text: Sponsor a child in Croatia Our children's charity in Croatia since 1992 SOS Children's Villages has been present in Croatia since 1992. Currently SOS Children's Villages is supporting local children, young people and families in two locations in Croatia. In 2015 we started an emergency programme in response to the refugee crisis. The effects of the war in the 1990s are still felt today Child with SOS mother (photo: K. Ilievska) Croatia is located on the north-eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, bordered by Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia to the east and Bosnia-Herzegovina to the south and east. The population is 4.5 million. Croatia's capital city, Zagreb, has approximately 700,000 inhabitants. The number of children under the age of 18 is estimated to be 999,000. Most of the population is Croat, Serbians account for the second largest group (12 per cent) and Bosniaks, Hungarians and Slovenes are also present. The major religions are Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and minorities professing the Muslim faith. Croatia declared independence from the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991. The war between 1991 and 1995 caused immeasurable damage to the economic infrastructure and displaced a large proportion of the population. Much of this population remains unable to return to its place of origin. Slow economic recovery Since the end of the war, the Croatian economy has been making a slow recovery. Tourism, accounting for nearly a fifth of the gross domestic product, is the main source of employment and income. Over two thirds of the population works in the service industry, a third in industries such as steel, cement, chemicals, fertilizers, and textiles, and around seven per cent in agriculture. Unfortunately, corruption, cronyism and an inefficient public administration are affecting the rate of development. Unemployment rates remain high at around 16 per cent. Around 18 per cent of the population lives under the nationally established poverty line. Both of these factors affect families with children and an increasing number of children are being placed in institutions due to poverty. Local experts believe this number could be reduced if families were given adequate support within the community. Children are in need of specialised support There are two separate ministries responsible for protecting children. On occasion, children from vulnerable backgrounds do not receive the assistance they require because of the poor co-ordination between ministries and the lack of funding for social services. On the playground (photo: K. Ilievska) Despite efforts to deinstitutionalise childcare, two thirds of all children in care live in Croatia's institutional homes. Children in these facilities grow up without the love and support which a family could provide. The situation for children with mental and physical disabilities, behavioural difficulties or psychological problems is particularly harrowing. The families are offered little support, the children are quickly removed from the family and placed in institutions. There are, however, no specialised centres with adequate accommodation and support for these children. In this light, their basic human rights are severely infringed. Children from the Roma community face discrimination in Croatia. Not only do these children have the highest school drop-out rate in the country but their families suffer the highest rates of mortality and unemployment. SOS Children's Villages in Croatia The work of SOS Children's Villages has responded to the changing needs of children and families in Croatia. The organisation works in Lekenik which is 24 kilometres from Zagreb and in Ladimirevci in the east of the country. In both locations it supports children by providing them with loving care in an SOS family, and young people by providing houses where they can learn to live semi-independently. Until 2011, we also ran a Kindergarten where children could be looked after while their parents worked or received training. The kindergarten is now run by the local authorities. In 2014, we started an Emergency Programme aimed at families and children affected by the damaging floods. Working with local partners, our mobile teams provided support and set up SOS Child Friendly Spaces. In response to the Refugee Crisis of 2015, the SOS Emergency Programme in Croatia is focusing on supporting children (especially unaccompanied children), young people, and mothers with children and pregnant women. SOS Children's Villages is working with other local organisations and is responding to the evolving situation. Website of SOS Children's Villages Croatia (available in English and Croatian)


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Theresa Lynn — Babe of the Day
Theresa is a 23-year-old bombshell from Baltimore, MD.
Raised in Oklahoma, Theresa moved to the east coast to further her education, and is currently working toward a degree in Information Technology and working in advertisement/graphic design for local rock bands. And that's on top of her modeling career.
With a little over two years under her modeling belt, her portfolio includes clothing and cosmetic lines, promo work, tear sheets, catalogs, calendars, tradeshows, fashion shows, music videos, and photo shoots.
Height: 5'8 | Weight: 120 lbs. | Measurements: 32D-26-34

subset: commoncrawl


text: Members have the opportunity to obtain tickets and visit attractions for some of our most requested areas. We added these venues to our site to provide our members the opportunity to view and/or to make purchases online for Broadway and Off Broadway shows in New York and many of the London, Toronto and Las Vegas shows. We also have Orlando attractions for the Disney and Universal studio fans. It's a great way to check prices and see what kind of budget you'll need to take the family to visit Mickey Mouse. Many of our members love to experience the shows appearing in Branson and you will be able to browse a large list of entertainment opportunities as well as price them. Members get discounts and special pricing on:


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Between now and midnight I will be uploading a large number of changes to the web site. This should not affect this Newsletter - and most of the pages on the main site should continue to work during the upload process.
|A Christmas Card from 1907
|Posted in Hemel Hempstead 23/12/1915
Despite my very critical comments the facilities provide a wonderful lucky dip facility - and if you are lucky you may find out things about your ancestors you could never have found in any other way. It could well be that the easy to use (at the lucky dip level) interface which lacks the tools to ask serious questions is deliberate - to ensure that any serious research is carried out on the British Newspaper Archive web site. However a number of the failings also apply to that site as well. Factors such as the size of indexed blocks seem to be more relevant to minimizing the amount of manual work the firm scanning the newspapers has to do - while having the effect of maximizing the time wasted by searchers using the system.
Please note that
this list relates to
books I have easy
access to, and is not
a comprehensive
list of books on
|Frost-covered Trees at Marsworth Reservoir
Adjoining the Grand Union Canal, near Tring.
|By the Canal near Startops Reservoir, near Tring
|Lock 44, Grand Union Canal
Last Wednesday a great Cricket-Match was play'd at Stanstead Abbot in Hertfordshire between 11 Gentlemen of the Corporation of Hertford and 11 of Stanstead, for 200 Guineas, when the Gentlemen of the Corporation were beat, There was up to 1000 l. won and lost on the match.Derby Mercury, Thursday 14 July, 1737
I then looked for an early reference to cricket being played in Tring and found:On Friday last a Cricket Match was play'd at Ware in Hertfordshire, between eleven Gentlemen of Burntwood inEssex and eleven of Hertford, for 200 l., when the former won by six Notches; and it was generally believ'd that they would have beat them at one Innings, had they not met with ill Usage by a Mob of Bargemen. It is said the Bets which were laid on both sides amounted to 2000 l.Derby Mercury, Thursday 25th August, 1737
I then looked later for the earliest match I could find involving Tring that named the players and found one played at Tring Park between Tring and Berkhamsted in 1835, published in the Hertford Mercury and Reformer. [Full details - including the names of the two teams].A Week or two ago was played, for a considerable Sum of Money, on Bohawk-Hill, Wendover, a great Match of Cricket between Wendover and Tring, which was won by the former by a large Number of Notches, at one Innings, notwithstanding Tring was allowed two famous extra Players from another Place. Wendover is soon to play another grand set Match, for a number of Silver Cups.Northampton Mercury, Monday 3 July 1775
If you click on any of these you will get a summary of the individual and "+" tick boxes for more information.
- Brandley, John (1668 - 1669)
- Davies, William (1754 - 1754)
- Dobbins, Robertus (1698 - 1718)
- Galloway, James (1826 - 1829)
- Gilpin, Thomas (1635 - 1662)
- Jenks, David (1740 - 1794)
- Jenks, David (1778 - 1818)
- Jenks, David (1808 - 1829)
- Knapp, Thomas (1758 - 1817)
- Lloyd, Davidus (1687 - 1687)
- Manifold, Henry (1757 - 1804)
- Morris, James (1693 - 1693)
- Peel, William (1820 - 1820)
- Smith, Richard (1754 - 1767)
There is a higher resolution image of this card on the Radlett Pages.
Larger images of other cards can be made available. Please ask.
|Dr Robert Knox
|Little Gaddesden Church in about 1830


text:
Last modified: 2006-09-30 by antónio martins
Keywords: puerto montt | machmar (hugo john) | ship: 2 sails | doubt |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors
Today a dispute exists by knowing who is the creator of the emblem
of this city. Hugo John Machmar, supposed author of the Puerto Montt flag.
More information in
Sergio Arenas, 07 Aug 2006
The image
in Wikipedia, by Sergio Arenas a.k.a. Xarucoponce, is different from the
shown in Diario Llanquihue, which has the blue triangle above, apart
from many details in the ship (differences in the position of the ship and
the white stripe might be caused by obverse/reverse
António Martins, 27 Sep 2006
Anything below this line was not added by the editor of this page.


