text:
Amid the unprecedented downturn in oil and gas markets, oil and gas operators significantly reduced their workforces. As a consequence, they are likely to face a major talent shortage—especially among petrotechnical professionals (PTPs)—when the market rebounds. This looming talent crisis could cripple their businesses.
Closing the pending talent gap will be tough. Digital innovations require new skillsets. At the same time, neither the PTPs who recently left the industry, nor recent college grads are willing or able to step up.
It's critical for operators to devise new strategies to build their Supply Chain of Talent™ and ensure they have the future workforce needed to stay competitive.VIEW THE REPORT [PDF]


text:
Tahoe Truckee health and wellness announcements
TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. – Content is selected from e-mail submissions to Community Editor Amy Edgett at firstname.lastname@example.com. Submissions are published in the print edition news space permitting. To enter an event online, visit http://www.sierrasun.com, locate the event calendar. Click on submit an event, follow instructions. Keep event description to 50 words.Keep Tahoe FedBring joy to others by donating your non-perishable goods to Yoga Studio Tahoe this holiday season, in support of Project MANA. For fun you can theme your donations and think "Macaroni Mondays," "Tuna Tuesdays" and "Fruit Fridays." Receive a raffle ticket for every five donated items. Deadline is Dec. 31. Raffle will be held after Bhakti Flow on Jan. 2, 2013. Donate to win: Monthly Unlimited at Studio Tahoe; one 64-oz. Bella Bucha Kombucha Glass Growler; holiday gift from Tahoe Teas; five $5 gift cards from Coffee Bar; half-hour massage from Zenergy Wellness SpaVisit studiotahoe.com or call 530-587-1891.Experience RDdetoxIf reading about nutrition and fitness were enough, everyone would be fit and healthy.Don't waste another year. Partner with experienced nutrition and health professionals to obtain the missing piece that will move you from "knowing" to "doing"!• Do you lose and regain the same 10 pounds?• Do you experience fatigue, GI complaints, joint pain, or brain fog?• Are you ready to face what is holding you back from reaching your goals? Get knowledgeable support, accountability, and education to get you on track. The RDdetox program is led by a team of registered dietitians who have years of professional experience helping hundreds of people achieve success. The program is flexible, affordable, sustainable and successful! Learn more at http://www.RDdetox.com and feel free to contact local dietitians Jill Whisler, Leanna Jacuzzi, or Maria Martin for more information. Classes are available every month. Contact them today.SOS Outreach announces donations, matchesOn Dec. 4 all donations made through givingfirst.org were given an extra boost by the FirstBank Incentive Fund. Additionally, SOS Outreach secured a $7,000 match from the Tom Sims Legacy Fund. SOS Outreach received $24,800 in individual donations from 186 donors. This total does not include the $7,000 match or the FirstBank additional funds. A very successful Giving First day.Donations made to https://givingfirst.org/sosoutreach/overview continue to be credit card fee free throughout the year. Currently, SOS Outreach is running their fifth annual Friends of SOS Pledge Campaign in which individuals who create their own fundraising pages in support of SOS can win great prizes for raising certain donation levels. The pledge campaign runs until Jan. 15. Visit http://www.sosoutreach.org/page/pledge-campaign.Balletone for fitnessBalletone will be offered weekly at the Truckee Recreation Center – Dance Studio, Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.Balletone: Standing Flow is the "original" Balletone workout blending dance and fitness into a mind-body exercise class that is an explosion of graceful movement. Created by Jody Hoegstedt as a new class designed to strengthen, stretch and motivate, Standing Flow creates a challenging mix of muscle conditioning and stretching exercises designed to lengthen, strengthen and energize the entire body with movements derived from Ballet inspired movements. By blending principles from classical ballet, Pilates, stretching and fitness, Standing Flow delivers a unique approach to creating, delivering and enjoying exercise.For more information on Balletone visit http://www.balletone.com. Call TDRPD at 530-582-7720 for more information about classes. Snowshoe under the full moon at Lake TahoeJoin Tahoe Adventure Company and watch the sun set and stars come out while you trek through a snowy and tranquil forest under the full moon. Increase your knowledge of astronomy with moonlit views of Lake Tahoe and cap it off with hot drinks, snacks and stargazing. "Full Moon Snowshoeing has become very popular, especially with guests who have experienced our other adventures," says Kevin Hickey, owner of the Tahoe Adventure Company. Several different Snowshoeing Adventures are offered by the Tahoe Adventure Company. Day trips cover a comprehensive safety talk and instruction, natural and human history discussions as well as snacks, hot drinks and an impressive lunch served at a scenic location.Knowledgeable guides point out winter ecology, geology and other natural and human history along the way. Winter 2012-2013 Full Moon Snowshoe dates: Dec. 28, 4-7 p.m.; Jan. 26, 4:30-7:30 p.m.; Feb. 24, 4-7 p.m.; March 27, 6:30-9:30 p.m. and April 25, 6:30-9:30 p.m.Trip includes Full Moon Snowshoe Trek with all gear, hot drinks, trail snacks, professional guides, natural history discussions, and permit fees. Cost is $65 per person. Call 530-913-9212 or visit http://www.TahoeAdventureCompany.com. Reservations required.Hike with CarmenCarmen, your real estate consultant, shares her passion with the community by providing monthly, guided hikes and snowshoe trips of our beautiful backyard and its endless trail systems. Meet at 9 a.m. at Lost Trail Lodge on Saturday, Jan. 19. Traveling east on Interstate 80, take the Donner Pass Road exit in Truckee. Proceed south through the stop sign and pass the Chevron and 76 service stations and the Truckee Donner Lodge by 1/2 mile and it will take you to the designated winter parking area. Don't forget the snowshoes!Visit http://www.CarmenCarr.com for the future hiking schedule as well as fun pictures. Call 530-550-5192 or email firstname.lastname@example.com Yoga & Wellness Centerto present Rockin' Kirtan Concert with Wah!Saturday, Jan. 26, 7:30 p.m. Blissful and meditative, Wah! creates devotional music out of class yogic chants laced with Western folk and pop elements. Sing and celebrate with Wah! in an evening of Sanskrit chant and songs in English. Bring your jubilant Self, cost is $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Visit http://www.TahoeYoga.com or http://tahoeyoga.com/events.htm#wah.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Biannual exams provide much more than just clean teeth.
Checkups benefit whole-body health.
Bacteria in plaque and tartar can cause gum disease, which has been linked to heart disease and other conditions. Routine exams can protect your periodontal and overall health. Many exams also include an oral cancer screening.
You can improve your at-home care.
Your dental team can pinpoint room for improvement in your daily oral hygiene routine based on the state of your smile. They can coach you in choosing more effective products and using them in the most beneficial ways.
Checkups are affordable.
Under most insurance plans, six-month exams cost nothing extra, or only require a co-pay that costs less than a tank of gas. Meanwhile, treating minor decay is far less costly than a root canal or, in extreme cases, dental implants.


text:
Local histories can sometimes be the most interesting to our students. However, it is hard to place historical landmarks by just reading about them or learning about them from those who were there. Even images aren't always enough.
WhatWasThere is a tool that pairs historical pictures and images with their locations on a Google map. It is even easy for one to upload photos for archival purposes. Scanning and archiving Grandma's old photos can help tell a historical tale in a particular location.
The website says it best:
The WhatWasThere project was inspired by the realization that we could leverage technology and the connections it facilitates to provide a new human experience of time and space – a virtual time machine of sorts that allows users to navigate familiar streets as they appeared in the past.
The premise is simple: provide a platform where anyone can easily upload a photograph with two straightforward tags to provide context: Location and Year. If enough people upload enough photographs in enough places, together we will weave together a photographic history of the world (or at least any place covered by Google Maps). So wherever you are in the world, take a moment to upload a photograph and contribute to history!
If you have a question or want to find out more about this project, contact us firstname.lastname@example.com.
In addition to the easy-to-use website, WhatWasThere also has an iPhone app.
How could one use WhatWasThere in a classroom? Are there other applications outside of a history course? How does a tool like WhatWasThere transform history education?
(H/T Carmen Marty, eIS)
Zac Early is an instructional specialist with the eMINTS National Center.


text:
Hello fellow artists and friends, today I have a special tutorial for all you dragon fans. This tutorial is going to be based on a curious critter from a blockbuster hit in theaters now. You will be learning "how to draw Terrible Terror", step by step. This little guy is one of the 'cute but deadly' creatures. The Terrible Terrors are the most tiniest dragons of the "How to Train Your Dragon" movie. They have slender snakelike bodies with tiny wings. Their fire attacks are deadly accurate, similar to a sniper's accuracy. Although the Terrible Terrors are small, they fly in flocks to steal even the biggest prey. The largest flock was over two hundred dragons. These dragons have a inquisitive and curious personality, the only downside is that they are extremely territorial. They resemble small children fighting over a piece of candy. Anyways, I really want to see this movie. I've shown my brother and my younger sister and they're actually quite interested. My favorite dragon would have to be Night Fury. The background inspiration of this image was thought up after seeing the trailer. I seen one of these dragons flying in the sky with Hiccup and Night Fury. The process of drawing this image was a bit easy. I had to stare at a few references to make sure I got some of the details right. The total completion was around two hours. Thanks a lot for viewing this tutorial. I'll be back joining you on another tutorial very shortly. Don't forget to rate and comment!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text:
New! TurtleBack PACMate BNS Black Leather Case with Strap!!!
The new TurtleBack PACMate BNS form fit custom leather case is designed to enable the Braille and Speak user to easily utilize the note taker while the case is on the unit and allow the unit to be carried on a comfortable strap. The face of the unit is covered with a zipper pocket cover secured with heavy Velcro.
The TurtleBack PACMate BNS case is manufactured with high quality materials such as leather to provide durable outer protection, foam inlay, to provide cushion for the note taker and brush tricot with fabric interior to protect the keys and note taker cover. The case is equipped with a large heavy duty black metal zipper and black plastic hooks to provide security, durability and safety. Finally, the case utilizes a one and a half inch wide adjustable heavy strap with a large comfortable shoulder strap. The strap includes an attachment to secure a GPS receiver.
To Purchase our products in:
Canada: Terry Scott at 877-724-4922 or www.specialneedscomputers.ca
Australia/New Zealand Contact David Allen at email@example.com
Europe Customer can purchase our products via www.comproon.co.uk or contact email@example.com
Available on GSA Schedule, contract number GS07F6046R
With further modifications by Electron Jungle LLC.


