According to Heckman, Haavelmo built on Marshall's general idea of ceteris paribus to define fixing ("an abstract operation that assigns independent variation to the variable being fixed (p. 8)"), that is to be distinguished from classical statistical conditioning ("a statistical operation that accounts for the dependence structure in the data (p. 8)"). This fixing occur hypothetically, thus causality becomes defined in terms of thought experiments, along the earlier thoughts of Ragnar Frisch. In Heckman's words: "Causal effects are not empirical statements or descriptions of actual worlds, but descriptions of hypothetical worlds obtained by varying – hypothetically – the inputs determining outcomes. (pp. 2-3)".
Much of the lecture and paper is a polemic against Pearl's do-calculus. Those interested in that debate can read Heckman and Pinto's paper and Pearl's comments on it, watch a conference discussion they had last year, or read stuff that more able people than me have blogged about before. Not debatable, though, is that Heckman knows to please his hosts.
This entry was posted in Economics, Measurement and tagged causality, classics, data, economics, science on 2013-12-20 by Oeystein Hernaes.
Great story of the work of political campaigns and political participation generally. Someone interested in applying the methods in another context, such as another country, must keep in mind how much they rely on the public voting files that give information of whether someone voted. Without these, the micro-targeting made possible by matching the voter records with consumer databases and census information would not be feasible, and it would make experimentation much more difficult. Recommended, but there is one thing that bothers me: The actual politics is often lost sight of. It would be great if these advances also could contribute to improving policy.
-renewed interest in small improvements after narrow Bush election, etc.
-Political consultant Mark Grebner contacted Gerber and Green. Sent people copy of their and their neighbour's (public) voting histories before election, and said they would inform also about whether voted after election. Increased turnout by 20 %. Problem: Looked dirty/like blackmail. Solution through testing and trial and error: Use a more gentle tone. Also have it look more like information than advertising.
-The problematic story of data in Al Franken's 2008 Minnesota Senate race. Because of a close initial margin (favoring Republican Coleman), a mandatory recount had to take place. Importantly, there were many votes that were wrongly rejected the first time. These, absentee (challenged), votes were now to be included, and Franken's team identified those who were most likely to favor him, like those "challenged for change-of-address discrepancies (p 10)," got more of those opened, and carried the race. I do not understand why they did not draw a random sample of those challenged.
-Ch 1. How the field of political science failed to take the road of randomized field experiments.
-beginning of 20th century, political science emerged, and as direct primaries and elections became more common, a study began also of the voters, not only of institutions and parties, as previously. A key man was Gosnell, who in the 1920's in Chicago experimented with different types of reminders to voters of a coming election. "Gosnell's conclusions were obvious – mobilization efforts can have the biggest impact in places where little else is pushing voters to the polls – but no one had ever before quantified them (p. 26)." But although his method received a positive reception, the field of randomized field experiments did not take off. Instead the field of polling was developed to great sophistication, with especially the data gathered in what later became "American National Election Studies".
-Ch 3. Experiments of Green and Gerber. Shallow critique of rational choice models. Brief history of field experiments. From medicine. Tests of social programs under Lyndon B. Johnson, most famously the effect of a negative income tax: Randomization of bonus payments to low-income groups to look at labor supply effects-found … But not in elections and voting, a field GG went on and made their own. In the 1998 (uncompetitive) New Haven election, they randomized postcards, scripted calls and door knocks to 30 000 New Haven voters, each form of contact additionally containing different appeals. After the election they checked the public(?) individual voter histories and found that the scripted calls had no effect, postcards had almost none, whereas the individual visits had a huge impact, increasing average turnout by 8.7 %. A clear theoretical contribution was hard to formulate, but the practical implications for campaigners were clear.
-Ch 4. The Democrats developed field operations well in the 80's and 90's. Paul Tully lead the work in gathering data relevant for turnout, including precinct data from the Census. Taken up by the Republicans in the 00's.
-Ch 5. The rise of polling, and then of large corporate databases. The Republican Gage in 2001 bought a large file with data on consumers, polled 5 000 of these with about 20 questions on political issues, then looked for connections between the personal and political variables and used what he found to microtarget messages. Developed further for Bush's 2004 campaign, often targeted the voter with a message about the only issue that the voter agreed with the Republican party with. Also approached scientifically how to elicit anger with questions on that issue. Is is not really clear how the matching between the registries occurred? By name?
-Ch 6. How the geeks took over from the gurus. After 2000, some Democrats realized they were lagging behind. In the 2004 elections, a sample of 20 000 people formed a basis for experimentation with messages when combined with repeated polling and regular mailings. Showed whether people looked at the messages, what worked, and what worked with whom. Credit scores as a model. Emergence of the Analyst Group.
-Ch 7. The power of the social element and psychology. Todd Rogers drawing on Cialdini's research, like "what he described as injunctive norms (" you should not litter") were far less effective at changing behavior than descriptive norms (" few people litter") (p. 186)," and towels in hotel rooms. Wanted to test this in the Democratic presidential campaign (for Wesley Clark), but it was decided that the candidate could not afford to leave out a control group of untreated. Later he got the chance in the gubernatorial elections in 2005, and learned that, contrary to the gurus' opinion, warning about low turnout not effective, whereas emphasizing that others vote is. Grebner collaborated with Gerber and Green to send letters with information of subjects' vote histories, cloaked in various terms, all of which created effects of 30+%.
-Ch 8. Republican consultant Dave Carney tinkers in various ways. One ex is different anti-Clinton mails, which was effective but not widely implemented in the 2006 presidential election because of fears of a clashback. Teamed up with Perry. Implemented win bonuses for those working for them. Later initiated a collaboration with G&G and two other academics, Daron Shaw and James Gimpel for the 2006 Texas gubernatorial race. They tested: TV ads at different amounts after matching similar media markets-found that had immediate effect that decayed; candidate visits-TV coverage had effect, personal visits had lasting effects. Conclude that tv advertising not very effective, contrary to conventional wisdom, as seen in the money allocated to it.
-Ch 9. The increasing sophistication of microtargeting. Young consultant Dan Wagner hired by Obama 2008 campaign. Database with more or less every American voter. Ken Strasma had been an early proponent of extrapolating political information about known populations to those with otherwise similar characteristics. Special challenges related to the caucuses. Matching people using several hundred consumer variables. Sophistication of Obamas's primary campaign. Gathering of more and more data, implementation of competition between phone vendors and checking whether they did their job. People less honest when answering a volunteer than a paid call. Tracking of opinion shifts identifying "shifters" giving a more nuanced view of the undecided.
-Ch 10. Sophistication of Obama presidential campaign. Importance of good data from the field. Creation of canvassability, callability and answerability scores to help with this. Randomization of web page features and money requests- "A/B tests". Demonstration of superiority of online ads and street teams over television for reaching young voters. Ability of the question ""Do you think your neighbors would be willing to vote for an African-American for president? (p. 296)" to pick out those for race was important.
-Epilogue. The social element of voting. Rogers' experiment with mailing vote histories to people inspiring a follow-up by Malchow: First a phone call asking whether intended to vote, then those that said yes received a letter and then a robocall close to the election reminding them of the pledge – very effective, created new votes at 18 dollars each. Costas Panagopoulos' experiments: Mailing people message that would publicize those who voted vs those who did not – the latter more effective; thanking those who voted in a previous election had effect; "honor roll" of people never having missed an election or thank you note – both effective. Gerber, intrigued by finding that many believed that the vote was not necessarily secret, found that mail with explanation of how it was kept secret increased turnout dramatically for registered voters that had not voted before. Malchow experimenting on ways to register new voters.
This entry was posted in Books, Data, Elections, Politics, Research and tagged books, data, elections, politics, research, reviews, turnout, Voting on 2013-12-18 by Oeystein Hernaes.
Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter , by Steven Johnson.
Recommended. Everything bad is good for you is something as unorthodox as a passionate argument about the cognitive benefits of popular culture. Johnson claims that popular culture today is so challenging and stimulating that we get heavy mental exercise by consuming it. Much of the book focuses on games, which is where I believe Johnson has the strongest case: Popular video games demand thinking and well thought strategies and plans, chores sometimes have to be performed, gratification is delayed, patience is required. Some lament how games are not like books, but like Johnson, says, the novelistic parts of games are their least interesting aspects. In games the content is not the primary benefit, but rather the mental exercise they provide. Reward and exploration are also essential parts: Players have to probe the game, explain it, figure out its rules and find its weak spots. To put it another way, they have to think about the system and what are the limits of the simulation. In this aspect – that ambiguity is essential – video games are different from board games and other traditional games. This is a highly entertaining account of games, and one that concurs very well with my own experience.
Johnson also defends other parts of popular culture, such as television shows and films, that contain many more subplots and where action is expressed with much more subtlety than in previous times. Even reality shows and tv debates get a positive rap, since they require strategy and emotional intelligence and adaption as rule change, in the case of the former, and we are good at judging people by face. To some extent all this seems right, but the question is how much of popular culture it holds for. Though it must be said that at least in the case of tv shows, Johnson argues at length that it is not only niche high brow shows that now have a bigger market to cater to, but that also middle or low brow culture have been lifted.
Johnson sees in all this an explanation of the Flynn effect, i.e. the sustained increase in measured intelligence test scores in many countries throughout most of the 20th century. That is a fascinating thought, but one that would demand more large-scale evidence than hitherto provided to be accepted. Hopefully some researchers out there are on the case.
Naked, by David Sedaris. Very funny.
Reagan In His Own Voice . Ronald Reagan's daily radio broadcasts from the late 1975-79. In 1976 Reagan launched a failed bid to become the Republican party's presidential candidate (against the incumbent Gerald Ford). His small radio speeches were probably a way to continue to be in the public sphere. The editors claimed that Reagan wrote most of the material himself. That is impressive if true, although he did not seem to have a formal job until he became president in 1981. Some of the addresses seem quite idiosyncratic, so that supports the claim. I disagree with many of the views expressed, but it is too bad that politicians today seem to be less free to express their personal views, with political communication having become wholly professionalized.
Ratings and additional books are in the library.
This entry was posted in Books and tagged books, reviews on 2013-12-03 by Oeystein Hernaes.


