text:
Systematic review of general burden of disease studies using disability-adjusted life years
Suzanne Polinder1,
Juanita A Haagsma1,
Claudia Stein2 &
Arie H Havelaar3,4
To systematically review the methodology of general burden of disease studies. Three key questions were addressed: 1) what was the quality of the data, 2) which methodological choices were made to calculate disability adjusted life years (DALYs), and 3) were uncertainty and risk factor analyses performed? Furthermore, DALY outcomes of the included studies were compared.
Burden of disease studies (1990 to 2011) in international peer-reviewed journals and in grey literature were identified with main inclusion criteria being multiple-cause studies that quantified the burden of disease as the sum of the burden of all distinct diseases expressed in DALYs. Electronic database searches included Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, and Web of Science. Studies were collated by study population, design, methods used to measure mortality and morbidity, risk factor analyses, and evaluation of results.
Thirty-one studies met the inclusion criteria of our review. Overall, studies followed the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) approach. However, considerable variation existed in disability weights, discounting, age-weighting, and adjustments for uncertainty. Few studies reported whether mortality data were corrected for missing data or underreporting. Comparison with the GBD DALY outcomes by country revealed that for some studies DALY estimates were of similar magnitude; others reported DALY estimates that were two times higher or lower.
Overcoming "error" variation due to the use of different methodologies and low-quality data is a critical priority for advancing burden of disease studies. This can enlarge the detection of true variation in DALY outcomes between populations or over time.
The burden of disease concept provides a conceptual and methodological framework to quantify and compare the health of populations using a summary measure of both mortality and disability – the disability-adjusted life year (DALY)[1, 2]. Since the launch of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study in 1993, the burden of disease concept has been widely adopted by countries and health development agencies alike to identify the relative magnitude of different health problems. This information serves as crucial input for debates about priorities in the health sector.
Criticism of the GBD study focused on the construction of DALYs[3, 4], particularly the social choices around age weights and severity scores of disabilities. The GBD 2010 Study that is currently being conducted responded to the critiques and recent improvements in the field and includes significantly improved methods for burden assessment, particularly for ranking risk factors and disabilities[5, 6]. It is expected that the imminent publication of the GBD 2010 Study will result in a new impulse to perform burden of disease studies.
A major strength of the burden of disease concept is that it allows comparison between different health problems, between different years, and between countries. In principle, the DALY approach should be used consistently to provide comparable DALY estimates. However, the technical approach of the GBD is complex, both in concept and in application, and there are many methodological alternatives, e.g., using alternative morbidity estimates, life expectancies, or severity weights, which have enormous influence on DALY outcomes[7]. Hence, the interpretation of results of burden of disease studies requires detailed methodological knowledge.
General burden of disease studies are multiple-cause studies that quantify the burden of disease as the sum of the burden of all distinct diseases expressed in DALYs. Until now, a systematic review of general burden of disease studies and the underlying methodological choices has not been conducted. This review was a first step in the development of a protocol specifically for burden of foodborne disease studies. This protocol complements the GBD manual, as it addresses problems that arise particularly when undertaking foodborne burden of disease studies. The protocol was developed for researchers that aim to undertake burden of foodborne disease studies in the framework of the Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG). The FERG was established in 2007 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The purpose of the group is to advise WHO in their estimates of the global burden of diseases commonly transmitted through food.
This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the methodology of general burden of disease studies using the DALY approach. In the review, the following key questions were addressed: 1) what was the quality of the data and were there any data gaps, 2) which methodological choices were made in order to calculate years of life lost due to mortality (YLL) and years lost due to disability (YLD), and 3) which methods were used to handle uncertainty and risk factor analysis. Furthermore, DALY outcomes for specific disease and injury groups resulting from the general burden of disease studies were compared.
In this review, burden of disease studies based on general multiple-cause studies (including all diseases and injuries) were included. Empirical studies in international peer-reviewed journals and grey literature published in English in the period 1990 to 2011 were included. Studies in established market economies and low- and middle-income countries were also included. The review is restricted to studies using the DALY as a burden of disease measure, both country-specific and worldwide.
Disability-adjusted life year
The DALY is calculated by adding YLL to morbidity and disability, expressed in YLD. The DALY methodology is represented in a conceptual framework in Figure 1.
YLL is calculated by summation of the number of fatal cases (d) due to health outcome (x) in a certain period multiplied by the residual expected life expectancy (e) at the age of death:
YLL x = Σ d x × e x
For the calculation of YLD an incidence or prevalence-based approach can be used, which is highly dependent on the availability of data. The incidence-based approach quantifies both the burden of disease occurring during the reference period and the burden accrued into the future. A prevalence-based approach ascribes burden to the age at which disability is lived.
YLDinc is calculated by multiplying the number of incident cases (I) at a certain age with health outcome (x) by the duration of the health outcome (t) and the disability weight (dw) assigned to health outcome x:
YLD incx = Σ I x × t x × dw x
YLDprev is calculated by multiplying the number of prevalent cases (P) in age group (x) at a point in the reference period with the disability weight (dw) assigned to health outcome x:YLDprev x = Px × dwx These basic formulas can be supplemented due to methodological choices (e.g., expanding with discount factor and age-weighting).
Data sources and search strategy
Searches of eligible studies were conducted in Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, and Web of Science. Searches for eligible grey literature were conducted in Google Scholar and SIGLE (System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe). All international peer-reviewed articles and grey literature published in English in the period January 1990 to 2011 were included in the searches. Search terms used for general burden of disease studies were: "burden of disease, "disability adjusted life year," "disability-adjusted life year," "DALY." Keywords were matched to database-specific indexing terms. In addition to database searches, reference lists of review studies and articles included in the review were screened for titles that included key terms.
Relevant papers were selected by screening the titles (first step), abstracts (second step), and entire articles (third step) retrieved through the database searches. During each step respectively, the title, abstract, or entire article was screened to ensure that it met the selection criteria listed above. This screening was conducted independently by two researchers (Suzanne Polinder and Juanita Haagsma). Disagreement about eligibility between the reviewers was solved through discussion.
Full articles were critically appraised by two reviewers (Suzanne Polinder and Juanita Haagsma), using data extraction forms, which included information on the study population, details regarding the methods used to calculate YLL and YLD, risk factor analysis, main conclusions, and evaluation of results. Their reports were compared and disagreements were resolved by discussion.
Figure 2 shows the flow diagram of the search of existing burden of disease studies and main reasons for exclusion. Eventually, 31 studies were included in the review. Table 1 shows the studies that have been included for the review. In Figure 3, the number of general burden of disease studies is shown per WHO region. Four studies were worldwide burden of disease studies[8–11].
Flow diagram of the search of existing burden of disease studies.
Table 1 Study characteristics of included studies
Number of general burden of disease studies, per WHO region.
What was the quality of the data and were there any data gaps?
The availability and quality of mortality and morbidity data strongly differs by country.
Most countries register the number of fatal cases as well as the age and cause of death in national vital registrations (see Table 1). Vital registration often had full coverage, which means that the data are representative for the population of these countries.
Where vital registration had less than 100% coverage it is important to know whether the data had been extrapolated to 100%. However, the majority of the studies did not report whether the death statistics used had 100% coverage. Only 10 studies reported that they corrected for underreporting of death statistics[8, 10–18], for instance with demographic projection models[14], or by using the average of several years of death statistics to minimize stochastic variation[10, 18].
Next to extrapolation in case of missing data, procedures such as reallocating of ill-defined deaths from so-called "garbage codes" may be necessary. Problems can arise from the routine use of specific codes in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) list where information is incomplete. This can occur when medical records are not fully considered or when medical practitioners concerned with the specific cases are not consulted during the process of completing the forms. Certain codes then become overused and bias the relative importance attached to particular cases of death. These codes are called "garbage codes." The majority of the studies (n=24; Table 2) reported corrections for ill-defined deaths, partly by reallocation from garbage codes. For instance, the Victorian Burden of Disease study[19] redistributed the cardiovascular garbage codes to ischemic heart disease, inflammatory heart disease, and hypertensive heart disease in proportions that varied by age. Notably, many studies did not report whether mortality data were corrected for missing data, underreporting, or misclassification.
Table 2 Methods used to calculate YLL and YLD in general burden of disease studies
Which methodological choices were made in order to calculate YLL and YLD
General burden of disease methods
An incidence- or prevalence-based method can be used to quantify the burden of disease. In practice, it is often difficult to rigidly apply the incidence or prevalence-based approach and sometimes compromises must be made. Most studies have followed an incidence-based approach (n=25, Table 2). For some of these countries, not all incidence-based data could be gathered, and partly the prevalence-based method was used.
The GBD developed a list of disease and injury causes based on the ICD. Including all causes avoids the problems of overinclusiveness of single-cause studies and incompatible mortality claims for different causes. Most studies used the GBD disease and injury causes, and sometimes some causes were removed due to little relevance and other causes were added to the list (Table 2). Three studies developed their own disease and injury groups[20–22]. The original GBD study applied age-weighting and discounting[23]. With age-weighting, the altering levels of dependency with age are taken into account, meaning that years lived at youngest and oldest age are given less weight. Discounting means that future life years are assigned less value than those lived today. This is based on the economic concept that immediate profits are generally preferred over benefits later in time[1]. Both age-weighting and discounting have been disputed, which is further described in the discussion section. This debate is also translated in the distinction in the use of both methodologies in the included studies. Almost all studies (n=26) assigned less value to future life years by using a discount factor. However, only half of the studies (n=17) performed age-weighting in their study. It was not always stated whether age-weighting and discounting were used[18, 24].
