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Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Lucas: My Lords, local education authorities, the Student Loans Company, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, the Department for Education and the police are all taking action to identify and eliminate fraudulent grant applications.
Lord Campbell of Croy: My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that reply. Can he confirm recent reports in the press of organised widespread criminal activity, including forgery and invention of non-existent students? If they are correct, should not counter-measures be accelerated since the money lost could be used to help genuine students who are finding it difficult to make ends meet?
Lord Lucas: My Lords, I can confirm that over the past year or two we have been aware that there has been a considerable increase in fraudulent applications for grants and loans. We have, along with the authorities that I mentioned in my first reply, taken substantial measures to combat this, including the recently announced grant to UCAS of £120,000 to develop further the measures that it already takes. I would of course be reluctant to go into any details as to what measures are being taken since that information could only help people to succeed where we hope they will not.
Baroness David: My Lords, can the Minister give us a real assurance that the Student Loans Company is itself being well run and there has been no corruption there at all, because there have been allegations that it is being run appallingly badly? Can he give us any reassurance that those faults have been corrected?
Lord Lucas: My Lords, as those who attended Monday's debate last week will be aware, we very much regret the administrative problems at the Student Loans Company which caused inconvenience to tens of thousands of students. I can confirm what I said then, that those problems have now been overcome and that we are putting considerable efforts into making sure that they do not re-occur. The noble Baroness mentioned the subject of fraud. As she will know, Coopers are conducting a forensic audit into certain matters which have been brought to our attention by a former employee of the Student Loans Company. I do not wish
Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone: My Lords, can my noble friend give the House some indication in figures of the extent of this abuse?
Lord Lucas: My Lords, the Audit Commission believes that the total of identified fraud is about £2.3 million. It is inevitable that there will be some unidentified fraud but given the efforts we are making we do not believe that that is particularly large.
Lord Dormand of Easington: My Lords, how many applications are found to be fraudulent?
Lord Lucas: My Lords, I can give the noble Lord the figures for the Student Loans Company. In 1993-94 there were 67 proven cases of fraud and in 1994-95 to date there have been 41 cases.
Lord Morris of Castle Morris: My Lords, what assurance can the Minister give the House that the £120,000 over two years given to UCAS to set up computerised tracking devices is going to be enough to crack this problem in two years? If the answer is that he cannot be certain, will he now give us a commitment that appropriate support to UCAS will continue until this fraud is eliminated; and can he further confirm that universities will not be put to additional expense in solving this problem which is none of their making?
Lord Lucas: My Lords, of course I cannot give the detailed confirmation that the noble Lord asks for. However, I can say that we treat the problem extremely seriously and will do all that is reasonably in our power to eliminate it.
Lord Boardman: My Lords, my noble friend referred to proven cases. Can he say whether there have been any prosecutions and with what result?
Lord Lucas: My Lords, I am afraid I do not have the information my noble friend asks for, but I shall write to him.
Lord Orr-Ewing: My Lords, can my noble friend remind the House what percentage of total student grant applications are fraudulent?
Lord Lucas: My Lords, the answer is something less than a tenth of 1 per cent.
Baroness Fisher of Rednal asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege): My Lords, the information is not available in the form
Baroness Fisher of Rednal: My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware of the initiative of my local national health hospital in Birmingham, the Selly Oak Hospital, which has set up a one-day examination programme for GP patients? The patients go through the whole process of testing for heart failure, including an echocardiogram. Is she aware that that has saved the hospital a considerable amount of money? Will she look at that example to see whether national guidelines can be drawn from it to the benefit of patients and the health service generally?
Baroness Cumberlege: Yes, my Lords, I shall certainly do what the noble Baroness requests. Clinical guidelines are currently being drawn up by a joint audit committee of the Royal College of Physicians and the British Cardiac Society. I would expect the committee to take that example on board. I shall draw it to its attention in case it has not.
Lord Carr of Hadley: My Lords, does my noble friend agree that if we are to reduce the scourge of heart disease in terms of both death and disability in this country, early detection of any tendency to the disease is of the utmost importance? In that connection, has she considered, or will she consider, the possibility of an increased role for the technique of nuclear magnetic resonance scans as a means of identifying such tendencies in a non-invasive way? Will she also consider the possible use of mobile units which could go round the country to different hospitals and reduce the enormous capital expenditure involved in introducing such scanning units hospital by hospital?
Baroness Cumberlege: Yes, my Lords. That is a very good suggestion. I know that mobile units in other spheres, such as scanning for breast cancer, have been very valuable. As to early detection and prevention, as Valentine's Day is less than a week away it is important that your Lordships should look after your hearts, even if you do not wish to give them away.
Lord Dean of Beswick: My Lords, is the Minister aware that the black spots with a high ratio of heart disease are all to be found in inner city areas in cities such as Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Liverpool? As the figures in those areas are still frightening, can she give any indication whether there is any possibility of targeting increased resources to those black spots?
Baroness Cumberlege: My Lords, those figures are taken into account when resources are allocated to different health authorities. The noble Lord is absolutely right. The variation across the country is considerable.
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, is the Minister aware that this very morning I spoke to the world famous professor of thrombosis, Professor Kakkar? Is she aware that he told me that at King's College Hospital they sometimes have to cancel operations at the last minute because the intensive care beds are taken up by victims of acts of violence such as stabbings, and therefore the heart cases have to wait? Is that not a terrible waste of talent and resources?
Baroness Cumberlege: My Lords, this Chamber is a power house of information. I was not party to the conversations that the noble Baroness had with members of the public, but I am always willing to learn.
Lord Ennals: My Lords, in view of the figure mentioned by the Minister, which illustrates the enormous size of the problem, and the point made by the noble Lord on the Bench behind her concerning the urgency of obtaining rapid diagnosis, can the noble Baroness say what priority is being given by the department to ensuring that the type of facilities at Selly Oak to which my noble friend referred are available in other parts of the country?
Next Section
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Lords Hansard Home Page


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SEATO (Southeast Asian Treaty Organization) in Pakistan. Members of the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization strengthen their ties within collective security organizations. They pledge support to Pakistan in territorial disputes with India and re-affirm their common stand against Russian aggression. Dignitaries speak into microphone during the meeting.
A film depicts steps in Libyan independence. Allied soldiers on tanks during World War II. A tank goes past a ruined building. People gathered look as the Union Jack is unfurled. People read a proclamation pasted on a wall. Ruins of World War II. A meeting in the United Nations in 1945 where it is suggested that Libya be placed under temporary UN trusteeship. A resolution in the UN on 21st November, 1949 to create an independent Libya. The Russian delegate to the UN states his disagreement. The United Kingdom delegate speaks in favor of the resolution. A UN aircraft lands and taxis in Libya. Advisory Council members, led by Mustafa Qasim Mizran, who is first to exit the plane and is head of the National Party and Director of the School of Arts and Trades in Tripoli, are joined by UN Commissioner in Libya Adrian Pelt as they are greeted by dignitaries. The headquarters of the Commissioner and the Advisory Council in Tripoli. A sign reads 'Office of the United Nations Commissioner in Libya'. Members of the Advisory Council include representatives from Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, Fezzan, Egypt, France, Italy, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States and a minority group delegate. Cars carrying the representatives drive out of the gates of the headquarters. They meet people to become aware of their problems. People greet the UN Commissioner and the members of the Advisory Council. A visit to Benghazi where they meet the Emir of Cyrenaica. People holding placards in front of the Emir's palace to greet the Advisory Council. They meet the Emir, who is the religious Muslim leader, in his place. The headquarters of the Commissioner and the Advisory Council, where Mustafa Qasim Mizran is seen touching his face, as he stands behind king Idris,
The first Governor General of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, speaks at a Moslem Congress in Pakistan. Jinna delivers a speech after the partition of India. An official speaks into a microphone while he holds the flag of Pakistan. Jinnah leaves in a car escorted by policemen.
U.S. President Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower during a visit in Asia. U.S. President arrives in Ankara, Turkey. He gets off an aircraft and is greeted by Mahmut Celal Bayar, the President of Turkey. People on either side of the streets welcome Ike. Policemen ride bikes in a formation. Both the Presidents in a motorcade. People look from the windows of their houses. A poster of U.S. President on a building. A sign reads 'Turks trust Ike'. He is given a farewell. The President gets in a plane and leaves for Pakistan. The President arrives in Karachi. Flags of the United States and Pakistan. U.S. President is greeted by Pakistani President Muhammad Ayub Khan. Soldiers stand in a squad. U.S. Persistent climbs up a carriage drawn by six horses and is escorted by guards. People stand on either side of the streets to greet him. People look from the gallery of their houses. He gets off the carriage and visits the tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. He witnesses a display of horsemanship. Ike stands with Ayub and waves.
A factory in Pakistan. Exteriors of a factory in Pakistan. Pakistani President Ayub Khan and other government officials arrive at the factory. They greet the owner and then view the factory in operation. Men work on machines inside the factory, stamping metal parts and assembling small parts. Officials inspect the factory. Men work on various machines.
Religious riots in East Pakistan in 1963. Buildings burn and smoke rising from buildings. Wounded and dead in the streets during religious riots in East Pakistan. People climb on a train and stand near railway tracks. Ruins of buildings. People and cow carts move past in streets.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tomorow's JLed Release...
July 23-27th, 2008 at the San Diego Convention Center. Post all exclusive releases, signing info, and more!
Moderator: Kidrobot Guru
$500 for $65 figure happens every day with the rare dunny's.
Good deals with: D-LuX, dieselbouy, kabautista9, Robot Companion, jrox19, Katastrophe, untilshewokeme, cSpooge, AKBAPE, mourningwd, Aussietoyrama, kittycat, SnorseWhisperer, fast1950, sleepboy, gloomyfan, shadowbooth, GooseWonder, mrmonkey, jceballo, illminded1, Fiashly
Bad deals with: kp
Bad deals with: kp
- BakerTheZombie
- Posts: 1009
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:41 am
- Location: Cincy
Sorry I meant this figure. I mean I like it... But not for $500.
Great transactions w/: Zma, themonsterkrebs, Mendez, saiko, wastemoremoney, MrMongoose, Jackcuzzy, sillynickers, bk_bk, nerbous, !DMS!, Steve8091, flabby, fairladyz, in.cog.nito, the-flip, .... Many, many more....
Looking For:
MEDIC 1G ARMSTRONG! Please hook a brother up. Need any wwrp? I'm sure we could work out a trade...
Looking For:
MEDIC 1G ARMSTRONG! Please hook a brother up. Need any wwrp? I'm sure we could work out a trade...
- Metatron1050
- Posts: 2213
- Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:14 am
- Location: Bay Area 510
contra808 and i got one this morning. just jumped in line, an hour later it was sold out completely, even the display.


