Jay Z could be the next rapper making a big sale to Tim Cook, as the Wall Street Journal cites anonymous sources saying Apple is in “exploratory” talks to buy Tidal, although a spokesperson for the music service said there had not been any talks. As…
Let’s face the cold, hard truth here – not everyone is born with the ability to park a vehicle nicely in the garage or parking lot at the first go. Some of us are great at parallel parking, while others shun away from any parking lots that do not have empty bays beside our lot. Heck, even backing into the garage might prove to be a nightmare for many, which might be why Hammacher came up with the $49.95 Laser Guided Parking Attendant.
This is one motion activated parking aid which will be able to guide two cars into a garage with laser-precise driving prowess. It will be different from other obtrusive, unsightly solutions such as a tennis ball suspended from a string, as this particular device can be mounted discreetly to a garage ceiling in order to prevent you from rear ending other items in the garage and ruining your paintwork, such as a lawnmower, ladder, or even the ever static rear wall. As long as your vehicle approaches within 15′, the unit will be triggered, projecting a red laser pointer beam (one for each car) onto a predetermined spot on a vehicle’s hood or dashboard. All you need to do now is to align the beam with the hood/dashboard, and you would end up within the optimal parking distance from the garage’s rear wall. The integrated LED delivers 50 lumens of light for extra parking assistance, and can be powered either an AC adapter or a trio of AA batteries. Looks like laser guides are not only there to help you trim your beard!
[ Laser Guided Parking Attendant should avoid unwanted scratches and knocks copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Gamers have always wanted nothing but the very best that they can buy, and this would include monitors. Some gamers are fortunate enough to be able to afford multiple screen setups, while others are perfectly happy with a single large display. Regardless, you will never be able to obtain the viewing size of a projector, and Casio has just the thing for those who would want to enjoy a big screen gaming experience without having to burn a hole in their pockets.
Regardless of the kind of video game genre that you like to indulge in, ranging from a MMORPG to a First Person Shooter, or even a Real Time Strategy title, all of those are instantly a whole lot more enjoyable when you see it on the large screen (or as far as your living room wall is able to accommodate).
Joe Gillio, Senior Director Strategic Planning and Marketing, Casio’s Business Projector Division, has this to say, “In the gaming industry, it’s clear that enthusiasts are passionate about creating a complete experience to truly immerse themselves in the game. We want to ensure that gamers are able to have great visuals and Casio projectors, such as our new XJ-F210WN, are the ideal tools due to their innovative features, bright images and affordable price.”
The Casio XJ-F210WN will be part of the award-winning Advanced Series line of projectors, where it will boast of the entire slew of features and performance that have made Casio’s customers happy all this while. The Casio XJ-F210WN will arrive in a compact form factor, not to mention at a more affordable price point to boot. It will be powered by Casio’s LampFree technology, which means you no longer have to scratch your head or worry about replacing expensive and hazardous mercury lamps, making each purchase more cost effective and safer for the environment.
Not only that, the XJ-F210WN will also boast of a 20,000-hour estimated operating life and consumes half the amount of power per unit compared to traditional lamp-based projectors. So far, power consumption at the brightest setting is only 180 watts and eco modes will be able to further reduce power consumption by up to 50%. In addition, its dust resistant design is made possible by structuring the internal components into a trio of blocks so that it can shield the optical block from dust.
This WXGA model will achieve its maximum brightness in as fast as five seconds from the time it is turned on, and can be powered off immediately with just a touch of the button. A couple of HDMI terminals as well as a USB power supply round off its connectivity options. Any takers?
Press Release
[ Casio intends to bring projectors for gamers copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
When you are a revered figurehead and leader like the Pope, you can be sure that you will have your fair share of adoring masses and fans, never mind the fact that you are a spiritual leader to more than a billion people on the planet as well. Well, this means the kind of stuff that you use need not be of the ordinary mold, and this would include the tablet. Forget the already expensive iPad Pro, how about a special tablet just for the Pope?
