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Proposal on increasing Gender Equality in the Boardrooms of Listed Companies21 November 2013
by eub2 -- last modified 21 November 2013
Companies listed on stock exchanges in the EU would have to bring in transparent recruitment procedures so that by 2020, at least 40% of their non-executive directors are women, under a draft EU directive voted by Parliament on 20 November 2013. MEPs propose that companies which fail to introduce such procedures should face penalties. In 2013, only 17.6% of non-executive board members of the EU's largest companies were women.
Why do we need legislation to improve the gender balance on the boards of listed companies?
At present, 91.1% of executive board members, 85% of non-executive board members and 96.8% of the boardroom chairs are men, while women make up 8.9%, 15% and 3.2% respectively. This is despite suggested evidence of the benefits of gender diversity for company performance (see separate fact sheet with economic arguments). A wide range of voluntary initiatives at national and European level have so far failed to improve the situation.
The European Commission has therefore adopted a proposal for legislation (a Directive). The aim of the proposal is to substantially increase the presence of the under-represented sex on corporate boards throughout the EU by setting a minimum objective of 40% by 2020 for members of the under-represented sex for non-executive members of the board. The proposal obliges listed companies with a lower percentage (than 40%) of the under-represented sex among non-executive directors to make appointments to those positions on the basis of a comparative analysis of the qualifications of each candidate, by applying pre-established, clear, neutrally formulated and unambiguous criteria, in order to meet the 40% objective.
Why do we need legislation at European level? Is this not something to be left to the Member States?
Due to the slow progress of self-regulatory initiatives, several EU Member States have already started to act and have introduced legally binding laws for company boards. 11 EU Member States (Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Austria and Slovenia) as well as the European Economic Area Member State Norway have introduced legal instruments to promote gender equality on company boards. In eight of the EU countries the instruments cover public undertakings (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia). Meanwhile, in two thirds of the Member States , no legal measures were introduced and no significant progress has been made in recent years (see also separate fact sheet on the situation in the different Member States).
This piecemeal approach can create practical problems for the internal market, as different company laws and sanctions for not complying with different quotas, could lead to complications, in particular for multinational companies. Legal uncertainty can have a deterrent effect on companies' cross-border investments and on the establishment of subsidiaries in other Member States.
The current legally fragmented approach risks hampering the functioning of Europe's Single Market – this is why we need to act at European level, to ensure we create an EU-wide framework for these positive action rules.
What is the current situation for women on boards in the different Member States?
On average, a mere 13.7% of board members of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the 27 Member States are women. This breaks down into 15% for the non-executive posts and 8.9% for the executive posts on the boards (see also separate fact sheet on the figures in the different Member States). Women are barely visible among top business leaders - more than 96 out of 100 company presidents are men. And the differences between Member States are enormous - in Malta, 3% of board members are women, while Finland has 27% women on the boards of the largest companies listed on the stock exchange.
Progress over the past ten years has been slow: an incremental average increase of the number of women on boards of just 0.6 percentage points per year has been recorded since 2003. Progress in individual countries varies as well. In some countries the share of women has even fallen. At such a pace, it would take around 40 more years to approach a situation of real gender balance (that is around 40%).
France is the motor of change: the proportion of women on the boards of French companies (on the CAC 40 index) increased by 10 percentage points to 22.3% in January 2012, up from 12.3% in October 2010. This change, prompted by the binding quota adopted in 2010, makes up more than 40% of the total EU-wide change recorded between October 2010 and January 2012. France's quota is 40% by 2017 with an intermediate target of 20% by 2014.
What is the legal basis for this proposal?
The EU's competence to legislate in gender equality matters dates back to 1957. The EU's right to act in issues of gender equality in employment and occupation follows from Article 157(3) TFEU. This provision is the specific legal basis for any binding measures aiming at ensuring the application of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation, including so-called positive action providing for specific advantages in favour of the under-represented sex.
How many companies will be affected?
The measures will only affect companies listed on stock exchanges in the EU's Member States. It will not apply to small and medium-sized enterprises (companies with less than 250 employees and an annual worldwide turnover not exceeding 50 million EUR) and non-listed companies. This means an estimated 5 000 companies in the whole of the EU will be affected.
Why does the proposal only apply to non-executive board members?
The proposal's objective of 40% only applies to non-executive directors who - while being important actors in particular in relation to corporate governance - are not involved in the day-to-day running of a company. This is so as not to interfere with the freedom to conduct a business and property rights - two fundamental rights guaranteed by the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The proposal also includes, as a complementary measure a 'flexi-quota', an obligation for listed companies to set themselves individual, self-regulatory targets regarding the representation of both sexes among executive board directors to be achieved by 2020 (or 2018 in case of public undertakings). Companies will have to report annually on the progress made.
Why does the proposal place a special emphasis on public undertakings?
The proposal places a special focus on public undertakings because Member States exercise a dominant influence over these (by virtue of their ownership or their financial participation therein) and have therefore more instruments to bring about change more rapidly. Public undertakings will have two years less time (until 2018) to meet the 40% objective set out in today's proposal. Examples of public undertakings likely to be affected by the proposal include EDF (France), Belgacom (Belgium), TeliaSonera (Sweden, Finland, Norway), Transelectrica (Romania) and Österreichische Post AG (Austria). The definition of public undertakings is set out in Commission Directive 2006/111/EC on the transparency of financial relations between Member States and public undertakings as well as on financial transparency within certain undertakings.
"Public undertakings" means any undertaking over which public authorities may exercise directly or indirectly a dominant influence by virtue of their ownership of it (for example controlling the majority of the votes attached to shares issued by undertakings or appointing half of the members of the undertaking's administrative, managerial or supervisory body), their financial participation therein (for example holding a major part of the underrtaking's subscribed capital), or the rules which govern it.
Why does the proposal only set an objective of 40% and not full parity?
The proposed objective of 40% for the minimum share of both sexes among non-executive board members strikes the right balance: it is situated between the minimum of the 'critical mass' of 30% found to be necessary for gender diversity to have a sustainable impact on board performance and full gender parity (50%).
Why does the proposal harmonise requirements relating to board appointment decisions?
The proposal requires only such changes to national company law that are strictly necessary for the minimum harmonisation of requirements for the appointment decisions and it respects the different board structures across Member States.
Member States that already have an effective system in place will be able to keep it provided it is equally efficient as the proposed system in attaining the objective of a presence of 40% of the under-represented sex among non-executive directors by 2020. And Member States remain free to introduce measures that go beyond the proposed system. Inbuilt safeguards will make sure that there is no unconditional, automatic promotion of the under-represented sex. In line with the Court of Justice of the European Union's case law on positive action, preference shall be given to the equally qualified under-represented sex - unless an objective assessment taking into account all criteria specific to the individual candidates tilts the balance in favour of the candidate of the other sex
Why is gender equality good for the economy?
Getting more women into the labour market can be an important factor in improving Europe's competitiveness. Having more women in the workforce will help achieve the EU's goal of raising the employment rate for adults to 75% - a target to which all EU Member States have signed up to in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, the EU's economic growth strategy.
A growing number of studies suggest there may be a link between gender balanced boards and financial performance. Studies from various countries show that companies with a higher share of women at top levels deliver strong organisational and financial performance.
For instance, in a study carried out by Catalyst1, companies with more women on their boards were found to outperform their rivals with a 42% higher return in sales, 66% higher return on invested capital and 53 % higher return on equity. The World Bank also finds that eliminating discrimination against female workers and managers could significantly increase productivity per worker by 25 to 40%.
60% of university graduates are female. Drawing on women's professional skills for leadership positions is likely to become all the more necessary as ageing populations and skills shortages put an increased brake on economic growth. Ageing European societies have to make full use of their talent if they are to successfully compete in a globalised world.
What has already been done at EU level to promote gender equality on company boards?
In 1984, the Council adopted a recommendation on the promotion of positive action for women (84/635/EEC).
In 1996, the Council adopted a recommendation, upon proposal by the Commission, on the balanced participation of women and men in the decision-making process (96/694/EC).
In 2010, the Commission identified 'equality in decision making' as one of the priorities of the Women's Charter (COM(2010)0078) and of its Strategy for Equality between Women and Men 2010-2015 (COM(2010) 491).
In 2011, Vice-President Viviane Reding launched the 'Women on the Board Pledge for Europe' calling for publicly listed companies in Europe to voluntarily commit to increasing women's presence on their boards to 30% by 2015 and 40% by 2020. A year later, only 24 companies had signed the pledge.
In March 2012, the Commission took stock of the situation and found only an average improvement of just 0.6 percentage points over the past years. At this slow rate of progress it would take around 40 years before companies would naturally reach gender balanced representation in boards.
The European Parliament called for legislation in its resolutions of 6 July 2011 and 13 March 2012 on equality between women and men in business leadership in the European Union.
Between 5 March and 28 May 2012, the Commission held a public consultation inviting the public - individual businesses, social partners, interested NGOs and citizens - to comment on what kind of measures the EU should take to tackle the lack of gender diversity in boardrooms. The results have fed into the proposal presented by the European Commission today.
What are the next steps for this proposal?
The Commission's proposal will now pass to the European Parliament and Council of the European Union (representing Member States' national governments) for consideration under the normal legislative procedure (also known as 'co-decision procedure' between the two institutions who decide on an equal footing, with the Council voting by qualified majority and the European Parliament voting by simple majority).
What about women in senior positions in the EU institutions?
European Commission
In the Commission as a whole women make up 52.4% of staff, men account for 47.6%.
Thanks to President Barroso's insistence on having female candidates for the College of Commissioners in 2009, 1 in 3 (33%) of the European Commissioners are today women. This is the best gender balance yet - up from 5.6% in 1994/1995. It also compares favourably with the situation in national governments of EU Member States, where an average of 1 in 4 (26%) of senior ministers are women.
In December 2010, the Commission adopted a Strategy on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men within the Commission (2010-2014), setting targets for gender balance in senior management as well as in other posts (middle management and non-management policy level).
By 1 October 2012, the percentage of women in management positions had increased to the extent that the Commission has met or is on course to meet all three targets for 2012. It has been so successful in recruiting women in top jobs that on 1 October 2012 it had already reached 27.2% women in senior management, exceeding its target of 25% for 2014 (see also separate fact sheet on gender equality in the European Commission).
European Parliament
In the European Parliament, women make up 35% of members of the European Parliament (MEPs), compared to 65% who are men. This compares favourably with the situation in national parliaments in the Member States, where an average of 26% of members of lower houses and 23% of those in upper houses are female.
European Council
The European Council, representing heads of state and government of the EU Member States, is made up of 11% women, or 3 out of the 27 members.
European Central Bank
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank, the ECB's main decision-making body, currently includes no women. All 22 members are men, while one position is vacant. The institution in charge of these appointments is the European Council. In national central banks, all Governors are also men.
Are there actually enough qualified female candidates for board positions?
In September 2011, European Business Schools and Senior Executive Women launched a call to action to shatter the glass ceilings which impede senior women executives from acceding to corporate boardroom seats throughout Europe. Their ever growing list of "Board Ready Women" - up to 7 500 today from 3 500 in March 2012 – makes it clear that there are more than enough eminently qualified women to help lead Europe's and the world's corporations into the 21st century. All of these women fulfil stringent criteria for corporate governance as defined by publicly-listed companies, are well qualified and ready to go on the boards as of tomorrow. The pool of talent is there - companies should now make use of it.
How does the proposal take into account the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality?
The lack of sufficient and sustainable progress in achieving gender balance on boards is a challenge common to all EU Member States. The impact of existing barriers across the EU can only be reduced through a common approach, and the potential for boosting competitiveness and growth can be better achieved through coordinated action at EU level rather than a patchwork of national initiatives of varying scope, ambition and effectiveness.
Scattered and divergent regulation at national level is bound to create practical problems in the EU's internal market, as different company law rules for not complying with a binding quota could lead to complications in business life and have a deterrent effect on companies' cross-border investments.
At the same time, EU action is only necessary as long as the problem persists and needs to be proportionate to its objectives. That is why the directive is a temporary measure, which will automatically expire once the objectives are attained.
The proposal will only apply to publicly listed companies, due to their economic importance and high visibility. It will not apply to small and medium enterprises (companies with less than 250 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million).
The proposal is based on a minimum harmonisation approach and is limited to setting common objectives and general rules, thereby giving Member States sufficient freedom to determine how these should be best achieved at national level, taking into account national, regional or local circumstances including national company law and company board recruitment practices. Sanctions must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive, though Member States have been granted discretion to specify the sanctions, in line with their individual company law systems.
The proposal does not require undue changes to national company law and respects the different board structures across Member States. Its 40% objective focuses on the non-executive director posts of company boards in order not to interfere with the freedom to conduct a business and property rights - two fundamental rights guaranteed by the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The proposal also provides for a possibility of justifying non-compliance with the objective where the members of the under-represented sex represent less than 10 per cent of the workforce.
Percentage (%) women on boards
Women on the boards of the largest listed companies: executive and non-executive members (January 2012)
Source: European Commission's Database on women and men in decision-making
Note: In a one-tier system data on non-executives refer to non-executive members of the board and data on executives refer to executive members of the board. In a two-tier system data on non-executives refer to members of the supervisory board and data on executives to members of the executive/management board. Occasionally, it is possible for the supervisory board to include one or more executive members (e.g. CEO and CFO). In this case these are included in the executive figures, though individuals participating in both boards are counted only once. Non-executive figures in this case still refer to the total members of the supervisory board and could, therefore, include some executives but the numbers concerned are not significant and should not affect the final result.
Share of Women among Members on Boards for Listed Companies in EU Member States and some other countries (Iceland, Norway, Australia, Canada and the US)
Source: European Commission. Database: women & men in decision making, and Catalyst, Women on Boards, Quick takes
Notes: data on European countries refer to members of the board of directors (supervisory board in case of separated supervisory and executive functions. Count includes the chairperson). Data on countries outside Europe derive from different sources with different coverage and reference years
Change in the share of women on corporate boards between October 2010 and January 2012
Source: European Commission, Database on women and men in decision making
Men and Women presidents/chairpersons of large companies, EU-27
Annex 2
Gender Equality in the European Commission
European Commission
Current rate (%women)
Target 2012 (%women)
Target 2014 (%women)
Senior management
Middle management
AD non-management