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Remembering Author Richard Whelan
At the time of his death Whelan was working on two new projects for the ICP. One was an exhibition of Capa work based on new research. He was also working on a show about Gerda Taro, Capa's lover who was killed in Spain.
We just learned that Richard Whelan, one of the great writers on photography in the 20th century, has died. Whelan passed away two weeks ago—for some reason, the New York Times has yet to publish a biography—but his family hasn't released the cause of death.
He is being buried next to the photographer Robert Capa, the subject of one of his biographies, in a Quaker cemetery in upstate New York tomorrow.
Besides Robert Capa, Whelan's biographical subjects included Alfred Stieglitz. He also wrote the book on Robert Capa's brother, Cornell Capa, the photojournalist and founder of the International Center of Photography in New York. Whelan was also the consulting curator of the Robert and Cornell Capa Archives at the ICP and a longtime faculty member at the ICP school.
For most of us who love the history of photography, Whelan's crowning achievement was his book "Capa: A Biography." In Whelan's hands, Capa's life came off as both epic and intimate, the story of an extraordinary man as well as a story about the meaning of history and art.
—David Schonauer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Biden names White House team to work on racial equality, immigration and other domestic policy priorities
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday announced new White House staff members who will serve under Susan Rice, the director of his Dom
Politics updates: Biden, Harris volunteer for MLK Day; Biden taps 2 Elizabeth Warren allies
President Biden jokes about phone call with Vladimir Putin
Day 1 agenda: Joe Biden plans to swiftly reverse Trump's 'most egregious moves' on first day in White House
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday announced new White House staff members who will serve under Susan Rice, the director of his Domestic Policy Council, charging them with coordinating with federal agencies to help implement his early domestic policy agenda.
The hires include four deputy directors of the Domestic Policy Council, a special assistant and a deputy assistant. Focus areas include racial justice and equity, immigration, health care, veterans affairs and economic mobility.
More:Trump impeachment sets up politically perilous Senate trial, possibly threatening Joe Biden's agenda
In a surprise move, Biden last month named Rice – a former ambassador to the United Nations and then as his national security adviser under President Barack Obama – to lead domestic policy efforts. Rice was under consideration as Biden's vice president pick before he picked Sen. Kamala Harris last summer.
Among early priorities, Biden has said he will introduce an immigration bill "immediately," end President Donald Trump's executive orders on environmental issues, and work to tackle the coronavirus pandemic with help from Congress and by implementing a plan to aggressively distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.
Biden is set to outline his vaccination and economic relief legislative package in a speech Thursday night.
More:Live impeachment updates: Donald Trump impeached for 'incitement' of mob attack on US Capitol
The staff additions are:
Stefanie Feldman, deputy assistant to the president and senior advisor to the director of the Domestic Policy Council. Feldman worked as national policy director for the Biden-Harris campaign and worked in the White House for five years including as Vice President Biden's deputy director for Domestic and Economic Policy.
Catherine Lhamon, deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council for Racial Justice and Equity. Lhamon chairs the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and previously served as legal affairs secretary to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Carmel Martin, deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council for Economic Mobility.Martin worked as a senior policy advisor for the Biden campaign. Previously, Martin served as the assistant secretary for policy and budget at the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama-Biden administration and executive vice president for policy at the progressive think tank Center for American Progress.
Tyler Moran, special assistant to the president for Immigration for the Domestic Policy Council.Moran previously served as executive director of the Immigration Hub, a project of the Emerson Collective, and senior policy advisor to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid.
Esther Olavarria, deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council for Immigration. Olavarria, a member of the Biden-Harris Department of Homeland Security Agency Review Team, served in the Obama-Biden's Department of Homeland Security and the White House Domestic Policy Council.
Christen Linke Young, deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council for Health and Veterans Affairs. Young serves as a health policy advisor for the Biden-Harris transition team and was a onetime fellow at the Brookings Institution focused on access to health insurance policy. Young previously worked at the Department of Health and Human Services as a principal deputy director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight.
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.
Money 816 Biden 485 domestic 17 equality 2 House 181 immigration 25 names 7 policy 13 priorities 2 racial 9 team 45 white 134 work 45
After Kyle Rittenhouse seen at bar flashing white power sign, prosecutors want him to stay away from Proud Boys
Rebekah Vardy discusses her postpartum body and her love for period pants as she launches website
Australia 'could face Christchurch-style attack' from right-wing extremists in Victoria
Britons 'to avoid' 'useless' hotel quarantine from Portugal by driving to Spain
What is the Valneva Covid vaccine? Manufacturing starts for 60 million doses 0
No. 14 Wisconsin weathers Maryland comeback in 61-55 win 0
Australia 'could face Christchurch-style attack' from right-wing extremists in Victoria 0
Britons 'to avoid' 'useless' hotel quarantine from Portugal by driving to Spain 0
Apple hit record revenues of $111B in fall 2020, fueled by coronavirus pandemic 0
After the Capitol riot, one Florida man became 'Podium Guy.' Another turned him in. 0
Smart collar translates dog barks into emotions, startup company says 0
Uproar as US Ambassador to Israel Twitter account temporarily adds West Bank and Gaza too 0
Live Updates: House Republican who voted to impeach Trump facing criticism 0
Sky broadband CRASHES for thousands of Britons 0


Wiggins set the mark of 54.526km in June 2015 and there have been several failed attempts to break it since.
Ineos, owned by Britain's richest man, Jim Ratcliffe, will become the sole owners from May 1 and will continue to fund the current team in full.
The competition will take place at the Ceremonial Court of Qatar Foundation on March 15.
Catlin was part of the US team pursuit squads that captured world titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Qatar's Tala Abujbara finished second in the women's elite race in a competition which featured a total of 530 participants from 51 countries.
Cyclists will follow a 38.5km route and will need to cross seven sand dunes on their way to the finish line, while runners will cover a distance of 26.7 km crossing four sand dunes in the process.
The 28-year-old -- a two-time Olympic champion and the winner of 11 world track gold medals -- suffered life-changing injuries last June when training at the Cottbus Velodrome.
Cycling's most iconic race will open with a team trial around the Danish capital, known for its pro-cycling policy.