Methods to calculate YLL
Country-specific or model life tables with life expectancy data can be used to calculate YLLs. Most studies used the Coale and Demeny West Level 26 and 25 life tables, developed by GBD (n=23; Table 2). The West Level 26 and 25 life tables are global model life tables that have a standard life expectancy at birth: 80.0 years for males and 82.5 years for females[25]. Other studies used life tables from their country (n=8)[18, 21, 26–31].
Methods to calculate years lost due to disability (YLD)
A crucial aspect to calculating YLD is the disability weight; a value ranging from 1, indicating worst imaginable health state equal to death, through 0, indicating full health. Its value is based on the preferences stated by a panel of judges towards a set of hypothetical health states, expressing the relative undesirability of the health state[32, 33]. Several sets of disability weights exist, such as the GBD disability weights[1] and the Dutch Disability Weights (DDW)[34]. Most studies (n=27; Table 2) used the GBD disability weights. Sixteen of these studies combined the GBD weights with the DDW for disease and injury causes that were not in the GBD study.
Four studies[14, 29, 35, 36] derived YLD by applying the ratio of YLD to YLL from one study to derive the YLDs for their own study, which is common in burden of disease analyses for countries with limited data on disease occurrence[25]. For instance, the Western Australian Burden of Disease study[29] used this method to derive the YLDs for residual conditions not specifically analysed, but which were grouped to complete a broad disease grouping (e.g., other cardiovascular conditions).
Eight studies adjusted for comorbidity[12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 28, 30, 31]. The Australian burden of disease studies[13, 19, 28, 30] have developed methods to address the issue of comorbidity for the common coexisting nonfatal conditions (e.g., deafness, osteoarthritis, mental retardation, diabetes). With this method, the difference between a composite weight for two coexisting conditions and the weight for the more severe of the conditions is calculated and used, rather than the weight of the milder condition in its independent state. The disability weight for the more severe condition remains unchanged.
Which methods were used to handle uncertainty and risk factor analysis?
Uncertainty analysis
Each burden of disease study contains uncertainty as a result of possible imprecision in epidemiological data (e.g., deaths, incidence, prevalence, severity), in the parameter values used or due to methodological controversy. None of the studies quantify uncertainty in epidemiological data. Uncertainty in the parameter values is described by sensitivity analysis in 21 studies (Table 2). These studies test whether plausible changes in values of the main variables affect the results of the analysis[1]. Most studies showed how the results of their study varied when a discount rate changes, and some studies also examined the influence of the use of age-weighting, the effect of uncertainty in the disability weights, and/or uncertainty in the incidence data.
Risk factor analysis
A risk factor is an attribute or exposure that is causally associated with an increased probability of a disease or injury[1]. Regarding the causal attribution of the burden of disease, one can either attribute it to a single cause (categorical attribution) or to a group of causes (counterfactual attribution). The latter can be analyzed using counterfactual analysis. With counterfactual analysis, the current or future disease burden is compared with the burden of disease that would be expected under an alternative hypothetical scenario, the counterfactual scenario, to estimate the effects of disease(s) or risk factor(s)[37].
Twelve studies performed risk factor analyses[8–13, 15, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29]. Risk factors that were analyzed were related to the effect of lifestyle factors (such as tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, diet, unsafe sex, and intimate partner violence), physiological states (such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol) and also societal conditions (such as occupational exposures and air pollution) on the burden of disease.
Comparison of disability-adjusted life year outcomes for specific disease and injury groups
The total burden due to diseases and injuries varies enormously between the included studies. The highest burden of disease was found in Pakistan (45,600 DALYs per 100,000) and Zimbabwe (41,900 DALYs per 100,000). The lowest burden of disease was estimated in Queensland (10,700 DALYs per 100,000) and Singapore (10,400 DALYs per 100,000) (Table 3). The differences in total DALYs between countries can partly be explained by differences in exposure to risk factors. For example, almost half of the total burden of disease in Zimbabwe is due to HIV and diarrhea. These diseases are rare in developed countries. In most developed countries the highest burden is caused by cardiovascular diseases, followed by road traffic injuries and depression.
Table 3 DALY outcomes for specific disease and injury groups (per 100,000 persons)
Comparison with the GBD DALY outcomes by country revealed that DALY estimates were of similar magnitude in some studies (e.g., for Syria[38], USA[35], Singapore[39], and Turkey[15]). Other studies reported DALY estimates that were two times higher[27, 40] or two times lower[41] than the GBD study (Table 3).
Notably, four of the Australian burden of disease studies found comparable total DALY outcomes (between 13,220 and 13,700)[12, 13, 19, 28], where the GBD reported 9,894 as total DALYs for Australia.
We systematically reviewed 31 general burden of disease studies using the DALY approach and performed a quality assessment of the methodology used. We found that studies generally followed the GBD approach, but that large differences exist in methodology. Most studies used the incidence-based approach (80%), and almost all studies classified disease and injury groups as defined by the GBD. Half of the studies used age-weighting, whereas 80% of the studies used discounting.
As all systematic reviews, our study has some limitations. Reviewing the literature in the field of "burden of disease" studies was complicated by a wide variety of terminology for burden of disease. Consequently, some relevant publications may have been missed. To enhance the identification of relevant burden of disease studies we have used a variety of literature databases and keywords were matched to database-specific indexing terms. Furthermore, this review is limited to the English language. Therefore, relevant studies in other languages (e.g., Spanish[42, 43]) are excluded. In the databases that were reviewed, we found a limited number of studies that included all diseases and injuries. An explanation for this finding may be that the use of the DALY is controversial and accompanied by theoretical concerns[44]. Practical concerns, such as lack of resources and available data sources and/or expertise, may also be a reason for researchers' apprehension to perform multiple-cause burden of disease studies.
Quality of the data and were there any data gaps
The main issue in burden of disease studies is access to complete, consistent, and comparable epidemiological data. Summary measures of population health, such as the DALY, are only as good as the weakest link in the chain, which is the epidemiological evidence[45]. Most studies derived numbers of incident cases directly from disease registers, routine databases, or epidemiological studies. Furthermore, some studies used a combination of incidence and prevalence-based data because, for most conditions, only prevalence data were available. The calculation of mortality burden is straightforward, and the precision of the estimates of YLL depends almost entirely on the quality of data on underlying causes of death. Although great improvements in reporting, coding, and classification of mortality have been made, significant challenges remain. The infrastructure for mortality and health databases varies considerably around the world[1, 46]. Developed regions have electronic databases that provide summary statistics through World Wide Web-based queries. Other countries maintain tabulated mortality statistics that are not integrated into a utilizable database, and many developing countries have paper-based systems with rates based on projections and estimates rather than actual counts[46]. The data challenges that result from disparities in the level of health infrastructure yield rates that can be difficult to compare. Furthermore, differences in death certification systems, methods of data collection, and definitions of variables severely challenge international comparisons.
Methodological choices
The calculation of the morbidity component of the burden of disease, expressed in YLD, requires extensive epidemiological modelling and is often based on a diverse range of data sources, literature research, and/or expert opinion. The resulting YLD estimates depend highly on the specific model being applied and the type of data underlying this model.
Most studies used the GBD 1996 disability weights, in many cases supplemented by DDW. The GBD disability weights cover a wider range of conditions than covered by the DDWs, but are generally less specific in terms of the disease and sequelae categories to which they refer. The set of DDW covers a more restricted range of conditions compared to the GBD 1996 disability weights, but it differentiates more finely between condition stages and severities, thus allowing more detailed disease models in estimating the YLD than is possible with the GBD weights[47]. For example, DDWs are often used for HIV/AIDS and organ disorders. For the GBD 2010 Study, new disability weights are being derived[6].
In the original GBD study, discounting and age-weighting are applied. Both age-weighting and discounting have been disputed. The use of age-weighting is discussed, since lost years of healthy life are assumed to be of equal value regardless of the age at loss, the absence of empirical foundation and validation, and because the age weights do not convey actual social values as this practice is controversial[3, 48]. Discounting has been disputed because its application results in a lower efficiency of prevention programs, whereas not discounting, or the use of a low discount rate – lower than the discount rate used for the costs – favors preventive measures due to benefit in the far future[32]. This discussion is reflected in different choices to use discounting and age-weighting between studies.
To measure the gap between actual population health and an ideal, most studies used the global standard life expectancy (West Level 26 and 25 life tables) as used by the GBD study. These life tables contain the relevant expectancies for each age and sex grouping. However, they have the disadvantage that they are abridged period life tables, chiefly using five-year age groupings and an upper-age category of 85+[28]. The use of cohort life expectancies with more complete underlying population data and more complex methods, as done for two Australian studies[12, 28], resulted in more accurate and slightly different life expectancy measures. The use of the global standard life expectancy figures is recommended to enlarge the comparability with GBD study outcomes, but a sensitivity analysis using more detailed country-specific life expectancies is recommended.
Comparison of DALY outcomes
The sensitivity of DALYs, defined by the relative contributions of "true" and "error" variation, is assumed to be low. Potential sources of true variation include differences in the size and structure of populations, real differences in disease epidemiology between populations or over time, and differences in disability weights. Error variation may originate from the use of different methodologies (e.g., for discounting and age-weighting, disability weights) and from low-quality mortality and morbidity data. The detection of true variation is the focus of interest when estimating the burden of disease in DALYs. However, error may limit the power to detect true differences between populations[49]. Therefore, at the moment burden of disease studies are not comparable, nor are disease rankings as these are affected by methodological variation as well.
