Microsoft Surface 2: Taking Place on September 23

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">According to rumours Microsoft is going to launch the second version of Surface with the tag of Surface 2. The event of Microsoft will take place on 23rd of September. This event will organise to unveil the Surface 2 tablet.<br /><br />The event will held in New York. According to rumours Surface 2 tablet’s features and specifications will compete iPads and Android based device. Surface 2 comes with matching keyboard, said by rumours.<br />Surface RT was launched at end of October 2012 with Window 8 and company made $900 million in the against fourth quarter earnings, that is closed at the end of June. The earnings report are better than the target of $853 million.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qlux4MLe6OM/Ui7Ceng5umI/AAAAAAAAAUM/lQI638y9Zhw/s1600/microsoft-surface-demostration-635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="microsoft surface 2" border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qlux4MLe6OM/Ui7Ceng5umI/AAAAAAAAAUM/lQI638y9Zhw/s1600/microsoft-surface-demostration-635.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ndtvgadgets</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The starting price of Surface RT was $499 and it was recently cut down. Now Surface RT comes the price tag of $399.<br /><br />The CEO of Microsoft will get retirement in next year. The charge taken by Steven Ballmer in 2000, after Bill Gates. The experience was not so good for Steven Ballmer because when he took over from Bill Gates, Microsoft was largest company according to market value. But scenario is change now and company struggling for consumer which are shifting towards desktop, laptops and mobile device. The only achievement of Ballmer is that he plays a major role to acquire the Nokia Mobiles.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/100638775997274345522" rel="author">Anil Swami</a></div></div>

Microsoft suface2 surface RT Microsoft Surface 2: Taking Place on September 23

According to rumours Microsoft is going to launch the second version of Surface with the tag of Surface 2. The event of Microsoft will take ...

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The Google in Education K-12 summit and an optional pre-summit one day workshop are taking place this month. Join us!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.571428298950195px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001ihJrcxO_GFhb3DNs3K-sGntZxFE5vgqclUCeieFlhryXRfPp9T8X5YPBblTXIe2vmzRbO8ACUqI3L6eH5BAZ4JiNlY8rGnphcgPNdQ4UNyrwcL9kqSM4Vg==" shape="rect" style="color: #1155cc; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img align="right" alt="summit4" border="0" height="120" hspace="5" name="14102f83b9a870b7_ACCOUNT.IMAGE.160" src="https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs134/1104470199137/img/160.jpg" vspace="5" width="261" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #500050; font-size: 13.142857551574707px;">In a couple of week's time, on </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1132646754" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #500050; font-size: 13.142857551574707px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">26th and 27th September</span></span><span style="color: #500050; font-size: 13.142857551574707px;">, SchoolNet</span><span style="color: #500050; font-size: 13.142857551574707px;"> and Parklands College are hosting the first Google in Education K-12 summit to be held in Africa. This event will be held at Parklands College in Cape Town. </span></div><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Who is presenting?</span></strong><br /><div style="font-size: 10pt;">This summit is being run by an international team known as the EdTech team, that runs these two-day Google summits successfully all over the world. Consequently the presenters will be international speakers and people from Google's headquarters as well as local presenters who are familiar with using Google in the classroom.   </div></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.571428298950195px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>How to register for the Summit</strong>  </span><br /><div style="font-size: 10pt;">You can read more about this exciting event and still register for it at: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6067349343549361447" shape="rect" style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">http://za.gafesummit.com/</a></div><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Pre-summit one day workshop information</span></strong><br /><div style="font-size: 10pt;">We'd like to point you to the Google pre-summit one day workshop which is an optional EXTRA that you can attend the day before the summit should you wish to. This pre-conference workshop has its own pricing. (There will just be ONE workshop at the price of $199). Here are the details of this one day pre-summit workshop taken straight from the summit website <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6067349343549361447" shape="rect" style="color: blue;">http://za.gafesummit.com/pre</a>.</div><div style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: 10pt;"><em>"This one-day hands-on primer begins with a welcome activity that invites participants to co-create a new vision for education in the age of Google. Discover a powerful kit of research tools for students and educators. Learn how Google Docs and Google Drive can facilitate collaboration between students and among colleagues. Curate and edit educational videos using YouTube for Teachers and the YouTube editor. Explore an overview of Google apps on iOS, and powerful ways students and teachers can use them. "Even more" inspiring instructional ideas (including an demonstration of Google apps scripting) conclude the day before a final reflection activity. This special workshop, hosted in the Google Office, offers something for beginners and intermediate users... and there is no better preparation for the Google Apps for Education summit."</em></div><div style="font-size: 10pt;"><em><br /></em></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Join us!</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: 10pt;">We do hope you will take hold of this fantastic opportunity to find out how you can use Google in your classroom with great benefit to your students. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, ' Geneva', ' Arial', ' Helvetica', ' sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">  </span></td></tr></tbody></table></div>

Google summit The Google in Education K-12 summit and an optional pre-summit one day workshop are taking place this month. Join us!

In a couple of week's time, on  26th and 27th September , SchoolNet  and Parklands College are hosting the first Google in Education K-1...

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Stoves!!

<span style="font-size: large;">Can you believe that it is that cold that we are looking at buying a stove by the end of September?! </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDD1UO34cVLSWIeuasxnWKUyQit8Z2P7ImtYGwtSOXJYsbWtfzxYkJ5D__YpeRIEK6uxtxixj4uc0CR4S1i7iQDk8CpN1g45M6aQZP64n9Hu-zbY2wHvNNj0UWjrBksQXrDdAD7QvkiPDB/s640/blogger-image-2012510031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDD1UO34cVLSWIeuasxnWKUyQit8Z2P7ImtYGwtSOXJYsbWtfzxYkJ5D__YpeRIEK6uxtxixj4uc0CR4S1i7iQDk8CpN1g45M6aQZP64n9Hu-zbY2wHvNNj0UWjrBksQXrDdAD7QvkiPDB/s640/blogger-image-2012510031.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">We even put the thermostat on the underfloor heating up.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Oh and in other news, I'm in my winter boots!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTe9yxcIrb_xyyONrL4r61KW-WQ73r62qe6Q6JnmbfVx6mFUVzpgc_f_9Tv9oVoX-6k1Afz74h-vAnRAfPN-RMJplkOJFpyA7nolvQ0mUbaloTLNomGftl0_S_6QIBeOs3UEI1leYSj7_/s640/blogger-image-1862541918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTe9yxcIrb_xyyONrL4r61KW-WQ73r62qe6Q6JnmbfVx6mFUVzpgc_f_9Tv9oVoX-6k1Afz74h-vAnRAfPN-RMJplkOJFpyA7nolvQ0mUbaloTLNomGftl0_S_6QIBeOs3UEI1leYSj7_/s640/blogger-image-1862541918.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">I called to my friend before work today.  She is due back to work in 3 weeks after having her second baby.  Her first child started school last week and she has her little baby in crèche from this week on.  </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: large;">Maternity leave is quite generous in Ireland with 26 weeks paid and then a further 16 weeks allowable which is unpaid.  My friend took an additional unpaid month on top of her paid entitlement.  She is currently getting organized for returning to work full time.  Fingers crossed it all goes well for her!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>

Stoves!!

Can you believe that it is that cold that we are looking at buying a stove by the end of September?!  We even put the thermostat on the unde...

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Elkanah Superstars return from the Microsoft Office Specialist Worldwide Competition held in Washington

