A Definitive Ranking of Christmas Songs From Worst To Best
THERE IS NO escape from Christmas songs. In the supermarket, in the post office, in the pub: they are everywhere.Here at DailyEdge.ie, we have painstakingly ranked all* the key Christmas songs, and placed them in order from worst to greatest.This ranking is final and definitive.*By ‘all’, we mean ‘some of the main ones’.16. Newsong – The Christmas Shoes Source: NewSongVEVOTravesty? Abomination? Vomit-inducing gorefest of gratuitous sentimentality? It’s hard to decide on a description. This song takes genuine, good emotions and crushes them in its cloying fist until the juices run clear and free.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)15. Status Quo – It’s Christmas Time Source: UMTVMUSICDISCOVERYTHE SCENE: Status Quo’s studio, 2008Rocker 1: Should we do a Christmas song? What’s Christmassy that we can put in it?Rocker 2: Ungggh… uhhhh… roasting chestnuts… nnnngggh… wine…. uhhhh… Christmas time?Rocker 1: Got that on tape Rick. Nice work. See you next year.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)14. Madonna – Santa Baby Source: scrubincAnyone who can hear the phrase “Hurry down my chimney tonight” without shuddering needs to take a long hard look at themselves.(This is only exceeded in awfulness by the Michael Bublé version, in which he refers to “Santa buddy” throughout, giving the whole song the feel of an obnoxious stockbroker trying to be a taxi driver’s best friend at 2am.)(Can’t see the video? Click here.)13. Cliff Richard – Mistletoe and Wine Source: TheChristmaSongsDull dull dull. Also contains the most bizarre pronunciation of “Christ-ee-an” in recorded history.Oh, and the video opens with Cliff looming at the window of a house peering in at a sleeping child. She is now spending years in therapy after her parents refused to believe what she saw at the window one terrible Christmas.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)12. Baby It’s Cold Outside Source: Margriet AskewYes, this is a nice tune. But let’s take a proper look at what’s happening here.A man brings a girl back to his place, insists that there are no taxis to take her home, and pleads with her not to “hold out” on him. Meanwhile, she asks suspiciously “What’s in this drink?”Is this really the Christmas message we want to be promoting/belting out while on the batter? Is it?(Can’t see the video? Click here.)11. Paul McCartney – Wonderful Christmas Time Source: videosanta69From the dark, dark decade after Paul McCartney left the Beatles and before he figured out how to be cool again. The kind of song your mam and/or dad probably have a dance to after one too many sherries.Although that said, the ‘waow waow’ synth noises are a bit fun. Fair play Paul.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)10. Band Aid Source: PhoneixRising100On the one hand, it’s genetically impossible for any group of functioning humans not to pump their fists and roar “TONIGHT THANK GOD IT’S THEM… INSTEAD OF YEEEEEUUWW” along with Bono when this comes on at a party.On the other, its declarations about an entire continent – significant parts of which are covered in lush, watery jungle – that “nothing ever grows” and “no rain or rivers flow” are a bit of a worrying slip-up from a gang trying to save the world.Also, there might be snow in Africa this Christmas time.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)9. Bing Crosby and David Bowie – Little Drummer Boy Source: GPITRAL0One of the greatest Christmas videos of all time, as David Bowie pretends to mistake Bing Crosby for a butler and hilarity ensues. They then awkwardly avoid each others’ eyes for the duration of the song.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)8. Slade – Merry Christmas Everybody Source: abcdefdjykjOn the all-important Christmas Song 2am Yellability Index, Slade are absolutely off the charts. Hell, Noddy Holder basically invented the whole tradition of yelling Christmas songs by bellowing “IT’S CHRISTMAAASSSSS” unexpectedly in the middle of this number.However, if you’re feeling any less than utterly festive, this song is likely to induce a murderous rage. As such it would be irresponsible for us to place it any higher.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)7. Jonah Lewie – Stop The Cavalry Source: RoscozSleigh bells and a jolly trumpet melody combined with a poignant message of peace? Check. Yearning references to being at home for Christmas? Check. When it comes to giving you that happy-sad feeling that every great Christmas song should induce, Jonah Lewie is a Jedi master. A classic.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)6. Chris Rea – Driving Home For Christmas Source: EdgegbrFundamentally an extremely boring song, but rescued by its uncanny accuracy in describing the feeling of driving home for Christmas.Right down to the moment when you look at the driver beside you and feel a strange sense of kinship, rather than the usual urge to mercilessly run them off the road.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)5. Wham! – Last Christmas Source: John Mc GrathBasically the greatest Christmas holiday you’ve never had. With added heartbreak. Close to perfect, and we’re not just talking about George Michael’s magnificent hair in the video.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)4. Wizzard – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day Source: emimusicPerhaps the closest humanity has got to expressing pure joy in musical form. Obviously the idea is ludicrous, but if you’ve got as far as singing Wizzard you’re almost certainly too gee-eyed on festive sentiment to care. Happy Christmas!(Can’t see the video? Click here.)3. East 17 – Stay Another Day Source: brianina82Even if the world burns and people forget the Boyband Wars of the early 1990s (an unthinkable prospect), East 17′s legacy will live on through this strangely touching exercise in begging someone who’s obviously gone off you not to leave.The musical equivalent of eating too many chocolates: oversweet, very much in the Christmas spirit, and may leave you with a nasty case of yearning, yearning heartburn.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)2. Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You Source: Gabz50Mariah Carey’s major contribution to world culture. If you can sing along to this song without your heart swelling with the thought of someone special in your past, present or future… well… you’re an emotionless automaton with a heart of clanking steel, and should be excluded from Christmas altogether.Enjoy Robot Christmas, you oil-sucking machine you.(Can’t see the video? Click here.)1. The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl – Fairytale Of New York Source: skateboardingmadNo contest for number one. It’s sad, it’s clever, it’s fond of rude words, and it only tells you its feelings when it’s drunk: essentially, Fairytale Of New York IS Ireland. Have a great Christmas, everyone.(Can’t see the video? Click here.) A Definitive Ranking of Christmas Films from Worst to Best>Irish biscuits: A definitive ranking from worst to best>
