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I tend to listen to things, and let things percolate. Am I still frustrated by Tyreke Evans and his, or what I see it as anyway, limiting and clownball level of play? Yes. But that's a lot of what last night's tweets and post was about.
That doesn't mean I think Keith Smart is an idiot, or what he's saying is necessarily right in his post-game interviews. I get Smart is in an impossible position, that if Smart is lucky, will end up with Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins backing him enough to the point where Smart can continue to push at them to grow as players.
If you haven't seen the presser of Smart's last night, I thought it was interesting (also entertaining but that's only the political side of it) from a number of vantages. Smart contradicted himself, IMO, when he said that the guys were running plays that we want run, and then noted Tyreke Evans took a couple of quick shots that weren't advised. Maybe I'm not understanding the distinction though on that one.
I did find the "we need to study the scouting reports" bit by Hayes and Smart from today's Bee by Jason Jones frustrating. This quote I found particularly interesting:
"As we went through our personnel (Saturday) morning, Chuck's sitting on the side and really helping communicate what certain players can do, and that's what you need from a veteran on a young ballclub," Smart said.
Also, this is what Hayes is quoted as in Jones' story:
As Hayes put it, good teams "prepare well," and that is something he wants his teammates to learn.
"I had some great vets," Hayes said. "And I had some superstars like Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. I've been with stars in their prime and I've been with stars past their primes and just being professionals, so I get it."
Finally, there is a tremendous piece by James Ham at Cowbell Kingdom that illustrates the questions around Tyreke really remain.
Here is a good portion of the piece:
Something is still wrong. Coach Westphal was the first to pay the price for the Kings struggles. Certainly Westphal had faults. For one, Westphal did not believe that all players should be handled with the same approach. While DeMarcus Cousins constantly received what can only be deemed tough love, Evans was instead nurtured, maybe even coddled. Neither approach seemed to have the desired effect.
Two things have to be said. Not every individual can be handled differently so therefore it's difficult for me to disagree with Westphal's approach on this matter. But it is very illustrative of how insecure both Evans and Cousins are that handling of two different personalities has caused as many problems as it is. This is nothing new to the NBA, but it is a problem any way you slice it.
The second part of this is that Tyreke Evans was coddled, and hopefully the good part of that is that Tyreke realizes you can't simply act that way and be an effective NBA player. But the bad part is that transition from someone who realizes that reality and someone who doesn't is often an ugly painful process that Keith Smart is doing everything in his power to overturn and move forward with.
As far as Cousins goes, Cousins is a loud and noisy personality which leads to the unfortunate bi-product that there is no easy way to deal with our growing basketball player. The good news is that I think Cousins will transition from the rougher spots than Evans will simply because Cousins hasn't been coddled as often and seems eager to shed some of the more detrimental parts to his personality in part due to some of the criticism.
Here is probably the most important part of Jimmer Ham's piece:
So while we talk about what position he plays or what style of game he should play or why he is struggling, the only thing we should be talking about is whether or not Evans is the player that can lead his team to victory. Scoring or passing, defending or rebounding, Evans is the guy who needs to find a way each and every night to make his team better than their opponent. If he can do this, the sky is the limit. Until then, the Kings will continue to struggle and Evans will be just a player on a bad team.
These are my sentiments exactly.
The emotional tug of war that is going on between Tyreke Evans and the franchise, Keith Smart, teammates like Cousins, and other teammates is obvious. It's killing this team's chemistry because what this Kings team need is for Evans and Cousins to take this team where it needs to really go. While the pieces around Evans/Cousins, Salmons and Thornton especially, doesn't really fit with Evans from a conceptual standpoint, Evans is more than talented to make up some of the gaps, the real gaps, that exist on this team right now. But Evans lacks the commitment, IN MY OPINION, to do so right now. You have the right to disagree, but unless you can refute my opinion with hard fact (which would be impossible) then you're going to have accept we won't agree.
Kevin Love is part of a franchise with a stinker of an owner in Glen Taylor (the real worm in the Wolves apple–as any real Wolves fan will tell you), and a mumbling bumbling moron in the press in David Kahn. Yet, at the same time, the commitment from Love to improve himself even if the team around him wasn't was always there for him. That commitment had nothing to do with the Wolves. It said a lot about Kevin Love, and still does, how willing he was to do what it took to win games in Minnesota. Given that a major story line of the current NBA season with Dwight Howard revolves around just that, I don't see how you can overlook any of this as being churlish or out of order. Which makes my point here rather simple if not convoluted: Good culture starts with players who demand such a culture. Who will do that on the Kings as the roster is currently constituted? Especially if it's not your two best "players"?
Can Keith Smart save the Kings? Can he convince Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins that the natural tendencies both display are not conducive to winning NBA basketball? Can Smart get the other guys on the team to buy in? (I think he has already honestly.) Can Keith Smart take advantage of the fact that he is not a hot coaching prospect (right or wrong) to reach two thorny prospects (which is putting it kindly) who have the potential of making the Kings significantly better?
From my vantage, which is admittedly limited given that I do not live in Sacramento, it's that Keith Smart has ridiculously terrible waters to navigate as a head coach with a rotten ownership, a basketball operations headed by someone more interested in preserving his own legacy than doing the appropriate thigns to right the ship, and two young players who are as interested in their fame as they are interested in being great basketball players.
Can Keith Smart save this franchise from itself? I don't know and the odds are against him. But there is a point that should be reminded by a longtime Sactown Royalty feller named Otis that should be rehashed:
At what point has Geoff Petrie built a winning team for a coach that was not Rick Adelman? Right now, Geoff Petrie, the Maloofs are to blame. And too many people would give them credit (unfortunately that includes yours truly) for allowing time to work it's course if the season ended up differently right now.
Guess what? A strong culture starts with players willing to be accountable, and coaching staff/basketball management working together to make it happen. How can anyone claim that the good ship Kings is working in appropriate order? Keith Smart has done everything he can to hold players accountable, starting with Evans and Cousins, and has done everything in his power, it seems to me, to put as many players as he can in positions to succeed. This roster still has real holes, starting with the SF spot where Salmons is clearly miscast, and it has no real ability long term to fix those holes without competent and deft strokes from Petrie to help this franchise recover to even what should be a playoff team.
The bottom line, at the end of the day, is that this franchise needs centerpieces and/or building blocks. The Kings need those players to be Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins. Neither of whom happen to be ready for such a thing at this point for a variety of reasons. We could talk about Salmons falling off a cliff and falling face first onto the rocks at the bottom of a cliff then getting up and playing as if said incident really happened. We could talk about Thornton being a gunner and not the right fit with Evans or how Jimmer is not benefitting from this environment. We could talk about JJ Hickson and what a stinkpot of a first month plus he has had in a Kings uniform. We could talk about the progress of Jason Thompson, what kind of real potential does Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Honeycutt hold for the Kings long term. None of that adds up to anything as important as whether or not the Maloofs are competent owners, whether Petrie should remain as head of basketball operations, can Keith Smart do the job as a head coach, and whether Tyreke Evans/DeMarcus Cousins are up to the tasks as franchise saviors.
Of all the important things I just listed, the Maloofs/Petrie/Smart factors all add up to a COMBINED less importance than whether or not Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins grow up. History of the NBA says that players like Evans and Cousins will grow up. On their 2nd or 3rd teams when reality finally sinks in about what it takes to succeed at the NBA level. That's the bottom line. That's why I continue to focus so heavily on those issue's because, in reality, whether the Maloofs are still owners is based a lot on what location they are allowed to remain ownership in. (Also the potential terms of a new arena in Sacramento if the NBA deems that is the location they wish to be a part of.) Other than whether the Kings will be in Sacramento, no other issue remains as critical or necessary to discuss on a daily basis as to if Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins can grow up while in a Kings uniform. That question very much remains up in the air regardless of your opinion or how you feel about my opinion.
I personally think the Kings should give Keith Smart a 5 year contract just for being willing to take this stinkpot of a job. It's no longer a question of whether Smart deserves the Kings at this point; it's simply whether the Kings deserve Keith Smart and his passion/intelligence/willingness for the job. Because right now, if there is anything that is made clear about the performance of this franchise on/off the court, it's that there is very little to write home about. For what certainly would be a surprising change of pace, it would be nice to see if Keith Smart could be one of those bright spots.


