"Barbadian manufacturer cements good relations with clients and respect their spiritual roots as well." The Bajan Reporter. June 18, 2017.
"Great Potential." Barbados Advocate. June 13, 2017.
"New products, technology to benefit construction sector." Barbados Advocate. June 07, 2017.
Photo: Camperdown project. Jamaica Observer. May 24, 2017.
"Carib Cement donates 3,000 bags for flood recovery." Loop Jamaica. May 24, 2017.
"Gov't Receives Major Boost to Assist in Recovery Efforts." Jamaica Information Service. May 23, 2017.
"A Home Sweet Home For A Deserving Family". Bajan Reporter. May 15, 2017.
"A cake for Teachers' Day. Jamaica Observer". May 14, 2017.
"Carib Cement delivers one million bags." Jamaica Gleaner. May 13, 2017.
"Barbadian Family to win home makeover!" Loop News. May 11, 2017.
"Arawak Cement Company to build concrete roads." Barbados Today. March 27, 2017.
"Cheaper roads." Nation News. March 26, 2017.
"Arawak continues to expand in B'dos." Barbados Advocate. March 24, 2017.
"Gopee-Scoon Satisfied with TCL Operations". Trinidad Newsday. March 16, 2017.
"Agriculture to help rehabilitate inmates at Tamarind Farm." Jamaica Gleaner. March 09, 2017.
"Minister Looking at TCL Kiln to Dispose of Waste". Trinidad Express. March 9, 2017.
"Prisoners get lessons in greenhouse farming." Jamaica Observer. March 07, 2017.
"Credit rating agencies update TCL". Trinidad Express. February 02, 2017.
"State minister lauds Carib Cement for DCS greenhouse initiative." Jamaica Observer. January 31, 2017.


text:
Game 4: The Eddie Collins of 2009
Even if Johnny Damon had gone oh-for-the-first-four years of the 52-million dollart contract he signed with the Yankees after the 2005 season, he might have earned most of the cash with one of the most heads-up plays in World Series history.
As the potential winning run with two out in the top of the ninth inning of a game New York had nearly blown, he not only got a great jump on Brad Lidge to cleanly steal second base, but because the Phillies had employed the shift on Mark Teixeira, Damon had the presence of mind to realize Carlos Ruiz's throw to second might be handled by a fielder unaccustomed to the role, who was also leaving third base unoccupied. Thus Damon utilized the pop-up slide, and when Feliz went to the wrong side of the bag, Damon accelerated past him and cruised into third as the Phillies watched helplessly. Lidge's inning immediately cascaded into chaos and Mariano Rivera suddenly had a three-run lead in a game the Phils had just tied.
In the broad sense, at least, Damon's dash was reminiscent of the famous Eddie Collins-Heinie Zimmerman play that decided the 1917 Series. Scoreless in the fourth inning of the finale, the White Sox cringed as Collins was trapped in a rundown. Giants' catcher Bill Rariden correctly ran Collins back towards third, presuming that either his first baseman Walter Holke or his pitcher Rube Benton would cover the plate. But neither did, and as Rariden tossed to Giants third baseman Zimmerman, Collins burst past him, leaving Zimmerman to define futility to chase Collins towards the dish.
Though Ring Lardner actually made up the quote, Zimmerman was long credited with one of the most telling of acerbic explanations for a pivotal Series play: "Who the hell was I supposed to throw it to? The umpire?" It will be fascinating to hear if Feliz says anything similar.
Written by Olbermann Posted in Dailies Tagged with 1917 World Series, Bill Rariden, Brad Lidge, Eddie Collins, Heinie Zimmerman, Johnny Damon, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixeira, Pedro Feliz, World Series
November 2, 2009 - 12:13 am olympictrees@aol.com
I loved that play. Talk about paying attention!
Small "b" baseball takes the day. 🙂
November 2, 2009 - 12:39 am shfinn
Thanks for that Mr O, I really have a semblance of hope we will end the drought!
All I can say is thank you Mr Damon, thank you Mr. Lidge.
I think Joba owes both of them a hardy handshake at least!
November 2, 2009 - 1:00 am salthebarber
Oh, I'd say Joba owes Damon a Rolex!
I'd say Damon motoring on over to third is right up there with Jeter's "flip" in the 2001 ALDS. Incredible play!
November 2, 2009 - 1:04 am unpaka27@yahoo.com
Is this more of the Phillies "playing their game", that we've heard their fans boasting so much about? This is what happens when the Phillies encounter a team that has actually shown up to play, unlike the Rockies, et. al. Joking aside, the Phillies fans should have put their brooms away at the end of Game 1, because there are few things in life so uncertain as the outcome of a top series or game, in any sport. The Arizona Cardinals came close to winning the most recent Super Bowl. Need I say more?
As for the rest of your post, Keith…you must be a walking encyclopedia of baseball knowledge. Are you plugged into an external USB hard drive, or something? LOL!
November 2, 2009 - 9:25 am ron@stamant.org
Watching on television, I didn't realize who was covering the throw at second, so when Damon popped up and started toward third I thought he'd simply over-slid the bag and was in a rundown…then when the camera pulled back I saw how great a play that was. It changed the entire inning.
Keith, I have to tell you, you were spot on in your pre-Series prediction about Ryan Howard's struggle against lefties…it seems to have extended to Ibanez and Utley as well and is, to me, the biggest difference in the Series.
Game 4: Pitchers
How The Phillies Can Still Win