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TOLEDO -- The mother of three children killed this week in what police believe was a murder-suicide said Wednesday her mother and brother weren't in their "right minds" when the deaths occurred. Notes found at a Toledo house indicate the children's grandmother and uncle planned to kill themselves and the children by funneling fumes from a pickup truck into a car where their five bodies were found Monday, police said. The children's mother, Mandy Hayes, told WTOL-TV in Toledo that her mom was her best friend and she was close to her brother. The children, their 54-year-old grandmother Sandy Ford, and their 32-year-old uncle Andy Ford, died of carbon monoxide poisoning, a coroner ruled Wednesday in a finding that confirmed what investigators already suspected. "I don't know what happened," Hayes said in an emotional interview. "They weren't in their right minds. That's all I can say. Something snapped, where it just -- I don't know. I can't explain it, really." Hayes' husband, Chris, drew a different conclusion. "I think she really did not want those kids to ever come home, is what the deal was there," he said of the grandmother in the WTOL interview. "She felt that she was their mother." Investigators and family friends say the murder-suicide appears to stem from a family disagreement over where the children should live. For the past three years, the children ages 10, 7, and 5, lived with their grandmother. Mandy Hayes asked her mother to care for them after another son at home had behavior problems and was becoming disruptive, according to children services workers. But within the past week, the children moved back into their parents' home, angering the grandmother who believed the youngsters would be better off with her, according to child welfare workers. Police were called to intervene twice last week, but they said they saw no signs the children were in danger. On Monday morning, Sandy Ford picked up the children from school not long after their mother dropped them off, and the grandmother took them back to her home, police said. Mandy Hayes said when the school called to tell her the kids were not there, she called police. "I figured it was my mom that had snatched them," she said. She kept calling her mom but she never answered. Chris Hayes said he also knew the grandmother was involved once he learned the children were not at the school. "I told my wife to keep calling the police, telling them -- look, find out what car they're in, if they're going anywhere -- get an Amber Alert, something," he said. Authorities were called to the home by the children's frantic grandfather after he discovered the letters and was unable to force open the garage door. Firefighters using a sledgehammer broke down the garage door to find the bodies of 5-year-old Madalyn Hayes, 7-year-old Logan Hayes and 10-year-old Paige Hayes slumped inside the car along with their grandmother and uncle. Two hoses attached to the exhaust of a pickup truck pumped gas fumes through the car's rear window. A funeral for the children is set for Monday in Toledo with visitation scheduled for this weekend.
Ohio mom: Grandmother, uncle not in 'right minds'
- John Seewer
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August 16, 2019 | 0 MINUTES TO READ
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When Walt Disney was building Disneyland's Haunted Mansion ride in the 1960s, he rejected a proposed portrait of the almost unkillable Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin. How come? He was afraid of lawsuits from Rasputin's relations.
As Long-Forgotten explains:
One of the fundamental decisions that confronted the Imagineers who put together the Haunted Mansion was choosing which ghosts and ghoulies to put before the public. It was like writing a recipe. How much should the Mansion rely-if at all-on cinematic ghosts? or Halloween decoration ghosts? [...] [Disney Imagineer Marc Davis] also planned to use Rasputin. Believe it or not, Walt nixed this one himself, not because it was so weird but because he feared that relatives of Rasputin might still be alive (which was true) and might want to sue them! Marc recycled some of his unused Rasputin portrait into one of the Sinister 11, the one sometimes referred to as "the ogre."
Weird! I'm not sure how litigious Rasputin's relatives were, but I don't remember Boney M. ever getting sued.
[Spotted on Boing Boing]


