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Conspireality MUST READ BOOK LIST (there will be a test)
A Peoples History of the United States– Howard Zinn
review by Eric Harrington
Everyone has a book that literally changes their perception of the world. "Peoples History" was one of a few books that absolutely changed the way I thought about the world for the better and the worse. It was filled with those lightbulb moments where you go "NOW I FINALLY UNDERSTAND" .
The book is in effect the history of the United States told from the perspective of the common man. It has been said that History is written by the winners, but winner or looser, history has never been written by the common man, the man on the street, the man in the fox hole. It also shatters the illusions of American Exceptionalism, something that was absolutley necessary for me, looking back, to even be capable of truly understanding the United States as we know it today, and a great starting point for a search for truth in these troubled times.
A MASTERPIECE and absolutely essential reading for anyone who truly LOVES America.
Buy It
Confessions of an Economic Hitman – John Perkins
According to his book, Perkins' function was to convince the political and financial leadership of underdeveloped countries to accept enormous development loans from institutions like the World Bank and USAID. Saddled with huge debts they could not hope to pay, these countries were forced to acquiesce to political pressure from the United States on a variety of issues. Perkins argues in his book that developing nations were effectively neutralized politically, had their wealth gaps driven wider and economies crippled in the long run. In this capacity Perkins recounts his meetings with some prominent individuals, including Graham Greene and Omar Torrijos. Perkins describes the role of an EHM as follows:
Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. They funnel money from the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development(USAID), and other foreign "aid" organizations into the coffers of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet's natural resources. Their tools included fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization.
While the broad strokes can be argued as generalizations, the basic premise even Perkins ex Boss admits is true. But the most important aspect of this book is that it explains the powerful rise of Socialism and Anti-American sentiment in South AMerica and the world, and demotrates that the US cannot bring peace and prosperity to the world while allowing our corporations to pilfer the resources and welfare of the 3rd world. A VERY IMPORTANT BOOK!!! – Eric
Plan B: Rescuing a Planet under Stress & a Civilization in Trouble – Lester Brown
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 02.21.08
First off, a disclaimer: Lester Brown has been a hero of mine (and featured on TreeHugger TV interviews as well as posting himself on climate refugees) at least since 2003, when in front of a gathering of sustainability experts in a Portland conference room I asked him why he didn't help us all out and run for U.S. president. Brown laughed with the rest of the crowd, then moved right on to the next question. He obviously had a much bigger agenda in mind – such as saving the entire planet.
At that time, Brown was just publishing the book Plan B, which in its first edition was subtitled "Rescuing A Planet Under Stress And A Civilization In Trouble." In that first and subsequent two editions Brown does a commendable job of spelling out and interconnecting all the stresses on the Earth – eroding soils, falling water tables, rising temperatures, poverty and population pressures. After all, as president of the Earth Policy Institute (and founder and former leader of Worldwatch Institute) Brown has been studying the big picture for a while. By the time Brown updated Plan B to version 3.0 this year, however, the subtitle had changed to "Mobilizing to Save Civilization." Why the change? (Rest of Review)
This is an extremely important book and absolutely mandatory reading for the survival minded.. Eric
Friendly Fire: Secret War Between The Allies
Lynn Picknett, Clive Prince & Stephen Prior With Additional Research By Robert Brydon
A truly amazing book about the secret war that went on between the US and England druing WW2./ But more important, this book paints an extremely credible picture that suggest that Roosevelt agressively played various European countries with the express purpose of starting WW2. Why? Because the US credit that had bought us out of the great depression (ever wonder what paid for all those new deal projects) had ran out and the US was facing an even deeper collapse. The only way out was to ramp up the amazing American production machine that was suffocating due to a lack of markets, (caused mostly by Englands stranglehold on foreign trade) and sell weapons to everyone involved while cleverly staying out until the end game. A must read!!!! – Eric
Out of Print – BUY IT WHILE THEY ARE STILL AVAILABLE!
The Earth Chronicles – Zacharia Sitchen
I have a confession to make….I have read the entire Earth Chronicles Series 4 times. The information is so dense I continue to discover new insights into everything from the origin of man, to the origin of God, to the nature of civilization and it's origins. Sitchen broke ground when after reading countless interpretations of the ancient Sumerian texts (Literally thousands exist on clay tablets, many never read) he realized that all these interpretations were using extensive mythification of the stories, ie assuming they were myths. So he undertook interpreting the texts (he is one of the few people in the world who can interpret Sumerian) LITERALLY, ie, if they say the God Enki flew across the sky, what if he actually FLEW, ie in a craft.
This book is a monumental work and a must read for anyone interested in the origins of Man, Religion, Civilization, Kingship, and WAR.
Dr. Mary's Monkey
Go to the review by Eric Harrington
"How the Unsolved Murder of a Doctor, a Secret Laboratory in New Orleans and Cancer-Causing Monkey Viruses are Linked to Lee Harvey Oswald, the JFK Assassination and Emerging Global Epidemics"
I'm not sure this book belongs on this list, but it is a facinating read! – Eric
Shock Doctrine – Naomi Klein
In this landmark work, Naomi Klein documents the history of using Shock to prepare a populace for the implementation of Radical free market policies.. From Argentina to Indonesia, she tells the story of how the "Chicago Boys" a contingent of University of Chicago economics graduates and disciples of Milton Friedman's fundamentalist free- market theories, worked hand in hand with some of the most vicious dictators of the past half century to use their brutal totalitarian positions to perform radical changeovers of their economies to absolute free-market test cases..
Sadly, in each case the result was a few becoming rich, while the masses were driven rapidly into abject poverty. This scenario was repeated in each and every case, while the international media in true form, heralded each as "miracles". But as the true stories emerged once the right wing dictators were overthrown, it becomes painfully clear that the "Chicago Boys" were complicit in the atrocities and destruction of the middle class, not to mention the torture and disappearing that were rampant in each case.. Friedman miraculously managed to assume no blame throughout the catastrophic wave of "Shock Capitalism," even receiving a Noble Prize, with the Noble panel somehow completely unaware of the devastation that was being wreaked on the "southern cone" by these brutal dictators acting under Friedman's ideology.
Early in the Novel Klein also describes the evolution of modern torture techniques which make Water-boarding look like a walk in the park; techniques that completely destroy a persons identity and turn them into veritable zombies. Months, even YEARS of continuous silence and darkness, only interrupted by brief moments of absolute brutality through beatings, water boarding, and electroshock's, these techniques effectively erase a person, leaving nothing but a shell. These techniques were and presumably is still used in Guantanamo Bay and in all the CIA black op interrogation camps around the world. The same concept of using shock to open a person to suggestion was mutated into a way of preparing a society for conversion to fundamentalist free-market principles with disastrous humanitarian results.
A tremendous accomplishment and an absolute must read for any patriotic American.
Review by Eric Harrington
One Response to "Conspireality MUST READ BOOK LIST (there will be a test)"
Depending on yourself to make the deiicsons can really be upsetting and frustrating. It can take many people a long time to build a strong moral system. Frankly it takes more than just happening to happen.


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When I started this blog, I planned to avoid two topics: books and cooking. Not because I don't love those topics dearly (I do!) but because I worried I would be so busy posting about books and cooking, that I would never get around to anything else.
Today, I'm breaking that self-imposed rule and talking books, thanks to Kate, at Book Nook, who recently asked the very simple question what is your favorite book? And are there different books for different stages in your life?
I could talk about books all day long, and I whole-heartedly agree that there are different books for different ages. The concept of a favorite book has always been problematic for me, not because I can't pick one book, but because the word "favorite" feels too insignificant to reflect how I feel (or have felt) about certain books.
When I was an adolescent, I would have called Wuthering Heights my more-than-favorite book. I read it countless times by age 18, and in college I managed to write at least three papers on it. As an adult, I am fairly certain that I might now find it wild, excessive, histrionic. Plus, I pretty much know it by heart. Still, Wuthering Heights is filled with brilliant tidbits, quotes, observations, and the one that has stuck with me the most is this quote, voiced by the ever-romantic Catherine Earnshaw:
"I've dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they've gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind."