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Kirkland is located on the Eastside. Homes for sale in Kirkland include foreclosures (bank-owned homes), short sales, new construction, luxury and traditional resale homes. Home styles range from condos to townhomes and single-family homes.
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland is located just across Lake Washington from Seattle, a short drive across the Highway 520 floating bridge. This lakeside city has one of the most-loved downtown areas in the greater Seattle region, with a mix of upscale shops, unique restaurants, and an "old town feel" that allows for walking to most necessities. Waterfront parks dot Kirkland's shoreline, and waterfront homes give way to upscale neighborhoods near the water and more affordable, suburban neighborhoods heading East. Kirkland is part of the highly-regarded Lake Washington School District, and has a population of around 80,000 residents making it the 12th largest city in Washington. Kirkland was the birthplace of the warehouse chain Costco (ergo the "Kirkland signature" brand), and has a strong business base. Condos in Kirkland are centered around the waterfront, while most inland properties are single family homes.
Our exclusive Local Market Research helps you make more informed decisions. Each week we publish market updates for Kirkland. You can see the latest trends in pricing, affordability, supply and demand. We invest in this research so our clients always have the latest insights to make the best decisions with confidence. Below are the latest home pricing trends for Kirkland based on zip code 98033.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Recyclable 80g non woven small shoulder bag in paperboy style with Velcro fastening and gusset. Jute cloth with lamination
Recyclable 80gsm non woven PP white bag with coloured trim, handles and gusset with baseboard.
Full colour natural shopper made from 62% jute, 23% cotton and 15% polypropylene. Features include gusset, rope handles and laminated backing.
The large main compartment in this messenger bag provides lots of space. The interior mesh pocket is great for carrying documents and closes conveniently with a front flap hook and loop closure. Open front pockets for carrying items you need quick access to. Adjustable shoulder strap for better fit. 600D Polyester.
PVC messenger bag with 2 white lines on the front and white piping. With a reinforced bottom plate and an adjustable shoulder strap.
Stark Tech Tablet Messenger Bag. This exclusive design includes integrated features to keep you powered up on the go. The zipped main compartment has a padded tablet sleeve which fits 10'' tablets, a spacious compartment to store books and files and a power bank pocket. The smart pass through port in the main compartment connects to the front of the bag under a flap. The front pocket under the flap fits most power banks making it possible to charge all your mobile devices without having to remove them from the bag. The elastic organiser strap under the flap allows you to store small cables. 600D Polyester.
Polyester (600D) shoulder bag with label. The large compartment has a zipper closing. The main compartment is divided in two by a separator. The shoulder strap is adjustable.
Nylon (900D) laptop bag with two colours. The main compartment has a big open pocket on the inside, as well as two smaller interior pockets and two pen pockets. The bag has a carry strap as well as an adjustable shoulder strap.
Power Stretch 17'' laptop messenger bag. 17'' laptop messenger bag with a zipped main compartment features a padded sleeve for your laptop and a dedicated neoprene pocket for your tablet. The dedicated neoprene pocket for your mobile charger also had a port that runs to the outside of the bag and into the front tablet pocket so you can charge all your mobile devices without having to remove them from the bag. The outside of the bag features a front accessory pocket that secures with elastic for quick access to all your mobile devices. Side mesh pockets for your phone or cables. Adjustable shoulder strap. Trolley sleeve on back. 600D Polyester.
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There's the niggly fear that if we see a property we like next weekend the whole thing will start again. We'll put in an offer, we'll get it accepted, and then we're back in mortgage saga country.
Someone once said (and don't ask me who) that 'success is available to those who don't realise that failure is inevitable'; a slightly depressing take on the whole affair yet probably quite fair. Contemplating, and allowing for, failure means you give up quicker, that you accept the situation, and (while we can't change everything) don't try to change anything. Throughout this process I have been at my most happy and most positive when I have just not considered failure an option; and it's a little frustrating now that the idea of failure is sneaking back into my thought process.
Next Friday we are seeing viewing 3 properties all of which are really exciting for different reasons, and while I am dying to get down there I cannot shake the feeling that we are just starting the whole, painful process all over again. "Of course we're not" the optimistic part of my head scolds, "it's different this time – we now know what we're doing", "But what…" says the other part, "if we're just never going to get the money". It's actually harder than it initially seems to juggle a job, a social life, a relationship AND two people in my head.
Having talked a lot about the waiting game, and moaned about not being able to do anything to affect the outcome of where we're at, I now really am a bit stuck as to what to do for the next week or so. Danny and I have searched every site we can find in an attempt to identify more relevant properties, we've emailed commercial estate agents and residential ones, we've driven (one of) our long suffering mortgage brokers mad, we've discussed breakfast menus (again), we've listed the pros and cons of the properties we're going to see, and now I'm trying to update this blog to keep readers interested and engaged when there's actually nothing to say.
I feel impotent and it's boringly familiar. Maybe I'm being taught a lesson. Patience.? Tolerance? Determination in the face of adversity? Maybe knowing that we can fail and just doing it anyway is the answer. Maybe, just maybe, there's no such thing as failure; merely circumstances which we find ourselves in, and then it stands to reason that if there's an 'in' there must be an 'out'. All this speculation, all this to-ing and fro-ing, friends have described this to me as the 'paralysis of analysis'.
I guess that my conclusion is "so what if we have to go through it all again?"… after all, no experience is a wasted experience, it informs who we become in the future and what action we take the next time round. All I can hope is that it's 'second time lucky' and not 'third or fourth time lucky'. François Duc de La Rochefoucauld said…
'Hope, deceitful as it is, serves at least to lead us to the end of our lives by an agreeable route.'
… and fear is not an agreeable route, the dread, the worry – it's just not fun and it certainly doesn't help. So François, we'll do it your way. I HOPE that this time it will be different.


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Gyorko homers; Volquez, Erlin work 2 scoreless innings
Jedd Gyorko hit his second homer of the spring and made two impressive defensive plays and Edinson Volquez and Robbie Erlin threw two scoreless innings apiece Monday in the Padres fourth spring training exhibition.
The appearance by Volquez was the first of two the right-hander will make for the Padres before he reports to the Dominican Republic's team in the World Baseball Classic.
Volquez walked the first hitter he faced in the Padres 7-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. He then struck out four straight. He allowed two hits and a walk in two innings and threw 22 pitches with 16 going for strikes.
"Volquez had good stuff," said Padres manager Bud Black. "The velocity was there. He worked in the top of the zone."
"It was so cold (57 degrees) that I had trouble getting loose," said Volquez. "After the walk, I thought I was making good pitches with the fastball. I felt good. I felt strong."
Volquez threw only three changeups as the Padres are working with him to work more off the fastball.
"His stuff was awesome," said catcher Nick Hundley.
Volquez said he feels like most players head to the WBC. "Everyone is rushing a little bit to be ready. I know I feel like I am ready to go."
Erlin allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in his 16-pitch, two-inning debut. But the left-hander wasn't as pleased with his outing as Volquez was.
"My fastball command wasn't particularly sharp," said Erlin. "I didn't attack the zone the way I wanted to. I was pulling my fastball instead of letting my mechanics work for me."
Gyorko impresses
In addition to hitting his second home run of the spring – a two-run line drive over the center field wall in the second – second baseman Gyorko turned his first double play of the spring to get the Padres out of a jam in the fifth and later threw out a runner after making a diving stop.
"I'm feeling more comfortable," said Gyorko, who made five plays in the field and nearly turned a second double play earlier. "I worked hard over the winter trying to get ready."
Gyorko is 3-for-9 with two homers and eight RBI.
Said Black: "Some of the things we're seeing early from Jedd are the things our minor league people have talked about."
Catcher Eddy Rodriguez hit a three-run homer and Kyle Blanks and Mark Kotsay each had two hits. Shortstop Jeudy Valdez drove in his sixth run in as many at-bats with his third double. He also stole a base.
Padres notes
-- Bullpen candidate Brandon Kloess had a busy day. He played goalie during a Padres soccer match Monday morning, then allowed only one run in working his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam (the inning ending on the double play started by Logan Forsythe at third and turned by Gyorko).
-- Gyorko on soccer: "If you have to run all day and can't use your hands, it's not for me."
-- Black said right-handed pitcher Andrew Cashner is ahead of schedule and will throw off the mound later this week. "Like I've been saying, I will be ready as a starter when the season opens," said Cashner.
-- Forsythe will make his first start at shortstop Wednesday against the A's in Phoenix in a split-squad doubleheader.
-- Right-handed pitcher Tim Stauffer faced live hitters Monday.
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Difference between revisions of "Eclipse DemoCamps Galileo 2009/Budapest"
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# Matlak Zoli
# Matlak Zoli
# Jason van Zyl, [http://www.sonatype.com Sonatype]
# Jason van Zyl, [http://www.sonatype.com Sonatype]
Revision as of 04:42, 14 June 2009
Tabán Teázó 1013 Budapest, Attila út 27. map
Date and Time
18 June 2009 19:00
Brandon Ulrich, B2 International
If you would like to present at the DemoCamp, please feel free to add your name and topic to the list. Depending on the number of people interested we may have to limit the number of presenters and time of each demo.
- Gergely Nagy, Dependency management with Ivy and IvyDE
- Bence Oláh, JBPM Eclipse integration
- Zsolt Török, Introduction to Eclipse Riena
- Jason van Zyl, M2Eclipse & Nexus
Who Is Attending
If you plan on attending please add your name and company to the list below. We'd like to see as many people show up as possible.
- Brandon Ulrich, B2 International
- Balázs Bánfai, B2 International
- Zsolt Török, B2 International
- Szabolcs Bárdy, B2 International
- Gergely Nagy, B2 International
- István Benedek, B2 International
- Bence Oláh, B2 International
- Leo Devai, B2 International
- Orsolya Bali, B2 International
- Auth Gábor, CIB Bank ZRt
- Akos Gabriel, I-Logic Ltd
- Balint Pato, ApPello Ltd
- Ferenc Boldog, Ustream
- Tamás Magyar, I-Logic Ltd
- Nándor Előd Fekete, Quark Solutions
- Karoly Belovitz, CIB Bank ZRt
- Viktor Tamás
- Laszlo Hornyak
- Istvan Viczian, JTechLog
- Matlak Zoli
- Jason van Zyl, Sonatype
- Tibor Kiss


