text:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government's first effort to regulate tens of thousands of tax return preparers will be tested on Tuesday when the Internal Revenue Service squares off in court against a libertarian law firm.
The Institute for Justice, funded by leading conservative activists, will argue that the IRS lacks the legal authority to require return preparers to pass a competency test, and to pay for continuing education classes.
The IRS will say that it has ample congressional authority to impose such rules on the return prep industry, and that tougher oversight is needed to protect Americans from unscrupulous and incompetent preparers.
The outcome of the case, not expected for several months, will have a big impact on the tax return prep industry and on the government's ability to police it.
More than 78 million Americans in 2011 paid someone to prepare their tax returns, which are complicated and will get more so as the IRS helps implement President Barack Obama's new healthcare laws.
The return prep industry posted revenue this year of $9.4 billion, said research group IBISWorld Inc.
H&R Block Inc is by far the largest competitor, with about 32 percent of the market, while mid-tier rivals such as Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc and JTH Tax Inc have a combined 3 percent share, IBISWorld estimated.
The remainder is scattered among thousands of small, "dinner table" return preparers. The industry has never been regulated.
The IRS had no immediate comment on Monday.
Concerns about tax fraud and sloppy returns led the IRS in 2011 to begin moving toward greater oversight.
The agency spent $50 million to design a competency test and open more than 250 testing centers, while signing up about 100,000 preparers to take the test. The IRS collected more than $105 million in registration and test fees.
The Institute for Justice sued in March 2012 to try to block the program. Based in Arlington, Va., the group litigates over issues such as private school vouchers and eminent domain. It was launched in 1991 with funding from wealthy industrialists and conservative activists David and Charles Koch.
Sabina Loving, a Chicago tax preparer, is the lead plaintiff in the case. She came to the institute via its entrepreneurship clinic at the University of Chicago. She was put in touch with institute attorney Dan Alban.
"We're interested in protecting people's right to economic liberty," Alban said. "Congress hadn't passed new laws authorizing the agency to do this."
In January, the institute won a district court order suddenly halting the IRS's new initiative. The government is appealing that ruling.
"This was a major project" for the agency, said Floyd Williams, formerly IRS chief of legislative affairs. "Everyone was shell-shocked at the ruling."
On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear the case. All three of the judges were appointed by Republican presidents.
Fees collected from return preparers are being held by the IRS and may have to be refunded if the IRS loses.
In court filings, the IRS is arguing that it has broad congressional authority to write tax code rules. The institute argues Congress never passed a law specifically allowing the IRS to impose return preparer rules on its own.
Despite broad, bipartisan political support for regulating return preparers, the IRS lost several opportunities to get that specific authority signed into law, prompting the agency to write its own rules, said Don Williamson, a tax accountant and executive director of American University's Kogod Tax Center.
"As a tax practitioner, I'm in favor of regulation," Williamson said. "As a citizen, this is classic over-reach."
Amid expectations that IRS regulation would squeeze smaller players out of the return prep market, large competitors such as Jackson Hewitt and H&R Block generally backed IRS oversight.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Najam Usmani is watching the court case closely. Usmani owns 22 Charlotte-area Jackson Hewitt stores and employs about 100 people during tax season.
"More regulation is good for us," Usmani said. "People are doing taxes out of their basement. We've been seeing a decline in the business because of all these moms and pops who open up out of nowhere."
The case is Sabina Loving et al v. Internal Revenue Service No. 13-5061.
Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Andrew Hay


text:
Cloud and data backup provider Nirvanix is allowing customers to move their data outside the company's New Jersey data center for free today to get out of the path of Hurricane Sandy.
The move is one of the first seen by a vendor in response to the powerful weather along the eastern seashore today. Hurricane Sandy is dropping heavy rains and producing high winds from Washington, D.C., up into southern New England, with some of the hardest-hit areas expected to be in the New York and New Jersey area. Power outages have already impacted customers across the storm's impacted region.
MORE STORM COVERAGE: NYC shuts parts of lower Manhattan, other areas due to hurricane
Nirvanix has a network of data centers around the world and announced Monday morning that customers who use New Jersey as their primary data storage site can switch to use one of Nirvanix's other data centers as their primary storage site. The company has data center sites in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, Tokyo, and Frankfurt, Germany.
"For customers who have a single copy policy and are using our New Jersey node as their primary copy location, they can choose a different data center as their new primary location, such as Dallas or Las Vegas," and have the data be transferred there free of charge, a Nirvanix spokesperson said. Nirvanix normally charges customers based on the size of a transfer load.
The company says customers have already begun taking advantage of the free offer. In preparation for the move, the company increased its capacity in its West Coast data centers. The company says it doesn't expect any problems at its New Jersey site, but it is offering the service for customers who are "seeking extra peace of mind."
The storm has impacted other tech-related events. Google canceled an announcement it was planning to make in New York this morning, while EMC canceled a forum it was set to have in the Boston area on Tuesday.
Network World staff writer Brandon Butler covers cloud computing and social collaboration. He can be reached at email@example.com and found on Twitter at @BButlerNWW.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Nutrition Facts
Ingredients and Preparation
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine sour cream through dill.
- Place fish skin side down in a small casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Coat tops and sides of fish with sour cream sauce and bake for about 20-25 minutes (for a 1 ½-inch filet; less for a smaller filet), until fish flakes easily.


text:
Public Records Act (PRA)
The California Public Records Act (PRA) requires that public records be available to the public upon request.
Requests should be made to the custodian of the records where the record was generated.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has established guidelines to ensure that members of the public fully understand and are afforded the opportunity to exercise their right to inspect and obtain copies of public records.
The DCA Subpoena Unit accepts subpoenas related to DCA Personnel.
Department of Consumer Affairs
Subpoena Unit
1625 North Market Blvd, Suite N117
Sacramento,CA 95834 (916) 574-7261
Consumer Resource & Referral Guide
Directory of State Agencies
Directory of Federal Agencies
Return to DCA Home Page


text:
Somehow, we missed the 1st annual B&M/Hurst Charity Car Show last spring. We decided not to make the same mistake twice (at least not that particular mistake) and took the short drive to Chatsworth, California, last Sunday, for the 2nd annual event.
Were we surprised when we got there and found Nordhoff Street blocked off for a third of a mile. Instead of the ordinary weekend traffic, the street was lined with 350 street rods, customs, classics, musclecars, trucks, street machines, and, of course, hot rods-including a couple of 2009 America's Most Beautiful Roadster runners-up.
The Oldskool 66 Cruzers club helped out by hosting the event. Money raised at the show benefits the SEMA Scholarship Fund as well as the family of Drew Guzman, a member of the B&M Racing & Performance customer service/tech support staff, who passed away in 2008.
In addition to all the vehicles, there was judging and awards in numerous classes, raffle prizes, vendors, food, oldies music, and Dave McClelland doing the emceeing. More than 50 participants went home with a cool trophy, including some of the cars pictured here.


text:
Health Centers
Health Forums
Ask a Doctor
Sign Up
Email or Display Name
Remember Me
Forgot your password?
Medical Questions
Conditions and Diseases
HIV and AIDS Forum
high triglycerides and hiv infection ?
April 20th, 2009
i tested hiv negative 3 months after my sexual encounter with oraquick, however my mouth was dry because i was nervous, and i wonder if it could have affected the test results? i did low risk activities like receptive oral(without ejac) and rimming. i recently went for a lipid test and the results say that i have high triglycerides. i eat healthy and excercise regularly, and i am not overweight. i would like to add that my family has a history of cardiovascular related diseases and problems. i also developed this bad respiratory infection a while after my encounter, and it lasted for 4 months. i had excess phlegm , coughing and a wheezing sound in my lungs when i breathe in. i also feel lethargic often .could these be symptoms of hiv?
Did you find this post helpful?
You marked this post as helpful!
I changed my mind
replied April 20th, 2009
Community Volunteer
if you are not satisfied with the results then get retested...personally,I wouldn't worry about it.
Did you find this post helpful?
You marked this post as helpful!
I changed my mind
hiv infection
symptoms of hiv
HIV and AIDS
Quick Reply
Sign up for FREE weekly health tips!
Do you live in Canada?
Sign up here.
Featured Experts
Deepak Anvekar
General Medicine, Emergency Medicine
eHealthPedia Articles
Conditions and Diseases Introduction
Conditions and Diseases Risks
Conditions and Diseases Screening
HIV Causes and Risk Factors
HIV Diagnosis
Must Read
HIV virus
Do you know what causes HIV? Get started by learning the facts on HIV and AIDS here....
Read more >>
HIV Causes and Risk Factors
Do you know what puts you at high risk of HIV? Debunk the myths and get the facts of HIV risk factors here....
Read more >>
HIV Symptoms
Can you identify early HIV symptoms. Learn what to look for and when to seek medical help as we review symptoms of HIV here....
Read more >>
Conditions and Diseases
High BP & no symptoms
Shaking while driving
High TSH and Normal T3
HIV and AIDS
At high risk of catching HIV ?
High risk from oral ?
High HIV exposure ?
Related Topics
High FSH lev & history of Chlamydia
Small testicles and high bilirubin ?
Large growth on inner thigh
Search eHealthForum for
Learn About Us
Contact Us
About Us
Advertise With Us
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Terms of Use
Get Help
Ask a Doctor
Getting Started
Join In
Sign Up
Find People
Free Medical Forms
Community Guidelines
Do More
Become an Expert
Become a Partner
RSS Feeds
Thank you so much and I will be visiting very often. Once again I say many thanks! - shana456
The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No
health questions
and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made.
Health Disclaimer
This page was last updated on Dec 12, 2019.
© 2019 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands


text:
By Sarah Galer
" It was such a wonderful start to my legal career and in many ways shaped it completely in terms of the values, in terms of what I learned from the judge and how it brought my whole law school experien"
—Matthew Tokson
Matthew Tokson, JD'08 and University of Chicago Bigelow Teaching Fellow, will spend next year clerking for former Supreme Court Justice David Souter in retirement, something he had not even contemplated a couple of years ago.
His inspiration to apply came from Dennis Hutchinson, Senior Lecturer in Law and William Rainey Harper Professor in the College, who he calls "the biggest asset that Chicago has" for clerkship placement.
Hutchinson has headed the UChicago clerkship committee for more than 10 years and has helped countless aspiring law clerks find positions all around the country. However, according to Hutchinson, the Law School's commitment to judicial service started long before his arrival.
Hutchinson, a legal historian, says the Law School began to transform itself from a regionally focused law school to the nationally recognized program it is today under Edward H. Levi, dean from 1950-62, who started to actively recruit more geographically diverse students and increase the number of merit scholarships.
Today's Law School graduates come from all over the country, and take jobs in far-flung locations. But graduates before Levi's tenure tended to be from the Midwest and stayed here to practice, where fewer clerkships were available.
In 1968, Owen Fiss, now the Sterling Professor of Law at Yale University, came to teach at the Law School straight from the front lines of a legal revolution, the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The 1960s were an exciting time of change in the southern United States and a peak period of game-changing civil rights litigation in the South.
Hutchinson credits Fiss in helping to inspire students through his work at the Justice Department, his teaching on civil rights cases, and his encouragement to take clerkships in southern states for judges at the forefront of the civil rights movement.
"The students were excited about it, and it just seemed to me that they could, first get to know an important part of the country; second, clerk for really outstanding judges; and third, work on cases that were beyond exciting and inspiring," says Fiss.
One of Fiss's students, Alfred Aman, JD'70, excited by the legal changes in the south, applied to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which decided many of the key civil right cases of the time, and received an offer from Judge Elbert Tuttle, who had just retired as chief judge but was still carrying a full case load.
When he mentioned his misgivings to Fiss about working for someone so "old"—Judge Tuttle was about 70—Fiss was blunt: "If you don't leave my office immediately, call the judge back and accept this position, you'll be making the biggest mistake of your life," he said, according to Aman.
"That is an exact quote," says Aman, who immediately called Judge Tuttle to accept the position, a decision he has never regretted. "I've never forgotten that."
"It was such a wonderful start to my legal career, and in many ways, shaped it completely in terms of the values, in terms of what I learned from the judge, and how it brought my whole law school experience alive," says Aman.
Today, Hutchinson seems to be doing much as Fiss did 40 years ago.
"[Professor Hutchinson] seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of appeals court and district judges; he knew which judges were a pleasure to work for and those who are not," says Tokson.
"I give him a lot of credit for helping me and countless others with clerkships."
Originally published on July 11, 2011.


text: Seller: jewellery-trade-resources (74.144) 99.3%, Location: beckenham, Ships to: Worldwide, Item: 260988203895 NEW REPLACEMENT CLOCK SUSPENSION HIGH QUALITY STEEL SPRING WITH BRASS BLOCKS 28mm Overall Length 13mm Wide 9mm Spring Length Precision made suspension spring used to attach a pendulum to mechanical clocks.The suspension spring comes fitted with one pin which can be removed if not needed. Suspensions are usually held in position with a pin or screw depending on the clock. Other shapes and sizes are also listed in our shop. Condition: New, Sub-Type: Clock Suspension, Material: Brass, Type: Clock Parts, Clock Type: Clock Parts, Featured Refinements: Clock Suspension


text:
Oops, we are sorry but an error has occurred. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused you, please try again later.If this problem persists, please contact our customer services.
All material on this website is Copyright © Rigby Taylor Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.
All third-party logos are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners.
Rigby Taylor Ltd. is a company registered in England Company Number 157345.
Registered Office: 1-3 Freeman Court, Jarman Way, Royston, Herts, SG8 5HW.
Powered by fulfilmentcrowd


text:
To help Save The Artic click here.
I'm Lars from Germany and I'm here to protest against the oil drilling operations of Gazprom and this increasing industrial use of the Arctic. It's a reckless thing to do.
This is one of the very few nearly untouched spaces left on this earth and drilling for oil here is reckless because it endangers this environment which is totally unique, and on the other hand this oil is going to be used to further fuel climate change.
I'm here to proves against this, and rather instead going to clean energy and not having to drill in this environment for oil, which we don't need anymore, if we change to renewables.
13 - 24 of 5649 results.


text:
Plesk Linux IP Address Configuration with Cisco PIX 501 or ASA 5505 Hardware Firewall
To Change Server IP Addresses
- Connect to your server via SSH (more info).
- Switch to the root user (more info).
- To create a mapfile of your IPs, run the following command:
/usr/local/psa/bin/reconfigurator.pl mapfile
- Using an editor (nano or vi, for example) to edit the mapfile, remap the public IP address to the internal IP address with the following command, where 184.108.40.206 is the public IP and 10.0.0.1 is the internal IP:
eth0:184.108.40.206 255.255.255.255 -> eth0:10.0.0.1 255.255.255.255
- Run the following to read your mapfile and reconfigure Parallels Plesk Panel IP Addresses:
/usr/local/psa/bin/reconfigurator.pl mapfile
Note: IP address allocation is monitored. Attempting to add IP addresses to your server that have not been purchased is a violation of your terms of service agreement and may result in the suspension of your account.


text:
US President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney at last meet face-to-face tonight to duel for the White House in the first of three debates, just 33 days before American voters decide their fates. Obama heads into the showdown in Denver with a narrow lead in his bid to become only the second Democrat since World War II to win a second term.
Left: US President Barack Obama listens to the national anthem during the Joplin High School Commencement Ceremony at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri, on May 21, 2012. Right: US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney sings the national anthem at a debate sponsored by CNN and the Republican Party of Arizona at the Mesa Arts Centre in Mesa, Arizona, on February 22, 2012.Picture: Mandel NGAN/AFP - Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP-/AFP/GettyImages


text:
Sophia Matveeva, co-founder of Style Counsel
"There is something hugely seductive about Second Home. You want to work here."–
Royal Institute of British Architects Journal
"Your building is magnificent."–
Lord Richard Rogers
80% of our members are chosen because they contribute to the diversity of our community – by being at the intersect of different fields, or belong to an underrepresented industry or demographic.
The remaining 20% are picked because the work they do is helpful for companies as they scale, and so contribute to the success of the overall ecosystem. Examples include venture capital funds, graphic designers and growth-hacking agencies.
With such a vibrant community there's always an opportunity at Second Home to do business with the people around you, with our expert team there to connect our members to one another.
Recent collaborations between our members based at Second Home have included:
Book your tour
Step 1 – Your details
Stunning co-working and cultural venue in the heart of East London's creative cluster.
Studio, Roaming, Community and Charity memberships available.
Magical workspace and poetry bookshop in a building with an impeccable cultural heritage.
Studio, Resident, Community and Charity memberships available.
Iconic workspace and innovation lab in the heart of leafy Clerkenwell Green.
Studio, Roaming and Community memberships available.
Light-filled workspace and wellness hub in a 19th century market building on Lisbon's waterfront.
Studio, Community, Resident, Roaming and Summer Workation memberships available.