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><em>This is a guest post from one of our SchoolNet members,  Linda Foulkes, from Elkanah House High in Cape Town. Two of her students were chosen out of 8 Semi-Finalists to compete at the Microsoft Office Specialist Worldwide Championship in Washington for the World Title in July 2013. Jenny Cole, CEO of Netlearn sponsored the event and Linda </em><i>attended as the trainer and chaperone. This post can be read in full with all the photos and videos on Linda's blog <a href="http://goo.gl/aJPxKV" target="_blank">Foulkes@Work</a></i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Linda write</b>s:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I had an absolutely awesome trip to Washington, DC with my two Microsoft Office Specialist Champions who represented South Africa for Word 2010 [Shaun Nothard], and for PowerPoint 2010 [Tshimologo Molefe]. Shaun and Tshimo were chosen out of 8 Semi-Finalists [all eight from Elkanah House and the only Semi-Finalists in South Africa]. Both were sponsored a trip to Washington, DC to compete at the Microsoft Office Specialist Worldwide Championship for the World Title. Jenny Cole, CEO of Netlearn Update cc sponsored the event and I got to go as the trainer and chaperone. After a huge amount of preparation in the weeks leading up to our trip, we left SA on the 29th July.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWukHmrDQHTwtrG42o1i4vEsQG1h86ZmmDDzgMig5lPkSgYeifBx8C6ObFzW0D8g0nXqyH9dL9Uq3wf_n9evW4pVQ2DNb_P0TkX1cv2rRUH6yyYapknzvVarXguf9KevHFzcCCnMCjViY/s400/Linda1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Linda with her two champion students</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We met our sponsor, Jenny Cole, at OR Tambo as she flew in from Durban. After a two hour wait the four of us boarded the flight to Washington, DC. Eighteen hours later we arrived in Washington at 06h35 on the 30th July.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Transport was arranged from Dulles Airport to the Gaylord National Resort in a black “pimp my ride” style SUV with a chauffeur.  The hotel was so huge, beautiful and very posh.  The boys shared a room and Jenny Cole and I the other.  The afternoon was spent literally touring around the hotel as it was so huge! Walked down to the waterfront area and found the American shop where some shopping occurred! Had the most amazing doughnut I have ever tasted!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That evening we were treated to supper on the waterfront after which we collapsed into slumber land.  On the Wednesday morning the boys and I could not wait to get down to the 4 course breakfast! OMW – to explain just would not suffice!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Visit NetLearn Update cc – <a href="http://www.netlearn.co.za/">http://www.netlearn.co.za</a> – to find out more information about the business as well as the <a href="http://www.netlearn.co.za/Newsflash%2013.html">News Flash</a> on the MOS Competition. If you are interested in Microsoft Office Courseware, then visit <a href="http://www.netlearn.co.za/Books13.html">t</a><a href="http://www.netlearn.co.za/Books13.html">his</a> page to see my published courseware.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"A newspaper article was written on the event [published in the Northglen News] and about NetLearn Update cc </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5U7dzAtNvibX72x41OOIn4iTIqPTnX_ZmIMXw8CHDaPCy42BblllHdME6TOJhFZPuoA51XbOVYriSzdFE76CLD0E3hyphenhyphenaHE-LD6F2pziofYq6xJtDqSDiEwc-OHth3OTRifmNMm46PBU/s400/Linda2.JPG" width="400" /></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"To tell you a little about the Microsoft office Specialist  [MOS] 2013 event…</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmq2wviQtEvHEvtIkEQ2G1GhWViVlevusBhbRnLWCQUj4DnCijiMNkz0ZnpvT07PYkooLfA8jmMWfLRcgzK-irA_hVaUjSSyGW-tsTAxmWKmbkuJjMWnI56qgbWUJ5xnJ-pBq7C_0gZo/?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmq2wviQtEvHEvtIkEQ2G1GhWViVlevusBhbRnLWCQUj4DnCijiMNkz0ZnpvT07PYkooLfA8jmMWfLRcgzK-irA_hVaUjSSyGW-tsTAxmWKmbkuJjMWnI56qgbWUJ5xnJ-pBq7C_0gZo/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="188" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Certiport (<a href="http://www.certiport.com/">http://www.certiport.com</a>), a Pearson VUE business, is the leading test delivery solution provider for the global workforce and academic markets. Certiport hosted the event at the hotel. From the moment we met the staff we felt such a friendly, supportive and enthusiastic vibe. Everything was professional and organized so impeccably. They surrounded us with an awesome experience of competition, and incorporated history throughout our stay.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKdBHDCZtco5IM8olzXyRlzqABHOzpfIC3EhPEzR-ZVK9iOpEKLFZktk69miGl6T-nqBU9PZWty4xKYF-ROLgwhEGDJWLidKjV8oe9EXDyjLxMFGbJltCDQMAai21zJG9yenzPPukBU0/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Theme for the event</b><br />"The theme for the entire event was “<i>Making History</i>”.  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Participants</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Making History” participatns included:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">129 students from 40 countries<br />102 Certiport partners from 38 countries<br />72 chaperones<br />10 event ambassadors speaking: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese,  Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Countries Represented:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="bottom" width="177"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Australia<br />Brazil<br />Brunei Darussalam<br />Bulgaria<br />Canada<br />Chile<br />China<br />Colombia<br />Costa Rica<br />Czech Republic</span></td> <td valign="bottom" width="141"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Denmark<br />Ecuador<br />El Salvador<br />Greece<br />Guatemala<br />Honduras<br />Hong Kong<br />India<br />Japan<br />Korea</span></td> <td valign="bottom" width="141"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Macao<br />Mexico<br />Morocco<br />Nepal<br />New Zealand<br />Nigeria<br />Panama<br />Peru<br />Poland<br />Singapore</span></td> <td valign="bottom" width="199"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">South Africa<br />South Korea<br />Sweden<br />Taipei<br />Taiwan<br />Thailand<br />Uganda<br />United Kingdom<br />USA<br />Vietnam</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The MOS Competition registration took place on Wednesday 1 August. Students collected their Certiport MOS backpacks and a few other goodies.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The EXAM!</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"On Thursday morning the candidates congregated in the student lounge to view their exam slots for each version of Office as well as for the Adobe Competition. Throughout the day, testing took place at the various conference venues. This portion of our experience was certainly extremely beneficial to us in order to plan for the coming years. The buzz, excitement and camaraderie outside the test venues were an involvement on its own worth travelling for. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We learnt so much from other candidates and trainers on the trip. Our children did wonderfully considering the time frame in which we had to prepare against other countries who have been in the know how for many years. We represented South Africa – AND were the ONLY candidates from South Africa to compete at the MOS 2013 Competition! The experience is a win in itself! Congratulations to my two students, Shaun Nothard and Tshimologo Molefe. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a teacher and trainer I have benefited from a wealth of knowledge from other candidates and chaperons as well as from my two students [which could never happen in a classroom once a week!] We also learnt that we need to start working the moment we land for the 2014 competition and are very eager to explore and enter for the Adobe Competition. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Address from MICROSOFT</b> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The address from Microsoft at the Awards Ceremony to the children was outstanding. Please take a listen below: </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tgNsbm5IR1E" width="420"></iframe> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Exploring Washington DC</b> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Candidates were all bussed to the mall around 09h00 am on Friday morning, after breakfast. All candidates and chaperons congregated for a group photo on the lawn before the Washington Mall group treasure hunt.  Mall maps were handed out, a $25 gift card for lunch or souvenirs as well as a MOS Championship T-shirt for everyone. The meeting point was at 19h00 at the Air and Space Museum. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJPFHff6KnA2t5Dvnj6P5w7Gq902ZiAmjt1VGIn08dKFj5WJULn_xl4ahQ3weflKxQbFGDvnvCXZYS-DwNI_tRGF2FzcPbpTCRdIw2HzHWTDt17jHAc4ogy9pVPDtxVxKHAPyMTp34QM/s1600-h/image%25255B6%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwX9P-TLpPUgR0VH1b5D8GKtXDpuVNgQQLSHKYn5Mt3BXu4SjCExIrKqPESsmsy9XJDEkLCY59NPpdt-239CnLo91-5SXeao7uaMooJSb6q9n5DSX1aze6ZUcFmekRrowMhchw3cBp3qU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Certiport booked out the entire Smithsonian Air and Space Museum for exploration and dinner on the Friday evening. To end off the evening, we were treated to an IMAX movie. That afternoon, we spent 10 hours walking the Washington Mall! </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The AWARDS</b> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Video footage was taken of our two superstars! It was an honour for our two champions to be include in the 2014 Video Announcement for the Microsoft Office Specialist Worldwide Competition! Check out our <a href="http://www.elkanah.co.za/">Elkanah House</a> superstars in the promotional video for the MOS Worldwide Competition 2014 in <strong>Disneyland</strong>! Cannot wait for next year having the privilege of experiences under our belt! </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3TxnfGbbI28" width="420"></iframe> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gSCgzghrybc" width="420"></iframe> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"If you have read this post and wish to know more about the MOS competition / ADOBE Competition and what it entails, please contact me via blog comment or Twitter. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Till next time </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linda</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>SchoolNet says</b>:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CONGRATULATIONS to you and your Elkanah House team, Linda. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a great achievement and a wonderful opportunity for your students. </span></div>

Microsoft news Elkanah Superstars return from the Microsoft Office Specialist Worldwide Competition held in Washington

This is a guest post from one of our SchoolNet members,  Linda Foulkes, from Elkanah House High in Cape Town. Two of her students were chose...

