text:
package atc

type ClearTaskCacheResponse struct {
	CachesRemoved int64 `json:"caches_removed"`
}

type SaveConfigResponse struct {
	Errors   []string        `json:"errors,omitempty"`
	Warnings []ConfigWarning `json:"warnings,omitempty"`
}

type ConfigResponse struct {
	Config Config `json:"config"`
}

type ClearResourceCacheResponse struct {
	CachesRemoved int64 `json:"caches_removed"`
}

type ClearVersionsResponse struct {
	VersionsRemoved int64 `json:"versions_removed"`
}


We are an independent firm of Chartered Surveyors who have been providing surveying, auction and commercial property services since the early 1970's.
Our team of Chartered Surveyors are all members of the RICS and have extensive knowledge of properties in Bristol and its surrounding towns and villages.
We are part of the RICS Registered Valuer scheme and the practice is fully regulated by the RICS.
We have a highly successful Auction department which, uniquely has the benefit of an extensive estate agency branch network covering Bristol and the surrounding areas.
We have a vastly experienced team in our Auction, Survey and Commercial departments who are able to undertake free appraisals, offer you specialist advice on disposals by public auction or private treaty. We also offer specialist valuation and survey advice to private and corporate clients.
Our team of Chartered Surveyors and support staff pride themselves on providing a friendly and professional service so please contact us for all your surveying, auction and commercial needs.
Please contact Nigel K Freston FRICS or Cheryl (Auction Department) on 0117 970 1551.


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ArcelorMittal Temirtau and local labor authorites locked in battle over wages cuts 14 августа 2015, 19:36
Kazakhstan Labor Inspection has prohibited ArcelorMittal Temirtau to cut wages and the company plans to file a protest.
Photo © RIA Novosti
In July ArcelorMittal Temirtau announced plans to cut wages of its employees by 25% starting from August due to critical market conditions. The company informed the government of Kazakhstan, trade unions and workers about the decision to decrease the wages. Top managers of ArcelorMittal Temirtau met with local authorities to explain the forced measures.
However, the State Labor Inspector of Kazakhstan issued a warrant instructing the company to withdraw the order #495 dated August 4, 2015 that provisioned for the decrease of the wages by 25%. The order was rendered ineffective by the Labor Inspection based on the country's Labor Code.
The Labor Code recognizes acts of employers that degrade employee's conditions with or without the employee's consent ineffective. That means, ArcelorMittal Temirtau has to send the labor inspector an official letter confirming that the company followed the instructions and canceled the order before noon of August 13.
ArcelorMittal Temirtau however is going to file a protest against the warrant. The company explained that the decrease of wages was crucial for it.
"ArcelorMittal Temirtay JSC hereby declares that it does not agree with the warrant issued by the state labor inspector and having consulted the legal department it decided to file a protest. At the same time, ArcelorMIttal Temirtau continues negotiations with heads of trade unions of steel and coal departments of the company to reach an agreement on this issue. We think that decrease of wages is preferable to mass dismissal of employees," the press office of the company said.
ArcelorMittal Temirtau, a steel giant in Kazakhstan, is part of ArcelorMittal that is among world leaders in production of steel and occupies a leading position on the main steel markets around the world, including the industries like car-making, construction, household appliances and packaging. The company also has large reserves of raw materials and an efficient distribution system. The company employs more than 200,000 people and has operations in 60 countries.
By Gyuzel Kamalova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina
Тақиясыз періште: 2 сезон

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A few months ago, a giant life-changing event happened for BFF and myself. Because of it, I immediately began thinking in terms of a private recluse and only shared the event's news with people who would seem to care. Work has been cut back to a select number, and outings were drastically reduced. Now that we have reached the big Three-Oh in weeks, I guess it is time to spill the news especially since folks will see us at Maryland Sheep and Wool this weekend wandering around, working at Tess' Designer Yarns and hanging out at the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup Ravelry group meet ups.
BFF and I are pregnant with a healthy girl (98.5% sure about her gender) and she will be my first child EVER. As soon as we discovered I was pregnant last October, the decision for me to take insulin became important. When I was injecting shots on an average of nine (9) times a day, in December I made the decision to use an insulin pump by Medtronics. Thanks to Usagi-chan (our nickname for her means "rabbit" in Japanese), my sugar/glucose levels have never been better. My A1C is down to 5.8 compared to the 8.0 in August last year.
We have been taking all the precautions possible — no alcohol, more dietary changes, reduced stress, etc. Thanks to the latest technological advances in laboratory research, the newest genetics tests allow fetal chromosomes to be analyzed by using four small tubes of maternal blood. What does that mean? It means that at eleven weeks gestation, waiting for invasive tests like the amniocentesis and CVS at 20-plus weeks are no longer necessary. These new tests and the insulin pump have had a huge price tag for us, which resulted in many sacrifices — no eating out, no splurging on exotic foods, no unnecessary purchases, and no trips (except for the special ones that we save towards).
Soon to come will be pictures of our lilac and grey nursery. The project has been enormous, considering that the room was originally designated for the four Bunnateers to share with BFF as his office, and that we discovered various structural and electrical items that needed to be brought up to building code. The fur-kiddos have been moved to the smallest bedroom, and they have not noticed their change in surroundings. BFF's computer has been moved to our den which will become more of a library when all is finally done. We have so many plans, with so little time and funds. That is how life goes, and we are prioritizing what is most important — feathering our familial nest rather than spending money on non-tangible items.
May your family be blessed, and your little one happy and healthy! I've been looking forward to pictures. You look great!
hehe… Thanks for the kind words. Hopefully you will be able to meet her at Rhinebeck!
You look fabulous Kimberly and kudos to you for taking the reins on staying healthy! So glad the pump has been working well for you. Enjoy the last few months and I can't wait to see / hear the news when she arrives.
YAY!! I am SO happy for y'all! 🙂 I can't wait to meet her at Rhinebeck too.
So so happy for you!!! And I can't wait to see you at MDS&W! It's been a long time since I saw you last October at SAFF. You look amazing!
That is so great about your A1C Kimberly!! I'm very happy for you and your BFF with your little bundle of joy arriving in a couple of months!
Mazel tov! It is so good to hear of your good news regarding your health, your pregnancy, and your happiness! Best to you always, Kimberly!
Kim, this is wonderful news – and with all of it you have your A1C at 5.8 – that is terrific! Now I fully understand why we didn't see you at SPA this year! Best wishes to you all!
what fantastic news! thank you for sharing with the world, and wishing you all the best for an easy rest of your pregnancy and delivery.
What great news! Sooo exciting. I have been thinking about you lately as I finally made something out of some yarn you graciously rakked me many years ago. Take care of yourself! Hugs!
AWWWWWWWWWWWW!!! YAY!! Congratulations!! I'm so excited for you! Much love to you three!!
Such happy news! I love her nickname.
Yaaaaaay! You look great. Can't wait to meet usagi-chan. So you say she'll be at Rhinebeck, eh? Me too! 🙂 see y'all then!
Haven't been keeping up with you at all and haven't seen you in so long but noticed this post when checking blogs on Ravelry and wanted to say congratulations! This is so great for you! I'm glad you're doing so well right now and looking so very happy!