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People think of organic agriculture in many ways. Some define it by what it disallows — i.e., organic production should involve no pesticides, synthetic chemicals, or processing technologies you wouldn't have in your kitchen. Others think about it in terms of food value — organic food should be nutritious and safe to eat without washing. And some think of it as ecologically based agriculture. Still others think of the economic opportunity provided by a market for a premium product.
For the originators of the organic method, it was all about the soil. They believed that the soil must be regarded as a living organism. Organic gardening and farming literally grew out of the study of composting. As J.I. Rodale and the Rodale staff wrote in The Complete Book of Composting, "At the very foundation of good nutrition is the soil — soil that is fertile and alive, that is kept in shape to grow plants as nature meant them to be grown. The life and balance in this soil [are] maintained by returning to it those materials which hold and extend life in a natural cycle, and aid in replenishing the nutrients needed to produce healthy, life-supporting crops. Soils that lack vital plant nutrients cannot give these food values to what is grown in them."
Hence the saying, "Feed the soil to feed the plant."
The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) was written with the intention of ensuring that organic food meets all of these expectations. And it offers opportunities to engage in protecting our vision of organic food. Protecting the integrity of the organic label depends on our views of what "organic" means to us being repeatedly voiced in response to proposals that might weaken the legal meaning. Under OFPA, organic agriculture embodies an ecological approach to farming that does not rely on or permit toxic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics, sewage sludge, or irradiation.
Beyond Pesticides is a member of the National Organic Coalition (NOC). The coalition's materials provide up-to-date information on organic agriculture policy in the U.S., including Farm Bill recommendations and discussions.
Beyond Pesticides supports organic agriculture because it implements good land stewardship and achieves reductions in hazardous chemical exposures for farmworkers. The pesticide reform movement, citing pesticide problems associated with chemical agriculture, from groundwater contamination and runoff to drift, views organic as the solution to this serious public health and environmental threat.
The National Organic Action Plan: From the Margins to the Mainstream: Advancing Organic Agriculture in the U.S. (NOAP) presents a shared vision and blueprint for an organic future for the U.S. — "To establish organic as the foundation for food and agriculture in the U.S." It represents the culmination of a five-year dialogue process with organic stakeholders across the country. The NOAP describes the current status of organic in the U.S. and provides a concrete framework for the development of organic food and agriculture practices, programs, and policies for the future. It informs and empowers the grassroots to engage in public policy debates on organic by providing a detailed plan of action that can be adapted to meet community, state, and national needs. To download a copy or for more information, visit www.NationalOrganicCoalition.org.
Federal Court Finds USDA Process for Allowing Pesticide-Contaminated Compost Improper and Stops Use. The case focused principally on whether USDA, in failing to conduct a formal public review, was operating "at its whim." The court found that is exactly what USDA did and ordered the agency to stop allowing the use of contaminated compost by August 22, 2016. For further information, see our press release here.


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Many people feel that when they are ready to design a landscape, a landscape architect is necessary. They do not feel that their natural tastes or inclinations are correct, and they feel that they may irrevocably ruin their yard if they try something on their own. While it is true that some people may cause irreversible damage to their homes when they try their hand at design without a landscape architect, what they do not realize is that their problems have very little to do with design. A landscape architect will not actually install your features or plant your flowers, trees, and shrubs. That is up to you. You either have to do it yourself or hire someone to follow the plan drawn out by the architect. So, the question becomes whether or not you really need the help of a landscape architect to design your home environs.
Landscape architects can be very useful when it comes to using space. A square deck may save you money, but it may look out of place, and it may not be as usable as you would like. This is where a landscape architect can help. She or he can look at your available space, and suggest possible uses for it. These architects are experienced in combining utility with attractiveness, and it may be worth your while to spend $50-$200 for a consultation or two. It really depends on your budget, and whether you can afford such expensive advice. The architect may also be able to give you ideas for walkways, fences, and patios. However, it is important to note that most landscape architects are not gardeners, and many of them are not experts in plant care.
When working in a certain area, many landscape architects make use of commonly used plants that are widely known to grow well in a particular region. This means that you may end up with a design that, rather than being personal, looks very similar to other designs. Also, your architect is not going to be able to instruct you on what you need to do to amend your soil if the plants recommended will not flourish with the makeup of your soil. Plus, many architects specify mature plants in their designs. This is because they are visualizing the attractive completed project. Mature plants cost much more than smaller plants, and such specifications may price you out of your landscape project.
The fact of the matter is that most people can determine their own preferences for landscapes by drawing out their own plans. With the help of local urban planning Web sites or a local university's plant specialist, it is possible to discover which plants thrive in your climate. Additionally, you can browse online to find plans for a variety of projects and flower gardens. If something looks comfortable and attractive to you, then there is no reason why cannot incorporate it into your landscape design. The key is trusting in your own taste.
Something that can be a lot less expensive than hiring a landscape architect to consult with and then to design your yard (the whole process can cost upward of $800-$1,000), it is possible to use the software. Many stores sell this software, and it is available online. It is fun to use the software to figure out various possibilities for your home, and some of them even come with information like what you need for a specific design and approximate cost estimates. This software not only provides great amusement, but it can also be helpful as you try to figure out what you would like to do about your landscape.
Landscape architects can be very helpful. They can help you determine feasibility and show you how to best utilize a space for beauty and function. However, these services do not come with a hefty price tag. An argument can be made for saving money in the long run, but unless you have a massive project undertaking, the services of a landscape architect are rarely completely necessary. You can sketch out your own ideas, or you can make use of the software. And, as the average do-it-yourselfer does not often participate in a complete landscape overhaul, he or she is more than qualified to design for his or her own small landscape improvement projects


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Dovecot installation
It's a good idea to start with a simple Dovecot installation to see that everything works. After that you can start changing things one at a time, so if you run into trouble you know immediately where the problem is.
If you're in a hurry and you already know enough about mail servers, QuickConfiguration may be more helpful to you instead.
- Installing
[:CompilingSource:Compiling from sources]
[:PrebuiltBinaries:Installing prebuilt binaries]
[:FindMailLocation:Checking where mail is delivered to]
[:BasicConfiguration:Configuring Dovecot]
[:RunningDovecot:Running Dovecot]
- ["Logging"]
[:TestInstallation:Testing that everything works]
[:TestPop3Installation:Testing POP3 installation]
[:FinishBasicConfiguration:Finishing the test installation]
Dovecot configuration
- Starting guidelines
[:SystemUsers:System users]
[:VirtualUsers:Virtual users]
[:UserIds:System users used by Dovecot]
[:Authentication:Authentication configuration]
[:PasswordDatabase:Password databases]
[:UserDatabase:User databases]
[:Authentication/MultipleDatabases:Multiple authentication databases]
[:Authentication/RestrictAccess:Restricting users' access]
[:PasswordDatabase/ExtraFields:Special authentication features]
[:Authentication/MasterUsers:Master users]
[:MailLocation:Mailbox location configuration]
[:MailLocation/LocalDisk:Mails stored in local disk]
[:MailLocation/SharedDisk:Mails stored in shared filesystem] (["NFS"], clustered FS)
[:MailLocation/Maildir:Maildir configuration]
[:MailLocation/Mbox:Mbox configuration]
- ["Namespaces"]
[:SharedMailboxes:Shared mailboxes]
[:LoginProcess:Login processes and their settings]
- ["SSL"] settings and certificate creation
- ["Plugins"]
- ["Quota"]
[:ACL:Access Control Lists] (ACLs)
- [:POP3Server:Dovecot as a POP3 server]
[:LDA:Dovecot's local delivery agent]
[:PostLoginScripting:Post-login scripting]
HOWTOs, examples and tutorials
[:HowTo:HOWTOs, examples and tutorials] for different installations
[:DovecotServerInstallations:Existing Dovecot installations]
Migration from existing systems
[:Migration:From other IMAP/POP3 servers]
[:MissingMailboxes:My mailboxes are lost after migrating to Dovecot!]
[:UpgradingDovecot:Upgrading from Dovecot 0.99.x to 1.0]
[:Migration/MailFormat:Converting between mailbox formats] (mbox <-> Maildir, etc.)
[:WhyDoesItNotWork:Why doesn't Dovecot work?]
[:Logging:Finding the error message from logs]
[:Debugging/Authentication:Debugging authentication]
[:Debugging/ProcessTracing:Process tracing] is useful when Dovecot seems slow or hangs completely
[:MboxProblems:mbox errors and crashes]
[:Clients:Client issues and configuration]
[:Clients/NegativeUIDs:Negative UIDs / message sets]
[:Debugging/Thunderbird:Debugging using Thunderbird's logging]
[:TimeMovedBackwards:"Time moved backwards" error]
[http://dovecot.org/bugreport.html Sending bug reports], debugging crashes and sniffing network traffic
[:PerformanceTuning:Performance tuning]
[:SecurityTuning:Security tuning]
- ["Chrooting"]
[:MainConfig:Full configuration file reference] (automatically updated from dovecot.conf)
[:CommandLine:Command line arguments]
[:Design:Dovecot's design]
- ["Authentication Protocol"]
[:Clients:Client issues and configuration]
[:CoreFeatures:Current features and roadmap] / [:DovecotFeatures:another features page] (These need to be merged somehow)
- ["Testimonials"]
[:Iptables:Listening on Additional Ports] using: IP Tables or socat
OrphanedPages (that are not linked to by other pages)
QuestionsAndAnswers (the contents of this page should mostly be moved elsewhere)


