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Find out where your recycling goes and what happens to it at the processing plant.
Recycling collected from the kerbside (that is not contaminated with food residue) is taken to OJI in Seaview.
Once it has been sorted it is sent to the following places:
Glass is sent to VISY in Auckland, where it is further sorted for colour, and re-processed into new glass bottles and jars.
Watch this video to find out more about glass recycling in New Zealand:
Cans are sent to metal recyclers Macaulay Metals in Seaview, Lower Hutt.
Paper and cardboard
Paper and cardboard go to OJI Fibre, which then identifies markets for the product.
Clear Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET 1), goes to Flights Plastics in Lower Hutt.
Naturally coloured High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE 2) like 'clear' milk bottles and detergent containers go to Palmerston North where it is washed and turned into re-processed pellets. The raw material is then turned into items such as wheelie bins.
What happens at the recycling plant?
OJI currently relies on mechanical processes, and people hand-sorting products on conveyor belts.
We worked with OJI to add an optical sorter to increase the plant's capability. OJI successfully applied for funding from the Ministry for the Environment's Waste Minimisation Fund and the new sorter began operating in July 2021.
This video shows where your recycling goes, and what happens to it at the recycling plant. There are many different types of recycling plants in New Zealand, and this is an example of just one facility:


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var flatten = require('../../utils/flatten');
var should = require('chai').should();

// handler specific includes
var handler = require('../../hooks/page_build');
var payload = require('../fixtures/page_build.json');

describe('page_build', function () {
  it('returns expected keys', function () {
    var response = handler({});
    response.should.have.all.keys(payload.clean);
  });

  it('processes payload file', function() {
    var contents = flatten(payload.payload);
    var response = handler(contents);
    var diff = (new Date()) - response['time'];
    delete response['time'];
    delete payload.clean.time;
    diff.should.be.lt(2 * 1000);
    response.should.be.eql(payload.clean);
  });

  it('completes on empty object', function () {
    handler({}).should.be.an('object');
    handler({}).should.not.Throw;
  });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home / News / Human Interest
Son finds father's body buried in basement decades after his mother told him that he had left them
George Carroll went missing around 60 years ago and was discovered buried in his own basement after his wife told people he had skipped town
By Ishani Ghose
Updated On : 08:04 PST, Dec 15, 2018
Tags :New York
A skeleton was discovered in the basement of a home located in Long Island, New York in October and it was positively identified as the remains of a Korean war veteran who had vanished around 60 years ago.
As reported by PEOPLE, prosecutors shared that an investigation is taking place as to what happened to the missing man, George Carroll. It is unclear how he was killed and then buried in his family's property for such a long time. The Lake Grove house is currently owned by George's son Michael Carroll.
For many years, Michael refused to believe his mother's story that his father went out for cigarettes one night while leaving his wallet back at home in 1961 and then never returned.
Around the time of his father's disappearance, Michael was just 8-months-old. When he grew up, he looked into psychics, paranormal investigators, and other experts to help him uncover the truth. In late October, specialized tools were used to scan the basement floor which led to the discovery of a perfectly intact skeleton which had been buried around 5ft below the ground.
Upon excavating the site, Michael and his sons found George's remains and then proceeded to call 911. Homicide detectives were called in to investigate and look into the case. Michael's mother and George's wife Dorothy Carroll died in the year 1998 and, until her last day, maintained that George had just simply skipped town and had left her alone to raise and bring up four children.
According to 'Newsday', Michael shared that he had always suspected that something horrible had happened to his father and, at this point, was just happy enough to know that George had been found. Michael is presently looking into planning a proper burial for George which will take place at the Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island.
Michael also added that he is alright not knowing who killed his father. Given that so many decades have passed by since the homicide, it is not possible to determine the exact cause of death. However, when the body was tested, it was revealed that George sustained blunt force trauma which contributed to his death. Detectives are requesting people with any information to come forward and contact the Suffolk County Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Вільям Дженнінгс Браян (;  , Сейлем, Іллінойс —  , Дейтон, Теннессі) — американський юрист і політик-демократ, кандидат на посаду президента США у 1896, 1900 і 1908. Державний секретар США при президенті Вудро Вільсоні (1913–1915). З 1891 по 1895 він був членом Палати представників США від 1-го округу штату Небраска.

Примітки

Посилання
 William Jennings Bryan  at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Члени Палати представників від штату Небраска
Демократи США
Кандидати в президенти США

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Up and down the East Coast, there are opportunities for unique and unforgettable outdoor getaways in luxury tree house rentals. Those looking for an incredible nature retreat that will be the envy of all their friends should browse this list of the best tree houses on the East Coast for inspiration, since each and every one of them has an original design, as well as stunning bird's-eye views. Whether you stay in a cozy tree house cabin overlooking a lake in New York or a romantic tree house encircled by trees in North Carolina, there will be no disappointment when you climb up to your tree house accommodation on the East Coast for the first time.


Combine these fresh ingredients for pizza salad and get your pizza fix the healthy way! And what makes this recipe even better? It's a healthier version, even fitting into the Weight Watchers points program, coming in at 3 SmartPoints per serving!
When you use fresh vegetables in this pizza salad recipe, the entire salad is elevated. All of a sudden it tastes like summer! The pepperonis remind me of pizza, so it's easy to get my fix with this better-for-me salad.
Every time I take this pizza salad with pasta to cookouts or get-togethers, everyone asks me for the recipe. The funny thing is – it's SO easy to make! After you put it together once, you'll have the recipe memorized.
When you're buying salad dressing at the store, make sure you get one that's low in sugar. It's easy to control the amount of sugar in your dressing if you make your own. Making Italian salad dressing is super simple.
I love using olive oil with red wine or flavored vinegar. When I was in Victoria, BC a couple of months ago I tasted a fig balsamic vinegar that was out of this world and would be perfect with this salad. Use salt and pepper to taste. You can also add in garlic powder for an extra kick!
One of my biggest complaints about making salads is how time-consuming it can be. This is why I like having a "prep day." I chop up all my fresh veggies and store them in plastic containers in the fridge. I also make sure I have a jar of homemade dressing premade.
When it is time to make this pizza salad, I just have to boil the pasta and mix in the veggies and dressing. This saves me so much time!
You could even add all the ingredients except the pasta right in a mason jar. Have you seen my salad in a jar recipes? They make life so much easier to take lunch with you to work. On busy weekday mornings, you just have to grab the jar and go. No excuses for eating out!
Make sure your fridge is stocked with the following foods so you can make your own Pizza Salad.
That's it! You can always add in your favorite veggies and switch up the type of pasta, too. Broccoli and cauliflower taste amazing with the onion and pepperoni.
Here is everything you need to know to make your own pizza salad with pasta. It's such an easy-breezy recipe!
Set to the side to chill.
Prepare your vegetables and proportion the rest of the ingredients.
In a large bowl add your pasta, red & green pepper, tomatoes, cheese, red onion, olives, and pepperoni.
How Many Servings Does This Pasta Salad Make?
If you follow the directions as written, this makes 7 servings. This is perfect for a week's worth of healthy lunches.
If you enjoyed this Weight Watchers Pasta Salad recipe, you'll want to check out my other Weight Watchers Recipes!
Love this recipe? Pin it to Pinterest so others can see it, too. Thanks for sharing!
This pizza salad recipe has a lot of herbs and fresh fruits that are very eye-catching and colorful, I love this dish.