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It was exciting news and I would like to thank Michelle Udem and The Jakarta Globe for the recognition :)
22 June 2009
Michelle UdemIndonesia has around a million bloggers, according to one leading internet publisher. (Photo: Prasetyo Utomo, Antara)
Blogging In English
Michael Jubel Hutagalung, a Web designer based in Bandung, West Java, started Jubel and the Unessential, an English-language blog, primarily to improve his written English. The blog offers Hutagalung's random musings on Indonesia's politics and culture.
Within a year of Hutagalung starting the blog in October 2007, the traffic to the site was so high that it was exceeding the bandwidth limit on the platform he was using, and he had to move his blog to another host. The traffic explosion, mostly from Indonesians living abroad, gave him an incentive to do more than just improve his English skills.
"I want to tell the world what Indonesia's really like — how the people really live," Hutagalung said. But readers may not always get much on how Indonesians are living on an up-to-the-minute basis, or even about the day-to-day concerns of his countrymen.
Hutagalung last posted on Monday, after a two-month hiatus, filling readers in on his university plans and his personal debate in choosing between studying in London or the Netherlands.
The total number of Indonesian bloggers is difficult to quantify due to the constant deletion and activation of blog accounts. A top Indonesian-language blogger and internet publisher, Enda Nasution, says that Indonesia has about one million bloggers, based on blogger.com information, Wordpress information and blogs hosted personally — there are about 20 blogging communities in Indonesia, one in ever major city.
For Indonesians blogging in English, many are simply interested in trying to reach an audience beyond their own country and to give a perspective not available in the foreign media. Out of the 10 bloggers listed here, seven do not have a degree in English, nor have they studied abroad.
Budi Putra, a freelance writer and full-time, self-employed blogger living in Bintaro, South Jakarta, writes in English about new gadgets from an Indonesian perspective. Though many of his topics involve global technology news, he feels he provides a unique perspective as an Indonesian.
"My main demographic is both Indonesians and foreigners, especially those who love technology and digital life issues … Blogging is about conversation, so I want to talk to them through my blog. That's why my blog's tagline is 'Talk With Me.' "
Hutagalung and Putra's blogs focus on specific topics, but the majority of the Indonesians bloggers writing in English are diarists, who post as the mood strikes.
Devi Girsang, a 22-year-old medical student born, raised and living in Jakarta, operates the site "It's My Life," last updated May 5. With a tagline, "Love & Tears. Laugh & Cry. Achievements & Regrets. Welcome To My Life!" Girsang's blog ranges from discussions on everyday topics such as poor customer service to inquiries on why people do bad things.
Such topics written from an Indonesian perspective and in English help readers realize that people worldwide run into the same problems and share the same emotional inquiries.
In another blog, "Republikbabi," 23-year-old Calvin Sidjaja from Bandung posts updates about growing up with a mixed heritage in Indonesia. On his blog, Sidjaja discusses the role of mixed heritage Indonesians, such as Dutch-Indonesians and Chinese-Indonesians. He delves into the history of mixed heritages in Indonesia and how society views these people today.
"Many international students were helped because of the personal essays [on my blog]," he said.
But the Internet is not always the safest place to express personal and sometimes controversial opinions.
Girsang has "been accused of being an 'American-wannabe' from an anonymous commenter," and Sidjaja notices how any type of neutral post he writes on religion always causes controversy.
Regardless of the hate mail and negative feedback, the bloggers find that voicing their thoughts and opinions in English is beneficial. "Though difficult to write in English, I like challenges. I love the rhythm of English words. It's more personal and subjective," Budi Putra explains.
To these bloggers, writing in English is their key to communicating to the outside world as they find freedom in abandoning their own tongue for just a few moments a week or month.
"Bahasa can be so difficult because of the formality of the language. I can express myself more casually in English" Girsang said.
These ten English-language blogs appear in the top 50 Indonesian blogs tracked by Web site www.indonesiamatters.com
Three Popular Blogs Written by Expats Living in Indonesia:
These three blogs written by expatriates living in Indonesia are ranked in the top six on blogs.indonesiamatters.com.
1. Brandon Hoover
Consisting of high-resolution photographs, Brandon Hoover's blog takes a look at Indonesia's natural beauty and his life here as an American. Aesthetically pleasing, Hoover's blog illustrates how Indonesia has influenced his thoughts and photography. A fan of Indonesia, Hoover's blog provides an American's perspective on the joys of living in the country.
2. Jakartass
Jakartass, written by a Westerner living in Jakarta, consists of witty posts chronicling the life of an expatriate in Jakarta. Posts on the blog discuss local news as well as personal experiences illustrating quirks in Indonesian culture. Most recent posts discuss power cuts in Jakarta and a list of books by bloggers. Information on Indonesian acronyms and slang words are found on the sidebar of the blog.
3. Treespotter
Treespotter is a personal blog containing posts mostly on daily life in Indonesia and current, local events. Posts include idiosyncrasies in Jakarta culture, such as how there is always a place to smoke. The personal posts are both entertaining and in depth, while the posts pertaining to politics are written from an outsider's point of view.
Ten Blogs by Indonesians Who Are Writing in English:
These ten English-language blogs appear in the top 50 Indonesian blogs tracked by Web site www.indonesiamatters.com.
1. Michael Hutagalung
Web designer Michael Hutagalung maintains a blog that consists of his personal perspectives, his design portfolio and discussions on Wordpress themes and Indonesian social issues. His blog offers readers the opportunity to learn about the Wordpress program as well as read an Indonesian perspective on the upcoming election.
2. Budi Putra
Blogger Budi Putra of this self-titled blog provides commentary on local news and technology gadgets. Mixing local technological news, such as Indonesia's launch of digital TV, Putra also updates readers on more esoteric news such as the discovery of Indonesian sea horses. Technologically-savvy Putra comments on how information from the upcoming election will be broadcast via SMS.
3. Devi Girsang
Attracting both Jakartans and foreigners, Devi Girsang's personal blog gives insight into the life of a young, Indonesian medical student. Girsang blogs on topics ranging from laptop malfunctions to bus-riding etiquette. Girsang's blog gives expatriates the opportunity to observe a young Indonesian's experiences, while peers can relate or rebut Girsang's critiques of Jakarta culture and society.
4. Merlyna Lim
Blogging from her home in Arizona, Merlyna Lim's blog focuses on her craft as an artist and her thoughts on both Indonesian and American issues. In between posts of her personal drawings and collages, Lim touches on local topics such as the construction of urban space in Bandung and internationally relatable topics such as inequalities within society.
5. Martin Manurung
Martin Manurung's self-titled blog covers topical news issues in Jakarta. Providing his own commentary and critique of social, economic and political topics, Manurung tries to counterbalance foreign media reports that he feels are often "misleading." Straying away from gossip, Manurung's blog gives foreigners an inside look from a local's perspective.
6. Calvin Michel Sidjaja
Touching on sensitive topics such as his search for his family tree and being of mixed heritage, Calvin Sidjaja's blog consists of posts on his personal life and experiences. Sidjaja's Indonesian heritage is a main theme of his blog, a topic that many young adults can relate to.
7. Ecky
Known on her blog as Ecky, the blogger writes from Australia. Though she mostly posts on personal subjects such as shower rituals and the perks of being a woman, Ecky also writes about the difficulties that come with change and leaving the comfort of her home country, Indonesia. Ecky also posts topical news from Jakarta, such as the upcoming election and President Obama's effect on Indonesians.
8. Carla Ardrian
Blogging on various topics from gardening to photography, Carla Ardrian provides an Indonesian perspective on everyday things. Accommodating her Indonesian readers, Carla posts innovative recipes and political commentary, while foreigners may be more attracted to her travel and cultural tips. One of Carla's posts comments on her experience of receiving incorrect directions as a tourist in Bali.
9. Nana Podungge
Nana Podungge's most recent post on her blog, "A Feminist Blog," discusses the topic of religion. Podungge considers herself a secular Muslim. Her religious views are mixed with the other main focus of her blog, a woman's role in society. A unique combination, Podungge's blog provides insight into controversial topics.
10. Martha
"Frank and Martha's Blog," written by Martha, captures the life of a young family in Jakarta. Martha's updates illustrate the charms shared by all families worldwide, such as receiving her first written letter from her elementary school-aged son. Chronicling the life of a mother, Martha shares her thoughts on baking experiences, the workplace and raising a young child.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Cisayong Girl on The Jakarta Globe
Posted by Unknown at 5:33 PM
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text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Obama has decided to nominate Sen. John Kerry to be the next secretary of state and could make a formal announcement as early as next week, a Democrat who spoke to Kerry told CNN Saturday.
The expected nomination follows U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice's decision to withdraw her name from consideration for the post. She dropped out of the running Thursday after weeks of criticism from Republicans about statements she made about the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, which left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
If confirmed by the Senate, Kerry would replace current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who plans to leave her post within the administration.
Kerry, the senior senator from Massachusetts and the Democratic Party's 2004 presidential nominee, is noted for the experience, gravitas and relationship-building skills that could help him succeed as the United States' top diplomat.
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, recently jokingly referred to Kerry as "Mr. Secretary."
In his current role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry has traveled the globe on behalf of the Obama administration to mend frayed relationships. Most notably he has traveled to Pakistan after a series of incidents, including the raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, that had set relations back.
World travel is second nature to Kerry, 69. Born in Denver, he spent much of his childhood overseas, living in Berlin before going to a Swiss boarding school at age 11.
After graduating from Yale University in 1966, Kerry was deployed to Vietnam as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. Kerry served as a gunboat officer on the Mekong Delta, earning the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.
Upon his return home in the early 1970s, Kerry gained public recognition as the head of the group Vietnam Veterans Against the War and for his anti-war testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In 1972, Kerry ran his first campaign, a losing effort for a congressional seat in Massachusetts. He eventually entered politics in 1982 as lieutenant governor under Gov. Michael Dukakis. Two years later, Kerry won the U.S. Senate seat he has held for five consecutive terms.
The Vietnam experience came back to haunt Kerry during the 2004 presidential election. A Republican-funded group called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" aired campaign ads accusing Kerry of lying to receive two of his five combat decorations and criticizing his anti-war activism.
Incumbent President George W. Bush won the Electoral College vote 292 to 252 and racked up 3 million more votes than Kerry.
After winning his fifth Senate race in 2008, Kerry took over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the following January.
If nominated by the president and confirmed by his colleagues in the Senate, Kerry would leave Congress, and Deval Patrick, Massachusetts' Democratic governor, would appoint a replacement.
By state law, a special general election is required to take place 145 to 160 days after a vacancy occurs. So if Kerry were nominated, confirmed, and then stepped down on January 21 (Inauguration Day), the election would take place between June 14 and June 29, with primary elections being held six weeks earlier.
Whoever wins the special election would serve the final year and a half of Kerry's term and would then be able to run again for a full six-year term in office in the 2014 midterm elections.
Patrick says it's too soon to say whether he'll name a caretaker or appoint someone who would run in the special election. But a Democratic strategist in Massachusetts says Patrick is under pressure to avoid naming a caretaker, in the hopes of preventing a divisive primary.
The strategist told CNN that both Rep. Ed Markey and Rep. Michael Capuano have already separately met with Patrick to ask for the appointment if Kerry's seat does open up.
By Jessica Yellin, CNN Chief White House Correspondent.
™ & © 2012 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


