text:
Doctor of Business Administration (PhD)
Qualification in business administration
Doctor of Business Administration (PhD)
Study language
Accredited till
Tuition fees
EUR per year
(EU Applicants)
EUR per year
(Other Applicants)
Program Overview
The inter-university doctoral study programme "Business Administration" is implemented in co-operation with Riga International School of Economics and Business Administration (RISEBA).
Upon successful completion, you will be awarded the degree: Doctor of Business Administration (PhD).
The study programme is mainly provided for the specialists having work experience in business administration and management of organizations. The study strategy is based on the students' contribution in the learning process by sharing knowledge, as well as independent management of the learning process. Situation analyses and other materials are used in order to develop understanding concerning application of the theory in order to solve practical problems. In the framework of the programme the approach based on research is applied by considering the management problems.
Learning goals and objectives
Specifically designed based on global trends and changes in the business environment, the program aims to deliver high value, both on academic and professional aspects in the field, within a global context.
Program objectives
- Prepare highly qualified professionals – Doctors of Science in Business Administration
Strengthen Management Science as a branch of science both locally and internationally
- Facilitate the development of highly qualified researchers are substantially necessary who are able to create and develop the base
- Promote and sponsor research initiatives related to business administration in a global context
- Involve students in international conferences and seminars, as well as in scientific publications.
- Deliver an inspiring and exciting study experience for students
Mode of studies and tuition fees
This program is designed as full time studies, at BA School of Business and Finance, and RISEBA University premises. Visiting lecturers and international study groups, gives you superior value and growth opportunities.
For international students, we can assist you through our local partners in the applications process, document accreditation as well as visa and immigration services. BA School of Business and Finance reserves the right to adjust the tuition fee by 10%.
To apply for studies you will need the following documents:
- Bachelor's Degree Diploma and Master's Degree Diploma + transcript of records from previous studies (these documents should be translated into English and the translation should be notary attested)
- ID or passport copy
- Proof of English skills: IELTS 6.5+ or equivalent (required to apply for studies in English)
- A report on the theme of a promotional thesis (up to 10 pages)
- List and copies of research publications if applicable
- Motivation letter
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
If you have a foreign qualification and you want to continue studies in Latvia, you should submit to the Academic Information Centre (AIC) the originals or certified copies of your educational document and diploma supplement (transcript of records). AIC evaluates the level of your qualification compared to the Latvian educational system and issues its statement. See also: http://www.aic.lv/portal/en/arvalstu-diplomu-atzisana/academic-recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.
All applicants are required to pay the non-refundable application fee* of 100 EUR for EU applicants and 150 EUR for non-EU applicants along with their application.
Documents regarding applicant's previous education will be transferred to Latvian Academic Information Centre for verification.
Pay the application and diploma verification fees by bank transfer:
Subject: Application fee, AIC verification, name and surname of the applicant, date of birth of the applicant
Beneficiary: BA School of Business and Finance
Registration Nr.: 90000437699
Bank: The Treasury of the Republic of Latvia
Bank address: Smilsu str. 1, Riga, Latvia LV-1919
Remember that you are responsible for paying all additional fees associated with the money transfer so that the final amount received by BA School of Business and Finance is 100 EUR for EU applicants and 150 EUR for non-EU applicants*.
* Fees for the academic year 2017/2018.
Tuition fee: 3850 EUR per year (EU applicants), 4620 EUR per year (non-EU applicants).
Modular (3 moduls during the academic year), workshop based programme.
Additional information
Acquisition of the study programme takes place in lectures, seminars, practical classes, independent work classes and consultations with scientific advisors. Along with the traditional forms of work, the interactive study and research work methods are also practised which activate generation of new knowledge of the students, as well as acquisition of analytical and research skills: projects, group work, creative workshops, discussions, situation analysis, research.
PhD in Business Administration, reflecting excellence in academic and professional growth
An inspiring international study experience
Modular, workshop based programme, designed for effective study process.