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Articles Posted in Contracts
LAGB, LLC v. Total Merchant Services, Inc.
September 26, 2019 by Justia
Federico Garcia, president of Mama Kio's, entered into an agreement with Total Merchant Services (TMS) for credit-card financial services for the restaurant. Two months after opening Mama Kio's, Garcia noticed that the bank deposits through TMS were considerably less than expected. TMS later discovered the cause was an improper code in its software that had failed to collect the tips authorized by the customers. The missing tips totaled approximately $14,000. TMS attempted to remedy the error by running the credit cards again for the uncharged tip amounts. However, the customers were charged not only for the uncollected tips but also for the entire charged amounts. More than three thousand customers' transactions were double and/or triple billed, resulting in more than $400,000 taken from Mama Kio's customers' accounts. Mama Kio's worked with the credit-card companies for more than a month to repair and mitigate the damages. Mama Kio's was forced to close its restaurant for lack of customers. LAGB, LLC, a commercial landlord, filed suit against Mama Kio's for breach of its lease contract and sought damages for rent, insurance, taxes, and capital improvements. LAGB also sued the companies that provided credit-card processing services to Mama Kio's, alleging that the negligence of the credit-card processing companies caused Mama Kio's to breach its lease with LAGB. Mama Kio's filed a cross-claim against the credit-card processing companies, alleging misrepresentations and tortious interference with its business. The credit-card processing companies filed motions compelling LAGB and Mama Kio's to arbitrate. The trial court granted the motions. The Mississippi Supreme Court determined that while the trial court did not err by compelling Mama Kio's to arbitrate its cross-claims, it did err by compelling LAGB to arbitrate its claims. View "LAGB, LLC v. Total Merchant Services, Inc." on Justia Law
Posted in: Arbitration & Mediation, Business Law, Contracts, Landlord - Tenant
Okoloise v. Yost
September 5, 2019 by Justia
This appeal involved a business dispute between two physicians. William Yost, M.D., owned and operated a pain-management clinic, Doctors Medical Center, LLC (DMC-Slidell). Within six months of opening DMC-Sidell, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME) began an investigation of Dr. Yost for illegally operating a pain-management clinic. Yost surrendered his Louisiana license, and closed DMC-Slidell. Yost then opened a new clinic, Doctors Medical Center of Picayune, LLC (DMC-Picayune), and began seeing patients, including his former patients from DMC-Slidell. The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure (MSBML) required that all pain-management clinics be registered and issued a certificate; Yost submitted an application for registration to the MSBML, but the certificate was not immediately issued. Mayor Okoloise, M.D. met with Yost to discuss affiliating. As a result of these discussions, Okoloise began practicing medicine with Yost at DMC-Picayune. They formalized their relationship and signed a "Personal Services Contract" in August 2012. At trial, Okoloise testified that, at the time he signed the agreement, he was unaware of the LSBME's investigation of Yost,and he was unaware that Yost was not properly credentialed in Mississippi. The MSBML was not aware of the Louisiana investigation either and approved Yost's application practice in pain management, issuing the required certificate. Dr. Okoloise resigned from DMC-Picayune; when he learned of the investigations, Okoloise testified the clinic was being operated illegally, and, thus he believed his contract to have been void at its inception. After Okoloise resigned, several other DMC-Picayune employees unexpectedly resigned. Testimony was presented that Okoloise made plans to open another clinic before he submitted his resignation, Hope Medical Services, LLC. Okoloise offered several members of the DMC-Picayune staff jobs at Hope Medical. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigated Yost and DMC-Picayune, the result of which did not end in charges filed. But, on February 13, 2013, the DEA closed DMC-Picayune. That same day, Yost voluntarily surrendered his Mississippi medical license. Notwithstanding these investigations and the closure of his clinics, Yost sued Okoloise and Hope Medical and the DMC-Picayune employees that worked for Hope Medical. The chancellor determined there was sufficient evidence to sustain several claims against Okoloise and Hope Medical: trover/conversion, defamation, breach of contract, breach of duty of good faith, and misappropriation of trade secrets. The chancellor found "[Dr. Yost and DMC-Picayune] should be equitably compensated for the damages they incurred for these claims and losses." He awarded a judgment against Okoloise and Hope Medical in the amount of $188,622. The Mississippi Supreme Court determined the chancellor's findings were based on equitable measures, with no legal basis, and were therefore manifestly wrong. "The record evidence was insufficient to show losses attributable to Dr. Okoloise or Hope Medical. The judgment is manifestly wrong, clearly erroneous, and not supported by credible evidence. We reverse and render." View "Okoloise v. Yost" on Justia Law
Posted in: Business Law, Civil Procedure, Contracts
Gulf Coast Hospice LLC v. LHC Group Inc.
June 6, 2019 by Justia
Louisiana Hospice Corporation, otherwise known as LHC, sought to acquire Gulf Coast Hospice LLC in D'Iberville, Mississippi. LHC and Gulf Coast Hospice executed a letter of intent outlining the basic terms of the proposed acquisition. Ultimately, the parties failed to consummate the transaction. Gulf Coast Hospice LLC and its members, Jyoti Desai, Krupa Desai, and Iqbal Savani sued LHC Group Inc., LHCG XXVI LLC, and Mississippi Health Care Group LLC, raising several theories of liability stemming from the failed acquisition. The trial court granted LHC's motion for summary judgment and dismissed Gulf Coast Hospice's claims. Gulf Coast Hospice appealed, arguing that genuine issues of material fact should have prevented summary judgment. Gulf Coast Hospice's chief argument was that LHC entered into an enforceable contract to acquire its hospice operations. Alternatively, Gulf Coast Hospice argued that if no enforceable contract to purchase existed, its claims for breach of contract and duty of good faith with respect to the letter of intent and tortious interference should have survived summary judgment. The Mississippi Supreme Court held there was no enforceable contract, that the doctrine of estoppel was inapplicable, and that no genuine issue of material fact existed regarding Gulf Coast Hospice's misrepresentation claims. The Court also held no genuine issue of material fact existed regarding Gulf Coast Hospice's alternative claims. As such, the Court affirmed View "Gulf Coast Hospice LLC v. LHC Group Inc." on Justia Law
Posted in: Business Law, Contracts
Nissan North America, Inc. v. Great River Nissan, LLC d/b/a Great River Nissan
At issue in this case before the Mississippi Supreme Court was a dispute between an automobile manufacturer and one of its dealerships. Specifically, the issue reduced to whether the dealer filed a timely complaint under Mississippi Code section 63-17-73(1)(d)(iii) after the dealer received the manufacturer's notice it would terminate the applicable dealership agreement. The Court determined the statute was unambiguous, and its plain meaning provided a dealer may file its verified complaint within the sixty day notice period, i.e., the sixty days preceding the effective date of termination. Because the statute was unambiguous and conveyed a clear and definite meaning, the Court did not resort to the rules of statutory construction. The Court found the dealer's complaint was timely filed within the sixty days immediately preceding the effective date of termination. View "Nissan North America, Inc. v. Great River Nissan, LLC d/b/a Great River Nissan" on Justia Law
Rex Distributing Company, Inc. v. Anheuser-Busch, LLC
May 23, 2019 by Justia
Rex Distributing Company was a wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch's beer. When Rex sought to sell its business, Anheuser-Busch asserted a contractual right to "redirect" the sale to its preferred buyer, Mitchell Distributing Company. Rex alleged the redirect provision was void under Mississippi's Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act (BIFDA) and that Anheuser-Busch's interference with the sale caused it damages actionable under the same statute. The trial court dismissed Rex's claims against Anheuser-Busch and Mitchell for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The Mississippi Supreme Court reversed, however, concluding Rex alleged a valid cause of action. The dismissal of Rex's BIFDA claim against Anheuser-Busch and the derivative claims against Mitchell were reversed and the matter remanded for further proceedings. The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's judgment dismissing Rex's other claims. View "Rex Distributing Company, Inc. v. Anheuser-Busch, LLC" on Justia Law
James Allen Insurance Brokers and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London, Subscribing to Certificate NO. FRO-100944 v. First Financial Bank
April 18, 2019 by Justia
James Allen Insurance Brokers (JAIB) and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London, Subscribing to Certificate No. FRO-100944 (Lloyd's) petitioned the Mississippi Supreme Court for interlocutory review of the Simpson County, Mississippi Circuit Court's order granting partial summary judgment in favor of First Financial Bank (FFB). The trial court held that FFB was entitled to insurance proceeds from a fire loss that occurred at Luther and Freda Feazell's poultry farm, because JAIB and Lloyd's failed to comply with Mississippi law requiring notice of cancellation of property insurance. JAIM and Lloyd's claimed the Feazells' premium was not received on time; the effective date of the policy at issue here was reset to the date premium was paid. The Supreme Court determined coverage was effective December 13, 2013, and under the terms of the binder, and FFB having been listed in the binder as a mortgagee/loss payee, triggered Miss. Code Ann. Section 83-5-28(1)'s notification requirements. JAIB and Lloyd's failed to comply with those statutory notification requirements; therefore, they were liable to FFB for its loss. Accordingly, the Supreme Court determined the trial court correctly granted partial summary judgment in favor of FFB. View "James Allen Insurance Brokers and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London, Subscribing to Certificate NO. FRO-100944 v. First Financial Bank" on Justia Law
Posted in: Contracts, Insurance Law
Wayne Johnson Electric Inc. v. Robinson Electric Supply Company, Inc.
March 21, 2019 by Justia
Johnson Electric sued Robinson Electric Supply for numerous claims, including breach of contract, fraud, and a variety of other torts. Johnson asserted that Robinson Electric Supply carried out a fraudulent scheme to overcharge Johnson. Robinson Electric Supply counterclaimed for balances due on Johnson's accounts. Both parties requested an accounting. The chancellor appointed a special master to hear the case due to its complexity and size of the amount in controversy. The chancellor stayed discovery until the special master could release her findings; however, the chancellor also ordered Robinson to release numerous business records sought by Johnson. Before the accounting was concluded by the special master, Johnson Electric was administratively dissolved, and as a result, the chancellor dismissed the claims brought on behalf of the corporation. After the special master released her recommendations and a supplemental report, the chancellor agreed with the special master's findings and adopted the report. On appeal, Johnson challenged the chancellor's decision to dismiss Johnson Electric from the lawsuit, the chancellor's adoption of the special master's report, and the chancellor's decision to stay discovery until an accounting could be conducted by the special master. The Mississippi Supreme Court found that because Johnson Electric was administratively dissolved, it could not "maintain" a claim as a corporation under Mississippi law. Furthermore, the Court determined neither the chancellor's acceptance of the special master's report nor the chancellor's discovery rulings were an abuse of discretion. View "Wayne Johnson Electric Inc. v. Robinson Electric Supply Company, Inc." on Justia Law
Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company v. Smith
March 7, 2019 by Justia
Dorothy Smith sued her homeowner's insurance carrier, Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company ("Farm Bureau"), after Farm Bureau denied her claim based on the earth-movement exclusion in the policy. Smith filed suit against her home builder, Larry Brown, d/b/a Brown's Construction Company, and Farm Bureau after learning that her home's foundation was defective. Smith filed a claim for the repair of the foundation. Farm Bureau filed a motion for summary judgment, which was denied by the trial court. Farm Bureau then filed a petition for interlocutory appeal by permission, which the Mississippi Supreme Court granted. The Supreme Court found the trial court erred in denying Farm Bureau's motion for summary judgment: the earth-movement exclusion was unambiguous and excluded coverage for the property damage suffered by Smith. View "Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company v. Smith" on Justia Law
Posted in: Construction Law, Contracts, Insurance Law, Real Estate & Property Law
F & S Sand, Inc. v. Stringfellow
An interlocutory appeal went before the Mississippi Supreme Court after a circuit court denied Defendants' motions for transfer of venue and summary judgment in a silica case. On appeal, F&S Sand, Inc.; F&S Sand Abrasive Company, Inc.; Dependable Abrasives, Inc. (Dissolved); Mississippi Valley Silica Company, Inc.; Empire Abrasive Equipment Corporation; Dravo Basic Materials Company, Inc.; and American Optical Corporation (collectively, "Defendants") asked the Supreme Court to review whether venue was proper in Jefferson County and whether the claim was time-barred by the statute of limitations. The Court reversed the Circuit Court's denial of summary judgment and rendered judgment in favor of Defendants: the venue issue was moot because the claim was time-barred. View "F & S Sand, Inc. v. Stringfellow" on Justia Law
Land Holdings I, LLC d/b/a Scarlet Pearl, LLC v. GSI Services, LLC
January 17, 2019 by Justia
Land Holdings I, LLC, d/b/a Scarlet Pearl, LLC ("Casino"), sought to expunge a lien filed by GSI Services, LLC ("GSI"). The chancellor denied the Casino's petition to expunge the lien because GSI performed work at the Casino within ninety days of filing its lien. Finding no error, the Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed the chancellor's order. View "Land Holdings I, LLC d/b/a Scarlet Pearl, LLC v. GSI Services, LLC" on Justia Law
Posted in: Business Law, Construction Law, Contracts, Gaming Law, Real Estate & Property Law