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Country-of-Origin Effects and Competitive Advantage
The Role of a Country's Image with Respect to the Positioning Process of International Firms within the Framework of Global Marketing Strategies
von B.Sc. Philip Sipos (Autor) Corinna Nefzger (Autor)
Seminararbeit 2011 27 Seiten
BWL - Unternehmensführung, Management, Organisation
2. Literature Review and Conceptual Background
2.1 Differentiation of Country-of-Origin and Country Image
2.2 Impacts of Country-of-Origin on Product Evaluations
2.3 Conceptualisation and Operationalisation of Country Image: The Three Component View
3. Implications of Country-of-Origin Effects for Global Marketing Strategies
3.1 Implementation of Country-of-Origin as a Competitive Advantage
3.2 Categorisation Problem: Effects of Country-of-Origin Misperception
3.3 Country-of-Origin Implementation Difficulties due to Ethnocentrism
3.4 New Approaches and their Impact on Country-Labelling
4. Managerial Implications and Conclusion
5. Recommendations and Future Research
Figure 1: Country-Image Discourse Model
Figure 2: Consumer Ethnocentrism-Disidentification-Model
Figure 3: Integrative Framework of CoO and CoI
Table 1: Overview of Empirical Studies about CoO and CoI
Table 2: Image Ratings of Russia and Germany by People in the US
Table 3: 2x2 Matrix of Hypothetical Cars with two CoOs
illustration not visible in this excerpt
Due to globalisation consumers are able to choose from a great variety of products from all over the world. What is decisive for marketing managers is to understand on which criterion consumers base their purchase decision. One suggestion is that consumers' product evaluations and the resulting behavioural intentions are influ- enced by the product's origin (Agrawal/Kamakura, 1999, p. 255). Schooler (1965, p. 396) was the first to analyse empirically that the place of manufacturing plays a role in consumers' product evaluations. The so-called Country-of-Origin (CoO) construct emerged and caught the attention of plenty of researchers. After the publication of Schooler's study, numerous papers analysed this construct empirically in order to assess the impact of CoO on consumers' product evaluations (Perterson/Jolibert, 1995, pp. 883-884). In this respect, product evaluations include consumers' attitude towards the quality of the product and the brand itself, their assessment of the pro- duct's attributes as well as consumers' purchase intention (Agrawal/Kamakura, 1999, p. 255). This whole body of research proposes that consumers make use of an informational cue in the process of evaluating a new product, namely, CoO (Gürhan-Canli/Maheswaran, 2000a, p. 309). Since CoO seems to play a role in con- sumers' product evaluations it may be concluded that international marketing ma- nagers aim at influencing their country image positively in order to attract consumers (Reirson, 1966, p. 40). The question arises whether they should base their strate- gies on the concept of CoO. It is therefore the purpose of this paper to analyse the construct of CoO in detail in order to examine and evaluate its importance for mar- keting managers and to answer the question whether it may constitute a competitive advantage in the international market place.
To begin with, this paper provides a definition of CoO and a related construct, called the country-of-origin image (CoI), in order to then present an overview of empirical studies on the effects of CoO. The studies are discussed with respect to their validity and several problems in CoO research are revealed. Next, an integrative framework for conceptualising and operationalising CoI will be analysed. In the third chapter, the role of CoO for international marketing strategies will be examined by discussing competitive advantages based on CoO, the problem of categorising and ethnocen- trism. Moreover, the relevance of CoO will be evaluated and an alternative approach will be examined. In the fourth chapter, managerial implications resulting from the analysis of CoO in this paper will be discussed ending with a conclusion. Finally, based on the analysis in this paper areas for future research will be highlighted.
Conventionally, CoO effects are referred to as the influence of the manufacturing place on the product evaluation (Gürhan-Canli/Maheswaran, 2000a, p. 309). In other words, this concept assumes that consumers evaluate products differently depending on the country in which the product has been manufactured. Thus, con- sumers are inclined to apply CoO as an extrinsic cue in evaluating a products' quali- ty (Agrawal/Kamakura, 1999, p. 255). Therefore, "a product's national origin acts as a signal of quality and also affects perceived risk and value as well as likelihood of purchase" (Roth/Diamantopoulos, 2009, p. 726). According to Roth and Diamato- poulos (2009, p. 726), previous research simply concentrated on a product's nation- nal origin. However, a new and more complex construct emerged, namely CoI. While CoO refers to the question whether consumers prefer a product from, for in- stance, Germany compared to the United States, the image of a country helps re- searchers to understand why this might be the case. As a result, the number of re- searchers intending to assess CoI increases (Roth/Diamantopoulos, 2009, p. 726). According to Nagashima (1970, p. 68), the image of a country can be defined as "the picture, the reputation, the stereotype that businessmen and consumers attach to products of a specific country". The country image may be the result of, for in- stance, products typical for that country or historical, economic and political aspects (Nagashima, 1970, p. 68). In order to understand CoO and CoI effects, an overview of empirical studies will be presented and discussed in the next section.
By reviewing the literature on CoO effects it becomes obvious that a huge body of empirical research exists and that its impacts are well known. Schooler (1965, p. 396) conducted the first empirical study about CoO and proved that consumers in- deed rate identical products differently based on the CoO. In order to present an overview of empirical research on CoO, Table 1 presents a summary of several stu- dies ranging from 1965 to 2009. With respect to the methodology most studies made use of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) or Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The average sample size is 358.23 which is in line with sample sizes in cross sec- tional research (Roth/Diamantopoulos, 2009, p. 733). By looking at the results an unambiguous conclusion regarding CoO can be drawn, namely, that it has an im- pact on brand/product perceptions, beliefs and attitudes (Häubl, 1996, pp. 84-89; Erickson et al., 1984, pp. 698-699), perceived quality (Han/Terpstra, 1988, pp. 241- 248; Balduaf et al., 2009, pp. 446-449) and evaluations (Reirson, 1966, pp. 35-40; White/Cundiff, 1978, pp. 83-84; Hong/Wyer, 1989, pp. 180-183; Roth/Romeo, 1992, pp. 485-493; Verlegh et al., 2005, pp. 133-136) and that certain aspects interact to moderate the CoO effect on product evaluations (Gürhan-Canli/Maheswaran, 2000b, pp. 104-105).
Table 1: Overview of Empirical Studies about CoO and CoI Source: Own Illustration.
Only one study came to the conclusion that the effect of CoO is less significant than assumed (Johansson et al., 1985, pp. 393-395). To sum up, Table 1 clearly indi- cates the existence of the CoO effect; however, CoO seems to be more significant with respect to attitude formation and perceptions rather than actual purchase beha- viour (Agrawal/Kamakura, 1999, p. 265). Nevertheless, the applicability of these studies to real world situations has to be treated with caution. Most of the studies presented consumers a particular CoO and ask whether they would buy the product and how they evaluate the product. There are two problems related to this proce- dure. First, only because respondents say they would buy the product it does not imply that they do so in reality (Sun/Morwitz, 2010, p. 356), because actual pur- chase behaviour is normally not decided that quickly, at least not for expensive products or products consumers do not buy every day. Second, in a real world situa- tion buyers are often unaware of the CoO and therefore, the effect may not appear (Samiee, 1994, p. 586). This problem will be discussed in more detail in part three of this paper. Additionally, Table 1 shows other problems related to CoO research. First, most of the studies were conducted in the USA (Roth/Diamantopoulos, 2009, p. 728). Second, the majority used merely one nationality; only three of the studies in Table 1 (Johansson, 1985, p. 390; Roth/Romeo, 1992, p. 484; Häubl, 1996, p. 82) tested their scales in more than one country. Third, many studies do not report vali- dity and/or reliability tests. Out of the 13 studies presented in Table 1 only four re- port reliability assessments and only three validity tests. This result reflects the gen- eral lack of reliable studies in the literature (Roth/Diamantopoulos, 2009, p. 733). Thus, it can be concluded that the CoO effect seems to exist, but cross-national surveys that test for reliability and validity should be conducted in order to avoid the above mentioned problems. Thus, the following chapter discusses in detail how CoI can be conceptualised and operationalised by presenting an integrative framework.
While the last section discussed problems of empirical studies measuring CoO ef- fects, the focus of this section is to understand the underlying conceptual framework of the CoI construct. Even in the literature this distinction seems to be ambiguous. The reply of Samiee (2010, pp. 442-445) to Roth's and Diamantopoulose's (2009, pp. 734-737) suggestion on how to operationalise CoI demonstrated explicitly this misunderstanding. Therefore, Zeugner-Roth and Diamantopoulos (2010, p. 449) strongly recommend not to confound CoO and CoI and their respective focus of re- search. Based on this advice, the following part discusses an integrative framework developed by Brijs et al. (2011, in press). As mentioned above, CoO is understood as another extrinsic cue because it may be manipulated even though the product itself remains the same (Verlegh/Steenkamp, 1999, p. 523). However, "country-of- origin is not merely a cognitive cue for product quality, but also relates to emotions, identity, pride and autobiographical memories" (Verlegh/Steenkamp, 1999, p. 523). With regard to the internal structure of CoI, researchers therefore argue that it is composed of three facets: a cognitive, an affective and a conative component (three component theory). Cognitions refer to consumers' perceptions of the country; affect represents emotional values associated with that country and conations include planned action, for instance purchase intention. Since these three components in- teract with each other, modelling them separately would lead to wrong conclusions (Roth/Diamantopoulos, 2009, pp. 733-734). Nevertheless, Roth and Diamantopou- los (2009, p. 734) found out that most empirical studies merely focus on the cogni- tive component of CoI and that research in general lacks studies that consider the three component view (Roth/Diamantopoulos, 2009, p. 736). Researchers rather tend to operationalise CoI in form of a dummy variable, a holistic network, a con- struct of beliefs or attitudes. However, all these tools disregard the underlying struc- tural interdependence of the cognitive, affective and conative component of CoI. Another problem arises when it comes to the question of how consumers employ CoI. None of the existing theories can explain in one model how CoI is antecedent to consumers' product evaluations (Brijs et al., 2011, in press). To date, researchers explain CoO effects by three different mechanisms, namely, cognitive, affective and normative. The first states that consumers use CoO as a sign for quality, the second assumes that CoI directly influences product attitude through aspects such as fee- lings or symbols. Lastly, normative mechanism suggests that people make judge- ments about a product based on whether CoI suits their norms and values (Ver- legh/Steenkamp, 1999, p. 524). Since no theory is able to explain CoI as an antece- dent of product evaluations in one model, Brijs et al. (2011, in press) developed a framework that integrates the three component view and the semantic and prag- matic dimension of CoO in order to explain meaning, internal structure and function of CoI. They base their argumentation on the meaning-centered paradigm as well as on semiotics. According to the meaning-centered paradigm, consumers' behaviour is influenced by the meaning and symbolism they associate with the product. Semio- tics or discourse theory assumes that consumers communicate with products by interpreting certain signs such as icons or colours of the product. These signs are composed of two aspects, a semantic and a pragmatic aspect. The first is the mea- ning of the sign given by the consumer who interprets the sign and the latter des- cribes the intention of the consumer to use this meaning (Brijs et al., 2011, in press).
Based on these theories and the three component view of CoI, Brijs et al. (2011, in press) developed the country-image discourse model shown in Figure 1.
Source: Adapted from Brijs et al. 2011, in press.
Brijs et al. (2011, in press) conducted a study with 1225 students in order to test their model and in fact, they were able to demonstrate reliability as well as discrimi- nant and convergent validity of the framework. According to their model, the cogni- tive component of CoI positively influences the affective as well as the conative component. The affective component in turn, exerts a positive influence on the co- native component (Brijs et al., 2011, in press). The three components relate to the pragmatic dimension of CoO and beliefs, evaluation and purchase intention result, respectively. This process can be explained by the theory of reasoned action. Indi- viduals' beliefs about a country develop by gathering relevant information about the country. Based on these beliefs, feelings and emotions with respect to this country emerge and lastly, individuals take actions consistent with their beliefs and percep- tions (Roth/Diamantopoulos, 2009, p. 735).
The study of Brijs et al. (2011, in press) also helped to answer three important ques- tions, namely: what CoI really means to consumers, how CoI is internally structured and how CoI functions. While questions one and two report to CoI (the meaning), the third question relates to the product attitude (the purpose). In respect of the first question, they demonstrated that CoI is composed of the three components cogni- tion, affect and conation towards environmental aspects of the country. These envi- ronmental aspects are language, climate, politics, cultural identity, landscape, politi- cal and technological development, religion, and people.
Institution / Hochschule
Universität Hohenheim – Lehrstuhl für Unternehmensführung
Country-of-Origin Country Image Herkunftsland Ethnocentricsm Discourse Model Consumer Disidentification Nation Brands Index Competitive Advantage Internationales Marketing Marketing Marketingstrategie Wettbewerbsvorteil
B.Sc. Philip Sipos (Autor)
Corinna Nefzger (Autor)
Competitive Intelligence as a Sustainable Long Term Competitive Advantage
To What Degree Does IT Influence Competitive Advantage?
Competitive Advantage of Sino-British Joint Venture
Diversity Management: A Source of Competitive Advantage?
Contribution of Brand Image and Brand Identity to Gain Competitive Advantage: A Case study of UK Fashion Brands
Wal-Mart and Levi Strauss Acheiving Competitive Advantage
Strategic marketing analysis of Walt Disney's Parks and Resorts
Samsung Electronics and the Global Market. The History and the Competitive Advantage
Gaining Competitive Advantage – Strategies for an Internet Company to succeed in an International Market
The country-of-origin affect on perception of services
The Marketing Strategy of the foreign Hypermarket Wal-Mart in China
Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Strategic Partnerships in the Supply Chain
Global Strategic Management - Outsourcing in Domestic Electronics Industry
Joint Ventures: The benefits and perils - why some are successful and others fail
National Competitive advantage of Switzerland
Comparative Cost Advantage and Factor Endowment
Competitive Strategies of Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers in the Indian Passenger Car Industry


text:
Select other Florida A&M Rattlers Anderson, Richard Core, Nasir Hector, Tracy Jones, D.J. Leath, Randall Martin, Isaiah Melton, Rod Moragne, Bryce Murray, Haric Myles, Brendon Randolph, M.J. Ravenel, Justin Reaves, Kamron Smith, Dexter Steele, Gabriel Umezurike, Ifeanyi Florida A&M Rattlers
Randall Leath
Team: Florida A&M Rattlers Height: 6-8 Born: --
Class-Eligibility: Fr-Fr Weight: 205 Hometown: Clearwater, FL
18-19 FlaA&M 2 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 - - -
Career 2 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 - - -
18-19 FlaA&M 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11/10 Tusk W 62-55 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12/1 @USA L 57-66 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


>> Just resolder the SMD Caps, they sometimes get a loose pad.
>> You see if that happened while resoldering.
> (orange) ones, but I am not sure, is that right?
The lighter-beige ones, some of which are wider, are likely caps, for example the one beside the 34072 dual op amp looks to be a simple power decoupling cap (across  the IC power pins).
The reddish-brown units with 4-digit numbers are resistors: 3 sig figs & zeroes multiplier, e.g. 1002 = 10,000 ohms, 1330 = 133 ohms, 1181 = 1180 ohms.
The unmarked(?) 'redder' ones I expect are resistors, for example the one above the "di" in "digital" looks like the feedback gain control resistor for the op amp, although in other places that would make 4 resistors in parallel which is unusual.
Resistors can generally be identified with a multimeter, if you can come up with the same value when swapping the multimeter leads (polarity) and stepping through the multimeter ohm ranges you've probably got the resistance - making the multiple measurements to identify non-linear responses to eliminate conductivity readings from semiconductor junctions.
There looks to be two very similar networks around the two op amps in the 34072. It wouldn't really be that difficult a board to RE, although it does look like some poking around with a multimeter for continuity will be necessary to track internal traces, but they look to be relatively limited in number.