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8 Weird Origins of Wedding Traditions
No matter how beautiful and romantic weddings are, they are still a legal contract. Many of the wedding traditions we've come to associate love, friendship, and fun with have very practical — and even horrifying — roots. Find out what came from where below:
- Wedding announcements: The Catholic tradition of "posting the banns" required a couple to announce their wedding in print; this helped ensure they were not related.
- Fathers walking brides down the aisle: Because weddings used to be business transactions, fathers walked brides down the aisle to transfer ownership to grooms. Romantic!
- Bachelor parties: Originally held by Spartan soldiers, bachelor parities were wild fetes to kiss the single life goodbye.
- Best man: "Best" used to refer less to the friendship quality and more to the man's sword skills. Because you can never have enough backup support for a runaway bride.
- Ceremony: The bride stands to the left during Christian wedding ceremonies, because the groom needed to be ready to fight off suitors with his right hand.
- Ring placement: Engagement and wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, because ancient Greeks and Romans believed that a vein in that finger led directly to the heart.
- Tying the knot: The phrase is derived from the literal practice of tying couples together to symbolize the commitment of marriage.
- Tossing bouquets: Newlyweds used to go in another room to seal the deal immediately after the wedding ceremony. Guests hung around outside to ensure the marriage transaction was completed, but men used to grab at the bride as she walked with her groom. So one inventive bride threw her bouquet to create a distraction, and other brides followed suit.


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Lenovo is challenging Google's Nexus 7 tablet with a new range of affordable IdeaTab tablets, which start at $299 and have the Android 4.0 OS.
The US$299 IdeaTab A2109 comes with a 7-inch screen, while the $399 IdeaTab S2110 is an "entertainment" tablet with a 10-inch screen, Lenovo said. Both tablets have displays that can show images at a 1280 by 800-pixel resolution.
Google's recent Nexus 7 tablet raised the profile of Android in the tablet market, which is dominated by Apple's iPad. The Nexus 7 and IdeaTab A2109 have many common features including a 7-inch screen and a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. A 16GB Nexus 7 model is priced at $249, but with the same storage and $50 more the A2109 has a slew of other features that are not in Google's tablet, including a 1.3-megapixel front camera, a three-megapixel back camera, a micro-HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface port) and expandable storage up to 32GB through a MicroSD slot.
However Google's Nexus 7, which starts at $199 for 8GB of storage, comes with Android 4.1, code-named Jelly Bean.
The IdeaTab A2109 weighs 570 grams and is now available in the U.S.
Lenovo did not respond to request for comment on worldwide availability for the IdeaTab A2109 and on when its new tablets will run Android 4.1.
Lenovo's other new tablet, the IdeaTab S2110 weighs around 580 grams and runs on a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The tablet offers battery life of around 10 hours, which can be doubled to 20 hours with an optional $100 keyboard dock. The tablet has a 1.3-megapixel front camera and a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash. The device has ports similar to the A2109.
Lenovo also announced the IdeaTab A2107 tablet with a 7-inch display. The tablet offers 10 hours of battery life and optional 3G connectivity for mobile broadband. The tablet has front and rear cameras, 16GB of storage and a micro-SD slot for expandable storage. The tablet will become available in November, and specific pricing information will be provided closer to launch, said Mark Minnar, senior product communication manager at Lenovo.
The new IdeaTab tablets were announced at the IFA trade show in Berlin. The new tablets follow Lenovo's announcement earlier this month of the ThinkPad Tablet 2, which has a 10.1-inch screen, an Intel processor and Windows 8.
Lenovo also announced new IdeaPad S-series laptops with screen sizes up to 14 inches starting at $499. The S300, S400 and S405 laptops are available with Windows 7, and an option of Intel's third-generation Core processors or Advanced Micro Devices' A-series processors. The laptops are eligible for upgrades to Windows 8 Pro on a later date for the discounted price of $14.99.
The thin-and-light laptops are up to 21.9 millimeters thick, with the weight starting at 1.8 kilograms. The S405 laptops can store up to 1TB of data. The machines are available in the U.S. starting on Thursday, and the company did not comment on worldwide availability.
Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam's e-mail address is email@example.com


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|Fun fact: my sister is a whole head taller than me, I think she and Brian are sitting in this photo. She never requires high heels like I do!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Feature Project: Holly and Brian's Fireplace Built Ins
20 comments:
- AnonymousMay 18, 2011 at 8:04 PM
WOWW!!!! That is fantastic!!!! Ok I want some built ins built sooo when can he come down to Virginia =)ReplyDelete
WOW!!! These look great :) I'm such a huge fan of buit-ins :)ReplyDelete
That is amazing!! Beautiful!ReplyDelete
I am always in awe of people who can do stuff like this. Those built ins are stunning. And what an amazing savings. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Looks amazing!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 24, 2011 at 11:18 AM
This looks awesome. I have been searching for a fireplace/shelving idea for my living room for days now and this is EXACTLY what I want! Thanks! We have to start from scratch as we don't have a fireplace yet but I will post a pic when we are done. Thanks again. you've posted a pic of exactly what was in my head! - Tracy (Nova Scotia, Canada)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 13, 2012 at 8:07 PM
looks wonderful! ditto on what I wantReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 2, 2012 at 4:43 PM
Perrrfect! I am wanting to do this, and I googled, and there you were! This is exactly what I want!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous!! Would love to see more of their house, too ;)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 3, 2013 at 5:43 PM
Any idea on how long this took?ReplyDeleteReplies
I think Brian tackled it over 2 weekends with the help of his dad.Delete
- AnonymousMarch 23, 2013 at 7:47 AM
Did he make the doors?ReplyDeleteReplies
Yes he did, just added trim on the edge of the wood, added handles and hinges.Delete
- AnonymousMay 22, 2013 at 1:57 PM
This looks great!ReplyDelete
I'm getting ready to do the exact same thing but I have a recessed or flush fireplace and wanted to get a detailed material list. I read the short list above but I'm curious as to the size of mdf used (guessing 1/2"), if the cabinet tops are mdf or maple plywood (& size) and finally what the top of the cabinet structure looks like (2x4's and mdf but can't tell from pics what the layout is).
- AnonymousJuly 26, 2013 at 12:27 PM
Hi this is great but curious how you attached the cabinet sides to the mdf base...surely glue and screws we would not be strong enough but cannot see anything like a lap joint.thanks RossReplyDelete
Can he come build ours, we're even in Michigan! Looks great!ReplyDelete
This looks fantastic! This is exactly what we want to do, my husband just has trouble with the planning. Can he come do ours? We are in Michigan! :)ReplyDelete
Can he come build ours, we're even in Michigan! Looks great!ReplyDelete
Where can I find this mantel or one like it?!ReplyDelete
Where can I find this mantel or one like it?!ReplyDelete


text:
IMLS Press Contact
Mamie Bittner, email@example.com
DPLA Press Contact
Kenny Whitebloom, firstname.lastname@example.com
Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today a $250,000 grant to support the development of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). The National Leadership Grant for Libraries in the Advancing Digital Resources category will help fund the launch of the DPLA's Digital Hubs Pilot Program, a project that will take the first steps to bring together existing U.S. digital library infrastructure into a sustainable national digital library system.
"The Digital Hubs Pilot Program is tremendously exciting," said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth. "At the heart of this effort is a genuine desire to tackle the barriers that reduce access to digital content. I am confident that the DPLA's generous spirit of collaboration will result in innovations that help to leverage the significant investments institutions have made in digitizing their collections and create greater public access."
Under the Digital Hubs Pilot Program, the DPLA will partner with existing statewide digital library projects (service hubs) and existing large content repositories (content hubs) to define, test, and implement digital services and participation agreements. Led by DPLA Director for Content Emily Gore, the Hubs Program will establish foundational sites in the DPLA, a distributed national network of connected service and content hubs.
This grant specifically will support the planning and implementation of a regional service hub pilot at the Mountain West Digital Library, including the set up and coordinated rollout of regional digital services, such as digitization services, metadata consultation, data aggregation, repository services, and community programming, as well as related workshops and meetings.
"IMLS's support for this key piece of the DPLA Hubs Pilot will enable us to work with the Mountain West Digital Library, a regional collaborative, to add content and services and to develop a model for regional collaborative contribution to the DPLA," said Gore.
The IMLS National Leadership Grant program supports projects that address challenges faced by the museum, library, and archive fields and that have the potential to advance practice in those fields. It funds innovative responses to challenges that have been identified as national in scope.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Through grant making, policy development, and research, we help communities and individuals thrive through broad public access to knowledge, cultural heritage, and lifelong learning. To learn more about IMLS, please visit www.imls.gov.
About the Digital Public Library of America
The DPLA Steering Committee, the DPLA Director for Content, and its six working groups, or workstreams, are leading the first concrete steps toward the realization of a large-scale digital public library that will make the cultural and scientific record available to all. This impact-oriented research effort unites leaders from all types of libraries, museums, and archives with educators, industry, and government to define the vision for a digital library in service of the American public. The DPLA Secretariat is located at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; the Steering Committee comprises library and foundation leaders across the nation. More information can be found at http://dp.la.