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text:
Home SOLD OUT: Murder by Death
SOLD OUT: Murder by Death
Shitty Barn, Spring Green 506 E. Madison St., Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588
press release: Murder By Death will be bringing their unique vision, haunting lyrics and multi-textural sound in for a Bonus Barn Session on Thursday, July 25. This Louisville-based quintet is sure to be a barn fave, and we're so positive of that, we're giving them a full show to better showcase their amazing songwriting and composition skills. This is one you won't want to miss.
The doors open at 6:00 pm and music starts at 7:30. Music is wrapped up before 10:30.
Where is the Shitty Barn? 506 E. Madison St., Spring Green (Yes, you are entering the industrial park)
Are shows kid friendly? Children 6 years and older are welcome. Because it is an intimate concert setting that lasts 2+ hours, it is not a good place for jelly grubs and squirmy worms. We love your kids (really!), but we leave our young'uns at home and you probably should, too: If our adult patrons are disturbed, we will ask you to step outside and/or leave. All of that said, you know your kids better than we do. Infants/toddlers (lapable kids) do not need a ticket (all other kids do).
Dogs? What about dogs? Please, no dogs. We're an old farm in an industrial park, and they're just not safe.
Do you take credit cards? C'mon! It's just a shitty barn! Cash-money, baby!
Do you sell food/beverages? Enos Farms is on-hand for every show. They provide A-MAZING chow at reasonable prices, including veg and GF options. Please patronize them. We used to start a charcoal grill every show, but with Enos Farms serving such tasty food it has gone to the scrap heap. You can bring your own picnic, but leave the brats at home. Also, please no beverage carry-ins. We sell wine, beer, some soda and water at our cash bar.
Are tickets available at the door? We strongly encourage purchasing tickets in advance. Shows do and will sell out, though any unsold tickets will be available at the door. It's best to check our website, Facebook page or Twitter account for the latest details about ticket availability. We never cancel a performance in advance. We can fit everyone in the Barn so the show will go on if it's raining. The weather can vary a lot within our small geographic area. So if it's storming in Madison, it can be clear in Spring Green.
Location Shitty Barn, Spring Green 506 E. Madison St., Spring Green, Wisconsin 53588 View Map
Event Categories Music
Date & Time Jul 25, 2019 7:30 PM