Notes - One-off, rare official player issue patch as used by fifteen Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga teams including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund on the 32nd matchday of the 2016-17 season. The 'Til Schweiger Foundation' was set up by the German actor to help improve the life chances of disadvantaged children.


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The Portrait of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta is a painting attributed to the Italian Renaissance master Piero della Francesca (c. 1451). It portrays the condottiero and lord of Rimini and Fano Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, and is housed in the Musée du Louvre of Paris.

The portrait depicts the condottiero by profile and, according to some sources, was based on a medal executed in 1445 by Pisanello, or to one by Matteo de' Pasti from 1450. The picture itself is believed to be executed by Piero della Francesca during his sojourn in Rimini, during which he also painted the fresco with Sigismondo Pandolfo kneeling after St. Sigismund in the Tempio Malatestiano (Cathedral) of the city.

Despite the choice of the profile representation, typical of the portraits of eminent figures of the type, Piero della Francesca showed his attention for naturalist details in the fine execution of the texture and the hair of the committent. This is a proof of his good knowledge of Flemish masters such as Rogier van der Weyden.

Attribution is not certain and very late. Until 1889, it used to belong to the Russian Imperial Art Collection. Only as art piece of the d'Ancona collection in Milan in late 19th century, it was first attributed to Piero della Francesca by art-dealer Giovanni Morelli. From there it moved to Contini-Bonacossi collection, where Roberto Longhi reiterated the attribution before the family sold it to the Louvre. However, doubts were raised by Italian art critics and professors, some of whom believed it to be a neoclassical fake due to its uncanny resemblance with the painting of Tempio Malatestiano. Similarly, an Italian ministerial art commission refused to buy it in 1969 as part of the Contini-Bonacossi bequest due to the doubts surrounding its attribution. French art historians have, instead, always been unanimous on its attribution, especially after entering the Louvre collection.

External links
 Page at Musée du Louvre website

1450s paintings
Paintings by Piero della Francesca
Malatesta
Malatesta
Malatesta
Paintings in the Louvre by Italian artists
Malatesta
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Those lazy, crazy summer days have finally arrived . . . time for parties, picnics and fun in the sun. And in this sunny season, wherever you go and whatever you do, Decode 1.8 is poised to outfit you in the latest styles, suitable for any occasion.
Take a look at these five stunning dresses and picture yourself perfectly attired, ready for anything the season brings you.
Flowers everywhere, fresh-cut grass, tall glasses of pink lemonade beneath a lattice-work swing entwined with wisteria. You'll fit right in with our sleeveless, below-knee length dress, featuring lace embroidery flowers and a fit-and-flare silhouette. Top it with a straw or raffia wide-brimmed hat, and maybe a lacy fan to stir the sultry air.
It's time to leave the boys behind and go out on the town with just your besties. Take in a weepy chick flick, stroll through the shops downtown, check out the new pub near the wharf, and finish off the evening with a frosty Tom Collins or a chilled craft beer while you gab away the evening. You'll be cool, collected and up for anything in our swingy white-lace sleeveless fit-and-flare dress. Top it off with a light floral shawl for fluctuating late-night temps.
What could be more romantic than a summer wedding? Young love celebrated during the brightest season of the year, and you want to be there looking your best. Decode 1.8 has a wide selection of wedding guest dresses that would be appropriate any wedding. For a more formal or evening event, go long in our whisper-pink jersey knit, with a lacy cape that also demonstrates the proper respect in a religious venue.
People usually think of cruise wear as comprising bathing suits and shorts and not much else, but when you're seated at the captain's table, you'll want something more formal—and elegant—to dine and dance in. Our floral strapless floor-length chiffon print gown certainly fits the bill. With its sweetheart neckline and froth of floral cascade, it flatters any figure. The matching lace belt helps define the waist, carving out curves.
Whether you're dining by candlelight at a waterfront restaurant or clinking champagne glasses at a larger penthouse soiree, you can't go wrong with our long-sleeved, classic gray, floor-length gown, topped with a beaded bodice that will sparkle in the evening glow. Finish with a pair of black dangle earrings and statement cocktail ring, and you're good to go.
Whatever opportunities you have to celebrate summer, you can't go wrong in a Decode 1.8 creation.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Locations Facts
Global Ethics & Compliance
Company News Archive
Global Responsibility
Walmart.org
Environmental, Social and Governance
Financial Events & Webcasts
ESG Investors
Apply to be a Supplier
Supplier Inclusion
Get to Know Walmart
Acre for Acre Promise Preserves Nature for Generations
By David Schrag
As a parent of four young children, watching their reaction to seeing a family of deer walking through a shallow stream will always be one of my fondest memories.
The smiles, giggles and amazement on their faces: It was nature in its purest form and something I hope to be able to experience with my children's children one day.
Conserving one acre of wildlife habitat for every acre of land Walmart developed was the goal of Acres for America, which was founded in 2005 by a partnership with Walmart and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. That was a commitment of $35 million over 10 years.
That original goal has turned into one of the most impressive collaborations in U.S. land conversation history. In 2015, Walmart renewed its commitment to the program by contributing an additional $35 million over 10 years, with a goal of protecting an additional 1 million acres across the nation. And now the program is creating eight new land conservation projects across Hawaii, Northern California, Southern California, Montana, Texas, Michigan, Minnesota and North Carolina, which will protect and connect wildlife habitats across more than 100,000 acres through $3.8 million in grants and $81.2 million in matching contributions.
The 2017 grants include a rare native Hawaiian forest, longleaf pines in Texas and sustainably harvested forestlands in Minnesota and Montana. They protect ancient redwoods in northern California as well as 1,600 year old bald cypress trees in North Carolina, the oldest known trees east of the Mississippi River.
I'm excited that Walmart is working through their Acres for America program to ensure those beautiful habitats are around for generations to come – one acre at a time.
Walmart Museum
@Walmart Labs
Shop Walmart.com
Shop SamsClub.com
© 2019 Walmart Inc.


The Connecticut owners of a group of Planet Fitness gyms wanted to build a stronger chain, and solidify their dominance of the market. They started with 9 clubs in various locations throughout the state.
Bob Abbate Marketing was challenged to develop and coordinate an advertising campaign with broad reach, creative appeal and plenty of room to flex. The campaign had to have the strength to penetrate the marketplace. It was clear this would be a workout.
Consumers were introduced to Planet Fitness, and to their clean, comfortable, non-intimidating atmosphere, and were enticed to join the judgement-free zone through the targeted us of direct mail, print ads, radio and television. By flexing our media muscles, we negotiate efficient yet powerful buys, adhere to stringent franchise brand regulations and maximize the return on investment for the franchisees of each individual club.
Result: Within months, club owners saw an increase in memberships and additional daily traffic. Planet Fitness is now the largest group of fitness clubs in Connecticut, as well as in the country. They currently have 27 locations in Connecticut alone, and over 600 across the USA.


The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is proud to be a media partner of the 23rd edition of the South African Music Awards (SAMA's), which will take place on Saturday, 27 May at Sun City in the North West Province.
The South African Music Awards (SAMA's) celebrate and honour artists who have made an impact in different music genres, ranging from pop and hip-hop to gospel and Afrikaans music. As South Africa's only public service broadcaster, with five TV channels and 19 radio stations, the SABC has always provided a platform for South African music to thrive. It continues to expose audiences to new music as well as age-old classics.
The hosts for the SAMA's include Metro FM's morning breakfast co-host, Somizi Mhlongo and well-known comedian and host of SABC2's Red Cake, Tumi Morake. Mhlongo is a theatre and television actor as well as a singer. He returns to the hosting duties that he delivered last year when he co-hosted with actor, radio and television host, Thando Thabethe. Morake, who is a television host and a professional in her field.
The SAMA's are the Recording Industry of South Africa's (RISA's) music industry awards, established in 1995. The winners receive a gold-plated statuette called a SAMA. The ceremony features live performances as one-off collaborations by a selection of nominees.
The SAMAs are considered the South African equivalent of the American Grammy Awards.
"Our team is hard at work putting together a ceremony befitting the stature of the SAMA awards. We have every faith in Somizi and Tumi that they will add that extra 'zing' to the proceedings and leave us entertained," adds RISA CEO, Nhlanhla Sibisi.
SABC spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, says, "The SABC has always been a strong advocate of South African music and has a long relationship with both RISA and the SAMA's. We are very proud to be the broadcast and media partner of SAMA's 23rd year."
The event will be broadcast live on SABC1 at 20:00. Live Amp, SABC1's premiere music show which occurs every Friday night, will also be doing a live broadcast on Friday, 26 May 2017 on SABC1 at 19:30.