text:
|Successful Submission
The October Mega Cook-Off 2014 has ended!
The editorials for the contest can be found here.
The problems have been moved to practice section.
Solutions are public for all problems.
Winners Blog Post can be found here.
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- Contest problems will become visible on October 19th, 2014 at 21:30 (IST). There will be 5 problems in all. Check your timezone here.
- You will receive one point for solving a problem (passing all test cases - no partial credit), regardless of the level of difficulty of that problem.
- Users are ranked according to the most problems solved. Ties will be broken by the total time for each user in ascending order of time.
- The total time is the sum of the time consumed for each problem solved. The time consumed for a solved problem is the time elapsed from the beginning of the contest to the submittal of the first accepted run plus 20 penalty minutes for every previously rejected run for that problem. There is no time consumed for a problem that is not solved.
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Note: As a contestant, you are responsible for making sure others don't access the code that you submit. If you're on a network or shared computer, or using an online development environment, make sure that other contestants don't have access to your code. If you use Ideone, make sure to mark your submission "private" (not secret)".
19/10/2014, 23:50 IST: The October Mega Cook-Off has been extended by 10 mins. It will now end at 00:10 HRS IST
19/10/2014, 21:30 IST: The ranking for the contest can be found here.


text:
This permit is required to undertake the sale or display of goods on the footpath.
A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.
One off or refer to your local council.
$80 per day$115 per week$680 per year
Refer to your council for details to be submitted
Coorong District Council
Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.
Coorong District Council


text:
Sister Nancy Sylvester has grown accustomed to the fact that life often takes unexpected turns. When Sylvester entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the tail end of the Second Vatican Council, she experienced firsthand a whirlwind change for women religious that dramatically shifted the course of her own life. That change led Sylvester to Washington, where she became immersed in politics and served for 10 years as executive director of the Catholic social justice lobby NETWORK.
But that was only the first leg of her journey. After serving in leadership positions with her own religious order and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Sylvester felt called to tackle issues in the church, society, and religious life in a new way. In 2002 she founded the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue (ICCD) and serves as its executive director In this web-exclusive excerpt from her interview with U.S. Catholic, Sylvester explains how her current work has evolved and the role it plays in the church today.
How did you end up starting the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue?
It was evolutionary, in many ways. At the end of my time with NETWORK in 1992, I was noticing a shift from my early years in Washington. Things weren't yet as polarized as they would become, but I was beginning to sense that whom you were aligned with was more important than addressing the issues. There was less and less "crossing the aisle" among the advocacy groups with which we worked. Although political advocacy is important, I knew that it wasn't enough anymore. Something was missing.
Then I got elected to serve in the leadership of my congregation, and from there I was elected president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). I served in the presidency for three years, and those years were very significant. We went to Rome each year with our male counterparts in the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and met with the various Vatican congregations or dicasteries to share what was happening with women and men religious in the United States.
During these three years the issues we covered dealt with women's role in the church, the gay and lesbian issue, as well as a significant issue for male religious mixed communities. This refers to a religious congregation that would have priests and brothers. In mixed communities, no brother can hold an elected position of authority unless all the ordained men are deemed incompetent.
The men have been bringing up this issue every time they visit but this particular year I found the response quite startling. After the issue was raised, one of the senior staff, a cleric himself, pointed his finger at a Franciscan priest, saying, "Would you want to take orders from a brother?"The Franciscan simply said yes.
What I experienced was the clear difference between those who believe that authority comes from ordination and those who believe it comes from baptism. Not exactly the kind of polarity I was experiencing in Washington, but it signaled the growing divide between different world views and theologies which women religious were coming up against. I knew we had to find new ways of being and acting. We had to find new ways of working toward systemic change. That would eventually bring about the founding of ICCD.
How did you work toward change when you were the president of LCWR?
When it came time to prepare for the presidential address in 2000, I wanted to write something really good and positive. "The future of religious life is great." "This is what we can do," etc. I had a little group of friends who read it and they said, "That's OK, but it is not what you've really been talking about."
Finally someone said, "Nancy, it's in you." With that, I just fell into a deep place. You could tell it was one of the moments when the ego wasn't directing me. I just wrote. I was crying and writing. For the next six hours, I just sat there and wrote what would be the presidential address.
"Everything Before Us Brought Us to This Moment" was the title. I basically said that women religious are at an impasse with some in the hierarchical church. All the ways we know how to make change don't work anymore. In fact, we have to reach into the deepest part of ourselves, the touchstone of our spirituality, in order to imagine new ways.
I chose the word "impasse" because I was influenced by Sister Constance Fitzgerald, a Baltimore Carmelite who wrote in 1983 a great essay called "Impasse and Dark Night." She wrote about the kind of powerlessness we feel in our society right now, saying it is really like the mystical journey of John of the Cross and the mystical movements of the dark night of the soul. To engage that kind of impasse calls for a very contemplative spirit and needs to be shared in communal contemplation
How was your speech received?
It went well. I was scared getting up to give that talk, because I knew it was different and I wasn't sure how everybody would respond. Actually, it was overwhelming how positively received it was by young and old, sisters in habits and those not in habits.
What I said resonated with them. I believe it was even more significant that I was the public person who was able to name our experience as women religious within the hierarchical church and to acknowledge that we operate out of very different world views and levels of consciousness.
Following that year, I'd completed my term in the presidency and was no longer holding office in my congregation. I thought, "Well, if I've said this to people, I'd better see if I can I do anything about it." That's when I decided to start the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue (www.iccdinstitute.org). The first program was called Engaging Impasse: Circles of Contemplation and Dialogue. I had seven marvelous women whom I invited to help me see if some program could be designed. Some I knew, but others I only knew by name. They included theologians, artists, psychologists, spiritual directors, activists. They all said yes and gave of their time.
I wanted to meet with them to see if this was even possible—can we engage impasse through communal contemplation and dialogue? We had a great meeting, and at the end they said they would help me do this, so I had an incredible team that helped me develop the program.
The proof that the speech was well received was the support I received from women religious both financially and in participating in the Engaging Impasse Circles.
How exactly do the circles of contemplation work?
The process is designed to be an invitation to transformation. Given the critical time we are living in, this transformation is within the broader societal and ecclesial context. It really is an individual transformation within a communal setting. What is important is that it is rooted in a commitment to contemplative practice. Contemplation is an invitation to access the divine within you. It's a prayer that's wordless. You're really trying to become quiet enough to allow your ego to not be in control so that you're really listening to that space within your soul, your truest self, your divine self. It is the divine presence within you. That is the grounding. And it is not easy and we are not used to doing such a practice.
That is why before coming to the circle gathering participants are invited to read the reflections on the website on contemplation, impasse, and dialogue, and to practice contemplation daily. The program is highly experiential and so that grounding in contemplation is important.
When people are there, we try to give them some skills to assist them. We focus on how to listen and speak from a contemplative heart. In doing so one becomes very aware of one's biases, assumptions, and operative world views.
Then everyone tells a story about an impasse. The process provides a very safe container to share and be heard. We then explore what common experience is emerging. We do that in a variety of ways using both our right and left brains. Later we explore how we are complicit in the impasse, how we feel about it, what scares us about it, all in a very safe space.
We're always trying to grow the communal and it doesn't take too long before everyone sees that their own story is really everybody's story. It's pretty phenomenal. In seeing that one is not alone and part of a larger whole something breaks open. We begin to see that we are not going to change the impasse rather we want to engage it from a very different perspective. We reflect on how we can imagine new ways of being and doing. It's a movement toward a commitment of living, of being in a new way. Contemplation will invite you to change the way you are. It's not just a set of tools. It's really an invitation to be and act differently.
We have a book that describes the process, plus it includes reflections by a number of participants. It is called "Crucible For Change." It's available on our website—we sold out of all the hard copies but we have it available for download (for ordering information, see www.iccdinstitute.org/crucible-for-change/).
A lot of Catholics today might feel that there is an impasse within the church. Can people use some of these principles and practices you've developed in their own lives when they feel they have reached an impasse?
Yes, for sure. But one thing I want to make clear is that not every conflict is an impasse. We often have lots of conflicts in our lives. Impasse is when you face the fact that you're in a new place and all the things you knew about how to change it aren't working. You've got to face into your powerlessness. And make a commitment to contemplative practice.
Beside the reflections on the website and the Engaging Impasse process, ICCD offers a one-day program called "Transformation in a Time of Uncertainty" which can also be very helpful. It is a day program which includes a presentation as to why we are feeling such dissonance and why we need to address the polarities we are experiencing. We practice contemplation and discuss why that is a very needed practice for people of faith. We show how it invites us to explore new ways of coping with our lives and communicating with those who are at different stages of consciousness and hold different world views.
There are other programs we are developing that could also be helpful, like the ICCD Contemplative Sitting Network. These are women and men from around the globe who have committed themselves to sit for 20 minutes every morning between 6:00-7:30 in whatever time zone they live in. They engage in contemplation with the intention of both personal and communal transformation and they do it knowing they are part of this larger field of prayer and energy.
It is very exciting to see so many people hungering for a deepened spirituality and who are willing to engage that as part of their evolutionary journey.
This is a web-only sidebar that accompanies, "From piety to politics: The evolution of an American sister," which appeared in the January 2014 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 79, No. 1, pages 12-16).


