Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/307594410?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Hospitals profit when patients develop bloodstream infections
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Public release date: 22-May-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Stephanie Desmon
sdesmon1@jhmi.edu
410-955-8665
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Private insurers rather than hospitals would reap the most savings by supporting programs to prevent these avoidable complications
Johns Hopkins researchers report that hospitals may be reaping enormous income for patients whose hospital stays are complicated by preventable bloodstream infections contracted in their intensive care units.
In a small, new study, reported online in the American Journal of Medical Quality, the researchers found that an ICU patient who develops an avoidable central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) costs nearly three times more to care for than a similar infection-free patient. Moreover, hospitals earn nearly nine times more for treating infected patients, who spend an average of 24 days in the hospital.
The researchers also found that private insurers, rather than Medicare and Medicaid, pay the most for patient stays complicated by CLABSIs roughly $400,000 per hospital stay suggesting that private insurers would gain the most financial benefit from working with hospitals to reduce infection rates.
"We have known that hospitals often profit from complications, even ones of their own making," says Peter J. Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for patient safety for Johns Hopkins Medicine and one of the authors of the research. "What we did not know was by how much, and that private insurers are largely footing the bill."
"This study suggests that it is in the financial interest of private insurers to help hospitals find a way to improve patient safety and reduce the number of these preventable infections," says Johns Hopkins anesthesiology resident Eugene Hsu, M.D., M.B.A., the study's leader. "If the money spent on treating just one infection was spent on effectively implementing measures to prevent CLABSIs, insurers could save millions of dollars, and, more importantly, the needless suffering of patients would be reduced."
CLABSI infections occur when thin plastic tubes, or central lines, are placed in ICU patients to administer medication or fluids, obtain blood for tests, and directly gauge cardiovascular measurements such as central venous blood pressure. But the tubes are easily contaminated and each year roughly 80,000 patients with central lines become infected. Some 28,000 are estimated to die nearly as many as those who die from breast cancer annually and the cost of treating them may be as high as $3 billion nationally, according to experts.
While the number of infections has been falling nationwide as a result of checklists and other safety measures developed and tested by Pronovost, he says less money is currently available from the government to put interventions in place, and that a good source to turn to would be private insurers who have the most to gain financially from them.
The researchers reviewed records on patients admitted to an ICU at Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, from January 2009 through Jan. 1, 2012. Over that time, there were 16 CLABSIs. The researchers compared the data gathered from both the hospital and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii to determine costs, payments and profit margins for each infection. They then compared that information to data from a control group of 64 ICU patients who were not infected.
Results showed that the hospital's average profit margin for treating an infected patient was $54,906, while the margin for treating a similar uninfected patient was just $6,506, on average.
To their surprise, Hsu and his colleagues also found that private payers not government insurers Medicare and Medicaid pay the most to hospitals when an infection occurs. On average, they found that hospitals lost money in treating each infected patient when the government was paying an average of $14,000 per infection while they made $216,000 on average (before expenses) when private insurers were footing the bill.
Pronovost says this situation is driven largely by a policy that reimburses hospitals more for patients who are considered more complicated to treat. Insurers generally pay most hospitals a predetermined amount for a typical patient's stay, based on the average cost of providing care to a patient in a similar condition. The payment is set under a diagnostic related group (DRG) that pays a hospital a lump sum for a given patient's episode of care, a system which incentivizes hospitals to reduce costs of each stay since their revenues are fixed and they can keep any money that goes unspent. However, some cases are more complicated and therefore more costly to treat and insurers are required to pay more for these cases, using a mechanism known as outlier payments, in which hospitals are paid as a percentage of charges. The more the hospital charges, the more it is reimbursed by its insurer.
The majority of CLABSIs in the study were considered outliers and ensured a large payout, he adds. Private insurers pay more than government insurers for outliers, even when the triggering event was a preventable complication.
"The current payment system perversely penalizes hospitals with fewer infections," Hsu says. "What should happen instead is that hospitals should be financially rewarded for preventing harm rather than for treating the resulting illness."
Pronovost says that if private insurers took the money they spent on one preventable infection and invested it in quality improvement programs, they could see huge returns. "Given that the current policy of trying to improve quality though financial incentives has had limited impact, insurers should consider directly supporting these types of programs," he says.
Years ago, Johns Hopkins researchers, led by Pronovost, developed a much-heralded checklist and other interventions tested at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and then adopted by hospitals in entire states such as Michigan and Rhode Island, that virtually eliminated catheter infections.
"More than 1,200 hospitals have significantly reduced these infections through participating in our national program," he says. "At Johns Hopkins, we are continuously looking for more ways to decrease infections and other complications and minimize risks to patients."