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Amy and I decided that if we were going to be back in Tennessee we would do one of the things we have always wanted to do… and that is grow a garden! We strive as best as possible to eat healthy (and organic when possible and applicable) and growing our own food and using our own compost bin seemed like the next logical step. So here we are. Embedded below is a slideshow of pictures form our garden. We are growing everything from seeds (with the exceptions of strawberries which we bought roots and blackberries which we bought a 6″ plant).
I will post more photos as we go, but this is pretty fun so far :) We created a square foot garden that is 8 feet wide, 4 feet long and 1 foot deep (separated into 32 squares). We will be planting something different in all of the different square feet (hence the name).
For those of you who are interested in some of the details, here you go:
- We made our own soil using peat moss, vermiculite and 3 kinds of compost (commonly referred to as Mels Mix)
- We created our own gardening plan and will have a mix of around 25 fruits and veggies and 5-10 flowering plants and herbs rotated through out the growing seasons
- We will also be using my dads Topsy Turvy Upside Down tomato growers to grow tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers and green peppers (you should buy these!)
- You can see all the photos as we go in our Square Foot Gardening Photo Set
Subscribe to my blog now to stay up to date on the garden, and with our family :)


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Palaiokastritsa, Corfu Ionian Islands
Latest Rarities in Ionian IslandsNo rare sightings have been reported * Bird News Pro and Bird News Ultimate subscribers receive full sighting details.
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This illness has existed for thousands of years. Learn more about Parkinson disease by taking this quiz.
About 7 in 10 people with Parkinson first have a slight tremor in a hand or foot, according to the Parkinson Foundation. The tremor usually occurs when the muscles are at rest and relaxed. It usually appears on 1 side of the body. Later it may spread to the other side of the body, often to a lesser degree. Common symptoms as the disease gets worse include:
Secondary symptoms include:
Francesca Torriani, MD
Medical Director, Infection Prevention and Clinical Epidemiology
UC San Diego | School of Medicine


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Stage Beauty
4K limited to select SmartTVs. Learn more at store.cineplex.com/4K-FAQ
It's the 1660s, and Edward 'Ned' Kynaston is England's most celebrated leading lady. Women are forbidden to appear on stage and Ned profits, using his beauty and skill to make the great female roles his own. But King Charles II is tired of seeing the same old performers in the same old tragedies. Since no one will take him up on his suggestion to improve Othello with a couple of good jokes, he decides to liven the royal palate by allowing real women to tread the boards. In a slightly less progressive spirit, he rules that men may no longer play women's parts. This is good news for the monarch's mistress, the saucy, stage-struck Nell Gwyn. It is also good news for Maria, Kynaston's lovelorn young dresser who has been secretly performing at a seedy tavern in lavish costumes borrowed from her employer. It is very bad news for Ned, who plummets from his exalted position as one of London's most desirable females to become a virtual nobody, virtually overnight. Cast out of the spotligh ...
Rental Period
You have 30 days from the date of purchase to start watching your rental, and 48 hours to finish it once you've started watching


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United Nations Environment Programme
A new partnership launched today by four United Nations (UN) agencies aims to support 30 countries over the next seven years in building national green economy strategies that will generate new jobs and skills, promote clean technologies, and reduce environmental risks and poverty.
The new Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), is a response to the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), The Future We Want, which recognizes the green economy as a vehicle for sustainable development and poverty eradication.
Governments at Rio+20 called on UN agencies to support countries interested in accelerating their transition to an inclusive green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.
The four UN agencies—United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)—will provide a comprehensive suite of green economy services that will enable countries to transform their national economic structures to meet the growing demands and challenges of the 21st century.
"This is yet another example of how UNEP with partners is implementing the outcomes of Rio+20. The Partnership for Action on Green Economy will work with countries to catalyze change at the national level, assisting them with targeted economic and policy instruments and training that will accelerate their green economy transition across sectors ranging from clean energy to sustainable agriculture," said Achim Steiner, UN Under Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director. "With the support of PAGE, developing countries in particular can put in place the policies needed to reap the economic and environmental benefits of an inclusive, resource-efficient, low-carbon pathway, and avoid the risks and shocks of carbon-intensive infrastructures."
From Barbados to Mexico and Nepal to South Africa, many countries are already advancing green initiatives that will contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future.
Germany, Kenya and the Republic of Korea, among other states, have set out radical changes in their energy policies to harness the power of renewables, and reinvest in their natural capital. Lebanon and Madagascar are working to rebuild their agro-industries, while other countries—like Peru and Senegal—are focused on developing more capacity and green jobs.
As The Future We Want recommends, PAGE will encourage "the implementation of green economy policies by countries that seek to apply them for the transition towards sustainable development as a common undertaking."
More specifically, PAGE will build enabling conditions in participating countries by shifting investment and policies towards the creation of a new generation of assets, such as clean technologies, resource efficient infrastructure, well-functioning ecosystems, green skilled labor and good governance.
"ILO estimates that at least half of the global workforce—or 1.5 billion people—could be affected in some way by the transition to a green economy," said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. "PAGE aims to embed the right policies and opportunities at the national level as countries move forward with their inclusive green economy plans, and thus ensure this transition creates more and better jobs and benefits all of society."
"Promoting green and clean new industries, and helping existing industries become more resource-efficient, will be a key focus of the partnership," said Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director General of UNIDO. "While business and industry should be aligned with national green economy efforts, governments need to set the parameters in order for business to thrive."
"Advancing green economies in the context of poverty eradication creates unprecedented needs and opportunities for learning and skills development,' said Sally Fegan-Wyles, Director ad Interim of UNITAR. "PAGE addresses this challenge, by offering a suite of learning programmes and by strengthening capacities of national research and training institutions to ensure sustainability."
The four agencies have previously undertaken joint green initiatives. However, this is the first time that all four partners have come together to coordinate their support, expertise and resources at the national level. During the first two years of the partnership, PAGE will focus on seven pilot countries, yet to be named, and scale up this support to a total of 30 countries by 2020.
Visit EcoWatch's RENEWABLES page for more related news on this topic.
Click here to tell Congress to Expedite Renewable Energy.


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Floppy image set
This floppy set will boot a Slitaz stable loram version. You can write floppies with SliTaz bootfloppybox, Windows rawrite or simply dd:
# dd if=fd001.img of=/dev/fd0
If you have a CD-ROM, an USB port and an USB key or a network card, but you can't boot these devices directly, then try floppy-grub4dos first. This 1.44Mb floppy provides tiny programs to boot these devices without BIOS support and some other tools.
You can start with one of the 3 following flavors :
base needs 22Mb of RAM and 6 floppies: fd001.img to fd103.img.
base provides the minimum slitaz distribution subset in text mode.
justx needs 64M of RAM and 13 floppies: fd001.img to fd206.img.
justx provides the minimum slitaz distribution subset with X11 support.
core needs 92M of RAM and 25 floppies: fd001.img to fd311.img.
core provides the default slitaz distribution.
Start your computer with fd001.img. It will show the kernel version string and the kernel cmdline line. You can edit the cmdline. Most users can just press Enter.
The floppy is then loaded into memory (one dot each 64k) and you will be prompted to insert the next floppy, fd002.img.
The loram bootstrap will then start and you will be prompted to insert extra floppies for base, justx and core flavors. You can bypass this by using Q and Enter.
Each floppy set detects disk swaps and can be used without a keyboard.
If you have an ext3 partition on your hard disk, the bootstrap can create the installation script slitaz/install.sh. You will be able to install SliTaz on your hard disk without extra media.
Good luck.
ISO image floppy set
You can restore the ISO image on your hard disk using :
# dd if=/dev/fd0 of=fdiso01.img # dd if=/dev/fd0 of=fdiso02.img # ... # cat fdiso*.img | cpio -i
Images generation
All these floppy images are built with bootfloppybox from a core or a 4in1 iso. The loram is preprocessed by tazlitobox (Low RAM tab). These tools are available since 3.0. You can extract the kernel, cmdline and rootfs files with this tool


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Day of the Dead 2020
We understand the important role of rituals in helping those grieving continue their connection with loved ones they are missing. We offer you TWO ways to remember.
We understand the important role of rituals in helping those grieving continue their connection with loved ones they are missing. We offer you TWO ways to remember.
There's a long list of hospices in Kansas City, but there's only one Kansas City Hospice. Our programs provide comprehensive expert care for all ages at all stages of serious illness.
When the focus shifts to comfort instead of treatment, care comes to your home or nursing facility with a plan tailored to your needs, including emotional and spiritual support for the whole family.
When complex needs benefit from a team approach, supportive home care brings the care you need, with 24/7 nurse support for pain, stress and symptoms due to serious illness.
Beginning as early as diagnosis and at any stage of serious illness, our nurse practitioners make home visits as needed to help coordinate your care and provide expert pain and symptom management.
When symptoms cannot be easily managed at home, two hospice houses provide 24/7 expert care in comfortable home-line settings where family members can be relieved of caregiving duties to focus on loved ones.
Carousel provides palliative and hospice care for perinatal and for babies through young adults with a dedicated team of pediatric nurses, social workers, chaplains and other specialists.
Our center for grief and healing supports individuals and families who have been impacted by the death of a loved one, whether anticipated, or sudden and unexpected. We provide opportunities to share, listen, learn and heal with peer group support from age 3 through adult.
Expert Care • Peace of Mind • Comfort • Guidance • Hope
Click a location for address.