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Baltimore Sports and Life (BSL) is dedicated to analysis and discussion on the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens, and the University of MD.
Additionally, you will find coverage of MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA Basketball & Football, Lacrosse, Soccer, Sports Media, MMA, HS, Beer, & Pop Culture.
Ben Palmer
Orioles Analyst
Ben Palmer has lived in Maryland his whole life and currently spends his days working as a health care journalist. He also previously wrote for and was a site expert for the FanSided blog The Baltimore Wire and currently works as managing editor at Pitcher List where he writes about fantasy baseball.
Bob Phelan
BSL Analyst
An auxiliary member of the MMAJA, Bob used to run the baseball blog 'The Oriole Report' before transitioning to podcasting about movies, TV, Video Games, and MMA. 'The Redbox Report' movie podcast was started in 2013 followed by 'The Redbelt Report' MMA podcast in 2016. In 2018 they were merged into 'Phelan to Communicate', a podcast that can be found on iTunes and his blog. Bob has also written for Konsume.com and BaltimoreSportsReport.com and delivers mail for a living in Baltimore County. Co-Host of The Verge.
Brad Johnson is a fantasy baseball analyst for NBC SportsEDGE. He also contributes to "Front Office" content at MLB Trade Rumors. You can additionally find his work and support him directly at Patreon.com/BaseballATeam or follow him on Twitter @BaseballATeam.
Derek Tate
Derek Tate was born and raised in the Tampa Bay Area. He has been covering the NFL for the last five years and is currently the Sports Director and Play-by-Play Announcer for the TV station in northern Michigan, NewsNet. When he isn't watching, analyzing, living, eating or breathing NFL Football, he enjoys spending time with his one-year-old daughter, Kennedy.
Jalon Dixon
Hi there! My name is Jalon Dixon, but most people just call me Jay. As an aspiring, young sports writer and podcaster, I enjoy discussing sports (mainly basketball and football) and sharing my knowledge with others. Growing up right in the middle of Towson University, Morgan State, Goucher College and others, I have gotten the chance to learn so much about a handful of the different athletic teams that thrive here in Baltimore. I want to be the voice of local fans and teams that may not get the same spotlight as others, but still play a big part in our everyday lives. My motto is "Always Embrace Conversation," so if you ever want to give me feedback on a piece or even just have a friendly sports debate, feel free to email me! Hope you enjoy my work and maybe even learn something along the way.
Jamie Sieck
Ravens Analyst
Jamie has been a Baltimore sports fan since he can remember. He grew up in Gwynn Oak and currently resides in Hampstead with his wife and 2 kids. He graduated from UMBC with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He's currently employed at Verizon Communications in Hunt Valley.
Jason Hirschhorn
Jason B. Hirschhorn is an award-winning sports journalist and Pro Football Writers of America member. He has bylines at NFL.com, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and other outlets.
Joe Lucia
Sports Media Analyst
Joe Lucia has been covering sports media since 2011, and is a fan of the Ravens, Braves, and Manchester City. He was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA, but now makes his home in southern California with his wife.
Jim Johnson spent most of his life in Maryland, growing up with the Orioles, the Colts, Terps, and later Ravens. He started his sports writing career as "The Courtmaster," covering the Terps and ACC hoops and was a frequent guest on Bob Haynie's old WNST show and other sports talk across the region. He is currently in his second run at BSL. After previously covering Maryland and Big Ten Football, he now writes about the NFL, primarily the action in the AFC North. Jim covers both current and historic stories, seeking perspective and having fun in the process.
Jordan Katz
Jordan Katz is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland's journalism school, where he worked for The Diamondback as the online managing editor and a sports blogger. As a student, he spent almost all of his time on campus in The Diamondback's newsroom or at Xfinity Center, Ludwig Field and Maryland Stadium. Jordan gained intern experience with the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).
Kendall Hilton
I started this journey as a writer in 2012, establishing my brand Fan-i Sports, which stands as a multi-media sports brand based out of Baltimore, Maryland. I wrote articles, opinionated columns, developed hip-hop compilation mixtapes, and everything else I could use to communicate in the steady changing (and crowded) world of sports media. From there, I built a small following, which allowed me to turn Fan-i Sports into a legit company in the state of Maryland, leading to my career as a sports journalist.
Luke Rollfinke
Luke Rollfinke is a student at Vanderbilt University where he will be pursuing sports journalism. A recent graduate from the Friends School of Baltimore, Luke has spent his entire childhood in Charm City and is a devoted Orioles fan. In the past, he has written for SB Nation and has worked closely with Ravens columnist John Eisenberg. From nights at Camden Yards to Sunday afternoons watching NFL Redzone, Luke eats, sleeps, and breathes sports. He is excited to bring his perspective to BSL.
Matthew Kory
Matthew Kory is a Orioles / MLB Analyst for BSL. He has covered baseball professionally for The Athletic, Vice Sports, Sports On Earth, FanGraphs, and Baseball Prospectus. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, two boys, and his cats, Mini Squeaks and The President. Co-Host of The Warehouse.
Michael Fast
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that's when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he's tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
To engage with Mike on social media, follow him on Twitter @MikeFastNFL.
Mike Lowe
College Football Analyst
Mike is a Baltimore native living in Portland, OR since 2007. He currently runs his own business specializing in video production and online marketing. Prior to that he was a legal technology consultant, worked for 9 years at Johns Hopkins University and served 6 years in the Air Force. He also enjoys travel, food, beer, and is a volunteer at the Oregon Humane Society.
Mike Popovec
Terps Analyst
Mike Popovec is a Weekend and Fill-In host at 105-7 The Fan. In addition Mike hosts the Pre and Post, Halftime and Scoreboard Updates for the Football Games on the Maryland Terrapins Sports Radio Network. He also hosts the Pre and Post Game Show on weekends for some of the Maryland Basketball Games. Popovec also hosts a local News, Talk and Sports Morning Program at the beach on 92-7 WGMD. He also produces and hosts High School Football Games and Shows throughout the season out of Easton covering the Eastern Shore's Bayside Conference. He sideline reports for CW54 for the Maryland State High School Football Playoffs with Bruce Cunningham, Doug Duvall and Wally Williams.
Mike Randall
Mike was born on the Eastern Shore, raised in Finksburg, and currently resides in Parkville. In 2009, Mike graduated from the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland. Mike became a Baltimore City Fire Fighter in late 2010. Mike has appeared as a guest on Q1370, and FOX45. Now a Sr. Ravens Analyst for BSL, he can be reached at [email protected]
Milton Kent
Milton Kent is a veteran of Baltimore and Maryland journaliasm. Kent began a long association with the Baltimore Sun in 1985, serving as the Evening Sun's Howard County reporter for 2 ½ years before joining the paper's features department as an entertainment writer in 1988. In the following year, Kent began covering men's and women's college basketball for the Evening Sun, concentrating on the Maryland men's and women's teams. He continued covering college basketball when the writing staffs of the Evening and Morning Suns merged in 1991. From there, he covered the Orioles for three seasons before becoming one of the nation's first fulltime sports media critics for parts of six years. In 2000, he began covering the NBA until 2004, when he launched a high school sports column, which he wrote until he left the Sun in 2008. Kent joined the staff of AOL Fanhouse, an online sports operation in 2009, covering sports media and women's basketball, until operations ceased in 2011. He then joined the faculty at Morgan State University in the fall of 2011, where he has taught until the present day. In addition to writing for various platforms, including Sports Illustrated.com and TV Guide, Kent has hosted "Sports At Large," a weekly commentary program airing on WYPR (88.1 FM) since 2002.
Mirzet Salihovic
Mirzet was born in Bosnia and raised in upstate NY. Mirzet became a huge fan of the ravens when he first moved to the country and has never looked back. Mirzet is also a former base data analyst at Pro Football Focus. Using advanced metrics and stats has always been a passion of his when discussing anything football-related. Salihovic also lived in Baltimore shortly after he went to college at SUNY Cortland, he currently resides in Utica, NY.
Nick Stevens
A former high school teacher and coach in the mountains of Virginia, Nick Stevens has been writing about the Baltimore Orioles and their minor league system for five years. When he isn't at a minor league stadium, he's enjoying a Wizards game or supporting his alma mater, James Madison University. Co-Host of The Verge.
Pat Donohue
Pat has been covering sports in the DMV area since 2012. He is a former Washington Redskins beat reporter for PressBoxDC.com and has been covering University of Maryland football and basketball recruiting and daily beats for Rivals.com's Terrapin Sports Report since 2013. Pat graduated from College Park with his master's degree in journalism and has received bylines in publications such as USA TODAY Sports, The Philadelphia Inquirer, SB Nation, and Yahoo! Sports. A Philadelphia native, Pat enjoys fishing, golfing, and playing fantasy sports when he's not covering or watching a game.
Scott Lewis
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Scott Lewis is currently the Director of Strategic Initiatives & Business Intelligence for Zoomph, an online social media analytics platform used by over 200 sports/esports teams. He was previously the Vice President, Strategy & Analytics for the Baltimore Orioles. He has also served as the Vice President of Marketing for D.C. United from 2015-2018 as the club closed out historic RFK Stadium and opened Audi Field. Prior to that, he spent 6 seasons in marketing and analytics with the Washington Nationals and 3 years at the National Basketball League Office in New York. For the past decade, Scott has been an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University where he founded a class on sports analytics. Prior to GW, he taught sports digital media at the Georgetown Sports Information Management program.
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Steve is an avid fan of all things soccer and the O's. Originally from the west, he grew up in the Baltimore area. He returned to the west for college where he earned a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University and spent 36 years working at the Idaho National Laboratory prior to retiring in 2013. It was during his school years in Baltimore where he learned to play soccer and that developed into a life long passion. He played competitively for over 40 years and was a four year starting goalkeeper at MSU. He also coached and refereed in the Idaho premier soccer and High School programs for many years.
Zach Eisner
As a Baltimore native, Zach is an avid Orioles and Ravens fan. After interning for the Baltimore Orioles, he currently works as a Senior Quantitative Risk Analyst for OneMain Financial and is a part-time graduate student studying Data Science at the University of Michigan.
Zack Kiesel
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: [email protected].
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Zac Krull has covered College Basketball for the last 2 years while working with Aaron Torres of Aaron Torres Media and recording his own Zac Krull Sports Podcast. Currently, Zac is writing as a contributor for Aaron Torres online with weekly articles and working as a producer for the BETQL Network. Zac graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2021 with a degree in Sports Studies.
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A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, and Loyola University; Spedden has previously spent time in the Washington Nationals organization as a videographer for the Hagerstown Suns. As a blogger, Spedden is an Editor / Writer for the Suns fan club. Additionally, he contributes to The Nats Blog as a prospect writer, and Ballpark Digest. For BSL, Spedden covers the Orioles Minor Leagues. Co-Host of The Verge.
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Chief Patrol Agent Rodolfo Karisch's announcement came just hours after U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said the agency had reached a "breaking point" and "is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis" along the southwest border during his visit to El Paso.
Like the El Paso sector, Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector are apprehending unprecedented numbers of migrants a day.
Agents in the Rio Grande Valley have apprehended 130,000 migrants since the start of the fiscal year and Karisch projected his sector will "easily" see 260,000 apprehensions by the end of the year. This is almost double last year's 162,000 apprehensions.
On Tuesday, agents in the RGV sector apprehended more than 1,750 migrants, Karisch said, the largest apprehensions made in a single day since mid-2014, when CBP started tracking this local data.
These large daily numbers have put Border Patrol on pace to apprehend more than 100,000 migrants this month alone along the southwest border, McAleenan said.
Border Patrol began releasing asylum-seeking migrants apprehended in the Valley last week without detaining them because CBP officials said its facilities were at capacity.


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The path forward on the 2020 election
By Sen. Rob Portman
Editor's note: This is an excerpted version of U.S. Sen. Rob Portman's column that appeared this week in the The Cincinnati Enquirer.
I have supported the Trump campaign's right to count every lawful vote, request state recounts, and pursue lawsuits regarding election fraud or other irregularities.
Based on polling, a substantial majority of the nearly 74 million Americans who supported President Trump question the legitimacy of the election. I believe going through a fair and transparent process to ensure the election was properly decided is important for our democracy and to help heal our polarized country.
In supporting this post-election process, I have said that the states and the courts should act expeditiously and that any allegations of fraud must be based on evidence, which is what the law requires.
States have now completed counting votes and most battleground states will have certified their election results as of this week. Some state recounts have been completed and those remaining are expected to be completed within the next two weeks. Based on all the information currently available, neither the final lawful vote counts nor the recounts have led to a different outcome in any state. In other words, the initial determination showing Joe Biden with enough electoral votes to win has not changed.
I voted for President Trump, was a co-chair of his campaign in Ohio, and I believe his policies would be better for Ohio and the country. But I also believe that there is no more sacred constitutional process in our great democracy than the orderly transfer of power after a presidential election. It is now time to expeditiously resolve any outstanding questions and move forward.
As noted above, the key recounts, state certifications and most pending lawsuits are expected to be completed in the next two weeks. This timing coincides with a crucial deadline of December 8 in a law establishing a "safe harbor" for states to certify their electors. This means that if Congress receives those slates of Trump or Biden electors by that date, those slates are final. Going past that deadline would cause unprecedented uncertainty and raise serious constitutional questions. In Bush v. Gore in 2000, the Supreme Court said the safe harbor date "is designed to lead to a conclusive selection of electors…" and felt it necessary to finalize its decision by that date.
The presidential election was contentious and hard fought. Roughly half of America was bound to be disappointed with the outcome. My hope is that all of us, as Americans, regardless of who we supported in the campaign, will be willing to accept the result because a thorough process was followed and the final vote count was clear.
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U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R) represents Ohio.
Hi! A visitor to our site felt the following article might be of interest to you: The path forward on the 2020 election. Here is a link to that story: https://www.urbanacitizen.com/opinion/columns/78489/the-path-forward-on-the-2020-election