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Let's Get Random Y'all

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">Hola y’all! I don’t have shit for ya so it’s time for some random thoughts… <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When are acid washed jeans gonna come back into style? I always loved those. What about parachute pants? Damn, my ass looked fine in those babies in ninth grade. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve just about had enough of this temperatures in the mid-90’s every day crap. I should have a talk with Mother Nature and ask her why she’s fuckin’ with us like this. She’s probably just doing it to amuse herself. I can respect that. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Hold on. I’m going to get a sugar free Fudgesicle. Healthy ice cream! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvuyV1ownuM4NZWbEKrfxfF3CAKFMEvUNJgdYHb5Jbnx_KN1dpxST4XQs7H4vqnwZMExvwP5f33wkoXCoJz4LFAsxvUOFnqzZuzemFW0a0BxbL8cceqEH3NjzNRTqngSnt1sf2MHyE9pt/s1600/Alyssa+Milano+Sucking+Popsicle+Hot+Sexy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvuyV1ownuM4NZWbEKrfxfF3CAKFMEvUNJgdYHb5Jbnx_KN1dpxST4XQs7H4vqnwZMExvwP5f33wkoXCoJz4LFAsxvUOFnqzZuzemFW0a0BxbL8cceqEH3NjzNRTqngSnt1sf2MHyE9pt/s1600/Alyssa+Milano+Sucking+Popsicle+Hot+Sexy.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">I just watched the first half of the Eagles/Redskins Monday Night Football game. The Skins are trash. Holy crap they look as if they never had a preseason at all. Also, there’s an outside chance that Robert W. Griffin III isn’t really that good. At the very least he appears to be a paper tiger. Hit him a couple of times and you take the fight out of him. Time will tell I guess. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m so fucking tired of all the Syria talk. I was opposed to it at first, then listening to Obama and Kerry last week I came around to the idea, but then Pope Francis talked me out of it over the weekend on Twitter. Just kidding! I’ve been opposed to it all along. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">            1. It won’t make a difference in terms of getting rid of Assad.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">            2. The “mission” will slowly expand like it always does. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">            3. I simply don’t have any faith in the Obama/Kerry/Hagel team. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">RG3 just threw another interception. I’m telling ya, he might secretly suck. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I feel bad for Lady Ga Ga. She’s running around stark ass naked and nobody is even noticing her because of Miley’s shenanigans. Poor girl. I guess her only option is to have a three way with a dude and another chick on stage and maybe THEN she can get a little attention. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m down to only one Pepsi a day and it’s going great. I have one late afternoon while watching the Pioneer Woman on Food Network and that’s it. After dinner I have a glass of sugar free lemon ice tea which is downright delicious. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">You may have noticed I’m trying to cut back my sugar consumption dramatically. It’s not easy but I’m working on it. My next target is to have something for breakfast better for me than Frosted Flakes. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I mentioned to someone on Twitter what a funny (“funny” = “stupid”) name Sloan Sabbith (Olivia Munn on the Newsroom) is, but I forgot how angry liberals get if you make fun of characters on their favorite liberal shows. Gotta always keep that in mind y’all. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-PDeyEN5fuhKamA_Y1fYZqgqbWruB-AeDTrpvc50bi8AThV5O-ISE9K0waiDGs7PJqdwPeROlhBrsZQ8DkHwzzVE3j7kbncRKdRdxE3fPrkI91Obyby5nD-9L0PVO1oaDzNBDoGtjQMV/s1600/Olivia+Munn+Bikini+Sloan+Sabbith+Nude+Hot+Sexy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-PDeyEN5fuhKamA_Y1fYZqgqbWruB-AeDTrpvc50bi8AThV5O-ISE9K0waiDGs7PJqdwPeROlhBrsZQ8DkHwzzVE3j7kbncRKdRdxE3fPrkI91Obyby5nD-9L0PVO1oaDzNBDoGtjQMV/s640/Olivia+Munn+Bikini+Sloan+Sabbith+Nude+Hot+Sexy.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Happy 1093^rd birthday Louie XIV! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was thinking of previewing the 2013 fall television schedule but it looks like a big bowl of stupid. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">RG3 just threw a <strike>second</strike> third TD pass of the second half. I take it all back. He’s pretty good. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://facebook.com/jayman68" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>

Let's Get Random Y'all

Hola y’all! I don’t have shit for ya so it’s time for some random thoughts… When are acid washed jeans gonna come back into style? I always ...

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The eve of 9/11

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XcQp8Hllni49png_95vw9Cqa3WZfEeJstSXdo3ftE82NiWwmP1oqkSA1uenDgdbegUYQkUjo9ZEpUB2nNvn_hX_DHom74LyPX6m9rcrznpTPEZoeAXlG8oBiX3Jhj3b3zi7oifdz1NJ0/s1600/9-11+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XcQp8Hllni49png_95vw9Cqa3WZfEeJstSXdo3ftE82NiWwmP1oqkSA1uenDgdbegUYQkUjo9ZEpUB2nNvn_hX_DHom74LyPX6m9rcrznpTPEZoeAXlG8oBiX3Jhj3b3zi7oifdz1NJ0/s320/9-11+9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />It's the day before September 11th. This year marks 12 years since that beautiful September day when terrorists attacked America, killing 3,000 innocent souls and destroying the Twin Towers with two jet airliners while also ramming a jet into the Pentagon and into the countryside in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.<br /><br />I reflect every year. This one is no different even though it's been a dozen years since that day, but it's etched in my memory ... it will not escape my mind.<br /><br />It bothers me that younger generations seem to already be detached from 9/11. After only 12 years. Why aren't they being taught of that tragic event?<br /><br />Please fly an American flag on Wednesday in memory of those who died and as a tribute to our military, firefighters, police officers, First Responders, and everyone else who was on the front lines, not just on 9/11 but right on through today. Fly American flags at home, work, and anywhere you can.<br /><br />And please don't forget what happened that day....

9/11 American flag firefighters First Responders never forget police officers The eve of 9/11

It's the day before September 11th. This year marks 12 years since that beautiful September day when terrorists attacked America, killin...

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Long-Term Promise: More Cash! Less Work!

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of real currency in circulation per American nonfarm payroll employee (July 2013 dollars).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6qu-jUvghB3mYiK0_MjKSTN-LfOhFx6awQiRtl2Uhnsj7WwF_cGDeU4Ym3ikD85prZKjzowgN11RoBXnbNCWEfnZmjUUQjdyttI6eqAqN3YpB-bm0Z3RBzdG_Ppj7SODABSnsnGtw10/s1600/More+Cash%21+Less+Work%21.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6qu-jUvghB3mYiK0_MjKSTN-LfOhFx6awQiRtl2Uhnsj7WwF_cGDeU4Ym3ikD85prZKjzowgN11RoBXnbNCWEfnZmjUUQjdyttI6eqAqN3YpB-bm0Z3RBzdG_Ppj7SODABSnsnGtw10/s320/More+Cash%21+Less+Work%21.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />As seen in the chart, I think it pretty much goes without saying that <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/09/this-is-not-1982.html">this is not 1982</a>. It does look a bit like World War II though. Is there another world war right now that nobody told me about?<br /><br />I have not filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2016">President of the United States in 2016</a>, but I'd certainly like to keep my options open. I therefore offer the following pledges so everyone knows where I stand on the tough issues facing our country.<br /><br /><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>If elected, I promise even more than more of the same! Even more cash! Even less work! The more cash and the less work the better!</b></span></div><br />Who wouldn't like that? In this increasingly digital age, we're currently $500 above trend! The prosperity is practically overflowing!<br /><br />If you are a guy and you have a job in this more cash and less work environment, then I feel your pain. I'd like to ask you serious questions about the main issue that I assume affects you the most. How do you get your wallet to close with $8,600+ cash inside? Does this country need to make larger denomination bills? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_denominations_of_United_States_currency">As of May 30, 2009, only 342 $5,000 bills were known to exist.</a> What a tragedy!<br /><br /><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>If elected, I promise even larger denomination bills produced on the same quality paper that the smaller denomination bills are printed on!</b></span></div><br />On the off chance you are a bit shy of the $8,600+ in cash ($26,000 for a family of 3) then have no fear. Perhaps someone else does and it is on the verge of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trickle-down_economics">trickling down</a> to you. I know you've been patient for 30 years so far, but perhaps you just need to be patient for a few more years!<br /><br /><div style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>If elected, I promise to patiently watch the cash trickle down with you! In no way, shape, or form shall I inhibit its ongoing progress!</b></span></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/foGMTdxewBI" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><b>See Also:</b><br /><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2010/06/sarcasm-disclaimer.html">Sarcasm Disclaimer</a><br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=mfc">St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart</a>

Long-Term Promise: More Cash! Less Work!

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of real currency in circulation per American nonfarm payroll employee (July 2013 dolla...

