text:
Q: Javascript: compare array element properties, and if identical, combine I'm dealing with an array of objects. Each object has two properties, size and count.
var drives = [
{size:"900GB", count:3},
{size:"900GB", count:100},
{size:"1200GB", count:5},
{size:"900GB", count:1}
]

I don't like how the same size comes multiple times, and would like to consolidate all repeated sizes into just 1 array index.
First I have the array sorted by size. Then I tried making a for-loop to do manage repetitions.
drives.sort(function(obj1, obj2) {
var First = parseInt(obj1.size)
var Second = parseInt(obj2.size)
// Ascending: first size less than the previous
return First - Second;
})

for(var i = 0; i < drives.length-1; i++)
 {

    if(drives[i].size == drives[i+1].size)
     {
        drives[i+1].count+=drives[i].count;
        //add the count of the first index to the second index's count
        drives.splice(i, 1);
        //delete the first index
     }
 }

https://jsbin.com/zayofiqoke/edit?js,console
The for-loop doesn't seem to iterate correctly. It only combines two indexes. How do I achieve what I'm looking for? Thanks!

A: You could filter the array and update the same sized items with a closure over a hash table.

var drives = [{ size: "900GB", count: 3 }, { size: "900GB", count: 100 }, { size: "1200GB", count: 5 }, { size: "900GB", count: 1 }];

drives = drives.filter(function (hash) {
    return function (a) {
        if (!hash[a.size]) {
            hash[a.size] = a;
            return true;
        }
        hash[a.size].count += a.count;
    };
}(Object.create(null)));

console.log(drives);

A: This probably isn't the best implementation but you could always keep a temporary list of elements and iterate through it:
var tmp = {};
var out = [];
for(var i = 0; i < drives.length; i++) {
    if(!tmp[JSON.stringify(drives[i])]) {
        out.push(drives[i]);
        tmp[JSON.stringify(drives[i])] = true;
    }
}

All I'm doing is iterating through the array, I convert the object to JSON and use that as a key in an object so if there's any identical objects, they will hopefully be caught because they exist in the temporary object (keeps lookup at ~O(1) stringify does iterate over the keys in a loop).
If the key hasn't been defined push the object to a new array and continue to the end of your original array.
So your final solution runs in O(n) but it isn't very memory efficient.

A: Edit: This could possibly be made even shorter using Array#filter. Credit to Nina Scholz for posting the first answer using this strategy. I am using the second argument to the filter function, which sets the this context given to the passed callback, to use as few extra lines as possible.

var drives = [
  {size:"900GB", count:3},
  {size:"900GB", count:100},
  {size:"1200GB", count:5},
  {size:"900GB", count:1}
]

var result = drives.filter(function (e) {
  if (e.size in this) this[e.size].count += e.count
  else return this[e.size] = e
}, {})

console.log(result)

Original: A better approach might be to use Array#map and Array#reduce:

var drives = [
  {size:"900GB", count:3},
  {size:"900GB", count:100},
  {size:"1200GB", count:5},
  {size:"900GB", count:1}
]

var map = drives.reduce(function (map, e) {
  if (e.size in map) map[e.size].count += e.count
  else map[e.size] = e
  return map
}, {})

var result = Object.keys(map).map(function (k) {
  return this[k]
}, map)

console.log(result)


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text:
Program spotlight: Argentina: Memory and Social Activism through the Arts
Art, art history junior earns Gilman Scholarship to study on SIT Argentina
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Home › MEDIA CENTER › Stories › 'We have moved a step': A conversation with Johnson Mugaga of Rwanda
'We have moved a step': A conversation with Johnson Mugaga of Rwanda
August 14th, 2019 | CONTACT, SIT Graduate Institute
Johnson Mugaga is division manager at the National Unity & Reconciliation Commission of Rwanda. The commission was established to unite Rwanda in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. A math teacher who earned a BA in education in Uganda and an MBA in the UK, Johnson works with a team that liaises with NGOs, religious leaders, and organizations that engage in peacebuilding, community outreach, and grassroots development.
"We look at how each uses their particular medium to pass on the message of peace … We meet with political parties, religious leaders, media, civil society, the public and private sectors, and community members to ask them what they are doing to foster unity and fight discrimination and exclusion. These are the core drivers of the genocide against the Tutsi. We watch for this on all levels."
Johnson began his career in civil service in 1994 when he was asked to step in as deputy governor in a southern province, where he oversaw the resettlement of displaced persons and refugees. "After the genocide, everyone was called upon to give a hand," he said. "They would look at where you were most competent – running clinics or orphanages, in trauma healing, doing community work. Sometimes we did this with no salary."
We spoke with Johnson during his visit to Vermont this summer as part of SIT's 2019 CONTACT Peacebuilding Program.
The whole system had broken down. People needed to be secure.
Was this service a way to help the country heal?
In part, yes. The whole system had broken down. People needed to be secure. They needed a local leader to call, police, support services. So, it was part of the healing process because at that particular moment people's basic needs had to be met: health care, clean water, shelter, food, security. Later we started the distribution of farm implements – hoes and seeds. Then we started schools, markets, local governments."
The Rwandan community identified the following as the key drivers of 1994 genocide against the Tutsi: a culture of impunity, ignorance, bad governance, and poverty.
What did this service instill in you?
Resilience. I realized you must stand firm whenever you face a problem; that we, as Rwandans, must be there, must own it. So, it created a sense of ownership; a knowledge that the problem would not be solved by arbitrators or mediators or peacekeepers but by we, the Rwandans. That we must look for ways of sitting together to find common ground and solutions to our problems.
The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission carried out grassroots consultations and the Rwandan community identified the following as the key drivers of 1994 genocide against the Tutsi: a culture of impunity, ignorance, bad governance, and poverty. These findings were brought to the National Summit and partly informed the policies, legislation and institutions to address those problems.
For example, in 2002 Rwanda introduced decentralization and established 107 local governments to address the issue of giving voice and power to the people. But it is one thing to elect council members and another to know what to do. It is in this regard that I was appointed the Pioneer Secretary General of the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities in 2002.
Rwandan identity was destroyed in 104 years; you can't rebuild it in 25 years.
Do you feel like your country's differences have largely been put behind you now?
I can say we are secure, but one thing you must understand is that the divisions in Rwanda are rooted in our colonial legacy: German rule, Belgian rule, divisive post-independence leaders influenced by the Catholic Church. That thinking percolates in our genocide. … Rwandan identity was destroyed in 104 years; you can't rebuild it in 25 years. You can't compare us to Kenya or Uganda. They did not have a genocide. You don't wake up and overnight say 'we have done it.' Can you imagine somebody who killed people including his own children? Can you imagine the stories being told by survivors to their children, by perpetrators to their children?
As we talk today, people are still suffering from the German occupation of Belgium in World War I. People in the fourth generation are suffering from intergenerational trauma. So, you can't wake up today and tell me the genocide ideology has disappeared. We have national unity, yes. Our policies are unified nationally. But internally we have not gone that far. It's been one generation. It won't just disappear. So yes, we have moved a step, but we must move much farther.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


VY0ERC will be QRV 3rd February to 29th March from Eureka, Nunavut Territory, island (IOTA NA-008).
Plans are to be on SSB, CW and digital modes, "time and weather permitting." Also plans are to be working satellites ER60 and EQ79.


text:
package org.craft.utils;

public class StringUtils
{

    public static String removeSpacesAtStart(String line)
    {
        while(!line.isEmpty() && line.startsWith(" "))
            line = line.substring(1);
        return line;
    }

    public static String createCorrectedFileName(String name)
    {
        StringBuffer buffer = new StringBuffer();
        for(int i = 0; i < name.length(); i++ )
        {
            char c = name.charAt(i);
            if(c == ':' || c == '?' || c == '/' || c == '\\')
                c = '_';
            buffer.append(c);
        }

        return buffer.toString();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Huawei: 'No doubt' that we will meet German 5G security standards
FILE PHOTO: An employee displays a Huawei 5G Smartphone Mate 20X smartphone at a Sunrise telecommunications shop in Opfikon, Switzerland June 21, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann - Copyright Arnd Wiegmann(Reuters)
By Douglas Busvine
BERLIN (Reuters) – Huawei, the Chinese technology and telecoms group hit by U.S. sanctions, said on Monday it was confident of meeting the security requirements that Germany is setting for its fifth-generation mobile networks.
The upbeat comment, by Huawei's Germany chief technology officer Werner Haas, comes as the country's telecoms and cyber watchdogs hone security criteria that vendors such as Huawei will have to fulfil to gain certification.
Germany has just completed a 6.5 billion euro (5.8 billion pounds) auction of 5G spectrum that can, for example, run "smart" factories, setting the stage for Huawei and rivals Ericsson and Nokia to vie for billions in deals.
"We expect there to be good and pragmatic (security) solutions – and we have no doubt that we will fulfil them," Haas told reporters in Berlin.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has targeted Huawei as part of his broader drive to rebalance trade with China, last month imposing export controls on the Shenzhen-based global networks market leader.
That measure has forced key Western suppliers, such as UK-based chip designer ARM, to curb deliveries and led Huawei's founder, Ren Zhengfei, to warn that revenue could take a $30 billion hit this year as a result.
LEVELPLAYINGFIELD
In Germany, Europe's largest economy, the government and regulators have, after lengthy debate, spurned U.S. calls to banish Huawei on national security grounds.
Instead, they have set a level playing field for all foreign vendors, requiring them to meet key technical criteria – such as strong encryption of sensitive information, or whether a network is robust enough to withstand sabotage.
These technical criteria, sketched out in March, are still being refined. A further requirement for vendors to be deemed "trustworthy" to win certification is also under discussion, and was raised by Economy Minister Peter Altmaier in China last week.
One concern in the West has been a Chinese intelligence law that requires citizens and companies to aid the state in espionage investigations. Huawei founder Ren has said that no law required his company to install so-called backdoors that could be used for spying.
Haas said Huawei, which has long-standing supplier relationships with Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica Deutschland, was already well known in Germany as a secure, safe and reliable partner.
He also pushed back against U.S. assertions that backdoors in networks were an issue. Instead, he said, it was vital for vendors and operators to make sure that the billions of devices and sensors that will be connected to the so-called Internet of Things are safe.
"Those are the greatest challenges," said Haas.
(Reporting by Douglas Busvine; editing by David Evans)
Europe's 'carbon border tax' could hurt climate negotiations, according to China adviser
Facebook issues first correction notice at Singapore's request
Germany could still ban Huawei from 5G build-out over security concerns, says defence minister
Joe BidenDonald TrumpBiden InaugurationCOVID-19Covid VaccineEuropean UnionCoronavirus vaccineTravelProtestGiuseppe Conte


