text:
On Wednesday I was working in Collierville so I decided to swing by the Gus's out there. I hadn't been to the Collierville location since a couple weeks before I started my Memphis-area restaurant quest.
The Collierville restaurant is just south of Collierville's Historic Town Square in a converted old house at the location where the first part of the Battle of Collierville was fought during the Civil War on Oct. 11, 1863. There is a plaque near the street in front of the restaurant describing the battle, during which Union cavalry troops, led by the forever-despised-in-the-South General William Sherman, forced the Confederate Army further south into Mississippi.
The Collierville Gus's is far less crowded, at least on the occasions I've stopped by, than the one Downtown, where lines out the door are common. Collierville today is mainly a bedroom community for people who work in Memphis and their families so I'm not sure what the dinner time crowd is like. But there were only about three other tables with people at them when I stopped by Wednesday. The relaxed atmosphere and historic setting make for a really pleasant place to enjoy lunch.
There was a recent article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper about a stray rooster who has ironically taken up residence near the Gus's in Collierville. There are a couple signs warning motorists about him but I haven't seen him during any of my travels through the area. [UPDATE: I got some good pictures of him during a more recent visit.]
I ordered a three-piece dark meat meal with beans and slaw. Like always, the beans were nothing special and the slaw was a little too sweet. And like always, that didn't matter. The fried chicken was exactly what you expect from Gus's -- crispy skin, juicy meat and a nice, well-seasoned subtle spiciness. It's amazingly ungreasy for the amount of flavor it has. I drank water, didn't eat the bread included with the meal and had no problems returning to work on a 100-degree day. I think a lot of fried chicken's reputation as a gut bomb comes from the gluten-heavy sides and sugary drinks people normally consume with it.
After my meal I took a brief walk though the Historic Town Square north of Gus's. As a journalism student in college I interned at The Collierville Herald newspaper one summer during the late '90s. The paper is located just off the Square and I always enjoyed strolling through it to find lunch and visit various city offices for stories.
As an interning reporter at the paper one of my jobs was to go through the archives to find past stories for the This Week in History column. It was always fascinating to see old papers from as recently as a few decades ago full of stories about livestock auctions and crop prices and realize just how recently Collierville was still a mostly self-sufficient small rural town, not the suburb people think of it as today.
The Square is a beloved part of Collierville. Residents frequently mention it and the small-town atmosphere it lends to the city as reasons why they live there. The irony is that the Square represents the polar opposite of so much of the generic suburban sprawl that typifies so much of the rest of the town. If you go just a little northwest to Poplar Avenue you will see the same sort of poorly-planned commercial development that led to the blight found on Lamar Avenue today. And the city has become increasingly choked with generic subdivisions with single entrances from a main road feeding into a network of cul-de-sacs.
My wife's parents live in Collierville and we got married in the Town Square a little over five years ago in April of 2007. Between that and working next to the Square during college the area brings back a lot of fond memories.
The most iconic and beloved part of Collierville, which is frequently presented as the face of the city, is a large, green walkable public space ringed by storefronts that are built out to the street and then surrounded by a mixed use of industrial and residential properties. It's the antithesis of modern suburban development and people naturally gravitate towards it because it is inherently functional and attractive. Modern planners who are looking to create communities instead of sprawl should visit and take notes.


text:
Hilton Worldwide has been pegged as the potential gunnery crew to command the next big cannon — a roughly $260 million, publicly funded hotel — in Cuyahoga County's drive to gain ground in the convention and medical meeting business. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald said the county selected Hilton as the strongest proposal from six offers by hotel operators to manage the planned, 600- to 650-room hotel on the site of the Cuyahoga County Administration Building, 1219 Ontario St. The hotel is expected to open in 2016. Mr. FitzGerald, civic leaders and Hilton executives made the announcement on the Mall B overlook formed by the roof of the Lakeside Avenue entrance to the new Cleveland Convention Center. The backdrop was the current administration building, already targeted for replacement with a larger central headquarters rising at East Ninth Street and Prospect Avenue. "I can't stress enough how much this announcement strengthens our hand in dealing with competitors for convention business," Mr. FitzGerald said. "All our primary competitors have attached convention center hotels." Speaking at the news conference, Ted Ratcliff, Hilton senior vice president of operations for eastern North America, said his company "couldn't wait to be a part of this process, not only to make it a success financially, but to make it a success for the community." "The vote of confidence in us is significant," Mr. Ratcliff said. "We will not let you down." David Gilbert, president of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Positively Cleveland hospitality marketing organization, said the impact of the planned hotel would be profound, and his staff already is seeing evidence of its effect. "I won't name names, but one association with a convention with 7,200 room nights and $4.2 million in economic impact is ready to sign to come here after learning Hilton would be the operator of the convention center hotel," Mr. Gilbert said. He added, "Another group really got and loved Cleveland, but we lost it to Indianapolis for its 2015 convention because we do not have a convention center hotel. It is coming back to market for 2016. We know we'll have a shot at it."
Hilton Worldwide wants to add Cleveland to its convention center hotel stable
Since the 550-hotel Hilton Worldwide operation has little representation in Northeast Ohio, Mr. Gilbert said adding a large hotel within Hilton's reservation and rewards system will aid efforts to market the area. Hilton Worldwide's corporate parent, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, operates flags on about 4,000 hotels. The proposed hotel would connect underground to the convention center. Jeffrey Appelbaum, the county's legal counsel on the hotel, said his next task is to negotiate a qualified management agreement with Hilton. For the deal with Hilton to be a go, it also must win approval from Cuyahoga County Council. Mr. Appelbaum said of 10 convention center hotels operated by Hilton Worldwide, eight are publicly funded, though the form of governance varies, ranging from direct ownership to operations by a nonprofit authority. He said the proposed agreement would require the hotel operator to work collaboratively with the Global Center for Health Innovation's governing board and the newly anointed convention center manager, SMG Worldwide of West Conshohocken, Pa. Mr. Ratcliff said Hilton as an organization eschews real estate ownership, which allows the company to focus on hotel operations for its profits. Hilton operates the recently opened convention center hotel in Columbus.
Although a huge convention center hotel helps the city win larger conventions than otherwise, it also poses a risk to existing hotels because it will slash its rates to land business when local convention and meeting properties are not in use. Mr. Gilbert said the gain outweighs the risk, noting, "It's a competitive business. Other hotels can cut their rate to win business, too." He said an informal group of about 10 Cleveland hotel operators he met with recently embraced the potential upside of the large hotel and offered to write letters and do whatever they could to help the city land a convention center hotel. Convention center hotels are special animals, Mr. Appelbaum said, because operating in the convention business requires so much from them — primarily, agreeing to commit large numbers of hotel rooms to conventions and shows far in advance, and to do so at discounted rates for conventioneers rather than setting rates it chooses. The proposed full-service hotel also would include about 55,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant, a lobby bar, fitness center and swimming pool.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Accountancy Recruitment Agency Darlington
Accountancy Work is a division of CV Screen Ltd and specialises in recruiting accountancy & finance professionals for organisations in the Darlington area.
Established in 2000, we have built up a large database of Accountancy professionals in the Darlington area, and our experienced recruiters are able to source highly skilled accountancy & finance staff for your business.
Our permanent placement fees of 12.5% of the basic salary are excellent value within the marketplace and we also offer a 100% rebate for 100 days to provide you with added peace of mind when you are recruiting.
Our experienced Consultants recruit Accountancy & Finance professionals at all levels of seniority from Accounts Assistant right through to Finance Director.
We pride ourselves on our honest, ethical and professional approach to recruitment and have successfully recruited for over 1500 companies in the UK including household names such as Red Bull, Links of London and Kleeneze.
Why not call us on 01325 611 015 to discuss how we are able to assist you.
Register a CVMore Info >
Register a VacancyMore Info >
Local OfficeCV Screen Ltd
01325 611 015
Search Jobs
Latest Jobs
Finance Administrator
An outstanding opportunity for an experienced Finance Assistant is required by a friendly and leading agency based in Falmouth. With a starting package of up to £21,000 + Flexible working hoursJ … more
Bookkeeping & Payroll Technician
Bookkeeping & Payroll Technician We are on the lookout for someone who possess Bookkeeping and Payroll experience who ideally has some experience of working in an accountancy practice or possess a … more
Financial Controller
Are you an ACCA or ACA qualified Finance professional with up to date knowledge of UKGAAP and IFRS? Do you experience of working for a business who supply into large retailers? If so, CV S … more


text:
|Logo by Alkaron
(anonymous IP: 22.214.171.124,1332)
Audio (329)
Datatype (47)
Demo (185)
Development (537)
Document (21)
Driver (89)
Emulation (142)
Game (869)
Graphics (467)
Library (102)
Network (204)
Office (56)
Utility (825)
Video (61)
Total files: 3934
Full index file
Recent index file
Support the site
Consider these values before uploading:
If you need help then please go here. Also read the site disclaimer before uploading.
(*) - These fields are required. If you don't fill them in you'll be very frustrated after uploading your file and it gets deleted.
|Copyright (c) 2004-2019 by Björn Hagström All Rights Reserved