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The Consumer: New Concerns on Robotic Surgeries - NYT

<div></div><address class="byline author vcard" style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 12px; display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">In early March 2009, Erin Izumi, a woman in her 30s from Tacoma, Wash., underwent robotically assisted surgery to treat endometriosis. The operation at St. Joseph Medical Center dragged on for nearly 11 hours.</span></address><div class="entry-content"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Ten days later, Ms. Izumi was rushed to an emergency room, where doctors discovered that her colon and rectum had been torn during the operation. She was hospitalized for five weeks, undergoing a series of procedures to repair the damage, including a temporary colostomy, according to her attorney Chris Otorowski.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">But even though medical device manufacturers and hospitals are <a href="http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/search.cfm" style="text-decoration: none; ">required to report every device-related death and serious injury</a> to a database maintained by the Food and Drug Administration within 30 days of learning about an incident, no report about the case was made in 2009. Hospital officials declined to comment, and a spokeswoman for the manufacturer said it became aware of the incident only when Ms. Izumi filed a lawsuit. It disputed the claim and settled the case in May 2012.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">That was not the only lapse in reporting problems with robotic surgical equipment, a new study has found.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The equipment, called the da Vinci system, is made by Intuitive Surgical Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. It has been on the market for more than a decade; more than a million procedures have been performed with it. Between January 2000 and August 2012, thousands of mishaps were reported to the F.D.A. In the vast majority of cases, the patient was not harmed, but among the reports were <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jhq.12036/abstract" style="text-decoration: none; ">174 injuries and 71 deaths related to da Vinci surgery</a>, according to a study published last week in The Journal for Healthcare Quality.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Yet by combing news reports and court records, researchers at Johns Hopkins were able to find examples of botched operations that were not reported to the agency. They concluded that adverse events associated with the da Vinci were "vastly underreported."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">It is fairly well known that reports made to the F.D.A. represent only "the tip of the iceberg" of surgical complications and adverse drug reactions, said Diana Zuckerman, the president of the <a href="http://center4research.org/about-us/key-staff/" style="text-decoration: none; ">National Research Center for Women and Families</a> and an expert on the safety of medical devices, who was not involved in the study. The consequence is that little is known of the real disadvantages of the equipment, and the injuries and deaths it may cause, even as robotic surgery is widely marketed to consumers, Dr. Zuckerman said.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">In a statement, Angela Wonson, vice president of corporate communications at Intuitive, said that the new study "gives the misleading impression that Intuitive Surgical has systematically failed in its obligation to timely report known adverse events to the F.D.A." On the contrary, she said, "We take this requirement very seriously and make every effort to account for all reportable events — even those from several years prior."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The new study follows a series of reports critical of robotically assisted surgery. Documents surfacing in the course of legal action against Intuitive have outlined <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/health/salesmen-in-the-surgical-suite.html" style="text-decoration: none; ">the aggressive tactics used to market the equipment</a> and raised questions about the quality of training provided to surgeons, as well as the pressure on doctors and hospitals to use it — even in cases where it is not the physician's first choice and she has little hands-on experience.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Nevertheless, robotic surgery has grown dramatically, increasing more than 400 percent in the United States between 2007 and 2011. About 1,400 da Vinci systems, which cost $1.5 million to $2.5 million, have been purchased by hospitals, according to Intuitive's investor reports.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The expansion has occurred without proper evaluation and monitoring of the benefits, said Dr. Martin A. Makary, an associate professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins and the senior author of the paper.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">"This whole issue is symbolic of a larger problem in American health care, which is the lack of proper evaluation of what we do," Dr. Makary said. "We adopt expensive new technologies, but we don't even know what we're getting for our money — if it's of good value or harmful."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Part of the problem is that the reporting mandate "has no teeth," Dr. Makary added. "In health care, one fifth of the economy, we have this haphazard smattering of reports that relies on voluntary self-reporting with no oversight, no enforcement and no consequences."</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">F.D.A. officials said in a statement that the agency has issued warning letters in the past when facilities have failed to report, and that the agency can take further regulatory actions like injunctions or imposing civil financial penalties.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">A 2010 study found that 56.8 percent of surgeons surveyed anonymously said <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20192613" style="text-decoration: none; ">they had experienced irrecoverable operative malfunctions</a>while using the da Vinci system, Dr. Makary noted.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Women were more likely to be harmed during the robotic procedures, Dr. Makary and his colleagues found. Nearly one-third of deaths that were reported to the F.D.A. database occurred during gynecologic procedures, and 43 percent of the injuries were associated with hysterectomies.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">"Any time there is a serious problem with the da Vinci, it should be reported," Dr. Zuckerman said. "It's the F.D.A.'s job to figure out whether this is a problem related to the device or a doctor error."</p></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/new-concerns-on-robotic-surgeries/?partner=rss&emc=rss">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/new-concerns-on-robotic-surgeries/?partner=rss&emc=rss</a><br></div>

The Consumer: New Concerns on Robotic Surgeries - NYT

In early March 2009, Erin Izumi, a woman in her 30s from Tacoma, Wash., underwent robotically assisted surgery to treat endometriosis. The o...

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Hard Cases: Penicillin Allergies Overblown - NYT

<div></div><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The woman with the swollen red leg was selling us one bill of goods after another. She said she had stopped injecting drugs years before; the fresh needle marks on her feet suggested otherwise. She said she had duly taken all the antibiotic pills another hospital had given her, although most people don't finish those prescriptions.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">But we didn't raise an eyebrow at the least likely claim of all. Instead we wrote it down carefully in our notes and it became a part of her hospital record, highlighted in red on the computer and set off with an exclamation point, permanently molding her medical life and also, in a way, our own.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">This was her life-threatening allergy to penicillin.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">About one in 10 Americans reports a serious allergy to the antibiotic penicillin or any of several closely related drugs. Yet in about 90 percent of cases, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12721392" style="text-decoration: none; ">no serious allergy exists</a>.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Some people are using the word allergy imprecisely. Antibiotics can have all kinds of dreadful side effects, from diarrhea to nerve damage, but most of these are not formally considered allergies.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Some people confuse antibiotics: an older woman once described to me in spine-chilling detail the swollen lips and wheezing that had kept her away from penicillin since before World War II. But penicillin wasn't around then, and she probably had a sulfa allergy instead.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">A few people — or, more likely, their doctors — mix up the disease and the treatment. Syphilis and Lyme disease can sometimes dramatically worsen in the hours following effective treatment, but that isn't a drug allergy either.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Some people may have only a mild allergy. Ampicillin in particular can cause a rash that is annoying but not dangerous.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Meanwhile, people with the throat-swelling, heart-stopping immediate reaction to penicillin called anaphylaxis often outgrow it. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=6267115" style="text-decoration: none; ">Fewer than half</a> will remain allergic after five years.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">In other words, the chances were good that we could have treated that angry infected leg with a penicillin drug without running into problems. It was by far our best and cheapest option.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">But we routinely sidestep this particular gamble. The odds may be strongly in our favor, more than for most of the risks we routinely take, but it is hard to say who is more terrified by the prospect of overriding a patient's allergy history, the patient or the hospital's lawyers.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">So a couple of times a week, we briefly consider our options, right and wrong.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The right option is not to proceed like a bunch of cowboys, gleefully administering the penicillin ourselves. The right option is to address the matter with the available scientific tools. A system of skin tests can predict with precision whether a person can safely get penicillin and its many relatives.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">At this point in our discussion, if it gets this far, we always look at each other with some confusion. Are the chemicals needed for a skin test available these days? (The major one was off the market for quite a few years but now is back again). Who does the testing, anyway? (It needs an experienced hand. Is that person still working here?)</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Somebody should definitely find out the answers, for sure, we say. But at the moment we are in a big hurry. We need to get this woman on treatment so she can get better and vacate that expensive hospital bed for somebody else.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Our patient is not one of the rare individuals who absolutely needs penicillin. Plenty of other antibiotics will help her. These days, only certain patients with syphilis have no good treatment alternatives. For them we deploy not only skin tests (which take about an hour in the right hands) but even the painstaking daylong desensitization procedures that can briefly defuse the immune reaction to the drug.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">For every other patient, we head cheerfully down the wrong path. It takes us less than seven seconds to choose among various other antibiotics. They are more expensive than a penicillin drug would be, and also more powerful. They will kill off a lot of innocent intestinal organisms that our patient would probably be better off keeping. They will let drug-resistant variants thrive and escape into the world.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">But our patient's leg will get better, and that is our visible focus. The resistant microbial population in her gut, our hospital, our other patients, our community and our very own selves (no man is an island when it comes to microbes) are invisible.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">She is only one patient in one hospital, but the sum total of all those decisions in all the patients like her in all the hospitals in the country is chilling. Or rather, it would be chilling, if we had the time to sit down and think about it.</p><div><br></div><div><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/penicillin-allergies-overblown/?partner=rss&emc=rss">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/penicillin-allergies-overblown/?partner=rss&emc=rss</a><br></div>

Hard Cases: Penicillin Allergies Overblown - NYT

The woman with the swollen red leg was selling us one bill of goods after another. She said she had stopped injecting drugs years before; th...

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Breaking: Right to work struck down in Indiana

Great news! An Indiana judge just ruled the state's right-to-work-for-less law is unconstitutional!!<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/221750001e7a4f4c9cbf53307331c76f/IN--Indiana-Right-to-Work/#.Ui5Xt-CEzww" rel="nofollow">Associated Press</a> has the story:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Lake Superior Court Judge John Sedia found that the law wrongly requires unions to represent workers who do not pay dues. Indiana became the 23rd state in the nation to ban the collection of mandatory fees for representation from unions. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Since then, union lawyers have gone to the courts to try and overturn the law. Sedia issued an order last Thursday declaring the ban on collections and associated criminal penalties unconstitutional. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">A spokesman for Attorney General Greg Zoeller says the state will appeal the ruling directly to Indiana's Supreme Court.</blockquote>There's no telling whether the judge's ruling will survive the appeal. But for now, it's a victory for workers in Indiana!<br /><br /><br />

Indiana right to work Breaking: Right to work struck down in Indiana

Great news! An Indiana judge just ruled the state's right-to-work-for-less law is unconstitutional!! The Associated Press has the story...