It is such a beautiful image for how an idea, a feeling, a thought, can permeate and change you. And books do to. When I try to name favorite book, that is where my mind flies – to the books that have washed through me and "altered the color of my mind." A bit grandiose, maybe, but still, true of a great book.
Since my affair with Wuthering Heights, I've read many, many good books, and a few that changed me, or altered the color of my mind. I'll post my list below, but first, I'll add that there are many bloggers who write beautifully about books and reading, including the afore-mentioned Kate at Book Nook, Lindsey at A Design so Vast, and Anny at Dreaming in Stitches. They all inspire me and I'm happy to be jumping in on the reading discussion.
(1) Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. When asked what is my favorite book, I often cite Crossing to Safety, a beautifully written story of life-long friendship between two couples. The novel follows the Langs and the Morgans from their ambitious early lives into old age. This book is filled with the realities of adulthood – births of children, illness, faltering careers and transcendant love and friendship. The only thing that surpises me is that I loved it so much the first time I read it and I was only about 24. This book is compassionate, honest, adult and subsequent readings have still held me enthralled.
(2) The Known World by Edward P. Jones. The only novel written by Edward P. Jones (thusfar) and the winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize, The Known World takes on slavery in the antebellum American South. Jones strips away any vestige of Gone with the Wind style picturesqueness of the epoch. The rawness, the loneliness, and physical vulnerability of both slaves and slave owners is palpable and not surpisingly the story is heartbreaking. What did surprise me is how much I loved it despite its deep sadness and dark subject matter. Even now, eight years after reading it, this book sticks with me.
(3) History of Love by Nicole Krauss. The unforgettable story of world war II refugee Leo Gursky, who is pining for a lost love and a lost book manuscript, and the story of 13 year-old Alma Singer. Their stories are masterfully woven together and the final twist is funny, sad and absolutely thrilling. I read this book when my children were small and one of my fond memories of is sinking into the couch for an hour of reading during their naptime. I don't have a photo of it because I can't find my copy – I must have lent it out to someone.
(4) One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Cyclical time, repeated names, gypsies, fortunes made and spent, alchemy, an unending civil war, an entire town of insomniacs, banana companies that come and go, and an industrious and long-lived matriarch, this book is filled with archetypes, luminous moments and poetic prose, and there is a reason it won so many, many awards. I would have considered this book my favorite in my early twenties, when my Spanish was good and I was working in Latin America. I recently re-read it with my book club (in English this time), confirming my deep connection with this novel. I was surprised that it was not universally loved by the group, but then, maybe I would have not loved it so, had I not first read it as a younger person.
(5) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. As I explained above, I loved this book to excess when I was an adolescent. There's a reason its a classic.

subset: commoncrawl


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Swami Satchidananda
Posted on June 18, 2011 by ctyoga
This weekend's movie suggestion:
About ctyogaChristiane has been practicing yoga for over 10 years. Her yogic journey began in 2000 as a student of Swami Nirmal (now at the Satyananda Centre in London) at the Fitness First gym in Kensal Rise, London. She experienced various teachers in different Fitness Firsts in Central London and around Clapham Junction before changing gyms and meeting Alexa Kho at LA FItness in Piccadilly Circus, London. Christiane attended Alexa's Anusara classes as well as her workshops. In January 2011 she enrolls in a 200hr Vinyasa Flow Teacher Training course with Rebecca Ffrench at YogaLondon. Vinyasa Flow is a modern form of yoga that comes from Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and follows Sri K Pattabhi Jois. She quickly become passionate of this discipline and wants to deepen her knowledge; this brings her to meet and attend many workshops with Stewart Gilchrist, Shiva Rea, John Scott, Danny Paradise...all very famous teachers around the world. Being in the presence of such teachers is a significant experience for Christiane, in terms of her yogic journey, personal transformation and growth as well as understanding of yoga. After 11years in London, she moves to Milan to deepen and continue her journey. In Milan she teaches privately (1:1 and group classes) as well as in various yoga and dance centers. Milan is where her love for Ashtanga Vinyasa deepens and grows, bringing her to attend workshops with Lino Miele, Sharath Jois and most recently Kino MacGregor...all original students of Guruji, Sri K Pattabhi Jois. All of this culminates with a long awaited and long overdue trip to India, the birthplace of Yoga. Here Christiane deepens her practice and knowledge of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga by doing a 200hr Ashtanga Vinyasa TTC with Yogi Kamal Singh at Tattvaa Yogashala in Rishikesh India. After the monthlong course, her travels take her around India practicing with various other world renown teachers, namely with Sri V. Sheshadri in Mysore and with Rolf and Marci Naujokat in Goa. In 2013 Christiane decides to embark on yet another yoga adventure, this time in Aerial Yoga! The course was divided into two weekends: level I in April and level II in June, after which she becomes a qualified Aerial Yoga teacher. Teacher and student of yoga, writer, adventurous soul, creative mind, curious world traveler & lover of the outdoors. Current HQ: Milan, Italy.
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George F. Will: Paul Ryan pays high price for new position on Trump
The Caligulan malice with which Donald Trump administered Paul Ryan's degradation is an object lesson in the price of abject capitulation to power. This episode should be studied as a clinical case of a particular Washington myopia — the ability of career politicians to convince themselves that they and their agendas are of supreme importance.
The pornographic politics of Trump's presidential campaign, which was preceded by decades of ignorant bile (about Barack Obama's birth certificate and much else), have not exhausted Trump's eagerness to plumb new depths of destructiveness. Herewith the remarkably brief timeline of the breaking of Ryan to Trump's saddle.
On May 3, Trump won the Indiana primary, ending competition for the Republican nomination. On May 5, Ryan said he still was not prepared to endorse Trump. That day Trump responded that he was not ready to endorse Ryan's agenda. This was not news, considering that Trump has campaigned against every significant element of this agenda — entitlement reform, the rule of law, revival of Congress as a counter to the executive overreach that Barack Obama has practiced and that Trump promises to enlarge upon.
On May 12, a Trump meeting with Ryan resulted in a cringeworthy joint statement that had to be read to be properly disbelieved. The two spoke about the "great conversation" they had about "our shared principles." They celebrated their "many important areas of common ground" while offhandedly mentioning "our few differences." Those who know, or thought they knew, Ryan doubted that he could name a single shared principle, and he did not do so.
In spite of, and in conspicuous dissonance with, the May 12 happy talk, Ryan continued to withhold his endorsement. Perhaps he hoped that Trump, at age 69, was going to mend his manners.
Instead, Trump dragged a personal problem, his coming trial on fraud charges associated with Trump University, into the presidential campaign. Having first done so in February, on May 27 he again attacked the "Mexican" judge (born in Indiana, 1,332 miles from Mexico) who will preside at the trial, asserting that the Hoosier Mexican was unfit to preside because his ethnic heritage would incline him against Trump, the wall-building scourge of Mexican rapists. On May 30, Trump again attacked the judge, again embracing the identity politics that actually characterizes contemporary progressivism: An individual has, always and only, the interests and motivations of his race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.
By June 2, Ryan had heard enough. He endorsed Trump. He did so because President Trump would sign Ryan's House "agenda." Well.
Since May 5, the Hamlet of southeastern Wisconsin had indeed learned something. He had learned Trump's contemptuous response to his scruples. Trump's response was an insouciant intensification of his anti-institutional politics — the judicial system, too, is "rigged." Ryan limply described Trump's attack on the judge as thinking "out of left field" that he could not "relate to."
All supposedly will be redeemed by the House agenda. So, assume, fancifully, that in 2017 this agenda emerges intact from a House not yet proved able to pass 12 appropriations bills. Assume, too, that Republicans still control the Senate and can persuade enough Democrats to push the House agenda over the 60-vote threshold. Now, for some really strenuous assuming: Assume that whatever semblance of the House agenda that reaches President Trump's desk is more important than keeping this impetuous, vicious, ignorant and anti-constitutional man from being at that desk.