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President Trump Threatens To Leave U.S. If He Loses Election To Biden
by Endowed Inalegwu
Weeks to the presidential election in United state Donald Trump made a surprising revelation of what he might do should he loss to Biden.
Americans will be heading to the polls to vote for the next President of the United States on the 3rd of November. There are two viable options for President, including President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. Of course, Kanye is also running for President but it's clear that he has no shot at winning.
Donald Trump Threatens To Regulate or Close Down…
Donald Trump Is Sworn In as President, Capping His…
Osama bin Laden's Niece Endorses Donald Trump For President
As it stands, the polls have Biden way out ahead. While some point to 2016 as a measure of how polls don't mean anything, it's apparent that Biden's lead is much wider than Hillary Clinton's. Regardless, Trump is confident that he will win the election and at his most recent rally, he explained that a loss would be an embarrassment considering how Trump feels about Biden as a candidate.
"Because you know what? Running against the worst candidate in the history of Presidential politics puts pressure on me," Trump said. "Could you imagine if I lose? I'm gonna say 'I lost to the worst candidate in the history of politics.' I'm not going to feel so good. Maybe I'll have to leave the country."
While Trump appeared to be joking at the notion, it will be interesting to see what he does, should he lose. The President has refused to commit to the peaceful transition of power, which could lead to an unprecedented situation in the White House.
SOURCE TMZ
Tags: BidenDonald trumpelection
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Hillary Clinton in white pantsuit for Trump inauguration
Amazon has 143 billion reasons to keep adding more perks to Prime
Squeeze out the old people in office – Obasanjo urges Nigerian youth
So you want to be a startup investor? Here are things you should know
Dota 2 and CS:GO top Steam's 2016 list for most played games
North Korea In Lockdown As First COVID-19 Case Is Suspected


10x Genomics ( http://www.10xgenomics.com/ ) is building tools for scientific discovery that reveal and address the true complexities of biology and disease. Through a combination of novel microfluidics, chemistry and bioinformatics, our award-winning Chromium(tm) System is enabling researchers around the world to more fully understand the fundamentals of biology at unprecedented resolution and scale. Learn more at 10xGenomics.com ( http://www.10xGenomics.com ).
Fueled by equal parts scientific vision and determined passion, we are delivering unprecedented innovation to short-read sequencing technologies and transforming how genomic information is accessed. You will feel the 10x difference the moment you enter our offices and labs. There's a dynamic energy here, and we're looking for the best of the best to be a part of it. We are seeking talented professionals excited to build new technology that advances scientific research while growing their career within a dynamic, supportive environment.
We are seeking candidates in multiple locations for a field sales-based position responsible for the territory sales plan. The Sales Executive will have strong technical knowledge in the area of Next Gen Sequencing and will demonstrate technical credibility to effectively consult with customers to influence key decisions on technology and product choices. Strong business acumen is required to build successful account and territory plans and translate territory strategy into business results. The ideal candidate will have a strong history of account relationships with key thought leaders in the Next Gen Sequencing space.
Demonstrates technical credibility to consult with customers on technology solutions.
Demonstrates funnel management skills with strong hunting/prospecting and closing skills.
Commitment to rigorous territory planning, market knowledge, both accurate and timely forecasting.
Develops and manages to a business plan to meet or exceed business goals for the territory.
Understands scientific project needs and business needs of the customer to win the business.
Consistently and accurately manages sales process including sales forecasting, pipeline management, and sales tracking through the use of the CRM system and other designated IT tools.
Develops and maintains current knowledge of genetic analysis markets, products, and buying practices required to effectively compete in the assigned territory.
Utilizes product and application knowledge across the genetic analysis portfolio to successfully conduct selling presentations.
Assists in the identification and recruitment of new sales people as required.
Ensure that customers are fully satisfied.
Represent the company professionally, ethically and morally at all times.
Requires a Bachelor's Degree in Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry or related field; or the equivalent knowledge and experience. A Master's or PhD degree is desirable.
Requires a minimum of 3-5 years sales experience in Life Science, with capital equipment experience.
Strong desire to win business and establish long term customer relationships.
Extensive knowledge of Next Gen Sequencing.
Must be willing to travel up to 60%.


Jennifer Lopez has done her research, and the verdict is in ... JLO's with her.
Lopez brought Hillary Clinton on stage in Miami Saturday night, with a rousing endorsement. Hillary took a shot at Trump at end of the show, and JLo doubled down by singing "Respect."
BTW ... JLo's ex, Marc Anthony, was back again with the mother of his kids ... right there on stage.


