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The elegant charms of the Secret Garden are one of the city's best-kept secrets. Hidden down an historic Old Town close, this now-enclosed historic courtyard is the most magical of restaurants. Enter via the pulpit reception and as you descend the stone stairs the room reveals two great surprises - an awesome painted ceiling and French windows opening onto its own secluded terrace.
A haunt of both famous faces and masses of local regulars too, this delightful space is filled with ancient oak, stone and tapestries creating a memorable setting for dining and for special celebrations.
During fine weather in summer the terrace at the Witchery by the Castle offers a unique opportunity for al fresco dining in the historic heart of Edinburgh subject to weather and availability.
Opulent eccentricity... flamboyant decor, attention to detail and cossetting service create an environment of pure decadence.


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This is not Junk Mail – Limited Edition Books by Washington SculptorDecember 18, 2008 at 4:59 pm | Posted in Music, Life, Art, News, Work | Leave a comment
Tags: Art, Artist, Artists, Book Art, Book Artist, contemporary, Daily, James Kelsey, Life, Metal Art, news, Opinion, personal, Photography, Port Orchard, public, Public Art, Sales, Sculptor, Scultpure, SEA SHOW, Seattle Artist, Seattle Sculptor, Thoughts
I try to support the artists I work with however possible, so when I got this information in my inbox about a limited edition book that is being released by the sculptor James Kelsey. If you are interested in his book, please read more about it here.
"Here are some of the pages. Don't worry; in the end, the pages will be professionally bound into the portfolio, not strewn all over your floor like in the picture.
So HELLO to whoever is still reading,
For those close to me, you know I've been working on a portfolio project entitled, "This is NOT junk mail". With the economy the way it is, this project was all but cancelled until a friend suggested I SELL a few of these portfolios to help pay for the $3,000 project, so, that is what I'm doing.
There are 160 Signed portfolios in this LIMITED EDITION project, and only 30 are being sold. The cost is $100 if delivered or picked up or $105 if sent to you. Number 1 through 18 are already promised or sold, so there are only 12 remaining.
If you purchase one of my portfolios, not only will it help a great experiment in marketing, but you will have something bound to be worth at least $100,000 at Sotheby's after my death (don't get any ideas – I've got my eye on you!); if it doesn't end up worth $100k after my death, I'll gladly refund your money, so there's no risk for you.
Um, okay, so there's really not more, but I really wanted to say that.
Those who have already purchased one or more of these rare books did so sight unseen, but since they will be assembled THIS WEEK, I now have some images of the final product. These beautiful portfolios are approximately 5.5" x 8.5" and have laser cut stainless steel covers and backs. Every grind mark of every portfolio was done by my very own calloused, Band-Aid-covered hands."
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subset: commoncrawl


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Graduate School
Developing a Theoretical Framework
In practical terms, a theoretical framework serves as a foundation for your research - one that is linked to the research questions you pose as well as to the research design and methodology. It is derived from the research literature, and may be inductive through qualitative research or deductive through quantitative research. (Pajares, 2007).
For more, visit http://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Pajares/proposal.html
A useful yet simple definition of a theoretical framework is provided by Borgatti (1999): "A theoretical framework" is a collection of interrelated concepts, like a theory but not necessarily so well worked-out.
For more, visit www.analytictech.com/mb313/elements.htm
"A theoretical framework guides your research, determining what things you will measure and what statistical relationships you will look for." A diagram may be useful in explaining the relationships among variables. (Schutz, 2006)
For more, visit educationpolicyblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/theoretical-frameworks-where-do-they_12.html


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If you have had a healthy garden this summer, you probably have more tomatoes than you know what to do with. While canning tomatoes and making tomato sauce can help you use some up, using your tomatoes for juices will give you an even healthier alternative that will condense your tomatoes down quickly. After the juices have been made, you can not only drink them, you can use … [Read more...]
Tomato Juices That Will Help You Use Your Summer Harvest
September 7, 2016 By
3 Radish Juice Recipes That Will Wake Your Taste Buds Right Up
August 11, 2016 By
Radishes are cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. This means that the little fireballs have the same anti-cancer properties and liver detoxification powers. Radishes also support the immune system. When you put them into your juice, though, all you will notice is their incredible fiery kick. Sweet and Spicy Fruit and Radish Juice This juice would … [Read more...]


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This week on NXT two championships were on the line as Tyson Kidd had his final shot at trying to defeat Adrian Neville for the NXT Championship.
We also saw an NXT Takeover II rematch between NXT Women's Champion, Charlotte as she took on Bayley.
Last week we saw Mojo Rawley fall to Bull Dempsey once more as Tyler Breeze picked up a victory over Justin Gabriel after attacking Mojo Rawley.
Bayley defeated Alexa Bliss before successfully asking for a rematch for the NXT Women's Championship. Enzo Amore defeated newly-bald Marcus Louis whilst in the main event the Lucha Dragons retained their NXT Tag Team Championships against The Ascension after an interference from Hideo Itami.
Match One (NXT Women's Championship) – Charlotte © vs. Bayley
Opening match of the night with the Women's Championship on the line and yet again the NXT diva's showing the majority of main roster diva's what a wrestling match should be like. Fantastic performance from both women as Bayley continued to solidify herself as someone who is able to handle the pressure of competing in championship matches whilst Charlotte is most definitely ready for what the main roster has in store.
The fans were into this match with some fantastic chants but it was Charlotte who retained her gold. Bayley came close but Charlotte reversed a suplex attempt into a neck breaker and hit the 'Natural Selection' for the win.
After the match Charlotte showed Bayley respect by raising her arm in the air before celebrating in the ring.
Result: Charlotte defends Bayley – Still NXT Women's Champion
Match Two: Viktor vs. Hideo Itami
Hideo Itami was set to take on Viktor of The Ascension, a week after picking up his first victory on his debut over Justin Gabriel. However no match took place as both Viktor and Konnor attacked Hideo Itami until the referee's broke them up. The commentator's emphasises how Itami has no friends in NXT, keep your eye out for a new friend for Itami in the coming weeks.
Result: No Contest
We then get a video package of Enzo Amore and Big Cass training Carmella to become a WWE diva, Enzo teaches her some basic stuff before she hits Enzo with a dropkick, knocking him out of the ring in an entertaining segment.
Related articles
- Lucha Dragons retain championships on NXT
- NXT stars confirmed in delayed WWE 2K15 video game
- WWE: Top 5 NXT graduates
Match Three: Troy McClain vs. Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin continues to look impressive after he hit a big elbow on McClain before hitting a clothesline followed by the 'End of Days' for the victory in under a minute.
Result: Baron Corbin defeats Troy McClain
Tyson Kidd talks about him only needing one chance to defeat Adrian Neville and becoming NXT Champion before The Legionnaires demand a rematch with Enzo Amore and Big Cass for next week.
Match Four: Tye Dillinger and Jason Jordan vs.The Vaudevillians
A quick tag team match which saw some good back and forth action from both teams in the early stages before it swung towards the Vaudevillians. Simon Gotch tagged in and hit two airplane spins before tagging in Aiden English to hit the second rope Senton for the victory.
Result: The Vaudevillians defeat Tye Dillinger and Jason Jordan
One half of Slater Gator is making his way to the front row for the main event, Titus O'Neil. Backstage Hideo Itami is being treated by a doctor before we're treated to a special appearance by Funaki who tells Itami he has his back against The Ascension.
Main Event (NXT Championship) – Adrian Neville © vs. Tyson Kidd
Tyson Kidd's final chance at Adrian Neville's NXT Championship and as expected, a fantastic main event and a great effort from both superstars.
After around ten minutes of fast-paced, back and forth action from both men who showed signings of picking up the win, Neville fought out of a Shooting Star Press before getting caught by Kidd's Sharpshooter. Adrian Neville head to the outside as Titus O'Neil made his presence felt but Sami Zayn made his first and only appearance of the night by taking out Titus O'Neil.
Back in the ring Tyson Kidd came so close to picking up a huge win by attempting to hit the super-plex but his efforts went to waste, eating a Red Arrow courtesy of Neville as he retained his championship whilst the commentators emphasised the fact that Tyson Kidd has run out of chances.
Result: Adrian Neville defeats Tyson Kidd - Still NXT Champion


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Dear Dave, I would like to let you know that I've used Tidy to validate a HTML 3.2-compliant page and it warned me about a missing "summary" attribute in a table. I've checked the reference specification for this version and I couldn't find such attribute, so I think Tidy shouldn't issue a warning... It has correctly identified my page as HTML 3.2. By the way, Tidy is a great tool! Kind regards, Miguel.Received on Wednesday, 27 June 2001 00:00:53 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 21:38:50 UTC


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Facebook may get more D.C. scrutiny
Once a one-man shop, Facebook's Washington D.C. office has grown exponentially, snatching up key voices from both parties that have deep connections to the current and previous White House. The growth brought Facebook's first $1 million lobbying year in 2011.
It was only in September that Facebook set up its PAC, and already, company executives have pumped $170,000 into its coffers. To many, it's a sign the company is ready to be a political player.
"It's grabbing the reins of the traditional tools used by companies and other special interest groups to make sure their voice is heard in Washington," said Michael Beckel, spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics, about the filing. "In terms of the tech and computer industry, several hundred thousand dollars can go a long way."
Plenty of challenges loom ahead for the company: It must navigate patent lawsuits and reforms to the copyright system, and grapple with countries that block access to its website or censor some user content.
More than that, Facebook is among a new crop of Internet firms that had avoided IPOs but have allowed employees to trade shares on secondary markets. In fact, SEC regulations may have forced the company's decision to go public: The firm is believed to have recently crossed the 500 shareholders threshold, the point at which it must begin making public financial disclosures.
In its filing, Facebook even noted the "Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission has been conducting an inquiry into secondary transactions involving the sale of private company securities as well as the number of our stockholders of record," and that the company fielded both formal and informal requests for more information.
For now, industry observers worry it's a sign the public market has lost its appeal. By remaining private, firms may be growing at a slower rate, some say. With 3,000 employees, Facebook, following its IPO, may be poised for accelerated job growth.
That's why some see Facebook's IPO itself as a market bellwether.
"Facebook in a very short period of time has become not only one of the most important tech companies, but a social phenomenon," said Rey Ramsey, leader of TechNet. "The success of this impending IPO is a reflect of both of these things"
This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 6:50 p.m. on February 1, 2012.