Some say in extenuation of Ryan's behavior that if he could not embrace Trump, he could not continue as speaker. But is Ryan, who was reluctant to become speaker, now more indispensable to the nation's civic health than Trump is menacing to that health? Ryan could have enhanced that health by valuing it above his office.
In March, Trump said of Ryan: "I'm sure I'm going to get along great with him. And if I don't, he's going to have to pay a big price." Ryan has now paid a staggering price (BEG ITAL) by(END ITAL) getting along with Trump. And what did Ryan purchase with the coin of his reputation? Perhaps his agenda.
In Robert Bolt's play "A Man for All Seasons," Thomas More is betrayed by Richard Rich, who commits perjury to please the king, in exchange for being named attorney general for Wales. Says More: "Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world. ... But for Wales?" Or for the House agenda?
George F. Will is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Washington Post.


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Right on the heels of the awfulness that was the Steubenville rape case comes a grim report from a small town in Connecticut: two 18-year-old football players from Torrington High School have been charged with the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. If that weren't distressing enough, "dozens" of Torrington students have taken to social media to unleash a torrent of hateful abuse on the girl, blaming her, much like some of the victim-blaming assholes in the Steubenville case, for "ruining the lives" of her alleged attackers.
Jessica Glenza, a reporter at The Register Citizen in Litchfield County, Conn., has compiled a thorough account of the developing saga in Torrington, which much like Steubenville, hinges in large part on the seemingly disproportionate influence a school's football program has on the surrounding community. The Torrington football team has seen a string of scandals dating back to last fall when Edgar Gonzalez, one of the players accused in the sexual assault case, was allowed to play even though then-football coach Dan Dunaj knew that Gonzalez had been recently charged in a March 2012 alleged felony robbery. Four other players were suspended that fall for a hazing scandal that is still under investigation.
Although Torrington school officials claim that the sexual assault charges against Gonzalez and fellow player Joan Toribio, the hazing, and the robbery charges are all "isolated incidents," it's pretty hard not to sense that Torrington has a serious problem with its football program. Athletic Director Mike McKenna tried to dispel concerns that the football team was out of control by breaking out some amateur criminology:
If you think there's some wild band of athletes that are wandering around then I think you're mistaken. If you look at crime statistics these things happen everywhere and we're not any different than any other community
Uh-huh, and Torrington totally doesn't seem like a peculiar case of a football program being too fucking important. Just look at how well former Head Coach Dan Dunaj handled news of Gonzalez's felony robbery charge — he let Gonzalez play after a stern talking to:
I reeled the kid in after that, and he walked the line. As a coach I was doing something right.
To his credit, Dunaj insisted that, were he coaching Torrington when the sexual assault charges against Gonzalez were made public, he would definitely not have allowed Gonzalez to play. See, don't you feel better?
The sexual assault case against Gonzalez and Toribio remains sealed, according to Glenza, so some basic details remain unavailable. Right now, this is pretty much all the public knows:
They are charged with three identical felonies, including second-degree sexual assault of a 13-year-old victim in Torrington. In both cases, the investigation began Feb. 10, 2013. It's unclear if the two cases are connected...
...As the case remains sealed, basic details are unavailable, including where the incident is alleged to have occurred. Gonzalez's case was continued until April 2, Toribio's until April 23. Gonzalez is being held at New Haven Correction Center. Toribio is out on $50,000 professional surety bond.
According to public discussion in court Tuesday, Toribio is being electronically monitored and is being individually tutored.
Unfortunately, the public has been made all-too aware of some student reactions to the case, which sound, as The Daily Dot's Kevin Morris notes, like "disturbing echoes" from the Steubenville trial. Glenza has compiled screenshots of some of the most vile tweets and Facebook posts, like this shit-covered gem from @LoryyRamirez: "Even if it was all his fault, what was a 13 year old girl doing hanging around 18 year old guys.."
That outburst of awful, Glenza notes dismally, was reposted 11 times and favorited 6 times.


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Recently on an ABC current affairs program, favourable passing reference was made to how the Coalition's Environment Minister, Greg Hunt, had thwarted an independent inquiry into the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's methodology in homogenzing and assessing it historical temperature data. The term 'conspiratorial' was used to describe those who questioned the methodology. My ears pricked up as I had read articles by Dr Jennifer Marohasy, a biologist and former research fellow in the Centre for Plant and Water Science at Central Queensland University, and it seemed very unfair to dismiss her argument, based on evidence, as 'conspiratorial' (not that they named her).
Dr Marohasy is a Senior Fellow with the IPA, the Institute of Public Affairs, a right-wing think-tank. This fact does not strike me as a reason not to consider her arguments, and the evidence on which it is based, though sadly most of my friends who self-identify as left-wing certainly do so. It is a good way to avoid having to think, and is the opposite of the fine example set by Marx and Engels, who drew on the widest sources of information and argument – and relished doing so.
Comments are welcome on Dr Marohasy's point of view which has been summarised as an article for On-Line Opinion , below.
* * * *
For the true believer, it is too awful to even consider that the Australian Bureau of Meteorology could be exaggerating global warming by adjusting figures. This doesn't mean though, that it's not true. In fact, under Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a panel of eminent statisticians was formed to investigate these claims detailed in The Australian newspaper in August and September 2014. The panel did acknowledge in its first report that the Bureau homogenized the temperature data: that it adjusted figures. The same report also concluded that it was unclear whether these adjustments resulted in an overall increase or decrease in the warming trend. No conclusions could be drawn because the panel did not work through a single example of homogenization, not even for Rutherglen. Rutherglen is of course in north eastern Victoria, an agricultural research station with a continuous minimum temperature record unaffected by equipment changes or documented site-moves, but where the Bureau nevertheless adjusted the temperatures. This had the effect of turning a temperature time series without a statistically significant trend, into global warming of almost 2 degrees per Century.
According to media reports last week, a thorough investigation of the Bureau's methodology was prevented because of intervention by Environment Minister Greg Hunt. He apparently argued in Cabinet that the credibility of the institution was paramount. That it is important the public have trust in the Bureau's data and forecasts, so the public know to heed warning of bushfires and cyclones.
This is the type of plea repeatedly made by the Catholic Church hierarchy to prevent the truth about paedophilia, lest the congregation lose faith in the church.
Contrast this approach with that by poet and playwright Henrik Ibsen who went so far as to suggest 'the minority is always right' in an attempt to have his audience examine the realities of 19th Century morality. Specifically, Ibsen wanted us to consider that sometimes the individual who stands alone is making a valid point which is difficult to accept because every culture has its received wisdoms: those beliefs that cannot be questioned, until they are proven in time to have been wrong. British biologist, and contemporary of Charles Darwin, Thomas Huxley was trying to make a similar point when he wrote, "I am too much of a skeptic to deny the possibility of anything."
Mr Hunt defends the Bureau because they have a critical role to play in providing the Australian community with reliable weather forecasts. This is indeed one of their core responsibilities. They would, however, be better able to perform this function, if they used proper techniques for quality control of temperature data, and the best available techniques for forecasting rainfall. Of concern, there has been no improvement in their seasonal rainfall forecasts for two decades because they use general circulation models. These are primarily tools for demonstrating global warming, with dubious, if any skill, at actually forecasting weather or climate.
Consider for example, the Millennium drought and the flooding rains that followed in 2010. Back in 2007, and 2008, David Jones, then and still the Manager of Climate Monitoring and Prediction at the Bureau of Meteorology, wrote that climate change was so rampant in Australia, "We don't need meteorological data to see it", and that the drought, caused by climate change, was a sign of the "hot and dry future" that we all collectively faced. Then the drought broke, as usual in Australia, with flooding rains. But the Bureau was incapable of forecasting an exceptionally wet summer, because such an event was contrary to how senior management at the Bureau perceived our climate future. So, despite warning signs evident in sea surface temperature patterns across the Pacific through 2010, Brisbane's Wivenhoe dam, a dam originally built for flood mitigation, was allowed to fill through the spring of 2010, and kept full in advance of the torrential rains in January 2011. The resulting catastrophic flooding of Brisbane is now recognized as a "dam release flood", and the subject of a class action lawsuit by Brisbane residents against the Queensland government.