text:
Abuse claims police matter - Clegg
Nick Clegg has said a public inquiry into allegations of historic paedophile activity in Westminster would be "no surrogate" for a full police investigation, amid growing calls for a root-and-branch investigation into any potential cover-up.
Yesterday former home secretary Lord Brittan defended his handling of a 1980s dossier alleging paedophile activity in Westminster - after the Government admitted it appeared to have been destroyed.
Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain today, the Deputy Prime Minister said: "I just want the truth to come out and justice to be done. When we're dealing with allegations of such a serious criminal nature, I don't think there's any surrogate, really, for allowing the police to get to the bottom of what happened."
Lord Brittan initially stated yesterday that he had asked officials to look into the issue, and did not "recall being contacted further about these matters by Home Office officials or by Mr Dickens (MP Geoffrey Dickens who prepared the dossier) or by anyone else".
But he said later: "The Home Office independent review is entirely consistent with the action I set out in my earlier statement. Whilst I could not recall what further action was taken 30 years ago, the information contained in this report shows that appropriate action and follow-up happened."
Lord Brittan's intervention came after Labour MP Simon Danczuk urged him to spell out what he knew about the Dickens dossier - believed to have contained information about the Paedophile Information Exchange (Pie) and abuse networks operating around Westminster.
Mr Danczuk, who has investigated claims of abuse by ex-MP Cyril Smith, is calling for a "Hillsborough-style" inquiry to prevent allegations involving politicians being "swept under the carpet".
He insisted there was "no reason" why the dossier should have been destroyed by the Home Office.
It prompted calls for a public inquiry, similar to the investigation into the deaths of 96 football fans in the Hillsborough stadium disaster.
Former director of public prosecutions Lord Macdonald told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: "It sounds to me as though there needs to be further investigation into this. Some of the detail is more than troubling. It's always alarming when material goes missing.
"This may just be the passage of time, it may not be anything sinister, but I don't think people are going to be satisfied for this to be left as it is."
Labour MP John Mann told PM an over-arching inquiry was "essential".
The Bassetlaw MP said: "There's more and more of this coming up. It goes to the heart of the establishment, and the key institutions of the country have been involved in doing nothing about it. That's why there needs to be a full public inquiry."
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Mr Clegg said: "I want to see the police getting to the bottom of what's alleged to have happened, which is absolutely horrific in some children's homes up and down the country. A number of police inuqiries are already going on.
"I really would say to anybody who has any evidence, knowledge or information about what happened of a criminal nature, please get in touch with the police. They're the people who can do the job so that justice can finally be done and these very, very serious allegations can be looked into.
"I can't provide too much commentary on what happened in the Home Office in the mid-1980s, but he (Lord Brittan) explained that he passed on this dossier. The Home Office explained last year that the document doesn't exist."
Downing Street continued to resist calls for an over-arching inquiry and said people with information about abuse should go to the police.
T he Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "If there are allegations, evidence of wrongdoing, that people have, then of course they should bring that to the attention of the relevant authorities, including the police of course."
That was "the right way to go about getting to the bottom of these things", he added.
He said that the Home Office review "explains that information following that review was given to the police".
Only the executive summary of the review was published, but asked if the document would be published in full the spokesman said: "My understanding is that the executive summary reflects very fully the report."
Mr Cameron had not spoken to Lord Brittan about the issue, the spokesman said.
Labour crime and security spokeswoman Diana Johnson said: "The Home Office and Home Secretary's reaction to allegations of incompetence in dealing with allegations of child sex abuse has been lamentable.
"Serious questions about how these allegations were handled remain and a review carried in haste by two officials does not reflect the seriousness of the issues at hand.
"At the very least, the Government must explain what action was taken in the 1980s and what files were destroyed. A proper investigation is needed into these allegations, into what happened, and also into how the Government of the day and others responded.
"In addition to this investigation, it is also clear that we need an over-arching review - led by experts - to bring together the findings of all these inquiries and look at child protection for the future."


text:
Do We Really Need the S-word?
By Megan D. Higgs
The use of "significance" in reporting statistical results is fraught with problems—but they could be solved with a simple change in practice
The use of "significance" in reporting statistical results is fraught with problems—but they could be solved with a simple change in practice
It pervades journal articles, media reports and discussions of nearly all quantitative, data-based research. It is so entwined with statistical inference that we subconsciously think it, say it and write it without stepping back to reflect on its intended meaning. It attaches an air of importance (or lack thereof) to results often not worthy of the label. Significance, the new s-word, is overused and underdefined in the realm of connecting statistical results to the underlying science.
The current Wikipedia entry for "statistical significance" clearly distinguishes between the word's statistical and common meanings, stating, "When used in statistics, significant does not mean important or meaningful, as it does in everyday speech." However, I believe we are unable (or perhaps too untrained) to set aside the lay meaning of the word when reading it in the context of statistical results. For scientists, statisticians, journalists and others who write or speak about statistical results, I advocate a simple solution: Replace the s- word with words describing what you actually mean by it.
What exactly does the word significant mean in statistical contexts, if it does not mean "important" or "meaningful"? When someone labels a result as statistically significant, does it merely mean that the p-value (a value calculated to quantify evidence against a hypothesis) is less than 0.05, or that the 95-percent confidence interval does not include 0? If so, perhaps it is time to ask whether we really need to use a word that carries substantial meaning in our day-to-day language to describe something so simple.
Did the people who introduced the word's use in statistics intend for it to be interpreted according to its current everyday meaning? The answer is not simple. In his 2001 book The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century, David Salsburg contends the word carried much less weight in the late 19th century, when it meant only that the result showed, or signified, something. Then, in the 20th century, significance began to gather the connotation it carries today, of not only signifying something but signifying something of importance. The coinciding of this change in meaning with a steady increase in its use by more scientists with less statistical training has had a big impact on the interpretation of scientific results. My sentiments echo Salsburg's: "Unfortunately," he writes, "those who use statistical analysis often treat a significant test statistic as implying something much closer to the modern meaning of the word."
The dangers of implementing arbitrary p-value cutoffs and the importance of distinguishing between statistical significance and practical significance are now well recognized by scientists. Andrew Gelman and Hal Stern address the common error of making comparisons based on statistical significance in a 2006 paper for The American Statistician, titled "The difference between 'significant' and 'not significant' is not itself statistically significant." I contend that in addition, our tendency to repeatedly use the same wording to explain statistical results masks potential improvements in inference corresponding to recognition of these issues. My goal here is not to revisit ideas that have been described eloquently and repeatedly over the past decades (by James O. Berger and Donald A. Berry in a 1988 article for American Scientist, and by Jacob Cohen in a 1994 article for American Psychologist, among others) but instead to propose a simple change in wording. I suggest we replace the word significant with a concise and defensible description of what we actually mean to evoke by using it.
For example, if we mean that the two-sided p-value is less than 0.05, then let us say just that. Let the reader judge whether that result is to be deemed significant by our modern scale and by their knowledge of the science. If, instead, we mean the result is in fact practically important, let's say as much and clearly communicate our justification for doing so. If we believe our research is important, let us convince our critics through our choice of other words. We can use the p-value to back up our arguments, without appealing to the s-word. If we do not feel forced to label results associated with larger p-values "nonsignificant" or "insignificant," it may even help curb the long-standing publication bias. By replacing the s-word with defensible statements, we can easily and quickly clean up the often sloppy dissemination of scientific results.
Perhaps you are thinking this is a trivial suggestion, a mere matter of semantics. Can such a small change manifest real improvements? There are not many easy ways to improve scientific inference, but I believe this is one of them. The significance of the word significant should not be easily dismissed. The word carries strong connotations from its everyday usage that are difficult, if not impossible, to let go of simply because we find ourselves interpreting statistical results. In practice, it is all too easy to slide from the constant vigilance required to maintain these real semantic differences amid the multitude of assumptions and procedural details involved in statistical analysis.
The s-word is, of course, not limited to discourse among scientists. It finds its way into media reports on research, which are read by the public, most of whom have far too little statistical background to understand the different meaning of the word in the context of statistical results. The rest of a sentence may contain incomprehensible statistical jargon, but the s-word is recognizable and easily digestible—and the meaning attached to it is, of course, its everyday sense: important and meaningful. Thus, "important and meaningful" is the message sent to an audience without the background to understand what led to the printing of that weighty word.
The journal Science suggests that potential authors "use significant only when discussing statistical significance," acknowledging the subtleties attached to its use and meaning in the context of scientific research. I suggest we take a further step and omit its use in statistical contexts as well. If most of us are not capable of separating the statistical meaning from the everyday meaning, and if, as I argue, the word really is not needed to explain statistical results, why maintain our dependence on it? Let's free ourselves to justify our statements more adequately and describe our results more wisely.
For readers with the background necessary to successfully critique results, we should provide the information they need to make their own informed opinions, based on sound reasoning and justification. Rather than giving in to the false dichotomy evoked by "significant" or "not significant"—a dichotomy most often based on arbitrary and hidden criteria—we should focus on why we believe results are (or are not) meaningful and important. Replacing the s-word in our writing and speech allows us the space to do just that.
Curious about the impact a ban on the s-word might have, three years ago I began banning the word from my two-semester Methods of Data Analysis course, which is taken primarily by nonstatistics graduate students. My motivation was to force students to justify and defend the statements they used to summarize results of a statistical analysis. In previous semesters I had noticed students using the s-word as a mask, an easily inserted word to replace the justification of assumptions and difficult decisions, such as arbitrary cutoffs. My students were following the example dominant in published research—perpetuating the false dichotomy of calling statistical results either significant or not and, in doing so, failing to acknowledge the vast and important area between the two extremes. The ban on the s-word seems to have left my students with fewer ways to skirt the difficult task of effective justification, forcing them to confront the more subtle issues inherent in statistical inference.
An unexpected realization I had was just how ingrained the word already was in the brains of even first-year graduate students. At first I merely suggested—over and over again—that students avoid using the word. When suggestion proved not to be enough, I evinced more motivation by taking off precious points at the sight of the word. To my surprise, it still appears, and students later say they didn't even realize they had used it! Even though using this s-word doesn't carry the possible consequence of having one's mouth washed out with soap, I continue to witness the clasp of hands over the mouth as the first syllable tries to sneak out—as if the speakers had caught themselves nearly swearing in front of a child or parent.
The statistician and biologist Ronald Fisher is usually given credit (or blame) for the attachment of the word significant to statistical results, thanks to his coining of the term "test of significance" and to the incredibly liberal use of the word in his 1925 text Statistical Methods for Research Workers. However, evidence suggests he borrowed the idea from previous uses of the word in discussions about judging how likely it was that an event was due to chance as opposed to a "real" effect.
The University of Southampton economist John Aldrich points to two late-19th-century uses of the word in a pre-Fisher statistical context. In 1885, the political economist Francis Ysidro Edgeworth wrote: "In order to determine whether the observed difference between the mean stature of 2,315 criminals and the mean stature of 8,585 British adult males belonging to the general population is significant.…" In 1888, the logician John Venn (of Venn diagram fame) stated, "As before, common sense would feel little doubt that such a difference was significant, but it could give no numerical estimate of the significance." In a 1982 article for American Psychologist, Michael Cowles and Caroline Davis also point to a famous 1908 paper by William Gosset (who wrote under the pseudonym Student). Student used the s-word in introducing the t-distribution: "Three times the probable error in the normal curve, for most purposes, would be considered significant."
These instances notwithstanding, it appears that Fisher's generous use of the word in Statistical Methods for Research Workers was initially responsible for the need of a second definition in the dictionary today. In addition, the common use of the 0.05 p -value as nearly the sole criterion for dichotomizing and labeling results as significant or not appears to have some of its first roots in that text. Fisher wrote: "The value for which P = 0.05, or 1 in 20, is 1.96 or nearly 2; it is convenient to take this point as a limit in judging whether a deviation is to be considered significant or not. Deviations exceeding twice the standard deviation are thus formally regarded as significant."
In these early uses of the word, authors appear to intend the meaning of "showing something," and not necessarily "showing something important." Even in these cases, however, the ability to judge the strength of intended meaning is admittedly difficult, providing even more reason for promoting careful and sparing use of the word today. It seems naive to believe that we, as humans, can ignore the word's everyday meaning when we enter the realm of statistics, particularly when it is ambiguously defined even in statistical contexts.
In his 1956 book, Statistical Methods and Scientific Inference , Fisher is notably more careful in his discussions of cutoffs and significance. In discussing the practice of rejecting a hypothesis, he states:
No scientific worker has a fixed level of significance at which from year to year, and in all circumstances, he rejects hypotheses; he rather gives his mind to each particular case in the light of his evidence and his ideas. It should not be forgotten that the cases chosen for applying a test are manifestly a highly selected set, and that the conditions of selection cannot be specified even for a single worker; nor that in the argument used it would clearly be illegitimate for one to choose the actual level of significance indicated by a particular trial as though it were his lifelong habit to use just this level.
This language is clearly different from the strict classification Fisher suggested in 1925. Although I lay some blame on Fisher for early uses of the s-word, I believe he would take issue with its rampant use today, particularly if, as Salsberg suggests, its meaning carries more weight now than it did in 1956. We can strive to be one of the scientific workers Fisher describes, and omitting the s-word from our work is a starting point with serious potential.
Fisher goes on to say, "In choosing the ground upon which a general hypothesis should be rejected, personal judgment may and should be properly exercised. The experimenter will rightly consider all points on which, in the light of current knowledge, the hypothesis may be imperfectly accurate." The perfect place to insert such descriptions of reasoning and justifications of personal judgment is just where the word significant used to reside.
In my experience, scientists making their first attempts at abandoning the s-word discover how wedded they are to it. The real challenge, however, lies in replacing the s-word with substance, not with an equally ambiguous synonym. If the scenario is a simple one—the p-value was 0.048, the confidence interval did not include 0 or the variable in question ended up in your top model—use the space to explicitly define your criteria. If, in fact, you believe the results are practically meaningful and important, convince your readers with sound justification using both statistical and general scientific reasoning.
Statistical inference is an art, uncomfortably dependent on practitioners and their backgrounds. It should not be construed as a way to objectivize inference or a straightforward means to classify results as significant or not. Omission of the s-word may seem like a rather insignificant request among the bigger issues facing statistical inference and science in general. However, given the simplicity and accessibility of this change, it is worth the potential improvements it offers in the dissemination of our scientific results. I hope you will join me and my students in working to curtail use of the s-word and its negative impacts on science.
Click "American Scientist" to access home page