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Boyd, Mudcat ... 2013's odd political climate in Virginia

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyDkvpcnP_zUgC-sz0FJppncvyHrUGP6EQB2OLwsxxuPlXWuSpGE2q7TQDvN5YOE6alY1gmyk67vDLmflHZg1PFCtNmDUzaVtMWDvqtFJ9nlcaCz1y5DnoXyzmux_36QOe2d2ZYG4RXiv/s1600/GOP-Dems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyDkvpcnP_zUgC-sz0FJppncvyHrUGP6EQB2OLwsxxuPlXWuSpGE2q7TQDvN5YOE6alY1gmyk67vDLmflHZg1PFCtNmDUzaVtMWDvqtFJ9nlcaCz1y5DnoXyzmux_36QOe2d2ZYG4RXiv/s320/GOP-Dems.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The political climate in Virginia continues to get curiouser and curiouser on an almost daily basis and, today, it clouded yet again. <br /><br />Two weeks ago, that ground shift you felt under your feet was the GOP reacting as longtime veteran Republican strategist Boyd Marcus endorsed and moved over to work for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe for governor. Conservative to the core, Boyd's move had some calling him a RINO, a moderate, and excoriating him for daring to step over the political line even as the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/gop-strategist-boyd-marcus-joins-mcauliffe-campaign/2013/09/08/156158b0-16f8-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html">Washington Post</a> noted, "Democrats and even some Republicans see Marcus’s move as emblematic of a deep rift within the party: Marcus had been aligned with pragmatic establishment figures and repelled by the resolute tea party style...." <br /><br />Interesting, then, that in another twist of this continuing drama, the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/veteran-democratic-strategist-says-hes-pulling-for-cuccinelli-in-virginia-governors-race/2013/09/09/43120b1e-1979-11e3-82ef-a059e54c49d0_story.html">Washington Post </a>reported today that longtime Democratic strategist Mudcat Saunders had sorta-kinda joined the Cuccinelli campaign even though he didn't formally endorse him. Mudcat's reason? He doesn't agree with "corporate" types. That made me wonder if he meant he doesn't agree with capitalism. He was all over the map with thoughts about the campaign but seemed to zero in on southwestern Virginia and the coal industry, something Democrats and liberal environmentalists seem determined to destroy: “Once my party starts caring for the people at the bottom of the mountain as much as they care for the trees at the top of the mountain, I’ll join the conversation." <br /><br />So was Mudcat piqued that McAuliffe didn't turn to him to consult his campaign, perhaps ticked that a Republican was hired instead? Or did the Cuccinelli campaign begin overtures to Mudcat after Boyd went to McAuliffe? Or could it be that the rural-leaning Mudcat just didn't like the globe-trotting McAuliffe who is closely associated with the Clintons?<br /><br />There's no knowing for sure but it certainly adds to the mystique and entertainment of those watching this eclectic campaign season play out. With six weeks left until election day, it will be interesting to see who may next trip over party lines.<br /><br />Cross-posted at <a href="http://www.vapolitics.us/">Virginia Politics On Demand </a>

2013 gubernatorial election Boyd Marcus coal industry democrats Ken Cuccinelli Mudcat Saunders Republicans Terry McAuliffe Virginia politics Boyd, Mudcat ... 2013's odd political climate in Virginia

The political climate in Virginia continues to get curiouser and curiouser on an almost daily basis and, today, it clouded yet again. Two we...

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World of Warcraft: Patch 5.4 Siege of Orgrimmar

<p> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:42c85969-4974-4cac-8590-f6cf4fcd76a7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div><object height="480" width="853"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/slzQOyS5TqQ?hl=en_US&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/slzQOyS5TqQ?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div></div></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"><a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/patch-notes/under-dev" target="_blank">Highlights</a> of Patch 5.4: The Siege of Orgrimmar:</font></p> <ul> <li><font size="3">Vale of Eternal Blossoms is destroyed.  Taran Zhu warned long ago that the new visitors to Pandaria would permanent change the land and he was right.  The newly opened Vale of Eternal Blossoms will be destroyed with the live implementation of the patch.  The achievement for opening the Vale will become a Feat of Strength and will no longer be obtainable.</font></li> <ul> <li><font size="3">ALL water is gone from the Vale</font></li></ul> <li><font size="3">A new raid, Siege of Orgrimmar: 14 bosses, including Garrosh Hellscream—> will raiders kill him, dethrone him, or what?  So far, Blizzard has kept that secret but we will all know shortly</font></li> <li><font size="3">A new type of raid: </font><a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/10175200/A_Raid_for_All_Seasons_Flexible_Raid_Preview-6_6_2013" target="_blank"><font size="3">Flex Raiding</font></a><font size="3">: raids are now capable of scaling in difficult based on the number of people in the raid.  Raid sizes of anywhere between 10 to 25 players are available for flex raids.  Flex raids DO NOT replace normal and heroic 10 and 25 man raids, or LFR.  Loot quality will be a step above LFR and a step below Normal.</font></li> <li><font size="3">Proving Grounds: just switch specs, just coming back and skills a little rusty?  </font><a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/10405142/" target="_blank"><font size="3">Proving Grounds</font></a><font size="3"> are solo instances in four varying degrees of difficulty designed to test the players skills as tank, healer, or damage.  The four modes are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Endless and the Proving Ground is located at the Temple in Kun-Lai Summit.</font></li> <li><a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/10590712/" target="_blank"><font size="3">Timeless Isle</font></a><font size="3">: new adventuring zone to be found just off the coast of the Jade Forest.  There will be no new dallies or quest chains to be found.  However, the braver explorer will be rewarded with tokens to allow for faster gearing of alts and gear with an ilvl high enough to get into LFR for the Siege of Orgrimmar raid.</font></li> <li><font size="3">Legendary quest chain concludes – lucky you, my poor priest is far behind on this one.</font></li> <li><font size="3">Gear that previously cost Valor points, except for Shado Pan Assault gear, will now cost Justice Points and are no longer locked behind a faction reputation grind</font></li> <li><font size="3">Valor is<strong><em> not</em></strong> being reset</font></li> <li><font size="3">Connected Realms are coming but will not be available when the Patch goes live</font></li> <li><font size="3"><a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/10158897/" target="_blank">Usual number of class changes and balancing changes</a>:</font></li> <ul> <li><font size="3">Taunt type abilities all now increase threat generated by 200%</font></li> <li><font size="3">Vengeance has multiple changes</font></li> <li><font size="3">All area knockback effects share diminishing returns</font></li> <li><font size="3">Spinning Crane Kick, Holy Radiance, Light’s Hammer, Holy Word: Sanctuary, and Healing Rain are now smart heals, healing the six lowest health friendly targets in range but will not heal minor guardian type targets (i.e. wild imps, snakes from traps, etc.)</font></li></ul> <li><font size="3">Base Resilience increased to 72% up from 65%</font></li> <li><font size="3">Conquest Points awarded from winning a Random Battleground or Call to Arms increased to 150 for the first win and 75 points for each subsequent win that day.</font></li> <li><font size="3">Balanced Trillium Ingot plans will drop throughout Pandaria, ingots are required to make the new Raid and PvP Blacksmithing plans</font></li> <li><font size="3">New cooking recipes have been added</font></li> <li><font size="3">New enchanting reagent: Sha  Fragment –> come from disenchanting gear that was previous obtained using Valor Points</font></li> <ul> <li><font size="3">Crystals can be combined to make a Sha Crystal</font></li></ul> <li><font size="3">Engineers can obtain the plans to craft Jard's Peculiar Energy Source from creatures throughout Pandaria, it is required to make new schematics</font></li> <li><font size="3">Blingatron now has a chance to drop a Lil’Blingatron pet</font></li> <li><font size="3">All enchantments can now be applied to Heirloom Items but will scale down to a level appropriate for the player</font></li> <li><font size="3">Cash shop goes live in game</font></li></ul> <p><font size="3">Servers come down at midnight 10 September 2013 Pacific Daylight Time and are anticipated to be live at ten o’clock PDT.  I will post updates if anything major changes.</font></p> <p> <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:40fc4175-f8f0-4474-b078-ba62ae08e50d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/World+of+Warcraft" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/WOW" rel="tag">WOW</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Patch+5.4" rel="tag">Patch 5.4</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Siege+of+Orgrimmar" rel="tag">Siege of Orgrimmar</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PvP" rel="tag">PvP</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cash+shop" rel="tag">cash shop</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/professions" rel="tag">professions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/valor" rel="tag">valor</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/justice" rel="tag">justice</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/legendary" rel="tag">legendary</a></div></p>

Blizzard Cash Shop MMO video games World of Warcraft World of Warcraft: Patch 5.4 Siege of Orgrimmar

  Highlights of Patch 5.4: The Siege of Orgrimmar: Vale of Eternal Blossoms is destroyed.  Taran Zhu warned long ago that the new visi...

