text:
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The 100th Blue Obelisk 2006 paper citation
I am not sure how this habit started, but with citation practices, it is unlikely to go away. But who am I to complain....
Text mining chemistry from Dutch or Swedish texts
- Working on Oscar for three months
- Oscar text mining in Taverna
- Multiple unit test inheritance with JExample
- Oscar4 Java API: chemical name dictionaries
- Oscar4 command line utilities
- Installing Oscar
- Adding a new dictionary to Oscar
- Status update on BJOC analysis with Oscar and ChemicalTagger
- Status update on BJOC analysis with Oscar and ChemicalTagger #2
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Status update on BJOC analysis with Oscar and ChemicalTagger #3
- Oscar: training data, models, etc
These posts will server is a some initial critical mass for a draft report I plan to finish today. I might have to blog some further posts with diagrams, here and there. This post is actually one of them, and discusses something where Oscar can be expected to go next, now that the design is cleaned up (though this effort is not halted now) and it has become possible again to extend it. The over 250 unit tests make this a lot easier too.
One aspect where I expect Oscar to go in 2011 is the support for other languages. To a very large extend this is based on multi-language support in the dictionaries, as well as having training data in a particular language. This also provides some context to my earlier post about the need for a Oscar training data repository.
This extension opens a number of options: analysis of patent literature in other languages, monitoring of press releases in other languages, and news items in local news papers, etc. For example, it could analyse this C2W news item on yeast cells:
There are many use cases for such localized text mining. And it surely matters for determining the impact of research.
Oscar has various places where language specifics are found. For example, in tokenization of a text. One step here is the detection of sentence ends. This is done in most western languages with a period, exclamation mark, question mark, etc. But periods (dots) are also used in abbreviations. Similarly, colons can be used in chemical names. But the every language comes in with different abbreviations that need to be recognized.
Currently, some abbreviations are found in NonSentenceEndings. In the past three months, we have been cleaning up the code, and restructured the source code, making it easier to detect such places. This class will likely undergo further refactoring, to making the list of such non-sentence-endings configurable via files or so. What I expect to see, is that we you initiate Oscar like this:
Oscar oscar = new Oscar(Locale.US);
This might actually even make a nice student summer project. The biggest challenge will be in making a good corpus of training data, like the SciBorg training data that was used for training Oscar3.
But the whole normalization is tainted with English language specifics too. For example, the normalizer will have to 'normalize' the question marks, for which there exist several unicode variations. But the normalized variant is language dependent. For example, greek and armenian have different characters (see this page), and then we have not even started talking about the right to left.
Besides localized dictionaries, this Oscar will also benefit from a localized OPSIN. It seem to recognize the Dutch propaan, but not benzeen. I am not going to look at that soon, but if you are interested, I recommend checking out Rich' posts about forking OPSIN and writing patches.
Getting Oscar going for other languages is a challenge, but also offers new opportunities. Just email the oscar mailing list if you are interested and need help.
Blogging as part of your workflow
So, today it is time for me to write up a report for the last three months. This blog item is basically a prelude, or procrastination, or so. People sometimes ask me how I find time to blog so much. The trick is just make blogging part of your workflow. So, small scripts I use in finishing another task form a blog post (e.g. Converting JSON to RDF/XML with Groovy). I started blogging (in 2005) to actually optimize my workflow. I was sending the same message ("have you seen this interesting webpage") to several mailing lists, often tuning it a bit to the audience. Now, by just posting it in a blog, I removed the need for tuning, and as a bonus, would reach a much larger audience too. Actually, with more then 300 unique visitors a week, I cannot complain.
Neither can I complain about the amount of discussion it triggers. It's like having my own private symposium:
Anyways, time to go back to blogging about Oscar...
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Converting JSON to RDF/XML with Groovy
import groovy.xml.MarkupBuilder import groovy.util.IndentPrinter input = new File("substances.json") json = new JsonSlurper().parse(input); def writer = new StringWriter() def xml = new MarkupBuilder( new IndentPrinter(new PrintWriter(writer)) ) xml.'rdf:RDF'( 'xmlns:rdf': 'http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#', 'xmlns:dc' : 'http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/', 'xmlns:iupac' : 'http://www.iupac.org/', 'xmlns:cp' : 'http://rdf.openmolecules.net/chempedia/onto#', 'xmlns:owl' : 'http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#' ) { json.each { substance -> xml.'rdf:Description'( 'rdf:about': substance.uri ) { xml.'dc:identifier'(substance.gsid) xml.'owl:sameAs'( 'rdf:resource' : 'http://rdf.openmolecules.net/?' + substance.inchi ) xml.'iupac:inchi'( 'http://rdf.openmolecules.net/?' + substance.inchi ) for (int i = 0; i<substance.namings.size(); i++) { naming = substance.namings.get(i); namingURI = substance.uri + "/naming" + i; xml.'cp:hasNaming' { xml.'rdf:Description' { xml.'cp:hasName'(naming.name) xml.'cp:hasStatus'(naming.status) xml.'cp:hasScore'(naming.score) } } } } } } println writer.toString();
Monday, December 27, 2010
What should a free CC0 RDF hosting for scientists look like?
What if scientists could host small amounts of CC0 data for free? Something like computation results, e.g. outputted as HTML+RDFa? Without having to worry about setting up triple store, etc? Well, that future might be near. The above screenshot shows a first go. Not by me, but in response to a feature request by me. So, the question right now is, what would be like to see on the summary page. Some things I can think of are:
- clear statement of CC0 waiver, possible the opendata icon
- basic stats: # of triples, # unique predicates, etc
- a Wordle of all rdfs:labels in the data set
- the upload page should probably a separate tab
My first encounter with Open Source cheminformatics
One of my first encounters with open source cheminformatics was the XYZ file viewer applet by Sun. I extended it back then with minimal PDB support for our Woordenboek Organische Chemie website (started in 1995, now extinct). This applet dates back to at least 1997, as shown by the screenshot.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Oscar: training data, models, etc
N-grams are word parts of n characters. For example, the trigrams of acetic acid include ace, cid, tic, eti, and aci. N-grams of length four include acid, etic, and acet. The MEMM assigns weights to these n-grams, and based on that decided if something is in deed a named entity (in Oscar terminology). For example, consider the acet n-gram: acetone should be matched, but facet not.
Put this in perspective in the ongoing refactoring of the Oscar software. We are changing normalization (e.g. converting all unicode hyphen alternatives into one specific hyphen), updating the tokenizer (e.g. changing the list of non-sentence-endings like Prof.). It is clear this changes the n-grams typical for chemical-like things. Worse, the weights are tuned towards to know n-grams, and statistical models are generally a bit overtrained for the data, or, at least, specific for it.
Now, if the distribution of n-grams changes, the weights in the model need to be updated too, to not degrade the model performance. So, Oscar is useless if we cannot retrain its MEMM component after a refactoring. If that would be impossible, we would have effectively created an intellectual monopoly.
Thus, what the Oscar project needs, is one or more free sets of annotated literature, which can be used to train new MEMM models. The SciBorg corpus was used to train the current Oscar3 and Oscar4 models. This data (copyright RSC) will very likely be available under a Creative Commons license (RSC++), but may have the NC clause, which would not be good for developing a business model around the opensource Oscar (such as providing a high-performance web service via a subscription service). I have recently written up the problems the NC clause introduces, and some examples of commercial Open Source cheminformatics projects.
We need not focus only on this SciBorg data, however. In fact, we will need multiple models anyway. For example, the SciBorg papers (42 if not mistaken) are around a particular kind of literature. So, it introduces the risk of using it to analyse papers out of the application domain. Furthermore, I am very interested (and others indicated so too) to use Oscar for other languages. Surely, English is the major language, but there are many use cases for Oscar when useful for other languages.
Therefore, for what we need in the Oscar project, is a registry of training (/test) data, annotated itself with metadata around how that data was created (what quality assurance, what kind of named entity types, how many domain experts were involved, etc), test results for those data sets, etc. My time on the Oscar project is almost over, and I have no clue when I will be able to invest the same amount of time into the project as I did in the past three months. But the creation of this registry is clear step that must be taken in the Oscar4 development.
Corbett, P., & Copestake, A. (2008). Cascaded classifiers for confidence-based chemical named entity recognition BMC Bioinformatics, 9 (Suppl 11) DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-9-S11-S4
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Status update on BJOC analysis with Oscar and ChemicalTagger #3
This screenshot of an analysis of 15 BJOC papers shows that AcOEt (is that the same as EtOAc?) is mentioned as solvent three times in PMC1399459. Brine, however, is mentioned as solvent in three papers.
As said, these two pages contain RDF and the tables are sortable. Hudson recompiles them automatically when I update the source code to create the HTML+RDFa. So, go ahead, send me bug reports, feature requests, and patches!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
re: Commercial or Proprietary?
Yap wrote up a paper on PaDEL-descriptor: An open source software to calculate molecular descriptors and fingerprints (doi:10.1002/jcc.21707), and Table 2 is quite like Table 1 in the paper by Khanna and Ranganathan. Not only does Yap correctly differentiates between product cost and license, it also details the descriptor type count and descriptor value count. It is a good exercise to compare those two tables yourself.
Yap, C. (2010). PaDEL-descriptor: An open source software to calculate molecular descriptors and fingerprints Journal of Computational Chemistry DOI: 10.1002/jcc.21707
Commercial or Proprietary?
The authors and referees would not be the first to make this common mistake: not express the difference between two orthogonal axis: free-versus-commercial and open source-versus-proprietary. To clarify these axes, I created this diagram (CC-BY, SVG source available upon request):
It is very important to realize the Open Source software can be commercial. For example, you can get commercial support for Bioclipse and CDK with GenettaSoft. It is also really important to realize that free software (public?) does not mean it is Open Source (or visa versa). E-Dragon is an example here: you can freely use, but the source code is proprietary. Some years after open source cheminformatics took off, commercial providers started to provide free-for-academic-use packages, which fits into this category too.
Readers of my blog know that I advocate Open Source, not gratis software (see also Re: Why I and you should avoid NC licences), even though you can download many of the Open Source cheminformatics tools I worked on for free. Here it is important to realize that the CDK and Bioclipse are not free: it is just that the tax-payer covered the cost via academic institutes mostly, as well as hobbyists working out-of-office, like I have done for many, many years, and companies who saw mutual benefit. Maybe something to consider the next time you are wondering about donating money to an Open Source cheminformatics project, and pay some respect to the project contributors of the software you use.
Off-topic: there is a second inaccuracy in this table. For each software, they list the number of descriptors, but without units. Units, units?? Yes. For example, for the CDK they list ">40" descriptors, while for Dragon "3,224" (it puzzles me why you can count accurately above 3000, but not below 50. But the point here is that the CDK count is really the number of Java classes, reflecting descriptor algorithms. One algorithm can calculate more than one descriptor value, and those are counted for Dragon. The columns is comparing apples with oranges. While I have never really counted it, and you every CDK user can in fact tune it, the number of calculated CDK descriptor values approaches a thousand. Well, I guess that is ">40" too :(
Khanna, V., & Ranganathan, S. (2010). Molecular similarity and diversity approaches in chemoinformatics Drug Development Research DOI: 10.1002/ddr.20404
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Re: Why I and you should avoid NC licences
Moreover, one of the arguments outlines "[the NC clauses] are unlikely to increase the potential profit from your work". I think this is true (I could have said, 'I believe this is true', but that would only introduce unqualified trust): the material already being free to some extend, the material will itself is not-profitable, but the services around would be. But, by making it impossible to allow other to set up 'services' around the material (education at a high-fee university, books, software you sell on CD, a webservice for which you require fees for high-volume use, ... remember, 'commercial' is not well-defined), you also make it impossible to build a community around the material; and as such, you reduce the value of the material, also for yourself. FaceBook would not be what it is right now, without community building (neither would the CDK).
These issues are acknowledged by Creative Commons themselves too, and they wrote up an interesting report last year about how commercial use is understood. The bottom line is that no one really knows. I guess. I have not fully read the report yet, but anticipate it is a must read. Here is a bit of the executive summary as a teaser:
- The most notable differences among subgroups within each sample of creators and users are between creators who make money from their works, and those who do not, and between users who make money from their uses of others' works, and those who do not. In both cases, those who make money generally rate the uses studied less commercial than those who do not make money. The one exception is, again, with respect to personal or private uses by individuals: users who make money consider these uses more commercial than those who do not make money.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Open Research Computation, ORC, #openrescomp
My talk at Imperial College
It was great talking to Judy about her PhD research on NMR in metabolomics, and Tim about further work in this research. I was interesting to learn that here too they have problems in metabolite identification quick like those when analyzing *C/MS data, and was really happy to hear he is in contact with Christoph about an Open repository for metabolomics data.
Another 'new' slide was one advertising the yesterday launched Open Research Computation which I'll blog about in more detail later today.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Status update on BJOC analysis with Oscar and ChemicalTagger #2
A quick update on the post of this morning. The above screenshot shows the progress of the reporting of text mining results using Oscar on the BJOC literature. I think I am almost ready to analyze the full corpus, with a blacklist put in place for large papers, What you see is the same kind of JQuery-enabled sortable list in the HTML view, and a SPARQL query in RDFaDev, to list all papers that mention DHMO (in the first 10 of all 350 BJOC papers) by its InChI.
Importantly, IMHO, it is using the CHEMINF ontology.
Supramolecular chemistry
The particular paper is not even ridiculously large, though it has an amazing 800 references! The paper, Molecular recognition of organic ammonium ions in solution using synthetic receptors (doi:10.3762/bjoc.6.32), is in fact an interesting review paper on supramolecular chemistry. The molecules I worked on (see one below) in my own supramolecular chemistry time (doing a M.Sc. minor (6 month practical) with Peter Buijnsters in organic chemistry in the group of Prof. Nolte), are actually of the type they review, though surfactants are not really covered in it particularly.
Späth, A., & König, B. (2010). Molecular recognition of organic ammonium-ions in solution using synthetic receptors Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, 6 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.6.32
Buijnsters, P. J. J. A.; García-Rodríguez, C. L.; Willighagen, E. L.; Sommerdijk, N. A. J. M.; Kremer, A.; Camilleri, P.; Feiters, M. C.; Nolte, R. J. M.; Zwanenburg, B. (2002). Cationic Gemini Surfactants Based on Tartaric Acid: Synthesis, Aggregation, Monolayer Behaviour, and Interaction with DNA European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2002 (8), 1397-1406 : DOI:10.1002/1099-0690(200204)2002:8%3C1397::AID-EJOC1397%3E3.0.CO;2-6
Status update on BJOC analysis with Oscar and ChemicalTagger
This screenshot shows the current status of the Oscar analysis results of the BJOC literature. The results our logged as HTML+RDFa page, as I explained before in Scripts logs as HTML+RDFa: mix free text reporting with CSV. The page is interactive, using JQuery goodies to allow table sorting.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Trust has no place in science #2
Indeed, my point is different. The key of science is to replace trust by facts. Or, when talking about database, software, research papers in Nature, it is replacing trust with traceability. Actually, we seem to have lost a long-standing tradition of citing previous work when we write down the arguments we base our argumentation on. Facts are backed up with references, providing the required traceability.
Now, compare that to current electronic sciences. We 'trust' our database to have done something sane. Well, don't. They made an attempt, but made errors. As they say with software, having zero bugs just means you have not found them yet.
The real point with 'trust' is, is that it is completely irrelevant. It adds zero to the scholarly discussion. Whether you trust the highly curated ChEMBL database or not, it has errors. (Noel pointed out one source of ambiguity in the ChEMBL database this week). What does matter, instead, is if those errors are significant. Do they affect the conclusions I draw when I use this data. That is what actually matter. Trust has no place in science. Error has.
Sadly, this is basically the hypothesis of the VR grant I wrote up but did not get awarded. But I trust I do better next time.
Why this matters? Well, this is what ODOSOS is about: bring back the traceability into science, and get rid of trust.
How many hydrogen-bond acceptor groups does triazole have?
Apparently, the way he uses the CDK library, it returns zero H-bond donor groups, as is visible in his application down the bottom of the page. When start from the PubChem entry, it correctly detects on H-bond donor group, so it seems to have to do with implicit hydrogens (not uncommon). Debugging will continue later, when I am done analyzing the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry literature with Oscar.
But, I do like to put this question out in the open: how many H-bond acceptor groups does this triazole have? The CDK calculates 3 groups, while PubChem counts 2. ChemSpider thinks 3 too.
Intuitively, I would agree with the CDK and ChemSpider: the nitrogen which acts as the single H-bond donor still have a free electron pair. What do you think? Is PubChem wrong, or is the CDK and ChemSpider wrong? Can this special nitrogen be both a donor and acceptor at the same time? I think so. However, I do not know how I can easily search CrystalEye for this. Bonus points for answering the Blue Obelisk eXchange question.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Trust has no place in science
Antony asked last week the community to answer a questionnaire, which turned out the be about our trust in online chemical database. He presented the results at the EBI. This is the slide that summarizes the results from that questionnaire:
We see that trust clearly has a very significant place in science. How disappointing. You can spot me in these results easily: I am the one that consequently answered 'Never Trust' for all databases. It's not that I do not value those databases, but there is no need for them to trust them. I verify. This is actually a point visible in Tony's presentation: we can compare databases.
This is the point that I and others have been making for more than a decade now: if we do things properly, we can do this verification. Anyone can. With Open Data, Open Source, and Open Standards we can. I can only stress once more how important this is. We trust people, we trust government, but repeatedly this trust is taken advantage of. Without transparency, people can hide. By being able to hide, human loose there ability to decide what is right. With transparency, we see things return to normal, as we saw this week with UK politicians.
Further reading in my blog:
- Why you have not heard me much about chemometrics recently...
- The Molecular Chemometrics Principles #3: stand on shoulders
- The Molecular Chemometrics Principles #2: be clear in what you mean
- The Molecular Chemometrics Principles #1: access to data
Update: if you liked this post, you will also like blogs posts like this one from Björn.
What is 'hes'?
1. Used to refer to a person whose gender is unspecified, unknown, or irrelevant.
Typical use: hes was a scientist born in the late 20th century.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Konqueror Web Shortcuts for CHEMINF
CHEMINF is an ontology under development by people at the EBI, Canada and Sweden, for cheminformatics. I was aggregation examples, and when you browse these, you immediately run into the problem that all OWL resources have rather cryptic names, like CHEMINF_000000. Of course, any decent OWL tool will just view the rdfs:label, but I and others prefer to work in plain text editors, rather than, for example, Protege.
Fortunately, the Michel and/or Leonid have made the CHEMINF ontology LinkedData, which is where the web shortcuts come in. So, CHEMINF_000000 has the URI http://semanticscience.org/resource/CHEMINF_000000. For the RDF and ontology users, a web shortcut is just like defining a namespace (actually, a bit more general), so we will define cheminf:CHEMINF_000000. Actually, let's skip this step, and make use of web shortcuts fully, and define cheminf:000000. After all, a web shortcut is nothing more than an simple expansion.
Open Konqueror's Settings -> Configure Konqueror dialog, and select that Web Shortcuts page:
Click new New button on the right:
and fill out the dialog like this:
Now, I can open the cheminf:000000 URI in Konqueror and get the information about a CHEMINF resource:
Friday, December 03, 2010
ChemWriter, Google Chrome, and Many Eyes in Open Source
This was the old post:
Linus' law:
- given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.
Well done!