Gestalt Therapy is not so much about having some issue that you plan to sort out, but rather just being present and allowing something to arise.
We chatted for a while, me trying to think of something to present as an issue, floundering a little although I was quite happy sitting there with nothing to do.
I was reminded of a comedian I saw once who refused to conjure up a line, and simply waited for something to arise. It was quite painful sitting in 'the gap' with him. So I was sitting there in 'the gap', waiting for something to show up.
The therapist was great, very happy to sit with me in that space, not judging or looking for something to do, to show her ability. It is unusual having this kind of a session in the role I have, as it is rare for someone to have this kind of session without an issue or two to have a session about.
And there are all kinds of pressure on the session giver to prove something, to produce a rabbit out of the hat if necessary. It is easy with bodywork, as there is usually a formula to follow.
So we did really well just waiting, till my 'goof' appeared. Which it often does when I have some empty space, in itself unusual for me in the past months.
I really like to 'goof off', and find it is rare that I can. I saw some judgements that the goof was just helping me avoid some deep dark secret that I was obviously unwilling to face, but realised that was just a hangover from an old idea I have that there is something wrong with me.
So we had a lot of fun, pulling faces, being absurd, giggling, each of us trusting the space, enjoying our goofs!
I left feeling significantly more spacious inside, and more appreciative of my goof and ability it has to transform situations when I trust it. I have been around lots of therapists in my time, and felt that she knows what she is doing, and is very comfortable with her chosen medium.
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Solar Power Is Getting Cheaper—But How Do We Overcome Its Limits?
Thomas Hornigold
The price of silicon-based solar cells has been falling off a cliff for years now. In 1977, each watt of capacity for a silicon solar panel would cost you around $76. By 1987, that had dropped to $10. In 2017, according to EnergyTrend, it was $0.22. This has been reflected in falling prices for the energy obtained from solar power.
This decline applies to solar energy prices from the grid; but the cost of installing your own system has been falling at a similar rate. Despite what various political figures have to say about it, soon enough the free market will dictate that new power plants should be solar power plants. It's cheaper than coal and oil; it's that simple.
If you measure using the Levelized Cost of Electricity, which attempts to take into account all of the costs including construction and fuel costs for generating power, you find that the only thing cheaper to install in the UK in terms of LCE is onshore wind and natural gas.
But of course, there are issues with renewable technology that explain why the trend in energy markets is a "dash for gas" and not a "dash for renewables."
In his brilliant book, Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air—available for free online—the sadly missed David Mackay, FRS, explains what a Britain powered purely by renewable energy would look like by doing some simple calculations. We need a lot of renewable power; covering every reasonable surface in solar panels still might not cut the mustard.
To power the UK by solar alone, he estimated we'd need to blanket 20 percent of the country in solar panels. Which could be tricky, to say the least. Of course, other sources like wind and hydroelectric power can help out; but even then, many of his plans rely on large-scale solar panel installation in the world's deserts, clean coal technology, or nuclear power.
In reality, our renewable future—should we ever manage to get there—is going to depend on a complex mix of power sources that allow us to compensate for issues like the variability of power output from solar and wind: possibly with a focus on battery storage.
But one thing that would certainly help is more efficient solar panels. Here, though, scientists are struggling at fundamental physical limits, just like the technologists developing transistors are. In the case of solar panels, it's something called the Shockley-Quiesser limit.
So how does a solar panel work?
In its basic essence, you have a semiconductor like silicon; it has electrons in two energy bands, a low valence band and a high conduction band. Photons from the sun fly in, hit the electron; it jumps into the conduction band, and the electron density changes drive a current from which we essentially extract our electrical power.
But there are limits to how much of the sun's energy we can extract.
For a start, the sun emits photons at many different energies, so photons of many different energies hit the solar panel. The band gap energy, however, is a fixed value: 1.1eV. If photons come in with less than this energy, they can't excite an electron, and so they're effectively wasted. If photons come in with more than this energy, the resulting electron has a lot of thermal energy (it's moving quickly) which is just dissipated into the solar panel and can't be extracted easily.
With these considerations, the upper limit for traditional silicon solar cells is around 33 percent of the solar energy that falls on them. We see a "fundamental limit"; something that can't be exceeded.
So, how can we cheat the sun? One method is via tandem solar cells; you have multiple solar cells joined together with different band gaps, which can harvest different areas of the sun's spectrum. Currently available tandem cells can get you up to 40 percent efficiency under good conditions, but they're very expensive to manufacture.
Another idea being investigated is quantum dot solar cells. Quantum dots are artificial atoms made out of semiconductors, and the size and shape of the semiconductor blob determines its electrical properties. With these, then, you can set your own band gap to be exactly the same as the peak in intensity from the sun and approach the Shockley-Quiesser limit of 33 percent.
Another area that has a great degree of excitement around it is singlet fission materials. There are materials that have been discovered which can absorb a high-energy photon. The electron-hole pair travels along in an excited state then splits into two pairs, which then each emit a photon.
You've effectively converted the high-energy photon, whose energy would have been wasted, into two lower-energy photons, which could then theoretically be absorbed by a conventional solar panel underneath. This offers a dream eventual application: simply paint a layer of singlet fission material onto a traditional solar cell and watch its efficiency climb.
It's exciting to think that we are constantly finding new ways to push boundaries and do things that were previously thought to be impossible. In the case of renewable energy, it may be necessary to find limits past the limits if we want to continue being impossible creatures on a habitable rock.
Stock Media provided by LALSSTOCK / Pond5
Thomas Hornigold is a physics student at the University of Oxford. When he's not geeking out about the Universe, he hosts a podcast, Physical Attraction, which explains physics - one chat-up line at a time.
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A web presence is a location on the World Wide Web where a person, business, or some other entity is represented (see also web property and point of presence).
Examples of a web presence for a person could be a personal website, a blog, a profile page, a wiki page, or a social media point of presence (e.g. a LinkedIn profile, a Facebook account, or a Twitter account). Examples of a web presence for a business or some other entity could be a corporate website, a microsite, a page on a review site, a wiki page, or a social media point of presence (e.g., a LinkedIn company page and/or group, a Facebook business/brand/product page, or a Twitter account).
Every web presence is associated with a unique web address to distinguish one point of presence from another.
Web presence can either be owned or unowned. Owned media exists when a single person or group can control the content that is published on its web presence (e.g. a corporate website or a personal Twitter account). However, when a single person or group cannot solely control the content, the creator is different from the owner. This is considered unowned media (see earned media). A Wikipedia or Yelp page about a person, company, or product would be an example of an unowned (or "earned") web presence.
Occasionally, a third form of media known as "paid media" is often included in the discussion of media types: "earned vs. owned vs. paid". Paid media is commonly found in the form of advertisements, but it is not considered a form of web presence.
Web presence management is the process of establishing and maintaining a digital footprint on the web. The three factors that are considered include the following: where a person or business has web presence; how each web presence represents its enterprise; and what is published at a point of presence.
The purpose of a web presence management system is to manage the web presence of a person or business. This includes the collection of domain names, websites, social media, and other web pages where he, she, or it is being represented. The tool generally offers the following key functions: new presence discovery, inventory management, change detection, access control, stakeholder coordination, and compliance workflow.
A web presence management system is meant to have a broader reach so that it emphasizes where a presence has been established, will be established, must be maintained, or must be remediated. An example of a web presence management system is the Brandle Presence Manager.
In order to publish content to the various points of web presence, multiple content management systems and sometimes even social media management systems are often used. The primary focus of most content and social media management systems is limited to their specific web platforms.
Another aspect of web presence management is managing the collection of domain names registered to the person or business. Any entity may register multiple domain names for the same property. As a result, they can link alternative spellings, different top-level domains, aliases, brands, or products to the same website. Similarly, negative or derogatory domain names may also be registered. This is done to prevent certain domain names from being used against the person or business.
It is common for a larger business to have domain names registered by multiple employees at multiple domain name registrars, possibly a result of organizational or geographical requirements. Consequently, a web presence management system can be used to monitor all domain names registered by the business, regardless of the registrars used.
Web presence discovery is the process of monitoring the web for a new point of presence about a person or business. Web presence discovery is often included in a web presence management system. Whether a new domain is registered, a new website is published, or a new social media account is established, it occurs outside of the person's or business' control. As a result, its purpose is to assess a new point of presence and appropriately handle any violations.
It is important to note that web presence discovery differs from content listening. The former involves looking for new properties on the web, whereas the latter refers to analyzing content that already exists to hear how a person or business is seen often in near real time. Examples of content listening systems include Sysomos and Radian6, which is now a subsidiary of Salesforce.com.
A person or business may choose to watch for a new web presence that might appear to misrepresent or mislead an audience, such as counterfeiters, spoofers, or malicious hackers. One of the early software in the online brand protection marketplace was MarkMonitor, now part of Thomson Reuters. This software helped detect rogue domain names and websites.
However, the modern day growth of social media has seen a rise in the number of fraudulent brand impersonations. It has become much easier for a new web presence to be created on those platforms, which results in a greater frequency of them today. As a preventative measure, online brand protection providers are now adding social media to their domain and website discovery options.
The widespread growth of social media has also made it easier for unauthorized individuals to impersonate an employee. Consequently, social media has now become a recognized threat vector in that it can be used to socially engineer an attack on a business. To counter this, companies are able to use web presence monitoring tools to detect new points of presence on the web and thereby defend against socially engineered attacks.
A web presence monitoring system can be used by a business to associate a new web property with its corporate inventory. It is designed to address autonomous, distributed behaviors. This usually applies to larger businesses whose geographically diverse employees are more prone to creating new points of presence on the web. For example, a retail chain may allow each local store to create and manage their web presence to market to and communicate with their local customer base. Similarly, a global business may have teams in each country or region who create and manage a web presence to adapt to local languages or cultures.
Web presence monitoring is the process of monitoring a known inventory of web presence to detect any changes that are made. Web presence monitoring is often included in a web presence management system and can serve multiple purposes for both larger corporations and certain individuals, such as celebrities.
It is important to note that presence monitoring differs from content listening. The former involves monitoring the properties (e.g. branding) of a web property in an established inventory, whereas the latter refers to analyzing content that already exists to hear how a person or business is seen often in near real time. Additionally, presence monitoring focuses on owned media and content listening on earned media.
Many companies ensure that certain standards are met for a property on the web that represents their business. For companies in regulated industries, such as finance and healthcare, the company may be required by law to ensure that all publicized content, regardless of platform or technology, follow specific requirements.
The widespread growth of social media has seen a rise in the number of fraudulent corporate impersonations. It has become much easier for a new web presence to be created on these platforms, and so these are much more prevalent than they used to be. As a preventative measure, a web presence monitoring system alerts the company when a known property is changed, allowing for the property to be reviewed and amended so that it follows the proper standards. . A web presence monitoring system helps alert the company when a known property is changed, so it can be reviewed and brought back, if necessary, into compliance with the appropriate standards.
A web presence audit is performed by an enterprise to determine that all points of presence on the web meet the objectives as well as governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) needs. To ensure neutrality, these audits are often conducted as part of an information technology audit by a professional services agency or an internal audit team. However, a less formal web presence audit is often performed by internal members as a routine to meet GRC objectives.
A web presence audit usually includes web presence discovery and a review of all web-based content in the business' inventory of web presence. Even though web presence monitoring is not performed in a web presence audit, a review of the nature and scope of the company's web presence monitoring policies, procedures, and tools is considered.
Due to the emerging challenges introduced by the dynamic nature of social media, a business may choose to perform specific social media audits in greater frequency. A social media audit is similar to a web presence audit, but may also include the purposes of maintaining an accurate inventory of all business social media points of presence. Alternatively, the business may choose to employ automated web presence discovery and compliance systems to keep the corporate social media inventory up-to-date and compliant with GRC needs.
Reputation management systems are often associated with web presence management. Web presence management is knowing where an individual or business is represented, whereas reputation management is knowing what people are saying about an individual or business. Web presence management handles owned media, while reputation management systems with earned media.
Both systems offer some similar degree of remediation. For web presence management systems, remediation would include finding counterfeit properties that infringe on a brand or trademark. For reputation management systems, remediation would include identifying and eliminating misleading reviews and/or encouraging the contribution of authentic comments.
Even though a web presence monitoring tool can help identify unowned web properties where people are talking about a person, product, or brand, it is only part of the solution. A reputation management system often includes a content listening system to monitor the stream of messages about a particular subject which may be coming from any point of presence on the web (e.g. a comment about a product by a customer on her personal Twitter account). For examples of some reputation management companies, click here.
^ Roberson, Chip. "Social Content vs. Social Presence - Don't neglect your social footprint". Brandle, Inc. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ "Reputation@Risk - 2014 global survey on reputation risk" (PDF). Deloitte. Deloitte. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ a b "Global Risk Management Survey 2015". AON. AON. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ a b "17th Annual Global CEO Survey". PwC. PwC. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ "BoardMatters Quarterly, April 2014 - The business of social media - EY - United States". EY. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
^ "Board Matters Quarterly - Critical insights for today's audit committee" (PDF). Ernst & Young LLP. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ Hinkley, Chris. "Social Media Makes Way for Social Engineering". SecurityWeek. Wired Business Media. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ Bradley, Tony. "Think twice before you accept that 'friend' request". CSO. CXO Media, Inc. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ Foster, James. "A CISO's Nightmare: Digital Social Engineering". SecurityWeek. Wired Business Media. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ "Security for social networking" (PDF). PwC. PwC. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ Andreesen, Tom; Slemp, Cal. "Managing Risk in a Social Media-Driven Society" (PDF). Protiviti. Protiviti, Inc. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ Roberson, Chip. "Social Media for the Retail Industry - Going Local and Liking It!". Brandle. Brandle, Inc. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ "2015 Survey of Bank Compliance Officers". ABA. American Bankers Association. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ "Social Media: Consumer Compliance Risk Management Guidance" (PDF). FDIC. FFIEC. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ "Social Media Compliance Isn't Fun, But It's Necessary". Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business School Publishing. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ "Regulatory Notice 10-06". FINRA. FINRA. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ a b Church, Janet; Roberson, Chip. "Social Media Risks and Rewards". Scotsman Guide. Scotsman Guide Media. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
^ Juergens, Michael. "Social Media Risks Create an Expanded Role for Internal Audit". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
^ Dowie, Jon. "EMERGING TECHNOLOGY RISKS - Social Media - Internal Audit's response" (PDF). KPMG. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
This page was last edited on 2 September 2018, at 18:39 (UTC).


