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How to Find the Right Medical Billing and Coding Online College in Brookwood 35444
Now that you have decided to become part of the healthcare profession by learning to be a medical billing and coding specialist in Brookwood AL, it's crucial that you select the appropriate program to ensure that you receive the necessary education to ensure your success. As you may already know, healthcare is among the fastest growing sectors in the USA, and a growing number of options are available both online and on campus to receive the training that you need. But just where do you begin? A number of potential students begin by searching for colleges that are within commuting distance of their homes and then comparing cost. Or they may surf the internet looking for online courses and go with the cheapest one. But while cost and location are important issues when making your choice, they should not be the only ones when comparing medical billing and coding schools. Such qualifiers as accreditation and reputation need to be taken into consideration as well. We will go over a list of topics that you should ask the schools you are evaluating so that you can find out what you must know prior to making your decision. Before we do that, let's take a look at what medical billers and coders do and the academic and certification options offered.
Medical Coding Job Functions
Medical coders are on the front line of the billing systems for Brookwood AL medical practices and hospitals. Coders have the responsibility to analyze the treatment records of patients and assign universal codes to all services provided. These services may be for medical, diagnosis or dental procedures, or any medical supplies or equipment utilized. There are several codes that are utilized in the conversion, including:
- CPT codes (Current Procedural Terminology).
- ICD codes (International Classification of Diseases).
- HCPCS codes (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding).
Medical coders rely on information from sources including nursing and physician notes, patient charts, and radiology and lab reports. Medical Coders must not only know what services were provided in total for accurate reporting, but must have a working knowledge of all government and private payer rules that impact coding as well. Incorrectly coded claims can lead to services not being paid for, services being paid at a decreased rate, or the provider being penalized for improper or fraudulent billing. Since improper coding can in fact cost Brookwood AL physicians and medical facilities multiple thousands of dollars in earnings every year, a reliable medical coder is a necessary asset to the healthcare organization. They can work in any type of healthcare facility, including family practices, clinics, hospitals and emergency care centers. It is not unusual for professional medical coders to working from home as an offsite employee or an independent contractor.
Medical Billing Job Functions
As important as the medical coder's job is, it would be for naught without the contribution of the medical biller whose efforts generate revenue. Medical billing clerks are extremely important to Brookwood AL medical facilities and are literally responsible for keeping them in business. Often the coder and biller can be the same man or woman within a medical facility, but they can also be 2 individual professionals. When the coder has completed his or her job, the biller utilizes the codes provided to complete and submit claim forms to insurance companies, Medicare or Medicaid. After being paid by the applicable organization, patients can then be invoiced for deductibles and additional out of pocket expenses. On a routine basis, a medical billing clerk may also do any of the following:
- Confirm medical insurance benefits for patients and help them with billing concerns or questions
- Follow up on patient claims submitted and appeal those that have been declined
- Work as an intermediate between the healthcare provider, the insurance carriers and the patients for correct claim settlement
- Create and oversee Accounts Receivables reports
- Create and handle unpaid patient collections accounts
Medical billers not only work for private practices, but also Brookwood AL hospitals, urgent care facilities, nursing homes or medical groups. They can work in any kind of healthcare facility that relies on the revenues generated from billing third party payers and patients.
Medical Biller and Coder Online Training and Certification
It's essential that you get your education from a reputable school, whether it's a technical school, vocational school or community college. Although it is not required in most cases to earn a professional certification, the school you enroll in should be accredited (more on the advantages of accreditation later). The majority of colleges just require that you earn either a high school diploma or a GED to be eligible. The fastest way to becoming either a medical coder or biller (or both) is to attain a certificate, which usually takes about one year to accomplish. An Associate Degree is an alternative for a more expansive education, which for the majority of programs calls for two years of studies. Bachelor's Degrees for medical coding and billing are not widely offered. Once your training has been concluded, although not required in the majority of states, you may want to attain a professional certification. Certification is an effective method for those new to the field to show prospective employers that they are not only qualified but committed to their occupation. Some of the organizations that provide certifications are:
- American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC).
- Board of Medical Specialty Coding (BMSC).
- The Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists (PAHCS).
- American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Completing an accredited medical coding and billing course, combined with obtaining a professional certification, are the most effective ways to advance your new vocation and succeed in the fast growing medical care industry.
Online Medical Biller and Coder Courses
If you are searching for flexibility and the convenience of attending classes at home, then choosing an medical billing and coding online course may be a good option. They can be particularly attractive to students in Brookwood AL who anticipate attending school while continuing to work or have additional commitments that make going to classes on campus difficult. And as an added advantage, online schools are frequently less expensive than the conventional classroom alternatives. Costs for such items as tuition, study materials and commuting may be reduced or eliminated. But be cautious, as not all online schools are reputable. For that reason it's important to establish that any online school you select is accredited to guarantee a premium education. We will cover the benefits of accreditation in the next section. Just make sure to verify that any online instruction you are considering is accredited by one of the national accrediting organizations, such as the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. So if you are disciplined enough to apply yourself to this mode of learning, then acquiring your degree or certificate online may be the ideal choice for you.
What to Ask Online Medical Billing and Coding Training Programs
Now that you have a general idea what a medical coder and biller does, in addition to what training options are offered, you need to start the process of researching schools. But since there a large number of training options available at community colleges and vocational, technical and trade schools online and within the Brookwood AL area, you should have a ready list of questions in order to assess each one. And when you add all of the online colleges that offer medical billing and coding classes, the project can become rather formidable. As we have already discussed, cost and location are going to be significant factors, particularly if you have a modest budget and will be traveling to classes from your Brookwood home. And whether or not the school and program are accredited should be part of your vetting procedure also. So let's take a look at some of the other questions that you should ask the schools you are looking at so that you can compare each one and make the ideal choice.
Is the Online School Accredited? It's essential that the program and school you choose are accredited by a recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools. If it's an online program, it may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which focuses on distance or online education. Not only will accreditation help ensure that the training you get will be of the highest quality, it might help with your future employment in Brookwood AL as well. Many Brookwood medical organizations will only employ entry level prospects that have completed an accredited medical coding and billing educational program. And financial assistance and student loans are frequently only offered for schools that have received an accreditation.
What is the Online School's Reputation? Before selecting a medical coding and billing program, check out what its reputation and ranking are compared to other programs. This is particularly imperative if you have no experience in the profession, since potential employers will mostly be relying on the quality of your education. As we have addressed, making sure that the school is accredited is an initial step. Checking with college rating organizations, for instance U.S. News and World Report, can validate the quality of the school also. An alternative is to call some Brookwood AL healthcare organizations that you may be interested in working for and ask which schools they recommend. Bear in mind that even if the college itself does not have an outstanding reputation, its medical billing and coding program may still be highly regarded.
Is there an Employment Placement Program? Obtaining a job after graduating in your new profession can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have job placement programs in the Brookwood AL area and what their job placement rates are. A high and rapid placement rate is an excellent indication that the billing and coding college has a substantial network of healthcare employers where they can place their graduates. It also suggests that the college's graduates are sought after in the marketplace.
Where is the School's Location ? If you are intending on driving to class from your Brookwood AL home, then the location of the campus will be of significant importance. Obviously if you choose an online medical billing and coding program, then the location of the school will not be important. One thing to remember is that if you go to classes at a junior or community college, most charge a higher tuition for enrollees that live outside of their districts. So you may want to first consider those colleges that are within your local area.
What is the Complete Cost? Medical coding and billing training programs can fluctuate in cost based on the type of credential earned and the amount of training provided. But remember, tuition is not the only expense for your education. Costs also include such items as the cost of supplies, books and commuting. Financial assistance may be available to help reduce some of the cost, so make sure to check with the school's financial assistance department to find out what is offered in 35444. Naturally if you decide to attend an online school, a portion of these added costs, such as for commuting may be minimized or even eliminated.
Are Classes Available that Match your Schedule? Many students keep working while going to school and need a flexible class schedule. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Brookwood AL, confirm that they are available at those times. If you can only attend on a part-time schedule, make certain that the program you choose offers that alternative. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up classes missed because of illness, work or family responsibilities.
Attending Online Billing and Coding Classes in Brookwood Alabama?
If you live in the greater Brookwood AL area and will be attending Online Medical Billing and Coding Classes from home, the following information may be both interesting and informative about your local stomping grounds.
Brookwood Cemetery
Brookwood Cemetery, also known as the London Necropolis, is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe. The cemetery is listed a Grade I site in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.[8]
Brookwood Cemetery was conceived by the London Necropolis Company (LNC) in 1849 to house London's deceased, at a time when the capital was finding it difficult to accommodate its increasing population, of living and dead. The cemetery is said to have been landscaped by architect William Tite, but this is disputed.[9]
In 1854, Brookwood was the largest cemetery in the world (it is no longer). Its initial owner incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1852, Brookwood Cemetery (apart from its northern section, reserved for Nonconformists) was consecrated by Charles Sumner, Bishop of Winchester, on 7 November 1854 and opened to the public on 13 November 1854 when its first burials took place.