text:
Serena Williams
Serena Williams shows off her curves on the cover of FITNESS Magazine. Inside the magazine, she talked about loving her curves as well as her body image. The tennis icon also revealed that is took her several years before she learns to accept and love her own skin. What is Serena Williams in private and what is she publicly? Serena said:
"I think of myself as two different people, There's the Serena Williams that everyone knows: She's crazy… She can't make a mistake… And she's angry and just not nice, to be honest. I'm only that person for three hours a day when I'm on the court. The rest of the time I'm just Serena. I'm the class clown. It's not the real me. Even for me, it's shocking to see. But in another way, it's kind of cool to know that I have everything together on the court, because I don't really have my life together personally."
Serena Williams
When it comes to her body image and insecurity, she revealed:
"When I was young I thought I should be built more like an athlete -long and lean- not with a womanly figure. But then people my age started coming up to me and saying, 'I love you because of the way you look.' That was really motivating. So I learned to be proud of my curves and embrace my large boobs. It's all about loving who you are and realizing that you're beautiful."
What can you say about Serena's curves?
Photo Credits: Bellashayy, Tennis World USA


text:
as I said on the review thread on seibertron, I liked this movie the best out of all the Bay films and I liked the other ones pretty well, will be buying the DVD.
some spoilerish thoughts:
played out like season 1 and 2 of prime combined with the g1 ep where they time travel to medieval times, combined with the old storybook read along for kids "When Continents Collide" and had some bible/book of Revelations stuff tied in too, but not in a heavy or imposing way. The seal, horns, dragon, earth rolling together like a scroll, Pangea in the movie where stonehenge is the center are all themes found in the bible and especially most of them pulled from Revelation. Luckily they didn't dabble to heavily on some of that stuff but left it more open other than the world is ending prophecies and the library books they were hunting.
really loved the part where Hound was buying time for Cade and other autobots to escape the reservation and Megatron uses his fusion cannon on Hound with a huge baysplosion.
other awesome stuff:
-Mission to Cybertron
-the opening King Arthur scenes (especially those catapults, they looked great in the theaters)
-this one definitely had the best visual and audio quality out of the entire movie line so far
-dat pretender Quintessa at the end credits!
-Optimus was saved for those OP loyal fans like me
-Cade almost became ENERGON KICKER with that upgrade he got from the seal!


text: 17-year-old Xochitl Parra gave birth to a baby boy at home, unbeknownst to her mother, and then walked four blocks to the hospital with the umbilical cord still attached. Parra is a sophomore at Long Beach Poly High in Long Beach, CA, and was afraid that her mother would disown her if she knew that Xochitl was up the stick. Good news all around though: Xochitl's baby, Alejandro, is a healthy little dude and her mom is going to help her care for him so that she can keep going to school. [CNN]


text:
We all know Earl Miller is one of the best photographers on the planet, and we all dream we could be him. Imagining all the sexy naked pornstars he's been around makes most of us wet. Well don't just sit there, get to see all the babes Earl Miller gets to see!
see more ofPornstar Kobe Tai& otherHot Pornstarsat EarlMiller.com right now!
Earl Miller, earlmiller.com, and Earl Miller Photography, Inc. are registered trademarks of
Earl Miller Photography, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Read our Privacy Statement. Questions? Visit our contact page.
Order your Earl Miller DVD's here!
2257 Statement


text:
Sanjay Kapoor
Friday Seminar by Dr. Pratikshya Borah
Regulation of substrate recruitment by the Ubiquitin-mediated proteasome pathway
Pratikshya Borah
The irreversibility of ubiquitin(Ub)-mediated proteolysis makes it the ultimate on-off switch of a cell. In contrast to many protein-protein post-translational modifiers/modification, Ub/ubiquitination and the 26S proteasome-mediated degradation (UPS) enables the regulation and control of a complex and diverse array of biological processes. The complexity in its process rivals that of transcription and is often described as the nexus of plant biology. While the proteasome activity is regulated at several levels, substrate recruitment by the E3 ligases is an increasingly engaging area of research. Special mention goes to the SCF E3 ligases that are the most abundant in both the plant and animal kingdoms; and in the last two decades since the first report, much have been known about the roles of F-box proteins in the regulation of important biological processes. However, a lot more needs to be discovered to understand the mechanisms of the entire process of the UPS and harness the knowledge for various translational and therapeutic studies.


text:
2 vehicles stolen from family
Police find one vehicle, arrest teen
It was a surprise on Christmas morning but not a surprise anybody would want. Two cars were stolen from one family.
"Wake up Christmas morning and both vehicles are gone. It's major shock," said Kenneth Decker.
Police have since found Decker's silver SUV, but his wife's red Ford Sport Trac pickup truck is still missing.
"I'm glad to have it back. Now we're just waiting for my wife's truck. If we get that, we'll be happy again," he said.
According to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, officers saw Kenneth Decker's silver Hyundai at a Cocoa convenience store.
Knowing it had been reported stolen by Titusville police, they surrounded it.
A 17-year-old was arrested, but another person managed to slip away.
Titusville police said they have had problems with a group of teens burglarizing and stealing cars.
The Deckers hope to get the truck back before it's damaged or destroyed.


text:
Update your password regularly to keep your account safe.
Elite Status Progress
Lifetime Diamond
With Lifetime Diamond, there is no expiration and no re-qualifying for your status - ever again!
Skip brand navigation
skip form
Where do you want to go?
City, Airport, Address, Attraction, Hotel
No search results found.
results were found. Press up and down key to select.
Use flexible dates
Promotion/Offer Code:
Group Code:
Corporate Account:
Use Points
Travel Agent
AAA Rate *
AARP Rate *
Senior Rate *
Government / Military Rates *
* ID required at check-in
Skip secondary navigation
Find where we are located
Hilton Honors members can earn double points during their stay by booking this special offer online.
View Offer Details
Green Lodging Florida - Three Palm
The newly renovated Hilton Naples boasts close proximity to beautiful beaches as well as many attractions, entertainment, shopping and restaurants. Plan a day with family to visit the Naples Museum of Art, Naples Philharmonic, the Zoo and more. Enjoy complimentary WiFi in every room and throughout the hotel. We offer spacious guest rooms and suites, great recreational activities, diverse dining as well as meeting facilities to host business events or weddings for up to 600 guests.
Our elegant guest rooms offer home-like features including complimentary WiFi, small fridge, ottoman and a 55-inch 4K smart HDTV. Select an executive room or suite to enjoy extra amenities and exclusive access to the Executive Lounge, offering complimentary continental breakfast and evening hors d'oeuvres.
Our hotel is located in Naples, FL, a picturesque beach town nestled on the southwest Florida's Gulf of Mexico coast. We are 30 minutes from Southwest Florida International Airport and just 10 minutes from Naples Municipal Airport.
Enjoy daily breakfast and WiFi when you book this package.
View details
Swim in the heated outdoor pool, refresh in the whirlpool, or work out in the 24-hour fitness center. Get your free beach chairs, towels and bottled water, and head to the beach using our complimentary shuttle. Explore Naples on a free bicycle and challenge the family to a game of table tennis.
The multi-award-winning Shula's Steakhouse boasts the 1972 Miami Dolphins themed decor and serves some of the most succulent steaks in the area. Admire the tropical waterfall while enjoying poolside dining. Hire one of our private dining areas for business or social events.
Hilton Naples can help you plan a perfect Naples wedding or event. Host a meeting, convention, wedding and reception, or social event in the hotel's ballroom and breakout rooms.