The safety program developed at Johns Hopkins includes the much-talked-about, cockpit-style checklist for doctors and nurses to follow when placing a central line catheter, five basic steps from hand-washing to avoiding placement in the groin area where infection rates are higher. Along with the checklist, the program promotes a "culture of safety" that comprises science of safety education; training in how to identify safety problems and solutions and to measure improvements; and empowering all team members, no matter how senior or junior, to question each other and stop procedures if safety is compromised.
###
Other Johns Hopkins researchers involved in the study include Kevin D. Frick, Ph.D.; Ting Yang, Ph.D.; and Julius Cuong Pham, M.D., Ph.D.
Authors of the study received financial support to conduct the research from the Physicians Medical Administrators Group, the Hawaii Medical Service Association, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, the Health Research and Educational Trust and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Media Contact: Stephanie Desmon
410-955-8665; sdesmon1@jhmi.edu
Helen Jones
410-502-9422; hjones49@jhmi.edu
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 22-May-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Stephanie Desmon
sdesmon1@jhmi.edu
410-955-8665
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Private insurers rather than hospitals would reap the most savings by supporting programs to prevent these avoidable complications
Johns Hopkins researchers report that hospitals may be reaping enormous income for patients whose hospital stays are complicated by preventable bloodstream infections contracted in their intensive care units.
In a small, new study, reported online in the American Journal of Medical Quality, the researchers found that an ICU patient who develops an avoidable central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) costs nearly three times more to care for than a similar infection-free patient. Moreover, hospitals earn nearly nine times more for treating infected patients, who spend an average of 24 days in the hospital.
The researchers also found that private insurers, rather than Medicare and Medicaid, pay the most for patient stays complicated by CLABSIs roughly $400,000 per hospital stay suggesting that private insurers would gain the most financial benefit from working with hospitals to reduce infection rates.
"We have known that hospitals often profit from complications, even ones of their own making," says Peter J. Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for patient safety for Johns Hopkins Medicine and one of the authors of the research. "What we did not know was by how much, and that private insurers are largely footing the bill."
"This study suggests that it is in the financial interest of private insurers to help hospitals find a way to improve patient safety and reduce the number of these preventable infections," says Johns Hopkins anesthesiology resident Eugene Hsu, M.D., M.B.A., the study's leader. "If the money spent on treating just one infection was spent on effectively implementing measures to prevent CLABSIs, insurers could save millions of dollars, and, more importantly, the needless suffering of patients would be reduced."
CLABSI infections occur when thin plastic tubes, or central lines, are placed in ICU patients to administer medication or fluids, obtain blood for tests, and directly gauge cardiovascular measurements such as central venous blood pressure. But the tubes are easily contaminated and each year roughly 80,000 patients with central lines become infected. Some 28,000 are estimated to die nearly as many as those who die from breast cancer annually and the cost of treating them may be as high as $3 billion nationally, according to experts.
While the number of infections has been falling nationwide as a result of checklists and other safety measures developed and tested by Pronovost, he says less money is currently available from the government to put interventions in place, and that a good source to turn to would be private insurers who have the most to gain financially from them.
The researchers reviewed records on patients admitted to an ICU at Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, from January 2009 through Jan. 1, 2012. Over that time, there were 16 CLABSIs. The researchers compared the data gathered from both the hospital and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii to determine costs, payments and profit margins for each infection. They then compared that information to data from a control group of 64 ICU patients who were not infected.
Results showed that the hospital's average profit margin for treating an infected patient was $54,906, while the margin for treating a similar uninfected patient was just $6,506, on average.
To their surprise, Hsu and his colleagues also found that private payers not government insurers Medicare and Medicaid pay the most to hospitals when an infection occurs. On average, they found that hospitals lost money in treating each infected patient when the government was paying an average of $14,000 per infection while they made $216,000 on average (before expenses) when private insurers were footing the bill.
Pronovost says this situation is driven largely by a policy that reimburses hospitals more for patients who are considered more complicated to treat. Insurers generally pay most hospitals a predetermined amount for a typical patient's stay, based on the average cost of providing care to a patient in a similar condition. The payment is set under a diagnostic related group (DRG) that pays a hospital a lump sum for a given patient's episode of care, a system which incentivizes hospitals to reduce costs of each stay since their revenues are fixed and they can keep any money that goes unspent. However, some cases are more complicated and therefore more costly to treat and insurers are required to pay more for these cases, using a mechanism known as outlier payments, in which hospitals are paid as a percentage of charges. The more the hospital charges, the more it is reimbursed by its insurer.