text:
This summer's tango between the Bush administration and Iran over the Iranian nuclear program provided an object lesson in how not to do diplomacy. Threats and rhetoric dominated the discourse, with Iran refusing to step back from its "right" to develop nuclear power and the Bush administration refusing to rule out a military attack - even a nuclear attack - on Iran. When Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrote to President Bush, asking, almost in so many words, "What would Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) do?" Bush rejected the overture with a dismissive "there's nothing new here."
As Jim Wallis points out on the facing page, what's not new here is the Bush administration's bellicose approach to the rest of the world, which Wallis calls the U.S. "hammer habit." David Cortright, a Sojourners contributing writer and president of the Fourth Freedom Forum, suggests one foundational requirement of a less warlike stance: the willingness to engage in dialogue. And Brian McLaren pens a cautionary "history" of the 21st century - a troubling path that still can be avoided.
Longtime Sojourners friend Nane Alejandrez once lived a life of violence, a never-ending cycle of guns, blades, and gangs that cost him 14 family members and countless friends. Now, through his work with Barrios Unidos, he brokers tough truces between rival Latino and African-American gangs and counsels kids who face the same struggles he did. Countries aren?t gangs, but the principles used by Barrios - dialogue and nonviolent conflict resolution - might just have something to offer on the international scene as well.
The Editors


text:
"just get 100 times as many kiters...and a fewer companies to make kites"? please, taut, do you really believe it yourself?tautologies wrote:making it cheaper is easy. Just get 100 times as many kiters...and a fewer companies to make kites.C Johnson wrote:so will there be a space age price tag for these space age kites of the future?
howbout we work on making them cheaper rather then better? I think they are plenty good already. The prices just seem a little on the high side for what you get.
BWD. You are comparing apples and oranges. A kite is much more complex than most sails. The boards you are looking at for 500 is not the same beefed up construction as most kiteboards. If they were we'd be all riding those ultra light construction.
kites a already manufactured dirt cheap.
how come small brand with 3000 or 5000 customers keeps prices lower than top five brands?
oh, i know how.
they don't make dealers meetings at tropical islands locations,
they don't make expensive bikini promotional videos (pretty lame ones in my opinion) in tropical locations,
they don't have to "design" weird new leading edge shapes (which have nothing to do with aerodynamics) every year just to redesign those shapes as the revolutionary ones the very next year,
they don't spend more money on composing the marketing texts then on actual product testings,
they don't share huge proportion of the retail price with half-educated dealers just to be represented in any given area of the world,
and may be their share holders don't demand yearly increase in royalties.
and if you did not notice it yet, speaking positively about unjustified high prices level is not really a marketing argument.
it is just same old pimping...


text:
Arrow Cutting
by Peter Grabarchuk and Helen Homa
Divide the arrow at left into three pieces that
could be rearranged into the rectangle at right. The pieces must be
different in their shapes and areas. The cuts must go through the
lines of the grid. The pieces can be rotated and/or flipped over.
Step Through:


text:
Electromach Exd control panels for bulk handling solutions
For several years now Electromach provides Flameproof Exd 'CUBEx' control panels to Pneumix Injection Units in Son. Pneumix is specialized in bulk handling solutions, especially for the petrochemical industry.
For the main part these are standardized solutions for dosing and injection of catalysts and additives for the crackers of refineries. Catalysts and additives are very fine powders which are added to the cracking process.
These additives are essential for the refinery and therefore it is very important that the installations from Pneumix are extremely reliable and accurate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Depending on the refining capacity on a location, each day a dose between 1,000 kg and 50,000 kg of catalysts and additives are used. The largest refinery in Europe is in Antwerp (Total), which uses an amount of 12-16 tons of catalysts per day. The larger refineries are mainly situated in Asia and the Middle East. The demand of oil is still increasing, therefore new refineries in these regions are still being built. In Europe the demand for new refineries is decreasing.
It is clear that a proper logistic is required for loading, unloading and storage of consumption of these large amounts of catalysts and additives.
In Europe the logistic is usually well organized with bulk trucks. But in Asia and the Middle East this process is often not as smooth. In these countries it is common to use big bags of 1 ton, which are more challenging to handle.
To simplify the logistics of this, Pneumix designed a number of standard systems for the entire process of bulk handling. The injection unit, which is a well known product of Pneumix, is a complete skid. Which is known in the industry for it's reliability and accuracy, using the latest technology in weighing cells. All supported through a special designed software. Pneumix has supplied over 130 of these type of installations in 32 countries.
Flameproof (Exd) CUBEx enclosures
Since all the skids are located in hazardous (gas) environments, the installations are standard build according to ATEX Zone 1 IIB T5. All non-Ex devices are mounted in the flameproof 'CUBEx' Exd enclosure from Electromach.
The demand for new product developments for the market of bulk handling solutions is a never ending process, therefore with Electromach as partner in Ex-solutions new innovations can be introduced in the market.
At the end of 2012, the beginning of 2013, a project in Germany will start for the automatic transport of Cokes fines. When this project will be continued, the flameproof Exd 'CUBEx' enclosures from Electromach will be used again.
Any Questions?
Please send us an e-mail.


text:
BANNER ELK, N.C. --- The Lees-McRae men's basketball team fell victim to a 3-point barrage from King University while freshman Mike Chambers dropped a team-high 17 points in a 91-68 loss in Conference Carolinas action Monday evening at Williams Gymnasium in Banner Elk, N.C.
The Tornado (10-8, 7-1 CC) proved why they're nestle atop the conference with 19 made 3-pointers while Logan Lyle connected on six of them. The Bobcats (6-12, 1-7 CC) forced 18 turnovers, but was unable to dig out of an 18-point halftime hole.
A 3-pointer from Chambers (Winston-Salem, N.C.) drained a three and junior Jacquise Moore (Concord, N.C.) connected on a layup to keep it close while King held a 26-23 lead with 10:15 remaining in the half.
The Tornado would rip off a 27-12 run to close out the half while connecting on 11 treys in the first half.
LMC shot 42.3% (11-of-26) in the opening period, but King shot a 55.9% clip.
The Tornado controlled much of the second half while seeing their lead balloon to 31.
A pair of Raul Tutton (Memphis, Tenn.) free-throws capped off an 18-10 run with 1:54 remaining, but it was too late while King shot an even 50% on its way to the win.
Tutton finished with 16 points while Moore chipped in with 11.
Logan Lyle paced King with 28 points and C.J. Good chimed in with 17.
The Bobcats look to bounce back when they welcome Limestone Wednesday evening at 7:30 at Williams Gymnasium in Banner Elk, N.C.


text:
Tobacco Control
Tobacco Use
Tobacco use costs lives and money. Every year, almost 10,000 Missourians die from tobacco-related diseases. Missouri spends almost two billion dollars annually to treat smoking-related illness. Secondhand smoke causes an average of 1,150 deaths in Missouri annually.
In Missouri...
the adult smoking rate (22.1 percent in 2013) is the ninth highest in the U.S. The smoking rate for Missouri's pregnant women has declined from 18.3 percent in 2000 to 17.5 percent in 2013 but is still significantly higher than the national average. The smoking rate among high school students, at 14.9 percent, is also higher than the national average, although it is on a significant downward decline. More than 90.0 percent of adult smokers began the habit before they were 18 years old. However, when considering spit tobacco and other types of tobacco in addition to smoking, the rate of use among Missouri kids jumps to 31.8 percent.
Missouri Tobacco Quitline Information
The Missouri Tobacco Quitline is free to anyone in Missouri. Call or use the web to get help to quit smoking or chewing. Both the toll-free number and the web enroll will register you to talk to a trained quit coach. The quit coach will help you plan your quit. The coach can also suggest other resources to help, like nicotine replacement therapy.
The Quitline can help:
- Tobacco users of all ages
- Pregnant smokers
- Smokeless tobacco users
- Former smokers to avoid a relapse
- Health care providers to learn about resources for patients who smoke
Research shows professional coaching helps smokers quit. Success with a coach is twice as likely over trying to quit alone. Live people answer Missouri's Quitline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Quit coaches are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Additional Resources for Smoking Cessation
- American Lung Association - Freedom from Smoking - Cessation Support
- Become an Ex
- Cancer Information Service - Help For Quitting
- Smoking Cessation for Pregnancy and Beyond
- Healthy You, Fighting the urge: Tips for kicking the smoking habit (The Nation's Health—February 2013)
- My Time to Quit
- Quit Info
- Quitnet - Quit Assistance
- Public Health Service Guidelines for Tobacco Cessation
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - TIPS
Smokefree Air
Second-hand smoke is also called passive smoke. It is both kinds of smoke from burning tobacco:
- Side-stream smoke from the end of a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar, and
- Mainstream smoke that a smoker breathes out.
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke take in nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do. Studies have shown that even low levels of secondhand smoke exposure can be harmful.
Children who breathe in secondhand smoke are more likely to have problems with their lungs. Babies exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are at greater risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Secondhand smoke breathed in by pregnant women passes nicotine on to unborn babies. Pregnant women who breathe in secondhand smoke also become more at risk for:
- having a miscarriage
- having a stillbirth, and
- having a low birthweight infant.
The only way to completely protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke is to remove smoking in public spaces. Separate smoking sections and filtration systems cannot completely remove secondhand smoke from the air.
Almost three in five Americans do not live under comprehensive state or local laws that make workplaces, restaurants, and bars smoke-free. The Missouri legislature passed a Clean Indoor Air (CIA) law in 2002. This law makes it illegal to smoke in "a public place or a public meeting except in a designated smoking area." The current CIA law provides exemptions for:
- Restaurants,
- bars and taverns,
- bowling alleys,
- billiards parlors,
- tobacco stores where more than 50 percent of sales is related to sale of tobacco products, and
- enclosed indoor arenas or stadiums with seating capacities of more than 15,000 people.
Cities, towns, and counties may have laws with more strict terms than the state law. In recent years several local communities have passed comprehensive smokefree laws stronger than the state law. Efforts to pass comprehensive smokefree laws continue in many towns and cities throughout the state. Visit the following links for more information on smokefree information and efforts throughout the state.
Active Tobacco Control Community Coalitions
CIA Handbook
Frequently Asked Questions about Missouri's Clean Indoor Air Law
Missouri's Clean Indoor Air Law - Brochure
Missouri's Clean Indoor Air Statutes
Youth Tobacco Use Prevention
Smoking threatens the health of thousands of young people in Missouri every year. Almost 11% of high school students in the state smoke.
Children and adolescents who smoke are less physically fit and have more respiratory illnesses than their peers who don't smoke. Smoking during childhood is related to impaired lung growth, chronic coughing and wheezing. It also speeds up the decline of lung function during late adolescence and early adulthood.
Youth who smoke often continue smoking into adulthood, which increases their risk for lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and other serious health problems. More than 90% of adults who smoke started before they were 18 years old.
If the current rate of youth smoking continues, approximately 128,000 youth in Missouri will die prematurely.
Because it is often difficult to stop smoking, preventing youth from ever starting to smoke is key to reducing tobacco use in Missourians of all ages.
Young people throughout the state are involved in several programs to prevent smoking among youth in Missouri.
For information on how to help a teen quit smoking visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teen-smoking/art-20047069.


