET ANOTHER WINE ★ Just in case you're having trouble remembering that delicious wine you tasted last night, Hello Vino will help you easily save and track all the wines you love (and hate).
★ FOOD PAIRINGS ★ Whether it's pepperoni pizza, filet mignon, or even mac & cheese, Hello Vino will give you recommendations for the best wines to pair with your meal.
★ GIFT IDEAS ★ Need to bring a killer bottle of wine to your next festivus? Hello Vino has you covered with wine recommendations for every occasion and holiday (Thanksgiving is right around the corner!!).
★ LARGEST WINE DATABASE ★ We tied down a dozen sommeliers and plugged their brains into our supermegacomputer in order to bring you the world's most detailed wine database.
★ WINE REVIEWS ★ We get by with a little help from our friends. Your new friend and Certified Sommelier Elizabeth Schneider has provided "quick wine reviews" that break down widely available wines that you can find in your local store. Take a listen to the 2-minute audio reviews that talk about the wine in a "normal" way (not wine "geek speak").
What's New In This Version:
★ ENHANCED Image Recognition ★ After a year's worth of photos from the Hello Vino community, we've made an incredibly HUGE improvement to the image recognition features in the app.
★ NEW Food & Drink Recommendations ★ Whether you need the perfect wine pairings for holiday meals or suggestions for a killer bottle to bring to your friends and family gatherings, we have you covered.
★ Wine Database Update ★ We've hooked up with wine retailers across the land to make sure you'll find the details on wines that are available in your local stores.
★ Updated for iPhone 5 ★ More screen space = More vino. Need we say more?
-- This 2.2.3 update also includes the ability to restore unlimited image recognition scans and a fix for a bug that did not display wine photos added by some users. --
You can download Hello Vino from the App Store for free.
Read More


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Archer unveils changeup in spring debut
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer delivers a warm-up throw in the first inning of an exhibition baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Tuesday, March 4, 2014, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Tampa BayÕs Chris Archer worked two innings against the Red Sox at JetBlue Park on Tuesday. He faced six batters and gave up one hit.
FORT MYERS—The Tampa Bay Rays would rather have Chris Archer try and fail then not try at all.
That's what they told him, so that's exactly what the 25-year-old right-hander did in the Rays' 8-0 win over the Boston Red Sox at jetBlue Park on Tuesday. Archer has been working on adding a changeup to his arsenal, and he got a chance to try it out against the defending champions.


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T O P I C R E V I E WAPG85Some great shots of the Apollo astronauts in training among the pictures on this site. Worth a look...MCroft04Thanks for the link; some great photos here.MSSThis wonderful photos was linked in my topic on Jan 7, 2013. Thanks for remembering it.------------------Astronauts, Cosmonauts & their flights
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Students and parents are invited to Gloucester Community Arts Charter School to come see the School Facility, meet the educators, see a class and talk with parents of students! Gloucester Community Arts Charter School encourages kids to be curious, engaged and community aware.
Students will be attending their choice of classes based on the theme of Community Service. The day will start with Morning Meeting and a discussion of types of global and local community service.
Classes will include:
- A Dance-athon with proceeds going to a worthy cause
- Writing letters to servicemen and women to be sent with baskets of appreciation
- Designing and decorating clothing to be donated to those in need
The Student Leadership Team will run a project to provide aid for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Parents are invited to attend the next in our series of special workshops, focusing this time on how to support their children in learning math. During the first workshop, parents participated in a very compelling and helpful workshop on bullying.
If you can, please inform the school if you plan to attend, but drop in guests are always welcome at our open houses.


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We will be doing the Minty Boost program on June 12 at the Iroquois Library for Teen Tuesday!
Teens had fun while learning how basic electronics work at the Teen Outpost Highlands/Shelby Park Library. They made a simple USB charger from an old mint tin and a few spare parts.
Were you there? Add a comment below and tell us what you thought about it.
Did you miss it? Check out our online calendar for upcoming teen programs.
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The Mortal Instruments series, City of Lost Souls, comes out next week on May 8. Place your reserve request today!
Books in The Mortal Instruments series:
If you love Clares prequel series, The Infernal Devices, you will have to wait almost a year for the next installment! The new book, titled Clockwork Princess, will be out in March 2013.
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Access to guns is (and should be) a hot button issue in the U.S., but 3D printing could make it possible for just about anyone to get their hands on a working weapon. At least that was the dream of Cody Wilson from Defense Distributed, until the company that made his leased 3D printer had other thoughts about how the machine should be used.
Scooped by
Mirco Mattarozzi
onto L'impresa "mobile"


