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Review ArticleSystematic Review
Pay-for-Performance in the United Kingdom: Impact of the Quality and Outcomes Framework—A Systematic Review
Stephen J. Gillam, A. Niroshan Siriwardena and Nicholas Steel
The Annals of Family Medicine September 2012, 10 (5) 461-468; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1377
Stephen J. Gillam
1Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
For correspondence: sjg67@medschl.cam.ac.uk
A. Niroshan Siriwardena
2Faculty of Health, Life & Social Sciences, University of Lincoln, England
Nicholas Steel
3Norwich Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England
PURPOSE Primary care practices in the United Kingdom have received substantial financial rewards for achieving standards set out in the Quality and Outcomes Framework since April 2004. This article reviews the growing evidence for the impact of the framework on the quality of primary medical care.
METHODS Five hundred seventy-five articles were identified by searching the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases, and from the reference lists of published reviews and articles. One hundred twenty-four relevant articles were assessed using a modified Downs and Black rating scale for 110 observational studies and a Critical Appraisal Skills Programme rating scale for 14 qualitative studies. Ninety-four studies were included in the review.
RESULTS Quality of care for incentivized conditions during the first year of the framework improved at a faster rate than the preintervention trend and subsequently returned to prior rates of improvement. There were modest cost-effective reductions in mortality and hospital admissions in some domains. Differences in performance narrowed in deprived areas compared with nondeprived areas. Achievement for conditions outside the framework was lower initially and has worsened in relative terms since inception. Some doctors reported improved data recording and teamwork, and nurses enhanced specialist skills. Both groups believed that the person-centeredness of consultations and continuity were negatively affected. Patients' satisfaction with continuity declined, with little change in other domains of patient experience.
CONCLUSIONS Observed improvements in quality of care for chronic diseases in the framework were modest, and the impact on costs, professional behavior, and patient experience remains uncertain. Further research is needed into how to improve quality across different domains, while minimizing costs and any unintended adverse effects of payment for performance schemes. Health care organizations should remain cautious about the benefits of similar schemes.
Strong primary care is widely accepted to be a prerequisite for effective, efficient, equitable health systems and to lead to better population health.1 Introduced in 2004, the UK Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is arguably the most comprehensive national primary care pay-for-performance (P4P) scheme in the world.2 The QOF is more than a payment scheme; it is a complex intervention comprising a number of elements (Table 1), including financial incentives and information technology (computerized prompts and decision support), designed to promote structured and team-based care with the aim of achieving evidence-based quality targets.3
Domains of the Quality and Outcomes Framework
It was one component in the reorganization of primary care resulting from a new General Medical Services contract for general practitioners that led to a practice-based, rather than practitioner-based, contract and investment to reward quality of care through both fixed and performance-related funding streams. The financial incentives are substantial, with a maximum of 1,000 points available to practices, and an average payment per practice in 2011–2012 of £130 (US $204) for each point achieved.4 More than one-half of these points are allocated to clinical indicators, which currently cover 20 chronic conditions.5
In 2009–2010, practices in England achieved an average of 937 points, with a range in each of the 152 primary care trusts from 878 to 972 points.6
Since its introduction, the effects of the QOF on quality of care have been the subject of considerable debate, which is now being informed by an accumulating body of research. As national governments seek to improve the quality of health systems in the face of financial stringency, searching analysis of this evidence is timely. The successes and failures of the QOF as a national centralized system may be predictive of the effects of P4P in the United States.7
P4P schemes have been extensively reviewed.7–14 A recent Cochrane review found that, whereas they improved patients' well-being, the effects of financial incentive schemes on the quality of primary health care were "modest and variable."15 Previous reviews have focused on a single dimension of care or have had strict inclusion criteria with few articles retrieved or have not been conducted systematically. The huge variation in P4P schemes in different countries has made it difficult for reviewers to draw generalizable conclusions, whereas the uniform design of the QOF lends itself to close scrutiny. The research evidence about the QOF has grown rapidly and merits systematic review. We sought to examine the impact of the QOF on the quality of UK primary medical care, using broad inclusion criteria.
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases to identify all publications that sought to evaluate the QOF. The following search terms were used as free text in the title, abstract, or key words: (quality outcomes framework) OR (QOF) OR (pay for performance) OR (P4P) OR (pay-for-performance) AND (England) OR (Scotland) OR (Wales) OR (UK) OR (United Kingdom) OR (Great Britain). We limited the search to publications from January 1, 2004, to July 31, 2011, and limited the search to publications in the English language. We retrieved 575 references from MEDLINE (n = 348), EMBASE (n = 294), and PsycINFO (n = 55). We further searched by hand the reference lists of these articles for additional relevant studies. After eliminating duplicates and screening abstracts for relevance, 305 articles were excluded. The remaining 124 were read and rated by 2 authors (S.G. and N.S.) using a modified Downs and Black rating scale for observational studies (n = 110) and a Critical Appraisal Skills Programme rating scale for qualitative studies (n = 14). Thirty articles were excluded because they did not meet quality scores (less than 5 of 7 for observational or less than 7 of 10 for qualitative studies), did not evaluate the effect of the QOF, were a repeat publication, or were a review of previous research. Discrepancies in coding and areas of disagreement were resolved through discussion and adjudication by the third author (A.N.S.). The flow of information through the review is presented as a PRISMA flowchart (Figure 1).16
Flow of information through the review.
a Of the 575 articles, 348 were from MEDLINE, 294 were from EMBASE, and 55 were from PsycINFO, including duplicates.
Several typologies have been used to define quality in primary care,17–20 and the Institute of Medicine's 6 dimensions of quality have been widely used: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity.20 We used these dimensions to categorize the included studies.
Our search and review retained 94 articles, which we have categorized into 4 areas: effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and patient experience. These correspond to dimensions of the Institute of Medicine's definition,20 with the exception of safety and timeliness, for which we did not find any relevant studies. Several studies have been considered in more than one of these dimensions. Most of the qualitative studies examined professionals' experience and team working and were considered separately as a fifth area.
Supplemental Table 1 (47 studies) displays descriptions of the studies on the impact of the QOF on effective care (available at http://annfammed.org/content/10/5/461/suppl/DC1). The QOF has helped consolidate evidence-based methods for improving care by increasing the use of computers, decision support, clinician prompts, patient reminders, and recalls.21 It has resulted in better recorded care, enhanced processes, and improved intermediate outcomes for most conditions, notably diabetes. These improvements decreased after the first year of the QOF, however, and subsequent increases have followed secular trends. For example, Doran et al showed that achievement rates improved for most indicators in the preincentive period. There were significant increases in the rate of improvement in the first year of the incentive scheme (2004–2005) for 22 of the 23 incentivized indicators. These reached a plateau after 2004–2005, but quality of care in 2006–2007 remained higher than predicted by preincentive trends for 14 incentivized indicators. There was no overall effect on the rate of improvement for nonincentivized indicators in the first year of the scheme, but by 2006–2007 achievement rates were significantly below those predicted by preincentive trends.22 These improvements have been accompanied by rising prescription rates in associated drug categories.23 Performance improvements for those conditions that were not included in the QOF were significantly lower than for incentivized indicators, and these differences increased over time.22,24
Overall, modest population mortality reductions have been estimated.25 Fleetcroft et al modeled a potential saving of 11 lives per 100,000 people per year aggregated across all clinical indicators and domains in the first year of the contract, with no further gain in the second year as performance for a typical practice already exceeded the target payment levels.26
Supplemental Table 2 (5 studies) displays descriptions of the studies on the impact of the QOF on efficiency and costs (available at http://annfammed.org/content/10/5/461/suppl/DC1). There is limited evidence that increasing the quality of ambulatory care may reduce admission rates and hence costs for some conditions.25 For example, epilepsy care as incentivized by the QOF was associated with fewer epilepsy-related emergency admissions.27
There have been few attempts to model the cost effectiveness of QOF attainments.28,29 Walker et al could assess only a minority of indicators, and concluded that QOF incentive payments were cost-effective, even with only modest improvements in care, although they took no account of the costs of administering the QOF scheme. They found average indicator payments ranged from £0.63 to £40.61 per patient, and the percentage of eligible patients treated ranged from 63% to 90%. The improvements in performance required for QOF payments to be cost-effective varied by indicator from less than 1% to 20%. There was no relationship between the size of payments in a clinical domain and the likely resulting health gain.30,31
Supplemental Table 3 (25 studies) displays descriptions of the studies on the impact of the QOF on equity (available at http://annfammed.org/content/10/5/461/suppl/DC1). The QOF was not specifically designed to reduce health inequalities resulting from socioeconomic disadvantage. Nevertheless, inequalities in processes of care comparing the most and least deprived areas have narrowed. For example, Doran et found that the gap in median achievement comparing practices from the most deprived and least deprived quintiles narrowed from 4% to 0.8% between 2004 and 2007.32 In contrast, there have been variable effects on inequalities in care for long-term conditions based on age, sex, and ethnicity. Differences in care according to age for cardiovascular disease and diabetes narrowed after the introduction of the QOF as a result of greater improvement in those patients (usually older groups) receiving worse care. Disparities between men (who more often received better care) and women for cardiovascular disease and diabetes persisted or increased. Similarly, ethnic variations in quality of care have been reduced. For example, Millet et al found that improvements in blood pressure control were greater in the black group than the white, with disparities evident at baseline being attenuated (black 54.8% vs white 58.3% reaching target in 2005). Lower recording of blood pressure in the south Asian group, evident in 2003, was attenuated in 2005.33 The QOF has encouraged greater consistency of care irrespective of deprivation, but the practitioners' option to exclude (exception report) hard-to-reach patients from the population used to determine payment may limit its impact on health inequalities.34
Supplemental Table 4 (7 studies) displays descriptions of the studies on the impact of the QOF on patient experience (available at http://annfammed.org/content/10/5/461/suppl/DC1). There were no significant changes in quality of care reported by patients between 2003 and 2007 for communication, nursing care, coordination, or overall satisfaction.35
Continuity of care worsened for patients with chronic disease, and only access to urgent appointments improved significantly but modestly for these patients but not for adult patients more generally; overall, patients reported seeing their usual physician less often and gave lower satisfaction ratings for continuity of care.36 The few detailed ethnographic studies suggest that some practice teams have changed their consultations and clinical care in ways that may result in patients receiving a more biomedical type of care.37 There are also health professionals who acknowledge that an emphasis on protocol-driven care ("box-ticking") may have distracted them from patient-led consultations and listening to patients' concerns.38
Professionals and Team Working
Supplemental Table 5 (6 studies) displays descriptions of the studies on the impact of the QOF on professionals and team working (available at http://annfammed.org/content/10/5/461/suppl/DC1). Interviews with doctors and nurses suggest that the QOF has had positive effects on practice organization. For example, on team working and the diversification of nursing roles, both groups acknowledge that an enhanced role for nurses in managing long-term conditions could result in potential deskilling of doctors. They regret a decline in personal continuity of care between doctors and patients.39,40 The QOF appears to have introduced new hierarchies within practice teams and led to greater stratification of medical roles.41 Some team members resent not benefiting financially from payments, and there are concerns about an ongoing culture of performance monitoring in the United Kingdom.42 Quality of care may have become too narrowly focused on QOF domains and targets, with less regard to other areas for practice development, innovation, and quality improvement.43