text:
Best Reader stories from 2006
Border angels, Voice and Viewpoint owner's murder, homeless friend David Ross, abduction at Club Campestre
Abe Opincar, John Brizzolara, Stephen Dobyns, Thomas Larson 8:30 a.m., Feb. 16
San Diego–based Bridgepoint Education, the for-profit online school that spends more on marketing and promotion than it spends on education, may now be escalating efforts to pump up its stock.
It seems to be doing such a masterful — if extremely dubious — job that if I shot craps in the market (and I don't), I might gamble on Bridgepoint stock. Are you shocked? In numerous columns and blog items, I have consistently characterized the company's ethics as…well…crappy. But if you're rolling the dice in stocks, you don't care about the quality of a stock or the probity of the company's management.
Bridgepoint pulled a slick one the last week of January. For several years, investigators from the U.S. Department of Education have been probing the student-recruitment techniques of Ashford University, Bridgepoint's major school, in which 99 percent of the students are online. The results came out early Monday, January 24. The thrust of the government's report was negative — in fact, the investigators warned that in the worst-case scenario, Ashford could lose all its government loans and grants. Since they account for 85 percent of Bridgepoint's revenue, the company could be finished.
But Bridgepoint issued an immediate news release saying it was pleased that the government had "narrowed the scope" of several findings in its initial report and had made "significant reductions" in earlier recommendations. That might have been true, but taken as a whole, the report was biting. Investigators concluded that Ashford's recruiter compensation was based on number of enrollments and didn't meet government requirements; the university didn't properly perform federal student-aid calculations, didn't return funds promptly, retained students' credit balances without authorization, and didn't provide documentation for students' leaves of absence. Because of the "seriousness of the findings," investigators warned that there could be fines, limitations, suspension, or even termination of the company's participation in federal aid funds.
But the day of its deftly spun statement, Bridgepoint's stock soared more than 5 percent, and it zoomed more than 3 percent the following day. The major reason was probably that short sellers, who bet that a stock will go down, were rushing to "cover" their shorts by buying Bridgepoint shares. Before the announcement, half of Bridgepoint's trading shares were short — in effect, half the money in Bridgepoint stock was hoping it would go down. That is extremely high. And, perversely, having a large number of shares short is often considered bullish. That's because when something good happens to the company, the shorts will rush to "cover" — that is, buy the stock and get out of their short positions. It's often a stampede, sending the shares soaring.
Ken Cavalli, a New York analyst who is bullish on Bridgepoint, says that last time the short ratio got around 50 percent, the stock soared to $28. On Monday it was trading at $18.55.
Cavalli points to Bridgepoint's astonishing growth rate. Revenues were $7.95 million in 2005 and should hit $871.3 million this year. But the stock sells for only 9.49 times earnings — well below the multiple of the average stock these days. "The net profit margins are close to 18 percent; the average company in America is 5 percent," says Cavalli. Taking various statistical measures into account, "You're getting four times better than the average company at one-third the price," he says, noting that Bridgepoint has an amazing $230 million in cash.
So how did Bridgepoint get so rich? And why have investors been reluctant to buy the stock? The reason: there is a feeling among thought leaders that Bridgepoint and many of its for-profit confreres have been raking in taxpayer money while providing an inferior education. For example, Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat from Iowa who heads the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, notes that in 2008 students at for-profit schools accounted for 10 percent of those in college and racked up a shocking 44 percent of loan defaults.
Bridgepoint is Harkin's favorite target. In a December speech on the Senate floor, Harkin said that 84 percent of Bridgepoint students seeking two-year degrees dropped out before they completed the first year. The next highest dropout rate for such students at for-profit colleges was 69.9 percent. "And 63 percent of bachelor's degree–seeking students leave Ashford within one year, without finishing their programs," said Harkin. In the fall of 2009, Bridgepoint signed up 48,000 students. Over the school year, Bridgepoint recruited another 77,000. So during the year there were 125,000 enrollees, but at year-end there were only 67,000, said Harkin. Half "didn't stick around. They were out the door," said Harkin.
"What do you think happened to their [federal] loans?" asked Harkin indignantly. Or their grants? "Students get those back? Not on your life. Bridgepoint kept them; the money went to their shareholders."
Federal tax money flows to Bridgepoint and other for-profit schools, but too few students finish their courses, and those who graduate find it hard to get jobs. That's why the default rate is so high.
And that's why the investment community has been shy to embrace these stocks, despite the sky-high profits that companies like Bridgepoint post.
The Department of Education is cracking down. On July 1, new regulations are scheduled to go into effect. One would bar schools from paying recruiters according to how many students they enroll; another would stop deceptive advertising; a third would require schools to measure defaults more accurately. Implementation of the most controversial one, the "gainful employment" rule, has been delayed as the industry has aggressively lobbied Congress. This proposal would tie eligibility for federal aid to graduates' incomes and loan-repayment rates. The rule could cripple many for-profits.
An industry trade group announced January 21 that it is suing the federal government in an attempt to overturn the proposed rules. One self-proclaimed watchdog group asserts that by proposing the regulations, the Department of Education is trying to help the short sellers. The department says the assertion is "patently ridiculous," and that is the truth; bumpkins — including many in Congress — consider short sellers to be antipatriotic. No government agency would try to help them.
The watchdog group should study what happened to Bridgepoint stock. Short sellers can be a company's best friend when they panic and cover their positions.
Cavalli, the bull on Bridgepoint stock, is realistic. "It's risky, not for the faint of heart," he says. Bridgepoint has been overaggressive in marketing to students who can't succeed, he admits. But he thinks the stock can go to $35 or higher.
Opinions are mixed. On September 15, Sean Wright of the publication Seeking Alpha said Bridgepoint was "deeply undervalued" and shouldn't be hurt by new regulations. But on January 16, David Sterman of the same publication said Bridgepoint was still a good short.
However, the Obama administration has definitely grown friendlier toward business and warier of regulation. Even though the Department of Education study roundly denounced the company's practices, if there is a softening of regulations, more Bridgepoint shorts could soil their underdrawers and push the stock higher.
If Bridgepoint only ends up getting fines, the company will be happy as a pig in chiffon. That's only a (low) cost of doing business. Microsoft long ago learned that game: A few $million in fines is no biggie, and doesn't affect profits much. Bridgepoint and their ilk are a drain on the U.S. treasury, and a disgrace to higher education. The company SHOULD be "finished."
You hit the nail on the head. Bridgepoint is loaded with cash. It can handle any fine. Usually, regulators' fines are minuscule, particularly compared with what the company can pay. If the Republicans force weaker regulation on the Obama administration, Bridgepoint could get off with a wrist slap. The stock could take off. It has already been strong since the announcement of the DOE's initial findings. Best, Don Bauder
pigs in chiffon...those dang pigs get first dibs on all the fashion items ;-D
It seems that the taxpayers are, once again, going to be the big losers when private enterprise manages to insert themselves as a middleman-much like health insurance companies. In an ideal world taxes collected should directly fund education for all. The escalating cost of college combined with academic underachievment and few jobs plus parents that insist their kids "do something!" lead to this type of abuse. The new regulations not taking effect until July? Plenty of time to kill reform. Nice job as usual, Don
If the Republicans kill off or substantially soften bank, for-profit education, insurance, etc. regulation, the taxpayers will be the losers. The looting will continue. Best, Don Bauder
How has the ratio of population to facilities for higher education varied over time?
How has the cost of higher education varied in constant dollars (purchasing power)?
Can a young person "bootstrap" her way through a university education without incurring a lifetime of debt? How has this ability varied over time?
Are "for profits" responding to a vacuum?
How should the vacuum be filled?
Why isn't it being filled that way?
For-profits claim that they are filling a vacuum by offering educational opportunities to those who cannot avail themselves of a non-profit education. But critics state that these for-profits are aggressively getting students to enroll who have little likelihood of either getting a degree or getting a job if they happen to get a degree. And the federal government through its loans and grants picks up the tab. The key statistic is that for-profit students represent 10% of those in college but 44% of defaults. Best, Don Bauder
Not today.
SDSU was $150 a semester in 1982, community colleges were free. Today SDSU is $2500 per semester and CC are $250 per class.
UC Hastings College of the Law (public CA law school) and UCLA SOL were $5K per year in 1982, today it is close to $40K.
Professional schools like law, dentistry and medicine should have always been more, but today they are near the same cost as a private university. I knew when Dukmejin started claiming that students at community colleges could afford $5 per unit that it was just a ruse to get his foot in the tuition fee door, and once that door was open the sky would be the limit-and I was correct.
No argument.
But is the US "system" of higher education doing it job?
Is there a vacuum or not?
How has the percentage of qualified applicants for colleges and universities that are rejected varied over time?
How has the percentage of foreign students accepted by US colleges and universities compared to rejected US applicants varied over time?
How good a job does the process of acceptance/rejection do?
Good questions. My guess is that there are answers for most of them. Some questions are subjective. For instance, you ask how many "qualified" students have been rejected in different time frames. How do you define "qualified?" Best, Don Bauder
But they are not popular questions.
How does the system of higher education define "qualified?" THAT is the question.
My point in asking these questions is to illustrate the level of denial we are in as a society about the whole issue of how well or how poorly we address the needs and demands of our people for education. There is a whole herd of elephants in the room here, and it is time that we acknowledged them.
The relevance of this line of enquiry to your piece is that if it weren't for those elephants, this problem would go away. Of course this course of enquiry, dis discourse, is an inconvenient one--that's what keeps elephants in the closet. Does anyone smell hypocrisy?
Nobody said the non-profit colleges and universities are flawless. If you want my opinion, we are giving too many people a college education. The result has been lower academic standards. And people with college degrees doing menial work that hardly requires a degree. Best, Don Bauder
Did I accuse anyone of doing so?
What I am asking is to what degree those flaws, admitted (though I can't name any that have been admitted by those in charge) and denied (covered up by almost the entire academic community) might be causing a vacuum that is being "filled" by the for-profits.
Do our citizens deserve to be protected from degree-granting institutions that certify a level of education that is fraudulent or that does not meet higher academic standards?
But the bottom-line here is whether or not my questions are pertinent or irrelevant to the spirit of your piece, and if so, whether or not anyone is interested in answering them or pointing out any intellectual flaws in them. Another way of putting it might be: "Do the questions contribute to or retard the discussion of the subject?"
The questions you pose are relevant. Let me be blunt: do the for-profit colleges fill a vacuum that should be filled by non-profits institutions? Answer: no. Best, Don Bauder
You're 100% correct.
The SMALL and MINIMAL void the "for profit" schools (and many of the non profits) fill, maybe 5% max, is FAR outweighed by the harm and abuse they cause to the other 95%.
Agreed. The defaults on the debt are enough to show that there is little positive effect created by these for-profit schools. Best, Don Bauder
yes the citizens do.
The problem is DoE is run by the for profit schools and student loan companies-Margret Spellings is a perfect example. They have set up the system for fraud and abuse. Industry stacking the gov oversight agencies with cronies to increase profits. Wall Street is another prime example of these systematic gov oversight failures.
They are milking the middle class and poor for everything they have. And this parasitic draining of the countries wealth is destroying it.
BTW, my appeal to the SCOTUS on education fraud is on the docket for review for February 18th. I highly doubt it will be granted review-but it is there and I am hoping.
I don't think DOE is run by for-profit lackeys, but let's say DOE has been infiltrated at the top by those lackeys. Best, Don Bauder
Twister asks many questions that need to be asked over and over. There is something wrong with a system of higher education that is inaccessible to many would-be students. These scam colleges would have no prospects for their offerings if the usual private and public schools were open and eager to accept all qualified applicants.
There are various barriers to education. Forty years ago, while pursuing an MBA at SDSU, I found myself in one of those long, slow lines for registration one summer afternoon. Two newly-minted Navy ensigns were behind me in line, resplendent in dress summer white uniforms, and were astounded that they had to stand in line to take a single night-school class that fall. (The whole process required about three hours of standing in line regardless of who you were, and how many classes you wanted to take.) It was no coincidence that soon afterward the infamous National University sprang upon the local scene. (It catered to active-duty military personnel whose fees were paid in full by the Department of Defense.) One of their biggest selling points was that "you only have to register once." That comment was a solar-plexus punch aimed at SDSU and its horse-and-buggy era registration system. Why was SDSU years behind the times? It probably was so popular that nobody really thought that it needed to do better. But a few years later, NU was causing plenty of heartburn for the SDSU president, Day.
These operations such as Bridgepoint cater to the unsophisticated potential student, the one who has little notion of how to apply to a traditional institution, wait for months and only then be told that he/she doesn't quite meet the cut-off, etc., etc. All you need to do is go in, sign up, sign up for a federal loan, and then wait for "classes" to start. Simple, and who's to know that the whole thing is thinly-disguised snake oil?
The answer is for the public and private universities to come out of their ivory towers and seek out those who want college educations. Then they can begin to educate the uneducated in regards to what they need to succeed. But that requires going outside the halls of ivy, meeting and greeting the unwashed, and finally admitting that most of the formalities of college application are just empty gestures and unnecessary. The point is that if traditional schools did the job they should do, these scam schools would have few suckers sign up.
Your final question is a good one: if the traditional non-profit schools were doing their jobs, would the for-profit scams exist? Since I believe that the U.S. is pushing too hard to have a high percentage of young people have a college diploma, I can't say that for-profits exist because non-profits are failing their mission. The for-profits' raison d'etre is the power of telemarketing based on wholly unrealistic dreams. Best, Don Bauder
Visduh your post was so on target that it should be memorialized in a tattoo on former SDSU President Day's forehead, and also on Stephen Weber's too- as a flaming signpost of gov mediocrity.
Day is gone, Weber is retiring. How about putting the tattoo on the incoming president, whoever he or she may be? Best, Don Bauder