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Tag: Secret Six jazz Band
Your 2021 New Orleans Music Buying Guide
Give the gift of music. Here's the new music that has crossed my path in doing Sweeney's Gumbo Ya Ya this year. I play these records on the show in the order that you see them below.
Jon Batiste: We Are – What can I add to a record that has racked up eight Grammy noms? Batiste is a genius who writes and sings from a core of truth that is embedded in New Orleans. Once you get past the "Freedom" video, check out and several ass-kicking videos featuring the title track, "Freedom" and "Tell the Truth," "We Are,"and "I Need You."
Tiffany Pollack & Co. : Bayou Liberty – Following up on the success of her blues album recorded with cousin Eric Johansen, Pollack recorded a dozen of her original songs with assistance of producer and blues musician John Nemeth. But its far from a blues album with songs that channel Lone Star Tall Boys, honky-tonks, early morning nightclubs and sticky-seated dives where you go mainly for the crawfish and beer. Here's more on Tiffany and the show with her interview.
Kid Eggplant & the Groovy Melatauns: Peace, Love & Donuts – Kid Eggplant, aka Robert Snow, and his music defy categorization perhaps because he embraces almost all genre: R&B, Doo Wop, Blues, Rock, Soul and Pop. You can count on his songs to be laced with catchy, and, at times ,slightly weird lyrics. However, you describe it, this music is an authentic product of the New Orleans music and nightclub scene.
Willie Durrisseau: Creole House Dance – Louis Michot and Corey Ledet carry off a major service to preserving creole music by capturing 101-year Willie Durrisseau on tape. Here's more on this amazing story.
Secret Six Jazz Band: Secret Six – A side project of the brilliant Smoking Time Jazz Club led by the band's bass player John Joyce, the Secret Six carry on the popular tradition in New Orleans of keeping old timey songs alive with a fresh take and sharp musicianship.
Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers: Set me Free – A favorite at the summer Portland Blues Festival, Dopsie and his gang deliver a dozen mostly original Zydeco tracks with everything you would expect from his show – excellent vocals, cranking accordion and even frottoir (rubboard) solos. Great for showing off your footwork.
Jamie Lynn Vessels: If I'm Being Honest – Blues rocker who has made New Orleans her home, Vessels offers a sweet voice, passionate and emotional lyrics and Cranston Clements fueled guitar licks. All original songs.
Loose Cattle – Heaving Lifting – Michael Cerveris ("Annie's" agent on the HBO series Treme) performs with a solid group of musicians, many from New Orleans, creating barnburner style Americana music that will get you dancing.
George Porter Jr. & Runnin' Pardners – Crying for Hope – The band collaborated remotely during the pandemic to re-record and mix the album's 12 songs, culminating in Porter & the Runnin Pardners' most compelling release to date.
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux: Blood Stains and Teardrops – Big Chief Monk Boudreaux is the oldest living Mardi Gras Indian Chief with an impressive library of recordings with the Wild Magnolias and others. But this solo effort allows Boudreaux to cover new ground with both his writing and singing with songs infused with reggae (six tracks were recorded in Jamaica) and blues.
Chris Acker: Odd, Ordinary & Otherwise – One-time Bellingham resident, Acker offers up a collection of songs written or finished during the pandemic shutdown. He's been happily embedded in New Orleans for at least a half dozen years writing and singing songs in the spirit of John Prine with an entertaining ability to conjure life's fascinating details.
Craig Klein: Talkative Horns – Musical Conversations on Lucien Barbarin – This grammy winning trombonist started this project with his friend but made the record a tribute to him after Lucien Barbarin's untimely death from cancer. A fellow trombonist, Barbarin was fan of mutes and this record's eight track features them throughout creating a conversation between Klein's trombone and Kevin Louis' trumpet. Here's the show featuring Craig Klein interview on his new record.
Dumpstaphunk: Where Do We Go From Here – Dumpstaphunk, headed up by Ivan and Ian Neville, answers their record title's own question when it comes to where funk goes from here. This is a funk rock album with touches of jam band and R&B. You'll dance and the lyrics speak to today.
Tuba Skinny (Maria Muldaur): Let's Get Happy Together – A smart selection of vintage songs by straight A student of old timey music and jug bands Maria Muldaur who last year did a record featuring LuLu Barker songs. This time her New Orleans connection is Tuba Skinny which is allowed to shine and complement Muldaur's perfected suited vocals.
Jonathan Bauer: Sings & Plays – For his second record, Jonathan occasionally lowers his trumpet and steps up to sing classics like "Days of Wine and Roses," "Exactly Like You" and "September in the Rain." His website claims that early listeners have described the band's new aesthetic as "New Orleans Chet Baker."
Leo Nocentelli: Another Side – A new record that takes you back a half century when the Meters' guitarist and co-founder took a short break to do something completely different. Recorded mostly in 1971 but just released this year, the songs have an intimate feel reflective of the folk rock of that time. An excellent showcase of Nocentelli's guitar and vocals.
Lynn Drury: Dancin' In the Kitchen – A veteran of the New Orleans Americana music scene, Drury's latest record seems a cut above an already impressive list of recordings. With excellent studio support, Drury soulfully dishes out her life experiences — you will swing, you'll smile, you'll cry.
Cha Wa: My People – Brainchild of drummer Joe Gelini, Cha Wa follows in the footsteps of the Wild Magnolias in delivering the rhythm, traditions and ethic of Mardi Gras Indians outside of New Orleans. This third release now features Joseph Beaudreaux Jr. (Monk's son) on lead vocals.
Ted Hefko and The Thousandaires: Down Below – Hefko, who has straddled jazz and blues, takes a serious dive into country — a genre he hinted at with his last release Gas Station Guru But the woodwind musician puts his unique stamp pulling out his baritone sax, clarinet and flute among other instruments and helped out on a couple songs by Kevin Louis and Craig Klein (See Talkative Horns above).
Jason Ricci and Joe Krown: City-Country – City – Ricci on harmonica and vocals, Joe Krown on Hammond B-3 and piano with Doug Belote on drums and you have a stripped down funky, blues, swinging sound. Truly a situation where the sum is greater. One of my favorites of the year.
Garage a Trois: Calm Down Cologne – Galactic drummer anchors this power trio of Skerik (sax) and Charlie Hunter (guitar) — there first recording together since 2011. These masters of improvisation pull it off right in the studio with some serious funk, jazz and just out there playing.
Nicholas Payton – Smoke Sessions – Partly a sentimental yet original revisit of Miles Davis' Four and More record, Sessions includes Ron Carter on bass and a couple of guest appearances by George Coleman on tenor saxophone. And they shine. But the real surprise and star of this album is Payton, the trumpet player, performing on piano.
Camile Baudoin: This Old House – The Radiator's guitarist makes it all seem so simple with this spin of New Orleans/Radiator songs. Here's how he introduces his latest album on Bandcamp – "It's a New Orleans jukebox feel, enabled by some of my favorite fellow musicians. Roll up the rug, drop in a quarter, and enjoy!"
Debbie Davis, Matt Perrine and Friends: Oh Crap, It's Christmas! Volume 2 – This is a family affair with Davis and Perrine anchoring with vocals and bass and their two songs adding their voice to songs like "Run Run Rudolph" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." And then there's the musical family that includes the bright piano playing of Josh Paxton, Alex McMurray on guitar and Andre Bohren on drums. A nice mix of traditional and new for the holidays.
Get out and buy some low-carbon footprint gifts of music. Happy holidays. By the way, I do this end of year summary show every year.
Author Tim SweeneyPosted on December 6, 2021 December 6, 2021 Categories Gumbo YaYa ShowTags 2021 Records, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Dumpstaphunk, George Porter Jr., Kid Eggplant, Loose Cattle, Lynn Drury, Secret Six jazz Band, Tiffany Pollack1 Comment on Your 2021 New Orleans Music Buying Guide
Live shows, New records and Fire on the Bayou
As COVID cases begin to rise again, bands that thought the coast was clear are starting to announce their tour plans, or in some cases, already getting out there and performing. This week's show features those New Orleans acts with plans to tour the Northwest as well as new records released in recent months.
My Live NOLA Shows page tracking Northwest shows has been reinvigorated with concert dates by The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Soul Rebels, Rebirth Brass Band, Dumpstaphunk, Shamarr Allen and Davis Rogan. You'll hear songs from all these groups.
New music by Tuba Skinny (with Maria Muldaur), Jon Batiste, Kid Eggplant and the Melatauns, Secret Six Jazz Band, Chris Acker, Ted Hefko, and Tiffany Pollack.
There's other music in this two-hour show (featuring the KMRE edit version), including Helen Gillet, Kevin Sekhani, Josh Garrett, Debbie Davis and Josh Paxton, Egg Yolk Jubilee to cite a few.
The funky Meters jump on around the 35 minute mark to do a live version of "Fire on the Bayou" from the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Once again, COVID has cancelled this very important event to the New Orleans economy. The news sucks but the song is good.
Author Tim SweeneyPosted on August 12, 2021 Categories Gumbo YaYa Show, New ReleasesTags Chris Acker, Davis Rogan, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dumpstaphunk, Funky Meters, Kid Eggplant, Rebirth Brass Band, Secret Six jazz Band, Shamarr Allen, Ted Hefko, The Soul Rebels, Tuba SkinnyLeave a comment on Live shows, New records and Fire on the Bayou


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Q: How to auto reply to live tweets containing a keyword in tweepy? So i this following code is what i did, but it only replies to existing tweets, i tried to run it in a loop, but it hit api limits very very quick, i could delay the time but i want something more efficient and quick, i've hear about working with stream of tweets, i don't understand how that works i am new to coding, anyawy here is the code that hits api limit very quick
import tweepy
from random import randint
from time import sleep

CONSUMER_KEY = 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
CONSUMER_SECRET = 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
ACCESS_TOKEN = 'xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET = 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
auth = tweepy.OAuthHandler(CONSUMER_KEY, CONSUMER_SECRET)
auth.set_access_token(ACCESS_TOKEN, ACCESS_TOKEN_SECRET)
api = tweepy.API(auth)

num=0
count=0
temp=0

while (count < 100):

    firstTweet = api.search("dogs")[0]
    if firstTweet.id==temp:
        sleep(randint(10,20))
        continue

    rid=firstTweet.id
    rsn=firstTweet.user.screen_name

    m="@%s If you love dogs, follow us" % (rsn)
    api.update_status(status=m, in_reply_to_status_id=rid)
    count=count+1
    print(count)
    temp = firstTweet.id

basically it searches for tweet about dogs, takes the top most tweet, replies to it, and saved the tweet id in temp so the loop keeps running and if the top tweet is still the same it won't reply once it changes (that is there is a new tweet) it will reply, but this code only runs for 5 mins and then hits limit is there any other way to do it?

A: If you were only making search requests, you would be better off using application authentication (oauth2), which allows you 450 search requests per 15 minutes.
However, you are also making update status requests, which requires that you authenticate using user authentication (oauth1), as you are doing in your example. This lets you make 180 search requests per 15 minutes.
But, the larger problem is the update status request. Twitter does not publish a rate limit for this request because it would make it easier for spammers to do their thing.
Your only recourse is to check if Twitter returns a 403 error, meaning you have reached your limit. Then, wait 15 minutes before trying again. You have to be careful about exceeding this limit too frequently; otherwise, Twitter will think you are spamming.

