Guest-edited by Metallomics Editorial Board member Katherine F. Franz (Duke University), the special issue is a collection of invited papers highlighting the excellent work being carried out by leading scientists at an early stage of their career.
We are delighted to announce that the Metallomics themed issue Emerging Investigators 2019, featuring papers from some of the rising stars of metallomics research, is now online and free to access.
We are committed to supporting up-and-coming scientists in the early stages of their independent careers and our Emerging Investigator Series provides a platform for early career researchers to showcase their best work to a broad audience. This will greatly benefit the community, through continued exposure to the exciting work being done by its early career members. Authors also benefit due to the increased visibility and exposure that the themed issue generates.
We hope that you enjoy reading the articles!


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Important American Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture
Robert Frederick Blum (1857-1903)
Venetian Gondoliers
Robert Frederick Blum (1857-1903) Venetian Gondoliers signed 'Blum' with artist's device (lower right) oil on canvas 18¼ x 28½ in. (46.4 x 72.4 cm.) Painted circa 1880-89.
Private collection, Denver, Colorado, by 1995.
L. Merrill, et al., After Whistler: The Artist and His Influence on American Painting, exhibition catalogue, New Haven, Connecticut, 2003, pp. 32, 144-45, no. 19, illustrated.
Exhibited
Atlanta, Georgia, High Museum of Art, and elsewhere, After Whistler: The Artist and His Influence on American Painting, November 22, 2003- February 8, 2004, no. 19.
Venetian Gondoliers is a serene yet aesthetically rigorous depiction of the milky green waters of the Venetian lagoon, dotted with black gondolas. Dr. William H. Gerdts notes, "Probably the ultimate pictorial and literary trope for Venice in the nineteenth century, even more so with the arrival of large steamships, was the image of the gondola, often carrying passengers, artists and others...Robert Blum was not immune to the seductiveness of the gondola image." ("The International Milieu," Sargent's Venice, exhibition catalogue, New Haven, Connecticut, 2006, p. 174)
On April 14th, 1880, Blum, along with fellow artist Alexander Drake, left New York aboard the ship Arizona headed for London. Blum traveled from London to Paris, Rome and Pisa before arriving in Venice on May 28th. While personal letters home to his family are characterized by Blum's rather blasé and uninterested tone regarding most of the European capitals he visited, in Venice, everything changed. Blum formed an abiding love for and fascination with Venice's unique patina and engaging contradictions which informed his depictions of the mysterious floating city from his initial visit in 1880 until his last trip in 1889. Blum's initial decision to travel to Venice was not surprising, as the water-bound city was filled with American avant-garde painters; the romantic and mysterious charms of the city made it a magnet for many artists and writers.
Bruce Weber writes of Blum's initial Venetian visit, "Early in his stay, Blum re-established his association with Frank Duveneck, and became friendly with the members of Duveneck's large class of American students." (Robert Blum (1857-1903) and His Milieu, vol. I, Ph.D dissertation, City University of New York, 1985, p. 104). Blum rented a room at the Casa Yankowitz, where many of the "Duveneck Boys" took rooms. The palazzo was located at 2140 Campo San Biaggio, which "jutted out squarely at the lower end of the Riva degli Schiavoni [with] all of Venice in front of it," (J. Pennell, as quoted in Robert Blum (1857-1903) and His Milieu, vol. I, p. 105) James McNeill Whistler arrived that summer and he too took a room at the Casa Yankowitz. Blum was already well familiar with Whistler's work prior to the trip and the arrival of the artist was momentous in Blum's career. Whistler was in Venice to create etchings for a commission from the Fine Arts Society and revive his career. Whistler sketched views of the canal from every room of the palazzo and the view from Blum's room was a particular favorite. Blum wrote to his family, "Whistler is here and I know him well, and he is very busy making an etching from my window and he seems very much interested in me and though I am sometimes dissatisfied with my work he always encourages me." (After Whistler, p. 40)
This encounter with Whistler would have a profound immediate and lasting impact on Blum's style. Going and Coming (1880, location unknown), which was exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1881 and closely relates to the present work, was described by a reviewer for The Nation: "Mr. Blum's blue picture is the most attractive thing in the Exhibition, to our mind...Black gondolas are 'going and coming' on the unruffled surfaces of the Adriatic, beneath a sky whose blue depths of perfectly cloudless space are reflected in the water below, at the far horizon appears the low and faint mirage of Venice, the roseate yellow of which is, excepting some costumery in a gondola, the only color that relieves the black and blue effect of the picture. The whole scheme is strongly individual, and executed with a refined delicacy of workmanship extremely agreeable to meet with here." (as quoted in Robert Blum (1857-1903) and His Milieu, vol. I, p. 124) The qualities described in the above painting are the same as those found in Venetian Gondoliers and each work, with its high horizon lines and subtle, harmonious gradations of tone reflects Blum's unique assimilation of Whistler's aesthetic.
CAPTIONS:
James McNeill Whistler, Nocturne: The Solent, 1866. Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK.
More From Important American Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Brothers-in-arms, Chickenstones put on a pearler of a show on their home turf
Written by Robert Brokenmouth on 26 January 2019 .
When you realise we came up to Sydney from Adelaide solely to see The Chickenstones you may deduce from this that I am a tad biased towards the band. However, if I were able, I would simply be at every gig they do, because, to my mind, they really are that good.
However, one of the reasons I can't dash all over the country is the inevitable lack of money (donations are welcome), and another is that I work in a family-operated business, so I fit myself around what everyone else is doing. Mostly this means that there are things on interstate which I would love to see, but can't.
Opening band Dias - pronounced Dee-az - have good songs and the young folk love them. I think they may also be currently in a bit of transition, as some of the songs showed a similarity of purpose, while some of their others seemed to be coming from some other place.
Guitar and vox, bass and drums; it's amazing how varied people can make such a traditional set-up. While comparisons are effectively fairly useless, my photographer was reminded of The Whitlams, a musician in the audience was thinking about The Strokes, and I was reminded a little of early Go-Betweens. Truth is, I'd characterise them as a richly shiny, slow-burning surf waltz.
They went down well with the very mixed crowd (old unionist surfers and their wives, and folks who may as well be their university-aged grandkids ... hell of a mixture). I don't know if I'd liked Dias if they'd still had their other guitarist - what interested me was that, as I say, I think they're still trying things out - which is always an excellent reason to see a band.
The Chickenstones
+ Dias
The Beach Club, Collaroy, NSW
Photos by Mandy Tzaras
Now, to the Chickenstones.
I'm biased, as you know. Not that that matters a poo-bum-wee-tit.
Were they good?
Fuck yeah!
Were they worth the trip from Adelaide? The hardship (see below)? The stupidity? The lumpy pillows and the snoring?
I'd do it again. Hell, yes.
So, sod the set list for now. The Chickenstones have released several CDs (and an actual record) and they should all be in your collection, not just a download, you cheap fuck, but a made physical device, to be inserted into your slot and cracked up loud.
Put it another way. If you and I went through your CD and LP collection, we'd find an awful lot of "meh" and "I just got it to complete the set" and so forth in there, now wouldn't we?
Say you love rock'n'roll? If the C-stones aren't in there, you're a faker. I know people who make excuses for Richard Hell. And Lou Reed. And David Bowie. But these giants were never consistently good. Each of these Giants Of Rock made records which would do better as frisbees.
Every single C-stones CD is a cracker.
Get your collection sorted out.