text:
Trade Shows Still an Industry Favorite
Even during the age of the Internet and electronic communication, there is no better way to get industry news and information about the latest products than through a trade show.
The results of a new industry survey indicate the impact of the Internet, e-mail and multimedia disks has not replaced graphic arts trade shows as sources of information. Major expositions, such as Graph Expo and Print, are still viewed by printers as important events in the industry. Regional trade shows, however, were not rated as high.
The survey was conducted by MAN Roland's marketing agency, NAK Marketing Communications, which sampled 1,000 MAN Roland users and 1,000 graphic arts executives and managers. Of the 150 respondents, 54 percent said smaller expositions offer little when compared to national shows, while 10 percent strongly agree that regional shows lack the value national shows offer. When asked to rank their preferences in live media, most selected a live demonstration at a trade show as the top answer, while running new equipment, an association presentation or seminar and conversations with a fellow printer were also high on the list. Ranking last on the list of 10 was an interactive Web site presentation.
The respondents also indicate they rely on articles from trade magazines, visits from their local sales representatives and product brochures to get information about the industry. A static Web site and e-mail ranked ninth and 10th on the list.
"This survey was not meant to be scientific, but to provide a snapshot of how the industry feels about its trade shows," says Yves Rogivue, chief executive officer of MAN Roland Inc. "We wanted to know what our customers and the industry at large thought about these expositions, so we can do a better job of allocating our communications resources."
The survey also asked if Print 01, an industry exposition, met expectations. Only a third of the respondents answered the question, with 74 percent indicating the show met expectations, while 16 percent said the show went beyond expectations. Of those who skipped the event, 43 percent said they didn't have the time to attend while 39 percent responded that the show wasn't in the travel budget. Only 7 percent said they could get the same information over the Internet.
Manroland


text:
Der Flughafen Saragossa (; IATA-Code: ZAZ, ICAO-Code: LEZG) ist ein internationaler Verkehrsflughafen in der Autonomen Gemeinschaft Aragonien im Nordosten Spaniens. Er liegt an der Nationalstraße N-125 ca. elf Kilometer westlich von Saragossa. Der Flughafen ist Heimatflughafen der Zorex und wird als Base Aérea de Zaragoza auch von der spanischen Luftwaffe genutzt. Er diente der NASA früher als Notlandeplatz des Space Shuttle für den Fall eines TAL (transoceanic abort mode).

Geschichte
Der heutige Flughafen hat seine Wurzeln im Aeródromo de Garrapinillos, das aus zwei jeweils zirka ein Quadratkilometer großen und vier Kilometer auseinanderliegenden Fluggeländen, Sanjurjo und Valenzuela, bestand. Ersteres war das näher zum Stadtzentrum Saragossas gelegene Flugfeld. Es wurde in der ersten Phase des Spanischen Bürgerkrieges eröffnet. Teile der deutschen Jagdstaffel flogen bereits im Oktober 1936, noch vor der Aufstellung der eigentlichen Legion Condor Einsätze von Saragossa. Die Nationalspanier und ihre Verbündeten nutzten die Plätze ab Oktober 1937 zunächst als Basis von He-51 Jagdflugzeugen und ab Ende 1937 auch von He-111 Bombern der Kampfgruppe 88. Letztere nutzte vorwiegend Sanjurjo als Haupteinsatzplatz, während die nationalspanischen und auch die italienischen Fliegereinheiten vorwiegend von Valenzuela aus operierten. Nach der Schlacht von Teruel kamen die Fliegerkräfte bei der Aragonoffensive, dem weiteren Vormarsch der Franco-Truppen Richtung Levante, der Ebroschlacht und den abschließenden Kämpfen in Katalonien zum Einsatz.

Nach dem Krieg wurden beide Plätze ab 1940 sowohl militärisch als auch zivil genutzt. Im September 1947 wurden die ersten Inlandsflüge von Sanjurjo durchgeführt und im folgenden Frühjahr wurden erste Auslandsziele von Valenzuela aus angeflogen. Im Jahre 1949 wurde die Start- und Landebahn vergrößert und 1951 nahm Aviaco erste Inlands-Linienflüge auf.

Später während des Kalten Krieges wurde die Basis als einer von drei Flugplätzen, neben Morón bei Sevilla und Torrejón bei Madrid, von der United States Air Force (USAF), der US-amerikanischen Luftwaffe, genutzt. Der Ausbau Valenzuelas begann hierzu ab 1954, die existierende Start- und Landebahn wurde vergrößert und eine weitere Piste wurde komplett neu gebaut. Zwischen 1958 und 1965 lag hier eine Staffel Abfangjäger, die 431. Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. Sie war anfangs mit F-86D Sabre ausgerüstet und gehörte zum Strategic Air Command (SAC).

1960 wurde die Basis an die United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) transferiert, die Staffel rüstete in diesem Jahr auf die F-102A/TF-102B Delta Dagger um. Parallel wurde Sanjurjo weiterhin von Spanien zivil und militärisch genutzt, seit 1961 auch mit internationalen Linienverbindungen und im Jahre 1965 erhielt Sanjurjo die heutigen Namen Aeropuerto de Zaragoza.

In den 1970er und 1980er Jahren war die US-Basis Heimat des 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, das keine eigenen Luftfahrzeuge im Bestand hatte. Im Rahmen des Golfkrieges war der Platz noch einmal 1990/1991 ein wichtiger Umschlagplatz der USAF, bevor der amerikanische Flugbetrieb Ende 1991 endete und der Betrieb der Basis im April 1992 an Spanien rückübertragen wurde.

Auf der "spanischen" Nord-Ost-Seite ist seit April 1973 zusätzlich das Ala 31 stationiert, das bis 1978 lediglich als 301. Staffel (Escuadrón 301) existierte. Der Zulauf der C-130H, erfolgte zwischen Dezember 1973 und Anfang 1980, wobei die ersten Exemplare mit einer Ausrüstung zur Luftbetankung (KC-130H) 1976 eintrafen. Die C/KC-130H/H-30 wurden nach 47 Dienstjahren Ende 2020 außer Dienst gestellt

Daneben liegt hier seit Dezember 1985 das Ala 15, das seit Juli 1986 die F/A-18 betreibt.

Im Jahre 2012 plante das European Air Transport Command erstmals das multinationale European Air Transport Training, das seither jährlich in Saragossa stattfindet. Für Einsätze von unbefestigten Pisten wird u. a. ein kleiner Behelfsflugplatz nördlich Ablitas' genutzt. Zwei Jahre später fand hier der erste European Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course (EAATTC) statt, diese Kurse finden hier inzwischen regelmäßig statt und 2017 wurde hierzu ein festes Koordinations-Zentrum eröffnet.

Das NATO Tiger Meet fand erstmals im Mai 2016 in Saragossa statt und im November des gleichen Jahres traf die erste Airbus A400M Atlas beim 31. Geschwader ein.

Militärische Nutzung
Die Basis beherbergt zurzeit (2021) die folgenden (fliegenden) Verbände:
 Ala 15 (15. Geschwader) mit drei Staffeln taktischer Mehrzweckkampfflugzeuge EF-18A+/B+ Hornet, den Escuadróns 151, 152 und 153, mit einem Sollbstand von jeweils 16 Flugzeugen, seit Juli 1986
 Ala 31 (31. Geschwader) mit zwei Staffeln taktischer Transportflugzeuge, den Escuadróns 311, seit November 2016 ausgerüstet mit Airbus A400M Atlas, und 312, war bis Ende 2020 mit C-130 ausgerüstet.
 European Tactical Airlift Centre, Koordinationszentrum für die Einsatzausbildung europäischer Transportflieger, seit Juni 2017
Hinzu kommen eine Reihe weiterer nichtfliegender Verbände.

Flughafenanlagen

Start- und Landebahn
Der Flughafen Saragossa verfügt über zwei Start- und Landebahnen. Die längere Start- und Landebahn 12R/30L ist 3.718 Meter lang und 45 Meter breit. Die kürzere Start- und Landebahn 12L/30R ist 3.032 Meter lang und 45 Meter breit. Beide Start- und Landebahnen haben einen Belag aus Asphalt.

Passagierterminal
Das Passagierterminal des Flughafens hat eine Kapazität von 2 Millionen Passagieren pro Jahr. Es ist mit sechs Flugsteigen ausgestattet.

Fluggesellschaften und Ziele
Der Flughafen Saragossa wird im Linienverkehr von Air Europa, Air Nostrum, Binter Canarias, Enter Air, Ryanair, Volotea, Vueling Airlines und Wizz Air angeflogen. Er wird mit fünf spanischen Zielen und elf Zielen im europäischen Ausland verbunden.