text:
|Menlo Park, Calif.
|High School:
|Menlo School
2013: (Indoor): Came 16th in the 1000m with a 2:33.05 at the Harvard Challenge (1/19) … finished 39th in the 800m with a tie of 1:56.04 and was part of the 4x400 relay that came in 23rd in 3:20.86 at the Terrier Classic (1/26) … was third in the 600m with a time 1:22.60 and was part of the first-place finishing 4x800 relay that crossed the line in 8:01.29 at the Tufts Stampede (2/02) … improved his time in the 600m to 1:22.25, finishing in sixth place, and dropped time in the 4x800, crossing the line in second with a 7:54.21 at the New England Division III Championship (2/16) … improved to a 1:53.41 in the 800m at NEICAAAs (2/23), coming in 13th place.
2012:Came eighth in the 800m (1:57.57) at the New England Division III championships (indoor) ... came sixth in the 4x400m relay (3:15.88) at the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association championships ... finished fourth as part of the 4x400m relay (3:19.74) at the National Collegiate Athletic Association championships ... received the silver medal in the 4x400m relay (3:20.63) and in the 800m (1:56.83) at the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference championships (outdoor) ... came fifth in the 4x400m relay at the NCAA championships (outdoor) ... finished third in the 4x800m relay ((7:47.04) at the NE Div. 3 championships (outdoor) ... Division III All-New England in 800m and 4x800m ... NEICAAA All-New England in 4x400m relay ... All-America in the 4x400m relay ... NEWMAC All-Conference in 800m and 4x400m relay.
High School: A 2011 graduate of the Menlo School … five-time team MVP in cross country and track … two-time league MVP in cross country and track … cross country, track and soccer team captain.


text:
Rapada ailing; Logan, Robertson on mend
JUPITER, Fla. -- As though the injuries in their lineup aren't enough, the Yankees are also dealing with some issues in their bullpen.
Manager Joe Girardi announced on Thursday afternoon that left-hander Clay Rapada has been shut down due to bursitis in his throwing shoulder. Rapada joins Boone Logan and David Robertson on the list of Yankee relievers dealing with injuries.
However, Logan and Robertson appear to be progressing. Logan, who is dealing with a sore left elbow, is "feeling better" according to Girardi. Robertson has some shoulder discomfort but it is not believed to be serious.
The Associated Press reported that Logan and Robertson both played catch at the team's complex in Tampa, as did starter Phil Hughes, who is recovering from a back injury.


text:
Tech Update
Sheetmetal CAD/CAM Software Updated to Improve Material Utilization
A new Edit Punch Tool feature maximizes punching-machine efficiency by finding and replacing tools used on a part. If a tool is damaged or in use elsewhere, this feature automatically finds and replaces it with the selected alternate tool. Additionally, users can quickly edit punch-tool overlaps to either improve efficiency or even create or adjust micro-joints.
A new user interface for the machine configuration editor eases system setup while allowing machine parameters to be adjusted safely and accurately. The new interface also allows the end user to adjust the various times each operation takes on a specific machine, resulting in more accurate run-time estimates.
New functionality and improvements to existing nesting capabilities further improve material utilization.
Planit Group: 800/875-7232; www.planit.com
See also: Vero Software, Radan CIM Inc.
Related Enterprise Zones: Other Processes, Software
Reader Comments
There are no comments posted at this time.