The bulk of The Chickenstones set was from their last release, "Johnny Streetlight", with a handful from earlier records. There was a brilliantly-pulled off new song (with a "tricky ending"). There was a stripped-down jalopyesque rendition of a Velvets' song. The banter between the band was amusing, smart and real.
But, however well they played (ludicrously tight, and with only one rehearsal since their gig a month prior), it's the actual beholding of these critters in their natural environment which is the real thrill.
I mean, it's one thing to see a stuffed thylacine, right? And another to see the weirdly loping thing in that black and white footage of the last one alive.
But we all know that it would be a sublimely special experience to be ambling down a bush track and spot the lopsided, badly-drawn dog thing half-trotting out of the scrub, glance at you disinterestedly, yawn with those bone-crushing jaws, and sidle into the bush and gone.
Don't get me wrong. Chickenstones are better to behold than the thylacine, they're drawn rather well for a start. Just looking at them is a bit like seeing what real pirates looked like. You expect the bass player to have a wooden leg, the drummer to have a hook, and Doc to have a fucking bright green parrot.
The real bone-crushing comes from the bass and drums; these boys know they're there to provide the backdrop and base from which Preacher Van Ruin and Doc Temple can, in a low-down sort've way, explode. Unlike many rhythm sections, this duo are linked together, and are well and truly integral to both the songs and the show itself.
Which is where we come in. The Chickenstones put on a show. And their show is about intimacy and engagement. About them as part of us. It's magnificent. Sure, it might not be Alice Cooper. Or the Rolling Stones (and frankly, even though my photographer will hit me for saying this, thank god for that). I mean, come on. Sure, Keith's guitar is very good. Sure. But how many other guitarists in the same role are just as good if not better? Let's be real here. Doc and the Preacher might not be 'great' guitarists, but fucking hell, they'll do very nicely indeed until someone else comes along - if anyone ever does.
But even so, it's not the guitar playing in itself, but the C-stones' trademark dialed-back savagery. I'm not even sure if they're aware of this so look - if you're new to the band, it's the difference between a nailbiting finish to a grand final with your team teetering on disaster or triumph, and you watching a game you don't understand and don't care that much for, despite hordes of fans soiling their trousers, skirts and seats. See, it's the suspense, the fore-knowledge, but still the delicious will-they won't they aspect of where each song might go next. Even though we know the songs backwards, more or less.
Then there's the engaging, terribly sweet byplay between Doc and the Preacher. We know that the term "brother" in rock, and in day-to-day bollocks, is usually a crock, a term, a way of a scrounger to get a free rollie off ya. The Ramones were marketed as the "bruddas" but the rift in the band couldn't have been more crippling. The Chickenstones are a bunch of brothers, but twins Doc and the Preacher (presumably rather roughly separated at birth) effortlessly command the stage, slip easily into their characters with understatement and bogus narcissism, and have the audience eating out of their hands within a minute of arriving. The Chickenstones are like a 32mm epic compared to the 8mm home movies of most other bands.
The Preacher and Doc.
When you were a little munchkin, who were the cool kids? The tall blokes, mucking about and shoving each other next to the kiosk in the dusk, always able to do what they wanted, never being dickheads, who spoke in a mannered argot which only they and their intimates understood, and you wanted so much to belong.
Sod that bloody woman who won the hundred mill on Powerball, if she had any bloody sense she'd be stuffing the C-Stones into her Louis Vuitton-skin suitcase and lugging them round Europe and the USA. Never mind Ed Garland's 'greatest pub rock band in Sydney' (sorry, Ed) the C-stones are a world-class band with the potential to cross over into the great stream of consciousness we call The Real World.
Speaking of the Real World, I was going to begin this review with a short diversion ...
"The Modern Odysseus, or How I Became Victor Meldrew and Learned to Love the Bomb"
I'm sure you know the feeling. Every now and then, when things go a little agley, sometimes we feel like David Renwick, the writer for 'One Foot in the Grave', is peering over our shoulder, plucking our puppet strings, making us stumble and palpitate.
You may not know "One Foot in the Grave". it starred Richard Wilson as Victor Meldrew, an over-reacting grump who is subjected to preposterous (if not tragic) everyday calamities in a never-ending stream which would cause most of us to projectile poo in each episode.
So. We were all ready for the trip to Sydney to see the real Stones, those of the chicken variety. Our alarms were set, cab booked...
Good thing I put my phone by my bed; the vibration woke me at 3.24 am.
Our Jetstar flight had been cancelled. I was invited to have an "online chat'"to sort it out.
I tumbled out and extracted the over-heating laptop. Jetstar, I pondered as the machine moaned into life, had pestered me three times to check in, and I'd finally done so last night. What a fucking time to tell me. I reflected that, had I not heard my phone's fart, I would have gotten up and we would have probably been close to leaving before we'd noticed the text. And by then, any chance of getting a suitable replacement flight would have been zero.
Vanessa eventually came "online" and I was offered a later flight - I had to do quite a bit of thinking at a time when I don't usually think, regarding flight to Syd, Domestic to Central, Central to Circular Quay, CQ to Manly, Manly to hotel, wash and change and off to Collaroy...
Our original flight got us in at 1130am, allowing us a decent lunch at Domestic, leisurely travel time, enough time to wash and whatnot and get to the venue for a second leisurely feed.
We were now due to leave four hours later. Our relaxed lunch at Domestic was replaced by a toadburger and a dry chicken burger at Adelaide Snareport. I really don't like the choices available at Adelaide airport. You can't tell, I'm sure.
At 7am, I rebooked my cab for 1030am.
At 1031, I called the cab company - usually the cabs are about 10 minutes early here; presumably the Snore Down Under bicycle race diversions had clogged the streets all around the city. Negotiating the cab company's bloody auto menu was irritating, particularly as I was told the bloody cab was 6.6 kilometres away.
And, when the cab did finally arrive, over 15 minutes late, he knew we were off to the airport and we were now in a hurry, so he went the long way, caught the most lights, and is now a mighty $7 richer.
At the terminal, I'd been told to go to the Qantas service desk. There were two, one labeled 'international', with a long line, and one for 'business and poncy types only' with a couple being served. So I went to the Jetstar desk, who told the me the Qantas boarding pass machine would work nicely. However, it didn't like my name, so I got in line for the 'business and poncy types only ' queue, as the couple were just finishing.
I explained my problem, she was miffed I didn't have my cub scout member badge so I pointed out that this is not my fault, and their signs weren't especially clear. Photo ID later (my photographer miraculously producing hers apparently by accident), we had boarding passes and we scampering off to the anti-terrorist and anti-drunken dickhead line.
Meanwhile, whilst negotiating the cab company's bloody auto menu somehow, it seems, I booked another three fucking cabs. So for the next hour and a half, from the time we were picked up to The Great Boarding Pass Scramble, to the Turdburgers'R Us sadness, to finally waiting to board, I received a number plaintive texts from the cab company along the lines of '(insert improbable name of cab driver here) is en route to your home and will be there shortly', followed by 'where are you?', then 'do you require a cab? Text YES or NO'.
I might've said "I don't believe it" several times as I texted the buggers back, and ...
Lastly, I was delighted there wasn't a line of irate cabbies at my front door when we finally returned home.
However, for those familiar with the events in the life of the hapless Victor Meldrew, I now fully expect to be trapped in a car sunroof and sprayed with mayonnaise and lawn clippings, and finally sent a large-scale model of the common housefly.
Seems fitting.
Tags: chickenstones, andy doc temple ellard, collaroy, the beach club, dias