It’s not just Microsoft’s internal game studios and 3rd-party developers that create games for the Xbox 360. Microsoft Research is also getting in on the act, but more to solve an artificial intelligence (AI) challenge than actually become a well-known game developers bringing in millions of dollars every year.The problem a team at Microsoft Research set out to solve was implementing the Chinese game of Go with capable AI in the functional programming language F#.Why is this a challenge? Well, the rules of Go are very simple, but the complexity involved in mastering the game is much higher than other popular strategic 2-player games. For example, the game of chess has around 20 moves per branch to analyze. Go on the other hand has around 200. So you can see how implementing an AI player of any competence would require a lot more work and processing by a computer. In fact, the processing power does not exist yet to carry out a complete analysis of a single game in a workable timeframe.As the video points out, the strongest chess player today is a computer, but the strongest Go player is still a human with no computer even close to taking on the champions of the Go world. You can’t brute force solve a Go game like you can a game of chess (yet).The team at Microsoft Research managed a solution, though, and named the final game The Path of Go. There’s a free demo you can download from Xbox Live, and the full game will cost you 400 Microsoft Points.The solution was made possible due to the use of F# which made for a very easy translation of the maths required to play into the code for the AI of the game. It’s also worth noting that this is the first Xbox 360 game to use the functional language.Read more at I Programmer and Microsoft Research
Updated description of suspect still outstanding in City of Plantation. Dark skin black male, 5’2 to 5’3 stocky build, late 20’s early 30’s, last seen wearing black Reebok shirt w/ white t-shirt underneath, frayed jean shorts. Subject had a lanyard type necklace & was carrying— Plantation Police (@PlantationPD) November 24, 2018 In reference to the road and neighborhood closure in the area of West Broward Blvd and Nob Hill Road, the area has been reopened. Thank you for your patience. As always, if you see or hear anything suspicious, call the Plantation Police Department at 954-797-2100 or 9-1-1.— Plantation Police (@PlantationPD) November 25, 2018“We’ve been out for several hours now, and it is very frustrating,” said area resident Nancy Mendez. “I’m just glad we’re safe and everyone, my neighbors are safe, but we’re just trying to get back home.”Plantation Police called in multiple agencies to assist in their search, but by 7 p.m., the scene was cleared, the bus drove off and the shooter was nowhere to be found at the time. PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) – Newly released surveillance video shows the tense moments when an altercation between two men inside a Broward County Transit bus in Plantation escalated into gun violence, sending one of them to the hospital and triggering a search for the shooter.According to Plantation Police, the incident took place near Broward Boulevard and Nob Hill Road, at around 3 p.m., Saturday.Clear surveillance video shows a heated altercation between 24-year-old Michael Porter and 38-year-old Bendy Alcine while the bus was in motion. The shouting escalated into a physical fight, and seconds later, a gunshot is heard.The footage then shows Porter, seen wearing a black Reebok shirt, holding a gun. He is then seen grabbing his belongings and fleeing the scene.Another camera showed passengers running for cover as they tried to exit the bus as quickly as possible. No one else was hurt. Police set up a perimeter and shut down Broward Boulevard near Nob Hill Road while searching for Porter.Meanwhile, paramedics transported Alcine to Broward Health Medical Center as a Level 1 trauma alert. The 38-year-old is now in stable condition.As police searched for the gunman, some area residents were blocked from going home. “There was a perimeter set up. We had dogs on the ground, and obviously, the chopper was up in the air,” said Plantation Police Detective Philip Toman. “The search lasted for quite a while, but unfortunately, we weren’t able to turn a suspect up.”Porter was finally located and arrested on Sunday.Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Subdued stock market sentiments are likely to result in the government scaling down its disinvestment target for FY2017 by almost half of the current year’s target of Rs 69,500 crore.”We expect government would keep a realistic disinvestment target of Rs 30,000 crore for FY17,” said State Bank of India in its note released on Feb. 22, adding that the current year’s target was “over-optimistic.”The government has collected about Rs 13,000 crore through disinvestment till now in the current fiscal.Service tax collectionsThe bank said that service tax collections are likely to go up 25 percent, enabled by a possible hike in the tax rate from the current 14 percent (without surcharge) to 16 percent to be announced in Budget 2016. For the period April to November 2015, service tax collections were up 25 percent to Rs 1,27,675 crore from Rs 1,02,118 crore in the corresponding period last fiscal, according to a finance ministry statement issued on Dec. 9, 2015.Gross tax receipts seen growingThe note pegged the government’s gross tax receipts for FY2017 at Rs 16,93,671 crore, an increase of 14.9 percent from its estimate of Rs 14,74,603 crore for the current year. “For the next fiscal (FY17), we expect a 14.9% growth in tax revenues, primarily robust growth in income tax (18%) and service tax (25%), helped by a possible increase in service tax from 14.5% to 16%,” the bank said.The bank has estimated indirect tax collections comprising excise, customs and service tax at Rs 700,932 crore for FY2016, higher than the government’s budget estimates of Rs 6,51,495 crore.For the nine-month period ended November 2015, the government’s indirect tax collections stood at Rs 4,38,291 crore, according to a statement released on Dec. 9 by the finance ministry. Overall receipts and expenditure estimates for FY2017 according to SBI’s Ecowrap are:Revenue receipts: Rs 13,39,295 crore, of which net tax revenues would be Rs 10,74,798 croreCapital receipts: Rs 5,71,912 croreTotal receipts, including recovery of loans but without borrowings: Rs 13,82, 785 croreTotal expenditure: Rs 19,11,207 crore, of which non-plan expenditure would be Rs 14,12,245 croreThe (core) fiscal deficit would be Rs 5,28,422 crore (Rs 19,11,207-13,82,785 crore), or 3.5 percent of GDP.