text:
This webinar will teach you best practices and applications for work measurement and labor standards management. Understand how these techniques can improve your processes. Take away steps to implement at your organization to better plan, predict and manage labor standards for optimized processes.
In this presentation how for profit and not-for-profit enterprises can become world-class using the seven salient principles of lean Six Sigma will be discussed.
Mid-level leaders are thrust into driving change. Many of them have high potential and have demonstrated a capability to perform. They are self -starters, understand the sense of urgency, and often eager to go faster. Many even are huge proponents of continuous improvement. They've become zealots of lean. So why are they often frustrated? The webinar will evaluate the effectiveness of leadership development or lack thereof.
A three-year case study review of a global consumer packaged goods company that saw the business need for improved supply chain visibility, built innovative dashboards for daily factory management, and implemented the Invistics solution to achieve significant improvements in cycle times and inventory reduction.
Affordability is about the integration of value, customer,
and cost. Lean Six Sigma provides a foundation of tools, techniques, and
methods for the application of affordability.
The pursuit of affordability involves increasing speed and
responsiveness, improving quality and reliability, while decreasing cost and
price. Lean Six Sigma provides the mean
for accomplishing the mission.
During this webcast, Hooks will address change from the inside out – starting with the why, and then moving to the how, of the change initiative through the use of five core tools and simulation activities. Each of these tools and activities is designed to start and continue conversations with stakeholders in the change, leading to buy-in and commitment and setting the stage for future successful changes.
This case study will focus on the implementation of strategy deployment at Vancouver Coastal Health, an organization of 24,000 people who started introducing lean in 2006. The focus was initially very project based but has since shifted towards cultural change.
This presentation applies the author's LSS and quality improvement experience that created an adaption to the Gleicher/Dannemiller "Formula for Change." Focus is on its simple elegance and robustness, starting with the origin and history of the Gleicher/Dannemiller formula (Dp*Vf*Fc>Rc).
How do you apply the different levels of process mapping to individual work activities? This includes strategic, operational and tactical mapping in relation to business, industrial, medical and educational organizations. This webinar will provide practical examples that will assist both Six Sigma green and black belts along with any other person who is tasked with capturing the organizational processes.
The first presentation, "Pre-notification Reporting for Small Business Unit," focuses on increasing customer satisfaction in Kaiser Permanente by reducing the number of pre-notification letters that are sent out late. The second presentation, "Redefine Expert: Engaging Front-line Staff in Lean Continuous Improvement," focuses on how East Tennessee Children's Hospital is engaging front-line staff in daily problem solving that achieves the best outcome and experience for every patient and family every time they are in their care.
Irrespective of industry domain, we believe you will enjoy learning of the advances of lean in the construction world … principles that you may be able to relate to as you observe a construction site from a distance, hear about the next tallest building in the world, or even while getting your own new real-estate/house.
We'll focus on best practices gathered from a decade's worth of experience working with "high-mix" manufacturers who have a wide variety of raw materials, work-in-progress, or finished good products, who struggle with having too much of the wrong inventory and/or not enough of the right inventory. We'll share how these manufacturers met those challenges by managing demand and supply variability, utilizing lean principles. Finally, we'll look at some case studies from industry leaders such as Siemens, Coca-Cola and MeadWestVaco, and illustrate how these best practices lead to real-world results.
Future stakes could be higher for you by attending this informative webinar to preview the educational and networking opportunities at the Engineering Lean & Six Sigma Conference 2012 in October. The knowledgeable panelists on this webinar will get you out of the "starting gate" and focus on engineering lean and Six Sigma practices, fundamentals and management buy-in.
The application of lean manufacturing concepts and practices to the packaging of liquid, solid and flake products will be described with examples taken from actual production lines. The use of lean methods like SMED, 5S, Visual Management, Package-to-Order and Product Wheels to improve packaging operations, resulting in lower inventories, greater throughput and higher customer service levels will be explained.
The field of industrial and systems engineering has brought valuable tools and strategies to reducing cost, improving safety and efficiency, and increasing customer and employee satisfaction in industries for many years, but it has not been widely used in healthcare. In this presentation, Dr. Victoria Jordan, director of quality measurement and engineering at MD Anderson Cancer Center, will provide an overview of industrial and systems engineering and its role in healthcare. She will discuss its alignment with basic continuous improvement and operational excellence efforts (and discuss how it enhances these efforts). Some examples of successful applications in healthcare will be provided.
The webinar is based around the Shingo Prize winning book Staying Lean, co-written by Peter Hines, and his 20 years of application of lean. In this period many global corporations and smaller organizations have adopted lean approaches with a range of success. In many cases a good deal of the execution has resulted in disappointment in terms of the degree of sustainability of the activity and results. This is particularly the case with organizations that have simply adopted tools based approach involving a "kaizen events" and value stream mapping. Using the analogy of an iceberg, we term this an "above the water" approach. What our research has shown is this, on its own, is simply not sustainable without the enabling "below the water" areas of strategy and alignment, leadership, and behavior and engagement. The webinar focuses both on the framework to make this work as well as the eight years journey of multinational manufacturer, Cogent Power in not just going lean but creating a sustainable lean business system.
In the midst of critical economic times, it is very important to survive today to be here tomorrow. What we improve, how we improve and how quickly we improve are paramount. The popular approach has been to implement aspects of an operational excellence system that may have worked well for another company, but a large number of such initiatives fail to reach the maturity stage. There are many theories behind the reasons for the failure; however, there seems to be one common root cause – "copy and paste" tools and systems. This webinar will present and discuss applications and principles of strategic planning and execution (Hoshin Kanri) using a seven-step transformation process involving strategy, simplicity and execution. This process and approach has been developed by the speaker based on his experience at Delphi and Alcoa and has previously resulted in enterprise transformation with significant and sustainable productivity gains by cutting waste rather than people, and without capital expenditure.
Energy management can be used to start or accelerate a continuous improvement program. Energy costs can provide direction to a company's most significant opportunities for improvement. Energy reduction projects can be used as the cornerstone of a turnaround program. This webinar highlights why energy costs can guide a cost reduction effort, how to get an initiative started, and what common pitfalls to avoid.
Lean and lean Six Sigma business transformation initiatives have become a business imperative for many organizations in almost every industry sector. While many companies are attempting to implement lean methodologies; the vast majority fail to meet their business transformation objectives and/or fail to sustain their business transformation gains. Research has shown that the most common reasons that these efforts fail to achieve or sustain their improvement results are 1) the lack of leadership support, and 2) the lack of focus on the organizational culture. The webinar describes the path forward to a lean transformation methodology that focuses on developing critical organizational competencies around organizational culture transformation and lean process improvement resulting in a more effective and sustainable transformation effort.
This webinar covered:
Industrial and Systems Engineering has the potential to have growing impact in organizations. The knowledge base provided by the BSISE (and advanced degrees) is robust, broad, and foundational to support contributing to many timely and critical opportunities and problems organizations face today. This webinar will focus on how to 'think' about the positioning of ISE for full potential contribution. The presenter will provide a conceptual framework and then provide examples where ISE has and is being more fully capitalized on.
Lindenmeyer discusses the importance of managing change in an organization. He will cover the levers of change, breaking the paradigms of traditional organizational change, what organizational excellence is, and the keys to process improvement.
McManus presents, "Is your company culture lean-focused? An exercise in self assessment." If it isn't, he covers what you can do to change that culture.
The presenter shows how he walked OLES Envelopes through a process of corporate diagnosis and policy deployment to drive transformation.
The profession of industrial engineer has always been tied to the world of manufacturing and the design of the factories that produce the consumer and producer goods that we all use. A Toyota-Style Industrial Engineer designed and ran the Lean Production System and it is being spread about the world just like previous factory designs. Evolving out of this revolution is the new IE which we are calling the Lean Engineer.
H.B. Maynard & Co. share their experience and present how to establish conditions for lean manufacturing success.
Learn how Marypat Cooper's efforts to fully integrate kaizen and continuous improvement throughout various corporate functions resulted in record-breaking productivity and profit gains.
In February 2010, Office Depot created a new Business Process Improvement (BPI) organization with a mission to drive continuous improvement throughout the organization and to create a culture of "excellence in execution." Ten months later the fledgling BPI had partnered with OD process leaders to not only meet but exceed first year goals by a significant margin. In this webinar find out how the Office Depot BPI team is rising to the challenge of injecting continuous improvement and execution excellence into Office Depot's organizational DNA.
Kaizen Events are well understood to be a powerful way to achieve significant performance improvement in a relatively short time period. Some lean practitioners, however, have been reluctant to manage Kaizen Events as Lean 6S projects, fearing that the rigor and structure will slow the Kaizen process down. This presentation will show that that doesn't have to happen, that the two concepts can reinforce each other and achieve greater success without sacrificing the natural urgency of Kaizen Events.
The Lean Engineer is an IE equipped with lean tools to redesign the factory from mass production to lean production. The lean engineering functions begin with redesigning the final assembly line into a mixed model line to make it flexible and create a level demand on the supply chain.
Aproveche esta oportunidad de ser parte de este único webinar, para obtener una vista previa de este taller pre-congreso que se realizará el Domingo, 6 de junio de 2010, de 8 a.m.-5 p.m. en el Congreso y Exposición Anual del IIE 2010, del 5 al 9 de junio en Cancún, México. Objetivo: Proporcionar información sobre Lean Manufacturing, su historia, en que empresas aplica y aplicaciones del modelo shingo prize. Durante la sesión tendremos oportunidad de compartir ideas, responder a sus preguntas e introducir al tema lean manufacturing.
Are you interested in learning about obstacles that hinder companies from implementing lean?
O'Rourke and Aherne define true Lean Supply Chain and discuss the different roadblocks people run into implementing Lean Supply Chain. They will cover Lean success and challenges, Lean Supply Chain Management, and Lean SCM up close.
Scheeres presents key success factors for integrating lean Six Sigma in a healthcare setting by covering the features of Lean and Six Sigma, how to assess organizational and personal readiness, and ideas for next steps.


text:
Rose-Marie 19 Bracelet Bag
€ 1 542
Rose-Marie bracelet bag in black laser-cut and whipstitched calf leather, with bracelet handle and drawstring. A tab on the handle slides up to open the bag. Dimensions (cm) : L 19 x H 19 x D 12
View more
Select color
Select size
The size shown for this item is the size indicated by the designer on the label.
Please select color
Please select size
Internal accessories: Detachable mirror 7x10 cm
Closure: Laces
Composition: 100% Calf Leather
Product reference: 8W1G003PCJ06-C999
Closure: Laces
Composition: 100% Calf Leather
Product reference: 8W1G003PCJ06-C999
Please read the following care instructions, they will help you to preserve the quality of your product.
We offer a speedy Express shipping service for any address. We also provide an easy return service: just ship your items back to us with a shipping service of your choice within 30 days from delivery. Read more on Returns & Refunds.
Your orders will be delivered carefully wrapped in soft silk Alaïa paper and signature box.
The perfect packaging for your Alaïa gifts.