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The Irish state has officially approved the following List of National Monuments of Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, a structure or site may be deemed to be a "National Monument", and therefore worthy of state protection, if it is of national importance. If the land adjoining the monument is essential to protect it, this land may also be protected.

National Monuments in Connacht

 This list is initially sorted by county. If the list is sorted under another heading, the county links above will take you to the first item from the county in the sorted list

|}

See also

National Monument (Ireland)

References

 National Monuments Service: Search By County. Retrieved 29 July 2010.

Archaeological sites in the Republic of Ireland
Monuments and memorials in the Republic of Ireland
Heritage registers in the Republic of Ireland

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Updated on: June 22, 2012
MICs and RACs: Knowing the Difference Can Make a Difference
Original story posted on: September 13, 2011
On Feb. 8, 2006 the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 was signed into law (P.L. 109-171), creating the Medicaid Integrity Program (MIP)(1) under Section 1936 of the Social Security Act.
This dramatically strengthened federal capability to fight Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse. Specifically, it required The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide effective support and assistance to states' integrity efforts as well as requiring them to contract with entities in order to: (a) audit provider claims; (b) review providers' and others' actions to detect fraud or potential abuse; (c) identify overpayments; and (d) educate beneficiaries, providers, managed care entities and others on payment integrity and quality of care.
Section 6411 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 "PPACA" (Public Law 111-148), "Expansion of the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Program," subsequently was enacted March 23, 2010, requiring states to establish programs and contracts with one or more RACs by Dec. 31, 2010 to identify underpayments to Medicaid providers and to identify and collect overpayments.(2)
In early December 2010, prior to PPACA implementation, at least 10 states had "RAC-like" retrospective claims audit integrity program contracts in place already. For those states, some program components still may need to be modified to comply with CMS Medicaid RAC specifications. Another 10 states by this point had issued Medicaid RAC or RAC-like requests for proposals (RFPs). Medicaid RACs will not replace existing state program integrity or audit initiatives/programs.
CMS is giving flexibility to states in terms of RAC program design; however some features are universal (i.e. post-payment claim audits, contingency fees for overpayments, etc.) Also, RACs will supplement existing program integrity efforts, adequate appeals process must be available, and the federal government will pay 50 percent of the cost of operating and maintaining state RACs.
Medicaid RACs include all healthcare delivery services and plans, and prevention of fraud with increased attention on excluded providers will be an important part of the initiative. States' plans were due to CMS by Dec. 31, 2010, with full implementation by April 1, 2011(3). On Feb. 2, 2011 CMS issued an informational bulletin indicating that states will not be expected to implement their RAC programs fully by April 2, 1011 due to lack of publication of the final rules by which states are expected to operate. Once these rules are published (anticipated later this year), new implementation guidelines will be provided.(4)
MIC Focus:
The Medicaid Integrity Group (MIG)(5) consists of(6) the following divisions:
Division of Medicaid Integrity Contracting (DMIC), which helps procure and oversee the MICs that conduct provider reviews and audits (and furnish provider education);
Division of Fraud Research & Detection (DFRD), which identifies historic, current and emerging trends of claims activities through analysis of Medicaid data, and conducts studies to support the activities of the MICs and the state Medicaid program integrity offices. This division also works directly with Review MICs to develop specific review algorithms. In 2010 the division delivered 328 state-specific review algorithms with four broad areas of focus: (a) pharmacy (overprescribing), (b) inpatient, (c) professional services and (d) long-term care;
Division of Field Operations (DFO) conducts reviews of state program integrity operations and provides training and other forms of support and assistance to the state Medicaid agencies. The DFO has field offices in New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco. Since February 2008 this division has trained 1,900 state employees at the Medicaid Integrity Institute on auditing, data mining, data analyses and other aspects of program integrity.
Division of Auditing and Accountability (DAA), a relatively new division, finalizes audit reports that go to the states in addition to leading the audit resolution process, serving as a lead for policy development, working with states to minimize overlapping audits, and performing evaluation and reporting of the impact of specific provider education programs (i.e. identified interventions and vulnerabilities).
(1) http://www.cms.gov/MedicaidIntegrityProgram/, Medicaid Program - General Information
(2) http://hms.com/healthcare_reform_info/index.asp#dec14, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010 - Medicaid RACs-The Impact on MCOs.
(3) http://hms.com/healthcare_reform_info/index.asp#dec14, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010 - Medicaid RACs-The Impact on MCOs, Page 2 - CMS Guidelines and Requirements for Medicaid RACs.
(4) http://medicaid-rac.com/resources, Feb. 1, 2011 - CMS Center for Program Integrity Bulletin Announcing RAC delay
(5) http://www.cms.gov/DeficitReductionAct/021_repcongress.asp#TopOfPage, Medicaid Integrity Program YE10 Report to Congress.
(6) Open Door Forum Transcript- Medicaid Integrity Program - Nov. 3, 2010 [PDF, 181KB]
There are three types of MICs: (a) Audit; (b) Review and (c) Education.
1. Review MICs analyze Medicaid claims data to identify high-risk areas (claim aberrancies) and vulnerabilities, providing leads to Audit MICs regarding providers to be audited.
2. Audit MICs conduct post-payment audits, using both desk and field audits, which include fee-for-service, cost report and managed care audits to identify overpayments. States then collect over-payments and adjudicate provider appeals.
3. Education MICs use findings from the Review and Audit MICS to identify areas of education. They develop training materials and awareness campaigns, also conducting provider training in collaboration with Medicaid partners and stakeholders to highlight the values of preventing Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse. The Education MICs are Information Experts and Strategic Health Solutions. At this time Information Experts has not been awarded any special projects. However, Strategic Health Solutions has been awarded two contracts and these include the following:
- To conduct gap analysis of existing education and training efforts; develop fraud, waste and abuse training materials; and educate Medicaid providers about appropriate and accurate billing for services. (Awarded August 2009)
- To develop educational curriculums via web-based and traditional methods; and to educate Medicaid providers about Medicaid program integrity and quality of care. (Awarded September 2009)
MIC Jurisdictions
There are five MIC jurisdictions. The corresponding MICs are noted below along with the contract award dates:
REVIEW MICs
AUDIT MICs
CMS Regions I & II - CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PR, RI, VT, U.S. Virgin Islands.
CMS Regions III & IV - AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, MD, MS, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
Health Integrity
CMS Regions V & VII - IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, SO, NE, OH, WI
AdvanceMed
CMS Regions VI & VIII - AR, CO, LA, MT, ND, NM, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY
CMS Regions IX & X - AL, Am SA, AZ, CA, GU, HI, ID, N. Marianna Is, NV, OR, WA
MICs and Medicaid RACs: Knowing the Differences
The differences between each auditing entity are organized around their respective objectives, provider focus, look-back periods, audit types and audit processes, documentation response times and the payment of medical records.
Defined by Objectives:
MICs ensure proper claims payment for covered, properly billed (with correct and appropriate coding) and provided services supported by proper documentation that are paid in accordance with federal and state regulations, laws and policies.
RACs reduce improper payments for Medicaid healthcare claims through the use of Medicaid Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) as part of the ACA's larger strategy to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse in the healthcare system. Also, attention on excluded providers likely will be a major part of this program.
Defined by Provider Focus:
MICs - All providers, no exclusions.(7)
RACs - Unlike the Medicare RACs, whose audits are limited to fee-for-service plans(8), the Medicaid RACs will audit all types of plans and providers, including MCOs, etc., just like the MICs.(9)
Defined by the Audit Look-Back Period:
MICs - This was modified effective Oct. 1, 2010 due to concerns regarding medical record availability to permit a five-year lookback period from the date of notification letter issuance to a provider. CMS retains the right to adjust the Audit MICs' lookback period when warranted.
RACs - Medicaid RACs' lookback period is state-defined, whereas Medicare RACs have a three-year period.(10)
(7) Audit Medicaid Integrity Contractors (MIC) Statement of Work; FedBizOpps.gov website, SectionsBthruM.1.doc in right column "All Files", Page 70, J3 Audit Protocols Overview, Performing Audits on Medicaid Providers.
(8) https://www.cms.gov/Recovery-Audit-Program/01_Overview.asp#TopOfPage, Recovery Audit Program Final SOW, Pages 6-8.B. Improper payments EXCLUDED from this Statement of Work
(9) http://hms.com/healthcare_reform_info/index.asp#oct29, Page 2, Webinar Summary,
[10] https://www.cms.gov/Recovery-Audit-Program/01_Overview.asp#TopOfPage, Recovery Audit Program Final SOW [PDF, 187 KB] Page 8, B. 4.Claims paid dates earlier than Oct. 1, 2007.
Defined by Audit Types:
MICs perform focused or comprehensive on-site audits. Focused audits involve review of specific billing or procedural practices for specific services provided. Comprehensive audits involve a full-scope review of a provider during a specified period of time. The claims review audit process includes on-site provider audits and off-site desk audits. In some comprehensive audit cases, additional steps may be performed during the audit (i.e. provider credentialing). If inappropriate claims payments are identified, a MIC may determine the impact on the provider's overall claims population (extrapolation).(11)
RACs- specifically Medicaid RACs, review post-payment claims for improper payments, overpayments and underpayments, consistent with state laws and regulations.(12) Health plans may have some latitude to determine their roles within the Medicaid RAC program since CMS has not yet specified how RACs apply to MCOs.
Defined by the Audit Process:
MICs- Following an audit, a report is drafted by the Audit MIC and submitted to the state Medicaid Integrity Group for review and assurance that presented issues are accurate. Once approved, the provider receives a copy of the draft report for review and response within 30 days. After the provider review period, the state has a second opportunity to review the draft report and any provider response prior to the report being finalized. Once finalized, the state adjudicates claims in accordance with the report findings. The provider can utilize the state's appeals process to challenge adjudication activities.(13)
RACs - The process is state-defined and administered for Medicaid and CMS (as defined for Medicare).
Defined by the Documentation Response Time:
MICs - Modified from a term of 10 business days to produce records, plus five business days' allowance for delivery. This extends to 30 business days in which to produce records with a MIC-authorized (and CMS-notified) 15-business-day extension if requested. After 45 days, CMS approval is required.
RACs - State-defined for Medicaid; Medicare RACs have a provider response period of 30 calendar days.(14)
Defined by Medical Record Payments:
MICs will not reimburse providers for the cost of copying medical records,(15) whereas RACs are required to pay for copying the inpatient (PPS) and long-term care hospital medical records.(16)
RACs Terms are state-defined for Medicaid RACs and CMS-defined for Medicare RACs.
Oversight and Support
Annual, comprehensive state site visits are conducted by the CMS Medicaid Integrity Group (MIG), with the review objectives being: (a) to determine compliance with federal program integrity laws and regulations; (b) to identify program vulnerabilities and effective practices; (c) to help states improve their overall program integrity efforts; and (d) to consider opportunities for future technical assistance. State reports can be found at https://www.cms.gov/FraudAbuseforProfs/PIR/list.asp?listpage=5.
CMS will provide oversight and support to all state Medicaid RAC programs, including validation of results and impact.
(11) Audit Medicaid Integrity Contractors (MIC) Statement of Work, Connects to FedBizOpps.gov website, click on SectionsBthruM.1.doc in right column "All Files", Pages 70-71, J3 Audit Protocols Overview, Focused and Comprehensive Audits.
(12) Federal Register /Vol. 75, No. 217 /Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 / Proposed Rules, Page 69039.
(13) Open Door Forum Transcript- Medicaid Integrity Program - Nov. 3, 2010 [PDF, 181KB]
(14) https://www.cms.gov/Recovery-Audit-Program/01_Overview.asp#TopOfPage, Page 13, D.2. Updating the Case File
(15) https://questions.cms.hhs.gov/app/answers/list, Page 2.
(16) https://www.cms.gov/Recovery-Audit-Program/01_Overview.asp#TopOfPage, Page 12, D.1. Paying for Medical Records
Vickie Axsom-Brown is president of Audits & Recovery Solutions. She is a 20-year managed care veteran with diverse experience in administering private, state and federal healthcare services. Her management experience includes time spent as the vice president of Region D RAC services (as the principal lead for CMS, claims processing contractors and HDI services) and as CEO/COO of multidisciplinary, multi-site adult and pediatric medical/surgical providers, including oncology/radiology services, laboratory services, ambulatory surgery centers, upright MRIs, PETs, and others.
vaxsombrn@aol.com
The Medicare Overpayment Collection Process: CMS Issues Fact Sheet to Clarify Key Points
CMS Report to Congress: $135.6 Million in RAC Overpayment Demands; $92.3 Million Corrected
CMS Releases New RAC Statement of Work
CMS Heat is on – Hence the RAC Attack
RACs Fall Short in Third Quarter by $82.5 Million
Demystifying the Query (Audit) Process