As well as exciting presentations and discussions, the programme also included the 30+ participants visiting the Dutch wholesaler Betapress B.V. Once again, high-calibre presenters took to the podium. After VU's Managing Director, Mark Schrader, opened the event, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andrea Gröppel-Klein, Director for the Institute of Consumer and Behavioural Research at Saarland University, gave the interested audience insights into current scientific research findings for consumer behaviour at the point of sale. In her presentation, she explained peoples' basic behavioural patterns when shopping and used illustrative examples to show which factors influence people when making selections from the magazine rack.


text:
Q: Hive not detecting timestamp format I have a PIG script that

*

*Loads and transforms the data from a csv

*Replaces some characters

Calls a java program (JAR) to convert the date-time in csv from 06/02/2015 18:52 to 2015-6-2 18:52 (mm/DD/yyyy to yyyy-MM-dd)
REGISTER /home/cloudera/DateTime.jar;

A = Load '/user/cloudera/Data.csv' using PigStorage(',') as (ac,datetime,amt,trace);

B = FOREACH A GENERATE ac, REPLACE(datetime, '\\/','-') as newdate,REPLACE(amt,'-','') as newamt,trace;

C = FOREACH B GENERATE ac,Converter.DateTime(newdate) as ConvDate,ConvAmt,trace;

Store C into '/user/cloudera/Output/' using PigStorage('\t');

Sample Input -- 21467245 06/02/2015 18:52 -9.59 518
Sample Output -- 21467245 2015-6-2 18:52 9.59 518
I am loading the output into hive, other fields seem fine during import, but the date-time field results null if loaded as timestamp and is intact when its string.
Where is this going wrong?
Am using Cloudera CDH 5

A: From the hive docs:

Timestamps in text files have to use the format yyyy-mm-dd
  hh:mm:ss[.f...]. If they are in another format declare them as the
  appropriate type (INT, FLOAT, STRING, etc.) and use a UDF to convert
  them to timestamps.

So you need to either change your Converter to output this format, or use a UDF  --- or just keep them as strings, which is what I usually do !

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Water Framework Directive: Assessing And Evaluating Progress, And Reflections On Where Do We Go Now? -- A Scottish Perspective.
14. Valuing water: monetary and non-monetary dimensions
Author(s): Campbell Gemmell (Stirling
Campbell Gemmell
Marian Scott
Roger Owen
University of Glasgow1, SEPA2
Keyword(s): Sub-theme 14: Valuing water: monetary and non-monetary dimensions,
The Water Framework Directive 2000 (Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000) sets out a bold ambition to protect and improve the water environment of Europe and achieve at least "good ecological status" and "no deterioration" for European water bodies by 2027 at latest. It sets out aims for real pricing, ecological and physical 'improvements' and the means by which plans will be presented and reported on by the Member States (MS) of the EU, based on river basins and catchments. It sought very significantly to rationalise the suite of related earlier Directives addressing water quality, for example, nitrate pollution and urban waste water treatment.
Subsequent Directives added flood risk management issues logically to the scope of MS implementation of WFD and following the establishment of the 2009-15 Basin Plans, as "local implementation" progressed a very great deal has been set out, learned and, in part, implemented and achieved. Overviews are given in Scott and Gemmell, 2013, Kaika 2003 and in Hering et al 2010. As we approach the end of the first full cycle and prepare for the second, with a further set of planning documents required by the end of 2015, it is an opportune and, we argue, critical time to review the progress so far and ask some demanding questions. We consider what data and information would be required to answer these questions and also how they might be framed in the ecosystem services framework.
The level of investment and programmatic action required by all MS across the EU has been massive, by some private estimates in the region of Euros 50-300Bn, for a decade of water industry and public investment in a range of related dimensions of our water environment. This has included: drinking water, waste water, raw water chemical and ecological condition and physical barrier/constraint removal as well as the management of point and diffuse sources. The investment against these headings embraces a myriad of bodies -- public, private and voluntary and the totals are challenging to quantify and check.
For some earlier "Acquisition States" it was considered an area for alignment with the EU acquis involving the single greatest compliance costs. Has this investment been assessed, what are the actual costs, what are the benefits and what actual condition improvements have been achieved? We consider whether or not we understand the relationships between ecological status and human pressures well enough to assess the delivery of significant and ultimately affordable, sustainable and durable improvement. We further assess the strength of available evidence for such assessments.
Overall impacts may be challenging to quantify but effects can be identified more easily, though direct attribution to WFD may be challenging. An improved and integrated approach to catchment management has been evident in Scotland. Stakeholder consultation, engagement with delivery partners and much improved alignment of roles and objectives are apparent through the River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) process.
Since 2009, SEPA has been working with other public bodies, voluntary organisations, land managers and other businesses to remove barriers to fish migration, tackle pollution problems, improve water flows and levels and restore more natural habitats in our rivers, lochs, estuaries and coastal waters. In the first RBMP in Scotland (ref SEPA), over 200 Scottish water bodies were targeted for improvement to good status. Well over 90 of these, representing around 1,000 km of river, had already been restored to good status at the end of 2013 and further improvements are expected by 2015 as measures take effect. In the main, the improvements have been secured by requiring licensed operators to reduce impacts arising from discharges of pollutants or water abstractions, and by working with partners such as the Rivers & Fisheries Trusts for Scotland to remove barriers to fish migration. Clearly further effort is needed.
The status of many water bodies is adversely affected by rural diffuse pollution and/or the effects of past engineering or drainage works that have damaged habitats and left barriers to migratory fish. Addressing these impacts is challenging and has required the development of new approaches in partnership with a range of different organisations.
In Scotland, we have developed collaborative approaches, for example, between regulators and the agricultural sector through farm visits. SEPA officers have walked over 5,000 km of watercourses to assess diffuse pollution impacts, and visited over 2,500 farmers and land managers to advise on remedial action. The good news is that as many as nine out of ten of those land managers are now known to be implementing agreed action plans to reduce diffuse pollution. Overall, this approach is seen as an example of best practice by the Commission. Restoring damaged habitats is even more of a challenge than tackling diffuse pollution.
The Scottish Government has set up a Water Environment Fund, administered by SEPA, to secure improvements by removing barriers to fish migration or restoring more natural river habitat. The Fund has been increased and is now supporting a range of voluntary initiatives with partner organisations and communities. Nevertheless, to achieve the RBMPs' objectives for 2027, a step change in effort will be needed. The consultations on the 2nd RBMPs to be published later in 2014 will contain proposals on how the effort needed could be phased up to 2027.
Are the achievement of WFD classification objectives alone sufficient to reflect the scale of real improvements to water bodies? Since 2008, we have been collecting more and better environmental data and using new and revised environmental standards to interpret those data. This has considerably improved our understanding of the ecological quality of the water environment and led to many changes in our initial classifications. However, it means that we cannot now use classification results alone to identify real environmental improvements. This difficulty is compounded as the classification results also take into account the negative effects on the status of the water environment that important new developments such as hydropower schemes can have. We propose that the value of benefits from investment in measures should be accounted for more holistically and include the costs and benefits related to improvement in ecosystem services.
In Scotland, we have begun to develop this accounting framework as we begin the second cycle of RBMP. Where next for WFD within the EU? The challenges of tackling diffuse pollution, restoring more natural habitats and separating out real improvements from improved status assessment methods are not unique to Scotland. How do we know if there is equality of effort to meet WFD objectives across the EU?
There are data available from the Water Information System for Europe (WISE) but at a very broad scale of progress which does not allow calculation of comparative costs and benefits. These ratios will be very hard however to identify. Setting a real price for water across the EU is some way off. And use of the ecosystem services framework at least ensures that future management interventions take account (even if only partial) of the costs, benefits, services and values. So, what does this tell us, and require of investors, including governments, for the next plan period? The evidence of comparative costs and benefits of the WFD across the EU requires to be strengthened and made available for independent audit. Without such evidence, assessment and audit, the objectives of the Directive are still an, arguably excellent, act of faith. Evidently, much yet remains to be done to achieve the Directive's targets and secure high quality water environments right across the EU. In Scotland it will be necessary to direct more effort on to addressing diffuse pollution and restoring damaged habitats. It is also the challenge, and the opportunity, for SEPA, sibling EPAs and the many partner bodies involved across the whole EU over the next 12 years if the high aspirations of protecting and restoring the water environment for the benefit of generations to come are to be achieved.
1Hering, Daniel; Borja, Angel; Carstensen, Jacob; Carvalho, Laurence; Elliott, Mike; Feld, Christian K.; Heiskanen, Anna-Stiina; Johnson, Richard K.; Moe, Jannicke; Pont, Didier; Solheim, Anne Lyche; van de Bund, Wouter. (2010) The European Water Framework Directive at the age of 10: A critical review of the achievements with recommendations for the future. Science of the Total Environment, 408. 4007-4019. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.05.031 2Kaika M (2003) The Water Framework Directive: A New Directive for a Changing Social, Political and Economic European FrameworkEuropean Planning StudiesVolume 11, Issue 3, pages 299-3162003DOI:10.1080/09654310303640 3Scott EM and GemmellJC (2013) Water Quality Assessment and European Water Framework Directive in Encyclopedia of Environmetrics, DOI: 10.1002/9780470057339.vnn006, John Wiley