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Hollywood Firefighters
By Cathy Immordino
9 May 2009
How many firefighters does it take to put out the fire of a celebrity's nightclub? The nightclub was Basque, owned by one of the actresses from Desperate Housewives. The building was considered historic at the corner of Hollywood & Vine.
Over twenty-seven fire trucks showed up to handle this fire. Most of the firemen stood and watched as smoke and flames engulfed the building and spread quickly to the tattoo shop next door. The news made it sound like this was a huge deal but I felt the fire was intentionally set to a building that already had a failing structure from previous earthquakes. Also, this particular location was worth far more than the tenants were paying in rent and it was a slow news day in Los Angeles.
VOTE: Do you like this story?
1 response
Christopher J Chalk gave props (12 May 2009):
Great collection of images, got my vote!
More Photo Essays
Jabal Hafeet - Empty Mountain
By Denis Yakimchuk — 2 Aug 2018
Short roadtrip to the second-tallest mountain in the United Arab Emirates


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Blocks are a very powerful feature of AutoCAD 2000. They enable you to define an object or collection of objects that can be inserted into a drawing over and over, without having to create the object or objects again from scratch. They also can significantly reduce a drawing's file size. More importantly, although a drawing may contain hundreds of insertions of a particular block, if it becomes necessary to edit the blocks, AutoCAD requires only that you edit a single block definition. When that block is redefined, the hundreds of instances of the inserted block will automatically be updated. The new changes will appear instantly. Additionally, attributes containing user-defined textual information can be attached to a block, providing a means to create, locate, and then extract useful data unique to a particular block insertion.
To use the power of blocks to their fullest potential, it is necessary to first understand the nature of blocks. If you understand how blocks work and how to properly manage them, you will learn how to make AutoCAD 2000 do tedious, repetitious tasks automatically, thereby increasing your everyday productivity.
This chapter discusses the following subjects:
Defining and inserting blocks
Modifying blocks with the new in-place reference editing feature
Using nested blocks
Managing blocks effectively


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Times of Trenton photos | State plowed snow dumped into "Mt. Allen" in Trenton | State plowed snow dumped into "Mt. Allen" in Trenton Home | My Photographs ▼ My Photographs ▼ All My Photos Featured Recently Added | Guestbook | About | Contact Home»All Photographs»State plowed snow dumped into "Mt. Allen" in Trenton Taken 28-Jan-16 Visitors 0 7 of 17 photos State plowed snow dumped into "Mt. Allen" in Trenton TRENTON - Thursday, January 28, 2016The State of New Jersey in Trenton dumps much of its collected snow from plowing to the back of a parking lot next to Trenton Fire HQ on Perry St. The firefighters call it "Mt. Allen" because the huge piles of snow and ice border Allen St.Building at left is part of Trenton Fire HQ.(Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com )
<big> To purchase prints of this photo, visit TimesofTrenton.zenfolio.com</big>
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Brits film real estate segment in Sarasota
SARASOTA -- Amy Robinson, a broker-associate with RE/MAX Alliance Group, has been selected to appear on the British real estate show, "A Place in the Sun." She will appear in a 10-minute segment as the Sarasota real estate expert.
"A Place in the Sun" helps British house hunters find dream homes abroad with advice from a local real estate expert in the city where they are looking to buy. In the Sarasota episode, Robinson is the local real estate expert selected by the show's director and producer. The show takes a couple around an area and shows them five homes, with the goal to find their dream home in the Sun.
Robinson was interviewed by show host Jonnie Irwin.
"It was an awesome experience; the host and crew made it a lot of fun," Robinson said. "It is important for the health of our local economy that we continually wave the Sarasota flag. Sarasota is truly an amazing city with an incredible quality of life, and I'm thrilled it will get this international exposure at a time when many British people are looking to buy real estate in the United States, specifically in Florida."
The filming took place in December at Ophelia's on the Bay restaurant on Siesta Key.
Manatee attorney to chair Meals on Wheels
MANATEE COUNTY -- Blalock Walters' principal William Cloud Robinson Jr. has been elected to chairmnan of the Board of Directors for Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, where he has been a board member since 2008.
"I have had the pleasure of working with Will over the last few years, and I have great admiration and respect for him, both as a professional and community leader," said Maribeth Phillips, CEO of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. "It is our good fortune to have Will as our board chair, and I look forward to our continued work together."
Robinson has served as vice chair of the board as well as committee chairs for the legal and program evaluation committees.
Disney 1Q helped by 'Frozen,' 'Infinity'
LOS ANGELES -- The Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday reported earnings and revenue for the holiday quarter that beat Wall Street's expectations, helped by movie hits like "Frozen" and sales of its "Disney Infinity" console game.
Net income in the fiscal first quarter through Dec. 28 rose to $1.84 billion, or $1.03 per share, from $1.38 billion, or 77 cents per share, a year ago.
Shares rose $1.09, or 1.5 percent, to $72.85 in after-hours trading Wednesday, after already gaining 71 cents to close at $71.76 in the regular session.
Along with the strong movie studio results, revenue and profit grew for its TV networks, as growth at ESPN offset weakness at ABC. Higher theme park ticket prices and more guest spending offset higher costs associated with the launch of its MyMagic+ bracelet, which helps visitors plan their trip and buy merchandise.
--Herald staff, wires


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Course of Develop ment
In 1987, about 30 disabled persons who loved arts were approved to participate in the 1st China Art Festival and founded the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe (CDPPAT).
In 2004, CDPPAT turned into a professional arts group from an amateur one. With the aspiration of being "Truth, Honesty and Virtue" and human spirit of "Harmony and love", CDPPAT has became uplifting.
Construction of Troupe
There are 110 disabled performers and 37 staff members in CDPPAT. The average age of disabled performers is 20 and that of the staff members, 29. The President, Art Director, Dance Arranger and Music Arranger are all disabled people. With a philosophy based on self-respect, self-confidence, self-improvement and self-reliance, as well as mutual respect, mutual care, mutual aid and mutual complementarities. They design and create program, train performers, produce promotional and audiovisual products, and also publicity and marketing. The troupe has got two teams of performers to be able to perform in two different countries and regions at the same time. They have also set up a trainee team aimed at training young talents.


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CONTOOCOOK, N.H. – Days after going toe-to-toe with Donald Trump on the debate stage, Jeb Bush seemed to relish his new role as the Republicans' chief Trump critic while campaigning on Saturday in New Hampshire.
"I've got to get this off my chest: Donald Trump is a jerk," Bush said, unprompted, between answering two voters' questions. Then he slammed the billionaire businessman for insulting women, Hispanics and people with disabilities during the campaign.
"Who is he kidding?" Bush asked the crowd. "I gave myself therapy there. Thank you for allowing me to do it," he admitted, half-jokingly.
Bush's frustrations with Trump are not surprising. Once considered the establishment favorite for the party's nomination, Bush's policy-heavy campaign has been sagging for months and failing to break into the double digits in preference polls. Trump, by comparison, continues to dominate the field, seemingly becoming stronger with each new, inflammatory statement he makes, the latest being a call to ban Muslims from entering the country.