The majority of CLABSIs in the study were considered outliers and ensured a large payout, he adds. Private insurers pay more than government insurers for outliers, even when the triggering event was a preventable complication.
"The current payment system perversely penalizes hospitals with fewer infections," Hsu says. "What should happen instead is that hospitals should be financially rewarded for preventing harm rather than for treating the resulting illness."
Pronovost says that if private insurers took the money they spent on one preventable infection and invested it in quality improvement programs, they could see huge returns. "Given that the current policy of trying to improve quality though financial incentives has had limited impact, insurers should consider directly supporting these types of programs," he says.
Years ago, Johns Hopkins researchers, led by Pronovost, developed a much-heralded checklist and other interventions tested at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and then adopted by hospitals in entire states such as Michigan and Rhode Island, that virtually eliminated catheter infections.
"More than 1,200 hospitals have significantly reduced these infections through participating in our national program," he says. "At Johns Hopkins, we are continuously looking for more ways to decrease infections and other complications and minimize risks to patients."
The safety program developed at Johns Hopkins includes the much-talked-about, cockpit-style checklist for doctors and nurses to follow when placing a central line catheter, five basic steps from hand-washing to avoiding placement in the groin area where infection rates are higher. Along with the checklist, the program promotes a "culture of safety" that comprises science of safety education; training in how to identify safety problems and solutions and to measure improvements; and empowering all team members, no matter how senior or junior, to question each other and stop procedures if safety is compromised.
###
Other Johns Hopkins researchers involved in the study include Kevin D. Frick, Ph.D.; Ting Yang, Ph.D.; and Julius Cuong Pham, M.D., Ph.D.
Authors of the study received financial support to conduct the research from the Physicians Medical Administrators Group, the Hawaii Medical Service Association, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, the Health Research and Educational Trust and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Media Contact: Stephanie Desmon
410-955-8665; sdesmon1@jhmi.edu
Helen Jones
410-502-9422; hjones49@jhmi.edu
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/jhm-hpw052213.php
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Olivia Newton-John Lists Florida Home for $6.2 ... - AOL Real Estate
By
Zillow
? | Posted May 21st 2013 4:30PM
See more on Zillow:
Stevie Nicks' Old Hollywood Home Asks $1.6 Million
Country Legend George Jones' $8 Million Estate
Ray Lewis Lists Florida Beach Property, Gets Ready for ESPN
Zillow
? | Posted May 21st 2013 4:30PM
Updated May 21st 2013 5:07PM
By Catherine Sherman
What do you get when you combine a four-time Grammy winner and the founder of Florida's Amazon Herb Company? Cypress tongue-and-groove vaulted ceilings, natural coral stone flooring, custom driftwood cabinetry, bean bag seating and a rainwater harvesting irrigation system.
Olivia Newton-John married John Easterling in 2008 and moved into the $4.1 million plantation-style pad a year later. Now the Florida couple is selling the place for $6.2 million, The Real Estalker reports.
Located in the affluent Jupiter Inlet Colony, the 5,500-square-foot home received several eco-luxury renovations totaling $2 million in 2010. The windows can now withstand hurricane impact, the kitchen is equipped with Sub-Zero stainless steal appliances, and the media room is decked out with a state-of-the-art sound, video, shade and lighting system.
And for those more interested in simple pleasures, a vine-draped lanai, lagoon pool and spa, beach access and dock are steps away. The third-of-an-acre property is situated on the Jupiter Sound Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Beach County, ideal for snorkeling, boating or kayaking.
The "Grease" star decided to remarry at age 60, and her singing career spanning more than four decades is still going strong. This year, the native of England embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom. As a breast cancer survivor, she's also committed to educating and promoting women's health.
We'll see whether Newton-John and Easterling remain Florida beach-bound. Jo Ann Jacobson of Seawind Realty, LLC is the listing agent for the property.
See more on Zillow:
Stevie Nicks' Old Hollywood Home Asks $1.6 Million
Country Legend George Jones' $8 Million Estate
Ray Lewis Lists Florida Beach Property, Gets Ready for ESPN
Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/05/21/olivia-newton-john-florida-home/
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Slow pokes: Acupuncture helps hypothermic turtles
QUINCY, Mass. (AP) ? Two endangered sea turtles are shells of their former selves after getting stranded on Cape Cod during a cold spell. Now they're getting some help ? from an acupuncturist.
Two juvenile Kemp's Ridley sea turtles named Dexter and Fletcher Moon are among hundreds left immobile and unable to eat for days this winter after they blew onto the beach.
Vets at a New England Aquarium facility used laser therapy, antibiotics and enriched meals to help turtles recover before being returned to the wild.
That didn't help some turtles. That includes Dexter and Fletcher Moon. They are unable to use their front flippers, so it would be impossible for them to find food or escape predators.