Russian, Ukrainian & Eastern European Discussion, Travel & Information Forum - Smallville, Belarus -- go shopping with Lindochka!
Re: Smallville, Belarus -- go shopping with Lindochka!
This device is generally to be found in country homes where there is no running water, the name means hand-washer. It's installed above the (dry) kitchen sink and is regularly filled with well water for cooking and washing hands. It holds a couple of litres of water. To wash your hands, just pull up the knob on the top and water comes out through the spout on the bottom.
The old ones I've seen in the past were made of metal, this is the 21st century plastic version.
Great thread, Linda! I'm very surprised how clean and nice everything looks in Smallville Belarus! A lot cleaner than Smallville, Russia or Ukraine!
By the way I also wanted to mention that you sound like a delightful person and now I understand why AM can't find a good AW in the US - they are all moving to Belarus!!!
Pelmenitsa and new kitchen sponges paid for and tucked into my shopping bag, I stopped off for bread on the way home from Olga's shop. We like to keep baton (which vaguely resembles its French counterpart) and dark bread on hand, so that's what I got. There are actually two kinds of dark bread of the type pictured, I got the medium version instead of the really dark one. There is a third loaf of this type, a nice, dense white bread that is not made of overly refined flour so it still has some nutritional value.
Ed, you'll make me blush. I like to think that women like me are the proof that immigrants can preserve their cultural values in the West, because my grandparents emigrated from the Russian Empire, not the USSR or the FSU.
And the cleanliness here is amazing. It's very unusual to see litter around and people take a dim view of it when they see it. I've been pleasantly surprised to see mothers here who are riding buses or walking with their kids taking empty candy wrappers or chips bags when the children are finished with their snacks and stowing them in their shopping bags, to be thrown away as soon as a trash container appears. My mother did the same with me and my brother, we would never have thought to toss trash onto the sidewalk.
And I think that's an important part of what I like about life here. Not just the attitude about littering, but the attitudes about a lot of things that remind me of what life was like in the US when I was a good deal younger.
Good old fashioned morals and attitudes, sadly they are missing from a lot of Western life.
Yes. I too enjoy "clean". When ever I go to Crimea it really bothers me how people have no respect for their country and land. There are so many gorgeous places there with a combination of Black Sea and the mountains, but almost everywhere you see piles of trash which really detracts from all the beauty.... public Bathrooms are a horror that may haunt a western person for years to come... There is always a big difference once I land in Amsterdam or elsewhere in the West - things are clean, airline workers are friendly and professional...you just know that you are in the West now.
Hmm, Ed, are you know saying Ukrainians are "messier" !? I have seen PLENTY of places in the west that are as bad - if not worse.
Thank you for sharing. You would be a great embassador.
I would have loved to bought the vetran babuska lunch and talked with her about her life. People like her are so interesting.
I'm curious.... What's the internet there like? I remember when I was in Togliatti, I could "purchase" prepaid internet cards and use dialup. My wife had a "high speed" connection wired into her apartment and had really good access - for around 500 rubles a month.
Last year there was dialup only here, but it was 56k, so bearable. This year when I returned, we ordered dialup and put ourselves on the waiting list for dsl. Dialup was horrible, with connection speeds as bad as 4k. No, that is not a typo!
Luckily I only had to suffer like that for three weeks before I was ripping along at 100k with the dsl. The cost for a plan which allows 4GB a month is 45,000 BYR, which is around $17 USD. I go over the limit almost every month though, what with downloading music clips and watching news features, so I'm thinking of getting a higher level plan.
There are prepaid internet cards here but I've never used them. I did use them when we vacationed in Ukraine and they were fine.
We also have IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) here, which is pretty cool -- with 36 channels for about $15 USD per month (including residential telephone service) it's a much better deal than cable.
What a wonderful thread. Thanks for sharing some pictures and info about Smallville and life in Belarus! I hope you'll continue even inspite of "Ms Moby's" trolling.
Oh, I probably will. The photos I have show a side of the FSU that's unfamiliar to most of the participants at boards like these, who tend only to have visited/traveled in big cities. We may take a walk around my neighborhood in another thread soon.
edited to add -- where are my manners? Thank you for the kind words!
Your welcome. We've missed your unique insight and all of the wonderful, and unique FSU experience you have to share with us. I look forward to seeing and reading more about what a gem your neighborhood looks like.
Hi Linda, great thread! I've split part of it off to remain on-topic.
The discussion on littering has been moved to Chat .


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Watch the Exclusive First Look at Oxygen's The Real Murders of Orange County
Take a closer look at the haunting crimes featured in the exclusive trailer for Oxygen's new true crime series, The Real Murders of Orange County.
By Alyssa Ray Sep 18, 2020 6:00 PMTags
TVLegalExclusivesMurderEntertainmentTrue Crime
Watch: Nancy Grace Gives Rapid Fire Answers on True Crime Cases
There are some serious skeletons in the closets of Orange County.
In this exclusive trailer for Oxygen's new series, The Real Murders of Orange County, viewers are teased with the horrific and salacious cases that have taken place in Southern California's famed coastal community. Per the new footage, "Orange County is a beautiful place where beautiful people live," but something darker looms in the region.
"Just because you're rich doesn't mean that you don't have skeletons in your closet," one security professional warns.
Could the pressures of this affluent community really cause a terrible crime? Just ask those appearing on The Real Murders of Orange County.
"The desire to be so perfect creates enormous stress," a voice-over notes. "And, for some people, they just snap."
Furthermore, one man featured in the trailer states that "people are willing to kill to have this lifestyle."
The Real Murders of Orange County premieres Sunday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. with two hour-long episodes. (Episodes on Sunday, Nov. 22 will begin at 7:30 p.m.)
Watch Netflix Investigate Chris Watts in First Trailer for American Murder: The Family Next Door
And, from what the trailer teases, the cases include a murder for hire gone wrong to family members turning against each other.
As the trailer continues, one crime is described to have "an air of Tony Soprano to all this." Other cases include a couple who have "been shot 10, 12 times" and a victim who has been burned to death.
"The richer they are, the harder they fall," the trailer goes on to warn.
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The Real Murders of Orange County will kick off with the murder of Jane Carver, a flight attendant who was shot while jogging mere yards from her home. Due to little evidence and almost no witness information, Carver's case stayed dormant for a year. However, when linked to a shooting in Huntington Beach, the facts of the case began to come to the surface.
Binge These True Crime Shows and Documentaries
Following this episode, at 8 p.m., viewers will hear about the horrific shooting of the Sachs family. As investigators looked at this case, they realized that drama may've been brewing within the seemingly perfect family.
For a taste of what's to come for The Real Murders of Orange County, watch the exclusive trailer above.
The Real Murders of Orange County premieres Sunday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. on Oxygen.
(E! and Oxygen are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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Let's start another journey with Run 2 unblocked offered by A10u.com! The little character is in need of your help once again! Will you help him take up his journey? You can choose to become a runner or a skater in this Run 2! However, the game still requires your concentration when there are tons of dangerous gaps and obstacles appearing in the tunnel. Make an effort to jump from this platform to another one, change the gravity to dodge the gaps!
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U.S. Midterms: Democrats Keep Senate as Republicans Flip House
Why Does the Last Surviving Girl in Movies Have the Best Style?
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Data Sharing: A Matter of National Security
September 15, 2020 February 6, 2021 Melanie Yetman 0 Comments 2020, China, Data, Security, September, Social Media, Technology, TikTok
By Melanie Yetman
Technology and Innovation Writer
Increasing levels of data sharing bring about questions of security on a personal and national level. (Photo courtesy of Information Services Group)
The second that you enter your information online, you relinquish your rights to privacy. Every online platform has the means to collect, store, and sell the data and information collected from you. By engaging with these platforms, we are subject to market research, data analysis, and the use of our personal information for advertisement and sales purposes. Essentially, privacy in terms of the internet is an oxymoron.
More so, data sharing has become an increasingly relevant topic as the world goes through the age of digital transformation. In light of the coronavirus outbreak, there is a newfound reliance on online platforms to communicate on both the personal and professional level. Data sharing has become a necessity to ensure efficient collaboration and communication amongst users. For instance, since 2018, prominent online platforms including Facebook, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Twitter have been actively participating in the Data Transfer Project; a framework that allows users to seamlessly transfer data across these platforms, enhancing data backup, portability, and sharing. Additionally, these methods of data sharing have proven to be beneficial in the healthcare industry. It has revolutionized sharing a patient's medical history, expanding medical research, and implementing digital health platforms. However, as digitalization expands across industries, it raises the question – is all data sharing good?
Companies engaging in data sharing store extensive personal information on its users. From personalizing our app experience and advertisements to using the analytics for profit, companies have increased access to personal information via data sharing. Companies might also have access to our location, finances, and medical history which raises several privacy concerns.
According to the United States federal government, data sharing has become a concern of national security. Currently, executive action is being taken against Chinese mobile platforms including Tik Tok, a video sharing application owned by the parent company, ByteDance. The Trump administration deems the application's collection of data as a threat to national security because the company's relationship with the Chinese government puts US data and assets at risk. While ByteDance claims that American data is only being held in the United States and Singapore by platforms such as Amazon Web Services, there are allegations of data transfers to China. These transfers have the potential to give the Chinese government access to the personal information of Americans, location tracking of United States federal employees, and the means of corporate espionage.
Furthermore, President Trump has issued an executive order that places a ban on Tik Tok if the company does not sell their United States operations, including user data, to an American company. In response to the United States' pressure on the sale of Tik Tok, Beijing has tightened their security on data exports. This sale of Tik Tok in the US is still developing and will likely set a precedent for data sharing between the US and China. As the world's digital transformation continues, data sharing has the potential to become a prevalent conflict in foreign policy and national privacy concerns.
Please contact Melanie at yetmanme@shu.edu
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Hacking to Save Endangered Species: The London Zoohackathon
UPDATE: Team ODINN, which Bloomberg engineer Krishna Raj Sapkota was a member of, has won the Global Zoohackathon competition. ZSL's Conservation tech team is planning to work with ODINN to develop their solution.
The lives and work of software engineers and conservationists might seem worlds apart. However, last month the two came together at the Zoohackathon, hosted by ZSL London Zoo, in collaboration with Bloomberg and the U.S. Embassy London, to develop technological tools to protect endangered species around the world.
The London Zoohackathon is part of a larger global initiative held at zoos across the globe that is aimed at finding innovative tech-driven solutions to help tackle illegal wildlife trade. Now in its second year, the initiative is organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
In addition to sponsoring this year's Zoohackathon, Bloomberg invited nine of its London-based engineers to volunteer their time and talent and participate on different teams in the event. Through the company's philanthropy and engagement program, Bloomberg employees are offered a range of skills-based volunteering opportunities to enable them to apply their expertise to support non-profit organizations in contexts outside their day-to-day responsibilities.
With more than 5,000 engineers and data scientists globally, and 800 in London alone, support and participation in social hackathons is a key strand of the company's philanthropy and engagement program. By harnessing these talented engineers' skills and resources, the company is able to help benefit society and also expand its employees' ongoing professional development.
Bernát Gábor, a software engineer in Bloomberg's London office, participated in both this and last year's Zoohackathon. He worked alongside team members with similar backgrounds in coding, but also with participants specializing in human resources, sales and marketing. Last year, his team won the London event by prototyping a content management system that could alert travelers to items they might be asked to buy that are the result of illegal poaching.
Gábor says non-technical participants play a big role in helping ensure the Zoohackathon's projects are geared towards the real world. The non-coders on his team, says Gábor, talked to zoo visitors about the potential product, while the coders were trying to build it. "We were able to know how viable something truly would be, instead of just trying to create something and then needing to sell it," he explains.
Since many of the hackers come to the zoo with little knowledge of endangered species, the first evening is spent with speakers and subject matter experts who provide the participants with a broad overview of the challenges faced to get them up to speed as quickly as possible. Those same experts are available throughout the weekend to provide advice and ensure that the proposed solutions address the problem in a practical and useful way. That means the projects have to be inexpensive, without significant energy cost, and easily deployable and reliable in remote environments. "It's really important to have people there who can talk about those requirements," says Rachael Kemp, one of the hackathon's organizers and a conservation technology project manager at ZSL.
This year, Gábor chose to work on a project that would help rangers better manage potential threats from the illegal wildlife trade. "Whenever an incident occurs, the proposed system would call one of the rangers, and the ranger could accept the mission and follow up to investigate a potential poaching threat," says Gábor. His team used public APIs for sending voice messages, and built an app server that could run on a Raspberry Pi computer. The system makes calls automatically, and creates a log. "One of the big problems in the field is corruption," says Gábor. "A logging system can help you follow up with everything."
The winning team of this year's London event – ODINN (Onsite Dynamic Identification Neural Network) – of which Bloomberg engineer Krishna Raj Sapkota was a member, aims to improve image recognition so that software can better identify poaching risks. As it stands, rangers get slews of incoming images that may–or may not–represent threats to wildlife. "Someone has to sift through those," says Kemp. An image-recognition system that could flag the most critical risks would help rangers address those issues in real-time.
"The simplicity of the solution lies in the fact that it requires no additional hardware and can be retrofitted to camera traps already deployed," adds Sapkota.
The hackathon gives zoo staff access to ideas that will have real impact in the field, says Kemp. But it also connects the zoo with people with whom it doesn't regularly work. "It's a great opportunity to get these people in, and get them excited about what we're doing," says Kemp. Or, as Gábor put it, "The whole event just has a really good vibe."
Bloomberg has proudly supported ZSL since 2009 and has supported the Zoohackathon from its beginning. Bloomberg's commitment to using data science and human capital to solve problems at the core of society is part of a long tradition of advocacy for using data.