Frachtfluggesellschaften
Frachtflüge werden an diesem Flughafen durchgeführt von Atlas Air, China Cargo Airlines, Emirates SkyCargo, Ethiopian Airlines und Qatar Airways Cargo unter anderem mit den Flugzielen Doha, Dubai, Lüttich und Seoul-Incheon. Die Frachtfluggesellschaft Zorex ist hier beheimatet.

Verkehrszahlen

Siehe auch
 Base Aérea de Los Llanos
 Base Aérea de Morón
 Base Aérea de Torrejón de Ardoz

Weblinks

 Offizielle Website des Flughafens (englisch, spanisch)
 Offizielle Website des Betreibers (englisch, spanisch)
 Aktualisierte Informationen Saragossa Flughafen

 Airport information for LEZG at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
 Current weather for LEZG at NOAA/NWS

 Seite des Ala 31 auf der Homepage der span. Luftstreitkräfte
 ETAC-Homepage

Einzelnachweise

Saragossa
Saragossa
Verkehrsbauwerk in Aragonien
Saragossa
Saragossa
Saragossa
Saragossa
Saragossa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Nelson Mandela was one of the most revered figures of our time. He committed himself to a compelling political cause, suffered a long prison sentence, and led his violent and divided country to a peaceful democratic transition. His legacy, however, is not uncontested: his decision to embark on an armed struggle in the 1960s, his solitary talks with apartheid officials in the 1980s, and the economic policies adopted during his presidency still spark intense debate, even after his death. The essays in this Companion, written by experts in history, anthropology, jurisprudence, cinema, literature, and visual studies, address these and other issues. They examine how Mandela became an icon during his lifetime and consider the meanings and uses of his internationally recognizable image. Their overarching concerns include Mandela's relation to 'tradition' and 'modernity', the impact of his most famous public performances, the oscillation between Africanist and non-racial positions in South Africa, and the politics of gender and national sentiment. The volume concludes with a meditation on Mandela's legacy in the twenty-first century and a detailed guide to further reading.


text:
TLT wins licences for Celtic and Rangers fan zones
Stephen McGowan
TLT has successfully represented both of Glasgow's famous football clubs, Celtic and Rangers, in securing alcohol licences for improved match-day fan zone facilities.
While a number of football clubs in England and Wales are already operating successful fan zones, these are thought to be the first alcohol licensed fan zone facilities for top tier football matches in Scotland, enabling the clubs to offer an improved match-day experience.
In both cases, the fan zone trials allow the clubs to offer family friendly entertainment, live and recorded music, food and drink, on-stage interviews with former players and activity zones for children and young persons.
TLT's head of licensing (Scotland), partner Stephen McGowan, represented both football clubs at hearings of the Glasgow licensing board, assisted by licensing solicitor Michael McDougall. TLT managed the end-to-end process, from liaising with numerous parties to submitting the application, responding to queries and representing the clubs at hearings.
Mr McGowan said: "Both clubs have shown a genuine desire to provide improved and exciting match-day facilities and experiences, particularly for families, when attending their stadiums.
"TLT and the clubs are incredibly grateful to a number of officials who have put significant effort into planning these activities and worked sensibly in partnership to support the proposals, including senior officers from Police Scotland and a number of officers from various departments of Glasgow City Council.
"It is important that our sports stadia continually strive to better the experiences of those who attend events, and we are grateful to the city's licensing board for allowing us permission to trial these activities."


text:
Table For Two: Previewing the St. Louis Cardinals
Zach Crizer and Matthew Trueblood
Image credit: USA Today Sports
Between now and Opening Day, we'll be previewing each team by eavesdropping on an extended conversation about them. For the full archive of each 2018 team preview, click here.
St. Louis Cardinals PECOTA Projections:
Record: 85-77
Runs Scored: 755
Runs Allowed: 718
AVG/OBP/SLG (TAv): .254/.324/.415 (.258)
Total WARP: 30.7 (13.6 pitching, 17.1 non-pitching)
Zach Crizer: Well, it's an interesting time to be the Cardinals. They're only a couple years removed from total division dominance, but their estrangement from the crown feels much longer. Much of that owes to the Cubs' golden era. More recently, the Brewers' upstart 2017 run made the NL Central feel even more claustrophobic, and Milwaukee's offseason signals an intent to compete at the top. The Cardinals, of course, also showed a strong intention to reclaim their mantle as perennial postseason fixtures. So, do you think the Marcell Ozuna-headlined offseason was a satisfactory salve for the Cardinals' status anxiety?
Matthew Trueblood: I think they fell ass-backward into the perfect acquisition. They did their damnedest to lure Giancarlo Stanton, but given what their owners are (and aren't) willing to spend, and given the risks Stanton presents and the team's competitive window, they're much better off with Ozuna. Of course, they also got very lucky, in that the Marlins were willing to do what amounts to a swap of a dollar bill for four dimes.
They sure could have been more aggressive in the pitching market. The bullpen looks thin. The rotation's depth and upside look better now than they did when camp opened, given what we've seen from Luke Weaver, but it's not without risk. Their offseason began with bluster, a certain promise of big things coming, and then it turned out to be just the one big thing. I think they were afraid to get out over their skis—reluctant to bet too big on this middle-aged, not-quite-elite core.
Crizer: Right, they did their best to consolidate some useful but middling pieces into star power. Maybe they didn't get quite as far as they would have liked, so they're left with a well-stocked team—especially on the offensive side—but relatively few good bets to compete for an MVP, let's say. Tommy Pham has earned plenty of optimism, but it's awfully hard to take another 5.5 WARP to the bank (Tommy: If you're reading this, I believe, please don't make me a motivational tweet.). The same is sort of true for Ozuna, even if his path has been more conventional.
Beyond some of those stars, you run into huge positional battles that give you reason to think they will find a good answer, but it's not entirely clear what it will be yet at the infield corners, nor at the back of the rotation or in the bullpen.
Between Weaver, Michael Wacha, Alex Reyes, Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty, and on and on, do you have thoughts on how you expect the Cardinals' rotation to shake out? Any breakout stars among that group?
Trueblood: My first observation about that set isn't that any individual is likely to be top-shelf this year, but the impressive upside they provide in aggregate. That said, Reyes seems likely to slot into a relief role for this year. Wacha may have solved some of his reverse-split problems, but I don't think he's solved his times-through-the-order problem. New pitching coach Mike Maddux's presence is going to be huge for this team. Derek Lilliquist was, to put it baldly, underqualified and overmatched in his first shot at an MLB pitching coach gig. Maddux will exert more influence on manager Mike Matheny and help him get the most out of Wacha, Reyes, and Mikolas through usage patterns.
Weaver stands out as the guy who could jump into a front-line, workhorse role, though. I love his athleticism, his intellect, his poise, and his changeup. And he's added velocity over the last year or so, hitting 98 mph this spring.
There are so many guys who give us chances to flex our punditry muscles here. Pham, Matt Carpenter, Jedd Gyorko, Paul DeJong, Kolten Wong, and Jose Martinez all invite you to take a stand, in a way. Do you have an especially strong feeling that any of them will see their level move much, in either direction?
Crizer: Well, I share the commonly held belief that Martinez has earned a shot at some more playing time, at the very least, and I would be interested to see how Wong progresses after another long year trying to prove himself to the crotchety Matheny. But I actually want to talk about DeJong for a second. Everybody has built regression into their understanding of him because—cover the eyes of the children!—those plate discipline numbers are bad. And that's the safe way to view things, but I think his batted ball mix is Daniel Murphy-esque. His extreme air-ball tendencies and high-quality contact would appear to provide a decently high floor.
Another way to think about the recently extended DeJong: His minuscule walk rate (4.7 percent last year) could be amplified by his newfound reputation as a power hitter of some repute. If he can take just a small step forward there, you're talking about last year's Chris Taylor season with a few more homers and a couple fewer steals. Not to get too caught up in the comps here, but suffice it to say, I think DeJong gets pigeonholed by a couple numbers that perhaps don't do justice to everything else he does. If he can stick at shortstop, I'd be happy to have him locked up in my lineup.
Did you have your eye on anyone else in that group?.
Trueblood: I'm not as sanguine on Martinez (platoon exposure, age) as some, by the way, but I mostly agree about DeJong. If people want my opinion on him, I just wrote about him last week.
Wong. If he repeats (or even approximates) that .376 on-base percentage and stays healthy, this lineup is scarily deep. He's really honed his approach, and with his speed he can beat teams in a number of ways. The depth of this team—from the top of the lineup to the bottom, from the core talents to the bench, from the majors to the minors—is deeply impressive.
Everywhere but the bullpen. Right? I mean I'm not just looking right past it, right? This relief corps might have passed muster in the late '90s (though the sleepy octogenarian bullpen coach would have wondered why there were so damn many men under his charge), they're not without some matchup value, a few of them threaten to hit 100 miles per hour, but by 2018 standards, they stink. They just … they stink, Zach.
Crizer: They are certainly, um, uncertain. I don't think the bullpen is devoid of talent, comparatively, but it is hard to figure out what the best configuration of these pieces will be in, say, May. Or, more importantly, in September. And while the addition of Maddux adds some hope, do we trust Matheny to shift course appropriately if (when?) Dominic Leone proves himself to be the most effective arm?
I'm pretty confident they missed the career-years on Brett Cecil and closer-elect Luke Gregerson. Ditto Bud Norris. But, I think Leone is good! Tyler Lyons has shown some strong skills and seems fine as a setup option. Combine those guys with whoever ends up in the pen as rotation overflow, and I think it could be a league average-ish group. Don't ask me how well it will be deployed in the highest leverage moments, though.
Speaking of September, it's probably time to address the elephant in the room: How does this team stack up in the invigorated NL Central and Wild Card races? PECOTA currently projects them for 85 wins, second in the division and good enough for the second Wild Card spot.
What they have going for them is a solid, high floor. Lots of teams could go lots of directions, but we can be almost annoyingly confident that the Cardinals will get those 85 wins or at least approach them. They have upside in the forms of Pham and Ozuna, who could combine for far more than the 3.7 WARP they are currently given by PECOTA. And for this season, that combination may very well get them a Wild Card spot.
I'm curious whether you see them as one of the two most likely Wild Card winners. But more importantly: Is this a club trying to contend as is? Or is the current group a prologue to a huge play for Josh Donaldson or Manny Machado?
Trueblood: I'm a believer in this team, on the whole. I foresee close to 90 wins and the chance to host the Wild Card game. You're right that their floor is exceptionally high. I also think there's enough upside to assuage even my concerns about the bullpen. We've mentioned the lineup depth, and the possible dynamism of the rotation. I also think, at least on days when the infield goes Gyorko-DeJong-Wong-Carpenter, that they'll play really good defense. I mistrust Matheny enough to want to hedge, but I see a playoff team. What's your feeling?
Crizer: It's hard to find too many things to bet against, you're right. Really the only thing I can see derailing them from that postseason berth is a pair of higher-volatility teams hitting everything just right and usurping their Wild Card position. Or maybe the pitching having a series of unfortunate turns for the worse. But overall, yes, the Cardinals have to be considered Wild Card favorites, and perhaps players to add even more of that star power they were looking for this winter.
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2018 Previews
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by J.P. Breen	11/24
Dynasty Dynamics 2020: St. Louis Cardinals $
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by Matthew Trueblood and Steven Goldman	10/15
What We Learned: Sixto Ascends, Padres Pull it Off $
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Cardinals Pin Their Season on Flaherty, Padres Hope for Offense $
by Ginny Searle	10/02
Matthew Trueblood
Zach Crizer
CountryHardBall
No mention of Fowler?
Reply to CountryHardBall
gandriole
Nor Yadi!
Reply to gandriole
Tim Angell
Thanks, guys! As a Redbirds fan, I view your comments is pretty balanced. I'll be happy to make the Wild Card play-in game. I'm glad you noted the Cards have some pieces avaialble for trade to rent a free agent to be, especially if, as I suspect, the NL Central may be a three-way dance for the division crown. I expect Milwaukee, the Cubs, and St. Louis to be closer than most experts think.
Reply to Tim
Sorry for the typos above - yikes!