Connie Merigo is head of the aquarium's marine rescue team. She says rescuers are seeing improved limb use and appetite.
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
RolePlayGateway?
Welcome to Domus Saltus Mortuus
Your room is right this way...
Didn't mother always tell you to play with your food?
[i] Well, there's no need to tell you we are vampires now, is there? Surely even a human like you has figured that out? Well then, you best come in and let me tell you about our little....arrangement. This is our house, or as we like to call it, Domus Saltus Mortuus. House of the Dead. Yes, yes it's cliche but mother was one for those. Here is our feeding room. Strictly blood giving only. Your cubicle is over there. If one of the vampires come in, you are to sit there and offer up that...thick...warm...mmmm. What was I saying? Oh, your cubicle. Yes, you must behave yourself little darling.
Here is your bedroom. Strictly yours. Vampires won't be able to come in here unless invited. But be warned, once they have been in once, they don't need to be invited again.
And here are the vampire bedrooms. You will be spending a lot of time in here...trust me. It's dark and slightly too cold, but don't worry. We'll keep you warm...
So, let's talk business shall we?
Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway
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Monday, May 20, 2013
IRS gave Obama foundation fast, retroactive non-profit approval while stalling conservative applications (Michellemalkin)
ecoTechinfo: Complete eCommerce Web Store in just $17.99 USD
Nowadays Online Shopping Sites get popular because users shifted to online shopping. Everyone knows about Amazon, eBay, eBid, Online Auction, WebStore, Flipkart, Tradus, HomeShop18, CQout, RediffShop, uBid, ePier and so on.
So choose the plan as you wish and according your business needs.
So its time for you to shift your business in the web world. Open an online web store now and sell your products and services online to the whole world.
Why to set your business online?
Or Why to set an e-Business?
If you want to convert your small scale business in medium scale or medium to large then shifting towards online business and marketing through online medium is a good way.
Here are some benefits of Online Business?
Benefits for Business
- Powerful, Effective, Efficient and speedy medium of marketing and communication tool
- Environmental friendly
- Inexpensive way to reach new markets
- Inexpensive because no need of establishment and renovation of building and offices, no need of office staff.
- Global Presence 24 x 7 x 52
- A sign of professionalism
- Unlimited Possibilities
- Risk Free Business
- Freedom to live and work where you like. (you may travel and run business simultaneously)
- No Need of personal interaction with customer.
Benefits to Customer
- Can shop any time.
- No Need of Bargaining
- Easy and secure
- Time Saving
Due to convenience, today large number of people shifted to shopping online. There are many buyers on the virtual internet world. So the idea to set a Business Online is best for anyone having a small or medium business.
We offer our visitors a top class offer?
If you don?t have knowledge of web designing and you want a e-Commerce website then No Problem. Our expert web designers know what it takes to build eye catching eCommerce website.
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We offer eCommerce website designing with domain and hosting with starting range of $17.99/Month only
Just compare our different eCommerce website building plan and order as per your choice.
Features | Silver Plan | Gold Plan | Platinum Plan |
Product | 20 | 100 | Unlimited |
Images | 1 per product | 5 per product | 10 image per product |
Merchant Account | ? | Yes, ($60 Value) | Yes, ($100 Value) |
SSL Certificate | No | No | Yes, ($60 Value) |
Mobile Site | Yes | Yes, Fully Optimized | Yes, Fully Optimized |
Shipping | Manual Maintaining | Multiple Warehouse Maintain | Multiple Warehouse Maintain |
Web Hosting Storage | 1GB | 10GB | 50GB |
Web Hosting Bandwidth | 150GB | 500GB | 1000 |
Google AdWords Ads Credit | $50 | $75 | $100 |
Bing Ads Credit | $25 | $50 | $100 |
Facebook Ads Credit | $50 | $50 | $50 |
Stock Maintain | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fraudulent Management Tool | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Real Time Shipping Quotes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
QuickBooks? Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PRICING | $17.99/Month | $36.99/Month | $55.55/Month |
So choose the plan as you wish and according your business needs.
If you want additional SEO or PPC plan then charges extra?.
So Order now your ecommerce website with us and get more than you pay with us and get Google AdWords Credit, Bing Ads Credit & Facebook Ads Credit and let your website popular in the world.
Additional SEO & PPC as per your budget.
So why are you still waiting?
Source: http://www.ecotechinfo.com/2013/05/complete-ecommerce-web-store-in-just.html
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Sunday, May 19, 2013
Watch This Badass Pilot Save the Day With a Ballsy No-Wheel Landing
Last night, the pilot of US Airways Express Flight 4560 was having some bad luck. The landing gear on his turboprop twin-engine plane just wouldn't go all the way down. So with some quick thinking and righteous piloting skills, he went in for a wheelless, sparky touchdown, and pulled it off without a hitch.