Happy Holidays from Sunset Metal Fab Inc. – Sunset Metal Fab Inc.
Happy Holidays from Sunset Metal Fab Inc.
Posted on December 19, 2017 by Sunset Metal Fab Inc.
At this time, we'd like to wish all our families, friends and wonderful customers a very Merry Christmas from us at Sunset Metal Fab. We wish you all continued health, happiness and success in the New Year.


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It's the weekend and Dr Grumble has taken the bottle of champagne he was given by a patient earlier in the week home. The plan was to celebrate one of the Grumble children's birthday. No worries. What a nice present. But then Dr Grumble took a careful look at the champagne. It looked rather special. It is rather special. A quick googling and it is apparent that this is no ordinary supermarket champagne. It is from a good house and from a top vintage. It sells for up to £100 a bottle. Is that OK? Dr Grumble is uncomfortable. What are the rules? Is he allowed to accept gifts of such value from NHS patients? Is he allowed to accept gifts at all? He actually doesn't know. As is often the case gifts from patients can be rather unexpected and turning them down is awkward, very awkward. Dr Grumble's patient was plainly not wealthy. Dr Grumble did very little for her. He made her better but any competent doctor could have done the same. He treated her well but he did not spend long with her. He did not give her anything extra. And she is so well she has been discharged from the Grumble care. But it is worrying that the bottle she gave is worth £100. It's very nice that she thanked Dr Grumble but a nice letter would have been just as good. But she obviously wanted to do more than that. And Dr G thinks she should be allowed to. He has photocopied the champagne label and put it in his appraisal folder. He is not going to keep this gift a secret. It will be above board and if there is any trouble he will offer to send the patient a cheque for the champagne that Grumble is now intent on drinking.
Do such things happen often? It seems they do. A GP acquaintance has been given £1000 by a patient to spend on a holiday. The GP is uncomfortable. The patient has no relatives. She is grateful to the GP. Her money will be left to a charity when she dies. She wants the GP to have a holiday with her money. But do the rules allow that? Dr G certainly has no idea. What could be the best solution to this problem? Surely it is to put the money to a good cause within the GP practice. Yes, that's the answer. Buy some medical equipment with the money. But when this was suggested to the old lady tears welled up in her eyes. It was not what she wanted. She wants her GP to enjoy herself and take a holiday. Now, if the GP refuses this lady will certainly be upset. And surely there is nothing stopping her from leaving some of her money to the GP when she dies. And presumably there is nothing stopping the GP from accepting it. But how much nicer for the patient to see her GP take a holiday while she is still alive. But what about the rules?
A couple of weeks ago a patient came to see Dr G privately. Until recently Dr Grumble did not see any private patients but there is a need. This particular patient was not eligible for NHS care. He was a very ordinary man from abroad and plainly not well off. Dr Grumble put in a small bill. As it turned out an English friend was paying and a letter came back to Dr G with a cheque for three times the amount Dr Grumble had charged. The friend had clearly realised that Dr Grumble had wanted to undercharge this patient and the friend was having none of it. He wrote thanking Dr Grumble for the care he had given and stated firmly that the advice was worth three times what Grumble had charged and enclosed a cheque accordingly.
These things do happen. There are actually a lot of nice people in this world. Sometimes it does not seem that way but there are. People sometimes want to give to others. Dr Grumble wanted to undercharge his impoverished patient. The patient's friend wanted to pay Dr Grumble more. The GP's elderly patient wants her to have a holiday and wants to pay for it. Sometimes human beings want to do things that are very nice. It is a very nice feature of human beings when you see it. It doesn't happen all that often but it does happen. We should allow it to happen. Rules or no rules Dr Grumble is going to drink his champagne.
Yesterday's clinic
There was nothing particularly odd about yesterday afternoon's clinic. The usual mix of patients. The usual patients inexplicably sent to the wrong clinic by Choose and Book. Nothing odd. Except one thing. A whole series of patients in a row thanked Dr Grumble. Not just a polite thank you but something much more. One went on about how all her friends who came to visit her in the Grumble hospital thought she was going to die and how well the Grumble hospital had done. Another told Dr Grumble that he was the only one after many years to have diagnosed his rare condition. And then he went on to praise many others in the NHS who had cared for his family over the years. He told the story of how when his father was dying the food was not just dumped in front of him but a nurse came to help him eat it. Perhaps this was some time ago. Dr Grumble didn't ask. There wasn't time. Then a patient brought Dr Grumble a bottle of champagne. Dr Grumble had only seen her three times. She was not a patient who knew Dr Grumble well. But she had been made better and that was her way to say thank you. Dr Grumble was glad to have the champagne. He will drink the champagne this weekend to celebrate the birthday of one of the Grumble children. But most of all Dr Grumble likes to be thanked and he likes it when he can take real pride in the organisation that he works for: the NHS.
All this adulation in just one clinic was just a little odd. It's not completely out of the ordinary but Dr Grumble does not usually get quite so much praise all in one afternoon. It buoyed Dr Grumble up for his long drive home. And then he heard the news that Ivan Cameron had died. And then it all made sense.
Good people and bad people
There are good people and bad people in this world. As a doctor you are privileged to meet all strata of society. Some people don't. Dr Grumble has many patients who have been been in prison. He has recently had patients who are in custody. He talks to them. Some are innocent. Some tell Dr G they have been assaulted by the police. They don't expect Dr Grumble to believe them. Usually he does. It is the people who do wrong and should know better that are the evil ones. The inadequates of this world who have had everything against them from the time of their birth may deserve to be forgiven. But how can you forgive the Madoffs of this world who, it is alleged, ruin the lives of others while leading their own lives of luxury? How can you forgive the managers of radio stations who encourage the sowing of dangerous memes which may cause the deaths or maiming of children? How can you forgive those who threaten democracy because they, like many others in the past, think they know better than Common People how the world should be run?.
Some years ago one of the good people of this world came to visit Dr Grumble. He brought his dog with him. The dog's name was David. He was a Norfolk terrior. Dr Grumble looked after him. As it happened, during his sojourn in the Grumble household, David fell ill. Dr G told the story here.
David's owner was a man called, Bill. Bill was an ex SAS man. He was very interesting to talk to. He sat at Dr Grumble's kitchen table. Dr Grumble can remember now which chair he sat it. The most striking thing about Bill that Dr Grumble immediately noticed was that his left hand was missing. Instead he had a piece of metal. Not exactly a hook but the modern version. Bill sat at the kitchen table and unselfconsciously plonked his 'hook' on the table while he drank a cup of coffee. Most people would probably have felt awkward about commenting on the 'hook' but Dr G asked him how he had lost his arm. As far as he can recall he lost it in some lesser known but successful skirmish in Oman. Since leaving the SAS Bill had been doing lots of interesting things involving humanitarian work in other trouble spots around the world. He wanted to build up a little nest egg for his retirement.
There wasn't time to talk for long. Bill had to leave. Dr Grumble had noticed that he had arrived in a manual car. He wondered how Bill could change gear with the 'hook'. He never did quite see how he did it but Bill happily shunted back and forth in the Grumble yard without any difficulty. That was the last time Dr Grumble saw Bill. He was a nice man. One of the good people.
A few days ago Dr Grumble heard on the radio that a retired army major had shot himself after losing his retirement savings in the Herald USA Fund and Herald Luxembourg Fund. These were bogus funds run by Mr Madoff. When Dr Grumble got home last night Mrs Grumble told him it was Bill. She was in tears.
Smallpox is something that has been forgotten. Dr Grumble's students puzzle over smallpox vaccination scars that are an incidental finding in many patients over a certain age. Amazingly, Dr Grumble is yet to find a new student who can even guess what causes these scars.
Dr Grumble is not an expert on smallpox but it is one of the first diseases that he learned about. He remembers well the fearfulness, almost terror, smallpox caused in 1962 when he was a young child in South Wales. Dr Grumble can remember his father telling him that a South Wales obstetrician had contracted smallpox after attending a post mortem on a pregnant patient who had died unexpectedly. It turned out that she had had smallpox. Smallpox, you see, does not necessarily present with all those ghastly pustules you see in the pictures of old. As far as Dr Grumble can recall, the disease had been spread around by the index case, a recent immigrant from Pakistan, who had visited various prostitutes. This made any idea of contact tracing awkward.