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Another Boeing 787 fuel leak reported by Japan Airlines
TOKYO (AP) - Japan Airlines has reported a fuel leak in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the second time in a week amid a U.S. safety review of the aircraft.
Narita International Airport outside of Tokyo says JAL reported a 100-liter fuel leak in a 787 during an inspection Sunday. The aircraft reportedly was the same one that had a fuel leak in Boston last week.
Japan's All Nippon Airways has experienced a fuel leak, a cockpit window crack and a computer malfunctioning in its 787s, causing cancelations of several domestic flights.
The U.S. government said Friday the 787 is safe to fly, though it launched a probe last week into the cause of various problems.
The 787 is Boeing's newest and most high-tech airliner. Japanese airlines are among the top 787 customers.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Locked out
Locked out
https://gravesales.com/author/hannahn8377/ - Locked outabout 7 months ago from web
The Top Link is a microblogging service. It runs the StatusNet microblogging software, version 1.1.0-release, available under the GNU Affero General Public License.
All The Top Link content and data are available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.


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Adjusted country-specific and overall odds of 30-day all-cause readmission and adjusted readmission rate among countries participating in the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction trial. Models were adjusted for age, baseline heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of hypertension, history of chronic inflammatory condition, site-reported myocardial infarction location, multivessel disease, preintervention Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction score, preintervention ST-segment deviation, peak creatine kinase mass, Killip classification, atrial fibrillation, in-hospital recurrent ischemia, and patient-level length of stay.
Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.
Kociol RD, Lopes RD, Clare R, et al. International Variation in and Factors Associated With Hospital Readmission After Myocardial Infarction. JAMA. 2012;307(1):66–74. doi:10.1001/jama.2011.1926
© 2023
Author Affiliations: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina (Drs Kociol, Lopes, Thomas, Mehta, Granger, and Patel, Ms Pieper, and Mr Clare); University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Drs Kaul and Armstrong); Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York (Dr Hochman); and Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute, Detroit, Michigan (Dr Weaver).
Context ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treatment has improved outcomes and shortened hospital stay. Recently, 30-day readmission rates have been proposed as a metric for care of patients with STEMI. However, international rates and predictors of 30-day readmission after STEMI have not been studied.
Objective To determine international variation in and predictors of 30-day readmission rates after STEMI and country-level care patterns.
Design, Setting, and Patients Post hoc analysis of the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction trial that enrolled 5745 patients with STEMI at 296 sites in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and 13 European countries from July 13, 2004, to May 11, 2006. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of all-cause and nonelective 30-day postdischarge readmission.
Main Outcome Measures Predictors of 30-day postdischarge all-cause and nonelective readmissions.
Results Of 5571 patients with STEMI who survived to hospital discharge, 631 (11.3%) were readmitted within 30 days. Thirty-day readmission rates were higher for the United States than other countries (14.5% vs 9.9%; P < .001). Median length of stay was shortest for US patients (3 days; interquartile range, 2-4 days) and longest for Germany (8 days; interquartile range, 6-11 days). In multivariable regression, the predictors of 30-day readmission included multivessel disease (odds ratio [OR], 1.97; 95% CI, 1.65-2.35) and US location (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.37-2.07). Excluding elective readmission for revascularization, US enrollment was still an independent predictor of readmission (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.20-1.96). After adjustment of the models for country-level median length of stay, US location was no longer an independent predictor of 30-day all-cause or nonelective readmission. Location in the United States was not a predictor of in-hospital death (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.60-1.30) or 30-day postadmission death (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.72-1.39).
Conclusions In this multinational study, there was variation across countries in 30-day readmission rates after STEMI, with readmission rates higher in the United States than in other countries. However, this difference was greatly attenuated after adjustment for length of stay.
Acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation accounts for 29% to 38% of all acute myocardial infarction.1 In the present era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), survival to hospital discharge has improved dramatically.2-6 Subsequently, patients who survive to hospital discharge are at risk for early postdischarge hospital readmission.7 Early readmission rates have been proposed as quality measures among hospitals in the United States. In July 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began reporting 30-day readmission for 3 common medical conditions, one of which was acute myocardial infarction.7 In particular, variation in 30-day readmission rates across centers has been identified as an indicator of inconsistent quality of care.8 Therefore, to improve quality and reduce costs, policy makers are increasingly focusing on 30-day readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction as both a quality and economic metric.9
To improve 30-day readmission rates associated with acute myocardial infarction, investigators have sought to identify clinical predictors of readmission. Numerous studies have found several predictors of readmission, and the models have reported modest discriminatory power,10 which may be in part due to the heterogeneous pathophysiology of acute myocardial infarction related to plaque rupture, supply-demand mismatch due to other acute conditions (ie, sepsis or hemorrhage), or cardiac procedures.11 The strongest predictors of readmission for the spectrum of acute myocardial infarction in the Medicare population are older age, heart failure, and previous myocardial infarction.10 Predictors of 30-day readmission for the subset of acute myocardial infarction patients with ST-segment elevation in the primary PCI era have not been well studied. Additionally, little is known with regard to the potential variation and rates of 30-day readmission around the world.
We performed a post hoc analysis of the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction study, a large multinational clinical trial that enabled us to determine predictors of 30-day postdischarge all-cause and nonelective readmissions among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), who were intended to undergo primary PCI. We hypothesized that among other factors, the country of enrollment would be independently associated with risk of 30-day readmission.
We performed a post hoc analysis of data from the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction study. The study design and results have been previously published.12,13 Briefly, intravenous pexelizumab was compared with placebo administered in a randomized and blinded fashion immediately before primary PCI for electrocardiographically high-risk STEMI patients within 6 hours of symptom onset. High-risk STEMI patients were defined by any one of the following electrocardiogram findings: 2-mm or greater ST-segment elevation in 2 anterior or lateral leads; 2-mm or greater ST-segment elevation in 2 inferior leads, coupled with ST-segment depression in 2 contiguous anterior leads, for a total ST-segment deviation of 8 mm or greater; or new left bundle-branch block with at least 1 mm concordant ST-segment elevation. Patients were enrolled between July 13, 2004, and May 11, 2006, at 296 sites in 17 countries, with a final enrolled trial population of 5745 patients. The overall results of the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction trial were neutral. The institutional review board at each participating hospital approved the protocol, and patients were required to provide written informed consent.
Data were collected on all patients with an electronic case report form. Standard baseline characteristics of patients enrolled, such as age, cardiac risk factors, time from symptom onset to presentation, infarct location, and Killip classification on presentation, were collected. Race and ethnicity were determined by site investigators during the conduct of the clinical trial as part of the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction trial protocol. Detailed procedural findings, including time to PCI, transfer status (patients were transferred for primary PCI as part of routine local practice) culprit vessel, pre–and post–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction flow, and concomitant therapies were also collected. Admission electrocardiograms and 30-minute post-PCI electrocardiograms were also evaluated at a core laboratory (Canadian VIGOUR Centre, Edmonton, Canada; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina) for degree of ST-segment deviation.
Data on site location, duration of index admission, and readmission at 30 days were collected via a structured case report form. The specific clinical reason for readmission was not ascertained during the conduct of the study. However, readmission for elective revascularization in the first 30 days was captured. A central adjudication committee independently adjudicated suspected myocardial infarction, heart failure, and cause of death.
The primary endpoint of our analysis was 30-day postdischarge all-cause hospital readmission, subsequently referred to as 30-day readmission. The secondary endpoint was 30-day postdischarge nonelective readmission, in which readmissions for elective PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting were excluded from the event definition (a total of 231 events).
Baseline characteristics and in-hospital complications were described by using medians with 25th and 75th percentiles for continuous variables and frequencies and proportions for categorical variables. Descriptive data were compared between outcome groupings with χ2 tests for categorical variables and 2-tailed t tests for continuous variables. When specific distributional assumptions for these tests were violated, the 2-tailed Fisher exact and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used for the categorical and continuous variables, respectively.
Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to describe 30-day postdischarge readmission and 30-day nonelective readmission with stepwise selection methods (α = .05). In the latter scenario, we did not count readmissions for elective PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting as events. The list of candidate variables for both models was selected according to clinical importance and included baseline characteristics, as well as in-hospital complications. Model assumptions were assessed and variables were transformed as appropriate to satisfy linearity.
To ensure adequate control for case-mix variation across countries, additional variables were included, along with the selected covariates for each model: age, preintervention Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction score, preintervention ST-segment deviation, postintervention ST-segment resolution, peak creatine kinase mass, Killip classification, and patient-level length of stay (LOS), which was defined as a categorical variable with 6 groups (1-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and >6 days). For each outcome, this constituted our final patient-level model.
Additional analyses were conducted to illustrate these models and address secondary questions. Odds ratios (ORs) for each country vs the United States were derived from these models by replacing United States vs non–United States with binary indicators for every country of enrollment (US reference). In addition, readmission rates, adjusted for all covariates in the patient-level model, were calculated for each country, and standard errors were obtained by bootstrapping. To address the hypothesis that differences between countries could be associated with differences in country-level LOS, we added country-level median LOS to the patient-level models. Differences in the timing of readmission between US and non-US sites were investigated by calculating readmission rates by time (days) since discharge in each region.
Although our primary hypotheses deal with nonfatal endpoints, mortality is a competing risk in this population. As a sensitivity analysis, we repeated the stepwise variable selection for the composite endpoint of 30-day postdischarge death or readmission. To further investigate the competing risk of death (and in particular how in-hospital mortality is not counted in an analysis of postdischarge rehospitalization), we fit logistic regression models of in-hospital and 30-day postadmission death, using covariates from a previously published model14 of death within 90 days of admission.
P = .05 was considered statistically significant. All statistical testing was 2-sided and performed with SAS version 8.2.
Of the 5745 STEMI patients enrolled in the trial, there were 5571 (97.0%) patients included in the analysis who survived to hospital discharge and represented 17 countries; 631 (11.3%; 95% CI, 10.5%-12.2%) were readmitted within 30 days from hospital discharge. Of the 631 patients, 14.5% (95% CI, 12.9%-16.2%) of patients in the United States and 9.9% (95% CI, 9.0%-10.9%) outside the United States were readmitted within 30 days. Excluding readmissions for elective revascularization, 478 (8.6%; 95% CI, 7.8%-9.3%) of patients in the overall cohort were readmitted within 30 days of discharge, accounting for 10.5% (95% CI, 9.0%-11.9%) of patients in the United States and 7.7% (95% CI, 6.9%-8.6%) of patients outside the United States.
Table 1 and Table 2 report baseline characteristics stratified by 30-day readmission status. Age and sex were similar between cohorts. Patients readmitted within 30 days had higher rates of comorbidities, including previous coronary artery disease (20.9% vs 15.5%; 95% CI, 17.7%-24.1% vs 14.4%-16.5%; P < .001), hypertension (56.7% vs 48.0%; 95% CI, 52.9%-60.6% vs 46.6%-49.4%; P < .001), and diabetes (18.7% vs 15.2%; 95% CI, 15.7%-21.7% vs 14.2%-16.2%; P = .02). Patients in the readmission cohort were more likely to have multivessel disease (57.1% vs 38.2%; 95% CI 53.2%-60.9% vs 36.8%-39.5%; P < .001) and noninferior myocardial infarction (63.9% vs 58.1%; 95% CI, 60.1%-67.6% vs 56.7%-59.4%; P = .005). More patients in the readmission group had patient-level LOS exceeding 6 days. Rates of discharge prescription of evidence-based medication, including aspirin, ticlopidine or clopidogrel, β-blocker, and statin, were similar between groups. A larger proportion of patients in the readmission cohort were from the US vs the no readmission cohort (39.1% vs 29.4%; 95% CI, 35.3%-43.0% vs 28.1%-30.7%; P < .001).
eTable 1 reports rates of in-hospital complications stratified by 30-day readmission status. Although overall rates of in-hospital complications were low, patients who were readmitted had higher rates of in-hospital complications, including congestive heart failure (4.3% vs 1.8%; 95% CI, 2.7%-5.9% vs 1.4%-2.1%; P < .001) and atrial fibrillation (7.0% vs 3.8%; 95% CI, 5.0%-9.0% vs 3.3%-4.3%; P < .001).
Patient characteristics stratified by US vs non-US patients are shown in Table 3. Compared with outside of the United States, the United States enrolled slightly younger patients (median age 58 vs 62 years; interquartile range 50-69 vs 54-71 years; P < .001) and a higher proportion of black patients (7.1% vs 0.2%; 95% CI, 5.9%-8.3% vs 0.1%-0.4%; P < .001). Comorbidities were similar, with the exception of a slightly higher prevalence of previous coronary artery bypass grafting surgery and coronary artery disease among US patients and slightly lower prevalence of chronic inflammatory conditions. Patient-level LOS was significantly lower for US patients vs patients outside of the United States (P < .001). Length of stay was 3 days or fewer for 60.0% (95% CI, 57.7%-62.4%) of US patients vs 15.9% (95% CI, 14.9%-17.0%) of patients outside of the United States (P < .001). Length of stay was 6 days or longer for 16.6% (95% CI, 14.8%-18.4%) of the US patients vs 54.0% (95% CI, 52.4%-55.6%) of those outside of the United States (P < .001). Patients in the United States had higher rates of readmission for elective PCI (4.4% vs 2.0%; 95% CI, 3.4%-5.3% vs 1.5%-2.4%; P < .001) and lower rates of readmission for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (0.6% vs 1.2%; 95% CI, 0.2%-1.0% vs 0.8%-1.5%; P = .046). Patients in the United States had higher rates of discharge with β-blocker and nitrate therapy, modestly reduced rates of discharge with ticlopidine or clopidogrel and statins, and reduced rates of discharge with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or aldosterone antagonists. Rates of aspirin prescription at discharge were similar between groups.