After trying the landing gear a bunch of times and failing to get it fully deployed, the pilot?named Edward Powers according to witnesses?decided that a carefully controlled skid was the way to get out of the sky safely and minimize any dangerous veering on the runway. In preparation, he circled Newark airport until he was out of fuel, to minimize the chance of a fire, and took her down with all due care. A nearby air traffic control tower caught the footage.
It's hard to make out much more than the rain of sparks, but there were plenty, and the plane was accordingly doused in foam the second it came to a stop. But thanks to Powers' fuel-burning circles and piloting skills, there was no fire at all. In fact, there weren't even any injuries among the 34 passengers and crew.
A spokesman for US Airways told The Daily Mail that the NSTB will be looking into the cause of the incident, but also gave Power's some well-earned compliments:
The landing of the aircraft on the ground safely is testament to how well our crews are trained. They are trained to think quickly and assess the situation and act with the utmost professionalism.
Or in other words: "Awesome job, you badass." [The Daily Mail]
Images by sugznj and MacusSolis7
Source: http://gizmodo.com/watch-this-badass-pilot-save-the-day-with-a-ballsy-no-w-508503845
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Saturday, May 18, 2013
Today in History
Today is Saturday, May 18, the 138th day of 2013. There are 227 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 18, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a measure creating the Tennessee Valley Authority.
On this date:
In 1642, the Canadian city of Montreal was founded by French colonists.
In 1765, about one-fourth of Montreal was destroyed by a fire.
In 1863, the Siege of Vicksburg began during the Civil War, ending July 4 with a Union victory.
In 1896, the Supreme Court, in Plessy v. Ferguson, endorsed "separate but equal" racial segregation, a concept renounced 58 years later in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.
In 1910, Halley's Comet passed by earth, brushing it with its tail.
In 1926, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson vanished while visiting a beach in Venice, Calif. (McPherson reappeared more than a month later, saying she'd escaped after being kidnapped and held for ransom.)
In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces finally occupied Monte Cassino in Italy after a four-month struggle with Axis troops.
In 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier as she piloted a Canadair F-86 Sabre jet over Rogers Dry Lake, Calif.
In 1969, astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Thomas P. Stafford and John W. Young blasted off aboard Apollo 10 on a mission to orbit the moon.
In 1973, Harvard law professor Archibald Cox was appointed Watergate special prosecutor by U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson.
In 1980, the Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington state exploded, leaving 57 people dead or missing.
In 1991, Helen Sharman became the first Briton to rocket into space as she flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft with two cosmonauts on an eight-day mission to the Mir space station.
Ten years ago: A Hamas suicide attacker disguised as an observant Jew killed seven Israeli bus passengers. Pope John Paul II celebrated his 83rd birthday with an open-air Mass and requests for prayers so he could continue his papacy. "Les Miserables" closed on Broadway after more than 16 years and 6,680 performances.
Five years ago: President George W. Bush lectured the Arab world about everything from political repression to the denial of women's rights in a speech at the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheik. Kenny Chesney was named entertainer of the year by the Academy of Country Music for the fourth straight time. Russia won its first title at the world hockey championships since 1993 with a 5-4 win over Canada.
One year ago: Social network Facebook made its trading debut with one of the most highly anticipated IPOs in Wall Street history; however, by day's end, Facebook stock closed up only 23 cents from its initial pricing of $38. In his first meeting with President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande (frahn-SWAH' oh-LAWND') declared he would withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by year's end. The Olympic flame arrived in Britain, the country hosting the 2012 Olympics. Renowned German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, 86, died in Starnberg.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Bill Macy is 91. Hall-of-Fame sportscaster Jack Whitaker is 89. Actor Robert Morse is 82. Actor Dwayne Hickman is 79. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Brooks Robinson is 76. Bluegrass singer-musician Rodney Dillard (The Dillards) is 71. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson is 67. Actress Candice Azzara is 66. Country singer Joe Bonsall (The Oak Ridge Boys) is 65. Rock musician Rick Wakeman (Yes) is 64. Actor James Stephens is 62. Country singer George Strait is 61. Rhythm-and-blues singer Butch Tavares (Tavares) is 60. Actor Chow Yun-Fat is 58. Rock singer-musician Page Hamilton is 53. Contemporary Christian musician Barry Graul (MercyMe) is 52. Contemporary Christian singer Michael Tait is 47. Singer-actress Martika is 44. Comedian-writer Tina Fey is 43. Rapper Special Ed is 39. Rock singer Jack Johnson is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Darryl Allen (Mista) is 33. Actor Matt Long is 33. Actor Allen Leech (TV: "Downton Abbey") is 32. Christian-rock musician Kevin Huguley (Rush of Fools) is 31. Christian singer Francesca Battistelli is 28. Actor Spencer Breslin is 21.