A: There are a couple of mistakes in your answer. First of all, if you use a statement
firstTweet = api.search("dogs")[0]

you are essentially making an API call but ultimately saving only the first tweet returned by the search API. If you check the Twitter API documentation (https://dev.twitter.com/rest/reference/get/search/tweets), at each call to api.search(), a default count of 15 tweets are returned. This is the reason why you are running out of your limits.
Now the fix would be to use tweepy Cursor. An example of the same can be found here. Also make sure that you use the since_id & max_id parameters in the search API call so that you receive new set of tweets in the next call to search. Else, you will be getting the same set of tweets in every call. This is explained really well in the comment section of the above link.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Cheap, Daily Home Tests Are The First Step To Containing The Pandemic
September 3, 2020 • by Dr. William Haseltine
We don't need drugs or vaccines to stop the Covid-19 pandemic. We can use something that is already available and at our disposal: rapid point-of-care and home diagnostics combined with contact tracing and isolation of possible transmitters.
Backed by the right technology and strategy, testing can be used to detect the virus at its most contagious—and stop the people who carry it from spreading it to others. In the United States, this is currently far from the case.
Barriers like the cost of a single test, which can range from $50 to $150, and uneven spread of testing sites, which for some demand long commutes, make testing a rarity reserved for worst case scenarios, rather than a safety measure accessible to all. The long waiting times render the results moot for many.
Among the nearly 200 Covid-19 tests authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are already several technologies that can make testing faster, cheaper, and more convenient. These new methods must become the basis of a nationwide testing regimen in which tens of millions of people are tested day in and day out.
Part one: the technology
PCR tests, named for the polymerase chain reaction used to magnify samples and detect viral RNA in labs or research centers, have so far been the gold standard and bedrock of most testing efforts. Though more accurate than most Covid-19 test types by a wide margin, the turnaround time for a PCR test result is typically a few days at best and a few weeks at worst. Such a delay impedes our ability to tally infections as they're actually happening, meaning most national and even local case counts underestimate the rate at which disease is circulating in our communities at any given time. It also means that people who might be at the vey peak of their contagiousness leave the testing site ignorant, unknowingly continue to infect others, sometimes many others.
Data collected in Spain, the United States, and several other countries using antibody tests, which pick up on the presence of Covid-19 specific antibodies in the blood, offers clues as to how great the gap between confirmed and active Covid-19 infections actually may be. SeroTracker, a Canadian analytics hub that aggregates this data, estimates the prevalence of Covid-19 antibodies in the U.S. population to be five percent on average—meaning the national confirmed case count that recently surpassed five million, a bit more than one percent of the country, likely represents only a fraction of infections currently active. While antibody tests are useful in shedding light on the true scope of an outbreak, they can only do so in hindsight, when infections have already happened. There's also no knowing how many infections are left out because the carriers are unsuspectingly asymptomatic and therefore have no reason to seek out testing.
To make testing a preventive, rather than reactive, form of disease control, we need speed and convenience. Such is the advantage of using antigen tests, which measure SARS-CoV-2 by way of viral proteins, or antigens, and don't require the extra step of in-lab processing—hence a turnaround time as fast as 15 minutes. The tradeoff, as might be expected, is sensitivity, and an antigen test is indeed more likely to miss some who would test positive by PCR. But when it comes to controlling or preventing community spread, sensitivity isn't necessarily the most significant factor. Data from preprint studies shows that the concentration of the Covid-19 virus in our nasal passages and throat is at its highest from the day before we develop symptoms to seven days after (see Figure 1). This is when we're most likely to pass the infection on to others. From Day 7 onward the amount of virus in the body diminishes, as does our ability to transmit it—though most people remain PCR-positive for many days. Why this is so is a biologic mystery waiting to be solved, but the fact remains that if you give someone a rapid diagnostic early enough, their body will have so much virus a sensitive test won't be necessary.
FIGURE 1. Studies show that the concentration of the Covid-19 virus in our nasal passages and throat is at its highest from the day before we develop symptoms to seven days after. This is when we are most likely to pass this infection on to others.
FIGURE 2. Comparing the limit of detection for different Covid-19 test types.
Given these findings, the most useful tests for mass screenings are those that detect the amount of virus particles associated with transmission, estimated to be about 100,000 or 105 per millimeter (see Figure 3). Fortunately antigen tests and other rapid diagnostics currently in development are up to the task (see Figure 2). One uses CRISPR technology to analyze nasal swabs or saliva samples for traces of viral genetic material. Another relies on the same paper-based laminar-/lateral-flow immunoassays as disposable pregnancy tests and could potentially give users the option to test themselves before school or work in the comfort of their own homes. While no rapid diagnostic yet has received regulatory approval for at-home or over-the-counter use, the FDA has recently amended its protocols to clear the path forward for such products. Once they're brought to market, it will no longer be the case that the only people tested are those who act out of suspicion of exposure or infection. These tests will be for everyone—healthy and asymptomatic individuals included.
FIGURE 3. Data on PCR cycle times offers more evidence that testing earlier in the disease course might intercept contagion at its most infectious.
FIGURE 4. A model of a virus.
Part two: the strategy
I believe that each test should cost no more than fifty cents. That was the price of the Abbott rapid antibody tests that Egypt used to screen its entire population, ages 12 and older, for hepatitis C. Results should be available within 5 to 15 minutes. The low cost and speed should allow every schoolchild, every teacher and everybody working with others to know whether or not they are an asymptomatic, contagious carrier. It would allow public health authorities to identify and isolate those who are most contagious. The effect on the pandemic will be immediate and dramatic.
With mass deployment of less sensitive, but rapid and easy-to-use diagnostic tests that deliver results within minutes at the doctor's office or at home, anyone infected will know almost immediately, before symptoms even begin to show, to stay at home and isolate—stopping the spread of the disease in its tracks and clearing the way for faster containment. Following up positive tests with contact tracing, a technique that was critical to mitigating Covid-19 in Singapore and South Korea, would ensure that recent contacts of the infected would do the same. This would be especially helpful in both removing so-called super-spreaders, or infected people with high viral loads, and freeing those who may test positive, but don't have enough virus in their bodies to be infectious.
One way to mobilize this strategy is through the two-step testing method currently underway in India, where confirmed cases now exceed two million. The first step is to conduct widespread rapid tests at existing testing facilities and, once the technology is authorized and available, in our homes. Those who test positive with a viral load at or above 103 viral particles per millimeter are assumed to be infected and instructed to self-isolate at home, where they can be monitored by local health authorities. Within 24 hours a contact tracing team interviews them about recent contacts who may have been infected, all of whom are brought in for testing as well. Those who test positive but carry a viral load below 103 particles per millimeter are contact traced, but aren't required to isolate, as they're beyond the threshold of infectivity. Those who test negative, on the other hand, proceed to the second step: the PCR test with a slower turnaround, but more accurate result. They must also quarantine until the PCR test results confirm or disprove their negative status—unless they carry viral load below 103 particles per millimeter, in which case they must be contact traced but needn't isolate.
Insofar as antigen tests are also cheaper to manufacture and cheaper to purchase than PCR tests, they make an ideal tool for scaling up testing efforts at the community and national level. If mobilized through coordinated efforts like the recently announced interstate testing compact between seven state governments, test makers, and the Rockefeller Foundation, these speedy diagnostics could become truly accessible for a low price at a large scale. Taking such a strategy nationwide may seem ambitious, but meeting the challenges of the current crisis will require nothing less.
The strategy of "test, trace, isolate" is nothing new. What's different now is we have the technology to make it possible at a low cost and in a short amount of time. If we continue to underinvest in testing, we consign ourselves to repairing damage that has already been done—rather than preventing it in the first place.
This post originally appeared on Forbes.com. Reprinted with permission.
William Haseltine, PhD, is a former Harvard Medical School professor and founder of the university's cancer and HIV/AIDS research departments. He serves as chair and president of the global health think tank, ACCESS Health International and is author of the recently released book A Family Guide to COVID-19: Questions and Answers for Parents, Grandparents and Children.
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Unjversity President Sylvia Burwell released a statement addressing the anti-immigration flyers found on campus Monday.
Burwell, now in her second semester as president, said AU rejects hate, bigotry and "hateful movements" alike.
Burwell's statement went on to reject any ideas of "hate, bigotry, and intimidation in all its forms." Burwell then turned her attention towards DACA recipients, whom she has previously said she would support to the extent of her authority.
"American University is fully committed to our undocumented students and will use every legal means at our disposal to offer our support and protection," she wrote. "We also strongly urge the nation's leaders to find a long-term solution for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students.
Burwell said the University's strong positions on diversity and "equal rights for all" may be the reason that it has been a target for hateful acts during the past year, including an incident involving Confederate flag flyers in September.
"As an institution that takes strong stands on anti-racism, equal rights for all, and preservation of free expression … this sadly continues to make American University a target for acts of cowardice and bigotry like these that are disturbingly global," she wrote.
Burwell closed her statement by reiterating her support for targeted groups and all of the AU community.


What's conservative about a political "conservative"? Where is the conservation in a party that hates renewable energy and prairie chickens that defile their drilling rights and that distrusts "government regulations" intended to conserve and preserve the planet where their grandchildren will try to live?
I call them "consumatives." The Republican Party is not only the "party of no." It's also the party of no tomorrow.
Jealousy is a terrible affliction.
The Kochs have worked hard, invested well, employ thousands across the country, donate millions to good causes, and are a great American success story. Yet I am amazed at all the negative letters people write about them following an article in The Eagle describing some of the good things they do.
These "complainers" need to work on creating their own success stories rather than criticize those who are successful.
After reading "A conversation with Schane Gross" (Jan. 4 Business Sunday), I had to comment. As an oldster, 67, it has been fun and fascinating watching Gross' growth and progress this past 20-some years. She is the poster child for what brains, determination and moxie can accomplish. She exemplifies what can be achieved through hard work, vision and a fearless dedication to whom she is.
Next time you see a tattooed, bicycle-riding young lady on Douglas, don't judge. It could be Gross or the next successful entrepreneurial businesswoman of Wichita. We need more people like Shirley Jane Gross.