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Atlantic City put underwater by Hurricane Sandy
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.-- Rising waters put most of Atlantic City under water Monday as the approach of Hurricane Sandy flooded towns up and down the New Jersey shore, knocked out power to thousands and left some people stranded in water-surrounded homes, forcing rescues. Emergency officials said they expected conditions to get much worse at evening high tide.
"The city's basically flooded," said Willie Glass, the city's public safety director. "Most of the city is under water."
Fire officials in neighboring Pleasantville reported two rescues and said more were under way as residents who stayed put sought to escape flood-encircled homes.
"It's going to be a slog through the history books but we're doing OK so far," Glass said.
Atlantic City and its casinos were ordered evacuated on Sunday. The city's historic boardwalk remained intact despite the rising floodwaters, though an old section at the north end broke up and washed away.
"It looks like it's going to be worse than the storm of '62, which was monumental," Glass said. "Saving lives and making sure everyone is safe is our priority."
State Emergency Management spokeswoman Mary Goepfert said about 115,000 residents to evacuate the state's barrier islands but it was not known how many heeded the warning. She said more than 2,200 people were in shelters statewide.
The Garden State Parkway was closed in both directions south of the Atlantic City Expressway because of flooding.
More than 8,000 people were without power across the state as officials braced for a storm surge that was expected to cause record-breaking flooding.
The streets of Atlantic City were mainly deserted.
Ron Skinner, a Harrah's employee who was heading from the boardwalk to the beach, said he was unfazed.
"It is what it is," he said. "I don't worry much."
Tom Foley, Atlantic City's director of emergency management, said officials were sweeping the city's low-lying areas, looking for people who were still in their homes. Two shelters are currently occupied, he said.
"We're anticipating more people coming in as the tide rises," he said.
While the plywood was tacked onto casino windows, and sandbags sat at the bottoms of doors, the Boardwalk looked like it could come to life at any minute. Neon signs still flashed; lamps were lit and a string of Christmas lights extending from a casino to lamps remained lit. Bally's even kept its outdoor sound system on; "What You Need" by INXS blared on the boardwalk along with the howl of the wind.
A check-cashing store was boarded up; a pizza place sat, rain hitting the white facade of the only building on the block. Rain dripped down the elephants in front of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, and a piece of sign hung from a billboard, swaying in the wind.
A traffic light near the Atlantic City Expressway dangled precariously, turning 360 degrees before giving out. Water still spraying up from a fountain was blown horizontally. On a street where an Associated Press reporter parked, water rose about four inches in a half hour.
President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration for New Jersey on Sunday, allowing the state to request federal funding and other assistance for action taken in advance of the storm.
Christie, who famously urged New Jersey residents last year to "get the hell off the beach" as Hurricane Irene approached, urged residents of the state's narrow barrier islands to move to higher ground. He predicted the storm would come ashore at Atlantic City around 2 a.m. Tuesday.
"Don't be stupid. Get out," he warned.
More than half of New Jersey's 590 school districts decided to close for Monday, and 247 districts have decided to remain shut Tuesday, as well.
Sandy was just one component of a massive storm predicted to come together over the eastern third of the U.S., threatening damaging wind, possible record-setting flooding and prolonged power outages. At 5 a.m. Monday, the National Hurricane Center indicated that Sandy had strengthened a bit since last check, with top sustained winds of 85 mph.
Atlantic City's 12 casinos closed for only the fourth time in the 34-year history of legalized gambling here. State parks also shut down.
Residents of northern New Jersey river communities braced for another round of the flooding that has become commonplace for them. Pompton Lakes has been hit by flooding several times in the last decade, most notably last year after the remnants of Hurricane Irene swept through the area and left dozens of businesses and homes severely damaged.
Some in the town were already putting belongings out near the curb, in advance of the storm.
"People are worst-case-scenario-ing it," said Kevin Gogots, who has lived in the town since the early '80s. "They're figuring, divide and conquer: They'll take the stuff they want to save and put the rest out. Of course, if the street floods again we'll just have things floating around."


text:
Keeping your home clean can be a challenging proposition, but with Dollar General's broad selection of cleaning supplies, it doesn't need to be difficult or expensive. We offer a variety of name brand cleaning supplies at discount prices to help you keep your household clean. For your laundry, Dollar General offers bulk laundry detergent from Tide, Purex and Gain as well as an assortment of fabric softeners, stain removers and other cleaning products. In addition, you can keep other areas of your home sparkling with all-purpose cleaning products perfect for multiple surfaces. At Dollar General, you'll find great deals on cleaning supplies either individually or by the case.
Have a big mess to clean up? Then you need janitorial supplies from Dollar General. We stock all the cleaning products you'll need to get your bathroom, kitchen or floors clean and looking good. For the bathroom, Dollar General stocks tile and toilet cleaner, not to mention many other discount cleaners. In addition, our discount floor cleaning supplies should help you tidy up your carpets. Finally, our cleaning supplies are available individually or by the case, so you can have lots of cleaning power on hand when needed.
Whether for the home or office, you'll find the cleaning products you need at Dollar General. Since the kitchen can become a messy place, our kitchen cleaning products like dish soap and discount dishwashing detergent can be a real life saver. Furthermore, you can rest assured that we regularly carry top name brands like Dawn, Cascade and Ajax. For those with plenty of floors to clean, the money you'll save on janitorial products like carpet and floor cleaner will be a welcome change. Finally, Dollar General has a great selection of janitorial supplies including sponges, scrub brushes and more to get your home or office clean and looking good. Find the cleaning products you need at Dollar General.


text:
While the number of U.S. citizens abandoning their citizenship is increasing, so too is the number of foreigners coming to U.S. shores to take advantage of so-called "investor visas" that allow them not just to put some of their cash to work in this country but also to bring their families here to live, work, and go to school—and pave the path to citizenship.
Jim Duggan, a tax, wealth and estate planning attorney at Duggan Bertsch LLC, said that Americans are looking for a way to avoid paying taxes to the U.S. while living elsewhere. "The United States is one of the only nations that will tax its citizens regardless of where they reside," Duggan said in a statement. "For Americans residing overseas in particular, they're weighing the costs of having a U.S. passport."
The numbers are on the rise, and the trend drew the public's notice after Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, a Brazilian native, chucked the U.S. in favor of Singapore in what was seen, though Saverin denied it, as a means of avoiding taxes on proceeds from the Facebook IPO.
In response to Saverin's perceived tax dodge, as reported by AdvisorOne, Senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and Bob Casey, D-Pa., introduced the Ex-PATRIOT Act (or Expatriation Prevention by Abolishing Tax-Related Incentives for Offshore Tenancy Act), which would reimpose taxes on expatriates like Saverin even after they flee the United States and take up residence in a foreign country. Their plan would also bar those people from re-entering the country.
Ironically, Saverin may end up paying more in taxes because of the stock's performance since the IPO. The taxes on his shares were determined as of September 2011, when Saverin made his declaration to leave the U.S., at the internal third-party valuation used for restricted stock issued to employees. At the time the shares were valued at $30.58 each. However, according to PrivCo founder and CEO Sam Hamadeh in a Web post, the share price had sunk as low as $27.72 on June 4, which would have resulted in a considerably lower tax bill had Saverin waited.
The percentage of American expats who renounced their citizenship increased from 0.008% to 0.059% between 2008 and 2011. An Investors Business Daily article pointed out that much of the increase in departures likely can be laid at the door of aggressive enforcement of existing laws that began in 2008 when the U.S. government began to push Swiss banks to stop helping Americans evade taxes.
David McKeegan, president of Greenback Expat Tax Services, agreed, saying in a statement, "Anecdotally, it would appear that the rate of people renouncing U.S. citizenship is tied to increased government efforts to enforce U.S. tax regulations on U.S. citizens living abroad. That is to say, increased awareness of the need to file U.S. taxes and Foreign Bank Account Reports seems to have an impact on people's decision to renounce citizenship, as the major increases have come after the 2009 voluntary disclosure program." Duggan said that the prospect of tax increases—expiration of existing exemptions and temporarily low rates that are set to expire at the end of the year—are likely to cause that percentage increase to accelerate even further, and ticked off the reasons.
"Despite a gift-tax exemption of $5 million and a lowered 35% tax rate, citizens are still opting to cut their losses and pay the current exit tax," he said. "Unless Congress intervenes and extends these exemptions, the $5 million gift will drop to $1 million and the tax rate will climb to 55%. This, in addition to an increasing capital gains rate, is likely to give wealthy American citizens even more incentive to renounce their citizenship."
But the door swings both ways. As some Americans leave in search of lower taxes or greener pastures—or both—foreign nationals with money to invest are taking advantage of the aforementioned "investor visas" under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program. CNN reported that the State Department expects to issue more than 6,000 such visas in fiscal 2012, which would be an all-time record.
To qualify, individuals must invest at least $1 million in a new or recently created business, or $500,000 for businesses in rural or high-unemployment areas. And that's not all; the investment must have created or preserved at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers within two years. Should the lucky foreign investor meet these conditions, he and his family can achieve permanent residency, and three years after that can apply to become full citizens.
Business in investor visas is booming; last year 3,500 were issued, and the surge this year, as last, is coming mostly from China—whose residents gobbled up 70% of those granted last year. In fact, prospects are for the quota of 10,000 visas a year to meet its ceiling for the first time in the next year or two, thanks in part to family members accompanying investors.