Medical people don't much get frightened by medical scares that appear on a regular basis in the press. Dr Grumble works daily alongside patients with nasty pathogens. It doesn't worry him. But it used to. He can remember, as a student, trying to hold his breath as he went into cubicles in the infectious diseases ward. He used to wonder how the old professor that used to teach him so well could possibly have lived so long working with infectious diseases every day.
But smallpox is another thing altogether. That still frightens Dr Grumble - even though it is long gone. And in 1962 the Grumble family was, well, scared. Dr Grumble's father was, you see, an obstetrician so it could easily have been him. Except that, unlike the obstetrician who died, Dr Grumble's father had been vaccinated many times. But, though a live vaccine, immunity following smallpox vaccination wanes. In a very short time Dr Grumble's father came home with some vaccine and he immunised us all. The public, some of whom had previously unwisely shunned vaccination, were soon clamouring for it and 900,000 people were eventually vaccinated. But 25 people contracted smallpox and 9 died.
Smallpox was a most terrible scourge which used to cause widespread fear, maiming and terrible death on a grand scale. Its eradication has been a most fantastic achievement. We have Edward Jenner and his vaccination and the World Health Organisation to thank.
Dr Grumble saw one of the very last cases of smallpox while working as a medical student in Ethiopia. He hopes he has seen his last case of measles. He hasn't seen one for a very long time. We must eradicate this disease. We owe it to the people of the third world. There is hope. Here's what they have achieved in Yemen.
From 2006 to 2007, reported cases of measles nationwide plummeted from 30,000 cases, 5,000 of which were fatal, to 13 cases only.
"In 2008, there were three reported cases of measles, and no fatalities," said Dr Mohammad. (Source)
Well done Dr Mohammad. Persuading primitive people to be immunised can be a problem in the third world where you may have to combat ignorance or strange traditional beliefs.
How to kill fairies
How many of you have read Peter Pan? Do you remember Tinker Bell? Do you remember her saying that every time someone says that they do not believe in fairies, a fairy dies? It is the same with immunisations. Every time someone says they don't believe in immunisations, a child will die. And if that "someone" is on the radio or the television, it may be more than one child. A statement made on the radio or on TV has spurious gravitas. Ben Goldacre is furious with LBC's Jeni Barnett because someone, somewhere will, as a result of that broadcast, decide not to give their child the MMR immunisation.
So says Dr Crippen. It's the nub of why Jeni Barnett and the resulting attempts to silence well meaning bloggers worry us so much.
Is there hope?
According to the Jobbing Doctor there may be. Here's what the Secretary of State for Health has to say on the topic of denying health care to failed asylum seekers:
I understand all the points made by the clinicians we consulted, about the public health risks, the sheer inhumanity of refusing to treat people who are ill in primary care.
He is right. The clinicians were right. It is our willingness to do our best to look after the sick, all of them, that is part of what our country is about. Dr Grumble does not have a full grasp of the rules but he has had to take on the unenviable task of having to deny treatment to undocumented migrants. Managers don't do this job. It's the doctors. It's the toughest thing Dr Grumble has to do. Others make the rules. Dr Grumble delivers the message. Dr Grumble is happy to give his own time to these poor people but that does not pay their hospital bills. You can understand why taxpayers might want to be tough on migrants but they do not have to see the consequent misery themselves. Perhaps if they did they would care. Perhaps they wouldn't. Who knows?
New Labour has been a disappointment to Dr Grumble. The Blairites did not care much for the poor and needy. They had never been poor and needy themselves. Their main aim in life was to ensure they never would. They cared about the markets, the bankers and the financiers of London. They took the view that these gamblers with other people's money were creating wealth. They had no concept of the real wealth of a nation residing in stability and in its willingness to care for those in need.
Dr Grumble has met Alan Johnson. Last year he shook his hand. Mr Johnson had no idea of his good fortune to be in the presence of a top medical blogger. But good fortune it was because Dr Grumble, in preparation for his meeting, consulted wikipedia on Alan Johnson and from that moment on the Secretary of State went sky high in the Grumble estimation. Sooner or later Grumble was going to give him a well deserved plug. Alan Johnson you see is a real genuine person with a real background that enables him to understand the lot of the deprived. He understands the value of a society that really cares, that looks after the sick and ministers to those in need. He understands that that is a society with true wealth.
Here is the bit from wikipedia which Dr Grumble will always remember about Alan Johnson. It brought tears to the Grumble eyes:
Born in London and orphaned at the age of 12 years when his mother died, Johnson was then effectively brought up by his older sister when the two were assigned a council flat by their child welfare officer.
Alan Johnson left school at 15 and started work stacking shelves at Tesco. Despite those humble beginnings he made it to the top. He deserves it. Alan Johnson understands the world in a way that Tony Blair and his Tory facsimile will never ever be able to grasp. He can grasp what it must be like to be the 12 year old orphan of a failed asylum seeker who is denied health care.
It's an amazing thing but Dr Grumble once wanted to be a journalist. It was when he was about ten years old. Dr Grumble was beginning to read what were then known as broadsheet newspapers. Perhaps that is what they are still known as but mostly they have since shrunk in size . The reason Dr Grumble wanted to be a journalist was that, in the days before the internet could even have been dreamed of, journalists were a source of 'instant' information about the world. Journalists knew everything and then told everybody else. How clever is that? Dr Grumble wanted to be clever. Dr Grumble's father said nothing about his son's aspirations. He did though show a slight look of dismay and he said something about running with hares and hunting with hounds. It is never a good idea to steer your kids away from some silly notion. They might react by digging their heels ill. It's best to let them find out for themselves.
It has taken Dr Grumble a long time to realise just how bad journalists and people in the media whose job it is to inform the public are. Perhaps they are worse than they were. There are more media than there were. Local radio, the internet, uncountable TV channels - these things just did not exist in Grumble's childhood. Many of Grumble's patients work in 'the media'. With advertising money swilling around the way it once was there have been insatiable demands to fill the air waves. And, since big audiences are what the media moguls want, the aim of the content is to meet the lowest common denominator. So, the Grumble children watch the uncouths of this world like Jeremy Clarkson and Jonathan Ross whose childlike repartee makes society think that behaviour two standard deviations from the norm is acceptable. Dr Grumble would be happier if his kids went instead to the pub, had a few beers and made their own coarse entertainment with their mates. But Grumble, as his children freely tell him when he sounds forth on these matters, is an old fart. Perhaps, as they claim, it really doesn't matter.
But there are things in the media that do matter. They are things to do with truth. Curiously the Grumble children have no interest in seeking after truth. The Grumble generation was different. We were marching on the streets to set the world to rights. We saw the world as good and bad. We were, of course, on the side of the good. Now if you look at the major political parties there are no goodies and baddies. Perhaps, especially if you look at the current financial crisis, they are all baddies. Who can be taken in by criticism of Gordon Brown when David Cameron seemed to be shouting encouragement from the wings? And with all this political greyness has come media collusion. Knocking doctors and particularly GPs at the behest of the government has become a media pastime. Health journalism, if you can call it that, has become an exercise in regurgitation of some government press release written with a Flesch score of 100. Why do journalists not realise that they are being used? Why don't they probe a bit deeper and find the real truth? Why do they never probe and read the source documents? It is because they are lazy and they do not do their jobs properly.
What has started Grumble on this tirade? It is the realisation that we just cannot go on letting our media get away with the utter crap they churn out. It's not the puerile Clarksons and the rude Rosses that are of real concern. They might rile the old farts but, on the scale of things, they just do not matter. It's the lack of intelligent criticism of our policy makers and the sloppy reporting of science and, for that matter, most other topics that need any intelligence to make sense of them that matters. Where, for example, were the journalists that criticised our bankers? Where were the journalists that raised concerns about dodgy mortgages? Where were the journalists to inform us on the value of the mutual organisation? Dr Grumble could go on. Of course there were some good souls who did their jobs. But most just churned out what was fed to them in press releases from greedy bankers. We have all played this game with journalists to get them to write what we want. Even Dr Grumble has written press releases. Even Dr Grumble has been on the telly and the radio to lobby for his cause. But his cause was a good one. At heart he wanted to inform patients. His professional organisation who facilitated some of this had no money to make from these initiatives. They just wanted to inform the public - accurately.