With a global spotlight thrown on sexual misconduct, software engineer Tracy Chou assesses the impact this new awareness has had in the male-dominated tech industry.
In 2013, Tracy Chou wrote a post on Medium asking about data on the tech workforce: 'Where are the numbers?': While it is commonly and correctly assumed that the number of women in the tech industry is low, Chou, with her computer engineering background, knew there was no solid data. Her post went viral, and she started to collect data first through Twitter and then through a GitHub repository, which she set up. Her focus on the issue is credited for encouraging larger companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft to release diversity reports. The numbers didn't dispute what was assumed, but further enforced it: 10 to 20 per cent of workers in technology positions were women, and one study found that 45 per cent of Silicon Valley companies did not have a single female executive. Chou is listed in MIT's 35 Innovators Under 35 for 2017 and in her blog, Triketora, she documents her experiences as a software engineer. Here, she writes about how tech's major sexual harassment stories came out first and presaged Hollywood's – yet failed to achieve the same kind of momentum. Chou will speak at Vogue Codes in Sydney, which is on June 22–24.
Zoë Foster Blake, Eva Chen, Melanie Perkins and more are leading the conversation at Vogue Codes in 2018. Tickets are selling fast and you're invited! Enjoy 20% off now, early access ends this Sunday 15.
Buy tickets to Vogue Codes 2018 here.


You might be surprised by how many of your organization's security issues originate from within. A major contributor is user error, which can lead to some pretty severe problems reaching from your data security, to your workflow, all the way to the continuation of your business itself.
When you delete a file off your PC, or your hard drive becomes corrupted, you just take for granted that the data is gone in perpetuity. That isn't the case at all, and it can present problems for businesses and individuals alike. The thing is that it's deleted, it's gone, it ceases to exist, because you deleted it with your own hands.
A network is arguably one of the most important assets that your business has. It keeps your team connected to crucial information and mission-critical applications. This is perhaps why it's so irritating when your network acts up. You should be on the lookout for even the slightest problem with your network, as even a small change could be a sign of bad things yet to come.
If you don't already have a backup solution put in place, no time is better than the present to consider what it would cost your business if you were to lose everything in one fell swoop. There are plenty of ways you can back up your data, but the reality of the situation is that if you were to lose your business's information, you wouldn't be able to continue operations. It would put the entire future of your company in jeopardy, so you need to be absolutely certain that your backup and disaster recovery solution is fool-proof.
One of the most vital parts of your network security is a firewall. This is generally your first line of defense against the myriad of threats that can be found while online, and are instrumental to comprehensive network security. Despite this common knowledge, some folks might not understand specifically what a firewall does to keep your systems safe.


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Bucking the trend,
Amazon makes returns easier
Amazon's new return policy in the United States allows customers to drop their products without package or labels in thousands of sales points, nationwide and free of charge.
(Author : Retail Detail)
Streamlining
Amazon wants to make it even easier for its American customers to return their purchases: "We understand that finding a box and tape, and printing a label for a return can still be a hassle. Now, most Amazon returns are easier than ever with no box required. After getting a QR code from the Amazon Return Center, items can simply be handed to an associate without a box or label, and they will pack and ship it for free", the company announced through its official blog.
Among the many places where customers can bring their returns, there are of course Amazon's own Books and 4-Star stores, just as the Whole Foods chain Amazon acquired in 2017. Additionally, the online giant has reached an agreement with department store chain Kohl's for accepting the returns in more than a thousand stores - and with nearly 4,800 UPS stores.
Not all of the items sold by the platform will be able to be returned through the new system: mostly, products processed through Amazon itself are involved. Customers who still prefer to pack and send their returns themselves can still do so: both systems will exist side-by-side.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Amazon USA Livraison
Lululemon shows its muscle with massive Chicago store
Target heads to campus with more small-format stores
0 thoughts on "Bucking the trend, Amazon makes returns easier"


Insera Therapeutics Inc. is an ISO 13485 certified medical device company focused on treatments for vascular diseases including stroke. CLEARTM stands for Customizable, Luminal, Evacuation, Aspiration, and Retrieval. The CLEARTM Aspiration System is currently not cleared to market in the United States. InseraTM, CLEARTM, and CLEARTM Aspiration System are trademarks of Insera Therapeutics, Inc.


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Where is the cut-off for "High Grade"?
If we're discussing where the cut-off for "high grade" comics would be, in terms of condition, then there's an answer based on the eye appeal of a comic. It's hard to see how a comic book rated at least Very Fine to Near Mint (VF/NM, or 9.0 on the 10 scale) wouldn't be a "high grade" comic according to its appearance.
However, if the comic was produced last week and was a 9.0 condition, it would actually be "low grade" relative to the quantities which would be available at 9.4 (Near Mint) and above.
It would be hard to say that 9.6 or higher is required for a comic to be "high grade" (regardless of age) since there are older comics which may not even exist in grades above 8.0, particularly comics from the beginning of the superhero genre of the late 1930s to 1940s.
Using the decades of the comics as a guide, and offering possible cut-off points as a percentage of CGC graded copies (Universal and Signature), the following chart provides some extra information to the discussion.
There isn't a definite conclusion to be made from the numbers, and there isn't a definite answer to when comics no longer "look high grade" from an appearance standpoint (being in the eye of the beholder), but more than 3,000,000 CGC graded comics were analyzed to produce the chart above. That's at least a little more information than we had before.
Author Greg Holland, adminPosted on November 8, 2017 November 8, 2017 Categories basic info, case study, general notes


Gorgeous Lithium coated Phantom Candle Quartz Large Single Point. Beautifully dusted with dusky lithium hints around the whole piece. It is a perfectly balanced and uniform point.
Lithium Quartz is often used as a natural anti depressant and is highly useful in meditations whilst assisting in the reducing of anxiety. It is peaceful, soothing and calming.
Brazil has always been the original source of Lithium Quartz with recent finds being mined in both Western Australia and Madagascar over the last few years. This piece is perfect as a Crystal Healing Tool. It is a perfect fit to the hand to direct energy within or outwards for Meditation and Healing.
This particular formation is known as Pineapple Quartz, Celestial Quartz or Ananas Quartz which translates to Pineapple) is often described as a single point surrounded by many smaller crystals generally growing parallel to the main point creating a formation similar to wax as it runs down a burning candle. Pineapple Quartz is a "wisdom" crystal known to contain Akashic Records of the past and can assist you to travel within to allow for truth and healing. A strong though gentle healing crystal.
Please note this point does have a chip on the tip of the point.
This wise calming large single point measures 9.6 x 5.9 x 4.1cm and weighs 345gms.


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HomeDefenceFaced with budget crunch, Navy could relook at long-term modernisation plans, lease...
Faced with budget crunch, Navy could relook at long-term modernisation plans, lease vessels
Navy had planned to become a 200-warship force. It cut down this number to 175. Security circumstances may now lead the Navy to recalibrate capital procurements.
Amrita Nayak Dutta
File photo | Indian Navy | Facebook/IndianNavy
New Delhi: The Navy will have to recalibrate its immediate and long-term capital requirements, particularly in view of the threats from China after over a nine-month standoff in eastern Ladakh, a top Naval officer said.
This will likely include reassessing the numbers for landing platform docks (LPDs) and minesweepers originally planned by the Navy, among other items, for which the acceptance of necessity (AoN) has already been accorded.
In the wake of a dwindling capital budget in the last few years, the Navy cut down its plans to be a 200-warship force — down to 175 — and reduced the numbers of some of its long-term planned procurements.
During a press meet in 2019, Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh had pointed out that the Navy's share of defence budget fell from 18 per cent in 2012-13 to 13 per cent in 2019-20. "It is a fact that our budget has decreased. We have projected this. Our hope is that we will get some money and accordingly we will prioritise," Singh had said.
The force cut down the number of LPDs it was seeking to buy to two from the planned four, and the number of minesweepers to eight from 12, aside from cutting down on other fleet auxiliary ships.
The Navy also decided to procure only six Kamov KA-31 early warning helicopters against the 10 planned originally, and brought down the number of additional P-8I aircraft it sought to buy from the US to six from 10. Moreover, it reportedly planned to close the cadet training ship programme.
However, irrespective of the Navy's plans to bring down the numbers of its planned procurements as envisaged in its Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP) for 2012-2027, the AoNs for many of its big ticket procurements were already approved. Since the AoNs exist for certain planned procurements, there is possibly of going back to the original numbers planned.
"…there is a need for a relook and a reassessment of the Navy's immediate and long term capital requirements as planned earlier, for which there would be a requirement of more funds," said the officer quoted above.
The officer declined to comment on the specifics of which other capital procurements would need a reassessment.
In the capital budget for 2021-2022, the Navy saw an increase of 24.6 per cent at Rs 33,000 crore from its previous year's allocations, but it was much lower than the force's projected requirement of Rs 70,920.78 crore.
The Army saw an increase of 12.6 per cent and the Air Force saw a hike of 22.9 per cent in their capital budgets for 2021-22 as compared to the previous fiscal.
Speaking about the 15th Finance Commission's proposals, which suggested raising funds from defence land monetisation, the officer said it is yet to be seen how the concept can be materialised.
"The monetisation of defence land will yield some funds, which would be used up immediately for some immediate procurement. But this way, we will lose the land and the funds too will be exhausted immediately," the officer said.
Also read: Army, Navy, IAF to jointly train for nuclear biological chemical warfare and intelligence
Considering leasing vessels
The Navy could also be looking at leasing vessels as an interim measure. This includes diving support vessels that can also double up as a submarine rescue vessel.
"The Navy is looking at leasing different kinds of vessels, including diving support vessels and other smaller ships," said the officer quoted above.
The force is also looking at leasing small fuelling tankers, which can be used for support trips and other logistical purposes.
Besides, the Navy is in the process of gathering information from other countries from where it could lease minesweepers and naval utility helicopters as a stop-gap arrangement, even as it will continue to pursue the original contract for such systems to be made in India with foreign collaboration, said sources.
The Navy currently has on lease two Sea Guardian drones from a US firm, and a logistics ship from an Indian private firm for travel between Kochi and Lakshadweep.
Also read: Anil Ambani's Reliance firm still not ready to showcase LMG for Army, trials delayed again