I'm getting confuseder and confuseder.
Ok, for-profits are bad.
Big U's have some faults.
Those faults drive the rejects and the impatient (and maybe the bs-ers?) to the for-profits for "degrees" that can be used to defraud employers (non caveat emptor?) about the "graduates'" actual qualifications.
Graduates of non-profits are washing dishes, so degraded has the quality of their degree become.
Since not everybody should have a college degree, just how do "we" separate the sheep from the goats and determine how many degrees are granted to whom?
From whence arose the "unrealistic dreams?" (It couldn'a been all the talk about how you can't get a decent job widout one could'a it?)
Or is there an alternative?
Visduh: "The answer is for the public and private universities to come out of their ivory towers and seek out those who WANT college educations."
A friend of mine at SDSU teaches two classes totaling over 700 "students." And I thought that when my wife was trying to teach a class with over 60 she was overloaded. (BTW, there were 3 out of 60 who could construct a sentence in the English language [most were native speakers], the class was overstocked by about 57.)
I could go back to my first set of questions, but I'll not belabor the obvious importance of understanding ratios and trends and incongruities.
How to tell a university (perfesser, deen, chancylor, or pressident) frum a bureaucratacacy? De latter is concerned primarily with administrative convenience (e.g., the rules for securing state funding), whilst the former (quite literally, the extinct form) is a naive intellectual who wants people who WANT to learn, not just jump (or cheat their way) through hoops for a degree. The main people who have to really be qualified are athletes, who will be granted almost any degree they want, and it will most assuredly get them a job with a successful pyramid-climbing alum.
You didn't even mention one of the most dangerous cancers: the degree to which non-profit universities are dependent upon and beholden to companies. Private sector firms are even determining curricula. Money talks. Why must it nauseate? Best, Don Bauder
". . . appeal to the SCOTUS on education fraud is on the docket for review for February 18th . . ." [SP]
I'd like to follow this more closely . . .
The chances of cert being accepted are slim and zero-but I at least I got up to the plate and took a few swings.
If you're the poor or middle class you're not going to be getting justice at the SCOTUS-they are heavily biased in favor of gov and Big Business due to the ultra conservative make up of the court.
On student loan issues they have only taken two cases in the last 20 years, Espinosa (2010) and Lockhart (2005)- and both were decided in favor of government and against the poor (big surprise!!).
Thomas rules in favor of the gov 95% of the time. Scalia, Alito and Roberts are not far behind. Kennedy is now the swing vote but he is no Sandar Day O'Connor, not by a long shot.
Scalia, Thomas and Alito are clowns. Roberts is intelligent but is a stooge for big business. Bad court. Best, Don Bauder
Thank GWB and his "Packers" that can't lose, no matter how many times they drop the ball...
We will welcome your posts on the topic. Best, Don Bauder
". . . mention one of the most dangerous cancers: the degree to which non-profit universities are dependent upon and beholden to companies. Private sector firms are even determining curricula." [DB]
I'd like to follow this more closely too.
How about the Feral Gummint?
Oh yes. Federal grants determine university research to a very depressing degree. As I mentioned on a blog the other day, Eisenhower warned about this in the same speech in which he warned of the military-industrial complex. Best, Don Bauder
SP: "The chances of cert being accepted are slim and zero-but I at least I got up to the plate and took a few swings."
May be. But the effects of one intransigent act after another pile up toward a critical mass. This is what I mean about how important a box-score is. Even in Egypt, the powerless finally had enough.
"At long last . . . At long last . . ." --Robert Welch
American citizens need to storm the Bastille -- metaphorically, of course. Best, Don Bauder
let's just do it for real..i look great in a red beret ;-D
It surely is a "win win win win" situation when for profit education executives, Wall Street sharpies, DC lobbyists and the appropriate federal government authorities all enjoying the cake. Icing provided by the SCOTUS, of course.
Justice is now served.
People keep saying the current SCOTUS is a conservative court. It's not conservative in the Adam Smith sense. It is simply a pro-business court. Best, Don Bauder
Im sorry, you are correct-it is a pro business/gov court.
I need to remember that.
No problem remembering it. You can read about it almost every day. Best, Don Bauder
Execs on Wall Street run the financial agencies, and the execs in the education industry are identical, running DoE- former DoE secretary Margaret Spelling is the best example you could ever have of this incestuous scam.
Spelling is the classic example of what you are talking about. Best, Don Bauder
Everybody should hear Eisenhower again.
And again.
And AGAIN!
One of the great speeches of the century. Best, Don Bauder
We THE PEOPLE, have the option of petitioning our government for redress of grievances.
To do this effectively, we will have to act as if in exile, as we effectively already are. This means strikes and boycotts, and we can organize them via email. But we must avoid any centralization of power.
The Egyptian revolutionists showed how it's done by email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Best, Don Bauder
We can do it by sticking to the local economy, and putting real prices on real value.
Good luck matching realistic prices with value. Best, Don Bauder
Publicly traded companies have obligations to their investors to turn the best possible profit; Capitalism 101.
Ashford University provides a regionally accredited (best kind), Bachelor of Arts degree in four years for a maximum of $50,040 versus an average of about $96,000 at non-for-profit universities.
If it is you considering a degree path then that kind of cost difference should give one pause, don't you think?
www.ashford.edu says that they graduated 8,268 students in 2010, 2% at their traditional campus in Iowa and 98% using their online format.
Senator Harkin's points are well taken and I imagine that the school is making adjustments to improve the drop-out rates since it does not reflect well on them. If the students just stay in school they will come out better for the experience and investment in their education.
Online formats are often the ONLY way working adults can earn their degrees while fully employed and managing children, et al.
If the students just stay in school they will come out better for the experience and investment in their education.
The vast majority of the students do NOT graduate and the few that do will NOT be better off with their Ashford University "investment".
The ROI on an Ashford University degree is a huge negative= by a country mile.
That is crazy talk.
As Sen. Harkin points out, Ashford's record to date is pretty poor. Best, Don Bauder
The test will be whether those degrees are useful in getting jobs, permitting the students to repay the federal government loans. Now, the record is quite poor for the for-profit universities. Best, Don Bauder
This argument is by somebody who is unaware of the type of student typically being enrolled at Bridgepoint or by somebody who is kidding themselves. The statistics that Senator Harkin is putting out there seem in line to what I experienced as an enrollment advisor there for 6 months.
Community College is a better place for Tax Payer dollars on students who barely got through High School. If an online version isn't available at CC's then this tax payer isn't interested in paying Clark for a losing program. Bogeball often times if you put in crap you get crap! Bridegpoints numbers prove that.
It is a 93 year old institution, regionally accredited since 1950 that introduced its online format six years ago. Why would a Bachelor of Arts degree in, say Business Administration with a Specialization in Information Systems, be any less valuable than a similar degree from SDSU?
What data says otherwise?
No disagreement that the issue of folks dropping out relatively quickly and not earning their degrees is serious. However, those able to persevere and earn their degrees must emerge better off, wouldn't you concede?
The so-called Ashford is 93 years old only because Bridgepoint bought a tiny college in Iowa that makes up a very small percentage of its enrollment. Best, Don Bauder
It is a 93 year old institution, regionally accredited since 1950 that introduced its online format six years ago. Why would a Bachelor of Arts degree in, say Business Administration with a Specialization in Information Systems, be any less valuable than a similar degree from SDSU?
=============== LOL.....obviously a Bridgepoint/Ashford plant.
I bet you think/claim a law degree from California Western carrys the exact same value as one from Harvard!!!!!!
It's that "93 year old institution" that gives me a real chuckle. Best, Don Bauder
No disagreement that the issue of folks dropping out relatively quickly and not earning their degrees is serious. However, those able to persevere and earn their degrees must emerge better off, wouldn't you concede?
========== No I would not agree, in fact I would disagree to the largest extent possible.
The COST to obtain a cheap, nearly useless, online Ashford degree is not worth the paper it is printed on, much less the tens of thousands of dollars in tuition and book costs.
The return in so far in the negative it is hard to calulate.
The American taxpayer, who provides more than 90% of Bridgepoint's support, may have some thoughts on who is better off. Best, Don Bauder
Don Please post that again! Please! Tax payers are simply not aware of this huge scam.
Answer to the Bogeballs first question is Reputation. You are kidding yourself on the difference between the two universities.
Answer to the data question. "Drop out rates!? Entrance standards to get into SDSU versus nothing except a HS diploma.
Comment on third statement... you should concede that the type of student making an attempt at university work at Bridgepoint is better served at a community college as an affordable proving ground particularly on the tax payer dime.
Go see your doctor because the Kool Aid you have drank is burping up into the faces of mindful tax payers concerned about what most should call legalized FRAUD!
I do not agree that an online format is the only way that a person who is employed and/or caring for children can earn a degree. Generations of employed parents have managed it in a conventional classroom setting on a part-time basis. Let nobody forget that it is one's fellow students who are part of the experience, and that doing it solo is just not the same. On-line study is canned study and is about as satisfying as eating cold beans from a can compared to something freshly prepared and hot at the table.
I agree: online studying is not the only way to go -- particularly since it needs improvement. Best, Don Bauder
If they offered a BS degree in bs, it might be worth the money--if one's life-goal to to defraud one's way to riches.
I wish I had thought of that: a BS in bs. Best, Don Bauder
Re: Bauder's comment on real prices . . .
It's a matter of willing buyers and sellers. If they're not willing to pay your price, don't sell, and if the price isn't low enough, don't buy. Period.
Teeter-totter capitalism.
The quality of the product or service, and the urgency of the buyer and/or seller to make a deal, play a role, too. Best, Don Bauder
"The quality of the product or service, and the urgency of the buyer and/or seller to make a deal, play a role, too." DB
Certainly. They are components of willingness.
But URGENCY, that is quite a different matter. That can put the buyer or the seller over a barrel--that is all about NEED, and its hierarchy. If you need a tourniquet, it's pretty high on the scale. If you need a gold toilet-seat--well, THAT can be pretty high on the scale too.
It's all about what you grumble about.
If you are raking in a billion dollars a year, as some hedge fund operators are, a gold toilet seat may be high on your priority list. Best, Don Bauder
Pardon the Freudian stammer: "If they offered a BS degree in bs, it might be worth the money--if one's life-goal to to defraud one's way to riches."
I meant ". . . life-goal IS to defraud . . ."
But seriously, folks--a BA? Bah!
I have an MS. Should I call myself MS Don Bauder? Best, Don Bauder
Enjoy all the cracks you want, but the truth is that there is indeed a place for schools that can provide quality education via online convenience. There are too many under-educated adults in America with families to feed while working full time that do not have the luxury of being able to drive to a campus for set hours. I notice that USC and other traditional schools are offering such options. It's the future of education for adults. And don't tell me that the thousands of annual graduates are unemployed or working at the local convenience store because their degrees are worthless. Does the system need improvement? You bet, but it is here to stay and should only evolve in a positive path for all parties.
In looking at for-profit colleges, we are discussing the quality of online education, not online education itself. Best, Don Bauder
Well bogeball/aka Bridgepoint mouth piece, it comes down to-like ALL things- value.
What are you getting for your (or I should say taxpayers because they front the $$ loan money) buck from this dimploma mill???? Does the cost justify the means. It absolutely does not.
The value you get from an over priced degree from a diploma mill, for profit school is NOT worth the price you pay in tuition, it is that simple.
We won't even go into the cost to taxpayers from the defaults on the 80%-90% of students who drop out and have no means to pay back the taxpayer backed student loans of an over priced, useless college classes that a community college can give for $200 a class.
Yes, the money comes from taxpayers, and they (we) have a right to know if it is money well spent. Best, Don Bauder
Yes, for Bridgepoint and other dimploma mills, that is exactly what is going on.
Just listen to Sen. Harkin on the point. Best, Don Bauder
Bogeball tax payers are paying for this and the type of student who considers Bridgepoint in most cases can't get into a regular school. It is inline with the drop out rates that Harkin is calling BPI to the table on.
The answer is Community College for them as a proving ground. If you are so certain that BPI's method has value do it on somebody elses dime, without Tax payer funded programs. I for one would love to see Clark make a go of that. He would never do it because he would go broke. He has the drop out rate to prove it.
I am unwilling as a taxpayer to pay for this system you are saying is here to say. Welcome to the Tea party Movement!
I'm an increasingly reluctant fan of universities, period. But the evidence is clear that the for-profits are even more fraudulent money-grubbers than the Big Privates and the Big States.
Certification itself is bs--having a degree has increasingly meant less and less about what one actually can do, but the for-profits are far worse than the non-profits in selling diplomas.
I get a lot of my education on-line, via email and otherwise, but getting a diploma on-line, especially for Big Bucks, is in the same category as getting one by mail.
What we need is a network of brethren who will help each other because it is our duty as citizens of the world, not an even more fraudulent pickpocket teaching us how to pick the pockets of others. That network needs to shift from bs to demonstration of ABILITY, and getting the word around about how who does it best. For example, we all know Sully is a damned good pilot.
Provocative points. Education at the non-profits has many flaws -- particularly, the cozy relationship with big business that often stifles free expression of nagging social problems. Best, Don Bauder
I can't belive that our government is giving away loans for education to online companies for second rat education,, When these companies and making TONS of money of the taxpayers ...
This company alone has made more than 700 percent the profit it did only 7years ago off the taxpayers pocket book.. And then Pay there Enrollment Advisers six figures to sell students on buying the courses so that "bridgepoint" can make record profits..
No person that is Call and Enrollment Advisor should be selling Education off the coat tails of it's own people Should be making $100,000 Plus dollars..
And we the taxpayers shouldn't be making people filthy rich Off Our Tax Dollars.. You do not see San Diego state Universty making record profit of it's students,Or UCSD, or any college or university for that matter.. Infact they are cutting classes and giving Teachers less work days cause of Lack of funding and here these Colleges are making Rediculios amount of money off WE THE PEOPLE.. Not right at all.. Not to mention are employers going to hire a person with an Online degree before they Hire a Person ACTUALLY went to Class and Really did the work them selves and really worked hard for there Degree,, " I THINK NOT".. How do you even know that that peson online is the one who did the work and really eraned that Degree.. You don't that is another problem..