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Study Reveals Safer Driving<br>Trend in 70-plus Age Group
Self-regulation, state requirements drive new stats.
As the number of older Americans grows, more of them are hitting the road—and doing it safely. Fatal crashes per licensed driver over the age of 70 fell 37 percent between 1997 and 2008, according to a new study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a research group funded by the insurance industry.
For drivers over 80 the rate declined by almost half (47 percent). By comparison, the fatal crash rate for drivers 35 to 54 years old decreased only 23 percent. The rate of nonfatal accidents also dropped for older drivers, and the odds of an older person surviving a crash have increased.
"This is very good news," says Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at IIHS and a coauthor of the study. "It's counter to what had been expected. Very often older drivers come into the news after there has been a bad crash, leaving the impression that they are becoming a menace on the roads. When you look at our study, that's not the case."
AARP's senior vice president Elinor Ginzler agrees. "The new IIHS report reinforces what safety experts already know: Age by itself doesn't cause car crashes." Most older drivers are safe drivers and exercise personal responsibility—the report found that many older drivers were limiting their own driving at night and on high-speed roads, she says. "At a time of pervasive new driver distractions—like cellphones, texting and even DVD players—the self-awareness, attentiveness and judgment of most older drivers should reassure other drivers on the roadways."
Besides the obvious reasons of safer vehicles and better roads, experts suggest several factors behind the good news:
- Older drivers voluntarily limit trips at night, in bad weather and in heavy traffic. Last year MIT AgeLab and the Hartford Financial Services Group released the results of a study that showed older drivers do the most "self-regulating": 69 percent of drivers over age 75 compared with 58 percent of the 65-to-74 age group, and only 53 percent of 50- to 64-year-olds. "It's clear that older drivers are able to gauge when they need to make different choices in order to stay on the road and to stay safe," says Jodi Olshevski, a gerontologist with the Hartford.
- Many states are stepping in to ensure that older drivers are safer with special license renewal procedures, including shorter renewal intervals, a requirement to renew in person and additional testing. Check information on your state's requirements for older drivers.
- Driving more may help keep older drivers safe. "We know that low-mileage driving—at any age—usually means a higher accident rate," says McCartt. "So if older people are driving more, they are actually better off."
- Older drivers are much less likely to speed, drive under the influence of alcohol, talk on a cellphone or text while driving.
"There is nothing to suggest that there are not older people out there who should not be driving, but as a group, they are not becoming a bigger menace," McCartt says.
AARP offers a driver safety refresher course both online and in a classroom setting. Go to the AARP Driver Safety Program page for more information or to find a nearby class.
Cathie Gandel is a writer in Bridgehampton, N.Y.
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Story highlights
- Two kittens spotted at MTA station in Brooklyn
- Officials suspend local service during search
- No cat-astrophe: Tale has happy ending
- Some commuters spitting mad
Lions may be kings of the jungle, but for nearly two hours, two kittens ruled the concrete jungle as officials halted New York subway service Thursday.
The fearless felines risked all nine lives meandering the subway Thursday, causing part of it to be shut down for 90 minutes as personnel cut the power to begin their search.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority suspended subway service on the B and Q lines between the Kings Highway and DeKalb Avenue stops in Brooklyn -- about 6 miles of track -- to search for two cats that were reported seen at about 11 a.m., MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said.
MTA had to cut the power to the third rail, which carries 600 volts of electricity.
"If you touch that third rail, you're not going to make it -- people and especially cats, anything that moves," Ortiz said.
New Yorkers are accustomed to seeing critters, but it's usually rats and mice scampering around the underground tunnels, leaving the alley cats above ground.
Even though the search was for a couple of friendly felines, some riders were not happy with the inconvenient suspension.
"It's a waste of money. They could have been doing something else. It's a waste of money. But that's the MTA for you," subway rider and former MTA employee Wilson Burton told CNN affiliate WABC.
The New York Police Department was brought to the scene later in the day for crowd control.
"As the trains backed up, the crowds build up and people are late in their travels. We have to make sure everyone gets to their place safely," Lt. Paul Ng of the NYPD said.
Though the sneaky cats were at large on the tracks for more than seven hours, they reappeared around 6 p.m. and were corralled and captured within the half hour, MTA spokeswoman Judie Glave said. They were taken to a nearby shelter, police said.
It is MTA protocol for conductors to stop and call in anytime something is on or traveling on the tracks, so it is in the best interest of customers and MTA to clear the track as soon as possible, Glave said.
The pair was found in the same spot where they were first sighted earlier in the day, despite the running trains and the re-electrified deadly third rail.
It was a close call -- but, luckily, curiosity didn't kill these cats.


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A cat has clawed his way back into the hearts and home of the owners that lost him 13 years ago.
The Corsos lived in Las Vegas when their pet, Bandit, disappeared one day when he was let out of the house. Imagine the surprise of Elizabeth and Dante Corso to get a call in San Diego -- where they now live -- that Bandit had been found circling around in their old Vegas neighborhood.
A microchip implanted in the feline enabled someone at Bonanza Cat Hospital to find the 15-year-old cat's owners and get them all back together on April 4, according to KTNV.
"This cat here has an amazing story. Yeah, I wish I knew it. All of it; who he's [been] with, where he's been," Elizabeth said to NBC San Diego.
Bandit moved into a veritable menagerie. The Corsos own 13 other animals, KPBS said.
One of the other pets is Bandit's brother Coot who was never the same after Bandit disappeared, according to KGTV.


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It can be tough caring for a colony of feral cats, and even tougher to trap them so they can be neutered or spayed and sent back to the wild.
That's why Kit Bracher decided there needs to be a group that supports the people who handle this chore.
Cat Guardians will hold its first meeting at the North Fort Myers Library on April 1 at noon.
Cat Guardians is a new rescue group devoted to educating those who don't know about the Lee County TNR (trap, neuter, return) program and offering support for those who use it to help control the pet population.
There are more than 50 million feral cats living in colonies nationwide, according to the Humane Society, with a handful of advocates trying to reduce the population.
PAWS in North Fort Myers offers a similar program at very low cost.
"We want to educate people and send them in the right direction of where they need to go if they want to participate," Bracher said.
Bracher said she and her husband got the idea of starting the group last September after a neighbor left a couple of cats behind. Before long, other feral cats started showing up in her yard, which didn't make some of her neighbors too happy.
"That's when we learned that Lee County Animal Services does TNR at no cost. So throughout the last year, we've rescued about 10 cats," Bracher said.
Bracher said she has been in contact with several national organizations such as Alley Cat Allies out of New York to garner support.
The group will make Cat Guardians part of its database starting April 1, and in October will declare National Feral Cat Day, in which Bracher said she hopes to build support from local businesses and veterinarians.
Space is limited to 40 people, but Bracher said if there are more she would "hold the meeting in the parking lot if she had to."
The library is at 2001 N Tamiami Trail.
For more information, contact Bracher at 940-444-1434.


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Trainers are having a moment, they have never been out of fashion, so it isn't a revival, so I am going with a moment – we have designers embracing the casual shoe on the catwalk, we have unsporty types opting for pops of colour to spice up their day-to-day outfits, and we even have hard core fashionistas embracing the comfort of the flats over heels. During fashion week everywhere I turned people were wearing the Nike FlyKnits, paired with jeans, leather skirts and even dresses – it seems that dressing down is the way forward.
For me, wearing trainers is the ultimate comfort, more so than wearing fluffy-lined boots on a cold day, they are an item of footwear that really has the ability to go with anything, plus if you really want to you could also run a mile in them, I don't – but the thought is always there!!! One thing I am loving about trainers at the moment is how fun they are – with brands going for prints, textures, clashing colours and best of all retro shapes.
These beauties that I am wearing here are from United Nude's new Runner collection, aren't they pretty – they kind of remind me of a pair of Kangaroo's I had in the 80's, yep I am an eighties baby. I love everything from the shape, I do the slightly pointed toe to the vibrant stitching and the striped pattern that makes them instantly recognisable as being designed by United Nude. They are just so much fun.
There are six different designs, these are the Petrol ones, but all of them are just as vibrant, fashion-forward and will make a great addition for any trainer collection. Mine are probably the most toned down pair, but I just adored the neon pink trim, the others called Rave, Paradise, Violet, and Bright Mix are really statements, and there is a monochrome pair called Anis. I actually love them all – they really do capture the architectural vibe of the brand.
What do you think of United Nude's fashionable trainers?