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I'm probably the last person you would have associated with the word 'bold' a few years ago, but fast forward to now (when I'm no longer a teenager *sobs*) deep colours, and especially vampy lips have soon started to become my new obsession. So it's only appropriate I pair them up with my favourite deeper nail polishes. Although for all the nail polishes I do covet, the truth is I'm a lazy bean who can rarely be bothered to paint her nails anymore. I might make that into a resolution this year: stop collecting and start wearing!
First up we have China Glaze 255 RAVISHING DAHLING. This is a really deep oxblood shade, however with one coat it comes up as quite a bright pink which I found very strange. 2 coats rectifies this and it's much more true to colour. It does have a tendency to look like a really deep red so you have to go in with a full layer if you want that bold look.
Rimmel I love Lasting Finish in 193 BLACK CHERRIES is one I picked up in Poundland (here). This is a deep purple with a slight golden metallic sheen. With one layer this does look quite streaky as I found the formula a bit too dry, however with 2 layers you would never be able to tell and it looks fine. This was definitely a bargain purchase and whilst the formula isn't quite on par with the others I really like the way the shade turns out.
Butter London isn't a brand I try out very much so this polish in PITTER PATTER was quite an unexpected addition. It's more of a vibrant purple, compared to the Rimmel offering which is very deep, but this one has slight golden specks in it. The formula is very smooth and easy to apply.
OPI nail lacquer in Purple-iscious is more of a glittery top coat than a base shade for me. The pinky-purple shade has very fine glitter particles on the same colour running through it. However, they're perfectly intertwined within the polish so it doesn't have that crunchy feel or look that you can sometimes get with glittery top coats. It could be worn on it's own but you need atleast 2 coats as it isn't opaque in one.
Now onto my favourite of the bunch: OPI nail lacquer in MALAGA WINE! I absolutely adore this shade, 2 winters ago this was all I wore! It's a very deep burgundy wine shade, although I'm a bit gutted that in the swatches it comes off as a very deep red. The formula of this is perfect, you can get full opaqueness in one swatch but I apply two to get the wine shade. What's even more amazing is that I still have most of it left and back when I got it I certainly wasn't as lazy with my nails as I am now!
Lastly, Nails Inc Hanover Square was one of the polishes I picked up in a Glamour issue (here). I will admit that I don't find some of the Nails Inc formulas to be the best but I can't fault this one! One coat of this would probably be enough on it's own for the deep oxblood/maroon colour to come though. The formula was also very smooth and gave a lovely finish.
Overall, with all of these polishes (apart from the Rimmel one I mentioned) I found the formula to be really good, the brushes were all decent sizes too so it didn't take ages to coat each nail and there weren't any streaks left behind either.


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Sean Parker Tipped a Waitress $5,000
Sean Parker reportedly tipped a West Hollywood waitress $5,000 this weekend. It sounds like a certain tech fameball wants to become a real star.
Parker and some friends rang up a $6,000 tab at the Beverly Club, according to RumorFix, before Parker left a tip for nearly as much for the group's lucky waitress. RumorFix, which traffics in and purports to fact check celebrity gossip, described the Napster co-founder and former Facebook president in Hollywood terms: "Justin Timberlake played the mogul in the hit movie Social Network."
And that goes a long way toward explaining why Parker, engaged to singer Alexandra Lenas, is throwing $5K at a Tinseltown cocktail waitress: He'd like it if people living amongst bona fide global celebrities knew who he was without the aid of Google and an $11,000 credit card slip. It's the same reason a guy famous for startups in Silicon Valley is also increasingly known for entertaining in his New York mansion, socializing with movie producers and famous musicians and Vanity Fair writers, serving bowls of caviars to movie stars after Coachella, and, soon, for running a full fledged personal blogging machine. Sean Parker, made famous by Justin Timberlake, would like your attention on him. What else is new?
[Pic: Parker at the e-G8 summit in May via Aaron Fulkerson/Flickr]


text: Dressing gowns make the ideal cover up around the house, for a comfortable and elegant finish to your sleepwear ensemble. They are also especially useful to slip on after that relaxing shower or bath, and lounge in comfort whilst you style your hair or put on makeup. Here at Mio Destino you will find coordinating night dresses to purchase separately to your dressing gowns that can make a complete boudoir ensemble. We stock a range of sexy, boudoir dressing gowns, proving that loungewear can be beautifully sexy and sophisticated. Take a look at fabulous brand Irall to find many sumptuous options in soft satin. The flair for design and colour palette is beautiful in this collection. Find beautiful lace edging and feminine embroidery as well as gorgeous shaping to flatter your silhouette. We adore our own brand of loungewear, Mio Lounge, with some gorgeous dressing gown options in satin, chiffon and wonderfully soft micro modal fabric. This range is exclusive to Mio Destino and cannot be found anywhere else, so do not miss out on their unique beauty. You will adore the beautiful array of options in sexy colours to choose from. Dressing gowns make a great gift idea, and will be much appreciated by your loved ones. Take a look at the whole range to find the one she will adore. If you are looking for your lovely new loungewear, be sure to take a look at our other beautiful options in our sleepwear category to find angelic robes and sleepwear that you will adore.