Based on your grammar, punctuation, and poor spelling, may I suggest that you enter into a reputable institution for classes to address these flaws? Have a nice drive to your local Junior College. Don't be tardy since that could hurt your grade.
At least your writing prowess matches your flawed representation of what you portray as being factual.
See how strong this country could be if all of us had a quality education?
LOL..this coming from a Bridgepopint/Ashford flunky-classic!
Flunky? This from someone who can barely put a sentence together? Grab a mirror, bro.
Yes, we taxpayers are getting taken by the for-profit colleges. But it appears to be the Republicans who are standing up for those picking our pockets. And the Republicans say they are against deficits. Frankly, I think both parties have sold out. Best, Don Bauder
There is NO difference between Dems and Repugs, two different sides of the same coin.
They are both bought and paid for with speical interest money.
There are 40K Plus lobbyists on Capitol Hill, yet only 535 in the Congress.
40% of the bills submitted in the Congress, and 60% of the bills passed, are WRITTEN by special interest groups and their lobbyists. That is outraguous.
As I say, the law today is for sale to the highest bidder, like all other banana republics.
You do realize that 'spell checkers' exist in 2011, right?
Aren't they called spel chekkurs? Best, Don Bauder
Internet Explorer does nto have spell check, and if I have some/many typos i dont care. I am nto writing a term paper or SCOTUS legal brief.
(typos included for irony!)
Your fly is down, bogeball.
Ms. Grant, I suppose only a classy dame like yourself would notice.
a poor speeler like me would 2 bogeball...but i would just consider the source
Unfortunately, I can't disagree with you. Best, Don Bauder
Tis consistently true in modern American politics.
I repeat a statement I have made before, but I will repeat: Money talks, but why must it nauseate? Best, Don Bauder
Every non-profit school gets tax payers dollars in the form of subsidizes... how is that any different considering that it costs more to go to a state school if you take away the subsidizes?
Every non-profit school gets tax payers dollars in the form of subsidizes... how is that any different considering that it costs more to go to a state school if you take away the subsidizes?
==================== Yes, state schools get subsidizes, take that away and they are STILL 1/4 of the cost of this diploma mill.
You obviously do not know any of the facts. Lets talk numbers... so you think that the tuition cost of Ashford (about 11,000) per year is 4x greater then say Colorado State? That would mean the cost of Colorado State is 2,750 per year WITHOUT subsidizes? The truth is that an out of state student pays 14,000 per year WITH subsidizes (collegesource.org). So here is the truth... you are wrong and you have no idea what you are talking about.
Mother's little helpers grow up to debate with fallacies, straw-man and otherwise. See-saws, sandboxes, and mud-puddles are too advanced for such intellectual retards, though they like to claim intellectual superiority rather than demonstrate it. When they don't like a logical challenge, they try looking over your shoulder or saying your shoelace is untied or some other infantile ploy to bog down the real discussion. Ignore them. Such playpen politics is a waste of everybody's time.
You are describing what lawyers do for a living. Best, Don Bauder
Are you a lawyer?
"On July 1, new regulations are scheduled to go into effect. One would bar schools from paying recruiters according to how many students they enroll" - maybe when this practice ceases, Bridgepoint will be forced to hire their drop-outs. Reminds me of the mortgage industry.
Bridgepoint has been under investigation of DOE for a long time because of this practice. I don't know that it is hiring back its telemarketers. Best, Don Bauder
Absolutely right!!! And many of the adisors at BPI when I was there were unemployed Mortgage Brokers who brought there slick habits from the old job to there new job! IMAGINE THAT!
Let us not forget that the issue is fraud and pickpocketing on steroids, SOP for the government-business complex.
It should be about how the best of us help facilitate the understanding of the rest of us. So it's not that the Internet and email have no place in this complex process, it's whether or not fraud is involved.
MIT posts its courses, free for anybody to glean from. Discussion boards and listservs and other forms of social media have a powerful potential that is only beginning to be tapped. Traditional universities should lead, not follow, and if for-profits beat them to it, let's hope that competition will cull out the worst of the pickpockets.
For example, look at the value of this interaction right here on the Bauder blog--I don't know about the rest, but I have learned plenty and my understanding of a lot of things has been greatly facilitated by Don and those who give of their time and their life experience to share . . . But even so, this site has great unrealized potential that lies dormant. Why?
We hope that the site ultimately realizes its potential. One problem is that I turn 75 in May. I already do a weekly column that takes a lot of research. Then I post things on the blog, averaging at least one a day, I suspect. And I respond to those who comment both on columns and the blog. I am not complaining. I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it. I'm simply offering one reason why we haven't realized full potential. Another reason is that there is a helluva lot of competition out there. There are a lot of very, very smart bloggers and wisdom-filled blog sites. That's a problem that daily newspapers have. Best, Don Bauder
F the Department of Education... your just pissed because all your non-profit schools (like state schools) dont get all the government help they used to. Here is the logic: because Bridgepoint makes lots of money and the students dont always go through the program we should be pissed and cry. Has the writer of this article ever been to Community College where a class goes from 45 students to 25 in two weeks of classes? "Well.. yes but Community College is less money and so it does not cost the student a default status" -- EXCEPT THAT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS SUBSIDIZED BY THE GOVERNEMNT WITH TAX PAYERS DOLLARS! Pick your poison! Dont cry just cause someone can make a buck and actually help people get an education at the same time.
Since Bridgepoint relies on the federal government for more than 90% of its revenue (that includes those in the military it recruits), I don't think the company can be cited as a great example of capitalism in action. Best, Don Bauder
We the tax payers actually pay for people in non-profit state schools through BOTH student loans and subsidizes. All I am saying is that there is no difference. Well... there is one difference Bridgepoint employs like 5,000 people (third in San Diego)... but who is counting. And I did not even mention capitalism in my post. If you are speaking in reference to my name then that is simply because I think people should have the choice to make money... even Bridgepoint. And in your opinion what is a good example? Let me guess, do you think the government is a good example of capitalism in action? Taking lots of money and giving to pork spending accounts and false pension plans? Bridgepoint is a perfect example of capitalism, even though that was not my point.
No, there are major differences.
1) unqualified students are ot accepted at CSU or UC schools 2) Most graduate CSU or UC 3) Public schools, especially here on the graduate level are subsidized next to nothing today, only undergrad 4) the education you receive actually has value at a public school, UC, CSU and even an AA from a CC. Not so at diploma mills like Bridgepoint
I will repeat, the SMALL, next to NOTHING value these diploma mills give is outweighed 10K to 1 harm and financial damage they do to the student and taxpayers. . . . Bridgepoint is a perfect example of capitalism, ================ No it is not-it is in fact the wrost case and it is not even capitalism, it is communism. They are defrauding the taxpayers through the student loan system. The default rate-the true default rate not the 2 year co hort rate the DoE uses-is over 75% at diploma mills like Bridgepoint. You cannot con me straw man, I know this stuff inside out, more than you and more than about 99.999999999999% of Americans.
You want the true drfault rates on a diploma mills like Bridgepoint, Goggle Erin Dillon at Education Sector in DC, read her research. . . . I think people should have the choice to make money... even Bridgepoint. ============= LOL @ "make money"..yeah right. I bet you think Bernie Madoff and Enron were just "making money" too.......Fraud is not "making money", it is scamming.
You would fit in real good with the public employee unions who claim that GED employees are worth $200K comp packages......
You are for sure a Bridgepoint sock puppet, there is no doubt about that.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. My stats are from the federal government your are from fantastical ideas that make you sound like you know what you are talking about. ALLLLLLLLLLL schools are ripping off students man. No education is worth that much!!! Did you not read the words "All I am saying is that there is no difference". You really WANT me to be a puppet but I have news, you are the one that sounds like a puppet. And I should rephrase my statement earlier because you are right. I do not think that Bridgepoint is a good example of capitalism... what I mean to say is that it is the consequence of capitalism. I do not agree with Enron or others of the like but I do like capitalism and unfortunatly some companies take it to the extreme. In saying that, I will take free market/capitalism and bridgepoint any day over whatever system you abide by. THAT is why it is a perfect example.
OK, now we're getting somewhere!
We the tax payer front the money for both but for those misguided students who sign up at BPI who really belong in CC as a more affordable option. They will owe much more and likely default for a much higher rate.
I would respect your argument more if BPI was borrowing there own money and not using Tax payer dollars in this pissing contest.
The Tea Party will attack this!
F the Department of Education... your just pissed because all your non-profit schools (like state schools) dont get all the government help they used to. ..... Dont cry just cause someone can make a buck and actually help people get an education at the same time.
I have to laugh at this clowns grammar, and it is obvious the clown is a Bridgepoint student;
"...YOUR just pissed..."
Hey clown did they ever teach you the difference between "your" and "you're" in 5th grade???
"I have to laugh at this clowns grammar..." "...YOUR just pissed...
"Hey clown did they ever teach you the difference between 'your' and 'you're' in 5th grade???"
Mr. Puppy, esq., please...you are the second-to-last person who ought to be laughing at other people's writing skills, unless you want your comments marked up in red and handed back; it's usually a bad idea to find fault with the fault finders. But I suppose it's a very good thing that you do enjoy the free entertainment, as I'm sure Don would agree. (The very, very last: Fumbler.)
We haven't heard from Fumber in so long. Do you think he is still chewing on that grass that he was obsessed with? Best, Don Bauder
Fumbler got booted off.
Yes, it is ironic!
uh oh...now i'm really scared russl ~~yikes~~ cause i resemble that remark...i can't speel worth a ding dang!!!
It isn't just Bridgepoint students stumbling over grammar. I had people working for me with Master's degrees in journalism from Columbia who made similar mistakes. Best, Don Bauder
That is why the blue chip, white shoe law firms have numerous proof readers employed-that is their only job, proof reading, so there are no typos.
I love people like you... miss the whole point of the post because I messed up one thing. Actually, I am an officer and civil engineer for the U.S. NAVY I have an architecture degree which is something Bridgepoint probably does not offer. You mistake my caring about people writing, in my opinion, misleading articles for caring about Bridgepoint. Three people "commented" on what I said without actually commenting on what I said... YOU'RE part of that awesome club. Why don't you respond now or did I spell something wrong?
Are you talking about me or SurfPuppy? I believe I responded appropriately to your post about capitalism. Best, Don Bauder
OK. I'll let SurfPup answer. Best, Don Bauder
Come on, that was classic, I had to call you on it.
But the fact is you're (oh man , almost made the same mistake!) a sock puppet/gimmick account/straw man for Bridgepoint, I know that much!
Yea a sock puppet said F the Department of Education... Once again you did not respond to what I said just try and cut me down. Even if I was a puppet I am still right.
I'm sure sock puppets have lots of supporters who believe they are right. Best, Don Bauder
there r sock puppets....then there r sock puppets eh
SurfPuppy the bloodhound says he can sniff out sock puppets. Best, Don Bauder
Ok so in your capacity I am assuming you have no experience in dealing with the type of student applicant that BPI enrollment advisors are coaching into attending university classes.
You ought to do it sometime and consider what is really going on with Tax Payer money. It would require you to leave your current Tax Payer funded postiion with our Navy Department but still you might understand some of our concerns better.
Re: 94
So, you're a couple of years older than I--so I dig, dig? I wasn't complaining about the quality or quality of YOUR work, I was complaining about the quality of the Reader setup and the wasting of my time with trivia about punch-u-ashun and speling. Inane shavetails can be ignored.
It's spelled punkchewation. Best, Don Bauder
I crawl corrected.
The shavetail failed to catch another of SP's typoes. Keel-haul 'im!
LOL...I want to download the IE8 spell check (why MS doesn't include is is typical of MS!!!) but I am scared of getting malware/spyware and an invasion of privacy.
I don't think a spell checker is invading your privacy. Best, Don Bauder
SP make a typo? Say it ain't so! Best, Don Bauder
Im pathetic without spell check./
SurfPup, sometimes you're not perfect WITH spell check. Best, Don Bauder
Ok, so back to the subgect.
Thar's more than one way to git edgycated.
The higher in the hierarchy one's alma mater and degree the more intelligent one is presumed to be. This is gonna cost somebody big bucks.
The presumption that that kind of "investment" is going to pay off big enough to get the "student" out of debt before retirement is questionable.
If the student gets competence along with the piece of paper, she (or he) MIGHT get lucky, but one thing is for certain, the loan shark can't lose. If the paper doesn't translate into big bucks, the student/sucker is on the hook for a long time.
"Accreditation" MAY mean something, or it might have been bought.
One old-fashioned way to get ahead in the world is to start sweeping floors and work one's self up to The Top. That requires enough intelligence to actually learn how to PERFORM, or how to screw the suckers out of anything they can beg, borrow, or steal.
One thing universities sometimes get you is CONTACTS, otherwise known as the inwykiwyb method.
All life experience, including formal "training," is educational.
If you think you're gonna get something for nothing, you're going to have to steal it.
That is how it's done.
Twister-excellent Top ten.......you were on the money.
Re 95:
I don't know how many times I've found your pieces well worth responding to, but it probably gets 99.999% of my effort. I don't know where all these other "very, very smart bloggers and wisdom-filled blog sites" are, and they certainly don't respond to responders. It's damned near humanly impossible--but hey, I'm not incinerating that you are inhuman, only the best in the business. And the Reader should compensate you accordingly. They could do even better if they led with your pieces or at least stuck your name on what passes for a masthead with links to both your essays and blogs, AND if they set up their machine to provide email notification to responders when their posts have been responded to. That might provide some continuity and coherence to the vital subjects at hand, even when "contributors" pee in the play-pen.
Answer to Twister: And if you're going to steal, steal big. And have a battery of well-paid lawyers with influence over judges and regulators. Best, Don Bauder
Answer to SurfPup: yes, Twister nailed it. Best, Don Bauder
Response to Twister's 3 pm post: Those are all matters that you will have to take up with the management. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, of course. Best, Don Bauder
Re: 137
They'd better be reading your pieces; I presume they've heard of the primacy of the feedback loop. If not, they'll need to hire someone who has and knows what it means. I suspect they would not pay my rate--a pitiful percentage of actual gains, aka, PERFORMANCE pay.
For starters, they need to get rid of this ridiculous "Reply" system that scrunches up the print into ten-character wide colums. Hilarious. (Nothing to do with the SOS.)
In addition, the responses often wind up where they don't belong. So we get some non sequiturs. I understand the Reader is working on this. Best, Don Bauder