This was made possible when Ryan Conklin, friend of Biblezon CEO and Founder Mosongo Osong, made a pilgrimage to Rome. He was newly (and blissfully) married, making their way to the Vatican for a Papal Wedding Blessing. Conklin did not go there empty-handed, however, as he and his bride carried an extremely special package with them, with the intention of making a personal delivery to Pope Francis.
The special item in question? An extremely special and unique Biblezon Catholic Tablet, which is truly the only one of its kind in the world. Not only that, it has been specially crafted in order to reflect the significance of such a moment. In other words, this unique device is a special Biblezon Catholic Tablet which was manufactured just for Pope Francis himself, and no other.
This special Biblezon tablet has a shade of white to reflect the purity of the church, while designers threw in a photo of Pope Francis to the back as well as to the case. Underneath the hood, however, would be the operating system in addition to available apps which will be similar in terms of accessibility to all current end users of the Biblezon Catholic Tablet.
Apart from that, the box that housed this special tablet contained a message from Biblezon Founder Mosongo Osong, where the letter saw Mosongo thank Pope Francis for what he was doing for the Church and the world, particularly his message of love and mercy. This is one tablet that you cannot purchase anywhere, that is for sure!
Press Release
[ Biblezon comes up with special tablet for the Pope copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
There are Supermen (and Superwomen) among us. They work for the Department of Justice, and they have the unenviable job of prosecuting corrupt politicians. They must speak truth to power on a daily basis, trying to keep elected officials on the right side of the law, and the Supreme Court just threw Kryptonite at them in the long awaited decision in McDonnell v. USA.
When Bob McDonnell was the governor of Virginia he and the First Lady of Virginia Maureen McDonnell accepted $175,000 in gifts and loans from businessman Jonnie Williams, a supplement — or some might say snake oil — salesman. Mr. Williams wanted Virginia’s premier public universities like UVA and MCV to test his supplement derived from tobacco in the hopes that one day it would gain FDA approval.
A jury in Richmond, Virginia convicted both McDonnells of bribery and other crimes. The Fourth Circuit (no coddler of criminals) upheld the conviction. Mr. McDonnell who was facing jail time, appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court just reversed the Fourth Circuit. The Court said that bribery must be an exchange of a thing of value for “an official act.” The Supreme Court then went on to explain that “an official act” was too broadly defined by the government lawyers prosecuting the McDonnells.
To explain, there clearly were things of value given and loaned to the McDonnells (including a Rolex watch for him and $20,000 in designer clothes for her). But Governor McDonnell merely set up a few key meetings for Mr. Williams. The Supreme Court held “[s]etting up a meeting, talking to another official, or organizing an event — without more — does not fit that definition of ‘official act.'” At least in the eyes of the unanimous Supreme Court, setting up meetings for a constituent, even a constituent who is paying for the Governor’s daughter’s wedding, is not an “official act.” And therefore without a true quid pro quo, there is no bribery.
As Chief Justice Roberts wrote dismissively, “But our concern is not with tawdry tales of Ferraris, Rolexes, & ball gowns.” The Supreme Court has defined down corruption into a smaller and smaller nub. This will make prosecuting bribery all the harder for brilliant Superman prosecutor Preet Bharara who has spent the last few years doing the yeoman’s work of cleaning up the fetid cesspool which is the New York Legislature in Albany.
And given the low opinion of the public of politicians who seem all too willing to bend over backwards for the richest person in the room, this case broadcasts entirely the wrong message to both elected officials and the businessmen, businesswomen and their lobbyists trying to woo them into action.
The McDonnell case follows a recent pattern of defining down corruption in campaign finance cases as well. As I explain in my book Corporate Citizen?, privately financed elections, invite self-interested spending by the wealthy, including corporate interests, to try to sway elected official who are reliant on them to get into office. Recall that Mr. Williams offered soon to be elected Governor a flight on his private jet while McDonnell was campaigning.