This statistic shows direct mail advertising revenue in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2013 to 2017, and a forecast to 2019. In 2017, direct mail advertising accounted for 1.75 billion British pounds of revenue. Direct mail advertising refers to postal material that is sent directly to a mailing address. The majority of postal services try to opt out of this form of mailing as they see it to have a negative environmental impact. Different forms of mail advertising include, plastic mailers, coupons envelopes, catalogs, normal commercial advertising and pre-approved credit card applications. Sometimes direct mail advertising can be sent to pre-selected individuals, or it can be sent out to a whole neighborhood.
* Data for 2018 and 2019 were calculated on the basis of WARC/AA percentage growth forecasts.
Figures for years prior to 2017 were published earlier by the source.
The source indicates "Direct mail data for 2013 have been supplied by Royal Mail according to its new methodology – please refer to About the Data for details."
Do you ever receive advertisements or special offers from businesses via traditional mail?


text:
Q: Always eager load association with entity Is it possible to always eager load an association when an entity is loaded. For example
class Book
  has_many :chapters
end

class Chapters
  belongs_to :book
end

book = Book.find_by_title('Moby Dick')

I know that you can eager load in the call to find ie. book = Book.find_by_title( 'Moby Dick', :include => :chapters) but in this case I know that any time I find a book I always want the chapters eager loaded without needing to remember the :include => parameter.

A: You can include a "default_scope" in your model.
For Rails 4:
class Book
  has_many :chapters
  default_scope { includes(:chapters) }
end

For Rails 3:
class Book
  has_many :chapters
  default_scope includes(:chapters)
end

For Rails 2:
class Book
  has_many :chapters
  default_scope :include => :chapters
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
POWERFULLY RELEVANT STATEMENTS
What should we do about suffering? Jean-Paul Sartre on human responsibility
by Zelalem Amera, September 29, 2022 There is so much suffering in the world. Fyodor Dostoevsky explores this suffering in his novel, The Brothers Karamazov, where he tells the story of three brothers, Ivan, Alyosha, and Dimitri. They each symbolize philosophically distinct ideas, and Ivan Karamazov, who embodies the voice of creeping nihilism, has a…
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by Grace Sargent, April 22, 2022 Introduction Humans as a species are empathetic by nature, though modern society seems to hinder its widespread development. Surrounded by technological advancements and automated machines, we have become immersed in a robotic world that fails to illustrate the countless emotions we experience daily. This is quite prevalent among children,…
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by Gina Koch, April 15, 2022 Jean-Paul Sartre is undeniably one of the most prominent philosophers of the twentieth century and the chief founder of existentialism. The works he published influenced various ideologies spanning philosophy, politics, literature, and cultural studies. Sartre, like most philosophers, had his moments of being subject to public disappointment and outrage.…


