Stuff below the fold

Hieropraxis reports that they are planning to put up a plaque to CS Lewis at Westminister's Poet corner.

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MariaElena at Tea at Trianon has written a historical novel about the Cathars, notes:

  Regarding the Albigensian Crusade, it was really fought over salt. The South of France had vast reserves of salt and the North invaded. Heresy was an excuse for a war of conquest. The papacy had very little to do with it.

I ran across this book, which tells the fascinating story of Salt in world history...

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The good news of the day: Fukushima area is now planning to restart allowing farmers to grow rice. The fields have been decontaminated

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I don't think the western news noticed it, but there was a major fire in a clothing factory in Bangladesh that killed 110 workers, mainly women.

And the really bad part is that it may have been arson, and there are reports that management locked doors to keep workers from escaping...

Global voices has the background, including photos of the tragedy, and interviews of locals,
but also notes that letting women work in factories has empowered women to get out of poverty.

The world’s third-largest garments export industry employs more than 3 million workers, 90% of whom are women.

remember that last part when you read about Walmart's sweatshops. 
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All your internet belong to us? The UN is trying to grab the internet, and the left is silent at this attempt to squish freedom of speech. more here.

But Google is trying to stop it.

it's not the first time Google took on the problem LINK


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And a "Facepalm" moment hits the NYTimes:

Hospitals Face Pressure to Avert Readmissions 

Dr. Lynch said Barnes-Jewish set up follow-up appointments for patients who didn’t have their own doctors. But about half of the patients never showed up, he said, even after the hospital made reminder phone calls and arranged for free rides. Sending nurses to see patients at home did not significantly reduce readmission rates either, he said.

Yup. Sounds like our patients.

then there is this:

With pressure to avert readmissions rising, some hospitals have been suspected of sending patients home within 24 hours, so they can bill for the services but not have the stay counted as an admission. 

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How they use Cellphones for banking in Kenya.