There are inevitably conflicting findings from this large and diverse body of research, but some consistent themes have emerged. The implementation of the QOF has helped consolidate evidence-based methods.44 It has been associated with an increased rate of improvement of quality of care during the first year of implementation, returning to preintervention rates of improvement in subsequent years. There have been modest reductions in mortality and hospital admissions in some areas, and where they have been assessed, these modest improvements appear cost-effective. The QOF has led to narrowing of differences in performance in deprived areas compared with areas not deprived.45 It has strengthened team working.
The effect of the QOF in unincentivized areas has been disappointing. Prescription rates for antidepressants, statins, and other drugs have increased, but this increase is not clearly attributable to the QOF.46–48 The costs of administering the scheme are substantial, and some staff are concerned that primary care has become more biomedical in focus and less patient centered.
The QOF has strengthened team working and promoted a diversity of new roles, especially for nurses. Indeed, the QOF may have diminished the workload of general practitioners, enabled them to concentrate on more complex care, and led to teams in which work and knowledge is more distributed among its members.
The QOF has been described as scientific bureaucratic medicine, where indicators and guidelines are perceived as threatening professionalism in various ways.49 For better or worse, the QOF can be seen to have reduced clinical autonomy and provided performance data that can be used to compare clinicians nationally.
Remarkably little is known of what patients make of these changes, although anecdotal reports point to unintended consequences detracting from patient-centered care.50 The fear expressed by some that adherence to single disease-based guidelines might override respect for patient autonomy, lead clinicians to ignore comorbidities, promote a mechanistic approach to chronic disease management, or reduce clinical practice to a series of dichotomized decisions at the expense of personal aspects of care,51 has not been borne out by the research to date.
Strengths and Limitations
The great majority of studies used statistical analyses of trends or before and after comparisons, there being no possibility of controlled trials. The influence of many other regulatory, workforce-related, and educational changes on the quality of general practice is hard to disentangle. The development of evidence-based medicine, guidelines, and the introduction of other contractual incentives predated the QOF.
Some of the most intriguing findings, particularly concerning the culture of care and professional and patient experience, derived from the small number of qualitative studies. The incorporation of qualitative research into the conventional processes of systematic review presents epistemological and methodological challenges that are unresolved.52 Strengths of this review are that it has been conducted systematically, it includes more studies on the QOF than any previous review, and it considers a broad range of outcomes.
To what extent the apparent improvements in quality of care are the result of improved data entry remains unclear, but some of the documented improvement is likely to be due to recording of care previously delivered.53 Several factors impair the QOF's impact at the population level. Setting targets below 100% and the process of exception reporting reduces the public health effectiveness of population targets by shifting the focus of the practice away from patients who are harder to reach.53 More fundamentally, payment for adhering to guidelines cannot be assumed to improve health status, regardless of whether it improves performance: improved processes (eg, treating hypertension) may not always translate to improved outcomes (eg, stroke prevention); and other powerful confounding influences affect outcomes, such as differential access to care, nonmodifiable risk factors (genetics, familial), or patterns of comorbidity. Process measures are often preferred for incentive schemes, as they are under the control of the health system and can be more efficient.7,54 The QOF's evidence base will only ever be partial because its indicators by their very nature will focus on measuring the measurable.
Implications for Policy
The lessons that policy makers draw must, of course, take account of the different historical and organizational contexts in which their health system operates. A sensible verdict regarding the QOF's effectiveness must balance a nuanced assessment of health and other gains against its costs, many of which are hard to describe, let alone quantify.
The system of P4P and how it is designed will affect how it professionals feel and behave. Family doctors in the United Kingdom, despite feeling that the QOF has changed the nature of the consultation, appear less negative toward P4P than doctors working in California, where lack of new funding, rewards directed at organizations rather than individual physicians, lack of identification with or ownership of measures, and thresholds rather than incremental levels of improvement have led to resentment and greater evidence of dysfunctional or coercive behavior toward patients regarded as noncompliant.55 It may be that the nature of medical practice is too complex to be improved by simple financial incentives.56
The limited evidence for cost-effectiveness and opportunity cost of the scheme is a central critique for the QOF's detractors. If £1 billion a year of additional funding to general practice has yielded only modest improvements in measured quality of care, might greater benefits have been achieved if this investment had funded an alternative approach to quality improvement? The opportunity costs of the QOF are to a great extent unknown and unknowable, but the imperfect evidence available suggests that the same benefits could be maintained at reduced cost, particularly if systems are designed to involve clinicians and align with their values.57,58 More sophisticated modeling is required.
Developing the QOF
Although some have argued for discarding the QOF, it seems wiser to concentrate on addressing weaknesses rather than throwing away the gains. There is no reason why both technical aspects of quality and personal care cannot improve together.59 The involvement of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has greatly strengthened the QOF's scientific underpinnings.60 There will always be a fine judgment about timing, level of evidence required, and whether to accept a consensus rather than evidence-based indicator. An argument for greater consistency of care should not prevail where evidence is lacking. The evidence base for existing indicators needs to be under constant review. Some indicators for which performance has reached a ceiling may need to be retired,61 although performance may not be maintained,62 and new indicators should be introduced after piloting.63
Gaming is known to occur in many systems that are driven by P4P; however, there has been little evidence of gaming in the QOF despite, or perhaps because of, a rigorous system of checks at various levels.64 On the contrary, practices are exceeding the upper payment thresholds and levels of exception reporting continue to fall year on year.65 Nevertheless, vigilant monitoring systems are needed. The balance of fixed vs performance-related funding should be reviewed. There is merit in linking the size of financial rewards to the public health impact of attaining individual indicators.66
In view of our findings that observed improvements in care from a very large payment-for-performance scheme in the United Kingdom were modest, with uncertainty about possible adverse effects, we recommend that policy makers continue to exercise caution about implementing similar schemes. Consideration should be given to improving different dimensions of quality, including user experience and equity. Costs should be monitored and balanced against benefits. Wherever possible, schemes should be designed in collaboration with health service researchers to evaluate the benefits of minor differences in system design. Payment for performance is still an imperfect approach to improving primary care, and should be considered as only one option alongside alternative quality improvement methods.
The conclusions of this review are based on the available observational evidence, with all its limitations. They raise many questions about the design and implementation of payment for performance in health care. There is a clear need for more experimental research in many areas, and we suggest 5 high-priority areas. First, does the size of incentive payment affect achievement? Psychological research has surprisingly found that large incentives for tasks requiring greater levels of cognition may lead to lower levels of achievement, yet no research has been done on this finding in health care.56
Second, how can the patient-user experience be better assessed and more directly linked to the payment of financial incentives? Third, do incentives lead to a trade-off between technical and patient-centered dimensions of quality, or can they produce improvements across different dimensions of quality? Fourth, what effect do incentives have on such harder-to-measure outcomes as the interpersonal aspects of care and care for underserved populations? Fifth, what is the optimum time for a quality indicator to be included in a payment scheme before being reviewed or replaced by a different incentive?
Conflicts of interest: Drs Gillam and Steel are members of the Primary Care Quality and Outcomes Framework Advisory Committee, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
Received for publication December 17, 2010.
Revision received December 16, 2011.
Accepted for publication January 6, 2012.
© 2012 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.
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Stephen J. Gillam, A. Niroshan Siriwardena, Nicholas Steel
The Annals of Family Medicine Sep 2012, 10 (5) 461-468; DOI: 10.1370/afm.1377
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Cautionary study on the effects of pay for performance on quality of care: a pilot randomised controlled trial using standardised patients
Spending and quality after three years of Medicares bundled payments for medical conditions: quasi-experimental difference-in-differences study
Confessions of a CQC inspector
Longitudinal evaluation of a countywide alternative to the Quality and Outcomes Framework in UK General Practice aimed at improving Person Centred Coordinated Care
Incentive schemes to increase dementia diagnoses in primary care in England: a retrospective cohort study of unintended consequences
Influence of financial and reputational incentives on primary care performance: a longitudinal study
Core Principles to Improve Primary Care Quality Management
Healthcare outcomes and quality in the NHS: how do we compare and how might the NHS improve?
How Evolving United States Payment Models Influence Primary Care and Its Impact on the Quadruple Aim
Paying for what matters most: the future of outcomes-based payments in healthcare
Payment incentives for community-based psychiatric care in Ontario, Canada
Demandes concurrentielles et possibilites en soins primaires
Competing demands and opportunities in primary care
The Challenges of Measuring, Improving, and Reporting Quality in Primary Care
Opportunities for primary care to reduce hospital admissions: a cross-sectional study of geographical variation
Incentives and disincentives for treating of depression and anxiety in Ontario Family Health Teams: protocol for a grounded theory study
After 12 years, where next for QOF?
Incomplete Markets and Imperfect Institutions: Some Challenges Posed by Trust for Contemporary Health Care and Health Policy
Perspectives on financial incentives to health service providers for increasing breast feeding and smoking quit rates during pregnancy: a mixed methods study
How to assess quality in primary care
Making sense of the shadows: priorities for creating a learning healthcare system based on routinely collected data
Impact of UK Primary Care Policy Reforms on Short-Stay Unplanned Hospital Admissions for Children With Primary Care-Sensitive Conditions
Large Performance Incentives Had The Greatest Impact On Providers Whose Quality Metrics Were Lowest At Baseline
Does paying for performance in primary care save lives?
GPs should be allowed to provide good quality patient centred care to encourage a person centred NHS
Effect of a national primary care pay for performance scheme on emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: controlled longitudinal study
Quality in primary care
Economic inequalities in burden of illness, diagnosis and treatment of five long-term conditions in England: panel study
The effects of financial incentives for case finding for depression in patients with diabetes and coronary heart disease: interrupted time series analysis
Increased Risk of Subsequent Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using the U.K. General Practice Research Database
Setting performance targets in pay for performance programmes: what can we learn from QOF?
What happens when pay for performance stops?
Increasing the QOF upper payment threshold in general practices in England: impact of implementing government proposals
User Experience of a Centralized Hyperacute Stroke Service: A Prospective Evaluation
Future proofing the Quality and Outcomes Framework
The Quality and Outcomes Framework--where next?
In This Issue: Local+Familiar=Healthier
Clinical Features for the Diagnosis of Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Psychologic Treatment of Depression Compared With Pharmacotherapy and Combined Treatment in Primary Care: A Network Meta-Analysis
Self-Management for Men With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Show more SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Person groups:
Vulnerable populations
Other research types:
Core values of primary care:
Personalized care
Other topics:
Social / cultural context
Disparities in health and health care
Past Issues in Brief
Family Medicine Careers
Editorial Board & Staff
eLetter/Comments Policy
© 2022 Annals of Family Medicine