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Explore Your Faith at a United Church Theological School
Join in a Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace
People in Partnership
AllIn personOnline
Power and Privilege
Join CCS diaconal students and continuing studies students as they explore social location, individual and systemic power, social analysis, and the role of the prophet.
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Oppression and Resistance
Join CCS diaconal students and continuing studies students as they explore systems of oppressions (racism, sexism, heterosexism, colonialism, etc.), models of change, and theologies of resistance (liberation theology, feminist theology, queer theology, etc.).
Join CCS diaconal students and continuing studies students as they explore ministry with various age groups, development theory, curriculum, youth ministry, children's ministry, adult education, ministry with seniors, and intergenerational ministry.
Join CCS diaconal students and continuing studies students as they explore intimate and familial relationships, sexuality and gender, family systems, weddings, covenants, relationship break-ups, and the role of minister as support.
Rendez-vous 2020
Rendez-vous 2020 will bring together young people from across the country for a celebration of vibrant music, inspiring speakers, and dancing like there is no tomorrow.
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CereCere: Amazoness Quartet (Sailor Moon) - Hello, Kristina!
This costume had its ups and downs for sure, but looking at the pictures – it's gotta be my favorite group costume I've ever been a part of. It's so colorful and so weird. And those wigs!
This is the Amazoness Quartet from Sailor Moon Super S – they're villains from the Dead Moon Circus and this cosplay has been a dream of mine for a long time. I somehow convinced my friends to do it with me.
The pros: We look awesome. The colors are great. I'm pretty sure we all learned something new with some piece of each of our costumes. People were delighted by seeing all four of us walking around at SakuraCon.
The cons: Everyone's costume was uncomfortable or heavy or precarious or sticky or breaking in some way at any given moment during the day. We also wore these to a con in March so we were freezing. Also I got sick the say before the con, so you can't tell (somehow, magically) but I am dying in all of these pictures.
But we pulled it together, and I'd say we did a pretty stellar job. Now to reattach all the roses that fell off of my costume and wear it again sometime when it's not winter.