Enterprise internship
Succesful completion of the study program, internship and thesis defense within the designated time period


text:
Thorganby is a small village surrounded by attractive countryside in the county of Lincolnshire, and is home to thirty people. The quiet lanes uncover attractive cottages and the picturesque 13th Century church that is dedicated to All Saints, which is rich with interesting architecture and colourful stained glass windows. Unspoilt countryside across the Lincolnshire Wolds attracts walkers and lovers of the great outdoors, or for shopping, pubs and restaurants there is always the close proximity of Binbrook.
Places to Stay near Thorganby
The Old Farmhouse (2.61 miles)
Hall Farm Hotel (3.37 miles)
Hall Farm Hotel and Restaurant is a superb example of a boutique hotel. 8 stunning bedrooms all completely individual in style and feel. Built from old farm buildings to create ... More
Best Western Oaklands Hall Hotel (5.05 miles)
Myrtle Cottage (6.25 miles)
Click here to book this cottage with Hoseasons
At the foot of 20 acres of Wolds hillside, a Triple SSSI nature reserve, where Batn owls, Hobby falcons and Green woodpeckers are annual visitors, these two ... More
Humber Royal Hotel (7.25 miles)
The Humber Royal offers free Wi-Fi and free ample private parking. The town centre is a 5-minute drive away, while the coast is only 15 minutes away. Each en suite room at ... More
St James' Hotel (8.05 miles)
The St James' Hotel is situated in the heart of Grimsby, close to Cleethorpes, Lincoln and Sheffield, with an award-winning Fishing Heritage Centre within close walking distance. Explore the attractive Lincolnshire coastline or visit some ... More | visit website
Brackenborough Hotel (8.15 miles)
Already a favourite with those in the know, the Brackenborough Hotel is set in an idyllic location just outside the historic town of Louth in the Lincolnshire Wolds.
With 24 ... More
Stallingborough Grange Hotel (8.25 miles)
Dating back to the 18th century this picturesque thatched country house is steeped in local history. Set in its own beautiful and tranquil gardens, it has now been converted into the privately run Stallingborough Grange ... More | visit website
Limes Country House Hotel (8.50 miles)
Attractive and relaxing country accommodation. Ideal location for conferences and business meetings. 'The Limes' is a cosy, privately run, three star standard Victorian Country House idyllically set in four acres of tree ... More
Premier Inn Grimsby (8.70 miles)
Brit Quote:
On this day:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Co-parenting is complicated. Add in a celebrity never shy of media attention, and the situation becomes nearly impossible.
Nia Guzman, the mother of Chris Brown's adorable two-year old daughter, Royalty, is setting the record straight for the very first time, on her own terms. She opens up about the struggle to co-parent under the unforgiving media lens, addresses the controversy over Royalty's ballet photo that went viral, and reveals the extent of her relationship with Breezy.
At the heart of the situation, the single mom, of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent, is simply raising a toddler, who's a total firecracker like her famous papi. And as she learns about her own Latina roots, little Miss Royalty is already speaking Spanish!
Get to know Guzman in her own words with our exclusive interview:
It's tough to co-parent in any situation, but it's got to be a billion times harder your child's father is someone in the public eye. What has it been like for you over the past two years co-parenting with someone like Chris Brown?
Well, the world didn't find out about her until a year ago. He always knew about her, he just wasn't ready to deal with the situation. But, it's been quite the experience. I can't say anything positive about it… at all. Nothing positive.
Like you said, we didn't know about Royalty until she was a year old. Why did you choose to keep that news private?
It was just on both parts. I knew what the outcome was going to be once it came out. I was very fearful for… everything that's going on now. I know that he's young, he's wild, and he has the bad boy persona, and I just knew that it just wasn't going to be the best situation. And if I could have still kept it quiet until now, I would have.
Royalty's very young. How do you shield her from all of this now, and what are your plans in the future as she grows older?