It doesn't appear that there is any current vacancy at Kangaroo Inn Preschool this week. If you request the free childcare Concierge service they can help find you available care at some great childcare providers close by.
Kangaroo Inn Preschool is larger than average for childcare providers in Kangaroo inn with 15 places versus an average of 0 for this suburb.
Kangaroo Inn Preschool has an average fee of $0 for childcare places across child ages, which is higher than the Kangaroo inn childcare cost average of $0.
There are 0 long day care providers (with an average of 15 places) and 1 total childcare providers in Kangaroo inn.
There is an average of 0 days with vacancy at each care provider in Kangaroo inn across all child age groups, compared to this stage last year, when there were 0 days vacancy available.
For a child under 1 year old (0-12 months), the childcare availability average is 0 days in Kangaroo inn, which is above this stage last year which was 0 days.


We are seeking a Field Network Technician for network installations, effective troubleshooting, and maintenance at customers' facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Those that apply must have a passion for technology, strong knowledge of network fundamentals, and willingness to follow procedures. Excellent communication, diagnostic, and documentation skills are essential. On-call hours occur on a rotating schedule. Blueport is a fast-growing company, therefore the ability to perform independently and as a team member are keys to success. The ideal candidate is self-motivating and ready to benefit from a rewarding compensation plan and fulfilling team environment.


A listing of some new serials coming our way in the next few weeks .. Which one catches your fancy?
O Rungreza is a winner not just because of its text but also its subtext.
In its ninth episode O Rungreza hits yet another homerun.


text:
Q: ANTLR 4: Dynamic Token Given:
grammar Hbs;

var: START_DELIM ID END_DELIM;

START_DELIM: '{{';

END_DELIM: '}}';

I'd like to know how to change START_DELIM and END_DELIM at runtime to be for example <% and %>.
Does anyone know how to do this in ANTLR 4?
Thanks.