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On Being Kind To Yourself
On a cool morning, about six weeks ago, I had just arrived at the lightrail station to begin the second segment of my journey to work. It was quite early and as soon as I stepped off the bus, I called my mom and burst into tears. I had just read an email that absolutely devastated me and I needed her to gently guide me through my breakdown.
After the call ended, I browsed Spotify, looking for something gentle to listen to instead of my usual true crime standbys. I found Finding Fred, a podcast about Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers Neighborhood. I began crying again when a guest on the first episode shared the thoughts she had as she watched the first episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood:
Holy shit, I used to like myself…I used to really, really like who I was and I don't feel like that right now. And it was the beginning of trying to like myself again.
Do I like myself right now? I'd like to be able to say yes, but the truth, as always, is more complicated.
The past few months have been intense, both at home and work. There have been really good days and then there have been days where I'm crying so hard that I'm gasping for air. I'm lucky that I have amazing friends and colleagues, plus a wonderful mom and professional support system, but it's hard to remember that when you're made to feel very small or when you feel like a failure for whatever reason.
Biennial was an empowering experience and it delighted me every time I saw someone I know lead sessions or speak on the main stage. I loved seeing my fellow JewV'Nation alums and embracing the URJ staff that have nurtured us. I saw the changes that the URJ is making in its efforts to truly reflect the growing diversity of the community. The changes are small, but they are critical and important.
But it's been hard to keep this all in perspective when I feel completely broken down, wondering why I keep making the effort when it seems that it might be blowing up in my face. Sometimes I don't like myself and I regularly chastise myself when it feels like I didn't say or do the right thing.
People who know me will attest to the fact that I am deeply uncomfortable being the center of attention. I cringe when people sing "Happy Birthday" to me and I'd rather run into traffic than be made to go through an icebreaker. But since giving my d'var Torah in January, my profile has been heightened and I'm acutely aware that people are watching me closely, not just critics or the people who don't like change, but kids and other Jews of Color. Even if I don't like myself, I keep doing this work because, as a friend recently told me (much to my discomfort) I'm a role model now and, besides that, I would never forgive myself if I gave up on this cause.
Yeah, I'm not really sure where this post is going, but it's the second night of Hanukkah and it's been on my mind since Biennial. I'm not always going to get it right, but at least I'm trying and that's half the battle, right?
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Coronavirus update: U.S. buys more COVID-19 treatments, jabs for kids could come this fall
Scientists aren't unanimous regarding the need for boosters
Photo (c) Ovidiu Dugulan - Getty Images
Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University (previous numbers in parentheses).
Total U.S. confirmed cases: 41,371,382 (41,223,899)
Total U.S. deaths: 664,019 (662,262)
Total global cases: 225,988,972 (225,389,505)
Total global deaths: 4,652,516 (4,642,054)
U.S. stocks up on COVID-19 treatments
As it encourages more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the U.S. government is taking steps to treat those with the virus. The government is purchasing 388,000 doses of Eli Lilly's antibody therapy and 1.4 million more doses of Regeneron's antibody cocktail.
"The recent increase in COVID-19 cases has caused a substantial rise in the utilization of monoclonal antibody drugs, particularly in areas of the country with low vaccination rates," Lilly's chief scientific and medical officer Daniel Skovronsky told Reuters.
The purchases by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are a response to the continuing wave of new cases of the virus, caused primarily by the Delta variant.
Vaccination for kids may come sooner than expected
Many of the new cases of the coronavirus are among young children, which isn't surprising — children under 12 aren't yet eligible to receive the vaccine.
That may be about to change. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House's chief medical adviser, believes that approval to vaccinate children between the ages of five and 11 could come this fall as clinical trials are evaluated.
"If you look at the studies that we at the National Institutes of Health are doing in collaboration with the pharmaceutical companies, there will be enough data to apply for an emergency use authorization both by Pfizer, a little bit later by Moderna," Fauci said.
Mixed views on booster shots
Many vaccinated Americans are making plans to get a COVID-19 booster shot. Some have already gotten one. But the scientific jury is still out on when or if a booster is necessary.
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel meets later this week to discuss booster shots, and Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, told CNN he expects spirited debate.
Earlier this week two FDA staffers, who were expressing frustration with President Biden's announcement last month that the administration would launch a booster program, publicly questioned the need for booster shots. They co-authored an article saying the data does not appear to support a need for booster shots for the general public right now.
New Jersey: Another 1,500 New Jersey residents are projected to die of COVID-19 by December, according to a statistical model that has proved accurate in the past. And that's if public masking and other mitigation steps are observed. Without those steps, the model predicts the death toll could double.
Kentucky: Six of the state's 120 counties are in the top 10 in the nation when it comes to new cases of the virus. Perry County ranks number one in the nation. "COVID is as bad in Kentucky as it has ever been in this pandemic," said Gov. Andy Beshear. "Right now, sadly, we are one of the hottest states in the country."
Maine: The state's COVID-19 patients are getting younger. State officials reported this week that people under 20 years old accounted for nearly half of the 667 new COVID-19 cases. That's a big change from the early days of the pandemic and a significant increase from earlier this summer.
Nevada: State health officials report mixed COVID-19 news. The rate of positive test results has declined sharply this week. At the same time, the number of active cases remains high. Nevada's 26 deaths last week included 19 from the Las Vegas area.
Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis is not letting up in his campaign against mask and vaccination mandates. The governor this week threatened to fine local governments that require employees to be vaccinated. An appeals court recently upheld DeSantis' order banning mask mandates at public schools.
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Coronavirus update: More 'breakthrough' cases, experts say law may back mandates
Coronavirus update: More deaths than the 1918 pandemic, Johnson & Johnson promotes its booster
Coronavirus update: Pfizer vaccine reportedly safe for young children, FDA panel says boosters aren't for everyone
Coronavirus update: FDA experts consider boosters; United touts 90% vaccination rate
Coronavirus update: Doctors concerned that pregnant women are avoiding vaccinations; Pfizer makes its case for a booster
Consumers not optimistic about pandemic giving way to normal anytime soon, study suggests
Coronavirus update: The most deaths since March, another study backs vaccine efficacy