text:
Nine years ago, businessman Charles Wang thought he would do Long Island a solid and buy their Islanders so the team could stay in Nassau County. Now? He kinda wishes he could have a do-over.
Wang—one of the richest residents of the island—paid about $170 million for the team back in 2000, but since then has spent an additional $208 million out of his own pocket to keep the team afloat. That's about $23 million a season down the drain. He was doing the entire area a favor by bailing the team out back then, but now Wang says, "If I had the chance, I wouldn't do it again." Ya think?
Still, Wang says he is proud that he was able to save the Islanders from leaving Long Island nine years ago, and that it was important to him that the Island's only professional sports team got a legitimate shot to succeed. Before Wang's purchase of the team, many area public figures asked him to step in - an action that the financial documents show has cost him close to $300 million. "I knew going in," Wang said, "that I was going to lose money."
National Hockey League Deputy Commissioner William Daly said the league is aware of Wang's losses on the team. "His numbers are real," Daly said. "Yes, we're aware the Islanders lose money, a significant amount of money. And it goes back to the team's need for a new arena."
Ahh, yes. It's always the arena. Nassau Coliseum is a bit of a dump—and the smallest in the NHL—and the team's lease does not give them any money from concessions or parking, so they are getting kind of screwed there. And even though the town won't build a new arena, Wang offered to build one himself, but says bureaucratic wrangling is holding up the project.
The losses may also have something to do with the fact that the Islanders are a terrible, terrible franchise. They were easily dead last in points and attendance this year and haven't won a Stanley Cup playoff series since 1993. What is he spending that $23 million a year on? Zamboni repairs?
Charles Wang regrets buying Islanders [Newsday]
Background: Charles Wang Newsmaker [CBC]


text:
Research began with AVANT, a monograph on the Spanish musical avant-garde, scarcely documented until now. This series, curated by Roc Jiménez de Cisneros, is also available at Ubuweb.
Parallel to that, COMPOSING WITH PROCESS is a series, curated by Mark Fell and Joe Gilmore, which explores generative approaches to composition and performance primarily in the context of experimental technologies and music practices of the latter part of the 20th Century. Each episode is accompanied by an additional programme, entitled EXCLUSIVES, featuring unpublished sound pieces by leading sound artists working in the field.
MEMORABILIA. COLLECTING SOUNDS WITH... breaks through to unearth and reveal private collections of music and sound memorabilia, in order to reveal the unseen and passionate work of the amateur collector.
Can we think through listening? Seth-Kim Cohen, Christoph Cox, Julian Henriques, Casey O'Callaghan, Peter Szendy and Salomé Voegelin discuss why thinking should not be at odds with resonating...
The brainchild of Nurse with Wound shares the main features of a collection that might help us understand the unorthodox nature of his own trajectory, as influential as it is extensive.
Eric Isaacson, founder of Mississippi Records, presents a compilation that seeks to capture the magic of home recordings.
It may seem obvious looking back but Eric Isaacson had no idea that a childhood obsession with The Beatles and an armful of Daniel Johnston cassettes would be the foundation for his work as founder of Mississippi Records label and shop and the keeper of a uniquely free flowing record collection that is detached from time.
A selection of records that use eccentric voice manipulation techniques; from human existentialism and sound poetry to electronic, mechanical and computer distortion.
Over the past twenty years, Andy Votel has travelled far and wide in a quest to buy as many records as he could. His main motivation is to listen to music, and the only way to get the music he likes is generally to buy and collect it.
Islamic, Christian and traditional praise music, all have a place in the market stalls across Africa, and are widely represented in Brian Shimkovitz's tape collection.
The tale of how a student of ethnomusicology from Brooklyn spent a year in West Africa buying tapes off street markets... and how he managed to turn that bizarre collection into one of the most revered record labels in recent years.
Mark Fell and Joe Gilmore wrap up this series on generative and process music with a piece created specifically for the occasion: 'Two Discrete Generative Systems'.
This mix, clocking in at over two hours, is a retrospective snapshot of the musical legacy of the Institute of Sonology. It alternates classic pieces, recent works and unreleased gems from the Sonology archive.
Exclusive music by Keith Fullerton Whitman and Carl Michael von Hausswolff.
Straddling art and documentation, the restoration work that Kees Tazelaar carries out is a crucial but largely unknown stage in the recovery of historical sound material. Tazelaar describes his experiences as head of the magnetic tape archive at the Institute of Sonology in The Hague, in which nostalgia coexists with academic rigor.
Jonny Trunk picks his fifteen favourite tracks from the fifteen best library music companies in his collection.
This episode considers the notion of change in music. It looks at how scientific and mathematical concepts can be used to model change in the acoustic domain.
Jonny Trunk walks us through a hard-to-find and yet very familiar genre: library music. Or as he puts it: 'The strange noise that TV makes at night.'
A hyperconcentrated collection of bumpers and crazy rants from Kenneth Goldsmith's (aka Kenny G) legendary WFMU radio show, guaranteed to make you turn down the volume and run out of the house.
Two exclusive works-interviews by Goodiepal.
This episode considers the notion of change in music. It asks how we perceive and quantify change in musical structures, and how generative processes disrupt and enlarge our sense of surprise, expectation, tension and boredom.
Kenneth Goldsmith, founder of Ubuweb, takes us on a journey through his personal history as a collector of sounds that spans from his childhood to adult life and the creation of Ubuweb.
A musical selection of some of the secret jewels found in Ed Veenstra's record collection, specialised in Broken Music: records and paramusical works produced by visual artists and other avant-garde creators.
Exclusive music by Stephan Mathieu and Russell Haswell.
This episode explores sound in relation to space. It considers various ways in which composers have utilised acoustic space as an active element in the process of music composition.
Dutch collector Ed Veenstra is one of the world's leading authorities on the genre of Broken Music: records and paramusical works produced by visual artists and other avant-garde creators.
Exclusive music by Ben Vida and THE HUB.
A musical selection of some of the secret jewels found in William Bennett's sound collection, discovering rare percussion music from West-Africa.
This episode explores the concept of duration in music. It examines the different ways that composers and musicians have explored duration in terms of both the large and small.
International noise music legend William Bennett is also an avid record collector. Both critical and eclectic in his selective accumulation, the British artist's record collection comprises a singular labyrinth of sounds that make it possible to chart different paths through the musical preferences of its owner.
A musical selection of some of the anomalies found in Mark Gergis' sound collection, discovering rare music from the Middle East and South East Asia.
Exclusive music by Laurie Spiegel and Terre Thaemlitz
Over the past twenty years, this North American of Iraqi origins has immersed himself in popular and folk music scenes and subgenres from Syria, Iraq, Sumatra, Cambodia, Thailand and other places, in order to rescue what he calls "sound anomalies" from oblivion.
The relationship between time and music and the impact of technological development and how time is treated within a range of musical idioms.
Exclusive music by Yasunao Tone and Christophe Charles.
This episode looks at how chance has been used in a variety of ways in the composition and performance of musical works.
Exclusive music by Marcus Schmickler and EVOL.
The role of formalised systems in music making.
Exclusive music by German artist Florian Hecker and Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda.
A range of sound works representing different periods, traditions and approaches to generative and systems based music.
A musical selection of Carles Santos' works from 1978 until 2008.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Carles Santos, featuring an interview with Pere Portabella.
A musical selection of Juan Hidalgo's works from 1957 until 1997.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Juan Hidalgo, featuring interviews with Esther Ferrer, Rubén Figaredo and Hénar Rivière.
A musical selection of Pelayo Fernández Arrizabalaga's works from 1985 until 2007.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Pelayo Fernández Arrizabalaga, featuring interviews with Cristina Casanova and Sergi Jordà.
A musical selection of Victor Nubla's works from 1976 until 2008.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Victor Nubla, featuring interviews with Pascal Comelade, Juan Crek and Rafael Duyos.
A musical selection of Vagina Dentata Organ's works from 1984 until 2007.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Vagina Dentata Organ, featuring interviews with Marc Valls, Pau Riba, Paco Alvarado, Xavier Cot, Eliseu Huertas i Cos and Marc Viaplana.
A musical selection of José Iges' works from 1994 until 2006.
A monographic on the work and historical context of José Iges, featuring interviews with Concha Jerez and Miguel Álvarez-Fernández.
A musical selection of Eduardo Polonio's works from 1969 until 2007.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Eduardo Polonio, featuring an interview with Claudio Zulián.
A musical selection of Josep Maria Mestres Quadreny works from 1962 until today.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Josep Maria Mestres Quadreny, featuring interviews with Carles Santos and Oriol Pérez.
A musical selection of José Manuel Berenguer works from 1990 until today.
A monographic on the work and historical context of José Manuel Berenguer, featuring an interview with Joan Saura.
A musical selection of Francisco López works from 1997 until today.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Francisco López, featuring an interview with Rafael Flores.
A musical selection of Llorenç Barber works from 1978 until today.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Llorenç Barber, featuring an interview with Ruben López Cano.
A musical selection of Esplendor Geométrico works from 1981 to 2007.
A monographic on the work and historical context of Esplendor Geométrico, featuring interviews with Arturo Lanz, Andrés Noarbe, Francisco López and Javier Hernando.