Myths about women's Weight Lifting.
Women shy away from heavy lifting for various reasons. Some believe it'll add to their body weight, some believe that they will develop a masculine form. Strength training does everyone good, whether man or woman.
It's time to look at some myths that revolve around women's weight lifting.
1. Muscles in Men and Women can never give the same results.
Musculature in the two genders do differ. Men have more skeletal muscles than women. Men can generate more muscle power than women. And they develop different types of muscle fibres. While more of fast twitch muscle fibres in men produce more power, excess of slow twitch muscle fibres in women create fatigue-resistance and capacity for muscles to heal better. The development of these fibres depend on the kind of fitness activities one engages in. Moreover, muscles and muscle fibres react in the same way to exercise in both men and women. Women can enhance their fast twitch muscle fibres growth by engaging in high intensity cardiovascular workouts. They can have almost any result they want out of them.
2. Deadlifts are dangerous for women.
To be fair, deadlifts are dangerous for anybody who does not follow the proper form of lifting. There is no particular reason for women to be additionally precautionary. With proper guidance, knowledge of technique and knowing your body limits, weightlifting can be fun without being dangerous.
3. Women need special protein supplements for their strength training needs.
If you're searching for protein powders just for women, you may even find results. But their reliability is your risk. Because the regular protein powders do you no less service. They work the same for men and women. Your choice of protein powders should be guided by the physique goals you have in mind in sync with your fitness program, and therefore the constituents of these powders and not what the label promises. With the right brands and proper past history of effectiveness, you should have your desired results just fine.
4. Weightlifting can make women look masculine.
Weightlifting is an intense cardiovascular activity. Whatever a normal workout does, it speeds it up. It also helps in the development of fast twitch muscle fibres for more output.
Lifting results in development of lean muscle that burns fat better making you thinner in lesser time.
This is great, but it has nothing to do with looking masculine. Since being lean is not necessarily a characteristic of a man. Even lifters can have any more than one body type depending upon their training regimen. Lifting does not mean just bulking up. It makes for a stronger and healthier body in women too.
5. Lifting sometimes means adding to body weight and therefore women shouldn't.
Weightlifting curbs body fat. It also helps in building lean muscle. Though muscles may take up less space than the fats they replace, they still have weight. The ultimate result may be a gain in weight. This is considered sufficient reason for women to not do it.
Pretty sexist I think, not all women hit the gym to lose weight. Building strength, resistance, developing a sculpted lean body may also be their agenda. And wanting a good physique is just ambitious and no offence. So women can use any gym equipment they can handle that helps achieve their goal.
6. Creatine is a big no for women.
This again is the argument of a sexist. In a bit, we'll see why. Creatine is one of the by-products of our daily metabolism. It is also fuel for short-term energy intensive activities. The kind that heavy lifting workouts are. Sometimes, the natural creatinine levels are not sufficient compared to the amount of intense activity involved in these workouts. That's when we need the supplements. Since a little weight gain is a side effect it is regarded as something positive as it helps achieve your fitness goals.


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Q: SELECT command denied when executing function in MySQL When I try to select function
SELECT myDatabase.myFunction('');

I get error that
ERROR 1142 (42000): SELECT command denied to user 'myUser'@'localhost' for table 'myTable'

Although user has all permissions
mysql> show grants for myUser;
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Grants for myUser@%                                                                                |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| GRANT USAGE ON *.* TO 'myUser'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY PASSWORD ''                                                                                |
| GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, DROP, INDEX, ALTER, LOCK TABLES, EXECUTE, CREATE VIEW, SHOW VIEW, CREATE ROUTINE, ALTER ROUTINE ON `myDatabase`.* TO 'myUser'@'%'|
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

and I can also access myTable directly without any problems.
Any help will be appreciated.
P.S. All function, table, database, user names are ok in case I have misspelled something in this post.

A: Try a GRANT ALL; Probably FUNCTION Permission is missing


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Auditors are being called in to examine the expense claims of a long-time hospital administrator in northeast Iowa.
The CEO of Regional Medical Center in Manchester has resigned. Lon Butikofer's immediate resignation was accepted by the hospital's board of trustees on Friday and the news became public Tuesday morning. Board members say they became aware of "improper" claims for travel reimbursement.
The state auditor has been notified and the board plans to work with an independent auditing firm to review more of the CEO's expense reports. Butikofer had worked at the hospital in Manchester for 30 years.
The hospital's website says the facility in Manchester serves more than 25,000 residents in a four-county area. Last year more than 6100 patients checked into the ER and 180 babies were delivered in the hospital.


dc.description.abstract The concentrations of mercury (Hg), selenium (Se) and metallothioneins (MT) were evaluated in fetuses, calves, juveniles and adults of the endangered coastal Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) from Argentina. Mercury concentrations varied among analyzed tissues (liver, kidney, muscle and brain), with liver showing the higher concentrations in all specimens. An age-dependent accumulation was found in liver, kidney and brain. No significant relationship between Hg and MT concentrations was found for all tissues analyzed. Hepatic Hg molar concentrations were positively correlated with those of Se, indicating a great affinity between these two elements. Furthermore, dark granules of HgSe were observed in Kupffer cells in the liver by electron microscopy, suggesting the role of this macrophage in the detoxification of Hg. A transfer of Hg through placenta was proved. The presence of Hg in brain in all age classes did not show concentrations associated with neurotoxicity.