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NIKKI SIXX Talks Addictions On 'Dr. Drew' (Video)
MÖTLEY CRÜE/SIXX: A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx was interviewed on this past Thursday's (April 28) edition of "Dr. Drew" on HLN. A short clip from his appearance on the program can be viewed below.
Sixx's new book, "This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx", debuted at No. 4 on The New York Times "Hardcover Advice & Misc" best seller list. The book came out on April 12 via the HarperCollins imprint William Morrow.
You can now "browse inside" the book at HarperCollins.com.
The "This Is Gonna Hurt" book explores a new, more introspective side, the first-ever public showing of his photography and insights on his life yesterday, today and tomorrow. "This Is Gonna Hurt" takes Sixx to a whole new level as an artist, musician and photographer. Accompanying the book, and slated for a May 3 release, will be a new CD by SIXX: A.M. complementing the book's themes and showcasing the incredible songwriting and musicianship of Sixx and SIXX: A.M. bandmates James Michael and D.J. Ashba.
TED NUGENT Says It's A 'Lie' That PRESIDENT TRUMP Is A Racist: He 'Doesn't Exclude Anyone'


In this unit, you will study the roles and responsibilities of people in business. ... You need to produce a portfolio of work investigating a local business and complete a practical ... A-level Applied Business · Why choose this specification?
The WJEC GCE in Applied Business offers students a contemporary and unique learning experience ... HTML documents for ABUS 2016/2017 unit assessments are available on the secure website, under ... Coursework Forms are available online. A wide ... GCE AS/A Level Applied Business Specification from 2009 pdf.
AS/A Level GCE in Applied Business (Single Award). Faculty: BICT. Level: Level 3 in ... Assessment Details: AS – 3 units (2 of these are Coursework, 1 Exam).


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The Giving Tour is an new initiative from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, aimed at educating, inspiring and giving. Starting earlier this year with a road trip form Chicago to Las Vegas, members of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation will be crossing the country, stopping to do acts of kindness, engaging local communities, inspiring action and raising awareness for organizations that are making a positive difference in their community.
If we can make a difference in one life, inspire one person to give an act of kindness by paying it forward, or bring awareness to the amazing work taking place in the heartland of our country, the Tour will have been a success.
Giving Tour Grantees
Meet the amazing organizations that we've met along the way. These non-profits are making an incredible impact in their communities and we're proud to welcome them into the family.
Marillac St. Vincent
Marillac St. Vincent Family Services strengthens, empowers and gives voice to those in need – in the Vincentian spirit of service – through education and comprehensive programs to build vibrant communities in Chicago.
Frederick R Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota
The Weisman Art Museum has been creating art experiences that spark discovery, critical thinking, and transformation, linking the University of Minnesota and the community.
University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital
UMMC Hospital brings hope and healing to children and families by caring for one child at a time, while advancing education, research, and care on behalf of all children.
Thunder Valley CDC (Pine Ridge Reservation)
Thunder Valley CDC empowers Lakota youth and families to improve the health, culture and environment of their communities through the healing and strengthening of cultural identity.
National Outdoor Leadership School
The National Outdoor Leadership School is committed to being the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve both people and the environment.
Salt Lake Community Action Program
SLCAP assists low-income families with a range of services, including Adult Education, Case Management & Housing, HEAT, Head Start, Nutrition and Weatherization to help them achieve self-sufficiency.
Page Regional Domestic Violence Shelter
The Page Regional Domestic Violence Shelter provides sanctuary for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault while guiding them on a journey from victim to survivor.
Grand Canyon Association/Break Away
The Grand Canyon Association is the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, helping to raise private funds to benefit Grand Canyon National Park.
HELP USA
HELP USA provides the housing and supportive services necessary to help the homeless and others in need to become and remain self-reliant.
Baton Rouge Food Bank
The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank's mission is to feed the hungry in Baton Rouge and the surrounding parishes by providing food and educational outreach through community partners.
The Giving Tour: Blog Posts
The High of Giving
I have been volunteering steadily over the past six years – it's my job. This time last year, we were touring the U.S. as part of the Giving Tour. We had already been to multiple organizations, but I was unprepared for the experience I was about to have at St. […]
March Memories
Inspired by the many "awareness days" in March, Alex takes us on a trip down memory lane in her latest blog post. Check out "March Memories" to learn why National Pig Day, International Pancake Day and International Women's Day have such significance.
The Giving Tour, Reflections: Louisiana
The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation team share their thoughts following their recent stop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as part of the Giving Tour. Alex shares a memory that has inspired her giving and the full team reflects on their work in Baton Rouge.
Connecticut foundation donates $25,000 for Thanksgiving food distribution in Zachary
On Wednesday, November 16th, hundreds of Baton Rouge area residents received a holiday meal distribution. The meals are part of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank's mobile food pantry Thanksgiving meal distribution project, which was funded through a $25,000 donation by the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation, based in Connecticut.
Greater BR Food Bank in desperate need of donations as holidays approach
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) – Three months after the floodwaters receded, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank has come a long way. However, even with their flooded warehouse cleaned up and back open full recovery is still a long way off. "We're not even near where we need to be […]
Read All Posts from the Giving Tour
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A popular Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman who was an outspoken critic of police killings of poor residents in shantytowns was gunned down in what police, prosecutors and even drug gang leaders said on Thursday looked like a political assassination.
So when she died in a hail of bullets after an apparent ambush on Wednesday night, even the crime-calloused Brazilians were shocked.
Yet what happened next was even more remarkable: Huge crowds poured into public squares across the country in protest. When was the last time a Brazilian politician became a symbol for anything but corruption and venality, or grist for a Netflix series?
Ms Franco was the opposite of all that. A black woman raised in a crime-torn favela, or slum, the 38-year-old legislator was in many ways a living riposte by a rising Brazilian generation to an encastled political caste that uses public office as a Monopoly board.
Instead of turning her back on politics, she embraced it. Ms Franco earned a diploma from one of the country's most prestigious universities before jumping into the national debate and then into electoral politics. In 2016, in her maiden campaign, she handily won a seat on Rio's city council.
Marielle Franco represented something hopeful in Brazilian politics. Is that why she was killed?
To be sure, not all Brazilians mourned Ms Franco's death. She was an unrelenting critic of official neglect of blacks, women, homosexuals and the poor. Her strident defence of human rights was pepper spray to the police, whom she frequently called out for rogue behaviour, as she did just last week.
Sadly, the gangland-style slaying followed by outbursts of schadenfreude suggest the pushback was more than rhetorical. All indications are that she was killed because she was bothering all the right people. Police are still investigating the hit.
Sceptics have seized on the brutal crime as confirmation that the city of Rio de Janeiro is a lost cause, and that the federal intervention intended to rescue Brazil's most storied metropolis from crime's tightening hold is badly flawed.
But the outpouring over Ms Franco – young, black, bisexual and unapologetically political – also underscores something bigger and far more encouraging.
Brazilians aren't so much desperately anti-authority or hungry for messianic outsiders as they are anxious for legitimate leaders. That's one reason why headline politicians knew to keep their distance from the streets this week, where young protesters took the lead in turning a eulogy into a revolt.
Tellingly, right-wing presidential hopeful Jair Bolsonaro, whose pro-gun, torture-friendly, anti-establishment rants have galvanised many disgruntled voters, said nothing.
Will the diffuse outbursts of anger that have occasionally shaken Brazil since before the 2014 World Cup finally gain critical mass?