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Thursday, February 24, 2011
Flashback: The Women's Group Organized to Shame Young Men Into Being Cannon Fodder
'Patriotic' Women Turn Humiliating Men as Young as 16 Into a Game
There was an organized group of women in World War I whose mission it was to shame young men who were not in the army to enlist.
"In August 1914, Admiral Charles Fitzgerald founded the Order of the White Feather. With the support of leading writers such as Mary Ward and Emma Orczy, the organisation encouraged women to give out white feathers to young men who had not joined the British Army. One young woman remembers her father, Robert Smith, being given a feather on his way home from work: 'That night he came home and cried his heart out. My father was no coward, but had been reluctant to leave his family. He was thirty-four and my mother, who had two young children, had been suffering from a serious illness. Soon after this incident my father joined the army.'" http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWfeather.htm
Here's an excerpt from The Men Who Would Not Fight by Francis Beckett:
Order of the White Feather: My 'coward' grandfather
"After reading, in quick succession, four books about the men who fought the war, I took out a box of flimsy, yellowing letters, and tried yet again to imagine what my grandfather went through.
"He had three small daughters, which saved him from conscription, and his attempt to volunteer was turned down in 1914 because he was short-sighted. But in 1916, as he walked home to south London from his office, a woman gave him a white feather (an emblem of cowardice). He enlisted the next day. By that time, they cared nothing for short sight. They just wanted a body to stop a shell, which Rifleman James Cutmore duly did in February 1918, dying of his wounds on March 28.
"My mother was nine, and never got over it. In her last years, in the 1980s, her once fine brain so crippled by dementia that she could not remember the names of her children, she could still remember his dreadful, useless death. She could still talk of his last leave, when he was so shellshocked he could hardly speak and my grandmother ironed his uniform every day in the vain hope of killing the lice. She treasured his letters from the front, as well as information about his brothers who also died.
"She blamed the politicians. She blamed the generation that sent him to war. . . . .
"But most of all, she blamed that unknown woman who gave him a white feather, and the thousands of brittle, self-righteous women all over the country who had done the same. And there were thousands of them, as Will Ellsworth-Jones makes clear in his fascinating account of a group of conscientious objectors, We Will Not Fight. After the war, Virginia Woolf suggested there were only 50 or 60 white feathers handed out, but this was nonsense - as Ellsworth-Jones's diligent research shows.
"Some of his stories still have the power to make the reader angry. A 15-year-old boy lied about his age to get into the army in 1914. He was in the retreat from Mons, the Battle of the Marne and the first Battle of Ypres, before he caught a fever and was sent home. Walking across Putney Bridge, four girls gave him white feathers. 'I explained to them that I had been in the army and been discharged, and I was still only 16. Several people had collected around the girls and there was giggling, and I felt most uncomfortable and ... very humiliated.' He walked straight into the nearest recruiting office and rejoined the army."
Read more here: http://web.viu.ca/davies/H482.WWI/WhiteFeathersPatriotismWomenWWl.pdf


text: LappKabel H05VV-F 3G1 WH White 3-Core Equipment Cable - Lappkabel 49900076, A 3-core mains cable from LappKabel that is ideal for equipment having power ratings up to 500V. The sheaths of copper stranded cores are colour coded. The outer PVC sheath is round and coloured white. Ideal for equipment in domestic, commercial and light industrial areas.Applications include toasters, spin dryers, washing machines and refrigerators. LappKabel 49900076 H05VV-F 3G1 WH White 3 Core Equipment Cable 1mm (20m)Check stock and price


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Bringing together local professionals to benefit a worthy cause.
Kick off the holiday season on Thursday, December 1st, 2011 at The Tenth Annual Holiday Affair.
The Event
The Holiday Affair is a unique networking event for professional business groups and individuals to share insight, knowledge and experience while establishing new relationships. Our goal is to foster a sense of community and promote joint efforts that encourage the gift of giving.
The Festivities begin at 5:30pm sharp, so come after work to mingle with friends, network with colleagues, and remember to bring non-perishable items to benefit a worthy cause, Second Harvest of North Florida.
Hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine will compliment the evening's festivities. Please bring non-perishable items to donate. Tickets are $20 online.
The Venue
We are excited to host this year's Holiday Affair at Daryl Bunn Studios in Jacksonville's historic Riverside district.
Daryl Bunn Studios
643 Edison Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32204
Located just minutes from Downtown Jacksonville, San Marco and Riverside, Daryl Bunn Studios is housed in a historic 1924 New Orleans-style building just off Riverside Avenue on Edison Street. The space is home to Daryl Bunn's working photography studio.
The venue offers plenty of space to mingle, beautiful artwork and lots of parking — a perfect location for a fantastic Holiday Affair.
The Organizers
Thanks to the help and support of our organizers, The Holiday Affair has become one of the finest holiday parties on the First Coast.
|Tanya Waller
|Computer Solutions Group
|John Pippin
|Pippin Design
|Brian Holcomb
|Print Resources
The Holiday Affair began in 2001 as both a networking opportunity for the Northeast Florida chapters of the design/build community and an opportunity to benefit a designated charity during the season of giving.
The Holiday Affair has grown to include a variety of professional associations in the Jacksonville area and is committed to helping those in need.
Become A Sponsor
The Holiday Affair would not be possible without the contributions of our sponsors.
If you would like to become a sponsor, please contact:
Tanya Waller, Computer Solutions Group
Sponsors may donate money, merchandise, or their much appreciated time in the planning and execution of this year's event.
Purchase your ticket online today!
Tickets to The Tenth Annual Holiday Affair are $20 on our secure PayPal site. Ticket price includes hors d'oeuvres and one complimentary drink.
If you do not wish to purchase tickets online, please RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com. Please provide the number attending, your name(s), email address, company and phone number where we can contact you. You can then pay for tickets at the door. Please make checks payable to 'The Holiday Affair'.
Don't miss out on this fun and entertaining professional networking event and RSVP today!


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Guys, I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately. My excuse is that I've been concentrating on writing my second book.
I hope you're all well. Today, for the sake of balance, I'd like to report a couple of positive developments within the Metropolitan Police Service. As you can imagine, it's not east to find such things, but it's important to report them when they occur.