Choose the Ideal Online Medical Billing and Coding School Brookwood AL
Selecting the ideal medical billing and coding online certificate or degree course is a very important initial step to help ensure your success in this rewarding field of medical care. Medical billing and medical coding are 2 of the fastest growing jobs in the medical industry. Because of this, there are many vocational schools, community colleges and other institutions that offer training and instruction in medical coding and billing. As we have covered, you can elect to attend classes either on campus or online. It's also important that the college you select offers an accredited program with an exceptional reputation within the healthcare community. But however you decide to receive your education, by following the previous guidelines and asking the right questions, you will be better able to analyze your options and select the right online medical billing and coding course. And with the proper training, you can realize your career goal to become a medical billing and coding specialist in Brookwood AL.
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Medical Billing and Coding Salary Overview - Nurse.org
Medical Billing & Coding Salaries by State. ... Regional Details. Alabama. $48,169. $23.16. Alabama Salary Information. Alaska. $57,883. $27.83. Alaska Salary Information. Arizona. $55,937. $26.89. Arizona Salary Information. Arkansas. $50,430. ... whether an associate degree or some college-level classes – will add approximately 5% to your ...
Top 25 Best Online Medical Coding and Billing Schools for Certificates
Cedar Valley College offers a Medical Billing and Coding Certificate Program, designed for students who are interested in learning the ins and outs of medical billing and coding to achieve an entry-level position in the field. Those who complete the program are then eligible to sit for the Certified Professional Coders Exam (CPC), through the ...
Medical Administrative Billing and Coding – Online
This program instructs students in how to understand and use the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) as well as the Current Procedural Terminology and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (CPT-4/HCPCS) to assign accurate medical codes for diagnosis, procedures, and other services provided by physicians and other health care practitioners.
Medical Coding and Billing Training Classes in Georgia - AAPC
Medical Coding and Billing Salary in Georgia Medical coders in Georgia make an average annual salary of $55,101, on par with the South Atlantic region's average salary of $55,896. Georgia is among the stronger job markets for medical coders, with the larger cities like Atlanta, Athens, and Augusta providing the most opportunities.
Guide to Medical Coding Certification - CPC, CCS, CMC - MTS
A diploma or degree from a medical coding training program; Two years of medical coding experience; An existing medical coding certification plus one year of medical coding experience; As with the CPC, examinees must be members of the AHIMA to sit for the exam. Member price is $299, while non-members pay $399. Certifying CCS Exam Details
Medical Coding Certificate | Univeristy of Cincinnati Online
Medical coding professionals use industry-established codes and the latest healthcare technology to collect, organize, and report vital information such as diagnoses and treatment outcomes. Coding professionals also manage medical and financial records and work with hospitals and insurance companies to ensure patient claims are properly ...
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This program instructs students in how to understand and use the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) as well as the Current Procedural Terminology and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (CPT-4/HCPCS) to assign accurate medical codes for diagnosis, procedures, and other services provided by physicians and other health care practitioners.
Medical Coding and Billing Training Classes in Florida - AAPC
Medical Coding and Billing Training Classes in Florida Florida offers 33 AAPC-approved classroom training programs for medical coding at locations throughout the state. You can also study at your pace and save with an online certification course through AAPC. If you're interested in learning more about coding and billing, or perhaps interested in dual certification, we offer a special online ...
iD Tech | Summer Coding Camp & Online Tech Programs for Kids & Teens
Billing information such as credit card number and billing address; ... These terms apply to all lessons, classes, courses, and options offered by iD Tech (hereinafter referred to individually as "Program" or collectively "Programs"). ... The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Youth Protection Program: Liability Waiver. Purpose.


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When you want to add something special to your event, don't go with ordinary. Let A-Abco Rents & Sells provide you with something truly extraordinary! Call us for your own personal party planner at 650-365-3050.

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Online coaching uses technology to bring teachers and students on a digital platform. The objective is to develop a fast, responsive and student friendly platform without losing on the quality of teaching for the preparation of entrance exams. Many students nowadays are preparing for NEET via online coaching classes at the comfort of their home.
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Check out the NEET online coaching platform and teaching quality : Book a free online demo class now.
For our NEET online coaching, we share the complete batch calendar in advance with parents and students. There is complete transparency about the teachers, the online platform, student performance, fee and scholarship details. Mystudycart NEET online classes are designed to keep students' doubts at priority. Students can ask their doubts anytime during the class, through microphone or chat window. They can see the teacher and the blackboard, just like a normal coaching class.
We have a pool of excellent teachers, IIT Qualified and Medicos, preparing students for NEET in online mode. A student having computer/ laptop and internet connection can take classes (two-way interactive) from home itself. Mystudycart is a cost effective and convenient platform for students targeting medical entrance exams.
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Sharee Miller's new children's book, Don't Touch My Hair, follows Aria, a young black girl who goes to extreme lengths, traveling underwater and even into space, to get away from people, aliens, and mermaids, who want to touch her hair without asking. The properly-titled Don't Touch My Hair is a follow-up to Miller's 2017 children's book Princess Hair, which celebrated the beauty of the different types of black hair. Her latest book is sure to specify that Aria still loves her hair and wouldn't change it, while also addressing an issue that comes up for children with natural hair.
As pop culture begins to explore the nuances of black hair, Miller's book offers an unique take on people treating natural hair as a foreign curiosity, but, it's ultimately a book about consent for children. It's a complicated subject, but the inviting primary color illustrations, also by Miller, make it easy to forget that she's teaching an important lesson. Though the issue of consent could seem daunting, Don't Touch My Hair gives Aria the power to tell people not to touch her hair, without an adult needing to swoop in and handle it for her. It's a universal lesson within the specificity of the black community, and though the book is relevant and educational, it maintains a fun and compassionate lightness.
EW talked to Miller about the book (out now), people touching her hair in the grocery store, and art that shows that black girlhood isn't a monolith.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: With Solange's song "Don't Touch My Hair" and Phoebe Robinson's book You Can't Touch My Hair, the topic of people touching black women's hair without asking is being discussed a lot in pop culture lately. Why did you choose to make a children's book about this topic?
SHAREE MILLER: Well, like you said, the topic is finally actually getting circulation, just like some [other] things that black women have had to deal with for a while. And I really wanted to include children in the conversation so we can start from young, teaching more children about consent. I wanted to do it in a very relatable light-hearted way so it's not really just hammering them with a message. So I feel like just focusing on one thing, which is hair, and kind of telling a general message about consent that all kids can learn.
Who is the ideal audience you're trying to reach with the book?
Young children, boys and girls. Black women, because I feel like a lot of women when they find my books they say they wish they had these when they were younger, so I'm writing for my younger self. All women can feel like they've had this issue come up, consent in general, and making sure that you know you have that power to say no, for anything you're uncomfortable with. From someone touching your hand to touching your hair.
I liked how the book's fantastical element, like when Aria travels to space and aliens are still trying to touch her hair, showed just how bizarre it is that people try to touch black women's hair without asking. Why did you choose to add the fantastical element to the book?
I really wanted to address the absurdity of how foreign natural hair is to people. To the point where even a dragon or a mermaid would be fascinated by it. These things that we think are fantastical, our hair is even more unimaginable that you feel the need to reach out and touch it while you're standing in line at the grocery store. I feel like people think of it as complimentary, "I loved it so much, I wanted to touch it." But even when your intent isn't negative, it's still an issue of consent. If you ask to touch something and someone says you can, then we're both on the same page, we're both feeling appreciation. But when you violate someone's personal space it's not positive anymore.
Because it's so violating, were you thinking about how a child might not know they have to power to tell off someone older than them?
Yes, because I feel like as women, more and more you start to realize you have that power to say no. But I felt like especially as a female child, you're encouraged to hug or kiss people on the cheek or hold hands. The lesson of consent kind of comes later on, when you've kind of already conditioned yourself to be polite. And I feel like you don't have to be rude to voice how you want people to interact with you, but you have to learn that it's okay early on before you get to that point where you're just like, "I'm just mad because people have been touching my hair for years and I have to yell at them because they're not gonna learn the lesson." But if you just tell people from the beginning, "This is how you approach me. And this is how you will get a positive reaction from me," then we can all improve the world with positive interactions.
It's about consent and it's also about boundaries, and learning how to establish them at a young age, which I think a lot of us aren't taught. When Aria finally tells everyone they can't touch her hair, I felt like I hadn't really seen that very often in a children's book, a young person establishing a firm boundary.
In a lot of books, even if they do maybe have that message, it's from an adult, and I really wanted to give the power to the child, to say, "You have power over your body and agency to say how you want to be [treated]." The normal child reaction would be to just run away from your issue, like, if I can just get far enough away then I won't have to deal with this anymore. But then having the growth to know, "No, I have to face my issue head on in order for there to actually be change."