Conclusions and recommendations
Burden of disease analyses provide a unique perspective on health, one that integrates fatal and nonfatal outcomes, yet also allows the two classes of outcomes to be examined separately. Furthermore, burden of disease studies may provide a valuable insight into the scope for further health gains on the global or country level. This information will assist in taking up the future challenges posed by an aging population, by changes in disease and risk factor patterns, and by the increasing costs of health services[28]. Linking burden of disease analyses to cost effectiveness studies of interventions for major health problems will allow these interventions to be judged both in terms of cost effectiveness, and their relative impacts in reducing the burden of disease and ill health at the population level. Furthermore, burden of disease studies may shed light on crucial data gaps and facilitate priority setting in research.
However, large differences in used methodology exist between general burden of disease studies. Because of the methodological variation between studies it is difficult to assess whether differences in DALY estimates between the studies are due to actual differences in population health or whether these are the result of methodological choices. Overcoming this methodological rigor between burden of disease studies using the DALY approach is a critical priority for advancing burden of disease studies. Harmonization of the methodology used and high-quality data can enlarge the detection of true variation in DALY outcomes between populations or over time.
Furthermore, overcoming this limitation in methodological rigor is particularly important in view of the imminent launch of the GBD 2010 Study, which is expected to result in a new impulse for the performance of burden of disease studies. It is a challenge for the GBD to develop more detailed harmonization procedures and clear guidelines to increase methodological improvements and enhanced comparability of general burden of disease studies.
Murray CJL, Lopez AD: The global burden of disease: A comprehensive assessment of mortality and disability from diseases, injuries and risk factors in 1990 and projected to 2020. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 1996.
Worldbank: World Development Report 1993: Investing in Health. New York: Oxford University Press; 1993.
Anand S, Hanson K: Disability-adjusted life years: a critical review. J Health Econ 1997, 16: 685-702. 10.1016/S0167-6296(97)00005-2
Barendregt JJ, Bonneux L, Van der Maas PJ: DALYs: The age-weights on balance. Bull World Health Organ 1996, 74: 439-443.
Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2010 study. [http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/GBD_2005_study/en/index.html]
Salomon JA: New disability weights for the global burden of disease. Bull World Health Organ 2010, 88: 879. 10.2471/BLT.10.084301
Wielders CC, van Lier EA, Van't Klooster TM, van Gageldonk-Lafeber AB, van den Wijngaard CC, Haagsma JA, Donker GA, Meijer A, van der Hoek W, Lugnér AK, et al.: The burden of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) in the Netherlands. Eur J Public Health 2010. in press
The global burden of disease: 2004 update. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2008.
Lopez AD, Mathers CD, Ezzati M, Jamison DT, Murray CJ: Global and regional burden of disease and risk factors, 2001: systematic analysis of population health data. Lancet 2006, 367: 1747-1757. 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68770-9
Murray CJ, Lopez AD: Alternative projections of mortality and disability by cause 1990–2020: global burden of disease study. Lancet 1997, 349: 1498-1504. 10.1016/S0140-6736(96)07492-2
Global health risks: mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2009.
SE Department of Health (DoH): Population health in South Australia: burden of disease and injury estimates, 1999–2001. Adelaide: Department of Health; 2005.
Begg SJ, Vos T, Barker B, Stanley L, Lopez AD: Burden of disease and injury in Australia in the new millennium: measuring health loss from diseases, injuries and risk factors. Med J Aust 2008, 188: 36-40.
Bradshaw D, Groenewald P, Laubscher R, Nannan N, Nojilana B, Norman R, Pieterse D, Schneider M: Initial Burden of Disease Estimates for South Africa, 2000. Cape Town: South African Medical Research Council; 2003.
Ünüvar N, Mollahaliloglu S, Yardim N: Turkey Burden of Disease Study. Ankara: Ministry of Health; 2004.
Bundhamchareon K, Teerawattananon Y, Vos T, Begg S: Burden of disease and injuries in Thailand. Nonthaburi: Ministry of Public Health; 2002.
Yusoff AF, Mustafa AN, Kaur GK, Omar MA, Vos T, Rao VPC, Begg S: Malaysian Burden of Disease and Injury Study. In Forum 9. Mumbai, India; 2005:1-24.
Zhao Y, Guthridge S, Magnus A, Vos T: Burden of disease and injury in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations in the Northern Territory. Med J Aust 2004, 180: 498-502.
Victorian Burden of Disease Study: Mortality and morbidity in 2001. Melbourne: Victorian Government Department of Human Services; 2005.
Tobias M: The Burden of Disease and Injury in New Zealand. Wellington: Ministry of Health; 2001.
Melse JM, Essink-Bot ML, Kramers PG, Hoeymans N: A national burden of disease calculation: Dutch disability-adjusted life-years. Dutch burden of disease group. Am J Public Health 2000, 90: 1241-1247.
Bowie C, Beck S, Bevan G, Raftery J, Silverton F, Stevens A: Estimating the burden of disease in an English region. J Public Health Med 1997, 19: 87-92. 10.1093/oxfordjournals.pubmed.a024595
Murray CJ: Quantifying the burden of disease: the technical basis for disability-adjusted life years. Bull World Health Organ 1994, 72: 429-445.
Yoon SJ, Bae SC, Lee SI, Chang H, Jo HS, Sung JH, Park JH, Lee JY, Shin Y: Measuring the burden of disease in Korea. J Korean Med Sci 2007, 22: 518-523. 10.3346/jkms.2007.22.3.518
Mathers CD, Vos T, Lopez AD, Salomon JA, Ezzati M: National Burden of Diseases Studies: A Practical Guide. Edition 2.0. Geneva: WHO Global Program on Evidence for Health Policy; 2001.
Stevens G, Dias RH, Thomas KJ, Rivera JA, Carvalho N, Barquera S, Hill K, Ezzati M: Characterizing the epidemiological transition in Mexico: national and subnational burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. PLoS Med 2008, 5: e125. 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050125
Lai T, Habicht J, Kiivet RA: Measuring burden of disease in Estonia to support public health policy. Eur J Public Health 2009, 19: 541-547. 10.1093/eurpub/ckp038
Mathers CD, Vos ET, Stevenson CE, Begg SJ: The burden of disease and injury in Australia. Bull World Health Organ 2001, 79: 1076-1084.
Somerford P, Katzenellenbogen J: Western Australian Burden of Disease Study: Disability-. Adjusted Life Years: Technical overview. Perth: Department of Health; 2004.
Pike A, Baade P, Harper C, Muller S, Kennedy B: Quantifying the burden of disease and injury in Queensland 1996–1998. Brisbane, Australia: Queensland Government; 2002.
Naghavi M, Abolhassani F, Pourmalek F, Lakeh M, Jafari N, Vaseghi S, Mahdavi Hezaveh N, Kazemeini H: The burden of disease and injury in Iran 2003. Popul Health Metr 2009, 7: 9. 10.1186/1478-7954-7-9
Drummond M, O'Brien B, Stoddart GL, Torrance GW: Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes. Oxford: Oxford Medical Publications; 1997.
Murray CJ, Acharya AK: Understanding DALYs (disability-adjusted life years). J Health Econ 1997, 16: 703-730. 10.1016/S0167-6296(97)00004-0
Stouthard MEA, Essink-Bot ML, Bonsel GJ, DUTCH DISABILITY WEIGHTS (DDW) GROUP: Disability weights for diseases; a modified protocol and results for a Western European Region. Eur J Public Health 2000, 10: 24-30. 10.1093/eurpub/10.1.24
Michaud CM, McKenna MT, Begg S, Tomijima N, Majmudar M, Bulzacchelli MT, Ebrahim S, Ezzati M, Salomon JA, Kreiser JG, et al.: The burden of disease and injury in the United States 1996. Popul Health Metr 2006, 4: 11. 10.1186/1478-7954-4-11
Zhou SC, Cai L, Wang J, Cui SG, Chai Y, Liu B, Wan CH: Measuring the burden of disease using disability-adjusted life years in Shilin County of Yunnan Province, China. Environ Health Prev Med 2011, 16: 148-154. 10.1007/s12199-010-0176-8
Maldonado G, Greenland S: Estimating causal effects. Int J Epidemiol 2002, 31: 422-429. 10.1093/ije/31.2.422
Laaser U: The Burden of Diseases and Injury in Syria. Damascus: Ministry of Health; 2007.
Phua HP, Chua AV, Ma S, Heng D, Chew SK: Singapore's burden of disease and injury 2004. Singapore Med J 2009, 50: 468-478.
Hyder AA, Morrow RH: Applying burden of disease methods in developing countries: a case study from Pakistan. Am J Public Health 2000, 90: 1235-1240.
Chapman G, Hansen KS, Jelsma J, Ndhlovu C, Piotti B, Byskov J, Vos T: The burden of disease in Zimbabwe in 1997 as measured by disability-adjusted life years lost. Trop Med Int Health 2006, 11: 660-671. 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2006.01601.x
Gènova-Maleras R, Álvarez-Martín E, Catalá-López F, Fernández de Larrea-Baz N, M-G C: Burden of disease in the elderly population in Spain. Gac Sanit 2011, 25: 47-50. Spanish
Gómez Dantés HCM, Franco-Marina F, Bedregal P, Rodríguez García J, Espinoza A, Valdez Huarcaya W, América. LRRdIsCdEdOdSIp: Burden of disease in Latin America [Article in Spanish]. Salud Publica Mex 2011, 53: 72-77.
Gouda HN, Powles JW: Why my disease is important: metrics of disease occurrence used in the introductory sections of papers in three leading general medical journals in 1993 and 2003. Popul Health Metr 2011, 9: 14. 10.1186/1478-7954-9-14
Polinder S, Haagsma JA, Lyons RA, Gabbe BJ, Ameratunga S, Cryer C, Derrett S, Harrison JE, Segui-Gomez M, van Beeck EF: Measuring the population burden of fatal and nonfatal injury. Epidemiol Rev 2012, 34: 17-31. 10.1093/epirev/mxr022
Chandran A, Hyder AA, Peek-Asa C: The global burden of unintentional injuries and an agenda for progress. Epidemiol Rev 2010, 32: 110-120. 10.1093/epirev/mxq009
Essink-Bot ML, Bonsel GJ: How to derive disability weights. In Summary measures of population health: concepts, ethics, measurement and applications. Edited by: Murray CJM, Salomon JA. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2002.
Johanneson M, Johansson PO: Is the valuation of QALY's gained independent of age? some empirical evidence. J Health Econ 1997, 16: 589-599. 10.1016/S0167-6296(96)00516-4
Essink-Bot ML, Pereira J, Packer C, Schwarzinger M, Burstrom K: Cross-national comparability of burden of disease estimates: the European disability weights project. Bull World Health Organ 2002, 80: 644-652.
Dodhia H, Phillips K: Measuring burden of disease in two inner London boroughs using disability adjusted life years. J Public Health (Oxf) 2008, 30: 313-321. 10.1093/pubmed/fdn015
Centre for Health Care Development, West Pennine Health Authority and Living Media Ltd : West Pennine Burden of Disease Report 1998.
Jankovic S, Vlajinac H, Bjegovic V, Marinkovic J, Sipetic-Grujicic S, Markovic-Denic L, Kocev N, Santric-Milicevic M, Terzic-Supic Z, Maksimovic N, Laaser U: The burden of disease and injury in Serbia. Eur J Public Health 2007, 17: 80-85. 10.1093/eurpub/ckl072
Stouthard ME, Essink-Bot ML, Bonsel GJ: Disability weights for diseases. A modified protocol and results for a Western European region. Eur J Public Health 2000, 10: 24-30. 10.1093/eurpub/10.1.24
The work was supported by the World Health Organization. The work was carried out within the framework of Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG). All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Suzanne Polinder & Juanita A Haagsma
Division of Information, Evidence, Research and Innovation, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
Claudia Stein
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Arie H Havelaar
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Suzanne Polinder
Juanita A Haagsma
Correspondence to Suzanne Polinder.
Competing interest
SP and JH carried out the search, selected included papers, independently critically appraised the selected papers, and developed the evidence tables. SP wrote the initial draft of the paper. AH was reviewer for included critically appraised papers, and contributed to the writing of the paper. JH, CS, and AH contributed substantially to the interpretation of study findings and writing the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Polinder, S., Haagsma, J.A., Stein, C. et al. Systematic review of general burden of disease studies using disability-adjusted life years. Popul Health Metrics 10, 21 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-7954-10-21
Received: 02 April 2012
General burden of disease
Disability-adjusted life years