text:
You're young, have a good job and want to buy a home. But you don't think you can afford a home because you're weighed down with student loans.
You might be in luck. There are ways to afford a home, even while coping with payments for student loans.
In recent years, it appears fewer people with student loans have bought homes. A recent Federal Reserve study finds that 9 percent of 29- to 34-year-olds got a first-time mortgage from 2009 to 2011, compared with 17 percent 10 years earlier.
The study doesn't conclude that student loans are responsible for the decline in homebuying, says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FastWeb.com and FinAid.org. Still, Kantrowitz says he hears from young adults burdened with student loans. When some of your income goes toward payments for student loans, "You have less to invest in other things, whether it's retirement or getting married or buying a home," he says.
It's not the balance, it's the monthly payment
While grads may obsess about how much and how long they'll pay for college, "I don't believe lenders really give a hoot about your total balance," says Paul Baumbach, financial planner in Newark, Del.
Lenders focus primarily on how much income goes toward debt payments, says Charles Chedester, president of the Iowa Association of Mortgage Brokers.
The total student loan balance does figure in somewhat, however, "to the overall risk analysis," says Allyson Knudsen, senior vice president for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Although she adds, "It certainly isn't a reason we would decline your application."
In the monthly analysis, lenders figure out what percentage of your pretax income goes toward debt obligations, such as payments for credit cards and student loans.
Then, they factor in what a mortgage payment would add if you buy a home. Usually, Knudsen says, the amount going to your mortgage and other monthly debt shouldn't exceed roughly 40 percent of gross monthly pay, adjusted up or down slightly depending on your credit score and other factors.
Extending the student loan debt can help mortgage eligibility
For those whose monthly income is already heavily sliced with student loans, extending the repayment term can leave more room for a mortgage payment, making it easier to afford a home.
"For example, increasing the term on an unsubsidized Stafford loan from 10 years to 20 years cuts the monthly payment by a third," Kantrowitz says. But by extending the term, you'll end up paying about twice as much total interest over the years.
Various methods exist for extending student loans. But, Kantrowitz notes that probably the most common way to extend a term is to consolidate separate student loans into one with a longer repayment.
How important is it to buy a home?
Extending student loans can make room for a mortgage, and it may also allow you to save to buy a home later, Baumbach says.
Indeed, although it may be possible to afford a home by getting a Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgage with a small down payment, lenders want to see emergency savings, too, Chedester adds.
Baumbach says it's financially smart to buy a home when mortgage payments are manageable, they compare favorably to what you would pay in rent, and "you're sure you'll stay there a few years."
Many young adults, he says, need to be able to move anytime for a new job. Some will decide they don't want a home badly enough to extend their student loans or skimp to get the necessary savings.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|INF Elite Plan Plan Enrollment
|Network (80/20) Plan Brochure -
|FirstHealth Network
|Claims Procedure
|Program Eligibility
|Assistance Services (Insured Members Only)
|Insurance Enrollment
|Other Policy Features
|Medical Evacuation And Repatriation
|Continuous Coverage
|Accidental Death Dismemberment
|Cancellation Policy
This feature of the India Network Foundation's Accident and Sickness Insurance Program provides coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions, defined as an illness, disease, or other condition of the Covered Person that in the 12 month period before the Covered Person's coverage became effective under the Policy: (1) first manifested itself, worsened, became acute, or exhibited symptoms that would have caused a person to seek diagnosis, care, or treatment; or (2) required taking prescribed drugs or medicines, unless the condition for which the prescribed drug or medicine is taken remains controlled without any change in the required prescription; or (3) was treated by a Doctor or treatment had been recommended by a Doctor.
Pre-Existing Conditions coverage is subject to a Maximum Benefit of $25,000 and Deductible of $1,500 (Age 69 & under) or a Maximum Benefit of $20,000 and Deductible of $1,500 (Ages 70-99). Pre-existings conditions option when selected would cover pre-existing conditions on par with accidents and new sicknessess subject to special deductible and specific pre-existing policy maximum as specified above..
We will pay Medical Expense Benefits for Covered Expenses that result directly, and from no other cause, from a Covered Accident or Sickness. These benefits are subject to a Deductible of $500 per person for each Injury and each Sickness. The Policy Maximum for all Accident and Sickness Benefits is $150,000 (Age 69 & under) and $75,000 (Ages 70-99). Benefits are also subject to the following:
Co-Insurance Limits:
In-Network: 80% of covered Network charges up to the overall maximum benefit.
Out-of-Network: 60% of covered Network charges up to the overall maximum benefit.
Network Provider: FirstHealth Network
Click Here to Search for Providers Near You Medical Expense Benefits are only payable: (1) for Usual and Customary Charges incurred after the Deductible, if any, has been met; (2) for those Medically Necessary Covered Expenses that the Covered Person incurs; (3). for charges incurred for services rendered to the Covered Person while on a covered Trip; and (4) provided the first charge is incurred within 90 days of the Covered Accident or Sickness. Payment for Covered Expenses will not exceed the Policy Maximum shown above.
Covered Medical Expenses include:
Hospital semi-private room and board (or room and board in an intensive care unit.
Hospital ancillary services (including, but not limited to, use of the operating room or emergency room).
Doctor Non-Surgical Treatment/Examination Expenses (excluding medicines) including the Doctor's initial visit, each Medically Necessary follow-up visit and consultation visits when referred by the attending Doctor.
Doctor's Surgical Expenses. If an Injury or Sickness requires multiple surgical procedures through the same incision, We will pay only one benefit, the largest of the procedures performed. If multiple surgical procedures are performed during the same operative session but through different incisions, We will pay pursuant to the Co-Insurance limits as shown above for the most expensive procedure and 50% of Covered Expenses for the additional surgeries.
Assistant Surgeon Expenses when Medically Necessary.
Services of a Doctor or a registered nurse (R.N.).
Ambulance service to or from a Hospital.
Outpatient diagnostic X-rays, laboratory procedures and tests.
Laboratory tests.
Radiological procedures.
Anesthetics and their administration.
Blood, blood products, artificial blood products, and the transfusion thereof.
Inpatient Physiotherapy.
Medicines or drugs administered by a Doctor or that can be obtained only with a Doctor's written prescription.
Dental charges for Injury to sound, natural teeth.
Emergency medical treatment of pregnancy.
Therapeutic termination of pregnancy.
Artificial limbs or eyes (not including replacement of these items).
Casts, splints, trusses, crutches, and braces (not including replacement of these items or dental braces).
Oxygen or rental equipment for administration of oxygen.
Rental of a wheelchair or hospital-type bed.
Rental of mechanical equipment for treatment of respiratory paralysis.
Pre-admission testing.
Radiation Therapy.
Outpatient injections when administered in a Doctor's office.
Consultation visits.
You are eligible to elect this insurance is you are an active member of the India Network Foundation visiting the USA, Canada, or Mexico. You may elect coverage for your Eligible Dependents traveling with you.
Eligible Dependents are any of the following persons: the insured member's legal spouse, and their unmarried dependent children under 19 years of age (19 years and older if a child is incapable of self-sustaining employment due to physical or mental handicap).
If adoption, birth or marriage occurs while the insured member is covered under this insurance, the insured member will have 31 days within which to enroll a newly eligible dependent and pay the required premium for coverage to continue for the remainder of the period of coverage.
To enroll in the India Network Accident & Sickness Insurance Program, you may enroll online or download the forms and send the completed forms to India Network Services. You must be a Member to purchase insurance. Please enroll online.
1. Complete the India Network Membership Form (1st Form under Online Forms Link)
2. Complete the Insurance Enrollment Form
3. Submit the forms either electronically or as shown below.
Fax the membership and enrollment forms (fax versions of the forms are available under download link) with charge authorization to 408-520-4967
Mail a check for the exact amount with completed enrollment forms: the membership form & insurance form. Prepare two checks:
(i) Membership fee of $10 made payable to India Network Foundation, and
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Processing of an insurance enrollment may take up to 2 working days; when processing is complete, if you enroll for a coverage term of 1 month or more, India Network Services will mail an insurance ID card and brochure to the USA address shown on the member's enrollment.
NOTE: For coverage of less than one month, please print the brochure and keep the ID card generated after online submission form as proof of coverage.
Coverage for a member and any eligible dependents who enroll in this program will begin at 12:01 a.m. on the latest of the following dates, whichever is applicable:
Insured's Effective Date:
Insurance under this Policy shall become effective on the latest of the following dates:
Dependent's Effective Date:
Insurance under this Policy shall become effective on the latest of the following dates:
Insured's Termination Date:
The coverage provided with respect to the insured member shall terminate on the latest of the following dates:
Dependent's Termination Date:
The coverage provided with respect to the insured member's covered Dependents shall terminate on the latest of the following dates:
Termination of Coverage will not affect a claim for a covered loss that occurred while the insured member's coverage was in force under this policy.
This coverage will not duplicate benefits available from other valid and collectible insurance. If a covered person's Injury or Sickness is due to an act or omission of another, benefits payable by this program are subject to recovery from amounts paid to, or on behalf of, the covered person.
Coverage for a Covered Person will be considered continuous during consecutive periods of coverage for up to 12 months if the required premium is received by India Network Services prior to any subsequent period of coverage purchased for a Covered Person.
The continuation of coverage will not establish a new benefit period, nor affect maximum benefits or benefit periods for a loss incurred during any preceding coverage period.
"Country of Permanent Assignment" means a country, other than your Home Country, in which the Policyholder requires you to work for a period of time that exceeds 364 continuous days.
"Country of Permanent Residence" means a country or location in which you maintain a primary permanent residence.
"Covered Accident" means an accident that occurs while coverage is in force for a Covered Person and results directly of all other causes in a loss or Injury covered by the Policy for which benefits are payable.
"Covered Expenses" means expenses actually incurred by or on behalf of a Covered Person for treatment, services and supplies covered by the Policy. Coverage under the Policyholder's Policy must remain continuously in force from the date of the Covered Accident or Sickness until the date treatment, services or supplies are received for them to be a Covered Expense. A Covered Expense is deemed to be incurred on the date such treatment, service or supply, that gave rise to the expense or the charge, was rendered or obtained.
"Covered Person" means any eligible person for whom the required premium is paid.
"Deductible" means the dollar amount of Covered Expenses that must be incurred as an out-of-pocket expense by each Covered Person per Covered Accident or Sickness basis before Medical Expense Benefits and/or other Additional Benefits paid on an expense incurred basis are payable under the Policy.
"Dependent" means an Insured's lawful spouse or an Insured's unmarried child, from the moment of birth to age 19, 25 if a full-time student, who is chiefly dependent on the Insured for support. A child, for eligibility purposes, includes an Insured's natural child; adopted child, beginning with any waiting period pending finalization of the child's adoption; or a stepchild who resides with the Insured or depends on the Insured for financial support. A Dependent may also include any person related to the Insured by blood or marriage and for whom the Insured is allowed a deduction under the Internal Revenue Code.
Insurance will continue for any Dependent child who reaches the age limit and continues to meet the following conditions: 1) the child is handicapped, 2) is not capable of self-support and 3) depends mainly on the Insured for support and maintenance. The Insured must send Us satisfactory proof that the child meets these conditions, when requested. We will not ask for proof more than once a year.
"Doctor" means a licensed health care provider acting within the scope of his or her license and rendering care or treatment to a Covered Person that is appropriate for the conditions and locality. It will not include a Covered Person or a member of the Covered Person's Immediate Family or household.
"Home Country" means a country from which you hold a passport. If you hold passports from more than one Country, your Home Country will be the country that you have declared to Us in writing as your Home Country. Home Country also includes your Country of Permanent Assignment or Country of Permanent Residence.
"Hospital" means an institution that: 1) operates as a Hospital pursuant to law for the care, treatment, and providing of inpatient services for sick or injured persons; 2) provides 24-hour nursing service by Registered Nurses on duty or call; 3) has a staff of one or more licensed Doctors available at all times; 4) provides organized facilities for diagnosis, treatment, and surgery, either: (i) on its premises; or (ii) in facilities available to it, on a prearranged basis; 5) is not primarily a nursing care facility, rest home, convalescent home, or similar establishment, or any separate ward, wing, or section of a Hospital used as such; and 6) is not a place for drug addicts, alcoholics, or the aged.
"Injury" means accidental bodily harm sustained by a Covered Person that results, directly and independently from all other causes, from a Covered Accident. All injuries sustained by one person in any one Covered Accident, including all related conditions and recurrent symptoms of these injuries, are considered a single Injury.
"Insured" means a person in a Class of Eligible Persons for whom the required premium is paid making insurance in effect for that person.