Indeed, despite an increasing investment in super computers, there is ample evidence that ideology is trumping rational decision making at the Bureau on key issues that really matter, like the prediction of drought and flood cycles. Because a majority of journalists and politicians desperately want to believe that the Bureau knows best, they turn away from the truth, and ignore the facts.
News Ltd journalist Anthony Sharwood got it completely wrong in his weekend article defending the Bureau's homogenization of the temperature record. I tried to explain to him on the phone last Thursday, how the Bureau don't actually do what they say when they homogenize temperature time series for places like Rutherglen. Mr Sharwood kept coming back to the issue of 'motivations'. He kept asking me why on earth the Bureau would want to mislead the Australian public. I should have kept with the methodology, but I suggested he read what David Jones had to say in the Climategate emails. Instead of considering the content of the emails that I mentioned, however, Sharwood wrote in his article that, "Climategate was blown out of proportion", and "independent investigations cleared the researchers of any form of wrongdoing".
Nevertheless, the content of the Climategate emails includes quite a lot about homogenization, and the scientists' motivations. For example, there is an email thread in which Phil Jones (University of East Anglia) and Tom Wigley (University of Adelaide) discuss the need to get rid of a blip in global temperatures around 1940-1944. Specifically Wigley suggested they reduce ocean temperatures by an arbitrary 0.15 degree Celsius. These are exactly the types of arbitrary adjustments made throughout the historical temperature record for Australia: adjustments made independently of any of the purported acceptable reasons for making adjustments, including site moves, and equipment changes.
Sharwood incorrectly wrote in his article that: "Most weather stations have moved to cooler areas (i.e. areas away from the urban heat island effect). So if scientists are trying to make the data reflect warmer temperatures, they're even dumber than the sceptics think." In fact, many (not most) weather stations have moved from post offices to airports, which have hotter, not cooler, day time temperatures. Furthermore, the urban heat island creeps into the official temperature record for Australia, not because of site moves, but because the temperature record at places like Cape Otway lighthouse is adjusted to make it similar to the record in built-up areas like Melbourne, which are clearly affected by the urban heat island.
I know this sounds absurd. It is absurd, and it is also true. Indeed, a core problem with the methodology that the Bureau uses is its reliance on "comparative sites" to make adjustments to data at other places. I detail the Cape Otway lighthouse example in a recent paper published in the journal Atmospheric Research, volume 166, page 145.
It is so obvious that there is an urgent need for a proper, thorough and independent review of operations at the Bureau. But it would appear our politicians and many mainstream media are set against the idea. Evidently they are too conventional in their thinking to consider that such an important Australian institution could now be ruled by ideology.


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Frigates are an indispensable part of any navy. These ships usually form the numerical bulk of a naval fleet as they are relatively cheaper than large destroyers and cruisers. Every modern navy operates frigates in some or the other form and uses them along with larger surface combatants like destroyers and aircraft carriers. The definition of a modern frigate by Defencyclopedia is
A modern frigate is a 3000-7000 ton warship, equipped with an array of missiles, guns and radars, and is designed to operate autonomously, along with a battle group or act as an escort for non-combatants, in order to fulfill a variety of tasks depending on the mission.
A warship displacing 5000-7000 tons need not always be called as a frigate, as many navies prefer the designation of a 'destroyer' for such warships. The designations vary from one navy to another, but the role of the ships does not change. Some countries call their larger surface combatants as frigates for political reasons and some others call their smaller surface combatants as frigates. A modern frigate can displace anywhere between 3000-7000 tons. But for the sake of this article, only frigates displacing 4000-7000 tons will be considered.
This article will deal specifically with the frigates designed and built in the 21st century. Each ship has been carefully analyzed to ensure a neutral ranking. The weapons and sensors on board the ship and their ability to handle multiple targets is given importance. Since each frigate has its own set of strengths and their roles vary greatly and a frigate should not be considered to be better just because it is ranked slightly higher. The top 10 frigates will be listed along with their strengths and weaknesses.
Special thanks to Naval Analyses for the beautiful and intricately detailed infographics which will help you to get a clear idea of the systems on board the frigates. The remaining few have been created by Defencyclopedia. I am pretty sure that many of the ships on this list are relatively unknown. So sit back and enjoy reading the article.
10. Type-54A [China]
This is a new class of frigates for the Chinese Navy which is being built in large numbers. It is a cost effective 4000 ton multi-role frigate that is designed for escort as well as independent operations. It is outfitted mainly with Russian electronics and weapons, some of which have been substituted with Chinese copies. Although it packs a punch, it lags behind other contemporary frigates mainly in the radar department. Because it is the cheapest modern frigate in production, China is building dozens of them and 24 ships of this class have been built until now with more under construction.
Strength: Anti-Air Warfare
Propulsion: It has a Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) propulsion with 4 Shaanxi diesel engines, each rated at 5700 kW, thus producing a total of 22,800 kW
- 1 E-band Fregat-ME as its primary radar for surface and air search
- 4 Front Dome fire control radars for HQ-16 SAM
- 1 Mineral ME radar for guiding the anti-ship missiles
- Hull mounted sonar
- Towed array sonar ( 17th ship onward )
- 1 x 76 mm dual purpose main gun
- 8 x C-803 subsonic anti-ship missiles with 180 km range
- 32 Vertical launch system (VLS) cells for 50 km range HQ-16 (Shtil) SAM with semi-active radar seeker.
- 2 x Type-730 Close in Weapons System (CIWS) with dedicated search, track and fire control radar. This is being replaced by the 11 barreled Type 1030 CIWS in the newer ships.
- 2 x 6 ASW rocket launchers for short range rockets
- 2 triple 324 mm lightweight torpedo tubes
- It uses the relatively older Fregat-ME radar for surface and air search as its primary sensor.
- There is no secondary long range radar for volume search.
- It has 4 older generation mechanically scanning fire control radars for the SAM, limiting the number of aerial targets engaged simultaneously to 4.
- First 18 frigates of the class lack the important variable depth sonar (VDS).
9. Shivalik class [India]
The Shivalik class is one of the newest frigates of the Indian Navy and has the distinction of being the first class of stealth warships to be designed and built indigenously. It is a very capable platform and excels in all aspects of naval warfare. These 6200 ton ships are classified as frigates and not destroyers due to their relatively light armament with respect to the space available.
Strength: Anti-Submarine Warfare
- Combined Diesel or Gas (CODAG) propulsion. Using only diesel engines for low speed cruise and using only gas turbines for high speed cruise.
- 2 x Pielstick diesel engines, each producing 11,300 kW for a total of 22,600 kW for low speed cruise at up to 22 knots.
- 2 x LM 2500+ gas turbines, each producing 25,100 kW for a total of 50,200 kW for high speed cruise at 32+ knots (59+ km/hr)
- It uses the E-band Fregat-ME 3D radar as its primary radar for surface and air search
- The secondary radar is the Elta EL/M-2238 STAR operating in the S-band. It is a multi-role radar with a range of 350+ km.
- 2 Elta EL/M 2221 fire control radars are used for Barak-1 SAM guidance
- 4 Orekh fire control radars are used for Shtil SAM guidance
- 1 BEL Aparna radar for 2D surface search and providing targeting data for Klub/BrahMos anti-ship missiles
- HUMSA-NG( Indian Hull Mounted Sonar Array- New Gen) and ATAS towed array sonar system
- It is equipped with 8 Universal VLS cells for Klub/BrahMos anti-ship cruise missiles. They can also be used for land attack roles.
- 1 x Single arm reloadable launcher for 24 Shtil-1 Surface to Air Missiles. They are semi-active radar homing and have a 40 km range.
- 32 Barak-1 SAMs in VLS to act as Close in Weapons System (CIWS) and provide defense against sea-skimming cruise missiles.
- 1 x 76 mm Oto Melara Super rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) with 120 rds/min rate of fire up to a range of 17 km. It is highly effective against surface and aerial threats.