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Home / Courses / USA / Pennsylvania / North Hills
LuLu Country Club
40 Reviews (40)
24 out of 40 reviews
StaffFriendliness
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Black 71 6433 yards 71.4 129
White (W) 73 6032 yards 75.5 130
Silver 71 5527 yards 67.2 125
Silver (W) 73 5527 yards 73.3 125
Scorecard for Lu Lu
Black M: 71.9/133 476 361 430 112 448 181 475 419 357 3259 525 347 181 438 405 166 333 515 406 3316 6575
Combo M: 70.5/130 476 361 430 112 448 181 411 419 300 3138 486 347 181 438 329 166 299 515 406 3167 6305
White M: 69.6/128 461 331 410 95 439 165 411 403 300 3015 486 333 162 424 329 128 299 497 366 3024 6039
Silver M: 67.3/124 W: 75.3/127 445 322 341 85 385 163 411 400 281 2833 431 321 152 421 311 113 292 439 323 2803 5636
Red W: 72.7/122 435 312 331 75 375 153 401 390 271 2743 421 311 142 411 301 103 282 429 313 2713 5456
Handicap 13 9 5 17 1 7 3 11 15 8 10 18 2 14 16 12 6 4
Architect Donald Ross (1919) Ron Forse Frank James (1914) Donald Ross (1912)
Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs No
What Golfers Are Saying
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 7
Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.
LuLu Country Club, hole 16 Photo submitted by TimGavrichGA on 06/21/2019
LuLu Country Club, hole 8 Photo submitted by TimGavrichGA on 06/21/2019
Previously Played
Layout Good
Pace Average
loved this course greens nice fast. I love the elevations change on the holes. Course makes you put the ball in play to score well. Bunkers could use a little more sand. But great course can't wait to go back
rsteck
Conditions Fair
Amenities Poor
BoxBilly12
Conditions Poor
Value Fair
Layout Poor
sixeagles
Philly Advisor
poorly run
I like the layout and I have played it before and after the fire. First issue is that I don't know why so many single players were put out on the course that rushed up behind groups to play through. I makes the players in groups feel rushed and it frustrates the single players for various reasons. Even as a single player can play faster, a single has no standing on the golf course. I had looked into membership for a place to go and play a few holes if I didn't have time for 18 holes, but it seems to be just a public golf course with no control as in on course rangers. New clubhouse looks great and I am sure it will be nice inside as well. Course overall in good condition.
Friendliness Average
Amenities Fair
kftgolfer
Terrific Course in Bad Condition
I had played the course a few times in May and June this year and it was terrific. Fabulous layout and course was in perfect condition. It really went downhill over the last couple months. The greens are slower and bumpy and several had bare spots. Tee boxes were beat up and several fairways had burned out areas. The driving area was mats only since there was no grass remaining and the chipping green loos like it has been abandoned.
Hopefully the course recovers over the fall and winter and returns to great condition next year. It is one of the better courses around when its in good condition.
Friendliness Fair
How could anyone in their good conscience charge $70 for a round on this course? It was worth $30 at the most. Group of us drove almost 2 hours to play this course. I understand the fire almost 5 years ago, but that monstrosity of clubhouse being built will be underutilized and is too close to 2 holes- the 13th and the 18th. Missing a fairway on 13 left will result in a death if someone is eating lunch on the patio: the rough is only about 10 yds wide and runs right up to the patio. Missing the green left on 18 by 10 yards will result in a broken windshield. The driving range is all the way across the course and the putting green is in the middle of the course. The end result was carts darting back and forth in front of us all day. The tee boxes were chewed up, fairways had bare spots and sand all over the place. The greens were fast and true- too many bare spots. Some had long gouges like the mower bottomed out- all left un-repaired. There were a-lot of grounds crew out and about- they seemed more intent on turning the sprinklers on right before we played the hole than actively repairing damage on the course: we had one 5 minute rain delay because of sprinklers. Teed off at 10:50 and finished at 4:15= 5.5 hour round. Started on Hole 11, Little to No signage directing people where to go on the course. Staff in the clubhouse wasn't very friendly, almost rude and indifferent. They charged $13.50 for a Ham, Egg and Cheese sandwich on wheat toast with tater tots= It sucked. Why anyone would pay over $2K a year to belong here is beyond me. Stay away.
Value Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
PdZTmSdrmCXyIemGLimp
Commented on 09/06/2019
Were you stoned when you played? This is a trash course for $70.00
alex6338845
Used to be great
This classic Donald Ross design used to be one of the best public courses available in the area. Conditions have steadily gone downhill each of the past 2 years, culminating (for me) with yesterday's conditions- which were especially terrible. Spotty sandy spots all over the course- including all over every green. Greens were bumpy and had lines cut throughout. It was a joke. Sorry to say that this course should be avoided at this point.
I played the course. The greens were punched bozo. Do you know anything about golf ?
DrDudz
Rough conditions
I've played here in the past and the course conditions were much better. Very nice layout. It looks like they had some disease affecting the greens and fairways. The greens were recently verticut and top dressed. Not ideal conditions for summer golf. I hope they can get the conditions back to country club shape.
Tjsunstein
First time playing the course. Truly a hidden gem. Clubhouse somehow still under construction and no firm date for reopening which was a bummer because we would have eaten there. Checking in they immediately let us know that the greens had just been worked on. They gave us a voucher for another round for the inconvenience - awesome gesture. Fun layout with challenging shots and great aesthetics. Would absolutely recommend and play again. We didn't have anyone behind us for two holes and weren't waiting on anyone. Would be 5 stars if greens and clubhouse were in condition.
Conditions Average
Amenities Average
Played today. Course should not be open. Poor conditions and zero amenities. They should close for construction until course is playable.
Layout Average
Lulu 8/4/19
I have played Lulu 5 times in the past 18 months. It is a private course that is currently allowing some daily fee tee times to non members while a new clubhouse is under construction after a fire. The layout is fun and fair. The $45 greens fee (3pm and later) is a great value. However, for the first time in my experience here, I was shocked by the burned out conditions of fairways and greens. Some fairways were 60-70% burned out. The rough and other areas seemed overly sloppy and unattended. I really love this course and hope that it can get back to its former glory, but it is not looking good right now.
Gmtsr7565
Not worth the money!
Very disappointed! Had high expectations going in as I grew up in the area and never had a chance to play until now. Tee to green the conditions were not good. Tees and greens were burnt out! Fairways, while I wasn't on many, didn't look much better. Would love to tried out 1 or 2 but oh well. Do they not have water? Rough was tough but fair and definitely made the course tougher...unfortunately for me. No sand in some traps....I should know as I was in many. While it's obvious they're putting a lot of money into the new clubhouse, one can only hope they do the same for the course. Definitely not worth the money. And lastly....no amenities on the course! Really?!??
Zero amenities
Played on a 90° day with no car girl and no halfway house. Course was in OK condition, but nothing special. I realize the clubhouse is under construction, but golfers really need refreshments while playing.
juz7676
mildly disappointed
If first impressions are lasting then the starter the afternoon would scare me away, but I like the golf course. First we were going as a two some, then told to wait, then told to go, then told to let two walking members go ahead of us (mostly foursomes on the course), then told to go. We teed off then told to wait for a single and after he topped his tee shot they told the single to wait and put us with a twosome who was waiting and the single was told he could follow us. Once we got started play moved OK. Greens were good mostly but half seemed to not be totally healed from month old aeration. They call it a private club but it's a very loose interpretation allowing public play to individuals seven times a year but not sure how they track it. Overall course in good shape but some of the posted yardage is questionable. We frequently had short waits as the two walking members in front of us were going nowhere and eventually turned into a threesome of walkers with a player who came out of nowhere the last several holes. Can't wait till clubhouse opens and can play from the real first hole although it's Ok finishing an a good par five 10th hole. Hope that starter had a short career there. Club house guy looked out the door and he seemed confused by what was going on, or maybe he was directing it?
Play it before it goes fully private
Donald Ross was prolific, designing more than 400 golf courses in his storied career. And it's natural to wonder whether his courses might start to blend a bit in one's recollection.
LuLu, which sits toward the beginning of his career (1912), stands out strongly, thanks in part to a site with some interesting character (upon some golf had been built before Ross arrived), including a memorable wedge par 3 (#4) in an old quarry. Other quirky features include several "dolomite" or "chocolate drop" mounds behind greens and along fairways, as well as a few blind shots. At this point the club is semi-private, so if you find yourself in the area, spend the $78 (or less, depending on time of day and week) and play it.
Mike5806505
Really enjoyed the course. Conditions were great. Greens fast. Rough challenges but fair. The course is in transition and a new clubhouse is under construction so you start on #11 but they seem to be doing their best while going through the update.
Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
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Oreland, Pennsylvania
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Flourtown, Pennsylvania
Wissahickon Golf Course at Philadelphia Cricket Club
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Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
The Abington Club
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Toomey/Flynn at Huntingdon Valley Country Club
Militia Hill Golf Course at Philadelphia Cricket Club
Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania
Alverthorpe Park
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania
A sunny day view of a green at LuLu Country Club LuLu CC
A view of a hole at LuLu Country Club LuLu CC
A view from a tee at LuLu Country Club. LuLu CC
A view of green #12 at LuLu Country Club. LuLu CC
A view of the 9th hole at LuLu Country Club. LuLu CC
1600 Limekiln Pike, North Hills, Pennsylvania 19038, Montgomery County


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Unions demand Kirklees Council pay staff a 'living wage'
Demonstrators held a rally in Market Place today to protest against Kirklees Council's failure to pay its staff a 'living wage'.
Unions staged a demonstration in Market Place today to protest against Kirklees Council's failure to pay its staff a 'living wage'.
Demonstrators also held a rally outside Calderdale Council offices, at Northgate House, Halifax, as part of a national day of protest against councils which do not pay their staff at least £7.65 per hour.
Outside London, a worker needs to earn at least £7.65 an hour to have an acceptable basic standard of living, according to the Living Wage Foundation.
Union GMB says more than 500,000 council workers in the UK are on less than the living wage.
Among the 12,000 Kirklees Council employees, 1,800 are paid less than £7.65 an hour.
Almost all of these jobs, paid as little as £6.36 an hour, are held by women and 88% are part-time.
Jobs at these wages are usually in the cleaning, catering and museums sectors. Meanwhile, Kirklees Council pays six of its staff £51 per hour and the director of children's services £61 an hour.
Of 300 local authorities in the UK, 100 pay all their staff a living wage while 100 are considering whether to follow suit.
But Kirklees is one of 100 councils – and one of 13 Labour-led councils – not paying or considering whether to pay a living wage, says Paul Holmes, secretary for Kirklees Unison.
Mr Holmes said: "Kirklees underspent by £5m last year and they reckon it will cost £500,000 to £800,000 to pay a living wage.
"Kirklees can afford to pay but it says it is looking at other issues. Two of Huddersfield's biggest employers, Huddersfield University and Kirklees College, pay a living wage."
Mr Holmes says many of its 6,500 Kirklees Council members are struggling to keep up with the cost of living.
He said: "I hear stories of payday loans and visiting food banks. People who are caring for pensioners and serving food are visiting food banks and there has been a massive rise in personal bankruptcies."
Calderdale Council is debating whether to pay a living wage supplement to those of its employees on low pay.
Gary Baker from Calderdale GMB said: "The public have been very understanding even though there's been all this rhetoric from the Government."People generally agree that people should be on a living wage."