Thought for Today: "The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any." ? Fred Astaire, American dancer-actor (1899-1987).
(Above Advance for Use Saturday, May 18)
Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/today-history-050206767.html
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IRS head grilled by Congress
May 15 (Reuters) - Post positions for the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes, to be run at Pimlico on Saturday (Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds) 1. Orb, Joel Rosario, Shug McGaughey, even 2. Goldencents, Kevin Krigger, Doug O'Neill, 8-1 3. Titletown Five, Julien Leparoux, D. Wayne Lukas, 30-1 4. Departing, Brian Hernandez, Al Stall, 6-1 5. Mylute, Rosie Napravnik, Tom Amoss, 5-1 6. Oxbow, Gary Stevens, D. Wayne Lukas, 15-1 7. Will Take Charge, Mike Smith, D. Wayne Lukas, 12-1 8. Govenor Charlie, Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 12-1 9. ...
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Indian circuses struggle to adapt after court bans
In this April 11, 2013 photo, Biju Nair, principal clown at Rambo Circus, looks at a mirror before a performance on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. Nair who literally ran away and joined the circus at the age of 10 says he scours YouTube for videos of international clowning acts to give him new ideas with help from other performers who know how to read and write, since he never learned. Circuses around the world may struggle to compete with an ever-increasing array of entertainment options, but India?s once-widespread industry in particular has gone through cataclysmic changes. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
In this April 11, 2013 photo, Biju Nair, principal clown at Rambo Circus, looks at a mirror before a performance on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. Nair who literally ran away and joined the circus at the age of 10 says he scours YouTube for videos of international clowning acts to give him new ideas with help from other performers who know how to read and write, since he never learned. Circuses around the world may struggle to compete with an ever-increasing array of entertainment options, but India?s once-widespread industry in particular has gone through cataclysmic changes. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
In this April 11, 2013 photo, a circus artist wears a Spiderman costume before a performance at the Rambo Circus on the outskirts of Mumbai, India. Circuses around the world may struggle to compete with an ever-increasing array of entertainment options, but India?s once-widespread industry in particular has gone through cataclysmic changes. In the 1990s, there were 300 circuses operating throughout the country. That number has now dwindled to about 30, says circus manager John Matthew, and many of those are in financial trouble due to rising costs of renting field space, shrinking revenues and - crucially - two Supreme Court rulings that took away two of the industry?s main attractions. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
MUMBAI, India (AP) ? In the early morning heat and dust, daily practice at the Rambo Circus is in full swing. A trapeze creaks as two performers perfect their throws. A Colombian daredevil shouts to his colleagues scrambling atop a giant set of spinning wheels called the Ring of Death.
Looking on with worry is circus manager John Matthew. For 38 years, he has been in the business of entertaining people throughout southern India. But there's little to smile about these days. The big top set up in a desolate field outside Mumbai seats 3,000 people. Recently, there have been less than 100 tickets sold.
While circuses in other countries struggle to compete with an ever-increasing array of entertainment options, India's have faced a cataclysm.
In the 1990s, 300 circuses operated throughout the country. That number has dwindled to about 30, says Matthew. And many of those are being hammered by the rising rents for field space, shrinking revenues and ? crucially ? two Supreme Court rulings that took away the industry's main attractions.
"After 10 or 15 more years, there may not be any circus at all in India," Matthew says, sitting at a folding table outside the canvas tent he uses as both office and living quarters.
Circuses once held legendary status in India as entertainment for everyone from princes to pariahs. The biggest names pitched their tents in town centers, drawing huge crowds night after night. The modern circus here is a 130-year-old tradition that according to local lore began when a southern rajah's horse trainer was taunted by the leader of a visiting Italian show, who said India couldn't build its own circus. The trainer, Vishnupant Chartre, founded The Great Indian Circus within months, spawning a national love affair with clowns, wild animal acts and death-defying feats.
In the 1990s, India's Supreme Court banned the use of wild animals in circuses, citing widespread neglect of lions, bears, monkeys and panthers. Then, two years ago, it banned child performers.
"There are instances of sexual abuse on a daily basis, physical abuse as well as emotional abuse. The children are deprived of basic needs of food and water," the activist group Bachpan Bachao Andolan said in the lawsuit charging exploitation of young children that led to the ban.