A: There's a way, but you'll need to tie your grammar to a target language (as of now, the only target is Java).
Here's a quick demo (I included some comments to clarify things):
grammar T;

@lexer::members {

  // Some default values
  private String start = "<<";
  private String end = ">>";

  public TLexer(CharStream input, String start, String end) {
    this(input);
    this.start = start;
    this.end = end;
  }

  boolean tryToken(String text) {

    // See if `text` is ahead in the CharStream.
    for(int i = 0; i < text.length(); i++) {

      if(_input.LA(i + 1) != text.charAt(i)) {

        // Nope, we didn't find `text`.
        return false;
      }
    }

    // Since we found the text, increase the CharStream's index.
    _input.seek(_input.index() + text.length() - 1);

    return true;
  }
}

parse
 : START ID END
 ;

START
 : {tryToken(start)}? .
   // The `.` is needed because a lexer rule must match at least 1 char.
 ;

END
 : {tryToken(end)}? .
 ;

ID
 : [a-zA-Z]+
 ;

SPACE
 : [ \t\r\n] -> skip
 ;

The { ... }? is a semantic predicate. See: https://github.com/antlr/antlr4/blob/master/doc/predicates.md
Here's a small test class:
import org.antlr.v4.runtime.*;
import org.antlr.v4.runtime.tree.*;

public class Main {

  private static void test(TLexer lexer) throws Exception {
    TParser parser = new TParser(new CommonTokenStream(lexer));
    ParseTree tree = parser.parse();
    System.out.println(tree.toStringTree(parser));
  }

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {

    // Test with the default START and END.
    test(new TLexer(new ANTLRInputStream("<< foo >>")));

    // Test with a custom START and END.
    test(new TLexer(new ANTLRInputStream("<? foo ?>"), "<?", "?>"));
  }
}

Run the demo as follows:
*nix
java -jar antlr-4.0-complete.jar T.g4
javac -cp .:antlr-4.0-complete.jar *.java
java -cp .:antlr-4.0-complete.jar Main

Windows
java -jar antlr-4.0-complete.jar T.g4
javac -cp .;antlr-4.0-complete.jar *.java
java -cp .;antlr-4.0-complete.jar Main