text:
My daughter is finishing off first grade. No matter what grade your kid is finishing, it's a big deal for a lot of parents that school has ended.
The end of the school year is basically controlled chaos. There are activities, recitals, and award ceremonies that all require attendance. Especially when you're a parent that's new to the school scene. Your anxiety levels rise because you're sure that if you miss an event, your kid will end up being a junkie on the streets. If you miss their soccer jamboree your child will suffer from having no self worth and live a life of struggle or constantly trying to find hope in the bottom of a Ben and Jerry's pint. ("Every But The ..." is personally my favorite flavor.)
OK, that's extreme and I don't really feel that way, but being new to the school scene, there is a little pressure I'm still getting used to, but all in all I've gotten a grip. Like volunteering.
I recently volunteered for the field trip to the Anchorage Museum and Anchorage Zoo. I woke up bright and early, and when we all got on the bus my daughter wanted to sit by her friend. Typical. I found a bus buddy and she was great. The first thing she told me was, "When my little brother sits on my sister's lap she says he has a bony butt." Jackpot. I'm sitting by the kid that's going to give me a good article for Sunday's paper.
A few of my favorite things she told me was that her dad was holding a brand new baby and it puked down his back, but they thought it was funny because no one told him about it until it smelled so bad he finally figured it out for himself. She asked if I cried at movies and I said yes, all the time. Sympathetically she nodded and informed me while watching "Titanic" she cried so much that she used 10 whole tissues. I looked impressed and she said, "It's a true story."
Oh my word. This kid is awesome. She told me about her auditions and performed a monologue. She told me if she makes a lot of money while modeling, she promises to buy me a limo. "I'll hold you to it," was my reply.
The honesty of kids is remarkable. She let me know that I looked really, really tired. And I made the mistake of asking, "How tired?" She said, "Like you haven't slept in 3 weeks." Thank you, child. For that.
I was the shmuck parent that rode the bus. It was the newly upgraded bus with black leather-like padded seats and seat belts. Have you been on the new buses? They are not the cardboard junk we had growing up where every bump and pebble on the road dug into your hind parts. I didn't mind riding the bus, because truth be told (as I've mentioned before), I'm fresh meat to having school aged kids. Ask me to bake 2 dozen cookies the night before and I'll stay up until midnight and bake you 3 dozen. Ask me to bring something and I'll bring you the Rolls Royce version. For now. Give me another year or two and I will be buying the pre-made brick cookies from the closest gas station just like everyone else.
Worrying about homework, packing a lunch, and strict bedtimes is now at an end. Waiting until the weekend for sleepovers or birthday parties is no longer necessary; the weekdays are available on the open market again. We all get to dodge kids in the grocery stores as their parents yell at them to stop running and in our neighborhoods where they ride their bikes that magically appear out of nowhere.
But at one point we were those kids, so maybe just show a little grace and remember in a few months the school routine starts over.
Here's the thing: Now that school has ended our kids are home now. The tables have turned. It's our turn to do a little homework and get into the groove of summer. Where can we take them to burn off energy? How can we encourage learning in the middle of a fun summer? Whether you visit the beach, the parks, the pool, the library, or just plain ol' fashion hanging out with friends and family, there are many options!
As Alaskans we know that it's not going to be summer forever, so enjoy this small window of time and make the most of it. In the same way we know our kids won't be young forever ... so enjoy this small window of time and make the most of it.
School's out for summer! Enjoy!
Kasi McClure enjoys being a wife and mother of two in Kenai. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Memory of
who departed this life
August 5th 1831: Aged 33
years 1 month & 4 days
Weep not that so soon he has gone to be blest,
He gave to his God the first hours and the best;
[C]an the labourer cease from his labour to soon.
He wrought all the morning and [rested at noon.]
The epitaph is from the poem "On a Similar Occasion" by Rev. Cornelius Neale (b. 1789, d. 1823). Neale wrote the poem to console his mother when his brother, Benjamin Neale, died as a young man.
Oh, weep not for him, 'tis unkindness to weep;
The weary weak body hath fallen asleep;
No more of fatigue or endurance it knows;—
Oh, weep not, oh, break not the gentle repose.
He sleeps,—oh, how kindly on Jesus's breast!
Never more the sick dreamings shall trouble his rest;
And her lips, that would healing and comfort restore,
Shall burn his cold lips and cold cheeks never more.
Weep not that so soon he is gone to be blest;
He gave to his God the first hours and the best:
Can the labourer cease from his labour too soon?
He wrought all the morning, and rested at noon.
Short, short was the circuit his sun journey'd through,
But the air was unruffled, the heaven was blue;
And the clouds, the thick clouds, that hung round him at night,
Only caught, and more richly reflected his light.
We gather the flower when full in its bloom,
While brightest in colour and best in perfume:
And the victim was given to God in old time,
Without spot, without blemish, a male in his prime.
Then weep not.—Ah me, as I say it, I weep;
The wound is too cutting, the sorrow too deep:
Weep on, it is nature will have it, weep on;
We speak of his graces;—those graces are gone.
Dear mother! I turn to each birth-day of thine;
What sorrowful chances have mark'd thy decline!
The winds blow sad music, the yellow leaves fall,
And winter comes gloomily, wrapt in a pall.
Yet murmur not, murmur not; His the decree,
Who is better, far better, than ten sons to thee:
Though writhing and smarting, yet welcome the rod,
Though in doubt and in darkness, oh, lean on thy God.
Cheshire Cemetery, Townhouse Section, Delaware County, Ohio