"Medical Emergency" means a condition caused by an Injury or Sickness that manifests itself by symptoms of sufficient severity that a prudent lay person possessing an average knowledge of health and medicine would reasonably expect that failure to receive immediate medical attention would place the health of the person in serious jeopardy.
"Medically Necessary" means a treatment, service, or supply that is: 1) required to treat an Injury or Sickness; 2) prescribed or ordered by a Doctor or furnished by a Hospital; 3) performed in the least costly setting required by the Covered Person's condition; and 4) consistent with the medical and surgical practices prevailing in the area for treatment of the condition at the time rendered. Purchasing or renting 1) air conditioners; 2) air purifiers; 3) motorized transportation equipment; 4) escalators or elevators in private homes; 5) eyeglass frames or lenses; 6) hearing aids; 7) swimming pools or supplies for them; and 8) general exercise equipment are not Medically Necessary. A service or supply may not be Medically Necessary if a less intensive or more appropriate diagnostic or treatment alternative could have been used. We may consider the cost of the alternative to be the Covered Expense.
"Preexisting Condition" means an illness, disease, or other condition of the Covered Person that in the 12 month period before the Covered Person's coverage became effective under the Policy:
1. first manifested itself, worsened, became acute, or exhibited symptoms that would have caused a person to seek diagnosis, care, or treatment; or
2. required taking prescribed drugs or medicines, unless the condition for which the prescribed drug or medicine is taken remains controlled without any change in the required prescription; or
3. was treated by a Doctor or treatment had been recommended by a Doctor.
"Sickness" means an illness, disease or condition that causes a loss for which you incur medical expenses while covered under the Policy. All related conditions and recurrent symptoms of the same or similar condition will be considered one Sickness.
"Trip" means travel by air, land, or sea from your Home Country. It includes the period of time from the start of the trip until its end provided you are engaged in a Covered Activity or Personal Deviation if covered under the Policy.
"Usual and Customary Charge" means the average amount charged by most providers for treatment, service, or supplies in the geographic area where the treatment, service, or supply is provided.
"We, Our, Us" means the insurance company underwriting this insurance or its authorized agent.
We will not pay benefits for any loss or Injury that is caused by or results from:
intentionally self-inflicted injury; suicide or attempted suicide.
war or any act of war, whether declared or not.
a Covered Accident that occurs while a Covered Person is on active duty service in the military, naval or air force of any country or international organization. Upon receipt of proof of service, we will refund any premium paid for this time. Reserve or National Guard active duty training is not excluded unless it extends beyond 31 days.
piloting or serving as a crew member in any aircraft (unless otherwise provided in the Policy).
riding in any aircraft except as a fare-paying passenger on a regularly scheduled or charter airline
commission of, or attempt to commit, a felony.
sickness, disease, bodily or mental infirmity, bacterial or viral infection, or medical or surgical treatment thereof, except for any bacterial infection resulting from an accidental external cut or wound or accidental ingestion of contaminated food (Applicable to accident benefits only).
the Covered Person being legally intoxicated as determined according to the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Injury occurred.
commission of or active participation in a riot or insurrection.
In addition, We will not pay Medical Expense Benefits for any loss, treatment, or services resulting from:
routine physicals and care of any kind.
routine dental care and treatment.
routine nursery care.
cosmetic surgery, except for re constructive surgery needed as the result of an Injury.
eye refractions or eye examinations for the purpose of prescribing corrective lenses or for the fitting thereof; eyeglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids.
services, supplies, or treatment including any period of Hospital confinement which is not recommended, approved, and certified as Medically Necessary and reasonable by a Doctor, or expenses which are non-medical in nature.
treatment or service provided by a private duty nurse.
treatment by any Immediate Family Member or member of the Insured's household. "Immediate Family Member" means a Covered Person's spouse, child, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, or in-laws.
expenses incurred during travel for purposes of seeking medical care or treatment, or for any other travel that is not in the course of the Policyholder's activity (unless Personal Deviations are specifically covered).
medical expenses for which the Covered Person would not be responsible to pay for in the absence of the Policy. Expenses incurred for services provided by any government Hospital or agency, or government sponsored-plan for which, and to the extent that, the Covered Person is eligible for reimbursement.
any treatment provided under any mandatory government program or facility set up for treatment without cost to any individual.
services or expenses incurred in the Covered Person's Home Country.
elective treatment, exams or surgery; elective termination of pregnancy.
expenses for services, treatment or surgery deemed to be experimental and which are not recognized and generally accepted medical practices in the United States.
expenses payable by any automobile insurance policy without regard to fault.
organ or tissue transplants and related services.
Preexisting Conditions, unless otherwise provided in the Policy.
Any expense paid or payable by any other valid and collectible group insurance plan.
Injury or Sickness for which benefits are paid or payable under any Workers' Compensation or Occupational Disease Law or Act, or similar legislation, whether United States federal or foreign law.
Injury sustained while participating in club, intramural, intercollegiate, interscholastic, professional or semi-professional sports.
expenses incurred for services related to the diagnostic treatment of infertility or other problems related to the inability to conceive a child, including but not limited to, fertility testing and in-vitro fertilization.
expenses incurred in connection with weak, strained or flat feet, corns, calluses or toenails.
expenses incurred for birth control including surgical procedures and devices.
birth defects and congenital anomalies, or complications which arise from such conditions.
sexually transmitted diseases or immune deficiency disorders and related conditions. This exclusion does not apply to the care or treatment of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), AIDS Related Complex (ARC), or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, or any illness or disease arising from these medical conditions.
Pregnancy (unless treatment is required as a result of a Medical Emergency), childbirth, miscarriage, abortion or any complications of any of these conditions.
Report at once to the nearest physician or hospital. Claims may be submitted to the Claims Administrator (Administrative Concepts Inc.) by the provider of service directly or by you, using the claim forms found under the "Print/Fax Forms" section of the Members Area. All claims must be submitted using the applicable claim form, which can be found online or requested from the Claims Administrator.
Completed claim forms must be furnished to Administrative Concepts, Inc. within 90 days after the date of such loss. Failure to furnish such proof within the time required will not invalidate or reduce any claim if it was not reasonably possible to furnish proof.
Claims Office
Administrative Concepts, Inc. (ACI)
994 Old Eagle School Rd., Suite 1005
Wayne, PA 19087-1706
Toll Free: 888-293-9229 (from inside the U.S.)
Phone: 610-293-9229 (from outside the U.S.)
Fax: 610-293-9299
Web: http://www.visit-aci.com
Should you to check upon the status of your filed claim, or claims related questions you may call the claims office at the above number during business hours 7 AM to 7 PM (CST).
Should you have questions regarding your brochure or insurance program, please contact India Network Services. They can be reached by phone at 408-540-3600, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (EST) during week days, Monday through Friday.
AXA Travel Assistance Services at 1-855-327-1414 will provide 24-hour access to the following services:
You will receive a Travel Assistance ID card that will provide you with emergency call numbers and information on how to access CHUBB's Travel Assistance Web Portal.
This information provides you with a brief outline of the services available to you. These services are subject to the terms and conditions of the Policy under which you are insured. Travel assistance services are not available if your coverage under the Policy providing insurance benefits is not in effect.
Accidental Death and Dismemberment**
$25,000 Maximum
Not Required
Type of Coverage
Benefit Period
364 Days
Emergency Medical Evacuation Benefit - We will pay up to the maximum indicated above in the Schedule of Benefits for your medical evacuation if you: 1) suffer a Medical Emergency during the course of the Trip; 2) require Emergency Medical Evacuation; and 3) are traveling on a covered Trip.
Covered Expenses include;
1) Medical Transport: expenses for transportation under medical supervision to a different hospital, treatment facility or to your place of residence for Medically Necessary treatment in the event of your Medical Emergency and upon the request of the Doctor designated by Our assistance provider in consultation with the local attending Doctor.
2) Dispatch of a Doctor or Specialist: the Doctor's or specialist's travel expenses and the medical services provided on location, if, based on the information available, your condition cannot be adequately assessed to evaluate the need for transport or evacuation and a doctor or specialist is dispatched by Our service provider to your location to make the assessment.
3) Return of Dependent Child (ren): expenses to return each Dependent child who is under age 18 to his or her principal residence if a) you are age 18 or older; and b) you are the only person traveling with the minor Dependent child(ren); and c) you suffer a Medical Emergency and must be confined in a Hospital.
4) Escort Services: expenses for an Immediate Family Member or companion who is traveling with you to join you during your emergency medical evacuation to a different hospital, treatment facility or your place of residence.
Benefits for these Covered Expenses will not be payable unless: 1) the Doctor ordering the Emergency Medical Evacuation certifies the severity of your Medical Emergency requires an Emergency Medical Evacuation; 2) all transportation arrangements made for the Emergency Medical Evacuation are by the most direct and economical conveyance and route possible; 3) the charges incurred are Medically Necessary and do not exceed the Usual and Customary Charges for similar transportation, treatment, services or supplies in the locality where the expense is incurred; and 4) do not include charges that would not have been made if there were no insurance.
Benefits will not be payable unless We authorize in writing, or by an authorized electronic or telephonic means, all expenses in advance, and services are rendered by Our assistance provider. In the event you refuse to be medically evacuated, we will not be liable for any medical expenses incurred after the date medical evacuation is recommended.
Repatriation of Remains Benefit - We will pay up to the maximum indicated above in the Schedule of Benefits for the preparation and return of your body to your home if you die as a result of a Medical Emergency while traveling on a covered Trip.
Covered expenses include: 1) expenses for embalming or cremation; 2) the least costly coffin or receptacle adequate for transporting the remains; 3) transporting the remains; and 4) Escort Services which include expenses for an Immediate Family Member or companion who is traveling with you to join your body during the repatriation to your place of residence.
All transportation arrangements must be made by the most direct and economical route and conveyance possible and may not exceed the Usual and Customary Charges for similar transportation in the locality where the expense is incurred. Benefits will not be payable unless We authorize in writing, or by an authorized electronic or telephonic means, all expenses in advance, and services are rendered by Our assistance provider
ACCIDENTAL DEATH DISMEMBERMENT of $25,000**
Definition of Injury and Scope of Coverage – 24 Hour Coverage
Principal sum for Covered Injury: $25,000
Accidental Death and Dismemberment Benefits - If your Injury results, within 365 days from the date of a Covered Accident, in any one of the losses shown below, We will pay the Benefit Amount shown below for that loss. Principal Sum for you and your Dependents (if you have elected Dependent coverage and the required premium has been paid) is $25,000. If multiple losses occur, only one Benefit Amount, the largest, will be paid for all losses due to the same Covered Accident.
Schedule of Covered Losses
Covered Loss Benefit Amount
Life.................. 100% of the Principal Sum
Two or more Members................... 100% of the Principal Sum
One Member.................. 50% of the Principal Sum
"Member" means Loss of Hand or Foot, and Loss of Sight. "Loss of Hand or Foot" means complete Severance through or above the wrist or ankle joint. "Loss of Sight" means the total, permanent Loss of Sight of one eye. "Severance" means the complete separation and dismemberment of the part from the body.
Aggregate Limit - We will not pay more than $125,000 for all losses. If, in the absence of this provision, We would pay more than this amount for all losses under the policy, then the benefits payable to each person with a valid claim will be reduced proportionately.
Refund of premium, less a $25 processing fee, will be considered only if Cancellation Form is received by the India Network Services prior to the effective date of coverage. After that date, the premium is considered fully earned and non-refundable. All cancellation requests should be submitted by completing the Cancellation Form found under 'Members Area' section of the web pages. The form can be faxed to 408-520-4967. Policy changes can not be made under any circumstances once the policy becomes effective.
This Description of Coverage is a brief description of the important features of the insurance plan. It is not a contract of insurance. The terms and conditions of coverage are set forth in the Policy issued to the Policyholder on Form # AH-15090. The Policy is subject to the laws of the state in which it is issued. Coverage may not be available in all states or certain terms or conditions may be different if required by state law. Please keep this information as a reference.
Insurance policies providing certain health insurance coverage issued or renewed on or after September 23, 2010 are required to comply with all applicable requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA"). However, there are a number of insurance coverages that are specifically exempt from the requirements of PPACA (See §2791 of the Public Health Services Act). CHUBB maintains this insurance is short-term, limited duration insurance and is not subject to PPACA.
CHUBB continues to monitor federal and state laws and regulations to determine any impact on its products. In the event these laws and regulations change, your plan and rates will be modified accordingly.
Please understand that this is not intended as legal advice. For legal advice on PPACA, please consult with your own legal counsel or tax advisor directly.