And you'll see the following being printed to the console:
(parse << foo >>)
(parse <? foo ?>)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Ahmet Ertegun's Legacy
The Atlantic Records founder in his own words.
Dec 15, 20061:26 PM
Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records and a major force in American music, died yesterday at the age of 83. The son of a prominent Turkish diplomat, he was born in Istanbul and raised in Europe—before founding a recording empire with his brother in New York City. Last year, he recounted the highlights of his career in a Slate "Interrogation" by A.L. Bardach, which is reproduced below. Asked what he hoped his legacy would be, he replied: "I'd be happy if people said that I did a little bit to raise the dignity and recognition of the greatness of African-American music."
In 1947, Ahmet Ertegun, the 24-year-old son of a distinguished Turkish diplomat, borrowed $10,000 from his dentist and, with his older brother Nesuhi and another friend, formed Atlantic Records. Over the next 50 years, Ertegun would discover, sign, popularize, and/or produce Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Otis Redding—who called him "Omelette"—Bette Midler, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Booker T. and the MGs, Sam and Dave, Cream, the Bee Gees, Led Zeppelin, the Coasters, John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus, Roberta Flack, the Spinners, the Allman Brothers, Genesis, Foreigner, Pete Townshend, Stevie Nicks, Buffalo Springfield, the Blues Brothers, Tori Amos, and Phil Collins, among others.
Earlier this month, the 81-year-old Ertegun was honored with the first Grammy Industry Icon Award. He has also been depicted in two recent Hollywood films, Ray and Beyond the Sea. Balding with owl glasses, Ertegun is a dapper Buddha, wearing a starched white shirt with French cuffs and gold links. He carries a wood cane for a wobbly hip. While fielding congratulatory phone calls in his raspy, rummy voice, he talked about his twin passions: music and Turkish politics.
Slate: Congratulations on your Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
AE: Actually, it's called the President's Icon Award. I always thought I was an iconoclast. But now they've made it an icon.
Slate: You must have won a fair share of Grammys.
AE: I have a few Grammys. I already got what they call the Trustees Award.
There are a couple of Grammys I didn't get because they weren't giving [producers] them at the time. I produced "Mack the Knife" by Bobby Darin, [which] won the record of the year but there were no producer credits in those days. It was announced that I had produced the record and Bobby thanked me on TV.
Slate: How did the son of a diplomat end up starting a rhythm and blues record company?
AE: When I was about 8 or 9 years old, in 1932, Nesuhi took me to hear Cab Calloway and later Duke Ellington at the Palladium in London. I had never really seen black people except I had seen pictures of great artists like Josephine Baker—whom I spent a few days with before she died. And I had never heard anything as glorious as those beautiful musicians, wearing great white tails playing these incredibly gleaming horns with drums and rhythm sections unlike you ever heard on records. In those days, they recorded the drums and the bass very, very softly so it wouldn't break the grooves of the 78 rpm records. So I became a jazz fan quite early and never went off the path thereafter.
Slate:You had this 50-year relationship with Ray Charles. … What did you think of the actor [Curtis Armstrong] who played you in Ray?
AE: I'll tell you first, I think he's a good actor. I think Taylor Hackford wrote a very true description of the feeling that existed between Ray Charles and myself and made a terrific movie. However, you must realize that I'm not the kind of shy little guy as portrayed in the film. I don't care what the man looks like or anything but it should have been somebody hip.
At the time I went after Ray Charles, no one was looking for Ray Charles. Ray Charles had made some records but they didn't sell. In 1949 or '50, I heard "Baby, Let me Hold Your Hand" once and I said this is the most fabulous singer alive today. A booking agent named Billy Shaw said to me, "We have Ray Charles but we can't book him as a headliner. Do you think you can make hit records with him?" and I said, "I know I can make hit records with him." Now you must realize that I was the only one who thought so.
Slate: There was no bidding war for him?
AE: When he came to our office I said, "RAY CHARLES, you are the greatest singer. You're the greatest piano player. Man," I said, "you are home now!" And he said, "Man nobody's ever talked to me like that before." In those days, I was living in Harlem and I wasn't like the sheepish fellow in the movie.
Slate: You are also featured in the Bobby Darin-Kevin Spacey movie, Beyond the Sea.
AE: Unfortunately, the Bobby Darin film did not come off as well. Kevin Spacey does a very good job playing (Darin), [but] it's too bad he wanted to sing. A singer's biographical film should have their music and their voice. That's one thing. The other thing is I discovered Bobby Darin.
Slate: Where?
AE: He was in the Atlantic waiting room, which had a piano in it. One of my partners had bought some masters that he had made and we signed him. The masters were terrible but I heard him playing in the waiting room. And I realized that he was a very different singer than the records.
Slate: What were the hit records you made with Darin?
AE: "Splish Splash" and "Queen of the Hop," "Dream Lover," "Mack the Knife." … The making of a hit record depends more than anything on the material of the song. And that's the toughest thing to find. The songwriters whom we think of being the greatest songwriters usually write one hit and six or seven flops. That includes the Irving Berlins and the Hoagy Carmichaels, the Harold Arlens, Cole Porter.
Slate: Everyone writes a clinker from time to time?
AE: They write clinkers most of the time. Once in a while they can write a hit. And whenever a songwriter writes a big hit, then the next 20 songs they write—no matter how bad they are—get recorded.
Slate: How did you know who would be a great singer?
AE: It was different with every artist. For example with Ruth Brown, an old friend called about "a great girl he heard" singing at the Club Kaverns—a basement club in the black ghetto in Washington run by Blanche Calloway, Cab's sister, who was Ruth Brown's manager. So I went down there and Ruth was a fabulous singer and what I liked about her is that she sang a song called "So Long" that Little Miss Cornshucks sang. Now Little Miss Cornshucks was a great singer but she had some personal problems and would tend to disappear and it was very hard to find her. And Ruth Brown sang "So Long" just like her and I knew it would be a hit. We were not a well-known label at that time, but [Ruth Brown] signed with us and "So Long" became a big hit.
Clyde McPhatter was in a group called the Dominoes and he was one of my favorite singers. So I went to Birdland to hear the Dominoes because I liked Clyde so much. … And the group went on and Clyde was not in the group. So I went backstage and asked the leader of the group,"Where's Clyde? Is he sick?" And he said, "No, we fired him last week." So I went immediately to the public phone at Birdland and called information and found there was one Reverend McPhatter listed—Clyde's father. Clyde answered the phone and I said, "Clyde, this is Ahmet Ertregun, have you signed any papers with any label?" He said no. So I said, "Come to my office tomorrow and you will be an Atlantic star." A few days later, we recorded him with a group of his friends around him, and we called that group the Drifters. Clyde later left the group to be a solo singer but the Drifters had a life of their own with Ben E. King and others.
Slate: What did you hear in his voice that made you so confident about him?
AE: Clyde was the most soulful singer in rhythm and blues. People like Clyde McPhatter who came out of the black churches—like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin—were all church singers who became great pop singers because gospel singing is very close to the blues.
Slate: You were born in Istanbul and educated in London and Washington?
AE: When I was 2 years old, my father, who was Ataturk's legal adviser, was sent to Switzerland to represent Turkey at the League of Nations. He was also the Turkish ambassador to Switzerland. After that he was the Turkish ambassador to France. So I spent several years of my youth in Paris and then he went to London and was ambassador to the Court of St. James during George V. Then we went to Washington when he was appointed ambassador to the U.S. [under Roosevelt]
Slate: Is it true that the sultan of the Ottoman Empire dispatched your father to go deal with a rebellious general named Mustafa Kemal, who would become Ataturk?
AE: Kemal was the No. 1 general in the Ottoman Empire. He fought the battle of Gallipoli where he defeated the Australian and British troops. He was a great hero and a brilliant young general. He would not give in to the demands of the Allies. So he formed a rebel army in Ankara and my father was sent in 1921 to talk him out of resisting. Then, my father said, "Now I've done my duty to the sultan and if you need my services I am ready to resign from my post and join you."
Slate: How close was your father with Ataturk?
AE: My father was in Ataturk's closest group. They lived together during the War of Liberation in Turkey. He was with him all the time.
Slate: What was your father's impression of Ataturk?
AE: My father believed very strongly in Ataturk. Ataturk was a very powerful man and a man of great vision. But my father was a very religious person. And he prayed five times a day. And he did that throughout his relationship with Ataturk—at a time when it was very brave to do because Ataturk was cutting off the heads of the imams. And people thought that that was foolhardy of my father.
Slate: Do you think Samuel Huntington's Clash of Civilizations describes what is happening today?
AE: Well we're going through something like that. Look, our president speaks to God.
Slate: Was Ataturk an atheist on a personal or political level?
AE: The main thing is that Ataturk saw the desperate condition of the countries that had not had an industrial revolution. Ataturk saw where history was going. He really did in Turkey what we are all hoping somebody will do in [Islamic] countries where fundamentalists thrive, that they get somebody today that has the vision that Ataturk had in 1915.
Slate: Ataturk died in 1936 from cirrhosis of the liver.
AE: He drank a lot.
Slate: Ironic that he was defeated by an addiction that is forbidden in Islam. Did your father or people try to intervene?
AE: I'm sure that a lot of people advised him on that. But you know when people have something they like to do, it's impossible. Look, I used to drink a bottle of vodka a day, every day, for about 40 years and it never occurred to me it'd kill me. If I'd have continued it might have killed me. My doctor said I should stick to wine.
Slate: How do you feel about the U.S.-led Iraq war?
AE: First I was upset because the [Turkish government] wouldn't let the Americans go through the Turkish border with Iraq. That really kind of destroyed a bridge that my father created between Turkey and the U.S. I saw Rumsfeld a few days after that happened, and Donald said, "What happened, Ahmet, where are our friends?" I said, "Look, I think they voted against it to make [Turkey's Prime Minister Tayib] Erdogan look bad. It was purely a local political thing." Anyway, it turned out to be probably better. If Turkish troops had gone in with the Kurds there, God knows what would have happened. There could have been mayhem with two sets of allies fighting each other. Because there's been so much bad blood between the Kurds and the Turks.
Slate: Who is the one artist you wish you had signed?
AE: [laughs] Everybody who didn't make a record for me. Well, I came close to signing Elvis Presley. I offered $25,000 for his contract and they asked for $45,000 and I just didn't have the other $20,000. I should have gotten the Beatles. But one of my lawyers kind of messed up.
Slate: That's quite a big mess-up.
AE: [sighs] It was a big mess-up. However, it was the same lawyer who later got me all the rights to Woodstock six months before it happened. After I sold my company to Warners, one of the things they got was the movie rights to Woodstock, which was a huge feature film.
Slate: Who are the great talents in music today?
AE: There are still many great surviving talents: Stevie Winwood. Another great talent is Stevie Wonder. Another one is Eric Clapton. Another one is Phil Collins. Eminem, Kanye West I like all those people. … But I enjoy all the artists of Atlantic because they are the best! [laughs]
Slate: What do you want for your legacy?
AE: I'd be happy if people said that I did a little bit to raisethe dignity and recognition of the greatness of African-American music.
Slate: Do you have devotional feelings towards Islam?
AE: Well, look I'm Muslim by birth—and the rest I'll have to explain when I write my autobiography.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


White Harte Hotel. Mondays 12:45. Except 2nd Mondays Meets 19:30 Royal Corinthian Yacht Club.
The Rotary Club of Burnham on Crouch & Dengie Hundred has been established since 1964, and over the last 49 years has raised many thousands of pounds for charities and needy causes both within the Dengie Hundred and further afield. We have nearly 40 members covering a wide age range, drawn from all sectors of the professional and business community from within the Dengie Hundred.
You will probably have seen us selling burgers at Burnham's annual carnival or raffle tickets for our annual Christmas Draw, as well as organising the annual "Dengie Ride" which attracts many Riders & Horses from far and wide, to name but three of our many fund raising activities, all of which raise money which we donate to charities and needy causes both within the Dengie Hundred and further afield.
However we are very aware that the money we raise comes from the generosity of the public and always try to ensure that it is spent wisely.
But Fund Raising is only part of the story - Burnham & Dengie Hundred Rotary Club are a group of like minded people.
We meet for lunch on Mondays in the White Harte on the Town Quay at 12:45, except for the second Monday in each month when we meet at 19:30 in the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, again on the Town Quay. The meetings often includes a visiting speaker.
We also have an extensive social program & functions including walking, visits, wine tasting's & weekends away, all of which are enjoyed by our members, families, and friends.


If you have any enquiries, questions or comments regarding anything from running tournaments, becoming an admin or how to run your tournaments please contact us here.
BinaryBeast is always looking for new partners and sponsors. We welcome proposals from corporate companies, community websites, teams and event organizers. If you want information on what we do and how we can help please contact us.
Linksey is the founder of BinaryBeast and does all the hard work behind the scenes. He is responsible for all the coding and software development. BinaryBeast really is quite a fitting name for him.
Xephyr is the latest addition to the team and is the man responsible for the BinaryBeast design, taking into consideration the layout, general aesthetics and most importantly the user experience. If it looks nice, he probably made it.
For all design related enquiries.
Nemesis is the guy who steals all the credit from linksey and makes motivational speaches and bad MSPaint schematics. He is also responsible for publicity, marketing and the general direction of BinaryBeast.
Shizaru like Nemesis was here from the start and he helps with marketing, publicity and generally feeding ideas to Linksey. Again like Nemesis he enjoys stealing credit.