Share TDCJDanny Bible received the death sentence in 2003 after confessing to the 1979 slaying of Inez Deaton.It was nearly 40 years ago when the brutalized body of 20-year-old Inez Deaton was found in a field near a deserted car wash in Harris County.She had been raped and repeatedly stabbed with an ice pick in May 1979, and for about two decades, her murder went unsolved. Then in 1998, Danny Bible was arrested in Louisiana in another rape case, where he confessed during police interrogations to that rape as well as Deaton’s murder, according to court records. He was dubbed “the ice pick killer.”On Wednesday evening, Bible, who is now 66 years old and uses a wheelchair after a prison transport accident, is set to be executed for the crime. He is the second person to be executed under Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, a Democrat elected in 2016 who has drawn in the reins on the death penalty in the county that has sent more people to the execution chamber than any state aside from Texas itself.“Some criminals’ actions are so heinous, they earn the label ‘worst of the worst,’” Ogg said in a statement after Bible’s execution date was set in March. “The jury who listened to the facts and saw the evidence of the crimes Danny Bible committed clearly reached that conclusion by sentencing him to death.”Bible and his attorneys are fighting his execution, in part claiming that he is too sick to be put to death by lethal injection — that his veins are too weak and he will likely choke laying on his back on the gurney. Bible suffers from multiple heart and lung conditions. They’ve argued that since courts require inmates to propose an alternative when generally challenging a state’s execution method, Texas could consider killing him using a firing squad or nitrogen gas.“Because of his poor health, Mr. Bible has severely compromised peripheral veins, meaning it will be difficult, if not impossible, to establish two functioning IVs in his veins, creating a substantial risk of either a botched execution or an aborted execution attempt,” wrote one of Bible’s attorneys, Jeremy Schepers, in his appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Friday.The brief pointed to other execution attempts on sick inmates that failed because officials couldn’t find a vein. In February, Alabama officials called off the execution of Doyle Hamm, a cancer patient, after failing for hours to insert a needle. Last November, Ohio officials had to call off the execution of Alva Campbell, who also had cancer, used a colostomy bag and could not breathe lying down, for the same reason (He has since died in prison). And Ohio faced a similar complication before — in 2009, the state’s attempted execution of Romell Broom failed, and Broom said the pain was so excruciating, he cried and screamed.The state countered Bible’s argument in its brief on Monday by first mentioning that he was a serial rapist and murderer, and adding that his claims of an inhumane and painful execution were speculation. The state’s attorneys also seemed to knock the other proposed execution methods — worth noting as the state has struggled to get a hold of new lethal injection drugs.“The pain inherent in Bible’s hypothetical probing or hypothetical failed vein pales in comparison to the congruent possibility of mishaps occurring with Bible’s proposed alternatives — for instance, a lingering death from a misplaced gunshot wound or an incomplete suffocation causing brain damage from oxygen deprivation,” wrote Texas Assistant Attorney General Stephen Hoffman.The federal appellate court rejected Bible’s appeals Tuesday afternoon, though his attorneys have said they will seek relief from the U.S. Supreme Court. The lower courts have said Bible hasn’t adequately shown that there would be difficulty finding a vein, nor has he shown that repeated, unsuccessful attempts to find a vein qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment.Bible’s recent state appeals have also fought to stop his execution by faulting the state’s secretive and exceedingly rare clemency process — where the parole board can recommend that the governor reduce a death row inmate’s sentence to life in prison shortly before execution. The parole board unanimously rejected Bible’s clemency petition Monday.Bible also argued that he should have been granted a new punishment trial — when jurors decide on issues that would lead to a death sentence or one of life in prison after finding the person guilty of capital murder — after a prison van accident left him disabled.While being transferred from the county jail to death row after being convicted and sentenced to death in 2003, the prison van carrying Bible was in a head-on collision, according to court records. The drivers of both vehicles were killed and Bible was severely injured, leaving him unable to walk without assistance. In the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, he argued that because of this accident and his disability, jurors may not have deemed Bible a future danger, despite his lengthy criminal background. To sentence someone to death in Texas, jurors must unanimously agree that a capital murder convict is a future danger.The Texas court rejected the appeals on clemency and future dangerousness Friday.Though Bible is fighting his death sentence, his lawyer said he has accepted the responsibility for Deaton’s murder. Margaret Schmucker, his state appellate lawyer, said he was already serving a life sentence in Louisiana and would have never been released.In his 1998 confession to Louisiana officers, Bible said Deaton walked into his uncle’s house in 1979, where he was staying, and he raped her. He then stabbed her to death with an ice pick, put her in a garbage bag, and dumped her in a field, according to court records. She was a friend of his cousin, and the mother of a toddler.Bible fled Texas when the young mother’s body was discovered shortly after the murder, according to the state’s filing, but his crimes did not stop. In Louisiana, Bible confessed to the 1998 rape that led to his arrest, Deaton’s murder, and the 1983 murders of his former sister-in-law, her baby and her roommate. He also said he sexually assaulted his five young nieces. He had already served a prison sentence for one of the 1983 murders but was released on parole. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole in Louisiana for the aggravated rape.For Deaton, he got death.Barring intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court or — very improbably — Gov. Greg Abbott, Bible is set to be executed after 6 p.m. His death can be delayed until shortly before midnight while awaiting final court rulings.If his execution proceeds, Bible will be the seventh person Texas puts to death this year, matching the total number of executions from 2017. Last year, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stopped upcoming executions seven times, but this year, it has only stopped one. Seven other executions are scheduled through October, though there are questions about the supply of drugs in stock.