text:
A few years ago, something terrible happened. In the span of a few months we suffered three massive employee health crises. One of our longtime employees died in the prime of their lives. Shortly after, another one of our people along with a spouse of an employee experienced life-altering medical catastrophes. All from preventable health-related causes. I knew something had to be done. Everybody thinks this is a company of 0% body fat, ultra-fit cyclists. The truth is that in addition to those people, we're very much a midwestern company facing the same issues as everybody else. After those tragic few months, we began a journey to a wellness plan that today has changed lives and created healthier, happier, employees. Here's what I believe are the 7 drivers to a successful Wellness program:
1. Mandatory Biometric screenings and Health Risk Assessment (HRA). We began to tie employee and their dependents' score to premiums and we hold them accountable. If you're not going to care about your health, than Trek is not going to pay for it. Learn more about screening and onsite programs at http://www.the-hero.org/.
2. Onsite Clinic. We give our employees access to an onsite nurse at all times.
3. Onsite Fitness Center. Make sure it's open 24/7 and host classes. We bring in trainers for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, and the classes are packed.
4. Onsite Café. We have a café that offers healthy food options and a great salad bar. We implemented a Twinkie Tax (higher price for unhealthier options), removed the worst offending food, and let the employees know the caloric count on the menu.
5. A Blueprint for Change program. At Trek, we've seen huge results from our whole wellness program. Employees sign up and instantly have a personalized fitness schedule, nutrition counseling, challenges, and goals.
6. Tobacco-free campus. Learn about our program at http://www.alerewellbeing.com/quit-for-life/
7. A One Wellness program. We created a targeted program for high risk employees that includes fitness, nutrition, wellness classes, lab checks, and regular meetings with physicians.
Do your country a favor, do your company a favor, and most importantly, do you employees a favor and be brutally honest about the health of your company. The future depends on it.
If you have questions, we would love to help. Here's the email of one of the people who has implemented our wellness program: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Imprint Names: Nugent, J.F. and Co.
Imprint Locations: Dublin?
Date between 1850 and 1899
Series Identifier: 25
Title: New song called Johnny Hart
First Line: There was a rich farmer's daughter lived near the town of Ross
Notes: Another issue appears in a sheet of three; see Harding B 19(94)
Title: My bonny Irish boy
First Line: Bewildered and sad through the grove now I wander
Notes: Appears also in a sheet of three; see Harding B 19(94)
Title: The ploughboy on the banks of Dundee
First Line: It's of a lovely damsel most beautiful I'm told
Title: The true lover's lamentation
First Line: As I walked out one morning down by a river side
Notes: Another issue appears in a sheet of three; see Harding B 19(94)
Title: Dublin Jack of all tra[des]
First Line: I am a roving sporting black they call me Jack of all trades
Title: Wolf Tone's grave
First Line: In Bodenstown churchyard there is a green grave
Subjects: Tone, Theobald Wolfe, 1763-1798
Title: Wiily [sic] O!
First Line: Come all you young maids that's fair and handsome
Themes: Apparitions
Title: A song called The parting glass
First Line: All the money that e'er I had
Themes: Drinking
Title: The general fox chase
First Line: I am a bold undaunted fox that never was before on tramp
Title: A song called My £1 5s
First Line: It's of a tradesman and his wife I hear the other day
Themes: Money
Click image to view larger


text:
Science, Firemen, Clouds & More
Kids know how to party! Check out these festive celebrations from the Apartment Therapy Family channel, which posts kids' parties every day. We'll be bringing you a roundup of these inspiring parties every week.
• Serenity's Science Party
• Lukas' Clouds & Hot Air Balloon Party
• William's Fireman Party
• Bruna's "The Letter B" Party
• Russell's "Ham Lincoln" Party


text:
Hope College will honor three alumni with awards during the college's annual Alumni Banquet on Saturday, April 30.
Hope College will honor three alumni with awards during the college's annual Alumni Banquet on Saturday, April 30.
The college's Alumni Association will present Distinguished Alumni Awards to Dr. William Heydorn, a 1955 graduate from Tiburon, Calif., (pictured left) and Dr. Jon Soderstrom, a 1976 graduate from Madison, Conn. The association will present a Meritorious Service Award to Connie Boersma, a 1949 graduate from Holland.
The annual Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented by the Alumni Association Board of Directors in recognition of the awardees' contributions across decades or even across a career to society and service to Hope. The award, inaugurated in 1970 and presented during the college's Alumni Banquet, is the highest honor that alumni can receive from the college's Alumni Association.
The Meritorious Service Award recognizes a person's contributions to Hope and its alumni through notable personal service and long-time involvement with the college. The award is presented to both alumni and friends of the college.
° Dr. William Heydorn is a physician who served in the U.S. Army for nearly 30 years and has stayed active in medicine since retiring as a colonel in 1989. He is currently a surveyor with the Joint Commission.
He majored in chemistry at Hope, where his co-curricular activities included the Cosmopolitan fraternity and football. After graduation he completed his M.D. degree at Yale University Medical School. Following an internship at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, N.Y., he entered active duty in the Army in 1960, and was active in both clinical and academic aspects of military medicine.
Heydorn served two tours in Germany, the second as chief of surgery at the 5th General Hospital. He was also the commanding officer of the 44th Surgical Hospital and the 11th Evacuation Hospital, both in Korea. In 1975, following three years on the thoracic surgery staff at Fitzsimmons General Hospital in Denver, Colo., he joined the Department of Surgery at Letterman Army Medical Center, a teaching hospital, at the Presidio of San Francisco, Calif. He became chief of the department in 1978, and commanding officer in 1987.
He received multiple decorations during his time in the U.S. Army, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.
Since retiring, Heydorn has remained active in the medical community. He has served as a field representative for AMA Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; associate medical director for a California peer-review organization; medical director of health care review with BrooksideHospital; and director of continuing medical education for INR/BioMed Inc. He has also served as a clinical professor of surgery at the University of California-San Francisco and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. As a surveyor with Joint Commission International, he travels worldwide to provide assistance in assessing standards compliance.
He has authored or co-authored 30 articles in medical journals, co-authored a medical textbook and authored chapters in two medical texts. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery; a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Physician Executives; and a certified Physician Executive.
Even as his career has taken him across the country and around the world, he has stayed involved with the college, including by attending class reunions and regional events.
His wife, Joan, who died in December 2003, was a Hope classmate and a Holland native. Their children are Barbara, Kathy and Will.
° Dr. Jon Soderstrom is the managing director of the Office of Cooperative Research at Yale University. The office manages the intellectual assets created at Yale to achieve the maximum benefit for the public and provide a financial return to support the university's research efforts. Since joining the office in 1996, he has participated in the formation of more than 25 new ventures that collectively have raised more than $450 million in professional venture capital.
In 2007, the office created the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute to help undergraduate, graduate and professional school students at Yale to launch their own new ventures. More than 65 new ventures have been formed since the program's inception, with 18 of the ventures raising more than $23 million in investment capital.
He has been contributing his expertise to Hope as a consultant as the college has been developing its Hope Entrepreneurial Institute to provide similar assistance to Hope students, and has also been involved in the life of the college in other ways, including as a guest lecturer and class representative.
Prior to joining Yale, Soderstrom was the director of program development for Oak Ridge National Laboratory after serving for 10 years as director of technology licensing for Martin Marietta Energy Systems.
He was a founding board member and is a past president of the Association of Federal Technology Transfer Executives as well as a member of the Licensing Executive Society and Association of University Technology Managers, where he was the 2008 president, and has served as vice president for public policy, and a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He is frequently asked to lecture and teach seminars on various aspects of the technology transfer process and economic development both within the United States and abroad. He has testified before Congress on technology transfer issues and served as an expert witness in patent infringement litigation.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Soderstrom was honored as the 87th "Point of Light" by President George H.W. Bush in March 1990 for his volunteer activities helping to construct and rehabilitate low-income housing in East Tennessee.
Soderstrom majored in psychology at Hope, where his activities included the Fraternal Society, football and serving as sports editor of the "Anchor." He completed his doctorate in psychology at Northwestern University in 1980.
His wife, Gail, is a 1978 Hope graduate. They have three children: Rachelle; Kari, a 2007 Hope graduate; and Luke, a 2010 Hope graduate.
° Connie Boersma grew up at Hope, where her father, the late Milton L. "Bud" Hinga, was a member of the teaching, coaching and administrative staff for 29 years, and has stayed involved in the life of the college ever since. She majored in education at the college and as a student participated in activities including athletics, the Sigma Sigma sorority and the glee club.
She regularly attends a broad range of events at Hope, from academic lectures, to concerts and plays, to athletic competitions. Her dedicated involvement includes serving communion during the student-oriented Sunday evening The Gathering worship service organized by the campus ministries program, of which her son Paul is a chaplain.
She has been active in planning for her class reunions, has assisted in fund-raising efforts at the college and is a past president of the Women's League for Hope College.
Boersma's husband Max, who died in January 2003, was a member of the college's Class of 1946 who was himself active with the college in a variety of ways, including as president of the Alumni Association from 1957 to 1959 and as a member of the Board of Trustees from 1981 until his death. Together they created the endowment for the "Hinga-Boersma Dean of the Chapel" in support of the campus ministries program. The college presented them with Distinguished Alumni Awards in 1978 and honorary degrees in May 2003.
The Boersmas were longtime residents of Grand Rapids, where they were active members of Central Reformed Church. They served as foster parents through the juvenile court system and helped initiate a Big Brother program in Grand Rapids. Connie remains active in a variety of community organizations, including Western Theological Seminary, Camp Geneva and Young Life, as well as Christ Memorial Church in Holland, where her son William is minister of care.
All three of Connie's and Max's children are Hope alumni: the Rev. Dr. William R. Boersma of Holland, a member of the Class of 1975; Elizabeth Jasperse of Traverse City, a member of the Class of 1977, who served on the college's Alumni Association Board of Directors; and the Rev. Paul Boersma of Zeeland, a member of the Class of 1982 who is the Leonard and Marjorie Maas Endowed Senior Chaplain at Hope. Seven of their nine grandchildren are also alumni or current students.