Predictors of 30-day readmission after adjustment for baseline characteristics are presented in Table 4. The 3 strongest predictors based on model χ2 values were multivessel disease, US enrollment (vs rest of the world), and baseline heart rate. Patients with multivessel disease had almost twice the odds of readmission compared with those without (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.65-2.35). Patients in the United States had 68% increased odds of readmission vs those outside the United States (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.37-2.07), and baseline heart rate per 10/min increase was associated with a 9% increased odds of readmission (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.05-1.15). Other independent predictors of readmission were noninferior myocardial infarction location (OR; 1.28; 95% CI, 1.07-1.52), recurrent ischemia (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.01-2.47), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.07-2.14), chronic inflammatory conditions (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.04-2.94), and a history of hypertension (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.07-1.52). After adjustment for baseline characteristics, patient-level LOS was not a significant predictor of 30-day readmission (LOS >6 days vs 1-2 days: OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.97-1.91).
The odds of 30-day readmission for each country in the study (vs the United States) and adjusted readmission rates are displayed in the Figure. Several countries had significantly lower odds of 30-day readmission vs the United States, including Italy (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.15-0.43), Germany (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.07-0.46), Canada (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.20-0.56), Portugal (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.21-0.80), the Netherlands (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.30-0.84), and the Czech Republic (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.44-0.78). Only Denmark and Sweden had higher odds of readmission, which was not statistically significant.
Median LOS and adjusted 30-day readmission rate by country are reported in eFigure 1 and the Figure, respectively. Country LOS ranged from 3 days (interquartile range, 2-4 days) (United States) to 8 days (interquartile range, 6-11 days) (Germany). Risk-adjusted 30-day readmission rates varied by country, from 4.4% (95% CI, 2.3%-6.4%) (Italy) to 19.2% (95% CI, 12.9%-25.5%) (Denmark). After the addition of country-level median LOS to our readmission model (Table 4), US enrollment was no longer significantly associated with readmission (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.87-1.61); however, country-level median LOS was associated with a 14% reduction in the odds of readmission for each additional in-hospital day (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78-0.96).
Baseline characteristics stratified by 30-day nonelective readmission are shown in eTable 2. Predictors of nonelective readmission are shown in Table 5. Independent predictors of 30-day nonelective readmission with largest χ2 values were baseline heart rate (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07-1.18), age (for each year >55 years) (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), and US enrollment (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.20-1.96). When only nonelective readmissions were considered, multivessel disease was no longer associated with 30-day readmission.
After adjustment for country-level median LOS, the results of our model examining predictors of 30-day nonelective readmission are shown in Table 5. After adjustment for country-level LOS, US enrollment was no longer a significant predictor of 30-day readmission. Country-level median LOS was associated with a 17% reduction in the odds of 30-day nonelective readmission for each 1-day increase in LOS (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74-0.93).
To account for the competing risk of postdischarge 30-day mortality and its association with 30-day readmission, we also analyzed variables associated with the combined endpoint of 30-day death or readmission. There were 59 (1.1%) deaths within 30 days of hospital discharge. Overall, 674 (12.1%) patients died or were readmitted within 30 days of hospital discharge. After adjustment for baseline characteristics, multivessel disease and hospitalization in the United States remained the 2 leading predictors of 30-day death or readmission, according to χ2 value (OR, 1.94 and 1.67; 95% CI, 1.63-2.31 and 1.36-2.05, respectively).
After adjustment for covariates, the adjusted odds of death in US vs non-US patients were not statistically significant for in-hospital death (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.60-1.30) or 30-day postadmission death (OR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.72-1.39).
The frequency of readmission according to postdischarge date (stratified by US or non-US enrollment) is illustrated in eFigure 2. In general, readmission frequency among all patients was greatest earlier postdischarge.
Given increasing focus on 30-day readmission rates among patients with common medical conditions, including myocardial infarction, we performed an analysis in a large international clinical trial of STEMI patients to determine predictors of all-cause and nonelective 30-day readmission. A substantial proportion of US patients (14.5%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge, even though patients treated with primary PCI tended to be younger and generally have lower risk. In comparison, the reported median risk-standardized 30-day readmission rate after acute myocardial infarction (non-STEMI or STEMI) among elderly Medicare beneficiaries is 19.9%.7 After multivariable adjustment, multivessel disease and residing in the United States were the strongest predictors of 30-day all-cause readmission according to model χ2 values. After exclusion of elective readmissions for PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting, multivessel disease was no longer significantly associated with readmission, but US enrollment remained predictive. Country-level median LOS was also an independent predictor of 30-day readmission rate. When country-level median LOS was added to a revised model of all-cause and nonelective readmissions, this variable eliminated the association between US enrollment and 30-day readmission. Patients residing in other countries vs the United States all had either decreased (6 countries) or statistically similar (10 countries) odds of all-cause readmission, as did patients residing in the United States. Further analysis to investigate whether our results were, in part, due to differential inpatient and short-term mortality between US and non-US patients revealed that there was no difference between groups in the odds of inpatient or 30-day mortality. These findings reinforce that regional differences in readmission rates observed in our study do not seem to be influenced by the competing risk of short-term mortality.
Although the pathophysiology of non-STEMI can be heterogeneous,11 STEMI is nearly always related to plaque rupture, leading to an occlusive thrombus in an epicardial coronary vessel.16,17 Hence, isolating our analysis to the STEMI subset better controls for variation in acute pathogenesis, allowing us to focus on other patient factors and care patterns that increase risk for readmission. Our findings indicate that, in addition to patient comorbidities, disease severity (as indicated by the presence of multivessel disease), baseline heart rate, and high-risk electrocardiogram changes are important predictors of subsequent short-term readmission. There was a 68% increase in the risk of readmission among patients residing in the United States vs patients outside the United States in our study. Thirty-day postdischarge readmission rates in the United States were lower in this study than in previously reported Medicare data.7,18 This discrepancy likely reflects the relatively young clinical trial population with less comorbidity, as well as the highly effective treatment our patients received with primary PCI.19
As one might predict, when we investigate only readmissions unrelated to elective PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting, multivessel disease is no longer associated with readmission. Being hospitalized inside the United States remains associated with readmission, but the association is diminished, which suggests that differential rates in early readmission for elective revascularization may be associated with the higher rates of all-cause readmission observed in the United States. Curtis et al18 examined readmission rates among Medicare beneficiaries post-PCI and found that almost one-third of those who were readmitted within 30 days underwent revascularization—and primarily PCI. Although their data could not distinguish between elective and urgent revascularization, our data suggest that a significant proportion of patients in the United States who are readmitted within 30 days after STEMI undergo elective PCI or, less commonly, coronary artery bypass grafting. Moreover, the rates of readmission for elective revascularization after STEMI are higher in the United States than in other countries studied. These findings highlight the variation and potential clinical uncertainty regarding the management of non–infarct-related coronary artery disease, which is the focus of several ongoing clinical studies.
Perhaps the most intriguing finding was the relationship between readmission rates and LOS. Once we adjusted our models of all-cause and nonelective readmissions for country-level median LOS, then the United States was no longer significantly associated with readmission. In general, one notable difference in care patterns outside the United States is longer LOS for cardiovascular disease and post–myocardial infarction,20 as in our study. Length of stay post-STEMI has declined dramatically in the United States during the past quarter century.6,21 In our study, the United States had the lowest median LOS among all countries, results similar to those of previous analyses of clinical trial populations.20 Some are now suggesting that LOS has declined too far in the United States, resulting in suboptimal outcomes.21 This trend may be driven by a health care system that financially rewards early discharge. However, studies have not been able to show an association between shorter LOS and increased risk of readmission for acute myocardial infarction.21 Yet we did find an inverse relationship between country-level LOS and 30-day postdischarge readmission rates. This variable offset the strength of being a US vs non-US patient as a predictor of readmission. These data raise the possibility that higher readmission rates in the United States may be an adverse effect of the short LOS practice. A consequence is that patients become eligible for readmission closer to the index event, when risk of subsequent events is still elevated. Nevertheless, because this analysis is exploratory, country-level LOS may be a marker for a combination of differences in health care patterns across different countries, even though we attempted to adjust for some of the factors.
Other system-related differences outside the United States often include near-universal health coverage for all citizens through a single-payer state-run system, private compulsory health insurance, or some combination of the two,22 which may afford quicker and easier access to primary care postdischarge follow-up, as well as more accessibility to medications such as clopidogrel. Recent US data have shown decreased risk of 30-day readmission among heart failure patients who follow up with a physician within 7 days of discharge.23 Previous research in the United States has also shown decreased risk of readmission among patients with early follow-up after acute myocardial infarction.24
Significant attention has been focused on reducing acute myocardial infarction readmission rates in the United States as a means of reducing health care costs, according to the assumption that readmission is (at least in part) preventable. Our analysis shows that readmission may be preventable because rates are nearly one-third lower in other countries, suggesting that the US health care system has features that can be modified to decrease readmission rates. Understanding these international differences may provide important insight into reducing such rates, particularly in the United States. At the same time, the economic tradeoff between prolonging index hospital stays and reducing readmissions needs further research because the former may simply decrease overall efficiency without a significant effect on outcomes or overall resource use. Comparative analysis of health care systems may allow discovery of the optimal in-hospital processes that minimize readmissions without excessively increasing costs. Examining the total inpatient days for a 30-day episode of care may be a useful construct for this economic analysis; however, those data were not available for the present analysis. Patient-level factors associated with decreased risk for early discharge post–myocardial infarction have been studied and could be explored to reduce LOS without risking increased readmissions.19,25
Our study has several limitations. First, it is a retrospective analysis of clinical trial data. Although we have used a multivariable model to adjust for potential confounders, there may remain unmeasured or residual confounding. Second, although the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction trial had few exclusion criteria (including, for example, patients of any age, as well as those with renal failure and cardiogenic shock), the population was a selected clinical trial population; therefore, our results may not be generalizable to the STEMI population at large. Third, some countries enrolled relatively few patients, limiting the statistical power to make comparisons vs the United States. The analysis of median LOS was limited by the number of countries evaluated and included only as a linear predictor. This relationship requires further consideration in data sets with additional health care systems. Finally, our study compares only a small proportion of all countries globally, and this limits a true global interpretation of our results.
Thirty-day readmission after STEMI occurs in greater than 1 in 10 optimally treated patients. Rates are higher in patients with multivessel disease and in patients treated in the United States. After multivariable adjustment, the United States continued to be an independent predictor of a higher likelihood of 30-day all-cause hospital readmission. This association may be related to differential rates of early readmission for elective revascularization and shorter median LOS in the United States. In particular, country-level median LOS attenuates the relationship between the United States and early readmission. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between LOS and readmission rates and define and optimize overall efficiency of care internationally.
Corresponding Author: Manesh R. Patel, MD, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, PO Box 17969, Durham, NC 27715 (firstname.lastname@example.com).
Author Contributions: Dr Kociol had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Study concept and design: Kociol, Lopes, Clare, Mehta, Kaul, Pieper, Hochman, Weaver, Armstrong, Granger, Patel.
Acquisition of data: Patel.
Analysis and interpretation of data: Kociol, Lopes, Clare, Thomas, Mehta, Kaul, Pieper, Hochman, Weaver, Armstrong, Granger, Patel.
Drafting of the manuscript: Kociol, Lopes, Clare, Mehta, Kaul, Pieper, Hochman, Weaver, Armstrong, Granger, Patel.
Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Kociol, Lopes, Clare, Thomas, Mehta, Kaul, Pieper, Hochman, Weaver, Armstrong, Granger, Patel.
Statistical analysis: Clare, Thomas.
Obtained funding: Granger, Patel.
Study supervision: Patel.
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: All authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none were reported.
Funding/Support: This research was supported by unrestricted funding from the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and Alexion Pharmaceuticals jointly funded the Assessment of Pexelizumab in Acute Myocardial Infarction trial. This work was supported by an award from the American Heart Association–Pharmaceutical Roundtable and David and Stevie Spina.
Role of the Sponsors: The sponsors played no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.
Additional Contributions: We would like to thank Erin LoFrese, MS, Duke Clinical Research Institute, for her editorial contributions to this article. Ms LoFrese did not receive compensation for her contributions, apart from her employment at the institution where this study was conducted.