John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive Feb. 9-11, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Francis X. Knott Conference Center located at 4940 Eastern Avenue Baltimore, MD 21224. Every participant will receive a meal coupon, parking pass and special gift from the Medical center. For more information or to schedule a life saving donation, call 410-550-0289.
Scientists have found why queues at restrooms are longer for ladies than for men and suggest that unisex toilets could help reduce waiting times for ladies from over six minutes to less than a minute and a half. Already a symbol for transgender equality, unisex toilets can help battling female-unfriendly toilet culture, researchers said.Queueing theorists from the Ghent University in Belgium found that there are three main causes for the difference in waiting time between men and women. Also Read – Add new books to your shelfA first factor is that the net number of toilets for women is smaller than that for men.This is because the total surface area is often divided equally while a toilet cabin inevitably takes up more space than a urinal.Overall, an average toilet area can accommodate 20 to 30 per cent more toilets for men – including urinals and cabins – than for women.A second reason is that according to scientific studies women spend one and a half up to two times as long on the toilet. Also Read – Over 2 hours screen time daily will make your kids impulsiveThis is because in contrast to a urinal, a door must be opened and closed twice, a toilet seat needs cleaning, and more difficult clothes have to be taken off and on.This results in an average time spent at the toilet of 1 minute for men and 1 minute and 30 seconds for women.A third factor is the overall activity at the restroom, researchers said.As long as it is not too busy, the overall effect of ladies having a smaller number of toilets and spending more time on those toilets does not lead to long queues. However when if everybody heads to the restroom at the same time, more women arrive at the toilets than the system can handle.This condition amplifies the above effects and results in outrageous waiting times for women.Based on these three major causes, six different but comparable layouts were simulated using a scenario of alternating busy and calm periods.A layout with comparable waiting times for men and women is possible, yet requires that for each male toilet at least one and a half and up to two female toilets are present.The holy grail, however, is to use unisex toilets, researchers said.In these mixed toilets layouts, the toilet cabins are available for both sexes and optionally complemented with extra urinals for the men.As sharing the toilet capacity across sexes is more efficient, the average waiting time decreases.The available toilet surface can be used most efficiently when an ideally balanced layout with about two cabins per urinal is chosen.In this layout, men are still privileged, but to a much lesser extent than in the basic situation.The overall waiting time is reduced with 63 per cent, which cannot be achieved by any other mixed layout, and definitely not by a separated layout.
Register Now » 3 min read Attend this free webinar and learn how you can maximize efficiency while getting the most critical things done right. This story appears in the February 2007 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe » Free Webinar | Sept 5: Tips and Tools for Making Progress Toward Important Goals February 1, 2007 Entrepreneurial road warriors have become champion multitaskers when it comes to getting the most out of drive time. They make calls, take calls and navigate with GPS. Soon you’ll be able to add “check e-mail” to that list–and we’re not talking about steering with your knees while making quick glances at a cell phone or PDA screen. Intelligent Mechatronic Systems has come up with a way for you to listen to your e-mail while you keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.iLane is a speech recognition add-on that connects wirelessly to Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, handhelds, vehicle audio systems and headsets. It accepts voice commands from the user and reads e-mail and other data aloud in your choice of a male or female voice. Like any good multitasker, iLane also handles text messages, appointments, phone calls and calendar requests. The system, which gets power from the cigarette lighter port, can be moved among vehicles.Currently, iLane supports BlackBerrys and Bluetooth-enabled Palm, Windows Mobile and Symbian devices. Pricing for iLane was not available at press time, but should be available in aftermarket auto channels soon. For entrepreneurs who can’t bear to be separated from their e-mail even for a car ride, iLane could be a good hands-free answer.Short shift?A new wireless technology could challenge bluetooth.Bluetooth, take notice: There’s a new kid in town. Nokia is marshalling its forces behind a new short-range wireless technology called Wibree. According to Nokia, Wibree will be easy to integrate with the well-established Bluetooth technology, but there are some hints that Wibree could eventually challenge Bluetooth. Its range, up to 10 meters, is in line with Bluetooth’s range. It also has a similar data rate of 1 Mbps. It differentiates itself in its small size, low power consumption and low cost. Those features would make the technology a good candidate for very small, lightweight applications like watches, clothing, wireless keyboards, medical sensors, cell phones and other mobile devices that need to minimize battery drain.Wibree is being developed as an open industry initiative in an effort to get it to market quickly. Big names Broadcom and Epson are among Wibree’s partners. Nokia is on track to have the first commercial version of the Wibree interoperability specification out by mid-2007. Nokia has the heft to back up a new technology, but it will be interesting to see whether Wibree will challenge Bluetooth or just complement it. Entrepreneurs should keep an eye out for dual-mode Bluetooth/Wibree-equipped devices. Visit www.wibree.com for the latest news and information on the technology.