text:
B.o.B In-Ear Headphones for only $20.00?
What better way to listen to The Adventures of Bobby Ray with these high performance in-ear headphones. B.o.B ear buds are packaged in a custom box and include the B.o.B logo on each ear. Get 'em. Rock 'em. Roll with 'em. Ah. You know what we're talking about.


text:
- Font:
- +
- -
Unemployed workers and homebuyers caught a break thanks to a new law signed by President Barack Obama on Friday. The law offers tax credits for homebuyers, extending and expanding a popular program, and extends jobless benefits up to 20 weeks for unemployed workers who can't find a job. Here's how the plans will work.
Where does New York state stand on the new unemployment extension?
— Lloyd S., New Windsor, N.Y.
The legislation signed by Obama on Friday will extend unemployment benefits for the roughly 50,000 people a week whose claims were expiring — along with some 3.4 million more who are still collecting on their insurance.
The plan adds 14 weeks of benefits; workers living in states where the unemployment rate is above 8.5 percent get an additional six weeks of benefits for a total of 20 extra weeks of benefits. (The most recent figures put New York's jobless rate at 8.7 percent, putting the state into the 20-week category.)
Before the recession began in December 2007, benefits typically ran out after 26 weeks. But because so many workers have been unable to find new jobs, Congress has extended eligibility four times, giving some people up to 79 weeks of benefits. The length varies from state to state, because some states have passed their own additional extensions.
The surge in claims has severely stretched state trust funds that cover these benefits. So far roughly half the states have had to borrow from the federal government to keep writing checks. To pay back the money, they'll either have to raise taxes on businesses or trim benefits. Neither option will do much to get the economy back on track.
To qualify, workers have to meet minimum requirements, set by each state, for wages earned or time worked during what's called the "base period." In most states, that's the first four out of the last five calendar quarters before your claim is filed. You also have to have lost your job through no fault of your own. (If that's in dispute, the unemployment office reviews the circumstances and decides whether you qualify.)
It's important to check the rules carefully for each state. Though programs are similar — the states have to follow federal guidelines — there can be big differences in the level of benefits and eligibility rules. (You can check here for information on your state.)
In New York state, for example, the maximum unemployment benefit is $430 a week, compared with $564 in Pennsylvania and $609 in New Jersey. One big reason is that New York requires employers to pay into the unemployment insurance trust fund for just the first $8,500 for an employee's annual wages. The national average is $11,800, and it's more than $14,000 in neighboring Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
For more information on filing a claim, check the Department of Labor's Web site.
In the extension of the homebuyer tax credit there is the requirement that move-up homebuyers must have lived in their home for five years. I am curious how exactly that is defined. My wife and I bought our house on July 1, 2005, and are curious if we can qualify for the credit by closing on a new purchase on June 30, 2010 (the last day of the credit) — or will we fall just short of the 5-year home ownership requirement?
— Jeff L., New York
You never know with the IRS, but as far as we're concerned a year that starts on July 1 ends on June 30. So you should be good to go.
The homebuyer tax credit the Senate tacked on to the extension of jobless benefits (which was one reason it took so long to extend benefits) expands the first-time homebuyer credit that has helped perk up the housing market.
You claim it when you file your taxes by deducting from the tax you owe. If the credit is bigger than your tax bill, you get a check back for the difference. And if you want an immediate refund, you can amend your 2008 tax return.
The credit is good for 10 percent of the purchase price of a primary residence, up to $8,000 for "first-time" homebuyers — which are defined as people who haven't owned a home in the past three years. "Repeat" buyers — who have owned their current home at least five years —can get up to $6,500.
To qualify, you have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and closed by June 30. (The deadline is extended by a year for members of the military who have served outside the U.S. for at least 90 days from Jan. 1, 2009, to May 1, 2010.)
There are some other limits on who is eligible. You can't claim the credit on a house that costs more than $800,000. If you earn more than $125,000 a year — or $225,000 for joint filers — you get a reduced credit that fully phases out when incomes hit $145,000 for individuals and $245,000 for joint filers.
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints


text:
Get all 274 Bucketheadland releases available on Bandcamp and save 65%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of SIGIL Soundtrack, Bucketheadland 10 31, Dreamthread, Fourneau Cosmique, Guillotine Furnace, Coniunctio, The Squaring of the Circle, A3, and 266 more. , and , .
Bucketheadland Los Angeles, California
Streaming and Download help


text:
Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2013 News Releases > May 2013 > Wayland students research showing promise
Wayland students research showing promise
May 14, 2013
PLAINVIEW — Science students at Wayland Baptist University are in a unique position among their peers and that has led them to a series of projects that not only are helping preserve centuries of traditional natural health treatments but also are beginning to show promise in breast cancer research.
Over the past several years, chemistry and biology students at the university have been working with a variety of plants and the impact they could have on treating breast cancer. In particular, they are working with the 4T1 breast cancer cell line, which is a mouse cell line, according to senior chemistry and molecular biology student Taylor Eaves. Eaves is from Phoenix, Ariz. and recently completed his Honors Program thesis project which involved research with rosemary. Other students are working with ginger and bloodroot.
According to Dr. Gary Gray, professor of chemistry and Eave's project advisor, the 4T1 cell line made sense for the university. The cells grow in culture easily and are well suited for work by undergraduates, they are safe to handle and they represent a good system for conducting research.
"You can inject the cells into the host mouse and tumors grow as if the mouse has cancer, and the beauty of that is that it's a perfectly set clock," Gray said. "You inject the cells; you'll have a palpable tumor with three to five days; within two weeks you'll see the metastatic progression of the cancer; and it follows the same landmarks, but in a much shorter time frame, as human breast cancer does. So, it's a nearly perfect model of stage-4 cancer, the advanced stage that no longer responds to hormone therapy and is basically out of control."
Dr. Adam Reinhart, professor of biological sciences and chemistry, explained that the direction of the university's research was driven by two things. The first, he said, was the student research component.
"We're in a unique position at Wayland not to have to do research just to further my career along," he said. "The reason we do research here is to really help students learn how to do science. So that, in many ways, is why we picked these projects. They're very well adapted to having students do the work."
The other driving force was a concern over the fear that centuries of knowledge about natural medicine could be lost if researchers do not begin working to preserve it.
"We're within a generation, probably, of having most of that knowledge lost because as more modern medicine starts to be available (in Third-World regions) the people that have had a long history of working with medicinal plants have started to lose that. They're not passing it on to their kids," Reinhart said.
Wayland has a certified degree program in Kenya and regularly sends professors to teach a variety of classes. Reinhart spent a sabbatical in 2007 teaching at the Kenya campus and it was through that experience that he truly began to see the potential for student research projects on the main Wayland campus in Plainview.
"The project came about in about 2005 when I was really looking for a project that could involve a bunch of students that also had something where we could get some meaningful results," he said.
As he spent his time in Kenya, he explained, the students there were responsible for collecting different kinds of native medicinal treatments that they would use to treat various kinds of inflammation.
"We were already starting to look at some plant extracts with the possibilities of them killing cancer cells," Reinhart said, adding that at first researchers were looking at prostate cancer because there is a plant in Kenya — Prunus africanum, or African plum — that has been used historically for treating swelling of the prostate and also had the possibility of treating prostate cancer.
From there, the research moved to other types of cancers and as students took on the initiative one suggested that they consider the mouse cell line.
In particular, the students are looking at plants that have been known to affect inflammation because often cancer cells have elevated inflammatory responses, Reinhart said.
"There is an enzyme called COX-2 (Cyclooxygenase-2) that seems to be at a higher level in a lot of cancer cells. So, we started looking at drugs that were anti-inflammatories and tried to look to see if they also had anti-cancer possibilities. That's what led to all this," the professor said, adding that the breast cancer research project is funded, in part, through a $25,000 per year grant to the chemistry department from the Welch Foundation in Houston.
From that beginning, students who come through the program have had the opportunity to advance the long-term projects through research they can do during their time at the university. For Eaves, the choice of which project to work with was based on time constraints. He is a part of the university's Honors Program and as such, must complete a thesis project. When it was determined that his initial choice was going to require more semesters of work than he had available, he was able to pick up on a branch of the research with Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) that had been started but not completed.
Eaves said researchers already had determined that rosemary was killing cancer cells, "and we wanted to determine how they were doing it."
He spent the spring doing a literature search and began his research in the fall. He chose carnosic acid and ursolic acid as standards because the literature search showed that those were killing cancer. They had been used on skin and oral cancers, but never on breast cancer. He began to look at them in relation to that and in the course of his work found two components, tentatively named Band 5 and Band 8, which were effective at killing cancer cells. Through using thin-layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet visible spectrum tests, he was able to determine that Band 8 most likely was carnosic acid. However, he was not able to identify Band 5.
"It didn't match any of the standards and, in fact, it just kind of did its own thing but it was killing the cells, just like Band 8," he said.
Gray explained that the critical part of the research is determining how the compounds kill the cancer cells. That is important because the process needs to result in programmed cell death, not necrosis which is simply the poisoning of the cell and is indiscriminant.
"If the cell death is caused by a simple poisoning process, we call that necrosis, that's not useful as a drug because that means it's going to kill anything," he said, adding that the students want to isolate the compounds that only kill cancer cells.
He explained that all cells eventually go through a process of programmed cell death as they age. Parental cells divide to produce daughter cells, but eventually "the machinery wears out" and the parental cell will basically initiate its own death process. The idea is to use the compounds from the plants the teams are researching to induce cancer cells to initiate that self-destructive process.
Gray said the beauty of the research is that it is using plants that are safe for normal, healthy human consumption.
"These are plants that were used as food sources: Rosemary, ginger, turmeric — turmeric is used to make mustard, it is the yellow color in mustard — so these are plants that have been eaten for millennia, in some cases, and have no known bad effects to anybody, unless they just happen to be that one person who happens to be allergic to them," Gray said, adding that the science department is not aware of any clinical studies that show the spices, in particular, have any bad effect on normal healthy cells.
Gray said the university has created a very workable template for examining potential plants for their cancer-fighting potential. At this point, for the most part, the students are now able to run plants through that template and make the appropriate determinations. Other plants that have showed promise are ginger and bloodroot.
The research teams are made up of biology and chemistry students who handle different aspects of the projects as their discipline allows. Joining Eaves in the research work are Libby Saultz, Jarrett Ross and Trevor Burrow.
Saultz is a senior molecular biology major from Amarillo who is the lead student researcher for a team working on one of the projects that is looking at how Zingiber officinalea (ginger root) and Sanguinaria Canadensis (bloodroot) are impacting the 4T1 cell line. Saultz said working together with other research groups is beneficial to their overall education.
"The chemistry students are in on it and the biology students," Saultz said. "We work together and will be here (in the lab) until late hours of the night and see each other's results and get excited."
Eaves' said the next step for the team will be to identify Band 5 and determine exactly how the compounds are killing the cancer cells. That work will be for someone else, though, as Eaves is set to graduate.
Gray said that the hope of he and his colleagues in the School of Mathematics and Sciences is that the students will find a new cancer-fighting tool through their work and Reinhart said the reality is they may have already. When asked what the chances were that Wayland students could find something that gets the attention of the greater scientific community he was quick with his answer.
"I know we already have," he said. "We have presented this work at a number of national meetings and had very good discussions with people doing human cancer research. We're pulling molecules out of ginger root. We don't know what they are yet, but it's pretty clear that their not the standard ones that people have worked with."
Ultimately, that kind of positive professional exposure is what the school wants for its students. Reinhart pointed out that in most undergraduate programs the students do fairly routine work that rarely makes it beyond undergraduate level presentations. Wayland's students are getting much better exposure than that, he said.
"We're able to take students and go to national meetings and present this work, not in an undergraduate category, but in the open format where people all over the world will see it," he said. "A long-term impact on our students has been the success they have enjoyed in graduate school and medical school. These experiences have given them a leg up on getting into post-graduate work."