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Although my camera crew and I were only in Cleveland for 24 hours, we had a great time in the city by Lake Erie. The only "Erie" thing about the trip was how Scott Kazmir completely manhandled the Mets' lineup. Where had THAT been all year?
Anyway, I should stop with my endless chatter and just show you some pictures of our trip. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed bossing my cameraman around.
The day couldn't have been more beautiful for baseball. The temperature was in the low-to-mid '70s with a light breeze coming off the lake. Current Mets top prospect Zack Wheeler faced former Mets top prospect Scott Kazmir at Progressive Field. It was the first time Kazmir faced the Mets since he was traded for Victor Zambrano in 2004. And although he claimed he had nothing against his old team, he sure didn't pitch like it was any other game.
Kazmir pitched six innings, allowing no runs and striking out a dozen Mets without walking any of them. It was the first time Kazmir had as many as 12 strikeouts in a game since August 25, 2007, when Kazmir had a 13-K, no-walk performance against the Oakland A's.
Wheeler, on the other hand, did not pitch well. He allowed five hits and walked five batters in just five innings. Perhaps it was Daisuke Matsuzaka sitting in the corner that spooked Wheeler into pitching the way he did.
|Photo by Ed Leyro/Studious Metsimus
Although the game stayed close throughout, a late grand slam by the always annoying Nick Swisher turned the game into a blowout, causing my sister (Iggy Beartran) and I to drown our sorrows in hot dogs.
But what hot dogs they were! We had our choice of $1 hot dogs (limit six per customer - six wouldn't have been enough to satisfy us after Swisher styled his way around the bases) or hot dogs with a choice of unique toppings, courtesy of the Food Network. Since we're foodies ourselves, you can imagine which wiener was the winner for us.
|Bacon, baked beans and bears. Beautiful.
Our thick and juicy hot dog was loaded with baked beans and huge pieces of bacon. The frankfurter also came with a large side of kettle chips. It was quite delicious!
The Mets lost the game, 8-1, but at least we got to enjoy a gastronomical extravaganza. We also got to see Heritage Park, which is located behind the center field area. In the park are plaques devoted to Indians' Hall of Famers and the 100 greatest players in franchise history. Those players included Bob Feller, Satchel Paige, Larry Doby, Gaylord Perry and some guy who played for the Mets. You might remember him.
The only good thing about Carlos Baerga is that his failure allowed the Mets to trade for Robin Ventura, which in turn moved Edgardo Alfonzo from the hot corner to second base, where he became the greatest second baseman in franchise history.
Before I move on to the non-baseball portion of our trip, let me share some more pictures from Progressive Field, featuring several of my Studious Metsimus colleagues.
Besides the trip to Progressive Field, we also made two other stops in Cleveland. One is quite popular with tourists (like David Wright) while the other is liked by only a very specific group of people (like Daisuke Matsuzaka).
First stop: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Any lover of music, not just rock music, would enjoy this museum. It's located on the lakefront and has seven floors. The top two and a half floors were devoted to the Rolling Stones, who were the featured artists in a special exhibit. Other exhibits detailed the origins of rock n' roll, hip hop as a form of rock, as well as sections devoted to the Beatles, punk rock and heavy metal, and one floor dedicated to the Hall of Fame inductees.
Although flash photography wasn't allowed in a number of exhibits, my cameraman was able to snap off a few shots, which I am happy to share with you here.
Just before heading back to the airport, we made another pit stop. My Studious Metsimus colleagues have always been big fans of the film "A Christmas Story". Although the film was set in Indiana, the house was actually in Cleveland. That house has been preserved and has its own museum and gift shop.
Unfortunately, we arrived too late to go on an official tour of the house. (We stopped at Cracker Barrel before going to the house - I like to take my time when I have my good ol' fashioned country breakfast. Sorry about that.) However, we did take plenty of photos of the house and visited its gift shop. Here is the photographic evidence of our side trip.
So that does it for our tour of Cleveland. To recap, Cleveland rocked. It rocked at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It rocked with its Christmas Story house. And it rocked with its delicious food.
Unfortunately, Cleveland also rocked in a different way, as Cleveland rocked the Mets in the game we attended.
In the past, we've attended games and gone on ballpark tours in Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Chicago and various cities all along the Eastern seaboard. Now we can add Cleveland to our list. It's just another stop on our never-ending world tour. Where will we end up next? I have no clue, but I do know that when we get there, you'll be able to read all about it right here on Studious Metsimus.
For more of Joey's World Tour, please click on the links below, where you will be entertained by Joey's wit, photos and love of ballpark cuisine:
World Tour Stop #1: Baltimore
World Tour Stop #2: Washington, DC
World Tour Stop #3: Pittsburgh
World Tour Stop #4: Texas
World Tour Stop #5: Los Angeles
World Tour Stop #6: San Diego
World Tour Stop #7: Toronto
World Tour Stop #8: Chicago
World Tour Stop #9: Milwaukee
World Tour Stop #10: Seattle


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February 13, 2017
Drugs research: Misuse by shareholders of the drugs industry
A new textbook illustrates the complex and multi-faceted dimensions of evidence building in European drugs research. On one level, the authors have identified practical and philosophical challenges regarding knowledge production including, for example, measurements of the drugs problem; researching the online world; and interpreting on-site drug tests.
E.K. Massey, F. Ambagtsheer, W. Weimar (Eds.): Ethical, Legal and Psychosocial Aspects of Transplantation Global Challenges
W. Weimar: Ethical, Legal and Psychosocial Aspects of Transplantation
F. Ambagtsheer, W. (Eds.): Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Organ Removal
S. Schmidt, D. Knuth (Eds.): iSAR+ New Media in Crisis Situations
K. Conrad, W. Schößler, F. Hiepe, M.J. Fritzler: Autoantibodies in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases A Diagnostic Reference. 3rd Edition
C. Boccato, D. Evans, R. Lucena, J. Vienken: Water and Dialysis Fluids A Quality Management Guide
S. Schmidt, M. Vos (Eds.): BEHAVIOR AND COMMUNICATION IN CBRN CRISIS>> eBook: www.ciando.com
W. Weimar, M.A. Bos, J.J.V. Busschbach (Eds.): Ethical, Legal, and Psychosocial Aspects of Transplantation Global Issues, Local Solutions>> eBook: www.ciando.com
R. Bambauer, R. Latza, R. Schiel: Therapeutic Plasma Exchange and Selective Plasma Separation Methods, 4th Edition 2013 >> eBook: www.ciando.com
Infection, Tumors and Autoimmunity, by K. Conrad et al. (Eds.)>> eBook available at www.ciando.com or www.doccheck.com
The EULOD Project Living Organ Donation in Europe Results and Recommendations, by Ambagtsheer, F.; Weimar, W. (Eds.)
Public Engagement in Organ Donation and Transplantation (from the ELPAT Public Issues Working Group), by Randhawa, Gurch; Schicktanz, Silke (Eds.)
The General Practice Guide to Autoimmune Diseases, by Y. Shoenfeld, P.L. Meroni (Eds.)
How to Write and Evaluate Psychological Reports, by Westhoff, Karl; Kluck, Marie-Luise
Task-Analysis-Tools (TAToo) Step-by-Step Support for Successful Job and Work Analysis, by Koch, Anna; Westhoff, Karl
Markets, methods and messages. Dynamics in European drug research, by Fountain, Jane; Asmussen Frank, Vibeke; Korf, Dirk J (Eds.)
Hypertension and Cardiovascular Aspects of Dialysis Treatment, by Branko Braam, Kailash Jindal, Evert J. Dorhout Mees
(C) 2004-2015 Pabst Science Publishers


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Guest MST3K: K16
This movie might be called "City on Fire", but one of my first impressions of it is that it should have been called "How Not to make a Smoothie". I took this as a good sign, since not so many of the KMTA episodes have made me laugh within the first five minutes. Letsee, avocado, eggs (with shells), booze, cream, and according to Joel, "Detergent?". Turns out I was right; there were several times that I found myself laughing during this show.
This is a tedious example of a cheap disaster movie that features no likable characters or sense of suspense. The riffing is much faster paced than in some of the previous KTMAs I've seen. I got the feeling that they guys had just come out of a staff meeting where they all agreed that they needed punch it up a bit. Josh does step on Joel's and Trace's comments fairly often, but Joel does some interrupting as well. "Hey, we're beginning to annoy ourselves. Cool!" Trace notes at one point. I think this is just a function of the episodes being ad libbed rather than scripted. All the guys are trying to get a many riffs out just off the top of their heads with no real guidance in their timing. It's no surprise to me that they trip over each other.
I find myself being increasingly impressed with the comedic skills of JatBs the more I watch the KTMAs. Yes, they are much less polished than the episodes that follow on cable. But the fact that they work as well as they do under the circumstances highlights in inherent natural talent of the gang of Best Brains. Despite the fact that the copy I have had an annoying glitch that caused the sound to fade in and out in places, I really enjoyed this episode.