text:
LEGAL TIP: Marine View Law & Escrow represents Landlords in Evictions
…that Marine View Law & Escrow represents Landlords in Evictions?
The evictions process in Washington State can be a very complicated process, and has many different deadlines that landlord needs to comply with. If even one step in the evictions process is done incorrectly, you could be required to start all over again from scratch. Hiring an attorney who is familiar with evictions can minimize any delays and ensure that everything is completed properly from start to finish. If you are in need to evict someone, call our office at (206) 878-8777 to speak with one of our attorneys.
The following is a brief overview of the evictions process:
- The tenant defaults under the lease agreement. The most common default is the non-payment of rent, but there other types of breaches as well.
- Landlord properly serves tenant with the appropriate notice for the default. For non-payment of rent, that would be a 3 day notice to pay or vacate.
- If the tenant fails to cure the default after receiving the proper notice, then the next step would be to draft an "Unlawful Detainer" action against the tenant.
- If the tenant fails to respond to the lawsuit, then we will obtain what is called a "Default Judgment" against the tenant for the full amount owed.
- If the tenant does respond to the lawsuit, then the matter will be set for a "Show Cause Hearing" which we will represent the landlord.
- The judge then signs the court order restoring the premises to the landlord and evicting the tenant, and then the Sheriff will coordinate removing the tenant from the premises.
Again, this was just a brief overview of what can become a very complicated process. If you need to evict a tenant, you want to be sure that it is done correctly the first time, or else a judge could require you to begin the whole process at step 1, as described above. A typical eviction takes 4-6 weeks from start to finish, depending upon the specific circumstances. If you are in need of eviction services, be sure to contact Marine View Law & Escrow at (206) 878-8777, or visit us at marineviewlaw.com; we're happy to help.
"The professionalism and respect that I received was beyond what I could have expected. She (Attorney) made the whole process pain free and with the million questions I had she was always there with help and support. I would most definitely recommend her to others."
– Satisfied client of Marine View Law & Escrow
[Would you like to have a Blogvertorial story, Ad and/or Event Listing like this on a popular, fast-growing website seen by over 80,000 interested Local Readers every month? Email us for more info, or check out our Advertise page!]


text:
Or Login using BecomeGorgeous
Please fill the form below and follow the further instructions.
You are about to receive a email from us please make sure to check your spam or junk folder and add our email [email protected] to your contact list.
Thank you!
Clean lines, subtle golden embellishments and a desire to highlight "The meeting of old and new Versace," as Donatella Versace herself has put it became instantly recognizable during the Versace show from the Milan Fashion Week. Seduction and glamor were fabulously represented in a myriad of classy dresses and short skirts with a marine life inspiration reflected both in terms of prints and textures. Pastel tones dominate in terms of color, offering a perfect balance between seductiveness and a sense of opulence and a feeling of understated ... Read More


text:
New Orleans Area Seminars
Society of La. CPAs Highlights School Readiness Tax Credit Opportunity for Businesses
November 08, 2012The Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants' October newsletter highlighted the School Readiness Tax Credit opportunity for businesses, which provides a 100% refundable tax credit, up to $5,000, for businesses that donate to Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, such as Agenda for Children. Click here to view the article and visit our Tax Credit page to learn more.


text:
With all due respect to Memphis and Kansas City, Californians know the nation's best barbecue may be in their own backyard. I've spent enough time in the Central Coast to know that no occasion is too small for Santa Maria-style barbecue. Fundraisers, Quinceañeras, and Saturdays are all reasons to fire up the 50-gallon oil drum grill and slow cook enough beef for the whole town. For my Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event this month, I attended to a local fundraiser for spare ribs cooked on a giant grill, then at night, made my own tri-tip feast.
So what exactly is Santa Maria-style barbecue? Well, legend has it that California's barbecue culture dates back to the early 19th century, when vaqueros ended hard days of cattle branding with feasts of fresh steer, bread, and beans. And they were economical too, these cowboys. When they couldn't bear to toss the triangular ends of their sirloins, they made the tri-tip a regional Cal-Mex speciality.
These days, on any weekend, parks and parking lots from Santa Maria up north to Salinas are filled with heavenly, protein-enriched smoke. These grills are at least at least 4 feet long, with wheel cranks to lower and raise the giant meat loads. A grill's size is measured by the number of sirloin steaks you can fit on each. There are "40's", "80's", even "100's". Traditionally the de facto fuel was California red oak, but now most other woods can be used. Sirloin steaks and tri-tips are the most popular cuts to toss on the grill, but you can also cook ribs and whole chicken this way.
As someone who had spent the past two years in China, I really missed meat that wasn't pre-cut into little cubes.
We started the day at a fundraiser for the Greenfield Fire Station, about half an hour south of Salinas and 10 minutes from where I was staying in King City. The local firemen were already busy cooking a massive number of spare ribs the signature crank grills. They had sold 350 meals in the first hour alone. Pepe, a retired firefighter, had been grilling at this event for the past 14 years. He and the other firemen carefully seared each side of the ribs until ready, then speared them over to the cutting table. And what was in this bucket of marinade that made the ribs smell so good? Butter, beer, and a mixture of secret spices were the only answers I could wrestle from them.
The firemen added some barbecue sauce to our ribs. But traditionally the only sauce you'll get is salsa verde and pinquito beans. Instead of grits and collard greens, in CA you get fresh garlic bread and salad with Newman's Own salad dressing. But the asceticism has a purpose: you need few distractions to enjoy the most luscious beef this side of the Rockies.
The firemen also had an adorable mini crank grill, perfect for the backyard, camping, and toddler BBQ lessons.
Later, back at the figurative ranch, we continued the all-day meat fest on the backyard grill. I pulled out the huge tri-tip purchased from a local Mexican butcher that had been marinating in a mixture of oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. You can also do a dry rub with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, but the marinade seems to allow the garlic flavor to better seep into the meat.
I recently discovered that California buys 80% of the nation's tri-tip, with another 15% going to other Western states. (Bobby Flay, as New York's tri-tip evangelist, apparently buys the rest.) This bottom piece of the sirloin is the perfect cut to grill at home; its size cuts the cooking time down to half an hour. You'll want your butcher to leave a little fat on the meat to add moisture during cooking. I first seared the outside over the flame, then cooked it over low heat until it was medium-well. (See recipe below.)
Even the guests who normally prefer their beef bloody and moo-ing agreed the tri-tips met their standards for tenderness.
For the sides, as per tradition, I slathered butter and garlic over "French bread", which in California is about three times fatter and fufflier than a normal baguette. Pinquito beans, the variety that may only be grown south in Santa Maria, are hard to find, so I substituted with the slightly larger pinto beans. A little garlic, bacon, tomato paste, mustard, sugar, and chili powder give these beans a tangy, sweet, and smoky dimension.
Salsa verde and grilled corn rounded out the meal. And no beer for this barbecue crowd. Here, even the burliest ranchers end up sipping the local Central Coast wines with their barbecue.
I guess if the rest of the country never discovers tri-tip, Californians will just have more for themselves.
Santa Maria-Style Tri-Tips
Serves 4
- 1 beef tri-tip roast (about 2 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 to 5 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- Trim excess fat from the roast, but leave a little fat on one side so the meat stays moist and tender during grilling. Rub the tri-tip all over with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Marinate in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours (30 minutes at a bare minimum), or overnight for more flavor.
- Sear meat over flames for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to get a nice, dark crust and seal in juices. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes over low heat to the desired degree of doneness. (Check with a meat thermometer. Roasts go from rare to well-done very quickly, within 10 minutes.)
- Remove tri-tip from heat and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice into thin slices and serve with salsa or barbecue sauce.
California-Style Pinquito Beans
Serves 4
- 1 pound pinquito beans (or substitute pinto beans)
- 4 strips bacon, diced
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato puree
- 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon ground chili powder (add more for smokier beans)
- Salt to taste
- Pick through beans to remove any debris. Soak in a pot of water overnight. (If you're pressed for time, use this quick-soak method.) Drain beans, cover with 3 inches of fresh water, and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer beans for 30 to 40 minutes.
- In a medium-sized pan, sauté bacon until lightly browned. Add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Add tomato puree, mustard, sugar, and chili powder. Simmer for 30 minutes to let flavors soak in. Salt to taste.