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Video is a highly effective medium and vehicle for marketing high end real estate. Learn how a creative 30-second spot was used for pre-roll ads, showroom screenings, and direct outbound marketing, to successfully reach and appeal to potential buyers.
Publishing video on your website is now relatively simple. But with all the formatting options available, it can be difficult to choose the platform and video player that perfectly fits your needs.
Here at Wallop, we're big proponents of video usage, especially in the context of building websites.


text:
Jerusalem Post Food and Recipes
The Jewish Palate: A Yemenite delicacy
Chef Dennis Wasko explores the culinary tradition of the ancient Jews of Yemen and introduces a simple, rustic yet delicious stew: Chouia.
By DENNIS WASKO
Spices 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
The history of the Yemenite Jews is as illustrious as it is tragic. Yemen was once a place where Jewish religion and culture flourished. Jews were welcomed into Yemen and many of the native population converted to Judaism. In the 5th century CE the ruler of Yemen converted to Judaism thus turning Yemen into a Jewish Kingdom. Jewish prosperity continued until 525 CE when the Jewish kingdom was overthrown by Christian Ethiopians. The rise of Islam in the 7th century changed the face of Jewish Yemenite culture, as the Jews were relegated to 2nd class citizenship.
It remains unknown exactly when Jews came to settle in Yemen, but Yemenite tradition holds that Jewish soldiers were sent to Yemen by King Solomon to defend the spice routes against marauding nomadic tribes. Another version of this story has the soldiers searching for silver and gold to be used for adorning the Temple in Jerusalem. Whether or not these stories are true, it is evident that Jews have called Yemen home for at least two thousand years. Scholars believe that the majority of Jewish immigration began at the beginning of the 2nd Century CE.
The Jewish community grew to great prominence and many of the native inhabitants embraced Judaism. At the end of the 5th century, the Himyarite King Abu-Karib Asad Toban converted to Judaism ushering in a golden age for the Jews as Yemen became a Jewish Kingdom. The Jewish King was able to unite the various Jewish communities of the Arabian Peninsula together to defeat the Ethiopian Aksumites who attempted to control Yemen for a hundred years. Their victory was short-lived however, as the Christian Aksumites finally defeated the Jewish King and took control of Yemen in 525 C.E. Though ruled by Christians, Yemen remained predominantly Jewish.
Then in the middle of the 7th century CE the world changed. Islam was introduced into the region in 630 CE. Almost overnight, Islam became the dominant religion and the Jews of Yemen found themselves reduced to 2nd class, dhimmi status. Though they were protected "People of the Scripture", the Jews were only able to freely practice their religion in exchange for the payment of the jizya tax, which was imposed upon all non- Muslims. Persecution worsened in the 10th century CE and the Jews were treated as pariahs because they were perceived as outsiders, though their residency in Yemen predated Islam.
The situation became so bad for the Jews of Yemen that Maimonides wrote his Epistle to Yemen to comfort the persecuted community and give first hand advice on how to deal with forced conversion to Islam. He also warned them against the influence of a number of false messiahs who were appearing within the Yemenite community.
Through all of this hardship the Jewish community of Yemen struggled on and their numbers continued to remain strong. In the early 20th century the community numbered over 50,000 people. While many had already immigrated to pre-state Israel in the late 19th century, the majority of the population remained in Yemen. As the 20th century continued, life for the Jews became progressively worse.
With the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, the Yemenite Jews found themselves in a desperately unsafe situation. They lost all of their civil rights and were not allowed to leave the country. In 1949 and 1950 the new Jewish State initiated Operation Magic Carpet to bring the Jews of Yemen to Israel. Fifty thousand Yemenite Jews were illegally rescued and brought safely to the Jewish State. Today they constitute one of the largest immigrant populations in Israel.
Yemenite Cuisine is very simple and rustic. Stews and soups abound, as well as many different types of bread. Dishes are heavily spiced and flavorful. The cuisine is heavily based on grains and vegetables. Meat is eaten in very small amounts and dairy products are practically unknown. Most desserts consist of fresh fruit. This is a cuisine born in of necessity in a hostile environment.
The following recipe is for one of the many stews that are a mainstay of Yemenite Cuisine. Try it served with some fresh flatbread or rice.
Chouia (Yemenite Lamb Stew)
(Serves 4 to 6)
-Olive oil
-2 pounds boneless lamb chuck, cut into 3 inch cubes
-2 whole tomatoes (in season) chopped, or 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped
-6 large garlic cloves, sliced
-3 baby eggplants, quartered lengthwise or 1 large eggplant
-2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
-½ cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
-½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
-1 ½ tablespoons Hawaish* spice blend, recipe follows
-Salt and pepper to taste
1. Place a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat, and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Add lamb in a single layer and brown well on all sides, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Remove browned lamb and set aside.
2. Add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion begins to brown. Be sure to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, just until it turns translucent.
3. Return the lamb to the pot and add all of the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly.
4. Bring the pot to a strong simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer gently for 3 hours.
5. After 3 hours, season to taste and serve.
*Hawaish (Yemenite Spice Blend)
-2 tablespoons ground cumin
-1 tablespoon black pepper
-1 teaspoon ground coriander
-1 teaspoon ground turmeric
-¼ teaspoon ground cloves
-½ teaspoon ground cardamom
-¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Blend together and store in a tightly sealed jar. Store away from light and heat for up to three months.
Dennis Wasko has been a Professional Chef for 12 years and is the author of New Israeli Cuisine, www.newisraelicuisine.com, and Beyond The Kitchen Wall www.beyondthekitchenwall.net.