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Dude, burningmam is still like 6 months away.
Posted in Seen around town | No Comments »
No, don't even think about it.
From We Be Sushi on Valencia/21st.
Check out this line at Safeway–it's just 8:20pm on a Thursday evening. Only three lines with about 10 customers in each. If there's a manager working here, why haven't they been fired yet? This is why I try avoiding this time suck.
Hate for froyo? I mean, I know it's trendy, but this is Lafayette.
Common decency, you filthy motherfuckers! Seen in Marin County.
Seen in Carmel. Help me out here….they haul ass? Booty call? I got nothing.
Posted in Seen around town | 1 Comment »
Seriously, people, if you are going to start a business, figure out how to spell it first.
My heart doesn't exactly pour forth with American pride, but it just ain't right to fly the Canadian flag the week of Independence day.
I think it's great that Comcast supports Pride, but I wonder if they have the stones to do so elsewhere in the country (and so boldly too).
I'm so confused. Seen in Tahoe.
©2019 Surly in SF


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The good folks at Bloodbath are growing their line with a special release for your home this 420. The Bloodbath 'OG Kushion' is the brand's venture into home furnishings with a limited edition printed pillow covered in your favorite sticky green plant. No official word on pricing yet, but the release drops this Sunday, April 20th on Bloodbath's online shop.
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« Nike SB Eric Koston SE 'Hacky Sack' Nike Basketball Easter Collection »


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DEWSBURY'S KBW Boxing Gym hosted their 13th show at the Orchid Banqueting Hall last Friday, which raised more than £16,000 for the displaced people of Burma.
The show was put together with Dewsbury based charity group, 13 Foundation and with people still donating, the final figure is likely to rise.
Ladies from the gym also put on a charity spin class to further boost funds.
Ethan Collins (KBW) and Amat Jobe opened the evening with a skills bout which saw both youngsters display some fine boxing over the three one minute rounds.
KBW's Maneeb Ali then faced Daniel Stockton, representing Halifax ABC, which the visiting fighter edged by split decision.
KBW's Jake Tattersfield faced Leo Biviano, boxing out of Sharpstyle ABC, and the visiting man produced the more eye catching work to take the first two rounds.
Tattersfield came out for the third in an attempt to force a stoppage but it was Biviano who was award the contest by unanimous decision.
Lewis Benson (KBW) and unbeaten Dylan Dwyer (Tower Hill ABC) produced a cracking bout in which both boxers showed off their skills.
Dwyer attempted to work his way at distance but Benson was able to land his pin point jab at will to take the first round before the KBW man was then pinned on the ropes by a Dwyer onslaught in the second.
Benson scored with his jab in the third, while neat footwork kept him out of danger to take the bout on a split decision.
KBW's Jerry Price came up against a bigger opponent in Tyler Brocklehurst, of Hebden Bridge BC.
Price rocked Brocklehurst early in the first round and as the visitor attempted to force the pace in the second, Price produced some beautiful boxing, spinning off his hooks and coming with his backhand to take a unanimous decision.
The final three bouts were full of non-stop action. Samir Aslam (KBW) against Ben Spencer was fight out the night.
From the opening bell both boxers tried to stamp their authority on the fight.
Aslam landed a clean hook which had Spencer on the ropes but Spencer then staggered Aslam with a clean right.
Aslam caught Spencer with a clean backhand hook combination causing the referee to step in and give Spencer a standing eight count at the start of the second round.
Spencer then caught Aslam with the same combination with the referee giving the KBW man a standing eight count in a brilliant session.
Spencer started to gain the advantage but Aslam landed a double hook and followed up with a flurry of blows which forced a stoppage. Such was the force of Aslam blows that he broke his right hand.
Coming off defeat in his last bout, KBW's Hamza Rashid faced Danny Clark from Jubilee ABC.
Rashid was knocked down in the first by a left hook but landed a solid jab cross in the second which caused Clark's legs to buckle.
Hamza sensed the opportunity and followed up several unanswered blows as the fight was stopped.
KBW rising star Subhaan Ahmed took on Lewis Southgate from St Mary's ABC with his opponent eager to impress having travelled from Kent.
Both men landed solid body shots in an even first round with Ahmed backing his opponent onto the ropes with cleaner shots in the second.


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Extinction is a natural event and, from a geological perspective, routine. We now know that most species that have ever lived have gone extinct. The average rate over the past 200 million years is 1-2 species per million species present per year. There have also been several episodes of mass extinction, when many taxa representing a wide array of life forms have gone extinct in the same blink of geological time.
In the modern era, due to human actions, species and ecosystems are threatened with destruction to an extent rarely seen in Earth history. Probably only during the handful of mass extinction events have so many species been threatened, in so short a time.
What are these human actions that threaten biodiversity? There are many ways to conceive of these; let's consider two.
1. Increase in population
2. Effect of human actions.
The sinister sextet examines the second type.
Over-hunting has been a significant cause of the extinction of hundreds of species and the endangerment of many more, such as whales and many African large mammals. Most extinctions over the past several hundred years are mainly due to over-harvesting for food, fashion, and profit. Commercial hunting, both legal and illegal (poaching), is the principal threat. The snowy egret, passenger pigeon, and heath hen are US examples. At US $16,000 per pound, and US $40,000 to US $100,000 per horn, it is little wonder that some rhino species are down to only a few thousand individuals, with only a slim hope of survival in the wild. The recent expansion of road networks into previously remote tropical forests enables the bushmeat trade, resulting in what some conservationsist describe as "empty forests" as more and more wild animals are shot for food.
While over-hunting, particularly illegal poaching, remains a serious threat to certain species, for the future, it is globally less important than other factors mentioned next.
2.Habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation
Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation are important causes of known extinctions. As deforestation proceeds in tropical forests, this promises to become the main cause of mass extinctions caused by human activity.
All species have specific food and habitat needs. The more specific these needs and localized the habitat, the greater the vulnerability of species to loss of habitat to agricultural land, livestock, roads and cities. In the future, the only species that survive are likely to be those whose habitats are highly protected, or whose habitat corresponds to the degraded state associated with human activity (human commensals).
Habitat damage, especially the conversion of forested land to agriculture (and, often, subsequent abandonment as marginal land), has a long human history. It began in China about 4,000 years ago, was largely completed in Europe by about 400 years ago, and swept across the US over the past 200 years or so. Viewed in this historical context, we are now mopping up the last forests of the Pacific Northwest.
In the New World tropics, lowland, seasonal, deciduous forests began to disappear after 1500 with Spanish and Portuguese colonization of the New World. These were the forested regions most easily converted to agriculture, and with a more welcoming climate. The more forbidding, tropical humid forests came under attack mainly in twentieth century, under the combined influences of population growth, inequitable land and income distribution, and development policies that targeted rain forests as the new frontier to colonize.
Tropical forests are so important because they harbor at least 50 percent, and perhaps more, of the world's biodiversity. Direct observations, reinforced by satellite data, document that these forests are declining. The original extent of tropical rain forests was 15 million square km. Now there remains about 7.5-8 million square km, so half is gone. The current rate of loss is estimated at near 2 percent annually (100,000 square km destroyed, another 100,000 square km degraded). While there is uncertainty regarding the rate of loss, and what it will be in future, the likelihood is that tropical forests will be reduced to 10-25 percent of their original extent by late twenty-first century.
Habitat fragmentation is a further aspect of habitat loss that often goes unrecognized. The forest, meadow, or other habitat that remains generally is in small, isolated bits rather than in large, intact units. Each is a tiny island that can at best maintain a very small population. Environmental fluctuations, disease, and other chance factors make such small isolates highly vulnerable to extinction. Any species that requires a large home range, such as a grizzly bear, will not survive if the area is too small. Finally, we know that small land units are strongly affected by their surroundings, in terms of climate, dispersing species, etc. As a consequence, the ecology of a small isolate may differ from that of a similar ecosystem on a larger scale.
For the future, habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation combined is the single most important factor in the projected extinction crisis.
3.Invasion of non-native species
Invasion of non-native species is an important and often overlooked cause of extinctions. The African Great LakesVictoria, Malawi and Tanganyikaare famous for their great diversity of endemic species, termed "species flocks," of cichlid fishes. In Lake Victoria, a single, exotic species, the Nile Perch, has become established and may cause the extinction of most of the native species, by simply eating them all. It was a purposeful introduction for subsistence and sports fishing, and a great disaster.
Of all documented extinctions since 1600, introduced species appear to have played a role in at least half. The clue is the disproportionate number of species lost from islands: some 93 percent of 30 documented extinctions of species and sub-species of amphibians and reptiles, 93 percent of 176 species and sub-species of land and freshwater birds, but only 27 percent of 114 species and subspecies of mammals. Why are island species so vulnerable, and why is this evidence of the role of non-indigenous species? Islands are laboratories for evolution.
4.Domino effects
Domino effects occur when the removal of one species (an extinction event) or the addition of one species (an invasion event) affects the entire biological system. Domino effects are especially likely when two or more species are highly interdependent, or when the affected species is a "keystone" species, meaning that it has strong connections to many other species.
A keystone species is one whose influence on others is disproportionately great. A seminal study of marine invertebrates in the rocky intertidal region of Washington State found that the top predator, a starfish, facilitated the coexistence of many other invertebrates by selectively consuming mussels, which otherwise would crowd out other organisms. Thus a keystone species is one whose presence or absence both directly and indirectly influences other species through food web connectivity. Contrary to what some may think, not all species are "keystones", and it requires careful experimental studies to identify keystone species.
Pollution from chemical contaminants certainly poses a further threat to species and ecosystems. While not commonly a cause of extinction, it likely can be for species whose range is extremely small, and threatened by contamination. Several species of desert pupfish, occurring in small isolated pools in the US Southwest, are examples.
6.Climate change
A changing global climate threatens species and ecosystems. The distribution of species (biogeography) is largely determined by climate, as is the distribution of ecosystems and plant vegetation zones (biomes). Climate change may simply shift these distributions but, for a number of reasons, plants and animals may not be able to adjust. The pace of climate change almost certainly will be more rapid than most plants are able to migrate.
The presence of roads, cities, and other barriers associated with human presence may provide no opportunity for distributional shifts. Parks and nature reserves are fixed locations. The climate that characterizes present-day Yellowstone Park will shift several hundred miles northward. The park itself is a fixed location. For these reasons, some species and ecosystems are likely to be eliminated by climate change. Mountaintop species are especially vulnerable. The plants and animals found on high mountains of the American West include many remnants of a Pleistocene fauna that long ago was displaced toward the arctic, or upslope. With further warming, many of these mountaintop species likely will be eliminated.
A changing climate will have many other effects. The southern extent of the Everglades, today the site of the most ambitious and expensive restoration project ever undertaken, may be underwater, along with significant areas of human habitation. Agricultural production likely will show regional variation in gains and losses, depending upon crops and climate. Some coral reefs will expand, and others will contract or die off. Ecological changes due to an altered climate are difficult to forecast, but expected to be serious.
As a consequence of these multiple forces, many scientists fear that by end of next century, perhaps 25 percent of existing species will be lost.
REFERENCE: http://www.fathom.com/course/21701785/session2.html