- 2 x Ak-630 30 mm Gatling guns as CIWS for last ditch defense against anti-ship missiles
- 2 x RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers. Each launcher has 12 barrels and 96 reloadable rockets below the deck.
- 2 x Twin 533 mm heavyweight torpedo tubes for engaging sub-surface threats.
- It uses an outdated single-arm launcher for its primary Shtil-1 Surface to Air Missiles. It takes 6 seconds for the missile to reload and the firing arc is limited to the front of the ship. All other ships in this list have vertical launch systems for their primary SAM.
- Older generation primary radar with mechanically scanning illuminators limit the number of aerial targets engaged simultaneously to 6 (4 can be targeted)
8. Fridtjof Nansen class [Norway]
This is one of the least heard of and discussed frigates in the world, even though it has a very advanced weapons and sensor suite. Ordered by the Royal Norweign Navy to replace it's ageing Oslo class frigates and serve in the anti-submarine role, the 5300 ton Nansen class frigates now form the core of the Norweign Navy and have ended up as very capable multi-role platforms.
Strength: Anti-Submarine Warfare
Propulsion: It has a Combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion with two diesel engines producing 9MW for low speed cruise and one LM2500+ 21.5 MW gas turbine for high speed cruise. A total of 30.5 MW is generated during CODAG running.
- It features the American SPY-1F multi-function PESA radar with 4 faces using AEGIS combat system as it's primary radar.
- MRS 2000 hull mounted sonar (HMS) and CAPTAS towed array sonar (TAS) provide comprehensive submarine detection capability
- 2 x SPG-62 radars provide target illumination in the terminal interception stage for Evolved Sea Sparrow surface to air missiles
- 1 x 76 mm Super Rapid gun for engaging surface and aerial threats
- 8 x Mk41 cells for 32 Evolved Sea Sparrow (ESSM) surface to air missiles with a range of 50 km provide air defense
- 8 NSM anti-ship/land attack cruise missiles with a 125 kg warhead and a 185+ km range
- These ships have space for an additional 8 x Mk41 VLS module with 32 more ESSM
- 4 x 324 mm torpedo tubes for stingray torpedoes provide ASW capability
- It does not have a long range SAM like SM-2 to make full use of the capabilities provided by the SPY-1F radar
7. Carlo Bergamini class [Italy]
Developed as a part of the Franco-Italian FREMM (Multi-Mission Frigate) program, the Italian version of the FREMM is one of the most advanced ships in the world. There are 2 variants
- General Purpose (GP) – They are equally good at all aspects of warfare
- Anti-Submarine (ASW) – They are dedicated for the submarine hunting role and fitted with specific ASW features by sacrificing land attack and anti-ship capabilities.
Strength: Anti-Submarine Warfare
- These 6900 ton ships feature an extremely advanced hybrid electric propulsion system which is of the CODLAG (combined diesel-electric and gas turbine) type.
- It has 1 × 32 MW LM2500+ gas turbine for normal operations.
- For quiet anti-submarine operations, 2 × 2.5 MW electric motors (powered by 4 diesel generators) are used to run the ship.
- The primary radar is the Selex MFRA multi-function active phased array radar which can detect targets 400+ km away and provide fire-control for the Aster SAMs
- 2 Selex NA-25X radars provide fire control for the 76 and 127 mm guns
- 1 Selex RAN-30X radar is used for surface search in 2D and to provide target designation for the Otomat and MILAS missiles
- 1 x Oto Melara 127 mm gun with long range Vulcano guided shells for land attack and 1 x 76 mm gun with guided shells for engaging aerial and surface targets (GP variant)
- 2 x Oto Melara 76 mm gun with guided shells (ASW variant)
- 16 x A50 vertical launch cells for Aster-15/30 SAMs with 35+ km range and 120+ km range respectively provide long-range air defense coverage (common)
- 4 Otomat anti-ship missiles with 200+ km range (GP variant )
- 4 MILAS anti-submarine missiles with lightweight torpedo (ASW variant)
- Comparatively small SAM loadout of 16 missiles for a large 6900 ton ship
You can read more about these ships in a detailed article by Naval Analyses here
6. Aquitaine class [France]
The Aquitaine class is among the most balanced frigates in the world and are capable of carrying out any type of mission ranging from anti-air warfare to land attack against targets 1000+ km away. These hi-tech ships will be the backbone of the French Navy and 11 ships will be built by 2020. The first 9 ships will be full multi-mission variants and the last 2 will be dedicated for anti-air warfare by sacrificing land attack capability. They are a part of the same FREMM program as the Carlo Bergamini class. These ships feature extreme automation levels and have a crew requirement of just around 120.
Strength: Land Attack
- These ships have an advanced hybrid electric-propulsion which is of the CODLOG type (Combined Diesel-Electric or Gas turbine)
- It has 1 × 32 MW LM2500+ gas turbine for normal operations.
- For quiet anti-submarine operations, 2 × 2.5 MW electric motors are used to run the ship.
- The primary radar is the Thales Herakles passive phased array radar which operates in the S-band and has a range of 250 km. It is a multi-fuction radar which can track surface and aerial targets and provide fire control for the Aster SAMs.
- Vigy MM electro-optical fire control system for the 76 mm gun
- 1 x 76 mm Oto Melara SRGM for engaging surface and aerial threats at a range of 15 km.
- 16 A43 VLS cells are provided for the medium range Aster-15 SAM with a range of 35+ km
- 16 A70 VLS cells are equipped with the 1000+ km range naval Scalp cruise missile for land attack roles
- 8 Exocet Blk3 anti-ship missiles are present amidships for engaging ships at ranges of over 200 km
- 2 twin tubes for MU90 lightweight torpedoes
- 3 x Nexter's NARWHAL 20B 20 mm remote weapons stations for engaging close in surface threats
- There is only 1 main multi-function radar and no secondary search radar. All other ships in this list have at least 2 major radars.
You can read more about these ships in a detailed article by Naval Analyses here
5. Álvaro de Bazán-class [Spain]
This ship has the distinction of being the most heavily armed anti-air warfare frigate in the world. The 5 frigates of this class were built to serve as a modern escort for the Spanish fleet. The AEGIS combat system and the SPY-1D radar were chosen to facilitate interoperability with the AEGIS equipped US Navy destroyers. These 6300 ton frigates were chosen as the base design for the Australian Navy's Hobart class destroyer.
Strength: Anti-Air Warfare
Propulsion: It has a CODOG (Combined Diesel and Gas Turbine) propulsion system with 2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines and 2 × Caterpillar 3600 diesel engines.
- It's primary sensor is the 4 faced SPY-1D PESA radar with the AEGIS combat system. This gives it a world class air defense system which can detect targets at 300+ km. This radar can track hundreds of targets simultaneously. The SPY-1D also provides guidance for the surface to air missiles till the illuminators take over.
- 2 × Raytheon SPG-62 radar illuminator to provide terminal guidance to the surface to air missiles.
- 1 x SPS-67 surface search radar
- It has a bow-mounted Raytheon DE1160 LF active and passive sonar for submarine detection
- 1 x 127 mm Mk45 main gun for use against surface and land targets
- For anti-air warfare, it has the Mk 41 Vertical Launch system with 48 cells for a combination of 32 SM-2MR Block IIIA (100+ km range) and 64 ESSM (50 km range, 4 missiles per cell) surface to air missiles.
- 8 × RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles in 2 quad launchers
- 4 × 324 mm tubes for Mk46 lightweight torpedo
- The older generation mechanically scanning SPG-62 illuminators limit the number of targets engaged simultaneously.
4. Iver Huitfeldt-class [Denmark]
This ship class has the distinction of being the cheapest among the most advanced frigates in the world. This is due to the fact that they used the already existing hull of the Absalon class support ships to make a frigate, thereby reducing design costs significantly and maintaining commonality. These 6600 ton frigates look a bit bulky and clumsy when compared to other frigates, but they pack a lethal combination of weapons and sensors. Since they share most of their missiles and radars with the next frigates in this list, i will explain them in detail here and just mention them for the other 2.