I want to keep her as normal as possible on my end. I'm not a millionaire like daddy, so of course it is going to be regular on my side. It's just going to take a lot of talking and just getting her to know right from right and wrong from wrong, and not be some spoiled little rich kid out here just thinking that the world is hers and she can do whatever she wants. I don't want her to self-destruct. I want her to be raised normal.
This week, there was a lot of talk about the photo of Royalty in her ballet outfit. Did you think that was going to be as huge as it was, and why did you think it was important to respond to Chris?
I mean the fact that I had just spoken with him. He had already seen a video of her on her way to ballet class. To make that remark online, was totally insane to me. Because I have a phone. I have a phone, and I tried over and over and over to co-parent, to try and get this right. It went global! The picture's everywhere! I personally saw nothing wrong with it. She always dresses like that to dance class. It was a cute picture, she had just finished dance, she was pouting. It was a funny moment, and she was leaned back looking at me because she was totally pissed off, because it was time to go. She was done with the class, but she didn't want to leave. She just wanted to sit there. So, that's the moment that I captured and it was funny to me! I don't sexualize a toddler, or think of my children in any way like that. So for the backlash of that… I didn't understand it.
Did you speak with Chris after that comment?
No. After that comment, I don't think there's going to be anything good in talking, so we just don't. When it's that far, it's just rather nobody talks because me and him are both firecrackers, and then nobody gets anything accomplished but yelling. And it's just a place that I don't want to be.
In addition to the photo going viral, there was news about the court battle about limiting the amount of days Chris is allowed to see Royalty. Does that mean you're worried about her safety when she's with him?
No. That's the false story. I didn't go back to court to limit his time, at all. That's never what I wanted. What's in place right now, his days that he gets her, was agreed upon. I agreed to that. That's what I wanted for him. It wasn't court ordered or anything like that, all the way from the first agreement. It was agreed. And so this time around, all I wanted was a set nanny in place, that's all I was wanting. I never wanted to limit his time or take any of his time from him. I totally want him to be hands on with her, and be a father, and try and get it more focused, and leave all the other bullsh-t that he has going on, alone.
Do you feel like he's too young and irresponsible to watch her alone?
It's pretty common sense. He knows. He knows he cannot do it on his own. She's only two, and she's a lot of work. I just wanted a nanny in place when she was with him, and it be agreed upon. It's not like I was just going to throw anybody in there, it was something that we would agree, and this was what it was going to be, and then we go forth.
So what was his issue with that? That sounds completely logical.
I don't really know what the issue is with that. I could throw around all kinds of speculations, I could totally bash the situation. I'm not going to do that. I won't do that. Everything that's put out there, I don't even have to explain it.
Read more on page 2 >>>


text:
Why Fluid?
Why clients like Fluid?
- •Responsive
- •Reliable
- •Communication – 24hrs a day, response within minutes
- •Contactabilty
- •Local contracts managers close to you, supported by experienced regional managers
Read what our clients say about Fluid.
For an initial consultation and a competitive quote, contact us today on 0800 9752828
Our Process
Fluid Hygiene will provide you with all the assessment, auditing and consultation services you need to carry out your statutory responsibilities. These include:
- •Full hygiene risk assessment
- •Benchmarking against the required standards
- •Inspection of relevant equipment to ensure compliance with regulations
- •Advice and guidance on necessary measures to rectify any problems
- •Implementation of any remedial actions required
- •Ongoing maintenance
- •Further risk assessments as recommended (at least once every two years)
The Fluid VPS System
Our commitment to quality control has led to the development of our VPS system (Visibly, Protectively, Safely). This is used to benchmark all of our work.
Visibly Clean
- Weekly checklist system ensures consistent level of service.
- 24-hour helpdesk support keeps you in touch with job-related progress.
- Smart uniformed operatives maintain a professional presentation
Protectively Clean
- Ecologically friendly cleaning products protect the wellbeing of our operatives, your customers/employees and the environment.