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Best of 2004 Vol. 7 Double DVD-R
Double DVD-R Set
Please verify you have a compatible player before purchasing our DVD-R titles. We are not responsible for the compatibility of your player to our DVD-R titles.
Click here to check: (DVD-R Compatibility Chart)
This series of videos chronicles the best bouts from Japan during 2004. All matches are shown in their entirety and all have been ranked ***1/2 or better by various experts.
- Elimination Match: Brother YASSHI, Shuji Kondo, Touru Owashi & Takuya Sugawara vs. Final M2K (Kenichiro Arai, Masaaki Mochizuki, Second Doi & Susumu Yokosuka) - Dragon's Gate PPV (08-01-04)
- Kenta Kobashi vs. Rikio - NOAH (03-6-04)
- Ultimo Dragon's Dream Trios Match: Ultimo Dragon, Jushin Liger & Great Sasuke vs. Original Tiger Mask (Sayama), Koji Kanemoto (Tiger Mask III) & Tiger Mask 4 - New Japan
- Tanahashi vs. Sasaki - G1 Climax 2004 Finals
- Toshiaki Kawada vs. Osamu Nishimura - (09-2-04)
- Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Hashi - (03-06-04)
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Album review: Charice's self-titled debut
In the 2 1/2 years since Ellen DeGeneres featured this young Filipina singer on her popular talk show, Charice has racked up an impressive number of friends in high places: She's made several appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," sung duets with Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion and signed a record deal with David Foster, the soft-pop impresario behind Josh Groban and Michael Bublé.
Today she's scheduled to appear on "Oprah" yet again, this time alongside Justin Bieber. (Like Bieber, Charice built an initial following on YouTube, where displays of precocious vocal talent are outnumbered only by videos of babies tasting lemons.)
Charice's self-titled international debut contains input from some of those powerful pals, including Foster, the set's executive producer; "Replay" singer Iyaz and such A-list songwriters as Ryan Tedder, Diane Warren and Carole Bayer Sager. Inevitably, the result darts somewhat haphazardly from sleek dance-pop tunes aimed at girls Charice's age ("I Love You," "Pyramid") to schmaltzy slow jams seemingly intended for those girls' moms ("All That I Need to Survive," "Note to God").
If "Charice" lacks any kind of stylistic focus, though, it also feels like an honest showcase of the singer's voice, with relatively uncluttered arrangements and limited vocal processing. There's nothing especially interesting about that voice beyond its technical sophistication; any character is a product of inheritance, not invention. But its strength lives up to that of her collaborators.
—Mikael Wood
Two stars (Out of four)
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Journal Article
The Effect of Knowledge Management Context on Knowledge Management Practices: an Empirical Investigation pp117-128
© Apr 2006 Volume 4 Issue 2, ICICKM 2005, Editor: Charles Despres, pp91 - 216
Look inside Download PDF (free)
This paper presents recent research findings on the effects of organizational knowledge management (KM) context on KM practices. Data were collected at a large Canadian law firm via a Web‑based survey instrument from over 400 participants comprising professional and support staff working in various office locations. The purpose of the study was to gain insight on the antecedents of knowledge management behaviors in organizations. A theoretical model explicating the impact of an organization's KM environment on both organizational and individual KM behaviors was developed and tested using structural equation modeling techniques. The moderating effects of age, biological sex, job category, and years spent in the organization were also examined. Results indicate that an organization's knowledge management environment impacts on both organizational as well as personal knowledge management behaviors. Furthermore, we show that organizational KM behavior also influences personal KM behavior, thus acting as a mediator between the overarching organizational knowledge management policies and practices and the employees' individual practices. Based on this empirical evidence, recommendations are suggested for organizations wishing to institutionalize knowledge management initiatives in their firms.
Keywords: Knowledge management behaviour, knowledge management practices, knowledge management context, knowledge management environment, knowledge sharing, corporate strategy
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- Customer Experience and Contact Centre Services
- Webhelp Payment Services
- Consulting
- Global Enterprise Services
- Netino by Webhelp
- Technology enablement
- MyStudioFactory
Across the utilities industry providers face a twin challenge: to deliver a customer service experience that will win the hearts and minds of consumers and the confidence of the regulators. This imperative is intensified in the energy sector, where savage competition following deregulation has tarnished reputations and allowed new players to win market share through keenly priced "fair deals" for consumers. The direction of Government legislation however, suggests that price wars can't continue, making customer experience quality the new competitive battleground. Webhelp's experience with utility businesses across Europe proves that this battle can be won, and with reduced costs.
Webhelp's clients include traditional players and new market entrants across Europe's energy and water industries.
Win customers' hearts and minds with exceptional service
Secure the regulator's approval with rigorous compliance
Build business with responsible sales
Keep customers with proactive retention
Reduce customer effort and operating cost
Leverage your brand's digital presence to boost customer experience
We'll satisfy your customers by getting the basics right – reducing customer effort and resolving issues on first contact. We'll then go the extra mile to turn satisfied customers into loyal advocates of your brand. Beyond traditional services, we're working with utilities businesses to help customers reduce consumption. We're supporting their efforts by designing proactive customer communications across digital channels and mobile devices; communications that advance green objectives and increase brand engagement.
As regulators intensify their scrutiny, meeting their customer experience expectations matters more than ever. We measure our performance by the same indices they use – high NPS, low customer effort and strong satisfaction. At the same time, our dedicated compliance teams apply the rigour required to pass the most stringent audits; reporting directly to our cross-industry compliance function. Dedicated to the operation but independent of it, they have the authority to challenge operational decisions and to ensure your business goals and compliance responsibilities are always finely balanced.
In the deregulated energy industry the imperative to win new customers and hold on to them has given rise to damaging behaviours that have tarnished reputations. Our responsible approach to sales – using analytics-based targeting and responsible contact approaches – will keep you on the right side of the regulator and ensure you win business without brand damage. We know you face tough competitors who introduce new tariffs, offers and deals almost daily. Fortunately our people are supported by knowledge bases that give them the complete competitive picture: not just how good your offer is, but why it's better than the others'.
In retention we use behavioural analytics to predict customer behaviour and propensity to churn. This allows us to build proactive retention programmes that help you to re-engage with customers on a new basis and secure their long term commitment. The same analytics driven approach creates intelligent cross and upsell strategies that build customer value and extend tenure.
Using omni-channel customer journey design, we'll make sure contacts are completed across appropriate channels – traditional and digital – balancing cost, value and customer effort. We'll use root cause analytics and demand management to reduce contacts that inconvenience your customers and add unnecessary cost to your business. As an international operator, we offer innovative rightshoring opportunities that leverage lower-cost locations without compromising service quality.
Our omni-channel approach is boosted by teams dedicated to the development of effective customer journeys across online and social channels. With specialist social listening and digital customer journey design teams, we'll help you exploit the potential of digital channels to extend choice for customers and enhance their access to your services.
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Nematodes Nabbed
Like all successful superintendents, Mike Combs understands the interrelation of production variables and their combined effect on turf quality. Fertility influences disease and weed control, and vice versa. Then there are insects, varietal selection, mowing and irrigation programs, and an often unpredictable Mother Nature to contend with. All the variables must roll together to raise the healthy, high-quality turf demanded by today's competitive golf industry.
But in 2003, Combs ran into a mystery at Orchard Hill Country Club in Washongal, Wash. Situated close to the Columbia River, the 18-hole private par-70 facility boasts 10 par fours, three par fives and five par threes. The course was built in two stages: The front nine holes were designed and built by George Junor in 1929, while the back nine, designed by Bill Sanders, were constructed 40 years later.
The mystery manifested itself when significant anthracnose pressure appeared on a couple of his Poa annua/bentgrass greens. Cut at 0.13 of an inch, the greens are complemented by ryegrass/Poa annua/and bentgrass fairways, collars and tees.
"I had experience with the anthracnose control program we were using and I knew it would do an outstanding job — which it did, every where but on these particular greens," Combs explains. "The anthracnose pressure in these areas was so high that we were ready to strip the turf, fumigate the sand and re-sod if we didn't get it turned around quickly."
His first thought was that nitrogen levels on the stricken greens might be low, predisposing the unthrifty turf to disease pressure. He then conducted several soil tests, comparing the nutrient levels from affected areas of the green to an unaffected area of the same green and an unaffected green. The results showed the nutrient levels to be "almost identical. It was puzzling," he says.
Subsequent soil tests for nematodes helped solve the mystery and revealed that high populations of lesion, root knot and ring nematodes were at the root of the problem. The parasitic, microscopic worms completely destroy the root system of infected plants, disrupting nutrient uptake, lowering overall plant hardiness and opening the turf to anthracnose infection.
Because anthracnose and nematode damage have similar visual symptoms, diagnosing the problem was complicated. Roots of anthracnose-infected and nematode- damaged plants are blackened and stubby, often appearing cropped off. Anthracnose infects the crown of the plant, spreading upward, leaving blackened tissue in its wake as it spreads through the plant. Eventually, dead reddish-brown or bronze-colored patches appear that can expand several square feet as the fungus progresses. Nematode damage appears as yellowing, wilting, brownish irregular shaped patches that may enlarge slowly over time, killing grass under heavy pressures.
"The similar symptoms made it difficult to realize we were dealing with two issues at once, which delayed the diagnosis and subsequent treatments," Combs says. "It took a couple of weeks from our first noticing anthracnose until the nematode diagnosis. The damage increased significantly during that time period."
He adds that the heavy nematode pressure may have been the result of several factors occurring simultaneously. "Obviously, we always have some nematode population and we must have given them an ideal breeding ground at some point," he muses. "We may have had slightly low nutrient levels, weakening the plant to the point it made the situation more pronounced. We also had hot, dry weather a couple of seasons ago, and were having problems with a faulty irrigation system. All the factors combined to make conditions conducive to increased nematode populations."
To further complicate the problem, symptoms for both issues — nematode and nitrogen depletion — are more apparent in hot weather when damaged roots cannot take up nutrients and water. Once diagnosed, the nematodes were effectively controlled with Nemacur nematicide. Combs notes that treatment gave the root system the opportunity to recover from the earlier damage.
The resulting increased turf vigor provided an advantage for his fungicide treatment of 4 ounces of Chipco Signature fungicide mixed with 4 ounces of Daconil per 1,000 square feet. The tank mix is applied every 19 days throughout the summer season.
"Signature provides outstanding anthracnose control," Combs explains. "The only places we had problems this season were where we still had some nematode pressure. Once we got rid of them and upped our nitrogen, the program was able to do its job. The result was healthier, stronger turf. I rate this program as the number one factor in our success, followed by fertility."
Combs adheres to a "stringent" fertility program. One-half pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per month is applied to greens throughout the season in weekly applications. Three weeks of foliar sprays are followed the fourth week with a granular application.
He also makes weekly applications of magnesium, calcium and potassium. Eco Calex 1-0-0 with eight percent calcium, Eco K 1-0-23 and Eco Magnesium with four percent magnesium round out his fertility requirements.
Combs points to membership compliments on turf quality as evidence of the success of his program. "Our turf is lush, green and healthy and that keeps our members happy," he notes. "We like that."
Nancy Holbert is a freelance writer who resides in Yardley, Pa.
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© 2020 Penton Media Inc.