Due Diligence assessment and an environmental site assessment for contractual (pre-lease) purposes. Our report identified significant pre-existing site contamination to the benefit of the client.
Attended site to assist in removal of all contaminated soil from suspected former UST tank nest. Obtained validation samples to ensure all contamination is removed and also test soil stockpiles to classify them for offsite removal and disposal.


All posts tagged "asset protection tools"
Asset recycling is the process in which the government sells, leases or reuses public assets in order to liquidate previous taxes locked in older assets.
Protecting your family's finances is very important. Here are 15 helpful tips on how to secure your family's financial future.
When working so hard to grow your business, it is devastating to you personally as well as professionally when something happens to threaten everything you've built.


text:
Q: LogStash dissect with key=value, comma I have a pattern of logs that contain performance&statistical data. I have configured LogStash to dissect this data as csv format in order to save the values to ES.
<1>,www1,3,BISTATS,SCAN,330,712.6,2035,17.3,221.4,656.3
I am using the following LogSTash filter and getting the desired results..
grok {
  match => { "Message" => "\A<%{POSINT:priority}>,%{DATA:pan_host},%{DATA:pan_serial_number},%{DATA:pan_type},%{GREEDYDATA:message}\z" }
  overwrite => [ "Message" ]
}
csv {
  separator => ","
  columns => ["pan_scan","pf01","pf02","pf03","kk04","uy05","xd06"]
}

This is currently working well for me as long as the order of the columns doesn't get messed up.
However I want to make this logfile more meaningful and have each column-name in the original log. example-- <1>,www1,30000,BISTATS,SCAN,pf01=330,pf02=712.6,pf03=2035,kk04=17.3,uy05=221.4,xd06=656.3
This way I can keep inserting or appending key/values in the middle of the process without corrupting the data. (Using LogStash5.3)

A: By using @baudsp recommendations, I was able to formulate the following. I deleted the csv{} block completely and replace it with the kv{} block. The kv{} automatically created all the key values leaving me to only mutate{} the fields into floats and integers.
 json {
  source => "message"
  remove_field => [ "message", "headers" ]
 }
 date {
   match => [ "timestamp", "YYYY-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSS'Z'" ]
   target => "timestamp"
 }
 grok {
   match => { "Message" => "\A<%{POSINT:priority}>,%{DATA:pan_host},%{DATA:pan_serial_number},%{DATA:pan_type},%{GREEDYDATA:message}\z" }
   overwrite => [ "Message" ]
 }
 kv {
  allow_duplicate_values => false
  field_split_pattern => ","
 }

Using the above block, I was able to insert the K=V, pairs anywhere in the message. Thanks again for all the help. I have added a sample code block for anyone trying to accomplish this task.
Note: I am using NLog for logging, which produces JSON outputs. From the C# code, the format looks like this.
var logger = NLog.LogManager.GetCurrentClassLogger();
logger.ExtendedInfo("<1>,www1,30000,BISTATS,SCAN,pf01=330,pf02=712.6,pf03=2035,kk04=17.3,uy05=221.4,xd06=656.3");

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tag Archives: Sidney Lumet
(1974) Mystery (Paramount) Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Martin Balsam, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Rachel Roberts, Richard Widmark, Michael York, Colin Blakely, George Coulouris, Denis Quilley, Vernon Dobtcheff, Jeremy Lloyd, John Moffatt. Directed by Sidney Lumet
One of the more delightful movie subgenres is the whodunit, which the more sophisticated tend to call "drawing room mysteries." They became popular during the 1930s in the midst of the depression thanks in large part to authors like Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy Sayers and Ellery Queen. These murder mysteries usually have a long list of suspects, take place in a swanky environment like an English estate or a seacoast resort.
Few, if any, reached the heights of Murder on the Orient Express, the work that would eventually become Christie's best-known work and arguably the greatest mystery novel ever written. When master director Sidney Lumet took on this daunting work, it was with the understanding that star power was going to sell it, and he would assemble what could well be the best cast ever put together for a single movie.
And what a movie! Internationally famous detective Hercule Poirot (Finney) has solved a crime in India and is in Istanbul, preparing to return home to Belgium on the Orient Express, then the most luxurious mode of overland travel in the world. Because the train is booked solid, director of the line Signor Bianchi (Balsam), a personal friend of Poirot, gets the famed sleuth a berth on the Calais Coach.
At dinner, Poirot is approached by Ratchett (Widmark), a wealthy American businessman who believes that his life is in danger and who attempts to engage Poirot's services as a bodyguard but Poirot refuses, uninterested in the case. Later that night, Ratchett is murdered, stabbed to death in his bed.
Bianchi pleads with Poirot to solve the crime, hoping to avoid a scandal. Poirot agrees and begins interrogating the passengers on the Calais coach who are the main suspects; Pierre-Paul Michel (Cassel), the conductor; Mrs. Harriet Hubbard (Bacall), a loud brash American housewife; Beddoes (Gielgud), Ratchett's butler; Greta Ohlsson (Bergman), a Swedish missionary; Count Rudolf Andrenyi (York), a Hungarian aristocrat and diplomat; Elena Grunwald Andrenyi (Bisset), his new bride; Colonel Arbuthnot (Connery), a British Officer in the British Indian army returning to England on leave; Mary Debenham (Redgrave), a British teacher also returning home to England; Princess Natalia Dragomiroff (Hiller), an elderly Russian royal; Hildegarde Schmidt (Roberts), the Princess' personal maid; Hector McQueen (Perkins), Ratchett's personal secretary; Gino Foscarelli (Quilley), a car salesman of Italian extraction from Chicago, and finally Cyrus Hardman (Blakely), a Pinkerton detective.
To Poirot's surprise, he discovers that most of the people on the Calais coach aren't who they appear to be, with the victim himself involved with a particularly heinous crime – the kidnapping and murder of baby Daisy Armstrong, a notorious case (based on the real Lindbergh baby kidnapping) that had ended with the baby murdered leading to her mother giving premature birth to a stillborn child and dying in the process, the father killing himself out of grief, a wrongly accused maid leaping to her death from a window and the maid's mother dying of grief. Not only that, all of the passengers on the Calais coach had a personal connection with the Armstrong family. This will prove to be the most challenging case of Poirot's career, not just in terms of solving the mystery but whether or not justice would be served by solving it.
The movie would be nominated for six Academy Awards and won one, for Bergman's performance in a supporting role. In 1974 it was very much an anachronism, given the bleak anti-hero types of movies that were prevalent at the time. Murder on the Orient Express was very much a throwback to an earlier era in moviemaking and maybe that's why it resonates so much with audiences then and now. It has a timeless quality that makes it enjoyable to all audiences since it was made, and will likely to delight audiences far into the future.
There's the cast of course, with some of Hollywood's elite in the credits. I think it's safe to say that there isn't a weak performance in the bunch and Finney, who endured hours of make-up to make him resemble the fastidious middle-aged Belgian (Finney was 37 when this was filmed) more than he did in real life (Christie herself seemed to have been fine with his portrayal but was disappointed over his moustache). While David Suchet has made quite the career for himself as Poirot on TV, I still prefer the more flamboyant version Finney gave us.
The movie is just pure fun. It nicely recreates the decadence of the era as well as giving us moments of the screaming meemies at times. While the book is much darker than the movie is, the movie remains one of my favorites, a fun ride that I still enjoy even though I've seen it dozens of times.
WHY RENT THIS: True movie magic. A cast the likes of which we will never see again. Perhaps Christie's best mystery. Beautiful period setting.
WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: May be too light and fluffy for true mystery aficionados.
FAMILY VALUES: A scene of violence.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: This was the only film adaptation of her work that Agatha Christie was ever truly satisfied with. She attended the premiere in 1974 and would die 14 months later in 1976.
NOTABLE HOME VIDEO EXTRAS: The DVD contained a biography of Christie hosted by her son. Sadly, the movie has never gotten the home video treatment that a film this beloved should have.
BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE: $28.2M on a $2.3M production budget.
SITES TO SEE: Netflix (DVD rental), Amazon (not available), Vudu (not available), iTunes (not available), Flixster (not available), Target Ticket (not available)
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Death on the Nile
NEXT: Chappie
Posted in DVD Review	| Tagged 1930s, 1975 Oscar winning film, Agatha Christie, Albert Finney, Anthony Perkins, cinema, Denis Quilley, DVD Reviews, Films, Hercule Poirot, Ingrid Bergman, Istanbul, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, John Gielgud, Lauren Bacall, Lindbergh kidnapping, Martin Balsam, master detective, Michael York, movies, Murder on the Orient Express, mystery, Orient Express, Our Film Library, Our Film Library 2015, Paramount, Rachel Roberts, Richard Widmark, Sean Connery, Sidney Lumet, Vanessa Redgrave, Wendy Hiller, whodunit	| Leave a reply

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Push to a Mercurial repository (bitbucket) produces "Request Entity Too Large"? What does it mean when you try to push to a Mercurial repository on Bitbucket and it produces the response:
abort: HTTP Error 413: Request Entity Too Large

A: Consider asking this the bitbucket team. In the meanwhile you could try using ssh access instead of http.