text:
Seminal Documents
Liberal Education and Humanities
By Marcus R. Berquist
Tutor, Thomas Aquinas College, 1972–2010
Marcus R. Berquist
Most modern educators, devoted as they are to the ideal of academic freedom, maintain that institutions of higher learning may not commit themselves to any particular philosophical tradition. Presumably, this is either because they regard the central philosophical issues as beyond resolution, or because they believe the resolution of those issues is not determinate enough to be the basis for a community of learning. However, although it may disclaim responsibility for the universe at large, a college or university can hardly escape the need to order its own affairs. In particular, it must divide and order its own curriculum, and, in doing so, it must perforce make certain assumptions about the natures of the various disciplines and the matters of which they treat. The educational consequences of these assumptions are seldom remarked.
Our purpose here is to examine a very basic division which is usually taken for granted: the division of the curriculum into the sciences and the humanities. We shall examine and criticize this division, the assumptions which underlie it, and the assumptions which it encourages in those who study within its framework. And since those who make this division clearly identify the humanities with the liberal arts and liberal education, we shall also examine the latter and determine how reasonable this identification is. By way of contrast, our discussion will also include an account of an older tradition on these same matters.
The "Sciences" and the "Humanities"
We begin, then, by asking: Which disciplines are "sciences" and which are "humanities"? And then: By what principle are they divided in this way, and how is that principle currently understood? Roughly, this is the division: philosophy, history, and literature are considered humanities, while physics, chemistry, biology, and the like are considered the sciences. There is dispute about borderline cases, such as the social sciences, but there seems to be widespread agreement about the aforesaid disciplines. This is sufficient for our argument.
Now, what is the principle or reason for this division? And why, in particular, is philosophy classed with literature and history rather than with the sciences? Perhaps it would be helpful to examine the term "humanities": No doubt it is used in a derived and specialized sense here, but if there is any point at all to the naming, it must involve some reference to the primitive meaning. For no matter what we do with the term "humanities," there is no getting the "human" out of it, so that any intelligible interpretation of the term involves some reference to man and the things of man: the things he does, the things he makes, the things he thinks. Accordingly, it would seem that certain disciplines are named "humanities" because they are about man or are pre-eminently referred to man in some way.
Distinguishing between the Natural and the Human
f this is so, it would seem that a distinction between the natural and the human is crucial here. For science, as understood nowadays, is virtually the same as natural science, while history and literature are concerned with human affairs, and literature is itself a human artifact. So it is likely that the division of the sciences from the humanities is based upon the distinction between the natural and the human. But as regards philosophy, it is more difficult; nevertheless, we do find that those who put philosophy among the humanities tend to regard it as human in the present sense. For example, it is a commonplace that philosophy is an integrating discipline; that is, it puts all the varieties of human experience and knowledge together and determines their overall meaning and significance. Now it becomes quite clear from the literature on the subject that significance, as currently understood, means significance for man. Man and the life of man have become the standpoint from which all things are to be viewed and the principle whereby all studies are to be ordered. Otherwise, it is said, our studies will lack "relevance." Furthermore, the method of studying philosophy has become increasingly historical in modern times. Research and teaching have turned away from reality itself and its causes and principles and have fixed upon man's various attempts to understand that reality, and thus upon the variety of philosophical systems which he has produced in the process.
Coming to the heart of our discussion, we also find that the humanities tend to be identified with the liberal arts and with liberal education. We hear frequent statements to the effect that the humanities are the core of liberal education, which suggests that if the humanities are not the whole of education, they are at least that part which makes it liberal. This is not surprising when we reflect upon the typical modern understanding of liberal education. It is said that such an education is directed to freedom, and this freedom is understood as the liberation of man from that which prevents the full expression of his humanity. Thus, it humanizes him inasmuch as it enables him to become himself, and the studies that accomplish this are called "humanities."
It is rather puzzling, of course, to speak of man becoming himself. There are several ways of understanding this, but what it seems to mean in the present context is that man becomes himself more fully through self-discovery and self-awareness. Since art, literature, history, and philosophy are all expressions of his humanity, he becomes conscious of himself as man through studying them. In this view, then, man is liberated insofar as he is humanized, and he is humanized by becoming conscious of himself through the study of culture. Liberal studies are the same as humane studies.
A sign that we are on the right track is the way in which theology— the study of God—has recently joined the humanities by being transformed into "religious studies." This is significant, not only because of what goes on under that name, but also because of the name itself. For God is not a religious being—He has no religion. Religion is something that man has, even though a particular religion may be from God. So the focus has shifted from God to man, and whereas theologians used to speak about God, students of religion now discuss the various ways man has thought about God, the "faith experiences" of various communities, and so forth. By this humanistic orientation, it is supposed, religious studies have at long last become liberal.
Anomalies in the Modern Curriculum
It seems, therefore, that certain disciplines are now called "humanities" and are described as liberal because they are supposed to be about man or to center around him in some way. Let us now examine this.
When we look at what are now classified as sciences and humanities, we immediately perceive certain anomalies. First of all, we find that many philosophers—notably Plato and Aristotle— hold that philosophy is not primarily concerned with man, but with things that are better than man. But the very structure of the modern curriculum rejects this view. By the framework within which we now work, a perennial issue of philosophy has been rather abruptly settled, or there is at least a definite leaning toward a particular settlement.
Secondly, we find that the natural sciences also treat of man, for man is a part of nature. So we might ask why the humanities are not therefore classed as part of natural science. No doubt there is some point in distinguishing between the natural and the human (for everyone does so); however, it is difficult to see how one can appeal to the self-evidence of this distinction in the present case, for everyone likewise agrees that philosophy may properly study the nature of man, and many hold that there is a philosophy of nature as well as of other things.
Thirdly, the traditional liberal arts, which were conceived as an introduction to liberal education, do not favor this way of dividing the curriculum. Logic, for example, which is part of the trivium, is presumably as important to the scientist as it is to the humanist, and perhaps more so. Furthermore, the arts which comprise the quadrivium—geometry and astronomy, arithmetic and music— are all mathematical. (The astronomy and music which are liberal arts explain their subject-matters by mathematical principles exclusively, since such explanations are proportioned to beginners.)
There is probably no part of ancient learning more like science as it is now conceived than these, for modern natural science is predominantly mathematical in method. Thus, the view which identifies liberal arts with the humanities cannot claim continuity with the older tradition of liberal education.
Another View of Liberal Education
These difficulties, among others, immediately arise when we accept the modern distinction between the sciences and the humanities. They were not proposed in order to refute conclusively, but in order to prepare the way for an alternate view of the division and order of liberal studies. This view, of course, is not a new one but goes back, in its essentials, to the best of Greek learning. Our presentation of it will involve a deeper criticism of the modern curriculum and its consequences.
To begin with, we define liberal education as the education of a free man, much as the moderns do, although our understanding of freedom is somewhat different from theirs. A free man is a man who lives for himself in this sense: He realizes within himself the end for which he lives and is joined to it in his own person. He is contrasted with a slave, for the good which the latter realizes by his activity exists in other men or even in other things. Thus, a free man is one whose life has intrinsic meaning, and liberal education will be that which befits such a person and enables him to live in such a way.
Now some would immediately dismiss this distinction between the liberal and servile as something entirely relative to those societies — happily long gone — in which there were masters and slaves. But here we do not mean that sort of slavery, the condition of certain men in certain places at certain times. Rather we are thinking of a universal slavery which oppresses all men, for human nature, as Aristotle says, is in many ways in bondage. For we see that, despite the legal freedom of which we boast, the better part of our lives is taken up with actions which are only necessary; they are not desirable in themselves and are no part of happiness, but are needed for something else. And this something else is all too often no more than simply to continue to exist. Already a third of our lives is taken up with sleep, and if we also subtract the time spent in necessary work or in amusement (which is also necessary in a way), the remainder is precious little and seems hardly enough, in quantity or quality, to justify the trouble of living.
Perhaps the most bitter part of this condition is the bondage of the intelligence, which in spite of being the best and most divine thing in man, spends nearly all its time and effort in caring for the body and has little or nothing for itself. For the proper good of the intelligence is truth and knowledge, but because of the necessities of this mortal life, it is compelled to put aside its quest for wisdom in order to attend to the inferior parts of man. In consequence, life is not intrinsically worthwhile; we are always preparing to be happy, but we never are happy.
However, this present life does allow some leisure to some of us, and liberal education seeks to exploit this leisure so that we might achieve as much freedom as possible. Accordingly, it is directed to the kinds of knowledge that human understanding seeks for its own perfection. Thus it is not concerned primarily with practical knowledge — the knowledge of making and doing—for no such knowledge is desirable in itself. If we could have the practical results without the knowledge, we would not bother with the latter; for example, if the sick could get well by themselves, no one would study medicine. We might say, then, that the free man does not desire learning in order to change the world, but sees in learning itself the kind of change that the world needs. While he cannot neglect the necessities of life, he finds his end and freedom in knowledge. And this knowledge is primarily theoretical—that is, it is sought, and is worthy of being sought, for its own sake.
But what is this knowledge which is a free man's happiness? Surely it cannot be a knowledge of things inferior to man. Can it then be a knowledge of man himself and of the various expressions of his humanity? Or does this depend upon another question: Is man the most excellent of all things that are? If he is, we shall have an answer, since the knowledge of man will then be the most excellent and worthwhile knowledge, and the poet's statement will be true: The proper study of mankind is man. For what better use could he make of his life?
On the other hand, if man is not the primary being, but the effect of superior causes and derives all the excellence he possesses from them, he will not achieve happiness through knowledge of himself, but rather through the knowledge of those causes. Liberal education, then, will not be humanistic — it will not be ordered to the human but to the divine. Even though it may humanize man through self-awareness, this will not be the measure of its success. This is Aristotle's argument in the tenth book of the Nicomachean Ethics:
But such a life would be too high for man; for it is not insofar as he is man that he will live so, but insofar as something divine is present in him; and by so much as this is superior to our composite nature is its activity superior to that which is the exercise of the other kind of virtue. If reason is divine, then, in comparison with man, the life according to it is divine in comparison with human life. But we must not follow those who advise us, being men, to think of human things, and, being mortal, of mortal things, but must, so far as we can, make ourselves immortal, and strain every nerve to live in accordance with the best thing in us; for even if it be small in bulk, much more does it in power and worth surpass everything.
On these premises, humanistic studies will never be the core of liberal education.
An Orientation to Things Better than Man
The traditional liberal arts are a sign that liberal education was not originally humanistic, but rather followed Aristotle's doctrine. Within the quadrivium especially, we find this doctrine confirmed; for astronomy and music are principal in that division, since geometry is ordered to the former and arithmetic to the latter. Now it is reasonable to suggest that astronomy is a prefiguration of the theoretical sciences generally, where knowledge is the end, since the stars are not things we can do something about—we can only learn about them. And the stars certainly seem to be, and were originally thought to be, of a higher order than man, immortal, and even divine.
Furthermore, theoretical studies are ultimately concerned with the order of the universe as a whole, and it is from star-gazing and astronomy that we first begin to apprehend and wonder about that order. And the image of the astronomer, the man who does not see the things at his feet because he is looking up, forcefully suggests that liberal education concerns the things higher than man.
This is perhaps the reason why mechanics, as interesting as it is, is not one of the liberal arts. For in mechanics, geometry is applied to certain problems which are sublunar and on our own level, so to speak. Thus, it does not express the fundamental orientation of the human mind, which is toward things better than man. Now whether the stars are really as the ancients supposed is not important for this argument; what is important is that they made astronomy rather than mechanics a liberal art.
The science of music, on the other hand, would seem to prefigure the practical or moral sciences, which concern the ordering of man's soul. For inasmuch as music imitates the passions of the soul, the discovery that arithmetic principles may be applied to musical tones suggests that a parallel order exists within the passions themselves. One is thereby led to suppose that the inclinations and affections can be ordered by reason and that it is possible to understand how they ought to be ordered. However, the fact that the science of music is completely theoretical in mode also suggests that the basis of man's moral life is given by nature, rather than instituted by man himself. This runs against the first principle of humanism, that man is the measure of all things, as well as against its corollary, that beauty is only in the eye of the beholder. (Hence the intimate connection that we observe between moral relativism and the denial that there is a natural musical harmony is understandable: The one view is very much akin to the other.)
If, therefore, man is not the measure of all things, liberal education does not consist primarily of humanistic studies, and philosophy in particular is not rightly classed among the humanities. Rather, as Aristotle argues and the traditional liberal arts suggest, it is concerned principally with things better than man. Now, in conclusion, we are going to take this argument one step further and attack something we conceded beforehand. We said that if man is the highest being of all, then education will primarily be concerned with man. Even as a hypothetical statement, this is not quite true. For even if man is the most excellent of beings, he is still something which comes to be and passes away. Therefore, there must be explanatory causes and principles of man, for we ask the question "Why?" first and foremost in the case of beings which come to be and pass away. And, in point of fact, there is no philosopher, even among those who hold that man is the supreme being, who does not think that man needs to be explained and who does not look for principles in terms of which to make an explanation.
Now, if these principles are to explain the human, they must be other than human. But also, by our present hypothesis, they would have to be subhuman. Therefore, the human would have to be explained in terms of the subhuman and the rational in terms of the sub-rational, and, furthermore, they would have to be fully explained in such terms. Now what this means is that man could not be, in final analysis, anything essentially better than the nonhuman and nonrational. This consequence may be gathered from the testimony of the philosophers themselves. For not one of those who attempt to explain human nature in terms of the subhuman has not finally said that man is essentially no different from the rest of things. For example, the atomists, both ancient and modern, hold that higher beings are simply combinations of various simple particles, and not essentially different from or better than those particles or the other things made out of them. We see this also in the evolutionary philosophers. Darwin, for example, holds that the difference between one species and another is at bottom the same sort of difference as that between one variety and another. So the difference between man and horse is in principle the same as the difference between one horse and another. Teilhard de Chardin is a more recent example of this point of view. And, given the premises, this is the only reasonable point of view, for to assume otherwise would be to assume that an effect is more than all its causes put together.
The final outcome of humanism, then, is that we are led to regard the difference between man and the animals (as we ordinarily conceive it) as an illusion. Thus, all the reasons given for the preeminence of humane studies are finally destroyed by the logic of humanism itself. The upshot is that each man orders his education by his own particular taste or by what is currently fashionable, for he can no longer find any reasons for preference in the natures of the objects he studies. The wonder which characterizes the philosopher has been replaced by curiosity.
It would be a mistake, of course, to attribute the mindless disorder of modern education to a bad division of the curriculum. However, those who are attempting to restore some order usually fail to realize how much a defective understanding of such matters stands in their way. The alternative to such "muddling-through" is a wholehearted return to older traditions of liberal education, particularly as regards the natures of the various disciplines, the order of their importance, and the order in which they are to be learned.
Why the Great Books?
Why the Discussion (Socratic) Method?
An Education for its Own Sake
The Curriculun
St. Bernardine of Siena Library
Dolben Library
Liberal Education and Freedom
The Formation of the Catholic Mind
Liberal Education & the Preservation of the Political Order
The Study of St. Thomas
The Roots of Modern Education
Wonder and Skepticism
A Reflection on Campus Life
Order of Learning
Scholarship in the Catholic Tradition
The Place of the Liberal Arts in the Curriculum
Why We Study ...
Damascene
Friendship and Our Common Humanity: Why We Read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Lavoisier
Plato's Phaedo
The Eucharist as Spiritual Food