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The impact of healthcare worker influenza vaccination on nosocomial influenza in a tertiary hospital: an ecological study
Wycliffe Enli Wei ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1995-16101,
Stephanie Fook-Chong1,
Wen Kai Chen2,
Maciej Piotr Chlebicki3,4 &
Wee Hoe Gan2,3,5
To protect hospitalized patients, who are more susceptible to complications of influenza, seasonal influenza vaccination of healthcare workers (HCW) has been recommended internationally. However, its effectiveness is still being debated. To assess the effectiveness of HCW influenza vaccination, we performed an ecological study to evaluate the association between healthcare worker influenza vaccination and the incidence of nosocomial influenza in a tertiary hospital within Singapore between 2013 and 2018.
Nosocomial influenza was defined as influenza among inpatients diagnosed 7 days or more after admission by laboratory testing, while healthcare worker influenza vaccination rate was defined as the proportion of healthcare workers that was vaccinated at the end of each annual seasonal vaccination exercise. A modified Poisson regression was performed to assess the association between the HCW vaccination rates and monthly nosocomial influenza incidence rates.
Nosocomial influenza incidence rates followed the trend of non-nosocomial influenza, showing a predominant mid-year peak. Across 2,480,010 patient-days, there were 256 nosocomial influenza cases (1.03 per 10,000 patient-days). Controlling for background influenza activity and the number of influenza tests performed, no statistically significant association was observed between vaccination coverage and nosocomial influenza incidence rate although a protective effect was suggested (IRR 0.89, 95%CI:0.69–1.15, p = 0.37).
No significant association was observed between influenza vaccination rates and nosocomial influenza incidence rates, although a protective effect was suggested. Aligning local HCW vaccine timing and formulation to that of the Southern Hemisphere may improve effectiveness. HCW vaccination remains important but demonstrating its effectiveness in preventing nosocomial influenza is challenging.
Influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality in older adults and in the presence of comorbidities [1]. To protect hospitalized patients who are more susceptible to complications of influenza, seasonal influenza vaccination of healthcare workers (HCW) has been recommended by many national bodies and has been strongly encouraged if not required in many hospitals internationally [1].
There has been some evidence of its effectiveness in reducing nosocomial influenza, largely in older patients in long-term care facilities [2]. However, its effectiveness is still being debated with a recent review showing no effect on the incidence of lab-confirmed influenza [3].
At an institution-level, there have been few studies that evaluated the effectiveness of institution-wide influenza vaccination on nosocomial influenza incidence rates, most of which are from the northern hemisphere [4, 5]. These commonly report and analyze aggregated annual influenza proportions. Studies in tropical countries, where influenza activity is year-round and show multiple peaks [6], and those that report incidence rates are lacking.
As a large tertiary hospital located in the tropics, we aimed to evaluate the association between HCW influenza vaccination and nosocomial influenza incidence rates. We hypothesized that increasing seasonal influenza vaccination coverage amongst clinical HCWs is associated with reduced nosocomial influenza incidence rates.
This ecological study evaluates the association between HCW seasonal influenza vaccination rates and corresponding nosocomial influenza rates in a large tertiary hospital in Singapore from October 2013 to October 2018. The tertiary hospital is one of Singapore's largest with more than 1700 beds, comprising 46 adult clinical specialties and having a staff strength of almost 9900. It admits around 80,000 patients annually, accounting for almost one-quarter of all inpatient admissions nationally.
De-identified data on (1) all influenza-related laboratory test results (including PCR, antigen and viral culture tests), (2) dates of admission of patients with influenza-related tests and (3) monthly aggregate of inpatient days were extracted from the hospital's enterprise data repository. This repository consolidates healthcare data from multiple sources including hospital electronic health records and administrative systems [1, 2].
Staff influenza vaccination numbers were based on the records of the hospital staff vaccination programme.
National influenza surveillance data was obtained from the World Health Organisation FluNet, Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System [3]. This represents Singapore's national data derived from sentinel surveillance. The proportion of specimens collected that tested positive for influenza was used as a measure of background influenza activity.
Healthcare worker influenza vaccination
Annual seasonal influenza vaccines were offered to hospital staff free of charge. Uptake was voluntary but strongly encouraged by the hospital management. The trivalent influenza vaccine was administered till 2017, after which it was replaced by the quadrivalent vaccine. The vaccines follow the northern hemisphere schedule except in 2018, during which the southern hemisphere formulation was administered between the months of May and June. The choice of vaccine formulation, and thus timings, may be advised by the Singapore Ministry of Health based on its coverage of influenza strains. Where there was no preference for either vaccine formulation in a year, vaccination exercise timing was decided based on organizational factors. Vaccination exercises span 2 to 3 months (months of October to December in 2013 to 2016, July to September in 2017, and May to June in 2018).
The healthcare worker influenza vaccination rate was defined as the proportion of healthcare workers that was vaccinated at the end of each annual seasonal vaccination exercise. The vaccination rate was applied from the starting month of the vaccination exercise for that year, till the month before the start of the subsequent vaccination exercise. Vaccination coverage of clinical HCWs (doctors, nurses and allied health) was used in the main analysis.
Nosocomial influenza incidence rate
The case definition of nosocomial influenza is a patient with a positive laboratory test for influenza performed 7 days or more after admission, while remaining cases of influenza were deemed non-nosocomial. Laboratory testing for influenza in inpatients was based on clinical need in the diagnostic work-up of pneumonia and respiratory disease. Cut-off times based on clinical symptoms have been proposed to be between 48 and 72 h [7], while a cut-off of 7 days has been used for laboratory-based diagnosis [8].
Potential confounders
Institutional non-nosocomial influenza incidence rates were used to control for confounding due to changes in background influenza patterns. This was calculated based on laboratory-positive cases that did not meet the nosocomial case definition. National influenza surveillance data were also obtained for this purpose. The number of inpatients who were tested for influenza was also collected as a possible confounder.
Modified Poisson regression was performed to assess the effect of HCW vaccination rates on monthly nosocomial influenza incidence rates (with number of inpatient-days as offset variable) while controlling for the above-mentioned confounders. Sensitivity analyses were also performed. We repeated the analyses using vaccination coverage of all hospital staff and by varying the time criteria for the definition of nosocomial influenza. Also, we examined if using national influenza surveillance data to control for background influenza activity in addition to hospital non-nosocomial influenza incidence rates changed our results. Appropriateness of the model was assessed by plots of the autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation functions, as well as a residual plot. STATA 14.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, Tx, USA) was used for statistical analysis.
Nosocomial influenza cases and incidence
Between October 2013 to October 2018, there were 256 cases of nosocomial influenza over 2,480,010 patient-days, corresponding to an incidence rate of 1.03 cases per 10,000 patient-days. Among all diagnoses of influenza, 7.1% fulfilled the criteria of nosocomial influenza (Table 1).
Table 1 Aggregate statistics of nosocomial influenza* and healthcare worker vaccination rates from Oct 2013 to Oct 2018
The incidence pattern of non-nosocomial influenza shows a predominant mid-year peak. Smaller peaks corresponding to the northern hemisphere influenza season are also seen. In 2018, the mid-year non-nosocomial influenza activity was observed to be lower compared to other years. Generally, nosocomial influenza incidence rates followed the trend of non-nosocomial influenza (Fig. 1).
Incidence rates of lab-diagnosed influenza* (bottom panel) with clinical healthcare worker vaccination coverage (top panel), January 2013 to October 2018. In the bottom panel, the bars represent nosocomial influenza incidence rates corresponding to the left y-axis, while the line represents non-nosocomial influenza incidence rates corresponding to the right y-axis. * Influenza cases diagnosed 7 days or more after admission are considered to be nosocomial infections, while those diagnosed 7 days or less are considered to be non-nosocomial or community-acquire
Vaccination trends
Between October 2013 to June 2017, overall influenza vaccination coverage hovered between 48.8 to 52.1%. The vaccination exercise in July 2017 saw good uptake of 70.9% and an even greater coverage of 77.1% was attained in mid-2018.
Among healthcare staff, nurses consistently had the highest vaccination coverage, followed by ancillary staff. In contrast, doctors had lower vaccination coverage compared to other vocations.
Association between vaccination rates and nosocomial influenza
In our final model that adjusted for the institutional parameters of non-nosocomial (background) influenza incidence and the volume of influenza tests performed, we did not observe a significant association between the proportion of HCW vaccinated and the nosocomial influenza incidence, although the results suggested a protective effect. For a 10% increase in vaccination rate of clinical HCWs, there was an estimated 11% decrease (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) 0.89, 95%CI:0.69–1.15, p = 0.37) in the incidence rate of nosocomial influenza (Table 2).
Table 2 Association between lab-defined nosocomial influenza and influenza vaccination rate
A sensitivity analysis with vaccination rates defined as low or high using a cut-off of 70%, as well as a sensitivity analysis using overall hospital staff's vaccination rates show similar associations between vaccination coverage and nosocomial influenza incidence (Table 3). We noted that overall hospital staff vaccination rates had a weaker association with nosocomial influenza than when clinical HCW rates were used. When the threshold for the diagnosis of nosocomial influenza was reduced to 4 days, the association was also weakened to an IRR of 0.94 (95%CI: 0.79–1.12). We also assessed further controlling for background trends by using national sentinel influenza surveillance data in addition to the hospital non-nosocomial influenza incidence rate; this did not alter results and provided inferior models. Residual diagnostics of the main model showed no significant autocorrelation of data in the series and thus, the regression model is a good fit for our data.
Table 3 Estimated effect of vaccination on nosocomial influenza under variations of the analysis (sensitivity analyses)
Our study did not show a statistically significant association between vaccination coverage and nosocomial influenza incidence rate, although the results suggest a protective effect – a 10% increase in vaccination coverage was estimated to correspond to 11% decrease in nosocomial influenza incidence rate (p = 0.37). It was also observed that influenza activity in Singapore predominantly followed the Southern Hemisphere influenza seasonal pattern between 2013 and 2018.
Similar studies, interestingly few, show that HCW vaccination coverage is associated with reduced nosocomial influenza incidence [4, 5]. Our study observed a similar trend, but statistical significance was not reached despite a relatively large number of nosocomial influenza cases. The effect size observed in this study, when measured by proportion of nosocomial influenza (not shown) is similar to that of a study performed in cancer patients [4].
A mismatch in the Northern Hemisphere timing of HCW vaccination and predominantly Southern Hemisphere seasonal peaks in influenza activity in our study may have reduced the effect size observed and contributed to the lack of statistical significance. Furthermore, virulence, vaccine efficacy and the match of vaccine strains vary between influenza seasons and may contribute to significant variation.
Notwithstanding this, the results are encouraging. Firstly, the observed effect size is clinically significant. Secondly, dose-effect relationships were observed in the sensitivity analyses. When non-clinical staff were included in the calculation of vaccine coverage, the association observed was weakened. Decreasing the diagnostic specificity of nosocomial influenza by using less stringent classification thresholds (days from admission to laboratory diagnosis) resulted in a weaker association. This is consistent with a protective effect expected of HCW influenza vaccination on nosocomial influenza.
Singapore is located 1.3°N and was deemed to have year-round influenza activity and varying peak periods [6, 9]. WHO had also recommended Singapore to adopt the Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine formulation [10]. In contrast, our hospital-based data from 2013 to 2018 indicated that influenza activity, both nosocomial and community-acquired, predominantly shows southern hemisphere seasonal peaks. A local study concurs, reporting that "severe epidemics were more commonly observed around middle of the year [9]".
In view of the findings, a Southern Hemisphere vaccination timing should be considered in our hospital, if not nationally. Nevertheless, the seasonal profile of influenza activity may not be stable in the tropics and continued influenza surveillance is needed. Given that tropical countries face year-round influenza activity, selection of vaccine formulation should also be guided by strain coverage. This requires evaluation if differences in vaccine strains are significant enough to prefer one over another. To achieve good coverage of circulating strains, there may even be years where at-risk populations are recommended to be vaccinated with both the Southern and Northern Hemisphere vaccines in the same year, as was the case in 2019 [11]. Such considerations may influence vaccination timing in some years. However, where there is no such preference between vaccine formulations in a year, our data suggests that a Southern Hemisphere vaccination timing may better match with influenza activity peaks.
The ecological study design has limitations. Potential unmeasured confounders such as improved infection control measures coinciding with improved vaccination uptake may give rise to false associations. Nevertheless, an ecological study is practical and feasible compared to other study designs in assessing the effectiveness of an institutional influenza vaccination program. Particularly, it is challenging to determine an individual patient's exposure to unvaccinated HCWs.
The study likely underestimates the true incidence of nosocomial incidence. The definition of nosocomial influenza of laboratory diagnosis at 7 days or more from admission yields specificity but may underestimate the incidence given that the incubation period is between 1 to 4 days. Underestimation may also arise from passive surveillance of laboratory data rather than active sampling of inpatients for influenza. As there was no post-discharge surveillance, infected cases who became symptomatic after discharge may not be detected and contributes to underestimation.
Nevertheless, our study is well-sized with 256 cases over 2,480,010 patient-days. We also analyze monthly nosocomial influenza incidence rates, while other studies often use the annual proportions of nosocomial influenza amongst all influenza diagnosed which may be difficult to interpret and compare [4, 5]. This study also presents evidence and a perspective from a tropical country with differing influenza seasonal patterns and less certain vaccination timings to match peak influenza activity.
We observed a no statistically significant association between influenza vaccination rates and nosocomial influenza incidence rates, although a protective effect was suggested. Based on observed trends, aligning the local vaccine timing to that of the Southern Hemisphere may improve effectiveness.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the Singapore General Hospital, but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of the Singapore General Hospital.
IRR:
Incidence Rate Ratio
Grohskopf LA, Sokolow LZ, Broder KR, Walter EB, Fry AM, Jernigan DB. Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices—United States, 2018–19 Influenza Season. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2018;67(03):1–20 Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/rr/rr6703a1.htm?s_cid=rr6703a1_w. Cited 2019 Feb 19.
Haviari S, Bénet T, Saadatian-Elahi M, André P, Loulergue P, Vanhems P. Vaccination of healthcare workers: a review. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2015;11(11):2522–37.
Jefferson T, Lasserson T. Influenza vaccination for healthcare workers who care for people aged 60 or older living in long-term care institutions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(6):CD005187.
Frenzel E, Chemaly RF, Ariza-Heredia E, Jiang Y, Shah DP, Thomas G, et al. Association of increased influenza vaccination in health care workers with a reduction in nosocomial influenza infections in cancer patients. Am J Infect Control. 2016 Sep;44(9):1016–21.
Amodio E, Restivo V, Firenze A, Mammina C, Tramuto F, Vitale F. Can influenza vaccination coverage among healthcare workers influence the risk of nosocomial influenza-like illness in hospitalized patients? J Hosp Infect. 2014 Mar;86(3):182–7.
Saha S, Chadha M, Al Mamun A, Rahman M, Sturm-Ramirez K, Chittaganpitch M, et al. Influenza seasonality and vaccination timing in tropical and subtropical areas of southern and south-eastern Asia. Bull World Health Organ. 2014;92(5):318–30 Available from: http://www.who.int/entity/bulletin/volumes/92/5/13-124412.pdf. Cited 2018 Dec 18.
Bénet EMT, Vanhems P. Definition of healthcare-  associated influenza : a review and results from an international survey. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2017;11:367–71.
Macesic N, Kotsimbos TC, Kelly P, Cheng AC. Hospital-acquired influenza in an Australian sentinel surveillance system. Med J Aust. 2013;198(7):370–2.
Ang LW, Tien WS, Lin RT, Cui L, Cutter J, James L. Characterization of Influenza Activity Based on Virological Surveillance of Influenza-Like Illness in Tropical Singapore, 2010–2014. J Med Virol. 2016;88:2069–77.
World Health Organisation. Which formulation: countries with recommended formulation. 2016. Available from: https://www.who.int/influenza/vaccines/tropics/Recommendedvaccineformulationv2.pdf?ua=1. Cited 2019 Mar 6.
Ministry of Health Singapore. Circular No. 23/2019: Seasonal Influenza Vaccination for the 2019 Southern Hemisphere Influenza Season, Circular No. 23/2019. Singapore: Ministry of Health; 2019.
No specific funding was received for this study.
Health Services Research Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
Wycliffe Enli Wei & Stephanie Fook-Chong
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
Wen Kai Chen & Wee Hoe Gan
Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Maciej Piotr Chlebicki & Wee Hoe Gan
Department of Infectious Diseases, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
Maciej Piotr Chlebicki
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Wee Hoe Gan
Wycliffe Enli Wei
Stephanie Fook-Chong
Wen Kai Chen
CMP and GWH conceived the study. WWE and CWK developed the study methods and CWK acquired the data. WWE and FCS analyzed the results. WWE, CMP and GWH interpreted the results and WWE drafted the report while CMP and GWH made substantive revisions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to Wycliffe Enli Wei.
Surveillance and aggregated data that were not individually identifiable were used for this ecological study.
Wei, W.E., Fook-Chong, S., Chen, W.K. et al. The impact of healthcare worker influenza vaccination on nosocomial influenza in a tertiary hospital: an ecological study. BMC Health Serv Res 20, 636 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05490-1
Healthcare-associated
Vaccination coverage