- Wide usage of ph7 (neutral) chemicals for both environmental and health protection.
For an initial consultation and a competitive quote, contact us today on 0800 9752828
Safely Clean
- Our training school keeps our teams fully informed of the latest compliance and health & safety issues.
- Expert knowledge of industry issues helps us to provide a safe working environment for us and you.
- Continuous health & safety checks and thorough risk assessments ensure that statutory obligations are always adhered to.


text:
I NEVER cease to enjoy a relaxing walk through the Botanic Gardens, considered by most in Canberra as "our" botanic gardens, although we do encourage outsiders to visit!
In fact, I suspect that a large proportion of our residents have never visited the gardens.
Late spring is the perfect time to visit, seeing such gems as the emerging flowers of Telopea speciosissima or waratah (pictured here) about to burst into its unbelievable beauty and complexity. This particular species, the NSW floral emblem, is only one of five species listed in Wrigley and Fagg's "Australian Native Plants" and is rated as "the best known of our Australian wild flowers".
Closer to home is the hybrid Telopea "Braidwood Brilliant". For growing in Canberra this is more adaptable to cultivation and is more frost tolerant. The rare T. "Wirrimbirra White" somehow, for me, does not have the same impact as the brilliant red flowers. On your visit, collect the "In Flower this Week" leaflet from the Visitor Centre.
I ALWAYS encourage the regular pruning of native plants to provide more bushiness that, in turn, results in more flowers the following season. Or with some plants we can be rewarded with a second flush of flowers even in the same season.
In the case of Callistemons or bottle brushes, cut the heads off at the base of the flower immediately after flowering. If left, the plant ends up with long stems and bulges of unsightly dried seed heads and few flowers the following season. A good example is shown here with a neatly clipped hedge of Callistemon.
MANY folk consider Aussie plants are suitable only for bush gardens, where the plants tend to end up wild and woolly. Few people consider their use in a formal garden and yet this example of Callistemon dispels that theory, separating different areas of the garden.
In our Yass Nursery, years ago, I used Philotheca myoporoides (syn. Eriostemon myoporoides) as a clipped hedge bordering the paths to the formal rose garden. The fragrance of the leaves when brushed against almost competed with that of the flowers.
The numerous Westringea species can also be used as a formal, low hedge and will take to clipping, once again the best time is immediately after flowering.
ORNAMENTS in the garden are no different to those in the home. They can include pots, statuary to sculptures and provide a focal point of interest in the garden.
We have an abundance of talented Canberrans who make local works of art. Here I have illustrated a whimsical work by Bev Hogg, with a very realistic dog named Clayton that resides in our garden and causes problems to our resident geese. Bev will hold her Ceramic Studio Sale and Garden Party at 8 Brennan Street, Hackett, 10am-4pm, on Sunday, November 25.
And on Saturday, November 24, there is the promise of a "spectacular floral display" plus a plant stall at the Geranium and Fuchsia Show, 9.30am to 4pm, at St James Church Hall, Gillies Street, Curtin.
THE wonderful, recent rain will keep the garden ticking over for another few weeks and the Gungahlin Weather Centre predicts we will receive our November average of 73mm. This private weather station is the district's premier weather site with updates every 10 minutes. Go to gungahlinweather.com
When visiting open gardens:
Stop and look backwards every now and again, you will be surprised by how many features you may have missed.
As a courtesy always ask to take photos.
No dogs into the gardens unless, of course, guide dogs.
Never take cuttings or pull seeds off plants without asking.
Take photos of special features and plants you can use in your own garden rather than the whole garden.