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- Magellan Health - https://www.magellanhealth.com -
At our heart, Magellan Health is a clinically-centered, academically-influenced, data and evidence-driven organization with deep expertise in addressing special populations and complex care needs. That clinical heart drives everything that we do — our insights, our services and our solutions. Our Clinical staff contribute to both internal and external publications, you can explore some of their work below.
Looking for Magellan's Leadership team? You can find more information here
If you would like to speak with one of Magellan's Clinical team, please contact Media Relations here
Meet Magellan Health's clinical voices
Caroline Carney
Dr. Caroline Carney is a board-certified internist and a board-certified psychiatrist. She joined Magellan Health in 2016 and serves as Magellan Health's Chief Medical Officer, while continuing as chief medical officer for Magellan Rx Management. Her previous experience includes the role of SVP Chief Medical Officer of Magellan Behavioral Health and Magellan Specialty Health. She served as the chief medical officer for regional health plans where she gained experience in Medicaid, Medicare, Exchange, and commercial populations. She has served as the medical director for the Indiana Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning, helping to launch the Medicaid expansion product as well as the behavioral health transformation for the state's community mental health services. While in Indiana, she served on the Governor's Mental Health Commission. She is a frequent speaker about behavioral health services, integrated and collaborative care, and the importance of self-care during the pandemic. Dr. Carney is a published author and co-author for over 100 peer and non-peer reviewed publications focusing on issues surrounding comorbid medical and behavioral health conditions. She was a tenured associate professor of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry at Indiana University. She started her medical and academic career at the University of Iowa where she earned her medical degree, as well as a master's degree, and directed the Med-Psych residency program. She continues to engage in regular clinical work through supporting the behavioral health team at a federally qualified health center.
Read Caroline's Articles:
Autism/ABA
Yagnesh Vadgama
Yagnesh has been with Magellan for over 4 years, in managed care for 5 years, and was a clinician in the field of Behavior Analysis for 11 years prior. Yagnesh has over 16 years experience in ABA, starting off by working directly with individuals on the autism spectrum to directing programs in homes, schools, and community based settings. Currently, as the Vice President of Autism for Magellan, Yagnesh oversees both the autism and ABA product for Magellan nationally. His team of BCBAs and licensed clinicians provide a unique experience in ABA UM as they all have similar experience to Yagnesh with real-world experience. Yagnesh also engages in the decision making process for ABA both at Magellan and nationally, with participation in work groups such as ICHOM, speaking at conferences and universities, and developing outcomes measures for the field of ABA.
Read Yagnesh's Articles:
Specialty Rx
Steve Cutts
Steve Cutts is the senior vice president and general manager of specialty at Magellan Rx, leading sales, account management, operations and product development across the division and delivers solutions to help clients successfully manage complex specialty pharmaceuticals in one of the fastest growing areas of healthcare spending. Steve began his career as a retail pharmacist and transitioned to managed care in 2010. Steve earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Rhode Island and serves as Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at URI, mentoring 6th year pharmacy students as a preceptor. He is a registered pharmacist in the state of Rhode Island.
Read Steve's Articles
Steven E. Pratt, MD
Dr. Steven Pratt is the senior medical director for the employer segment within Magellan Healthcare. He joined Magellan Healthcare in 2017 and previously served as the executive medical director of behavioral health for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (MN DHS). In his current role, Pratt is responsible for clinical oversight of utilization management, case management, and a unique disability management program. His expertise is relied upon in product development, quality oversight and contract management for the employer segment. In addition to extensive experience in leadership of public sector, direct care organizations, he has previous health plan experience working for United Health Group (UNH). At United Health he was involved in development of disease management and health advocacy programs. Pratt has a deep interest in cost containment through wellness promotion and integrative care. He is adept at leading organizational change, engaging individuals who are not engaged in change efforts and holding all, including himself, accountable to the highest standards of performance. He has a breadth of experience as a public speaker and trainer with particular interest in what he and the MN DHS termed "The Core Four" evidence-based practices: Person-centered Culture, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma Informed Care and Positive Behavior Supports. Pratt earned his medical degree and bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota.
Read Steven's Articles
Haita Makanji, Pharm.D.
Dr. Haita Makanji joined Magellan Rx Management in 2014. She is currently the vice president of clinical strategy and innovation within specialty in which she assumes several roles and responsibilities, including development and management of specialty clinical programs and interfacing with payers and pharmaceutical companies to bring unique solutions to curb the rising specialty spend. For clinical program development and management, she is responsible for design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of specialty programs that improve the quality of care for patients with high cost disease states including but not limited to rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, oncology, and rare diseases such as hemophilia. Furthermore, she oversees the MRx Comprehensive Oncology Management Program which encompasses utilization management with unique strategies to curb the rising spend in oncology and complex case management. A significant portion of her role has also expanded to lead clinical program development efforts for other lines of business including employer groups and Medicaid plans. Additionally, Dr. Makanji leads a team of pharmacists, including board-certified oncology pharmacists who are tasked to support payers and assist with comprehensive medical and pharmacy data analyses, prior authorization and medical policy design, and organizing unique key opinion leader thought leadership panels. Dr. Makanji has been in the healthcare industry for over 10 years. She began her career as a HIV-certified pharmacist at Walgreens and transitioned to managed care in early 2012 with CDMI, LLC (which was later acquired by Magellan Rx Management in 2014). Dr. Makanji earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston, MA. She is currently a registered pharmacist in both Rhode Island and Connecticut and has additional advanced training in HIV from University of Buffalo, and medication therapy management and immunizations from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Dr. Makanji also serves as president of the Northeast affiliate of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP).
Read Haita's Articles
Article printed from Magellan Health: https://www.magellanhealth.com
URL to article: https://www.magellanhealth.com/news/newsroom/magellan-health-clinical-voices/
Copyright © 2022 Magellan Health. All rights reserved.