text:
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text:
Then there are the millions of undocumented people here. They will have to get free health care because it would be cruel and inhuman not to. :rolleyes:
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Then there are the millions of undocumented people here. They will have to get free health care because it would be cruel and inhuman not to. :rolleyes:
Thanks LH... You beat me to it.
Keep swinging at air Liz. LOL
Hooray for free speech?
I am not in any way a fan of Ann Coulter. Her border line satire crosses the line too often. IMO. But this is quite something, no? I thought Canukians were a tolerant people?
Perhaps Canadians draw the line at hate mongers -
I hereby encourage you to educate yourself, if need be, as to what is acceptable in Canada and to do so before your planned visit here, University of Ottawa academic vice-president François Houle wrote.
Promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges.
I read some of that story, and still did not understand what the VP's office was so upset about. What group is Ann Coulter supposedly attacking? I admit I know nothing about her.
The first amendment was directly intended to protect people like Ann Coulter. She makes political statements, frequently controversial political statements. I have an intense dislike for people on either side of the spectrum who push the envelope on free speech, however, they have a right to speak.
Unlike some, if I don't like what someone is saying on the air, I simply change the channel or turn off whatever medium is being used to disperse the speech, or, in the case of the local paper, cancel my subscription.
They have a right to speak.........however it isn't mandatory that anyone listen.
If the students in Canada wanted to protest Ms. Coulter's appearance, they should have just not gone to the speech. Empty rooms don't get much coverage.
Want to see something really telling and frankly disappointing on how much people follow politics and at what level they pay attention to it?
Here are the most popular (as in most viewed) "news" items on CNN's web site:
Biden's f-bomb
Teen has weight loss surgery
TARP watchdog slams Obama foreclosure program
Health reform's legal fight
VP Biden curses, and it's the leading story on CNN by 10 to 1, looking at their chart.
The bottom two stories have less than 1/10th of the hits that the fluff piece about VP Biden's verbal slip do.
The most influential piece of legislation in 50 years, and hardly anyone is paying attention.
A huge waste of public money (TARP) slammed by the committee given oversight of the program, and hardly anyone is paying attention.
I betcha people could give me the complete description of Jesse James' girl toy, though.
The girl with the swastika on her belly? The Illustrated Woman?
The two things that should have been addressed RIGHT OFF THE TOP is tort reform and a price freeze on meds and implants/supplies.
No one seems to remember the 10 dollar aspirin?
someone made a comment about a fricking nicotine junkie trying to shove a health care plan down our craws.
It's like Jesse James or Tiger doing a Learning Annex class on marriage.
Looks good on paper!
bBiden's f-bomb.
Some cutesy email/blogger/db came out and said that JBs use of the word was far better than GWB's faux pas....
Interesting article I read today. Seems that there is a name for the
crazy reaction to Obama's efforts to fulfill his campaign promise to America.
I do want to know about the sudden shift in the idea that the government should stay out of our lives.
People were a fracking paranoid about BIG government, yet they invite them into the HC arena and that will give them even more access to our medical records?
That makes me laugh, so why not just merge the Patriot act with health care reform? Or, did we forget about the intrusion just for the sake of the current regime?
I am starting to think that BO is being punked my the white people that are supposedly there to advise him?
Rahm Emanuel is a punk and a bully.
I can hardly wait until he tosses out a wet one.;)
Bush derangement syndrome is a crock, But the first mentions of the same thing associated with the new Pres. is reality?
No link to the poll mentioned, and all in all reads like a sales pitch for the authors new book.....which is mentioned in the beginning of the article rather prominently.
It's pure drivel.
By the way, before you say I'm just panning it because it is pretty much an anti-conservative hit piece (which it is), I enjoy well written political commentary from either side.
This ain't it.


text:
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Data gets lonely. Much of our data is trapped in proprietary formats, restricted cloud silos, or remote locations that require an "always on" Internet connection. What happens if the power goes out? or Twitter is down? or, worse, your bank? We'll take a look at how CouchDB solves these problems with it's schema-less data store, "kill -9" compatible, append-only database format, REST API, and HTTP-based replication.
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United States United States, St. Louis
18th–20th September 2011


text:
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Big English-Russian dictionary, presented in a series of "XXI century dictionaries" contains more than 200,000 words and phrases, as well as a large number of detailed word usage examples in spoken and written language.This edition includes new words and idiomatic expressions, terms of economics, computer equipment, etc.The dictionary focuses on British English, but also includes examples of American word usage.
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• Online Update provides over-the-air program updates.
• Flash Card Quiz enables you to add new words to flash cards and test your knowledge as many times as you wish.
• Online dictionary catalog where you can download new dictionaries directly to your device.


text:
We Have Just Become Aware of Jessica Lucas
Funny Business: Her joke, unfortunately, is not all that funny. Esquire]
I Want Them Back: The Jackson 5 return for one last hit, currently streaming from their website. Vulture]
Lap it Up: The era of excess returns, in the form of a bejeweled laptop. [Gizmodo]
Going Disney: Michael Williams takes us on a trip to Disneyland, thanks to a newfangled technology called Kodachrome. [A Continuous Lean]


text:
Wallace Live is our online database where you can search for images and information on objects in the collection.
Users who are familiar with our collections can use either simple or advanced searching. For those who are not sure where to start Wallace Live includes a Highlights section and Quick Find lists on a number of topics including Views of Venice, Armour for Jousts and Tournaments and French Royal Furniture. We also offer an online Gallery by Gallery where you can browse featured works of art.
Wallace Live does not yet contain every work of art in the Wallace Bequest. We are adding new records and images on a regular basis and are aiming to have every object online by 2020.