text:
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text:
- Home
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- Conference Programme – 2nd May 2012
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- Question Time – Ask the panel
- Speaker Biographies
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Speaker programme Abstracts
HC2012 – Abstracts
Day 1 Stream 1 – Assist Conference
Masood Nazir: 'How a doctor sees the value of informatics improving health care'
Masood will bring a clinical perspective to the concept of benefits and adding value. The perspective of a clinician delivering care can be radically different from many people who are tasked with ensuring the delivery of informatics services. Hear how informatics can make a tangible difference to the delivery of care and what you need to do to make that a reality.
John Thornbury, "Informatics as a support to health care delivery"
John will describe how a system change to deliver cost reductions can deliver other benefits, e.g. improved service and better working conditions. He will describe the need to redesign the manual systems prior to the introduction of technology that increased the efficiency of the process. This is an exemplar of informatics reaching into an organisation to stimulate cost reductions, improvement in service delivery, better working conditions and improved management control of the process that bring benefits for patients, staff and the hospital trust. (Speaker agreed; title and synopsis require confirmation)
Mark Blakeman, "Business cases; are they a hurdle or a useful tool?"
Getting the business case for a project approved can be seen as a hurdle that has to be cleared. Mark will explore how the process of developing business cases can focus scarce resources on those projects that will bring the most benefit at that time. Having a business case approved feels like success; but taking the right decision not to proceed with a project at that time should also be viewed as a success.
Lucy Owens, "Identifying cash releasing savings from informatics projects to individual budget lines."
Lucy will describe how cash releasing savings can be identified by budget line within the whole organisation. This focuses the attention of budget holders (both within and outside informatics) so they ensure these benefits are secured and the added value from the project is fully recognised.
Nigel Guest, "Benefits Realisation Management to extract value from informatics projects"
Benefits Realisation Management (BRM) is about organising and managing programmes and projects so that potential benefits resulting from investment are actually achieved. A fundamental technique used in BRM is mapping to understand interdependencies between objectives, projects, outcomes and benefits in order that the value to healthcare is understood. Nigel will briefly outline some of the theory behind this process and provide some practical examples.
For those delegates who wish to explore benefits mapping in more detail and understand the skills required using it, Nigel will also be presenting in the Skills Zone.
Shane Tickell, Adding value through informatics: a supplier's perspective"
Suppliers have an interest in their clients adding value from the systems they have supplied. In this session Shane will draw on his experience to identify the traits in NHS organisations that enable them to add value when deploying informatics products and those traits that impede them.
Day 1 Stream 2 – Changing World of Health & Social Care
Stream abstract: Rising to meet today's financial and demographic challenges means the health and social care landscape is facing the need to transform on all fronts, reflected in the policy set out in the Health & Social Care Act 2012. This session, presented by national leaders in this area, is seeking to articulate and discuss some of the challenges and how information and technology can enable and support the change needed through an effective policy framework.
Day 1 Stream 3 – Care Across settings
Scott Hamilton: 'Care Across Settings in Action: the North West London Integrated Care Pilot'
Partners from primary care, community care, secondary care, social care and mental health have worked together to improve patient outcomes and reduce unnecessary admissions. Participating ICP practices[1] experienced a 6.6% reduction in non-elective elderly medical specialty admissions between July 2011 and Jan 2012 compared to the same period the previous year.
As of the end of March, the ICP Multi-Disciplinary Groups (MDGs) have held 111 case conferences and discussed 823 patients. Attendees are sharing best practice and increasing their knowledge and skills, leading to better care for all registered patients. Over 10,800 patients have consented to join the ICP and 10,557 care plans have been created using the IT tool (the "Care Integrator").
This represents a fundamental shift in inter-provider working practices – moving from individual to multi-disciplinary decision-making and from a focus on individual patients to complete patient groups.
Lloyd McCann: 'Information and Technology Enabled Integrated Care'
An integrated care approach has the potential to improve the quality of health and social care delivery as well as reduce the cost of care. Integration in health and social care can however take many different forms and not all forms of integrated care are beneficial. In this presentation Dr McCann will discuss evidence of the types of integrated care approaches which have been shown to deliver better value health and social care. Furthermore, there is view that information and technology is a critical enabler for integrated care – the evidence in support of this assertion will be reviewed. Finally, using information as an asset in the integrated care approach will be discussed; challenging patients, providers and care commissioners to harness the potential of information as an asset to truly enable integrated care.
Keith Pollard: 'Healthcare, hash tags and the Facebook generation'
Since the birth of the internet, patients have been sharing their healthcare problems and experiences online. Patient forums were one of the first examples of the use of the internet as 'social media'. Now the patient's voice is being expressed through blogs, Facebook, Twitter and the like. The key to the success of social media for health organisations is in listening and engaging with consumers on their terms.
Mark Harrison: 'Partnership Approach to the Development of a Single Care Record in Substance'
In this session Mark will describe how the introduction of a single electronic care record influenced and shaped the transition of substance misuse services within County Durham from one of an historic uncoordinated system delivering parallel care in 2007 to the strong partnership work in existence today.
Tony Cobain: 'IG Rules: help not hindrance?'
We have all seen examples of, or personally heard people quoting, "we can't tell you that because of data protection or information governance".
During his presentation Tony will explore some of the myths and realities around information sharing and whether the DPA and the information governance framework is a barrier to effective sharing or whether it is an enabler.
He will describe some of the "barriers" and will challenge whether these truly exist or are just raised to prevent sharing or are quoted through ignorance.
Professor David Peters: 'The Self Care Information Library'
The session will cover:
- Future NHS sustainability is predicated on health improvement, engagement and enablement.
- Self-care and self-management will be of huge significance
- Therefore health professionals must engage, enable and facilitate patient-choice.
- User-friendly evidence-based information well-presented on-line could facilitate better self-management and encourage 'engaging' conversations between patients and GPs
- R&D at the University of Westminster produced a prototype Self-Care Library
- The first 12 conditions constitute common ('minor illness') 'effectiveness gaps'
- The options include OTC purchases, lifestyle, 'mind-body medicine and, where there is evidence for them, complementary therapies
This session will also demonstrate the SCL and outline its development and challenges.
Day 1 Stream 4 – Clinical Leadership
Simon Thorogood: 'Importance of clinician-led workflow analysis'
Implementation of an informatics project is an opportunity to change workflow and end unproductive and disparate practises that inhibit effective working. To do this you need to empower staff in the decision process and not simply impose change. This can only be achieved with senior clinicians leadership ensuring staff participate in service redesign.
Tony Cartwright: 'Leading Change in a tribal environment'
His talk aims to show how tribal attitudes are clearly evident and how they can influence leading an IT project. He will go on to describe some of the techniques that can be used to help overcome this and particularly some of the lessons that, as a clinician, he learned whilst leading a major IT project in the South West.
Gordon Caldwell: 'The Challenges of improving the pace of work'
Hospital Doctors' work must easily outpace the progression of the illnesses in their cohort of patients. Well-designed IT systems can accelerate the pace of work, but poorly designed processes both slow care and increase the chances of harmful errors. The challenge is to introduce only time releasing IT processes
Angela White: 'Messages for Clinicians & Management from a Clinical Leader'
My perspective that the nature of change in which healthcare is engaged is revolutionary thus clinicians must make an equally radical shift in their thinking and responses to the challenges.
'What do I want as a clinician from my clinical leader in order to engage my support for and involvement with their clinical transformation program'?
Day 1 Stream 5 – Applying Health Informatics Research in Practice
Public Interest Forum
The Multidisciplinary Assessment of Technology Centre for Healthcare is a research collaboration between four leading UK universities (Birmingham, Brunel, Nottingham and Ulster) and a cohort of industrial partners. It aims to transform the medical devices sector by using research to develop, test and make available methods that cut the time, cost and risk involved in introducing innovations at every stage of delivery, from original concept to continuous improvement of products and services.
Their session at HC2012 is entitled: Health Technologies – can they develop national wealth as well as population health? The Chair and Lead presenter for this is Professor Terry Young, Chair of Healthcare Systems, School of Information Systems, Computing and Mathematics at Brunel University
Terry describes the relevance of their session in the context of many of the challenges currently facing the NHS:
"The introduction of economic evaluation to prescribing and treatment options has profoundly impacted the NHS in terms of articulating value-for-money cases and in terms of reigning in spend. However, the question remains as to whether health, which is a significant government budget should be generating wealth as well as health. Sarewitz argues that in the US, the defence budget, through research funding and major procurement programmes, has spawned technology industries from jet engines to computers. This talk will explore the role of health as a stimulus for growth and looks at areas of technology and system development that might drive such cycles".
Following the introductory session 2 examples of the application of the work of the MATCH Forum will be shared.
Professor Richard Lilford, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Birmingham and Vice-Dean for Applied Health Research will focus on: "Using simple economic evaluators in the development, production and procurement of medical devices".
Dr Julie Barnet, Reader in Healthcare Research at the Brunel University will then finish with a session entitled: "Understanding User Perspectives: is there a role for Social Media?"
UK Faculty of Health Informatics (This session is sponsored by Philips)
The UK Faculty of Health Informatics is a Community of Practice, established in 2005 made up of over 600 practitioners, researchers, clinicians, suppliers and patient groups who have a passion for ensuring that informatics makes a real and practical difference to care.
The Faculty's purpose is to stimulate the uptake and application of Informatics research and development within UK Health and Social Care services in order to improve the quality of care for all. Their session at HC 2012 is focused on:
Applying Usability and Human Centred Design principles in health and social care information systems – are we unique? – (chaired by Dr Peter Murphy) This session will look at how we can avoid the pitfalls and problems that have beset many recent Informatics Projects and ensure that in the future Clinicians, Patients, Service Users and Carers really can be assured that "No 'ICT' decision about me without me" is applied in practice. The contributors to this session include:
- Libby Morris GP, Clinical Lead (Primary Care) Scottish Government eHealth directorate – who will share some of the lessons learned from the Scottish Emergency Care Summary
- Kit Lewis – Director – Space Around People and former User Experience Lead ePrescribing NHS Connecting for Health will share experiences and key principles gained from ePrescribing
- Professor Jonathan Hassell – Director of Hassel lInclusion, Lead Author of the UK Code of Practice for web accessibility across all platforms from the British Standards Institute and former Head of Accessibility at the BBC's web and new media division will focus on applying usability principles in web design.
The Faculty's later session will be highly interactive and is entitled:
Is evaluation really that hard when it comes to Informatics in the NHS? – (chaired by Dr Philip Scott) This session will look at evaluation studies undertaken on recent Healthcare Information Systems, such as the Emergency Care Summary, Summary Care Record/HealthSpace and the Whole Systems Demonstrator Action Network. It will look at how effectively lessons learned from such evaluation studies can be applied in practice to ensure that the Return on Investment of Health Informatics is clearly understood in an era of austerity.
This lead presenter for it is Jeremy Wyatt DM FRCP ACMI Fellow, Professor of eHealth Innovation & Director. Institute of Digital Healthcare at Warwick University and he will be joined by an expert panel who have attempted to apply lessons learned from past evaluation studies in practice made up of Faculty Board members Paul Curley, Consultant Vascular Surgeon at Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Dr Sue Clamp from the Yorkshire Centre for Health Informatics at the University of Leeds.
Day 2 Stream 1 – The IHRIM conference
Professor Iain Carpenter: 'That's not my problem': What might we have forgotten while introducing electronic health records?
Clinical practice developed around the use of verbal communication and paper records. Electronic records are introduced across health and social care and patient access and control of their health records will become the norm. We need to step 'out of the box' and look back at all that goes on around accessing, using and communicating health records – otherwise we could sleep walk into problems that may be expensive and difficult to resolve.
Andy Hyde: 'Impact of an EPR on Patient Care, the Norwegian Experience'
Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Norway is paperless, well nearly. The hospital implemented an EPJ solution in 1994 and went paperless in 2005 when we started scanning historical journal content and the paper that is generated during treatment. The benefits of a fully paperless EPJ are taken for granted. Information in the EPJ is available for those who need it, where they need it when they need it and it is legible! An EPJ with in-built quality control can alert the treatment provider in case of possible errors such as incorrect medicine dosages, dangerous drug interactions and a patient's critical information. This increases patient safety. However, after 18 years use of the EPJ there is an enormous amount of information available and this in itself can be a problem. The transition to paperless EPJ can affect personnel in two ways. Maybe head count reduction is the goal but there is also an opportunity to reskill and redeploy to gain other benefits from the changes.