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Obama's $100 Million Question
Sure his ratings are still through the roof. But if he can't get his own cabinet to go along with his latest budget proposal, he will go down as just another tax-and-spend liberal.
Evan Vucci / AP Photo
Sure his ratings are still through the roof. But if he can't get his own cabinet to go along with his latest budget proposal, he will go down as just another tax-and-spend liberal. Avlon is the author of Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America.
After last week's tea party tax protests, President Obama acknowledged "a confidence gap, when it comes to the American people. And we've got to earn their trust."
Democrats have been slapped with the tax-and-spend-liberal label for decades—and candidate Obama spent much time on the campaign trail trying to distance himself from that legacy. "When I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely," he promised, offering assurance to the moderate majority of Americans that his would be an administration dedicated to fiscal responsibility.
Of course, all that was before the financial crisis and neo-Keynesian Kool-Aid started to be passed around Capitol Hill, with congressmen chugging it by the billions as the deficit ballooned.
The political skirmish over the drop-in-the-bucket of $100 million is just a preamble to a much bigger deficit-reduction fight to come—President Obama's stated desire to pull a Nixon-in-China and reform entitlement spending.
This week, President Obama tried to square his young administration's record with his campaign rhetoric by announcing a commitment to cut $100 million dollars in wasteful spending at his first Cabinet meeting.
Instead of receiving financial reformer accolades, the proposal was met with ridicule from the right and left, best symbolized by the smug headline on the Heritage Foundation's blog: " Not Even Krugman is Buying Obama's 'Spending Cut.'"
Harvard economist Greg Mankiw created an instant classic of political comparison, by rationalizing that the equivalent would be an average American family tackling a $34,000 budget shortfall by cutting back on one cup of Starbucks' coffee a year.
But while the ill-advised benchmark of $100 million set the president up for a political piñata news cycle by seriously underestimating the intelligence of the American people, the "waste, fraud and abuse" budget-cutting exercise is important—if insufficient.
It's not too late to demonstrate President Obama's seriousness of purpose—by stating that his administration's agencies will be expected to come up with $100 million in cuts each quarter—totaling $1.6 billion by the end of his first term.
That's not going to shrink the deficit on its own, but it will show a consistent management commitment that backs up the president's own acknowledgement: "None of these things alone are going to make a difference. But cumulatively, they make an extraordinary difference because they start setting a tone ... $100 million there, $100 million here—pretty soon, even here in Washington, it adds up to real money."
Obama is far from the first to campaign on cutting waste from the federal government. Presidents have made the same claims for over 100 years, beginning with Teddy Roosevelt's Keep Commission in 1905. This was continued by Presidents Truman and Eisenhower's Hoover Commissions, Reagan's Grace Commission, and President Clinton's Reinventing Government effort, which ultimately saved taxpayers $118 billion. Seen against this most recent benchmark, President Obama's proposed $100 million in savings seems puny.
But rather than simply playing gotcha politics, Republicans should remember that their party's former congressional standard-bearer, Tom DeLay, proclaimed victory in the war against government waste in 2005, saying that there was very little fat left to cut from the federal budget: "after 11 years of Republican majority, we've pared it down pretty good."
In fact, the Bush administration's own running tally of government (in)efficiency—the OMB's Program Assessment Rating Tool—found that of the 977 programs monitored, 25 performing were graded as "Not Performing," while an additional 28 performing were deemed as merely "Adequate." All remained funded by the Republican Congress.
Moreover, a 2005 report by Heritage Foundation economist Brian Riedl found that there were 342 economic development programs, 130 programs serving at-risk youth, 72 clean-water programs, and 27 teen-pregnancy programs. Redundancies were rampant while non-defense discretionary spending jumped 8.2 percent during President Bush's first three years in office, exceeding even Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. Not too many conservatives were screaming about "socialism" then—partisan loyalty trumped principle.
The bottom line is that there is always plenty of waste, fraud, and abuse to cut from the federal government—it is and should be a constant effort, especially against the tsunami of federal TARP and stimulus spending, where new scandals will inevitably emerge. There will be new opportunities as well—40 percent of nonessential government employees are scheduled to retire in the next 10 years, many of whom can be replaced with e-government technology, while improving the delivery of services.
The political skirmish over the drop-in-the-bucket of $100 million is just a preamble to a much bigger deficit-reduction fight to come—President Obama's stated desire to pull a Nixon-in-China and reform entitlement spending. So this is just a pop-quiz compared to that final exam on the financial-responsibility front. Passing that test will require the Obama administration work with centrist Democrats as well as Republicans to rein in the long-term deficit and restore a sense of generational responsibility to our politics.
The moderate majority of Americans don't care about the competing ideologies of liberal stimulus spending or conservative trickle-down economics—they want our immediate problems solved, followed by a return to policies of financial responsibility that both parties have abandoned. A recent USA Today poll found that 85 percent of Americans were comfortable with an expanded government role to deal with the financial crisis, but by a margin of 3 to 1 they want to see government cut back when the crisis recedes. This is not a blank check for the Obama administration or liberal House Democrats.
The real test for President Obama will be to match the rhetoric of financial responsibility with the hard work of achieving a long-term track record on that front. Sincere allies of that effort will need to encourage follow-through, building new coalitions across the political aisle while remembering not to make the perfect the enemy of the good. Cutting $100 million is just a small symbolic first step in the right direction.
John P. Avlon is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics. Avlon was director of speechwriting and deputy director of policy for Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign. Previously, he was a columnist for the New York Sun and served as chief speechwriter for then-Mayor Giuliani.


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Q&A with Andoni Luis Aduriz, head chef and owner of Spain's famed Mugaritz
By Renée Suen | June 18, 2012
By Renée Suen | 06/18/2012
Andoni Luis Aduriz (Image: Renée Suen)
Widely hailed as one of Ferran Adrià's most talented protégés, Andoni Luis Aduriz, chef and owner of Mugaritz, on the southern outskirts of San Sebastián, Spain, is at the forefront of some of the culinary world's most innovative techniques and dishes. He also runs the third-best restaurant in the world. Mugaritz serves avant-garde cuisine that often upends traditional understandings of food, and is heralded by chefs and culinary enthusiasts worldwide. Diners are told to expect the unexpected—from edible stones to chocolate nails—and interact with ingredients sourced from varied and unusual suppliers in an unfamiliar way. Aduriz stopped by Toronto recently to promote his new cookbook, Mugaritz: A Natural Science of Cooking, which was released last month. We had a chance to speak with the chef about the cost of being original, his inspirations and motivations and the impact that awards and recognition have had on his success.
We hear this is your first time in Canada. What are your impressions?
I expected to see Mounties, but I haven't seen any! I thought I was going to find a country which is a mix of everything between the United States and Europe—I don't know why. I realized that there was a parallel between Canada and Australia. Both are vast countries with a lot of nature, and both have been able to learn from the errors of others.
Your restaurant is known for the unusual sensory experiences you create for diners, which no doubt are not cheap. How difficult was this pursuit? Has it been worth all the sacrifices?
I won't lie, it's very difficult. If it weren't, there would be a lot more people doing what we do. Honestly, we're not extraordinarily talented, we don't do anything that other people couldn't do, but what we try to do is give context to what we want to do. It is true that it requires a lot of sacrifice, that it's a path filled with problems and doubt. But it also helps to see how others see your work—how they value it, how it inspires them. This helps you realize at the end that the work you're doing isn't bad.
What goals are you reaching for?
I realize that in 15 years we've grown a lot—we've developed a lot of techniques and ideas, done a lot of incredible work and mixed different disciplines. Fifteen years later, I'd say there's still so much to do. I still don't see the restaurant as a space to eat; it's a space where we interact with people, where we work with their senses and their prejudices and stimulate and excite them. I would like the experience to be a performance where the diner is like a viewer, but they're asked to participate in the performance and their participation can influence the experience of others. All of this we try to do in an elegant, natural and harmonious way that doesn't feel out of place.
Congratulations on your recent recognition in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. How much does that ranking mean to you?
I won't deny that awards and recognition mean a lot, because they give us access to an audience that we certainly wouldn't get to know otherwise. However, I need the security that independence gives. I really love that people know us for the quality of our work, not because we've been given awards or distinctions.
Do you have any advice on how a restaurant can achieve this recognition?
I don't have the key for this, but I do have the good fortune of being in the Basque country, where there are many wonderful restaurants that attract people from all over the world. This is a little like when someone presents a movie for the Oscars: you have to have a very good movie, and you also have to make sure the maximum number of people who vote can see the film.
In the last decade there has been much attention paid to Spain's culinary scene. Why is that?
Maybe because other countries have a traditional culinary culture that they are expected to adhere to, but Spain has always been set on creativity and innovation without the necessity of tradition. There has been a revolution in Spain in this last decade that has been important. The feeling of freedom, that you can progress without betraying your tradition, has garnered a lot of attention. These ideas and concepts have been imported by others: Alex Atala from Brazil does Amazonian cuisine, Massimo Bottura does Italian cuisine, the Nordics do their own cuisine. It's a revolution that doesn't have a canon. It doesn't ask anything of you. I think this is very inspiring.
How much of your success comes through trial and error? In your book, you chart the development of a dish for 11,000 hours. Do you spend that much time even on the failures?
I think in the book it says 11,000 hours, but today it's 12,000. Mugaritz is like a tapestry where successes and failures are intertwined and there's nothing left over. But the failures have been just as or more important than the successes. People see us as people with a lot of talent; we appear to have privileged minds, but this is not true. It's a lot of work, a lot of passion and a lot of errors. If you look at the history of Mugaritz, initially we were going to open the restaurant in a sports centre. We invested a lot of care and work in that space, but at the last moment a larger company with more money came in, and it left us without a project. But if that hadn't happened, I would be beside a municipal swimming pool with ladies doing aerobics, and have a dining room that smelled of chlorine.
When we got Mugaritz, the next problem arrived: we were in the mountains and we didn't have the clientele. That situation forced us to take advantage of all the herbs and nature surrounding us, and to collaborate with people from different disciplines. When there was a fire at the restaurant, it completely changed our way of thinking. There are moments in a crisis this dire that leave you without any hangups, and you tell yourself, "I'm just going to do what I've always wanted to do. I'm going to bet 100 per cent on creativity." What I would like is for people to understand one thing: Mugaritz is a restaurant where very normal people, working together, have achieved extraordinary things, and that's a marvellous thing. So what I would tell people is to dream and to devour the world. You have to dream, dream, dream.
Topics: Andoni Luis Aduriz Ferran Adrià molecular gastronomy Mugaritz People Restaurants Spain Spanish
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Henry Blumenthal says:
Dripping with admiration for this creatvive artisan.
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Join us for a night of music with The Evie Ladin Band with Keith Terr and Erik Pearson.
The Evie Ladin Band has a unique sound. The Neo-Trad Kinetic Folk style is a mingling of the deep Appalachian sound of clawhammer banjo, guitar, bass and percussive dance, with contemporary storytelling and original, conversational interplay among the band members.
Want a preview? Check out https://www.youtube.com/user/evieladin for a taste!