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EXCLUSIVE: Archie Action's Mega Man #53 Solicitation Reveals The End of the Series
By Russ Burlingame - September 6, 2017 12:16 pm EDT
Archie's fan-favorite Mega Man series is ending in November, the publisher has confirmed to ComicBook.com via an exclusive first look at the solicitation text for September's Mega Man #53.
Following the massive "Worlds Unite" crossover with the Sonic the Hedgehog titles, Mega Man will power down with a three-issue arc that will bring the current volume to a close...although our conversation with Archie Action editor Vincent Lovallo certainly suggests it isn't a permanent closure of the doors.
What's next for Mega Man and the Archie Action line as a whole? Read on, and then check out the solicitation text and covers for Mega Man #53 at the bottom of the interview.
Obviously the Archie Action line is kind of the tip of the spear in terms of Archie's really successful imprints. As the horror and superhero stuff starts to perform as well, do you see yourself as trying to differentiate the line for consumers, or just kind of enjoying the rich company?
The Archie Action line has already established itself as a series of titles that tell rich, fun, and action oriented stories that are accessible to just about anyone. We are not looking to re-invent the line, though we do intend to build on it and maintain the imprint alongside Archie, Archie Horror and Dark Circle.
Is the line more or less set where it is or will we be seeing an expansion anytime soon?
I think my previous response already hints at this, but yes. We are looking forward to producing new titles to the line fairly soon. Please look forward to more detailed information throughout the year.
On that note, you've revealed that Mega Man, one of the most popular Archie Action titles, will be taking a short hiatus following the next storyline. What made now the time to cool the engines?
We are currently wrapping up the "Worlds Unite" crossover, which ties into our Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Universe and Sonic Boom comic series. We'll only be scratching the surface of the next major Mega Man storyline after that, we figured now is the right time before we dive deep into that plot.
Given the timing, what are the odds that the series will come back with a big splash and another Sonic crossover or something in a year?
Anything is possible; though another crossover may be pushing it. We still have to wrap this one up first, and let me tell you, the final act in Mega Man #52 is AMAZING.
Obviously the licensors often play a big role in comics based on existing, popular properties. Was the hiatus a hard sell, or do they trust you at this point?
We have a great relationship with both Capcom and Sega. We've been working with Sega for the past 20+ years and Capcom for almost five now. Capcom is very understanding of our decisions and we are both looking forward to working on future projects and collaborations.
How many more issues do we have before the end of the series? The solicitation text isn't exactly clear.
The final issue of Mega Man will be #55. We are planning on making it a commemorative special, though we are still hammering out the details. The issues before will set the stage for some important moments connected to the game Mega Man 4.
With basically two franchise anchors shaping the face of the Archie Action imprint, how does it affect your day to day losing one, even if it's only for a time?
The day to day will be a little different, however we are always planning stories for our current titles far in advance, not to mention our side projects and plans for the future. We also have the entire Mega Man graphic novel line to continue, so production and development never truly stops. There is always more!
Is it fair to view that kind of change as part of a broader movement? It seems like everything at Archie is in upheaval right now.
I feel like Archie as company has always been changing bit by bit. Recently, we've seen a shift in direction with the establishing of the different imprints and revamping some of our own brands for a new era. All of these things come together to help shape the company for the future, and I'm looking forward to see where it takes us.
MEGA MAN #53
The BLUE BOMBER is BACK from the events of "Worlds Unite" and is ready to fight for justice! That's all well and good, if there was actually someone to fight! In "Blue Shift," peace has finally come to Mega Man's life—but is that a bad thing? Could it be possible that our super fighting robot has come to actually love the battles he was once so opposed to? Meanwhile, Dr. Wily plots something sinister from the shadows, reaching an even newer low for the mad doctor! It's an extended curtain call as we come to the end of the Mega Man series! Featuring cover art from Jason Piperberg and a BOT UNDER FIRE variant from superstar Thomas Pitilli!
Script: Ian Flynn
Art: Ryan Jampole, Gary Martin, John Workman and Elaina Unger
CVR A Reg: Jason Piperberg
CVR B Variant: Thomas Pitilli
On Sale Date: 9/16
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S
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Title XLVI
CRIMES Chapter 790
WEAPONS AND FIREARMS View Entire Chapter
F.S. 790.0625
790.0625 Appointment of tax collectors to accept applications for a concealed weapon or firearm license; fees; penalties.—
(1) As used in this section, the term:
(a) "Department" means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
(b) "Division" means the Division of Licensing of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
(2) The department, at its discretion, may appoint tax collectors, as defined in s. 1(d) of Art. VIII of the State Constitution, to accept applications on behalf of the division for concealed weapon or firearm licenses. Such appointment shall be for specified locations that will best serve the public interest and convenience in applying for these licenses.
(3) A tax collector seeking to be appointed to accept applications for new or renewal concealed weapon or firearm licenses must submit a written request to the division stating his or her name, address, telephone number, each location within the county at which the tax collector wishes to accept applications, and other information as required by the division.
(a) Upon receipt of a written request, the division shall review it and at its discretion may decline to enter into a memorandum of understanding or, if approved, enter into a memorandum of understanding with the tax collector to accept applications for new or renewal concealed weapon or firearm licenses on behalf of the department.
(b) The department or the division may rescind a memorandum of understanding for any reason at any time.
(4) All personal identifying information that is provided pursuant to s. 790.06 and contained in the records of a tax collector appointed under this section is confidential and exempt as provided in s. 790.0601.
(5) A tax collector appointed under this section may collect and retain a convenience fee of $22 for each new application and $12 for each renewal application and shall remit weekly to the department the license fees pursuant to s. 790.06 for deposit in the Division of Licensing Trust Fund.
(6)(a) A tax collector appointed under this section may not maintain a list or record of persons who apply for or are granted a new or renewal license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm. A violation of this paragraph is subject to s. 790.335.
(b) A person may not handle an application for a concealed weapon or firearm for a fee or compensation of any kind unless he or she has been appointed by the department to do so.
(7) A person who willfully violates this section commits a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(8) Upon receipt of a completed renewal application, a new color photograph, and appropriate payment of fees, a tax collector authorized to accept renewal applications for concealed weapon or firearm licenses under this section may, upon approval and confirmation of license issuance by the department, print and deliver a concealed weapon or firearm license to a licensee renewing his or her license at the tax collector's office.
History.—s. 2, ch. 2014-205; s. 41, ch. 2016-166.


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American Muslim News
Come on, Florida, let Muslim prisoners practice their faith
By Becket Adams, For The Washington Examiner, On 06 July 2018, Read Original
The right to worship is not unique to free U.S. citizens.
Someone should tell that to the administrators of the Glades County Detention Center, where Muslim detainees, some of whom are slated for deportation, were denied accommodations to observe Ramadan this year, according to the advocacy group Americans for Immigrant Justice.
The Florida detention center, which doubles as an ICE holding pen, has been accused of making it all but impossible for its Muslim detainees to observe the faith by "denying them access to the Ramadan list and by also providing inedible and insufficient quantities of food to those who fast."
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"Moreover," the AIJ said in a letter this month, "there are a number of other GCDC policies and practices — including lack of access to halal meals and frequent cancellations of weekly congregational prayer services — that prevent Muslim men detained in the facility from practicing their faith."
On a human level, denying religious accommodations to Muslim detainees is a clear violation of their freedom to worship. On a legal level, the alleged violations appear to run afoul of legal precedent. There's also the issue of the contradiction between the facility's practices and ICE's stated standards.
The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 bars state and local governments from imposing "a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person residing in or confined to an institution" unless the government can show imposition on religious freedom "is the least restrictive means" of furthering "a compelling governmental interest." This is a lot like the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but for inmates.
As the term "institution" includes "a jail, prison, or other correctional facility" and "a pretrial detention facility," the Glades County Detention Center would certainly seem to be in violation of this 2000 law.
There's also the case of Holt v. Hobbs, in which the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an Arkansas prison had violated a Muslim inmate's RLUIPA's rights when it refused to let him grow a beard in accordance with his faith.
Third, there's the case Yellowbear v. Lampert, in which Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion favoring a Native American inmate who had been denied religious accommodations. Gorsuch concluded that the prison failed to uphold RLUIPA's requirement that they demonstrate a "compelling government interest" to deny the accommodations and that it also failed the "least restrictive" test.
As to the obvious question of whether non-U.S. citizen prisoners qualify for religious protections, the answer is simple: Yes, as an attorney for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty told the Washington Examiner Friday.
"Citizenship doesn't matter one way or another," he said. "[The detainees] have a right to freedom to worship … and RLUIPA's protections ought to apply in the case of ICE detainees."
Finally, ICE's own guidelines instruct that "special diets shall be provided for detainees whose religious beliefs require adherence to religious dietary laws" and that the "facility administrator shall facilitate the observance of important religious holy days that involve special fasts, dietary regulations, worship or work proscription."
And again: "When a detainee's religion requires special food services, daily or during certain holy days or periods that involve fasting, restricted diets, etc., staff shall make all reasonable efforts to accommodate those requirements (e.g., by modifying the detainee's menus to exclude certain foods or food combinations or providing the detainee's meals at unusual hours)."
I would love to know what the reasoning is here for the Glades facility ignoring these guidelines, but it doesn't look like I'll find out any time soon. ICE has been remarkably cagey about the whole affair, and has even ignored multiple requests for comment, including from the Examiner.
Update: June 15, 4:30 pm.
ICE provided the Examiner with the following statement, which maintains they found in March 2018 that the Glades facility followed all protocols regarding religious observances:
In March 2018, Glades County underwent their Annual Detention Inspection to ensure compliance with National Detention Standards. The facility received an acceptable rating.
Glades County met all Standards as they relate to Food Services including providing Ramadan, Kosher and meatless meals for detainees who abstain from certain foods or fasting for religious purposes. The inspectional group also found that the meals were found to be within proper temperature ranges.
It's probably worth noting here that this statement references an inspection that took place months before the start of Ramadan, which began this year on May 15. The aforementioned ICE inspection was also performed months before the the Americans for Immigrant Justice published a letter lobbying the government agency to ease up the alleged restrictions. The ICE statement adds:
Glades County also met all Standards as they relate to Religious Services. The inspectors found that "detainees of different religious beliefs are provided reasonable and equitable opportunities to participate in the practice of their respective faiths.
ICE ensures facilities operate in compliance with its rigorous national detention standards through these aggressive inspection programs.
The Americans for Immigrant Justice has not yet responded to the Examiner's request for comment.