Matthew, however, disagrees with both court bans. He remembers fondly his early days in the circus when there was a menagerie of trained tigers, elephants and other exotic animals that were the main draw for audiences.
"We loved our animals, and our business depended on them. So we took good care of them," he insists. Now, the circus only has four elephants, and Matthew says the Ministry of Environment is considering taking them away too.
As for child labor, he says, circuses used to give a skill and livelihood to poor children unable to go school.
Biju Nair was once one of those children. At age 10, he literally ran away and joined the circus.
Fleeing an abusive home, he stowed away on a train to Mumbai ? then called Bombay ? and wandered the streets. Hungry and desperate, he wandered into a circus and was given a plateful of food and a job as a ticket taker. In his teens, he used to sneak into the tent to watch the performance, particularly fascinated by the clown acts. Eventually, he persuaded the clowns to teach him their trade.
Now 42, Nair is the principal clown at Rambo Circus, a job he takes pride in. He says he scours YouTube for videos of international clowning acts to give him new ideas with help from other performers who know how to read and write, since he never learned.
"It's a hard life in many ways, yes, but it gave me a chance," he says. "And there is a good feeling in making people laugh."
Still, he is glad his two children, who live with his late wife's parents in Kerala, are getting an education in school, instead the circus.
Nair, too, doesn't see much of a future for circuses in India now that child apprenticeships are banned. Skills like acrobatics and tightrope walking have to be taught young, he says, but there are no students anymore.
"You don't just wake up at 20 and learn to do these things," he says.
With a shortage of homegrown performers, Indian circuses have turned to foreign acts. That's how the three Colombian performers and their Ring of Death come to the Rambo Circus
In the midday lull between practice and the afternoon's performance, 26-year-old Colombian Jhean Carlos lounges in the plywood cubicle the travelling crew builds for him each time they set up camp. The generator-powered air conditioner signifies his status as the star of the show.
The Colombians mostly keep to themselves, because they speak only Spanish. When the staff really needs to communicate with them, they use a computer translation program.
Carlos says he's a fourth-generation circus performer, and in his home country, such performers have benefits and insurance against injury and illness. That impresses Nair, who makes just 8,000 rupees ($150) per month with no benefits other than housing in a shared canvas tent. But Nair and most Indian performers say Rambo is one of the better circuses in India.
Three months ago, the circus added an Ethiopian acrobatic troupe.
Girma Yidnekachew, who learned tumbling and contortion at a charity school for Ethiopian street children, says his country has an oversupply of performers and a shortage of circuses. He answered an Internet ad and came to India with some acrobat friends. Here he makes $600 per month
"It's not the money," says Yidnekachew, 23. "I like being inside the ring. It makes people happy."
In addition to the expense of importing acts, Matthew has to contend with rising rent for the land to set up his big top and camp.
Indian academic Nisha Poyyarath Rayaroth, who studied circus culture for her doctorate at the University of Delhi, says circuses she visited all complained about access to land. The central government once instructed cities to accommodate travelling entertainers, but that support ended in the 1990s.
"Nowadays in many major cities, for example, New Delhi, circuses have to set up shop in grounds in the outliers of the city, without sufficient facilities," Rayaroth says. Those locations also limit audiences.
At Rambo Circus' temporary home, a 1 p.m. performance is cancelled because of poor ticket sales, but the 4 p.m. show has an audience of about 250, mostly parents with young children.
The show leads with the Ring of Death, with Carlos leaping in and out of the spinning rings. The Ethiopians come out dancing to an African beat, tumbling and contorting as the audience claps along in rhythm.
Biju the clown is a crowd-pleaser with his repertoire of pratfalls and fart jokes and a roundup inviting all the audience's children to jump rope with him. The show winds up with the trapeze act, and the audience gasps and applauds.
As the crowd files out, Matthew allows himself a small smile.
For now, at least, his circus is defying death.
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Friday, May 17, 2013
Google and NASA Snap Up D-Wave Quantum Computer
The D-Wave 1 was approximately $10 million:
https://dwave.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/siri/ [wordpress.com]
From a recent Financial Post article profiling D-Wave:
If computers could learn, grow and evolve the same way humans can, the world would be a much better place, Dr. Geordie Rose argues. The co-founder and chief technology officer of Burnaby, B.C.-based quantum computing firm D-Wave Systems Inc. contends that humanity would gain unprecedented access to education, health care and information if
Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/F-MWwpuqvus/story01.htm
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Vatican Bank to publish yearly report, launch website
By Philip Pullella
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican Bank, a center of scandals for decades, is to launch its own website and publish its annual report in an effort to increase transparency, its new president said.