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THE TOUGH CUSTOMER- Customer for life? Not without the free tires, he says
Automobile dealers are among the businesses experiencing the worst of the current financial crisis. Ford and GM are frantically talking about a merger in order to stave off bankruptcy, and car buyers are not exactly flooding into automobile showrooms.
All this makes UVA graduate student David Shultis particularly flabbergasted about what happened to him a few weeks ago at Brown Toyota.
Shultis and his wife purchased a new Toyota Scion from the Pantops Mountain dealership in late 2005, and, in doing so, were enrolled in Brown's "Tires for Life" program.
"Just have your recommended maintenance performed at a Brown dealership," the dealership says on its website, "and you'll never pay for tires again."
The program, the site says, is to show "appreciation for your business," and is the dealership's way of "saying thank you for choosing Brown... in hopes that you'll become a customer for life."
Well, as far as Shultis is concerned, thanks for nothing.
"We had all of our maintenance done at Brown," Shultis writes. "When the tires needed to be changed, they refused to pay for them."
Shultis ended up paying Brown more than $500 for new tires.
According to Shultis, the dealership's service manager told him that he was not in compliance with the tires for life contract because he did not order all recommended maintenance.
Shultis says he faithfully used Brown's for all his auto maintenance needs. He even brought his Scion to Brown to get a knocked-off mirror replaced. However, according to the dealership, getting all one's service there and performing all recommended service are two different things.
For example, the recommended schedule calls for a $69.95 dose of "Basic Service" every 5,000 miles, which includes an oil change and tire rotation, among other things. Shultis apparently ordered all the oil changes, but not the tire rotations, at least during his first 25,000 miles of driving.
At 15,000 and 45,000 miles, the schedule calls for "Intermediate Service," which costs $199.95. Shultis says he got this done at 21,000 miles. Unfortunately for him, that is outside Brown's window of meeting the requirement.
Shultis claims that numerous times when he brought his Scion in for service since those early missed tire rotations, he made a point of confirming with the service department that he was in compliance with the tire program. And he notes that routine maintenance at a dealership is typically more costly than at a local auto repair shop.
"Why else would I keep getting service performed on my car if the Tires for Life program was not being upheld? More importantly," Shultis continues, "why didn't they warn me that I missed important car service maintenance points?"
Brown's marketing director, Jamie Schwartz, doesn't see it that way. She contends that no service personnel, who have computerized access to each customer's service record, would have given such assurances.
Shultis insists they did, and he points out that he even brought in a non-program pick-up truck for post deer-crash repair as another show of good faith.
Schwartz says that Brown takes its commitment to the "Tires for Life" program so seriously that it will occasionally bend the rules, and she says Brown has given away about half a million dollars worth of tires to its customers.
But there's been no bending of the rules for Shultis.
Brown's Schultz says numerous customers have been thrilled with "Tires for Life" and emphasized that Shultis is simply not entitled.
Shultis is quite angry about the whole episode, and in this sense, the "Tires for Life" program met one of its stated objectives, sort of. Brown's steadfastness has turned him into a loyal customer– loyal to dealerships not named Brown's.
Got a consumer situation? Call the Hook newsroom at 434-295-8700x405 or e-mail the Tough Customer directly.


text: We congratulate Maureen Schulman, Eli's Cheesecake Publicist, on her photo of the Eli's Inaugural 2013 Cake for being a commended photo in the Pink Lady Photographer of the Year Contest! This contest is a the global food photography awards celebrating all that is special and significant about food photography around the world. Thousands of images poured in from around the world to the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2013 Contest. Here are the commended photos http://www.pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com/2013/commended/ (scroll the horizontal bar under the photos).


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Spinach, black bean and cheddar tikki
I am doing it again but must nip it in the bud. I am once again the hamster (on a wheel), the rat (slowly racing) and the chicken (very much headless). I am not quite the dog (I don't eat other dogs and not just because I am vegetarian.) I am most definitely, absolutely the owl (night is when I work, not sleep). That is not because I enjoy being up late but because I want to be productive in a work sense, and also want my child to have his mother raising him and whilst my panda eyes lose focus now and again, my heart is not.
This time in life, I am looking back at the smaller steps I have made, and they are steps forward. I have so far been so fixated with big milestones for the future that I have neglected to be grateful and recognise for the smaller steps that I have made. The little things have lifted me, given me hope, encouraged me, kept my days rolling, stopped me thinking of wasteful things, buffered my falls, given me reason to channel energies, re-instilled confidence for me, pushed me to change, made me more humble, made me more me. The small things, the smaller steps. When I thought of how I would feel should I no longer have the teeny sized fruits of the small seeds I planted, then…well. It wasn't a happy thought.
This is why today, I share with you small tikki. I have taken inspiration from tikki that Indian street food sellers tantalise passers-by with; steaming hot patties that are crisp on the outside, fluffy and moist inside and full of peppery spice. Traditionally they would be made of chickpeas and potatoes and I am using deep black beans, silky spinach and a little oozy cheese. I have retained the influence of pungent and peppery chaat masala, which uses black salt.
Riverford sent me the silkiest perfect leaves of spinach, not punched with ominous looking holes. A huge bag of light green and juicy goodness, none of this limp stuff you often get. Spinach actually happens to be one of those refrigerator items that sometimes yield less love than we in our house can spread over the week, a bit like bananas. Now, experimental as I can be, I am not about to suggest pairing banana and spinach together today. Not today anyway, but the tikki, now those I ate a few straight off the pan, ah the little pleasures.
for the full recipe head over to great british chefs


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HIV/AIDS News
NIAID Trial of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Enrolling HIV-Positive Adults -- Trial Complements Current Studies in HIV-Infected Children and Pregnant Women
HIV-infected adults currently are being recruited to participate in a clinical trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine. The study, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health, will enroll approximately 240 men and women between the ages of 18 and 64.
"People with suppressed immunity caused by conditions such as HIV infection are at increased risk of serious illness from 2009 H1N1 influenza, and should be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
"However, such immune suppression may hamper the response to influenza vaccines," Dr. Fauci adds. "While people with HIV infection are a high-priority group to receive 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, the optimal dosage of 2009 H1N1 vaccine for people with HIV infection has not been determined through clinical trials. This study will help address that gap in knowledge."
All study participants will receive two doses of an inactivated 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, administered approximately 21 days apart. The vaccine is manufactured by Novartis. Half of the volunteers will receive two 15-microgram doses and the other half two 30-microgram doses of the vaccine.
Within each dosage group, volunteers will be further divided into two groups based on their CD4+ T-cell levels. CD4+ T cells are infection-fighting white blood cells that are targeted by HIV. Healthy people usually have between 800 and 1,200 CD4+ T cells per milliliter of blood. Over time, most people with HIV show a drop in CD4+ T-cell counts, though antiretroviral therapy can help restore them to healthy levels.
For each dosage group (15 micrograms and 30 micrograms), the investigators are seeking 60 volunteers who have CD4+ T-cell counts below 200, and 60 who have CD4+ T-cell counts equal to or greater than 200. The new study will analyze how CD4+ T-cell levels affect the response to the vaccine.
The trial is being conducted at six sites, including these five NIAID-funded Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Saint Louis University, Mo.; University of Iowa, Iowa City; and University of Maryland, Baltimore. The University of Washington, Seattle, also is participating in the trial.
For additional details about this study, see H1N1 Vaccine at Two Dose Levels in HIV Positive Adults.
The new study is the third NIAID-sponsored trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in people with HIV infection. The earlier trials began in October and enrolled HIV-infected pregnant women and children and young adults with HIV. For more information about those trials, see NIH Launches 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Trial in HIV-Infected Pregnant Women.
Visit www.flu.gov for one-stop access to U.S. government information on pandemic flu. Also, visit NIAID's flu Web portal.


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**$|#| 27850, sae 29 graa,
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Figure 9. --Spillway plan and sections. (Sheet 2 of
16. Abutment Structures. - The two abutment structures, located one on each side of the spillway, Tconnect the spillway gate structure with the adjacent dam embankment. Each abutment structure (fig. 12) consists of an inner wall panel and an outer wall panel, each of a modified slab and buttress design. Each inner panel has a base length of about 60 feet and a base width of about 75 feet. The outer panels are similar and are about 84 feet 6 inches long, tapering uniformly from the width of the inner panel to 44 feet at the outer edge. Buttresses, spaced at 20-foot centers, provide support for the face wall from elevation 2709 to elevation 2789. Below the embankment line, the buttresses and face wall are of monolithic construction. Above the embankment line, these structures are articulated and the face wall consists of 8-foot-high sections made watertight with rubber waterstops. Two waterstops are provided for vertical joints and one for horizontal joints. The upstream and downstream buttresses have 0.4 to 1 slopes. A beam and column forms a bent with the upstream portion of each buttress to support a highway bridge.
In the design of the abutment face walls the following loadings were assumed:
(1) Water in reservoir at elevation 2785.0; a base uplift corresponding to water surface elevation 2773.0; uplift diminishing uniformly from full at upstream edge to zero at downstream edge.
(2) Water in reservoir and base uplift for water at elevations indicated in (1) above; uplift over base diminishing uniformly but reduced 50 percent at the centerline of the first heel slab drain.
(3) No water in reservoir and no uplift; dry earth fill on both sides of the walls.
For stability analyses, the abutment structures were investigated for overturning, base pressures and sliding. With reservoir water surface at elevation 2785.0, and full upstream horizontal saturated earth and water loads, the following additional conditions were assumed in investigating stability:
(1) No downstream horizontal loads; uplift loads as indicated in (1) above and assuming all base drains are inoperative. (For sliding only.)
(2) Downstream horizontal earth loads for dry embankment; full uplift over entire base area.
The bridge columns were designed for supporting a bridge subjected to an H20S16-44 loading and 30 percent impact, and an ice load of 1,000 pounds per foot of width of column applied at midheight.
17. Gate and Bridge Supporting Structure. - The gate and bridge structure (figs. 12 and 13) provides support for a spillway bridge and three spillway gates with controls. The bridge has a length of about 438 feet and a width of 26 feet. Support for the bridge is provided by buttresses spaced 20 feet apart near the abutments and by four piers spaced 50 feet over the gate structure. The four 8-foot-wide piers extend to elevation 2785, and contain stoplog slots and float wells with floats for use with the hydraulic gate operating system. To provide a minimum of contraction of the flow of water, the outer piers were tapered from elevation 2754 to elevation 2785.
On top of the left abutment pier and downstream of the spillway bridge is an access and compressor house 21 feet 6 inches long and 8 feet wide. A walkway is provided on the right edge of the pier. On top of the right abutment pier is a river outlet control house of the same positioning and dimensions as the access and compressor house. A steel platform, spanning the piers beneath the highway bridge, is provided for gate hoisting machinery.
River outlets are located at the base of the intermediate piers and pass through the crest structure. To keep hydraulic losses low, these outlets have bellmouth entrances. The outlet gate chambers are located directly below these piers and are connected by an 8- by 8-foot gallery in the crest.
Trashrack structures are located at the entrance of each of the river outlets and extend from the inlet walls to the gate structure. Each trashrack structure has two