The book has a universal message. But why do you think it's important for specifically black kids to learn these boundaries and be thinking about this from an early age?
I feel like growing up you felt that innocence as a black kid, and later on you find out limitations that society tries to put on you. And I feel like if you have a strong foundation growing up, you're able to address any push back that you might get. Like learning that you love your hair and it's not a burden, and anyone who would want to make you change it or touch it, you have agency over that. And you have your opinions built from [a young age], so when other people give you their opinions, you're not as affected by it. Especially with all the stories about little girls going to school with braids of poufs and being sent home, I really wanted to celebrate this hair and show that it's desirable and that you have power over it.
You wrote the book and did the illustrations. How do you decide on how to fit illustrations into the story?
I usually start with a main character. So I started with Aria. I knew I wanted her to have big unattainable hair. Not unattainable, but like I wanted to it be very like movable, so I used colored pencils to have texture that's different from everyone else's hair in the book. I like to use patterns and incorporate fashion in my illustrations as well. I really like to focus on everyone's outfits and the patterns of the buildings and the design of the dragon. So I really tried to make it a feast for the eyes, that while telling the story, you just want to keep turning the page to see what else is coming.
Part of what works so well about the book is the specificity of the subject. Are there any other specific topics you'd like to explore for a children's audience?
Right now, I'm working on a graphic novel. I want to show a group of four girls, to show how different they all are, and highlight the differences in being black and being a young girl, and not have everyone be a monolith. That's another thing I want to address. I feel like Issa Rae does it so well in Insecure, and I just want to do that for a younger audience, showing all the different ways you can be a black girl.
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Creative Sparks
We spent a lot of lovely time on here in January exploring creativity through prompts. My philosophy holds that inspiration is everywhere and that if you provide yourself with structure and impetus you can forge that inspiration into a finished product. While we'll continue to explore creativity here, I wanted to draw your attention to a fantastic blog by my Writing.ie colleague Elizabeth Murray. Her Wordspark blog is geared especially towards prompts and creative writing exercises, so she'll regularly have something to get your mind working on something new.
Must read short story site
I've also recently discovered the fantastic short story focused site of Paul McVeigh. This site, with it's very helpful at a glance layout gives details of submission opportunities, competitions and interviews with very interesting writers and champions of the short story form. It's a really mine of information.
Sub opportunities
Both the new zine Number Eleven (no deadline given) and The South Circular (deadline April 26 so hurry!) are currently open for submissions.


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Valentine's Day is coming up this weekend, and if you don't know what you should do for your wife/girlfriend/significant other/escort, may I suggest taking a look at this absolutely legendary Page 2 piece wherein Delonte West talks about how he would roll on Valentine's Day with his sweetie.
A few highlights (though you should read the whole thing):
She wouldn't know where we were going. It's got to be a hot day, so I can drop the top in my SL [Mercedes]. I've got the white SL 500. I would tell her, she would have to wear white. She must have on a white dress, because I'm going to have on white. I'd have told her in the note, she has to wear her hair a certain way, just the way I like it.
Yeah, we're going to my yacht. We'll pull up at the docks and got a guy waiting for us, open our door up and we walk down a lit-up dock and onto the yacht, where we have dinner set up on the boat and we just cruise out on the water. Sit down and have some dinner, some shrimps and steaks, keep it nice and breezy. Pop some bottles, some Moet Rose. The red Moet, we ain't popping no Kristal, it tastes like urination. We ain't popping no Kris, that's $500 a bottle. It ain't that serious. It ain't going to get you drunk. Make sure you put that in there. We ain't doing a $500 bottle, we're doing a $99 wine and dine.
How's the night end?
One more thing: When we're on the yacht eating, we're going to have some Popeyes chicken. That's for dinner. It's to let her know, put a mental image on her mind, first and foremost, if you ain't from the hood, you don't like Popeyes chicken. Everyone there loves Popeyes chicken and the biscuits — phew. But that's just getting it on her mind, saying, you know, 'Yeah, I can wine and dine you, but I'm a little rough around the edges and I'm keeping it real with you. I can be romantic, but this is real, we're going to eat some chicken tonight. Chicken and biscuits.'
Follow me on Twitter: @vincethepolack.


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It seems that a number of 10 private residences are in luck, as they are about to be modernized according to the latest standards. What does this mean? It means that they will be equipped with special ramps for wheelchair access, lighting for footpaths, and beautiful landscape features among other improvements that will be part of the face-lift process. The Ministry of National Development made the announcement not so long ago. The improvements will have a total cost of $29 million and they are more than welcome. With their help, those homes will not only look better but will also offer upgraded living conditions to their residents.
Such projects are part of the Estate Upgrading Program and where it will be possible, they will be paired with other improvement programs, such as PUB's drainage coverage and improvement. While only 10 estates will enjoy facelifts soon, more are about to be modernized in the coming 4 to 5 years. The goal of the government is to upgrade a total of 7,000 homes, so this is definitely an ambitious project. Are you wondering which are the residences that will soon be renovated? Here are the homes included in this project: Frankel, off East Coast Road; Kew, off Upper East Coast Road; Cheng San Cactus Sunrise in Yio Chu Kang; Fulton, off Sin Ming Avenue; Namly and Watten in Bukit Timah; Thomson Adelphi and Soo Chow, and Pemimpin near Bishan; Mei Hwan in Lorong Chuan; Pasir Panjang Private Estate ; and Westwood in Jurong West.
The Estate Upgrading Program is not new, as it was started in the year 2000. The purpose of this program is to rejuvenate aging properties, both private and public. This way, the face of Singapore will always be up to date and its residents will enjoy the best conditions and safety. From the start of the program, about 63 residences enjoyed the transformation, over $187 million being spent in this direction.
It is worth mentioning that the estates are not modernized without talking to the residents first. Some of them have lived in those estates for decades and could provide great improvement ideas for the property, based on their past experiences. Thus, a committee will be put together, made out of residents, for collecting improvement ideas for the Namly estate, as an example. Christopher de Souza, who is the MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, stated that this will happen, as people are living there for more than 50 years. These people could be the ideal consultants for improvement projects. The collected ideas will then be considered as parts of the final project. They have high chance of being transformed into physical improvements if they are possible.
So, many people that are currently living in aging estates could soon see them transform into better living areas. Whether it will be a wider green area for spending leisure time, longer walk-paths, or aesthetic visual elements, any improvement will certainly have a positive impact on their lives.
New launch condos in Singapore


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People battle long lines and heat at food assistance sites across Palm Beach County
Thousands create traffic delays
Thousands create traffic delays
Thousands create traffic delays
A busy day at Lake Ida Park in Delray Beach, as thousands lined up for food assistance in the wake of Hurricane Irma. The park served as one of three sites across Palm Beach County.
The morning started in chaos as the gates to the park opened at 7am; but things calmed down after daybreak and by mid-day most people were just battling the long lines and heat.
Delray Beach Fire Rescue Captain Mike Rodriguez confirmed they had a few emergencies, explaining, "Heat exhaustion, dehydration. We've had a couple diabetics with sugar problems."
First responders took a proactive approach Tuesday, passing out water to long lines of people waiting for D-SNAP assistance.
The Department of Children and Families program is offering food benefits to qualifying residents in 48 Counties who sustained disaster related losses and income qualify.
Ijna Farmer arrived at the park at 5 am, two hours before it opened. She said, "They've been giving us water, cold water, so we've been dealing with that, port-a-potties which I haven't used; but we are just trying to stay positive so that what happened in Miami doesn't occur here."
In Miami Dade and Broward Counties, disaster relief sites were shut down after large crowds suffered heat exhaustion and police cited public safety concerns.
Kahree Boyd told WPBF 25 News he was turned away three times at three different D-SNAP distribution sites in Miami, adding, "Big mess, big mess. Friday they shut it down at two, Saturday [at] one; then I woke up again Sunday morning thinking I'd get there about two in the morning... cancelled."
Of course, there's also fraud protection on scene to filter out those requests looking to take advantage of the system.
Andrew McClenahan, the Department of Children and Families' Director of the Office of Public Benefits Integrity, explained, "I think some people are trying to exaggerate the amount of people living in their homes during the disaster or the amount of damages that they have and we've got ways to check that live information. We know about where the power grids are and when people are down with electricity."
To qualify, you must live in Palm Beach County and have suffered a disaster-related loss such as damage to your home, loss of income or food and do not currently receive food stamps.
The other locations are in John Prince Park in Lake Worth and Glades Pioneer Park in Belle Glade.
Residents will be served in order of their last name, following this schedule:
10/21: Make-up Day


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What you need:
Heavy cooking utensil, at least 4 quarts capacity.