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Dec 09, 2011 I Jason Offutt
The Mysterious Harlequin — Part Three
grey alien
Author's Note: This is the last in a three-part series about Dan Mitchell of Wisconsin, U.S.A., and his struggle to identify the entity that's haunted him throughout his life – the Harlequin. (Read Part Two Here)
The description of the Harlequin – the shape of the face, eyes, mouth and thin, androgynous body – are similar to reports of the traditional "grey" alien. Councilman Adrian Hicks of Winchester, Hampshire, England, saw the Harlequin in February 2004 and is convinced the entity is extraterrestrial. Hicks walked down High Street at 1:30 p.m. on a Saturday when he saw a blonde-haired girl in a white ballet dress, but what set the girl off from the crowd was her walk. Hicks described the woman as a "humanoid" that walked "with a penguin-like gait," and was taking keen interest in everyday objects, like a bank clock. "Most definitely an alien," Hicks said. "I watched her for a very good eight minutes plus."
Although the street was busy that winter day and Hicks reported someone taking pictures of her, no one else has come forth to say they saw the girl in the ballet costume, Andrew Napier, chief reporter of the Hampshire Chronicle, said. Napier was the first person to interview Hicks about his encounter. "Despite lots of publicity in the local papers and websites, no one has come forward to corroborate what Mr. Hicks said he saw," Napier said.
However, the drawing made of the entity Hicks saw made an impression on Mitchell. "The likeness in his drawing was the spitting image of what we have here, the collar was identical," Mitchell said. "I recall he said that someone got pictures of this thing. I'd pay to see those, I really would. Hopefully someone might know something or have a similar story in all of this. Time will tell. I've been taking my camera with me everywhere I go."
Hilary Porter of BEAMS, the British Earth and Aerial Mysteries Society, said she's convinced Hicks saw an extraterrestrial. "I feel this is a real encounter and that he is an honest and sincere person," Porter said. "It must have taken some courage to go public with this, even though others saw her, too." Porter lives about 30 miles from the site of Hicks' encounter, and the area is rife with paranormal occurrences. "It is an ancient place with prehistoric burial mounds," she said. "There have been UFO cases and alien activity for Winchester down the years."
Karen Totten, who grew up near St. Louis, Missouri, also saw a Harlequin-like entity in the 1970s and, like Hicks, she's sure it was not of this earth. "I was 17. I was working in a small convenience store when a woman came in to buy cigarettes," she said. "At first I didn't pay any attention to her until I saw her hand when she handed me the money." The woman was small, about five-feet-tall, and thin. But her hand was spindly, white and not like a human hand. Startled, Totten looked up and saw a pale human-like entity wearing a black raincoat with the collar turned up to cover her neck. The entity's heavy, long wig covered her ears and most of her face, and it wore large black "Jackie O" sunglasses. "This did not entirely hide her strange face," Totten said. "(She had) a very pointed chin, scant lip and nose. She did not speak."
The entity took the cigarettes she'd paid for and left. "I was kinda stunned," Totten said. "Her head was not overly large in comparison to her body, but other details, like her hand, her facial features, were not human looking."
The Harlequin next door
When Dan Mitchell and his wife moved from their southern Wisconsin three-bedroom townhouse, they kept in touch with their neighbors. In 2010, when Mitchell's wife called to announce they were moving back into the townhouse in early March, she found someone had been looking for them. "The woman who lives there with her husband she says that her and her husband were up watching a movie (February 5)," Mitchell said. "She had a pizza in the oven and when the timer went off she goes into the kitchen to take it out." Someone was waiting for her. "Once she gets to the kitchen she is horrified to see a strange woman standing in her kitchen," Mitchell said. "She says that she knew she heard something, but thought it was the cats. It didn't sound like the door even opened." Mitchell's neighbor said the woman in the kitchen looked like she was wearing a disguise. Blonde hair, big sunglasses, "and overall she was just weird looking." She also held a key. "She says something like, 'I have this key for the house next door (Mitchell's townhouse). I tried it but it didn't work. I have the wrong key because it opens (Mitchell's neighbor's) door,'" Mitchell said.
The couple demanded the woman leave, and she did. "They lock the door behind her and start to run around to the windows to see if she is getting into a car," Mitchell said. "They wanted a license plate so they can tell the police." But there was no car and the woman seemed to have disappeared. "They called the landlord and he came out to change the locks the next day," Mitchell said. "The landlord says he never gave anybody the keys to the houses and has no idea how it could have happened." The encounter has rattled Mitchell's neighbor. "She tells me that she can't sleep at night and wants to buy a big dog to have in the house after what happened," Mitchell said. Mitchell is convinced this woman trying to get into his townhouse is the sexless, moon-eyed entity that's plagued his life. "I am starting to suspect that perhaps I am being tracked down," he said. "I can't say that there is anything malevolent going on around here, but there is something odd and disturbing."
It is generational
The Harlequin isn't finished with Dan Mitchell; it's getting at Mitchell through is children. "While we were eating breakfast my daughter who just turned four said, 'A guy came in my room last night and he got in my head,'" Mitchell said. "My heart sank a bit and I can't know for certain that this means anything. My son has also made mention of someone coming out of the walls and playing with his pillow." Although it's sometimes difficult to interpret the words of a child, something about his children's descriptions sound all too familiar. "In regard to my daughter, the way she said it reminded me of when I was a little kid telling my mom these things," he said. "The whole 'in my head' thing really was reminiscent of the intuitive communication I had with this thing."
Twenty-eight years after his encounters began, Mitchell is still trying to figure out what this entity is. "My thought is that whatever this thing is, it attempts to fit in, but can't quite seem to figure things out," Mitchell said. "In other words, it's not intentionally trying to scare the dickens out of me, but it can't fit into our culture for whatever reason. Of course I can't be sure on any of this, these are just the impressions that I get." Mitchell has been frightened by this entity, but has never felt threatened. However, now that the Harlequin may be visiting his children, that feeling may change.
Frustrated, afraid, panicked, desperate, Mitchell wanted answers more than anything. The only place to get them definitively was from the Harlequin itself. "My only curiosity is how exactly does one talk to it?" Mitchell said. "I am of the opinion that if I were to go out for a walk alone one night that I would be able to call it and see it, but to be very honest, the thought is incredibly terrifying." Rabbi Albin said for Mitchell to rid himself of the Harlequin, that's what he needs to do – talk with the entity. "This being is attached to this young man and has been for a long time," Albin said. "His best action would be to try to contact the being and find out what the being wants. It would put his mind at ease and might end up with a friend he never expected." So Mitchell did.
The meeting in the park
Dreams bombarded Mitchell's sleep one night in late April 2010; powerful, vivid dreams – and they were telling him something. "The dreams were so profound that I felt as though I had been told to be at a certain location at a certain time, which was this morning (April 29, 2010) before sunrise," Mitchell said. "Against my own better judgment, I decided to go there while having the impression that nothing at all would happen, and the whole affair would be little more than a wild goose chase at best. I was profoundly wrong." Mitchell walked out of his house before the sun crawled over the horizon, drove to a park with a playground near his house, and sat on the bench his dreams instructed him to sit on. He took nothing special with him; no cell phone, no camera, no audio recorder, and no weapons. However, as a precaution he taped his driver's license to his leg in case his wife had to identify his remains. "That is how concerned I became before I left my house," Mitchell said. "I was so anxious about this meeting that my hands were shaking."
After sitting on the bench for about 10 minutes, Mitchell realized he wasn't alone. "I felt that I had made a grave mistake by even showing up," he said. "It was clear that my mind was not sufficiently prepared for the event." A tingling grew in the back of his head as if something almost physical was pushing itself into his mind, something that began to swim there. "At that point I distinctly heard a voice say, 'Do you remember when we used to dance and sing together, Danny?'" Mitchell said. "My heart dropped utterly because it was clear there was a presence right behind the bench I was sitting in. I have never heard a voice so incredibly rich, while possessing no accent or blemish of any kind. As nice as that may sound, this didn't make this experience seem any less terrifying." The thing behind him was the Harlequin. "There is no doubt in my mind of this," Mitchell said. "I was solidly frozen in absolute terror. How I managed to not piss myself is a mystery."
Mitchell turned his head only slightly and made out the Harlequin's thin form standing less than ten feet behind him. "It was just as I always remembered it, it was not a 'grey' or any other such being," he said. "It was an old androgynous human-like being that still possessed the features of a child with that typical shocked look upon its face." But unlike the thing he had always remembered, it didn't call itself the Tooth Fairy. It gave Mitchell a hint at what it is. "It became clear almost immediately that I entered into the mind of something that exists so far beyond humanity that not even in my most profound moments of despair or spiritual elation, have I ever experienced anything like it," Mitchell said. "It has a certain animal nature to it even though it is far above the animal kingdom in respect to its self-awareness. I am convinced that it has the potential to destroy the world if it wished." Mitchell sensed no human morals, no human sympathy in this ancient entity. "This type of being operates by an entirely different set of rules, rules that transcend morality in ways we don't understand," he said. "At the same time, as nonsensical as it may sound, there was a genuine care that it had for me this morning. Even though I was completely terrified, and was possibly screaming, 'Please don't kill me,' as I was running to my car, it became obvious to me that it felt a horrible sorrow at my response to what it was. It was as if I had rejected it completely."
Mitchell's meeting with the Harlequin lasted only about 20 minutes, but during that meeting he garnered the creature had once been human, but transcended its humanity out of sheer will. "It communicated things I did not want to know or even believe in. It revealed to me how my own view on life, and my reliance upon traditionalism as a worldview, was laughable at best," Mitchell said. "This bothers me partially because it is almost like saying, there is no God, that idea is a delusion. Quite honestly it's blown my fucking mind in ways I can barely express."
Mitchell also got the impression there are more Harlequins out there, watching humanity from the shadows, lurking in the corners of our lives. "They are disguising themselves as homeless people, I am sure of it," he said. "They are hiding out and carrying out some kind of mission. I say this because on several occasions in my childhood, and in adulthood, she has presented herself to me in such a manner. I want to say that this shocked appearance on its face seems related to the trials it has been through."
But something about this entity that has flitted about the periphery of Mitchell's life, something devious, something dishonest, leads Mitchell to believe he's been a pawn in a grand lie – a job he no longer wants. "There is still a large part of me that considers all of this a deception," Mitchell said. "Sometimes it seems like the more we think and dwell on things, the more life and expression we give to ideas. That's really a scary thought, I think. At this point it feels that I have the option to say, 'No,' and all of this strangeness will simply end."
At least, that is Mitchell's hope.
29.01 I MU Podcasts
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Jason Offutt is paranormal investigator, an author of several paranormal books such as "What Lurks Beyond," "Darkness Walks: Shadow People Among us," "Haunted Missouri," and "Paranormal Missouri" and a teacher of journalism at Northwest Missouri State University.
Top Hats and Bad Luck Beings: Fear and Folk Devilry in America
Jan 31, 2023 I Nick Redfern
Crop circle
Shugborough Hall
Jan 28, 2023 I Brent Swancer
alien encounters
UFO phenomena