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A newly surfaced interview with Lindsay Lohan has the troubled starlet talking about playing Linda Lovelace in an upcoming biopic, and it isn't always clear when she's talking about Lovelace and when she's talking about herself.
Lohan will star as the tragically exploited porn star in "Inferno," with shooting scheduled to begin once Lohan completes 90 days of rehab. And while few have ever known a rock bottom as deep as Lovelace's, playing a train wreck hardly seems a stretch for Lohan. Listening to her talk about Lovelace just before she went to jail, one wonders if the 24-year-old Lohan is self-aware enough to grasp the irony.
"It just tells the story of this woman that got caught up in this world that she never asked to be involved in," Lohan says. "It's like she was this innocent girl that kind of, in a way got trafficked into this situation."
Lohan started out innocently enough, too. She was as adorable as she was precocious as a 12-year-old in 1998's "The Parent Trap." Her star peaked with the release of "Mean Girls" in 2004, and there was reason to believe her talents could take her to the next level, serious acting. But all the while, questions swirled about the motives of the people closest to her. And to date, her only transition to date has been from child star to troubled former child star.
The low point on Lohan's resume so far has been 2007's "I Know Who Killed Me," about a pair of estranged twins, one a talented pianist, the other a down-on-her luck stripper, who are targeted by a serial killer. The roles are an almost perfect metaphor for Lohan herself: the gifted artist/tortured mess.
"Inferno" writer-director Matthew Wilder's script has been hailed as being very well written, but much has also been made of the fact that the film features "child abuse, three orgasms, two beatings, intense humiliation and a bloody car crash" in the first 32 minutes. And it just gets worse from there.
Could "Inferno" be good? Of course, but it's all riding on Wilder's skills as a director, and while you don't want to judge a man based on one 106-second clip, the not-safe-for-work trailer for his first film, "Your Name Here," doesn't exactly inspire confidence. What seems more doubtful is that the role will be good for Lohan's psyche or career.
Roles like Lovelace, women abused in one way or another for their sexuality, require an actress who's got it together -- Charlize Theron in "Monster," Hillary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry," Halle Berry in "Monster's Ball," Jodie Foster in "The Accused." Yes, they're the roles for which Oscars are won, but not by someone who's spent about as much time in jail, rehab and court as she has on-set over the past six years. Plumbing such depths can prove punishing to a troubled soul.
Speaking about Chuck Traynor, the monster that was Lovelace's husband/pimp/manager, Lohan could just as easily be talking about her own demons.
"He was dark and he was was mysterious and he was rough and it was different than anything she'd experienced in life -- and girls like that kind of stuff."


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Above are two recent acquisitions. The larger of the two, in its brown cloth silk-screened slip case, stamped title piece, and twine ties, is the artist's book Grimm, created by Mikhail Magaril and Victor Bogorad (New York: Summer Garden Editions, 2012). The work consists of twelve pasted together 23 x 14.5 inch folio leaves (in this way each full-page spread is in fact one large single sheet). Nine of these are solely devoted to a different Grimm tale or theme. Every page is Illustrated throughout by Magaril's iconic ink blots, printed in letterpress, and silk screened in both black and brown; the work is truly unique (it is actually the first of only ten copies).
We are fortunate to have this very haunting, and very Russian, interpretation of the Grimm fairy tales and their more nefarious aspects. As the artists explain in the book's afterword, this work is a reflection upon the artists' childhood experiences of the Grimm world, which they read, and the real world in the USSR, which they lived: "Life there [the USSR] had much in common with the world of Grimm fairy tales. . . The nightmarish regime badly affected the psyche of children and caused the impressionable young minds to see something sinister in every ink blot" (folio page 11). As you can see for yourself, the book is a truly harrowing and fantastical homage to the Brothers Grimm.
The small black cloth box with linen ties (you thought I forgot didn't you?) is a related treasure to the already prized first item. The title and key to the contents is supplied by the henna inked calligraphic top card:
Once opened, one is greeted by a grand total of 87 (15 x 10.5 cm) unnumbered deckle edged cards. Though 27 cards are blank, the remaining 60 cards include a vast array of draft illustrations for Grimm by Magaril. The illustrations, executed exclusively in blue and black ink, have been cut out and pasted onto the decorative cards. Below is a small sampling, notice that some of the proofs were not featured in the final product:
This large collection of small cards grants us unique access into the creation of the book Grimm. By viewing these proofs, we are offered a little window with which to view the draft processes and production choices of a very talented contemporary artist: Mikhail Magaril.
For more work by Magaril held at Princeton, check out this blog post by our colleague Julie Mellby, the curator of Graphic Arts: Mikhail Magaril


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PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Jeff Samardzija made a few mistakes with his pitches Thursday night against Seattle. He also made Mariners pitchers pay for a couple of their misguided offerings.
The Cubs' starter was allowed to bat in an American League park when Chicago chose not to employ a designated hitter, and he delivered a solo home run and RBI single in a 7-4 win.
Set to start on opening day, Samardzija gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings. He struck out seven.
"I threw a couple of pitches up in the zone that they took advantage of," Samardzija said. "Overall, we're right there, so it's good."
Samardzija has hit two homers this spring.
"If you can save yourself a loss or tie the ballgame up, that's huge. That speaks volumes down the road," he said. "And at the end of the year, you look back on it, it might save you a couple of games here and there."
Alfonso Soriano and Brad Nelson also homered for the split-squad Cubs and David DeJesus had two hits and drove in a run. Nelson's two-run shot in the eighth off Erasmo Ramirez gave the Cubs the lead for good.
Cubs closer Carlos Marmol pitched a scoreless eighth inning, followed by a scoreless yet somewhat shaky ninth from reliever Kyuji Fujikawa.
The Mariners might have seen what they wanted from starting pitcher Jon Garland and outfielder Jason Bay, two players competing for major league roster spots.
Garland allowed two runs and five hits in six innings and should hear from the coaching staff by Friday whether he has earned a spot in the starting rotation.
Garland's case might also have been aided by the performance of Ramirez, a starter candidate who was tagged for four runs on six hits in two innings.
"It's really nothing that we haven't seen. It's a veteran guy that works to keep the ball down, uses all of his pitches," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said.
Garland has fared well in spring training except for his outing against the Netherlands in an exhibition game last week.
Ramirez had also pitched well until Thursday.
"He did a good job of getting ahead, but he didn't finish hitters off," Wedge said. "That's just something that he has to do a better job with."
Bay, a former three-time All-Star who signed a one-year contract with the Mariners in the offseason, had three hits and drove in a run. He will play center field again Friday, Wedge said.
Bay is competing with Casper Wells for presumably the final outfield roster spot, and raised his spring training batting average to .371.
Justin Smoak hit a solo homer and a sacrifice fly for Seattle. He is batting .386 in spring training with four home runs and 10 RBIs.
NOTES: Opening day starter Felix Hernandez is scheduled to pitch Friday night for the Mariners against San Diego. Blake Beavan, trying to win a spot in the starting rotation, is scheduled for Saturday against Cleveland with Hisashi Iwakuma, who has a rotation spot locked up, throwing in a minor league game that day. … Three Mariners relievers who are likely to be on the major league roster in April — Oliver Perez, Lucas Luetge and Carter Capps — pitched in a minor league game. Luetge and Capps threw scoreless innings and Perez allowed a run on a hit in 2 2-3 innings and struck out six. … RHP Carlos Villanueva is the scheduled starter for the Cubs on Friday against Milwaukee, with RHP Edwin Jackson scheduled for Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. … The Mariners optioned OF Carlos Peguero to Triple-A Tacoma and reassigned RHP Carson Smith and INF Nick Franklin to the minor league camp.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.