text:
Mission Accomplished!
Medicare fraud is not new. It existed way before electronic records.
Florida's governor, Rick Scott's company committed medicare fraud way before electronic records were introduced.
Electronic records should make it easier to detect medicare fraud, as statistical analysis is much easier with computerized systems.
The problem here isn't exactly fraud, it's that the 'optimization' of billing codes allows them to go right up to the line but not over. It's the closest thing to fraud there is without actually being illegal.
Because the whole system is idiotic. It's not like doctors and hospitals have prices for (non-emergency) procedures, tell you what those prices are in advance, tell you what the procedures they will be performing on before in advance, and get agreement on price before doing anything. They don't even do so much as give you an estimate.
No, instead, assuming an insured patient, they do an exam and get a flat fee from you. Then depending on what they did during the exam, they bill for everything they did (according to the standard set of codes) at some totally fictitious rate that maybe one sucker in a million pays. The insurance company or Medicare then looks at what they did (according to the codes), ignores completely the amount they charged, and pays them whatever they, the insurance company or Medicare, feels like paying. So basically, a doctor who doesn't code the most expensive codes he can based on what he did is leaving money on the table for no reason.
It's not like doctors and hospitals have prices for (non-emergency) procedures, tell you what those prices are in advance, tell you what the procedures they will be performing on before in advance, and get agreement on price before doing anything.
They are starting too. [latimes.com] Ironically, it seems like Obamacare is indirectly the cause of this change.
Just saw Pokidok [pokitdok.com] on Boing Boing.
It's kind of a crowd-sourced price-list of cash prices for treatments.
Then depending on what they did during the exam, they bill for everything they did (according to the standard set of codes) at some totally fictitious rate that maybe one sucker in a million pays.
Furthermore, insurers typically calculate their reimbursement for procedure #123 based on a percentage of the average "retail" price of procedure #123 across all physicians in the local area. For instance, say the average price for a strep throat exam in your suburb is $100. An insurance company might say that they'll reimburse at 40% of the local rate for a billing code, so any given doctor will get paid $40.00 for that exam whether their invoice price is $20 or $200. Is your doctor a med school near-dropout or the guy who invented the exam procedure used worldwide? Doesn't matter. $40.
Because of that, doctors almost universally raise their rates regularly, not to increase the amount they'll get paid for each invoice but to bring the local average rate up. In case you're wondering, that 40% in the example is particularly generous. Most insurance companies reimburse at significantly lower multiples. Medicaid has notoriously horrible reimbursement rates, to the point that my wife (a podiatrist) would literally get paid less for many common procedures than she spent for consumable supplies. Every patient she treated like that took money out of her pocket - it's hard to make money when you get paid $15 to do a procedure that costs you $20 to perform (assuming your time is free) - but she saw them anyway because she feels morally compelled to help sick people regardless of their circumstances.
Yup, 40% definitely seems high based on the ton of medical bills I've seen paid.
I love it when people say that if you pay cash the doctor will give you a big discount since it saves them a lot of hassle. The big discount turns out to be "OMG 40% off retail!!!" That means that you're paying 60% of retail, or likely double what any insurance company would pay.
If I were in charge of health care reforms the first reform I'd enact is that EVERYBODY pays the same thing for the same service. Doctors would register their prices by ICD9 or whatever in some central database, which would be publicly viewable. Oh, and doctors wouldn't be able to collect a penny without having an estimate signed off before any work was done - just like how virtually every other industry works. Oh, and while you're at it if the customer isn't handed a copy of the chart on the way out the door, then the work is free.
More and more things move this direction. Compliance with different filing requirements for any small (incorporated) business are a mess, so a business with gross revenues of $100k needs to spend $2-10k in managing all the filings. The question becomes twofold: does this filing serve a useful purpose, or is it excessive regulation. I am starting to think the latter; if you are doing electronic filings, use them to simplify the process.
Also, the 'issue' at hand is about $3.33/citizen. That means its a tornado in a teacup like th 12 milion dollar muffins.
300BN fighter jet programs are $1000/citizen, and considering our absurd power, are much more worth PRIORITIES in what may be a 'issue' of waste.
it's already been established that moving to electronic records helps track Medicare fraud. Yes, the system has a lot of gaps, but electronic tracking reduces them. If that wasn't true companies wouldn't use electronic purchasing systems to track expenditures, and the spreadsheet would just be an interesting foot note in computer history...
True, but as organizations such as anonymous and other hacker groups frequently show us they also help make fraud easier. It's very much a double edged sword.
I gotta ask (since I'm far too lazy to read the article): Is this a lame attack on the existing administration?
I didn't get that impression. They mention the Obama and Bush administrations together since both were pushing electronic records. I think if it were a political attack, you wouldn't see dubya's name on it.
They mention the Obama and Bush administrations together since both were pushing electronic records. I think if it were a political attack, you wouldn't see dubya's name on it.
OK, a lot of this came about due to HIPPA, the Health Information Portability and Privacy Act. At the time HIPPA went into effect, private insurance paperwork ('administration costs') for medical costs were running 30-35% of every healthcare dollar spent, while with Medicare, the paperwork costs were only about 3%. It wasn't too bad of an idea, considering we're dealing with the Feds here, and rather visionary at the time. This of course was while the Feds were still directly administering Medicare/Medicaid, before they privatised it out on 'cost-plus' contracts. The intent at the time was to reduce paperwork/administration costs to something comparable to what Medicare was doing, i.e., dirt cheap, to reduce healthcare costs. At the time, it was a good idea.
Standardising medical records and insurance forms along Medicare lines meant the girl in the billing office only needed to really understand one form and how to fill it out, where before, each healthcare insurance company could use their own proprietary form, and change said form at will to delay payment of claims. Hey, this kinda shit happened a lot in the 80's, peaked in the 90's, and basically added the gasoline to the fire that caused HIPPA to happen. Back then, they didn't use your Social Security number as identification, but as an account number for your Medicare and/or Social Security/SSI/disability check and to make sure your Social Security account was properly funded for you. In fact, back then, they even printed on the bottom of your Social Security card 'NOT TO BE USED FOR IDENTIFICATION'. (BTW, that came off your SS card some time ago.) It was cool because they weren't using your SSN for anything else, your credit report and such wasn't indexed by it, and the only way to get somebody's SSN was to steal their wallet and look at their card. Then the laws changed.
Now, your SSN is used for identification. It's tied to your credit report, your SS/Medicare account (which has a seperate account number now), yadda yadda yadda. Kids are issued SSNs at birth, where before, when I was a kid ('Get off my lawn!!!'), you filed for your SSN when you landed your first job or enlisted in the military. You file for your kids, the Social Security Administration would look at you and tell you they had laws in this country against child labor.
Anyways, the intent was to cut healthcare costs by cutting paperwork & administration costs. Then Medicare got privatised. And where they once had 3% admin costs, they were soon up to the 'standard' 30-35% costs of 'regular medical insurance'. The medical insurance companies had standards dammit, and they weren't gonna let Medicare exceed them. Especially not when there was a few billion bucks to be made. What needs to happen is, healthcare should be a government funded monopoly, paid for from your taxes. It's in the government's interest to do this. Access to healthcare means a healthier citizenry, with less time lost from work due to illness. It also means lower healthcare costs overall because little problems get caught before they become big expensive life-threatening/altering problems. See the Chinese 'barefoot doctor' program for further information, and let's marry that concept to a Canadian/UK/Scandanavian model single-pay system.