Start about 5 hours before serving time
2 cups pinto beans
1 bell pepper
1 medium sized onion
1/2 cup jalapenos (adjust to taste)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
Salt and pepper
Add the beans to the pot and add water to cover at least two inches over the top. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes. Remove from the heat and let them sit for about two hours.
Now, make some cornbread. Here is a recipe you might like!
Pour off the water and rinse; that brown residue is full of the stuff that causes A Mighty Wind the next day (oligosaccharides, if you want to be technical).
Add water to cover about two inches over the beans, bring to a boil and cook for about 1 1/2 hours; stir frequently. Chop up the veggies; I use a food processor to make almost a slurry of the veggies. Add these and the Rotel and cook another hour or so and stir a lot. Add the tomato sauce last, salt and pepper to taste. You want to reduce the liquid until it is even with the cooked beans; this usually will take about 30 minutes. Serve with cornbread and your beverage of choice; I recommend a good iced tea.
I rarely add any meat, but if you like, add some bacon or pork rind when you add the chopped veggies.
The left-overs make awesome refried beans. Just mash them with a potato masher.
If you try this, Leave A Reply to let me know how you liked it.


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Go back to the main Advanced Avionics Page.
This category introduces the topic of navigation in the advanced cockpit. You will learn about flight management systems (FMS) and area navigation (RNAV) systems, an increasingly popular method of navigating that allows pilots to make more efficient use of the national airspace system. The increasing number of users is attributable to more economical and accurate satellite signal receivers and computer chips. RNAV systems may use VHF omnidirectional range (VOR); distance measuring equipment (DME) (VOR/DME, DME/DME) signals; inertial navigation systems (INS); Doppler radar; the current version of LOng RAnge Navigation (LORAN), LORAN-C (and eLORAN, as it becomes operational); and the global positioning system (GPS), to name a few. Ground-based LORAN-C is a reliable complement to spacebased GPS systems (United States Department of Defense (DOD) GPS, Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and European Galileo in the future).
- Area Navigation (RNAV) Basics
- Flight Planning
- Navigation Database Currency (Part One)
- Navigation Database Currency (Part Two)
- Navigation Database Currency (Part Three)
- En Route Navigation (Part One)
- En Route Navigation (Part Two)
- En Route Modifications
- Descent (Part One)
- Descent (Part Two)
- Intercept And Track Course
- Holding
- GPS and RNAV (GPS) Approaches
- LNAV, LNAV/VNAV, and LPV
- Course Reversals
- Missed Approaches
- Ground-Based Radio Navigation
Flight Literacy Recommends


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How to Make Overnight Hot Cereal
Did you know you can cook your breakfast while you're sleeping? A slow cooker (crock-pot) is my secret weapon against the morning rush and helps avoid the temptation of sugar cereal or bars that are no more than cookies marketed as breakfast.
I simply add ingredients to my slow cooker the evening before, turn it on, and in the morning we wake up to a wonderful, warm meal!
The Ultimate in Convenience
If everyone in your family eats breakfast at different times, crock-pot breakfasts can make life easy, because those who need breakfast early can just help themselves, and those who sleep late can still have a warm, nourishing bowl whenever it's convenient for them.
Fast Food …
Because you don't have to do any cooking in the morning, – you don't even have to open a box of cereal! – a crock-pot breakfast is the ultimate in fast food. It's a great way to be sure you have a hearty breakfast and still get out the door quickly.
… but Not Fat Food
Research clearly shows that eating breakfast every day is a key behavior among people who are able to lose weight and keep it off. A crock-pot breakfast can be a delicious way to enjoy a high fiber, super nutritious, unprocessed, whole-food morning meal.
Incredibly Inexpensive …
Overnight hot cereal is also a great option for those on a gluten-free diet. Gluten-free boxed cereals are not only expensive ($6.49 a box! Seriously??), but they're sometimes (almost always!) full of sugar and other less desirable ingredients.
I like preparing hot cereal in the slow cooker because I can control what goes in it … and because it saves so much money. A bowl of ready-to-eat cereal from the box with milk can cost around 90 cents a bowl. But hot cereal cooked in a crock pot can cost as little as 10 cents a bowl.
… and Veritably Versatile
There is a wide variety of gluten-free grains that can be cooked in a crock pot. Check out some of the delicious options below.
Overnight hot cereal works well with just about any grain or combination of grains … so you can have a different cereal every day of the week.
To add to the variety, we like to vary our toppings from one morning to the next. Frozen blueberries, diced apples, walnut pieces, maple syrup, raisins, flax meal, chopped almonds, dates, coconut, sesame seeds … the combinations are just about endless.
Here are some of our favorite overnight hot cereals.
Crockpot Whole-Grain Breakfast Cereals
Steel-cut oats are the best type of oats to use when it comes to the slow cooker. They produce a hot cereal that is richer, chewier, and heartier than that made with regular rolled oats. (More about steel-cut oats below.)
Overnight Orange Cranberry Oatmeal is one of our favorite crock pot oat recipes.
Long-Grain Brown Rice
Most people are familiar with brown rice served as a side dish at dinner or prepared as rice pudding, but rice also makes a creamy and nourishing breakfast cereal as well. We like frozen strawberries, sliced bananas, and chopped almonds over hot creamy rice. Raisins are also delicious with rice.
Short-Grain Brown Rice
Short-grain brown rice is creamier, stickier, and chewier than long-grain rice. Some feel it has a slightly sweeter taste too.
Millet is a tiny, round grain that cooks into a creamy cereal in the crock pot. We like millet with coconut milk, shredded coconut, and crushed pineapple, but it's also great with chopped dates!
Buckwheat makes a strong tasting breakfast cereal, but my kids really like the flavor! It took a little bit of doctoring for me to enjoy it, but loaded with a heap of flax meal and an abundance of frozen blueberries, it's now one of my favorites.
Learn more about whole-grains and you very own Whole-Grain Guide.
Create Your Own
To create your own overnight cereal recipes, use 3 1/2 to 4 cups of water or other liquid to 1 cup of grains and add whatever additions you'd like. This may seem like a lot of liquid, but the extra water is what produces a creamy cereal (except for wheat berries, which don't get super creamy) and prevents it from burning with such a long cooking time.
What Size of Crock Pot Do I Need?
I use a small (2-quart) slow cooker for cooking breakfast cereal so we don't have leftovers. A 2-quart slow cooker will feed 3 to 5 people (depending on serving size).
If you use larger slow cooker, be sure to fill it at least half-way or the cereal won't cook correctly.
Crock Pot Cereal FAQ and Troubleshooting Tips
1. Cereal too thin? Cereal not done?
All slow cookers cook differently. With a little experience you may find that you need to adjust cooking time and liquid amounts to your individual appliance.
If your cereal is just slightly too thin, remove the lid and stir it for a few minutes. The cereal will thicken as you stir it.
2. Cereal too done? Cereal burned?
Be sure to add enough liquid before cooking. If the mixture is too thick it will burn.
Add sweeteners in the morning, as too much sweetener in the cooking process may cause the cereal to burn on the edges.
If you still find that your crock pot cooks too hot and your cereal gets overdone, you can plug your slow cooker into an appliance timer. (That's the method I use.) That way you can set it to begin cooking later (after you go to bed) so it doesn't cook as long.
Note: Be sure to choose a heavy-duty timer (like the ones I've linked to above) to use with a slow cooker. For safety reasons, it's important that the wattage of the timer be greater than the wattage of the slow cooker.
Also, if family members eat breakfast at different times, be sure the first eaters turn the slow cooker to the "keep warm" setting so those who have breakfast later can have their cereal warm without it being burned.
3. Food sticking to crock pot?
To prevent food from sticking to the sides of the cooker and make clean-up easier, spray the inside of the liner (stoneware crock) with non-stick cooking spray before adding the food.
If you find that the food is still sticking to the stoneware, the next time you prepare the dish, turn the heat off when it is done and allow it to stand with the lid on for 10 to 20 minutes before serving. The heat and moisture of the food will help the stuck food release from the edges.
For even faster clean-up, line the crock with a cooking liners made for this purpose.
4. How full to fill crock pot?
For proper cooking, fill a slow cooker between two thirds and three quarters full. Filling it more will cause the food to not cook evenly; filling it less will cause the food to cook too quickly and possibly scorch on the sides.
5. When to add dried fruit to cereal?
We usually add raisins and other dried fruit right before serving. Cooking them all night in the cereal causes them to lose their flavor and sweetness. The one exception to this are dates.
6. Oatmeal comes out a mushy, slimy mess?
When cooking oatmeal overnight in a slow cooker, be sure to use steel-cut oats instead of regular rolled oats or quick oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats cook down too much in a slow cooker and end up quite mushy.
Steel-cut oats are oat grains that have been cut into pieces (to resemble small, coarse grains of rice) rather than rolled like old-fashioned oats or quick oats. This method leaves steel-cut oats with a texture that's chewier and heartier than rolled oats.