text:
JOHANNESBURG - South African singing sensation Lira says she will dedicate a Zulu love song to United States President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, when she performs at Monday's inaugural ball in Washington D.C.
Lira says she is blown away by the invitation. She told South African talk show host Redi Tlhabi her career has "gone way beyond my wildest dreams ... I'm extremely excited, it blows my mind."
On Talk Show Radio 702 this week Lira promised to dedicate a song of her own composition called "Ngiyazifela" to America's first couple. "It talks about being so in love with one's partner and I think Michelle and Obama are such an inspiring couple, I just want to pay a tribute to that." Ngiyazifela is Zulu slang for being madly in love.


text:
HBO has released an amazing behind-the-scenes look at the second season of Game Of Thrones. Can you name all the new characters included in this video? We'll get you started — up front is the sensational Natalie Dormer, who's playing Margaery Tyrell.
April seems so far away, but the nice thing about this show is that the people behind it take their time making the incredibly character-filled novels by George R.R. Martin accessible. As Executive Producer David Benioff explained, the many characters and storylines were their biggest worry during Season One. To quote Benioff, "Will the audience be able to follow them all?" We think audiences figured it out.
So who else did you spot in the video. Was that Balon Greyjoy?


text:
Set a stylish table, make your own centerpieces and decorations, keep little ones happily occupied and host your Thanksgiving guests with ease.
Impress your guests with these stylish table settings that set the scene for the feast.
From formal to fuss-free: We have chic centerpieces you can create.
Get ready to lounge on the front porch taking in Mother Nature's ever-changing scenery.
Brighten up your front door, garden gate or entryway with one of these DIY decorations.
Savory starters to keep ravenous Thanksgiving guests at bay.
Stuff the bird (and your guests!) with our delicious main dishes and sides.
Cold-weather cocktails that are good for what ails you.
Finish your feast on a sweet note with one of our indulgent treats.
Keep your little ones crafting with our fun Thanksgiving kids' crafts.
Set up a fun snack-mix station where they can help themselves.
Refresh your home with stylish products handpicked by HGTV editors.


text:
Rotation change
Nothing of major significance to report. The team worked out at Dodger Stadium today and is currently en route to San Francisco. Billingsley starts tomorrow with Penny on Saturday and Brett Tomko now starting on Sunday. Derek Lowe moves to Monday and Mark Hendrickson on Tuesday.
Otherwise, it's a quiet day in Dodgerland. Grady's third grandchild was born earlier today, so our congratulations go out to him and his family on the birth of Jace Dalton Little.
42 Comments
Congrats to the Little Family!
Congrats to Grady and family. How perfectly timed that birth was!
Is there any reason Derek Lowe was pushed back from this weekend? I don't have a great deal in confidence in Tomko, and don't know why the Dodgers do, but will defer to the powers that be, I guess.
It's all because they want Wolf to pitch on July 20th in order to split up the lefties. It makes all the sense in the world why they moved around the rotation. Tomko is pitching for one game, that's all. While I do not agree with pitching Tomko, I completely understand why they moved the start up and pushed Lowe down a game. Before the change was made Wolf and Hendrickson would have pitched back to back, which is now avoided.
7/13: Chad Billingsley vs. Matt Cain
7/14: Brad Penny vs. Matt Morris
7/15: Brett Tomko vs. Noah Lowry
vs. PHI
7/16: Derek Lowe vs. Jamie Moyer
7/17: Mark Hendrickson vs. TBD (Phillies 5th starter)
7/18: Chad Billingsley vs. Kyle Kendrick
vs. NYM
*7/19: Brad Penny vs. Tom Glavine
7/20: Randy Wolf vs. Oliver Perez
7/21: Derek Lowe vs. Mike Pelfrey OR Dave Williams
7/22: Mark Hendrickson vs. Orlando Hernandez
Makes a lot of sense, Alex, indeed. It still doesn't make me feel any better about Sunday's prospects 😉 but maybe he'll surprise all of us. At least there's a method to their madness.
whats up with the petition to 86 tomko?if the dodgers got so much confidence in him then lets get
somebody for him in a trade… but of coarse nobody else want him either!!!
so i guess we wont be sweeping the Gnats this weekend.
Now that's the kind of response I would expect from you Max !! Way to support your team !! Lets all just give up days before we ever get on the field !!
Go Dodgers !!!
i've got a pretty good feeling about tomko this weekend. he knows how terrible he's been this year, and he knows he needs to snap out of it soon or he's gone. with penny pitching in front of him, we've gotta feel confident that if we do need to go into our bullpen early for tomko's start, we'll have a rested bullpen. think blue.
Hmmm. I think Sundy I'll be busy mowing the lawn for 3 hours.
look at the bright side, at least he won't be pitching the nationally televised game, embarrasing dodger fans nationwide.
I Just Hope Hendy brings his A Game on the 22nd as my Mom requested her kids to take her to a Dodger Game that day in recognition of Her Retirement.Although we will be in the RF Pavillion Gorging on Junkfood a Few HR balls would be fun!
Maybe Tomko can be designated for in game artwork like in the courtrooms…..
The Dodgers are 35-31 all-time at AT&T Park, but the Giants lead the all-time series — 1,139-1,113.
It's time for some Serious Payback….
There is an up-side to Tomko starting in San Francisco instead of Los Angeles – He won't get booed as bad. (lol!).
Come on Brett, dig deep and pull out a win for us!
interesting that Tomko is getting the start…hopefully getting back into the rotation can boost his confidence and he can turn the corner…maybe this change will be good for him..GO DODGERS!!!
I really like this blog, and the job that you do. I am pleased with the team this year, and think we will win the Division, and build for a lot of championships in the years to come. I have been comforted by the management, from Grady all the way up to Frank McCourt.
But saying that Brett Tomko is back in the starting rotation is "nothing of major signifigance" is just absurd! It's just a flesh wound!!!
Nothing of great significance? Tomko is starting a game… yea, i guess winning isn't that important.
Guys I have been critical of Ned all year but I have to say, this interview here is really all I can ask for and I am pretty happy. And this is a great interview. He asks the Pierre question. And more.
I criticize him often (Coletti) but I am pretty impressed with what he is saying.
I just listened to the interview jungar and I am even more unimpressed with what Ned has done. His Pierre answer was very weak. Why choose Pierre over Kemp? He did not mention Kemp at all. Still, i am glad about his opinion and position on trying to keep the kids in LA. Still, Pierre was a horrendous mistake that it will take a lot for him to live down.
i just listened to it too, i wasn't very impressed either. He's saying all the right things but then he brings up the Nomar hits well with RISP argument, basically ignoring that he's been a bust. I'm glad he's trying to integrate the kids and sees them as valuable to the team. But then he worries about them cooling down as the league adjusts to them and them making adjustements back. Fine. great. But that basically happens to all young kids and he makes it sound like if that happens then they might as well be on the block. Well I disagree with this. I mean, the kids are not going to carry the whole offense nor should they expected to be. He should be worried about furcal getting hot, pierre being productive, kent and gonzo continuing to defy age etc. I will not be happy if our offensive problems continue and they blame the kids. I have no reason to be happy with him until the deadline passes and he hasn't done anything stupid.
and this is not to say that i think everything he has done is horrible. i just wasn't impressed with the interview and his reasoning. im sure he has the same complaints about the team as we do and is trying to adress them in the right manner. In fairness to him the injury bug has been a big problem this year.
I think his tone reflects that he isn't satisfied, there was some disguest in his voice when he said we watch everyday. Almost as if, I feel for you. I get the feeling strongly that our kids are pretty safe. I get the feeling he is ok for now but when he said we understand our strengths and weakness the tone to me reflected on Pierre, like i did what I thought was right in the momment(and the matthews thing) but now well hmm. He skirted around Nomar which is fine but I think he is dissapointed in him but happy he is trying hard and was willing to move to 3b. I think tone was not as sales like as usual but realistic. I think he truly will build from within.
He also said there are a few other kids they are eyeing pretty hard for a 2nd half call up.
im appalled that he thinks juan pierre is actually a really good player.
im still*
"the wows of brett tomko for the last 6 months"
LOL try like 6 months or **** even 6 years.
I read that the game of the week on Fox is Giants v. Dodgers. Two questions:
I know I asked this before, but what is our record on FOX?
And secondly, do we have to listen to Joe Buck again? He really is the worst announcer in Baseball. If we do, is Vin on the radio or will it still be Charley and Steve? I'm actually getting used to Charley, and I like Steve, although I think we would all prefer Vin.
Folks, we need to be realistic. The Dodgers' GM is NOT going to go on the radio and blast his players publicly, proclaim players busts, harp on their shortcomings, etc., etc. He acknowledged the undeniable – Pierre being VERY bad early, Nomar's power problems, Tomko's implosions – which is all we should expect. "It's an opportunity for either Brett or it's an opportunity for somebody else."
"the wows of brett tomko for the last 6 months"
LOL try like 6 months or **** even 6 years.
Posted by: firstname.lastname@example.com | July 13, 2007 12:20 AM
Max, you exaggerate a little. Tomko's generally a below-average pitcher, sometime a little below, sometimes more, but in 2004 he actually produced credibly for a back-end of the rotation guy:
nearly 200 IP, 4.04 ERA, 110 ERA+, 1.34 WHIP, 19 HRs allowed.
Beginning of this year:
4 GS, 23.3 IP, 3.09 ERA, 1 HR allowed, 18 K, 9 BB.
Unfortunately since then only one "quality start" and scored on in 9 of 17 relief appearances.
That said, I still hope he gives the team a decent start on Sunday. It does happen sometimes. Hendrickson returned to the rotation with two 5 IP, 2 R starts (3.60 ERA), after all.
I love the idea of Tomko starting on Sunday. Now I do not have to waste three hours watching a winnable game just to see Grady bring in Tomko to blow it.
Now within 30 minutes or so Tomko can get lit up and I can go cut the grass Sunday afternoon.
Grady must feel bad that it's taking Bonds so long to break Henry's record, that's why he's using Tomko on Sunday. It's to try and help out Barry, otherwise I can't think of one reason to start this slug.
Barroid often doesn't start day games following a night game. I'll bet he's rethinking that with Bombko starting on Sunday. LOL.
Like Clarke said, I'll be able to get alot more done on Sunday if Bombs continues to be Bombs. Hopefully he will pitch effectively, we get a win and we can trade him to some desperate team for anything.
The fact that Tomko is still on the roster ,and that Kemp and Either don't start together every day, proves to me that management is not really serious about winning.
The fact that Bombko is still on the roster is because of injuries. Also, he makes too much money to release and right now has no trade value. ****, all Ned signed the bum to be was the freakin' 5th starter. He can't even handle that. Geez!!
Kemp and Ethier not starting together is because of what will probably go down as Ned's biggest mistake. Juan Pierre.
Then put your little hand in mine
There ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb
I got you babe
I got you babe
Bomko is this year's Odalis – a failed starter, horrible in the pen, a whiner, makes a lot of money and has little trade value.
Very true, but at least he's in the last year of a much smaller contract. I don't ever remember Dodger Stadium booing Odalis as loud as they booed Tomko last week.
when has Tomko complained?
I love the downplay of Tomko back in the rotation. "No big news around here"
This will be it for Tomko. If he has a good start they will keep him around and throw him back in the pen. If he is Bomko they will release him. By the way its only one start until Wolf comes back on the 20th.
Best case scenario: Bombko pitches well and we can trade him for anything.
Worst case: He gets shelled again and we release his sorry ***.
Wait a minute, the worst case has a happy ending.
So could be a win-win for us Dodger fans. LOL
What the heck? Bombko starting Sunday?
I like that. Now I probably have a chance to see Barry break the record on Tuesday at Wrigley or sell the tickets and make some cash.
Thanks Grady!!!
Another day when I won't be around when the lineup comes out, nor for the start of the game. The Feast of San Paolino at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Brooklyn is having an Oldies Concert Featuring The Shangri-Las, Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge with Special guest star Bobby Rydell. I'm dieing to see them they're all around my age. I should be back before the end of the 10:15PM ET Game. I noticed today the odds on the Dodgers winning the World Series dropped from 15-1 to 12-1 and the Pennant from 7-1 to 6-1, on America's Line. I just hope we don't hit that slide again like we did last year. We were 46-42 at the break and 47-53 after 100 games(I kept the record). But as you remember we came back to win the Wild Card. Boy that Alyssa Milano sure has a big blog out there, which I mean to comment on as soon as I read it all and look at it all. Congradulations to Grady on becoming a grandfather for the 3rd time. I haven't been able to accomplish that feat even once yet. Well this is a big game like they all are so LET'S GO YA BUMS.