text:
معلومات عن اللعبة
Counter - Strike Xtreme V5 (2011/ENG)
Developer: Sierra | Publisher: bluelytning | Year: 2011 | Platvorma: PC | Size: 794 MB
Genre: FPS, Action
Description A new version of a fan assembly Counter-Strike! essentially the same CS online only offline with bots. this is a plus for those who because of the ping can not normally play on Chinese servers and can also be oprobyvat weapons available in the CSO only Donat of 1.6 was perhaps that the multiplayer and the principle of normal
PECULIARITIES Games
Added about 20 weapons and player models (which is added and not replaced)
* Effects of the murder
* Its sounds for each weapon
* New special effects
* Highlighting Weapons
* Included in the assembly of six mods: Human Scenario, Deathmatch, Zombie Mod, ZombieScenario plus new effects and animation
* Fixed errors when connecting
* Works search servers
* Added patch solves the problem with error "Component 'MSCOMCTL.OCX' of one of its dependencies not correctly registered ..."
Game modes
Normal - classic game
Human Scenario - hold several rounds of mercenaries and to endure in the last round to destroy the helicopter
In order that would play in this mode to disable bots and run the map hs_desertstorm otherwise the game may hang
Deathmatch - a team game on a team with instant respawn
Ghost Mod - you against a team of ghosts are barely visible and they are armed only with knives
Zombie Mod - the classic zombie mod. an infected attempts to infect all the others
Zombie Scenario - alone against hordes of zombies. need to survive and destroy the main and ghouls
متطلبات تشغيل اللعبة
System requirements:
Processor: AMD Athlon 1200 + / Intel Pentium 3 1.2 GHz
Video Card: nVidia GeForce 2 MX / ATI Radeon 7xxx
صور للعبة :
لتحميل اللعبة
Download: (Hotfile)


text:
For more political cartoons by A. F. Branco, visit his website, Comically Incorrect.
Cartoon of the Day: We got your stinkburger, Mr. President
By LU Staff
LU Staff
Promoting and defending liberty, as defined by the nation's founders, requires both facts and philosophical thought, transcending all elements of our culture, from partisan politics to social issues, the workings of government, and entertainment and off-duty interests. Liberty Unyielding is committed to bringing together voices that will fuel the flame of liberty, with a dialogue that is lively and informative.


text:
Harvey-Marion County Self Advocates received the "Outstanding Self Advocate Group" award at the 2012 statewide conference of the Self Advocates Coalition of Kansas.
The award was in recognition of the group's campaign to change the terms "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded" with "intellectual disability" and "people with intellectual disability" in state legislation. The group began a letter-writing campaign in 2011. Gov. Sam Brownback signed the change in law April 26.
Receiving the award on behalf of Harvey-Marion County Self Advocates were Chris Brown of Newton and Jennifer Dies of Hillsboro.


text:
We provide financial solutions to public agenciesGovernment Financial Strategies is an independent public finance consulting firm. By providing extensive consulting services with regard to each client's complete financial condition, we deliver comprehensive solutions. Since our founding in 1988, we have put together hundreds of financial plans, and helped finance billions of dollars of public projects for over 300 different California public agencies comprising every sector of government.
Experience in the areas that you need We provide expertise to public agencies in the areas of:
• financial planning
• short & long-term financings
• technical writing
• financial modeling
• public communication
We also specialize in
• expert witness work
• third party reviews
Strategic financial consulting and successful project implementationOur emphasis on planning assures that we undertake the best project plan, while our rigorous implementation of the chosen plan assures that the project is put together efficiently. We pride ourselves on providing both timely, penetrating analysis and presenting it clearly so that our clients can make informed decisions and realize effective action.
Seamless integration with your team It is our practice to serve as adjunct staff to our clients, respecting each agency's culture and processes and taking full responsibility for assigned tasks. We work with each agency to jointly examine its financing options in light of current financial, legal, and political conditions. We implement project plans in a manner that upholds the public trust, and delivers on-time on-budget results.
100% satisfaction guaranteed, 100% of the time


text:
Jack Andraka is just 15 years old and has created a potentially revolutionary pancreatic cancer detection tool. This "Thomas Edison of the 21st century," as he is called by his mentor at Johns Hopkins University, will speak at 7:30 p.m. on April 5, at the Devorris Downtown Center at Penn State Altoona.
Featured in the December 2012 issue of Smithsonian magazine, written about in Forbes and Psychology Today, a speaker at TED2013, winner of 2012 IntelScience Talent Fair, and guest of First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2013 State of the Union address, Andraka, a Maryland native, has developed a paper sensor for the detection of lung, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer that is cheaper, faster, more accurate, and less invasive than current tests. He will join two of the nation's leading pancreatic researchers for the "Pioneering Research Advances on Cancer 2013, Creation of a Landmark Medical Alliance" event. The event is presented by the Greg and Cathy Griffith Family Foundation in collaboration with Penn State Altoona, Blair Gastroenterology, Sheetz Inc., Altoona Regional Health System, Tyrone and Nason hospitals, and the Home Nursing Agency.
Dr. A. James Moser, executive director of the Institute for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, BIDMC/Harvard University, and Dr. Amer Zureikat, surgical oncologist at UPMC Pittsburgh, will speak about their innovative research and the current state of pancreatic surgery and treatment.
The event also will mark the announcement of the formation of the Alliance of Families Fighting Pancreatic Cancer, a partnership of grassroots foundations and families across the country unified in the quest to defeat pancreatic cancer.
Tickets for the event are $30 and can be purchased at www.griffithfamilyfoundation.org online. All proceeds benefit the foundation.


text:
What to do with leftover red wine
Lamb shanks braised in red wine
Serves 4
American lamb shanks are giant things; three are plenty for four guests. New Zealand are smaller (more like large drumsticks), so you need one per person. Make this a day in advance for the flavors to mellow and the fat to solidify on top of the sauce.
3 American or 4 New Zealand lamb shanks
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
2 medium yellow onions, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups canned plum tomatoes, crushed in a bowl
2 cup red wine
3 cups chicken stock
Few sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
1/2 cup pitted black olives, chopped
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees.
2. Sprinkle the meat all over with salt and pepper.
3. In a large flameproof casserole over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the shanks and brown, without moving, for 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, without moving, for 5 minutes. Using tongs, tip the shanks onto their meaty ends so the bones are standing in the air; hold them up with the tongs if necessary. Brown 2 minutes more. Remove the shanks from the pan.
4. Add the red and yellow onions, cut sides down. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn the onions to brown the other cut sides. Add the garlic. Cook 2 minutes more.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and stock. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
6. Return the shanks to the pan meaty sides down, nestling them in to make one layer. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the rosemary. Let the liquid return to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven.
7. Cook the shanks for 1 hour. Turn and cook 1 hour more. Turn again and without covering the pan, cook the shanks for 30 to 60 minutes or until they are tender when pierced with a fork. (Total cooking time is 2 1/2 to 3 hours; after removing the cover, New Zealand shanks will take 30 minutes more, American 60 minutes more.)
8. Transfer the shanks and solids to a large container. Tip the liquid into another container. Let both cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
9. Skim the fat from the liquid. Tip it into the flameproof casserole. Add the shanks and olives. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and set on the cover askew. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the mixture is very hot. Taste the sauce for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Sheryl Julian
What's cooking in the world of food.
ContributorsSheryl Julian, the Globe's Food Editor, writes regularly for the Food section.
Devra First is the Globe's food reporter and restaurant critic. Her reviews appear weekly in the Food section.
Ellen Bhang reviews Cheap Eats restaurants for the Globe and writes about wine.


text:
Original bluegrass artist Dr. Ralph Stanley dies at 89
If you are trying to get started as an independent artist, the internet is a great first step. With the creation and rise of music streaming platforms, the internet has forever changed the face of the music industry. The likelihood of your music reaching a substantial audience skyrockets and, more importantly, so does your chances of developing a dedicated fanbase when you choose the right platform for you and your music.
NiaSounds is pleased to announce a new album and release concert by Terry Robb, hailed as one of the finest fingerstyle blues guitarists on the international scene. Confessin' My Dues marks the second release from Robb on NiaSounds, and his 15th solo recording.
Tis the season for holiday music! Although Christmas music isn't for everyone, the holidays just wouldn't be complete without listening to some popular Christmas tunes. There are a variety of artists who have covered Christmas songs, each bringing their own twist to a holiday classic. Check out our list of the top 12 Christmas song covers which you should add to your holiday playlist this year.
Terry Robb, acoustic blues guitarists and NiaSounds' artist, shares a little about himself, his musical upbringing, and his ongoing passion for music.
Portland has a long and illustrious reputation for birthing and influencing musical talent from a wide array of genres. Many of which have made it big in the music industry. From solo artist like Elliot Smith to six person outfits like Portugal. The Man, the Portland connection runs deep. Check out our list of the best-known Portland-affiliated musicians and bands!