The Rehnquist Supreme Court had defined corruption broadly to include big money calling the tune in politics (2000), and disproportionate access to elected officials and undue influence for donors of elected officials (2003).
By contrast, the Robert Supreme Court Citizens United and McCutcheon could not recognize greater access to elected officials by big campaign donors as “corruption.” Rather in those campaign finance cases, the Roberts Supreme Court only considers quid pro quo exchanges (literally this for that — like campaign money for a particular vote) as true “corruption.” And in the McDonnell case, penned by Chief Justice Roberts, even quid pro quo has been defined incredibly narrowly.
While we do not want prosecutors to criminalize politics, we also do not want the Supreme Court to give wider and wider berth for corrupt politicians to get away with using their positions of power to enrich themselves. And let it be clear, while they were Governor and First Lady of Virginia, the McDonnells were enriching themselves. And I predict that this is what the Supreme Court just did.
The McDonnell case will make it harder for people like Superman prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who are looking out for the integrity of the system, and the good of the voter, to do their jobs. Patrick Fitzgerald, if you don’t remember, was the prosecutor who did the noble thing for the people of Illinois of putting Governor Rod Blagojevich in jail.
–30–
Ciara Torres-Spelliscy is an Associate Professor of Law at Stetson Law, a Brennan Center Fellow and the author of Corporate Citizen? An Argument for the Separation of Corporation and State.
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With Independence Day looming, we hear a lot about “freedom.” The holiday is our national celebration of freedom and the word echoes through our consciousness like no other. But this year, I hope we stop and really consider the meaning of freedom. We need to, because mostly our national conversation echoes with shallow regurgitations of trite expressions. Most of these voices believe in an irresponsible absolute freedom, an unimpeded freedom to do and say and be anything. In fact, that has never been the case. Freedom is not absolute. Freedom is the essence of responsibility. Exercising freedom is risky. Those who exercise freedom often suffer consequences. The real heroes of freedom we celebrate on the 4th of July are responsible risk-taking citizens.
Mary McDowell was a well-qualified New York City teacher in 1917. She had a degree from Swarthmore, had studied at Oxford University, and boasted a master’s degree from Columbia. Remember, this was a time when the vast majority of people did not attend college. Few women held college degrees. McDowell had accomplished much. She was a twelve-year veteran teacher. Her record was exemplary and her evaluations confirmed that she was dedicated and effective. She was also a Quaker and a pacifist, though many testified that she never proselytized about her religion or her pacifist views. Still, as Dana Goldstein describes in her book The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Embattled Profession, McDowell’s decision to exercise the freedom of speech and conscience had significant personal consequences.
With the advent of U.S. involvement in World War I, the school district demanded that every New York City teacher sign a loyalty pledge. That pledge required a declaration that the individual support the military policies of the national government, the president, and Congress, “making the world safe for democracy.” It’s important to notice here that teachers were specifically required to swear loyalty to the president and the Congress. Not even soldiers of the U.S. military were required to do that. Instead, members of the armed forces swore first to protect and defend the Constitution and then to obey the military orders of their superiors.
Mary McDowell could not reconcile the loyalty oath with her religious views and she refused. In an administrative trial by the New York City Department of Education in May 1918, despite a host of support and testimony from the community and colleagues, McDowell lost her job. So did other teachers. The public applauded the move. The New York Times encouraged the Board of Education to “root out all the disloyal or doubtful teachers.” Mary McDowell exercised her freedom of speech and conviction, but it was not without consequences. She is only one small example in American history.
In 1765-66, Americans protested by refusing to pay the stamp tax. Local courts did not meet and thus it was impossible to collect a debt, probate a will, or record a deed of sale. Merchants and ship captains could not register a manifest, so ships sat idle in the harbors. No goods were shipped in or out of the colonies. Colonists exercised freedom–the freedom to ignore a tax–and many suffered the economic consequences.