text:
Bid On The Actual 'Fight Club' Yin-Yang Table To Benefit Homeless Pooches - SOLD!
Update: The item was auctioned and won for $4,351.00! Congrats to the new owner of the table and for the good thing they did to support for these animals.
I just got an e-mail from Chuck asking that I let everyone know that The Pixie Project animal shelter, in Portland OR, is auctioning the actual Yin-Yang coffee table from Fight Club. This is one of three tables that were used in the film. The other two were (obviously) destroyed. It was given to Chuck as a funny gift by David Fincher at the close of the film.
Bid on the table here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/290687911585 - Auction Ended
All proceeds go to funding The Pixie Project, and help rescue dogs.
This table has been in Chuck's office for the past 12 years and he's now ready to part with it for a worthy cause. Furthermore, if you live anywhere near the Portland area, there's a chance he'll come and help you set it up.
Watch this quick video for more:
Good luck!


text:
(AP) - A new study based on NASA satellite measurements reveals what researchers called a shocking loss of groundwater in the Southwest's largest river basin.
The study released Thursday by NASA and the University of California, Irvine says the Colorado Basin has lost enough water since 2004 to supply more than 50 million households for a year. It says more than 75 percent of that loss is groundwater.
The basin supplies water to about 40 million people in seven states as well as people in Mexico.
Lead author Stephanie Castle and fellow researchers say the losses raise further questions about the long-term sustainability of the basin's water supplies to the Southwest and Mexico.
The basin encompasses parts of California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.


text:
Available on
Daily Planet Update!
New Episode: Metal Part II out now!
Follow us on:
Sign up now to get insider updates on new features and special offers for DCUO. You can unsubscribe in one click.
©2016-2019 Daybreak Game Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Get insider updates on new features and special offers for DCUO. You can unsubscribe in one click.
Select Your System(you may select more than one)
Thank You for Submitting Your Email Address! We Will Keep You Updated on DCUO Events.
As part of our transition to Daybreak Games, we've updated our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Terms of Service effective March 13, 2015. By continuing to use our websites and play our games, you are agreeing to these updated terms and policies.
Daybreak Game Company uses cookies to help improve your online experience. By continuing to use our websites without changing your cookie preferences we will assume that you are agreeing to our use of cookies. A list of our websites is available here. For more information, or to change your cookie preferences, visit our cookie policy.


text:
Standard or Comprehensive Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Previously Treated With Chemotherapy and Surgery
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01872975
Recruitment Status : Recruiting
First Posted : June 7, 2013
Last Update Posted : August 26, 2019
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Stage IB Breast Cancer Stage II Breast Cancer
|Radiation: regional nodal XRT Radiation: chestwall XRT Radiation: WBI
|Not Applicable
Show Detailed Description
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Estimated Enrollment :
|1636 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|A Randomized Phase III Clinical Trial Evaluating Post-Mastectomy Chestwall and Regional Nodal XRT and Post-Lumpectomy Regional Nodal XRT in Patients With Positive Axillary Nodes Before Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Who Convert to Pathologically Negative Axillary Nodes After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
|Study Start Date :
|August 2013
|Estimated Primary Completion Date :
|July 2023
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|August 2028
Active Comparator: Group 1A Lumpectomy: no regional nodal XRT with WBI
Lumpectomy patients undergo whole breast radiation therapy using IMRT or 3D-CRT once daily 5 days a week for 5 weeks followed by a radiation therapy boost to the lumpectomy cavity once daily 5 days a week for 1-1/2 weeks.
Radiation: WBI
Other Name: Whole Breast Irradiation (WBI)
No Intervention: Group 1B Mastectomy: No regional nodal or chestwall XRT
Mastectomy patients do not undergo radiation therapy.
Experimental: Group 2A lumpectomy: Regional nodal XRT with WBI
Lumpectomy patients undergo regional nodal radiation therapy with whole breast radiation therapy using IMRT or 3D-CRT once daily 5 days a week for 5 weeks followed by a radiation therapy boost to the lumpectomy cavity once daily 5 days a week for 1-1/2 weeks.
Radiation: regional nodal XRT
Other Name: XRT: External radiotherapy
Radiation: WBI
Other Name: Whole Breast Irradiation (WBI)
Experimental: Group 2B Mastectomy: Regional nodal XRT and chestwall XRT
Mastectomy patients undergo regional nodal radiation therapy using IMRT or 3D-CRT once daily 5 days a week for 5 weeks.
Radiation: regional nodal XRT
Other Name: XRT: External radiotherapy
Radiation: chestwall XRT
Other Name: XRT: External radiotherapy
- IBC-RFI [ Time Frame: Time from randomization until invasive local, regional, or distant recurrence, or death from breast cancer, assessed up to 10 years ]
- OS [ Time Frame: Time from randomization to death from any cause, assessed up to 10 years ]
- LRRFI [ Time Frame: Time from randomization to recurrence of primary cancer w/in breast or lymph nodes in ipsilateral axilla, infraclavicular fossa, or ipsilateral internal mammary chain w/out evidence distant disease, or death due to breast cancer, assessed up to 10 years ]
- DRFI [ Time Frame: Time from randomization to the development of tumor in all areas beyond local or regional limits, or death due to breast cancer, assessed up to 10 years ]
- DFS-DCIS [ Time Frame: Time from randomization to local recurrence post-mastectomy/in ipsilateral breast post-lumpectomy, regional/distant recurrence, contralateral disease, second primary cancer, or death from any cause prior to recurrence or SPC, assessed up to 10 years ]
- Time to SPC [ Time Frame: Time from randomization to the development of a second primary invasive cancer of any site excluding squamous and basal cell carcinoma of the skin, assessed up to 10 years ]
- Effect of radiation therapy on cosmetic outcome in mastectomy and lumpectomy patients as assessed by quality of life questionnaire [ Time Frame: Assessed prior to randomization, 3 months or at end of RT, and 6, 12, and 24 months from randomization ]
- Frequencies of adverse events graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0 [ Time Frame: Up to 30 days after completion of study treatment ]
- Molecular predictors of recurrence [ Time Frame: Tissue samples collected within 90 days after randomization ]To test the prognostic role of gene expression profiles in residual tumor tissue and to develop predictors of the degree of reduction of loco-regional recurrence.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- The patient must have signed and dated an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved consent form that conforms to federal and institutional guidelines
- The patient must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1
- Patient must have clinically T1-3, N1 breast cancer at the time of diagnosis (before neoadjuvant therapy); clinical axillary nodal involvement can be assessed by palpation, ultrasound, CT scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, or PET/CT scan
- Patient must have had pathologic confirmation of axillary nodal involvement at presentation (before neoadjuvant therapy) based on either a positive fine needle aspirate (FNA) (demonstrating malignant cells) or positive core needle biopsy (demonstrating invasive adenocarcinoma); the FNA or core needle biopsy can be performed either by palpation or by image guidance; documentation of axillary nodal positivity by sentinel node biopsy (before neoadjuvant therapy) is not permitted
- Patients must have had estrogen receptor (ER) analysis performed on the primary breast tumor before neoadjuvant therapy according to current American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/College of American Pathologists (CAP) guideline recommendations for hormone receptor testing; if negative for ER, assessment of progesterone receptor (PgR) must also be performed according to current ASCO/CAP guideline recommendations for hormone receptor testing (http://www.asco.org)
- Patients must have had HER2 testing performed on the primary breast tumor before neoadjuvant chemotherapy according to the current ASCO/CAP guideline recommendations for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 testing in Breast Cancer (http://www.asco.org); patients who have a primary tumor that is either HER2-positive or HER2-negative are eligible
- Patient must have completed a minimum of 8 weeks of standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of an anthracycline and/or taxane-based regimen
- For patients who receive adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery, a maximum of 12 weeks of intended chemotherapy may be administered but must be completed before randomization; (if treatment delays occur, chemotherapy must be completed within 14 weeks); the dose and schedule of the adjuvant chemotherapy are at the investigator's discretion; Note: It is preferred that all intended chemotherapy be administered in the neoadjuvant setting
- Patients with HER2-positive tumors must have received neoadjuvant anti-HER2 therapy (either with all or with a portion of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen), unless medically contraindicated
At the time of definitive surgery, all removed axillary nodes must be histologically free from cancer; acceptable procedures for assessment of axillary nodal status at the time of surgery include:
- Axillary node dissection
- Sentinel node biopsy alone or
- Sentinel node biopsy followed by axillary node dissection
- Note: Patients are eligible whether there is residual invasive carcinoma in the surgical breast specimen or whether there is evidence of pathologic complete response; patients who are found to be pathologically node-positive at the time of surgery, based on sentinel node biopsy alone, are candidates for A011202, a study developed by the Alliance in Oncology, an NCI Cooperative Group; if A011202 is open at the investigator's institution, patients should be approached about participating in the A011202 study
- Patients with pathologic staging of ypN0(i+) or ypN0(mol+) are eligible (Note: Postneoadjuvant therapy is designated with a "yp" prefix.)
- Patient who have undergone either a total mastectomy or a lumpectomy are eligible
- For patients who undergo lumpectomy, the margins of the resected specimen or re-excision must be histologically free of invasive tumor and DCIS as determined by the local pathologist; additional operative procedures may be performed to obtain clear margins; if tumor is still present at the resected margin after re-excision(s), the patient must undergo total mastectomy to be eligible; (patients with margins positive for lobular carcinoma in situ [LCIS] are eligible without additional resection)
- For patients who undergo mastectomy, the margins must be histologically free of residual (microscopic or gross) tumor
- The interval between the last surgery for breast cancer (including re-excision of margins) and randomization must be no more than 70 days; also, if adjuvant chemotherapy was administered, the interval between the last chemotherapy treatment and randomization must be no more than 70 days
- The patient must have recovered from surgery with the incision completely healed and no signs of infection
- If adjuvant chemotherapy was administered, chemotherapy-related toxicity that may interfere with delivery of radiation therapy should have resolved
Exclusion Criteria:
- Definitive clinical or radiologic evidence of metastatic disease
- T4 tumors including inflammatory breast cancer
- Documentation of axillary nodal positivity before neoadjuvant therapy by sentinel node biopsy alone
- N2 or N3 disease detected clinically or by imaging
- Patients with histologically positive axillary nodes post neoadjuvant therapy
- Patients with microscopic positive margins after definitive surgery
- Synchronous or previous contralateral invasive breast cancer or DCIS; (patients with synchronous and/or previous contralateral LCIS are eligible)
- Any prior history, not including the index cancer, of ipsilateral invasive breast cancer or ipsilateral DCIS treated with radiation therapy; (patients with synchronous or previous ipsilateral LCIS are eligible)
- History of non-breast malignancies (except for in situ cancers treated only by local excision and basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin) within 5 years prior to randomization
- Any radiation therapy for the currently diagnosed breast cancer prior to randomization
- Any continued use of sex hormonal therapy, e.g., birth control pills, ovarian hormone replacement therapy; patients are eligible if these medications are discontinued prior to randomization
- Prior breast or thoracic radiation therapy (RT) for any condition
- Active collagen vascular disease, specifically dermatomyositis with a creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) level above normal or with an active skin rash, systemic lupus erythematosus, or scleroderma
- Pregnancy or lactation at the time of study entry; (Note: Pregnancy testing must be performed within 2 weeks prior to randomization according to institutional standards for women of childbearing potential)
- Other non-malignant systemic disease that would preclude the patient from receiving study treatment or would prevent required follow-up
- Psychiatric or addictive disorders or other conditions that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude the patient from meeting the study requirements
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01872975
Show 521 Study Locations
|Principal Investigator:
|Norman Wolmark, MD
|NSABP Foundation Inc
|Responsible Party:
|NSABP Foundation Inc
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01872975 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
NCI-2012-03198 ( Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program) )
U10CA012027 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|First Posted:
|June 7, 2013 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|August 26, 2019
|Last Verified:
|August 2019
Breast Neoplasms
Neoplasms by Site
Breast Diseases
Skin Diseases