A "hidden" benefit of implementing an EPJ which not too many hospitals realise is the use of the data in the systems for better hospital management. Thousands of registrations each day can be aggregated into information and knowledge. Business intelligence as it is known as in modern jargon. Management reporting before took large numbers of man days and was relative unresponsive to change whereas with IT based solutions management information can be generated several times a day if necessary and at least daily and weekly with almost no resource. This for me as Director of Quality Management is the greatest benefit of the implementation of the EPJ at Diakonhjemmet Hospital and we can identify concrete improvements in quality, safety and patient satisfaction from this approach
Tony Cobain: 'Practical Information Governance Issues'
Is there a IG role for Records Managers in the new world of electronic records?
As we not only deploy more data rich PAS and EPR systems, and as many organisations are rolling out scanning solutions for paper records many Records Managers will be wondering what the future has in store for them. Once the guardian of the case note, they are seeing responsibilities for monitoring completeness and availability potentially diminish.
So is there an IG role for them in the brave new world? Tony certainly thinks so and he'll explain why.
Heather Walker: 'Epidemiology & benefit to patients from accurate coding'
The NHS invests a lot of time and money in training clinical coders and in collecting coded data in both primary and secondary care. What is often overlooked is how this information can be used to benefit patients and to improve patient care. The greater the quality and accuracy of this coded data the more use can be made of it for benchmarking and information governance.
Dawn Monaghan: 'Managing Risks of Data Loss'
Dawn will be considering the impact to information governance and the application of the Data Protection Act rules in a time of changing systems, structures, processes and practice. She will also consider why IG needs to be seen as a front line process, rather than a back office one as is presently the case in many organisations. Dawn will also cover sharing of data with new partners, requests for information held now by someone else or new information held by you and how to avoid being a newspaper headline!
Day 2 Stream 2 – NICE Conference Stream
Morten Skjørshammer & Andy Hyde: 'Quality Management in a Norwegian Hospital'
Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo, Norway has been a pioneer in the use of information technology in Norway for over 15 years. We were the second hospital in Norway to implement an electronic patient record and patient administration system as early as 1994. We still use the same system now and the hospital is virtually paperless. All the main clinical and support areas have come on board through the years including medical biology, radiology, operating theatres etc. There are still some areas where we are not completely digital but there are plans for these areas to be realised in the short to medium term.
But clinical technology by itself does not produce or improve quality of care. That is a management task. The current CEO, Morten Skjørshammer, has been a staunch supporter of the use of IT not only in patient care but has also been especially keen on the use of IT for hospital management. We have defined quality in a very broad sense. Patient safety and quality is no longer only a product of the decisions doctors and nurses make but a product of the total management of the hospital. Finances, buildings, personnel, IT itself, and the systems for managing quality such as the adverse event system, contribute as much, if not more to the patient's quality of treatment and certainly their experience of being in the hospital.
The "system" is developed from a corporate governance perspective and the model underlying the implementation is quality based using the PDCA circle from Deming's quality management domain. It is built up of four main components; process mapping including an Enterprise Architecture Model (EAM), a performance management system, adverse event management and document management. The EAM is at the hub of the system and the other components are integrated tightly with this.
Morten has spearheaded the purchase and implementation of the components, QlikView (performance management), QualiWare (Process modelling and EAM), Synergi (adverse events) and EK (document management). For the CEO of a modern hospital it is important that he gets timely and correct information when and where he needs it: nothing new but a fact not lost on our CEO.
The management information system, DIA-LIS, that automatically monitors over 100 process indicators daily allowing a quick response to any unexpected change in activity or quality.
The process mapping and EAM system maps the key clinical pathways but also includes compliance, competency mapping and organisational structure. This allows us to produce a compliance matrix showing that we manage the hospital in accordance with the relevant legal regulations and that all the activities are performed by qualified personnel, a prerequisite for quality management and corporate governance. The process mapping of critical care pathways enables standardisation of generic processes such as receipt and processing of referrals, admitting and discharging patients, radiology and lab services, processes for infection control and adverse event management. Through standardisation we can measure process quality and thus improve it.
The adverse event system does not just record adverse events but it is used to categorise them, evaluate risk and manage corrective and preventative actions. The results of these are discussed at departmental quality meetings and are the focus of one of the three full ISO based management reviews each year.
Supporting all the systems are the hospitals documented procedures stored in the document management system. There are also a number of online reference systems both for doctors and nurses as well as standards documentation from the national heath body similar to documentation from NICE although NICE has documented standards and measurement of care to a much more detailed level than us in Norway.
In summary, two things are often held true in the use of IT to support process and process improvement. First is the primary success factor often used as a reason for failure, management support – Diakonhjemmet CEO, Morten, does not only support but actively contributes to the use of IT in the hospital both in the clinics and in administration. Second it is often said that a process should be improved before applying new technology. We believe that these go hand in hand not sequentially. New technology implementation has opened up new opportunities not possible before.
Our presentation would cover a general overview of the use of IT at the hospital, the use of the four key systems for corporate governance and quality management and then a closer look at quality improvement which we believe is a result of this holistic approach.
In conclusion, use of outcome measurement in Norway is not widespread therefore the results are based on process improvement measurement in the belief that better standardised processes and better hospital management will result in better quality of care.
Day 2 Stream 3 – UKTI Conference Stream
'The challenges and Opportunities of Growing a Business Internationally'
This session will be run by UK Trade & Investment, the Government organisation that helps UK based companies succeed in international markets. It will offer valuable insights into international business opportunities in very different global markets, each seeking to increase online delivery of healthcare services.
Representatives from China, Australia, New Zealand and France will discuss healthcare reform and development of national policies on delivery of online healthcare, telemedicine and telehealth. They will also consider the implications of the changing paradigm for healthcare delivery and where opportunities exist for international partnerships and collaborations.
Large global brands will discuss the importance of business networks and strategic relationships and how their experiences of strategic relationships have made the difference in developing their global business brand from technology collaboration through to M&A strategies.
The session will feature presentations covering:
Healthcare policy reform in China is throwing open new opportunities to international suppliers. This session will explain the reforms and show what these mean for potential international business and partners. Companies will learn from the experience of a major international player in China about ways to access global value chains, whether a technology SME or large corporation.
The National Broadband Network (NBN) will connect every Australian home and business to the internet providing 100 Mb speed – transforming access to information, services and digital media. Healthcare is a key application area and this session will outline the development of the NBN thus far and the opportunities it represents.
New Zealand
New Zealand's National Health IT Strategy supports improvements in the quality and delivery of healthcare services, underpins new models of care, and seeks to deliver better value for money. This presentation will explore the developing role of the Health IT Strategy and the NZ Health IT sector. It also explores how New Zealand is learning from the NHS model and the opportunities this represents to UK companies within a small, but well funded public health system with an innovative approach to technology.
France offers a growing ehealth market; featuring significant government investment into e-health projects (€750 million into the "Digital Hospital" programme, €2.4 billion dedicated to modernising the healthcare sector as part of the "Grand Emprunt" initiative). Key officials from ASIP-santé (the government agency responsible for e-health) and Appui santé & medico-social (the National Agency for supporting the performance of health facilities) will explain the 'Whole system demonstrator' pilot ehealth implementation projects in France; illustrating opportunities in the development of 'connected health' in France.
Day 2 Stream: 4 – Moving Strategy to Delivery: Practicalities
Jane Stewart: 'Electronic Patient Journey System (ePJS): underpinning Service Delivery'
In 1999 the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust was formed and the need was quickly indentified to rationalise the multiplicity of clinical and admin systems and supporting processes. In 2000 the Trust implemented the CCS system to support CPA; this was followed by the SLAM Patient Journey Process. SLAM collaborated with a technical partner STRAND technology to develop a full mental health electronic clinical patient record system and introduced ePJS in 2006.
The electronic Patient Journey System (ePJS) is a browser-based electronic information repository, enabling the documentation and exchange of clinical data between clinicians, researchers and administrators. The system functionality is driven by business and user requirement, with an emphasis on concise operation affording the end user a clear process of information submission and retrieval. The ePJS has been developed to enable a flexible and functional application, able to quickly adapt to changes to the clinical and business environment and underpin the key elements of specialist mental health research.
The development of ePJS and its subsequent implementation across clinical services within SLaM provides an integrated solution to a user base of almost 5,250 staff.
Ian Gaywood: 'The Orchid Project'
Routinely collected clinical information has many potential research uses but these cannot be realised because the data are fragmented, inconsistent, poorly organised and unsearchable. ORCHID is a clinician-led project developing an information model to overcome these shortcomings. At its heart lies a series of complex hierarchies which map the relationships among pieces of clinical information. These hierarchies are supplemented by core data sets which create detailed patient phenotypes. All types of clinical and laboratory information can be organised in this way across all specialties. Datasets can be integrated with data held in biobanks to produce a complete patient profile which be used to create complex patient cohorts for research and audit purposes. Cross-mapping to ICD–10 and SNOMED CT allows automated production of secondary uses data such as outpatient HES coding. ORCHID is implemented using the open source cityEHR developed at City University, London and is consistent with all relevant health records standards. It will be deployed using bespoke web-based interfaces for data collection, searching and analysis.
Keith Simpson: 'Renal Patient View (RPV): Real time internet access to medical records for patients'
Renal PatientView is a UK wide system run by the Renal Information Exchange Group (RIXG). It provides renal patients with secure web based access to their latest test results, clinic letters and medicines. A link to NHS Blood and Transplant displays their current status on the transplant list. They can add some of measurements they make themselves and can provide anonymous feedback to their renal units. There are also links to high quality websites with information about their diagnosis and treatment. Patients can share this information with anyone they want, and view it from home or indeed anywhere in the world. It can also be used by both patients and their consultants during tele-consultations.
In a formal case controlled evaluation RPV patients reported that RPV was highly regarded and very useful. Security is tight but RPV is easy to use and about 1000 patients log in every day. More that 19 000 patients have registered and it is available in almost all UK adult and paediatric renal units
Neil Stutchbury: 'Knowledge Management Strategy at Monitor: Culture, Benefits and Implications for the new Sector Regulator'
Monitor is currently the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts. Its role is changing significantly with the recent Health and Social Care Act into a healthcare sector regulator with broad responsibilities across the whole sector. The talk will briefly describe Monitor's new role and the knowledge management (KM) strategy we developed and implemented in 2010–11 to support the FT regulator. The talk will identify some of the "soft" issues around achieving a KM culture and the benefits achieved. Finally the implications for Monitor's new role will be discussed, with particular emphasis on the role of information and collaborative working that will be required to deliver the benefits of the Act.
Day 2 Stream 5 – Productivity & Efficiency Demonstrators
Stephen Appleton: IT Delivers Return on Investment
Stephen will be giving an overview of how the North Mersey HIS are putting IM&T at the centre of Clinical Pathway Transformation, and how ICT Innovations are being deployed across the Local Health Community to release clinical productivity and increase the quality of care.
Phil Trickey: 'Developing Commissioning Support Services – an informatics perspective'
The NHS is in the midst of one of the most significant changes in its history with uncertainty, risk and challenges at every step of the way. Commissioning Support Organisations are by no means immune to these uncertainties and challenges.
This short presentation sets out some of the current challenges that CSOs are facing and, while it probably raises more questions than it answers, it gives a flavour of what it feels like to be involved in the creation of a CSO and our direction of travel from an informatics perspective.
In Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham ↩