Feature | July 27, 2012 ACC Says Medicare System Flawed, Permanent Solution Needed American College of Cardiology president testifies before House subcommittee on Medicare payment system challenges Videos | AAPM | July 23, 2019 VIDEO: Bridging Diversity in Medical Physics to Improve Patient Care Cynthia McColl… read more Larry Riddles, M.D., president of the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE), told the subcommittee any new reimbursement system must include compensation strategies for providing high-quality care.July 27, 2012 – The current Medicare payment system is irreparably flawed and a new, more permanent solution must be reached, American College of Cardiology (ACC) President William Zoghbi, M.D., FACC, told the House Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations Hearing on Health Care Realignment and Regulation.“Private medical practices are vital in providing care to patients and at the same time are small businesses that need reliable payment systems to pay for office space, supplies, equipment and for salaries for the people they employ,” Zoghbi testified. “Small- and medium-sized practices are finding it increasingly difficult to survive in the current environment. Unpredictable and continued reduction in Medicare reimbursement, coupled with burdensome regulatory requirements have a direct negative impact on small physician practices.”Reimbursement cuts are also coming from the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) payment system, which calls for severe payment reductions.“The badly broken sustainable growth rate formula is a major source of instability for all physicians, especially private practices. Congress can remove this one element of uncertainty by finding a permanent solution to the SGR, which currently threatens a nearly 30 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements in 2013,” Zoghbi said.He said a more permanent solution needs to be found based on pay-for-performance.“We believe a sustainable Medicare payment system should provide opportunities for physicians to care for patients in private practice as well as in an employed model. The ideal payment system should be sustainable and reward patient-centered care, quality and outcome, demonstrated through appropriate use.”Other groups that testified before the subcommittee echoed Zoghbi’s comments.”The current fee-for-service systems are based primarily on volumes of patients seen and numbers of procedures completed. This prevents America from achieving higher quality healthcare,” said Larry Riddles, M.D., MBA, CPE, FACS, FACPE, president of the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE). “Any new reimbursement system must include compensation strategies for providing high-quality care,” he added. “The desired endpoint should be timely, equitable access to high-quality healthcare that is physician-led and reimbursed fairly.”The ACC and the ACPE were among six physician organizations invited by Chairman Wally Herger (R-Calif.), ranking member Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) and other members of the subcommittee to comment on the SGR and the fiscal challenges it represents. The SGR was originally created by Congress to help keep the Medicare budget from growing faster than the economy as a whole, but it has frequently become the target of criticism as lawmakers are repeatedly forced to make short-term fixes. Subcommittee members were seeking information on what physicians believe is meaningful to measure, what constitutes good patient care and the changes needed to improve their practice environment. ACPE emphasizes the need for a payment system that contains nine essential elements: • Value-driven• Evidence-based• Quality-centered• Safe for all• Measured• Fair• Innovative• Streamlined• Physician-led ACPE also recommended creation of a new independent commission — composed of physicians, health care providers, experts in finance and quality, business leaders and patient representatives — to study the Medicare funding dilemma, analyze best practices and bring them to lawmakers for consideration. For more information: acc.org FacebookTwitterLinkedInPrint分享 Videos | Radiology Business | August 02, 2019 VIDEO: Key Topics for Radiology Administrators at AHRA 2019 Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA) President … read more Feature | Radiology Imaging | July 29, 2019 | By Greg Freiherr Imaging Market in U.S. Could Rise In Coming Years The coming years may be good for the medical imaging community in the United States. But they will not be easy. read more News | Radiology Imaging | July 22, 2019 AHRA and Canon Medical Systems Support the 12th Annual Putting Patients First Program For the past twelve years, Canon Medical Systems USA, Inc. has partnered with read more News | Radiology Business | August 01, 2019 Philips Completes Acquisition of Carestream Health’s HCIS Business … read more Larry Riddles, M.D., president of the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE), told the subcommittee any new reimbursement system must include compensation strategies for providing high-quality care. John Carrino, M.D., M.Ph., presents “Challenges and Opportunities for Radiology to Prove Value in Alternative Payment Models” at AHRA 2019. Photo by Greg Freiherr Demand for ultrasound scans at U.S. outpatient centers could grow by double digits over the next five years, according to a speaker at AHRA 2019. A variety of factors, however, could cause projections for this and other modalities to change. Graphic courtesy of Pixabay PreviousNext Key Topics for Radiology Administrators at AHRA 2019Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 7:33Loaded: 2.15%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -7:33 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio Trackdefault, selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. 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William Zoghbi, M.D., president of the ACC tesified before the House Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations Hearing on Health Care Realignment and Regulation Feature | Radiology Business | July 23, 2019 | Greg Freiherr Liars in Radiology Beware! Can you tell when someone is lying? read more Feature | Information Technology | July 31, 2019 | By Greg Freiherr How Smart Devices Can Improve Efficiency Innovation is trending toward improved efficiency — but not at the expense of patient safety, according to… read more Image by rawpixel from Pixabay Related Content Body language expert Traci Brown spoke at the AHRA 2019 meeting on how to identify when a person is not being honest by their body language. She said medical imaging department administrators can use this knowledge to help in hiring decisions and managing staff. Feature | Radiology Business | July 18, 2019 | By Stefanie Manack and Judy Zakutny Finding A Common Data Language for Radiology Approximately 30 percent of a hospital or health system’s profit comes from imaging according, to… read more Video Player is loading.Cynthia McCollough discusses bridging diversity gaps in medical physicsPlay VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 6:05Loaded: 2.67%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -6:05 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio Trackdefault, selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. 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Feature | Radiology Business | July 22, 2019 | By Greg Freiherr Payment Models Seek Traction in Transition from Volume Efforts to reform healthcare are booming, b read more News | Radiation Oncology | July 17, 2019 CMS Proposes New Alternative Payment Model for Radiation Oncology The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposal for an advanced alternative payment model (APM)… read more
Are Rate Cuts On Their Way? Share in Daily Dose, Featured, Government, News Fed Federal Reserve Interest rates Trump 2019-07-22 Seth Welborn
11 days ago 170 Views On Monday, President Donald Trump signaled to the Federal Reserve that he believes now is the best time to cut interest rates.“Very inexpensive, in fact productive, to move now,” the President tweeted. “The Fed raised & tightened far too much & too fast.”Bloomberg reports that Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is looking to ease interest rates by around a quarter of a percentage point at the July meeting. Earlier this year, Powell stated that though the economy remained strong, “crosscurrents, such as trade tensions and concerns about global growth, have been weighing on economic activity and the outlook.”In a meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), Powell said that while jobs, wage growth, and consumer spending remained strong in the second quarter of 2019, growth in business investment “seems to have slowed notably, and overall growth in the second quarter appears to have moderated.”Another cause of concern for the economy was the slowdown in fixed investment that may reflect concerns about trade tensions and slower growth in the global economy. “In addition, housing investment and manufacturing output declined in the first quarter and appear to have decreased again in the second quarter,” Powell said.Powell also addressed recent remarks by President Donald Trump on the Fed’s monetary policy stance.Bloomberg recently reported that the President had compared the Fed to “a stubborn child,” and said that if the Fed “knew what it was doing” it would cut rates. He had also announced his intentions to nominate two potentially dovish members to the Fed, either of whom “might be a Fed chair pick for Trump when Powell’s term ends in 2022, assuming the president wins reelection next year,” according to the Bloomberg report.He also addressed the Fed’s stance on the ongoing trade tensions while answering a question by Rep. Carolyn Maloney saying that no one should interpret what he said about trade headwinds as in any way a criticism of trade policy.”We do not play a role in assessing or criticizing the trade policy, it is not something assigned to us. We react in principle to anything that affects our ability to achieve the core mandate goals assigned to us by Congress, which could call for a policy response,” he said. The Fed will meet next on July 30-31.
Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman (24) lines up against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth) The Arizona Cardinals return home to for the first time since Nov. 13, but the defense will once again have their hands full as the Washington Redskins try to stay in the hotly contested NFC Wild Card race.At 6-4-1, the Redskins are barely holding on to the six-seed in the NFC, and are two games ahead of the Cards with just five games left.Last time out for the Redskins, they traveled to Arlington to play the NFC-leading Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. Despite Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins collecting the third 400-yard passing game of his career — delivering 449 yards, three touchdowns and no picks — his performance was not enough in a 31-26 loss. Grace expects Greinke trade to have emotional impact • Washington Redskins TE Vernon Davis never had a doubt (The Sports Xchange)The San Francisco 49ers might have traded him. Payton Manning and the Denver Broncos might not have trusted him. But Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan believed tight end Vernon Davis could still contribute despite declining numbers and signed him to a one-year contract this offseason.• Several Washington Redskins players will wear custom cleats on Sunday (Richmond.com)Several Washington Redskins players will be participating, and many were wearing their custom cleats on Wednesday during practice, or have posted photos of them to social media.• Jay Gruden believes in Kendall Fuller: He’s not going to be perfect (CSN Mid-Atlantic)Rookie cornerback Kendall Fuller hit the ground running for the Redskins once he finally made the active roster in Week 4. In his first NFL game, Fuller played more than 60 percent of the defensive snaps, and in eight games with Washington, Fuller has been on the field more than 70 percent of all defensive snaps.• Need to know: Five Redskins under pressure vs. Cardinals (CSN Mid-Atlantic)Here is what you need to know on this Thursday, December 1, three days before the Washington Redskins play the Arizona Cardinals. The Redskins boast the second-best offense in terms of yardage per game, as they rack up an average of 426.4 every week. Cousins is having a solid contract year, as he is behind only Drew Brees in passing yards this season with 3,540 and has 20 touchdowns compared to only seven interceptions. The Michigan State product puts a lot of pressure on defenses by spreading the ball around to many different targets, as the Redskins have six receivers with at least 31 receptions (Cards have three) and have four players with at least 450 yards (Cards have two).All throughout the week, we will prep you on the Redskins as they prepare for their bout with the Cardinals.It’s Behind Enemy Lines…Saturday, December 3• Josh Norman, Kirk Cousins among Redskins embracing ‘My Cause My Cleats’ campaign (ESPN)Several Arizona Cardinals have taken part in the initiative and their opponents will be wearing special cleats as well. Among them are cornerback Josh Norman and quarterback Kirk Cousins.• Coaches have factored into Kirk Cousins’ growth as Redskins starter (ESPN)An argument is made for whether up and coming Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins’ improvement is all credit to quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh or head coach Jay Gruden. Cavanaugh has been spoken of by Cousins as having a substantial impact on his growth this season. • Kendall Fuller is struggling, but Redskins feel the rookie is where he belongs (Washington Post)Kendall Fuller’s rookie season has been a baptism by fire.Some young players gradually work their way into prominent roles. Others get thrown to the wolves. Redskins coaches planned on the former for their third-round draft pick, a cornerback, but scrapped it for the latter.• Jay Gruden says to ignore the Cardinals’ record (Washington Times)“This is a good football team that we’re playing, I don’t care what their record is, they are a very good football team,” Gruden said. “If you go 13-3 not too long ago, you have good players — Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, [David] Johnson — I mean it goes on-and-on the list of players that they have offensively and defensively. We have to get geared up. It’s at their place. It has always been a tough place to play. If we don’t get geared up, it’ll be a long day.”• Redskins’ offensive line has gone from question to strength (Washington Times)Coming into the season, the Washington Redskins’ offensive line ranked 12th on Pro Football Focus’ preseason list of offensive lines. Respectable within the ranks, but not necessarily dominant. • As DeSean Jackson turns 30, his game hasn’t slowed down (ESPN.com)Jackson is convinced his game isn’t slowing down and that he can play well into his 30s.“I’m glad I kept it alive this long,” Jackson said. “Hopefully I can keep it alive another five or 10 years.”• Redskins rookie Josh Doctson still not running as he recovers from Achilles issue (ESPN.com)Washington Redskins rookie receiver Josh Doctson could return for the last two games of the regular season — but to do so he’ll have to soon start doing something he hasn’t in a while: run.• Need to know: Pass defense key for Redskins vs. Cardinals (CSN Mid-Atlantic)Here is what you need to know on this Friday, December 2, two days before the Washington Redskins play the Arizona Cardinals.Thursday, December 1• ‘A dork with swag’: Redskins rally around their corny quarterback (Washington Post)“Very goofy, and very corny,” running back Chris Thompson said.“Oh, it’s super corny,” agreed long snapper Nick Sundberg. “He’s a square.”“It’s kind of dorkish a little bit, but cool at the same time,” offered wide receiver Jamison Crowder.