text:
Many patients are being "overdiagnosed" and given unnecessary medical treatment for problems that will never harm them, says new research. The study has featured prominently in the press, with the Daily Mail reporting "a plague of overdiagnosis", and The Independent saying that "an over-reliance on healthcare threatens to bankrupt the world".
The article, published in the British Medical Journal, argues that overdiagnosis poses a significant threat to human health by labelling healthy people as sick and wasting resources on unnecessary care. Overdiagnosis is when somebody is diagnosed and treated for a condition that is unlikely to cause them harm.
The authors of the report say there is growing evidence that "too many people are being overdosed, overtreated and overdiagnosed". For example, they say, research has found that almost a third of people diagnosed with asthma may not have the condition, while up to one in three breast cancers detected by screening may actually be harmless.
What is overdiagnosis?
The authors state that overdiagnosis is when a person without symptoms is diagnosed with a disease that will not cause them to experience symptoms or early death. More broadly defined, overdiagnosis refers to the related problems of increased dependence on medical care and overtreatment, which leads to healthy people with mild problems or at low risk being "reclassified as sick".
As a result of overdiagnosis people potentially face the harms of unnecessary tests and side effects from treatment, and resources that could be directed at other patients are wasted.
The authors of this new article say that many different factors are driving overdiagnosis, but a key contributor is technological advance. Tests and diagnosis methods are now so numerous and sensitive that even the tiniest of harmless abnormalities can be detected, they argue.
How does overdiagnosis happen?
The authors say that people can be overdiagnosed and overtreated in a number of ways:
- Screening programmes can detect disease that may be in a form that will never cause symptoms or early death (sometimes called pseudodisease). Contrary to popular notions that cancers are universally harmful and ultimately fatal, the authors point out that some cancers can regress, fail to progress or grow so slowly that the individual concerned dies from other causes. They say there is now strong evidence from randomised trials that a proportion of cancers detected through screening may fall into this category.
- Tests for specific disease and disorders have become increasingly sensitive, enabling less severe forms of disease to be detected. A substantial proportion of the abnormalities that are detected will never progress, they say.
- Diagnostic scanning of the abdomen, pelvis, chest, head and neck can reveal 'incidental' findings in up to 40% of people being tested for other reasons. Most of these incidental abnormalities are benign but cause anxiety and lead to further investigations, they say.
- Overdiagnosis also occurs because of the changing diagnostic criteria for many diseases, so that people at lower risk and with milder problems are being defined as sick. For example, say the researchers, most elderly people are now classified as having at least one chronic condition, while many women treated for osteoporosis (weak bones) may be at very low risk of a fracture. The authors argue that diagnostic criteria are often set by panels of health professionals "with financial ties to companies that benefit directly from any expansion of the patient pool".
What are examples of overdiagnosis?
The authors say there is evidence that the problem of overdiagnosis may exist across many conditions (including those for which underdiagnosis may also be a problem) and cite research on overdiagnosis in several different areas. The authors provide their opinions on various examples of what they see as overdiagnosis:
- Breast cancer – a systematic review has suggested that up to a third of breast cancers detected by screening may be overdiagnosed, which means they would not actually cause harm or early death if left untreated.
- Thyroid cancer – the likelihood of tests detecting a thyroid abnormality is high but the risk that it will ever cause harm is low. Many of the newly diagnosed thyroid cancers are the smaller and less aggressive forms that don't require treatment, which itself carries risks.
- Gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy) *–* an expanded definition of this condition now means that nearly one in five pregnant women are classified as having it, while the evidence of benefit for being diagnosed is weak.
- Chronic kidney disease – an expanded definition of this condition means that one in 10 people in the US are now classified as having the disease. One study estimates that up to a third of people over 65 meet the new criteria, yet each year fewer than 1 in 1,000 of this group will develop end-stage kidney disease.
- Asthma – the authors concede that while asthma can be underdiagnosed and undertreated, one large study suggests that almost a third of those diagnosed may not have the condition and that two-thirds of this group do not require medication.
- Pulmonary embolism (a blockage in the artery leading to the lungs, caused by a blood clot) – while pulmonary embolism is potentially fatal, the authors say that newer and more sensitive diagnostic tests are leading to the detection of smaller clots that may not require treatment.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – a widened definition of this condition has led to concerns about overdiagnosis, with one study showing that boys born at the end of the school year have a 30% higher chance of diagnosis and 40% higher chance of requiring medication than those born in the following month.
- Osteoporosis – expanded definitions of this condition mean many women at low risk of fracture may be given treatment that can result in adverse effects.
- Prostate cancer – research shows that the risk of a cancer detected by prostate specific antigen (PSA, a marker for prostate cancer found in the blood) being overdiagnosed may be more than 60%.
- Lung cancer – the authors cite research suggesting that around 25% of cases of lung cancer detected by screening may be overdiagnosed.
- High blood pressure – the authors cite research suggesting there is a possibility of "substantial overdiagnosis" of high blood pressure.
- High cholesterol – the authors cite research that estimates that up to 80% of people being treated have near-normal cholesterol levels.
To clarify, the above statements reflect the opinions of the study's authors, not Behind the Headlines or NHS Choices.
What are the causes of overdiagnosis?
The authors say that overdiagnosis is being driven by several factors, including:
- technological advances that can detect ever-smaller harmless abnormalities
- commercial and professional vested interests involved in the expansion of disease definitions and the writing of new guidelines for diagnosis and treatment
- legal incentives that 'punish' underdiagnosis but not overdiagnosis
- health system incentives favouring more tests and treatments
- the cultural belief in early detection of disease and medical intervention
What solutions do the researchers recommend?
The authors argue that action is needed to tackle the problem of overdiagnosis. They say that medical professionals should aim to differentiate between benign abnormalities and those that will go on to cause harm, while the public and professionals should be given "more honest" information about the risks of overdiagnosis, particularly related to screening.
The authors say new protocols are being developed to bring a more cautious approach to the treatment of incidental abnormalities. They say consideration should be given to raising the thresholds of what is defined as abnormal – in breast cancer screening, for example. At a policy level, reforming the process of defining disease is urgently required, they argue, to rule out financial or professional conflicts of interest.
The authors point out that concern about overdiagnosis does not preclude awareness that many people with genuine illness miss out on healthcare. They argue that resources wasted on unnecessary care can be much better spent treating and preventing genuine illness. "The challenge is to work out which is which."
This is a powerfully argued and controversial article that claims that many people are being overdiagnosed and overtreated for mild problems that may never cause them harm. It is timed to coincide with the announcement of an international conference on the topic, which will take place next year, partly hosted by the BMJ and Bond University, where some of the authors are based. It should be noted that the article is not a systematic review of the evidence on screening or on overdiagnosis, but a strong opinion piece that cites research in support of the authors' argument.
Nevertheless, the paper is a useful contribution to the complex debate about how far healthy people should be screened or tested, and how far conditions that may or may not cause harm in the future should be treated. It's a difficult subject that provokes strongly opposing views among doctors and researchers. For example, a recent paper published in The Lancet argued that everyone over 50 should be given statins because they have been found to reduce the risks of heart attacks even in healthy people.
The article raises a number of concerns about cancer screening in particular, and it should be noted that in the UK the Department of Health announced last October that a full review of the potential risks and benefits of the NHS Breast Cancer Screening Programme is to take place. In terms of cancer screening, much will depend in the future on how far researchers are able to discriminate between 'harmless' slow growing cancers that do not need to be treated and those that are more aggressive.
The article should be seen in the context of previous advances in technology and treatments that have brought established benefits in terms of detecting certain conditions early. For example, high blood pressure is symptomless, but it is a recognised risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and there is good research to show that treatment to reduce high blood pressure saves lives.
Overall, the concept of overdiagnosis is one that needs careful consideration, particularly how its potential harms relate to the potential harms of failing to diagnose a disease. Is it better to risk side effects in patients than to risk missing a serious health problem? The issue is perhaps too big to cover in a single article, although this latest opinion paper raises some extremely interesting and thought-provoking points on the issue. Perhaps the key thing now is to look at overdiagnosis on a condition-by-condition basis, for example in the way that alleged overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening is being examined in the UK.
Although there are clearly strong feelings on both sides of the overdiagnosis debate, examinations of the issue should be as comprehensive, objective and evidence-based as possible and focus on specific topics. Overdiagnosis of one condition could be problematic, while it might produce few negative results for other conditions. Next year will see an international conference on the issue of overdiagnosis, which should stimulate both debate and research on this important issue.
Analysis by Bazian
Edited by NHS Website
Links to the headlines
Healthy people being harmed by over-diagnosis
The Daily Telegraph, 30 May 2012
Healthy hit by a plague of over diagnosis of conditions that will never cause serious symptoms
Daily Mail, 30 May 2012
Is doctors' fixation on treatment making us ill?
The Independent, 30 May 2012
Doctors 'overdiagnosing patients with slow or non-progressive diseases'
Metro, 30 May 2012
Links to the science
Moynihan R, Doust J, Henry D.
Preventing overdiagnosis: how to stop harming the healthy


text:
Recently, Governor Rick Scott of Florida was quoted in the Herald Tribune as saying that he wanted to devote state funding resources to encourage students to graduate with degrees in science, technology, engineering and medical degrees, noting "the state doesn't need any more anthropologists."
We ask that you join this petition to have Gov. Scott meet with representatives from the humanities community so that he can be educated as to our collective contribution to the scientific advancement, economy, and well-being of his state. We will be collecting signatures for the next two weeks, and plan to submit our request on Monday, October 31.
Thank you for joining this petition, and helping us underscore the value of humanities-related research and study not only in Florida, but nationwide.
To "sign" the petition,below, add your name to the reply box below along with any constructive comments you have for the Governor.
October 31, 2011
Rick Scott
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001
Dear Governor Scott:
We, the undersigned members of the humanities and social science community, request that you meet with our Florida-based representatives, members and students to discuss our contributions to the scientific advancement, economy, and well-being of Florida. The President and the Executive Director of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) wrote to you on October 11, 2011 and asked for a meeting. We ask that you give our representatives an opportunity to respond to your statement that the state of Florida "does not need more anthropology majors." While your statement engages anthropologists directly, it also has immediate implications for the entire network of professionals (both established and in-training) in the humanities and social sciences.
We are scholars, scientists, educators, researchers, students, museum curators, government employees and professionals who make many valued contributions in Florida and nationwide. Anthropologists are dedicated to studying humankind in all its aspects, including through archaeological, biological, cultural, medical and linguistic research. Together with our colleagues from social sciences (including sociology, political science, criminology, international relations, among many others) and the humanities (such as modern languages, history, religion, art, among many others), our impact on the state is strong.
For example, as the Florida Public Archaeology Network documents, sustainable heritage tourism and historic preservation in Florida contributes over $4 billion per year to Florida's economy. We look forward to your meeting with our representatives, and will follow up on this request in a few short days. Please feel free to contact Damon Dozier, Director of Public Affairs at the AAA if you have any questions, comments or concerns.