With over 55 million internet users, equivalent to 86% of the population, France comes in at 11th place when looking at internet population size worldwide.
With such a large and relatively wealthy online population, France is understandably an attractive target market for many businesses considering expanding internationally.
This blog post will teach you about the most popular French search engines and what you need to know about French SEO in order to succeed.
Google is by far the most popular of the French search engines, accounting for 93% of all searches in the country. Bing comes in at second place, with a 4% share of the search market, followed by Yahoo in third place at 2%.
One French-made search engine that is worth mentioning is Qwant. Qwant is the fifth most popular search engine in France, with 0.4% of the search market. What sets it apart from other search engines is the emphasis it places on user security and privacy. As the French are quite keen on online privacy, search engines such as this could grow to become a serious alternative in the future.
Looking at the devices that French internet users use when searching online, desktop dominates, accounting for 60% of searches. Mobile search is also popular, at 33%.
The French language imposes certain difficulties and challenges on search engine marketers targeting the French market. One of the main issues is accentuation. There are four significant accents in the French language and yet there is also evidence that French speakers do not consistently use accents when they conduct searches in search engines, with many dropping accents altogether.
This would be OK if search engines compensated for this (technically known as normalisation) – however, unfortunately, this is not often the case. Google for instance normalises the acute accent, but all other accents are not dealt with on an equal basis.
'Stemming', which is used to deliver both singular and plural spellings in response to a particular search engine query, is not so prevalent in French, as there are fewer stemming systems available for the language.


text:
Start typing & press "Enter"
How to fly helicopters
Inspirational lift
VSKYLABS released cockpit screenshots of the R66 for X-Plane
New team shows WIP Bell 222UT for X-Plane
VSKYLABS throws in a surprise and shows the R66 under development for X-Plane
Review: Drzewiecki Design Chicago City XP and Chicago Airports XP
Eagle Dynamics announced free map for DCS: Marianas Islands
Miltech-5 negotiating with Razbam to bring the Bo-105 to DCS
Polychop published an update on the OH-58 Kiowa for DCS
Virtual Aviation Nation interview with Polychop about the Kiowa for DCS
Nemeth Designs released the Ka-32 for FSX and P3D
Nemeth Designs released video teaser of the Kamov Ka-32 for FSX and P3D
Eagle Rotorcraft Simulations released the MD500D/E for FSX and P3D
Now hear this!
MSFS
Helicopters on the shortlist of the most-wanted features in the new Microsoft Flight Simulator
Aerofly FS2 and selected DLCs on sale until July 9th
Aerofly FS2 R22 with a slightly changed flight model
Aerofly FS2 R22: a pilot's perspective
Helgoland scenery for Aerofly FS2 is now helicopter-ready
MP Design Studio released Bolkow BO 103 for FSX and P3D
Aug 01, 2019 | by Sérgio Costa
MSFS, News, Prepar3D
News, MSFS, P3D, MP Design Studio, Bolkow, BO 103, Release
The team behind a lot of the latest helicopters for FSX and P3D are back with quite a curious project. But which can be a bit more than we expect it to be.
Cabri G2, Alouette III, SA315 Lama, S55, Gazelle. These are the helicopters MP Design Studio have released, with the Mi-8/17 being in the works. And, all of the sudden, the Bolkow BO 103, which is quite an awkward and simplistic design.
The Bölkow Bo 103 was a small experimental helicopter flown in West Germany in 1961 to research new rotor systems. While the mechanics of the aircraft were based on the Bo 102 captive training rig, the Bo 103 was capable of fully independent flight. In configuration, it was absolutely minimalist - consisting of nothing more than a tubular frame to which the dynamic components and the pilots seat were attached, although a small fibreglass cabin was eventually attached. The aircraft retained the Bo 102's single-rotor of Glass-reinforced plastic, and proved that this was suitable for true flight. The prototype is preserved at the Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg.
MP Design Studio decided to release a model that's looks like a lot of fun and it should be straightforward to fly. Not exactly what we would expect from a team with such a background. But this could also mean something else.
After mentioning the possibility a few times, could the Bo 103 be the gateway helicopter for MP Design Studio to finally get into X-Plane? Can this be the model the team will learn X-Plane development?
Either way, there's something I like about this release (bear in mind, I haven't tried the model yet): MP Design Studio decided to release a simple model and do a simple release. They don't mention any special physics or gimmicks. They just released the little helicopter and there are no huge expectations. It should just be what it is.
And it sure looks fun! I'm actually curious to give it a try! It should be awesome in VR!
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About Sérgio Costa
Sérgio has been a flight simulation enthusiast for nearly 25 years. His passion with helicopters developed during MSFS 2000 when he discovered the complexity of these aircraft and the challenge it was to control them. Since then he has been primarily a helicopter flight simmer, trying his best not to crash and kill all his virtual passengers. Sérgio is HeliSimmer.com's editor and writer and one of the Three Grumpy Simmers, a YouTube series and Podcast produced together with YouTubers Bel Geode and NovaWing24, obviously dedicated to flight simulation.
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After the successful release and wide promotion of the Irie Jams compilation trilogy ("Nima Clock Riddim", "Pretty Nadia" and the "Irie Bus Riddim" albums, there's constantly been a wild popular demand for Irie Ites Studio's next project album — most reggae-dancehall followers impatiently pressuring for a quick release, but Irie Ites was sneakingly monitoring the demand growth and is now well settled to satisfy this overwhelming demand with its "Bad Edge Riddim" album — a 12 track project that will wow dancehall lovers worldwide.
The previous 2016 triplet release ("Nima Clock Riddim", "Pretty Nadia Riddim" and "Irie Bus Riddim" albums, which were compiled for the triology project dubbed "Irie Jams Compilation") received a massive worldwide attention and same is highly expected year's "Bad Edge Riddim" album, even with an increased attention rate this time.
The "Irie Bus Riddim" had a must-see medley video shot for it, but "Bad Edge" is going a step further beyond medley video —- a public poll will be conducted on social media platforms for the most loved song among the 12 songs on the album. The artiste who tops the poll is entitled to a free video shoot and a special promo package.
Below is the complete tracklist of the "Bad Edge Riddim" album.
All the above listed artistes are Ghanaians, except Jay Jay Rebel Who is a Jamaican. Some of the subsequent Irie Ites riddim album projects will span multiple nationalities, not just Ghanaians.
As scheduled officially, the "Bad Edge Riddim" album will be released this Friday, 8th September 2017, but its yet ready medley video is rather scheduled for release a week after.
Alongside the promo period, all the official DJ mixes done for the "Bad Edge Riddim" will be submitted to the Irie Ites Studio to be published on Irie Ites Studio's website and all other supporting websites.
The "Bad Edge Riddim" was produced by Tunz, one of the official producers at the Irie Ites Studio.