The flagship event for Nova Scotia Craft Beer Week is coming to the Multipurpose Room at the Halifax Forum Saturday, May 4, 2019.
The theme of Full House is "What's New" so many of our breweries will be featuring new products and you will find some of our newer breweries at their first event!
Designated driver tickets for each session will be available at the door only for $10 cash/each.
Tickets: $89.00 & up, plus HST and fees.


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Davis Ross reacts to managing a no-hitter: "Just a proud parent moment"
by Tony Crumpton - Senior Editor - Sunday, September 13, 2020, 7:58 PM
David Ross spoke to the media Sunday
Cubs starting pitcher Alec Mills threw the 16th no-hitter in team history against the Brewers on Sunday afternoon.
Cubs manager David Ross talked to the media moments after the historic moment and shared his reaction.
"I was letting him roll. He was in control the whole day."
Ross enjoyed watching the terrific performance by Mills.
"Just a proud parent moment. That's how you feel. You see the adversity somebody's been through. To work hard, get an opportunity and make the most of it is really rewarding from my seat."
Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward told Ross around the sixth inning not to take him out because he wanted to help be a part of the potential no-hitter.
"He was riding with Millsy," he said. "Don't take him out until you take Mills out. You get that feedback from the players, and that just warms your heart and what a professional group we have and how much they care about one another."
Ross was the catcher in the last Cubs' no-hitter back in 2016 with Jake Arrieta on the mound. He becomes the 11th man in MLB history to both catch and manage a no-hitter.
No-hitter ??
Game ball from Rizz ??
Misplaced glasses from Willy ?? pic.twitter.com/gaAkMzIRqX
Tags: Chicago Sports Baseball, David Ross, Alec Mills
Re: Davis Ross reacts to managing a no-hitter: "Just a proud parent moment"
jarhead®


text:
I'm Happy for You... Really is de vijfentwintigste aflevering van het tiende seizoen van het tienerdrama Beverly Hills, 90210, die voor het eerst werd uitgezonden op 10 mei 2000.

Plot

Nu David en Donna weer bij elkaar zijn komen zij bij een probleem. David zal eerlijk moeten zijn naar Camille toe en dat valt hem niet mee. Camille hoort dat David hem wil spreken en krijgt weer hoop dat het goed komt tussen hen en als zij met Donna hierover spreekt kan zij niets zeggen en heeft het hier moeilijk mee. Uiteindelijk vertelt David aan Camille hoe het zit en zij heeft het emotioneel zwaar mee en helemaal als Donna haar vertelt dat zij het samenwerken wil beëindigen door haar uit te kopen uit de boetiek. Uiteindelijk beseft Camille dat het echt over is en accepteert haar verlies en verlaat David en de boetiek. Nu kunnen David en Donna echt voor elkaar gaan en storten in elkaars armen. Later doet David Donna een huwelijksaanzoek en als Donna antwoordt dan hoort David dat het antwoord is dat zij erover na moet denken.

Matt denkt er nog steeds over om naar Seattle te verhuizen met Kelly en Kelly denkt hier serieus over na. Dylan is er nog steeds niet mee eens dat Kelly voor Matt kiest en laat dit merken. Matt en Kelly rijden in de auto als zij een nieuwsbericht op de radio horen over een surfer die vermist wordt op zee, Kelly weet dat Dylan aan het surfen was en maakt zich zorgen. Als zij naar de plek van onheil gaan zien zij de auto staan van Dylan en Kelly weet zeker dat Dylan de vermiste surfer is en de schrik neemt toe, vooral als zij horen dat de surfer dood gevonden is. Matt en Kelly willen informatie over de identiteit en komen uit bij het mortuarium uit en vragen daar naar de binnengebrachte surfer maar komen erachter dat zij geen informatie mogen geven aan mensen die geen familie zijn. Opeens krijgt Kelly een telefoontje en het is Dylan, Kelly is opgelucht dat hij nog leeft en vraagt zich nu af of zij echt afstand kan nemen van Dylan. Hier over denkend komt Matt bij haar helemaal ontdaan, tot ontsteltenis hoort zij van Matt dat zijn moeder heeft gebeld met de mededeling dat zijn broer is verongelukt en dat hij naar New York moet voor de begrafenis en Kelly wil met hem mee.

Steve moet er nog steeds aan wennen aan het feit dat hij thuis zit en dat Janet lange dagen maakt, als hij hierover spreekt met Janet beloofd zij dat zij hierover zal praten met de baas zodat zij meer thuis kan zijn. Het gesprek met de baas loopt anders omdat de baas wil dat zij een andere krant moet leiden en zo meer verantwoordelijkheden krijgt. Janet heeft hier wel oren naar maar Steve is bang dat zij dadelijk nog minder thuis zal zijn. Steve beseft dat hij het werk mist en stelt voor om samen met Janet terug te gaan naar de krant maar Janet wil de baan aannemen bij de andere krant. Steve waarschuwt haar dat zij dan veel zal missen met hun dochter.