Steel-cut oats also have a richer flavor than do regular rolled oats. In fact, most people, once they've tried steel-cut oats (also known as oat groats, Scottish oats, or Irish oats), say they'll never go back to regular rolled oats again.
More Crock Pot Recipes
Want more recipes for cooking in a slow cooker?
Crock Pot Beans
Take the stress out of dinner. Hop over to a post I wrote about cooking beans in a slow cooker.
You my also like:
Before you go . . .
Did you know that you can eat all this delicious food AND lose weight? You can!
No calorie counting. No portion sizes.
Join my online weight loss program today!


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Hard water is good for you, and its probably better for you than your favorite brand of bottled water! Hard water is good for health because it is rich in minerals mostly magnesium and calcium. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that 4 out of 5 Americans are mineral-deficient. Mineral deficiency is a serious threat to health; it is linked with heart trouble, kidney problems, and sudden death.
Is Bottled water better?
No, many bottled waters are deficient in minerals. Some bottled water makers have begun to add minerals to their water, but most don't contain enough minerals for good health. Unfortunately, hard water doesn't taste as good as bottled water does. Because of this, most people choose expensive bottled water over the cheap, plentiful mineral-rich water that flows from their tap.
If YOU have bad tasting water, Life Ionizers will turn it into the best tasting glass of water you ever drank – we guarantee it.
Hard water vs. soft water
Soft water has very low mineral content in it. Also, it is often is high in chloride from salt. Hard water is much better for your health than soft water. Large studies of U.S and European health have shown that drinking hard water is associated with lower health risks. It helps to reduce your risk of high blood pressure, heart problems, and kidney problems. Soft water is linked to a higher risk of these problems.
Hard water tastes bad – Water ionizers fix that
If you have hard water, you are probably drinking bottled water because you don't like the taste of it. A water ionizer fixes the taste of hard water. Alkaline water from a water ionizer tastes sweet and refreshing; it tastes better than the bottled water you're drinking right now!
The water flowing out of your tap could be a gold mine of good health if you would drink it. A water ionizer does everything you need to make your tap water clean, healthy and great tasting. A water ionizer filters toxins in water, and then converts the hard water mineral compounds – calcium carbonates and magnesium carbonate, into mineral hydrates. These mineral hydrates – calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide – are both recognized for their contribution to human nutrition by the FDA. As a matter of fact, calcium hydroxide is such an excellent source of calcium that it is used to fortify infant formula and orange juice with calcium!
Life Ionizers will turn your bad-tasting water into the sweetest, most refreshing glass of water you ever tasted. We guarantee it. Call us now at 877-959-7977 for details.


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It's happening again. Your hair is falling out, but it is time to learn how biotin helps hair growth. But, first…
When you're walking into that big meeting. It falls on top of your suit jacket, making you look unprofessional. The entire time you're giving a presentation you can't help but stare at.
As you cook dinner. You can't count the number of times you've ended up with hair in your food. And let's not forget the time someone else found your hair and the figs you prepared.
And don't forget in the shower- where it comes out in clumps. You're constantly having to clean out your shower and your hairbrush just to keep up with the constant hair loss.
Hair loss is an embarrassing and sometimes painful process.
Next, comes maybe one of the worst parts of all. Your hair gets thinner. When you pull it back you can see a few bald spots- and who wants that?
What if I were to tell you that one simple pill could solve all of this?
It's possible to reclaim your healthy hair. Say hello to Biotin.
You may have heard your doctor mention it before. Biotin is an over-the-counter water-soluble B vitamin that can help with hair, nail, and skin health. But does Biotin actually work?
How Biotin Helps You Grow Better Hair
How does Biotin work in your body? Biotin helps hair growth, for sure.
Biotin is a micronutrient which helps your body breakdown the food we eat and convert it to energy. When we are short on Biotin, we have trouble digesting our food.
We obtained Biotin through different foods. It is commonly found in meat, egg yolks, fish, vegetables, soy, yeast, mushrooms, and other food sources.
How to identify a Biotin deficiency?
There're many signs and symptoms of Biotin deficiency. Below are some of the most common ones.
- Hair loss or thinning
- Nausea and abdominal cramping
- Muscle cramping and pain
- Memory problems or confusion
- A skin rash, usually around the nose or mouth
- Hallucinations
- Burning in your extremities
If you have any of the signs or symptoms, it may be a sign of Biotin deficiency. While not all the symptoms can be fixed through taking biotin, it is an easy first step.
Biotin deficiency itself is not very common, but there are several common causes. These common causes include:
- An inherited condition. In rare cases, you will get genetic mutations which cause us not to process Biotin correctly. Also, if a mother was deficient during childbirth, there is a high probability the child is also going to be deficient.
- Another common cause is the long-term use of anticonvulsants (seizure medicine).
- Taking a round of antibiotics to fight off an infection can also cause a Biotin deficiency.
- The long-term use of restricted items such as cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs.
- Issues digesting the food in your gastrointestinal system. This can be caused by things such as celiac disease or by the popular weight loss method of gastric bypass.
- The acne medication Isotretinoin has the side effect of causing you to potential to become Biotin deficient.
- Finally, half of pregnant women are at risk for a Biotin deficiency. This is why all good prenatal vitamins have Biotin in them. (https://www.thecut.com/2017/03/biotin-for-hair-nail-growth-benefits-side-effects.html)
Does Biotin Help Hair Growth?
So, does biotin help with hair growth?
The research itself is slim on the effects of Biotin to help with hair loss. This is because there are other factors that can contribute to hair loss. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't look to Biotin supplement as a potential cure of your hair loss.
Biotin can easily be purchased at your local drugstore for fraction of the price a visiting the doctor. Plus, because Biotin is water soluble, it is very difficult to overdose on the vitamin. Biotin helps hair growth, and you can honestly never get too much biotin.
So, even if you already have enough Biotin in your system, taking some extra will not hurt you.
Therefore, the best solution is to try it.
When I first tried Biotin, I was surprised at how effective it was in slowing my hair loss. Plus, my nails got stronger. All of this happened after only a few weeks.
I would strongly suggest you try it too – biotin helps hair growth!
The recommended dosage of Biotin is 30-100mcg/daily for adults. (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319427.php) But be sure to also check the bottle and read instructions on it.
Ready to Amp Up Your Hair Growth?
If you are excited to see how Biotin helps hair growth, I would suggest NutriXen Multi Collagen.
NutiXen is a flavorless Multi-Collagen dietary supplement that contains all the amino acids necessary for your body. It is made of grass-fed pasture raised beef, cage-free chicken, wild caught fish, and eggshells. Together, these ingredients help to build a stronger you.
Also, NutiXen is gluten-free, GMO-free, and made in a certified GMP facility.
There are numerous other benefits to taking NutiXen too. Collagen is of vital protein that helps strengthen not only your hair but your skin, nails, bones, joints, cartilage, tendons and more. Using NutiXen helps to reduce inflammatory processes while also assisting in weight loss and management.
So, consider purchasing some NutriXen Multi collagen today to help build your hair from its core. Like Biotin, you won't know if the supplement will help you until you try it.
And you are worth it!
Can you imagine taking a shower in the morning and not needing to clean the hair up afterward? Our how your hairbrush will look without a ball full of hair on it?
How would it feel to everyday know that instead of losing hair you are growing hair? Instead of prematurely balding, you're back to the full head of hair you took for granted growing up.
And on your next date, you won't have to worry about your hair falling out into the food. Instead, you will smile is your day complements your hair.
Now, can you imagine a world where you keep losing your hair?
Don't make tomorrow another day of hair loss. Does Biotin help with hair growth? Try it because biotin helps with hair growth. Consider purchasing some Biotin and NutiXen Multi Collagen today.
Your hair will thank you.


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Every man who arrives to truth does so by a different path. How you have come to understand the real nature of the world is different from how I did, but there are certain behaviors and actions which have a greater tendency to truth discovery. Here are five:
1. Being a player who sleeps with a large quantity of women. The actual sex act of thrusting inside a woman does little in showing you truth, since it is nothing more than an animalistic act that takes little higher thought, but being able to fornicate with different women means you are required to know the true nature of women. Understanding the true nature of women therefore allows you to understand the true nature of men. You now possess truth of both sexes and, effectively, human nature, including those facts that are being concealed by progressive ideologies. Every notch you accumulate has the effect of splashing cold truth onto your face, however unpleasant it may be.
As an added benefit, being summarily rejected so many times removes a layer of ego from your cortex that acts as a self-protection mechanism to truth discovery. The more you've been rejected—and survive—the less likely you will lie to yourself when presented with experience that conflicts with what you have been previously taught.