Senior Resident in Plastic Surgery(M.Ch 1 st year) from August 2001 -March 2002 ,Grant Medical College, Mumbai.
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Presented Poster titled "Early Gastric Cancer-Is it common in the Indian Subcontinent" in 10 Biennial Conference of The Indian Society of Oncology(Nov 2002) in Mumbai.
Won The "Dr.Vyaghreswarudu Memorial Award" for the Best Paper at the XXVT ,Annual Conference of ASI(Andhra Pradesh Chapter) held at Rajahmundry in October 2003 titled "Mesenchymal Tumors of the GI Tract-The MNJIO Experience".
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As a member of the NMSCC you are a part of an organization that is impacting our young people across all aspects of their school experiences. Schools are able to participate in the annual conference which exposes districts to their fellow members from across the nation. This provides access to the best practices used in other areas. In Wichita ISD a longitudinal study conducted by the district statistician indicated that 79.9% of the students who had been enrolled in the leadership program graduated from high school compared to the 64.1% from the standard student body. Over a three-year period, those students enrolled in the leadership program at the middle school level showed an increase in Math Assessments test of 30% and roughly 20% in reading. With a focus on supporting the core subjects and in an environment that encourages academic growth and development, the NMSCC provides a vehicle to propel our middle school students forward. Being a member provides a means to accomplish this across state and district boundaries.


We currently have double brood boxes below our QE. There are mostly stores and some brood in the top box. There's mostly brood in the bottom box.
For winter, do we need to rearrange the boxes so the stores are below the brood?
Last winter we had a slightly different setup, so we put the brood box with 100% stores under the brood and it worked really well.
Not sure if it's worth messing with this year?
Yes, it's worth messing around to get things right. I've consolidated some double BBs down to singles but I'll wait until next month to put stores below brood nest, when I put on mouseguards.
I'm new to beekeeping this year as I was given a 5 frame nuc early in July which had been left in the nuc box for several weeks.
I purchased a new hive and placed the nuc in it.
I put on my maisemoore rapid feeder for 2 weeks which I was advised was not necessary but according to the books i'm reading it was.
Subsequent inspections revealed eggs, larvae and capped brood including seeing the queen.
After removing the feeder I was told the colony needed a super even though they had only filled out 5/6 frames.
The colony has increased slightly but does not fill the brood box and the super looks as it did when I put it on, when I carried out my inspection today.
There is still plenty of capped brood and some emerging brood but I cannot see eggs or larvae or find the queen.
I have put my feeder back on today against advice from the local keeper who said it was too soon.
Should I remove the super and the queen excluder for winter or leave them, and should I be worried about the hive being queenless?
I am tempted to leave well alone and feed them through this coming month into October in an attempt to get them through winter. Any advice would be appreciated.
I don't know what type of bees you have (Buckfast? Local mongrel? native?). It makes a difference.
The colony should have been moved into a full hive as soon as you had them and been fed continuously.
They need a colony size of 10-15,000 bees through the winter. Say 2-3 frames full of bees but more typically 5-6 frames partially occupied.
They need to be healthy and have been treated against Varroa.
The weather has changed here in Sheffield and it might be too cold for them to take syrup off a rapid feeder – a contact feeder might be more appropriate.
If the supers only have foundation and no drawn comb, remove them.
Insert the varroa tray and calculate the average daily drop over the period of a week.
Remove Qx and, if supers have honey in them, place the brood box above the super box.
Get yourself some fondant as a reserve emergency feed. Place it directly over the nest area.
Let me know how you get on. If you're in Sheffield you'd be welcome to our monthly meetings or our beginners' training course that starts every year in March.


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fanatix | Football | Serie A | AC Milan | Newcastle Legends set to face AC Milan Glorie
Newcastle Legends set to face AC Milan Glorie
Sumeet Paul
Game will celebrate Steve Harper's 20 years at the club.
Newcastle Legends will take on the AC Milan Legends in a friendly for Steve Harper's charities of choice on September 11 at St. James' Park.
The game will celebrate the goalkeeper's 20 years at the club, after the 38-year-old called time on his career in the last game of last season against Arsenal.
A number of former Newcastle greats are expected to take part, with the likes of Alan Shearer, Faustino Asprilla, Les Ferdinand and Rob Lee all set to pull on the black and white stripes again as reported by the The Independent.
All the proceeds from the event will be equally divided between three charities close to Harper's heart, the Great North Children's Hospital, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and the Newcastle United Foundation.
Harper made his 199th appearance for the club during the last day defeat to Arsenal back in May, and revealed that he was honoured by the send-off the club and supporters gave him after that game and is delighted to have this match scheduled in September.
"This match is a massive honour for me.
"To have some of the best players to have ever worn the black and white shirt back at St James' Park alongside some of the greatest names from Milan is fantastic, and with every penny raised going to three important north-east charities, I hope as many people as possible can come along and enjoy it.
"I'm sure it will be a special night," he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Newcastle group are expected to be in good company as the Milan Glorie side will feature the likes of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Andriy Shevchenko.
"I would like to firstly congratulate Mr Steve Harper on his 20 years with Newcastle United," Baresi said.
"I know the passion of Newcastle fans and I know of the club's history and the love of football in the city, so I congratulate Steve and wish the fans and Newcastle United a magnificent occasion."
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As a family physician when I attended patients who presented with depression or other mental health concerns, I would try to determine the seriousness of their symptoms as well as uncover other factors that related to their mental state. I would then make a diagnosis and determine a therapeutic approach which might include referral to a psychiatrist, psychologist or other local mental health program if available or affordable. However, it was usually difficult to get my patients into these resources and due to my lack of tools and time to help these patients, I would often prescribe medications. My capacity to care for these patients was also limited in part due to a lack of adequate remuneration for my efforts and the amount of time it took to more fully help them. These limitations made this extremely important part of my clinical practice very frustrating.
New GPSC supported fee codes for the development of a Mental Health Care Plan (fee code 14043), extra counseling visits (fee codes 14044, 14045, 14046, 14047 and 14048), supportive telephone/email patient contacts (fee code 14049) and Community Conferencing fees (fee code 14016) have encouraged me to spend more time caring for my patients with significant mental health problems (click to here to view fee codes). Further, after attending the Practice Support Program (PSP) Mental Health Module, I learned new tools to help me better assess and more confidently treat these patients (click here to view PSP Mental Health Tools).
When I now attend a mentally distressed patient, I feel more appropriately compensated, empowered and confident to take the time to do a proper assessment and prescribe appropriate treatment. When indicated, I develop a Mental Health Care Plan using a variety of assessment tools. To support my care, I often resort to other readily available non-medication treatment options such as the Bounce Back Program, Anti-depressant Skills Workbook as well as the Cognitive Behavioural Interpersonal Skills Manual and the Family Physicians Guide which I learned to apply in the PSP Mental Health Module. Due to enhanced compensation related to the new fee codes above, I am able to spend more time interacting with these patients and I have the community resources to support my care. My MOA's time to support these patients (with a billed Mental Health Care Plan), is also compensated (fee code 14049) as part of their planned follow up. I am also more open to share care with a psychiatrist or other Mental Health Care Professional since the Community Conferencing Fee can be billed for appropriate patients.
Overall, my practice satisfaction and success with these patients has significantly increased. I look forward to caring for my mentally distressed patients knowing that I have more to offer them and can afford the time to properly assess and treat them. My patient relationships have become more rewarding and I've become more excited about my medical practice. If you are interested in more information about the PSP or the Mental Health Module, please click here.
The new suite of tools for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and the associated billing codes have definitely improve my ability to care for patients with mental illness. I concur with Dr. Bluman's comments in his article and hope that more physicians in our province and across Canada can be made aware of this supported approach with the associated tools from the Mental Health PSP.
I have also attending the practice support program and have found the tools which they have introduced me to very helpful. Using support handouts has given much better structure to my follow up visits for patients with depression and anxiety. I haven't been taking advantage of the new fees up until now. I will begin to do so to allow more compensated time.
I'm glad to see that others feel strongly about this teaching module as I do. It probably was one of the most valuable continuing med education events that I've ever been part of and it has made the most impact on my practice.
There has to be some planning, though, to implementing and continuing to use this effectively in your practice. If you are paper based, the handouts/referrals need to be tracked and displayed in an easily accessed area of the chart. If you are on an EMR, there needs to be some effort in integrating the resources and skills into the EMR. Accessing the electronic algorithm as a pdf file on your desktop is ok but much more usable in a "real" patient visit when everything is instantly accessible.
PITO and PSP have supported "EMRizing" this into one vendor's product and it works extremely well!