Noah heeft het zwaar met het feit dat Ellen alleen vrienden wil zijn en nu zijn ex-vriendin Donna een relatie heeft met David helpt ook niet echt. Als hij met Ellen praat over hun relatie hoort hij van haar dat zij toch gevoelens voor hem heeft en dit eindigt met een kus.

Rolverdeling
 Jennie Garth - Kelly Taylor
 Ian Ziering - Steve Sanders
 Brian Austin Green - David Silver
 Tori Spelling - Donna Martin
 Luke Perry - Dylan McKay
 Joe E. Tata - Nat Bussichio
 Lindsay Price - Janet Sosna
 Daniel Cosgrove - Matt Durning
 Vincent Young - Noah Hunter
 Heidi Lenhart - Ellen
 Josie Davis - Camille Desmond
 Scott Paetty - Charles Yoffe
 Kelli McCarty - medewerkster mortuarium

Externe link
  Beschrijving aflevering

I'm Happy for You... Really

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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We are extremely proud of the pupils who pass through the school; and are always happy when they stay in touch. We're going to profile some of our past pupils here, find out what they did after leaving Dunluce, and celebrate their achievements in the "real" world. If you would like to be featured here, or if you know someone who you feel should be featured, please contact the school web team at scampbell011@c2kni.net.
Coleraine girl, Lauren Wade makes a big impact on the US College Soccer Scene.
Past pupil, Caroline Getty selected for presitigous RDS art exhibition.


With Grudge Kings at Sydney Dragway only a few days away, testing has been ferocious with a number of world records smashed.
Grudge Kings will see 32 of the baddest cars in the country shoot out for $50,000 on July 14, along with a host of other classes full of mental machines.
While record performances are not the aim in the Grudge Kings event itself, they are a consequence of racers aiming up and getting serious ahead of the event.
The outright war for the quickest street R32 GT-R in the world rages on with Anthony Maatouk in KING32 starting to gap the contenders, with eyes now on the first six second pass from a street legal GT-R. Maatouk came perilously close with a 7.007 and nearly double tonned with a 199mph top end.
Also out of the Maatouk camp comes METRO, now the world's quickest R32 GT-R, blasting a 6.93 at 203mph. All on 275 radials - no slicks here.
Chasing the Maatouk cars is Rob Marjan in JUNII. Pushing the limits of his GT-R has seen a world class 7.25 but chute problems have seen the car head into the sand trap a couple of times, causing a few beat up panels.
Mario Rehayem continues to rotate the world in his billet 13B Starlet from PAC Performance, resetting his own world record for an automatic equipped 13B to a 7.19 at 186mph - scary stuff in such a short wheelbase.
Still with the RB powered machines, and the TRP Racing 300ZX delivered again with a 6.60 at 220mph - becoming the quickest and fastest RB powered car in the world.
Brendon Luke ripped a 6.49 at 206mph with his Procharged altered.
It is the radial life for John Elfes now. He sent his VX Commodore into the sevens for the first time with a 7.91 a 176mph.
How about a 9.74 out of a naturally aspirated Holden 202 cubic inch six banger? Tough as hell!
The cold temperatures will be a tester as a few have found out, battling adhesion in the colder parts of the day.
Frank Cannistra has stepped up with a new Mazda RX3.
Check out the gallery below for more of the action.
Grudge Kings is this Saturday July 14 at Sydney Dragway.


Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone says Fernando Torres has returned "a man" after the striker scored his first goals since rejoining the club.
The Spain international, 30, left his boyhood team for Liverpool in 2007.
He re-signed for Atletico earlier this month and scored twice in Thursday's 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu as his side reached the Copa del Rey quarter-finals with a 4-2 aggregate win.
"He left, matured and is now a man," said Simeone.
"I am very pleased for him. The fans are happy and his arrival has been good for us even though some had their doubts."
Torres scored 84 goals in 214 league appearances for Atletico from 2001-2007, before spells at Liverpool, Chelsea and AC Milan in a career that has brought him success in the Champions League, FA Cup, World Cup and European Championship.
After signing on loan from AC Milan until the end of next season, 45,000 fans attended his official unveiling at Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Torres had never scored at the Bernabeu in his first spell at Atletico, and his brace was also his first in any club competition since 2013.
His goals - both clinical finishes - came in the first minute of each half.
"It's been a beautiful day. A day to enjoy," said Torres.
"I'm happy for the people who came, to score my first two goals in this homecoming and in a stadium in which I hadn't scored yet."


I don't know if this is a place where I can also share the things I've tried, or if it is mostly meant for the best pictures only, but here it goes anyway.
Earlier in the week I read an article about inverted lens macro, which seemed not that hard to do. The difficulty is that the Fuji X lenses have software-controlled aperture rings, so rotating the ring when the lens is not attached doesn't actually do anything.


On 3/31/19 the Storm detention basin overflow, NPDES Permit #2PB00003014 began discharging at approximately 16:50. The discharge is ongoing at this time. No public access areas are expected to be impacted by this discharge event.


The country's worsening rights record and oppression of the opposition could lead to the revoking of its special access to European markets.
Top Chinese officials, looking at a skeptical audience both at home and abroad, pledge to open the country's markets to foreign investment.
The news media began assessing its own coverage of the investigation hours before a breaking story punctuated a long period of speculative TV talk.
A growing number of games are taking on mental health issues like depression, anger and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Viking Sky was carrying more than 1,300 people when it sent a mayday alert Saturday. After recovering the use of some engines, the ship finally limped into port.
The Viking Sky was carrying more than 1,300 when it sent a mayday alert. After recovering the use of some engines, the ship headed to port, escorted by tugboats.
Dramatic videos and photos on Twitter showed the ship listing, furniture sliding from one side to the other and water rushing on board.
Here's your weekly smorgasbord of all the tech and business news you missed, plus what you should know heading into Monday.
24 Mar 6:52am DealBook Special: Everything You Need to Know About the Lyft I.P.O.
How much will the company be valued at? What can go wrong? Who stands to get rich? Let us answer all those questions and more.
Unlike Obamacare, emerging plans would sweep away the private health insurance system. What would that mean for the companies' workers, the stock market and the cost of care?


I can use any password to be administrator for each particular session [as long as I type it twice], at Tails boot.
That seems like a g a p i n g security hole if an adversary were to get/have access to our USB-copy of Tails: they could immediately login as "administrator".
My very-limited understanding of Tails/Debian/Linux leads me to think that anyone who has "administrator" privileges on a particular system can do anything that they want to on that system. Regarding that, the issue of primary concern to me is the privacy of the "Persistent" storage.
Correct however anyone with access to the physical media need not set the administartor password to gain the equivalent of root access.
From that perspective disabling the ability to ever be root would break the experience of more advanced Tails users while also not stopping an adversary with physical access to the boot media from exploiting it.
Gaining physical access to the boot media gives them only the ability to tamper with the live system, which only contains a stock Tails image, there is no user stored information available.
Anyone who was able to access the media to boot from it would be able to far more easily tamper with the boot sector instead of having to login to Tails, providing them with a more powerful and simpler means to subvert the users operating system.
This actually applies to most operating systems, from Microsoft's Ten Immutable Laws Of Security: "Law #2: If a bad guy can alter the operating system on your computer, it's not your computer anymore." While the attack surface for any adversary has been reduced this is still mostly true today for almost all operating systems and computers and defending against it is expensive, limited and difficult.
So, if someone was able to gain physical access they could not access your Encrypted Persistent Storage because it is encrypted. Unless they had knowledge of the passphrase to unlock the persistent volume, or the passphrase for the persistent volume was sufficiently weak that they could guess it efficiently.
However, instead they'd take the approach of tampering with the boot process and subverting the Linux kernel before it was able to start, in this way they could use it to keylog your entry of the passphrase and later decrypt the persistent storage.
Don't plug it into untrusted hardware.
This would be a vector for lateral movement, for an attacker to move from that system and infect your Tails installation.
Don't boot it on untrusted systems.
Don't leave it in places where you think it might be tampered with.
Don't use an untrusted USB device as your Tails boot media.
A USB with maliciously altered firmware could perform the aforementioned attacks regardless of the Tails installation itself being good and untampered.
Do try to keep your boot media safe and either in use, in a safe storage place or on your person.
Do use strong passphrases even if you try to keep your boot media out of malicious hands..
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged security tails vulnerability or ask your own question.


text:
black & revolutionaryraulbalai2019-04-15T02:58:10+02:00
black & revolutionary
Black & Revolutionary is an exhibition based on the historical research of the research team of The Black Archives on Otto and Hermina Huiswoud. After starting The Black Archives in 2015, the team stumbled upon a collection of dusty old boxes at the attic of the "Vereniging Ons Suriname" (Association Our Surinam), an association of Surinamese people in the Netherlands founded in 1919.
In the boxes was the life of a couple of whom their global journey was dedicated to political change and the global fight for equality and justice for black people. Starting their lives in Latin America, coming of age in NY during the Harlem Renaissance and travelling the world as part of the communist party till after WO II, to spend the last part of their life in Amsterdam battling colonialism and racism. The story of the Huiswouds shows that there has been a long tradition of black emancipation and political organizing in the Netherlands. They are key figures in connecting an international network of anti-colonial thinkers, writers and activists, such as Anton de Kom, Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois and Langston Hughes to the Dutch locality and history.
exhibition design: Raul Balai
curator: Imara Limon
concept & research : Jessica de Abreu, Mitchell Esajas & Miguel Heilbron
artists: Iris Kensmil
Brian Elstak
Raul Balai
location: The Black Archives, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
on view: November 2017 – July 2018
bang!bang!
onze*tori
ancestral blues
the state of L3
contact | | © 2019 raul balai