text:
Site navigation
Website content
Intellectual property
Protection and enforcement of intellectual property are crucial for the EU's ability to stimulate innovation and to compete in the global economy.
Intellectual property rights (IPRs) (such as patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights or geographical indications) enable European inventors, creators and businesses to prevent unauthorized exploitation of their creations, and in return to get compensation for their investment. IPRs also offer guarantees to users (e.g., trademarks and geographical indications identify the origin of the goods concerned).
Trade and intellectual property in a nutshell
- IPR support creativity and innovation. The EU needs to protect these intangible assets for growth and competitiveness.
- Enforcement of these rights within the EU and outside affects the EU's growth and jobs. When the EU's ideas, brands and products are pirated and counterfeited, EU jobs are affected.
- Counterfeit products can also risk consumer safety and health. The EU supports strong IPR standards to tackle IPR infringements in the EU and abroad.
- Right-holders need access to effective ways of protecting their rights internationally. They need a solid and predictable IPR legal framework.
EU trade policy and intellectual property
One of the EU's objectives is to improve the protection and enforcement of IP rights in third countries. This objective is being pursued in different ways:
- An effective enforcement regime: The EU has adopted a revised Strategy for the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Third Countries examining the major recent changes in the international IP environment, and aims to ensure the Commission has the appropriate tools to meet current challenges more effectively.
- Multilateral agreements: The EU is part of the World Trade Organisation and the World Intellectual Property Organisation to improve the protection and enforcement of IP rights. The EU was a key supporter of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs).
- Bilateral trade agreements: The EU is negotiating a series of bilateral trade agreements which aim to include comprehensive IPR chapters. The IPR chapters should as far as possible offer similar levels of IPR protection to that existing in the EU, the EU also aims to take into account the level of development of the countries concerned.
- Other bilateral activities: The Commission engages in regular meetings (such as IP Dialogues, IP Working Groups, etc.) with some priority partner countries around the world on IP matters. Read more on EU IP relations with priority countries.
- Plurilateral agreements: The EU was involved in the development of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement which aimed to help countries work together to tackle large-scale IPR violations more effectively. It was rejected by the European Parliament in July 2012.
In addition, the EU conducts different types of support actions:
- Technical assistance programmes, focusing on IPR or including an IPR component, intended e.g. to help third countries improve their IPR system. Those activities are summarised in the EU's annual submission to the WTO.
- Support services targeting EU right-holders doing business in or with certain third countries – typically "IPR helpdesks". For example, The China IPR SME Helpdesk provides information and advice on intellectual property rights (IPR) in China.
Current topics in Trade and IPR policy
Links between IPR and development policies
These links are currently being explored in the "Policy Coherence for Development" initiative, with the intention to help developing countries enhance their IPR systems.
Transfer of technology
The EU – including its member states – works to promote technology transfer especially to least developed countries (LDCs). EU/MS actions fostering technology transfer to LDCs are summarised in an annual submission to WTO.
Access to medicines
The EU has consistently led efforts to facilitate access to medicines in developing countries and to strike the right balance between the IP rights of pharmaceutical companies and the need to ensure that medicines are available for populations in need in the developing world.
Geographical indications (GIs)
The EU is firmly protecting geographical indications - distinctive signs used to identify a product as originating in a particular geographical area, where its quality, characteristics or reputation are essentially determined by its geographical origin.
More on Intellectual Property
Intellectual property rights in other Commission departments
- Enterprise and Industry:
- Internal Market:
- Taxation and Customs Union:
Other resources
- Business initiatives: React; BASCAP
- The European Patent Office (EPO)
- European Parliament:Committee on international trade (INTA)
- Interpol: Intellectual property crime and counterfeiting
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Project on counterfeiting and privacy
- The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM)
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): Intellectual Property Programme
- The World Customs Organisation (WCO): The protection of IP rights
- The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO); WIPO international IPR treaties; Guide about setting up IPR services
- World Trade Organisation (WTO); Agreement On Trade-Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Rights


text:
"Well known and heavily fished, Maligne Lake manage to offer good numbers of 4lbs trout. The best fishing is right after ice out, good fish continue to be caught though..." Maligne Lake
"All I am going to say is Medicine Lake is also known as the disappearing lake. Greatly overlooked by vacationers, hiring a guide like Loren Currie for a day will be well..." Medicine Lake


text:
19th February 2007, 09:55 PM
How many Cavaliers are there on this forum? Add the total to the number you have on each post and we'll find out. I have one so add your total to one! I know of one guinea pig forum who did this and is up to 3,607 guinea pigs so this could get interesting! ;)


text: Has anyone had the format change for locating caches on the website or is it just me. When I put in the zipcode and it lists caches, I used to click on map for one of them and then it would show all caches in the area and name them. You could then pick one to narrow it down. Now, it lists no caches to the side and you have to pick out one on the map to read about it. Way inconvenient! Is this the new way of listing them or did my computer do something wrong?


text: The Leadership Development and Decision Making: Firefighter course provides and entirely new approach to learning and professional development. LDDM instructors introduce each topic with foundation material and then through a Socratic teaching style immerse the students in the topic through highly interactive small group discussions, ethical and moral discussion groups/decision games, tactical decision games, sand table exercises/discussions, and practical application exercises. Through the Socratic teaching style the instructor facilitates interaction and challenges each of the students to reach outside of their comfort zone through discovery learning, rather than the classic lecture and direction format. The LDDM Program is designed to be a "cradle-to-grave" fire service leadership development/decision-making training and education continuum that has consistent themes, priorities, and lines of education in order to institutionalize the highest-quality leadership in the fire service. Training is provided for three standard fire service levels; firefighter, fire officer and chief officer. Each level within the LDDM Program is provided relevant opportunities for development, which are specific to their rank across seven common Lines of Education (LOE).


text:
David Paszkiewicz takes students to Creation Museum
Apparently the original plan was to take this field trip during school hours using taxpayer funds.
Matthew LaClair will be discussing this tonight on Equal Time for Freethought on WBAI radio 99.5 FM in NYC at 6:30 p.m. EDT, 3:30 p.m. MST (Arizona). WBAI broadcasts on the Internet in several streaming audio formats, so you don't have to be in NYC to listen.


text:
Lions having 'civil and productive' talks with Suh
DETROIT (AP) The Detroit Lions have been negotiating with Ndamukong Suh in the hopes of signing him to a long-year deal before he potentially becomes a free agent next year.
The talks, according to team president Tom Lewand, have been relatively good.
"They're more on the civil and productive side of the spectrum," Lewand told season-ticket holders on Monday night.
The two-time All-Pro defensive tackle is entering the last season of his contract. Lewand insisted it doesn't matter when a deal gets done with him even though he is scheduled to count more than $20 million against the salary cap this year and a new deal could be restructured to give the team some relief.
"The timing is less important than the outcome," Lewand said. "And as long as the outcome is right both for Ndamukong and for us then I think he can be a part of the core of our team for a long time."
Suh changed agents during the offseason, hiring Jimmy Sexton to handle his contract talks with the Lions. Lewand sounded optimistic that an agreement will eventually be reached with Suh, who Detroit drafted with the No. 2 pick overall in 2010.
"It's been my experience over the years that when a player says he wants to be here and we indicate that we want him around we have a good track record," Lewand said.
Under first-year coach Jim Caldwell, the team began having voluntary workouts last week. And so far, Suh has not shown up.
"We'd like to have him every minute of every single day," Caldwell acknowledged.
Caldwell, though, said Suh is a thoughtful individual who has his life planned out.
"I've probably talked to him more than any other player from the time I got the job," he said.
Detroit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin says Suh is "worth every penny," because he can disrupt what offenses want to do in the passing and running game.
Lewand, Caldwell and Austin were among the Lions employees who shook hands with season-ticket holders seated on the turf at Ford Field, as they walked toward a stage for a gathering that lasted an hour and included some questions submitted from fans.
"We promise we're going to give you some football worth supporting," Lewand said.
The Lions haven't done that much over the years.
They were 7-9 last year, leading to coach Jim Schwartz getting fired a season after flopping to a 4-12 season following the franchise's only postseason appearance this century. Since winning the NFL title in 1957, Detroit has one playoff victory.
"I've been through so much losing as a season-ticket holder for 25 years and I've heard enough of the rah-rah stuff," said Jim Stachowski, a 64-year-old resident of Warren, Mich. "I just want to see some `Ws' from these guys."
Lewand said when Caldwell met with his players for the first time last week, one of the messages shown on a big screen was: "Win and win now."
The Lions have tried to show their sense of urgency by signing free agents such as wide receiver Golden Tate and safety James Ihedigbo to address needs and by re-signing some key players, including running back Joique Bell, tight end Brandon Pettigrew and center Dominic Raiola.
They have the No. 10 pick overall in next month's draft and possibly could move up to select South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney or receiver Sammy Watkins, a name that got a roar from the crowd when it was mentioned. When Sheldon White was asked if Clowney will come to town for a visit, the team's vice president of pro personnel said he would "pass" on answering the query.
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL
Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/larrylage