In antebellum America, thousands of enslaved men and women attempted the risky escape to freedom. Most didn’t succeed. Some never survived the journey. Of those who did, most never again saw their family–spouses, children, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, or cousins. Many spent the rest of their lives one step ahead of the slave-catcher. It was a life without any legal status. Yet, they risked everything for the freedom to provide for themselves and make their own decisions, to be free of slavery’s depravations. Freedom requires sacrifice, and it has consequences.
Every decade of American history has similar examples.
The very opportunity to exercise individual freedom is a precious thing. It is the essence of our American character. It is the legacy of men and women who, in 1776, dreamed of a world based on Enlightenment principles: that every individual–not government, and not just a privileged few–is vested with unalienable rights including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The authors of the Declaration understood that the exercise of freedom had consequences. They risked everything. They girded themselves for the work ahead, pledging to each other, “our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Americans today are quick to claim freedom, liberty to do whatever we want to do. But when things get tough–when there are consequences–we act like children in the schoolyard, whining and blaming someone else for taking away our toy. We no longer appreciate the responsibility or the sacrifice our freedom requires. If we expect to have freedom, we must dedicate ourselves to the hard work of freedom. This weekend, like the founding generation on that first Independence Day, pledge yourself to the work ahead with the full understanding that we will–we must–sacrifice for freedom.
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IN TODAY’S RADIO REPORT: US, Canada and Mexico sign major clean energy pact; New report finds millions of Americans may be exposed to lead in drinking water; Germany bans fracking; PLUS: LED streetlights are keeping the American Medical Association up at night… All that and more in today’s Green News Report!
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IN ‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’ (see links below): Florida’s coral reef system in rapid decay; Conservative to Fund Republicans Who Back Climate Change Action; Stinging Lionfish Are Invading The Mediterranean; Arsenic, Other Toxins Found At Three Georgia Power Plants; Coal Ash Bedevils Oklahoma Town, Revealing Weakness Of EPA Rule; Should Pacific Bluefin Tuna Be Listed As An Endangered Species?; U.S. Virgin Islands To Withdraw Subpoena In Climate Probe Into Exxon; In California, Study Finds Drilling and Fracking into Freshwater Formations… PLUS: Fossil Fuel Industry Ramps Up Anti-Divestment Strategy… and much, MUCH more! …
‘Green News Report’ is heard on many fine radio stations around the country. For additional info on stories we covered today, plus today’s ‘Green News Extra’, please click right here to listen!
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In the beginning, there were only beats. Drums are the heart and pulse of music as well as its genesis. Experimental and electronic music have refocused listeners to the importance of pulse, straying away from vocals and melodies as the focal point. While all the various elements of sound obviously play an important role in the production of electronic music, it is the steady rhythm of a beat that moves, vibrates, and connects.
Electronic shoegaze duo Brett Paulin and Dan Workman, whose musical moniker is OVER, recently released their newest single titled “Thelma’s Cooked.” With harmonizing synthesizers and haunting, cryptic vocals that are threaded together by layers of beats, this track is rich in reverie. OVER has cultivated a signature sound, remaining in the same vein as their debut single, “Adult Day Program.” Psychedelic, evocative, and avant-garde, the duo is bending, blending, and transcending through various genres to create a sound of their very own.
See also: Journey Into Psychedelia With Toronto Duo, OVER
Similar to their first release, the music video for “Thelma’s Cooked” offers minimal and abstract imagery that allows the viewer/listener to become entranced by both the aural and ocular senses. The video has an interesting optical effect as tiny white dots dance upon a black background like animated pointillism. Just as the eyes focus on the image, it morphs into a new one, keeping the mind in a constant state of interpretation.
The song’s namesake is a line from the 1983 film Silkwood starring Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell and Cher. “This gem appeared whilst traveling deep down the Kurt Russell movie rabbit-hole,” explains Workman about the inspiration behind the track. The film is based on the true story of American chemical technician, Karen Silkwood, who was an activist for the health and safety of nuclear facility workers.