Strength: Anti-Air Warfare
Propulsion: It is powered by 4 MTU diesel engines which generate 8.2 MW each for a total of 32.8 MW of power.
- The main sensor is the 4-faced APAR (Advanced Phased Array Radar). This multi-function AESA radar works in the X-band and provides target detection, tracking and engagement in 360°. It has a major advantage over the SPY-1 search and SPG-62 illumination radar combination used in the Alvaro de Bazan class as the APAR can detect the incoming targets as well as provide guidance for 32 SAMs simultaneously including terminal illumination for 16 of them. Such a capability is invaluable while handling saturation missile attacks and allows the use of the SM-2 and ESSM surface to air missiles to their fullest potential.
- The Thales SMART-L radar provides long range aerial surveillance and the ability to detect and track ballistic missiles at distances of 400+ km. This AESA radar operating in the L-band is capable of tracking 1500 targets simultaneously and provides early warning.
- There are 2 Saab CEROS 200 fire control radars to provide fire control for the 76 mm and 35 mm guns on board.
- The Atlas ASO 94 hull mounted sonar provides submarine detection capability.
- 32 Mk 41 VLS cells for a total of 32 SM-2 IIIA surface-to-air missiles (100+ km range)
- Mk 56 VLS cells for 24 RIM-162 ESSM ( 50 km range)
- 2 quad launchers for 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles
- 1 × Oerlikon Millennium 35 mm CIWS. This a highly advanced revolver gun with a 1000 rpm rate of fire. It uses special air-burst ammunition to destroy incoming threats.
- 2 × OTO Melara 76 mm guns ( Will be replaced by 127 mm and 35 mm guns)
- 2 × Dual MU90 ASW torpedo launchers
- Diesel-only propulsion system when compared to the cutting edge CODOG/CODELAG systems on board the other top frigates.
- No towed array sonar
3. De Zeven Provincien class [Netherlands]
The 4 air-defence frigates of this class are among the most advanced ships in their category. These 6000 ton ships possess advanced radars and missiles and is slated for a major radar upgrade which will give it unparalleled surveillance capability. This frigate class is noted for it's anti-ballistic missile capability which was demonstrated in NATO exercises. It's radars are said to be fully capable of detecting and tracking ballistic missiles at distances of 500+ km and target engagement will be done by US Navy ships using this information as these frigates don't possess the SM-3 missile yet.
Strength: Anti-Air Warfare
Propulsion: It has a Combined Diesel and Gas turbine (CODAG) propulsion. The 2 x Wärtsilä diesel engines generate 4.2 MW each and the 2 × Rolls Royce Spey turbines generate 18.5 MW each, for a total of 45.4 MW
- The main sensor is the 4-faced APAR (Advanced Phased Array Radar). This multi-function AESA radar works in the X-band and provides target detection, tracking and engagement in 360°. It will be upgraded with an increased range version.
- The Thales SMART-L radar provides long range aerial surveillance and the ability to detect and track ballistic missiles at distances of 400+ km. This AESA radar operating in the L-band is capable of tracking 1500 targets simultaneously and provides early warning. A newer version with the capability to detect and track ballistic missiles 2000+ km away will be installed in the future.
- An Atlas Elektronik DSQS-24C hull-mounted sonar provides submarine detection capability
- It has a 40 cell Mk41 VLS system with 32 x SM-2 IIIA surface-to-air missiles (1 per cell) and 32 × Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (4 per cell)
- 1 × Oto Melara 127 mm dual-purpose gun
- 2 × Goalkeeper CIWS with a 30 mm Gatling gun firing at 3000 rpm
- 2 quad launchers for 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles
- 2 × twin torpedo launchers with MK46 lightweight torpedoes
Cons: No towed array sonar
2. Sachsen class [Germany]
Developed as a replacement for the Lütjens class destroyer, the Saschen is an advanced anti-air frigate built for the Deutsche Marine (German Navy). It's sensor suite and armament are largely similar to that of the Iver Huitfeldt and De Zven Provincien class frigates. The Sachsen however has a small advantage owing to its dual helicopter hangars, compared to the single hangar on the other two. 3 ships of this class serve at present and plans for a 4th ship were shelved. Keeping future upgrades in mind, these 5800 ton ships have been designed to accommodate 270 tons of extra weight.
Strength: Anti-Air Warfare
Propulsion: They have a Combined Diesel and Gas turbine (CODAG) propulsion system with 1 x LM2500 gas turbine generating 23,500 kW and 2 x MTU diesel engines generating 7.5 MW each. A total of 38.5 MW of power is available for high speed cruises.
- The main sensor is the 4-faced APAR (Advanced Phased Array Radar). This multi-function AESA radar works in the X-band and provides target detection, tracking and engagement in 360°.
- The Thales SMART-L radar provides long range aerial surveillance and the ability to detect and track ballistic missiles at distances of 400+ km. This AESA radar operating in the L-band is capable of tracking 1500 targets simultaneously and provides early warning.
- 1 x Atlas bow-mounted sonar for detecting submarines
- It has 32 Mk41 VLS cells to carry a mix of 24 SM-2 Blk IIIA + 32 ESSM Surface To Air Missiles. This variant of the SM-2 has a 150+ km range and serves the role as an area defence SAM. The 50 km range ESSM provides medium range air defence.
- It has 2 x RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) launchers with 21 missiles each. A total of 42 missiles of 10 km range form the third layer of air defence for this frigate.
- 2 x quad launchers for 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles
- 1 x 76 mm Oto Melara dual purpose gun
- 2 x triple launchers for MU90 lightweight torpedoes
- 2 x Rheinmetall 27 mm guns in remote weapons station
Cons: Absence of a towed array sonar limits it's ASW capabilities.
You can read more about these ships in a detailed article by Naval Analyses here
1. Admiral Gorshkov class [Russia]
The Admiral Gorshkov class of guided missile frigates, which incorporate the best weapons and sensors that the Russian industry can produce, is set to be the mainstay of the future Russian fleet. It has an excellent balance of weapons and sensors and is the perfect example for a multi-role frigate. Many ships in this list either lack a secondary radar, land-attack capability or a proper CIWS. But this ship right here, has everything that is needed for a modern surface combatant and displacing around 5000 tons when fully loaded. Russia has planned to build 15 ships for its fleet and as of now, 3 ships are under construction and 1 is finished.
This ship has an excellent balance of weapons and sensors and is the perfect example for a modern 'Multi-Role Frigate'
Strength: Anti-Air warfare, Anti-Submarine and Surface Warfare
Propulsion: It features a combined diesel and gas turbine (COGAG) propulsion with 2 diesel engines generating 3.9 MW each and 2 M90FR gas turbines producing 20.5 MW each, for a total of 49 MW of power.
- It has a 4 face Poliment 5P-20K multi-function S-band AESA radar which can search and track aerial and surface targets as well as provide guidance to the SAMs.
- This is complemented by a Furke-4 volume search radar which is uniquely mounted on top of the main radar itself. This prevents interference and allows both radars to have unobstructed search capability.
- Monolit 34K1 radar is used for Anti-Ship missile guidance and surface search
- Puma fire control radar for the 130 mm gun and 2 illuminators for the Palash CIWS
- Submarine detection capability is provided by the Zarya M bow mounted and Vinyekta towed array sonars along with the embarked Ka-27 ASW helicopter
- 1 × 130mm A-192M primary gun
- 16 Universal VLS cells which can be armed with P-800 Oniks (300-500 km range) anti-ship missiles, Kalibr-Nk land attack cruise missiles (2500 km range), 91RTE2 Anti-submarine missile (which drops a torpedo 50 km away)
- Long-range air defense is provided by 32 Redut VLS cells, which can carry 32 9M96E series SAMs of 40-120 km range
- 2 Palash CIWS with twin 30 mm Gatling guns each. It has an integrated electro-optic fire control system and 8 short range SAMs.
- 2 pedestal mounted 14.5 mm heavy machine guns
- It has 2 x 4 330mm torpedo tubes for the unique Paket-NK torpedoes which can engage enemy submarines as well as torpedoes, thus serving a dual role.