text:
This is pretty funny. A long list of Fox's "Fair and Balanced" reporting, in their own words.
11 March 2007
3 comments:
The local FoxNews was on the other day. It was amazing how horrible and slanted it was. They even put the text up of a comment from Harry Reid. It misquoted him as saying "Democrat Candidates," when he was saying Democratic Candidates in the audio beyond it.ReplyDelete
I honestly don't know how we are supposed to survive with some segment of our population thinking the propoganda wing of the Republican Party is a news station.
It is also amazing how there is absolutley nothing similar on the left. I suppose Air America. But not if you listen to the way they destroy Hillary. Even Jon Stewart is blasting away. The liberal media is already blaming the Democratic Congress for failing to literally bring about world peace in their few months in office.
I've been taking journalism classes at my local community college, and my teacher holds up FOX News as an example of "what not to do" in a newsroom.ReplyDelete
Fair and Balanced, yeah, whatever.
The result of your work makes me amazed to see it. You are a true artist. I can not make the work that was so beautiful as you. How many years you become an artist?ReplyDelete


text:
The product links to the left and the links to the right provide the following information for specific products as well as this product area:
Scope (Excerpt)
Capacitor Section
(Also see Surge Arrester Section)
Includes Power Capacitors only of the following types:
1. Shunt Capacitors
Click here for detailed product scope information.
Section activities focus on these products:
Shunt Capacitors
Series Capacitors
Technical Activities
Standards play a vital part in the design, production, and distribution of products destined for both national and international commerce. Sound technical standards benefit the user, as well as the manufacturer, by improving safety, bringing about economies in product, eliminating misunderstandings between manufacturer and purchaser, and assisting the purchaser in selecting and obtaining the proper product for his particular need.
NEMA devotes much of its time, effort, and resources to voluntary standardization activities. NEMA standards are offered and recommended to become American National Standards under the procedures of the American National Standards Institute, usually under the canvass method. This decision rests with the particular subdivision or subdivisions concerned. NEMA standards are also often submitted for consideration as IEC standards components or references. It is the intent of the association to continue its support of these, and many more, activities as the best method to continue providing sound and safe electrical products for the use of all.
Technical activities include:
Government Affairs
Through NEMA, the section develops industry positions on legislative and regulatory initiatives that may affect member products, markets, and customers. NEMA's work has resulted in contributions to public policy development and in promoting competitiveness, technological progress, and public safety. On the Government Affairs homepage members can search for and e-mail federal representatives to convey opinions regarding energy policy or other issues related to the electroindustry.
NEMA Government Affairs provides specific services to its members and information in the areas of Environmental Stewardship; Energy; and International Trade & Commerce.
Market Economics
Through NEMA, member companies are able to develop and implement tailored, industry-specific market and statistical programs that benefit participating companies. Reports may include:
The association also conducts economic analyses on the impact of legislation and regulations on member products, and monitors and reports on key industry market indicators. All programs comply with NEMA statistical confidentiality policies. For more information, please see Business & Economy.
Membership in NEMA is open to any firm actively engaged in the manufacture in North America of a product within the NEMA scope and for sale in the open market. Membership of foreign firms is subject to product section policies and NEMA Board of Governors approval.
NEMA operates on a fee-for-service basis. Each product section establishes its projects and activities and approves an annual operating budget.
For more information on joining NEMA or this section, please see the membership center.


text:
|Queensland Genealogy - most popular blog posts as at 17 May 2013
Yesterday someone asked me about my most popular blog posts. According to the stats for each of my genealogy blogs, the posts with the highest number of page views are:
- Queensland Genealogy: J is for Jurors and Justice Department
- Genealogy Leftovers: How to Become a Paid Genealogy Researcher
- UK / Australia Genealogy: CuriousFox
- Updates Genie: No.18 (genealogy worldwide) (FindMyPast; Births, Deaths and Marriages; Gazetteer of British Place Names; Society of Australian Genealogists manuscripts index)
- Jottings Journeys and Genealogy: Our Family Christmas - Then and Now
- Genealogists for Families project: A Milestone
- Yorkshire Genealogy: Borthwick Institute Research Guides
- Outback Story: Alternative Medicine
Which are your favourites?
~ ~


text:
Opponents worry legislation would lead to competition in schools
By Alanna Durkin
Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan teachers' performance in the classroom would play a bigger role in the amount they get in their paychecks under a proposal being debated in the Republican-controlled state House.
The House Education Committee recently took up a bill that would make teacher job performance the primary factor in determining pay. It would render meaningless the number of years on the job and some advanced degrees.
Supporters argue that rewarding teachers who perform better and moving away from a system that rewards seniority will improve teachers and benefit students.
"We want to reward teachers who are good teachers, whose students learn and grow, and that's what our goal is and that's one of the things this bill will accomplish," Republican Rep. Pete Lund of Shelby Township, who is sponsoring the legislation, told reporters after the hearing.
But others worry such a policy could lead to competition in schools where cooperation and idea-sharing is essential, and punish teachers working in low-income areas where factors beyond the teacher's control can hinder student growth.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a law linking teacher performance to pay in 2010 as part of a sweeping series of education reforms. But under current law, job performance has to be only one factor in teacher pay, along with the number of years in the classroom and achievement of advanced degrees.
This bill would ensure that teacher performance is the driving factor and that teachers are graded primarily on student growth data. Teachers could get a pay raise for an advanced degree only if it's in the subject they teach. Advanced education degrees would boost pay only for elementary school teachers. The proposed law would only impact teachers hired after it goes into effect.
There are now no statewide teacher evaluation standards, which means school districts — which began grading teachers in the 2011-2012 school year — have had to come up with their own systems.
Because of that, the policy hasn't had the desired effect, according to Education Trust-Midwest, a Michigan-based education policy and advocacy group. It released a report last year that showed nearly all of the teachers in 10 Michigan school districts surveyed were rated "effective" or "highly effective," even though the state ranks nearly last on national assessments.
"Unfortunately, without more guidance from the state, school districts will likely continue to perpetuate a patchwork of evaluation systems, some better than others," said Amber Arellano, the group's executive director, in an email. "And schools, parents and teachers will continue to question whether these evaluations will be reliable or comparable across schools or districts."
The state has taken steps toward establishing a statewide system for evaluating teachers. The Michigan Council for Educator Effectiveness, led by the University of Michigan's Deborah Loewenberg Ball, was created in 2011 to come up with a framework to grade teachers and assess student growth. Its recommendations are expected next month.
Lund said strengthening the legislation will provide a structure for the state to put in place for the evaluation system the group recommends.
But Democrats raised concerns that paying teachers for performance could lead to competition among teachers for dwindling education funds when they should be discussing best practices and sharing strategies to make students successful.
"Because we have a limited pool of resources ... some of these teachers are forced to engage in a competitive, sort of cutthroat nature with one another to have access to those additional resources," said Democratic Rep. David Knezek of Dearborn Heights. "I don't think that cultivates the type of environment we want in the classroom."
Democratic Rep. Winnie Brinks of Grand Rapids said student performance — particularly at schools with children from low-income families — can be impacted by things beyond teacher's control.
"There is a strong connection between poverty and low test scores among students ... and many times there are often multiple barriers to success going on outside of the school hours and outside the control of the teacher," she told the committee.
Republican Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons, the committee chairwoman, said she believes that rewarding teachers with performance pay is "definitely the road we need to take here in Michigan." She said she wants to vote on the bill before the Legislature takes its summer break in July.
George Parker, a senior fellow with StudentsFirst, a national grassroots movement to reform school systems across country, told the committee that paying teachers for performance takes into account that some teachers outperform others. Many children nationwide, particularly low-income children, are not getting the quality of education they need, he said.
"We have to do the kinds of things that are necessary to change those outcomes."


text: The March social of the London Perl Mongers is on Thursday 5th March 2010. This time we're returning to another of our favourite pubs, The Edgar Wallace, just of Strand, close to Aldwych. They serve tasty real ales, ciders and foods. More information (including an up-to-date list of what beers are on) is available here: http://edgarwallacepub.com/ http://london.randomness.org.uk/wiki.cgi?Edgar_Wallace,_WC2R_3JF This time they're not letting us have the entire upper room (without a minimum spend and a deposit, like they require of "normal" people), but they'll reserve tables for about 10 from 18:00 onwards. Therefore I suggest that any early birds grab NON-reserved tables upstairs, to make sure we have enough room for the latecomers. If enough people show up early we might also be able to convince them to giving us the entire upstairs next time. Standard blurb: Social meets are a chance for the various members of the group to meet up face to face and chat with each other about things - both Perl and non-Perl - and newcomers are more than welcome. The monthly meets tend to be bigger than the other ad hoc meetings that take place at other times, and we make sure that they're in easy to get to locations and the pub serves food (meaning that people can eat in the bar if they want to). They normally start around 6.30pm (or whenever people get there after work) and a group tends to be left come closing time. If you're a newcomer or other first timer (even if you've been lurking on the mailing list or on IRC) then please seek Léon (the guy in orange with a stuffed camel) out - we have a tradition that the leader of this motley crew buys the new people a drink and introduces them to people. -- ilmari "A disappointingly low fraction of the human race is, at any given time, on fire." - Stig Sandbeck Mathisen