2. Living in a totalitarian society. If there are severe and obvious limitations on what you can do, what you can say, and what you can think, your curiosity will soon want answers as to why. You will come to find out about the power structure of your totalitarian government and why pure thought is necessary to maintain authoritarian control. You also have a firmer grasp of what propaganda is and how it's used. People from totalitarian societies tend to be extremely skeptical, always searching for the real meaning or intent behind false "common truths."
3. Being persecuted by the establishment. If you are being targeted or punished for a behavior that should be legal (i.e. free speech, consensual sex), you have been put on the fast track to truth. When the power of the state comes down on you for reasons you believe are unjust, you quickly learn how those with power want society to operate. Personally, being put on the SPLC misogynist list made me realize that progressives have the power, means, and motivation to marginalize my way of life. A common saying is that a liberal is someone who hasn't been mugged by a black man. In my case, a liberal is someone who wasn't yet been put in the same boat as skinheads, criminals, and right-wing extremists.
4. Adopting a minimalist lifestyle. When you live below your means, you begin to see that most people are unnecessarily living above theirs. That leads to the conclusion that they were trained to live a life of excess by corporations with the complicit help of a government that wants to keep society in a neverending state of indebtedness and distraction so they ignore everyday injustices while losing any will or desire to fight the establishment. The easiest stepping stone out of The Truman Show is to realize that consumer lifestyles are not the path to happiness, and those those who chase material possessions are misguided.
5. Traveling off the beaten path. Tourist packages that send you to Paris, London, or the Caribbean for a week will shield you from cultural truths. You're put on the tourist trail of souvenirs and kitsch where everything is presented for cameras instead of working brains. If you go farther off the trail by meeting locals, studying a nation's history, learning a language, and sleeping with the native women (see reason number 1), you realize that there are different ways to live, work, and play, and that the ways taught to you as superior can be in fact grossly inferior. You also begin to understand the sham in exchanging your liberty for safety and comfort after noticing that people in other countries seem to survive just fine without a police state.
Also worth mentioning are three factors which inhibit your discovery of the truth:
1. Having a 9-5 job. A 9-5 job is the closest humans get to running on a hamster wheel. While some jobs are fulfilling, they tire out both the mind and body. A man who has a full time job will not be able to devote the necessary amount of energy and effort into finding the truth because he's in a perpetual state of physical exhaustion and mental numbness. Even reading a difficult book will be too onerous for him after a stressful day at the office. My own efforts into finding truth accelerated greatly once I quit my job, even though my income dropped almost to zero (for the short term).
2. Seeking entertainment. The purpose of entertainment is to dull the mind, not enlighten it. Therefore it serves as a blocker to truth, because the time you spend entertaining yourself will simply reinforce the ideas of the establishment and existing power structure instead of raising the curtain to see what lies behind. It also atrophies your brain. While the internet can be a great tool in finding truth, the bulk of it is not much better than television in keeping you placid and blind. The easier it is to digest information, the less truth it will likely contain. Your brain should hurt and strain when reading upon information that goes against the lies you have been taught since childhood.
3. University education. College is supposed to be the institution from which you learn truth, and while that may have been the case in the past, today it pulls you away from it. In fact, I believe that it will take even the sharpest man at least five years of truth-seeking after college to de-program himself of what he learned in university, which has become a sheep factory in creating adults that don't question authority and don't think for themselves. I can't help but conclude that attending university was the biggest setback to my realization of truth, introducing cobwebs into my head that took a decade to finally clear out.
The good news for you is the fact that you are even reading this article means you have already taken steps to finding truth. The only question that remains is how deep you go. For some men, dabbling in game or travel uncovers some truth, but because they allow blockers to stay in their lives, they only scratch the surface, not yet ready to dive in. A man should only go as deep as his mind is prepared for, which means that his life will be composed of periods of diving activity and rest, followed again by diving. Forcing a man too deep too soon may turn him off from the truth for good. In the end, the most important thing men must realize as they uncover truth is that there is no way to un-see what you find or un-know what you learn. Once you begin seeing, you can not make yourself blind again.
Read Next: Everyone Is Hoping That You'll Fail


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January 19, 2019
Rep. Dwight Evans (PA-3) and some Philadelphia food charities have partnered to get food into the hands of furloughed government workers as the government shutdown enters its fifth week.
Evans, along with Philabundance, Share Food Program, and Nutritional Development Services, has organized an "Emergency Market for Government Employees," scheduled for upcoming Wednesdays until reimbursement checks are issued to employees.
Some of Philadelphia's best stepping up to help those that have been furloughed. Please share to spread the message. #governmentshutdown @PAAFL_CIO @PhillyAFLCIO @AFGENational @NTEUPhilly pic.twitter.com/fZHGQzBRfU— Dwight Evans (@DwightEvansPA) January 18, 2019
The event will take place under I-95 at Front & Tasker Streets, which is accessible by SEPTA's 29 and 57 buses.
Those seeking to participate in the food distribution will need to bring boxes or bags of their own, and will need to show government
The groups estimate around 45,000 people in the Philly area could be affected by the government shutdown and its impact on their income.
Philabundance has set up an entire page on its website about its efforts to help furloughed workers make ends meet.
Evans also helped organize SEPTA's decision to give free rides to TSA workers affected by the government shutdown.
Follow Adam & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @adamwhermann | @thePhillyVoice
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Thibaud Severini
Entrepreneur and engineer, I am passionate about innovation and disruptive technologies.
I have a strong experience in innovation management, hardware & software product development and fundraising.
My brand new personal website is under update.
If you want to contact me, or just discover who I am, please visit my Linkedin profile.


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US Open 2012: Roger Federer in same half of draw as Andy Murray
US Open 2012: The men's draw has been made in New York so it's time to look ahead to the final Grand Slam of the year
Ever since world No3 Rafael Nadal withdrew from the US Open draw, it was the question on everyone's lips: Would Andy Murray fall in Roger Federer's half of the US Open draw or in the Novak Djokovic half?
The question was answered at midday at Flushing Meadows when a pair of white discs were dropped into the glittering silver trophy and the first name out, to take his place in Federer's half, was Murray. Djokovic—who worked hard to restrain a smile when asked about the fall of dice—has world No5, David Ferrer.
This was already an intriguing year for the men at the US Open—the first since 2003 in which Nadal had not featured and the first since 2007 in which he will not fill his allotted semi-final place.
But the form and momentum of Murray was already the talk of the town after his summer of achievements in London. First he reached the final of Wimbledon for the first time—losing to Federer—and then he won Olympic gold on the same court—this time beating Federer.
Murray, of course, has beaten Federer before: Indeed he has a winning head-to-head over him. But when it has come to Grand Slams and the best-of-five format, Federer has held sway.
In two of Murray's three Grand Slam finals—the first here in New York in 2008 and the second in Australia in 2010—he faced and was beaten by Federer. But London 2012 changed all that and, for good measure, he beat Djokovic in the Olympic semi-finals, too.
Now Murray comes to New York, one of his favourite cities, one of his favourite tennis venues and on his most successful surface—seven of his eight Masters titles have come on outdoor hard courts—as a man tipped to break his Grand Slam duck. All he has to do is beat Federer—and possibly Djokovic—again!
However, Murray has been the only one of the 'big three' to miss out on a title in the US Open Series: Djokovic won in Toronto and Federer in Cincinnati while Murray nursed a knee problem.
What's more, Federer is on a 56-7 win-loss streak this year with a tour-leading six titles to his name, including three Masters and his seventh Wimbledon title.
Djokovic, defending US champion on what he calls his "most preferred surface", has played every Grand Slam since January 2005 and has not fallen short of the semis since Paris in 2010—and of those nine Slams, six have been finals and four have seen him crowned champion. And while he's only won three titles compared with 10 last year, his two Masters and the Australian Open were all on hard courts.
And the reason for his smile after the draw: In every outdoor hard court match he has played against Ferrer—including twice at the Australian Open and their only meeting in New York—Djokovic has not so much as dropped a set.
Is there anyone else in his half who can upset the apple cart, or a man who can prevent a Federer-Murray semi-final face-off?
Roger Federer quarter
Things start quite nicely for the top seed and five-time US Open champion, which is just as well because things get difficult very quickly.
His first opponent, Donald Young, once touted as a future star of American tennis and breaking the top 40 for the first time at the start of the year, has since put together a shocking win-loss of 2-20.
Federer's first seed, Fernando Verdasco, has also struggled with form, and has not won a title since 2010, though some of his former success has come in North America and he has twice reached the quarters in New York. He has yet to beat Federer, however.
The fourth round, though, throws up either Gilles Simon or, more likely, Mardy Fish. The American, bouncing back well from a health scare earlier this year, was a semi-finalist in Washington and a quarter-finalist in both Toronto and Cincinnati—in the last of which he met and strongly challenged the eventual champion, Federer. He will also draw confidence from having taken a set off the Swiss in the two meetings before that and beating him in Indian Wells in 2008.