A: Looks like BitBucket has a size limit on HTTP uploads and you are exceeding them. It is probably a large file that you are uploading that is breaking things. Try excluding that one file and see what happens.
http://www.checkupdown.com/status/E413.html
http://forums.asp.net/p/1191089/2046229.aspx#2046229

A: It means that you've reached an upload limit set by Bitbucket or another thing as @TheSteve0 has pointed out.
If you are running behind nginx remember that the default upload size is 1MB. To increase it add the following to the "http" section of nginx.conf;
http {
    ...
    client_max_body_size 10M;

Then restart nginx


text:
The New Golden Age
The Coming Revolution against Political Corruption and Economic Chaos
In The New Golden Age, bestselling author and economist Ravi Batra identifies the roadblocks to economic prosperity--and what we need to do to overcome them. Bringing the same insight and expertise that made books like The Downfall of Capitalism and Communism international bestsellers, Batra takes on falling minimum wages, corporate scandals, rocketing oil prices, and many of the other crises facing the world economy. He also offers an expansive, optimistic vision of how the international community can address them and bring about something historically unprecedented: true global economic prosperity.
Author Web Site
Praise for The New Golden Age
"The analysis is keen and provocative, and the conclusions unorthodox as ever." —Publishers Weekly
"Dr. Batra vividly portrays the way in which public disgust for corruption, both corporate and federal, is becoming a serious force for political change." —Dr. W. Curtiss Priest, Director, Center for Information, Technology, & Society, MIT
"The most thoroughgoing assault on the Maestro's legacy so far." —Cecil Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Greenspan's Fraud
"As always, his economic arguments are expressed elegantly." —Publishers Weekly on Greenspan's Fraud
"In this chilling exposé of one of the most powerful men of our time, Ravi Batra reveals Greenspan for who he secretly is: An ideologue who has waged war on the American Dream and imperiled the world economy." —David Callahan, author of The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead on Greenspan's Fraud
"When it comes to the bottom line so beloved of economists, one can learn a lot about events by thinking about them in cyclical regularities, of which Batra gives a novel and brilliant exposition." —Lester C. Thurow on Ravi Batra
"Ravi Batra has made an outstanding reputation in the United States as an international economic theorist in the best Western tradition." —Leonard Silk, New York Times on Ravi Batra
- … More…
Ravi Batra is the author of Greenspan's Fraud as well as the international bestsellers as The Downfall of Capitalism and Communism, The Great Depression of 1990, and The Myth of Free Trade. He is professor of economics at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Batra has been profiled in such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, and Newsweek, among others, and has appeared on CBS, NBC, CNN, ABC, CNBC, and other networks.
Tweetsby @stmartinspress


Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria's ruling party. A Pan Africanist par excellence, Tinubu is one leader whose fidelity to the Nigeria project is legendary and investment in the people's future is unimpeachable. These extraordinary features manifested again at the 11th Bola Tinubu Colloquium, organized as part of activities marking his 67th birthday.
For a fact, Tinubu belongs to the generation of Nigerian political class, fortunate enough to have seen the two sides of the rung. Luckily, he was born on a day Harry Truman publicly declared that he would not seek re-election as America's president; and that was five weeks after Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen of England. Asiwaju came into this world at a time almost everything about Nigeria was bright and beautiful. Very regrettably, Nigeria is now a predictable and tragic tale of decline and decay. In 1952, Nigeria's population stood at 30,403,305. Now, it is 200,962,417. But, rather than the country to turn around the positive attributes of a virile and boisterous population and contribute to its economic growth and development, it has become an intriguing albatross; depicting an enveloping ecology of sadness, poverty and disease, for multitudes of people going hungry amidst surplus and plenty!
Agreed! The Buhari-led administration has "gone far … in laying a good foundation for Nigeria's economic recovery." At least, her ego should be fueled by being Africa's 2nd happiest country, in addition to some recently-earned accolades in one or two areas of our national life. However, Nigeria's reputation still suffers from a deep disconnect and high level of inequality, insecurity, bankruptcy of ideas, and intellectual laziness. Tragically, over-91million Nigerians now "live on less than 1 dollar a day; with at least, six people falling into poverty every minute." As we speak, Nigeria is 3rd in global internet crimes, 110th in the Best Countries for Business chart and least in 'surviving on minimum wage' report. Unless urgent steps are taken to rejig the critical sectors of the domestic national economy, more than 120 million Nigerians are projected to be living in abject poverty by 2030.
Beyond the 'festival of noisemaking' and immature celebrations by some fantastically notorious politicians, democracy loses its vitality when it is corrupted by pretences or crass elitism. While government and governance in a democracy are the products of the people's consent, there is an eerie feeling of de javu that democracy also has its inherent discrepancies. For instance, how long did it take Chairman Mao Zedong and Den Xiaoping of China to midwife the reforms that have now gone as far as rescuing more than 800 million Chinese from poverty? How did Lee Kuan Yew transform Singapore from "a British crown colony with a natural deep habour to a developed economy" and how did Jerry Rawling's leadership shortfalls contribute to Ghana's democratic ideals? How did Rwanda rise above the politicization of her ethnicity and ethnicization of her politics to become one of Africa's economic success, despite its few natural resources and initial hostility from the international community? Was it also for nothing that the Soviet Union collapsed? I am not a fan of Donald Trump but, in a sense, the man has surpassed the economic growth index expectations of most Americans within the lean space of time he has assumed the leadership of his country as president of America.
With a particular reference to Nigeria, why has political entrepreneurship become the determinant of victory and why are our values now being traded for valuables by those in positions of privilege? How come "the other party", derided as corruption-laden not too long ago, is now Nigeria's most-appealing political party? In Osun, how did September 22, 2018 confer on us the celebration of a rerun as if it was an outright victory? And, if we may ask: why has Tinubu remained relevant in Nigeria's socio-political space, years after leaving office as Governor of Lagos State?
In my view, Tinubu is canvassing a 'Next Level' that is tailored towards the needs of the people! What we need as Nigerians is an administrative system that looks for the less-disadvantaged in the society and moves in quickly to help them, not a political-sloganeering or, an overused cliché that fails to respect the sovereign will of the people. Asiwaju is advocating a system that puts premium on the essence of living, economic emancipation of the people on the one hand, and their inclusive political participation on the other, especially, now that voter inducement, suspicious community empowerment programmes, cash handouts and vote-trading are fast accessing their expiry dates. Interestingly, Abiola Ajimobi, Rochas Okorocha and Bukola Saraki have become latest examples of how the people can revolt, and vote opposingly, once they realize that they have been corned and let down by unpredictable politicians!


Would it be possible to enable PeerBlock to capture and block the IP's of a computer or device that is getting it's internet from the computer running PeerBlock Through ICS?
Back when I used PeerGuardian 2 or PeerBlock on WindowsXP it would capture the ip's of devices getting internet from my PC. (When using Internet Connection Sharing) However, with the coming of Windows Vista / 7 this somehow didn't work any more.
So can you re-enable this feature to work with Windows 7?
I would be appreciatave and I know a few other guys that would be as well. If you have any questions please let me know.
eg. If it's even possible or not?
I would be very thankful if someone could shed some light on the issue.


text:
Maclay boys soccer falls 4-0 vs. Shorecrest Prep in 2A championship
Rory Sharrock
Tallahassee Democrat
No. 1 seed Maclay boys soccer's run at perfection and a 2A state championship came to an end Thursday following a 4-0 lost to fellow top-seed Shorecrest Prep at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
"Disappointment from a team perspective. We pride ourselves on defense. In a matter of five minutes, we made two defensive errors," Maclay head coach Andy Warner said.
"Credit to our opponent for capitalizing. The blue card on Mateus Bitencourt put our backs against the wall. Shorecrest played its game plan perfectly. I told my team i'm proud of them. Not many people go to three finals in four years."
The Chargers led 2-0 at the break. They scored two goals in the second half to seal their first state crown in school history.
Maclay was seeking to win its second title in four years.
It entered the contest averaging 4.9 goals per game. The Marauders also recorded five shutouts in the playoffs. This includes a 4-0 win against Pine to advance to the title game.
This loss drops Maclay's record to 22-1. Shorecrest Prep finishes the season at 18-3-2.
Follow sportswriter Rory Sharrock on Twitter @married2game1.
Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat.


Val V. of Renton, WA had suffered with stress and anxiety "forever," as she put it. One of its side effects, bruxism, also known as teeth grinding.
Val came in to work on 10+ years of "constant and severe" teeth grinding! Daytime and night time! She was at risk of losing several teeth. She also wanted more calm and happy in general in her responses and in her life.
"Hi Connie, it was a pleasure to work with you! Happy to report that after one session, I had a 90% reduction in grinding my teeth! Now after 3 sessions, I am not grinding my teeth, and I am very happy with the results of our work together! You are very good!
I had been grinding my teeth for over 10 years. In addition, you also worked with me on being calm and happy. I feel more of that, also, after one session!
We incorporate that take-home-tool into almost every batch of client work. A way for the client to feel good on demand, knowing that good feelings lead to good decisions, whether it be quit smoking, healthy eating, stress management, or what have you.
I'm happy with Val's success. Are you ready for yours?
This entry was posted in Hypnosis, NLP, Seattle Hypnosis and tagged bruxism, help for teeth grinding, Hypnosis, NLP, stress release hypnotherapy, teeth grinding by Connie. Bookmark the permalink.