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EXTRA INNINGS
/ September 5, 2020
VIDEO: 1972 interview with Ted Williams, Texas Rangers manager
/Dan Holmes
/912 views
Free agency is the best thing that's ever happened to baseball
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Want a reason that Marvin Miller should immediately be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame?
It's the best rule change in the history of baseball. It's called free agency.
Because of free agency, something that no one other than Miller pushed for, the former MLB Players Association leader deserves a plaque in Cooperstown and maybe even a statue and a new wing in the museum.
Free agency, which was instituted in 1975 when the reserve clause was banished, has done more good for the game of baseball than any rule change or procedural development in history.
Miller's genius was the realization that the best thing for the players was "limited free agency." It would do no good for every player to be eligible to sign with any team every year. That would flood the market. The system needed to be managed to control supply and demand. The result, Miller predicted, would be more lucrative contracts for the players. But the high salaries are not the reason baseball has been transformed since the mid-1970s.
Here we are more than forty years later and the proof is clear: free agency has been a rousing success. But why? The answer is obvious if you look for it: competitiveness.
Since 1979, only three years after free agency began, Major League Baseball has seen an unprecedented period of competitive balance and parity. In that span there have been 37 World Series played and 21 different franchises have won championships.
Here's more proof that baseball is riding a long wave of competitive balance since free agency matured:
— Since 1979, 28 of the 30 MLB teams have won at least one pennant. The only teams to miss out: the Mariners and Expos/Nats.
— From 1979 to 1987, a span of nine seasons, nine different teams won the World Series.
— Since 1979 there have only been two teams that have repeated as champions: the 1992-93 Blue Jays and the 1998-2000 Yankees.
— In the 19 years from 1979 to 1997, 15 different franchises won the World Series.
Clearly, there's never been a better time to be a baseball fan. Over the last 40 years, since free agency leveled the playing field, teams have a much better chance to contend for and win a pennant.
Criticism of free agency in baseball
Critics of free agency are wrong. Allow me to get that out of the way. I'll make their arguments for them: (1) free agency allows big market teams to snatch up the best players; (2) free agency has driven salaries through the roof, making ballplayers less like the fans who root for them and thus, less admired; (3) skyrocketing payrolls have resulted in high ticket prices for the average fan; (4) allowing players to go to the highest bidder has destroyed team loyalty with fewer players staying in one city for their careers.
Let's refute each point:
— True, in the free agent era there have been a few teams who have spent a lot of money to attract high-priced free agents: the Yankees, Dodgers, Angels, Orioles (at times), Mets (at times), and Rangers have carried high payrolls. But during the same era, small-market teams such as the A's and Cardinals have fared well too. Since 1979, St. Louis has won as many pennants (seven) as the Angels, Dodgers, Mets, Cubs, and White Sox combined. The tiny market, small payroll A's have been to the postseason 13 times since 1981. Expansion teams have had tremendous success: the Blue Jays were in the playoffs in their ninth season and went on to win two World Series; the Diamondbacks went to the World Series and won it three years after their birth; the Marlins have won two World Series in less than 25 years of franchise history; even the Rockies and Rays have won pennants. And baseball revenues have been universal, allowing teams in small markets to attract big free agent names, and even when they haven't, there have been paths to success through smart signings and the compensation draft picks that are part of the free agency system.
— As Miller foresaw, and owners warned, salaries have exploded since the advent of free agency. But there's no evidence that higher salaries have hurt the connection between fans and players. Sure, some fans whine about the "millionaires playing a child's game" but they still show up in droves. MLB has never been more popular in every way: attendance, ratings, culturally.
— Prices for an average box seat in the major leagues in 2016 were (adjusted for inflation) $14 higher than they were in 1976. I'm not saying it's easy to take a family of four to a ballgame, but it's still one of the most affordable forms of entertainment, and as mentioned above, attendance is at all-time highs.
— There has been a little more player mobility since free agency was instituted, but not much. According to Baseball-Reference, the average number of teams a ten-year veteran played for was 2.1 from 1945 to 1975. Since, that same average is at 2.3 and standing pretty steady. Players generally stay with teams as long as they used to.
Free agency has leveled the competition in baseball
If you want your favorite city to be a winner, your best bet is to root for and invest your time in their baseball team.
— From 1977 to 2016, only 13 different NBA franchises have won a title.
— During that same period, from '77 to 2016, the Stanley Cup has been hoisted by only 15 teams in 39 seasons (one year was lost to a strike).
— The NFL has been very exclusive too: 17 franchises have won at least one of the last 41 Super Bowls, dating back to January of 1977.
— Meanwhile, in MLB we've seen 21 franchises win a World Series in the last 40 years.
Even if we don't focus on championships, baseball has more parity. As I stated above, only two MLB franchises have failed to win a pennant in the last four decades. In the NFL six teams have failed to make the Super Bowl during the same time; in the NBA eleven franchises have failed to advance to the NBA Finals; in hockey there have been eight teams left out.
And baseball has the fewest playoff spots, only four from 1977 to 1994, and five in recent years. The NBA and NHL let 16 teams into the postseason dance and football has expanded to six in each conference.
When a quick fix or a tweak will do
Let's examine two teams for examples of how free agency has helped baseball. In 1983 the Detroit Tigers were a good team, winning 92 games and finishing second to the Orioles, who won the World Series. Detroit had a young, talented team with several stars in their prime. That offseason they dipped into the free agent market, something the franchise hardly ever did, and signed Darrell Evans. That move added a veteran bat to the team. They went on to win the World Series. Similarly, there have been dozens of teams since the advent of FA in the 1970s that have added players to boost their chances.
The second team is the 1997 Florida Marlins, who acquired most of their core via free agency. Outfielders Moises Alou and Devon White were free agent signings, as was third baseman Bobby Bonilla. Their ace, Kevin Brown, was in his second year with the team after coming over as a free agent. Number two starter Alex Fernandez was also a free agent acquisition who was invaluable in '97. The team got into the postseason as a wild card, caught fire, and won the World Series in just their fifth season. In 2017 that championship team will be honored on their 20th anniversary. Without free agency, their magical season would not have been possible.
Any way you measure it, MLB is more competitively balanced than any of the other leagues. That wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for free agency, the rule change that brought about free agency was engineered by Marvin Miller. In this case, one man was a visionary, and his vision transformed his sport for the better.
Tags:Free AgencyMarvin Miller
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Dan Holmes
Dan Holmes is the author of three books about baseball, including Ty Cobb: A Biography. He previously worked for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and Major League Baseball Advanced Media. He lives in Michigan where he writes, runs, and enjoys a good orange soda now and again.
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Q: Can I do propensity score reweigh in R? I have propensity scores and the treatment dummy in my data-frame already, but I couldn't find the right way to use the propensity score to reweigh my wage distribution in my data.
Is there any package I can use for it? Thank you