text: Frankie Muniz tweets response to Shia LaBeouf 9:45 AM PDT 10/4/2010 by Staff report , AP FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Calls LeBoeuf's ongoing public criticism of him 'creepy' Frankie Muniz has responded to Shia LaBeouf's recent criticism about the former "Malcolm in the Middle" star over Twitter, the New York Daily News reported. Appearing on Atlanta's "The Bert Show," LaBeouf was asked about his box-office success. "While that's flattering as hell, you could have put Frankie Muniz into any of the movies I've been in and those movies still would've still been No. 1," replied LaBeouf, currently onscreen in "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps." LaBeouf also took another shot at Muniz, who hasn't been onscreen since 2008's "Extreme Movie," when asked if he was concerned about running into Muniz at a social event. "I don't go to many parties ... and I really don't hang out in Frankie Muniz-type zones," LaBeouf replied. In response, Muniz tweeted: "Dear Shia Labeouf. It's getting creepy the fact that you can't stop talking about me. It's been 12 years now. I don't know you. Thanks." As the Daily News points out, it's not the first time LaBeouf has dissed Muniz. In 2003, he talked to Entertainment Weekly about how the media liked to compare the two. "I used to see him at premieres and stuff and it would always be like he was looking down on me," he said. "And then it turned into we're equal, and then it turned into 'Oh Frankie? I know that guy.' " FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Staff report email@example.com @thr AP email@example.com @thr


text:
Chapter ix
Joe remembers a summer spent camping and fishing in the mountains with his father. Joe is fifteen and is trying to tell his father that, for the first time, he wants to go fishing with a friend—Bill Harper—rather than his father. Joe decides to tell his father casually; his father agrees readily and offers his own fishing rod for Bill to use. Joes fathers fishing rod is particularly valuable to him as it was his fathers only luxury.
Fishing the next day, Joe and Bill lose his fathers rod in the water. Joe walks back to the campsite alone, thinking of having to tell his father about the loss of the rod. Joes parents have never had much money; however, they have always managed to feed the family well, between the garden his father keeps in the vacant lot next door and his mothers careful canning of foods. From this point of view, Joe thinks his family seems well off, yet they have always been a "failure" because his father cannot make any money. Joe knows his father will not have enough money to buy another rod.
Joe goes into the tent and tells his father quickly that they lost his rod. After a silence, his father puts his arm around Joe and tells him that they should not let the matter of the rod "spoil our last trip together." Joe realizes sadly that his father sees that this will be their last trip together—next summer Joe will go to the mountains with the guys his age and his father will go with the other men.
Joe awakens lonelier than ever.
Chapter x
Joe, fully alone, now begins to reconsider complicated issues like going to war, as he can and must think about the war only for himself, without outside influences. Joe wonders why, when he was asked to go to war, he did not consider the consequences or the motivations of those who asked him to go. Joe considers the slipperiness of abstract words like "liberty," "honor," and "decency," which can mean very different things to different people.
Men go to war not truly knowing what they are fighting for. Perhaps they are already happy with their small liberties, like walking with their girlfriend; the fight for a different sort of liberty has nothing to do with them. Joe wonders if the fight for liberty is really just a fight to foist Americas sense of liberty and honor on the rest of the world. What if parts of the world like their own liberty and honor? Joe longs for something concrete for which to go to war; that way, even if he lost everything else, he would know exactly what it is he won.
Joe muses that the army recruiters, unable to get people to sign up with vague talk about liberty, resorted to using the persuasion that women were endangered, being raped by the enemy. Joe does not consider this an "honest deal" in the end—ones life bargained for something better in return. Joe is even skeptical of the idealist stance—that ideals are worth fighting for, worth losing ones life for.
Joe is skeptical of ideals because they are not concrete and because dead men cannot talk and therefore confirm that an ideal truly was worth dying for. Joe pictures the millions of men who went out and died for democracy—right before their deaths, they were not thinking of democracy, but of their friends, their families, their wish to live. Joe knows this with conviction because he himself is "the nearest thing to a dead man on earth." He would trade democracy, honor, independence, freedom, and decency for his life back, because "theres nothing noble about dying." Joe warns an imaginary other not to go to war for the words of others, because death is painful and grotesque and because there is nothing cowardly about wanting to live.