Visit http:// to show your appreciation!
sells little drill adapters to replace the handle.  I use mine with a 1/2"
to keep dust down) and you can then easily move it to your mash tun.
"A Happy Phil Mill I Customer Since 1997"
Williams Brewing. Works like a charm for about $5.
>to clean out a CFWC!!
chilling, before you start to drain the kettle.
Wirlpool, cover, and let the wort sit for at least 1 hour..
Don't use Irish Moss!!  It gunks up's the trub too much.. you don't need it.
>kegs. I wondered how does Coke clean the kegs.
recommend using an acidic peroxide blend, like Oxyclean for a CIP cleaner.
Email me for a price on my own line of CIP cleaner for homebrewers.
>Still waiting to find out just how does Pepsi clean their kegs.
by either live steam, or hot (180'F) water.
>I hear people talking about marking and keeping the lid with each keg.
>that the lids should be able to migrate at will to any compatible keg.
>Would anyone in their right mind design anything differently?
found in my beer) so I don't accidentally mix them up.
leakage problems with the lid ring.
> >outside... its a rental house).
like playing Russian Roulette with your wort.
>little bit more activity than before.
Subject: re: Where to cut kegs for kettles?
>consensus on what size >opening to cut?
>Should we find lids first and cut after measuring for lids?
Why bother?  Simply take the 12" section that you cut out, and wrap a 37.7"
now have a lid for the cost of about 3 feet of tubing.
Not a problem, Mike, good luck, and God Bless!
>it sees fit after the whirlpool?
wort, that when pulled through the hopback, looks very clean.
>Therein lies my problem - I almost exclusively use pellets.
on board ships) braided SS hose.
>risk of blockages with >braided hose - some do, some don't.
flowers, and not pellets, and the odd plug or two upon occasion.
>to a worst case >scenario of having to clean out a CFWC!!
I have read about re-culturing yeast from bottled commercial beers.
that I have brewed and bottled?
since I am not able to brew very often.
>lowest level in recorded history..."
think of the rest of us.
>I'm looking forward to turning Jeff Renner's CACA into CAP.  Sounds biblical.
It's even better as a lager!  I've got one on now that is top notch.
apparent attenuation, and is hopped to mid to upper 30's IBUs.
raised it to ~40F for dispensing.
Not necessarily a recommended procedure, but it seems to have worked.
ferment out at lagering temperature - close to freezing.
>enclosed air.  Is this OK?  What's an acceptable temp swing?
with those settings, the beer will not vary much at all.
>What about when I ease it down to lagering temps?
sloppy in this and things turn out fine.
you will certainly get good results with your suggested range.
you. Or something like that.


Do you have a website or blog and would like to earn money? Does your site focus on crafting, fashion, or do it yourself projects? Then you may want to join the Cricut Affiliate Program. Cricut appeals to everyone from scrapbookers to members of the maker movement. Our users are super-creative and ready to DIY everything from cards to home décor to fashion. Sound like a good match for your own audience? Keep reading.
Cricut offers Cricut® machines, 50,000+ images to cut, and project supplies ranging from cardstock to iron-on film—plus inspiration, ideas, and a creative community! Cricut® makes the new Cricut Explore™ design-and-cut system! The Cricut Explore™ system blends an electronic cutting machine with Cricut Design Space™, the free online design software, to help you make polished DIY projects. Create by using the hundreds of ready-to-make projects, the 50,000+ images from the Cricut® library or by uploading your own images. The Cricut Explore™ machine lets anyone create amazing DIY projects. With world-leading technology, we make it easy for novices and professionals alike to make something they can feel proud of.
- $10 affiliate referrals: Invite your website-owning and blogging friends to join Cricut's affiliate program and earn $10 for each friend who's approved.
- Award-winning Affiliate management team from Acceleration Partners, dedicated to your success.


text:
using Elasticsearch.Net;
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;