text:
urban-commuter
work-force
Six things to know about the 2016 North American International Auto Show
Detroit remains the single most important show — Detroit is still "Motor City." Here's a preview of what's on tap, along with perhaps a few storm clouds on the horizon for the 2016 North American International Auto Show.
The upcoming North American International Auto Show, known as the Detroit auto show to everyone except the organizers, may not be the biggest wheels-related event in the world.
But Detroit remains the single most important show — Detroit is still "Motor City."
Here's a preview of what's on tap, along with perhaps a few storm clouds on the horizon for the North American show.
The winners of the North American Car and Truck of the Year competition will kick things off Monday morning, which is the first press day.
In alphabetical order, the three car finalists are the Chevrolet Malibu, the Honda Civic, and the Mazda MX-5 (still called the Miata in the U.S.).
Unusually, all three cars received support on my first-round ballot. I say unusually because everyone is usually out of step except me.
In the final round of voting, I again went with the Malibu, Civic and MX-5, in that order.
But my guess, having chatted with other jurors, is that the Civic will win. — JK
RELATED: 2015 Honda Civic Coupe EX Review
The three North American Truck of the Year finalists are, in alphabetical order, the Honda Pilot, the Nissan Titan and the Volvo XC90.
Two of these three trucks received my support on the first round ballot, in which my first pick was the Volvo, followed by the Nissan. I had the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sorento tied for my third pick, in place of the Pilot.
On the final ballot amongst the three finalists, I went with the XC90, the Titan and then the Pilot.
And again chatting with other jurors, I'd be stunned if the Volvo didn't garner the top prize. — JK
The Japanese automaker will unveil the production version of the Q60 sport coupe. We last saw this two-door car in the form of a concept making the rounds at auto shows. You may have seen it at the Toronto show earlier this year.
Similar in profile to BMW's 6 Series or Audi's A5, the concept car's front featured a wide-mouthed grill while the back was shaped off with squinting tail lights. It'll likely be built with a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6.
When it does finally appear in showrooms as a 2017 model, it'll slot into Infiniti's lineup above the Q50 and below the larger Q70. — MC
We'll finally get to see the production version of Volvos' flagship sedan when the company shows off the in Detroit.
Behind the elegant curves sits a semi-autonomous system called Pilot Assist. It's designed to automatically steer for you at speeds of up to 130 km/h. Not like you'll be going that fast on the 401, of course, but it's nice to know this car can keep you in line. And because it's a Volvo, you know it'll be safe. The Swedes' City Safety technology will now detect large animals, such as moose, and apply the brakes before the driver reacts. I'm not sure how many moose you'll encounter in the city, however. — MC
RELATED: Volvo debuts the S90 luxury sedan.
Only official interior photos of the new E-Class have been shared ahead of the production model's big reveal in Detroit. One reason for that is because there's a lot going on in the cabin.
In what will be an automotive first, drivers of this new Benz will be able to swipe to the right and double tap while they're behind the wheel of the mid-size luxury car. Touch controls on the steering wheel that will replace traditional switches and buttons you actually had to press.
The new E-Class also features Active Lane Change Assist, which will automatically change lanes for you on the highway whenever you signal left or right at speeds of up to 180 km/h. I guess this means there's no excuse for not activating the flicker. — MC
Who is not going?
What will be revealed at the Detroit show may not be as interesting as the companies not going there at all.
Jaguar/Land Rover, Tesla, Mini and Bentley are all no-shows (you should pardon the expression). The reasoning is that either their product launch cycles don't coincide with the Detroit event's timing or they didn't want to show their existing product lines. And in Bentley's case, they'd just rather spend their marketing dollars elsewhere.
That said, Aston Martin is back for the first time since 2009, which should make Mark Richardson happy.
Do these absentees hint that perhaps the auto show as we know it is facing extinction? After all, nearly every debutante has already been unveiled, either officially or via spy pictures. Where's the drama, where's the "news," if everything is old-hat by the time the covers come off?
Time will tell. — JK
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Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA, 1987). Public Law 100-203. Subtitle C: nursing home reform; Institute of Medicine [IOM], Committee to Study Nursing Home Regulation. (1986). Improving the quality of care in nursing homes. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
While assisted living is a common licensure term, states use a wide range of terms describing similar facilities such as residential care, board and care homes, adult care homes, domiciliary care homes, and personal care homes. Carder, P., O'Keeffe, J., & O'Keeffe, C. (2015). Compendium of Residential Care and Assisted Living Regulations and Policy: 2015 Edition. Research Triangle Park: RTI International. https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/110391/15alcom.pdf.
U.S. Office of the Inspector General (US OIG). (2017). Early alert: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has inadequate procedures to ensure that incidents of potential abuse or neglect at skilled nursing facilities are identified and reports in accordance with applicable requirements. A-01-17-00504, August. https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region1/11700504.asp; U.S. Office of the Inspector General (US OIG). (2014). Adverse events in skilled nursing facilities: National incidence among Medicare beneficiaries. OEI-06-11-00370. February. https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-11-00370.asp; U.S. Office of the Inspector General (US OIG). (2013). Medicare nursing home resident hospitalization rates merit additional monitoring. OEI-06-11-00040. November. https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-11-00040.pdf; U.S. Office of the Inspector General (US OIG). (2014). Nursing facilities' compliance with federal regulations for reporting allegations of abuse or neglect. OEI-07-13-00010t August. https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-07-13-00010.pdf; Hawes, C., and Phillips, C.D. (2000). A national study of assisted living for the frail elderly: A final summary report: Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/finales.htm.
California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (2013). Residential care in California: Unsafe, unregulated & unaccountable. San Francisco, CA: CANHR. http://www.canhr.org/reports/Residential_Care_in_California.pdf; Wiener, J.M., Freiman, M.P. and Brown, D. (2007). Nursing home quality: Twenty years after the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987. Report Prepared by RTI International. Washington, DC: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (2016). Minimum data set 3.0 RAI manual. http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/MDS30RAIManual.html. Saliba, D., Jones, M., Streim, J., Ouslander, J., Berlowitz, D. and Buchanan, J. (2012). Overview of significant changes in the minimum data set for nursing homes Version 3.0. J. American Medical Directors Association, 13 (7):595-601.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (2017). Design for nursing home compare: five-star quality rating system: users guide. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-and-Certification/CertificationandComplianc/Downloads/usersguide.pdf.
Mukamel, D.B., Weimer, D.L., Harrington, C., Spector, W.D., Ladd, H., and Li, Y. (2012). The effect of state regulatory stringency on nursing home quality. Health Services Research, 47(5):1791-813.
Harrington, C., Carrillo, H., and Garfield, R. (2017). Nursing facilities, staffing, residents and facility deficiencies, 2010 through 2015. The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Augusthttp://files.kff.org/attachment/REPORT-Nursing-Facilities-Staffing-Residents-and-Facility-Deficiencies-2009-2015.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (2016). Nursing home data compendium 2015 edition. Baltimore, MD: CMS. http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/MedicareMedicaidStatSupp/index.html.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (2016). Nursing home penalty data 2014-2016. Baltimore, MD: CMS. https://data.medicare.gov/Nursing-Home-Compare/Penalty-Counts/t8q7-k6ku Accessed December 23.
Mor, V., Zinn, J, Angelelli, J., Teno, J.M., and Miller, S.C. (2004). Driven to tiers: socio-economic and racial disparities in the quality of nursing home care. Milbank Quarterly. 82 (2): 227-56.
Li, Y., Harrington, C., Temkin-Greener, H., Cen, X., Cai, X., and Mukamel, D.B. (2015). Deficiencies in care at nursing homes and in racial/ethnic disparities across home fell, 2006-11. Health Affairs. 34(7): 1139-46; Li, Y., Harrington, C., Mukamel, D.B., Cen, X., Cai, X., and Temkin-Greener, H. (2015). Nurse staffing hours at nursing homes with high concentrations of minority residents, 2001-11. Health Affairs. 34(12): 2129-2137; Smith, D.B., Feng, Z., Fennell, M.L., Zinn, J.S., Mor, V. (2007). Separate and unequal: Racial segregation and disparities in quality across U.S. nursing homes. Health Affairs (Millwood). 26 (5): 1448-58.
Comondore, V.R., P.J. Devereaux, Q. Zhou, S.B. Stone, et al., (2009). Quality of care in for-profit and not-for-profit nursing homes: Systematic review and meta-analysis. British Medical Journal, 339:b 2732; Hillmer, M.P., Wodchis, W.P., Gill, S.S., Anderson, G.M. and Rochon, P.A. (2005). Nursing home profit status and quality of care: Is there any evidence of an association? Medical Care Research and Review. 62 (2):139-166.
Harrington, C., Olney, B, Carrillo, H., and Kang, T. 2012. Nurse staffing and deficiencies in the largest for-profit chains and chains owned by private equity companies. Health Services Research, 47 (1), Part I: 106-128; U.S. Government Accountability Office (US GAO). (2011). Private investment homes sometimes differed from others in deficiencies, staffing, and financial performance. GAO-11-571. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-571; U.S. Government Accountability Office (US GAO). (2009). CMS's special focus facility methodology should better target the most poorly performing homes, which tended to be chain affiliated and for-profit. GAO-09-689.
Grabowski, D.C., Feng, Z., Hirth, R., Rahman, M., and Mor, V. (2013). Effect of nursing home ownership on the quality of post-acute care: An instrumental variables approach. J. of Health Economics, 14; 32(1):12-21.
Harrington, C., Carrillo, H., and Garfield, R. (2017). Nursing facilities, staffing, residents and facility deficiencies, 2010 through 2015. The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. August http://files.kff.org/attachment/REPORT-Nursing-Facilities-Staffing-Residents-and-Facility-Deficiencies-2009-2015; Harrington, C., Carrillo, H., Wellin, V., and Shemirani, B.B. (2002). Nursing facilities, staffing, residents and facility deficiencies, 1996 Through 2001. San Francisco, CA: University of California, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Harrington, C., Schnelle, J.F., McGregor, M., and Simmons, S.F. (2016). The need for higher minimum staffing standards in U.S. nursing homes. Health Services Insights. 9: 13-19; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). (2001). Appropriateness of minimum nurse staffing ratios in nursing homes. Report to Congress: Phase II Final. Volumes I to III. Baltimore: CMS (prepared by Abt Associates).
Dellefield, M.E., Castle, N. G., McGilton, K.S., & Spilsbury, K. (2015). The relationship between registered nurses and nursing home quality: An integrative review (2008-2014). Nursing Economics, 33 (2):95-108 and 116; Castle, N. (2008). Nursing home caregiver staffing levels and quality of care: A literature review. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 27: 375-405; Bostick, J.E., Rantz, M.J., Flesner, M.K. and Riggs, C.J. (2006). Systematic review of studies of staffing and quality in nursing homes. J. American Medical Director Association, 7:366-376; Institute of Medicine (IOM), Committee on the Work Environment for Nurses and Patient Safety. (Page, A. [Ed.]). (2003). Keeping patients safe. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Bowblis, J.R. (2011). Staffing ratios and quality: An analysis of minimum direct care staffing requirements for nursing homes. Health Services Research, 46(5): 1495-516; Harrington, C., Swan, J.H., and Carrillo, H. (2007). Nurse staffing levels and Medicaid reimbursement rates in nursing facilities. Health Services Research, 42: 1105-1129; Mueller, C., Arling, G., Kane, R., Bershadsky, J., Holland, D., & Joy, A. (2006). Nursing home staffing standards: Their relationship to nurse staffing levels. The Gerontologist, 46 (1):74-80; Park, J., & Stearns, S.C. (2009). Effects of state minimum staffing standards on nursing home staffing and quality of care. Health Services Research, 44(1), 56–78; Tong, P.K. (2011). The effects of California minimum nurse staffing laws on nurse labor and patient mortality in skilled nursing facilities. Health Economics, 20:802-816.
Bostick, J.E., Rantz, M.J., Flesner, M.K. and Riggs, C.J. (2006). Systematic review of studies of staffing and quality in nursing homes. J. American Medical Director Association, 7:366-376; Castle, N. (2008). Nursing home caregiver staffing levels and quality of care: A literature review. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 27: 375-405; Dellefield, M.E., Castle, N.G., McGilton, K.S., & Spilsbury, K. (2015). The relationship between registered nurses and nursing home quality: An integrative review (2008-2014). Nursing Economics, 33 (2):95-108 and 116; Schnelle, J. F., Simmons, S. F., Harrington, C., Cadogan, M., Garcia, E. & Bates-Jensen, B. (2004). Relationship of nursing home staffing to quality of care? Health Services Research, 39(2), 225-250.
Institute of Medicine (IOM), Committee on the Work Environment for Nurses and Patient Safety. (Page, A. [Ed.]). (2003). Keeping patients safe. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; Castle, N., & Engberg, J. (2008). Further examination of the influence of caregiver staffing levels on nursing home quality. Gerontologist, 48: 464-76.
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA, 1987). Public Law 100-203. Subtitle C: nursing home reform, Washington, D.C., December 22, 1987.
Harrington, C., Kovner, C., Kayser-Jones, J., Berger, S., Mohler, M., Burke R. et al. (2000). Experts recommend minimum nurse staffing standards for nursing facilities in the United States. The Gerontologist, 40 (1):1-12; Institute of Medicine [IOM], Committee on the Work Environment for Nurses and Patient Safety. (Page, A. [Ed.]). (2003). Keeping patients safe. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; American Nurses' Association (2014). Nursing staffing requirements to meet the demands of today's long term care consumer recommendations from the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations (CGNO). Position Statement 11/12/14. www.nursingworld.org; Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations (CGNO). (2013). Nursing staffing requirements to meet the demands of today's long-term care consumer recommendations. https://hign.org/sites/hartford/files/policy/partnerships/cgno/CGNO%20Nurse%20Staffing%20seven%20orgs_2014.pdf.
Abt Associates Inc. (2011). Nursing home staffing study TEP presentation. Prepared for the CMS Medicare Nursing Home Compare 5-Star TEP Panel. Durham, North Carolina: October 11.
Schnelle, J.F., Schroyer, L.D., Saraf, A.A., and Simmons, S.F. (2016). Determining nurse aide staffing requirements to provide care based on resident workload: A discrete event simulation model. J. American Medical Directors Association. 17:970-977.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2017). Staffing Data Submission PBJ. Baltimore, MD: CMS. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Staffing-Data-Submission-PBJ.html.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2016). SNF quality reporting program (IMPACT Act 2014). https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Skilled-Nursing-Facility-Quality-Reporting-Program/SNF-Quality-Reporting-Program-IMPACT-Act-2014.html.
Broyles, I, Li, Q., Zheng, T., Frank, J., Sherif, N., Rokoske, F. (2016). The Emerging Picture of Quality of Care in Hospice. RTI International. Issue Brief, June. https://www.rti.org/sites/default/files/rti_issue_brief_hospice_quality_care.pdf; Medicare program; 2017 hospice wage index and payment rate update and hospice quality reporting. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/08/05/2016-18221/medicare-program-fy-2017-hospice-wage-index-and-payment-rate-update-and-hospice-quality-reporting; See also CMS Hospice certification regulations. https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/Downloads/som107ap_m_hospice.pdf.
Ibid.; Teno, J.M., Plotzke, M., Gozalo, P., and Mor, V. (2014). A national study of live discharges from hospice. Palliative Medicine. 17(10):1121-27.
RTI International. (2016). Hospice quality reporting program: HIS-based quality measures annual testing executive summary. Prepared for CMS. Baltimore, DC: October 2016. https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Hospice-Quality-Reporting/Downloads/HQRP-HIS-Based-QMs-Annual-Testing-Executive-Summary-October-2016.pdf; Price, R.A., Parast, L., Haas, A., Teno, J.M., and Elliott, M.N. (2017). Black and Hispanic patients receive hospice care similar to that of white patients when in the same hospice. Health Affairs. 36(7):1283-1290.
Cabin, W., Himmelstein, D.U., Siman, M.L., and Woolhandler. (2014). For-profit Medicare home health agencies' costs appear higher and quality appears lower compared to nonprofit agencies. Health Affairs. 33(8):1460-1465.
Grabowski, D.C., Stevenson, D.G., and Keating, N.L. (2009). Ownership status and home health care performance. J. of Aging & Social Policy. 21:130-143.
Khatutsky G, Ormond C, Wiener JM, Greene AM, Johnson R, Jessup EA, Vreeland E, Sengupta M, Caffrey C, Harris-Kojetin L. (2016). Residential care communities and their residents in 2010: A national portrait. DHHS Publication No. 2016-1041. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nsrcf/nsrcf_chartbook.pdf.
Khatutsky G, Ormond C, Wiener JM, Greene AM, Johnson R, Jessup EA, Vreeland E, Sengupta M, Caffrey C, Harris-Kojetin L. (2016). Residential care communities and their residents in 2010: A national portrait. DHHS Publication No. 2016-1041. Hyattsville, MD; National Center for Health Statistics. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nsrcf/nsrcf_chartbook.pdf. Khatutsky, G., Wiener, J.M., Greene, A.M., Johnson, R., and O'Keefe, J. (2013). Do services and staffing in resident care facilities vary with residential needs? Washington, DC: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. July 22. http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/2013/resneed.shtml.
Brown, R., Carlson, B.L., Dale, S., Foster, L., Phillips, B. and Schore, J. (2007). Cash and counseling: Improving the lives of Medicaid beneficiaries who need personal care or home and community-based services. Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research. http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2007/08/cash---counseling.html; Newcomer, R.J., Kang, T. and Doty, P. (2012). Allowing spouses to be paid personal care providers: spouse availability and effects on Medicaid-funded service use and expenditures. Gerontologist, 52(4):517-30; Doty, P., Mahoney, K.J., and Sciegaj, M. (2010). New state strategies to meet long-term care needs. Health Affairs. (Millwood), 29(1):49-56.
National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (2017). NCI-AD national core indicators aging and disabilities: 2015-2016 national results. Washington, DC. http://www.nasuad.org/initiatives/national-core-indicators-aging-and-disabilities.
Kane, R.A. and Cutler, L.J. (2015). Re-imagining long-term services and supports: towards livable environments, service capacity, and enhanced community integration, choice, and quality of life for seniors. The Gerontologist. 55(2):286-95.
Kaiser Family Foundation, Rebalancing in Capitated Managed Long-Term Services and Supports Programs: Key Issues from a Roundtable Discussion on Measuring Performance (Feb. 2015), http://kff.org/report-section/rebalancing-in-capitated-medicaid-managed-long-term-services-and-supports-programs-issue-brief/.
Kaye, H.S. (2015). Measuring quality in home and community-based services. San Francisco, CA: Community Living Policy Center, University of California San Francisco. http://clpc.ucsf.edu/sites/clpc.ucsf.edu/files/reports/Selected%20item%20inventory%20by%20NQF%20domains%20March%2016.pdf; National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (2017). NCI-AD national core indicators aging and disabilities: 2015-2016 national results. Washington, DC. http://www.nasuad.org/initiatives/national-core-indicators-aging-and-disabilities.
Ibid.; Kaye, H.S. (2014). Toward a model long-term care services and supports system: State policy elements. The Gerontologist. 54(5):754-61.
National Quality Forum (2016). Quality in home and community-based services to support community living: addressing gaps in performance measurement. Final Report. Washington, DC: September.
Chepaitis, A., Greene, A.M., Hoover, S., Khatutsky, G., Lyda-McDonald, B., Ormond, C., Walsh, E.G., Zheng, N.T., Booth, M., Fralich, J., Justice, D., Weiss, A.M. (2015). Report on Early Implementation of the Demonstrations under the Financial Alignment Initiative. Waltham, MA: RTI International https://www.cms.gov/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-and-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination-Office/FinancialAlignmentInitiative/Downloads/MultistateIssueBriefFAI.pdf.
Gold M., Jacobson G., and Garfield R. (2012). There is little experience and limited data to support policy making on integrated care for dual eligibles. Health Affairs, 31(6):1176-85.
U.S. Government Accountability Office (US GAO). (2007). Nursing home reform: Continued attention is needed to improve quality of care in small but significant share of homes. GAO-07-794T, Washington, DC: May 2, 2007 http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-794T; U.S. Government Accountability Office (US GAO). (2008). Nursing homes: Federal monitoring surveys demonstrate continued understatement of serious care problems and CMS oversight weakness. GAO-08-517, Washington, DC: May 9, 2008 http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-517; U.S. Government Accountability Office (US GAO). (2009). Medicare and Medicaid participating facilities: CMS needs to reexamine state oversight of health care facilities. GAO-09-64, Washington, DC: February 13, 2009 http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-64; U.S. Government Accountability Office (US GAO). (2009). Nursing homes: Addressing the factors underlying understatement of serious care problems requires sustained CMS and state commitment. GAO-10-70. Washington, D.C. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-70.
U.S. Office of the Inspector General (US OIG). (2014). Adverse events in skilled nursing facilities: National incidence among Medicare beneficiaries. OEI-06-11-00370. February. https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-11-00370.asp; U.S. Office of the Inspector General (US OIG). (2013). Medicare nursing home resident hospitalization rates merit additional monitoring. OEI-06-11-00040. November. https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-11-00040.pdf.
U.S. Government Accountability Office (US GAO). (2009). Medicare and Medicaid participating facilities: CMS needs to reexamine state oversight of health care facilities. GAO-09-64, Washington, DC: GAO, February 13, 2009 http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-64; U.S. Government Accountability Office (US GAO). (2009). Nursing homes: Addressing the factors underlying understatement of serious care problems requires sustained CMS and state commitment. GAO-10-70. Washington, D.C. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-70; US Office of Inspector General (2005). Nursing home enforcement: The use of civil money penalties. April. https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-02-00720.pdf; Harrington, C., Stockton, J. and Hooper, S. (2014). The effects of regulation and litigation on a large for-profit nursing home chain. J. of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 39 (4):781-809.
Edelman, T. (2014). Staffing deficiencies in nursing facilities: rarely cited, seldom sanctioned. Washington, CD: Center for Medicare Advocacy. http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/staffing-deficiencies-in-nursing-facilities-rarely-cited-seldom-sanctioned/.
Li, Y., Harrington, C., Spector, W.D., and Mukamel, D.B. (2010). State Regulatory Enforcement and Nursing Home Termination from the Medicare and Medicaid Programs. Health Services Research. 45 (6):1796-1814.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2016). Medicare and Medicaid programs: Reform of requirements for long-term care facilities. 42 CFR Parts 405, 431, 447, 482, 483,485, 488, and 489. Final Rule. Federal Register, 81 (192). October 4. 68688-68872. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/10/04/2016-23503/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-reform-of-requirements-for-long-term-care-facilities.
Werner, RM, Konetzka, RT, and Polsky, D. Changes in consumer demand following public reporting of summary quality ratings: An evaluation in nursing homes. Health Serv Res. 2016; 51 Supple 2:1291-309.
Mukamel, DB, Amin, A, Weimer, DL, et al. Personalizing nursing home compare and the discharge from hospitals to nursing homes. Health Services Research. 2016; 1(6):2076-2094.
Tyler, D.A., Gadbois, E.A., McHugh, J.P., Shield, R.R., Winblad, U. and Mor, V. (2017). Patients are not given quality-of-care data about skilled nursing facilities when discharged from hospitals. Health Affairs. 36(8):1385-1391.
Harrington, C, Ross, L. and Kang, T. (2014). Hidden ownership, hidden profits, and poor quality of nursing home care: A case study. International Journal of Health Services. 45 (4): 779-800; Stevenson, D., Bramson, J.S. and Grabowski, D.C. (2013). Nursing home ownership trends and their impacts on quality of care: A study using detailed ownership data from Texas. J. of Aging & Social Policy, 25:30-47.
U.S. Government Accountability Office (US GAO). (2016). Skilled nursing facilities: CMS should improve accessibility and reliability of expenditure data. GAO-16-700. Washington, D.C.: GAO, September.
Harrington C, Ross L, Mukamel D, Rosenau P. (2013). Improving the financial accountability of nursing facilities. Washington, DC: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. June. http://kff.org/medicaid/report/improving-the-financial-accountability-of-nursing-facilities/.