it's already been established that moving to electronic records helps track Medicare fraud. Yes, the system has a lot of gaps, but electronic tracking reduces them. If that wasn't true companies wouldn't use electronic purchasing systems to track expenditures, and the spreadsheet would just be an interesting foot note in computer history... I gotta ask (since I'm far too lazy to read the article): Is this a lame attack on the existing administration?
Making billing and payment systems electronic reduces processing costs. That's the primary driver of the multi-industry-wide push to do all that electronically. It's really expensive to have humans transcribe things and add up columns of numbers.
Making billing and payment systems electronic reduces processing costs.
Wow. I don't know where to begin. This is a lot more variable than you'd think.
I think the following statement is much more accurate.
Making billing and payment systems electronic has the potential to reduce processing costs.
Keep in mind that the adoption of E-mail did not eliminate mail fraud or reduce the labor involved in processing mail.
I'd argue I spend more time processing my mail than I did in the 80's. It might have reduced the costs of sending an individual letter using a stamp. Your actual results may vary. Do did you buy Microsoft Exchange server, Outlook? Oh wait...it's not a purchase...its a temporary license. Did you have to renew the license? At what cost? Did you send 90 letters out last year? 200 letters? How about when measured as "cost per correspondence" that year? When you renewed software licenses under the new version, could you continue to use your orginally purchased hardware?
Medical billing system goals and project architectures vary. There's a lot more to this than coding medical procedures or reducing the human clerical involvement in working with Medicaid. I analyze and track the success of various medical IT projects and there are too many failures sold as successes and the costs shifted around, but ultimately paid by citizens, self-insured customers, quality of care, quality of non-medical service. Definitions of "success" vary from person to person and many are not based on objective, measurable criteria.
Keep in the mind the labor for regulatory compliance, developing and managing electronic systems runs $35-$230/hr. Accounting clerk and medical-coding labor runs $16-$40/hr and "maintenance" involves periodic training. The labor cost ranges can actually be wider depending on the economy of that region. Think New York City vs. Podunkville, WV. Keep in mind that there are often unplanned and improperly budgeted costs such as security and maintenance. The medical coding and accounting clerk labor typically is not eliminated, but retrained to use the new system and often given a raise to retain them after the training, because they are in more demand. The transaction labor time is often increased in the new system and the transaction errors harder to detect and diagnose because of the increased specialization and fragmentation of knowledge about the system.
Some of the billing labor requires maintaining industry certifications. As standards become more internationalized, there's potential for labor savings by exporting the jobs and broader sharing of expertise. Sometimes these savings are offset by increased coordination and communication costs (not long-distance fees, we're talking subtle mis-communication with big impacts resolution of business outcomes) caused by the shift from localized clerical work to exported clerical work.
I've seen many implementations where total operating costs, per unit of the same function, dramatically increased AND it created new costs, hidden by being created in other departments, such as, Legal, Customer Service and Communications.
(Did lawsuits increase? Was there more confusion about work-products? Was resolution of the confusion easier or harder? Did we have to "educate" our customer on our system with PR campaigns? What did that cost? Was it effective?)
If we ignore all the issues that come with new implementation projects and switch our focus to the new power of having more (and better?) data to sift...that's easier to analyze, there are two sides to that coin.
1. Automated algorithms make it easier to detect some types of fraud. (in email analogy, spam)
No, it isn't an attack. Doctors and hospitals find that with medical records, upping the codes for service in their favor is made easier. Hence, the government and insurance companies pay more.
It isn't clear how to go about fixing this. There's no way the government could have enough monitors to make sure doctors and hospitals are honest. Maybe they could use statistics. That has its own problems, what is the baseline. And baselines would change across the country. Spot checks might work if backed up by pro
It's not clear to me that medicare providers changing their coding is the same as fraud. If a doctor was coding for a 10 minute E&M (evaluation and management) but was actually spending 20 minutes with the patient, then it's totally reasonable for them to change their coding. If EMRs are making it more obvious that the practice users are mis-coding, then this is at worst an unintended side-effect of the EMRs.
(Full disclosure, I work for a company that builds EMR systems.)
The issue is changing from an E&M to an intensive care E&M. Same procedure, higher payout. Same goes for taking a common tests that are bundled and breaking them into smaller component tests. A few wears ago I met with an Ausie founder of a startup that was talking about how revolutionary their software was that would optimize billing codes to ensure maximum revenue per procedure by basically scanning a billing batch and re-coding it using more lucrative codes for the same procedures. I waked on doing any development for them.
I think that the electronic records are probably making it easier for physicians to bill more accurately, not necessarily more "lucratively". Electronic recordkeeping doesn't turn otherwise honest people into fraudsters overnight. So I don't see the increase in billing as tied to an increase in fraud.
Now, the Australian company you declined to work for, they seem like the kinds of scum who hospital administrators might hire to commit wholesale fraud. That obviously would give rise to increased billing ra
Now, the Australian company you declined to work for, they seem like the kinds of scum who hospital administrators might hire to commit wholesale fraud. That obviously would give rise to increased billing rates. If there's still a sliver of justice in the world, they'll go to jail for falsifying records.
Both the company providing the service and people enriched by using that service need to be held accountable.
I think that the electronic records are probably making it easier for physicians to bill more accurately, not necessarily more "lucratively"
Except this story is precisely about it being more lucrative, even if more "accurate." Doctors and hospitals are getting more now than they used to, for the same services they were always providing. Thats the very definition of "more lucrative."
What the electronic billing is allowing, as other have mentioned, is for the doctors and hospitals to automate getting the most they can for the services provided depending on who is doing the paying.
This is equivalent to an online store offering different price
The issue is that electronic records ups the ante for both sides. Medicare can better understand what is going on and optimize their reimbursement rates. The hospital can better understand what is going on and game medicare. And so on...
I suspect the goal of doctors is to take the least time possible filling out codes on a form. I know most doctor's I've seen have a checklist of codes that are common in their practice that they just mark off. They could care less if they're "accurate" as long as they'r
optimize billing codes to ensure maximum revenue per procedure by basically scanning a billing batch and re-coding it using more lucrative codes for the same procedures.
Sounds to me like the coding system need to be revamped to remove the duplications if possible.
Sounds to me like the coding system need to be revamped to remove the duplications if possible.
optimize billing codes to ensure maximum revenue per procedure by basically scanning a billing batch and re-coding it using more lucrative codes for the same procedures.
Sounds to me like the coding system need to be revamped to remove the duplications if possible.
Problem is, there's usually 2-5 different ways to code in any given procedure, and the codes can change at any time. That's how insurance companies delay payment to make their bottom lines look better to their shareholders, they'll kick the form back to the doctor's office/medical billing office with a note saying 'You coded this wrong. Recode and resubmit please' and push payment to a later date. Of course, it's a house of cards that should have come down ages ago, but computerised systems allow them to