And if you really want to know what has angered Dr Grumble you will need to listen to this.
(Not hosted here for legal reasons)
But Dr Grumble's advice is not to bother. It is the most despicable radio programme Dr Grumble has ever heard.
How not to waste more taxpayers' money
In the US they are looking at the Canadian system of healthcare. They see some advantages. Here is one:
Each hospital in Canada gets a global budget, a set amount which is all they have to spend for the year. They don't price things like bandages, drugs or even overnight stays individually. The cost for these things and for doctor service is negotiated in advance. (Source)
Isn't it strange that what we used to have in the UK is being seen by others as an advantage. Why are we fixing something that isn't broke?
Choice, choice and more choice
How many surveys do you think the Department of Health has conducted on the topic of patient choice? Three? Half a dozen? The answer is over a dozen. Fifteen to be precise. How many patients do you think they questioned for their latest survey? A hundred? Five hundred? Five thousand maybe? The answer is 93,000? How much do you think this cost? £50,000? £100,000? £200,000 maybe? The answer is that only the Department of Health knows. If you use the Freedom of Information Act to find out they will tell you that this information is not available because it's to do with commercial contracts. Dr Grumble would say that this is his taxpayers' money so he should be allowed to know.
Why is the Department of Health so obsessed with choice that it has to carry out fifteen surveys of tens of thousands of people on the topic? Is there something wrong with the amount of choice our patients are getting? Let's look at the bottom line from this survey:
67 percent of patients were able to go to the hospital they wanted, with a further 23 percent having no preference (pdf).
That's how they phrase it. It is almost as if the pollsters have been trawling the data to find something wrong. Because, if you add 67% and 23% you get 90%. In other words, for those people in the Department of Health who persist in spending taxpayers' money on these surveys, 90% of the patients went to the hospital they wanted to go to or didn't care which hospital they went to. Ninety per cent of patients were satisfied. Please, Department of Health, that is not a problem.
It is not worth spending any more of Grumble's money on this issue. It really isn't. Unless, of course, you have another agenda.
LBC sharks
Dr Grumble has been on LBC live. He did it for nothing. He did it not as a favour to LBC. He went on as a favour to patients because he had something important to say to them. LBC have recorded in Dr Grumble's department. The reporter was a nice chap. He did his job professionally.
Dr Grumble will not choose to go on LBC again. He will politely decline. And he will tell them why. But basically it is because they are shits.
Lord Darzi: The fundamental flaw
On the Hardtalk show recommended by the Witch Doctor, Lord Darzi was given a grilling. It was not much of a grilling. Dr Grumble could have done a much better job. And when some of the answers did not hold water the noble Lord was let off the hook.
The hapless interviewer did ask an interesting question in which he essentially referred to the problem of there being more chronically ill and more people living longer and then said that he did not see how Lord Darzi was going to be able to cope with that.
Lord Darzi's answer was immediate and confident. He said that he was going to focus more on prevention. It is a crackers answer, of course. It is prevention of disease that has caused more people to live longer so that bits of them wear away or they develop chronic disease. Even if you can prevent or ameliorate some of these chronic illnesses you will then live even longer and develop something else. Unless you die young as we used to you are unlikely to die quickly after previously having been rather well. You are more likely to die slowly after going inexorably downhill with chronic debility of one sort or another. It is mad to think otherwise. Dr Grumble does not really think Lord Darzi believes the nonsense he spouted. But Lord Darzi would know that you can get away with this stock answer because it has been in use ever since the beginning of the NHS. The idea was always that you spend to eradicate disease. It is nonsense really.
It's laudable that the government promotes prevention by encouraging people to stop smoking and lead healthy lives but if you live long enough you will still get some disease or other that will kill you. Come to think of it if you don't live long enough something will have killed you anyway. We all die. You can't stop it. And the more you are successful in postponing death the more the population is going to suffer from the many degenerative and other diseases that can afflict the elderly.
The interviewer was right. Lord Darzi's answer was somewhat disengenuous. But you can't blame him for not having an answer to an insoluble problem.
Choose and book (yet again)
Now it's official. Patients who use Choose and Book are less likely to show up. Isn't it awful? All that expense and it doesn't work.
If you can be bothered to read one of Grumble's old posts on this topic one reason is here.
Walk-in dementia clinics
Yes. It's true. If you can't remember your GP appointment because you are becoming demented you can drop in to the walk-in memory clinic. You can see the method to this madness.
The lobby groups on this topic have some quotes. Here's one:
Research has shown that a brief four or five-hour programme of support and counselling at diagnosis can reduce institutional care by an astonishing 28 per cent or an average of 557 days compared with those not receiving such interventions. This is particularly crucial considering that much of the cost associated with dementia results from expensive care home provision.
Does anybody know where that comes from? Can it be true? The other sound bites are about how bad doctors are. But we are used to that.
Everybody wants to avoid getting dementia in later life. Nobody wants their nearest and dearest to develop dementia. And everybody wants the best treatment there is for dementia. And, as we know from today's stories, lots and lots and lots can be done. Everybody wants it to be Christmas. But it isn't Christmas all the time. It just isn't.
Sometimes it is difficult to point out to people who mean well that there are flaws in their arguments. There is not much point in early diagnosis if the services in place are insufficient.
Here's another quote:
Professor Banerjee admits the services in place now are not able to deal with the number of people who need them.
Here's a quote from the lobby group:
If community services were sufficient and specialist services similarly boosted, numbers could be managed, as early diagnosis would mean fewer people needing specialist care.
And the gentle retort from the professional:
It is a myth that a growth in community based memory services will mean a reduction in inpatient specialist care.
Sometimes it seems dementia is infectious. Now just where did Dr Grumble leave those keys? Source: HSJ.
Middle class eyes
The trouble with the people in charge telling us what to do is that they have never met a real cross section of our patients. If you are a middle class person in a good job the idea of being given money and shopping around for the doctor of your choice may seem attractive. But not everybody feels this way. If you are elderly with a failing body and, perhaps, mind you may just want to be looked after and have somebody else do the worrying.
What induced Dr Grumble to post this? It was a comment on Health Care Republic news which struck a chord. The article was about over half a million pounds being spent on some GP vascular screening programme. The patient would get referred to a nurse-led programme and the patients would be given a 16 week programme of exercise and health advice. The comment was as follows:
Many people don't particularly care about living a long time.
It's true. Some people don't. There is no earthly point in giving advice to people about how to live longer if they don't particularly care. We do not all see things the same way as our masters.
Dr Grumble has many patients who would live longer if they were to take his advice. Many of them do not take his advice. That's OK. That is their decision. Occasionally some of them actually tell Dr Grumble that they do not want to live longer. That's OK too. Some young doctors get upset when patients persist in doing things that are not good for them. But it's up to them. It really is. If people want to do something you wouldn't do that's OK. As long as they understand. But we shouldn't waste taxpayers money trying to persuade them to look after their bodies if that is not what they want to do.
Dr Grumble has some serious questions about Personal Health Budgets. So, it seems, do those responsible for their implementation.
And, after an awayday in a posh London hotel, most of these people think it will be more difficult than they thought (pdf).
Dr Grumble thinks it will be extremely difficult. He fears it will be more money down the drain. But nobody listens to Dr Grumble. So we are stuck with this silly idea.
But don't just accept what Grumble says. Read all about Personal Health Budgets here.