At the bottom of the quarter lies the toughest prospect, Tomas Berdych, who, despite some poorer than usual results this summer, has reached the semis in Winston Salem this week. He also took the first set in his only meeting with Federer this year in Madrid and beat him in Cincinnati last year. The Czech, though, has to get past a couple of other form players—Denis Istomin in the second round and Sam Querrey in the third—to take on the No1.
Matches to look out for: Berdych v Goffin, R1; Sock v Mayer, R1; Stepanek v Almagro R1; Querrey v Berdych, R3; Federer v Fish, R4.
Semi-finalist: Federer
Andy Murray quarter
Murray may have fallen early in Cincinnati and withdrawn with a knee problem in Toronto, but he is looking and sounding a confident man in New York, pounding the ball with a smile against first Stan Wawrinka and then Juan Monaco. But he has an interesting first opponent.
He has played Alex Bogomolov three times, all of them last year, and lost to him in Miami. This year, though, has seen a falling off in Bogomolov's form. Murray should progress with little trouble, but there a couple of dangerous 'sleepers' before a potential match-up with one of the most dangerous players in the draw—especially on fast hard courts—Milos Raonic.
If Murray gets past Thomaz Bellucci and Feliciano Lopez—both big hitters—Raonic is a real challenge who is growing in stature with each month. He beat Murray in Barcelona and has taken Federer to three sets in all three meetings this year. Were it not that Murray is in such confident form, Raonic may well have snatched the quarter-final spot.
As it is, Murray will probably play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who benefits from an eighth packed with five qualifiers. The Frenchman, though absent for a month with a cut knee, should reach a fourth-round meeting with Marin Cilic with ease for what may prove to be a tight encounter.
Matches to look out for: Blake v Lacko, R1; Lopez v Bellucci, R2; Nishikori v Cilic, R3; Raonic v Murray, R4; Tsonga v Cilic, R4.
Semi-finalist: Murray
David Ferrer quarter
As if Ferrer's task in the latter stages was not hard enough, he has a packed quarter that could push him all the way to his designated semi-final place, a round he has not reached in New York since 2007.
The hard-working Spaniard, though, as he enters his 40th consecutive Grand Slam, is playing as well as he ever has and, for someone associated with clay success, he has made great inroads on hard courts, building an all-court game and a decent serve that always put him in the mix.
His first opponent is Kevin Anderson, a dangerous big-hitter, and the third round poses wild card Lleyton Hewitt or Mikhail Youzhny. Both can play outstanding tennis on a given day, both can do otherwise.
Next, there is more trouble in the shape of one of two men who are on a great run. Richard Gasquet reached the final in Toronto and Tommy Haas reached the finals in Hamburg and the quarters in Toronto. He is also a three-time quarter-finalist in New York since his first appearance in 1996. These two men crossed swords at the US Open in 2008 and it went to the German in five sets.
The highest seed in the top section is Tipsarevic and he too faces some tricky matches to meet Ferrer in the quarters: fellow Serb Viktor Troicki in the third and then John Isner, Philipp Kohlschreiber or Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth.
Remarkably, Ferrer and Tipsarevic have not met since 2008. Ferrer should win, but to reach his first Grand Slam final, he still has Djokovic to beat.
Matches to look out for: Stebe v Troicki, R1; Ferrer v Anderson, R1; Hewitt v Youzhny, R2; Tipsarevic v Baker, R2; Kohlschreiber v Dimitrov, R2; Gasquet v Haas, R3; Isner v Tipsarevic, R4.
Semi-finalist: Ferrer
Novak Djokovic quarter
Things open quite comfortably for Djokovic, facing the 69-ranked Paolo Lorenzi in his opener. His first seed is the lowest, No32 Julien Benneteau, who has risen from outside the top 100 a year ago, but the Serb has won their last four matches, dating back to 2007.
The fourth round, however, throws some bigger challenges in Djokovic's path. He has beaten Wawrinka in their last nine meetings, but the Swiss can blow hot, especially on hard courts, as he did in Cincinnati last week where he beat Raonic.
The alternative may be Alexandr Dolgopolov who played a memorable match against Djokovic here at the same stage last year. The Ukrainian is another player who can blow hot and cold, but at the moment it is the former, with the title in Washington and the quarters this week in Winston Salem.
The top section of this quarter holds Juan Martin del Potro, the winner here in 2009 and making a return to the top this year as the No7 seed. The bronze medallist beat Djokovic at the London Olympics but lost to him last week in Cincinnati and, more worryingly, revealed that he had a left wrist problem that may need medical treatment in the future.
In less than perfect form, he may even struggle against his first round opponent, fellow Argentine David Nalbandian. Although they have played alongside one another in Davis Cup, they have not met across the net since 2008, a season in which Nalbandian dominated.
Other players in Del Potro's segment include big hitters Ryan Harrison, Andy Roddick and Bernard Tomic but, if his wrist holds up, he should master all of them. If not, there is room for a surprise opponent for Djokovic in the semis.
Matches to look out for: Del Potro v Nalbandian, R1; Roddick v Tomic, R2; Dolgopolov v Wawrinka, R3; Del Potro v Djokovic, QF.
Semi-finalist: Djokovic
Final: Murray beats Djokovic


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MuseLetter #246 / November 2012 by Richard Heinberg
The US Presidential election campaign served up much in the way of promises but worryingly little in the way of energy and climate reality. For this month's Museletter I've included three pieces I wrote as the campaign wrapped up — the last of the three is intended as tongue in cheek humor. I would also invite you to read an op-ed which I co-authored with Tom Butler that appeared in the Christian Science Monitor.
Download printable PDF version here (PDF, 105 KB)
Gas Bubble Leaking, About to Burst
For the past three or four years media sources in the U.S. trumpeted the "game-changing" new stream of natural gas coming from tight shale deposits produced with the technologies of horizontal drilling and hydrofracturing. So much gas surged from wells in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania that the U.S. Department of Energy, presidential candidates, and the companies working in these plays all agreed: America can look forward to a hundred years of cheap, abundant gas!
Some environmental organizations declared this means utilities can now stop using polluting coal—and indeed coal consumption has plummeted as power plants switch to cheaper gas. Energy pundits even promised that Americans will soon be running their cars and trucks on natural gas, and the U.S. will be exporting the fuel to Europe via LNG tankers.
Early on in the fracking boom, oil and gas geologist Art Berman began sounding an alarm (see example). Soon geologist David Hughes joined him, authoring an extensive critical report for Post Carbon Institute ("Will Natural Gas Fuel America in the 21st Century?"), whose Foreword I was happy to contribute.
Here, one more time, is the contrarian story Berman and Hughes have been telling: The glut of recent gas production was initially driven not by new technologies or discoveries, but by high prices. In the years from 2005 through 2008, as conventional gas supplies dried up due to depletion, prices for natural gas soared to $13 per million BTU (prices had been in $2 range during the 1990s). It was these high prices that provided an incentive for using expensive technology to drill problematic reservoirs. Companies flocked to the Haynesville shale formation in Texas, bought up mineral rights, and drilled thousands of wells in short order. High per-well decline rates and high production costs were hidden behind a torrent of production—and hype. With new supplies coming on line quickly, gas prices fell below $3 MBTU, less than the actual cost of production in most cases. From this point on, gas producers had to attract ever more investment capital in order to maintain their cash flow. It was, in effect, a Ponzi scheme.
In those early days almost no one wanted to hear about problems with the shale gas boom—the need for enormous amounts of water for fracking, the high climate impacts from fugitive methane, the threats to groundwater from bad well casings or leaking containment ponds, as well as the unrealistic supply and price forecasts being issued by the industry. I recall attempting to describe the situation at the 2010 Aspen Environment Forum, in a session on the future of natural gas. I might as well have been claiming that Martians speak to me via my tooth fillings. After all, the Authorities were all in agreement: The game has changed! Natural gas will be cheap and abundant from now on! Gas is better than coal! End of story!
These truisms were echoed in numberless press articles—none more emblematic than Clifford Krauss's New York Times piece, "There Will Be Fuel," published November 16, 2010.
Now Krauss and the Times are singing a somewhat different tune. "After the Boom in Natural Gas," co-authored with Eric Lipton and published October 21, notes that ". . . the gas rush has . . . been a money loser so far for many of the gas exploration companies and their tens of thousands of investors." Krauss and Lipton go on to quote Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil: "We are all losing our shirts today. . . . We're making no money. It's all in the red." It seems gas producers drilled too many wells too quickly, causing gas prices to fall below the actual cost of production. Sound familiar?
The obvious implication is that one way or another the market will balance itself out. Drilling and production will decline (drilling rates have already started doing so) and prices will rise until production is once again profitable. So we will have less gas than we currently do, and gas will be more expensive. Gosh, whoda thunk?