Would you walk if it was for tax reporting software to maximize deductible expenses and limit tax liability?
This stuff exists. The rule is generally pretty clear on the line between fraud and "optimizing."
It would seem like a benefit of the system that you can actually get paid for the work you did, rather than being narrowly restricted to a handful of codes and having to 'pick the closest', where you go from say a 25% error on paper to 10% electronically that's good.
Obviously there will be fraud - even in a fully nationalized healthcare system doctors still try and find ways to get more money for the same work. It's management and oversights job to prevent it, and the more tools they have to find it, the b
...is how much health care costs in the first place.
The Real Fraud is how much health care costs in the first place.
The main reason for that is simple. Insurance and Litigation
1) You Need Insurance to get healthcare, because healthcare costs too much.
2) Your Doctor Needs Insurance because you might sue him for malpractice, the state he's in requires it, or both, Raising the cost of healthcare.
3) The pharmaceuticals your Doctor prescribes you needs Insurance because you might sue them for complications. Raising the cost of healthcare.
4) Your Hospital needs insurance because you might sue them for hiring the doctor that you sued for malpractice, or because he prescribed you something that didn't work, or the state they are located in requires it or a combination of all of the above. raising the cost of healthcare.
5) The ambulance chasing lawyer on TV needs more money to buy TV commercials to help you, so he sues the insurance companies of your doctor, the pharmaceutical company, and your hospital for malpractice, so you get the 5-25% of the total compensation that you deserve and he pockets the 75%-95% to pay for his paper costs and time, which of course, Raises the cost of Insurance, which in turn raises the cost of healthcare.
1) Repeat step 1
Until we get a president and congress that will pass healthcare reform that will truly end this cycle for good, expect your health costs to skyrocket.
Not what my doctor says, though it is a plausible contributor to one of the problems he identifies. He's been paying malpractice insurance premiums for forty years and has been an expert witness in malpractice cases, so he knows what he's talking about.
He sees the problem as fueled by unnecessary procedures and caramelization (wow, that's a great autocorrect failure. I wrote cartel-ization). Unnecessary procedures might be caused by fear of litigation(*), or by a desire to milk the system.
Drug companies like to say that their prices are necessary to recoup research costs, but that doesn't explain doubling the price of a drug after it's already on the market. He's seen that happen.
Health insurance companies have lavish offices in expensive parts of downtown. They didn't get that money by being lean, scrappy competitors.
What he wants to see happen is single payer! That doesn't have to mean government, by the way. A nonprofit mutual insurance company is an option.
(*) If skipping a test might lead to a lawsuit, then skipping the test might lead to a patient getting hurt, in which case it's a necessary test.
A nonprofit mutual insurance company is an option.
Wow, you guys really don't have that? (I would have expected that)
As a European I have my country (which runs the hospitals and keeps cost down), and if I want even more healthcare insurance, dental, glasses, contacts, different styles of pseudo-scientific treatments not proven scientifically valid, we have self-owning non-profit organizations offering decent insurance plans.
Anyways, I don't think that's enough. My government recently experimented with private hospitals, off-loading patients on waiting l
No, wrong. And frankly, evil.
1) You need insurance because healthcare is legitimately expensive, and only the top 10% or so can afford to self-insure. Insurance in the US is more expensive than it ought to be because our system is a mess, with dozens of insurers and thousands of plans.
2) Your doctor needs insurance because he might make a mistake that literally costs you a limb, or worse. My friend lost his arm because the surgeon forgot to take the gauze out. Are you really going to argue that the doct
You know, I was reading an article where it stated that socialised medicine would cost *less* than what what it costs to run Medicaid and Medicare (on a per person basis)
You Yanks fear the word "socialist" so much you spend far more to get rid of it!
universal healthcare will result in longer lives and less healthcare spending in the usa. just like every other goddamn country with it
but, much like gun control, there is a certain feverish moron in my country that will never listen to reason on the subject, and he enabled by special interest groups in washington: the NRA and the healthcare insurers
maybe the feverish morons will shoot themselves and die waiting in the emergency room
universal healthcare will result in longer lives and less healthcare spending in the usa. just like every other goddamn country with it
but, much like gun control, there is a certain feverish moron in my country that will never listen to reason on the subject, and he enabled by special interest groups in washington: the NRA and the healthcare insurers
maybe the feverish morons will shoot themselves and die waiting in the emergency room
Actually wether or not we have universal healthcare or free market health care really doesn't change life expectancy. On the other hand, how much junk food a country eats, does. Our problem is that we have neither universal healthcare or the free market. Instead we have some bastardization of the two. Personally I think we need to bring back a pure free market. The only regulation from the government needs to be that the doctor has a medical license from an accredited school. After that, let the insur
a free market in real life translates to "give as many expensive tests as we can get away with"
healthcare isn't a MARKETPLACE. it is not driven by best price, because the buyer has no control to seek the cheapest service. no knowledge of medicine. no time when he is having a heart attack to shop around
face reality: there are some issues in life, where, believe it or fucking not, market forces do not help, and make things worse
i say this as a committed capitalist. capitalism works. but i'm not a looney tune frothing at the mouth ignorant free market fundamentalist who believes the magic unicorn and rainbows marketplace is a magic elixir that solves all problems. it doesn't
universal healthcare will result in longer lives and less healthcare spending in the usa.
I'm going to call you an idiot if you think longevity is a good measurement for the quality of healthcare in a country.
You know, I was reading an article where it stated that socialised medicine would cost *less* than what what it costs to run Medicaid and Medicare (on a per person basis)
You mean, like all the articles that said it would cost less to switch to electronic records?
You Yanks fear the word "socialist" so much you spend far more to get rid of it!
You Wanks assume Yanks are all the same. That is not a valid assumption.
The majority of voting yanks are wankers. Those who do not vote do not matter.
The half that vote has severely limited choices and are misinformed most are probably wankers.
I'm a yank but I'm in the minority; the voting informed who are not wankers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5OWRRJh-PI [youtube.com]
I'm just thinking of all the social benefits of this.
Less employes, more automation, and somehow it costs MORE with LESS effort on their part.
Seems legit. Score another one for Medi*** reform. Wake me up when they actually do something about campaign financing.
You Yanks fear the word "socialist" so much you spend far more to get rid of it!
You're parroting a commonly held misconception about how politics in the United States works. Firstly, your elected representatives come from more than two parties; Your voters have a wider diversity of candidates to choose from, and are less apt to vote along party lines. This also spreads out the concentration of money paid to your elected representatives by private interests. Put more simply, it's harder to buy legislation in your country. As well, the disparity between the rich and poor is far less pronounced. This results in your legislators being more likely to represent the actual will of the people, rather than the apparent or manufacturered will.