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Open health innovation | opensource.com

<h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The future of health is open</h2><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The stories we share here are inspired by health innovation from around the globe. We bring to life how technology, transparency, information-sharing, and community-building are playing a vital role in the ways people are thinking about health.</p><h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Health transparency</h2><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We are beginning to see greater transparency in healthcare, as a result of efforts to improve  general health around the world. Examples of this include:</p><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding-left: 2em; list-style-type: disc; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Greater clarity in medical costs</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Better and more prominent nutritional information at restaurants and on food packaging</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Including the patient as a partner in his/her own care</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Improving information-sharing among physicians and medical records systems</li></ul><h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Health is becoming social</h2><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The connectivity we all enjoy today allows for quick and easy sharing of health information. We are building communities and social networks that are focused on health and medicine. Many people—for example, those with chronic conditions that might have previously curtailed their social interaction—are able to go online to find others who share their health concerns.  They—and everyone else—can reach out to peers for health information and advice. And despite the occasional episode of internet-based hypochondria (You probably don't really have a brain tumor. Or a guinea worm.), better informed patients can make better decisions.</p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">These now-forming networks also allow doctors and individuals to connect and share knowledge much more quickly. And smart mobile health apps can further advance the way we communicate with health providers.</p><h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Participate</h2><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">You can join the open health conversation.</p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Have you seen transparency, collaboration, and community efforts to improve health where you live? Have you heard about it happening elsewhere? Let us know.</p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Not sure where to start? Check out the list of topic ideas below, and see if something strikes your fancy.</p><h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Topic ideas</h2><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding-left: 2em; list-style-type: disc; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Transparency in patient health records data</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Who owns the patient data in electronic health records—the software provider, the doctor, or the patient?</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Does meaningful use mean more collaboration in care?</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Ways to collaborate with and better involve patients as active participants in their own care</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Health record exchange - Compelling doctors to collaborate and share records with each other</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">The pharmaceutical industry - collaborative clinical trials, drug patents and exclusivity,  the generic-versus-name-brand dilemma</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">OpenNotes project</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Blue Button project</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Aneesh Chopra's visit to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and opening data</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">New bill advocating transparency in medical insurance rate changes</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Greater cost transparency, i.e., doctor visits, procedures, even simple tests so we can make more informed medical decisions.</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">One procedure can cost one sum in one place and a vastly different sum somewhere else.</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">mHealth and eHealth provide easier access and help shrink the health disparity gap</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Social health (building health networks in social media)</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Open data in healthcare</li></ul><br><a href="http://opensource.com/health">http://opensource.com/health</a>

Open health innovation | opensource.com

The future of health is open The stories we share here are inspired by health innovation from around the globe. We bring to life how technol...

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Miracle babies, wounded soldiers, and hurricane victims: Grim and uplifting articles about hospitals. - Slate Magazine

From the Maternity Ward to the Autopsy Room<br /><br><br /><br>The Longform guide to hospitals.<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/longform/2013/08/miracle_babies_wounded_soldiers_and_hurricane_victims_grim_and_uplifting.single.html">http://www.slate.com/articles/life/longform/2013/08/miracle_babies_wounded_soldiers_and_hurricane_victims_grim_and_uplifting.single.html</a>

Miracle babies, wounded soldiers, and hurricane victims: Grim and uplifting articles about hospitals. - Slate Magazine

From the Maternity Ward to the Autopsy Room The Longform guide to hospitals. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/longform/2013/08/miracle_bab...

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Cocoa

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9RUZejeSfBspLsRmXsmdIu007eokAJM2u8JQDJsbdEpeujIxXOqkafexrFNTT43Iep-EihO7GnPZUIZofdpyUBKhjJUyKb8bSLoyrEvyGRKNefB8o7TKzDDKaxVNK8029iBcivjS3zg/s1600/Cocoa.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9RUZejeSfBspLsRmXsmdIu007eokAJM2u8JQDJsbdEpeujIxXOqkafexrFNTT43Iep-EihO7GnPZUIZofdpyUBKhjJUyKb8bSLoyrEvyGRKNefB8o7TKzDDKaxVNK8029iBcivjS3zg/s320/Cocoa.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />We have a new pet. She's a 10 pound <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shih_Tzu">Shih Tzu</a> and her name is Cocoa.

Cocoa

Click to enlarge. We have a new pet. She's a 10 pound Shih Tzu and her name is Cocoa.

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Peak American Labor per Capita

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0ICvbeTlVXXr0U2PAlTr_EuYQJDZBHZI1doqfsd7nwRnsIK9d7xcb55lCGOCyKcAjPPNkT0y-kzStbmqVQ9qxlr5c4wb1b-aqOXwgY1YmffmdHVF48nkCiVCOt6x3DHbHP6Gam0h3s0/s1600/Peak+American+Labor.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0ICvbeTlVXXr0U2PAlTr_EuYQJDZBHZI1doqfsd7nwRnsIK9d7xcb55lCGOCyKcAjPPNkT0y-kzStbmqVQ9qxlr5c4wb1b-aqOXwgY1YmffmdHVF48nkCiVCOt6x3DHbHP6Gam0h3s0/s320/Peak+American+Labor.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />The record high of 11.03 hours per capita was set in <span style="color: red;">April of 2000</span>. I see very little evidence that a new record will ever be reached.<br /><br />From a long-term perspective, we are currently in the illusion of prosperity's unwinding phase. Put another way, we're in a cyclical bull market within a secular bear market. It's just an opinion of course. Your opinion may vary.<br /><br /><b>September 18, 2007</b><br /><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/09/suze-orman-vs-warren-buffett.html">Suze Orman vs. Warren Buffett</a><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #666666;">I'm afraid that the people selling are the little investors. - Suze Orman, </span><span style="color: red;">April 2000</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #666666;">Fabulous economy. Best that we've had in forever, almost. - Suze Orman, </span><span style="color: red;">April 2000</span></i><br /><br />Speaking of fabulous economies...<br /><br /><b>August 31, 2006</b><br /><a href="http://economicsandliberty.blogspot.com/2006/08/why-do-americans-hate-their-fabulous.html">Why Do Americans Hate their Fabulous Economy?</a><br /><br /><div style="color: #666666;"><i>Polls consistently show that Americans are rather negative about the economy, and many have wondered why that might be considering that our economy is the envy of the world (as well it should be). <span style="color: red;">The source of our pessimism is a bit of a mystery, and it is one that I am going to pursue. For the moment, I'll simply note that I have identified what may be a contributing factor to our unwarranted despair: reporters rarely use charts, and that allows them to wax poetic about the 'jobless recovery,' 'worrisome signs of inflation,' 'record setting deficits,' and other such nonsense.</span> Charts anchor the mind to the raw data, which makes it hard to use bumper-sticker slogans that mislead (and demoralize) more than they clarify. <span style="color: red;">In any story about the economy, there is never an excuse not to use a chart, but reporters almost never do.</span></i></div><br />In hindsight, that's just priceless. It would seem that the <a href="http://engram-backtalk.blogspot.com/2006/08/americans-hate-their-fabulous-economy.html">original source</a> of that quote has been [nearly] permanently deleted. The Internet is not [nearly] so forgiving though. It is very difficult to undo what was once said in public.<br /><br />As for being a reporter, I don't need an excuse to use a chart. I dwell on them. This "fabulous economy" has *so* many trend failures that I can't even begin to keep up. They fascinate me, both in quantity and quality, lol. Sigh.<br /><br />This is not investment advice, but it does lean heavily towards gallows humor.<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://www.bls.gov/data/#employment">BLS: Employment</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/POP">St. Louis Fed: Population</a>

Peak American Labor per Capita

Click to enlarge. The record high of 11.03 hours per capita was set in April of 2000 . I see very little evidence that a new record will eve...

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Rich, entitled jerks really ARE rich, entitled jerks

The ultra-wealthy really <b><i>are</i></b> self-centered entitled jerks and the U.S. Senate only pays attention to them, not the rest of us.<br /><br />You probably suspected that already, but new studies prove it.<br /><br />Also, BMW drivers are the worst.<br /><br />The <a href="http://psp.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/08/19/0146167213501699.full#aff-1" rel="nofollow">Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</a> reports five new studies show higher social class is associated with increased entitlement and narcissism.<br /><br />Paul Piff of the University of California at Berkeley conducted five experiments that demonstrate the entitlement mentality of people who are wealthier, better educated and have high-status occupations.<br /><br />Joshua Holland at <a href="http://billmoyers.com/2013/08/27/a-plutocracy-ruled-by-self-centered-jerks/">Bill Moyers & Company</a> described our favorite study:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">In one telling experiment, the researchers observed a busy intersection, and found that drivers of luxury cars were more likely to cut off other drivers and less likely to stop for pedestrians crossing the street than those behind the wheels of more modest vehicles. “In our crosswalk study, none of the cars in the beater-car category drove through the crosswalk,” Piff told <a href="http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/the-rich-drive-differently-a-study-suggests/?_r=0">The New York Times</a>. “But you see this huge boost in a driver’s likelihood to commit infractions in more expensive cars.” He added: “BMW drivers are the worst.”</blockquote>Other studies showed the ultra-wealthy are more likely to look at themselves in the mirror and to say “I honestly feel I’m just more deserving than others."<br /><br />Another series of experiments showed upper-class individuals are more unethical than lower-class individuals:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">This included being more likely to “display unethical decision-making,” steal, lie during a negotiation and cheat in order to win a contest.</blockquote>These are the people U.S. senators pay closest attention to. According to a study to be published in the <a href="http://prq.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/10/04/1065912912459567.abstract?papetoc" rel="nofollow">Political Research Quarterly</a>, they respond almost exclusively to their wealthiest constituents.<br /><br />It's starting to look a lot like oligarchy.<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: georgia, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br />

ethics senate wealth Rich, entitled jerks really ARE rich, entitled jerks

The ultra-wealthy really are self-centered entitled jerks and the U.S. Senate only pays attention to them, not the rest of us. You probably...