Silkwood eventually discovers that she has been exposed to high levels of radiation. After testifying to the Atomic Energy Commission, she died in a car crash in 1974 which raised many questions and controversy due to the unclear cause of the crash. “The song is equal parts tragedy and atomic energy,” says Workman. This just goes to show that the mind of an artist can find inspiration anywhere, even in a 1980s Kurt Russell film.
Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
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For the best relationship insight and advice, turn to a divorce attorney. After all, every day they have a front-row seat to the kinds of petty drama and missteps that lead couples to split up.
With that in mind, we asked family law attorneys from across the country to share some of the most obvious signs that a couple is likely to divorce.
“It’s a bad sign if a couple bickers and it results in the silent treatment. Sure, fighting is healthy in a relationship but when it turns from playful to serious on a regular basis — and it ends in stonewalling — that doesn’t bode well for long-term success.” — Jason Levoy, an attorney and divorce coach in New York City
“This seems obvious and it is. People can go without sex, but the bottom line is that we are living creatures and sex is a natural desire. Yes, there are relationships that endure without sex, but as a divorce lawyer, it’s not a shock when a client tells me they have gone years without having sex with their partner.” — Randall M. Kessler, an attorney in Atlanta, Georgia
“While it’s true that opposites attract, don’t assume that the qualities you fell in love with are going to keep a marriage together. For example, if someone is an extrovert and loves going out until the wee morning hours and the other spouse likes a warm bath at 7 p.m. followed by a glass of milk and a good book, there is no way the couple can sustain this lifestyle distance.” — Lisa Helfend Meyer, a divorce attorney in Los Angeles, California
“It can be a problem when a partner always puts his or her career above everything else, including the relationship. This tends to be true, regardless of the agreement the couple has come to during the marriage. For example, my firm has represented laser-focused military members, whose partners initially agreed to take a backseat and raise the family so the military member could advance. But over the years, the stay-at-home spouse begins to resent the situation. Even the strongest relationships decay over time when one person puts their career aspirations ahead of the relationship.” — Christian Denmon, a divorce attorney in Tampa, Florida
“Eye-rolling, belittling and treating each other with disdain are key indicators that a relationship will eventually disintegrate. While spouses don’t have to always see eye-to-eye to have a happy marriage, they do have to respect each other and appreciate their differences, rather than viewing those differences as being signs that the other spouse is stupid or wrong.” — Karen Covy, an attorney and divorce coach in Chicago, Illinois
“Knowing your partner’s love language — being aware of how he or she feels appreciated — is crucial for long-term success in marriage. Although spouses may love each other, they may not feel loved if they have different love languages. For instance, if one spouse shows love by doing helpful things or by buying gifts, but the other receives love through verbal affirmations, loving touch or quality time together, the love may not really be received.” — Dennis A. Cohen, an attorney and mediator in Marina del Rey, California
“A marriage is a partnership and each person should be accountable to the other for their family’s finances. When the finances are split, it’s easy for both partners to overspend. A couple can keep separate or joint bank accounts, but when there is no transparency on how money is being spent and saved, it’s nearly impossible to set and reach financial goals like buying a home or planning for retirement. It becomes a growing frustration.” — Puja A. Sachdev, a divorce attorney in San Diego, California
“Many spouses tend to avoid awkward situations and problems by either ‘shading the truth’ or ignoring something that has been on their mind. This leads to resentment. This person is your best friend, confidante and lover. You should be able to say anything to them. You should be able to to accept one another’s comments without destroying the bonds of matrimony.” — Douglas S. Kepanis, a divorce attorney in New York City
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Part 1 of 10: Identifying and Reducing Readmissions Rates
It’s no secret that America’s health care system needs intensive care. $180 billion is wasted every year on operational inefficiencies, and the condition is not improving. This is largely attributed to a fee-based system that incentivized volume over value.
In 2010, the Affordable Care Act made health care providers an offer they couldn’t refuse — a mandate to increase efficiency or feel the pain of stiff financial penalties. This ideology shifted the practice from fee for service to value-based care. Loved it or loathed it, health care providers are forced to play with the cards they were dealt with.