• Redskins reiterate their trust in Dustin Hopkins, even after rough days kicking (Washington Post) Former Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson retires 0 Comments Share But Cousins on Sunday faces his stiffest test yet in the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals allow just 195 passing yards per game, second-best in the NFL, thanks to a secondary loaded with playmakers, including cornerback Marcus Cooper, safety Tyrann Mathieu and cornerback Patrick Peterson, who may have an argument with the Redskins’ Josh Norman over who is the league’s top cover guy.• Kirk Cousins learned tough lessons in Redskins last trip to Arizona (ESPN.com)“That’ll be a game I’ll always remember as one that didn’t go our way, didn’t go my way,” Cousins said. “And one of those games where you learn from it and you say, ‘Tough times don’t last, tough people do. To be able to come back from this, I’ve got to choose to be mentally and physically tough.’ I’m just glad that here we are with another opportunity to go back there a couple seasons later.”• Broadway Kirk Cousins: Redskins QB says he’s a musical theater guy (ESPN.com)Cousins hasn’t yet seen the Broadway show on the life of Alexander Hamilton, but it’s on his list of things to do. And it hasn’t stopped Cousins from singing some of the tunes from the show. “I’m not going to waver on my level of confidence,” Gruden said, reaffirming his faith in Hopkins’s leg and his own commitment to taking calculated risks in crucial situations. “I’m not going to say I’m not going to kick a field goal, because I’m afraid he’s going to miss it. If we need the points, we’re going to kick it.”• Jordan Reed making progress, but ‘slowly,’ as Redskins remain in wait-and-see mode (Washington Post)Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden said that although tight end Jordan Reed missed a second straight practice because of his separated shoulder, Reed is progressing “slowly” and remains “in a lot of pain.”• Loss in Arizona would drop playoff odds dramatically (Washington Times)Sunday will have a huge impact on Washington’s odds of reaching the playoffs. The Upshot’s simulator gives the Redskins a 72-percent chance to make the playoffs if they beat the Arizona Cardinals in Arizona this weekend. If they lose? Trouble. The odds fall to 38 percent. Entering the game, Washington has essentially a 50-50 shot to get in, according to the web site’s calculations.• Strength vs. strength: Cousins against Cardinals secondary (Washington Times)
• Redskins sign defensive lineman A.J. Francis to active roster (Redskins.com)The Washington Redskins have added Washington, D.C., native A.J. Francis to the active roster from the practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday.In a corresponding move, long snapper Rick Lovato has been waived.• Report: Redskins facing coaching staff shake-up (Was.247sports.com)According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay has emerged as a hot name in head coaching search circles when the NFL coaching carousel spins up again.• Redskins hit the road to face Cardinals as 2.5-point underdogs (Redskinswire.com)Even though the Washington Redskins held steadfast in the latest USA TODAY NFL week 13 power rankings and other NFL rankings, they are viewed as a 2.5-point underdog against the 4-6-1 Arizona Cardinals.• Redskins prepare for must-win games starting with Cardinals (Redskinswire.com)Both teams are in must-win scenarios and this weekend’s outcome could determine which team will move forward with another week to play for a playoff spot.• Chris Cooley wonders if Ryan Kerrigan is playing hurt (The Washington Post)Kerrigan did record a sack against the Cowboys, but Cooley said it was on a play when he was “basically turned free” by the Dallas protection. Cooley said Kerrigan fared well on the backside of some Dallas running plays, forced a Dak Prescott throw, and had a few other effective moments. Top Stories Derrick Hall satisfied with D-backs’ buying and selling • If Jordan Reed forced to miss time, Vernon Davis very capable to step in (CSN Mid-Atlantic)With the status of Jordan Reed’s injured shoulder unknown, the Redskins face a dilemma. Their star tight end brings so much to the offense, so the team wants him available as quickly as possible, but also wants to be sure Reed can play the rest of the season, not just focus on one game.Washington has an advantage in waiting for Reed, and that’s backup tight end Vernon Davis.• Glare from the sun in Dallas was worse than Kirk Cousins anticipated (The Washington Post)“It was just unfortunate, because we got across midfield, we were rolling, and sure enough, I looked and I could just tell right away before we even had huddled for that play that this is gonna be a problem,” Cousins told Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier. “And I looked at the ref and I said, ‘I can’t see down the field.’ And he said back to me, ‘I can’t either. I mean, I don’t know how you’re doing it.’ ”• Redskins receive yet another injury scare (Was.247sports.com)On Monday, the Redskins received another scare. This time from wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who went down awkwardly in Monday’s practice. • Back home in Washington, Vernon Davis is now the man he wanted to be (Washington Post)Redskins tight end Vernon Davis has made two Pro Bowl appearances and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2009. After catching two touchdowns in his last two seasons, Davis’ return to his hometown team has revitalized the veteran’s career. Friday, December 2• Jordan Reed ruled out of Cardinals game, eyes Week 14 return (ESPN)The star tight end for the Redskins was not expected to play in Sunday’s clash with Arizona, but Reed not playing is now officially a reality.Known for injury issues in the past, the 26-year-old Reed will miss his third game of the season. He has 59 receptions for 630 yards and five touchdowns this season.• Jordan Reed is unlikely to play Sunday, but Jay Gruden is staying mum (Washington Post)“I’m not expecting him to play or not to play,” Gruden told reporters after Thursday’s practice, at which Reed was an observer for a second consecutive day. “Just got to wait and see tomorrow how he looks and go from there.”