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Monday, Monday

<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.archidose.org/wp/">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a> Updates:</span><br /><br />This week's dose features the <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/09/09/high-school-extension-with-crinkled-wall/">High School Extension with "Crinkled Wall"</a> in Kufstein, Austria, by Johannes Wiesflecker and Karl-Heinz Klopf:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/09/09/high-school-extension-with-crinkled-wall/"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Sep13-9.jpg" title="This week's dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The featured past dose is the <a href="http://www.archidose.org/Sep10/20/dose.html">Museum Villa Vauban</a> in Luxembourg by Philippe Schmit Architects:<br /><a href="http://www.archidose.org/Sep10/20/dose.html"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://www.archidose.org/Sep10/20/image02.jpg" title="featured past dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />This week's book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/09/09/building-seagram/"><i>Building Seagram</i></a> by Phyllis Lambert (L):<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/09/09/building-seagram/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9780300167672.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a> <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/11/07/supercrit-4/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/supercrit4.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a><br />(R): The featured past book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/11/07/supercrit-4/"><i>Supercrit #4: Bernard Tschumi, Parc de la Villette</i></a> edited by Samantha Hardingham and Kester Rattenbury.<br /><br />: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">American-Architects <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/pages/50x50">Building of the Week</a>:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/projects/42661_Kirkpatrick_Oil_Hennessey">Kirkpatrick Oil Hennessey</a> in Hennessey, Oklahoma, by Elliott + Associates Architects:<br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/projects/42661_Kirkpatrick_Oil_Hennessey"><img alt="this week's Building of the Week" src="http://www.american-architects.com/files/projects/42661/images/KirkpatrickOilHennessey_image2.jpg" title="Current Building of the Week on american-architects.com" width="640" /></a>

Monday, Monday

A Weekly Dose of Architecture Updates: This week's dose features the High School Extension with "Crinkled Wall" in Kufstein,...

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What They Said

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngvBqTewAtJTwsoU_Err1ftuXTPgN5aa0NIJJxcoW9Emsu5a7qG9TwOEUQykYgkVrDy_0TRLLfIoFfg9xvRaZaN1rQzPg955PP5p365Npk4yNKxHDGxWjiVYL4M-eHA4ERLXDTraBofMQ/s1600/bouncing_tits_08.gif" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngvBqTewAtJTwsoU_Err1ftuXTPgN5aa0NIJJxcoW9Emsu5a7qG9TwOEUQykYgkVrDy_0TRLLfIoFfg9xvRaZaN1rQzPg955PP5p365Npk4yNKxHDGxWjiVYL4M-eHA4ERLXDTraBofMQ/s640/bouncing_tits_08.gif" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjjKaN9qs7wmR1_5eCsc9R5cmDP7xfiLZdIMGClLDQK1yg10rMTibruBNi0K_D4xKYUEU9FQGqxNFumw5OB1meMGwA8FLRLHSEpkuG5pVxocUo9ISuWTAfjGJIWcz2tN40VMhJNr4bYHz/s1600/original.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjjKaN9qs7wmR1_5eCsc9R5cmDP7xfiLZdIMGClLDQK1yg10rMTibruBNi0K_D4xKYUEU9FQGqxNFumw5OB1meMGwA8FLRLHSEpkuG5pVxocUo9ISuWTAfjGJIWcz2tN40VMhJNr4bYHz/s640/original.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><object class="hark_player" height="28" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn.hark.com/swfs/player_fb.swf?pid=qnvynrgkkr"/><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="allownetworking" value="all"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><embed src="http://cdn.hark.com/swfs/player_fb.swf?pid=qnvynrgkkr" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="all" width="300" height="28" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br/>

What They Said

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Hours Worked (Musical Tribute)

The following chart shows the 24-month moving average of average weekly hours of private production and non-supervisory employees. I have added an exponential trend line in red.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfHIsgveQJWo_j_irmf3fc9cQuVM02TREhCcbPJCXbG9iL4hfTJvR_8O3TQz5RLmKONchP0XoREGtTIuzigaPwYCmKzZd_i4ZnTJx8OGnFWl8b5HvLB6_S2djXo42ETSJhyphenhyphengwFP0tt8s/s1600/Hours+Worked+-+Long-Term.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfHIsgveQJWo_j_irmf3fc9cQuVM02TREhCcbPJCXbG9iL4hfTJvR_8O3TQz5RLmKONchP0XoREGtTIuzigaPwYCmKzZd_i4ZnTJx8OGnFWl8b5HvLB6_S2djXo42ETSJhyphenhyphengwFP0tt8s/s320/Hours+Worked+-+Long-Term.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />The next chart shows the deviation from the long-term trend. I have added recession indicators in blue.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0uVaOJ09oqAnPAypeQ1UxNDqQZleSx-_H7JyVQ-zcferyBDv-JvXX1KDXvxPJo9SZLOfuO7hVZtD60MOjnGC8Np86n-uc5RtVPRRHE1qrqKHFd-zvkTjX2FUO3o9EcLGYva2c51dTmI/s1600/Deviation+from+Trend+-+Long-Term.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0uVaOJ09oqAnPAypeQ1UxNDqQZleSx-_H7JyVQ-zcferyBDv-JvXX1KDXvxPJo9SZLOfuO7hVZtD60MOjnGC8Np86n-uc5RtVPRRHE1qrqKHFd-zvkTjX2FUO3o9EcLGYva2c51dTmI/s320/Deviation+from+Trend+-+Long-Term.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />The next two charts provide a short-term look at that same data.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxuGuV2QLA0m19XBulp3qdfidWRgmuXQHA4m_e0OpAinx7P0h13ZbfM0_7n6ijpCDD7-cpAmzH0JSoHjlfxr9OEz1RpaS2ppK-xl2pXfsuLr_FL2hMNkUwLxRO_OeQ5Ze5Tj8i-0LOVg/s1600/Hours+Worked+-+Short-Term.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxuGuV2QLA0m19XBulp3qdfidWRgmuXQHA4m_e0OpAinx7P0h13ZbfM0_7n6ijpCDD7-cpAmzH0JSoHjlfxr9OEz1RpaS2ppK-xl2pXfsuLr_FL2hMNkUwLxRO_OeQ5Ze5Tj8i-0LOVg/s320/Hours+Worked+-+Short-Term.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />Note that the 24-month moving average of hours worked is starting to roll over (again). This does not bode well for future employment growth.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lXqst9VLHY7sX9bKpPxAFi5zIxnRmitVu2ZqbMIjCwJ38gvf56hO_qynGDiUxIaLzhv2k2JvW3us0aqdFP1JCc6jFwmWM0zx4WAsAOtP1KoCKPD5tH5GjP2dxUrMqrE_629qHQ3-69c/s1600/Deviation+from+Trend+-+Short-Term.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lXqst9VLHY7sX9bKpPxAFi5zIxnRmitVu2ZqbMIjCwJ38gvf56hO_qynGDiUxIaLzhv2k2JvW3us0aqdFP1JCc6jFwmWM0zx4WAsAOtP1KoCKPD5tH5GjP2dxUrMqrE_629qHQ3-69c/s320/Deviation+from+Trend+-+Short-Term.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Yjy-fnsmWR4" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jetsons">The Jetsons</a><br /><br /><div style="color: #666666;"><i>George Jetson's workweek is typical of his era: an hour a day, two days a week.</i></div><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/USRECM">St. Louis Fed: NBER based Recession Indicators</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/AWHNONAG">St. Louis Fed: Average Weekly Hours Of Production And Nonsupervisory Employees: Total private</a>

Hours Worked (Musical Tribute)

The following chart shows the 24-month moving average of average weekly hours of private production and non-supervisory employees. I have ad...