text:
The U.S. toll from Hurricane Matthew rose as more deaths were reported Sunday, raising the number to 19.
Authorities reported:
* Eight in North Carolina: two in Sampson County, two in Bladen County, two in Johnston County and one in Pitt County, as well as an eighth for which details weren't available Sunday.
* Three in Georgia: two in Bulloch County and one in Chatham County.
* Five in Florida: one in Putnam County, one in Volusia County and threein St. Lucie County.
* Three in South Carolina: two in Florence County and one in Richland County.


text:
Metals/Coil Processing
Metal Service Centers Can Log Their Customer-Support Activity via Smart Phone
The smart-phone functions complement the firm's existing web-based portal that allows customers to log support calls, query the Invera knowledge base on product operations, access new-product releases and support documentation, and view customer-specific correspondence. The functions will prove particularly useful to service-center staff placing support calls to Invera.
Invera: 514/935-3535; www.invera.com
See also: Invera
Related Enterprise Zones: Materials/Coatings


text:
Christophe Muilee, November 19th , 2018.
Tray ceilings are a contemporary architectural feature that have ended up in way too many traditional style homes. They try to fill our need for unique detail in our otherwise generic interiors. A tray ceiling, which is an inverted or recessed ceiling, creates the illusion of height. Depending on the type of wood and colors you choose, you can make the room look traditional, contemporary or even rustic. Wooden planks or reclaimed wood are great options for that rustic effect.
If you are looking for a style for your dining room, check out these awesome industrial dining rooms. Here we present you an urban collection of industrial dining furniture that will add a twist of loft style living to your dining room. Simple, clean, strong, and functional is the best way to describe the industrial dining room. Brick walls, upcycled wood, concrete and industrial metal furniture they all together it looks amazing. You can add some warm industrial style to your space with a dining table in industrial style.
Popular Ideas
More Inspiration
Monthly Archives
About ♦ Contact us ♦ Privacy Policy ♦ Terms Service ♦ Copyright
Copyright © 2017-2019 · SecretHistorian Interior and Home Design. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Concerns for patients as 500 mental health jobs face axe in Norfolk and Suffolk
PUBLISHED: 07:31 07 February 2013 | UPDATED: 09:11 07 February 2013
Patient safety will be put at risk if mental health bosses' plans to axe 500 jobs in Norfolk and Suffolk are put into action, according to senior psychiatrists.
Mental health cuts
Aidan Thomas, chief executive at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Following the launch of the Trust's Service Strategy employee consultation in October 2012, we have received more than 900 responses from our staff.
"As a result of the consultation we have identified more than 50 changes to our plans. These will go to the Trust's Board of Directors for approval tomorrow, before being discussed at a joint Norfolk and Suffolk Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday.
"We also continue to receive feedback from stakeholder and partner organisations and this will also influence the final plans.
"The Service Strategy is a clinically-led response to the challenges we face including the need to reduce our costs by around 5% per year for four years. The proposals have been drawn up in partnership with staff, service users, family carers, commissioners and other local providers. The focus is on wellbeing (keeping people well and avoiding ill-health) and recovery (helping people back to their normal lives) and developing more services in the community, while providing high quality inpatient care for those with a clinical need for it.
"Detailed plans have been developed to ensure quality and safety is central to any changes that are made, with stringent management processes in place. We will continue to involve commissioners and other stakeholders as the detailed plans for each service are finalised."
And they claim the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) is being "downright dishonest'' for failing to state that the cuts will have detrimental effects on patient care.
The trust revealed proposals to make the cuts last year, citing a need to make 20pc savings in the next four years as the justification for a radical redesign of the service.
The initial plans anticipated a 33pc reduction in medical staff, including a 31pc cut in consultant psychiatrists, a 50pc cut in staff grade psychiatrists and a 32pc cut in senior nurses by 2016.
Dr Chris Jones, a consultant forensic psychiatrist and chairman of the Local Negotiating Committee, and Dr Marlies Jansen, a consultant general adult psychiatrist and member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, have written letters which will be considered by a joint Norfolk and Suffolk Health Scrutiny meeting on Monday.
But the trust chief executive, Aidan Thomas, said consultation had resulted in more than 50 changes to the original plans.
Despite "bland assurances" Dr Jones said in a letter to NSFT medical director Hadrian Ball: "The proposed reductions to medical and other clinical staff will have a major impact on the quality of clinical care provided."
He added: "The clear implication of much of the proposals is that current levels of quality and activity will be maintained or even increased. We consider that this is totally inconceivable that the current level of service could be maintained in the face of such reductions.
"We consider that it is totally unsustainable, and that it is at best disingenuous and at worst downright dishonest of the trust to promote these proposals without clearly stating the effect that such a reduction in capacity will inevitably have on patients.
"We believe that it is inevitable within these proposals that both the quantity and quality of service delivery will decline, and that this will result in significant risks to patient safety."
Dr Jones raises concerns that the cuts will put staff under "extreme pressure to accept increased workloads and increased pressure of work, with the inevitable reduction in service quality and patient safety that this will entail."
The letter goes on to criticise the 90-day consultation, stating staff have not been given adequate time to respond.
Dr Jones added: "We do not consider that this is true or meaningful consultation, and we do not consider that this is allowing staff a reasonable opportunity to engage with a process which is likely to have devastating consequences, not only for patient care but also for the individual careers of members of staff."
And Dr Jansen raised concerns about the quality of service in more rural areas.
"In rural areas, staff are likely to be so overstretched that doing home visits will no longer be feasible," Dr Jansen said.
"Psychiatrists will no longer have the time to travel to outlying clinics. This will seriously affect the access to care for our most isolated and vulnerable patients and result in less contact between mental health professionals and GPs."
The newly formed Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Scrutiny Committee will consider the plans at its first meeting in Norwich on Monday.
Councillors from both counties will scrutinise whether the changes are in the interests of the health service in Norfolk and Suffolk and the impact the proposals will have on patient and carer experience.
They will assess the quality of the clinical evidence underlying the proposals and whether they are financially sustainable.
The committee will also consider and comment on the extent to which patients and the public have been consulted on the proposals, and the extent to which their views have been taken into account.


text:
We Fix !!!
Any Laptop Brand, Any Problem Solution
Our service team of highly trained laptop specialists, backed by well equipped service center are ready to offer you value for money repair and replacement services.
Laptop Service Helpline
Lenovo Laptop Service Center in Madipakkam offer fast and best solutions near Manapakkam Locations. We have specialized repair/service solutions for all type of Lenovo laptops like Lenovo Pavilion, Lenovo compaq, Lenovo Elitebook, Lenovo Envy, Lenovo Notebook. We also sale the original Lenovo Laptop Adapters & Batterys at affordable price with dell warranty. Almost we do all the services for Lenovo Laptop with the best quality of service with instantly.
|Lenovo Laptop Service Center Near Manapakkam
# Shop No:3, Plot No:8,Medavakkam Main Road,,
Madipakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Pincode- 600091.
(Landmark: Opp to Near by Axis bank, Opp to Kavitha Textiles
Working hours: 10:00 A.M to 8:30 P.M
Phone : +44 2258 0242, Mobile +91 98416 22266
Contact our Lenovo Laptop Service Center in Chennai Madipakkam for all models of Lenovo laptop related problems! We will solve your laptop repairs instantly. We provide pick up and delivery for our Customer just make a Call @ +44 22580242, +91 9841622266