• Josh Norman may track Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald in the slot, Jay Gruden says (Washington Post)Asked if Norman could step into a slot cornerback role Sunday, when the 6-4-1 Redskins travel to Arizona (4-6-1), Gruden said: “He could in certain situations, there’s no doubt about it.” The 5: Takeaways from the Coyotes’ introduction of Alex Meruelo • Cousins will be 1 of 5 highest-paid players (CBS DC)It’s becoming more and more likely that Washington will either place the franchise tag on Cousins for a second time in as many seasons or offer him a massive contract that pays him more than $20 million annually.Wednesday, November 30• The only question left for Kirk Cousins: ‘How much?’ (The Washington Post)How close is the franchise to a resolution? Despite national media reports suggesting that Washington has finalized its plan, the team is still in evaluation mode. Like any good evaluator would take note of, Cousins’s play lately has been persuasive. But the decision-makers wanted another season to look at the complete picture — all 32 regular season games of the Cousins/Gruden offense, plus perhaps another playoff appearance — and they’ll collect every bit of information available.• Redskins Jay Gruden weighs aggressiveness versus moderation (Redskinswire.com)In a high-profile market like Washington, where everything regarding the Redskins is viewed under a microscope, aggressive play-calling that works is labeled genius. Aggressive play-calling that fails is called stupidity.In the team’s recent 31-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Gruden took some chances that did not work and he is taking some heat for it. Tuesday, November 29• Playing behind the Redskins’ offensive line is no longer a dangerous occupation (The Washington Post)Not getting sacked is partly a skill — and one that’s not easily taught, as previous Washington quarterbacks have demonstrated. This offense demands instantaneous reads and quick-twitch decisions. Cousins has complied, and the sacks have disappeared.• Kirk Cousins’ growth one reason Redskins’ offense flourishes minus key starters (ESPN)The Redskins are in their third season of Gruden’s offense. Of their 11 full-time starters — when everyone is healthy or not suspended — eight also are in their third season. Of their key offensive players, only two are newcomers: Davis and Kelley.That experience especially pays off at quarterback with Kirk Cousins. His knowledge of the offense enables him to go through progressions quicker, avoiding negative situations. It helps with protections and audibles, allowing him to check out of plays he knows are bad.• Jordan Reed’s status uncertain this week with AC joint separation (Redskins.com)Reed, the team’s leading receiver, suffered the injury at the beginning of the second quarter when he was pushed to the ground by a Cowboys defender after jumping for a pass thrown out of the back of the end zone. He was in pain as he changed into his clothes after the game and left the locker room with a sling on his left arm.
August 5, 2013On July 31st, about 150 people came together at the A.E. England Civic Space Park in Phoenix to attend a press conference and several lectures on the issue of climate change and its effects on urban environments and the people who inhabit them. It was a day of information, inspiration, and action. Eric Corey Freed, of organicARCHITECT, was the keynote speaker, his compelling presentation on the importance of eco-focused architecture and the feasibility of building eco-friendly buildings, was the highlight of the day. All the lecturers had excellent presentations, and the audience left feeling inspired and committed to making a change.Here is Nancy Selover, AZ State Climatologist during her presentation titled “Urban Heat Island, What’s the Problem?”.[photos and text by Julia Dorn-Giarmoleo]Several Arconauts took part in the day, and an Arcosanti informational booth, manned by Kate Bemesderfer and Travis Shappell was set up in the lobby .
The cabinet on Wednesday approved a bill abolishing compulsory voting in elections, formally calling it a day on a law that has been inactive for years.Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides does not expect the bill to increase voter abstention, as the existing law providing that failure to vote is an offence has been inactive for many years.The bill must be approved by parliament.To exercise the right to vote has to be just that, a right, not a duty, Petrides said.“Voting is an expression of the will of citizens. One’s will in a democracy must be free and unaltered. Once it is mandatory then it stops being democratic,” he said.The bill, Petrides said, is also aimed at harmonising national legislation with that of other EU member states that do not criminalise voter abstention.“The law has been inactive for many years, as, it is not the intention of the state to prosecute citizens because they do not exercise this right, which must be a right and not an obligation,” Petrides said.As regards voter abstention, he said that it should not be addressed with ways that are inconsistent with democratic principles.“Abstention is addressed when the political system itself persuades citizens to participate in the democratic process because they have choices. We do not believe this bill will increase abstention”.According to the existing law, voting in the elections is obligatory and failure to do so is an offence. If convicted, offenders are subject to a €340 fine.The provision in question however has been inactive for several years, and there have been no prosecutions for almost two decades. You May LikeTruthFinder People Search SubscriptionOne Thing All Liars Have in Common, Brace YourselfTruthFinder People Search SubscriptionUndoClassmates.comLook For Any High School Yearbook, It’s FreeClassmates.comUndoFigLeaf Beta AppHow to Become Fully Anonymous Online in Less Than 3 Minutes? Better safe than sorryFigLeaf Beta AppUndo Concern over falling tourism numbersUndoAuthorities release five of 12 Israeli rape suspects, seven due in court FridayUndoPensioner dies after crash on Paphos-Polis roadUndoby Taboolaby Taboola