namespace Nest
{
	public interface IPingResponse : IResponse
	{
	}

	[JsonObject]
	public class PingResponse : BaseResponse, IPingResponse
	{
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
My Legion
THE AMERICAN LEGION
DEPARTMENT OF MISSISSIPPI
Legion'Aire Spring Newspaper
Department Resolution on Meetings, Elections, etc.
2022 State Convention Date
American Legion Future Meetings, Dates, Time & Places
Department Membership Report 25 February 2021
Membership Report, 16 October 2020
Membership Report, 1 Dec 2020
National Commander Visit to Mississippi
The American Legion National Headquarter Offices:
Headquarters, American Legion, Department of Mississippi
Credentials Committee
MS Districts Map
Our Preamble
VA INFORMATION
New Laws affecting Mississippi Veterans
MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY
STATE VETERANS OUTREACH SERVICE OFFICERS
American Legion National Convention Sites.
STATE VETERANS NURSING HOMES
STATE VETERANS MEMORIAL CEMETERIES
National Cemeteries located in MIssissippi
VA Hospital Representatives American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary
American Legion Family Polo Shirt Order Form 2022
National Membership Target Dates
State Veteran Service Officers.
State Veterans Claims Division
Nation ALA Executive Director
List of Veterans Affairs medical facilities in Mississippi with background of the location
PROFESSIONAL LICENSE RECIPROCITY FOR MILITARY AND SPOUSES
Girls State 2020
Central Area Spring Training Meeting
Sons of the American Legion
Educator of the Year Award
HIGH SCHOOL ORATORICAL CONTEST
Education and Scholarships Committee
American Legion College
Boys State
Department Convention
Veteran Affairs and Rehabilitation
Legion Riders
Washington DC Conference
The American Legion Websites
Military Exchange online
American Legion Blood Donor Program
Get DD-214 Form & Records Information
National Emergency Fund
National Guard and Reserves
Veteran and Family Services & Links
VA Launches Cemetery Database
County Veteran Service Officers
Women in Military Service for America
Veteran Service Officers
Troop & Family Support
Operation Comfort Warrior
Honor Veterans
Veteran Crisis Line
Family Support Network
A recently published, educational guide about mesothelioma
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
2019 Veterans Day Restaurant Discounts
IRS PUB 3386 TAX GUIDE FOR VETERANS' ORGANIZATIONS
Adjutant Calls
Membership 50% Target Date
Online Subscription Sign-Up
Adjutant's Notes
Commander's Communique
Find a Squadron
Mylegion.Org
Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
Assistant Administrator for Department Website
LEGION'AIRE newspaper Summer Edition 2021
Legion'Aire Summer Newspaper
Legion'Aire Fall Newspaper
Legion"Aire Spring Newspaper
Brenda Smith Post 42
Post Veteran Events Newsletter
Post 61 Sumrall Tornado Pictures
Post 67, Canton, Mississippi
Legion TV
Post 6 Helps Those in Need
FIND IT QUICK
Legion Post
Service Officer
VA housed more than 40,000 homeless veterans in 2022
During 2022, the Department of Veterans Affairs permanently housed 40,401 homeless veterans, providing them with the safe, stable homes that they deserve. This exceeded the department's goal to house 38,000 veterans in 2022 by 6.3%.
Nationally, the total number of veterans experiencing homelessness has decreased by 11% since January 2020. In total, the estimated number of veterans experiencing homelessness in America has declined by 55.3% since 2010.
This success is a result of VA efforts to reach out to every veteran experiencing homelessness, understand their unique needs, and address them. These efforts are grounded in the evidence-based "Housing First" approach, which prioritizes getting a veteran into housing, then provides the veteran with the wraparound support they need to stay housed — including health care, job training, legal and education assistance and more.
"There are thousands of formerly homeless veterans who are going to sleep tonight in good, safe, stable homes – and there's nothing more important than that," said VA Secretary Denis McDonough via a press release. "This is great progress, but it's just the beginning: we at VA will not rest until the phrase 'homeless veteran' is a thing of the past."
Ending veteran homelessness is a top priority of VA and the Biden-Harris Administration. Earlier this year, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness released All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, which set forth President Biden's ambitious goal to reduce all homelessness by 25% by 2025. As a part of that effort, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which closely partners with VA in the fight to end homelessness, announced today that through HUD and USICH's House America initiative, communities have housed over 100,000 households since September 2021.
Throughout 2022, VA staff helped veterans find permanent housing such as apartments or houses that veterans could rent or own, often with a subsidy to help make the housing affordable. VA staff also helped some veterans end their homelessness by reuniting them with family and friends.
VA also continues to focus on combating veteran homelessness in the Greater Los Angeles area. During 2022, VA provided 1,301 permanent housing placements to formerly homeless veterans in LA, the most of any city in America.
If you are a veteran or know a veteran who is experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838). Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for veterans exiting homelessness.
Hazing and bullying take mental toll on deployed soldiers, study finds
Combat-deployed soldiers who were bullied or hazed were more likely to have thoughts of suicide or suffer from other mental health conditions, according to a new study.
The survey of more than 1,400 soldiers, published Tuesday in JAMA Psychiatry, found that one in eight soldiers reported being bullied or hazed during their deployments.
Study authors said that despite previous studies on civilian workplaces that showed an association between bullying and harassment and mental disorders, few studies had examined the same among military personnel. Moreover, bullying and hazing, unlike other stressful combat experiences, can be minimized by commanders and noncommissioned officers.
"Unit cohesion appears to mitigate the effects of deployment stressors; however, this buffer may be compromised for soldiers who are targets of malicious behavior perpetrated by fellow unit members," the study said.
The report analyzed data from previous Army studies to assess risk and resilience in service members. It also included a computerized survey administered at three Army bases and a web/telephone survey to assess the effects of bullying and hazing, while controlling for factors such as preexisting mental health conditions. There were 1463 participants, 90% of them male.
They were asked in a survey if they had been bullied or hazed during deployment in a combat theater, while other factors, including "high combat exposure" and lifetime exposure to sexual assault, life-threatening injuries, and death of a loved one, were also tallied.
"Respondents who reported bullying or hazing during deployment were younger, disproportionately female, more likely to have reported previous PTSD and suicidal ideation ... and more likely to have reported several other deployment and non-deployment stressors," the study found.
After researchers adjusted for socioeconomic, clinical and other risk factors, "reports of bullying or hazing during deployment remained significantly associated" with later depression, aggressive outbursts, thoughts of suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, the study said.
"Although causality cannot be assumed, these results raise the possibility that U.S. Army policies and programs that aim to eradicate bullying and hazing may help reduce mental disorders and suicidality among soldiers," the study said.
U.S. pulls trigger on sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine
The United States will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine to help troops in the embattled country beat back invading Russian forces, the White House announced Wednesday.
The move follows more than a week of international pressure on President Joe Biden's administration from allies and speculation about sending battle tanks to Ukraine.
"It's very much a continuation of our efforts to provide Ukraine with the capability that they need to continue to better defend themselves," a senior administration official told reporters.
U.S. officials did not specify which variant of the Abrams — the M1A1 or the M1A2 — would be sent to Ukraine, but they said the tanks will be procured through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative rather than the presidential drawdown authority. Providing weapons and equipment through funding from the initiative is a longer process, and the tanks will be procured from the defense industry and not taken from Defense Department stocks. The officials said it would be several months before Ukraine receives the tanks. The officials also said training Ukrainian troops on the Abrams is part of the deal, and it will take place at an undisclosed location somewhere outside Ukraine.
Along with the announcement of Abrams tanks, the U.S. will send Ukraine eight tactical recovery vehicles, support vehicles, and equipment and funding for "training, maintenance and sustainment," the Pentagon said.
"It will enhance Ukraine's capacity to defend its territory and achieve strategic objectives," Biden said in his announcement at the White House. "The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world."
"This is about freedom — freedom for Ukraine, freedom everywhere," he added. "It's about the kind of world we want to live in, the world we want to leave to our children."
Biden and the Pentagon have been asked repeatedly in recent days about Ukraine's requests for tanks such as the M1 Abrams and the German-made Leopard 2. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his armed forces need the stronger, more maneuverable tanks to fight off Russian forces across the country.
Earlier Wednesday, German officials agreed to send dozens of its Leopard tanks to Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told members of parliament in Berlin that it took some time to confirm that sending the tanks now is the right move. He also indicated it was important to send them "in close cooperation" with the United States sending the Abrams tanks.
It was reported last week that German officials said they wouldn't send the Leopards unless the U.S. agreed to send the Abrams. The Pentagon has said there's no "linkage" between the two contributions, but U.S. officials stressed Wednesday that a great deal of strategy concerning the evolving war is done in concert with allies.
"Keeping unity inside the alliance with our partners has also been really important," said a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "So, coupled with the near-term commitment the Germans have made on Leopards, we think that the contribution by us with the Abrams represents the long-term commitment."
Pentagon officials had argued in recent weeks that the Abrams was not suitable for Ukrainian battlefields for multiple reasons. Chief among them, they said, is the complexity of operating and maintaining the tanks. But senior administration officials said Wednesday that the conditions of the war in Ukraine are constantly changing.
"Given what we expect will be the kind of fighting that will occur in weeks and months ahead … this is very much in keeping with a constant conversation that we have had with allies and partners as well as, of course, Ukraine," one of the officials said. "We have said all along that the capabilities we are going to provide are going to evolve with the needs of the war, and I think that's what you're seeing here."
The Abrams first entered service in 1980. The first model, the M1, was produced in the late 1970s and the second edition, the M1A1, began production in 1985. The most recent variant, the M1A2, has been in service since 1992 and is the version that has the most sophisticated features.
The M1A2, for example, is equipped with an independent thermal sight and can fire at two different targets virtually at the same time, without having to lock on sequentially. It also has an automatic firefighting system in the crew compartment and can actively deflect computerized in-bound missiles. Some of the later variants have a Tank Urban Survival Kit, which is a series of refinements that allow the tank to perform better in urban warfighting environments.
Pentagon officials have said another aspect of the M1 Abrams that affected the debate to send the tank to Ukraine is its need for maintenance and spare parts in the battlefield, at a time when the world continues to deal with supply chain challenges, due partly to Russia's war.
"It is the most capable tank in the world, but it's also the most sophisticated," a senior administration official said of the M1 Abrams. "And there are supply chain issues that have to be dealt with, certainly. Training and maintenance issues that have to be dealt with. And that's why we're doing it through USAI, so we can take the time — not too much — but take enough time to make sure that when they get into the field the Ukrainians use them and maintain them and keep them in the fight offensively on their own."
The Abrams carries a crew of four people is shielded with composite armor, and its main armaments are 105 mm or 120 mm shells, along with a .50 caliber machine gun. Its maximum speed is between 42 and 45 mph on roads and 25 to 30 mph off roads. The Army is the only U.S. operator of the M1 Abrams, though the Marine Corps also used the tank at one time.
The senior administration officials declined to reveal too much about the specifications of the Abrams tanks that the U.S. will procure and send to Ukraine, such as whether they will use depleted uranium shells or be protected with depleted uranium armor. Depleted uranium shells can penetrate heavy armor and depleted uranium armor offers maximum protection for the tanks.
The Abrams tank also is powered by a multi-fuel engine that most often runs on jet fuel.
The agreements by the U.S. and Germany to send the heavy-duty battle tanks come after other countries recently stepped up their weapons and equipment contributions. Britain already has agreed to send some of its Challenger tanks to Ukraine, and France has committed some of its lighter tanks. Zelenskyy has said heavy-duty tanks would be instrumental in driving back Russian forces across the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine where Moscow has been seeking to expand its footprint for nearly a year.
Development for the M1 Abrams, which is named after Gen. Creighton Abrams, former Army chief of staff and the top commander during the latter part of the Vietnam War — began in the 1970s when the Army began looking for a replacement for the aging M60 Patton tank. The M1A1 was used in Kuwait and Iraq during the first Gulf War in the 1990s, and the M1A2 was used in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s. For a time in the 2010s, there were reports that the Army was looking to develop an M1A3, but there has been no Pentagon confirmation on that possible variant and no further reports on development.
Officially, the Army is exploring a replacement for the Abrams with the Next Generation Combat Vehicle — a program that is also eyeing replacements for the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle and M113 armored personnel carrier, both of which also have been pledged by the U.S. to Ukraine.
The Biden administration's pledge to send Abrams tanks signals the latest round of military equipment the U.S. is sending to Ukraine. The Pentagon announced a $2.5 billion military aid package last week that includes other heavy-duty vehicles such as Bradleys and Stryker armored personnel carriers.
Since the Russian war began last February, the U.S. have contributed total weapons and equipment nearing $30 billion. Congress has also approved supplemental foreign funding to help Ukrainian forces defend its country.
Legion lays out priorities for a new Congress
As Legionnaires prepare for Washington Conference Feb. 26 – March 1, the nation's largest organization of veterans has assembled its legislative priorities for 2023.
- Destigmatizing mental health services, and improving access to those services, to advance the Legion's "Be the One" initiative to reduce and prevent veteran suicide
- Ensuring that VA is effectively resourced to deliver "the best care anywhere" for veterans in a hybrid system that includes tele-health and community services, as well as traditional treatment
- Leveling the playing field for National Guard and Reserve veterans whose GI Bill eligibility is now restricted
- Easing the transition for Afghan allies of the U.S. Armed Forces who have come to the United States, and helping those who were left behind
- Protecting U.S. Coast Guard personnel from losing pay in the event of government shutdowns
- Changing U.S. Flag Code to permit common patriotic practices at major events and amending the Constitution to return to the states the ability to protect the flag from deliberate desecration
The American Legion's legislative priorities for the first session of the 118th Congress are condensed into a trifold brochure that can be downloaded or printed.
American Legion National Commander Vincent J. "Jim" Troiola will present the Legion's priorities in a joint session of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs on March 1. That testimony will be streamed live on the committees' websites.
