text: Kochi Formerly known as Cochin, Kochi is a charming South Indian city that holds an interesting mixture of British, Holland, Portuguese, Chinese, Arab and Jewish influences from its colonial past. Many flock to Kochi for its harmonious ambience and vast open spaces. It is a land famed for its beautiful seaside, skylines and awe-inspiring landscapes, not to mention its invaluable resource to India's overall economy. Top 5 Must Do's Kerala Backwaters Take a ride on a houseboat and lay in blissful tranquillity as you glide past the many lagoons and lakes which run parallel with the Arabian Sea Coast (Malabar Coast). Chinese Fishing Nets Locally known as Cheena vala, the Chinese Fishing Net is an amazing technique once practiced only in China 500 years ago. It's one of the iconic symbols of Kerala. Munnar Hill Station Lush green tea plantations along mountainous terrains, surrounded by graphite mountains - it's the perfect honeymoon destination. Enjoy panoramic views with waterfalls, wildlife sanctuary and spice plantations. Fort Kochi A major part of the city's history, Fort Kochi is once known as Old Kochi, where you'll find quirky colonial houses with architectural influences from the Dutch, Portuguese and British. Kerala Kathakali Centre Head here for the nightly show of classical dance drama that re-enacts various Indian legends and myths. A wonderful experience with special effects in an intimate setting. To and from airport Transportation Availability Fare Bus Every hour Rs70 Taxi All day Starts from Rs600 Your awesome getaway awaits you right here! Book now Quick Facts Currency India Rupee (Rs) Electricity 230V 50Hz Language Malayalam, English Time zone UTC +5.30 Tel code +91 Religion Hinduism, Christianity, Islam Weather SEP - FEB Dry season 22°C - 33°C Breezy evenings and comfortable weather MAR - MAY Hot season 22°C - 37°C Great time for indoor shopping to escape the heat JUN - AUG Monsoon season 23°C - 33°C Be careful of flooded areas View how you can fly in with our interactive map! Map it out Check out these other destinations! Australia Gold Coast Melbourne Sydney Cambodia Siem Reap China Changsha Hangzhou Kunming Shanghai Wuhan Xi'An Hong Kong Hong Kong India Kochi Indonesia Bali Bandung Jakarta Solo Yogyakarta Japan Nagoya Osaka Tokyo Malaysia Kota Kinabalu Kuala Lumpur Kuching Langkawi Miri Penang Myanmar Mandalay Nepal Kathmandu Singapore Singapore South Korea Busan Taiwan Taipei Thailand Bangkok Chiang Mai Krabi Phuket Surat Thani Vietnam Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City


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The Daily Mail reports that, if doctors checked the pulse of every patient they see, this measure could "prevent 12,000 strokes a year".
The aim of the pulse checks would be to pick up cases of atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder that increases the risk of a stroke.
The figure comes from a report released by the Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA) and Anticoagulation Europe (ACE), which warn that there is a "silent epidemic" of atrial fibrillation and that this will worsen in the UK as the population ages. The report also sets out a number of ways that might improve the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation, including campaigns to raise awareness, further training for GPs and improved access to heart monitoring when a case is suspected.
What is atrial fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder where the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) contract in a faster and shallower way than normal, causing an irregular heartbeat. While this is happening the heart is less effective at pumping blood around the body.
There are three different forms of atrial fibrillation, based on how long the fibrillation lasts:
- paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a form that comes and goes and usually stops within a couple of days with no treatment
- persistent atrial fibrillation: a longer-lasting form that typically lasts longer than a week, but can resolve more quickly if treated
- permanent atrial fibrillation: a form that is present all the time
The AFA/ACE report estimates that 1.5 million people in the UK have atrial fibrillation but that currently up to half of these cases remain undiagnosed.
What are the signs of atrial fibrillation?
Not all people with the condition will show symptoms of atrial fibrillation. In people who do have symptoms, these can include:
- breathlessness
- palpitations
- fainting or dizziness
- chest discomfort
With atrial fibrillation you may also have an irregular pulse.
How is atrial fibrillation currently diagnosed?
NICE recommends that people going to their doctor with any of the signs described above, or who have had a stroke or mini-stroke, should have their pulse checked manually to see if it's irregular. People who have no symptoms may also have an irregular pulse detected just by chance, when visiting their doctor for another reason.
NICE suggest that an electrocardiogram (ECG) should be performed in all patients who have an irregular pulse and are suspected to have atrial fibrillation, even without symptoms.
What are the risks associated with atrial fibrillation?
Blood does not flow smoothly out of the heart during an episode of atrial fibrillation, and this increases the risk of blood clots forming. Because of this, people with atrial fibrillation are at an increased risk of having a stroke (where a blood clot lodges in the brain). Atrial fibrillation can also lead to heart failure.
The factors reported to increase the risk of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation include:
- being female
- being elderly
- having previously had a stroke or TIA (mini stroke)
- having high blood pressure
- having heart failure or valvular heart disease
- having diabetes
- having vascular disease
How is atrial fibrillation treated?
There are various ways of treating atrial fibrillation, depending on the form it takes and other factors. Possible treatments include drug treatment, electrical treatments and surgery. People with atrial fibrillation who also have other risk factors for stroke should also take an anticoagulant to reduce their risk.
What does the report say about checking patients' pulses?
The AFA and ACE recommend the following measures:
- a national screening programme for atrial fibrillation that targets those at risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke
- an audit in general practices to identify and flag up patients at risk of atrial fibrillation
- manual pulse checks on all patients at risk of atrial fibrillation when they visit their GP's surgery
- immediate access to an electrocardiogram (ECG) for patients in whom atrial fibrillation is suspected
- readily available 24- and 48-hour heart monitoring, to diagnose intermittent atrial fibrillation
What is the current policy on atrial fibrillation screening?
Screening is a process of identifying apparently healthy people who may be at an increased risk of a disease or condition. The screening process does not include testing people who already have symptoms.
The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) advises government ministers and the NHS on all aspects of screening and supports implementation of screening programmes. National screening programmes for healthy people can be expensive and potentially lead to an increase in investigations and treatments for people who might not necessarily have developed symptoms or problems. The committee regularly assesses the evidence about new screening programmes that could be offered, to determine whether they would do more good than harm at a reasonable cost.
Currently, the NSC's recommendation is that routine screening for atrial fibrillation in adults should not be offered. This policy is being reviewed. This review involves identifying any relevant new evidence published since the policy was made and assessing whether this evidence suggests that the policy should be changed. The review began in January 2010 and is expected to be completed by March 2012.
What else does the report call for?
The AFA and the ACE's extensive report also calls for:
- ways to increase GP motivation to follow international guidelines on how atrial fibrillation should be managed
- a national public and patient education campaign to improve detection of atrial fibrillation and promote patient empowerment, using existing materials
- equal access to atrial fibrillation treatments and services for all NHS patients, regardless of location
- an atrial fibrillation education campaign for GPs
- government support for research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of atrial fibrillation
Analysis by Bazian
Edited by NHS Website
Links to the headlines
Doctors to check pulse of every patient to prevent 12,000 strokes a year
Daily Mail, 5 December 2011
Further reading
Atrial fibrillation - preventing a stroke crisis:
December 2011
UK National Screening Committee:
(under review)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A cigarette fee was a mistake, but otherwise Tim Pawlenty believes his work as governor of Minnesota is the best record of all the Republican presidential candidates.
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The photographs were taken chiefly by scholar Claire Holt (1901-1970) during her visits to Indonesia in 1930-38, 1955-57 and 1969 to visually document the plastic and performing arts for her research. A number of these photographs were published in her books Dance Quest in Celebes (1939), Art in Indonesia (1967), and the exhibition catalog Théâtre et Danses aus Indes Néerlandaises (1939).
The Modern Indonesia Project at Cornell University donated the collection to the NYPL Dance Division in 1978. Funding from the Ford Foundation helped accomplish the arrangement, description and physical care of the collection, nearly a decade later. The Dance Division has additional materials of the Claire Holt Collection, including unpublished texts on Javanese and Balinese dance, and 16mm films available for study.
Clair Holt's first exposure to Indonesia, in 1930, left her with an enduring impression of a complete integration of art in the spiritual and daily lives of its people. This pervasive interplay held Holt there for ten years, then brought her back twice, and kept her teaching and writing about Indonesia for the remainder of her life. Because Indonesian art and life are so intertwined, Claire Holt knew that just as important as observing dance and the formal study of dance was the understanding of the history and culture of Indonesia as a whole, its music, religion, literature, sculpture and architecture.
Animal dances, combat dances, court dances, horse dances, magic and magic dances, puppets and marionettes, ritual and ceremonial dancing, shadow shows, shamanism, street dancing, trance dances, war and weapon dances, and funeral rites and ceremonies are all included. Also, field notes and sketches document dances, costumes and musical instruments of various tribes on the island of Alor. In addition to dance and dance-related subjects, the collection also contains a sizeable number of photographs of ancient Hindu and Buddhist architecture and sculpture, principally from Java. The collection forms a special chronicle of a time and place long since changed.
Archives Internationales de la Danse. Théátre et danses aus Indes Néerlandaises. (1939)
Holt, Claire. Dance Quest in Celebes. (1939)
_____ . Art in Indonesia: Continuities and Change. (c1967)


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Ladenburg Thalmann said that it planned to pay Ameriprise Financial $150 million in cash for Securities America in late August. In addition, the Miami-based broker-dealer says it will pay up to $70 million in 2012 and 2013 in so-called earn-outs, as the firm explained in an SEC report. Plus, Ameriprise continues to be responsible for any costs related to the sale of certain private-placements.
News has also been reported about the size of retention bonuses being offered to Securities America's 1,700 advisors, who are led by Jim Nagengast. (Ladenburg Thalmann says it cannot comment on matters other than what is said in the 8-K filing.)
As for the additional $70 million being promised to Ameriprise, this amount is generous, several sources say, as it pushes the total price tag to about 50 percent of Securities America's yearly revenue. "I see this as a large amount," said Chip Roame of Tiburon Strategic Advisors in an interview. "That's substantial."
Others agree. "I thought the initial $150 million was a reasonable price (worked out to around 34 percent of trailing revenue), but any more for a firm with their history etc., would be more than I feel is reasonable," said Jon Henschen of Henschen & Associates in an interview.
While Henschen says that adding another $70 million is "overly generous, it also depends on what kind of production hurdles they've set [for the earn-outs], and if they are realistic. Ameriprise may see little if any of that $70 million," the recruiter explained.
Overall, says Roame, the arrangement seems to be "a fair price range," with a caveat. "The price is low if Securities America has rep attrition and cannot get the kicker. The price is average to high, if they keep their reps. It seems like a fair deal all around."
Litigation Coverage
In its recent filing, Ladenburg Thalmann explained, "Ameriprise has agreed that, following closing of the transaction, it will indemnify Ladenburg for … any and all losses arising out of substantially all claims pending." This clause includes claims related to the sale of certain securities issued by Provident Royalties and Medical Capital Holdings, which prompted Ameriprise to take a $77 million charge in the first quarter and put Securities America up for sale.
These provisions are earning the acquiring firm praise. "Ladenburg was wise to shield themselves from future liability of those particular products," said Henschen.
"This is great for Ladenburg Thalmann," shared Roame, "and it's literally a perfect agreement. For Ameriprise, though, it's risky. They know the claims they have on the table now, but maybe more claims will come. I am sure Ameriprise did lots of due diligence on this risk, though, and knows what might happen."
Retention Bonuses
To help stem any further attrition of advisors, Securities America is said to be offering bonuses to FAs that agree to stay on of about 15 percent, according to Roame. "This seems low, though the cash component is 75 percent, which seems high."
The consultant adds that the bonus has a four-year time horizon. It pays half now and the other half when the Securities America-Ladenburg Thalmann deal closes. "This seems generous towards the FAs," Roame explained.
In other words, a $1 million producer would get $150,000, he says. This represents $50,000 in cash now, about $25,000 in stock now and the remainder (with the same amounts of stock and cash) when the deal closes.
"I think that is a nice gift, but a $1-million producer will still move if he thinks the new firm is a bad fit," said Roame. "Still, it's a good move by Ladenburg."
Recruiters like Rick Peterson of Peterson & Associates generally have the same thinking. "It's a fairly rich deal, but anything and everything that's better than zero is rich for an independent advisor," he said in an interview.
Usually retention bonuses would be tiered to the level of fees and commissions, Henschen notes. "Offering 15 percent to all reps is generous, especially for smaller producers that may normally get nothing in retention dollars," he said. Also, at least one bigger-producing rep is being offered a slightly higher amount to stay, the recruiter notes.
Nonetheless, "A quick cash infusion doesn't mean much over the long term," Peterson added. "It makes an advisor ask, if Ladenburg is throwing money at me now, could this mean less money down the road for long-term items like information technology and practice management?"
In his mind, Securities America and Ladenburg Thalmann have to show advisors more than money. "They have to show a long-term growth plan to advisors. Their huge producers have left [Securities America] due to a lack of clarity about the future. They need to show remaining advisors what's in it for them and their clients in the long term. Advisors want to know how can they translate what's being offered into future business."


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Definitions: emergencies
|1. Explicable, understandable (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992) Being responsible, answerable, liable, amenable, chargeable (Roget's International Thesaurus, 1963). 2. Obligation to demonstrate that work has been conducted in compliance with agreed rules and standards or to report fairly and accurately on performance result vis-a-vis mandated roles and/or plans(OECD). Accountability is the means used to hold persons/entities responsible for their actions.
|A reflection of the willingness of surveillance staff to implement the system, and the end users of the data to accept and use the data generated by the system.
|Actions performed to produce specific outputs using a given set of resources.
|1. A conceptual and strategic framework that spells out goals and objectives, priority themes and key strategies to be addressed by relevant operatives at all levels. It defines, for example, an agreed vision within the context of humanitarian coordination and traces a road map of actions to be undertaken to realize this vision. 2. Support or argument for a cause, policy, etc (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992) 3. Exhortation, patronage, fosterage, championship, testimonial (Roget's International Thesaurus , 1963).
|Affected people
|People who are adversely affected by a crisis or a disaster and who are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
|Age-adjusted mortality rate
|Mortality rate that takes into account the age structure of the population to which it refers. Used to compare mortality in populations with very different age structures (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Age-sex pyramid
|Graph of the sex and age-group distribution of the population. Used in mortality studies to observe possible alterations in the demographics of the population as a result of high mortality or population loss in a particular age group or sex (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Age-specific mortality rate
|Mortality rate in a specific age group. See under-five mortality rate for an example (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Alert threshold
|The critical number of cases (or indicator, proportion, rate, etc.) that is used to sound an early warning, launch an investigation at the start of an epidemic and prepare to respond to the epidemic.
|A systematic or non-systematic way of gathering relevant information, analysing and making judgment on the basis of the available information.
|Baseline assessment
|Is an assessment performed during the design phase of a surveillance plan of action. It provides information on the existing situation, forms the basis for the development of the plan of action, and provides baseline data against which prospective changes in the surveillance system are progressively assessed or measured.
|Baseline data
|Data or measurements collected at the outset of implementation of a surveillance system or of strengthening activities, or a set of indicators that have been identified to monitor and evaluate the performance of a surveillance and response system. For example, the baseline mortality rate (or non-crisis mortality rate) is Mortality rate before the crisis (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Reference point or standard against which performance or achievements can be assessed. A benchmark refers to the performance that has been achieved in the recent past by other comparable organizations, or what can be reasonably inferred to have been achieved in the circumstances (OECD).
|Bias/Non-sampling error
|Systematic error during data collection which results in a distortion of the findings (in mortality studies, an over- or under-estimation of mortality) (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Business Continuity
|Effective and useful survival. Business continuity is a biological and psychological imperative for individuals ("instinct of survival") and an economic and cultural imperative for communities, at least at local level (see also "social capital"). The imperative can be less evident and weaker once one moves to the national level. It is by definition weak in "new" or "fragile states", and in short-lived institutions, especially in trans-cultural ones. It needs to be fostered by strong leadership, team building, clear mission statements, etc. (Loretti, 2005).
|Case definition
|Is a set of diagnostic criteria that must be fulfilled in order to identify a case of a particular disease. Case definitions can be based on clinical, laboratory, epidemiological, or combined clinical and laboratory criteria. When a set of criteria is standardized for purposes of identifying a particular disease, then it is referred to as "standard case definition". A surveillance case definition is one that is standardized and used to obtain an accurate detection of all cases of the targeted disease or condition in a given population, while excluding the detection of other similar conditions.
|Case-fatality ratio or rate (CFR)
|The proportion of cases of a given disease that result in death. Often abbreviated to CFR (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Disasters of special magnitude (although there has been no known attempt to quantification, yet). It has a "narrative", descriptive value and, mostly, an advocacy purpose. Conceptually, it relates best to reconstruction activities.
|Cause-specific mortality rate
|The mortality rate due to a specific disease (e.g. cholera) or phenomenon (e.g. violence) (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts)
|Utter confusion; formless matter (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992)
|Chaos and/or extreme instability
|situations of high-mortality risk, where there is the "likelihood of 300% or plus increases in morbidity and mortality" (S. Hansh, 2001).
|Child mortality rate
|The number of children under five years of age dying per 1000 live births in a given year (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Civil defence organization
|Any organization that, under the control of a government, performs the functions enumerated in paragraph 61 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
|Civil military cooperation (CIMIC)
|The coordination and cooperation, in support of the mission, between a military commander and civil actors, including the national population and local authorities, as well as international, national and non-governmental organizations and agencies.
|In the context of the Humanitarian Reform, a cluster is a group of agencies, organizations and/or institutions interconnected by their respective mandates, that works together towards common objectives. The purpose of the clusters is to foster timeliness, effectiveness and predictability while improving accountability and leadership.
|Cluster sampling
|A sampling design commonly used in retrospective mortality surveys when comprehensive lists of individual households cannot be obtained. Clusters are groups of households of which the first is chosen at random, and the remainder by a rule of proximity (e.g. second closest). In a cluster mortality survey, 30 or more clusters are usually sampled from the target study population, and each cluster usually contains at least 30 households (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts)
|Communities of Practice (CoPs)
|Communities of practice develop naturally as people with common interests share ideas and collaborate (R. McDermott, "Building a support structure for your communities", Knowledge Management Review, 2000:Vol 3:3:5).
|Completeness of reporting
|Proportion of surveillance reports (or forms) received irrespective of when the reports were submitted. Proportion of reports received based on expected reporting units (if the system includes zero reporting).
|Complex Emergency
|1. A complex emergency, as defined by the IASC, is "a humanitarian crisis in a country, region or society where there is total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or external conflict and which requires an international response that goes beyond the mandate or capacity of any single and/or ongoing UN country programme" (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992). 2. Complex political emergency: A situation with complex social, political and economic origins which involves the breakdown of state structures, the disputed legitimacy of host authorities, the abuse of human rights and possibly armed conflict, that creates humanitarian needs. The term is generally used to differentiate humanitarian needs arising from conflict and instability from those that arise from natural disasters (ALNAP).
|Confidence interval
|A range that expresses the level of approximation, or imprecision, around the point estimate. Also known as a margin of error. 95% confidence intervals are usually presented: we are thus 95% confident that the true population estimate lies within the range of the confidence interval (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005 , Checchi and Roberts).
|Contingency planning
|The process of establishing programme objectives, approaches and procedures to respond to situations or events that are likely to occur, including identifying those events and developing likely scenarios and appropriate plans to prepare and respond to them in an effective manner (Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance 2001).
|Convenience survey
|Survey that is not based on a randomly selected, representative sample, but rather on data from households/individuals that can easily be reached or observed (e.g. people standing in a food-distribution queue) (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005 , Checchi and Roberts).
|1. The systematic utilisation of policy instruments to deliver humanitarian assistance in a cohesive and effective manner. Such instruments include: strategic planning; gathering data and managing information; mobilising resources and assuring accountability; orchestrating a functional division of labour in the field; negotiating and maintaining a serviceable framework with host political authorities; and providing leadership. Sensibly and sensitively employed, such instruments inject an element of discipline without unduly constraining action (Larry Minear, Study on the First Gulf Crisis, 1992). Coordination can be by command, in which strong leadership is accompanied by some sort of authority; by consensus, in which leadership is essentially a function of the capacity to orchestrate a coherent response and to mobilise the key actors around common objectives and priorities; and by default, in the absence of a formal coordination entity involves only the most rudimentary exchange of information and division of labour among the actors (Antonio Donini, UN coordination in Afghanistan, Mozambique & Rwanda, 1996) Ther can be three levels of coordination: among organisations, among functions, and within programmes. Observed that money is important for coordination to be effective, and that in fact governments have the obligation to establish and maintain frameworks for coordination. Also observed that in practice, coordination is effective when structures are agreed first, reinforced by dynamic leadership (Marc Somers; EFCT course material on the mechanics of coordination, 2000).
|Cost effectiveness analysis
|This form of analysis seeks to determine the costs and effectiveness of surveillance and response strategies and activities. It can be used to compare similar or alternative strategies and activities to determine the relative degree to which they will obtain the desired objectives or outcomes. The preferred strategy or action is one that has the least cost to produce a given level of effectiveness, or provides the greatest effectiveness for a given level of cost.
|Country Programme
|All types of aid (project and non-project) to one country.
|1. A situation that is perceived as difficult. Its greatest value is that it implies the possibility of an insidious process that cannot be defined in time, and that even spatially can recognize different layers/levels of intensity. A crisis may not be evident, and it demands analysis to be recognized. Conceptually, it can cover both preparedness and response ("crisis management"). 2. Time of danger or greater difficulty, decisive turning point (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992).
|Crude mortality rate (CMR)
|Mortality rate among all age groups and due to all causes. Often abbreviated to CMR (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Death rate
|Equivalent to mortality rate (some authors prefer the former) (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Design effect
|Phenomenon caused by cluster sampling, and which increases the sampling error or imprecision. Households/individuals within a cluster resemble each other because of their proximity, thus resulting in an overall loss in sampling variability (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY)
|The Disability Adjusted Life Year or DALY is a health gap measure that extends the concept of potential years of life lost due to premature death (PYLL) to include equivalent years of 'healthy' life lost by virtue of being in states of poor health or disability. The DALY combines in one measure the time lived with disability and the time lost due to premature mortality. One DALY can be thought of as one lost year of 'healthy' life and the burden of disease as a measurement of the gap between current health status and an ideal situation where everyone lives into old age free of disease and disability (WHO).
|1. A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources (ISDR). 2. Situation or event, which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to national or international level for external assistance (CRED). 3. A term describing an event that can be defined spatially and geographically, but that demands observation to produce evidence. It implies the interaction of an external stressor with a human community and it carries the implicit concept of non-manageability. The term is used in the entire range of risk-reduction activities, but it is possibly the least appropriate for response.
|Disasters and Natural Hazards
|In the 2005 Secretary-General Report "Relief to Development", the expression "natural disasters" was purposedly not used, as it conveys the mistaken assumption that disasters occurring as a result of natural hazards are wholly "natural", and therefore inevitable and outside human control. Instead, it is widely recognized that such disasters are the result of the way individuals and societies relate to threats originating from natural hazards. The nature and scale of threats inherent in hazards vary. The risks and potential for disasters associated with natural hazards are largely shaped by prevailing levels of vulnerability and measures taken to prevent, mitigate and prepare for disasters. Thus, disasters are, to a great extent, determined by human action, or lack thereof. The expression "disasters associated with natural hazards" should therefore be used, in line with the Hyogo Framework for Action adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in January 2005 in Kobe (Hyogo, Japan). Natural Hazards comprise phenomena such as earthquakes; volcanic activity; landslides; tsunamis; tropical cyclones and other severe storms; tornadoes and high winds; river floods and coastal flooding; wildfires and associated haze; drought; sand/dust storm; infestations.
|A factor that directly influences or causes changes (R.Kent from the UK Ministry of Defence, March 2003).
|Early warning system
|A communicable disease surveillance and response system designed to detect as early as possible any departure from the usual or normally-observed frequency or phenomenon.
|1. The process through which activities are undertaken at the most appropriate level and with the most valuable ececution (GIGNOS, 2004) 2. A measure of the extent to which a specific intervention, procedure, regimen, or service, when deployed in the field in routine circumstances, does what it is intended to do for a specific population; a measure of the extent to which a health care intervention/activity fulfills its objectives.
|Emergency is a term describing a state. It is a managerial term, demanding decision and follow-up in terms of extra-ordinary measures (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992). A "state of emergency" demands to "be declared" or imposed by somebody in authority, who, at a certain moment, will also lift it. Thus, it is usually defined in time and space, it requires threshold values to be recognized, and it implies rules of engagement and an exit strategy. Conceptually, it relates best to Response.
|Emergency preparedness
|Actions taken in anticipation of an emergency to facilitate rapid, effective and appropriate response to the situation (Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance 2001).
|Emergency threshold
|Mortality rate above which an emergency is said to be occurring. Usually taken as a crude mortality rate of 1 per 10 000 per day, or as an under-five mortality rate of 2 per 10 000 per day (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|The occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness, specific health-related behaviour, or other health-related events clearly in excess of normal expectancy. The community or region and the period in which the cases occur are specified precisely. The number of cases indicating the presence of an epidemic varies according to the agent, size, and type of population exposed, previous experience or lack of exposure to the disease, and time and place of occurrence.
|Epidemic threshold
|Is the critical number or density of susceptible hosts required for an epidemic to occur. The epidemic threshold is used to confirm the emergence of an epidemic so as to step-up appropriate control measures.
|Equity in health
|Equity in health implies that everyone should have a fair opportunity to attain his or her full health opportunity, and that no one should be disadvantaged from achieving this potential (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|1. The systematic assessment of the relevance, adequacy, progress, efficiency or effectiveness of a policy, programme or project, in relation to its intended aims and objectives (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999). 2. The process of determining the merit, worth or value of something or the product of that process (Scriven, 1991: p139). 3. A systematic and impartial examination of humanitarian action intended to draw lessons to improve policy and practice and enhance accountability (ALNAP). 4. The systematic and objective assessment of an on-going or completed project, programme or policy, its design, implementation and results. The aim is to determine the relevance and fulfillment of objectives, development efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability. Evaluation also refers to the process of determining the worth or significance of an activity, policy or programme. * Evaluation in some instances involves the definition of appropriate standards, the examination of performance against those standards, an assessment of actual and expected results and the identification of relevant lessons. (OECD)
|Excess mortality, excess mortality rate
|Mortality above what would be expected based on the non-crisis mortality rate in the population of interest. Excess mortality is thus mortality that is attributable to the crisis conditions. It can be expressed as a rate (the difference between observed and non-crisis mortality rates), or as a total number of excess deaths (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Mathematical attempt to extend the findings of a mortality study to a population and/or period that was not represented by the sample (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Failing states
|1. In political science, 'failing state' means a state which is not able to maintain internal security. 2. In economic terms, a failing state is a low-income country in which economic policies, institutions and governance are so poor that growth is highly unlikely. The state is failing its citizens because even if there is peace they are stuck in poverty (L. Chauvet and P. Collier, 2005).
|Ability of the surveillance system to adapt to changing needs, incorporate new diseases, leave out less important diseases, change reporting frequency, change or modify data source.
|A possible threat of source of exposure to injury, harm or loss, e.g. conflict, natural phenomena (Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance 2001).
|1. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO Constitution). 2. The extent to which an individual or a group is able to realize aspirations and satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment. Health is a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living; it is a positive concept, emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities (Health Promotion: A Discussion Document, Copenhagen: WHO 1984). 3. A state characterized by anatomic, physiologic and psychological integrity; ability to perform personally valued family, work and community roles; ability to deal with physical, biologic, psychological and social stress a feeling of well-being; and freedom from the risk of disease and untimely death (J. Stokes et al. "Definition of terms and concepts applicable to clinical preventive medicine", J Common Health, 1982; 8:33-41). 4. A state of equilibrium between humans and the physical, biologic and social environment, compatible with full functional activity ( JM. Last, Public Health and Human Ecology, 2nd ed. Stamford, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1997).
|Health as a Bridge for Peace (HBP)
|Term coined in the 1980s by the Pan American Health Organization. It is a multidimensional and dynamic concept, based on the integration of peace-building concerns and strategies into health relief and health sector development in post-conflict transitions.
|Health determinants
|The personal, social, cultural, economic and environmental factors that influence the health status of individuals or populations (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|Health impact assessment
|A combination of procedures, methods and tools by which a policy, programme or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population, and the distribution of those effects within the population (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|Health impacts
|The overall effects, direct or indirect, of a policy, strategy, programme or project on the health of a population (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|Health outcomes
|Changes in current of future health status of individuals or communities that can be attributed to antecedent actions or measures (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|Health status
|The state of health of a person or population assessed with reference to morbidity, impairments, anthropological measurements, mortality, and indicators of functional status and quality of life (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|1. A person who seeks to promote human welfare (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992). 2. Humane, benevolent, beneficent, kind, good, considerate, compassionate, sympathetic, understanding, merciful, lenient, gentle, generous, magnanimous, public-spirited, unselfish, Philanthropic, altruistic, charitable, welfare, N.Philantropist, altruist, benefactor, do-gooder, Good Samaritan, social reformer (Penguin Concise Thesaurus).
|Humanitarian Assistance
|Humanitarian assistance is aid to a stricken population that complies with the basic humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality and neutrality. Assistance can be divided into three categories based on the degree of contact with the stricken population: 1. Direct Assistance is the face-to-face distribution of goods and services. 2. Indirect Assistance is at least one step removed from the population and involves such activities as transporting relief goods or relief personnel. 3. Infrastructure Support involves providing general services, such as road repair, airspace management and power generation that facilitate relief, but are not necessarily visible to or solely for the benefit of the stricken population.
|Humanitarian Cease-fire
|Cease-fires agreed to by the protagonists in an armed conflict to allow the provision of health and humanitarian assistance, such as immunization campaigns and food supplies.
|Impact assessment
|The dictionary definition of an impact is an "effect of influence" and of assessment is the "estimation of size, quality, value" (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|Humanitarian assistance should be provided without discriminating as to ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political opinions, race or religion. Relief of the suffering must be guided solely by needs and priority must be given to the most urgent cases of distress.
|Imprecision/Sampling error
|Phenomenon whereby there is a lot of uncertainty or approximation around a point estimate obtained from a sample (it does not apply to surveillance data which reflect the entire population, or to studies in which each household is interviewed). Imprecision is reflected in the width of the confidence interval around the point estimate. There is always some imprecision in a result based on a sample. The degree of imprecision of a mortality estimate is determined by sample size, length of the recall period, sampling design and design effect (if any), and the mortality rate itself (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|1. A quantitative or qualitative variable that allows the verification of changes (OECD-DAC/RBM, 2000). 2. Quantitative or qualitative factor or variable that provides a simple and reliable means to measure achievement, to reflect the changes connected to an intervention, or to help assess the performance of a development actor (OECD). 3. Variable that helps to measure change, directly or indirectly (Tafwik A.M.Khoja, 2002). 4. Information in a consistent format that points to a current status, trend or need for action (Wideman Comparative Glossary of Project Management, V.3.1)
|Infant mortality rate
|Number of infants below one year of age dying per 1000 live births in a given year (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Unpredictability (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992).
|International Health Regulations (IHR)
|An agreed code of conduct adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2005 to protect against the spread of serious risks to public health and, the unnecessary or excessive use of restrictions in traffic or trade. The IHR 2005 came into force on 15 June 2007.
|Ability of a system to use the parts, or equipment, of another system (Webster Dictionary).
|Mathematical process by which mortality-rate findings are applied to the entire population that the study is representative of, so as to obtain total numbers of deaths or percentages of the population that died over the recall period investigated (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Conducted jointly with the partner or other donors.
|Knowledge is something that all organisations possess and use to varying degrees. Its content can range from explicit knowledge, which can generally be expressed in the form of rules for decision making, to tacit or intuitive knowledge, which is expressed through decision making and the exercise of judgement (H. Willmott and D. Snowden, "Knowledge management: promises and pitfalls", Mastering Management, 1998:8:17-22).
|Knowledge management
|The production, mediation, and use of knowledge… the management of intellectual capital (OECD 2000:70).
|Maternal mortality ratio
|Number of women dying of pregnancy-related causes out of 100000 live births in a given year (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Mid-period population/Mid-point population
|Estimated population at risk at the middle point of the recall period. Used in the routine simplified expression of mortality rate (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Key events or markers that show progress in implementation of activities and the related achievements.
|Military and Civil Defense Assets (MDCA)
|Relief personnel, equipment, supplies and services provided by foreign military and civil defence organizations for international humanitarian assistance.
|1. The regular observation, surveillance, or checking of changes in a condition or situation, or changes in activities. 2. A continuing function that uses systematic collection of data on specified indicators to provide management and the main stakeholders of an ongoing development intervention with indications of the extent of progress and achievement of objectives and progress in the use of allocated funds (OECD).
|Mortality rate
|Number of deaths occurring in a given population at risk during a specified time period (also known as the recall period). In emergencies, usually expressed as deaths per 10000 persons per day; alternatively, as deaths per 1000 persons per month or per year (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Humanitarian assistance should be provided without engaging in hostilities or taking sides in controversies of a political, religious or ideological nature.
|Standard, pattern or type (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992).
|Of or establishing a norm (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992).
|Notifiable disease
|A disease that, by statutory requirements, must be reported to the public health authority in the pertinent jurisdiction when a diagnosis is made. A disease deemed of sufficient importance to public health to require that its occurrence be reported to health authorities.
|Organisational forgetting
|Organisational forgetting includes both purposeful unlearning of dominant logics as well as accidental loss of useful knowledge (P. DeHolan and N. Phillips, Organisational Forgetting, 2001).
|The immediate result of implementing surveillance and response activities.
|Cumulative time spent by each individual at risk in the population. Used in the formal expression of mortality rates, and necessary when comparing mortality rates in periods that are different in length for each individual in the population (e.g. before versus after arrival to a camp) (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Planning assumptions
|The key elements of a scenario that form the basis for developing a contingency plan (Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance 2001).
|Point estimate
|Most likely value for the parameter of interest (e.g. crude mortality rate) obtained through a sample survey. A point estimate should always be accompanied by a confidence interval (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|1. A set of statements or commitments to pursue courses of action aimed at achieving defined goals of public or private institutions (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|Population-proportional sampling
|Approach to selection of clusters or households to be sampled, whereby more populous sections of the study area are allocated proportionately more clusters or households (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Positive predictive value of case definition (PPVcd)
|Ability of the case definition to identify real cases or the proportion of true cases of the disease that meet the case definition.
|Positive predictive value of detecting outbreaks/ cases (PPVdo)
|Ability of the surveillance system to detect real alerts, i.e. confirmed alerts (after verification)/all alerts detected.
|1. Activities and measures taken in advance to ensure effective response to the impact of hazards, including the issuance of timely and effective early warnings and the temporary evacuation of people and property from threatened locations (ISDR) 2. Pre-disaster activities, including an overall strategy, policies, and institutional and management structures, that are geared to helping at-risk communities safeguard their lives and assets by being alert to hazards and taking appropriate action in the face of an imminent threat or the actual onset of a disaster (OCHA-WFP).
|Priority diseases
|Are diseases/conditions that have been identified to be of important/major public health concern.
|Programmes, projects
|In order to implement policies, any number of programmes and projects may be developed. • A programme is usually a set of actions/projects designed for a specific purpose (for example a child welfare programme, or tobacco control programme). • A project is usually more narrowly defined, although in terms of resources used it may be larger or smaller than a programme (for example, the building of an oil refinery, or a small training course might both be defined as projects). (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|Proportionate mortality
|Fraction of all deaths due to a specific cause (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Public health emergency
|A public health emergency (the condition that requires the governor to declare a state of public health emergency) is defined as "an occurrence or imminent threat of an illness or health condition, caused by bio terrorism, epidemic or pandemic disease, or (a) novel and highly fatal infectious agent or biological toxin, that poses a substantial risk of a significant number of human facilities or incidents or permanent or long-term disability (WHO/DCD, 2001). The declaration of a state of public health emergency permits the governor to suspend state regulations, change the functions of state agencies.
|Quality assurance
|System of procedures, checks, audits and corrective actions to ensure that all testing, sampling, analysis, monitoring and other technical and reporting activities are of the highest achievable quality.
|Quality control
|The supervision and control of all operations involved in a process usually involving sampling and inspection, in order to detect and correct systematic or excessively random variations in quality.
|Real time
|The deployment of a staff member or consultant into an ongoing operation to evaluate events as they unfold.
|Recall bias
|Bias due to imperfect recall by questionnaire respondents of events in their households. Usually results in an under-estimation of mortality (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Recall period
|Period of interest in the measurement of a mortality rate, i.e. the interval of time to which the mortality rate in a given population refers (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|1.Decisions and actions taken after a disaster with a view to restoring or improving the pre-disaster living conditions of the stricken community, while encouraging and facilitating necessary adjustments to reduce disaster risk (ISDR). 2. Longer-term effort to (a) reconstruct and restore the disaster-stricken area, e.g. through repairing or replacing homes, businesses, public works, and other structures; (b) deal with the disruption that the disaster has caused in community life and meet the recovery-related needs of victims; and (c) mitigate future hazards (K. Tierney, Disaster Preparedness and Response: Research Findings and Guidance from the Social Science Literature, University of Delaware Disaster Research Center, Preliminary Paper 193, 1993).
|Relief and emergency humanitarian assistance
|Relief operations are intended to respond to the immediate need to save lives, limit extraordinary suffering, prevent further injury to the population or damage to the society. Normally, these are operations of short duration. However, in complex emergencies when states are unstable or have failed, and the society has lost its ability to respond, protracted humanitarian emergencies requiring a sustained international presence can exist.
|Reporting bias
|Bias due to (often intentional) under- or over-reporting of information, such as number of deaths or household size (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Ability of the system to accurately describe the occurrence of a health-related event by place and person over time in a given population.
|Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator
|The Resident Coordinator is the head of the UN Country Team. In a complex emergency, the Resident Coordinator may be designated as the Humanitarian Coordinator. If one of the UN agencies is designated the "Lead Agency" they may assume the responsibilities of the Humanitarian Coordinator. In large-scale emergencies, a Humanitarian Coordinator, distinct from the office of the Resident Coordinator and Lead Agency may be appointed. If the emergency affects more than one country, a Regional Humanitarian Coordinator may be appointed. In countries where large multi-disciplinary field operations are in place, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General has authority over the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. The decision on who to appoint as Humanitarian Coordinator is made by the IASC.
|1. An evaluation of the probability of occurrence and the magnitude of the consequences of any given hazard, i.e. how likely is a hazard and what consequences will it have? (Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance 2001). 2. The risk of a disaster is the probability of a disaster occurring. The evaluation of a risk includes vulnerability assessment and impact prediction taking into account thresholds that define acceptable risk for a given society.
|Sample size
|Number of clusters/households/individuals that a survey sets out to include, i.e. interview (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Sampling design
|Method by which households to be sampled are selected within the target population (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Sampling frame
|List of households, or sub-sections of the study area/population, used to allocate clusters or select households to be sampled (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Sanctuaries of Peace
|Health/medical institutions, e.g. hospitals and clinics, not to be affected by war.
|An account or synopsis of a possible course of events that could occur, which forms the basis for planning assumptions (for example, a river floods, covering a nearby town and wiping out the local population's crop). Scenario-building is process of developing hypothetical scenarios in the context of a contingency planning exercise (Inter-Agency Contingency Planning Guidelines for Humanitarian Assistance 2001).
|Selection bias
|Type of bias whereby a specific kind of household is systematically excluded from the survey, and thus not represented in the results. May result in both over- and under-estimation of mortality (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Sensitivity in surveillance
|The ability of a surveillance or reporting system to detect true health events, i.e. the ratio of the total number of health events detected by the system to the total number of true health events as determined by an independent and more complete means of ascertainment (WHO Protocol for the assessment of national communicable disease surveillance and response systems: Guidelines for the assessment teams).
|Sensitivity of case definition
|Ability of the case definition to detect all cases of the disease targeted for surveillance.
|Sensitivity of detection of cases
|Ability of the surveillance system to detect cases, i.e. proportion of cases notified divided by the total number of cases meeting the case definition.
|Sensitivity of the detection of outbreaks
|Ability of the surveillance system to detect outbreaks.
|A high impact, low probability event (R.Kent from UK Ministry of Defence, March 2003)
|Simple random sampling
|Sampling design whereby an individual sampling frame of households is established, and households to be sampled are selected using random numbers (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Situation analysis
|Study of a situation which may require improvement. This begins with a definition of the problem and an assessment or measurement of its extent, severity, causes, and impacts upon the community, and is followed by appraisal of interaction between the system and its environment and evaluations of performance.
|Slow-onset disaster
|Disasters that take a long time to produce emergency conditions, for instance natural disasters such as drought or socio-economic decline, which are normally accompanied by early warning signs (WFP).
|Spatial sampling
|Approach to selection of clusters or households to be sampled, whereby clusters and/or households are allocated proportionately to surface area within the study area. Alternative to population-proportional sampling (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts)
|Specificity in surveillance
|A measure of how infrequently a system detects false positive health events, i.e. the number of individuals identified by the system as not being diseased divided by the total number of all persons who do not have the disease (Protocol for the assessment of national communicable disease surveillance and response systems: Guidelines for the assessment teams).
|Stand By
|To be ready or available to act (dictionary). One to be relied on especially in emergencies; one that is held in reserve ready for use On standby: ready or available for immediate action or use (Webster Dictionary)
|1. Level of excellence required or specified; average quality; ordinary procedure (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992). 2. Something that serves as a basis for comparison (JM Last, 2001). 3. A statement of expectations; an expected level of performance or quality (T.A.M.K.ibid). 4. A specific statement of the rules and constraints governing the deliverables (W.C.G.P.M, ibid). 5. A specific consensus solution to a repetitive problem (W.C.G.P.M, ibid). 6. Any established or accepted rule, model, or criterion against which comparisons are made (W.C.G.P.M, ibid).
|Sampling and analysis of sub-groups or sub-periods (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Sudden-onset disasters
|Both "natural" disasters (e.g. earthquakes, hurricanes, floods) and man-made or "complex" disasters (e.g. sudden conflict situations arising from varied political factors), for which there is little or no warning (WFP).
|Surge capacity
|Ability to obtain additional resources when needed during an emergency (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
|Surveillance (prospective)
|Ongoing collection of epidemiological data, with real-time analysis. Mortality surveillance systems usually rely on home visitors who record deaths in households on a weekly basis (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Survey (retrospective)
|Study of past mortality in a population using a standardized questionnaire that is administered to the entire population or, more commonly, to a randomly selected sample (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Survival bias
|Type of selection bias specific to retrospective surveys, whereby households that disappear during the recall period because of the death of all members and consequent disintegration are not represented in the sample. It occurs when high and/or very clustered mortality persists for a long period. Survival bias always results in an under-estimation of mortality (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|Systematic random sampling
|Sampling design whereby an individual sampling frame of households is established, and households to be sampled are selected using a constant sampling step (i.e. every nth household) (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|1. Thing aimed at; Objective or result aimed at (Oxford Pocket Dictionary, 1992,1992) 2. An aspired outcome that is explicitly stated, e.g. achieve 90% of timeliness of reporting, 100% completeness of reporting, etc. (JM Last, 2001). 3. Degree of achievement referring to a discreet activity (T.A.M.K.ibid).
|Timeliness of reporting
|Proportion of all expected reports in a reporting system received by a given due date (Protocol for the assessment of national communicable disease surveillance and response systems: Guidelines for the assessment teams).
|A discernible pattern of change (R.Kent from UK Ministry of Defence, March 2003).
|Under-five mortality rate/U5MR
|Number of deaths occurring in a given population of under-five children during a specified time period. Often abbreviated to U5MR (ODI/HPN paper 52, 2005, Checchi and Roberts).
|An expression of the degree to which the surveillance data measure the true incidence of cases in the population.
|Values denote worth or desirability (EURO European Centre for Health Policy, ECHP, Brussels, 1999).
|The degree to which a socio-economic system is either susceptible or resilient to the impact of natural hazards and related technological and environmental disasters. The degree of vulnerability is determined by a combination of several factors including hazard awareness, the condition of human settlements and infrastructure, public policy and administration, and organized abilities in all fields of disaster management. Poverty is also one of the main causes of vulnerability in most parts of the world.
|Zero reporting
|Reporting of the absence of cases of a disease under surveillance; this ensures that participants have not merely forgotten to report.


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On Sunday, Baltimore-area restaurants were warily watching the advancing storm, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. But they remained largely reticent on social media, providing little reassurance or guidance for their customers.
There were exceptions. A Sunday morning email from the owners of Kooper's Tavern reassured customers that the Fells Point establishments were prepared for the storm: "We have generators ready in case of a power outage and will remain open to serve you during the storm. KEEP SAFE!" They were also promoting cocktail specials: "$5 Hurricanes and $5 dark and sandy remain in effect from Sunday morning through Wednesday night."
Kooper's owner Patrick Russell said that Fells Point establishments learned hard lessons from Hurricane Isabel, the destructive 2003 storm that knocked many restaurants out of business. "When Isabel hit, a lot of people weren't prepared for it," said Russell, who has since invested in generators and other storm-survival equipment. "I want people to know that if something does happen that Kooper's will be serving them food and beverage."
Russell said that he would make his food trucks, Chowhound Burger Wagon and Woody's Taco Island, available to provide food for emergency management personnel and others affected by the storm
CLOSED: By Sunday evening, restaurants began posting updates on their Monday operating status. Phillips Seafood announced that their restaurants would be closed in Baltimore, Annapolis, and Atlantic City, and Obrycki's posted that its restaurants at BWI Airport would close on Monday.
Victoria Gastro Pub announced it would close on Monday but that its bar would stay open, and James Joyce Pub in Harbor East said it was closing on Monday, but not because of the storm. The pub is having its floors refinished. Sotto Sopra downtown, Slainte in Fells Point, Ranazul in Maple Lawn, and Oceanaire, Roy's, Fleming's Steak House and Lebanese Taverna in Harbor East were staying closed on Monday as was Banditos in Federal Hill, Brewer's Art in Mount Vernon, Crush in Belvedere Square and Andy Nelson's in Cockeysville.
Restaurants that opened on Monday with intentions stayed open as long as they could but threw into the towel when the streets were shut down.
The Manor Tavern in Monkton opened for a while but closed around noon. Golden West in Hampden opened for lunch but closed at 6 p.m. Ryleigh's Oyster opened for lunch but closed at 2:30 p.m. Woodberry Kitchen tried to open for dinner but could not. Teavolve in Canton was open on Monday until 2 p.m.
Harborplace and the Gallery announced Monday closings on Sunday night, but retailers and restaurants with exterior entrances had the option of staying open. La Tasca, though, was staying closed on Monday, and no one answered phones on Monday morning, though, at Tir Na Nog or Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Towson Town Center Mall was closed on Monday as was Arundel Mills.
The Prime Rib closed on Monday. Aldo's closed in Little Italy on Monday, and Chazz: A Bronx Original was closing early.
OPEN: On Monday morning, Langermann's posted this notice: "It's raining, it's pouring, but no one around here is snoring. We're up and at 'em ready to serve the masses today! Take cover from the storm with us and we'll feed you well, we promise!"
Wit & Wisdom is open Monday in Harbor East. Blue Agave Restaurant, Mother's Tavern, SoBo Cafe, Stalking Horse Tavern, Delia Foley's, Ropewalk Tavern, No Idea Tavern, Brewer's Cask and Ledo's Pizza in Federal Hill, Caesar's Den in Little Italy, Liam Flynn's Ale House in Charles North, Midtown BBQ and Brew in Mount Vernon, Kooper's and One-Eyed Mike's in Fells Point, Spirits Tavern in Upper Fells Point and the Grilled Cheese Co. announced they would stay open on Monday as long as their power held out. Chaps Pit Beef in Pulaski Industrial Area, Bagby Pizza in Harbor East, and Towson Hot Bagels and Zia's Cafe in Towson posted notices that they were staying open on Monday.
Mick O'Shea's opened downtown.
B&O Brasserie is open Monday; much of the staff stayed at the hotel overnight. Also downtown, the new Homeslyce Pizza is open. Alonso's, S'ghetti Eddie's and Roland Park Bagel were staying open on Monday. Artifact Coffee in Hampden was staying open on Monday. DelMarva Southern Cafe, MaHaffery's and Sip & Bite in Canton were opening in Canton.
Not surprisingly, food trucks were not coming out. Kooper's Chowhound Burger Wagon, Woody's Taco Island, South Carolina BBQ and the Wild Dog Cart posted notices late Sunday and Monday that they were staying off the road.
Latest Food & Drink
• Follow the Maryland Weather blog for updates and preparedness tips.
The storm's timing was rough for the new Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in Harbor East. On Sunday, the restaurant was laying down sandbags along its patio doors.
"It's not what you actually wish for an opening day, but you have to play the hand your dealt," said Arthur Forgette, regional manager for CraftWorks Restaurants and Breweries. "It's almost like you do whatever you can. You're at the mercy of nature. You hope the power supply holds up. We'll be there at 7 a.m. (on Monday morning) and open for lunch at 11 a.m."
Follow Baltimore Diner on Twitter @gorelickingood


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Dr. Preethi Radhakrishnan, an assistant professor of biology at LaGuardia Community College, has been recognized for her own efforts to this end with a $30,000 grant from the Elsevier Foundation to develop The City University of New York's (CUNY) unique program designed to encourage women to pursue STEM careers.
Radhakrishnan has been teaching at LaGuardia for two years and believes that with the grant, she can attract female students towards pursuing STEM careers by peaking their interest early in their college careers.
"The first two years of a college career are considered key predictors of whether students will pursue a major in STEM fields," Radhakrishnan said. "This grant will increase women entering STEM fields, gaining research experience and in successfully graduating with a STEM degree in hand."
Planned programmings that will be made possible by the grant include workshops, research internships, scholarships and childcare assistance, all of which will be available to all CUNY community college students. There is also a provision for paid on- and off-campus research internships in partnership with Empire State College.
A push to focus on STEM comes at a crucial time for CUNY, which is seeing many of its required science classes compacted to fit into the Pathways initiative recently implemented by the 17-campus public university system, within which the gender gap of those pursuing STEM degrees is even wider than the national average.
Radhakrishnan believes that with the grant money, she can foster an environment that will work to upend stereotypes and fight the stigma is attached to young women who are interested in pursuing science and math careers.
"Within two-year colleges in particular, the shortage of affordable child care and the gender stereotypes that discourage women from pursuing careers in math, and science, are two of the biggest barriers holding women back in college," she said.


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Fleet Finder - Pont Aven
The map below is powered by marinetraffic.com and shows the latest known position of the vessel. If after a few seconds the map does not zoom to a location then it may be that the vessel is out of coverage range. You can also use the menu to select another ship in the fleet.


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A thread for those interested in commenting on or discussing film history, technique, etc. As the title indicates, I'm fairly confident the day will come when film, itself, is never or only very rarely used.
I have watched on Netflix most of The Story of Film: An Odyssey, which might more candidly be called A Marxist History of Film by Northern Irish film critic Mark Cousins. However, if you can just ignore the economic and class conscious comments, it's a pretty good survey, especially in its more detailed discussion of World Cinema than most English language film history survey courses would probably cover. Recommended, albeit with the ideological caveat.
Why Are They Still Calling It Film Studies?
Music, books, movies, TV, games, hobbies, food, and potent potables. And forum games! Pour a drink, put on your smoking jacket, light a pipe (of whatever), and settle in.
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- D.A. Ridgely
- Posts: 19957
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OPEN: A developer has reviewed the issue and entered it into our tracking system. This status will be followed with a bug number for reference.
DEFER: A developer has determined that resolving the issue in question may impact existing applications and needs to be deferred until the next minor release.
FIXED: A developer has applied a code change to SVN for the next patch or minor release.
CLOSED: A developer has determined that the issue should be closed and no code changes were made.
DUPE: The issue in questions is already known. Details for the original issue should be linked within the post.


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TYLER - Centene Corp. has opened its new 50,000-sf facility situated on 25 acres at 3258 Earl Campbell Pkwy. and will bring more than 300 high-paying jobs to the area.
In return for a $15 million investment from Centene, which includes the land, building and furniture, the Tyler City Council agreed to join the Tyler Reinvestment Zone Committee and Tyler Junior College in offering a five-year tax abatement.
The City of Tyler essentially would defer $156,649 over the life of the five-year agreement. Incentives amount to about $2,700 per employee per job, so long as the agreement remains in effect at least two years.
The company is looking for registered nurses, IT staff, business analysts and data analysts, according to Ed Gallegos, vice president of operations for Centene. The positions pay from $50,000 to $70,000 per year with paid health benefits and tuition reimbursement.
The Missouri-based Fortune 500 company processes Medicare and Medicaid claims for more than 3 million members nationwide. Centene is the nation's fourth-largest Medicaid manager, providing programs and related services.
Read more at the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Our twice-weekly e-newsletter provides a quick overview of Texas real estate markets. Because your time is valuable.


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Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Summoner - Platform: Playstation 2
Hard Difficulty:
Beat the game once to unlock Super Zunoha Raidou mode, which is hard difficulty.
Training Hall floors:
Successfully complete the indicated episode to unlock the corresponding floor
in the Training Hall. To use the Training Hall, use the washbasin in Nameless
Episode 2: Floor 1
Episode 2: Floor 2
Episode 3: Floor 3
Episode 4: Floor 4
Episode 5: Floor 5
Episode 7: Floor 6
Episode 9: Floor 8
Episode 10: Floor 9
Episode 12: Bottom floor
Complete the Game and create a clear game save file to unlock the
following new game plus features. Your character's level will return to
Level 1.
Loyalty carries over:
New game plus reward.
Hard Mode Available:
Optional New game plus feature.
Title carries over:
New game plus reward.
Infinite normal ammunition:
A special gun clip will be added to your inventory.
Shop Rank carries over:
New game plus reward.
Confinement tanks carry over:
New game plus reward.
A new side quest becomes available:
Collect uniform pieces durring the course of a new game plus for a character.


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Allan Craig ran a tight ship as principal of Ida Rankin Elementary School.
Allan Craig ran a tight ship as principal of Ida Rankin Elementary School.
The school�s first principal, Craig made a lasting impression on his family, employees, friends and students.
Craig died Wednesday at the age of 83 after complications from surgery.
Scott Griffin, now retired, went to work for Craig right out of college and only taught at Ida Rankin.
Griffin immediately fell in love with the work atmosphere at the Mount Holly school, and he respected Craig�s management style.
�He was very strict. If you crossed lines he had no problem calling you to the carpet on it, but he trusted you as long as you earned that trust,� said Griffin. �It was our job to teach, and it was his job to give us the tools to teach. He was a hands-off person as long as you did your job.�
Craig was a serious business man who wanted his school to be on the cutting edge, said Griffin.
Craig helped Ida Rankin Elementary earn many accolades during his tenure, which ended about 22 years ago, according to Griffin.
�He wanted a school that was dynamic and cutting edge,� said Griffin. �He brought the community and his staff on board. It was a very unique school.�
Craig�s hard work sometimes took its toll. Griffin remembered once when Craig was cleaning in preparation for a big event. Craig fell from a ladder and broke both legs. He clambered his way to a phone, got help and was back on the job in no time.
But it wasn�t all work and no play at Ida Rankin Elementary under Craig�s tutelage.
Once the students left for the day, staff often played pranks on each other. Griffin said Craig took it all in good fun.
�It was like working as a big family, and it was like he was papa,� said Griffin. �He was always looking after us just like a father would look after their family.�
Craig held the same role at home. As the father of three daughters, he knew when to be nurturing and when to be stern, according to his daughter Lynn Gregory.
Craig was married to his wife of 53 years, Barbara Craig.
He spent a lot of time at school, but he was no neglectful father, his daughters said.
Craig�s daughters remember spending time at Ida Rankin � playing in the halls as their father prepared for another school year.
�We were always at the school. That was like our playground sometimes,� said his daughter Ann Skidmore.
Craig worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal in Mount Holly schools for 36 years.
In retirement he spent time with his family and attended First Baptist Church in Mount Holly.
Craig also started a �Lunch Bunch� for retired Ida Rankin Elementary School staff. The group met three to four times a year to catch up.
Griffin said he always enjoyed seeing his former boss at the gatherings.
Griffin last visited with Craig earlier this week.
His memories remain fresh about the years they worked together at the school.
�When you think of Ida Rankin Elementary School in our community you can�t help but think of Allan Craig,� said Griffin. �I remember how generous he was and how caring he was. He was a beloved principal. We�ve lost a real legacy to this community.�
The funeral service for Allan Craig will be Saturday afternoon at First Baptist Church in Mount Holly. See page 3B in today�s paper for the full obituary.
You can reach reporter Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.


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History Working Papers
HWPP is an online space for scholars to share works-in-progress with their peers. After uploading a conference paper, essay, or article manuscript to the HWPP website, authors can invite others to read their work and make comments in the margins. As more people respond, writers get more feedback. But, unlike traditional comments done on paper, HWPP allows commenters and authors to interact with each other. They can read each other's marginalia and engage in dialogue about it. In fact, entire threaded discussions can take place in the margins. Here's what it looks like:


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by Lane Blackmer
Just how safe is Chestnut Hill? According to a city map shown recently on the Philadelphia Inquirer's website Philly.com, Chestnut Hill had only 10 homicides in the past 23 years. That's just .11 percent of the city's 9,000 homicide total over the same period.
The Local cross referenced the Inquirer's results with its own news archives and found that, for the most part, the numbers were accurate.
While the map indicates that the Hill was the scene of seven homicides from 1988 to 2011, a search of Chestnut Hill Local archives turned up only four, with another noted only in an obituary.
Four homicides reported as news in the Local were the deaths of four members of one family in July 1990 resulting from an apparent suicide pact.
We found one discrepancy in the Inquirer's software that seemed to list only one homicide per address. The data for Helen Bernstein, strangled at Chestnut Hill Tower in a 1995 murder is superseded by the murder of David Nurse, who was shot and killed at the Chestnut Hill Tower Apartments in 2001.
The news organization also reported only that 13-year-old Rejiva Paul died July 17, 1990, with a cause of death listed as other. The Local's records indicate that Paul was 12 years of age and died in an apparent suicide pact that claimed an entire family, perhaps the most remarkable murder suicide in Chestnut Hill's history.
The Local reported the story as follows:
"Dr. Anthony Paul, his wife, Dr. Malainie Paul, 48, and their two children, Madine, 7, and Rejiva, 12, were attached to separate intravenous solution bottles when discovered by the police on Tuesday, July 17, shortly after 10 a.m. at 201 W. Chestnut Hill Ave. Dr. Paul left a note specifying the family's intentions at his office at the Fox Chase Cancer Center."
Also the Inquirer's data failed to account for the body of 22-year-old Simeon Henry, of Germantown, found in 1995 along with the body of 27-year-old North Philadelphian Rodney Brown in the trunk of a car in the parking lot of Chestnut Hill Village.
The most newsworthy of all the reports was the 1999 murder of Daily News Columnist Russell Byers, who lived in Chestnut Hill.
Local residents were not surprised that the area had so few of homicides compared to the rest of the city.
Dick Martin, who leads Chestnut Hill's Town Watch, said most crimes that occur are things like car break-ins and the occasional burglary.
"For the size of our community, we have in my opinion very few crimes and certainly we normally don't have any murders," Martin said. "It's petty crime. No matter where you're at you're going to have that possibility of crime."
Mort Patterson, who recently moved from Chestnut Hill to Mt. Airy, said he's not surprised that many of the area's murders didn't involve local victims, but rather were shootings in drug disputes.. "A lot of murders are criminal on criminal," he said. "There seems to be fewer criminal feuds [in Chestnut Hill]."
Patterson said he was involved in the murder trial of Alexander Porter, a West Philadelphia teen who was shot to death near Navajo Street and Cresheim Valley Drive with his hands bound behind his back.
"I heard the shot and testified in trial," Patterson said. "But I think they were just driving through and it's a good place to dump a body."
For other residents, the low crime rate compared with other parts of the city was a reason why some of them moved here.
Cheryl and Jim Dexter moved to Chestnut Hill from New Jersey to enjoy more of a city life. They picked the area partially due to its reputation for being safe.
"I see a policeman that walks around," said Cheryl. "I'd have no problem walking down Germantown Ave. at 11 o'clock by myself."
Cheryl said she attributes the neighborhood's general feeling of safety to it being more of a community within a city.
"I find that people are really friendly here," she said.
Denise Fitzpatrick, who doesn't life in Chestnut Hill but frequents the neighborhood, said she's not surprised about the low murder rate.
"There was a murder in front of Wawa a few years back," she said. "But other than that, it's petty crime and things like car break-ins."
Fitzpatrick also said the business district and lower population density – which, according to the 2010 census, is just under 10,000 – contribute to a safer environment.
"I think good, quality restaurants make the neighborhood safer with some foot traffic," she said.
Dave Friday, owner of Hipster Home, said he also thinks the strong business district is a contributing factor to low homicide rates.
"It's a good retail district," he said. "As far as safety, it's populated with a lot of retail shoppers and there's not much night life."
He added: "the more business, the more foot traffic and the less violent crime you have."
But some residents say they aren't so much focused on the homicide rate as much as the crime rate.
"This is a very affluent neighborhood," Patterson said. "But the crime rate here is still surprising."
In reviewing the Local's weekly crime reports, a few burglaries and car break-ins occur weekly.
Adrian and Mary Stanley, who have an infant child, are still concerned because they think a low murder rate has little to do with other crimes that happen in the neighborhood.
"There needs to be more police with all the robberies," Mary said. "We've seen more police walking around since the post office was robbed."
The Stanleys said they feel safe in the neighborhood, but there's always a chance something could happen.
"I don't think it's just isolated," Adrian said. "There's nothing stopping people from coming here."


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What we learned from the 2013 World Triathlon Grand Final London
By Adam Petrie on 19/09/13 at 7:40 am
The 2013 World Triathlon Series came to end after a dramatic few days ago in London. Javier Gomez won his third world championship title to join a select few to have garnered as many titles, while Non Stanford became scored her first overall series win on home soil. If you didn't catch the action (why not?), here's a rundown of what you missed.
Home sweet home for British athletes
There's something to be said for that home advantage. The Brits certainly do work in other countries, but their performances on home soil was something to behold. The home team was responsible for three medals (one gold) in the elite races, 15 (six gold) in the Paratriathlon and three (one gold) in the U23 and junior races. Add in the age-group races and Great Britain comfortably topped the medal tally with 76 medals, 30 more than the US, who had the second highest medal count.
Non Stanford is a record breaker
In overcoming a 15-second penalty to win the Grand Final and become world champion, Britain's Non Stanford became the first woman to win an Elite ITU World Championship a year after winning the Under23 World Championship. The only other athlete to perform that feat? Alistair Brownlee (U23 in 2008 and Elite in 2009).
There's no such thing as a safe bet
Just 13 points separated the top three ladies, which meant those three ladies were likely to have been on the World Triathlon Series overall podium. Much the same, Alistair Brownlee had won every single Grand Final he's ever competed in, padding the stats in his favor. But the stars didn't align for the projected leaders. Wet weather conditions played a factor in Gwen Jorgensen crashing out early on the bike, while Anne Haug's race was over before it started. Brownlee looked primed to continue his winning ways off the bike, but a nagging injury sidelined his podium chances when he was forced to job through the 10km run course in lieu of his normal superman speed. Just goes to show, it's anybody's race on any given day.
Tamara Gorman is only happy when it rains
Gorman produced a dominant all-round performance to claim her first ITU Junior Women's World Championship in wet and cold conditions on Thursday. Gorman claimed bronze in similar conditions in the Junior Women's World Championship race in Auckland last year. In London, she led out of the water and at the front of the bike before pulling away with the fastest run of the day to claim her first world title. A name to remember perhaps, and not just in the rain.
Bright future for the French
While the French team finished eight in the overall medal standings, two of their five medals were earned early in the week when Dorian Coninx and Pierre Le Corre, suggesting there is a bright future for the Frenchmen. Coninx was first to secure gold in the men's junior race with a phenomenal sprint finish that saw him beat out Great Britain's own Marc Austin and Grant Sheldon. All three men ran smoldering sub 15-minute on the 5k run, making the future of men's triathlon look even more fierce than it already is. Inspired by his teammate, later in the day Le Corre clocked a serious 30:38 10km run split for the win in the men's U23 race.
Don't let the Brownlees see you taking it easy on the bike
During the early stages of the 40km bike in the Grand Final, the Brownlee brothers clearly weren't happy that not everyone was putting in the effort to maintain the pace. And rather than let it go, Jonathan took it on himself to fall back to the tail of the lead group to kindly ask (through a fierce expression and plenty of finger pointing) for others to contribute. Hey, it may be an individual sport, but better play your part on the peloton.
Alistair Brownlee has guts
He's been struggling with an Achilles injury all year and it finally caught up with him in the last stage of the last race of the year. Winching in pain from the moment he started the 10km run, Alistair dropped through the field to end any chances of becoming world champion. But rather than bowing out gracefully, he fought through the pain barrier to make sure he finished the race, while also bellowing instructions to his brother whenever their paths crossed on the course. Always the straight-talker, Alistair said afterwards "I've never pulled out of a race in my life, and I wasn't going to start now."
Richard Varga likes water
Slovakia's Richard Varga won the Aquathon on Wednesday for the second year running and the third time overall. His 2013 victory was earned after weeks without training due to sickness and a 15-second penalty on the day, so he's clearly in a league of his own when it comes to the bike-free format. Oh, and he also was first out of the water in the Elite Men's Grand Final race on Sunday.
Look out Usain – this lot know how to sprint
The finish in the Elite Men's Grand Final – which saw Spain's Javier Gomez claim victory and the world championship ahead of Great Britain's Jonathan Brownlee – was one of the greatest finishes of all time. But it wasn't the only sprint finish witnessed in London. France's Dorian Coninx pipped Great Britain's Marc Austin and Grant Sheldon in the chute to claim the 2013 ITU Junior Men's World Championship on Thursday to add that title to his 2013 European Championship. And Australia's Charlotte McShane produced a finishing chute sprint masterclass to win the Under23 Women's World Championship title ahead of Canada's Ellen Pennock and Amelie Kretz. Don't even get us started on the age-group finishes…
Triathlon is not a sport, it's a lifestyle
Thousands of athletes trained all year and toughed it out in wet and cold conditions in the various age-group world championships and special mentions. Francesco Fiori of Italy, who not only held off Donald Ardell (USA) in a sprint finish to win the 75-79 age group sprint triathlon, but also came out on top of 18 competitors in the longer distance. Germany's Heiner Rath and Arby Kitzman of USA who battled to a sprint finish in the men's 70-74 age group sprint triathlon.


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Barnsley Gardens Resort, Georgia
While only 60 miles from Atlanta, Barnsley Gardens Resort feels worlds away from the congestion and hectic pace of Georgia's capital. Set among 3,300 acres of rolling hills in rural Adairsville, the property once belonged to Godfrey Barnsley, an Englishman who married a Savannah belle and built her a luxurious 16-bedroom manor on the property.
The estate was ransacked and vandalized during the Civil War and nearly destroyed in a 1906 tornado. It eventually fell into disrepair and was forgotten for decades until Prince Hubertus Fugger Babenhausen of Augsburg, Germany, bought it in 1989 and brought it back to life.
The ruins still stand as a fascinating backdrop to this distinctly Southern destination in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With temperatures averaging in the low-80s and the ornate and meticulously landscaped gardens in full bloom, the spring and summer months are the best time to get the most of the resort's outdoor activities.
Guests here can explore more than 12 miles of hiking and biking trails (rentals available), which wind through hardwood forests and past stocked ponds and a 10-acre lake – a perfect excuse to make a pit stop and throw a line in the water. Canoe and kayak rentals are also available.
At the resort's 1,800-acre Springbank Plantation, you can test your aim on a 12-station clay-shooting course or embark on a guided quail and pheasant hunting trip through rolling hills and flat landscape filled with Georgian plantation pines. Other activities include tennis, a Jim Fazio-designed championship golf course, as well as a luxury spa with pool and fitness center.
For accommodations, Barnsley Gardens has about a dozen multi-bedroom country cottages as well as 62 smaller guest rooms and suites. Dining options range from the Woodlands Grill, which has a hunting lodge ambience with a pool table, fireplace, and cozy bar, to the more formal Rice House, a historic structure with a sunporch, and exterior walls still bearing bullet holes from the Civil War.
When the sun sets, head to the centrally located Beer Garden or gather around one of the property's many wood-burning stone firepits, kick back in an Adirondack, and enjoy the cool night breezes. [barnsleyresort.com]
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It has been the most incredible winter. I do not remember so much snow; people complained that they were running out of places to pile it. The snow was so high that I could barely see out my window, other than noting the occasional gust of snow blowing off the roof of my house.
At the time I wrote this article, it had been two weeks since I had been outside my door. (Snow and wheelchairs are not a good combination.) There was no point whining about it, that's just the way things were.
So I settled into a routine of going to bed early at night and rising late in the mornings. I read by the warmth of the fireplace and prayed, or wrote my column and blogs while Belle the family cat purred contentedly on my lap. The aroma of strong coffee brewing in the kitchen drifted throughout the house while the stereo played quietly. We made the best of the situation.
This was not my entire reality — far from it. Amid the quiet, I became aware of his presence. He did not tell me anything: I simply became aware that I was surrounded by divine love. It was so real that I found myself inexplicably weeping because of a sublimity too perfect for words to describe or an imperfect man to comprehend. Sweet joy and an equally inexplicable longing broke my heart.
Such is the thoughtful and profound fruit of quietude that is all but lost with the clamour and hustle of the modern world. (As I was writing this article, not even my computer recognized the word "sublimity" and flagged it as a misspelling.) If I was not stopped in my tracks by disability and bad weather, I suspect I would probably miss such an experience too.
I have come to realize that for my whole life God's love has been pursuing me even when I was most lost and unreceptive to him. The same is true for others — perhaps even you. (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2567.)
Quietude, resting in prayerful stillness and surrender to God's divine love is the greatest comfort to the uncertainties of life. (My life has many uncertainties.) I have discovered more meaning to my life in what is quiet and simple than what is loud and complex. This is not unique to me.
There is more purpose to be found to one's existence in the contented and gentle cooing of a baby than from the learned and clever lectures of a university professor. There is as much wisdom to be gained in sitting reflectively by a bubbling brook as studying a book.
Nature itself declares the glory of God. Jesus said that even the silent stones were ready to declare God's glory. But are we ready to hear and see God's revelation declared by His creation?
Only those people who are receptive and open can perceive it. Henry David Thoreau (1817-62) wrote these words: "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains. I would drink deeper; fish in the sky, whose bottom is pebbly with stars."
God's love rests behind creation. People the whole world over desire to love and to be loved, ignorant that the best love is right in front of them for the taking in the person of Jesus Christ.
They can have a relationship with him. To encounter that love is the beginning of understanding and gives meaning to life.
Being alive and being open to life in whatever state or stage we find it is the essence of being fully human. Divine understanding cannot be seized; it is a gift, gained gradually by surrender not conquest. It most often comes in a whisper rather than a shout.
St. Paul wrote, "This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, . . ." We are able to live quiet and contented lives in God's care. Granted, the world can be cold and stormy but the human heart can be warm and peaceful in the midst of it — resting in Christ's love.
Tremendous changes are occurring in the world; nature itself seems to be convulsing. Yet if one humbly places his faith in Christ, a sublime peace can be encountered that is beyond human comprehension. Yes, troubled people can experience inner peace knowing God is in control.
Winter winds may rattle the windows of my little house and snowdrifts pile up against the door, but I am content and warm with the knowledge that God loves me.