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Texas County celebrates Independence Day 2017
Families and friends throughout Texas County enjoyed a day of fellowship and celebration as they observed Independence Day by getting decked out in red, white and blue, shooting off fireworks and enjoying some good food. Thank you to all of our readers who submitted photos on Facebook to share! (Courtesy photos) Note: Each photo will have submission credit listed unless a different photographer is noted.


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Welcome to my little blog. I feel compelled to blog from time to time. If you feel compelled to comment/follow, I'd be delighted to share thoughts. Consider this a friendly wave to the universe.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Yesterday my work took me to Lone Pine Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket. I live not very far away from Lone Pine but am ashamed to say that in all the nearly 30 years I have lived in Brisbane, I have not visited it once.
It is VERY popular with overseas tourists and for good reason. Australia is blessed with the most extraordinary animals. We are so used to to them we forget that to people from other countries they seem quite exotic. And indeed they are. Look at these gorgeous koalas ! They can sleep up to 16 hours a day bless them. I was very impressed with the athleticism of the ones I saw - leaping from branch to branch rather like possums.
Lone Pine has been going since 1927 and is rated one of the top 20 zoos in the world. There are daily shows featuring birds of prey, wombats, snakes etc. There is even a barn for handling guinea pigs and chicks for the younger members of the family. Guests can walk freely in the kangaroo enclosure and get up close to the roos.The newest exhibition is the Platypus - Barak the platypus is the first to be bred in captivity in 55 years and arrived in Lone Pine from another sanctuary in Victoria, Healesville.
I was particularly taken with the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat who I think looks quite prehistoric and like that model in the Queensland Museum.
Does anyone else remember reading The Muddle Headed Wombat by Ruth Park as a child? It was a radio show too wasn't it? ....google ....google...google...and there you are....I found out via Wikipaedia that in fact it was a radio show first ....through the Children's Hour and the Argonauts Club (of which I was a very proud member) and then it became a book. The Children's Hour was cancelled in 1970- there- showing my age now!! The Muddle Headed Wombat generated such phrases as treely ruly (for really truly) and Cindergorilla for Cinderella! Oh my goodness....one could Wikipaedia for ever really.....John Ewart played the part of the Muddle Headed Wombat....his first film role at the age of 18 was in Sons of Matthew by Charles Chauvel. In fact, if you look at his bio - he was in just about everything - Caddie, Newsfront, Bellbird, A Country Practice, Sunday Too Far Away, Homicide, Matlock Police....the list goes on!!
I tried to find my Argonauts badge but couldn't - it must be pinned to a garment somewhere. Have you got an Argonauts badge? Were you a member of the Argonauts?
Posted by Alex Daw at 8:00 AM 2 comments Links to this post
Monday, June 14, 2010
40 Squares
Isn't this luscious fabric?
I had my second "Yellow Brick Road" lesson at Patches on Saturday. Poor Christine was ill with the flu so Bev stepped into the breach.....
This was an exciting day because we are starting to see what we are creating and we had to choose our fabrics for our border...I could not resist this....and then Bev and Sharon helped me choose trim and relief border colours.....
so yesterday I spent sewing squares and then strips together making sure that where necessary seams were opposing...lots of ironing....this is what 40 squares looks like sewn together....this will be the size of a lap quilt...
Posted by Alex Daw at 2:32 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Labels: patchwork
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sneak Peak
Spoiled Rotten
One forgot to mention how spoiled one was on one's birthday. My birthday started before my birthday, if you know what I mean...Dad and Jen took me out to a concert at St Mary's Kangaroo Point with a picnic dinner to follow in the new park. We watched the bats glide across the river and the lights come on as we sipped champagne
and I cried over the beautiful design of various kitchen accoutrements given to me - how is it possible to get excited about a juicer....? or measuring jugs? If you've lost a measuring jug to a husband intent on mixing bog to fix the rust in his car..well, you'll know why I was excited to receive not one - but three beautiful measuring jugs with both imperial and metric measurements. And the juicer...well...check it out...space age n'est-ce-pas?
On my actual birthday family gave me a Blue Ant Hands free kit for my mobile phone which was lots of fun to install. Cas hunted down Wolf Hall for me in a bookshop which was a major feat for him as he is not a reader or a bookshop afficionado. My sister-in-law swung by with a bottle of wine on her way home from work which was much appreciated.
Later in the week a bunch of us gathered at Cloudland for lunch which really is a great place to go to with a big group. We shared tapas and I was thoroughly spoiled with flowers and books. Grand Purl Baa excelled herself by generously giving me some of her stash and a beautiful book on Patchwork and the Reader's Digest Guide to Needlecraft which is magnificent. Another friend gave me my very own cup and saucer together with some beautiful Di Bella coffee.
This week I made the momentous decision to buy a new sewing machine to pursue my new found interest in sewing....I christened the new Bernette H70 by finishing my first applique project - a cushion....
I took Grand Purl Baa's advice and changed my nook from a family history nook to a sewing nook as per the photo below so I was all ready for my first class in Patchwork yesterday at Patches.
Today is Sunday which is always a wonderful day being free of work. However one is always perplexed as to how to spend it as one is torn between various hobbies - to knit? to patchwork? to read? to go to the movies?. Inevitably one ends up experimenting with food ! I took the plunge and made some Fat Rascals, as inspired by the Needled blog (the recipe is on this blog). But I confess I wouldn't know a nutmeg if I tripped over it and used powdered nutmeg. Here is the result....
I think I can die happy now - books, wool, flowers, wine, coffee, fat quarters, fat rascals, friends, family. Thank you one and all. You're the best!!
Posted by Alex Daw at 2:40 PM 2 comments Links to this post
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Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC)
See this page for maps, directions, and more information.
General Phone: (313) 593-5338
E-mail: jac DOT rrbo @ gmail DOT com — please see note to right before writing.
EIC hours
Because RRBO is a research operation, visits to the banding lab during operational hours are restricted. Please note that as of mid-2014, our funding situation has limited our banding, and we currently are not scheduling public banding demonstrations, and do not have jobs, internships, or volunteer opportunities at this time.
Please note that we get numerous requests for link exchanges. This site does not have a blogroll or link list or accept advertising at this time.


text: Once you've applied a Layer Style to a layer, if you need to access some related commands that are in the Layer menu, you don't need to go up to the menu bar and go digging through the submenus. Instead, Control-click (PC: Right-click) on the little "ƒ" icon that appears to the right of your layer's name in the Layers palette. A pop-up menu will appear with most of the Layer Style menu commands right at your fingertips-—without the searching and digging through menus.


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posted by Shambhavi, last updated on April 17th, 2015 at 7:32 pm
India's Got Talent is coming back once again with its 6th season! The show will go on air this Saturday and here's a quick glimpse on what all is going to happen!
Once again Bharti Singh would be hosting the show but this time along with a new host Nakuul Mehta. The show will open with the song 'Kehte hain humko pyaar se India waale' in which the esteemed judges Kirron Kher, Malaika Arora Khan and Karan Johar will make their dhamakedar entry!
Even Nakuul and Bharti will be seen in a special performance on 'Lahoo munh lag gaya'. Can't. Wait! Talents from all over India will take the stage once again surprising the judges with their stupendous acts. A particular towel dance act is a definite must watch! With a tsunami of talent on it's way, the show stands true to its words, "Ab Hunar Dega Jawab!"
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Heavy haul and heavy lift industry opens up to application of engineering and technology on transport services.
Spruce Grove, AB -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/19/2014 -- A few decades ago, transporting heavy lift equipment was close to impossible. Today, commercial trucks are made very large, powerful and can be configured to mount specialized equipment in various sizes and weight. Handling, transporting and installation of heavy items which are solid and weigh generally a ton to over 1000 tons are challenging for most. Some equipment even stretch up to 100 meters in width making it impossible to fit into containers or conventional trucks. Because of these challenges, technologically advanced picker services were made.
Heavy lift transport requires individual transport planning. It starts with engineered lift studies providing clients with 3D or CAD drawings depicting crane positioning, clearances, radii, rigging, ground breaking pressures and lift procedure to give an overview of the process and its practice. When everything is in place, next plan is the Routing and Feasibility studies. To ensure the items are transported smoothly from the place of origin to its destination, proper routing in line with transport regulations are being inspected and discussed. Wireless load cell system and center of gravity calculations are also made prior to leaving to check if bridges and highways on the route can support the weight of the items. Without reviewing these considerations, specialized transport would be a disaster.
Tools of Trade
Crane is well recommended vertical lift of overweight load as well as transporting to a considerable distance. Lifting capacity of cranes ranges from a single ton to 500 tons. It is usually used in industries including mining, oil sands, petro chemical, pulp and paper, forestry, infrastructure, hydro-electric and wind power that require such machines on their day to day routines. Cranes have different types; all-terrain, rough-terrain, crawlers, hydraulic truck mounted and picker trucks.
Crawler crane has lifting capacity from about 40 to 3,500 tons and is mostly used on the job site. Because of its heavy load, moving around the site will be challenging. It is often disassembled and moved from one location to the other using trucks. All terrain and rough terrain cranes are mostly used on job sites for easy lifting and transportation of overload equipment on various environmental settings. It can be used on site and can endure rough grounds. Hydraulic truck mounted type is mostly used for easy transport of items on roads or highway without special permits. A picker truck does the same but is used in transporting loads to location with very large distances.
With these technological advancements and application of general science, moving mountains becomes easier and cost-efficient for everyone.
About ENTREC Corporation
ENTREC is a leading provider of heavy lift and heavy haul services with offerings encompassing crane services, heavy haul transportation, engineering, logistics and support. ENTREC provides these services to the oil and natural gas, construction, petrochemical, mining and power generation industries. The common shares of ENTREC trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol "ENT".