text:
im not yet well exposed on creating a big architecture for the Inheritance concept when im dealing with big programs, and i came across with this issue, Serializing an Abstract class, consider my codes first
The Base Class(super)
public abstract class ElectronicAppliances implements Serializable { private String voltageType; public void setVoltageType(String voltageType) { this.voltageType = voltageType; } public String voltageType() { return voltageType; } }
and one of its Sub-class
public class Television extends ElectronicAppliances implements Serializable { private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L; private int width; private int heigth; private String displayType; public void setDisplayDimension(int width, int height) { this.width = width; this.heigth = height; } // LCD or CRT public void setTelevisionType(String type) { displayType = type; } public String getType() { return displayType; } }
my concern was, when the Super class(ElectronicAppliances) wasnt serializable, and i serialize a Television instance, i wasnt able to include the data members of the SuperClass(voltagetype), i came with the idea that i will serialize the parent class as well,
now my concern is, is this a good practice? ive been searching on google, i even ended up Reading design patterns, but its way too vast to explore for now, i need to clear my mind on this.
- my goal for serializing the abstract super-class was JUST to make its DATA MEMBERS serializable for its sub-classes implementations. i dont intend to write obejcts of the abstract class because as the concept says, abstracts cannot instantiate themselves, i just did it to make the instances of Television class serialize the ElectronicApplicances' data members, am i on the right track?


text:
Jewellery designers make lots of money on customized pieces because customers want jewellery that is representative of them. Custom body jewellery isn't any exception. A person might want to have custom body jewellery produced whether they have looked having a particular idea in your mind for a bit of jewellery and emerged empty handed after several weeks of searching. Really, the fee for a bit of customized body jewellery isn't that even more than a bit of regular body jewellery along with a customer will get exactly what they need. In lots of ways, this will make a bit of custom jewellery a good deal!
Why would someone look for a bit of customized body jewellery? Several reasons. One good reason may relate to allergy to plain metals accustomed to create most jewellery available on the market. Many people are allergic to many all metals but gold, and you will find even individuals people who have a problem with gold irritating their skin. Of these people, getting a jewelry expert use special alloys to produce pieces on their behalf is one of the only option with regards to putting on jewellery. It's not dependent on the perception of these folks but dependent on security in putting on any jewellery.
The following group may have trouble finding something which suits their personal taste, for reasons uknown. They might be a smaller sized individual and many any jewellery marketed to everyone looks large and gaudy on their own person, or they might want something which looks different that nobody else is putting on. Other occasions it might be that certain is attempting to add a family heirloom, a reputation, or perhaps a symbol into the style of a specific piece also it necessitates the skills of the gifted jewelry expert to create a functional and beautiful bit of jewellery.
Based on exactly what the bit of jewellery is perfect for, there might be an excuse for several of them also. Or, possibly it's been made the decision that a number of them ought to be made, like several kids should get the same bit of jewellery. Many reasons exist behind wanting a bit of custom body jewellery, and why there might be an excuse for several of these to become created.


text:
Current Issue: December 2019-January 2020
Subscription Benefits
- 14 Day Free Trial for all first time subscribers
- New issues automatically downloaded the morning they are available
Ranger Rick, a magazine all about animals and wildlife for children ages 7 and up, is a well-recognized and beloved brand. In existence since 1967, many parents will remember reading Ranger Rick as a child.
A winner of the 2011 Parent's Choice Gold Medal, Ranger Rick magazine gets kids up close to animals and wildlife with stunning photography, exciting adventures, tons of activities, games, and educational content to satisfy the most curious minds.
A long-standing feature is Ranger Rick's Adventures, an illustrated short story, in which Ranger Rick--a raccoon and his gang of friends explore the world, often encountering threats to wildlife and environmental problems. They always find a solution thus encouraging children to do their part to protect their natural environment.
Product Details
Customer Reviews
Average Review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Ranger Rick based on 0 ratings. 14 reviews.
This was by far the nicest animal magazine for kids. Unlike some of the others I looked at, this one is actually formatted for electronic use. They have included things like an articleview so you don't have to zoom in on the pages.
Ranger Rick, along with the other NWF magazines designed for younger kids, has been my grandson's constant companion for 6 years. This magazine has fostered his love of animals and his desire to read, it's taught him many things, and it's kept him happily occupied for countless hours... who could ask for more?! I'll be sad when he outgrows Ranger Rick - but I do believe he'll still be happy reading it well into his teens. THANK YOU, NWF! :)
I love it
This is a great magazine. There's some things even I didn't know!
I never got this from book
Nice magazine. I would recommend this to anyone!


text:
The UK Health Secretary, the man in charge of the National Health Service, is a fellow named Jeremy Hunt. He believes in homeopathy. Here is an excerpt from a letter he wrote to a constituent, defending homeopathy.
I understand that it is your view that homeopathy is not effective, and therefore that people should not be encouraged to use it as a treatment. However I am afraid that I have to disagree with you on this issue. Homeopathic care is enormously valued by thousands of people and in an NHS that the Government repeatedly tells us is "patient-led" it ought to be available where a doctor and patient believe that a homeopathic treatment may be of benefit to the patient.
Santa Claus is enormously valued by millions of young people, so I guess we ought to start subsidizing him. I believe that a vacation in the Bahamas would be of benefit to my heart condition, therefore my insurance ought to pay for it.
Notice that his response to an argument that the evidence shows that homeopathy doesn't work is to rely on the subjective claim that people "value" or "believe" in this quackery. Belief should not be enough — it should not be prioritized over empirical evidence.
Oh, well, schadenfreude to the rescue. Ha ha you Brits, maybe your health care will be as sucky as ours soon enough.