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Physicians have received more than $2 billion in benefits from national settlement agreements reached with Aetna, Cigna, Health Net, Humana, Anthem/WellPoint, and many Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in class action lawsuits that 19 state and county medical associations and physician representatives brought against these insurers. TMA was an active plaintiff in many of these suits. The greatest benefit for most physicians came from the business changes the settlements required these insurers to implement. These included paying claims promptly, recognizing and paying for modifiers 25 and 59, notifying physicians 90 days before any material adverse contract changes, and limiting the time in which insurers could recover alleged overpayments. TMA actively monitors the insurers' compliance with these requirements.
With more than 900,000 physicians represented by medical groups, including state and county medical societies, the lawsuit filed under Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) against for-profit health plans is the largest class-action health care lawsuit filed in the United States. The lawsuit actually is a consolidated series of suits that began in Alabama in 1999, when a physician sued Humana, CIGNA, and several other HMOs. The doctor alleged that health insurers used fraudulent marketing tactics and financial incentives to restrict patient care, thereby breaching their obligations under federal law to provide necessary medical care. Within a year, a score of other suits making similar allegations were filed on behalf of patients and physicians.
In March, 2001, TMA entered the lawsuit by filing claims against CIGNA and Humana, two of the largest for-profit health plans in Texas. TMA joined the California Medical Association, the Medical Association of Georgia, the Denton County Medical Society, and 20 individual physician plaintiffs who had filed federal lawsuits across the country against other for-profit plans. After all lawsuits were consolidated under a single federal judge in Miami, Aetna was the first of the HMOs to settle. Since then, CIGNA, Health Net, Prudential, WellPoint [Unicare], and Humana have also settled. Claims against UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Coventry Health Care Inc, the final defendants in the RICO lawsuit, were dismissed by U.S. District Judge Federico A. Moreno in Miami. An appeal is pending.
Read the Compliance Dispute Resolution report (PDF) produced by Deborah Wineguard summarizing the compliance actions against Aetna and CIGNA. TMA has also prepared the latest report of the RICO settlement at-a-glance.
In a separate action, a settlement has been reached with BlueCross BlueShield of Texas and 90 percent of the Blue Cross Blue Shield plans across the country.
For information go to the HMO Settlements Web site, www.hmosettlements.com. This site serves as a source for information about the settlements reached between representatives of over 900,000 physicians, state and county medical societies with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, CIGNA, Health Net Inc., Prudential Insurance Company of America, Anthem Inc./WellPoint, and Humana Inc.
Specific HMO Settlement Information
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Aetna Settlement
WellPoint/Anthem Settlement (Blue Cross of California)
Physicians' Foundations
The Physicians' Foundations were established as the result of a settlement entered into by representatives and certain medical societies with Aetna and CIGNA in the In re Managed Care Litigation. For more information go to www.physiciansfoundation.org.
Links to Additional Resources
rico rico rico rico rico rico rico rico rico rico settlements settlements settlements settlements settlements settelements hmo hmo hmo hmo hmo hmo hmo hmo
May 07, 2012
What could a TMA Membership mean for you, your practice, and your patients
An opinion by the Texas attorney general will keep the Texas Optometry Board (TOB) from exerting influence over the practice of medicine – to a certain point. Read More
Houston case poses challenge to key tort reform limit on noneconomic damages. Read More
Appeals court denies "free speech" challenge to cancer center's debt-collection suit. Read More
More Related Stories
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The Real Deal has just reviewed a list of forbidden pets in New York City apartments according to a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and while the list might seem bizarre (Who would have a zorille in their apartment? You might ask.) the list is not unwarranted--people have tried to house all of these wild animals.
Many New York landlords have a "no pets" rule in place, but there is a way around the law, if tenants can prove that the animal is essential to their emotional well-being. Doctors are known to write notes for their patients prescribing them pets.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
On the list: panthers, mongooses, aardwolfs, and "hundreds of other exotic beasts." Read the full story on The Real Deal.
Copyright LXTVN - LXTV


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Matthew Battles at Hilobrow uncovers this 1898 New York Times piece listing and considering potential emerging moving image technologies:
Battles comments, "It's a vibrant bestiary of images, actions, and ideals: time, light, vitality, movement, judgment, change, vision, epiphany, and the animal world. Although the writer of this piece talks about a single machine, these weren't all names for the same thing; moving pictures emerged in a radiant bouquet of formats, modes of presentation, and proprietary media. The names are evocative of another time—and taken together, they express a condition familiar to us all."


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SEATTLE (AP) — Alcides Escobar hit a grand slam and Johnny Giavotella added a three-run shot to give the Kansas City Royals a comeback 9-7 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
Escobar had provided a 4-0 lead for the Royals in the second with his first career home run off starter Roenis Elias.
But the Mariners rallied behind Dustin Ackley's two homers and Kyle Seager's one to take a 7-5 lead in the fifth.
Kansas City took a 9-7 lead in the seventh, scoring four runs off reliever Danny Farquhar (1-1), highlighted by Giavotella's three-run blast over the left-field wall.
Entering the game, the Royals had hit just 14 home runs, lowest in baseball. But seven of their nine runs scored via the long ball.
Louis Coleman (1-0), who worked a scoreless sixth, earned the victory.
Greg Holland came on in the ninth to pick up his ninth save in 10 opportunities.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Is that the longest recipe title you've ever seen? I saw this recipe originally at Lauren's Kitchen, where she condensed the title to "Chicken with Artichokes & Other Stuff." She found it at Delicious Meliscious where it's titled "Chicken, Mushrooms and Artichoke Hearts with Cheese Tortellini." I was cracking up at the variations of the titles, once I finally found the original recipe on For the Love of Cooking.
I'm so glad I gave this recipe a try, because it was one of the best dinners we've had in a while. Ben and I both loved how chock-full of flavor this dish was! The lemon butter sauce really brought this dish a notch up from other cheese tortellini meals. We were so excited to eat leftovers the next day.
It's definitely worth it to go get all these ingredients and make this pasta dish. You won't regret it. However, you may regret having to try to tell your guests what the title of this dish is…if you decide to go with the long one. 🙂
Chicken, Mushrooms and Artichoke Hearts with Cheese Tortellini in a Light Lemon Butter Sauce
(For the Love of Cooking)
Marinade Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
3-4 leaves of basil, chopped
Zest of one lemon, chopped finely
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)
Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them, with a mallet, until they are 1/4 inch thick. Place chicken into a large zip lock bag and add the olive oil, minced garlic, chopped basil, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper. Mix so the chicken is evenly coated with marinade. Let it marinate for at least 1 hour.
Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts and cook for 4 minutes then flip. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove from heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes before slicing into bite size chunks.
Other Ingredients:
8 oz of button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 handful of grape tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
Cheese tortellini, prepared per instructions
Juice of 1-2 lemons (to taste)
1-2 tbsp butter
5-6 basil leaves, chopped
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Cook the tortellini per instructions. While the pasta is cooking, add mushrooms to the hot skillet you cooked the chicken in. Add more oil if needed (I didn't need to). Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Add the artichoke hearts, tomatoes and minced garlic to the pan then stir frequently for 60 seconds. Add the tortellini, chicken chunks, lemon juice, butter, Parmesan, basil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Enjoy.


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Leadership & Change, June 2015, the article by Marcella Bremer "Kiss the Frog - a Deep Democracy Workshop to Transform Challenges" based on the "Kiss the Frog" DDI seminar in Amsterdam in March 2015. Read it in PDF.
Today [Segodnya] Ukrainian Daily National Newspaper, June 2013, the interview with Dr. Max Schupbach: Ukraine could become the bridge between two worlds. Download the copy and read the rest of the article online.
Radio-interview in Voices from the Edge program at http://kboo.fm, June 2012: Dr. Max Schupbach and Dr. Ellen Schupbach talk about how we can open up a deeper level of discourse that allows for dissent, action and community building. Listen to the interview online or access the audio-file [English]. KBOO Community Radio is the volunteer-powered, non-commercial, listener-sponsored, full-strength community radio for Portland, Oregon, Cascadia & the World.
Connections Radio-program by Leilani Henry at http://kgnu.org, May 11, 2012, interviewing Ellen and Max Schupbach on the Deep Democracy Institute, Process Work and Open Forums. Listen to the program online or access the audio-file [English]. KGNU is the independent, noncommercial, community radio station for Boulder, Denver and beyond.
Zdorovye (Health) Magazine, June 2012, www.zdr.ru, Article: Ellen Schupbach "Conflicts Are Simply a Signal the Changes are Needed". PDF [Russian] (Zdorovye is one of the most popular publications on health in Moscow, Russia)
InvestGazeta Business Magazine, April 2012, Article: What Are The Ghosts Silent About? Link to online article [Russian] (InvestGazeta is among top 3 business publications in Ukraine)
Svoi Business Magazine, January 2011, Interview with Max Schupbach: Three-Dimensional Democracy. PDF [Russian] (Svoi Business Magazine is the top magazine for business owners in Russia and Kazakhstan)
Kadrovyi Management Magazine, January 2011, Interview with Max Schupbach: Dreams Come True: Leadership as a Lifestyle. PDF [Russian] (Kadrovyi Management Magazine is the leading HR magazine in Russia)
Dorogoy Magazine, February 2011, Interview with Max Schupbach: In a Source of Business River. PDF [Russian] (Dorogoi Magazine is among the top management magazines in Russia and Kazakhstan)
BUSINESS Newspaper, April 2011, Video-report based on Business Cockpit meeting with Max and Ellen Schupbach in Kyiv. 14min video [English and Russian] (Business Newspaper is among top 3 best business publications in Ukraine)
BUSINESS Newspaper, April 2011, Interview with Max Schupbach: Deep Democracy as an Overarching Approach. PDF [Russian] (Business Newspaper is among top 3 best business publications in Ukraine)
JV (Live) online portal, April 2011, Article: Process-oriented Coaching with a Human Face. Link [Russian] (JV online portal is a famous multimedia resource on health and wellness in Russia)
JV (Live) online portal, April 2011, Review of the Deep Democracy Institute and Its Team. Link [Russian] (JV online portal is a famous multimedia resource on health and wellness in Russia)
Company Management Magazine, December 2010, Interview with Max Schupbach: Conflict Resolution Beyond Logic: When Strategy Doesn't Work. PDF [Russian] (Company Management Magazine is the top HR magazine in Ukraine)
Strategy Magazine, September 2010, Interview with Max Schupbach: Evolutionary Leadership. PDF [Russian] (Strategy Magazine is Ukraine's leading magazine of business strategies)