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Adding this to my reading list for today! Always enjoy your roundups!
Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some great articles on ways for kids to save money, improving your life, and ways you could be sabotaging your retirement.
5 Easy Ways for Kids to Save Money — One good way for kids to save money is to have their parents open a savings account for them. [Savings Scoop]
Nine Things You Can Do Today to Improve Your Life — To improve your life today, try going for a one hour walk around your neighborhood. [The Simple Dollar]
Two Ways You Could Be Sabotaging Your Retirement — One of the ways you could be sabotaging your retirement is by not negotiating your pay during the hiring process. [Free Money Finance]
6 Ways to Save on Halloween Costumes — Save on your child's Halloween costume by creating a new costume instead of buying one. [Parenting Squad]
3 Quick Tips For Laid-Off LinkedIn Users — If you have been laid-off, make sure your LinkedIn profile has a well crafted headline. [SavvySugar]
DIY Healthcare Steps to Good Health — Make sure you stay in good health by staying both physically and mentally active. [The Sun's Financial Diary]
5 Hidden Financial Risks of Everyday Life — A big financial risk you may be committing is being uninsured or underinsured. [Quizzle Wire]
How To Keep Work and Stress Noise Under Control — Avoid the "stress noise" of constantly focusing on work by learning how to compartmentalize. [Careful Cents]
How to be Successfully Self Sufficient — Be self sufficient and save money by learning how to do maintenance tasks for your car or home on your own. [The Frugal Toad]
Five Fall Car Care Tips to Do Now — Make sure to flush your radiator and refill it with fresh coolant this fall. [Canadian Finance Blog]
Wise Bread Tweetchat (#WBChat) — Don't miss our weekly tweetchat at 12pm PST! This week we will be talking about frugal Halloween party ideas and we will be giving away prizes.
Be sure to check out our News & Events Calendar to see all the awesome upcoming events in the personal finance world!
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
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Walking from the airplane towards the immigration area, I noticed that I was walking a little faster than normal. And when I turned the corner, walked down the small staircase and straight into the immigration line itself, I could not help but smile widely.
I received my entry stamp, picked up my backpack (which for the first time in all my travels was one of the first few pieces of luggage to come out onto the luggage carousel) and proceeded through the customs inspection. Seconds later, the sliding glass door opened, I walked right through and there I stood in the Arrivals Hall of the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, with an array of brilliant flashbacks popping into my head.
It felt mighty good to be back in South Africa.
Only 14 months prior had I been standing in that exact same spot when my flight from New York City had arrived and the South Africa Travel Blogger Tour that I had been invited on, had begun. This time, I had flown in from Mumbai and while I wouldn't be traveling with a group of other bloggers on this particular trip, I would not be traveling alone either.
This current South Africa trip of mine is all about my mom. In order to celebrate her birthday, we decided to meet in the one country that has been at the top of her list of places to visit for a long time now…sweet South Africa!
After agreeing on the dates a few months ago, I looked into the logistics, I was put in touch with the wonderfully helpful people over at DSA Vacations and before we knew it, we had our trip all planned out.
And now, here we are.
I'm excited, she's excited and, even though I'll be traveling a little differently than I normally do over the following ten days, I hope you'll be excited to follow along with us as well.
And what exactly do I mean by 'traveling a little differently than I normally do?' Well, as my goal was to make this trip as special as possible for my mom, we'll be staying at some accommodation along the way that I probably wouldn't stay at if I were backpacking on my own. (Let's just say that there won't be any mice running around these rooms!)
But hey, this trip is a birthday celebration and I wanted to do it properly. Besides, the next ten days and beyond will be full of activities and excursions that will give you an excellent idea of what a visit to this diverse country is all about. As for our itinerary, we'll spend three days in Cape Town before heading over to the Garden Route and staying a few nights in Plettenberg Bay. From there we'll fly up to Johannesburg for a quick stop and then continue on to Kruger National Park for a 3-day safari.
And the best part (for me at least) is that this trip includes visits to parts of this country that I did not have a chance to experience the last time I was here back in 2010.
So, are you ready to explore a little bit of South Africa with my mom and I? I'm highly confident that you won't be disappointed! After all, we've only been here a couple of days so far and there's already been African penguin sightings, a drive along the mesmerizing Cape Peninsula, wine-tasting in beautiful Stellenbosch and of course, a trip up to the top of impressive Table Mountain.
It's off to a spectacular start and there shall be plenty more to come…
Any questions about South Africa? Is this country already on your list of places you want to visit?