Cons: It has no significant drawbacks
Since this article has laid emphasis on weapons, sensors and multi-role capabilities of the frigates, the chart topper will be the best multi-role frigate. It is also important to keep in mind that some ships ranked slightly lower may excel in only one area as they have been designed that way from the outset. Every navy may not require a multi-role frigate as their areas of operation and threats faced are totally different. Most European navies lay a heavy emphasis on anti-air warfare as they perceive Russian cruise missiles as a major threat. Asian navies tend to place more emphasis on surface warfare with full multi-role capability. I hope this list has given you a good idea about the 10 most advanced frigates in service today.
There are many more advanced frigates which are going to enter service in the next 5-10 years. Some of the exciting frigate projects like the British Type 26 and the Indian P-17A are going to set new standards in capabilities and performance. China is rumoured to be working on a Type 54B frigate with better features. Frigates will continue to remain as a backbone for most navies worldwide.
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"A triumph. This novel's haunting strength will hold the reader until the very end and make Faith and her story impossible to forget."
--Richmond Times Dispatch
--Orlando Sentinel
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult (Nineteen Minutes, Change of Heart, Handle with Care) comes Keeping Faith an "addictively readable" (Entertainment Weekly) novel that "makes you wonder about God. And that is a rare moment, indeed, in modern fiction" (USA Today).


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If my grandmother Margaret Pointkouski was still alive, today would be her 100th birthday. This post is in her honor:
Just the Facts:
- Parents: Joseph Bergmeister (1873-1927) and Marie Echerer (1875-1919)
- Born: 11 April 1913, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
- Baptized: 13 April 1912, St. Peter's RC Church, Philadelphia, PA
- Siblings: Marie (1898-1990), Joseph (1902-1986), Max (1905-1974), Julius 1908-19??), Charles (1909), Laura (1911)
- Married: James Pointkouski on 13 January 1934 in Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The civil marriage was later blessed at St. Peter's RC Church, Philadelphia, PA.
- Children: James and Jean
- Died: 14 January 1998
- Buried: 17 January 1998, Holy Redeemer Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA
Five Things I Learned About My Grandmother from Genealogical Records:
- Grandmom's middle name, according to her baptismal record, was Hermina. No one knew where the name came from until I found Uncle Herman Goetz in my research, her father's half-brother who was also her godfather. The reason why no one in the family remembered Uncle Herman is because he died in 1918 and she likely didn't remember him at all.
- She was probably named after her maternal grandmother, Margarethe Fischer Echerer (1845-1895).
- Grandmom barely knew her parents. Her mother died in 1919 about six weeks before Grandmom's 6th birthday. Then in 1927 when she was not quite 14, her father died.
- Although she was born in 1913, she is completely missing from the 1920 and 1930 census!
- Her first child, my father, was born less than seven months after the wedding.
Five Things I Learned About My Grandmother from My Dad and Aunt:
- According to my Aunt Jean, when Grandmom was born she was so tiny that she could fit into a shoebox. Her parents weren't sure she'd survive – they had two children in between her brother Julius and her that only lived for one day.
- My grandmother always said that her Aunt Laura was very good to her. Laura was Hilaury Bergmeister Thuman, her father's sister. After her parents died, Aunt Laura and her husband, Uncle Max, were the closest thing to parents she'd have. Uncle Max died in 1941 and Aunt Laura in 1943 – while I'm sure Grandmom would have liked their support for much longer in her life, at least by then she had a husband and children of her own.
- A description of her parents was passed down, but I'm not sure if the memory came from my grandmother or her older siblings – likely the siblings since she was so young when her mother died. But, her mother was remembered as a very short, fiesty woman who ruled the household – and ruled her husband, Joseph, whom she called "Sepp" for short. Although he was taller than his wife, he but obedient to everything she said.
- Grandmom met my Grandpop at her brother Max's store. Grandpop worked as a truck driver delivering ice cream, and Max's soda fountain was on his route. He spotted Margaret one day, and excitedly asked Max, "Who's that?" Max looked around, "Her? Aw, she's just my sister."
- My Grandmom was called "Aunt Margie" by her nieces and nephews. She seemed to be very close to them, especially her nieces Marie and Mabel who were only 7 and 11 years younger than her (her sister Marie's daughters). After Grandmom died, I found some correspondence in her house that she had saved over the years from her niece Helen and nephews Bob and Carl, all children of her brother Joseph.
Five Things I Learned About My Grandmother From Knowing Her:
- She always called my grandfather "Pop"
- She made ceramics as a hobby. Two that have survived over the years are a Christmas tree (with lights) and a candy dish shaped like a sleigh that says "The Pointkouski Family". I remember from my childhood that she made my brother a hockey player figurine (or was it a lamp?) with a Flyers jersey, and a Tin Man lamp for my father when he played the Tin Man in a show.
- She was a knitter and made afghans. I still have one she made for our family.
- She was blind in one eye for the last 20+ years of her life. I think it was due to glaucoma.
- She always signed her cards "Grandmom, Love" instead of the other way around
Happy Birthday, Grandmom!


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This is the kind of news I would not have wanted to write about in my blog. Nicola Cabibbo died yesterday at the Fatebenefratelli Hospital in Rome. He was fighting with a long time illness. Cabibbo has to be considered, for very good reasons, one of the greatest Italian physicists. He is the product of the Roman school of physics that started its glorious traditions with Enrico Fermi. One of his teachers was Edoardo Amaldi, one of the boys of via Panisperna that, together with Fermi, brought Italian physics to a worldwide level. By himself, he contributed to a formidable group of physicists working at the University "La Sapienza" in Rome that gave fundamental contributions to our current understanding of the Standard Model.
Last time I have heard a talk by him was at Accademia dei Lincei last year (see here). It was exciting to hear directly from his voice a layman description of his most fundamental discovery. I did not think that would have been the last time I would have seen him. He has been my teacher at "La Sapienza" when I was studying to get my "laurea" in physics. He firstly exposed me to quantum field theory and so I learned how to compute the first correction (the Schwinger's one) of the magnetic moment of the electron. His exposition was always very clear and he made things so easy to understand that this first course is yet a formidable basis to build upon for my career as a physicist. Finally, he was my supervisor for my laurea's thesis and he was instrumental for me to reach the highest honors in my final examination.
Cabibbo was the president of the Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze as he was a Catholic and he supported his faith in different occasions. One of this was the discussion with Penzias about faith and science organized by Riccardo Chiaberge, an Italian journalist (see here). The crucial point of his thought was that, as believers, there is no reason to fear science as God may have decided any kind of avenues to pursue His aims.
His dead has been a bad news for me and I think that, behind the sorrow, we will greatly miss him for the clearity of his thought and the excitement he always transmitted about science, this kind of excitement that he also gave to me, one of his students.
Note: Cabibbo was awarded this year with the Dirac medal by ICTP (see here and here).


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Hospitals should act quickly to adopt appropriate compliance policies and tighten outpatient and inpatient admissions recordkeeping and associated billing activities to minimize exposures signaled by audits announced by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG).
OIG reportedly is auditing inpatient and outpatient hospital claims for new and established patients to identify potential overcharges by some hospital-based outpatient clinics that may have resulted from treating established patients as if they were new patients. OIG's Office of Audit Services reportedly sent letters to some hospitals in October, asking about a handful of claims for new patient visits that OIG suspects the hospital should have billed as established patient visits. In addition to requesting specific information about line items on the claims and their internal controls for billing new versus established patients and provide descriptions of written policies and procedures governing the facilities classification of new versus established patients and internal controls for detecting errors.
Medicare typically pays more for new versus established patients since CMS implemented the outpatient prospective payment system in 2000. Since 2008, CMS rules have specified that patients who visit the hospital outpatient clinic within three years are established patients, and after that they are new, with Medicare paying more for the latter. See(73 Fed. Reg. 68502, 68679 (November 18, 2009). Data mining technology increasingly used by CMS and other federal fraud investigators facilities the ability of Medicare and others to identify errors in coding and billing resulting from misclassication of existing patients as new.