As with all illnesses, we begin with identifying the symptoms of a broken health care system, so we can follow through with a diagnosis and treatment. In this ten-part series, we will:
Finding solutions to fix our health care system won’t be resolved overnight, but it is prudent to focus on the elements that are causing inefficiencies. Then implement noninvasive solutions that are quick, intelligent, and cost-effective.
When our vehicle breaks down, we go to the mechanic to get it fixed. We expect our vehicle to function after our visit because it is part of a mechanic’s duty of care.
Similarly, a doctor’s obligation is to treat patients with a level of care that is consistent with the Hippocratic Oath. Unlike a machine, however, humans can’t be recalled. We either heal, deteriorate or perish. Readmissions are a serious threat to not only our health but to our health care system.
By far, Medicare bears the greatest burden of readmission and is the gold standard by which health care providers measure performance on. The three greatest preventable conditions for Medicare readmissions are:
The conditions above cost hospitals over $4.3 billion. The government (and ultimately the taxpayer) foots 43% of our national health bill. Consequently, hospital reimbursements have recently been restructured under the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) in October 2012. The program focuses on patients who are readmitted within 30 days for high-cost or high-volume conditions and procedures. Specifically, heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hip/knee replacement, and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program is designed to improve the quality of care by incentivizing the reduction of hospital readmissions and penalizing underperforming hospitals.
Since the initiation of the program, readmission rates have declined 1%, from more than 19.0% to less than 18.0%. Although this is an improvement, 50% of hospitals received readmission penalties of up to 3% for failing to meet the national readmission benchmark.
The financial cost is merely a symptom of the problem. Readmitted patients are preventable and increase demand for doctors who already have long waitlists. It also places a hindrance on society since patients are required to take repeated time off work or home care. In short, remitted patients are not given the proper treatment, which is simply poor quality of care.
Readmission rates are calculated using discharge data for each hospital from the three years prior to the year in which the penalty is assessed. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), The two criteria for evaluating the impact of readmissions are volume and costs. To understand the impact of these variables, we need to look at the data that drives the numbers.
The average readmission rate for the top ten high volume conditions among Medicare beneficiaries is 19.6%. Simply put, nearly 1 in 5 patients return for preventable retreatments.
However, the quality of care is not solely dependent on hospital care. Hospitals serve patients of varying risk profiles. External factors such as socioeconomic status and demographics come into play and should be taken into consideration.
Despite these discrepancies, there are currently no provisions in the Health care Readmissions Reduction Program to account for these external factors. This could adversely (and often unfairly) impact the perception of a health care provider. These external data sets are largely unaccounted for but have a significant impact on patient readmission.
There are ways to mitigate the risk of patient readmission. It begins with intimately knowing your patient. This may sound daunting at first, but it can be easier than you think.
The difference between a stranger and a loved one is data. With a friend, you know what appeals to them as much as what repulses them.
In the same way, health care providers can leverage data to determine whether a patient is considered at risk of readmission. But data itself is inert. It can’t predict and won’t prevent readmissions on its own. Therefore, health care providers need to aggregating and normalizing the data in order to understand the probability of readmission. Only then can you make accurate decisions.
Finally, patients need to be nurtured throughout their medical journey. Patient engagement is like following through on your golf or tennis swing. It takes practice, but it will certainly improve your game.
It starts with asking, “How have you been?” It’s simple, but not easy. Engaging your patients is very involving and can take tremendous resources from your admin staff. So new technologies such as CareSkore actively engages patients using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to prevent readmissions from occurring.
“A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…”
Reducing readmissions isn’t a trivial task, but it is one that deserves attention. Readmissions prevent doctors from seeing fresh patients, disrupts the wellbeing of a patient, and drives costs to health care providers. There are early indicators that the health care industry is adopting methods to reduce readmissions. Not only because it is mandated by the government, but because prevention is better than treatment. Solutions are available to transform hospitals from a destination to a journey.
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