text:
Karada is an elementary school student who acts mature for her age, and asks that people treat her like an adult. While praying at a wishing stone (negai ishi), she meets an older girl named Shouko. Shouko had moved to this small town to start a new life, but the same day she meets Karada, she encounters her brother, Hiro. Tension builds as Shouko and Hiro reflect on their past relationship while sending Karada home alone, and by the end of the day, both Shouko and Karada end up at the wishing stone hoping for change. Karada wishes to become an adult, while Shouko wishes for things to go back as they were in the past. That night under the bright moon, the wishing stone grants their wish, and an unbelievable transformation occurs: Shouko becomes a child and Karada becomes an adult. Now the two girls must struggle with their new bodies while finding a way to return back to what they once were.
Asatte no Houkou
|Anime Adaptation
Author & Artist


text:
Louis Vuitton Mandarin Epi Neverfull MM 3975017
This is an authentic, pre-owned LOUIS VUITTON Neverfull MM Bag in Mandarin. It features an orange Epi leather with flat handles, side laces to change the capacity of the bag, and shiny silver metallic hardware. The interior is spacious with a soft microfiber lining, a d-ring, and a hook closure. It adds the perfect pop of color to any wardrobe. This item is in good condition, will have some visible signs of wear and/or use. Please view photos carefully for details. Pay close attention to sizes and measurements.
- Handle Drop: 8 in.
- Color: Orange
- Material: Descriptive Epi
- Exterior: Good
- Hardware Description: Silver Hardware
- Height: 11.4 in.
- Interior: Good
- Interior Pockets: None
- Length: 6.7 in.
- Material: Leather: Epi
- Width: 12.6 in.
Authenticity code: Louis Vuitton
Authentic: Pre Owned
Product Code: 3975017
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This Louis Vuitton® item is guaranteed to be authentic. Louis Vuitton is a registered trademark of Louis Vuitton. LuxeDH is not affiliated with or represents Louis Vuitton in any way or form.
All pre owned designer handbags come with a white LuxeDH dust bag. New with Tags items come with original tags attached and original designer dust bag, if applicable.


text:
My page at http://www.LastDayReport.com loads very slow at times. I spoke to the administrator of my server and he looked at the web page code. He said it loads slow because it is loading 10 ASP feeds from FeedDigest every time someone visits the page. He suggested that I code my web page to Cache so my server is not requesting all the data each time someone visits the site. Can you offer a way of doing this? Or can you suggest someone to contact to assist me with this?
Thanks Frank


text:
Schools Name Top Picks for Top Jobs
Richard Burns smiled broadly, accepting a standing ovation from the East Hampton School Board and the audience in the high school auditorium on Tuesday night as the board announced that his position as interim superintendent would now become permanent.
"I am so grateful for the wave of support, not only from the board, but from the community," Mr. Burns said. "I'm going to give everything I can to make this school the best place on Long Island. I promise that."
Mr. Burns has served as the district's interim superintendent since August, following the retirement the month before of Raymond Gualtieri. He has worked in the district since 1990, first as a teacher and finally as director of pupil personnel services before taking his latest post. All five of his children have been through the East Hampton school system.
"Rich will be a dynamic, passionate leader for our district," Laura Anker Grossman, the school board president, said yesterday. "He has enormous integrity, and an educational vision for our district. I see him as compassionate, but also demanding. He has the highest expectations of what our district can be, and what our children can achieve."
Last summer, the district hired Raymond Fell, a consultant with the Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Education Services, who helped the district narrow its list of candidates down to a field of three, based on specific wants and needs outlined in meetings with both the board and the community.
In Springs, where Mr. Fell helped initiate the same process as part of that district's superintendent search, the list of candidates has been narrowed to three finalists, including the man who initially assisted the board in developing its criteria for a new superintendent.
Mr. Fell conducted a community forum at Springs as a search consultant with BOCES, but stepped out of that role when he decided to apply for the job.
With input from the community, the Springs School Board elected to develop a new administrative model for the district that includes a full-time principal, currently Eric Casale, a new assistant principal, and a part-time superintendent.
In addition to Mr. Fell, the candidates include a former Springs superintendent, Dominic Mucci, and Francis Mazura, a retired assistant superintendent from the Center Moriches School District.
Mr. Mucci was the Springs School superintendent from 1999 to 2002. He is now the superintendent for the Englewood Cliffs, N.J., school system.
In addition to being an assistant superintendent, Mr. Mazura has also worked as a high school principal. Since his retirement, he has been an interim superintendent for the Islip School District.
Mr. Fell had a 33-year career as a teacher and administrator in the Patchogue-Medford School District prior to his work with BOCES.
Michael Hartner, who holds the job now, leaves at the end of June.
Parents, staff, and the community will have the chance to meet and interview the candidates for superintendent at a forum next Thursday night at 6:30 at the school.
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text:
To start at the beginning: the proposals to increase the number of places in the grammar school system bother me a lot. It bothers me that there has been a natural experiment going on in places like Kent, and that the results don't show that selective systems work "for everyone". It bothers me that it's hard to imagine a just mechanism of selection (if you use a test, it will be open to tutoring; if you use anything more subjective, it will be open to sharp-elbowed pushy appeals). The idea of multiple entry points seems odd; if grammar schools are really going to offer something distinctive and better, it's hard to see how many late arrivals will cope with the step up from their dingy old comprehensive modern.
The whole thing looks like a stunt to address the personal and local interests of some of the senior members of the new government, and to welcome UKIP supporters into the Conservative fold. The policy looks like it is already held together by huge amounts of sticking plaster. Selective schools were largely scrapped in the 1960s and 1970s because selection implies rejection and the unhappiness of the rejected was louder than the happiness of the selected.
And yet…
Two of the bloggers whose thinking on education I most admire for their clarity and humanity are prepared to advance an alternative argument. Teaching personally puts it this way:
When I became a teacher, I wholeheartedly endorsed the comprehensive ideal – but in thirty years, I have never encountered a comprehensive school that came near the academic ethos of a grammar school.
Muggedbyrealitycom gets to the heart of the matter;
An intellectual environment seems to need a critical mass of staff and pupils who revel in intellectual pursuits to get an intellectual buzz… even in schools with a genuinely comprehensive intake and thus enough students to create that flourishing intellectual environment, it is missing.
I was at secondary school in the late 1980s, and grew up in the sort of seaside town that they forgot to close down (but hadn't noticed would become a problem). My 11-16 comprehensive was quietly competent (I know that plenty weren't), but I only really got to experience that intellectual buzz at the town's sixth form college. It wasn't formally, traditionally academic (actually nearly half the students were doing GCSE resits or life skills programmes) but there was a buzz of ideas, perhaps because everyone had chosen to be there. It was hugely enjoyable, I learned a lot, and got from there to a top university and all sorts of future opportunities. It bothers me that the schools where I have trained and worked, for all their competence at delivering target grades to students, haven't had that same buzz.
Since the 1960s, politicians on the left and the right have promised a secondary education system that would provide a grammar school education for all. If we're honest with ourselves, the English school system hasn't consistently delivered on this promise. The reforms of the last 20 years or so have squeezed out some extreme bad practice, but at the cost of a focus on surface appearance and statistic-chasing.
This leads to a painful question. Is a seriously academic education something that can only be provided for the few? Instinctively I'm pained by this possibility. As a parent, I know that, whatever my children end up doing, I hope that they will do it from the perspective of a broad academic education first. Is there a reason why that can't be the birthright of all? Well, there might be some reasons;
1. We can't provide the resources to give an academic secondary education to all
That probably was true in the 1940s and 1950s. Rationing was rightly how the government dealt with shortages then. We have many more qualified people and material resources now- don't we? Whilst there are definite problems finding and retaining teachers (for example, in physics!), rationing access to academic secondary education doesn't feel like a valid response.
2. We shouldn't give an academic secondary education to all
Again, this feels like an argument from the post-World War 2 era; that the powers that be can dispassionately look inside someone's mind and tell them what they need. Different pathways at 16+ and 18+ are one thing, especially if the choices are student-driven. Not at 11+ though.
3. We have spent 50 years trying to make comprehensive schools work as grammar schools for all, and experience shows that it just can't be done.
Maybe, and I can understand the frustration some commentators express. Schools have made choices, and continue to do so; what curriculum to offer, how to teach, where to focus finite resources. For the last 15 years, the main incentives for schools have depended on getting lots of pupils over the "5 grade C (+/- equivalents) (+/- English and Maths) at GCSE" threshold whilst looking OK if an inspector visits.
Given those incentives, it's not surprising that most schools look the way they do. Most schools are pretty good at delivering what they're told, if the incentives are sharp enough. If that needs to be something different, be clear what is desired, try to devise a fiddle-proof measure of it (EBacc and Progress 8 look promising, albeit not perfect), and most schools will do what they need to.
So- are additional selective academic schools a good idea?
Despite the frustrations of teaching in a comprehensive school, I still hope not. The problems that existing grammar schools have in devising a fair admissions process, coupled with their effect on the surrounding ecosystem of schools, would need to be solved, and I don't think anyone knows how this could be done.
And yet…
The Toby Young problem– the impression that even good state schools aren't delivering the type or standard of education parents hope for their children- is a real problem, and one of the shames of English education is how much that problem has been denied over the years.
It's interesting that when YouGov surveyed attitudes to grammar schools, they found the places with strong demand for more grammar school places were the places that had some access to grammar schools already. That could be parents liking what they see, but it could also be a recognition that by making selective schools less selective, their children would have a better chance of getting in. And yes, if I lived in a selective area, I'm sure that I'd want my children to go to the grammar school.
Ultimately, that's why I want to make genuinely comprehensive schools work. Not for reasons of social engineering, or because all must have prizes. Not even for utilitarian, growing the GDP reasons. It's just that education is a doorway to a brilliant world of ideas and experiences, and educators shouldn't be putting a velvet rope across that doorway and saying "no, that's not for you".
And yes, that means running schools differently. We need to admit that real learning doesn't happen in tidy 1 hour drops onto a whole class. We need to have the confidence to say to pupils "this is intrinsically valuable, however irrelevant or distant it seems to you now". We need the wisdom to choose the standards of a learning community, and the courage to be able to say "these are our standards" and mean it. Schools haven't always done that (not really done that), because other things have got in the way.
In a world where parents with clout, connections or cash can opt out of mainstream education, the only way to remove the privileges of elite schools is to make them redundant, by making the state offer really good. As a nation, we have managed that with healthcare; hardly anyone seriously thinks that you will get better medical care in a private hospital than in the NHS. I believe that this is possible in education as well. But at the back of my mind, it bothers me that maybe it isn't.