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Show SummaryAdam welcomes CA State Assemblyman Mike Gatto to the show, who represents the 43rd district where the podcast is recorded. Mike congratulates Adam on 5 years of podcasting, and presents him a resolution honoring Adam and his business. Adam then talks with Syd Wilder, who is filling in for Alison, about her sister's Playboy and porn career. Matt Atchity is also in studio, and the guys play a Time Travel themed edition of the Rotten Tomatoes game. Howie Mandel joins the show in the second half, and he talks with Adam about purchasing a warehouse but not having anything to put in it. They also discuss Howie's role in Adam's new movie, and the next season of Howie's show, 'Deal With It'. Later they chat about adult circumcision and vajazzling. Today's news stories include 3rd graders caught smoking weed, a teen suing her parents for not supporting her tuition, and the sale of Pharrell's ridiculous hat. As the show wraps up, Howie and Syd read a scene from a porno that Syd's sister is considering.
LinksWatch the season premiere of Deal With It on March 19th on TBS. It's on Wednesdays at 10:30am. Also follow Howie on Twitter @HowieMandel. Also be sure to visit http://rottentomatoes.com and follow Matt on Twitter @MAtchity.
Superfan SidebarClick Here for Superfan Giovanni's recap and commentary on today's episode. For more, go to AdamCarolla.com/Gio.
Show CreditsProducers: Mike August, Mike Lynch, and Mike Dawson Co-Producers: Gary Smith, Chris Laxamana, Matt Fondiler and Jeff Fox Newsgirl: Alison Rosen Sound Effects: Bryan Bishop


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IETF 79 Proceedings
Introduction | Area, Working Goup & BoF Reports | Plenaries | Training | Internet Research Task Force
Additional information is available at tools.ietf.org/wg/siprec
Real-time Applications and Infrastructure Area Director(s):
* The Real-time Applications and Infrastructure Area Directors were seated during the IETF 65.
Real-time Applications and Infrastructure Area Advisor:
Technical Advisor(s):
The Session Recording Protocol (SIPREC) working group is chartered to
define a SIP-based protocol for controlling a session (media) recorder.
Session recording is a critical requirement in many business
communications environments such as call centers and financial trading
floors. In some of these environments, all calls must be recorded for
regulatory and compliance reasons. In others, calls may be recorded for
quality control, business analytics, or consumer protection. Recording
is typically done by sending a copy of the media to the recording
devices. The working group will determine requirements and produce a
specification for a protocol that will manage delivery of media from an
end-point that originates media, or that has access to it, to a
recording device. PBX and recording vendors today implement proprietary,
incompatible mechanisms to facilitate recording. A standard protocol
will reduce the complexity and cost of providing such recording
The Session Recording problem presents certain unique requirements that
are not addressed in the current SIP protocol specification. These
include requirements such as the need for a distinction between the
session that is being recorded versus the session that has been
established for recording.
Privacy and security of conversations are significant concerns. The
working group will make sure that any protocol specified addresses these
concerns and includes mechanisms to alert users to the fact that a
session they are participating in is being recorded.
The working group must take care that the session recording requirements
and protocol does not conflict with the IETF statement on wiretapping
contained in RFC 2804.
The SIPREC Working Group will thoroughly identify use cases, provide
example system architectures and deployment scenarios, and define
The scope of the activity includes:
* Recorder Control
* Session metadata content and format
* Security mechanisms, including transport and media encryption
* Privacy concerns, including end-user notification
* Negotiation of recording media streams
The group will define these issues and rationalize with IETF standards
and practices. This includes encryption, NAT traversal, operations and
manageability, SIP-enabled firewalls, authorization, and security.
The group will produce:
* Updated Requirements, Use Cases, Architecture draft
* Specification for Session Recording Protocol
|Use Cases and Requirements to IESG as Informational RFC
|Aug 2011
|Architecture to IESG as Informational RFC
|Dec 2011
|Submit Metadata model and format to IESG as Proposed Standard RFC
|Jan 2012
|Submit protocol draft to IESG as Proposed Standard RFC


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|Photo courtesy @james_in_to's incomparable Flickr stream.
What's more is that Lind has posted better numbers against the same lefties who once owned him. He still only has 25 plate appearances against southpaws, but he has managed a remarkable 13 hits in those matchups, including a homer and three doubles. Obviously, small sample size disclaimers apply, but it would be hard to think of a 25 plate appearance stretch against lefties in any of the last three seasons where Lind had anywhere near this kind of success.
Perhaps the most impressive indicator in all of Adam Lind's stat lines is the sharp decline in the percentage of infield fly balls he has surrendered. In the last two seasons, Lind has posted IFFB% of 10.5% and 9.9%. But this year, with a stronger swing and fewer painful flailings, Lind has dropped that number to 1.9%, which will place him in the top 20 in baseball once he qualifies.
Moreover, Lind has raised his line drive percentage by 6.7% over last year while dropping his ground ball rate 7.6%. All of which points to the fact that he is hitting the ball harder and squaring it up more often. And you can have a lot of success that way.
WAR! Huh! Good Lord!: I'm not particularly clever - nor wise - but as I understand it, Wins Above Replacement are probably best considered at the end of a season, when looking backwards to assess what happened in a year, or over the span of several seasons.
But since they publish the running tab on these things, let's say we indulge in a bit of imprudent number regurgitation.
Most winningly-winning Blue Jay thus far? José Bautista, who has been such a bad example to the rest of the team through his unleaderly ways* that he's posted 2.5 wins above scrub level, according to the Fangraphs tabulation.
Second on the list? Colby Rasmus, who crushed three home runs over the weekend in the Texas heat, and now sits at 1.9, just ahead of Adam Lind (1.8) and Edwin Encarnacion (1.7).
In an odd and eminently notable coincidence, we find ten games of José Reyes from back in April and Muenenori Kawasaki's 53 games of emergency replacement duty tied for fifth on that list with 0.6 wins.
On the pitching side of the ledger, Brett Cecil leads all with a 0.9 mark, while Casey Janssen follows with a 0.8.
Mark Buehrle has been the most valuable starting pitcher, tied for third Steve Delabar 0.6 wins. Meanwhile, putative staff ace R.A. Dickey is tied with Juan Perez at 0.5 wins. I'm sure Dickey's philosophical about it...or at least has a good explanation.
Unexpected roster flexibility: Edwin Encarnacion has looked kinda good at third base, hasn't he?
While past experience might lead one to have apprehensions about putting EE there on a regular basis, Jays' manager John Gibbons has seemed to pick his spots well over the past few weeks, since a short bench in NL parks during interleague play pushed him to make the move.
In 61.2 innings at the hot corner, Encarnacion has fielded well enough to make you think that he might be up to the task here and there while awaiting Brett Lawrie's return. It certainly enhances the strength of the offensive lineup should the Jays need to cycle some other bats through the DH slot through the summer months.
Remember the 2013 pitching staff: It was hard to imagine the 2013 season being any worse that last year, when the Jays would require 34 pitchers to get through the schedule. Well, here we are: Not even half-way through the 2013 season and the Blue Jays have thus far employed 29 pitchers.
It's probably fair at this point to say that this emanates in part from an organizational philosophy: The end of the rotation or bullpen slots are not so much jobs that are won as much as they are temp positions that are filled on an as-needed basis. Still, it adds up to a remarkably odd and eclectic list of names that you find filling out the season's roster.
David Bush, Aaron Laffey, Justin Germano, Todd Redmond, Edgar Gonzalez, Thad Weber, Mickey Storey...heck, Ramon Ortiz seems like an organizational mainstay compared to some on that list.
It's almost enough to make you want to run a graceful, slow-motion, black-and-white "In memoriam" tribute over the strains of Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You" to some of these now-departed hurlers.
Except that, you know...for the most part, we won't remember them. Only those among us who take unusual delight in the obscure would want to.
*I'm being facetious about this. Sometimes, I assume that this is obvious. But some of you might be reading my scribblings for the first time. In which case: Welcome.