Six veterans join HVAC
Six new members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee are veterans, including three former Navy SEALs.
Their appointments were announced Jan. 25. They are:
• Eli Crane, R-Ariz., served as a Navy SEAL for 14 years.
• Scott Franklin, R-Fla., retired as a commander after spending 26 years in the Navy, 14 on active duty and 12 in the Naval Reserve.
• Jen Kiggins, R-Va., was a Navy helicopter pilot for 10 years.
• Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, who was a Navy SEAL and is the twin brother of Marcus Luttrell.
• Keith Self, R-Texas, is a retired Army Ranger and a member of American Legion Post 10 in McKinney, Texas.
• Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., is a retired Navy SEAL and a member of American Legion Post 68 in Prairie du Chien, Wis.
The committee is charged with recommending legislation that expands, curtails or adjusts existing laws relating to veterans' benefits.
The committee chairman is Mike Bost, a Marine Corps veteran.
Georgia Riders chapter provides big financial support for other nonprofits while raising profile in community
From 2021 to 2022, the American Legion Riders at Chapter 3 in Macon, Ga., staged four big rides – two a year – to assist a police survivors organization, a disabled veteran in need and veterans wanting to take part in Middle Georgia Honor Flight.
The four rides raised a combined $115,000 for the respective causes. But more than that, it let those in the Macon community know that the Riders are there to assist.
"Before the pandemic we started (increasing fundraising efforts)," said Chapter 3 Director David Gales, a member of Sons of The American Legion Squadron 3. "And right in the middle of what we were doing the pandemic hit. And everything went kaput.
"But we kept going. We want to get the people to know that we're there for them, trying to help them. A lot of people don't know you can join The American Legion at any time."
The past two years, motorcyclists from all over the state have come to Macon to take part in Chapter 3's ride to benefits Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), a nonprofit that provides resources to assist the families and co-workers of police officers killed in the line of duty. The 2021 ride resulted in a $25,000 donation to C.O.P.S., while last year's saw that number grow to $45,000.
Also in 2021, members of Chapter 3 learned that a local disabled veteran who trains service dogs for fellow veterans needed major repairs to the van he used to drive for work. The Riders again banded together, this time staging a benefit ride that netted $15,000 to handle the cost of all of the van's repairs.
And last fall, the chapter's benefit for the Middle Georgia Honor Flight – which flies veterans from Georgia to Washington, D.C., to tour the various memorials there – resulted in back-to-back $15,000 donations to the local Honor Flight.
"The Honor Flight people said they usually get donations of $1,000, at the most $4,000 or $5,000," Gales said. "And then we give them a check for $15,000. There's astonishment in their face when they get the check. And $15,000 fills that plane with veterans, and then we turn around and give them another $15,000 check right after that, it's just something they don't realize is going to happen. The look and expression on their face is everything.
"And when you see these (veterans) come back from these Honor Flights at the airport – they don't expect a big crowd – but when they get off the plane and see everybody cheering and shaking their hands and welcoming them back, that's worth everything."
Gales said the reasons Chapter 3 has been able to raise the amount of money it has is from "a lot of work. And sponsors. We sell tickets for door prizes and we have auctions. But you can't just sit back. You still need to ask (for support) again."
Gales credits immediate past ALR 3 Director Doug McCallum with helping recharge the chapter. "(McCallum) is the type you want to help. You want to be in with him," he said. He and Chester Stewart – he's a member of the Riders – those two are basically the face of the rides we've put on."
Besides its fundraising efforts, Chapter 3 also performs flag retirement ceremonies, sponsors a clean-up and landscaping of the entire Post 3 property, and sponsored the cleaning and potential overhaul of the monumental field gun sitting outside Post 3.
"We have a group of 20 American Legion Riders that has gone over and above to raise money for the community," Gales said. "Their dedication to this post and veterans knows no bounds."
Maine department commander surprised with big OCW donation for special project
When he was elected commander of the American Legion Department of Maine last summer, Kirk Thurston made fundraising for Operation Reboot Outdoors (ORO) his Commander's Project. The nonprofit is comprised of veterans and registered Maine guides and provides recreational healing to active-duty military, veterans and law enforcement through outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.
Thurston didn't set a dollar amount as a goal, rather stressing that "any little bit would help" ORO's mission. But Thurston's project got an unexpected boost during the department's Mid-Winter conference in January, when the commander was presented with a $43,000 check from The American Legion's Operation Comfort Warriors program.
The grant was a surprise, arranged behind the scenes by Maine Alternate National Executive Committeeman Matt Jabaut and members of the department headquarters staff. Thurston was stunned when he was presented with the check.
"I'm not one to be speechless normally. It blew me away," Thurston said. "I couldn't say anything. The emotions took over. "It was great that (Jabaut) and whoever else was involved thought outside the box. We always forget about National's programs like Operation Comfort Warriors, which is a great, great program."
Jabaut said he and the others involved in obtaining the grant wanted to do something to allow Thurston's effort to assist ORO to last beyond his year as department commander.
"A lot of commander's projects are a one-year thing, kind of like a do it and forget it. It doesn't have a long-term impact," Jabaut said. "So the biggest question for me was how we could make his Commander's Project have a longer impact from a Legion and help standpoint. And then it was, 'What opportunities do we have within the organization to do that?' And we were talking and remembered (OCW)."
Thurston said he learned about ORO from a fellow member of American Legion Post 24 in Rumford and then got to know the nonprofit's founder, Dan Waite, and Waite's wife Nicole, who serves as its board of director's president. Thurston found out that his parents had been friends with Nicole's grandparents, and that her father had gone to the same school as Thurston.
"But what got me was their love for what they are doing," Thurston said. "There's no paid employees. They're all volunteers, and a lot of volunteers are people that they have – I don't way to say 'saved,' but they helped them refocus and find their true north. And as I travel across the state, I've found more and more people have been touched (by ORO). It's heartwarming to watch them operate."
Unbeknownst to Thurston, Jabaut reached out to the Waites to get a "wish list" of items their nonprofit could use. A grant application with the items was submitted to National Headquarters and approved for the entire amount requested. The grant will allow ORO to purchase a self-enclosed trailer to transport supplies to events, a utility trailer to haul four wheelers or backhaul a harvested moose), and a container to safely store ice fishing traps tents and hunting gear.
"I don't think any of us were expecting that much to be approved," Jabaut said. "It was amazing and really impactful for (ORO), and (Thurston) can walk away after his year as department commander and feel good about really making a longer-term difference with (ORO) and in a lot of veterans' lives."
Sons, submit your Snapshots and Videos of Service
Submissions are still being sought for the Sons of The American Legion's Snapshots of Service and Videos of Service programs. The best entries will receive national awards.
Entry forms for both programs can be found at Legion.org/Sons/Publications.
Snapshots of Service
Photos submitted to the Snapshots of Service program must represent one of the Four Pillars: Americanism, Children and Youth, National Security, or Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation.
Any SAL squadron may make up to three submissions for each of the Four Pillars. Each submission must be sent in JPG format and accompanied by the proper forms.
Videos of Service
The new SAL Videos of Service program is open to all SAL members. Video submissions must contain an SAL member or members wearing SAL covers or SAL-branded clothing participating in an activity or event that falls under one of three categories: program support; community engagement; or membership and recruitment.
The video must be no longer than five minutes in length and have been posted on social media. Entries will be judged by the SAL Public and Media Communications Commission on quality, content and branding.
Entries for both the Snapshots of Service and Videos of Service should be submitted by email at sons.public.media+video@gmail.com.
Legionnaire leading effort to combat extremism in military, veteran communities
After serving in the U.S. Navy from 2001 to 2006, Zack Baddorf went onto a career that included positions within the Departments of State and Defense, as well as serving as a national security and foreign policy practitioner in locations such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Central African Republic.
A member of American Legion Post 20 in Washington, D.C., Baddorf also went on to co-found Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ), a non-partisan nonprofit whose mission is to get more veterans working in the media industry. And through his role as MVJ's executive director, he's now turned his focus toward extremism in the military and veteran communities.
"Fighting Disinformation in Military & Veteran Communities" is a partnership between MVJ and other entities that Baddorf hopes will deliver "a very targeted effort at providing non-partisan, deep reporting on these extremist groups that will provide the veteran community with nuanced reporting that sheds a light on these extremist groups, and hopefully works to prevent more veterans and active-duty military from being exploited. And we recognize that the threat comes from a range of extremist actors in the United States."
It was Baddorf's experience on the international stage that led him to start his most recent endeavor. "I have a professional background of working on countering disinformation," he said. "I did it for a nonprofit working to counter ISIS and al-Shabaab propaganda. We interviewed former extremists … and we learned about the incredible power of propaganda and of media and convincing people to join these groups, and to lend their support and pick up arms and to put themselves at very severe risk because of what they were sold on videos … on different forms on the Web. We know that this media is incredibly powerful and is used to exploit vulnerable and susceptible populations."
Baddorf said when he began to learn about members of the military and the veteran community being targeted by extremist groups in the United States, he felt he needed to do something.
"I wanted to take some of the experiences that I had and create an opportunity to challenge it, to counter the disinformation that was being sent out into the world. These groups want to exploit veterans. They want to take that patriotism, that trust that Americans have in active-duty military and veterans, and they want to use it for their own political means. So I basically started asking around, trying to find out what was being done, and building a coalition to counter their efforts."
Baddorf was able to secure grants through the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, and partnered with Military Times to build a reporting team that will independently conduct investigative reporting on anti-democratic extremist groups that are targeting veterans and active-duty service members with disinformation. MVJ also is teaming with Military.com, Task & Purpose and The Associated Press to bring national coverage to the issue, as well as subject-matter experts such as PolitiFact and the Poynter.
Baddorf said that extremist groups target veterans and those still serving "to normalize themselves and to give themselves a sense of legitimacy that they should not have. They're using the trust that America has in our military and veteran communities, and they're exploiting it. They know veterans are respected as leaders, they're respected as people in our communities, and they're also respected as messengers for information. The veteran's voice is a force multiplier.
"Not only are they going after them for that credibility, but they're also going after them for the technical skills they bring, whether that being marksmanship, operational planning, bomb-making skills. And they also know that veterans broadly speaking, are good leaders, too. They know that they can count on them to create a camaraderie, and bring in and bolster their extremist units."
Baddorf wants to be clear that those veterans and servicemembers who have taken up with extremist groups are in the minority. "It's a tough balance, because there are 18-some million veterans across the United States, and the vast, vast, vast majority of them are not extremists," he said. "They're not out there committing violent acts that are antithetical to our nation's democracy and republic. They're not out there stirring up trouble and looking to overthrow our government. The vast, vast, vast majority of American veterans and active-duty members are patriotic people who are serving their communities. I think we need to keep that in mind.
"But we also need to be clear-sighted about the threat and about how the military and veteran community is being targeted by these extremist groups. We need to respond to that threat and bolster our community. Give them the skills and information that they need to be more resilient when these bad actors come after them."
A welcome expansion
I have said repeatedly that in spite of our Be the One outreach efforts, most Legionnaires are not professional therapists. I view our role as connectors. We are friends and confidants of any veteran experiencing crisis and we are committed to helping veterans obtain whatever treatment and therapy they may need.
The American Legion applauds the groundbreaking announcement made by the Department of Veterans Affairs earlier this month. As of Jan. 17, veterans in suicidal crisis can go to any VA or non-VA health-care facility free of charge. Eligible veterans include those discharged or released from active duty after more than 24 months under conditions other than dishonorable. Also included are members of the reserves who served more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or in support of a contingency operations. Victims of military sexual trauma or harassment incurred during their service time are also eligible. Significantly, veterans need not be enrolled in the VA system to receive this benefit.
In announcing this benefit, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said, "Veterans in suicidal crisis can now receive the free, world-class emergency health care they deserve – no matter where they need it, when they need it, or whether they're enrolled in VA care. This expansion of care will save veterans' lives, and there's nothing more important than that."
The American Legion share his view that nothing is more important than saving the lives of the people who have defended our nation. It is why Be the One is The American Legion's top priority.
Under the new benefit, VA will provide, pay for or reimburse treatment and transportation costs for up to 30 days of inpatient or 90 days of outpatient care. VA will also determine eligibility for other benefits and include referrals for follow-up treatments following the period of emergency suicide care.
Many incidents and issues contribute to a veteran experiencing a crises. Access and affordability of treatment should not be among them.
Vincent J. "Jim" Troiola
National Commander
If you are veteran who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the 988 national crisis line.
Boys State / Nation
Flag Advocacy
Oratorical Contest
Junior Shooting Sports
Child Welfare Foundation
Family Assistance
Youth Support
NATIONAL SECURITY & FOREIGN RELATIONS
Junior ROTC
Operation Comfort Warriors
Troop Support
VETERANS AFFAIRS & REHABILITATION
Department Service Officers
System Worth Saving
American Legion Auxiliary
Heroes to Hometowns
Legiontown USA
Temporary Financial Assistance
© 2023 Department of Mississippi | All Rights Reserved
Headquarters Administration


Find listings of Inverness Computer Systems & Software. Featured listings include Omnitech Ltd., Wardlaw Surveys, Software Technology, Game Exchange, and E&I Systems. To suggest a listing in this category click here.


Yes, it can be heaving with visitors at times, but there are still few better ways to take in the city than with a stroll along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. Hong Kong Island is laid out opposite you, while the Bruce Lee statue is a hugely popular draw. Bars, coffee shops and restaurants are aplenty, while the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong Space Museum and other major attractions are all within easy walking distance.