text:
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis got engaged to his partner Johnny Chaillot, People reports.
Add new fall shows to your watchlist
"I finally met my soul mate," Louganis, 53, tells the magazine. "The more I fall in love with Johnny, the more I fall in love with myself. This is what the universe had in store for both of us."
Louganis recently appeared as a coach on ABC's Splash, while Chaillot, 52, is a paralegal.


text:
Record-Breaking Thread
- Updated
You mean you guys actually communicate off the interwebs? I doubt there are many Canadians here East of Montreal.
maarp when do you think you'll try the vinegar ? is it warm enough yet ?
it's saturday, kentucky derby at 6 pm edst, time to get drunk and watch how they do it down south
5 Replies
Was a beautiful weekend here too. Busy. A friend bought a projector and we watched the Mooseheads game (local hockey) and the NHL game in his backyard with a fire pit. And then on Sunday went for a 5k walk around Rainbow Beach and then drove out to Peggy's Cove. That last one is stereotypically Nova Scotia (I think it's the most photographed lighthouse in the world), but I'd actually never been to Peggy's Cove. I think it was a combo of it being so well known, and the fact that I grew up with a lighthouse as a large part of my childhood (my mother spend her childhood living in a lighthouse as her father was a lightkeeper - we frequently visited that lighthouse as a kid).2 Replies
When we were out east a few summers ago, Peggy's Cove was (naturally) one of our must-see's. I had images in my mind of the huge Atlantic waves crashing onto the rocks, sending spray 20m into the air. The day we went, there wasn't even a ripple on the water. It was a blast climbing all over teh rocks with the kids.
That really only happens in bad storms, and you shouldn't really be on the rocks anyway. When I was in high school a couple classmates were at the lighthouse my mother grew up at, on the rocks in a storm. One of them got hit by a wave and was washed into the ocean. A friend jumped in to save them and they both died. It happens more often than you might think.


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Hamptons prepare—a zombie invasion is coming!
No one knows when or where, but all citizens have a choice: join the horde or be left an unsuspecting and terrified bystander.
A local Sag Harbor artist is seeking volunteers for what he's calling "anti-Hamptons" performance art featuring a flash mob of zombies in one of our local South Fork villages.
Asking to be called only by his first name, "Peter," for this event, the artist says he wants a large group of people to dress like zombies and shamble through town on the way to a local gallery or art show. Peter explains the event would be much like a scene from films The Dead or Night of the Living Dead as the zombies play their parts and scare onlookers or make people laugh as they pass.
"I'd handle the photography," he says, adding that similar "zombie walks" have occurred in Toronto and numerous other cities in the United States and around the world. Volunteers must dress up, but he will compensate participants with photo portraits. "Sick of the Sun, sick of all of the tan models, sick of the beach?" Peter asks. "Be a part of a one-time event that might just blow your mind!"
The artist is looking to make this unique and fun Hamptons event happen soon, so anyone interested in being part of it should immediately contact Peter via email here.
To get an idea of what a zombie walk looks like, check out the video of The Zombie Walk Chile from 2012, which gathered more than 12,000 living dead in South America.