Retiring - Joy or Fear?
We all have heard that we are experiencing the largest transition of employees out of the workforce. Businesses are experiencing leadership shortages as baby boomers move into retirement and they struggle to replace the experience and corporate knowledge lost through this transition. In the 60's and 70's there were six Canadians under the age of 20 for every person over the age of 65. Today there are approximately three young Canadians for every elder and this gap is getting smaller.
And yet, we still cling to the recent tradition of retirement!
Are you trying to figure out your retirement? What are the questions you're think of? Many people think it's about finance – do I have enough money to retire? I ask, What does retirement look like to you?
If you have a good financial person, they will ask questions around what it is that you want to do in retirement, ask questions about your health and well-being – you can't sail around the world if you have to visit the doctor monthly or on a variety of medications that need to be monitored. However, that doesn't mean you can never do it – it really means what are you doing about your health today, that will allow you to carry out the dreams you have for retirement. It may mean taking control of your health and working with health professionals to see how and what you can do to get you off those medications and into a lifestyle and exercise plan that meet your goal of sailing somewhere!
What about friendships? Many of us find the majority of our friendships come through work, how do you plan to keep those friendships going? Look at yourself as an example, how many friends have you had who you no longer keep in touch with now that they are retired? This doesn't mean that all the friends you have within your professional circle will no longer stay in touch once you retire, but it does beg the question: What are you doing to develop friendships outside work?
Thinking about retirement can bring joy or fear, maybe both. We don't have the structures that are there for us in our first and second Acts, we sort of left to figure it out for ourselves. And yet, for many of us used to structure, where to start? It's about taking a holistic approach, breaking it down into four categories – physical, mental/emotional, spiritual and financial. Because if you don't know what you want to do in your retirement, how will you know what you need financially!
We run a program called the Third Act, it explores all the questions above and more. Remember you only have one life to live, and Remember, life is for living. You only have this one life to live. Live it to the fullest, laugh each day, try to hug at least one person, be grateful for what you have and support others who are struggling. And, in the meantime if you are struggling to come to grips with your Third Act, send us an email and we can talk!
'It's amazing the feeling you get, when you receive that piece of paper', so went the opening sentence of a client who wanted to transition into his Third Act with intention. He was talking about receiving his senior citizen card and went on to describe the gamut of feelings he went through, disbelief, grief, anger – all negative. My response was to ask what was the positive in receiving the paper?
Age, what is it, a number, a feeling – really when we consider it, age is a time of being. We say 'he has an old soul' when we hear something profound coming out of the mouth of an eight-year-old, or when someone is acting goofy, 'he/she should really act his/her age', but what do we really mean?
Research indicates that middle age runs from 40 – 64, and old age begins at 65. Who made this decision and does it resonate with you? I know many people who have decided they are old at 40, and yet I also know 90 year olds who still feel and live as if they were much younger.
To me age is a state of mind, however, it can also be a state of health. How do you envisage yourself as you get older – do you want to stride or shuffle into your nineties? Maybe you've been told that well you've no choice it's your genes, however is that just an excuse? Dr. Neal Barnard suggests that there is a myth about the part genes play in our health in this short video.
Dr. Bernard is not alone in stating that our genes do not, and should not dictate our health, Dr. Michael Greger, in his book 'How Not to Die', talks about how 'our diet can change our epigenetics and genetic expression'. So, we can't change our genes, but we can change how they are manifested through diet, exercise and lifestyle.
Basically, what they, and others, are saying is that there is no excuse, it's up to each of us individually to decide how much effort we are willing to put into looking at our health and how much we willing to change to ensure optimal health as we age. It really is about how you want to live out this third of your life. Me… I want to skid to that finish line without the aid of pharmacological drugs, drips and other such aids, so last year I overhauled my diet, and increased the amount of time I spent walking and exercising – my blood test results have improved dramatically in less than six months!
What do you need to do that will allow you to feel and think more positively about aging and the gift of time you have?
Who do you need to recruit to support you as you move toward a healthy Third Act that motivates and excites you?
Oh, and by the way, that client, at the beginning, he too recognized if he wanted to achieve the goals he had laid out, he needed to lose weight and eat better – the excitement he felt in looking forward to this new Act certainly helped, as did having an accountability partner. Today seven years later, he's lost a noticeable amount of weight, continues with his Third Act plan, travelling, studying and working part-time. And best of all, with this new attitude and way of life he's found love, the second time around!
In my last blog, I talked of the importance of taking vacations, and for me, just after Christmas (literally – I left home Boxing day!) I was lucky enough to visit my sister in Malaysia after really busy December. While away I was able to reflect on how I was feeling, physically and mentally, and boy did I feel wrung out. I'd juggled a number of jobs leading up to Christmas as well as hosting my son's girlfriends parents and family over the Christmas break, strangers until they arrived! So I had pushed myself to my limits and really needed that break, which was wonderful.
Aside from the fact that it was great to visit with my sister and her family, she also understood my burnout and allowed me the space to recover, adding quiet support and time for me to recuperate from a long flight and the cold I'd caught. She thoughtfully laid on great treats, such as a mani/pedicure on the first day after I arrived, as well as travels to other cities, and asked for nothing.
Now, as I reflect back, I couldn't have asked for anything better. When we work independently as solo entrepreneurs there is no one to say – 'hey take a break' or 'how are you sleeping?' We're constantly trying to add value to the work we do for our clients, while at the same time hustling for new clients. We stress about our finances, we stress about the future, where will we find the next client all the while trying to serve the clients we have to the best of our ability! So all the while I was away, I was thinking about all these things and how my outlook reflects my wellbeing.
Coming home, I've decided to be kinder to myself…. First I had to get over my jet lag, which I didn't struggle against, I let it happen and was gentle with myself, if I needed to take a nap, that was okay. However, when I was away, I walked – a lot! Exploring and comparing my fitness with my big sis, who also got me swimming, not something I do often made me realize how I sometime in busy periods neglect this part of my wellbeing. On coming home, I wanted to continue these great habits and began with 30 minutes walking each morning, a couple of 10 minutes upper body sessions last week, and, of course, my great yoga class.
That was the easy part, now to get back into my work routine – I completed a number of contracts in December, and so I was able to away without trying to juggle time zones and zoom calls. Coming home I needed to follow up with current clients, and connect with prospective entrepreneurs and emerging leaders who want to grow and develop. It's also time to restart my blogging as well writing for other on-line magazines. I could get lost in the 'tyranny of the urgent', frantically worrying goals I've set, or what my bottom line will look like at the end of the month, but instead I'm going to focus on improving on what I know is the good value I bring to clients, and trust that growth will come with the investment I've made and continue to make in my business. I won't get caught in the cycle of negative thoughts and energy thieves. I've got my weekly mastermind group and a new business partner to bounce ideas off, and catch me when I'm being too hard on myself. These are supports I needed to put into place to help me not become my own worst enemy!
When I began my entrepreneur journey, I wanted to spend more time on my hobbies, and although I have spent some time playing in this arena, it hasn't been to the extent that I had in mind. So I've made a decision to give myself permission to play more, right now I'm cleaning up, and putting away my vacation clothes, as well as tidying up after Christmas. Yep still putting away Christmas decorations! However, as I go through my diary, I'm adding play time. I find I work best when I calendar in all my activities, I colour code everything, this gives me the ability to look at my week and see where and how I am spending my time – if I go over, say my volunteer time then I can reflect on what occurred, and what I might need to change to ensure that I balance my week. Notice I say week, I think trying to balance days is a little crazy, I look at my weeks and months to see how I'm spending time and compare it to how I'm feeling – sometimes it's a mixture of too much of everything, others it's one area of my life that's a little crazy. This colour system allows me to keep track of my life, and rebalance it when necessary.
How do you ensure you have time for everything in your life? Do you have a system? I wonder at those that discuss work/life balance as for me it's all about life, and the balance is in how we take care of ourselves and our loved ones, whether at home or work.
Remember, life is for living. You only have this one life to live. Live it to the fullest, laugh each day, try to hug at least one person, be grateful for what you have and support others who are struggling. Give where you can, sometimes that may be financially, but often it's lending a shoulder or an ear, it can make a huge difference.
So, belatedly Happy New Year to you all, tell me what is the one thing you're changing this year to increase happiness in your life? Leave a comment below, so we can all learn from each other.


text:
Cherryville gas station being renovated
Frank's General Store upgrades expected to be done April 25; fuel available at Cherryville Emporium
Apr. 3, 2019 12:20 p.m.
Cherryville is out of fuel at one of its two service stations.
Development continues at Frank's General Store this spring, with new gas tanks and pumps being installed. This means a disruption in service for a few weeks, for customers wishing to purchase gas or diesel.
"We greatly appreciate our customers' consideration during this upgrade," said Lisa Schwartz, owner of Frank's General Store, "and we apologize for any inconvenience caused."
Gas and diesel are available at the Cherryville Emporium on North Fork Road.
Gas station renovations in small towns can have a big impact on residents. See: No gas in Falkland as lone station closed for renovations
In March, a new concrete pad was laid behind the main store, and two new gas tanks were delivered. On April 1, out front of the store was fenced off and construction began, including new pumps. A walkway area will be left so that customers can still access the store, which will remain open for business as usual.
The old gas tanks will be crushed and removed from underground. For obvious reasons, it is crucial that there be absolutely no smoking anywhere on the premises, until the old tanks have been removed from the property.
This is a huge undertaking for Frank's General Store, under contract with Armstrong Federated Co-op. Fuel will continue to be supplied by Tempo; Armstrong Federated Co-op is managing the upgrade.
The work is estimated to be complete by April 25.
See: Gas again flowing in Falkland
In the meantime, Frank's Easter Colouring Contest is in full swing.
Frank's General Store business hours for April are:
Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. (opening at 8 a.m. Easter Friday)
Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Closing time will change to 9 p.m. in May.
Frank's Gift Shop is currently open Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Frank's General Store can be contacted at 250-547-2272, and via www.franksgeneralstore.ca; also available on Facebook and Instagram.
jennifer@vernonmorningstar.com
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Paige the border collie is a huge help around the house! She fetches slippers, makes breakfast, does the laundry, and picks up after herself. She even feeds the cat! Is she taking any new clients? Sign me up!
See this incredible dog in action!