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text:
YOUR West Adderbury, Have YOUR Say
The consultation has started! Cherwell District Council are writing to ask for YOUR views on why West Adderbury should get back its own Parish Council. You have an exciting opportunity to shape the future of your village. Your views are important and Cherwell District Council will decide whether we can have our own Parish Council back based on what YOU say.
If you have not yet received your letter, you can read a copy here.
If you want a Parish Council that can listen to YOUR views and act on them;
if you want a Parish Council that will prioritise Traffic Calming and Flood Protection;
if you want a Parish Council that will protect the special character of West Adderbury;
if you are proud to live in West Adderbury and want a Parish Council that serves you;
if you want a Parish Council that will work to protect sites at risk from inappropriate development;
Then reply by saying YES to bringing back West Adderbury Parish Council.
You can reply in one of 3 ways:
By emailing democracy@cherwellandsouthnorthants.gov.uk
By using the online response form on the Cherwell District Council website (please note the link to this form will not be available until 29 June 2020).
By completing the response form on the last page of the letter and returning it to Cherwell District Council in the postage-paid envelope.
Important – Please do not reply until Monday 29 June 2020. Any consultation responses received by Cherwell before this date will not be included.
If you wish to provide additional comments with your response, please feel free to use the following statement:
"As a resident of West Adderbury, I believe we need our own parish council to preserve the special character of our community, to reflect the wishes and identity of West Adderbury residents, to provide the services West Adderbury needs, and to give West Adderbury a say in its own future. The problems on the current Parish Council have shown that a single Parish Council cannot meet the incompatible needs of the separate villages. I think that giving West Adderbury and East Adderbury their own parish councils will heal the recent political divisions and bring our communities back together again. I am therefore asking Cherwell District Council to reinstate West Adderbury Parish Council."
Up until 1971, West Adderbury and East Adderbury each had their own parish councils. Both East and West Adderbury thrived under separate local government. Both settlements have grown substantially in size since then and it makes sense for both to have their own parish councils again.
Despite having grown, West Adderbury is still much smaller than East Adderbury and Twyford, forming just 23% of the parish. Under a single Parish Council, our views and needs will always have to be sacrificed to meet the needs of the majority.
All across the country, the government is devolving power to regions big and small to allow local people a say over local matters. Why shouldn't West Addebury have better democratic representation? Why shouldn't we stop being the "poor relation" of East Adderbury and Twyford?
Say YES to a Parish Council for West Adderbury – say YES to local democracy.
⟵Who's for lunch?
Community Governance Review – Your Questions Answered⟶


Do Your Employees Understand Your Healthcare Brand?
A brand cohesion study was conducted in the spring of 2013 with over 120 companies participating across the globe. Representing twenty business sectors including healthcare, respondents clearly identified a significant lack of strong brand cohesion, with only 38% of companies having a high level of brand integration within their organization. Adding to the lack of a coherent brand strategy, 45% of respondents had different brand positions for their corporation for either their division or product.
A coherent and clear brand identity is important, as noted in a study conducted by Strategy& which identified companies that had a clear identity that stood the test of time had superior three-year TSR growth versus companies with a lack of clear identity . The Strategy& study identified that having a coherent value proposition is one of the key drivers of success for companies and well ahead of being agile, having a distinctive way of providing value and being diversified. For the 200 or more healthcare providers in the industry dominated based on a Fortune report by companies such as CVS, McKesson, Unitedhealth Group, AmerisourceBergen and Express Scripts, it's critical to create a strong and focused brand position to be differentiated in the industry.
Our 2013 study identified a significant a gap within the brand positioning structure, with only half of respondents clearly articulating their company's brand essence. This supports our premise regarding effective translation of the complexity of a brand position: few organizations are able to distill their brand's unique value into easy to remember, simple, focused messaging. There also exists a second, probably more critical gap: since brand positioning is predominantly external, there exists little to no internal focus as part of employee engagement and onboarding programs.
For the healthcare industry, this becomes critical in attracting the right employee to drive research, best patient practices and brand loyalty. Healthcare providers such as Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest managed care organizations, which ranks the highest by JD Powers on customer service in the markets it serves, has invested significantly in employee engagement across its eight regions. The engagement program includes specific phrasing the leadership use in their communication with staff, in addition to an online tool where employees can learn about the vision and mission of the organization.
Our study also highlighted how the process of creating or refining brand positions is mainly part of a business review process or established planning cycle driven by the CEO, who leads both the development and integration within the organization. The perceived impact of an organization's branding initiative are brand loyalty, execution excellence and lower staff turnover, while the biggest challenge to launching an effective brand coherence strategy is the lack of understanding and commitment levels from the leadership team. For the healthcare industry who rely on exceptional expertise and talent while facing a shortage of staff, the issue of clarity and consistency of position becomes more critical.
Fill out the form below to read more….