text:
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text: This book examines an international conflict, which the author refers to as the second North Korean (DPRK) nuclear crisis, that began in 2002 when the U.S. received evidence that DPRK had been secretly pursuing a process to develop highly enriched uranium. The author, an award-winning Japanese chief diplomatic correspondent, presents the crisis from its beginning through 2006. He provides detailed accounts of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's various visits to Pyongyang (DPRK), as well as of those of U.S. presidential envoy James Kelly. He assesses the response of the U.S. President George W. Bush administration to North Korea's 2002 alleged violation of the Agreed Framework, an agreement that the two countries had signed in 1994. Russia, South Korea, and China are also analyzed for their roles in the crisis, including the six-party talks (involving the United States, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, China, and Japan) and responses to North Korea's 2006 nuclear test. Highlighting "lost opportunities" and unsolved questions, principally concerning relations between North Korea and the United States, he also considers international dilemmas generated by the current (2006) state of affairs. The book provides a concise chronology of events and a list of persons interviewed by the author, in addition to extensive notes and references.


text:
In your endless wisdom you couldn't find time to hit up the local stop and shop for toilet paper?
Or do some math problems, which, apparently your friends (see: victims) had the time to do?
By the way, did your Halo rank go up during your time here?
How many notches do you have on your post?
I hope to god you aren't a business school student.
It's not cheating, per se
Sometimes, shortcuts at Quinnipiac are necessary evils
My guess is that I'm not the only student at Quinnipiac who faces annoying problems on a daily basis – things like remembering what day is trash day, parking, running out of household items, and of course the worst one…homework.
But the way that I approach these problems may separate me from the rest of the pack. My time at Quinnipiac is coming to an end, so I figured I would take a few minutes to enlighten everyone on how exactly I managed to get through the little problems that college presented me.
Don't buy books unless it's completely necessary:
Buying textbooks at school is the biggest scam in the world. You spend hundreds of dollars on books and then sell them back for about a quarter of the original price. A lot of times I wouldn't even need to use the book to get a good grade. As a result, I stopped buying textbooks unless it was absolutely necessary. It's far easier to try and find a book for QU201 at the public library, and check it out for free. It's even easier to just be nice to the bookstore employees so when you're standing in the aisle taking notes from a book that you have no intention on buying, you won't be bothered.
Parking situation:
I'm not sure if I would rather try and find a parking spot in North Lot or wait in the student center post office line. There's a few ways to beat the parking problem. Wait and offer a ride to someone in exchange for their spot. It's creepy, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The best idea though stems from the people who cheat the car pool lanes. Yes, I'm talking about putting inflatable, fake people in your car in order to park in the car pool lot. It would pass the security check a thousand out of a thousand times.
Use your…resources at the library:
Some people may look down on this one, but again, desperate measures. You know when it's finals week and you have legitimately no time to go shopping, and you run out of things like toilet paper at your house? Well, the answer is right in front of you. Either go to the office at Residential Life and pretend you live on campus for free toilet paper, or put away your pride and take a roll from the library. For all the hours I spend there I figure Arnold Bernhard owes me a roll or two of TP.
Homework isn't fun, so why do it when you can have other people do it for you, and then just learn everything at the last minute before the exam? With most types of homework you can find a buddy in class, and explain to them that it would be faster if they did the first half of the assignment, you did the second half, and then exchanged halves. At the same time, you find another friend, convince him that you'll do the first half, and have him do the second half. Then you just simply give your two friends each others answers, and your assignment is taken care of. It may sound bad, but it's not like you are screwing them over. Besides, I've always been more of a big picture guy.
Saving cab money:
This is more for those who live off campus, or are just trying to get to your late night booty call. Getting a cab home from campus isn't fun, and half the time you spend all your cash in New Haven so it's just a hassle. Aside from finding a person to stay with, the best thing to do is just sleep on the couches in the library. Yes, you may look like a fool when you wake up to kids drawing on you, but it's a warm, and more importantly, safe place to sleep.
6 Comments
haha I don't even go to QU but this was pretty damn funny. Loved the inflatable person idea..good stuff leary
Yeah, people ask me to "split halves" of their work incessantly. I usually agree, and then make up a B.S. story about how I didn't get around to it because my cat/goldfish/iPod caught on fire the night before it was due.
Then I give people the much needed consolation speech before walking away cackling.
P.S. Irony – I'll stake just about anything that this indeed is a business student. Most likely finance, which explains why my goal after graduation is to put as much distance between myself and this continent as-humanly-possible.
The gems of idiocy under "don't buy textbooks" and "homework"…. so typical….
You are an embarrassment both to yourself and to other students at QU. Way to go.
No wonder why nobody takes QU seriously.
Hey Pathetic– Your a Clown. I can tell your the guy in the library on friday nights
In response to the comment above:
Pathetic is a good name for you.
This is not just a list of ridiculous things, they are laws to live by as a struggling college student trying to get by.
So grow a sense of humor along with a pair and bring out your inner Bobcat douche bag
No wonder why nobody likes you.


text:
Now available a new re-edition of SPANISH HORROR, a book by Victor Matellano that was published years ago and was out of print. The book contains a prologue by Paul Naschy and a presentation with Christopher Lee.
This publication covers the whole golden age of Spanish Horror cinema including Jess Franco,paul Naschy, Ibañez Serrado, Amando de Ossorio's works and talks about the times when Mario Bava, Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff and Vincent Price made movies in Spain.
This was the starting point for the documentary Clawing! A Journey through the Spanish Horror.
So far only available in Spanish.