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Home Thomson Reuters Asks Court To Dismiss ROSS's Monopoly Claim
Thomson Reuters Asks Court To Dismiss ROSS's Monopoly Claim
By Bob Ambrogi on March 26, 2021
When last we left off in the federal court battle in which legal research giant Thomson Reuters is suing now-shuttered legal research startup ROSS Intelligence for copyright infringement, ROSS had filed a counterclaim alleging that TR is violating federal antitrust law by maintaining monopolistic and anticompetitive control over the legal research market.
Yesterday, TR responded to that counterclaim, filing a motion asking the court to dismiss ROSS's counterclaim, asserting that it fails to state a claim under federal antitrust law because it is based on TR's lawful refusal to do business with a competitor.
Full text of TR's brief in support of its motion to dismiss.
"ROSS's Counterclaims suffer from a fundamental failing: its own allegations, accepted as true for the purposes of this motion, do not state antitrust or unfair competition claims," the motion argues. "The reason is simple: it is black-letter law that a company is not required to do business with a would-be competitor.
"Yet ROSS's Counterclaims amount to the complaint that, when competing, it did not want to build its own 'public law database' from scratch and Plaintiffs would not license Westlaw to ROSS."
Addressing another allegation of ROSS's counterclaim, that TR engaged in a conspiracy to restrain trade in violation of federal securities law, TR says that allegation must fail because a conspiracy requires two or more entities. The only entities ROSS has named are TR and West Publishing — wholly owned subsidiaries of the same parent company.
"Two subsidiaries wholly owned by the same parent are legally incapable of conspiring with one another," TR contends, citing a decision of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
TR's motion is signed by attorneys Jack B. Blumenfeld and Michael J. Flynn, partners in the Wilmington, Del., firm Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell.
TR makes the argument that a company can hold monopoly power and charge monopoly prices without violating the Section 2 of the Sherman Act. To prove a violation, a plaintiff "must establish the defendant willfully acquired and maintained its monopoly power through 'exclusionary conduct.'"
Yet the only exclusionary conduct ROSS alleged was TR's refusal to sell or license its legal database, TR argues. "No matter how ROSS tries to spin it, the complaint is the same: ROSS wants to buy West's 'public law database' to create a product to compete with Westlaw," the brief says.
ROSS 'Hit A Wall'
TR's brief also restates its allegations of theft by ROSS, supporting its assertions with many statements taken out of ROSS's answer filed in the lawsuit.
TR paints a picture of ROSS as a growing company in urgent need of case law to support its expansion and the demands of its customers. Although ROSS had obtained case law from the legal research companies Casemaker and Fastcase, it "hit a wall" around 2019 when customers began to express concern about whether its case law collection was "sufficiently comprehensive," TR alleges.
"These customers 'had confidence that Westlaw's database would have the materials they needed through years of using the database' and could not rely on a 'new digital public law collection, pulled together by smaller and unknown companies,'" TR says. "So ROSS resorted to theft."
TR says that after ROSS contracted with the legal research company LegalEase, LegalEase's use of Westlaw "skyrocketed."
"When West investigated the irregularity, it discovered that LegalEase's Westlaw activity suggested LegalEase had used a bot to systematically work through the [West Key Number System] to download and store mass quantities of proprietary content," TR's brief asserts. "LegalEase reproduced and distributed the content to ROSS; ROSS used the content to build its competing service."
ROSS has denied that it stole any content from TR and specifically that it copied or used any of the Westlaw headnotes or key number system. It has contended that it hired LegalEase to research and provide answers to specific legal questions that it would use to train its algorithm.
Reached for comment last night, ROSS cofounder and former CEO said: "We are still reading through Thomson Reuters's pleadings and cannot comment at this time. This being said, regardless of their pleadings the facts remain the same: Thomson Reuters is misusing the judicial system to bully a competitor in order to maintain their control over the legal research software market. We continue to believe we have the stronger argument and do not foresee this motion changing that reality."