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The founder of our law firm worked for one of the largest corporate law firms in the country. Over the years we've also worked with and fought against some of the nation's largest law firms. But you'll find no large office buildings here and no layers of staff to wade through. We may have big law firm roots, but we offer offer small law firm service.
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Disclaimer: There is no attorney-client relationship until our law firm and the prospective client have agreed in writing in an Engagement Letter about the terms of the representation. Nothing on this website should be considered to be legal advice. Information transmitted electronically may not be secure. We have no duty to keep unsolicited information sent to us as confidential. We are not responsible for links to third party websites. Past results to not guaranty future outcomes. The lawyers of this law firm are licensed in Pennsylvania and this web site is not intended to solicit legal work outside of Pennsylvania.


recognise the objects in the photo below ?
The computery people among you will recognise them as location studs for Kensington security cables. I have just acquired these three broken ones in my travels – Don't they just scream Droid! At you?
They do to me so I'm in the process of tarting them up to give them a purpose.
Hopefully I will finish them for the UAV Group Build but may well be disqualified for having most of the work done for me.
Here is the story so far with three different forms of landing leg, I haven't worked out a role for each of them yet, but the middle one I reckon I will turn into a rocket launcher. I think the others might be some sort of gun and another with a radar/sensor to turn them into a hunter killer group, we shall see.
Also may I introduce you to Arfur, Arfur Brain is his full name, he is one inch high from the bottom of his shoes to just below the top of his hat so he is a perfect 6 foot tall and ideal for giving some sense of scale in 1/72 scale, he will be painted shortly and appear in my future builds.
It is good that you bring science-fiction to this group. Obviously, future technology will easily replace human pilot by machine.
Thanks for having made us think over this limit of the subject!
Your right about sci-fi, never really occurred to me as it was just a tongue in cheek entry and a bit of fun on my part.
As for the demarcation of thinking droid and human, I think we are getting into Skynet/Terminator territory. Like the boundary between insanity and genius who knows the boundary between machine intelligence and self awareness.
My droid fighting group is coming along nicely.
Apologies for the slightly blurry photos, got just that little bit too close.
Droid 1 – the Command and target acquisition droid, no armament, it does all the thinking.
Droid 3 – Heavy Hitting Droid, for troop concentrations, armoured targets, bunkers and buildings. This droid has a composite armament of two rockets which once fired allow its heavy mortar tubes to come into play.
For those who are interested, all the armament is made up from biro components.
I keep reading the title of this as " Cheating Starwarsky Droids" ... I don't know why!
Neat little builds. Be good to see them all tarted up & finished off!
Ok Chaps my little droid attack group is complete, all comments/feedback/criticism gratefully accepted.
Apologies for the Iffy photos, I will post some better ones when the GB closes.
Totally crazy but fun to behold!
Are those droids just standing or can they "walk" to move?
Tophe, the droids hover and fly, the landing gear is fixed.


Expedia's acquisition gives it a bigger market share of online booking, pitting it head-to-head with Priceline.
Just weeks after purchasing Travelocity, Expedia is buying another online booking rival, Orbitz, for $1.6 billion.
Expedia bought Travelocity in January for $280 million, USA Today reported. The Orbitz merger means Expedia now controls its namesake site, Travelocity, Trivago, Hotwire.com, CheapTickets.com, Hotels.com and Orbitz.com.
Expedia's acquisitions have succeeded in "cementing its place as the No. 1 digital travel provider," USA Today said.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Orbitz acquisition gives Expedia a market share of more than 6 percent of the travel retail area. Priceline, which includes Booking.com and Kayak, has a 5 percent market share.
"It's now Expedia vs. Priceline, head to head," Robert Cole, a travel industry analyst and consultant, told USA Today.
Typically, consolidation, which cuts competition, isn't good news for consumers. Fortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case with Expedia's mergers. According to Money, the consolidation of travel search engines should have little to no impact on travelers' bottom line.
"There are so many ways now to buy travel online, Priceline, AirBnB, Google Flights, buying direct from vendors like AA.com, Hilton.com, and many more to come, that there will still be options and competition, and little consumer effect," George Hobica, founder of the low-price flight specialist AirfareWatchdog said in an email to Money.
Though travelers aren't likely to notice any changes in search engine results or travel pricing as a result of the merger, the hotel and lodging industry is keeping a close eye on the merger. About 19 percent of hotel bookings are made through online travel agencies such as Expedia, the WSJ said. Those sites are paid a commission by the hotels.
Expedia said it doesn't plan to use the Orbitz merger to raise hotel commissions, the WSJ reports. Still, hotels are wary.
What do you think of Expedia's planned acquisition of Orbitz? Do you have a favorite online travel agency? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.


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Although we tend to offer a quick and rapid service, never the less we do not skip any of the project development phases, we always stick to the book "we just do it faster". We keep our customers involved throughout the project time-line to insure smooth progress and satisfactory results. Our commitment to our customers is what makes us different "our customers are our wealth".
We oblige our selves to present our customers with the most suitable solution and based on the latest available technologies in the shortest possible time-frame and within a cost effective budget. "we take pride in what we do and we extend our attention down to the smallest detail". Here at Web Technologies we always consider our customers as business partners and we make sure our professional business relation is kept as close and personal as possible.
Before we start we always make sure we fully understand the business requirements and we offer multiple options while explaining the cons and pros of each option leaving our customer to make his educated decision .
Once the decision is made we start the design process step by step along with the customer to insure complete harmony. We only offer modern and state of the art designs that is only offered by few professionals in our field.
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