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We could not find products for categories Gourmet Foods and size 2.5 oz.
Beer sale items this week!
Truly Spiked & Sparkling Water Wild Berry 12 oz.Beaches, BFFs and a cooler full of Truly. Made with strawberries, raspberries, and Marion blackberries, this weekend's adventure just got better.
Rhinegeist Brewery Cheetah Lager 12 oz.Swift in body and mind, Cheetah sprints ever forward. A blur of pure instinct. Buena onda. Pure, crisp, clean. Blissful simplicity. Savor this moment. All we have and all we need is now. Feel free and therefore you are free.
Perennial Artisan Ales Working Title 750mlWorking Title, a Belgian-style pale ale conditioned with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. Kettle and dry hop additions of Crystal hops provide a bright orange complement to the pineapple and earthy funk of the Brettanomyces. Underneath is a lean, bready malt body that finishes dry and crisp.
SweetWater Brewing Company 420 Extra Pale Ale 16 oz.Dry Hopped with a fat stash of Cascade hops. Our most popular brew! A tasty West Coast style Extra Pale Ale accentuated with a stimulating hop character. First conceived in our bat cave on 4/20, this kind of beer keeps the wheels on the bus going round and round! Flavor Profile: Herbal, floral, fresh.
Budweiser Bud Light Seltzer Variety Pack 12 oz.This Bud Light Seltzer Variety Pack comes with 4 delicious flavors - Black Cherry, Strawberry, Lemon Lime and Mango - and with only 100 calories, 5% alc/vol, and less than a gram of sugar, you might as well have another one.


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Welcome to the Dockwalk.com Forum
In order to post a comment in one of the forum topics, you must log in or sign up. Your display name will appear next to your posts unless you check the Post Anonymously box. When writing a post, please follow our forum guidelines. If you come across a post that you would like us to review, use the Report Post button. Please note the opinions shared in the forums do not necessarily reflect the views of Dockwalk.
Dockwalk.com Forum
What Went Wrong
Party Crashers
Dockwalk magazine's regular column, What Went Wrong by Kelly Sanford, highlights a different marine accident each month, focusing on the lessons learned. We've received feedback that some readers would like to comment on it. So we're republishing it in the forum so you can have your say.
The August 2010 column recounts a story of vessel that ended up in a residential backyard after the captain had to avoid hitting a small boat that shot across the yacht's path on the Intracoastal.
"Capt. Altercourse" and his crew were hosting a birthday party on board a steel-hulled 137-foot motor yacht in Florida. "It was an all-out party," explains Altercourse, "a big buffet spread, a magician and one of those guys who twist balloons into things, and there were a lot of guests on board who were all excited to be taking an evening Intracoastal cruise."
It was dark by the time the boat had made its way south along the ICW, passing the mouth of Hillsboro Inlet. Capt. Altercourse noticed a few small outboard boats anchored off to his port side on a sandbar on the channel's east side near the inlet. "It was a flood tide, and they were out there gigging for shrimp without any running lights, just a spotlight."
Suddenly, one of the boats got caught up in the current and, in an instant, came shooting across Altercourse's bow. "If I went to port, I'd take out the other boats," he says. "If I held course, I'd probably kill the guy swept up in the current. I had no other choice. I turned the boat hard to starboard and ended up putting the boat up on a sandbar on the west side of the channel."
Between the boat's forward momentum, the current and the boat's weight, the boat went so far up on the sandbar that the bow was hanging over a residential backyard. "You could probably [have] jumped off the bow and landed in the swimming pool," Altercourse says.
Everything inside went crashing over, guests were knocked off their feet, dishes were broken, but miraculously, the birthday cake slid right to the edge of its table but didn't fall. "The funny thing is the guests thought it was the greatest thing. They were loving it! Here we were, sitting in some guy's backyard in a 137-foot boat and you'd think it was a ride at Disneyland," Altercourse says.
"The flood tide was actually working against me, pinning the boat in place, but I knew we were on soft bottom, so using the thrusters and reverse, I managed to walk the boat back off. I could feel the props grinding up the sand and coral stone, and at times I had the RPMs north of three thousand, but after filling the channel with diesel smoke and taking some life off the cutlass bearings, we eventually came free and everyone – including the boat – was unscathed except for a couple scratches and broken dishes."
This story had a happy ending because no one was injured and no insurance claims were filed. However, situations like this one play out all the time and the consequences are not always as benign.
Sooner or later, all captains are asked to navigate a challenging anchorage or waterway with more guests milling about than they'd like, but a story like this one reinforces the importance of always staying focused on the conditions around you.
Spencer Lloyd, a veteran captain now with Brown & Brown Marine Insurance, says, "You can have all the experience in the world and be a great captain, but that doesn't change the fact that you are out there with every other knucklehead with a boat. You have to watch out for the lowest common denominator: the guy who does not know how to anchor his boat, Joe Shmoe who's pulling some kid on an inner tube across a busy waterway or the weekend warrior who's not monitoring 16 squeezing you out of a narrow channel like he's running the Queen Mary. Sometimes it's not even the weekend warriors, but working guys who are out there earning a living and not paying much attention to the big-hot-s**t-white-boat while he's pulling fishing gear like he does every other day."
When you're forced to make a radical maneuver, "Priority number one is to avoid any bodily injury and your next priority is to minimize property damage," Lloyd says. "When someone or something 'jumps out in front of you,' there is little that you can do," says Capt. Michael French, president of International Yacht Training.
"Hindsight doesn't usually give credit for the element of surprise and its contribution to any sort of event." French explains that there are some common key factors that result in damage or injury in limited navigability situations, the most notable of which are distractions and fatigue.
"Distractions of all sorts can and do cause problems in close-quarters operations. Someone turning on a light in the bridge at night, loud music or even guests trying to ask you your life story while you listen to one radio and talk on another. All of these normal, seemingly innocuous occurrences can contribute to a lack of focus, even for a very short time. And anyone who has had an unfortunate 'incident' will tell you a very short time is all it takes," French says.
"Fatigue is another factor that is a regular cause of loss of concentration or focus. It's not unusual to travel all day, arrive at a destination, pick up the boss's guests only to be asked to leave the dock and cruise whilst they eat dinner under the stars. It's perfectly normal, but very easy to spend way too many hours glued to the helm in the course of a day," French continues.
The answer to avoiding a close-quarters situation may seem obvious. "Awareness is the key…and the normal dos and don'ts usually apply. Conditions, environmental factors such as current and light, should be considered before a trip is undertaken," French says. "Think about the basics, like will the setting sun be in my eyes as I make my way back through the reef? Finally, sometimes [when the situation calls for it] one has to face the toughest decision of all – the decision to say NO!"


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With today's busy lives, the major obstacle to staying fit is not motivation — it's convenience. At Workout Anytime, we're here for you, in your town, 24/7. It's hard to find time in your day to workout. That's why Workout Anytime has developed a proven way to make fitness easy and convenient:
Make Fitness Fit for You – Bottom line, the key to losing weight, building strength and increasing energy is to find as little as 20 minutes in your daily schedule. Workout Anytime makes it easy:
With Workout Anytime, you can drive up to the front door, swipe your key card and get in and out fast. That's workout convenience!


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While it was quiet around Healthcare Scene this week, there were still some great posts on a few of the websites. Be sure to check these articles out:
VC Firms Eyeing Mobile Health App Investments
It's no secret that the Mobile Health App industry has taken off lately. Because of this, VC firms are more interested in investing in these companies. Anne Zeiger predicts there will be a handful of investments in the industry in the coming future. This post talks about different mobile health apps being created, and where the industry seems to be headed.
"Non Structured Data Is More Valuable to Practitioners Than Discrete Research Oriented Data"
The title of this post was inspired by a comment on John's recent post on the EHR Bubble. Here, John discusses the advantages of non-structured data for a physician. Does non-structured data help improve the quality of care? Join the debate over at EMR and EHR this week.
Control Your Dreams With the Remee Sleep Mask
If you're like me, I've always wished I could dictate what I was going to dream about. The latest product from Bitbanger Labs claims to do just that. The "Remee Lucid Dreaming Mask", with practice, apparently gives the user the ability to control their dreams. The mask brings you into the "lucid dreaming" stage, which is a more aware state of dreaming. For only $95, this new product is available for pre-order here.
Go From Couch Potato to Runner with Couch-to-5K App
A program developed a few years ago has been the catalyst behind several mobile apps. The premise behind the program is to get couch potatoes (or just about anyone) running either a 5K or for 30 minutes straight in as little as 9 week. There are a variety of apps available to help wannabe-runners get started. This post gives a general overview of the official C25K app.


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Psychotherapist: Arias wasn't stalking her lover
A psychotherapist is testifying in Jodi Arias' murder trial that the defendant and victim appeared to be in a comfortable relationship and Arias wasn't stalking him.
Alyce LaViolette (lah-VY'-oh-let) has been testifying for the defense for more than a week, explaining for jurors the nature of relationships in which domestic violence is involved.
Arias faces a potential death sentence if convicted of first-degree murder in the 2008 killing of her lover in his suburban Phoenix home. She says it was self-defense, but prosecutors say she planned the attack on Travis Alexander in a jealous rage.
Arias says Alexander was physically abusive and attacked her on the day of the killing, yet no other evidence at the trial has shown the victim was ever violent.


text: Free version hosts VST-Instruments Editors: Staff, Lyrics, Piano Roll, Percussion, Loops, Audio, Events. File formats: standard .MID and .WAV files. Unlimited number of MIDI Tracks. Includes extensive integrated help. Staff editor includes numerous composition tools. Piano Roll / Rhythm editor with: multi-level loops, loops can refer to notes, other loops, samples, or Riffs. Import, record and edit audio samples and play them like drums. Any note duration down to 1/128th notes. Dynamic editing while the song is playing, making it easier to experiment with rhythms. Duplet, triplet, quintuplet, and septuplet notes. Enter notes from external MIDI device, on-screen guitar fret board, on-screen piano keyboard, or by dragging notes to the staff. Lyrics, track names, and comments can be in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other languages. Percussion editor employs standard percussion notation Align notes with beats and measures. Stretch / compress notes over time. Compensation for MIDI and Audio device latency and working with low-latency ASIO and Virtual Instruments. Per-track On/Mute/Solo, device, instrument, channel, fader, pan, and effects controls. Option to play notes as mouse moves over them, making it easier to quickly locate a spot in the song. Dynamically change track volumes, mutes, instruments, and effects properties while a song continues to play. Fast loading and scrolling of large MIDI files. Time and Duration fields display time in Minute:Second:Frame(SMPTE), or Measure:Beat:Ticks, or sample format. Metronome includes tempo, lead-in, and accent beat attributes. Add Cue points for quickly positioning to a desired spot in the song. Play list for playing hours of different song files. File/Truncate menu to shorten the duration of .MID files. File/Merge Song menu for copying tracks between .MID files. Add standard music notation including: slur, crescendo, decrescendo, fermata, trill, repeat, D.C., D.S.,segno, coda, prima volta, seconda volta,pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff User-defined keyboard shortcuts. Control Record/Play/Stop functions remotely using any MIDI controllers such as a Foot Switch, Modulation wheel. Supports the Tascam US-428 External Mixing console. ASIO, VST, VST-Instrument, and Automation support with optional Pro-Mix accessory. Mix audio files with different formats (bits per sample, samples per second) down to a single .WAV file. Optional Multi-Audio 8/16 accessory allows you to simultaneously record up to 8 stereo audio tracks.


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People and Brands:
Medium: Gold metallic and black silk with gold sequins and sable; brown silk satin
Date: Fall 1997
Country: USA
Credit: Gift of Yeohlee New York
Yeohlee is known for her minimal, highly functional designs. But she can also do luxury, as with this ensemble from her Fall 1997 collection, inspired by the concept of the "urban nomad."
Object Number: 99.43.2


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Freedman Jewelers 10th Annual Wedding Band Trunk Show
Boston's Freedman Jewelers is having their 10th Annual Wedding Band and Engagement Ring Trunk Show from March 22 until March 24, 2012. And for those who are in an Irish wedding planning mood, a sneak preview will be held on March 17th!
Highlights for Freedman Jewelers' wedding band event include:
• A wide selection of ladies and men's wedding bands in all types of designs and metals. Freedman Jewelers will have a vast selection of Novell wedding bands in addition to many other bands and settings from other bridal jewelry designers.
• A large variety of engagement ring settings and a large stock of loose diamonds in all shapes & sizes.
• Champagne and hors d'oeuvres on Thursday night.
• Food and refreshments catered on Saturday.
• Save $100 on any individual wedding band purchase over $500 that's ordered at the show. Coupon is valid on any single band over $500 purchased from March 15 – March 28, 2012
• Raffles: Enter to win a $100 gift certificate to the Back Bay restaurant group.
Sign up for this event on Facebook!
Freedman Jewelers 10th Annual Wedding Band and Engagement Ring Trunk Show also features extended store hours:
Thursday March 22nd: 9:30am-8pm
Friday March 23rd: 9:30am-6pm
Saturday March 24th: 9:30am-5pm
Address: 333 Washington St. Ste 408, Boston, MA 02108
Freedman Jewelers will offer validated parking for those who use the 33 Arch St. Garage. And if you are driving in, enter this address into your GPS – 19 Hawley St. Boston, MA 02108.
For more information, please call 617-227-4294 or just email (info{at}freedmandiamonds.com) to set up an appointment.


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FT195: "Democrats ridicule Sarah Palin because we elected a far less qualified Sarah Palin—Barack Obama—twice." —Old Pithy
Fundamental Truth
Democrats don't want to face Conservatives in General Elections because when they do they Lose
Democrats want to win elections. They spend enormous amounts of money to make that happen in tight races. Which limits the amount of money they can spend elsewhere. So they don't want to spend any more money than they absolutely have to. Which tells us one thing. Whoever they say should be the Republican candidate and is the one that will take the Republican Party in the right direction is actually the candidate they want. Because he or she is the candidate they think they can defeat easiest.
The Democrats loved John McCain. They loved how he reached across the aisle. How he could work with Democrats. Always willing to compromise to give them what they wanted. Without demanding hardly anything in return. In fact, he valued his ability to compromise with Democrats more than any conservative principle. Democrats like that. And told Republicans that McCain was their candidate. Nay, should be their candidate. For this is the direction the people want the Republican Party to move in. The Democrat direction.
So with John McCain in the general election the voters had a Democrat candidate (Barack Obama) and a Democrat-lite Candidate (John McCain). Which is what the Democrats want. Because it helps Democrats. They don't want a conservative that can get Democrats to cross over and vote Republican. Like the Reagan Democrats. While at the same time invigorating the conservative base. That's the last thing they want. For when they have that in a general election (like with Ronald Reagan) they lose in landslides.
Whenever Republicans nominate a Candidate the left approves of they NEVER win General Elections
When the Republican candidate is a Democrat-lite candidate it will discourage the conservative base. Which is what the Democrats want. Fewer Republicans voted in 2012 than they did in 2008. This decline in Republican turnout helped win the election for Obama. So that's what a Democrat-lite candidate does for Republicans. And when it comes to Democrat voters they will never vote for Democrat-lite when they a full-blown Democrat to vote for.
This is why the Democrats praised John McCain during the 2008 Republican primary. And why they praised Mitt Romney during the 2012 Republican primary. Both moderate Republicans. More importantly, neither was a conservative. One (Mitt Romney) even gave Massachusetts universal health care. Making it difficult for him to attack Obamacare without sounding like a hypocrite. So the left loved both of these moderate non-conservatives. Right up until the general election. When they tore each of them a new you-know-what.
Watching Republicans campaign is like watching Gilligan's Island. Where each week we tuned in to see if this was the week they would finally get rescued from that deserted island. And just when rescue seemed imminent Gilligan would do something to ruin everything. While viewers never noticed the recurring theme. They NEVER get rescued. Just as it is with elections. Every election the Republicans listen to the Democrats. As if they are really interested in helping Republicans win elections. Instead of doing everything within their power to win themselves. And whenever Republicans nominate a candidate the left approves of they NEVER win general elections.
Being Likeable was Enough to get one of the most Unqualified Candidates elected President of the United States
The Democrats got John McCain for the Republican candidate. Which they went on to defeat in the general election. Just as they had planned. But they got something else they hadn't planned on. Sarah Palin. No one saw that coming. No one even knew who she was when McCain announced her as his running mate. But she was someone. She served on the Wasilla City Council in 1992. Became mayor of Wasilla in 1996. She was chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conversation Commission. And governor of Alaska in 2006. Then, of course, Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008.
She was dangerous. A young and accomplished woman. With real governing experience. And a folksy charm. She was likeable. And she was conservative. This to the left was a greater threat than al Qaeda. They had to destroy this woman. Lest she become more influential in Republican politics. So they ridiculed her night and day. From politicians to policy wonks to the mainstream media to late night television. It was open season on Sara Palin. And they had good reason to fear her. For when the 2010 midterm elections came around she was part of a new political movement. The Tea Party. The movement was so strong that the Republicans took the House of Representatives back in 2010. And the left did not want that to happen again. So they attacked her. And the Tea Party.
The Tea Party and Sarah Palin are the worst enemies the left can have. Conservatives. A recent Gallup Poll showed that only 21% of the electorate call themselves liberal while 40% call themselves conservative. And 35% call themselves moderate. Which means the majority of the electorate agree with the Tea Party. And Sarah Palin. Which is why Sarah Palin is so dangerous. She has governing experience. The majority of the electorate agrees with her. And she's likeable. They just don't want anyone like that on the ticket if they can help it. Especially if they're likeable. So the Democrats ridicule Sarah Palin. Because they saw how easy it is to get a far less qualified 'Sarah Palin' elected. Barack Obama. Who had no governing experience. And shared an ideology with only 21% of the electorate. But he was likeable. And being likeable was enough to get one of the most unqualified candidates elected president of the United States. Twice.
Tags: Barack Obama, conservative, conservative base, Democrat-lite, Democrats, general election, Gilligan, John McCain, likeable, Mitt Romney, Reagan, Republican, Republican Party, Republican primary, Sarah Palin, Tea Party


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Presiding Bishop has visited all dioceses in The Episcopal Church
With the recently completed visit to the Diocese of Central Florida, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has visited all 109 dioceses and three regional areas of the Episcopal Church.
"The first canonical obligation – and the greatest joy – of this office is to visit the dioceses of The Episcopal Church, and to preach the Word and celebrate the Eucharist," Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori said. "It is an opportunity to experience and celebrate the diversity and life of this Church, engaging God's mission in multiple ways. I have been in all 50 states and 13 of the 16 nations represented in this Church, visited with clergy and lay leaders in all 112 jurisdictions, and am glad to report on the health and vigor I've observed."
The Presiding Bishop's first diocesan visit was January 2007 to the Diocese of Arkansas. Since that time, she has traveled to four continents and 13 countries – including all 50 United States -- to fulfill a mandate of the Presiding Bishop to "visit every Diocese of this Church for the purpose of: (i) Holding pastoral consultations with the Bishop or Bishops thereof and, with their advice, with the Lay and Clerical leaders of the jurisdiction; (ii) Preaching the Word; and (iii) Celebrating the Holy Eucharist." Title I, Canon I.2.4(a)(6)
She continued, "Are we perfect – no – but this Church is living faithfully into the next era of what it means to be Episcopal Christians in an increasingly globalized world. We are serving the least of these, teaching and forming new generations as partners in God's mission, responding to injustice, and caring for God's creation – at home and abroad in all our contexts. It is an immense and humbling privilege to be able to help share the stories of faithfulness with others all across this global Church."
Page 28 of 2009 Constitution & Canons Title I, Canon I.2.4(a)(6) (page 28: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/notice/episcopal-church-offers-lenten-resources-meditations-1
The Episcopal Church: www.episcopalchurch.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/episcopalian
Twitter: www.twitter.com/iamepiscopalian


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Q: I looked my Scandinavian Rye Bread recipe recently and was shocked to find it missing. I started making it in the early 80's and expect that it might have run in the Tribune as early as the late 70's.
--Keira MacVicar, Vancouver, British Columbia
A: Here's a recipe titled "Scandinavian rye bread" from the Aug. 20, 1981, edition of the Chicago Tribune. I found it in our on-line archive. The recipe is included in what appears to be a wire story from Knight-Ridder Newspapers titled "Three good and hearty recipes that use forthright seasonings." The author, who is not named, writes of this caraway-flavored bread: "It is the perfect loaf to carry to a picnic, along with Scandinavian cheeses, a tin of sardines, or cold cuts, and plenty of good mustard."
One warning: This recipe calls for 2 cups rye flour and 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour in the ingredient list. But the recipe text itself calls for you to mix in "bread flour" after the rye flour. I'm thinking this is a reference to the "all-purpose flour" called for, not special "bread flour," which is made entirely of hard wheat, according to "The Good Housekeeping Cookbook."
I'm hoping this is the recipe you were looking for: Right date range, right title. Let me know!
Scandinavian rye bread
Prep: 4 hours.
Bake: 30 minutes.
Makes: Two loaves
1/4 cup each: honey; light molasses
3 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 cups rye flour
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Butter from brushing loaf tops (optional)
1.Mix honey, molasses, salt, butter and caraway seeds in a small bowl; pour boiling water over mixture and stir until honey and salt are dissolved. Cool to lukewarm.
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2.Dissolve yeast in 3/4 cup warm water in another bowl; add the cooled honey-molasses mixture. Stir in the rye flour and beat until smooth. Mix in enough bread flour to make a thick batter; beat thoroughly. Add remaining bread flour to make a kneadable dough.
3.Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead about five minutes. Set dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with damp cloth and let stand in warm place until doubled in bulk, about two hours.
4.Punch down dough and shape into two loaves; put in greased 9- by 5-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. If loaves appear to be browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil for last 15 minutes of baking. If a softer crust is desired, brush with butter while loaves are still warm. Makes two loaves rye bread.
Do you have a question about food or drink? E-mail Bill Daley at: firstname.lastname@example.com. Snail mail inquiries should be sent to: Bill Daley, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60611. Twitter @billdaley.


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Machined, heat-treated steel safety selector puts oversized levers on both sides of the receiver for easy ambidextrous operation. Large surface area lets you operate the safety while wearing gloves, and eliminates fumbling in the dark. Pads are deeply grooved for an ultra-secure grip under stress or when hand is wet. Can be customized by positioning the larger pad on either side of the receiver, or by applying high-visibility paint. Mounting hardware included. Individual Safety Selector Levers are available for customization.
SPECS: 12L14 steel, Parkerized, black or flat dark earth. Includes Torx® screws and L-key wrench.
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Currently we hold two Weight Watcher meetings at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center on Mondays.
Times: Weigh-in 11am, meeting 11:30am
Weigh-in 5pm, meeting 5:30pm
Informational meetings will be held on Oct. 31 at 11:30am and 5:30pm to discuss new and upcoming changes that will benefit current and new Weight Watcher members! First time visitors may sit in on their first meeting for FREE!
For more information you can contact Karen at email@example.com or at 432-8119.


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Search for Scholarships
You deserve an affordable education. Use our free tool to find scholarships to help pay for college. Our search makes the job of finding and applying for scholarships easier. Get started by entering some basic information about yourself and we'll put our machines to work finding opportunities you can apply for today.
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Scholarship Advice for Everyone
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- Watch out for scams. Never pay money to enter a scholarship.
- Proofread your applications and essays. Then proofread again. Then ask someone else to proofread it one more time - it'll give you some outside perspective.


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'Lone Ranger' ambushed at box office, Disney may face loss
LOS ANGELES - "The Lone Ranger," Walt Disney Co's big-budget western starring Johnny Depp, performed below expectations on Wednesday night, raising the possibility that the movie could saddle the media giant with a loss on the film.
The film, which cost an estimated $225 million to produce, generated $9.7 million during Wednesday showings, falling well behind "Despicable Me 2" from Comcast's Universal Pictures, which sold $34.3 million at the domestic box office, according to studio estimates.
Both films opened with limited showings on Tuesday. For the two-day period, "Despicable Me 2" generated $39 million and "The Lone Ranger" saw $11.7 million.
Disney estimates "The Lone Ranger" will sell $45 million for the Wednesday through Sunday July Fourth holiday weekend, below industry experts' initial forecasts of $60 million to $70 million over the five days.
"If it does end up grossing less than $50 million over the five-day stretch, it will most certainly go down as a misfire," said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, which tracks movie box office prospects.
The film's poor opening is a black eye for producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Gore Verbinski and star Depp, the trio behind Disney's ultra-successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.
Disney made their prior success a key part of marketing the current film, and Depp's international appeal still could help the film's overseas box office.
"The Lone Ranger" is an action remake of a 1930s radio show and television series in the 1950s. Armie Hammer plays John Reid, the lawman who dons a mask to fight injustice in the Old West. This time, though, it is the Lone Ranger's Native American sidekick Tonto, played by Depp, who takes center stage.
Critics have not embraced the movie. Among 110 reviews compiled on the Rotten Tomatoes website on Wednesday, just 25 percent recommended the film.
Gitesh Pandya, editor of the website Box Office Guru, estimates the film will generate $100 million in domestic ticket sales.
A $60 million opening over its first days would have generated a modest profit, according to Tony Wible, a managing director of Janney Montgomery Scott who follows Disney.
With that opening, he estimated the film would generate $180 million in domestic ticket sales and give Disney total revenues of $370 million from foreign, video and other sales.
Studios and theaters generally share box office receipts.
Disney spent $225 million to make the film and an estimated $100 million to market it.
A Disney spokesperson was not available for comment on the studio's outlook for the film's profitability.
"The Lone Ranger" is the latest entry in Disney's strategy of spending more on fewer films to build franchises from big budget movies that can generate continued revenues from sequels, merchandise and outlets like its theme parks and TV properties.
The company found such success with Marvel superhero films "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3," and with Pixar's "Monsters University," but wrote down $200 million when sci-fi epic "John Carter" flopped last year.
The studios will update the box office results over the weekend.