Ernst von Freyberg told the bank's employees of the changes, which should be in place by the end of the year, this week, according to Vatican Radio.
He also said the bank, formally known as the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR) and dubbed the world's most secretive bank by Forbes magazine, had also hired an auditing firm to make sure it meets international standards against money laundering.
Vatican Radio did not name of the firm.
Freyberg was appointed in February to take the place of Ettore Gotti Tedeschi who was fired last May.
Gotti Tedeschi said he was dismissed because he wanted more transparency but the board, made up of international financial experts, said he had neglected basic management responsibilities and alienated staff.
His abrupt departure, along with the arrest of Pope Benedict's butler for stealing confidential papal documents, came during a leaks scandal that shook the Vatican last year and contributed to Benedict's decision to resign.
The Vatican has been trying to shed its image as a murky financial center since 1982, when Roberto Calvi, known as "God's Banker" because of his links to the Vatican, was found hanging from London's Blackfriars Bridge.
Calvi was head of the Banco Ambrosiano, then Italy's largest private bank, which collapsed in a fraudulent bankruptcy. The Vatican bank owned part of the Ambrosiano.
In July, a European anti-money laundering committee said the Vatican Bank failed to meet all its standards on fighting money laundering, tax evasion and other financial crimes.
The report by Moneyval, a monitoring group of the 47-nation Council of Europe, found the Vatican had passed only nine of 16 "key and core" aspects of its financial dealings.
The Vatican has vowed to make changes to meet the standards, and will present a progress report on the Moneyval recommendations at the end of the year, a Vatican official said.
The bank itself will be audited by the Vatican's internal regulator, its Financial Information Authority, or FIA, the official said.
Earlier this month, in another move towards transparency, the Vatican's FIA signed a memo of understanding with FinCen, the U.S. agency that tracks suspicious financial transactions.
In 2010, Rome magistrates froze 23 million euros ($33 million) held by the IOR in an Italian bank.
The Vatican said at the time that its bank was merely transferring its own funds between its own accounts in Italy and Germany. The money was released in June 2011 but the investigation continues.
Pope Francis, who was elected in March to succeed Benedict, could enact a major restructuring of the bank or even eventually decide to close it, Vatican sources have said. But the prospect of total closure is remote.
The bank primarily handles funds for Vatican departments, Roman Catholic charities and orders of priests and nuns around the world.
(Editing by Louise Ireland)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-bank-publish-yearly-report-launch-website-124228513.html
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The Counterparts
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An ancient prophecy; two siblings, united they will destroy the world. Separated, the world is saved. One organization seeks to prevent the world's destruction by protecting the girl from her brother's evil designs...
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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?The Counterparts?. Anything posted here will also show up there.Topic Tags:
Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.First post: ? 1 post ? Page 1 of 1
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Kitara Turner - Member for 4 years
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Space life 'too good not to share'
16 May 2013
Last updated at 14:21 ET
Commander Hadfield talks about his experiences in space and about adapting to life on earth again
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has said his life in space had to be shared on social media, in his first public appearance since returning to Earth.
Cmdr Hadfield, 53, said his experiences in space were "too good" to keep to himself. He landed on Tuesday.
With nearly 1 million Twitter followers, Cmdr Hadfield said he was pleased with the interest in his work.
He had been on the International Space Station since December 2012 and in command of the vessel since March.
While in space, Cmdr Hadfield tweeted about his life at the space station, sharing striking images of the Earth from space.
"There is beautiful imagery, there's poetry in what is happening, there is purpose in what is happening," Cmdr Hadfield said of his work on the space station. "There is a beauty to it, there is hope in it and it's an international thing."
Sore and dizzyHis social media activities included singing a song with children around the world and filming a cover of David Bowie's hit Space Oddity.
But Cmdr Hadfield insisted his social media activities were secondary to his main functions at the space station.
He said life in space was extremely busy, with no spare time to be idle.
At his first news briefing in Houston, Texas, where the astronaut is undergoing rehabilitation, Cmdr Hadfield described the physical sensations of being in space and landing on Earth.
His first sensation of Earth was the smell of spring after landing in the Kazakh steppe on Tuesday, he said.
Emphasising the differences between life in space and "reality" on Earth, Cmdr Hadfield said he was "readapting to it physically and mentally".
Cmdr Hadfield added that upon his return to Earth he noticed the weight of his tongue and lips and was remembering how to speak under the force of gravity, while his neck and back felt sore from having to support his head again.
"It feels like I played a hard game of rugby yesterday or played full-contact hockey yesterday and I haven't played in a while," he said. "My body is just sore and I'm dizzy, but it's getting better measurably by the hour."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22558062#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
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