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Creativity and Identity
Citizen 13660
What is the connection between creative expression and identity in the lives of women?
A digital research project created by Maggie Shive.
For American Women's Writing at Messiah College,
taught by Dr. Kerry Hasler-Brooks.
The female creator has been a deviant… the endless problem, the one who would not stay in her place… and if she tries again to have a direct relation to knowledge, to creation – well – we all know what evils will follow.
(Jouve 2)
As Nicole Ward Jouve writes in her introductory essay "Male and Female Made (S)he Them," female creators have been the subject of scorn in various traditions throughout history (2). Fortunately, this level of disdain is less prevalent today, and female creativity is more widely accepted. For many women who were previously limited in the ways they could express themselves, creative activities such as writing, drawing, painting, or playing music offered new avenues for understanding themselves and their place in the world.
I have chosen to focus on three specific books that illustrate this idea of creation and identity. In terms of similarities, these books all feature a first-person narrator, they are all written by women of color, and they were all published roughly in the same time period (mid-late 20th century). Beyond this, however, each book explores a particular aspect of the narrator's identity. Miné Okubo's graphic memoir Citizen 13660 explores the idea of American identity, specifically in terms of citizenship. In Alice Walker's epistolary novel The Color Purple, Celie grows to understand her value as a black woman. Finally, in Sandra Cisneros's book The House on Mango Street, Esperanza goes through a coming of age experience, both as a woman and as a writer.
In analyzing these three books' exploration of identity and its connection to creation, my hope is to illustrate overall how vital creative expression is to understanding ourselves, especially for women. For Okubo, Celie, and Esperanza, the act of creating gives them the means to attempt to understand themselves, and they (and the readers) are better off for it.
Title: Citizen 13660
Author: Miné Okubo
Setting: Japanese internment camps during WWII
Genre: Graphic memoir
Title: The Color Purple
Author: Alice Walker
Setting: Mid-late 20th century American South
Genre: Epistolary novel
Title: The House on Mango Street
Author: Sandra Cisneros
Setting: 1960s Chicago neighborhood
Genre: Novel in vignettes
What does it mean to be an American citizen?
Art grants Miné Okubo the power to explore her American identity where she would otherwise be limited due to her gender.
Who or what gives me my value as a human being?
Celie uses letter-writing as a means of exploring her identity as a black woman, and doing so eventually allows her to understand where her value as a person comes from.
How does where we grow up affect who we become?
Because of the women in the Mango Street community, Esperanza is able to come of age and find her identity in being a female writer.
Miné Okubo, Celie, and Esperanza all come from different times and places in American history, but there is one constant between their stories: each of them use a creative act to explore a particular aspect of their identity, since other avenues of self-discovery are closed off to them due to their gender. Okubo lacked the power to speak out about citizenship and Japanese internment because of her femaleness, so she used her artwork and writing to claim that power in a different way. Celie is silenced by her abusers, but she is able to use letter-writing as a means to gain a sense of self-worth. Finally, Esperanza is influenced by the women in her community to become a writer, which in turn allows her to understand her place on Mango Street.
In contrast to historical traditions, the female creator is not a deviant or a problem; she is a woman looking to understand herself and her place in the world in the only way she can – through her creativity. This is the case for Okubo, Celie, Esperanza, and many other women throughout history and across the world. These creative acts should not be seen as "lesser" because they are from women. Instead, we should be inspired by their courage to express themselves creatively, no matter what obstacles stand in their way.