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Our Firm has already filed a number of lawsuits on behalf of Stryker recall clients in the New Jersey proceeding. We are pleased to see these cases proceeding efficiently.
New York, New York (PRWEB) August 03, 2013
Product liability claims filed on behalf of individuals allegedly affected by last year's Stryker recall (http://www.stryker-rejuvenate-hip-recall-lawsuit.com/) for Rejuvenate and ABG II Modular Neck Hip Stems are moving forward in a Multicounty Litigation underway in New Jersey's Bergen County Superior Court. According to court documents, a Case Management Order was issued on July 26th that addresses a number of issues, including the scope, parameters and timing for written discovery, as well as the selection of Stryker lawsuits for mediation. (In Re Stryker Rejuvenate Hip Stem and the ABG II Modular Hip Stem Litigation, No. 296)
"Our Firm has already filed a number of lawsuits on behalf of Stryker recall clients in the New Jersey proceeding. We are pleased to see these cases proceeding efficiently," says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm continues to offer free legal evaluations to individuals who have allegedly suffered serious complications that may be associated with the Stryker recall for Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems.
Stryker Recall Lawsuits
Court records show that more than 270 Stryker lawsuits have been filed in the New Jersey litigation on behalf of plaintiffs who allegedly suffered a number of serious complications due to fretting and corrosion of the recalled hip implants, including metallosis, necrosis and osteolysis. In April, Bergen County Superior Court Judge Brian R. Marinetti established guidelines for the selection of cases for early mediation. However, his order stipulated that the Stryker recall litigation will move forward while the mediation takes place.
In May, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) established a multidistrict litigation in U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, for all federally- filed Stryker lawsuits involving Rejuvenate and ABG II stems. Court documents show that at least 159 complaints are pending in that litigation. The Initial Case Management Conference will be held on September 9, 2013. (In re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2441)
Stryker recalled its Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems in July 2012, after the metal components were found to be prone to fretting and corrosion at the modular neck junction, and warned this could cause patients to suffer pain, swelling, adverse local tissue reactions, and ultimately failure of their hip. All patients affected by the Stryker recall have been advised by the company to undergo medical screening regardless of symptoms to ensure their hip components are working properly.*
Alleged victims of the Stryker recall for Rejuvenate and ABG II hip stems may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Read More about filing a Stryker lawsuit at Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website. For a free case evaluation, please call 800-511-5092.
About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the "Plaintiffs' Hot List," recognizing the top plaintiffs' firms in the country, for the past 10 consecutive years.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
10 East 40th Street
New York, New York 10016
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2013 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com


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Bob Deeks of RDC Fine Homes can't remember the exact date Whistler homebuilders started to lobby the municipality for changes to municipal bylaws to address the issue of non-conforming space, but he remembers conversations as long ago as 2004. Understandably, he was thrilled last week when the municipality announced new bylaws that would legitimize illegal crawlspaces in single family and duplex homes in Whistler through an application process, though he cautioned that it was only a first step.
"Though this addresses a certain amount of space that's non-conforming (to bylaws) there's still an enormous amount of built space that this will not capture," said Deeks. "It has not closed the loopholes that allow people to exceed the Gross Floor Area (GFA) calculation and building non-conforming space."
Deeks gave high marks to the current council and staff for heeding some of the recommendations of the Illegal Space Task Force, adding some certainty to contractors, homeowners and real estate agents that have to deal with issues of non-conforming space.
"Many homeowners may have no idea that their home is at risk," said Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden in announcing the bylaws, which have yet to pass council.
The bylaws cover crawlspaces in the basement level of homes that were included without building permits or inspections because they would have exceeded the maximum GFA for the home — a measurement of square metres of floor space determined by the size of the lot and other development considerations like restrictions on roof heights. Including crawlspace area reduces the allowable square footage for the rest of the home.
Of especial concern are overheight crawlspaces, which are used by some as finished basements although they exceed the GFA and could be considered unsafe by not conforming to the BC Building Code's requirements for fire safety.
The new bylaws will effectively remove crawlspace areas from the GFA, allowing homeowners to include them in their plans for new construction without affecting the overall space. As well, homeowners can get permits to cover existing crawlspaces to make them legal. The process, including fees and inspections, is online at www.whistler.ca/building-permits.
"I hope that homeowners seize the opportunity to apply for build permits to legitimize existing crawlspaces," said Wilhelm-Morden in a press release. "I have been informed by staff that contractors have already been taking advantage of this opportunity to apply for building permits for new construction, including developed crawlspaces. The new regulations will remove uncertainty for homeowners, contractors, designers and realtors, and help to ensure that crawlspaces are constructed legally with appropriate safety inspections along the way."
However, while there are plans to extend the bylaw to include multifamily dwellings as well, Deeks says the bylaws do not resolve all of the issues related to non-conforming space. Crawlspaces are only one example of non-conforming space within homes, he said; other examples include people finishing attic spaces, adding floorspace under rooflines or adding floors in areas where the original design called for high ceilings.


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Timbaland, Who We Hope Is Lying, Claims He Will Produce All of Jay-Z's Next Album
In an interview today, the fallen-off super-producer claims Jay-Z wants him to do his entire new album, which would be bad, obviously.
In an interview with MTV.com today, fallen-off super-producer Timbaland claims that he alone will do all the beats on Jay-Z's next record. "He wants me to do the whole thing," says Tim. "'Big Pimpin'' is an international hit, so we wanna do 10 of those. Meaning, some of the songs gonna sound like M.I.A. would rap on some of the beats. You gonna be like, 'Whoa!' But it's Jay on 'em. That means it reaches everywhere. I'mma have songs with bagpipes. The music is gonna be so worldwide, he'll be able to tour the rest of his life, maybe, off just this one album."
But while the prospect of ten bagpipe-enhanced, M.I.A.-ish "Big Pimpin'"s sounds totally awesome in theory, we're obviously concerned about Timbaland's ability to pull off such a thing these days; when was the last time you really loved one of his beats? Is there a man, woman, or child on Earth not sick of the guy right now? Plus, wasn't "Come Around," Tim's lone contribution to M.I.A.'s Kala, that album's only stinker? If Jay-Z were going to go the single-producer route, why can't he just call up Just Blaze, who very nearly saved Kingdom Come from being a total wash? (At least he wouldn't try to rap on any of his beats.) In the same interview, though, Timbaland claims that his upcoming album with Chris Cornell is his best work ever, so let's hope he's lying about the Jay-Z thing too.
Timbaland On Producing Jay-Z's Next LP: 'It'll Be A Monster' [MTV]


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Fortis College (also Fortis Institute and Fortis College of Nursing in some locations) is a for-profit institution that was established in 1969 and is operated by Education Affiliates. It was formerly Bohecker College, a sister school to the Centerville, Ohio Rets Technical Institute. Fortis offers certificates, diplomas and associate degrees at its 42 campuses.
* Description and image provided by Wikipedia under CC-BY-SA 3.0 license. More
Fast Facts
- Private for profit, At least 2 but less than 4 years
- students
2108 Cobb Parkway
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Today only, as part of Best Buy's "Deal of the Day" you can snag an Ouya for $99.99 (a savings of $50). If that wasn't enough to peek your interest they are also throwing in an extra wireless controller (MSRP $49.99) and a $10 gift card to sweeten the deal. If you've been looking for an excuse to try out Ouya's promise of a different type of console now may be the time. Click the image below for more details.
If the Ouya isn't your cup of tea, Best Buy also has discounts on several 360 and PS3 games including Madden NFL 12 and Defiance as well as Elgato Game Capture HD. See all the Deals of the Day by clicking the link you just read.