The current Times article doesn't drill very far into the data that make Berman and Hughes pessimistic about future unconventional gas production prospects—the high per-well decline rates, and the tendency of the drillers to go after "sweet spots" first so that future production will come from ever-lower quality sites. For recent analysis that does look beyond the cash flow problems of Chesapeake and the other frackers, see "Gas Boom Goes Bust" by Jonathan Callahan, and Gail Tverberg's latest essay, "Why Natural Gas isn't Likely to be the World's Energy Savior".
David Hughes is working on a follow-up report, due to be published in January 2013, which looks at unconventional oil and gas of all types in North America. As part of this effort, he has undertaken an exhaustive analysis of 30 different shale gas plays and 21 shale/tight oil plays—over 65,000 wells altogether. It appears that the pattern of rapid declines and the over-stated ability of shale to radically grow production is true across the U.S., for both gas and oil. In the effort to maintain and grow oil and gas supply, Americans will effectively be chained to drilling rigs to offset production declines and meet demand growth, and will have to endure collateral environmental impacts of escalating drilling and fracking.
No, shale gas won't entirely go away anytime soon. But expectations of continuing low prices (which drive business plans in the power generation industry and climate strategies in mainstream environmental organizations) are about to be dashed. And notions that the U.S. will become a major gas exporter, or that we will convert millions of cars and trucks to run on gas, now ring hollow.
One matter remains unclear: what's the energy return on the energy invested (EROEI) in producing "fracked" shale gas? There's still no reliable study. If the figure turns out to be anything like that of tight "fracked" oil from the North Dakota Bakken (6:1 or less, according to one estimate), then shale gas production will continue only as long as it can be subsidized by higher-EROEI conventional gas and oil.
In any case, it's already plain that the "resource pessimists" have once again gotten the big picture just about right. And once again we suffer the curse of Cassandra—though we're correct, no one listens. I keep hoping that if we're right often enough the curse will lift. We'll see.
The Race to Become Scapegoat-in-Chief
The first two U.S. presidential debates have been painful to watch. Both candidates are running on platforms constructed from verbal hallucinations about the nation's past, present, and future. And the American people are being asked to choose between those hallucinations in order to select the best available scapegoat for the next four years of national economic decline. The race is burning up billions of dollars in advertising money, yet few citizens seem genuinely excited about either candidate, with households evidently viewing the proceedings as a prime-time ritual combat in which it is the winner, rather than the loser, who will ultimately receive the fatal thumbs-down.
Most of the delusions and fantasies that pervade the debates can be grouped into three baskets:
Energy. In the second debate, a questioner from the audience asked president Obama if there is something the latter can do to lower gasoline prices. The ensuing fiction-laced candidate dialogue featured assertions like the following:
- America has a century's worth of cheap natural gas. (It doesn't, and production levels will probably begin declining within the next couple of years.)
- Oil drilling in North Dakota will soon free the U.S. of the need to import oil. (It won't, and production there will similarly peak and start to wane in the next 2-5 years.)
- The president of the United States should be held accountable for high gasoline prices. (In fact, aside from temporary gestures like opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, there's almost nothing a president can do to reduce gas prices, which mostly track the global price of crude oil.)
The reality is that America faces profound energy challenges. The "Beverly Hillbillies" era of cheap oil is over, and with it the decades-long spate of economic expansion that both candidates appear to believe is the birthright of all citizens. Oil production costs have skyrocketed in recent years, and out of desperation drilling companies are using costly techniques like hydrofracturing to wring crude from low-grade reservoirs. The energy world portrayed in the debates—in which coal is "clean" and oil and gas companies will lead the U.S. to a new era of energy abundance if only they are unleashed or regulated properly—is a stage set carefully crafted by fossil fuel industry PR professionals and political consultants. Once viewers have dutifully mistaken this painted scenery for reality, it's the actors' job to raise the audience's adrenaline levels with taunts and sneers. Meanwhile, outside the theater, the real world is hurtling toward an energy supply crisis for which no one is being prepared and whose impact will not be blunted by sensible policy.
Summon the scapegoat.
The economy. Why hasn't the American economy recovered? Why are so many people still unemployed? What policies will re-start the nation's engines of growth? Anyone who watched either debate will know that these questions provoked lengthy and heated exchanges between Obama and Romney, precisely because they are the matters of greatest concern to voters. Probably only a few viewers bothered to examine the assumptions on which both candidates appear to agree: that ongoing economic stagnation is a temporary glitch that can be fixed, and that growth is normal and can continue perpetually.
Here president Obama is fighting with one hand tied behind him. As long as he feeds the delusion that the economic crisis is a solvable problem, he must find some way to deflect the demanding query: "Well, then, why haven't you fixed it?"
In reality, the crash of 2008 resulted from the bursting of history's biggest credit bubble, together with the simultaneous rupture of the decades-old regime of cheap oil. These are not "problems" that can be "fixed." The global economy will inevitably contract during the remainder of this century, and success will be measured by the ability of nations, communities, and households to adapt to the new reality of declining mobility, expensive energy, and scarce credit.
If Obama were to even begin explaining this situation to voters, he would immediately be tarred as a pessimist, even a doomster. The best he can do is to argue that it was a Republican who got us into this mess, so it would be a mistake to choose a Republican using similar policies to get us out. Both candidates conspire to mislead their audience as to the cause and nature of the crisis, and both stoke unrealistic expectations of recovery and growth once they are elected. Since recovery is not in the cards, that just means that whoever wins will reap the blame.
Who wants to be the scapegoat?
Climate change. In this case, delusion is a species of blindness. In the real world, impacts from global climate change are showing up faster than forecast in even the most "alarmist" scenarios published just a few years ago. Most of the U.S. is still suffering from a devastating drought that has already ruined billions of dollars' worth of crops. Altogether, weather anomalies are increasing in frequency and severity—exactly as the climate models predict, only faster. The north polar ice cap is disappearing before our eyes. This is potentially a crisis of truly apocalyptic dimensions. Yet, during the debates, president Obama has offered only one brief mention of climate change while governor Romney has avoided the subject altogether.
At some point in the not-distant future—quite likely, during the next four years—the mushrooming impacts of climate change will rudely demolish the complacent edifice of denial that characterizes current political discourse. At that point, Americans will be asking questions like, "Why haven't you done anything about this?" or, "Why is God punishing us?"
Send in the scapegoat.
Under the circumstances, picking a favorite in this race is a sucker's game—even if one of the political parties is in some ways more delusional and opportunistic than the other, and even if one of the candidates seems more intelligent and public-spirited than his opponent. Choosing the better president won't prevent further economic decline. Nor will blaming the scapegoat-in-chief offer any tangible relief when prosperity doesn't return. The only way we can make things go better is to acknowledge reality and adapt to it. Since we're not likely to get much help along those lines from our political leaders, it's really up to us.
President Declares 'War on Entropy'
CDN News, October 25
(Washington, DC) At a hastily organized news conference, president Obama this morning called for a new national effort to restore America's greatness by combating "entropy." Mr. Obama described entropy as "a self-defeating ideology of failure" and called on Congress to replace the Law of Diminishing Returns with a new legislative agenda geared to reversing a range of trends in resource depletion and economic stagnation. "I have directed the Attorney General to identify loopholes in the Second Law of Thermodynamics," the president said, "that would allow our nation's prosperity to advance indefinitely."
President Obama's comments come in response to increasing public skepticism about the potential for further economic growth. Interviewed on last Thursday's broadcast of Good Morning America, Caltech physicist Kelvin Vereisen observed that, "Unless they're maintained by a steady stream of energy, systems gradually decline into disorder. We pour extraordinary amounts of energy into the global industrial system annually, but the cost of that energy is rising while its quality is declining. We should therefore expect to see an increase of entropy in civilization." GMA was immediately overwhelmed by viewer calls and emails.
In recent months, a small west-coast think tank, Post Carbon Institute, has raised questions about the possibility of endless growth of population and consumption on a finite planet. "There are limits to growth, and humanity is colliding with them," according to Executive Director Asher Miller. The organization alleges that high oil and food prices and extreme weather are all symptomatic of growth limits.
As if this weren't enough, legendary Harvard economist Justin Haymaker announced last week the conclusions of a blue-ribbon panel set up to analyze the causes of the current global economic crisis. "We found that money is not a substitute for energy," he said, "and that making debt grow faster than GDP in order to stimulate the economy just leads to a situation where nobody can afford to make payments and the whole financial system implodes." Asked whether further infusions of cash by central banks could prevent that implosion, Haymaker replied, "Yeah, for a while maybe. But real growth? Forget it. That's soooooo twentieth century."
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney immediately criticized president Obama's new policy offensive as being too weak. "If elected, I will make water flow uphill so that we can double our national hydroelectric capacity. With a Republican Congress, old oil wells will gush once again. And we will outlaw global warming. Everyone will be rich. Unimaginably rich! There's no limit. Anywhere. To anything. We won't just combat entropy, we will obliterate it!"
Sunset image: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory