Do Parents Have to Excuse Members of the IEP Team?
Posted on 04/08/2010 by Wrightslaw — 100 Comments ↓
The bottom line is no. If you do not agree, a required member of the IEP team may not be excused. If the school asks you to consent to excuse a member and you don't agree, write a short polite letter to explain that you don't consent because the individual has valuable information and insights to share with the team.
Do you know the required members of the IEP team? Submit your answer below – then read more about the excusal rule.
Who is not a required member of the IEP team?
The parents of a child with a disability
The principal of the school
A regular education teacher
A special education teacher
An individual to interpret evaluations
The Excusal Rule
The law includes two circumstances that allow a required team member to be excused from a meeting.
If their area of expertise will not be discussed or modified during the meeting
If their area will be discussed, they must submit a written report to the parent and school team members before the meeting
As a parent,
you may agree with the school that the team member does not need to attend because their area will not be discussed
you may, together with the school, consent to excuse this member whose area will be discussed and they must submit a report prior to the meeting
Both parental agreement and consent must be in writing.
20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(C) and 34 CFR 300.321(e)
Required team members do not include related services providers or others who attend at the discretion of the parent.
This excusal rule allows for more flexibility of scheduling for meetings. For the initial or annual IEP meeting, all team members should participate. If a meeting is to review or revise a specific or limited issue, then fewer members may result in a more efficient meeting.
The Commentary says the excusal rules are safeguards to prevent parents from feeling "pressure" to excuse members and says the school cannot unilaterally excuse an IEP Team member. Check the Commentary, p. 46673 – https://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/comment/46661-46688.reg.320-328.ieps.pdf.
Are there penalties for schools that routinely excuse IEP team members?
Yes. Some school districts may abuse the excusal rule. All districts are subject to the state's monitoring and enforcement provisions. A school district that routinely excuses IEP team members from meetings is not in compliance with the law. Some schools have a staff member that manages excusals and addresses complaints of excessive excusals.
Bottom line – schools should not routinely excuse team members. Do things right the first time. Rescheduling or reconvening meetings so that all members can participate in the IEP decision-making process is inconvenient for everyone.
This entry was posted in Eligibility, FAPE, FAQs, IEPs, Legal News, Parent Rights & Responsibilities, Special Ed Law, Special Education Regulations and tagged IEP Team Meetings, IEP Team Members, Parental Rights, Rights & Responsibilities by Wrightslaw. Bookmark the permalink.
Darlene D. on 07/24/2021 at 1:44 PM said:
My son had his annual IEP but the problem we had was that the principal invited people from another school that had nothing to do with my child. We protested that those individuals should not be present but the principal said he could do whatever he wanted. How is this possible?
Chuck on 07/26/2021 at 1:49 PM said:
IDEA rules say the parent, & school can invite people that they feel are relevant to the discussions & decisions about a child.
Lynsey R on 04/18/2022 at 4:52 PM said:
So if the school says they want someone there~they have the final say so?
Yes. 300.321(c) of the IDEA regulations says this. But the parent has the final say on who they bring.
Linda J on 11/19/2022 at 2:05 AM said:
The parent has the final say so, especially if the invited members do not play so role in the child's educational plan. Seems like a breach of confidentially.
Recently, I requested a review of my grand-daughter's annual IEP completed in April. (1) for clarification to new GenEd and Sped teachers of goals/accommodations etc., and (2) to discuss Assistive Technology services and goals. Although invited, the A.T. person (i.e., a contracted service which provides individuals with complex communication needs (CNN) in communication and are referred to as augmentative and alternative communication) did not attend. According the school's Speech and Language Pathologist (i.e., identify, assess, and treat speech, language, and swallowing disorders) she was asked by the school to attend instead and said she was there to speak on the A.T.'s behalf. She stated A.T. services should be discontinued. After a brief discussion between she and myself it was agreed A.T. was not her field of expertise, she had never met my grand-daughter or myself, and was therefore not qualified to provide any information, and most importantly, I was unaware she would be attending or that she would be discussing the discontinuation of any service. Additionally, I was not in agreement with excusal the A.T, and questioned where a progress report was. The SLP sat quietly for the duration of the meeting, and services remained intact. I also indicated on the IEP excusal form I was not in agreement with the school's unilateral excusal of the A.T. from the IEP, and requested she be replaced as she only had two sessions with my grand-daughter since July 2022
Micah on 11/21/2019 at 12:35 AM said:
Is it okay if the IEP team member (such as the principal or teacher) comes in a little later to the IEP meeting?
Generally it should be, if they are able to provide input, participate in making decisions.
Laura on 10/02/2019 at 8:01 AM said:
I wish I would have known this before! Thank you for clarifying this key protection for parents. We actually felt pressured to excuse a member of the IEP team due to a 'family emergency', but then regretted it after the fact as that person's information and recommendations needed to be discussed, but were not. When the district wanted to excuse the special education teacher at a subsequent IEP, we declined. Parent protections are only helpful when you realize the consequences and intention of the protection. Our initial agreement to excuse a member was to accommodate the IEP committee and not have to reschedule the meeting. Oh how wrong we were.
One question, when a required member is not present, can they legally briefly attend by phone? This has happened without the excusal consent.
Renee on 10/01/2019 at 4:35 PM said:
I find the district special education administrator is always listed on the invite then something came up and he or she can't be in attendance. Parents excuse this person not knowing the law. The district administrator that has the ability to approve something must be in attendance.
Parents here, "Let me check and get back to you".
Sheila on 10/01/2019 at 9:33 AM said:
In cases where a decision is being made to implement or continue an IEP, should team members who have attended only part of the meeting, then been excused, be allowed to "vote" making a determination? In my sons case, a team member presented their portion, was then excused. The team exited my son from his IEP, the absent team member, signed that they agreed with the team decision, even though they were only present for a small portion of the meeting.
Deborah on 10/01/2019 at 8:42 AM said:
general educator
Mo on 11/19/2022 at 11:31 AM said:
not administrator- LEA which does not have to be an administrator but someone who can commit to services.
Karen on 02/26/2019 at 7:13 AM said:
Is there a specific number of Team members required by any laws to form the IEP team?
My child's IEP team consists of 3 people myself the director of instructional support and some other lady . Please tell me how is this legal let alone proper for my child's education??
I dont understand how to get anything put into the iep when it's already been decided before the meeting and everything requested is denied???
Lost In Georgia
Leo on 02/26/2019 at 3:09 PM said:
Required participants include: general education teacher, special education teacher, evaluator (may also be the special education teacher) and a local education agency representative (could be a different special ed teacher, a building administrator or a county level administrator). Also, if your child receives any related services such as speech or OT, those people should attend.
Yes, there is, see above. A parent can request in writing that specific persons attend. The school should respond in writing, yes or no. A state could have additional requirements. Your state parent training and information center can tell you the rules on members, and help you in getting things into the IEP. http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center
Peter on 03/01/2019 at 10:00 AM said:
Regarding the team members, near the back of the IEP there is a signature page for participants – are there only 3 people listed there? Then, also somewhere in the document there should be an excusal sheet that you would have signed to excuse one or more participants. I know that schools sometimes push a bunch of things in front of you to sign as if it's just a formality…but it's worth getting to know what it is you're agreeing to.
Linked to the information that Chuck gave you is: http://p2pga.org/ – see if you can find a parent mentor or an advocate to assist you in your next meeting (or before). These folks may be provided as a free service through other community groups, and some of them are very good. If you join a support group in your area they'll tell you who they are.
Briana on 10/01/2019 at 9:40 AM said:
Predetermination is against the law. An IEP "draft" may be presented to you. But it is only a draft with the expectation that it may change during the meeting.
Miya on 04/19/2017 at 12:00 PM said:
I'm a parent and planning to participate the IEP over the phone , do I give an excusal letter to the Occupational Therapist who cannot participate.
Also, id the parent is not in attendance do I give an excusal letter to the teachers who cannot attend.
Jag on 04/19/2017 at 7:29 PM said:
My perspective –you are "in attendance" if you are participating by phone. Does the occupational therapist have relevant information for the team (very likely if s/he is a service provider)? Does the teacher (also very likely)? Just because YOU will not be physically be in the room does not mean the school can make only a half-hearted attempt to have the necessary team members available for an an IEP meeting. Why can't the teacher or OT make it? Is this an annual meeting? How does the school plan to include important input by the teacher and OT who are not there physically or by some technological means? From what I understand, having the team together is not just an exercise in checking off procedural boxes. It actually *takes* a team to a create a comprehensive, effective IEP.
Susan on 04/09/2017 at 10:52 AM said:
Can a principal sit in on an IEP meeting and then refuse to have his name on the DEC 5 and referral form? He was asked if his name should be included.
Mary Jo on 10/01/2019 at 8:25 PM said:
If the principal is present at the IEP meeting, they need to sign & identify their position on the form.
Emberly on 12/11/2016 at 12:26 AM said:
Our school has a principal, a vice principal AND an assistant principal. Its the new assistant principal that we loath and need out of our meetings -too much crap to even write on this site- What I need to know is can we ask the principle or vice principal to attend instead?
You can make that request in writing. I suggest not getting into the "crap" in the letter.
Mary on 05/19/2016 at 2:45 PM said:
I'm a parent of a disabled child. In an IEP meeting, I confronted the staff about their mistreatment of me as a parent because what they did to me. If I did however get services for my child. Does what I confronted them about have to be in the IEP as well? They seem to have left out the subject of the confrontation, when I got the copy of the IEP papers.
Can the team leave things out like a parents complaint about the staff?
Tamra on 10/10/2017 at 10:24 PM said:
If you refused any portion of the IEP, then that should be included with an explanation. If it was a grievance over a staff member, then it should be included in the meeting notes, but would not be a part of the IEP.
Maria on 04/05/2016 at 2:46 PM said:
Do I have the right to excuse the person who is administration and ask for another person and until there is someone else available to reschedule the meeting?
No just like you can invite who you want – the district is allowed to bring who they want as long as you had the 10 day notice
Cindy on 08/20/2015 at 5:55 AM said:
We just had our first IEP meeting for our autistic son, and I have a question: is the principal required to be involved? We do NOT get along, and I would feel better if she were not directly involved (i.e. having to meet with her). She has an entitled attitude that is not helpful in this situation.
JC on 10/18/2015 at 2:51 PM said:
You need an LEA which is generally the principal to be there. See if the school could appoint someone else that could serve in the LEA role.
Charles on 09/23/2016 at 8:48 PM said:
What is an lea
Julie on 09/25/2016 at 9:09 AM said:
LEA stands for Local Education Agency. In this case, they are meaning someone representing the Local Education Agency, which is usually a member or the school's administrative team.
sandy on 05/10/2015 at 2:32 PM said:
If you are looking for an excuse to miss or leave early a IEP Team Meeting, then I don't want you on my team. If this happens then there is not a coordinated effort to help the student. Use your common sense, please.
Alissa on 09/22/2014 at 10:49 PM said:
Can a parent request that principal not attend ard?
Terry on 08/10/2014 at 6:41 PM said:
My disabled child has missed one of the two years he has attended school, due to the fact the school refuses to listen to us about our child's safety need the school refuses to meet. We have two years of documentation showing the school intentionally place our son life at risk by telling us everyone was trained to save his life. We of course found out the school lied to us and no one was in fact trained. We, the parents, will not have an IEP with the school if they invite a person who in our opinion, and documented opinion, is 99% of the problem. This person the school wants at the IEP Meeting is not required to be there. Because we have been lied to over and over by the school about the safety (which is very much life-threatening issues) we will be calling the shots until the school can start proving to us they can be trusted.
Jenn on 12/28/2013 at 3:45 PM said:
Here's a new one: they reused an attendance signature page from a former IEP meeting for the new IEP they sent home.
Not okay! The page must have the correct date of the actual meeting and who actually attended.
Christine on 09/29/2013 at 11:09 AM said:
Your articles and information are excellent. However an LEA is a required member who may or may not be the principal. So your poll question is somewhat inaccurate .
Judi on 09/24/2013 at 2:25 PM said:
How does an IEP team member know if their area of expertise will or will not be discussed at a meeting ahead of time? My daughter is gifted and talented as well as having Aspergers. She's in a community work program that doesn't fit with someone who is gifted. (She's done things like wipe off tables and arrange retail merchandise.) We feel that a better placement would be in an office environment – like at our local SPCA. She has very poor social skills and they are looking to put her in an environment where she can practice social skills. Her career aspirations and abilities are that of a gifted student, but a gifted teacher isn't invited to her IEP meetings so those areas aren't looked at. I feel a gifted teacher should be required with a 2X exceptional student.
Kari on 10/02/2019 at 11:11 AM said:
We had to request that the head of the GT program be included and in fact in the end invited her ourselves. We had spoken with her at a lecture about the lack of support for 2x exceptional students. She was excited to be able to attend to educate the IEP team. They were all surprised when she showed up because they had never had it happen before. . She informed them that many of the accommodations/modifications we were seeking they actually do often for gifted only students. That some gifted only students have a plan similar to an IEP to allow these things. The whole team was unaware of this. After that for awhile they made the General Ed teacher his GT teacher in an effort to make a more balanced 2x exceptional IEP.
Soleil on 09/24/2013 at 12:06 PM said:
I have been refused the option of tape recording meetings. Does the team or an individual team member have that right?
Eleonora on 10/01/2019 at 4:30 PM said:
They cannot refuse but parents must give minimum 24 hour notice.
Anne on 03/30/2021 at 9:01 PM said:
It depends on the state. Some states require two-way consent for audio (or video) recordings. The district cannot consent for all individuals.
Rachel on 09/24/2013 at 11:15 AM said:
The principal is not required so long as an LEA representative is. An LEA reap does not have to be a school principal, but they must have the authority to commit resources.
brenda on 09/24/2013 at 11:03 AM said:
I've asked very respectfully for the replacement of a Parent Liaison (school district); and am being ignored. I have placed it in writing; and now I received an email saying both the new ESE Director and the PL that we do not like nor trust will be coming on the date we last agreed upon. The new ESE Director wanted me to change the formerly agreed upon date for the IEP meeting and I said NO, as that would disrupt the 6 Advocates that had already made arrangement to be there for over three weeks.
The PL does not function as a help to the Parents; she is very biased, and has told us some things that were not true previously; as well as saying, since…has left…I'll speak for the team…NO…you can't have this; you don't need that!
Is not respecting my request in getting us a new PL or not allowing this PL to attend a State Complaint?
Cynthia on 10/11/2017 at 8:44 AM said:
Brenda, this is my humble opinion as a retired special education teacher, now an advocate. Just as the school does not get to choose who you employ as an advocate, you do not have a right to dictate who the school chooses to employ in various positions. There is a possibility that others could be chosen, but not liking a certain personality does not disqualify that person from serving on the IEP Team, teaching your child, etc. I go through this with parents, and try to get them to "play nice in the sandbox", which does not always happen. You do what is right, treat them fairly and respectfully, and they should do the same for you. As a teacher, I always advocated for my students, even when parents and advocates may have believed otherwise. I know it is difficult, but such is life. 🙂
CHERYL on 09/24/2013 at 9:12 AM said:
Even though their presence is not required, I think the principal of the school should be at the IEP meeting or the VP, so they know the child's modifications and the parents' concerns. They are often involved in the PTO and fundraising. Why not special ed? It seems like a no brainer to me.
Tammy on 10/01/2019 at 11:49 PM said:
All IEP meetings must have an administrator, either principal, assistant principal or their designee. Must be able to speak to the resources of the school, program and commit funding for such decisions.
jackie on 03/04/2013 at 1:17 AM said:
Can a team member (RSP Teacher) excuse herself from the IEP meeting because she does not agree with your questions. The RSP Teacher could not answer our question so she removed herself from the IEP meeting. (She is my son's RSP Teacher).and can the School academic counselor leave shortly after without requested she be excused.
Pat on 01/20/2013 at 7:18 PM said:
Can a school district deny a parent to bring a friend to a parent teacher conference of a seven year old special needs child?
The parent has a right to bring whomever they choose to a meeting. The number of people you bring might be an issue, but one friend is certainly fine.
Hopefully that friend is there to take good notes for you.
Jennifer on 03/05/2012 at 5:47 PM said:
To Lelah–
Whether your child is included in science and social studies for academics or for socialization, I say let her carry the textbook(s) at least. If she's capable of following along looking at the pictures, she could get some exposure to new vocabulary. The goal is to make her school day like that of her peers whenever possible.
Sharon L. on 03/04/2012 at 12:07 PM said:
Lelah – That is a new one for me. If your daughter is in an inclusion academic class there is no reason they cannot accommodate her via the IEP, If a team meeting is needed to add more accommodations/modifications to make the inclusion class work by all means have that meeting. Socialization is good and she needs the academics as well.
Sharon L. on 03/04/2012 at 12:19 AM said:
GiGi – I have found that when I let the IEP team know I am bringing a digital tape recorder to the IEP meeting not only is it easier for me to remember what was said later on & and I don't have to take so many notes I find that the team acts more professionally. Make sure you let them know you are bringing a tape recorder. You may see quite a change in the tone of the meeting.
D. Orr – This happened to us as well and we did not understand it. We thought about taking it to a higher level but did not deciding instead that this was not a battle that we were going to pick with the school. We accepted the written document and moved on to items that were more important to us. I agree with you completely but the school does have the right to decide if an aid can attend or not as it is not required by law.
GiGi on 02/29/2012 at 2:46 PM said:
I wish we could get our principal excused from the IEP team. He is completely out of control. He believes that "Special Education Kids" are causing the demise of the public education system in America. He is hostile, condescending, an absolute bully! He openly does not like my child and is just horrible. Can we ask that the principal not be a part of the team? I would be thrilled if I never had to set eyes on that bully again!
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A passage to India: Israel's pivot East
MENASource by Grace Wermenbol
India Israel Middle East
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi raise their arms upon Netanyahu's arrival at Air Force Station Palam in New Delhi, India, January 14, 2018. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
As Israel gears up for an election do-over in September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will once again look to foreign leaders to bolster his leadership potential and diplomatic experience. In the wake of the high-profile visits to Russia and the US prior to the April 9 elections, Netanyahu is turning east this time, towards India to inch ahead of his main rival, Kahol Lavan.
The prime minister announced in early July that he plans to visit India before the next elections; according to diplomatic reports, the second-most populous country extended the invitation to Netanyahu at his initiative. While Israeli-Indian relations have received a boost under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Netanyahu's intended passage to India comes at a time of increasing diplomatic and economic cooperation. Last month, for the first time, India voted in favor of Israel at the United Nations over a decision to grant consultative status to a Palestinian NGO. This vote will likely be leveraged as a further sign of India's willingness to cast aside the post-independence, pro-Palestinian stance and instead, in the words of Netanyahu, "stand […] with Israel."
New Delhi's vote at the United Nations (UN) on June 6 is the latest sign of a deepening cooperation between Israel and India, and one that has affected the country's voting patterns in international fora. In 2015, a year after Modi assumed office, in another diplomatic victory for Israel, India—together with only four other countries—abstained from voting on adopting the UN Human Rights Council's report on Operation Protective Edge, a seven-week military operation led by the Israeli army in Gaza which led to a disproportionate number of Palestinian deaths and casualties. According to India's foreign ministry, New Delhi's recent vote at the UN was meant to ensure proper vetting of an NGO; nevertheless, the country's decision to return the organization's request to the application committee for further scrutiny was heralded by the Israeli government as clear sign of support for Israel and a vote against a "terrorist organization."
Israeli-Indian relations have undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Although New Delhi recognized Israel in 1950, ties between the nations were long frosty, in part resulting from India's desire to foment ties with the Arab world to garner support for claims to the disputed territory of Kashmir, a Cold War alignment with the Soviet Union, and India's anti-colonial position.
Indicative of this latter stance, Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement, consistently highlighted India's steadfast support for the Palestinian cause, claiming in 1938 that "Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English and France to the French." In the wake of the 1991 multilateral Madrid Peace conference and an intentional pivot towards Washington, however, India decided to upend the prior recognition-without-relations policy and establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming the latest major non-Arab, non-Muslim nation to do so.
In line with the pre-established foreign policy initiatives of Prime Minister Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, Netanyahu has sought to reinforce relations with India. In 2017, he oversaw Modi's "ground breaking" visit to Israel, the first visit by an Indian prime minister in seventy years. One year later, Netanyahu reciprocated, becoming the second Israeli premier to visit the South Asian country. While Netanyahu has emphasized the nations' shared threat of radical Islam, the leaders share more than a nationalist and––at times––exclusionary agenda. The increased strategic alignment between the nations thus hinges on India's security objectives, in addition to water and agricultural needs.
Since 2014, India, which has longstanding territorial disputes with neighbors China and Pakistan, has turned to Israel for military hardware; India continues to be Israel's most important arms market with sales worth an average of $1 billion each year. According to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Institute, India accounted for 46 percent of Israel's arm exports between 2014-2018, which is 29 percentile points more than Israel's second-largest recipient, Azerbaijan.
Last month, the Indian Ministry of Defense revealed that Israeli defense companies are engaged in nearly half of India's current offset deals. One of these companies is Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which signed a $100 million contract with Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems Ltd. India (KRAS) in mid-July to manufacture and supply 1,000 surface-to-air missile systems for the Indian army and air force. According to reports, Rafael's 'Spice 2000' missiles were used in airstrikes on alleged militant targets in neighboring Pakistan in February 2019 following a suicide bombing in Kashmir.
The state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel's largest defense firm, has equally secured large military deals in India. In 2017, IAI struck Israel's largest defense deal ever, when it signed a contract worth almost $2 billion to supply India's army and navy with missile defense systems. The following year, IAI won a $777 million contract with Indian state-owned company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to supply Barak-8 long-range surface-to-air defense missiles and missile defense systems for the Indian navy.
The joint venture between the Israeli company and BEL reflects Israel's adjustment to the "Make in India" initiative launched by Modi in 2014 to encourage domestic manufacturing. Indeed, last month, it was revealed that India once again scrapped a $500 million arms deal for Spike anti-tank missiles after a domestic developer claimed it could deliver an alternative within two years—in spite of repeated attempts by National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat and Prime Minister Netanyahu to reauthorize the 2014 deal.
With the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1992, bilateral trade between Israel and India has also increased, from $200 million in 1992-3 to $5.84 billion in 2018. Beyond the ongoing trade in diamonds, investments, and human capital cooperation in the agricultural and water sector have witnessed—and will likely continue to see—significant growth.
Israel, which is one of the world's leading experts on water management and irrigation technology, has offered assistance to address India's water-related challenges and combat desertification. In a statement made last month, Israel's ambassador to India, Ron Malka, thus noted that "as part of our growing partnership with India, Israel is keen to work together and share all its experience and cutting edge technology in our joint fight against desertification, including a strategic partnership on water management and water security."
The current Chennai water crisis—much like the rest of the nation—is due to poor water management and limited clean water supplies despite increasing demand. According to a 2018 report by the government-run think tank NITI Aayog, 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress while an estimated 200,000 people die each year due to inadequate or unsafe water. In an effort to address India's water crisis, Modi has sought foreign expertise in water conservation and consumption, including from the Israeli private and public sector. Under the Indo-Israeli Agricultural Project launched in 2008, Israel's agency for international development cooperation (MASHAV) has instructed thousands of Indian farmers on raising crop productivity by using improved irrigation and fertigation technologies.
In 2018, the India-Israeli Innovation Bridge, which helps Israeli startups leverage their technology in India, selected Aquallence to become one of only six companies to commercialize its water purification and disinfection systems in rural areas. More recently, in June, experts of Mekorot, Israel's national water carrier, began assisting the northern Indian state of Punjab to develop and manage its water resources as part of an agreement signed earlier this year.
In his forthcoming visit to India, Netanyahu will seek to highlight the areas of increased cooperation as a result of his leadership and, simultaneously, as a sign of a waning international commitment to the Palestinian cause. Nevertheless, India's attempts to downplay the significance of its recent vote at the UN demonstrate that—for now—New Delhi is trying to balance cozier relations with Tel Aviv with an ongoing commitment to the Palestinian cause.
Modi's first visit to Israel thus was followed by a separate and equally-historic visit to Ramallah during which the Indian leader pledged to fund $41.35 in Palestinian aid projects.
Such a de-hyphenated relationship, as has been pursued by Modi in recent years, however, will become a more difficult sell to his Palestinian counterpart. A pre-election endorsement by Modi for his "dear friend Bibi," who—with the backing of US President Donald Trump—is enforcing a more aggressive policy vis-à-vis Palestine, stands to challenge the viability of this hyphenation strategy.
Grace Wermenbol is a Non-Resident Scholar at the Middle East Institute. She previously served as a lecturer on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the University of Oxford and held a research position at Oxford's Department of Politics and International Relations. She holds a Masters and PhD from the University of Oxford, where her research focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


9 Shevat 5765 - January 19, 2005 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
Opinion & Comment
Life Will Prevail Over Death
Even the Americans have learned something from their experience in Iraq. "This is a negative insurgency," Brig. Gen. Erwin Lessel, deputy director of operations for the multinational forces, told a reporter for the New York Times. "Unlike a classical insurgency, these groups don't offer anything."
This is true of the Palestinians as well. All they advocate is Jihad and shihad — that Arabs of all ages should be willing to martyr themselves as long as they murder a few Jews at the same time. The only program that they follow is to murder and maim.
People in the West who have been brought up to believe in progress and the spread of civilization, tend to believe that "deep down" everyone thinks like them. They have been taught that every national movement is driven by politics or by economic interests. The Western press repeats incessantly that the Palestinians are fighting because they want a state of their own. They ignore the facts of recent history which are that the fighting broke out right after they were offered a state by Israeli Prime Minister Barak.
Proof that their prime motive has become destruction of Jews and has nothing to do with self-interest in any reasonable sense is the fact that they are largely unconcerned about murdering fellow Palestinians — including themselves — as long as they can also murder a few Jews.
Last week two suicide bombers attacked the Karni Crossing. This is a vital crossover point through which pass Palestinian produce on its way to Israeli markets and Israeli products on their way to Palestinian markets. The people and products that pass through it are vital to the daily life of virtually all residents of Gaza.
For security reasons that are evident to anyone — so that the guards can survey the surrounding area to ensure that suspicious folks do not get close — the Crossing was only open during daylight hours. In response to constant humanitarian pressure to ease life for the innocent Palestinians, Israel had recently consented to keep it open until 11 p.m., and was considering operating it 24 hours a day. All this to make it easier for Palestinian commerce, to ease the difficulties that the demands of security impose.
This easing was almost immediately exploited by the murderers to approach the gate that leads into the Israeli part under cover of darkness, to attach a huge bomb to it and blast their way through, and then to come through with guns blazing, murdering Israeli civilians until they were shot by the defenders.
It goes without saying that now the Karni Crossing will be closed entirely for some time.
Those responsible are not the Israeli authorities who do the actual closing, but the bloodthirsty terrorists who care nothing for human life and human suffering. If the Palestinians stop the terror, Israel will no doubt move very quickly to ease life for the Palestinians who are not involved in terror.
When Israelis are murdered, the Palestinians dance in the streets. Families return to their apartments in the line of fire from both Palestinian terrorists and Israeli defenders even after being hospitalized.
Some Palestinian spokesmen have claimed that they have an advantage since they are not afraid to die and the Jews are weak because we are too concerned about living.
"No nation can negotiate with terrorists," US President Bush said, "for there is no way to make peace with those whose only goal is death."
It is also hard and painful to make war with them. But we are sure that life will triumph over death, and especially we who have the true wellspring of life: Eitz chaim hi lamachazimim boh.


Rape victim leads law change initiative
Unlike most rape victims in Mexico, 19-year-old Osiris N. decided not to remain silent.
Osiris was raped four months ago in Guadalajara after she accepted a ride from a motorist she believed was an Uber driver.
Fewer than 8,000 official denuncias of rape have been filed throughout the entire country so far this year – a much smaller proportion than in most western nations. In many cases, the investigations stall due to "lack of evidence," or prosecutors refuse to follow through because they believe the women are fabricating their stories.
Scarcely two percent of all rape victims in Mexico report the crimes to authorities, according to lawyer and women's activist Patricia Olamendi, a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the author of several books on discriminatory laws in Mexico.
Despite her young age, Osiris wouldn't be deterred.
Supported by various NGOs and women's rights groups, Osiris this week turned up at the Jalisco State Congress building to present legislators with a proposal that will reinforce the punishments for rapists and sexual offenders. Known as the Ley Osisis, the proposal not only seeks to increase prison terms, but also change existing law so that the state can confiscate the property or belongings of persons found guilty of rape or other sexual crimes. (In Mexico this is referred to as the Ley de Extinción de Dominio.)
The proposal is also seeking to create a database that includes the fingerprints and DNA of all drivers of cars for hire in Jalisco, including regular taxis and those who work for digital platforms.
Prior to presenting the bill to Congress, Osiris joined several hundred others, mostly women, to march from the Glorieta Minerva to the Guadalajara city center last Sunday, drawing attention to the initiative and the issue of rape in Mexico.
Supporters of the bill hope to extend its reach by subsequently presenting it to the federal Chamber of Deputies, with the expectation of it eventually becoming the law of the land.
The issue of rape in Mexico was brought to the attention of the international news media in August when hundreds of protesters flooded the streets of Mexico City demanding justice for two teenage girls who were allegedly raped by police officers.


suso saiz-odisea 2lp (music from memory)
SKU: mfm009lp
suso saiz: odisea
Odisea is a retrospective showcase of solo work from Spanish electronic music pioneer Suso Sáiz. Having been at the forefront of Spain's experimental music scene since the late 1970s, multi-instrumentalist Suso Sáiz formed the pivotal group Orquesta de las Nubes and studio project Música Esporádica, releasing a string of albums on Madrid's now cult label Grabaciones Accidentales, which was also home to groups such as Finis Africae, Mecánica Popular, and Ishinohana. A prolific producer, he has recorded with Spain's most singular popular musicians as well as with a number of luminary electronic and world music artists such as Steve Roach, Jorge Reyes, and Salif Keita. Odisea draws material from Suso's early solo works, including music from the rare cassette-only Confidencias as well as pieces from his more recent compositions, soundtrack works and previously unreleased tracks. An artist dedicated to experimentation, Suso's sparse compositions manifest a solitary and stripped back approach to making music. Fascinated by the possibilities of new technology he experimented with guitar loops, synthesizers, and drum computers creating a unique form of musical hypnotism absorbed by avant-garde/minimalist and non-Western musical influences. The most representative figure of Spain's now cult experimental scene, Suso Sáiz remains an exploratory musician in a musical universe that knows no boundaries.
jd emmanuel-electronic minimal music 1979-83 3lp (black sweat)
amm-aMMMusic lp (black truffle)
joan la barbara-voice is the original instrument lp (arc light editions)


HomeState Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC)State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC)
State Employee Charitable Campaign
The State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) is a statewide annual giving campaign that Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) and the Texas Tech University System participate in each year.
The SECC was created by legislation in 1993. The first campaign was run in 1994, and raised $2,027,751. In 2013, the campaign celebrated its 20th anniversary and through the efforts and generosity of many state employees, the campaign exceeded $9 million in donations for more than 500 charitable organizations. The Texas campaign is one of the largest state employee campaigns in the nation — and it's still growing! State employees have so generously given to the SECC because:
It's an easy, effective, and cost-efficient way to give to charity.
Our contributions help improve the quality of life for people in communities locally, across the country, and around the world.
The campaign supports a wide variety of vital health and human services.
All charities in the campaign must meet strict eligibility criteria.
The campaign is for state employees and is governed by state employees.


HomeBetter LivingHealth and WellnessLiving Longer, Living BetterTony Bennett at 94: Still a Creative Force
Tony Bennett at 94: Still a Creative Force
The acclaimed author, artist and singer was once at the bottom looking up, but at 94 years of age, he's still going strong.
by Brett Leveridge
- Posted on Aug 2, 2020
There's an old saying that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life, and it surely follows that if you never work a day in your life, you'll never need to retire, right?
Tony Bennett, who celebrated his 94th birthday on August 3, 2020, has been doing the things he loves—singing and painting—for more than 70 years and he's showing no signs of slowing down.
Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto—"blessed one" in Italian—on August 3, 1926, in Queens, New York. His father was a grocer, his mother a seamstress and both of their families emigrated to the United States from the Calabria region of Italy around the turn of the last century.
His father died when Bennett was just 10 years old. His family struggled financially, but like many kids of the Depression, he was enthralled by the singers he heard on the radio, from Al Jolson to Eddie Cantor and Bing Crosby as well as many of the prominent jazz artists of the day such as Louis Armstrong and Joe Venuti.
Bennett, whose uncle Dick was a tap dancer in vaudeville, was already singing by age 10; he performed at the opening of NYC's Triborough Bridge, standing right next to Mayor Fiorello La Guardia (and received a pat on the head from His Honor for his trouble).
By 13, Bennett was helping to support his family by working as a singing waiter at various Italian restaurants, and by 16, he had left school in order to further assist in supporting his family. Having already exhibited a skill for drawing, he expected to pursue a career as a commercial artist, but singing won out.
After basic training at Fort Dix and Fort Robinson, Bennett served with the 255th Infantry Regiment of the 63rd Infantry Division during World War II. After participating in the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp near Landsberg as the war drew to a close, Bennett was reassigned to a Special Services band unit that entertained American forces in occupied Germany, singing under the stage name Joe Bari with the 314th Army Special Services Band.
Upon his return to the State in 1946, Bennett studied at the American Theatre Wing for a time while performing around NYC and making a few records that made no splash. In 1949, Pearl Bailey asked Bennett to open for her at a show in NYC's Greenwich Village. Bob Hope was in the audience for that performance, and impressed by Bennett's talent, Hope asked to him come out on the road with him (it was on that tour that Benedetto was shortened to Bennett). A year later, Mitch Miller signed Bennett to a contract with Columbia Records.
Bennett's first big hit, Because of You, sold more than a million copies and topped the charts in 1951. His next big hit, later that same year, was a decidedly non-country version of Hank Williams' Cold, Cold Heart. Soon, Bennett was singing for throngs of bobby-soxers, performing seven shows a day at NYC's renowned Paramount Theater.
Bennett's early recordings were strictly pop, but by the late '50s, his records were showing a jazz influence, as he worked with greats such as Art Blakey, Chico Hamilton and the Count Basie Orchestra. In 1962, Bennett released the record that would become his signature song, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, a tune that had been written nine years earlier for Claramae Turner, an operatic contralto who performed it regularly but had never recorded it. With his recording of the song, Bennett made it his own.
With the rise of rock 'n' roll and, especially, the ascent of the Beatles and other bands from England, Bennett found it harder for his records to chart, and at the urging of his management and record label executives, he made a few unsuccessful attempts to cover the hits of the day. He never felt comfortable with that approach.
The struggles his family had experienced during the Depression had given Bennett a heightened empathy for those who are less fortunate or are being treated unfairly. As such, he was a strong supporter in the 1960s of the civil rights movement, and in 1965, he participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches.
By the end of the '70s, Bennett's life and career were in disarray. A record label he had founded went under, he was addicted to drugs and the Internal Revenue Service was threatening to take possession of his home in Los Angeles. He turned in desperation to his son Danny, an aspiring musician himself who was struggling with music but had exhibited a good head for business. Danny told his dad to focus on the music and let him handle the business end, and it was an arrangement that proved beneficial to both men.
As for his addiction, he started on the road to recovery when a friend told him he had "sinned against his talent." In a 2011 interview for ABC-TV's 20/20, Bennett told Chris Cumo, "That one sentence just changed my life. It meant that I had to drop everything I was doing. I stopped all drugs completely."
Danny felt confident that young people would take to his father's music if exposed to it, so Bennett moved back to NYC and began to book shows in small theatres and on college campuses. He re-signed with Columbia Records, began to appear with some frequency on Late Night with David Letterman and, later, shows such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Simpsons. He appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards, alongside popular rock and hip-hop artists of the day. His record sales took off like a rocket; Danny's decision to market Bennett to young people without changing his music or his image had paid off handsomely.
Bennett remains active in a number of charitable causes. He and his wife, Susan, founded Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization that promotes and supports arts education. They also founded a public high school in Queens that is focused on the performing arts, naming it after Bennett's old friend, Frank Sinatra, who once said of Bennett, "For my money, Tony Bennett is the best singer in the business."
Through it all, Bennett has continued to tour, record and, yes, even paint. He devotes time every day to sketching and painting, and his acclaimed works are found in prominent collections around the world, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., the United Nations and NYC's National Arts Club. His work has also been featured in ARTnews and other arts publications and collected in a pair of art books of his own, Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen and Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art & Music. He was even the official artist for the 2001 Kentucky Derby.
Bennett has also published several memoirs, among them Life Is a Gift, Just Getting Started and The Good Life: The Autobiography Of Tony Bennett.
It's remarkable to think that a man of Bennett's talents and energy was once in despair, looking up from rock bottom. That he bounced back and is still going strong at 94 is enough to inspire all of us and it brings to mind three nuggets of wisdom from Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, the founder of Guideposts: "Live your life and forget your age," "It's always too early to quit," and "Sing at least one song a day."
Tags: Addiction,Addiction And Recovery, Stories Of Hope,Creativity,Hope,Inspiration
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Home Blog Feminism- A Brief History.
Feminism- A Brief History.
by Jack Cogger | 30 Jul, 2021 | bodypositivity, boss, change, courageous, empowering, equality, progress, rolemodel, strong, success | 0 Comments
In recent years there has been a push to highlight issues that females face on a daily basis. This has allowed the feminist movement to start pushing for real change throughout society to make it a more fair and inclusive environment for all. Many people still misunderstand what feminism is and the goals it wishes to achieve. Therefore, we decided to dispel the myths and misinformation surrounding feminism and give context to its history. To truly understand something you have to go back to the beginning and with feminism this is no different, the feminist movement has evolved over the decades but its goals remain largely the same.
The actual origins of feminism are pretty complex as the idea and argument for women's equality have existed since the times of the ancient Greeks. However, the first female philosopher is considered to be Mary Wollstonecraft and was the first female to argue that men and women should be equal and have the same rights afforded, especially in regards to education. Her book "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" written in 1792 is considered one of the cornerstones of the early feminist philosophy. Eventually, the feminist movement has been segmented into different "waves" each with its own goals and objectives. The first wave sought to address the restrictions in place to stop women from voting. This fight for women's suffrage was widespread and as we know led to the formation of groups such as the suffragettes and suffragists. Each group had the same goal in mind of enabling women the right to vote in elections. Figures instrumental to achieving this were women such as Emmeline Pankhurst and Sojourner Truth who fought for British and American women's rights respectively. Thankfully women did achieve the right to vote, however, the subsequent waves of feminism were used to challenge other difficulties that women had to face daily.
From the 1960s until the 1990s the Second wave of feminism took place. While the first wave addressed universal issues women faced such as suffrage, the second wave instead raised awareness and concerns of issues of discrimination. Key figures in this wave were females writers such as Betty Friedan who wrote the book "The Feminine Mystique" in 1963. The book drastically helped dispel the myth that women were happy and content in their roles as housewives and instead prompted the idea that women should not be bound to a specific role in society. While she has been criticised for focusing on only certain groups of women, notably white middle-class women it is still considered the spark of the second wave of feminism. Furthermore, one of the other objectives of this period was the reproductive rights of women and to allow them more autonomy over themselves. While the second wave was more fragmented compared to the first, it still managed to achieve its aim of highlighting a woman's right to achieve whatever she desired and to not be forced into the stereotypical role of housewife and mother, instead it promoted the idea of independence for women.
This led to the development of third-wave feminism which existed from the 1990s until the 2010s. Third-wave feminism sought to fix the issues created by criticisms of second-wave feminism, primarily those involving the predominant focus being on white middle-class females. Instead, there was an emphasis placed on the dual issues and intersections of race and gender/sex and how these issues could be tackled. Key thinkers in this wave were women such as Bell Hooks who has written many influential books including one of her most famous books "Ain't I a Woman? Black women and feminism" (1982), and Chela Sandoval. Each of these writers has changed the global understanding of femininity and females as a whole. While the apparent fourth wave is still in motion it proves that change can still be enacted as equality between men and women has still not been achieved. There are still many milestones that need to be accomplished but these will be addressed in due course.
The importance of understanding all of this is the ability to fully appreciate the history and complexity of the feminist ideology. It has proven more than just the mental fortitude of women but their ability to transcend their gender norms as women should not be constricted to a stereotypical manner. Instead, women should become the fair and equal counterparts to their male gender.
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Moths in the Hesperiidae (skippers) family
Latin name Common name
Pyrgus malvae Grizzled skipper
Hesperiidae overview
Butterflies in this family are commonly known as the skippers, this common name comes from their flight pattern of darts and skips. There are over 3000 species world wide, 38 species in Europe, and these are mainly small, brown grey or orange, 8 species in the British Isles, and only one (Dingy skipper) in Ireland. The caterpillars usually shelter in leaves folded around themselves and held in place with silk. The adult butterflies tend to have a rather wide head when compared to other butterflies (see below). They are often seen in a basking pose with their wings held flat and spread out.
Grizzled skipper, Pyrgus malvae
The Grizzled skipper, Pyrgus malvae, above is found throughout Europe (except the north, and is absent from Scotland and Ireland) and eastwards as far as Mongolia. It is found in downland, woodland margins and coarse grassland. There is usually one generation a year, but sometimes two. The eggs are laid singly on the leaves of the foodplant in May, and hatch after about ten days. At first the tiny caterpillar spins a silk shelter under which it eats, but when it is larger it folds the leaf over to form a shelter around itself. The caterpillar grows up to 19 mm long. Its foodplants include potentilla, wild strawberry, mallow, bramble and raspberry. It pupates in July in a cocoon on a stem at the base of the foodplant, and adults emerge the following April. In good years adults may emerge in August and produce a second generation. The adult wingspan is 20 - 27 mm, forewing 11 - 13 mm. The pattern when the wings are folded is similar, but paler. The Grizzled skipper is the only species in the genus found in Britain.
Main insect page
Main Lepidoptera page
Lepidoptera species list


Mossad tries to restore its images
Even among Israelis who welcomed news of the assassination of the Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, there must have been growing disquiet that the faces of so many Mossad operatives would have since become so widely known. So much exposure for a clandestine operation has to be bad, doesn't it?
It now appears that Mossad has enrolled the services of Haaretz in order to do some damage control.
The Israeli newspaper reports:
The passport photographs of the agents who assassinated Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai were doctored so the agents would not be identified, a Haaretz probe has discovered.
The discovery casts doubt on claims that the espionage agency that carried out last month's hit on the senior Hamas operative committed grave errors.
Various features of the people in the photographs, such as eye color or the line of a lip, were changed – slightly enough so as not arouse suspicion at passport control, but still enough that the real agent could not be recognized.
According to the Dubai police, only a few of the agents were caught on security cameras without their disguises. However, it had been assumed until now that publication of the photos of the 26 agents had blown their cover. Now it appears that the Dubai police still do not have viable information about their real appearance.
In an era where investigative journalism has largely become a thing of the past, it's hard not to scoff when one reads that a newspaper has conducted a "probe". Some intrepid reporters dug deep and pulled out the truth and now they can proudly display their discovery.
In this case, I would counter that there is more to be discovered by reasoning than revelation.
I'll start with this — a wild piece of conjecture in which I have absolute confidence: the "espionage agency" that Haaretz stuck its probe into was Mossad — no other spy shop would dole out sensitive information to Israeli reporters.
Secondly, the idea that Haaretz actually discovered that there were discrepancies between the appearances of the Mossad agents and the images on their passports is absurd. (I don't care how careful an analysis of the CCTV images might be it ain't going to pick up differences in eye color and the like.) Such discrepancies may exist in reality, but there seem to be only two ways Haaretz could know about them. Either, in a friendly meeting with a Mossad officer the newspaper was shown two sets of photographs: one being the ones used in the passports and the other showing the undoctored appearances of the operatives — but I have my doubts that Mossad would be that candid. Much more likely was a friendly phone call from a trusted source inside the agency, saying: you know those photos of all our guys plastered over all the newspapers? We doctored them. Our guys are safe. No one will be able to recognize them. The intrepid Haaretz reporters would not have been so impertinent as to ask for some proof.
In sum, what we can reliably infer from this report is that Mossad is busy working the media. Its cover may or may not have been blown but at the very least it wants to reassure concerned Israelis that the much praised and feared agency remains rock solid.
Meanwhile, while one thrust of Mossad's PR drive is pushing the message that its operatives identities are well protected, another thrust is actually promoting their images — as "young, pretty and dangerous". The message: assassination is sexy and it doesn't have to interfere with an Israeli woman's plans to start a family. "Rumors that women are used by the Mossad mostly as [sexual] bait are greatly exaggerated," Ynet reassures its readers.
This entry was posted in Editorials, Israel, Mossad on February 26, 2010 by Paul Woodward.
← Do you have to be Jewish to report on Israel for the New York Times? What the new London embassy says about America →
2 thoughts on "Mossad tries to restore its images"
John Merryman February 26, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Doesn't that pretty much blow the denial that it was the Israelis, being made to the European governments?
Alexno February 27, 2010 at 4:40 am
The claim that the photos were doctored is openly contradicted by the fact that the Dubai police were able to identify the people between the CCTV images and the passports. It is simply not true.


PROCESSIONS WALK
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to mark 100 years of votes for women & take part in the UK's largest artwork with project PROCESSIONS, in June 2018.
We took to the streets of London, unveiling our specially commissioned banner made by the women of Bedford & artist Quilla Constance as part of the 100 Years 100 Banners.
We invited you to bring along your sisters, nans, mums, daughters, colleagues & neighbours and become part of a living portrait of UK women in the 21st century.
You made your own banners and pennants for the PROCESSION, or just turned up, and walked alongside us!
Image Credit: Cat Lane
PROCESSIONS was commissioned by 14-18 NOW and produced by Artichoke. With support from the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. PROCESSIONS Cardiff is produced by Artichoke in partnership with Festival of Voice and Wales Millennium Centre.
*those who identify as women or non-binary
Jennifer Allen AKA Quilla Constance QC


An integral part of Asian Art in London is the promotion of key Asian art exhibitions held at museums and institutions throughout the year. Particularly at this time, when so many museums worldwide are closed to visitors, Asian Art in London is pleased to share a curated selection of online platforms showcasing digitised artworks, collections, talks, papers, and educational videos.
This platform allows visitors to explore some of the most well-known objects in the collection in a brand new way, looking at how cultures and civilisations sat together over time.
A History of the World in 100 Objects – this ground-breaking series, made in conjunction with the Museum and BBC Radio 4, introduced listeners to 100 objects from the Museum's collection, demonstrating one view of the world and how it has developed since the dawn of civilisation. The full series can be accessed here.
Wherever you are in the world, take a Virtual Tour of the National Gallery.
Find ways to explore the collections and exhibitions online, tips and tricks on how to keep creative, or blogs to get lost in a world of art history.
Tate Modern and Tate Britain
Tate online have an expansive collection of digitised papers, audio tapes and artists' letters available to read and reference for free here.
Browse their extensive collection of digitised artworks online too.
From ancient Chinese ceramics to Alexander McQueen evening dresses, take an incredible journey through 5000 years of human creativity with the V&A's online collections. Online Collections
Tour the virtual gallery. You can still enjoy a (virtual) stroll through each room of the Gallery, as it was before it closed. Click Here
The Courtauld's Collection includes 7,000 drawings and watercolours, 26,000 prints, and sculpture and decorative arts dating from Antiquity to the 20th century. Discover some of the highlights Click Here
The Courtauld YouTube channel includes films about our world-famous collection and talks about the history of art and conservation. This recent film explores the legacy of their founder, Samuel Courtauld, and his remarkable art collection. Click Here
Further Suggestions
Ascott House, Bedfordshire
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Asia House, London
Bristol Museum, Bristol
Burrell Collection, Glasgow
Compton Verney, Warwickshire
Durham Museum, Durham
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
Japan Society, London
National Palace Museum, Taiwan
Smithsonian Freer-Sackler, USA
The Oriental Ceramic Society, London


Kangen Water » New York » New York
Kangen Water New York
What is New York Kangen Water?
Kangen Water in New York is ionized alkaline water (or acidic water) made by Enagic's kangen water machine which is high in anti-oxidants and is hydrogen rich. It is converted from regular tap water into either acidic (Low PH) or alkaline water (High PH), depending on the setting (most kangen machines can produce water between 2.7 PH and 11.5 PH). Kangen water machines are very popular with families all over the US and throughout the state of New York.
How Do You Buy A Kangen Water Machine in New York?
So why should you choose a kangen water machine vs other water ionizers in New York? After all, there are multiple brands that are actively advertising their products.
Some of the cities in New York where you can buy kangen water machines
Oakland Gardens, New York
East New York, New York
Tonawanda, New York
Elmhurst, New York
Clifton Park, New York
Brighton, New York
West Webster, New York
Hunters Point, New York
Woodhaven, New York
Uniondale, New York
Co-Op City, New York
Worthington, New York
Bellaire, New York
Clay, New York
Flushing, New York
Dunnsville, New York
Kirkville, New York
Valley Stream, New York
Kitchawan, New York
Maspeth, New York
Financial District, New York
Spring Valley, New York
Yonkers, New York
Blissville, New York
Borough Park, New York
Ridgewood, New York
East Village, New York
Elmont, New York
New City, New York
Hicksville, New York
Cypress Hills, New York
Dyker Heights, New York
Sunnyside, New York
Guilderland, New York
Hollis Hills, New York
Long Beach, New York
Ramapo, New York
Oceanside, New York
Bayside, New York
Syracuse, New York
Upper East Side, New York
Sheepshead Bay, New York
Irondequoit, New York
Forest Hills, New York
Croton Heights, New York
Wallace, New York
Flatbush, New York
Fordham, New York
Yorktown, New York
Clifton Park Center, New York
Richmond Hill, New York
Whitestone, New York
The Bronx, New York
Far Rockaway, New York
Bushwick, New York
Auburndale, New York
Franklin Square, New York
Astoria Heights, New York
Huntington Station, New York
Greenpoint, New York
Chinatown, New York
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Mount Pleasant, New York
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Briarwood, New York
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Eastchester, New York
Henrietta, New York
Bath Beach, New York
New Milford, New York
South Troy, New York
Brighton Beach, New York
Penfield, New York
Gravesend, New York
Amherst, New York
Coram, New York
Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York
Flatlands, New York
Saint Albans, New York
Springfield Gardens, New York
Glendale, New York
Queens Village, New York
Williamsburg, New York
Union, New York
Brownsville, New York
Greenburgh, New York
Troy, New York
Hempstead, New York
Utica, New York
Mott Haven, New York
Morris Heights, New York
Cheektowaga, New York
Beechhurst, New York
Kew Gardens Hills, New York
Forest Hills Gardens, New York
Staten Island, New York


Rod Welch
03 00050 61 00011301
Dr. Thomas E. Connolly, MD
Physician Leader
Permanente Medical Group, Inc.
Park Shadelands
320 Lennon Lane
Subject: Welch; Patient 05519189
Knee Examination on Sep 10, 1999
Patient Assistance Report October 6, 1999
Team Care Process; Doctor Patient Partnership
Correcting Medical Mistakes
Dear Doctor Connolly,
Thanks for your letter dated January 9, 2000, received today, and congratulations on your new assignment as Physician Leader at Park Shadelands.
Jeanne and Mark have done an outstanding job the past 4 months seeking good faith review to correct medical mistakes. The worry in your letter that they have been diverted from assigned duties is incorrect. Extra effort occurred because the medical staff refused and failed to address medical mistakes, and ignored Kaiser procedures on doctor, patient partnership. Inquiry was made on November 9, 1999 for off-site people to accomplish timely, first order review, only after local doctors failed to conduct a review directed by Doctor Ross Armstrong, Chief of Internal Medicine, on October 21, 1999.
Fixing medical mistakes is a continual process of review and adjustment that requires involvement of all hands. Medical mistakes occur along a continuum from administration to direct, hands on care and treatment, that impacts patient health. Continual improvement is not extra work and does not detract from regular duties; it is the duty of everyone to improve quality, as set out by Kaiser's CEO, Robert Pearl, MD, in his letter on October 15, 1999. Doctors, who fail to review process and procedure, fail their patients and the profession.
When Mrs. Connolly assigned a primary care physician on June 25, 1999, you were the first choice, because your examination room had a big message to leave an email address to facilitate communication. I did that; but Sylvia said you were too busy to assign another patient. She suggested Doctor Naqvi instead. We did that, and Doctor Naqvi has done a great job, as previously reported to Kaiser.
Later, Sylvia did a great job overcoming resistance to get a meeting with a specialist to examine my knees. She was frustrated by lack of response from the orthopedic team, but through persistence succeeded. What followed resulted in a series of errors that have cascaded, and led to your letter, as shown in the record on October 8, 1999.
This record invites the question of why, if everyone is doing a great job, did all these mistakes occur? What leads good people to make continual mistakes that cost dearly in treasure and tragedy? Clearly doctors and patients have a common mission to join with President Clinton, who announced on December 7, 1999 a national agenda to overcome the culture of denial that prevents review and correction of mistakes, as occurred in this case.
Kaiser's policy on doctor patient partnership for accomplishing quality health care necessarily implies that patients support review and correction of medical mistakes in order to make both quality and partnership effective.
Your letter received today is a strong first step. The next step is to review the mistakes, and then decide on a course of action where needed.
Please call or submit a letter on how you plan to proceed.
rowelch@attglobal.net
Jeanne Bradley
Mark Mangrai


The Questioner
architect form
THE DECORATIVE ARCHITECTURE PLAYGROUND
World Expo – the world's biggest fare with the largest number of participating countries, visitors and delegations, takes place every five years.
"We tried to build a stage that will allow all actors to be heard," said Matteo Gatto, the Design Director of the Expo. Indeed, the Expo is often envisaged as the playground of decorative architecture, featuring famous names like Daniel Libeskind and Norman Foster. As in every Expo, great attention is paid to the architecture of the countries' pavilions. According to various publications, 13 billion US Dollars were invested in the fair (with a million Euros spent on covering up what was not ready for the opening).
The UK Pavilion. Photo: Daniele Mascolo
The enormous sums invested in the Expo drew criticism about wasting funds, culminating on the opening day – symbolically held on May 1st – Labour Day. Demonstrations, sometimes violent, were held in the center of Milano, protesting against the billions spent, according to the protesters, on display constructions only to be dismantled in six months' time. The contradiction between the Expo's official motto "Feeding the Planet" and the fact that the Expo is funded by huge corporations like Coca-Cola and McDonald's has also been voiced.
David Knafo, the Designer of the Israel Pavilion, also opposes what he calls "Figurative Architecture per-se; aesthetics for the sake of aesthetics". Under the title "Fields of Tomorrow", the Israel Pavilion designed by Knafo Klimor Architects, commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assembled under the management of AVS Group, provides a powerful visual experience of a 70 metres long and 12 metres high architectural installation, "expressing the incredible journey of the Israeli agriculture towards the tomorrow of all humanity".
The Israel Pavilion. Photo: Itamar Aharoni
The center element of the pavilion was the vertical field – an integral part of the pavilion, running along its entire length both visually and in terms of content. The agricultural field is created from modular tiles with various crops mounted on metal constructions elevated above ground. These tiles are holding a computerized drip irrigation system, designated for optimum crop cultivation and nurturing. The field will consist of the following crops: wheat, corn and rice.
According to Knafo, the concept of the pavilion is presenting its message even for those, who will not enter it. Thus, the challenge he faced was "to seek the aesthetics in Sustainable Architecture or Green Architecture rather than compromise on aesthetics for the sake aesthetics, which degrades the profession. We keep talking about green building but end up with a box that is not much different from the box we know."
Knafo claims that architecture should evolve from the spoiled and passive phase into an active phase: "a building should not function like the Neanderthal's cave and make do with only the shell that protects it. It can be much more efficient, and we have the technological means for that. It should be able to clean the air and water it pollutes, dispose of the garbage it produces; and it should also be able to produce food for those who live in it, as we show in the Expo. There is no reason for a farmer from the Azrael Valley to provide me with the tomato or cucumber for my salad".
The American Pavilion world expo. Photo: Daniele Mascolo
The Russian Pavilion. Photo: Daniele Mascolo
The Malaysian Pavilion. Photo: Daniele Mascolo
The French Pavilion. Photo: Daniele Mascolo
The Brazilian Pavilion. Photo: Daniele Mascolo
The Chinese Pavilion. Photo : Daniele Mascolo
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Dharma Heroes: A Weekly Program for Introducing Dharma to Children
This assembly planning doc helps educators introduce a diverse range of Dharma Heroes. Using oral storytelling and inquiry as a teaching method, they encouraged kids to ask questions, explore ideas and determine for themselves what was the most meaningful and relevant about these heroes' life stories.
Interview: "The Sacred Work of Sandra Cisneros"
Angélica Paljor wrote this interview with Sandra Cisneros published in August, 2022 on Lion's Roar entitled, "The Sacred Work of Sandra Cisneros." The author speaks candidly about her own struggles, and how writing has been a practice that has helped transform them. An essential ingredient in Buddhist education is seeing how others integrate their view and practice into their work, art, and lives. Cisneros' example is vital as students work on developing their own voice, and considering how their view and self-expression are inextricable.
Teaching History and Symbolism in Kuan Yin: The Princess Who Became the Goddess of Compassion
This key provides references with links to study the history depicted in Kuan Yin: The Princess Who Became the Goddess of Compassion.
9 Books about the Life of the Buddha
Middle Way Education reviews 9 English-language books about the life of the Buddha.
Review of Old Path White Clouds
A review Thich Nhat Hanh's classic text, great for parents, educators, and students alike.
Why Do We Need a New Model of Education?
Kristin Lhatso and Noa Jones briefly summarize why a new model of Buddhist education for children is necessary. They articulate much of what Middle Way Education aims to achieve, and why.
Take a Harvard Buddhism Course Online for Free
"Buddhism Through Its Scriptures" is a 4-week course offered by Harvard University and edX, and is open to all.
International Dunhuang Project's Buddhism Education Pack
This 9-part worksheet set from the International Dunhuang Project introduces basic Buddhist concepts and history to the classroom using source material from the British Library and other institutions.
About the Jataka Tales
The ninth worksheet of a 9-part Buddhism Education Pack, drawing in the history of The Silk Road to teach about Buddhist history and culture. This worksheet introduces the Jataka Tales and recounts the Ruru Jataka, or the Tale of the Deer of Nine Colours. It includes cave paintings of the tale from a cave at Dunhuang.
Bodhisattvas and Avalokiteshvara
The eighth worksheet of a 9-part Buddhism Education Pack, drawing in the history of The Silk Road to teach about Buddhist history and culture. This worksheet explains the history of Avalokiteshvara and the principle of bodhisattvas.


Toys R Us ramps up holiday hiring
By Aaron Smith
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Toys R Us is gearing up for what it hopes will be a strong holiday shopping season, by hiring 45,000 seasonal workers nationwide — 5,000 more than last year.
Toys R Us announced the extra job slots Monday, saying they will help the company implement various new retail strategies. This includes an enhanced program to buy toys online and pick them up in the store, as well as a free layaway program and its hot toy reservation plan.
The retailer said there are growth opportunities for the workers, and the seasonal jobs could become full-time for those who perform well.
The company said that 15% of its seasonal employees from last year were hired full-time.
Toys R Us isn't the only retailer that's ramping up its work force ahead of the holiday shopping season. The department store chain Kohl's announced on Sept. 18 that it plans to hire 52,700 seasonal workers, a 10% jump compared to the year before.
Also, Toys R Us announced Sept. 4 that it's offering free layaway through Oct. 31. After that date, it will charge a $5 service fee.
Wal-Mart has also made changes to its layaway plan to make it more attractive. The retailer said on Sept. 4 that it's cutting the upfront fee that it charges customers on its layaway plan to $5 from $15.
These retailers, and their competitors Target and Sears, are bracing for another holiday shopping season amid a weak economy and high unemployment.


November 30, 2010 October 28, 2013 / Steve Patterson / Leave a comment
You search and search for a way in, for what are commonly termed "ideas," but what are really doorways into the word room. And then, when they come, you resist because you know, if they really take off, you belong to the words, and there's nothing you can do but see where they take you. If you find a title, forget it. Especially if it's a good one. You might as well snap on the handcuffs because it's gone from "writing" to "being a piece." And you just have to hang on for the ride.
I have a title. Or it has me.
Of course, you can short-circuit this at any time, just by telling someone what the title is. It automatically dissipates the magic, your attention flags, and you're free to get on with normal life. For example, I could just tell you the title is….
But…then I wouldn't have anything to write, and I'd have to start searching again.
This is a weird business I'm in.
That Last Waltz
November 24, 2010 October 28, 2013 / Steve Patterson / 2 Comments
Thirty-four years ago, tomorrow, four Canadians and a wiry guy from Arkansas played their final concert as The Band at Winterland. Martin Scorcese made a magnificent concert film of the proceeding—perhaps the best rock'n'roll film ever. The Band played their own funny, heartbreaking songs ("It Makes No Difference"; "The Shape I'm In" (pouring out of Richard Manuel); "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (maybe Levon Helm's finest moment); and a transcendent "The Weight" along with The Staple Singers, who inspired The Band's multipart vocals), then blithely served as some of the world's greatest sidemen to a parade of defining voices of the era: Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Dr. John, Van Morrison, Paul Butterfield, and others, including a guy named Dylan, who gave The Band a break when they were billed as The Hawks, having split as Ronnie Hawkins' backup band.
Not too long ago, a four-CD set from the concert was released, and it's filled with wonderful pieces never included in the film or the original, three-LP concert album. Listening to it now, with distance and time, the choice of material is striking: nearly every song can be viewed as a reflection on time's passing. The Sixties were done, consciousness expansion gone in a blur of Quaaludes, coke, and smack. The world had certainly changed, but the revolution failed, done in by Nixon, Vietnam, oil shocks, recession, and its own, inherent contradictions.
Even the music, once so high and wild, had degenerated into shadows of itself; the same year The Last Waltz celebrated what had been, The Ramones were busy burying it three chords at a time.
What you do hear in The Last Waltz is the blues. Blues and R&B underlies most of the cuts and The Band's sound. Muddy Waters' time onstage is all too brief. The Sixties may have been a bright flare that had burned itself out, but the blues are forever, relevant, and timeless. And the blues still have the power to cut through rock industry bullshit and coked up egos.
Still, just a look at the song titles, played in addition to The Band's songs (which gloriously reflected the past as in a funhouse mirror), carry the sense of an era's closing: "Such a Night"; "Down South in New Orleans" (one of the simplest, best songs ever written: 'my ship's at anchor/my suitcase packed/got a one-way ticket/ain't comin' back'); "All Our Past Times"; "Further on Up the Road"; "Helpless"; "Furry Sings the Blues"; "Tura Lura Lura"; and "Forever Young."
And the closer. Everybody came out to sing it. Ringo sat in on drums, Ronnie Wood on lead guitar—respectively representing the Beatles and the Stones. You don't get much more iconic than that, unless you could drag out Lennon and Jagger (not bloody likely). It was a song from The Basement Tapes, when Dylan had dropped off the circuit and holed up in Woodstock, New York. Informally, he would get together with his neighbors, The Band, and they would have a few drinks, roll the tape, and see what happened. It's amusing to wonder what Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson thought one apocryphal evening when Bob Dylan unfolded a piece of paper and said something like: "Uh…I got this thing called 'I Shall Be Released.' Wanna' try it?"
It was, as they say, a long time ago. A lot of those folks—Muddy, Butterfield, Bill Graham, Bobby Charles, Danko, and…oh man…Richard Manuel—are no longer with us. Everything had gone to hell and was fucked up. Everybody was fucked up. Everything's still fucked up. But, if you angle your head just right and look down into yourself, you can still see your reflection somewhere so high above that wall.
In which your hero wins one for the home team…
November 10, 2010 October 28, 2013 / Steve Patterson / 1 Comment
Looks like I up and won CoHo Productions New by Northwest play contest with "Immaterial Matters"…my somewhat gentle, period piece about death, photography, and, uh…death.
Smile for the camera.
CoHo Productions Presents Steve Patterson's IMMATERIAL MATTERS, 1/23-24
Utter Horror and Other Forms of Entertainment
November 2, 2010 October 28, 2013 / Steve Patterson / Leave a comment
There's an election tomorrow. You might have heard that. The conventional wisdom is that Democrats are going to get whacked. And they likely will, but there's something in me that's not quite buying the polls. Maybe I'm in denial. Still, the one thing that seems to be distinguishing the polls—other than they're terrifying Democrats—is that they're all over the place. One week they show Republican momentum, another week they show a Democratic momentum…and now the Republicans are back.
As usual, it'll come down to local politics and who's got the best ground game. Rather than get into a whole big analysis, which seems a little pointless when the numbers are all over, I'll just trot out my predictions, and we'll see how it rolls tomorrow.
Republicans take back the House. Why? It's the one thing polls seem to hold together, it's an anti-incumbent year, largely because unemployment is so high. Since Democrats have more seats, they're likely to take the biggest share of the blame. (Never mind that the Republicans have no idea how to get out of the economic mess other than "cut taxes"…which won't work.)
The Senate's going to be close. Boxer will probably hold onto her seat. Harry Reid will likely lose his, even though his opponent is arguably insane. I think the Dems will probably lose Kentucky and Pennsylvania too. God only knows what'll happen in Alaska, though I'd hedge my bets on Murkowski—she's a known quantity and Miller seems less and less stable. But who knows? Miller may be a protest vote. I think it's arguable that a lot of Republicans will pick up seats as protests. Looks like Feingold's over in Wisconsin; and it's worth saying that the last couple of years, Feingold has been something of an arrogant son-of-a-bitch, and that may be partly why his opponent leads.
Brown probably wins the governorship in California. That's cool. I like the Jerry. He's a much less conventional politician than he seems, and California could use his experience. The real question marks are here in the Pacific Northwest. Patty Murray's running a bare fisted fight with Dino Rossi, and this might finally be the year than Rossi wins one, for the aforementioned reasons. But Murray's really pretty well liked, and Rossi's a perennial loser, albeit by close margins. This one probably won't be settled until the next day or later. It'll likely come down to how the vote breaks in Puget Sound.
Close to home, we have a nail biter between Kitzhaber and Dudley for governor of Oregon. Dudley actually has a shot, as a moderate Republican in the mold of Atiyeh, and economic times are very similar to those when Atiyeh was elected. Kitzhaber's a good, smart guy, but he burned a few bridges when he was governor, and folks may feel he's had his shot. It'll basically come down to Democratic turnout in Portland and Eugene…as it usually does in Oregon.
And California's Proposition 19, legalizing marijuana? It's been a fascinating ride on this one, but marijuana measures tend to run strong, then fade, which is what the polls indicate here. On the other hand, a lot of people who might turn out to vote on Prop 19 might be off the pollsters' radar, so it's not over. My general feeling is: I'll believe it when I see it, but, after you've watched a president resign, guys walk on the moon, the Berlin Wall come down, and an African-American win the presidency, you hedge your bets. So Prop 19, maybe…but probably not.
Finally, if the Republicans actually win this thing like some pollsters are saying, then they're going to have to govern. Which they suck at. And that's where it gets entertaining, because voters don't seem to be so much for Republicans as they are against Democrats. Entertaining, that is, unless they don't usher in a second Great Depression with total gridlock and general insanity. Good times…not so much.
From the Stewart Rally
Note: this is the first time in the history of this blog that "sanity" has been a keyword.


Sam Benjamin, MD on Integrated-Wellness Care in 11-Million Member Humana, Inc.
Sam Benjamin, MD, on Integrated-Wellness Care at 11-Million Member Humana, Inc.
Summary: Long-time integrative medicine leader Sam Benjamin, MD, has served for six years as Corporate Medical Director for Integrative Health Strategies for Humana. He describes the present status and new directions of integrated care as part of Humana's wellness and consumerism strategies, along with sobering information on covered CAM-IM benefits.
If you explore the details of the homepage of the website for the 11-million member Humana, Inc., you will find, down at the bottom, center, this link:
"The Dr. Sam Show offers a daily dose of healthcare guidance."
Click to the offered portal and one encounters the photo of long-time integrative medicine leader Sam Benjamin, MD imbedded in an array of consumer resources, much of it of his own creation. The promised guidance includes pod-casts, guides, web-links, books and other resources.
Among the selections on the web page is a link to the actual Dr. Sam Show - a twice weekly radio program, principally sponsored by the Louisville, Kentucky-based firm. The interview-format program airs mainly in markets in which the insurer ("benefits company" Benjamin corrects me) is active: Tampa, Chicago, Indianapolis, Tucson, Orlando, Kansas City, Miami and, of course, Louisville. A benefit to the listeners of the Dr. Sam Show, according to Humana, is that "since (Benjamin) is a medical doctor, a licensed homeopath and a certified acupuncturist, his listeners can ask questions about both conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)."
Benjamin's Background in Two Major Integrative Medicine Initiatives
Benjamin, who wears the Humana title of Corporate Medical Director for Integrative Health Strategies, and I spoke first of how his relationship with the insurer/benefits giant was panning out. My question had some history in it.
Benjamin had led high profile, pioneering initiatives with hospitals and academic centers in integrative medicine's first days-1995-2000. He directed the first, major hospital-based integrative clinic, the 10,000 square foot Arizona Center for Health and Medicine (ACHM) sponsored by the multi-state Catholic Healthcare West. The gorgeous, Zen-gardened and smooth-walled clinic was national news as it rose - and as it collapsed in red ink and amidst conventional physician resistance. A startling, learning experience for many in the field: Maybe linking complementary medicine in a conventional system may not go so smoothly as some imagined ...
Sam Benjamin, MD, Humana's corporate medical director for integrative health strategies
Benjamin's next position was running an integrative medicine program for an academic medical center at the State University of New York-Stony Brook. Benjamin sought to ensure that funding would not be an issue there, quickly seeking support from natural products industry funders. He found himself in the cross-hairs of anti-CAM warriors and eventually left.
CAM Coverage Typically Up to the Employer Group
Benjamin appears to have found a home at Humana, which employs him full time in a capacity which bridges complementary and integrative medicine with the firm's wellness and consumerism interests.
"Humana's view is
that it is not in the
but in the benefits
business."
A first responsibility when he went to work, in 2000, was to be a system-wide resource on CAM. "Most people did not know what it was, or had negative attitudes toward CAM," he recalls. "That was step one."
He feels like the brunt of this mission is accomplished. "At Humana, we want to champion idea that people can choose the health care provider they want, whatever they feel is in their best interests. We have no prejudices against MDs, or against well-trained NDs (naturopathic doctors)" The assertion is reflected in directions given to consumers on the Dr. Sam site:
"If you want alternative medicine, get your advice from a well-trained ND (naturopath) or MD with integrative medicine training, or some other professional."
Benjamin adds that Humana's openness to CAM approaches is not merely targeting clients: "Humana even has a CAM resources section on its employee site."
One of the Dr. Sam stations
But how about covered benefits, beyond such guidance to members on their decisions. . Here, Humana is not taking an advance position: "CAM coverage depends on what the employer wants." He notes that through American WholeHealth, whose medical director John Reed, MD is Benjamin's former colleague at ACHM, Humana members have a CAM discount program for acupuncture, massage, chiropractic and some other services.
Humana does have some interesting points where care is covered: "We offer glucosamine-chondroitin to our Medicare members in Florida at a $10 co-pay for three months supply. This would probably be $30-$40 month for a good quality product." Benjamin also notes that there may be more coverage coming for acupuncture, and for multi-vitamins.
Pressed on specific kinds of complementary and integrative services Humana covers for some of its employer clients, Benjamin deferred: "It's an issue of competitiveness. We don't usually talk about what a specific employer wants or is getting." He notes that , short of hard data showing that CAM services limit other costs, neither employer nor insurer is likely to push more significant coverage of CAM providers. Humana is not presently exploring these cost-offset questions, but, says Benjamin, "I think we will."
CAM as Part of a Consumerism/Wellness Benefit
Spanish language station for the bi-lingual Benjamin
Benjamin shifts the conversation, making clear his work in Humana has little to do with CAM, per se, or even "integrative medicine," unless an employer requests it. Rather, the focus is on "every way we can assist members with life and living." Says Benjamin:
"Humana's view is that it is not in the insurance business but in the benefits business."
He states that the firm is offering "an integrated approach to lifestyle issues." He defends the approach: "If a person is not going to walk or get exercise, it's not going to matter much whether they get acupuncture."
Benjamin then ticks off a list of integrated wellness-oriented services:
A magazine targeting seniors has routine articles on options such as meditation and yoga - "it's truly integrated, we just don't call it that."
Seniors have a SilverSneakers exercise program and a Posit Science "brain fitness" program.
Web information on CAM approaches and supplements is available.
Disease management programs "increasingly include CAM."
Members are informed about environmental issues, from problems with teflon to air-water pollution to synthetic beds.
Humana sometimes provides food and house-cleaning services, for a time-limited period, to members in recovery from a significant health problem.
The "benefits company" has sometimes assisted employer clients toward healthy vending options.
The firm is "moving enormously toward consumer-directed plans."
The sponsoring his radio show as an experiment with a kind of "info-tainment" meant to better engage people with their health than more typically used educational materials.
Members are steering to explore potential problems with some conventional care that may be recommended. He notes: "We send them to HealthGrades to research the hospitals or physicians they select. We want people to see the costs and dangers of what they are getting." He adds: "I think this transparency favors integration."
"If a person is not
going to walk or
get exercise, it's
not going to matter
much whether they
get acupuncture."
Benjamin reflects on the different meaning of integration at Humana compared to the experience a decade ago in the integrative clinic sponsored by Catholic Healthcare West (CHW): "At CHW, we were a bizarre thorn in their sides. Here, we've not only overcome the ignorance about CAM but there is a dramatic increase in suggestions related to CAM that come from others. The staff is taking things and running with them."
For Benjamin, his personal, ongoing staff work centers on the radio show, where, he states, Humana gives him "tremendous leeway - as long as I can back it up."
Comment: That the outspoken Benjamin has a multi-city radio show is a sign of a level of dialogue from the inside that parts of health care are learning to stomach. The programs are instructive about the intellectual housing of the integrative discussion in a large, well, benefits company.
The status of CAM/IM
in Humana is a hard
reminder of just how
poorly the CAM-IM
idea of a clinical
orientation to wellness
is yet integrated
into even a progressive
use of wellness
But that Humana hasn't taken a more proactive approach toward steering people toward the care of CAM/IM providers - through more actual coverage - is a hard reminder of just how poorly the CAM-IM idea of a clinical orientation to wellness is yet integrated into even a progressive use of wellness programming.
We Need Data on Cost Off-Sets
How do we foster this fundamental integration of a wellness-oriented clinical approach and more typical wellness strategies? The answer is a drum I've been beating for years. We need more data on cost and, specifically, cost-offsets, from the whole practices provided by acupuncturists, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, massage therapists and integrative practitioners. Data on effectiveness, alone, will not change the practices of an employer or insurer.
Might I repeat that again? Data on effectiveness, alone, will not shift the kinds of healthcare services which people with covered benefits are able to access. The action step? We need a new and more significant health services research program at the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.