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Augusta County Library offers Geocaching class

Looking to find out more about Geocaching? Stop by the <a href="http://www.augustacountylibrary.org/2013/09/05/catch-the-geocaching-bug/">Augusta County Library</a> in Fishersville Thursday evening and hear all about it: <br /><blockquote>Do you know that there are tiny treasures hidden all around your community? There are, and you can only find them using the high-tech scavenger hunt called Geocaching.<br /><br />Geocaching.com describes this hobby as a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.<br /><br />Sound fun, but don’t know how to get started? Then join us on Thursday, September 12 at 6:00 pm at the Fishersville Main Library. We’ll be hosting Bobbi Simonsen, a local geocaching enthusiast who will share her passion for this outdoor hobby. She’ll teach you the basics, so you’re out logging caches in no time. All ages welcome. For more info, call the Fishersville Main Library at (540)885-3961.</blockquote>

Augusta County Library geocaching high-tech scavenger hunt Augusta County Library offers Geocaching class

Looking to find out more about Geocaching? Stop by the Augusta County Library in Fishersville Thursday evening and hear all about it: Do yo...

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BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!

This is just too cool.<br /><br /><blockquote>In response to the planned “Million Muslim March” in Washington, D.C., on 9/11, bikers announced their own rival 2 Million Biker Ride. This weekend, news surfaced on blogs and Twitter that<a href="http://twitchy.com/2013/09/08/report-dc-denies-permit-for-911-bikers-planners-move-ahead-anyway/"> D.C. had denied the bikers an event permit.</a><br /><br /> Permit Denied to 2 Million Bikers to DC on 9.11.13 americanlibertyriders.ning.com/forum/topics/p…—<br /> NoisyRoom (@terresamonroe) September 08, 2013<br /><br /> Washington DC has DENIED our permit for a no-stop ride through Washington DC. We find this regretful for the residents and businesses of that great city, and humbly offer our apologies. What could have been a one or two hour ride through will now likely be an all day event. We will be obeying all laws. We will be stopping at all stoplights, stop signs, and yielding to all pedestrians.<br /><br /> RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF WASHINGTON DC: On behalf of the National “2 Million Bikers to DC” Team, please accept our sincere apologies. We did the right thing and went through the proper channels to secure a no-stop permit to ride through your great city. We wanted to ride an established route, which would have taken us past the Viet Nam Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial, across the bridge into Virginia, and that’s it! We would have been completely out of Washington DC, and your city would have been back to normal.<br /><br /> The National Team fully expected our permit to be rejected, and have already drafted a Plan-B.</blockquote><br />Plan B to include completely clogging the streets of D.C. for hours and hours.<br /><br />Sometimes having a complete dick in the permit office in D.C. has awesome repercussions.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC18n_qMOtolj9hJ0Of-_pz9JbUxgk1cXSFKEvKZOFapmePt5yp46CGg_DrgxxPu1d-P2rFy8kHU7cAICx6uGwvPM5YFLfKCJoocFpqdCNUbXSVFSBwVk34jHkiMtrm1n4wO6XwXK7Qee/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC18n_qMOtolj9hJ0Of-_pz9JbUxgk1cXSFKEvKZOFapmePt5yp46CGg_DrgxxPu1d-P2rFy8kHU7cAICx6uGwvPM5YFLfKCJoocFpqdCNUbXSVFSBwVk34jHkiMtrm1n4wO6XwXK7Qee/s640/10.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />Our nations capitol is going to be a giant fucking parking lot.<br /><br />Good job Mr. Dick permit denying dude!

BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!

This is just too cool. In response to the planned “Million Muslim March” in Washington, D.C., on 9/11, bikers announced their own rival 2 Mi...

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City Modern NYC

<a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/">City Modern</a>, a "showcase [of the] the best of New York's design scene with studio tours, panel discussions, cocktail parties, special installations and home tours," takes place from September 27 to October 4. Organized by <i>Dwell</i> and <i>New York</i> magazine, the heart of City Modern is definitely the home tours—five in Manhattan on Saturday the 28th and five in Brooklyn on Sunday the 29th. One of the highlights of the tours is a space I've visited (my photos are below): the <a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/skyhouse.html">Skyhouse</a> by David Hotson Architect and Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design. Details on it and the other tours are at the bottom.<br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW12y2rho0bPoFtnIR60JJoJjL0SNa6lcbUeT571evSuChkGIg7XjJVIiROdkemFMehYqz8cpseNLJ8jNBg-F-pGQCjTs17Z3PRMK3dPnCn5kdjcE8IQOY_sBnhW42U1LB01PxFUrmxDKI/s1600/skyhouse14.jpg" /><br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKabkiOxxpaoUxrBm3wMCYmmJF71scway4wWl5R5TGf2qTaeKYMIWhCdzBFe4gfeI4R5qZnxIPqkopP-VkdxArkXS0DZPWTpwIwNfrAb0xD6EtcF0C59KcJY1BZXe_74o6enTh4lErPG0/s1600/skyhouse21.jpg" /><br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHpnVBLlg7iIB2svjk5C9g4QPHfCboqHre3GvAFPe7Zpjg8AUDIIWwcrLNFHbL0zZ_R4210Um_x2RlroxFPRoPfS7TMO0cH1xpORQTCu3RUtrnrGPWSGDL2bnXlaRXyq4zl2sTWPhuhYf/s1600/skyhouse8.jpg" /><br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuzsZaJZRhqEYyyl5BNTn_Eyingbk0L2_HuWtUlYxGaMJCYEwOkelsDGjNBUVj-jtpwc_31XrTFI5GUJdrht_rthX5iAL5hX78uHYF6RJ8jHEFK-nOEAGb4tYziqxskQxAYJbs_9O0Va1/s1600/skyhouse3.jpg" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/org/1614821172">Get your tickets</a> to see these homes:<br /><br /> <strong>Manhattan</strong> (9/28, 10am - 4pm)<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/14thSt.html">14th Street Loft</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/fractalpad.html">Fractal Pad</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/lafayette.html">Lafayette Townhouse</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/meatpackingloft.html">Meatpacking Loft</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/skyhouse.html">Skyhouse</a></li></ul><br /> <strong>Brooklyn</strong> (9/29, 10am - 4pm)<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/deanstmodern.html">Dean Street Townhouse</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/flavorpaper.html">Flavor Paper Pad</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/pacificTrio.html">Pacific Street Trio</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/salleresidence.html">Salle Residence</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/stateStreet.html">State Street Townhouse</a></li></ul>

City Modern NYC

City Modern , a "showcase [of the] the best of New York's design scene with studio tours, panel discussions, cocktail parties, spe...

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Pondering thoughts

And before anybody gets all huffy about this... it's another cathartic post.  I'm sorting thoughts, nothing more.  I'm not looking for a lecture.  I'm confused and know the answer lies within me, not in any comments you may leave.  And it's a conversation I need to have with my husband, I know that too.  But I need to sort out my thoughts first.<br /><br />I'm struggling a bit with right vs wrong and gray areas I didn't know existed.<br /><br />Wrong is easy.  Between the laws and the bible, wrong is well defined.  Pure right, that's pretty easy too.<br /><br />Other things that are right, well that's up for interpretation and the individual.  Lots of the stuff we blog about, heck all of it, can be interpreted as wrong depending on your perspective.<br /><br />People have things in common, things that form the bond between you and your spouse/partner.  The things that drew you into each other's spell and the reasons why you wake up in love each day.  My husband and I are soul mates and best friends.  Even though we drive each other to tears, it still comes down to love.<br /><br />Everybody has personal hobbies or interests outside of the marriage. Things that our spouses don't share an interest in, or perhaps it's just more fun with someone else.  My husband and I certainly do.  It's what makes each person an individual.<br /><br />What happens when one partner wants companionship in an interest?  Either that person remains unfulfilled forever or else that person wants to connect with others who share a similar interest.<br /><br />What happens when an interest is something that probably belongs within the marriage, but it can't?  And what if said interests aren't so vanilla?  Things that would be right and wonderful for the two of us to share but there's always that resounding no... sometimes it's accompanied with concerns about being brainwashed or mentally unstable. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />I'm allowed to have friends, both IRL and online.  I'm allowed to do as I please. I don't announce exactly who my friends are or precisely what we talk about.  I'm always honest if asked and have no reason not to be.  It's just that checking in isn't a part of our relationship.<br /><br />He knows I have a blog, never seen it and he doesn't want to.  He knows y'all get me through tougher times, both directly through the blog and then also more personal communication outside of it.  He knows there are blog friends who eventually permeate the barriers and become more real.  And he knows how deeply personal this is.  He knows I'm sharing things he's not interested in hearing about.  He knows most of you are women, but some are men.  He hasn't expressed any inkling of concern about this, nor have I ever given reason for concern. <br /><br />But herein lies a gray area I didn't know existed.  One side of me is questioning whether it fair or right for me to have close friendships and deep conversations about these interests when I've been told I can't have them at home.  The other side of me says its perfectly innocent (despite subject matter), I'm a grown woman, and I can be friends with who I want.  <br /><br />And these are rhetorical questions by the way.  I'm not sure why I'm even putting this on here.  Probably end up deleting it anyway...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>

Pondering thoughts

And before anybody gets all huffy about this... it's another cathartic post.  I'm sorting thoughts, nothing more.  I'm not looki...

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