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The HY-ROAD™ is the latest release in the Thunder™ Series of balls. HY-ROAD™ is the perfect complement to the 2007 solid ball of the year; the T-ROAD™ Solid. The combination between core and cover gives pro shop operators the widest range of drilling layouts. The continuous motion of the HY-ROAD™ creates a consistent reaction for many styles of bowlers; a great bench mark ball. The Storm Hy-Road contains a Modified Inverted Fe2 Technology wrapped in a R2S Hybrid Coverstock that is sanded down to 1500 grit and polished. This combination was created to provide drillers with the most drilling options available. This ball is designed to excel on heavy to medium-heavy oil conditions. The highly aggressive R2S™ hybrid coverstock is designed for heavy to medium-heavy oil, hybrid has two different blends of resin, ½ solid, ½ pearl (smoother break point than pearl coverstocks and reacts evenly on fresh and carry-down), easy to adjust by using either Abralon® or Scotch-Brite® pads, holds its shape longer, hybrid cover is easily maintained, enhanced durability, and develops friction by foot print and surface contact. The Modified Inverted Fe2 Technology core helps lower the balls RG, creates a heavy powerful roll, increases ball's flare potential, bench mark core, fits many styles and releases, proven history of performance
Right out of the box, used on typical house shot where the lanes were a little tighter than normal. Moved my feet a few boards right and crushed the pocket, as the lanes broke down I moved left slightly and the ball still hit great. Pin just below middle finger and the reaction is smooth but strong.
Because of joint problems, I have moved down from 16 and 15 pound equipment to 14 pounders. I was worried about using such a light ball but I shouldn't have been. What a great product! I got some recommendations from better bowlers than myself and the pro-shop staff at Sunset Lanes in Moorhead MN and decided to go with the Hyroad. This ball is great on fresh oil and continues being useful as the pattern breaks down. I highly recommend this ball to anyone looking to improve their performance. Also, if you have joint problems, the lighter weight really helped my wrist, arm, shoulder, and even my kness. I'll be coming back for more Storm products!
They say when you have something special never let it go. I got a HyRoad when it first came out but was shock to see how easily it cracked from the summer heat. After two cracked balls I invested in others like the CrossRoads and Pearl, both perform good but not great. Then my CrossRoad was stolen so I had an opportunity to go back and get an original HyRoad. Best decision ever. Avg jump 40 pins and above 200. This to me is the best ball ever made by Storm. I hope they continue the model for a very long time.
This ball did all I was looking for & more. I took my 195 avg. to 213 over the 14 weeks I had the ball. I am looking to start the new season in September. I can play the ball with a large hook or go down the middle with it. I had it drilled for a long carry & sharp hook at the end.
The Hyroad is the best ball I have ever thrown!! It goes long and strong down the lane with a great backend reaction crushing the pins. If you don't have one of these in your bag, do yourself a favor and go get one!!
one of the best balls ever put out. i average 226 and when the lanes become broken down around mid second game. i pop out the hy road and you just destroy the pins. i am a cranker and i put the ball out down the lane around board 7-9 and you will strike every time. i am only 16 and am looking foward to more storm equipment
I've been bowling for about 7mths.. I purchased a Storm Gravity,Energy,and Hyroad... I liked them all, but the Hyroad is my favorite. 150 average bowler.. First week with it in league play roled a 660 series.. 179,256,225..nice, but even sweeter. I used it 2/7/10 in league play did'nt do so great due to operator error.. hahahah,but, practiced aftewards and roled my first 300... Man if I could have only did it doing league. I'm sure I will get several sanctioned 300s using my hyroad.. Sweet bowling ball, I've purchased another one for back up already..
Loves that tenth Board
Good backend ball and I use it for oily conditions. I'm averaging 224 since I've got the ball about a month ago.
just punched one out tonight...didnt use it on fresh oil, waited til the 10th frame first game to unleash it. shot 536 the last two games. drilled it to scream on the backend and it did! then some.
After being away from the game for 11 years because of an injury, I returned this past season. Not knowing how the game had changed I went to my local proshop professional and he suggested the Storm Hyroad. What a great choice. I had been a 200 avg.before my injury I was concerned what kind of avg I could carry through out the season. Well the game had changed but because of the Storm Hyroad I was able to carry a 194 avg. which I was very pleased with. Thanks Storm!!!
Layout- Pin under ring, cg shifted positive, medium width/depth hole down by the thumb.Lets face it, I am a staff member who never had drilled one, so I just had to. I was pleased with the way the ball rolled- it actually cornered more than I had anticipated considering the Hybrid cover and reputation this ball has for being smooth and controllable. All that really means to me is that I'm more apt to use this ball from the track in and not from the track out when playing the lanes. I love the way the ball looks and smells (I like the fruity scents better than the aromatherapy scents for sure), it just feels..... Familiar. That's a good thing for bowling, because it makes you more comfortable and relaxed. I was stoked to see that this ball is going to remain in the line this year- it is still prolly my best selling mid-range ball.
whether its a house shot, or the viper and chameleon patterns. this ball is very consistant, smells great. very versatile ball in general
everything was fine with my order
I am a 16 year old high school bowler, and i was looking for a ball that i could use to adapt to oily lane conditions and this ball was PERFECT! I could not be any more satisfied. Since i have been using this ball my average went from a 146 to a 167!! The hook it produces on the back of the lane is amazing, it hooks into the pocket perfectly! This was soooo worth the money! No complaints at all :)
Bowling in league = fun. Bowling in league since owning the Hy-Road = THE BEST EXPERIENCE I'VE EVER HAD BOWLING!!! I used to average 180's. I'm now averaging about a 200 average. I've bowled my first 600 series recently and was close to a 700 four times already. I've had the ball about 2 weeks since mid April. I stand with left foot at about the 20 board and aim at the 12 board. Rolls in very smooth and hits harder than Superman. Even when the oil starts to dry, the ball will read the lane and still come in strong. If you don't get great scores with the ball, it's only due to operator error. This ball has saved my team from losing almost everytime we needed the win. I wish i worked for Storm so that I would get paid for all this promoting I did.
I bought this ball 04/09/10. I bowled in a tournament the next day. 1st game 233. 2nd game 236. 3rd game 147 because I had no chance to win I started experimenting. I just finished my first year of league bowling with an avg. of 174. I've never bowled back to back 230's AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I USED IT! This ball is going to be a leathal weapon in a couple of weeks when I bowl in my next tourney. It hits like a runaway truck. It's great on oily lanes
Left one of my hammer in my wife truck. I need a ball badly I ask what is a good ball with a great price. Well my god I am shock to see this ball hits like a truck going down hill with no brake. It brought back those good old day of my Thunder Road. 235 259 278 with out any 7 pins Thanx you Storm. Well to day iI shot 200 300 245. Thanx again keep doing what you do.
The Hyroad is my go to ball. No matter how bad I'm bowling I can go to my Hyroad and the scores come back. Almost time to get another one.
I use it for tournament and league bowling and for sport shot,like i previously said it is very versatile
ball performs as I thought it would.......
Bowling of course.
Great ball to have in your arsenal.
I'm by no means a great bowler and I only purchased my own because I was tired of looking for decent house balls. I was a very inconsistent bowler. I would get 160 one game and 75 the next. With this ball, I bowl between 120 and 135 every time. So it's helped me to not be all over the place and better my game.
Great for medium to light oil for a 15 board swing. #2hands
It also keeps my locker smelling good!
average 220 to 230 league.we have pba league in summer for 15 weeks different patterns every 3 weeks I avg around 200 in league. on 40 foot flat pattern 1st week bowled 580 so got hi road next 2 weeks shot 646 series and next week 677 series wow what a look put pin under ring finger and medium size weight hole beside thumb.im a tweener around 15 to 16 mph played 17 to 12 had a look that made it seem easy but it wasn't grat ball and goodluck.great ball and drilling for tournament play on these type of patterns
Took some getting use to due to a lower weight then I usually use but really like it.
Storm hit a home run with the hyroad, very is to read right out of the box I shot a 248 without trying.
I'm a 190 average bowler. I've had this ball for four (4) weeks. My first time bowling with this ball I shot a 581. Since than I've had a 752, 657 and 683. All I can say is "I love this ball".
awsome, backend
This ball originally belonged to another bowler and then it was redrilled and given to me. My average has done nothing but improve since. Very forgiving ball and hits hard. I found this ball to perform GREAT on all conditions that I've come across. Currently averaging 194 and have purchased another for a back up to be drilled at a later date. Trust me, I rub it in everytime when I see the ball's previous owner and thank him
Just got this ball a week ago after a lot of research. I was a pretty straight bowler with my previous ball. My average with my previous ball was around the 140-150 range. Right out of the box I threw a 198 with the Hy-Road.. My first league game last night with the Hy-Road, I threw my first 600 series! I had yet to even throw a 500 series with my first ball!!! This ball is just amazing. Seems to find the pocket everytime! A lot of the credit goes to Glen at the Pro Shop for the awesome drilling job! Highly recommend this ball!
Have had many balls , many good , only few not so good . HyRoad is the best ball I've ever owned . Reads lanes very good , carries pins , powers through pins constantly . Works great with all oil paterns . There's not a better overall ball . HyRoad is top notch !
My last season average = 186. I used an old special agent and felt that I was much better than what I was producing on the lanes. I bought the Hy-Road at an exceptional price from Bowling.Com. This season, my average is 204. This ball fits many different style, I can throw it any way I want and it will always track to the pocket.
I am a beginner bowler that purchased this ball to learn how to hook, when done correctly even with the conventional grip I get the perfect hook. Pin action is incredible from this ball also.The ball really smells great which is also pretty cool. I highly recommend this ball for beginners and experienced bowlers
Baught this ball 2 days ago and already bowled a 253! This is my highest game bowled, so i was extremely pleased with this Storm Hy-Road ball!
I can say this is the best ball I have ever owned. Between the start of sept. and late Oct. I was able to roll 5 700's with the top being 768 and have had 279 four times. It really reads the lanes well.I had mine drilled to go long with a big back end !! If this is what your looking for , then this is the ball for you !!!
ProShop dude said this ball was strong and gave great recovery but what I saw was the total opposite... This ball has great length but it keeps going and going if not drilled strong... My first attempt the ball was drilled alittle 2 weak for my ball speed and revs. Next layout was kicked completely to the right on the aggressive side... This ball will get down the lane and will the adjustment it will recover but the drill needs to be strong unless you really don't have that much oil
This ball has a smooth arch and packs a punch. It's my go to ball, whether on a medium or heavier lane condition.
At first this ball didn't seem to hook much more than my old 16lb AMF King Cobra which helped me carry a 195 average the last year I bowled back in 2009. After bowling about 10 games with this ball (15lb) I am starting to see a lot better back end movement and carry, and more and more 200+ games which is what I was hoping for when I bought the ball.
Storm is a quality product
smooth ball, no need to try to do too much with this ball. Just roll it and let the ball do the work. with this ball.... the best shots=the smoothest shots!
I use this for league and of course practice. It's my second ball I have owned in my lifetime. I started with a 12 pound ball to start and wound up being too light later on (once I got my strength up). This Hy-Road is a 14 pound ball and it feels good to me. It's adaptable and predictable on the lane.
Thanks for asking your question! Once approved by our staff it will be posted here for others to answer. If you'd like to receive answers to your question via email enter your email address below.
Due to the time it takes to produce the Storm Hy-Road ball it will ship in immediately. We cannot ship this ball outside the United States.