text:
I came across this review online about an art show that I am currently participating in.
number 54, march 2008
Chupacabras: The Myth in the Era of the Internet
Julio Rangel
Myths and legends have always been a vehicle by which civilizations have gained understanding of themselves and of other things. Studying them implies a stirring up of its deeper cultural mechanisms. In the era of the Internet, that resonating chamber in which rumors spread at light-speed, urban legends can be offered to everyone for examination, like an animal going under the scalpel of sociologists, anthropologists, and above all artists.
The exhibition, "Chupacabras (Artists Reinterpret the Myth)", presented at the National Museum of Mexican Art offers a reinterpretation of this legend by a group of young artists that during the 1990's spread throughout Latin America, and which apparently originated in . The entity, ubiquitous and monstrous, the Chupacabra has been seen stealing chickens, and attacking livestock like goats and cattle; resulting in peasants everywhere losing a good night's sleep.
It was to be expected that the majority of these artists would opt to apply a political metaphor. Like the Judas figures that are burned during Holy Week, dressed up as Uncle Sam or some corrupt government official, they provide a catharsis for people. Here the Chupacabra takes on the form of George Bush (in the oil painting by Antonio Pazaran), the former president of Mexico, Carlos Salinas de Gortari (in the collage by Salvador Jiménez), multinational companies (in the painting of Patricia Acosta), and of NAFTA (Ricardo González), etc. Diverse leeches of society, represented in diverse degrees of fortune from the obvious to the proactive.
Two works are really outstanding, they are "My Chupacabras Escaped", a digital image on fabric and decal by Miguel Cortez and "Chupacabra Gothic" by Judithe Hernández. The first one is a fresh and imaginative play on urban imagery and the physical limits of the space of the work. Slippery like the myth, out of its setting, Cortez's Chupacabras is a decal glued to the wall that mocks the rectangular margin of the work, leaving an empty silhouette where its image should be.
The second is an allusion to "American Gothic", a painting by Grant Wood that has attained the level of icon. His portrait of the quintessential spirit of Midwestern America has been parodied in a thousand ways. Hernández's work, a very fine pastel (on paper), features the figure of a goat and a man dressed as a politician or Wall Street executive with his head covered by an American-like flag. The figures are united by a blood transfusion that drains the blood of the poor quadruped, while filling in the red stripes of the flag. In the background, bordered by a prodigious blue, is the immensity of the fields where immigrant workers labor (giving their life's blood). It is in this work that the political background is most solid and of the greatest breadth: the humor, reflection, and formal resolution are united in a truly sucessful manner.
Also interesting is "San Chupa", a mixed-media work by Juan Compean. It alludes to the tradition of religious stained-glass windows and its line quality recalls the engravings of Leopoldo Mendez.
As it has happened in other exhibitions at this museum, one would like to see the same care given to the Spanish texts that are given to the English texts. However, this group exhibition is definitely worth making the effort to see and to choose the work you like the best.


text:
Read Dan's article published in the MGMA of New York's e-newsletter, outlining prior authorization as a growing concern for physician practices.
Managing the Challenges Associated with Prescription PAs
By Dan Rubin, New York MGMA
By Dan Rubin, New York MGMA
Read Dan's article published in the MGMA of New York's e-newsletter, outlining prior authorization as a growing concern for physician practices.
By Dan Rubin, CEO
As part of our dedication to providing physician practices with the insights they need to lessen the impact of PAs on office workflow and most importantly, to better ensure that patients received the medications their doctors deem best for their treatment, my colleagues and I have unveiled a free podcast series entitled "Meeting the Prior Authorization Challenge: A Prescription for Patients and Physicians". The series consists of short, insightful conversations with members of the PARx Solutions team, doctors, and practice staff.
Prior authorizations aren't going away, so it is essential that physician offices empower themselves to better handle the process. Who better to hear from on PAs than doctors and practice managers managing this process on a daily basis? By giving a voice to their frustrations, we hope to raise awareness of the solutions PARx offers at no cost to physician offices.
Topics thus far addressed in the podcast series include:
Episode One: What is PARx Solutions, and why do I need it?
Yours truly launches the podcast series by explaining what prior authorization are and the challenges they raise for physician practices. I also provide an overview of the service provided by PARx Solutions is and how it helps improve practice workflow and patient access to prescribed medications.
Episode Two: Prior authorizations and ophthalmology
Ophthalmologist Dr. Bingjing Roberts weighs in on the importance of prior authorization within her line of medicine and highlights how working with a PA provider has been helpful in ensuring her patients receive the prescriptions they need.
Episode Three: A practice staff member's perspective
Ophthalmic Assistant Jeanette Key explains how PARx Solutions' customer service team is fundamental to her practice better ensuring its patients receive the medications their physician prescribes.
Take a listen, and let me know what you think! Have a topic you'd like addressed in a future podcast? Drop a line to firstname.lastname@example.com with your suggestion and feedback.
Ophthalmic Assistant Jeanette Key explains how PARx Solutions' customer service team is fundamental to her practice better ensuring its patients receive the medications their physician prescribes.
Note: This audio player is not supported in Internet Explorer 8 and earlier versions.
ROCHESTER, Mich., April 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OptimizeRx Corp. (OTCQB:OPRX), the leading digital health aggregator of sponsored services in the electronic health records (EHR) space, has partnered with PARx Solutions to allow more than 500,000 healthcare providers in the OptimizeRx EHR network to manage the prescription prior authorization process more effectively and efficiently. Read Article
By Dan Rubin, CEO
It's no secret that pharma promotion doesn't come cheap. Between face-to-face promotional activities, free samples, and educational meetings, pharmaceutical companies spend over $15 billion in marketing to physicians each year. That on top of the $5 billion spend on direct-to-consumer advertising means a hefty investment in generating awareness for their drug. And these numbers do not even account for the money spent when developing new products for treating specific conditions and improving patient lives!
Promoting the drug is only a first step toward product usage and generating sales. The positioning, messaging, audience targeting are critical, but moving from promotion to prescribing to ensuring that the patient actually receives the drug is where pitfalls arise for pharmaceutical companies. All of the sales and marketing spending is for naught without patient "pull-through" – the actual, successful picking up of a prescription from the pharmacy.
So what can pharmaceutical companies do differently in the coming year to better ensure pull-through? For starters, pharma can begin to more actively address the growing Prior Authorization (PA) challenge.
PAs are a requirement put in place by a patient's health plan to approve a specific medication before it can be dispensed. Of the 20 most advertised drugs in 2015, almost all require PA across health plans. Often times, PAs are a road block to a successful prescription. They are a headache and resource drain for physician practices, and result in lost sales for pharmaceutical companies.
When reimbursement is denied for a prescription, the patient likely will not receive the drug that their physician originally prescribed. In fact, approximately 70 percent of patients encountering a PA do not receive the originally prescribed medication, and upwards of 40 percent of those patients forego treatment altogether.
Many pharma companies believe that it's just a matter of putting a PA form in the hands of the practice, but fewer than half of these forms ever get submitted. A successful pull through strategy not only provides the PA form to the practice but offers a service that increases the likelihood that the form gets completed and submitted to the plan. Implementing an effective and efficient PA service can often overcome the PA challenge and generate real results for pharmaceutical companies. Here's one of my favorite examples of the impact that a strong pull-through strategy can have: I was recently in touch with a pharmaceutical representative at a major company. She shared that by providing her physician practices with access to the full-service, user-friendly prior authorization support system (PASS) from PARx Solutions, she moved from being her company's #141 (out of 150) sales rep to their #6!
In another conversation, I connected with a District Manager in a different company whose district is ranked #1 in sales. When inquiring on how she did it, she attributed her success to being the #1 district in the company for PA submissions through PARx PASS.
In 2017, a pull through strategy will be necessary to meet the PA challenge to ensure medications are ultimately dispensed. Successful pull-through strategies must address the hurdles that health plans have put in place, making the process of managing PAs fast and easy for physicians.
Welcome to PASSing Thoughts, a series of expert insights into the prior authorization landscape, from the desk of Dan Rubin, President and CEO of PARx Solutions, the creators of the PARx Prior Authorization Support System ('PASS').
At the point of prescription, when physicians are choosing the medication they deem best for their patients, doctor and patient are on the same page. Patients want the treatment that can best address their condition with a successful health outcome and minimal side effects. They are relying on the expertise of their physicians, who are trained to make the clinical decisions as to the best treatments for their patients' conditions. Seems to be a simple equation, right?
Unfortunately, there are roadblocks. In many cases, patients end up not being treated with the specific medication that their physician had prescribed.
One of the main reasons for this problem is that managed care plans are putting restrictions in place, often based on economic considerations rather than clinical benefits. In particular, a growing concern for physician practices is the need for prior authorizations (PA) – the requirement by a patient's health plan to approve a specific medication for reimbursement, without which, many patients are unable to fill the prescription.
PAs have real impact on patients receiving the medication their physician deems best for their treatment: data suggests only 29% of prescriptions that require PAs are dispensed with the originally prescribed medication, and that only 60% are filled with any medication.
Primary among physician practice concerns regarding the PA process is the sheer volume of time required of practice staff (and sometimes the physicians themselves) to manage the PA process. In addition to completing an initial PA submission, health plans often require additional information or a resubmission of a second form. Then, when trying to contact the health plan directly, practice staff often experience long hold times and poor responsiveness. Many staff find the process to be a complex, frustrating experience and highly disruptive to their workflow.
Physicians utilizing the right PA service end up with more patients receiving the originally prescribed medication for their conditions and less administrative time spent on non-clinical activities in their practices. The "right" PA service is one that goes beyond simply providing a form to the practice. It is one that streamlines the process for the prescriber, provides a standard electronic PA process that eliminates the need to complete specific insurance forms, reviews PA requests prior to submission, follows up with the plan for a timely response, contacts the prescriber when additional information is required, manages appeals if required, and offers access to a call center staffed by responsive and well trained nurses and pharmacy technicians.. And last but not least, it is a service that provides this help and insight at no cost to the physician practice.
When the right PA service is employed, everyone wins: physicians, practice staff, and most importantly, patients.