Many hospitals may be exposed under this requirement for a variety of reasons including failure to appropriately track and coordinate inpatient and outpatient admission data, defaults built into recordkeeping systems and omissions to timely update practices or training. In contrast to the risk of overbilling from incorrectly treating patients as new, hospitals that bill all patients as established to overcome inadequacies in their ability to track new versus established patients often leave money on the table unnecessarily by foregoing added reimbursement that the facility otherwise would qualify for it could reliably identify new patients.
While strengthening coding and billing to ward of risks, may debate the appropriateness of CMS' new versus existing patient distinction outside the physician office context. Critics contend that unlike in the physician office context, the level of care or resources delivered for a new patient compared to a patient who previously visited the hospital doesn't generally differ. Parties with these concerns should continue to ensure appropriate compliance with existing rules while providing input and feedback to CMS and other regulators about their concerns with the policy's suitability.
For Help With Monitoring Developments, Compliance, Investigations Or Other Needs
If you need help reviewing or commenting on the Tests Procedures or monitoring or responding to these or other health care or health IT related risk management, compliance, enforcement or management concerns, the author of this update, attorney Cynthia Marcotte Stamer, can help. Vice President of the North Texas Health Care Compliance Professionals Association, Past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Section and the former Board Compliance Chair of the National Kidney Foundation of North Texas, and A Fellow in the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas and other prominent organizations, Ms. Stamer has more than 24 years experience advising health industry clients about these and other matters. Ms. Stamer has extensive experience advising and assisting health care providers, health plans, their business associates and other health industry clients to set up and administer medical privacy, EHR and other technology and other compliance and risk management policies, to health care industry investigation, enforcement and other compliance, public policy, regulatory, staffing, and other operations and risk management concerns. She regularly designs and presents HIPAA and other risk management, compliance and other training for health plans, employers, health care providers, professional associations and others.
Ms. Stamer also regularly works with OCR and other agencies, publishes and speaks extensively on medical and other privacy and data security, health and managed care industry regulatory, staffing and human resources, compensation and benefits, technology, public policy, reimbursement and other operations and risk management concerns. Her publications and insights appear in the Health Care Compliance Association, Atlantic Information Service, Bureau of National Affairs, World At Work, The Wall Street Journal, Business Insurance, the Dallas Morning News, Modern Health Care, Managed Healthcare, Health Leaders, and a many other national and local publications. For instance, Ms. Stamer for the second year will serve as the appointed scribe for the ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits Agency meeting with OCR. Her insights on HIPAA risk management and compliance often appear in medical privacy and other technology, risk management and compliance-related publications of a broad range of health care, health plan and other industry publications Among others, she has conducted privacy training for the Association of State & Territorial Health Plans (ASTHO), the Los Angeles Health Department, the American Bar Association, the Health Care Compliance Association, a multitude of health industry, health plan, insurance and financial services, education, employer employee benefit and other clients, trade and professional associations and others.
You can get more information about her experience here.
Other Recent Updates & Resources
If you found this information of interest, you also may be interested in the following recent updates on health care, health plan and employee benefits, human resources and other risk management and compliance matters. Recent examples on health care compliance and risk management matters include:
OIG Recommends CMS, ONC Tighten EMR Incentive Program Rules To Improve Oversight
Congress Sends Bill Amending Lab Testing Rule Violation Sanctions
Learn Latest On OCR New HIPAA De-Identification Guidance & Other HIPAA Developments In 12/12 HIPAA Update Workshop!
$12M+ Settlement Recoveries In 2 Health Care Fraud Whistleblower Claims Shows Providers, Owners, Management & Staff Must Manage Compliance & Risks
Feds Health Fraud Suit Against Psychiatrists Shows Risks Providers Run From Aggressive Referral or Billing Activities
ONC Releases Next Wave of 2014 Draft Test Methods For Public Review and Comment; Plans 11/13 Virtual Workshop
Recent OIG Audit Reports Provide Insights Where Fraud Audits Likely To Look Next
Hospital Chain HCA Inc. Pays $16.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations That Hospital
Detroit-Area Doctor Charged for Role in Alleged $40 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
Five More Individuals Charged in Detroit for Alleged Roles in $24.7 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
Massachusetts Ear Group To Pay $1.5 Million To Resolve HIPAA Charges
Personal Consumer Information Protection In Health Care Operations Topic of Stamer's 11/1 Speech
ONC Releases First Wave of EHR Test Procedures; More To Come
OCR Releases HIPAA Compliance Training Tool As Enforcement Risks Rise
Health Care Orgs Disability Exposure High As $475K Paid To Settle Justice Department Charges Medical Fitness Screenings of EMTs, Others Violated ADA
HHS/DOJ Partner With Private Health Plans To Further Ramp Up Health Care Fraud Heat!
AHRQ Issues New Guide for Use of Interactive Preventive Care Record
Nextcare Inc. $10 Million False Claims Act Settlement Shows Qui Tam Role In False Claims Act Prosecutions
For more resources and publications training materials by Ms. Stamer, see here.
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©2012 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer, P.C. nonexclusive license to republish granted to Solutions Law Press, Inc. All other rights reserved.


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With their win today over No. 11 Florida, the Kentucky Wildcats will probably make the NCAA Tournament. Normally UK achieves that designation by late November or so. Kentucky missed the Big Dance in 2009, but it'd been 1991 since the Cats last weren't invited to March Madness. They hold the NCAA record with 53 appearances overall and 113 wins in the Tournament. They're the reigning national champs. Yet until the last 11 seconds of today's game, when the Gators missed a chance to tie, Kentucky was merely an optimistic bubble team. On Friday, coach John Calipari called the Florida game a "do or die" for his club. A loss to Florida would've put the Cats at 3-5 down the stretch into the SEC tournament. Instead Joe Lunardi has 'em in his "last four in" category. They're a barely.
They're looking at a double-digit NCAA seeding and perhaps, if they're lucky, a single tournament win. That'd be somewhat south of what Kentucky regards as its birthright, especially after last season, when Calipari appeared to have solved the new college basketball one-and-done landscape by embracing it in the most Machiavellian fashion possible. In 2012 his Cats were a precise cross between an all-star AAU team and an NBA all-rookie team, a band of babes who lost a single regular-season game by a single point and then vaulted from an SEC title game loss into a hellacious run through the NCAAs. They won their first two tourney games by 15 and 16 points, their next two by 12 apiece and their Final Four matches by 8 and by 8. It may suggest to an overall dilution of talent in the college game, but you gotta stand back and admire that feat by a starting lineup of a freshman center, a freshman small forward, a freshman point guard, a sophomore shooting guard and a sophomore power forward.
Then, all of those underclassmen went to the NBA, as everyone knew they would. Calipari reloaded. And this seemed to be the way of things now. Juniors were old maids. Seniors were for losers. The winners in perpetuity would be NBA clearinghouses that declined to participate in the charade that dicking around in college is of any real use to players who are projected lottery picks.
But it turns out the Coach Cal formula works if and only if you have other-worldly freshmen who play out of their minds for 40 games. Just as likely, if the 2012-13 season is any indication, you risk running a volatile program full of teenagers who are still, despite their ability, just tykes. Nerlens Noel was a defensive marvel worthy of Anthony Davis' mantle, but he, like Davis, struggled at times to score. Then he got hurt. Archie Goodwin has been solid, but there's just not enough of him to go around. In the words of ESPN blogger Eamonn Brennan, "Alex Poythress was as disappointing as any newcomer in the country." Kentucky struggles in all the ways you'd expect a young team to struggle: It's second-to-last in the SEC in free throw percentage, middle of the pack in scoring defense, doesn't shoot the three well and ranks last in the league in turnover margin.
The Cats are a decent team, but not much more than that. Only one of its top seven scorers is an upperclassman. We might see Noel, Goodwin and Willie Cauley-Stein all bolt for the pros after this season, but then, we knew they were likely to be short-timers. Kentucky will take solace in knowing they've got a fresh new crop who could explode for 38 wins and a national title, if they click. The rest of the country is assured, though, that this piratical formula Caliparil is running looks much riskier than it did a year ago.