text:
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation ( PCG ) has announced rate revision for its electric and gas customers to make up for the costs of additional electric transmission infrastructure to modernize California's power grid and deliver more renewable energy to customers. The rates are effective immediately.
Beginning January 2013, residential customers will experience a significant decline in natural gas rates and a modest increase in electric rates. Gas rates will decline 6.0% year over year in January 2013 due to lower wholesale costs for gas. For a residential customer using 72 therms gas, the rates will go down from $82.37 in January 2012 to $77.47 in January 2013.
Recently, PG&E's Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The Commission approved the hike in spending and the company is expected to collect $299.2 million from customers for the same. Therefore, this would likely increase gas rates by 2% from February 2013 onward.
On a system-wide basis, residential electric rates for an average customer will increase about 2.6% from January 2013. Particularly, for a customer using 550 kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity, rates would increase from $89.31 in January 2012 to $91.60 in January 2013. For a customer using 850 kWh of electricity, rates would increase from $184.23 to $188.05 and for a customer using 1,200 kWh of electricity, rates would increase from $301.54 in January 2012 to $307.13 in January 2013. Customers are expected to face another rate increase of 2% in May 2013.
Though these modernization programs are leading to increase in costs for customers, they have significantly cut down on the number of outages. Currently, the company is working on a number of modernization programs. In 2009, the company had launched a statistics-based program to identify and upgrade problematic circuits that have historically caused the most number of outages. From 2009 to 2012, the outages on upgraded circuits have been reduced by 30% while the average duration of outages has decreased by 50%.
PG&E is also installing the latest Smart Grid technology and automating more than 400 of its distribution circuits. Taking the safety factor into consideration, the company is beefing up wildfire patrols, enhancing inspections to minimize the likelihood of energized wires coming down, and even installing new locking manhole covers in key urban areas.
Therefore, in order to overcome the costs incurred for these programs, the company is requesting state regulators for $1.25 billion over currently authorized spending levels beginning in 2014. The amount will be utilized by the company for additional capital investment for gas and electric distribution and electric generation infrastructure, improvements in customer service, and new technology to improve safety and system reliability.
Recently, utility major FirstEnergy Corporation 's ( FE ) business wings - Mon Power and Potomac Edison had announced electric rate cuts for their West Virginia customers. The decision comes after the Public Service Commission issued an order for the rate slash, effective January 1, 2013.
The reduction entails decreasing electric rates by $66 million, which comes on the heels of lower fuel expenses and purchased power costs. With this verdict, West Virginia residential customers consuming 1,000 kilowatt-hours of power will witness a rate cut of around $5, which roughly translates to a 5% drop in their monthly bills. Also, FirstEnergy's billing rates for the customers will be approximately 20% below the national average. The decline in electric rates is expected to help in customer retention and even attract new customers.
Coming back to PG&E Corporation, the company has a solid portfolio of regulated utility assets. Moreover, it focuses on maintaining a balance between income and expenses. Going forward, PG&E's earnings growth will be driven by favorable decisions from CPUC and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), as well as long-term supply agreements, diversification into alternative power sources and infrastructure improvement programs resulting in rate base growth.
These positives, however, will be partially offset by risks, including the present unfavorable macro backdrop, headwinds in the California economy, tepid demand for electricity and power-price volatility. San Francisco, California-based PG&E Corporation presently retains a short-term Zacks #3 Rank (Hold) that corresponds with our long-term Neutral recommendation on the stock.
FIRSTENERGY CP (FE): Free Stock Analysis Report
PG&E CORP (PCG): Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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Verizon Makes No Bones About New Ad-Friendly Privacy Terms
Oct 14, 2011 8:51 AM PT
Verizon Wireless has changed its privacy policy to permit it to do, well, almost anything it wants to with users' data.
The new policy, which is opt-out, allows it to track subscribers' Web browsing, location and app usage behavior.
The policy allows it to share this data with third parties in order to produce business and marketing reports, although in these instances, the data will be anonymized.
Not so, presumably, with the tracking information it directly collects about its customers. That is being done, the company said, to better target mobile ads to its users.
Verizon Wireless did not respond to the E-Commerce Times' request to comment for this story.
Already a Trend
Verizon's move isn't much of a shock to anyone who has been following mobile privacy issues. IOS, Android, and even Windows Phone 7 (according to a class action suit filed against Microsoft) have all been found to have tracking and transmitting capabilities.
In the case of Windows Phone 7, the suit is alleged that Microsoft has been violating consumers' do-not-track requests, transmitting location and other data via the device's camera even after the consumer has requested not to be tracked.
Earlier this Spring, a study unearthed the fact that Apple's iPhone has tracking capabilities -- as well as the ability to time-stamp those movements.
Google was snared in the media frenzy that ensued -- an investigation by The Wall Street Journal determined then that Google's Android smartphones also regularly transmitted locations.
Such developments are not surprising when considered in the context of the mobile ad industry. By all accounts it is huge and expected to grow even larger in the coming years.
Advertisers will spend nearly US$1.23 billion on mobile advertising in 2011, eMarketer recently forecast. Last year, that number was $743 million. Mobile ads are expected to reach almost $4.4 billion by 2015.
Not Illegal - but Unethical?
The erosion of privacy in the mobile sphere -- along with consumers' apparent indifference to it -- is of growing alarm to privacy advocates.
"The way we have gone about protecting privacy -- and the way it is regarded by consumers and companies -- is of great concern to me," Peter Toren, a partner at Shulman Rogers, told the E-Commerce Times.
Mobile, in particular, is a sensitive area because of the geotracking that is part of it.
"What Verizon is doing is not illegal from a privacy standpoint," noted Toren -- "but it is troubling, especially the fact that this is not opt-in."
Most consumers are not going to understand that with the policy change, Verizon is essentially granting itself permission to track them and monitor what they do with their devices, he explained. "At most, they might think that Verizon needs their permission."
The blatant admission of ad targeting is a troubling sign, in Toren's view. "Most companies say, when they do something like this and make it opt-out, that the data they are collecting is anynomized and thus the consumer won't mind. But clearly, if Verizon is going to serve ads based on tracked behavior, then they will be collecting information on the individual level."
An Unexpectedly High Bill
One development that would shake just about any consumer out of privacy complacency would be a huge and unwarranted bill.
In separate cases, Linda Webb, principal of The Fraud Dog, recently represented two clients who found themselves with high mobile bills that they claim they didn't run up.
The only conclusion that could be reached, she said, was that geotracking of the devices had triggered the charges.
Both clients -- one in Florida and one in New York -- had gone on cruises during which they never used their phones.
"One client had his phone locked in the ship's safe," Webb told the E-Commerce Times, "but both received bills that showed they made calls during that time."


text:
Breaking the Fall
This story appears in the December 2007 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
When Josh Madell co-founded Other Music 12 years ago, the goal was to sell music that then-major retailers like Tower Records didn't carry. In fact, Other Music opened its doors across the street from Tower Records' East Village store in New York City. "A lot of big music fans would come and hit them, and maybe hit us, too," says Madell, 37.
Today, Other Music's 12 employees only see where Tower Records' store used to be. Tower Records, which declared bankruptcy in 2004, is just one high-profile casualty in an industry struggling with downloading, file sharing and the growing dominance of iTunes. As of September 2007, industrywide album sales for the year had declined 14 percent compared with the same period last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Revolutionary times require revolutionary tactics, so in April, Other Music launched an online music store at digital.othermusic.com, where visitors can sign up for e-newsletters, listen to music clips and download songs. "If there's going to be an Other Music in five years," Madell says, "we need to change."
If you're in a troubled or dying industry, how do you spot the warning signs before you fall? Entrepreneurs often miss market disruptions once they're in business, and today, disruptions are everywhere. "There is no safe industry," says Jeff Cornwall, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Belmont University. "We can't assume we're going to find a safe little niche to operate in."
Lagging sales are an obvious sign of impending doom, but there are more subtle indicators. For example, a competitor enters your space with a lower-cost model that you can't match, or a competitor democratizes your niche with a similar but simpler product aimed at customers you aren't targeting. "That's a leading indicator that something's going to happen to your business," says Scott Anthony, president of Innosight, an innovation consulting group. Instead of fighting back, look for new opportunities to grow. "It's far better to reinvent and build anew than face systematic decline," he says.
Eric Levin, founder of Criminal Records, an eight-employee Atlanta record store, is trying a different strategy to stay afloat. Two years ago, Levin, 38, purchased Aurora Coffee, a local coffee shop with two locations--one right next door to a Criminal Records store. Levin plans to tear down a wall separating the two businesses so customers can grab a coffee and check out the store's music, DVDs and comic books or catch an in-store performance. The other Aurora Coffee location is being turned into a coffee bar and used-vinyl annex with high-end turntables and a service that cleans vinyl albums and converts them to MP3 files. Criminal Records' gross CD sales already outpace last year's by 7 percent. "We're making it into a destination," says Levin, who projects Criminal Records and Aurora Coffee will generate $1.8 million in combined sales this year.
You, too, might have to change your tune in the face of industry changes. Other Music's annual sales exceed $1 million, and Madell hopes the company's online music store will be a hit with customers nationwide. "So far, so good," he says. "[But] we have a long way to go."


text:
My Testimony Is Growing
1. I believe that Heav'nly Father knows me, and He cares,
For when I ask for help, He gives me answers to my prayers.
I believe He loves me, too, because He sent His Son
To die for me so I can live when life on earth is done.
2. I believe that Joseph Smith was chosen by the Lord
to be the one through whom He could reveal His sacred word.
I believe our prophet knows God's will for us today,
and we must listen carefully to what he has to say.
My testimony is growing, as gospel seeds are sown.
My testimony is growing, a witness of my own.
Text: Kathryn Decker
Music: Kathryn Decker
Artist: Decker
Album: Music Published in the Church Magazines: Friend
Composition Date: 1994-03-01
More Info: Friend


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