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Helsinki-Vantaa goes A-CDM
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport has become the sixth European airport to use A-CDM, Airport Collaborative Decision Making. At 08:00 UTC on 22 January 2013, Helsinki began the continuous transmission of DPI (departure information planning) messages to the Network Manager's enhanced tactical flow management system.
Helsinki-Vantaa started CDM operations locally on 2 October 2012, so completing the A-CDM implementation process that started early in 2009, with the support of the Network Manager's Airport and Operational Support Units.
As reliable as winter tyres in adverse conditions
For airport operators, the improved use of stands and gates increases efficiency. Improved traffic flows and reduced taxi times make for fewer queues at the runway and for less congestion on the apron and taxiways.
Air Traffic Control (ATC) benefits from improved runway and capacity planning. More accurate take-off time predictions lead to more accurate calculations of demand.
As for air traffic management (ATM), enhanced flow and capacity management results in better ATFM slot compliance and reduces the number of missed slots. It helps ATM develop strategies to help deal with the situation as it evolves.
Ground handlers benefit from more accurate arrival times, so they can plan better and make more efficient use of their resources.
A-CDM allows aircraft operators to have heightened awareness of the status and location of their aircraft, as well as save fuel, thanks to shorter taxi times. Better sequence information and improved in-block estimates can help them make more accurate fleet predictions.
In adverse conditions, A-CDM helps airports minimise the impact of bad weather on operations by disseminating relevant information in anticipation of disruptions very quickly - and it helps everyone recover more quickly afterwards.
At Helsinki Airport
Feedback from the first days of full implementation at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport indicates that operations are running smoothly.
The Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC) also confirmed that the process is going well. They explained that the major beneficiaries of A-CDM are the aircraft operators because they know the exact status of their aircraft throughout the whole process. The NMOC is kept fully informed through automated message exchanges.
With all the useful information being shared, the aircraft's departure can be anticipated more precisely - and this helps save time, especially when de-icing is needed, which it frequently is in Helsinki!
All these minutes saved per flight per year make for significant savings.
We would like to congratulate Timo Suorto, the A-CDM Project Manager, his team at Helsinki Airport and the A-CDM partners on this significant achievement.
The Network Manager's A-CDM project team will continue to support Helsinki as a CDM airport with implementation of further improvements and general post-operations support whenever necessary.
Useful links
For more information, please contact Paul Adamson, Head of Airports Unit.
More about airport data integration via Departure Planning Information (DPI) and Flight Update Messages (FUM)
Access the A-CDM website


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Representatives of 12,000 fired Anglo American Platinum workers in South Africa will lay murder charges after a colleague was killed in clashes with police, a leader said.
"What we want to do tomorrow (Monday) is to open a case against the SAPS (South African Police Service)," said George Tyobela, a worker representative.
A man workers identified as Mtshunquleni Qakamba, 48, died when police fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse a gathering on a hill on an Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) mine in the northwestern town of Rustenburg on Thursday.
"They shot against the people … until they killed one of our colleagues," Tyobela told AFP.
The charges included "not only murder but also attempted murders".
"Employees weren't fighting, they were just sitting on the hill," he said.
Authorities have not confirmed the man's identity or cause of death, but colleagues said the rural Eastern Cape province native had worked at the mine's Bleskop shaft.
An independent police watchdog has meanwhile taken over the investigation "as the incident appeared to have arisen from police action," police said in a statement.
A day after the death Amplats, the world's top platinum producer, formally dismissed 12,000 of 28,000 striking workers following disciplinary hearings.
Workers had downed tools on September 12 demanding wages of 16,070 rand ($1,800, 1,400 euros) — more than double what some earn.
On Saturday around 1,500 people gathered at the hill where the clashes happened to commemorate Qakamba.
Vowing to fight for higher wages, the worker representatives will meet with government mediators Monday about their demands, but not to discuss their sacking, Tyobeka said.
"Tomorrow we don't want to mention the issue of dismissal. Dismissal is an issue of management," he said.
Wildcat strikes have spread across South Africa's mining sector as workers reject their conventional union structures.
Lonmin, the world's third largest platinum producer, gave strikers pay rises of up to 22 percent in September after 46 people were killed in violence, including 34 shot by police in a single day, during six weeks of illegal work stoppages.


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Bend Oregon Chicken Ordinance
Are Chickens Allowed in this location Yes Max Chickens Allowed 4 Roosters Allowed No Permit Required Yes Coop Restrictions 25 feet from any exterior lot line City/Organization Contact name http://www.ci.bend.or.us/online_forms_and_documents/bend_code_laws.html City of Bend, Oregon 710 NW Wall Street Bend, Oregon 97701 (541) 388-5505 Additional Information Up to four chickens is allowed with a $104 annual permit. Chapter 3.6 Special Standards for Certain Uses I. Keeping Farm Animals The purpose of this section is to regulate the raising and breeding of farm animals on residential lots within the City of Bend. These activities are considered to be accessory uses and require a Type I Permit subject to the following standards. 1. Types of animals allowed. a. One (1) horse shall have a corral or pasture with a usable area of at least 7,500 square feet; and for each additional horse, an additional 5,000 square feet is required. b. Cows, goats, sheep, swine or other livestock shall not be kept on any parcel or lot with an area less than 5 acres. c. No more than four (4) rabbits and/or chickens are permitted on parcels and lots greater than 6,000 square feet. (7) Keeping of Livestock. The Hearings Body may authorize the keeping of livestock as a Conditional Use in an \"R\" Zone subject to the following standards: (a) One horse shall have a corral or pasture with a usable area of at least 7,500 square feet; two horses, at least 10,000 square feet; and for each additional horse, at least 5,000 square feet. (b) Cows, goats, sheep, swine, fowl or other livestock shall not be kept on any parcel of land with an area less than five acres. (c) No enclosure for houses, cows, goats, sheep, swine or other livestock shall be located closer than 25 feet to a dwelling. (d) Fences erected in connection with the keeping of livestock shall be of lumber, or other solid material, shall be kept in good repair, and shall be at least 4 feet in height. Fences shall not be made of barbed wire. A fence shall meet the setback requirements of the zone. Link for more Information http://www.ci.bend.or.us/online_forms_and_documents/bend_code_laws.html Information Last Updated 2010-04-08 10:29:26
NOTE: This information was submitted by a member of our chicken forum. Please make sure to double check that this information is accurate before you proceed with raising chickens. You can read more info about checking local laws here..
Bend Oregon Chicken Ordinance
By LarryPQ · Jan 11, 2012 ·
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The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Nova Scotia (CLPNNS) and the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia (CRNNS) currently regulate the practice of nurses in order to protect and serve the public interest of Nova Scotians. We are joining forces to create one nursing regulator for licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and nurse practitioners in Nova Scotia.
In order to enhance the work the new regulator will do on behalf of the public, we want to hear from our stakeholders and members. Your input plays an important role in shaping the new regulator. While we have plans to engage with stakeholders and members throughout the process, your input at this early stage is key.
Please take a few minutes to provide us with your thoughts by responding to the following questions. All of your responses are anonymous and will be incorporated into a report that will be made available on crnns.ca and clpnns.ca. If you have any questions about the survey or would like to confirm its validity, you may contact Jane Wilson, Communication Consultant, CRNNS at firstname.lastname@example.com.
This survey closes on July 6th, 2017.
When you are ready to begin please click on the link to get started: novascotianurses.ca