It's also no small matter that the UK has the BBC. It's more important than you guys give it credit for: The licensing fees you pay are amply repaid not just in terms of quality programming, but also unbiased programming. The BBC can't be co-opted with a corporate buyout. In our country, the media is largely controlled by a few dozen men like Murdock. An informed voter is a voter that can't easily be duped; And the BBC provides a mechanism to prevent your media from becoming too biased towards any one political view. Compare the US section of the BBC with any major news network here -- stories that make front page there, or are internationally relevant, simply don't make it. They aren't reported. It's not just that there's bias in what is reported, there's also things that the public simply isn't told about. You can probably deduce what this means for the political landscape.
Lastly, the UK was bombed into near-nothingness. The US never has been. The closest we've come to having to reassess economically was the Great Depression. Because we never had to rebuild from scratch, we never learned the social lessons that an experience like that offers -- specifically, we never really developed a cultural center of "We're all in this together". American culture has long been based on individualism -- which during times of material prosperity is great, but during economic trouble, it creates a "blame the victim" mentality. You are poor because you want to be poor, not because some bad shit just happened to drop on your head. The American Dream has become a political crucible -- maintaining our collective ego has forced us into social policies that are ultimately harmful and destructive to our way of life. It's a societal-scale version of the Just World phenomenon.
It's not socialism per-se that we're afraid of -- it's the idea that we aren't in control of our own fate. That we aren't individuals, but actually part of something more than ourselves, and that our success is determined only in part on our own choices, rather than entirely by it. It's ego protection, individually and collectively. And when you read anti-socialist opinions in our media, they may use the same words you know and understand, but they don't mean the same things. It all goes back to the cold war, the super power stuff, and that collective ego I mentioned earlier.
For us, socialism is a sign of weakness; It's a sign that we've become like the russians, the iranians, and all the other boogie men we've bomed the hell out of. So even when it would be good and proper for us to adopt socialist social policies, we don't... we'd rather go on maintaining the notion that We're Number One. America is on a path of self-destruction because it simply can't acknowledge, individually or collectively, that we need help and we need to work together. Our problems are world problems too -- but until that fact ingrains itself into our culture, it's pointless to expect change. America, as an idea and as a culture, would rather die than admit defeat.
Just like the British did at the height of their empire. It's a phase we'll outgrow eventually, just like you guys did. But it won't happen quickly, or easily, or gracefully.
I'm afraid you've got things a bit wrong.
It's also no small matter that the UK has the BBC. . . . The licensing fees you pay are amply repaid not just in terms of quality programming, but also unbiased programming.
BBC chief Mark Thompson admits 'Left-wing bias' [standard.co.uk]
Mark Thompson: "There was massive left-wing bias at the BBC" [newstatesman.com]
That has been found more than once, by the way.
Lastly, the UK was bombed into near-nothingness. The US never has been. The closest we've come to having to reassess economically w
Sticking to wealthy countries (source [worldbank.org]):
Country | % Health spending/GDP | % Public health spending/Total health spending
Netherlands 11.9 79.2
France 11.9 77.8
Germany 11.6 77.1
Switzerland 11.5 59.0
Denmark 11.4 85.1
Canada 11.4 70.5
Sweden 9.6 81.1
Japan 9.5 82.5
Norway 9.5 83.9
Finland 9.0 75.1
I'm fairly certain that the total U.S. government spending per capita on health care is more than the UK spends per capita for its universal system.
Socialized Medicine: Because if someone can't afford excellent care, everyone should have mediocre care.
There's a reason people come to the US for medical treatments.
People come to lots of different countries for medical treatments. Don't delude yourself that USA is somehow special in this particular case.
I guess we don't want the disaster like the British NHS inflicted on us by "well meaning" but clueless idiots.
there are always some who will push the legal and ethical envelope in order to make a larger profit. Such is the way of Capitalism, it appears
Isn't is more the way of Socialism, as these doctors are billing the government?
If they were actually billing the patients, the patients would probably say "screw you, why am I paying you twice for the same procedure? See you in court!"
Forgive my AC status, but for obvious reasons I can't divulge too many details. I was a contractor for a state government to facilitate writing an EHR system to integrate various state repositories for the purposes of the grants relevant to this story.
Of course this is going to cost more up front. We had to bring online hundreds of medical facilities who were operating with paper only with processes who's roots go back to the 1950s. The purpose of the grants was to MITIGATE the costs, not cover them completely.
The fact is that in the long run this will save money and is well worth the increase now. That increase would have been larger for every year longer we waited to bring some of these places into the modern era.
My impression is that the US health care system has been doing this for as long as it has existed. Having digital records should be a great help to the insurance companies to make it easier to track down fraudulent health care providers.
Since I live in Sweden I don't usually have a problem with health care bills, but once during a vacation to the US I had to visit a hospital due to severe stomach pain. Four hours and a trip through the CT machine later I was released with a prescription for some pills. Six months later (back home in Sweden) a bill for $14000 arrives...
When I brought this to my insurance company and explained that the examination I went through couldn't possibly have cost that much they just shrugged and said "yeah, they always try this when dealing with foreign insurance companies". A few weeks later they had everything settled at just under $3000.
So what's the point of this story? If a system is open to exploitation you need someone to monitor it. Monitoring is easier with good records of what's been going on.
B-but what about all the job creators!
An electronic record system would have allowed automatic sanity checks that would have prevented an incident I know about.
The patient's daughter was a nurse, and reviewed an itemized bill. The daughter challenged one of the items. The billing department patronizingly reassured her that it was correct. The item was a prostate exam for her mother.
The current American system isn't so much open to exploitation as it is designed to punish those without insurance. The insurance lobby has made it illegal to bill an uninsured patient a price different from what they would charge an insurance company. This sounds fair enough on paper, after all its not exactly fair to charge an insurance company $14000 and then go and charge $3000 dollars to a patient without insurance for the same procedure. After all, that drives the prices for insurance up for everybo
Just allow billing per hour at a fixed rate, regardless of what the procedure is. Problem solved.
If you reward medical service providers for providing as many services as they can (or in fraud cases billing for services they don't provide), then you should not be surprised to find costs growing out of control.
Ancient Chinese Proverb went something like: "Pay doctor when you are healthy. Stop paying doctor when you are sick." That creates the financial incentives for the medical profession to be efficient.
There are some providers in the USA that break out of the fee for service model and provide good,
Where it is a duty to worship the sun it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -- Christopher Morley


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It's has been a pleasure to update this story and bring it forward twelve years, from 2005. It's two years since Brett Lee played his last game at the SGC, and the photo above includes my Dad, Bluey Nancarrow, from Big Bell Continue reading
Posted in Lesley Dewar, Stories My Nana Tells Tagged 20/20 Cricket, Attitude, Autograph, Blogging, Boxing Day Test, Bradman Museum, Bradman Teddy Bear, competition, Cricket, Dennis Lillee, Donald Bradman, Events, Family, ING, Lilac Hill, Matthew Hayden, Mercantile Mutual, MML, No Tall Poppies, Ricky Ponting, Shaun Marsh, Test Match, WACA, Western Warriors 2 Comments


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Need4reebs had a level 5 power tube that was cracked. I used some 3/8 stainless rod and made a reinforcing sleeve with the same inner diameter as the spacer shoulder. I covered it with red loctite and let it setup. It seems to be holding air without noticeable loss of velocity.
This doesn't happen often, but this is a reversible and relatively mild fix for them.