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Last night I did some yoga to center my chi, and it felt great. I realized I need to stretch more! This morning I ran 3 miles and did another 25 minutes of yoga and I am really feeling good lately. No soreness and I'm starting to feel a little prepared for San Diego Rock and Roll. I have my last 20 miler this weekend so after that I'll be on the taper road. Happy Cinco De Mayo to everyone, I'll be watching the Biggest Loser tonight, nothing crazy! I know you all want to know what I think about the Garmin so here you go!
I was always told that I needed to get a Garmin. No one could ever really tell me why though, and to be honest, I've only used it in a pretty basic way thus far, but I plan to use it and all the different settings as I continue to learn more about it myself. Therefore I warn everyone, this is a very basic overview of the Garmin and it's capabilities. I am still learning myself and I will post about any other great features as I learn about them. Honestly, I'm quite happy with just the simple way I use it now, so I know there's more things out there, but at the same time, I like to keep it easy and simple.
I was an avid Nike+ user, but was starting to see an issue with it's mileage tracking once I started to hit higher mileage. I ran a 25k (15 miles) and my Nike + told me I ran 17.86 miles. That's when I knew that the mileage was off. I had calibrated it numerous times as well. Also I had gone through around 5 or 6 Nike pluses because of calibration issues and the sensors randomly dying or not being able to connect. I had heard about many people's love for the Garmin, but no one could ever tell me why it was so fantastic. I did hear that it will change your running and racing a lot though.
I finally started researching the Garmin family and decided that I wanted to get the Forerunner 305. I decided on this one because it came with a heart rate monitor and seemed to be less expensive since it's an 'older' model. I researched the 305 on Ebay and craigslist and found one for $130 with free shipping that was brand new. Finally the box arrived and the Garmin was mine. The first rule of having a Garmin is that it must have a name. I named mine Claude and he is the star of the Garmin Review.
One really cool and very accurate thing about the Garmin and that makes it much better than the Nike plus is the fact that it tracks you by GPS satellite. This makes your miles accurate and the mileage is an option that you can show on the Garmin's screen when your running. Here is a picture of the Garmin's Screen
This is the front of the Garmin. The setting I use it on shows the time in the top screen, (18.55) and the bottom two screens are split into two different modes. On the bottom left you can see my pace (20.42) and the mileage that I've gone thus far (2.06 miles) The buttons below, on the left is the lap/reset button and on the right is the start/stop button. It's pretty easy to use and the face is obviously very large and visible. You can change the settings to see different 'modes' but I only use this mode thus far. There is another mode to show how many calories you've burned as well as mileage, time etc. In the upper right hand corner, if I was using the heart rate monitor, that is where it would say what my heart rate was as well.
This is the side of the 305. The arrow buttons change the modes on the front while you are working out. You can see that the 305 is pretty thick and bulky, but I haven't had one problem besides a few adjustable ones and you get used to it. I will discuss the only 'downfall' towards the bottoms in the pros and cons section.
This is the underside and as you can see it straps on with a simple watch band. The band is plastic and it stays put fairly well. It is a very large band though and I have oddly small wrists.
This is the back of the Garmin. The numbers are my serial number and the four dots on the back are where the Garmin is charged from. The Garmin plugs into the computer for charging or the wall plug and charges quickly and easily.
This is the Garmin next to a pen. You can see how thick it is. I realized after I uploaded this picture it's somewhat of an optical illusion though since the pen is so much closer to the camera. Epic Fail. You can see how large it is in the next picture though.
It is pretty basic as a 'watch size' but it's fairly large in bulkiness. It's very thick and the curve doesn't fit on my wrist well, but I have had some other people wear it and try it on and there were no problems at all for them. I think possibly it's because of my wrists and the bone I have on the outside of them that sticks up.
That bone can be easily rubbed raw and scabbed by Claude, that is why I choose to wear my Garmin up a little bit higher or sometimes I wear it on the inside of my wrist to stop chaffing.
A lot of people run and race without any type of tracking system but I have been very pleased with the Garmin, but it is nice that I can track my mileage, pace and overall distances run. It's also great because it maps out the path you took on your run/walk since it has the trackability feature from the satellite.
I really liked how easy it was to use directly out of the box. Perhaps that's why I haven't really delved into the Garmin and really figured out everything on Claude, because it's so simple and easy to use just how it is now. It stays charged for a long time (supposedly 10 hour battery life) and I've only had to recharge it once since I've gotten it.
To start the Garmin, once you are outside, just turn it 'on' via the on button on the right hand side and a screen will pop up with a progress bar that lets you know the Garmin is 'locating satellites'. This is the only annoying thing about the Garmin. Sometimes it 'locates' the satellites immediately and other times, for me it takes up to two minutes. Once the satellite is found you hit start and your workout is started.
I really like the calorie counting feature but the Garmin uses speed traveled — not heart rate — to calculate calorie output on the Forerunner. It doesn't bother me that much though and I even think I like that more since I haven't used the heart rate monitor yet, nor do I want to have to wear the heart rate monitor to find out how many calories I've burned.
Another cool feature of the Garmin is that once you have a few courses you like, you can save and race against them, marking points along the way. You can set up interval workouts with specific distances or time or repeats. You can also use the GPS navigation feature to see your path on a map once you upload your workouts and you can save locations you want to remember — and find your way home if you get lost. (Would have been a good tool for my friend LA Runner when he was lost on his Skyline to Sea 50k) :)
Another great thing that I like is the fact that the buttons are easy to use and you don't have to go through them all to find one thing, i.e. the start and stop button. It has an auto-pause feature that stops the timer when you stop moving and restarts again when you get going — great for stoplights and water breaks.
The only problems I really have with Claude is that is doesn't really like my wrist bone and that I can't really get it to easily work with my Mac computer at home. I am going to have to spend some time with that to find a fully functional way to upload data to a website so I can view it no matter where I am. I have a website to check out, but I just haven't had the time to sit down and work with it for a while. Also this may be weird, but there is no clock that I have found that you can 'show' during your workout. I guess this just means that I have to look at the clock before I leave on my run and then just add the time gone to know what time it is, but it's a little strange.
The Pros:
Easy to use, no set up needed, can use the 'normal' functions and still understand the product, a lot of features that I haven't even discovered, available with the heart rate monitor, not as expensive if you search, large display, possibility to update workouts to websites, long enough battery life, different modes, GPS tracking system which means accurate distances, looks better than the 301 that looks like a giant black twinkie, charges via usb
The Cons:
No exactly the most chic accessory, not many color options, not really kosher with my Mac at home (but I'm working on it), no clock
I will definitely continue to learn more about my Garmin and will post. I'm sure I'll get many comments telling me lots of other 'great features' but honestly, I like it just the way it is! I thought it was a little expensive, but now that I have it, and if I was truly training to get speedier I can see how it would be very helpful in determining my pace. I did a speed workout last week and I did find myself able to hold my pace for much longer because I knew how much was left and exactly how fast I was going because of my Garmin. It's a great training tool and I am really glad I did purchase it. It's worth the money and overall thus far I would give it a A-grade! I will let you know if anything sway my opinion of the Garmin anymore, including more discoveries.


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As we transition into the week before Spring Break I wanted to take the time to discuss leadership roles. A leader is classified as a person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country. No matter the project or organization, I encourage you to take on a leadership role at least once before you graduate college. It's one of the most rewarding things you will do as an undergraduate and it's something you will learn so much about yourself.
To relate this back to here at NIU we are given certain opportunities to take on leadership roles. Some examples that come to mind are group projects throughout the Upper Level of Business Courses, student organizations, internships and even jobs on campus. It's something that you can't really describe. It's a moment of control yet you can see others grow with you. A perfect example is certain organizations here on campus where they just start off with a few members and then grow to 20 members. We always talk about boosting our resumes with these positions but the idea of running your organization is one of the most rewarding things you can do in life. In my personal experience I ran our Tennis Club here at Northern Illinois University and I learned so much about myself by dealing with conflicts and hardships. The idea of playing a sport in high school and being able to follow my dreams of playing in college was one of the reasons I took on the role. Some of things involved with this role were taking meeting minutes, having everyone register for USTA, booking hotels and holding practices. I am so grateful for this role because it got me involved in other organizations and even farther along with the Sports Club Council. Now after last year being the President of Tennis, I have been elected to serve on a board of seven members where we distribute budgets for 30 clubs. One leadership role makes your life so much more entertaining and gives you that sense of urgency you need in the business world. Leadership Roles do show employers that you can manage multiple things besides academics but also help you build your own skills in communication and leadership.
Now my boss has asked me to lead a focus group – from identifying the participants, creating the framework, facilitating it to preparing a written and verbal report. This is new ground for me…but I look forward to taking on the challenge!