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I LIKE MIKE: BILLY CRYSTAL ON "MONSTERS, INC" (part 3)
By admin	| November 10, 2001
You and Goodman both have this chemistry together and it definitely came across on-screen. Have you two worked together in the past? ^ I never met him before.
Being a stand-up comic, you tend to use your body a lot to get across certain jokes. Did you have to restrain your movement while they were recording your lines at all so that the microphones didn't pick up the sounds? ^ They actually wanted you to move because they videotaped you during the session. They usually had two or three cameras on you to see how you move. So I moved around — I knew he was animated anyway, and I can't just read a high-energy scene and keep my hands in my pockets. If you watch him he has very fluid wrists, and I am like that when I work, so they just took that and magnified it. He walks like Sammy Davis, Jr., he has the same little bowlegged thing. And the mouth, I just knew what he felt like. I'm telling you, when I put on the headphones I'm that guy.
At the end of the film when Mike is doing stand-up comedy, it almost seems as though viewers are watching Billy Crystal tell the jokes and not Mike Wazowski because the scene fit you so well. Was the ending something you created, or was it actually in the script? ^ This was a new ending, but there was another version of it. I knew that I was going to be doing stand-up for one person, and I've done that before, so I just decided to bomb. From there I just came up with stuff. There was different kind of jokes, different material. I think that was it. There were about four or five different endings, but it was more material type of stuff.
Now Walt Disney pictures have become something of a legacy throughout time. Kids today grow up watching "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" the way their grandparents did when they were kids. Is it important to you to be a part of something as legendary as a Walt Disney film? ^ I've seen the film in stages but it wasn't until the other night that I saw it in its entirety. The first thing that hit me, that got me emotional, were the opening credits — the 'Walt Disney Presents.' I just grabbed my wife's hand and held it and she asked, 'what's wrong?' I just said, 'that's good. That's very good,' cause you are part of a legacy. It's just a tremendous feeling, especially for me because my mother as a girl loved Walt Disney. My mother used to be the voice of Minnie Mouse in the Macy's Day Parades in New York. She was Minnie in the floats and would do her voice for years. My mother would be either in the float with a microphone or already did a recording telling the kids, 'Happy Thanksgiving!'
So how old were you when you first went to Disneyland? ^ Thirty-five.
What do you think makes Walt Disney animated films so beloved throughout the years, not to mention such a success? ^ The whole experience. It's not just the movies. If you were lucky to go to the movies to see "Snow White" then you got a book. Then you would read the "Snow White" book. You realized, as you got older and had kids, the genius of Walt Disney. With the movies, which are spectacular stories, "Pinocchio" being my favorite, there was always a backup thing. There was a book, there was a coloring book — there was not just the film because we didn't have tapes and it wasn't on DVD — so you had support material. He was thinking of the kids. He was an amazing business man.
Now you mentioned earlier that you said yes to Monsters, Inc before you even knew what film John Lasseter was calling to ask you to star in. Outside the whole Disney legacy, what made you jump at the chance to star in a Pixar/Disney film without really even knowing what it was about? ^ Just because I knew it was going to be good and I was a dope who said no to being Buzz Lightyear in "Toy Story."
Really? What made you turn down the role of Buzz? ^ It was a business hassle between… it's not even a big deal anymore and I shouldn't really talk about it. It had to do with my managers and Disney and Robin Williams and "Aladdin." At the time it was a big dispute. You don't really get paid that much, so when a movie is a success and you don't share in it… this was back then. So it was that whole 'do you really want to get involved with this if it's going to be ugly?' kind of thing. They were even talking about me being Woody and so on, but looking back you'd have to take two guys out of it who were great in it and start from scratch — Woody was this kind of guy and that sort of thing — and I think Monsters, Inc was just a better fit for me.
Now in Monsters, Inc you play one of the monsters in the closet that kids across the world have always been afraid of growing up. Were you ever afraid of monsters in the closet as a kid? ^ Most of them were my relatives that would go in to use my closet. The Herring-Breath monsters as we would call them when we were kids. Actually, I didn't like the dark. I just like to know that I can see something, so I'd keep the light on in the hallway and I closed the door, but kept it open just a little bit. So if something was coming through I could recognize it. I remember being home alone for the first time when I was ten or something like that and I would talk in different voices in case there was someone outside they would think that there were a number of people inside.
Get the rest of the interview in part four of I LIKE MIKE: BILLY CRYSTAL ON "MONSTERS, INC">>>
UCLA FILM STUDENTS REVEAL "IMAGES OF WAR" ON SHOWTIME
"There is only one way to be born, but because of mankind, there are hundreds of ways to die. I think about that a lot." This thought-provoking observation...
As the opening credits roll, we're treated to the blossoming relationship between actors Jake (James Huang) and Ally (Elizabeth Sandy). The two go through...
When New York artist Prune Nourry was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided to document the experience of her treatment and its impact on her life and...


A Muslim Child is Born: Smart Ark Giveaway Winner!
It's past midnight ...the Smart Ark giveaway is closed, so....it's time to announce the winner of the memory game, My Charity Shop.
The winner is....well here, you see.
Okay, now I have to go and see who number 4 is...hehe...but congratulations dear sis!
Tayyib, number 4 is Sanaa! Sis Sanaa please email me (click on the contact me button on the right hand side of the page insha'Allah) and insha'Allah, I will mail your gift to the address you specify.
Dear sisters...keep watching because there will be several more giveaways sponsored by Smart Ark insha'Allah!
Masha Allaah, Congratulations sis Sana. May Allaah bless you and your kids with this. Aameen.
mashaAllah, very happy for sister Sana. May Allah make it useful for your kids inshaAllah.


Dirty Pretty Things: A soul-stirring movie about some invisible immigrants in England that will rock you to your foundations if you just come to it with an open heart.
This Divided State: A hard-hitting documentary about the heated nature of the culture war in America and the hallowedness of free speech.
The Interpreter: Salutes openness and respect for life as antidotes to the use of violence to deal with the uncertainty and insecurity of our times.
Japanese Story: An Australian geologist and a Japanese businessman work through their differences in this cross-cultural gem.
Casa de los Babys: A fine example of writer and director John Sayles's sensitive exploration of cross-cultural tensions and misunderstandings.
Freaky Friday: A first-class comedy that makes empathy into an appealing bridge-building virtue.
Le Divorce: A little gem that sparkles with insights into the cross-cultural spats between the Americans and the French.
Heat and Dust: Weaves a magical spell as an exploration of romance and as a sensitive cross-cultural study.
A Great Wall: An interesting American film shot in China that lampoons ethnocentrism and celebrates the values of cross-cultural experiences.
Russkies: A comedy adventure story that reminds us how open and honest communication can break down the walls of fear existing between people and nations.
A Man Called Horse: A mesmerizing film about the experiences of a British aristocrat in 1825 struggling to survive in a Sioux tribe.
Dances with Wolves: A shining parable about openness, a human resource that seems to be underrated and in short supply in our world rife with hostilities.
Secret Ballot: A playful Iranian parable about freedom and the need for openness wherever people are experimenting with democracy.
Rain: A beguiling drama about a hurting family who, lacking openness and trust, fail to communicate.
Focus: Based on Arthur Miller's first novel, is a vivid portrait of anti-Semitism in Brooklyn during World War II.
Liam: Centers on an eight-year-old boy in Liverpool whose openheartedness is dashed by the hellfire and brimstone theology of the Catholic church and his father's hatred of foreigners.
Together: A wonderfully idiosyncratic and totally satisfying Swedish film set in a 1975 commune in Stockholm where openness to others slowly evolves as a spiritual practice.
The Year of Living Dangerously: Weir's movies are open-ended, stylish dramas that engage our senses, psyche and wonder.
Liberty Heights: Coming to terms with "the other" (whether stranger, enemy, or alien) is as critical to the development of the soul now as it was in the 1950s.
In and Out: A paean to diversity that proudly shows its colors.
Mulan: An animated feature that heralds the ancient Confucian virtues of family honor, respect for elders, and devotion to country.
Talk of Angels: A radiant young Irish woman's experiences in Spain become a rite of passage for her into true independence.
Anna and the King: An old-fashioned costume drama with sumptuous sets, stirring music, beguiling landscapes, and a cross-cultural relatioship.
Earth: A mix of romantic love, friendship, passion, and political turmoil where people refuse to be open to one another that goes straight to the heart.


Whether you are doing some remodeling and want to change the ceiling light cover , you have some maintenance to do and want to replace the light bulb, or you . Pull it back, dip the rim of the fixture cover below the clip, let the clip slide back into place, then. How do you install a ceiling light fixture box? At first this seemed a humorous question. Then I realized that the many different ways that glass globes are attached are often conceale hidden, or hard to .
A little harder to put the cover back on. Some types you pull straight down on the cover assembly, most likely including the metal ring in this case. The types that remove in this manner . I need to replace a light bulb. Any ideas on how to remove it?
How to remove ceiling light glass cover or dome when all. These steps vary according to what type of light fixture you are removing.
Our step by step guide will help you to safely change a standard ceiling light. The following are several tips which can help get the stuck glass ceiling fan light cover off. Replacing a light bulb in a ceiling fixture requires removing the globe from the fixture to access the bulb. Ceiling fixture globes secure to the . Think you have to break a stuck bulb to get it out of the socket? Shop our selection of Light Covers in the Lighting Department at The Home Depot.
Remove fixture base from ceiling. We tried twisting the glass dome alone,. Trying to remove it for few days now but in vain. Any particular method by which this lamp could be removed.
Changing out a light fixture can be an easy, relatively quick way to. Gallery Images: Need directions on how to remove the cover on a Lumo Crown ceiling light to access the bulb. Tips and detailed instructions on how to replace a ceiling light in your.
Change a drab room into a dazzling one with a new overhead light fixture. Or possibly you want to replace a ceiling light fixture that is just plain ugly. Can anyone advise how I can remove the ceiling light dome covers to .
Changing a light bulb in a recessed ceiling fixture can drive you crazy. This fixture does not have any screws. How do I remove the dome light fixture so I can replace the headliner material. I would like to replace the bulb with.
I have moved into an apartment which has an oyster light fitting in the bathroom. The oyster light seems to be type that is screwed in and has .


On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office posted in Construction Accidents on Thursday, September 23, 2010.
Three firefighters remember vividly the day their lives changed. Firefighters daily respond to reports of possible gas leaks at various locations, and October 31, 2008 began no differently than any other. Everything changed for the three firefighters when a construction worker entered the Hilltop fire station. He had suspected that a gas pipe had been punctured at the construction site he was working on.
When the three firefighters went to investigate, they detected the slightest odor of gas and ordered ever construction worker away from the area. After confirming with a witness that no one was in the building, the firefighters began their inspection. When they were only 6 feet from the front door to the building it exploded. "I knew exactly what was happening," one of the injured firefighters later recalled. "I made a quarter turn away from it, and then I was thrown backward 18 feet."
Two of the firefighters thrown from the explosion were able to leave the hospital after spending only one night there. Their injuries later proved to be extensive as they required months of physical therapy. The third, and lead, firefighter suffered first and second-degree burns. He remained in the hospital for a week where he received several skin grafts during surgery. He underwent four more surgeries in an attempt to regain the use of his badly burned hand. All three of the firefighters required counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder and remained unable to return to work for at least a year.
The firefighters looked back to that fatal day and commented on how lucky everyone was that none of the construction workers were in the building when the explosion occurred. If the construction workers had not reported the gas leak many of them could have been severely injured or killed at the site.
Although the firefighters had short hospital stays, their tragedy highlights how extensive injuries can be. They had to pay high medical bills and lost wages during their yearlong recuperation period. Workers' compensation benefits help employees get through those difficult and emotional times caused by a workplace injury.