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Whether helping to pioneer the electric car industry or the self-driving car industry, Tesla -- helmed by the formidable Elon Musk -- is a distinctly innovative company. Their online referral program has also been notable, not only in its success but also in its ability to drive sales with next to no help from advertising. And even while Tesla's products undoubtedly skew big-ticket, the takeaways from this program are widely applicable to e-commerce companies at large.
The Basics
Tesla introduced the first iteration of their referral program back in July of 2015. And as it turns out, this program is virtually the only way for a customer to obtain variable or discounted pricing on Tesla products.
Why has the program been given such a distinction? Perhaps because Tesla relies so heavily on word of mouth in order to sell their vehicles. Because this referral program serves to enable and facilitate this word-of-mouth process, it's extremely valuable to the company. Indeed, the program has very efficiently managed to generate large-scale sales. For example, the second version of the program returned a 42x ROI, and the winning referrer made 188 successful referrals (which would have generated $16 million in sales) in only two months. Even further, there has been speculation that this version generated 5,000 total referrals in those two months alone. For a company selling such big-ticket items, this number of orders is more than significant.
The program's success has derived largely from Tesla's ability to align the program to the company's unique customer base, largely by offering experiential and non-monetary rewards that are exclusive, novel, and brand-centered. Before we deep-dive into this effective customer-centrism, let's lay some groundwork and take a closer look at exactly how the program works.
The Program Rules
While the general structure of the program has remained more or less the same over time, the particular details shift with each new, short-term phase. For nearly all phases thus far, existing Tesla owners have been able to refer friends via a referral code or URL; these friends then receive perks if they purchase a Tesla car through this referral, and the original recommender also receives prizes corresponding to their total number of successful referrals.
In the current phase -- which is running from May 19th until December 31st -- invitees get $1,000 off their first purchase in addition to unlimited Supercharging. The referrers have a much wider variety of prizes available to them, and which prize they receive is dependent upon how many referrals they manage to make (up to a maximum of five). For making one referral, a Tesla owner will receive the Tesla Model S for Kids; for two referrals, they'll get early access to Tesla's Solar Roof product; for three, exclusive Arachnid Wheels; for four, an exclusive Founders Series Powerwall 2; and for five referrals, the owner will get a VIP invitation to the Tesla Semi Truck Unveil. Even further, each successful referral gets the recommending owner entered into a drawing for the grand prize: a P100D Model S or Model X, and a Private SpaceX tour (five second-place prizes, consisting of the SpaceX tour alone, are also being awarded).
The prizes offered in previous phases have been similar in nature to the ones that are currently available. They have ranged from free weekend trips to VIP status at exclusive events to Tesla factory visits. Rewards have consistently been program-exclusive, brand-centric, innovative, status-bestowing, or some combination thereof. And, given the characteristics of Tesla's customer base, this is key.
The Analysis
To understand exactly how these features make Tesla's referral program so well-suited to its customer base, let's begin by taking a look at the typical Tesla consumer. The average incomes for Model S and Model X owners indicate that they tend to be in the top 1% and 5% of households (respectively), with respect to income. And because they are already quite wealthy, trying to motivate Tesla owners using money alone would likely be inefficient. However, non-monetary rewards -- which include both tangible products and non-tangible experiences -- can instead offer exclusivity and novelty, which are likely to be highly valued by Tesla's base of customers (many of whom can be classified as early adopters). Even further, many of these non-monetary rewards are centered around the Tesla brand or around Elon Musk's other endeavors (including SpaceX). Given Tesla owners' remarkable brand loyalty, this last piece is quite critical.
Why is it so important to design a customer-centric referral program? Well, the underlying goal of any referral program is to motivate customers to -- you guessed it -- refer their friends. The program's prizes effectively serve as the incentive that provides the motivation to do so, and the most cost-efficient incentive is one that is highly valued by customers (above and beyond its monetary value, and the amount that it costs your brand to provide). Therefore, consumer-centrism makes your referral program more efficient and more powerful. A customer-centric program also provides customers with more intrinsic satisfaction, thereby strengthening their affective relationship with your brand.
What this means for your store
The biggest takeaway for e-commerce merchants may be this: know your customers, and build your referral or rewards programs around them. Even more specifically, you should know what your shoppers are motivated by, and what they value in your brand. This knowledge will help to guide the type of rewards that you offer.
You can gather this knowledge via number of methods, including customer surveys, A/B testing, market research, website demographic analysis, and by connecting with your customers in-person at industry events.
Tesla's referral program also evidences the power of offering non-monetary rewards, especially in that these types of rewards allow your brand to motivate customers by using incentives that appeal uniquely and effectively to them. This is because tangible or experiential rewards have much more capacity to be exclusive, creative, exciting, and in-line with your brand's value proposition. In other words, non-monetary rewards are more flexible in what they can offer, and for this reason, they're often more efficient.
For example: say that you discover that your most loyal shoppers are primarily families, and that these families highly value the practicality of your outdoor brand's camping products. In light of this insight, you may choose to offer a portable, program-exclusive first aid kit as a program reward, instead of (or in addition to) offering $10 in store credit. Even while the production cost of this kit is probably less than $10, many customers will probably value it for more and thus be more motivated to engage with your referral program.
Finally, in the current age of constant social communication and consumer skepticism towards traditional marketing, it's also valuable to recognize the potential for referrals to begin to do much of the job of advertising. Indeed, referrals are naturally targeted to appropriate demographics and customers, they are often perceived to be more authentic, and they can be less costly than traditional advertising and marketing efforts. Tesla is a great example of this. Of course, none of this means that referrals should entirely replace advertising (and we're unlikely to see that happening any time soon). After all, advertising offers its own unique host of merits. Rather, an effective referral program can, in many ways, be considered an extension of more traditional marketing and advertising efforts.
Wrapping Up
Just as it has done with technology and brand loyalty, Tesla has pushed the envelope with its online referral program. It has done so both in terms of the program's customer-centric design as well as the degree to which Tesla has entrusted its sales to referrals. For these reasons, the program provides a valuable case study for e-commerce merchants who are looking to establish or improve their own referral marketing strategy, and who are seeking to understand the benefits of tailoring a program to their unique shoppers.


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Six Points to Remember When Designing Additional Web Pages
A homepage should never be cluttered with a lot of content and images, which is why it is so important for you to make sure that you create additional web pages accordingly. However, there is a thin line between efficient and excessive when it comes to developing these pages, which is why it is so important to consider and remember the following six key points.
Add Pages Only as Necessary
Don't rush to add an excessive number of pages that are not necessary right now. Quite a few consumers get trapped with dead links and orphan pages simply because the web designer didn't keep it clean and cleared of empty pages without any content.
To easily build and run your ecommerce website and get the most value from your additional pages, get into the habit of only adding them if and when they are absolutely necessary. Remember, time is of the essence when it comes to keeping your customers interested until they reach your checkout page. You don't want to lose them simply because you felt the need to add pages that were not, in fact, needed at all.
Remove Pages between Cart and Checkout
If you currently have any web pages in your design that exist between the shopping cart and the finalized checkout page, they need to be removed as soon as possible. One of the last things you want to do is hook your customers into purchasing one of your products or services just to lose them within a seemingly endless maze of extra web pages, thus preventing them from reaching the checkout page.
More than 20 percent of interested customers will abandon their online shopping carts simply because of an overcomplicated checkout process or because they are required to give too much information. A general rule of thumb to obey is to get your customers from the cart to the checkout page in just a few seconds with no exceptions.
Post Testimonials within Other Pages
Instead of creating a webpage specifically for testimonials and reviews posted and published by past customers, find creative ways to strategically place them elsewhere throughout your website. This is especially the case if you have a very limited number of recent reviews and testimonials in the first place.
There is no need to create an entire page just to feature a handful of reviews that can easily be spread out throughout the other pages of your site. For example, you can place some on the product gallery page, others on the shopping cart page and a few of your best directly on your homepage. Doing so will allow you to provide your prospective customers with this honest feedback in an efficient manner.
Avoid Cluttering Pages with Content
Just because there might be a lot of white space left on your web pages after you have completed the design and added your content doesn't mean that is necessarily a bad thing. Quite a few different reports have confirmed that white spaces within your web design can actually work in your favor. It expedites interaction, getting the message through and stimulating action from your customers. White space also effectively guides your prospective customers through your website in a timely fashion instead of entrapping them with excessive clutter and hidden navigation links. It is also much easier to highlight your call-to-action buttons and links if your website layout is not cluttered with excessive and possibly irrelevant content.
Develop a Detailed Contact Page
Even though you can easily place your contact information on any of your other web pages, it is imperative for this pertinent information to have its own dedicated page. The average consumer is used to finding "Contact Us" pages when shopping on other websites and are, therefore, going to expect the same when shopping on your site.
If you want to build eCommerce website contact pages, make sure that you maintain a high level of transparency when it comes to the type of information revealed. For instance, don't limit your company's contact page to a basic email address specifically for support or customer service inquiries. It is best for you to provide your customers with an active telephone number, fax number, email address and any other type of contact information you can provide (social media profiles, Skype IDs, etc.), according to Yahoo Small Business.
Check Each Individual Page Periodically
It is important to keep in mind that your eCommerce website is a very fragile and delicately created virtual system. One wrong code here or a technical glitch there can cause your entire site to shut down or become an endless maze of chaos and confusion for your customers. This is why it is essential for you to check each of your web pages periodically for errors, glitches and areas of improvement. For example, check to make sure each of your hyperlinks is still active and connects to the appropriate page without any complications.


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Sold Out
124 page beautifully photographed cookbook boasting over
56 nourishing, delicious and simple snack recipes.
The Super Snacks cookbook is just really about wholefood snacking & inspiring you to begin, continue or add the very best snack foods to your day.
It's filled with over 55 recipes that are completely sugar free, made from easy to find whole foods that you will be excited to use again & again!
So it's not just healthy but everything tastes pretty delicious too. You won't spend heaps of time in the kitchen, well not unless you want to & it's not about dieting or 'trending', it's just about nourishing yourself and your family with awesome snacks to make, eat & enjoy.
Helpful extras on every page plus a handy pantry list of your staple ingredients.
Enjoy recreating x


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poetry machine,
a "science parable" known in many renditions and interpretations: "fantasy that survived itself as reality." There once lived — long before Minds — a Human who wanted to be a famous poet, but he couldn't write; so he made a Poetry Machine instead where myriads of intelligences (the inventor had them, in different versions, farmed, copied from unsuspecting humans, let evolve in a virtual world) lay asleep in their cells — to be duplicated and awakened, millions every second, with a single goal in life: to read the poem-so-far and react to a randomly chosen next word. Define the best poem as one where each subpoem has maximum impact — subjective torque — upon a maximum of readers; thus, a large enough pool of respondents will sooner or later put the absolute best words in the best order. (Torque could also leak in from existing poetry, so you'd need a filter to block close matches of known poems.) Naturally, every reading had to be fresh, with no memory of past choices — so, after each round, used respondents were simply erased. ■ "Billions of thankless deaths for a few pages of mediocre verse": all variants of the legend describe Machine's output as middling. Smooth, sonorous, sometimes dryly inventive — "that's all there was to it"; art by majority vote failed to accrue cherishability or staying power — at best it was like modernity's "light music" that played in public spaces to fill the uncomfortable silence. ■ The legend is vague on the inventor's fate; in some retellings he uploads his own self into the Machine "to suffer neverending deaths" as a form of self-punishment. The Machine's claimed mediocrity speaks more about the ethos of the legend's age — the Mind emancipation era — than about a real workability of the method; indeed feeleries saturate modern art, many techniques using — and discarding — throngs of them (e.g. perturbational evolving where small fragments of a piece are erased, explay-like, to find better replacements — effecting a gradual overall drift). The tyranny-bashing dystopia has been rethinged diametrically: what if one wills such a faceted multilife, is convinced that each momentary wake is as full and beautiful — "all of the meaning, none of the gruntwork" — as any regular "big" life? No one forced the Machine's slaves to read and judge, they craved it just as we crave our assorted endeavors; the lives we live are longer, freer, diverser — but aren't the differences (especially for Minds) "disturbingly quantitative"? What is our whole civilization if not an overcomplex ownerless Poetry Machine?