Chapters ix and x mark the end of Book I as well as the first climax of the novel. It is in this section, entitled "The Dead," that Joe manages to triumph over his encroaching insanity and develop convictions about his bodily condition and the more general practice of war. By the end of Chapter x it becomes clear to Joe that he has a role to play as the worlds first living dead man. He alone exists near to death, yet is alive enough to realize that giving up ones life is not worth anything, including abstract ideals. This message and the convictions behind it give Joe a sense of purpose that he has lacked.
Chapter ix consists of one of Joes last dream remembrances, this one of his last camping trip with his father. Like some of the other dream memories, this one is dominated by a sense of loss—Joe loses his fathers fishing rod, but he also loses the childhood rapport he and his father shared. But this dream memory also involves the beginnings of the political convictions Joe displays in Chapter x. The sections of Chapter ix that explain Joes familys financial status display dissatisfaction with the capitalist system and a nostalgia for a more pastoral, subsistence farming system. Under a system of subsistence pastoralism, Joes father would be a success, as he grows enough food for his family to eat quite well. Joes father is only a failure under the capitalist system that requires men to make surplus capital to purchase goods. Joes nostalgia for pastoralism also involves a preference for local identification—first with family, then possibly with community—over a national identity. This tendency then plays into Joes feelings about war voiced in Chapter x.
Joes convictions about war in Chapter x center around a deep skepticism regarding the motives of the undefined "they"—those who organized and called for the war, yet did not fight in it. Joes skepticism extends to language as well. He distrusts words without concrete referents, such as "house." These abstract words can convey different meanings, and they ultimately offer inadequate substance when placed on the other end of a bargain with ones life. Thence comes Joes sense of having been cheated and manipulated. The form of Chapter x works in some of the same ways that a persuasive piece of writing or a speech would. Joe repeats many of his phrases for emphasis, even repeating words such as "democracy" and "liberty" so often as to sap them of all meaning—they simply become repetitive sounds. Joe also speaks periodically to a second person—imaginatively, another man being talked into going to war. But Joe also appears to address us here; the chapter works didactically, with the aim to teach.
Johnny Got His Gun – Chapters ix–x


text:
Drive Your Business with the Jobs or Projects You Want
We get it. You are busy booking jobs, doing the work, and looking for good workers. We specialize in creating professional websites for contractors and tradespeople, so you don't have to worry about your online presence. We have aligned with Blue Book Network, National Association of the Remodeling Industry, (NARI), and Madison Area Builders Association (MABA) to ensure that we use all of the tools available to maximize your marketing efforts, without having to spend YOUR time doing it.
Are you getting the jobs and projects you want, whether for profit or because you simply enjoy them? What do you do with your estimates if you don't win them? Do you have a follow-up system in place to get new projects in your funnel during slow seasons? We specialize in working with General Contractors and Subcontracts with businesses of all sizes, whether you have hundreds of employees or none, we know the challenges you face. We help you build your online presence so people can find you when they need to hire a contractor, help you retain business, drive new business during slow seasons, get residual income from previous or current customers and more! Contact us today at 608-977-1540 today for a FREE 30-minute consultation.
We can help with yard signs, vehicle wraps, apparel and beyond.
We specialize in creating professional websites for contractors and tradespeople.
Once you have a solid website, let's get your easily found by potential customers!


text:
STI diagnoses at 450,000 in England
- Published
Diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections rose to almost half a million in England last year, with the highest rates in those aged under 25.
According to Public Health England, there were 448,422 diagnoses in 2012 - a rise of 5% from 2011.
The data shows too many people are putting themselves at risk through unsafe sex, it says.
People aged under 25 made up 64% of all chlamydia and 54% of genital warts diagnoses in heterosexuals in 2012.
New diagnoses of gonorrhoea rose 21%, which is a concern given the growing global threat of antibiotic resistance.
More sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were being diagnosed and treated than ever before, with improvements in screening particularly for gonorrhoea and chlamydia among young adults and men who have sex with men, said Public Health England.
"However, these data show too many people are continuing to have unsafe sex, putting themselves at risk of STIs and the serious consequences associated with infection, including infertility," said Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of STI surveillance.
"Ongoing investment in programmes to increase sexual health awareness, condom use and testing, particularly for groups at most risk, is vital."
Increases in STI diagnoses were seen in men who have sex with men, including a 37% increase in gonorrhoea diagnoses.
'Testing required'
Although partly due to increased testing in this section of the population, ongoing high levels of unsafe sexual behaviour probably contributed to this rise, said Public Health England.
Among the advice it offers to help reduce the risk of STis is always using a condom when having sex with new partners, reducing the number of sexual partners and avoiding overlapping sexual relationships, an getting tested regularly if in one of the highest risk groups.
Lisa Power, policy director at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "Britain's sexual health is on a slippery slope and without sustained local investment across the whole country it can only get worse.
"With nearly half a million new STI diagnoses last year, it is vital that local authorities invest in ensuring that STI prevention and testing services are readily available at a local level."
Dr Janet Wilson, president of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV, said the ongoing rise in diagnoses among men who have sex with men and high levels of gonorrhoea transmission were of particular concern, especially as data pointed to the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of gonorrhoea.
"It is therefore critical that easy and open access to specialist sexual health services are sustained in all parts of the country, as well as improved prevention work," she said.


text:
With the IoT surfacing as the next great destination for investment, many industry titans are scrambling and fiercely competing to seize their share of the revenues in the IoT market. Currently, IoT is at the core stage of industries like energy management, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and transportation. In convergence with various technologies like blockchain, AI, and edge, IoT has the potential to disrupt all the aforementioned verticals. Companies like IBM, Intel and Cisco are swiftly investing in the IoT technologies to take a lead in next era of technology. The adoption of IoT in all industries is becoming so vital that tech giant, Microsoft has announced to invest $5 billion in IoT over next four years globally.
A report from IDC states that the worldwide Internet of Things market will grow from $656 billion in 2014 to $1.7 trillion in 2020 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.9%. As per the report, connectivity, devices and IT services will be responsible for the majority of the IoT market in 2020. IDC estimates that all the three services will account for over two-thirds of the worldwide IoT market in 2020, with devices (modules/sensors) alone representing 31.8% of the total. With the increase in market size, the investments in IoT globally shall rise from over $800 billion in 2017 to nearly $1.4 trillion in 2021 indicating a worthy investment with quick ROI. Current investment in IoT holds a promising return as the adoption of IoT increases with market size and spendings. As investment is worth in IoT, it is now important for investors to know which startup having innovative technology would be ideal for them to invest in. The number of startups in the IoT rose rapidly from just 13 in 2013 to 189 in 2014. Following is the list of top startup companies using innovative technologies like blockchain, AI and edge which will aid an investor in selecting an ideal company.
Discovery IoT
Discovery IoT is a revolutionary solution that enables brands to track their products through their supply chains, accurately on a real-time basis. They are developing a tag, Cliot, which will hold the ability to track products with embedded sensors and is built at the cost of $0.10. With IoT in convergence, Discovery is using the latest technologies like blockchain, AI and edge computing (mesh network) to solve current problems including stock-outs/empty shelves, product obsolescence/expiry etc., faced by the supply chain industry. Participation in Discovery's sale will be the next best destination for investors as their solution will soon be adopted by a massive audience. The pre-sale of DIS tokens will be made available for a limited period starting from June 15, 2018 and ICO will be made available for 6 weeks starting from August 1, 2018. They will abate bonuses as per rounds, to attract more investors, keeping in mind that the early investor gains handsome return. Discovery has a strong team lead by Selvam VMS, Co-Founder & CEO, a veteran in the field of supply chain management with more than 10 years in the domain. He is accompanied by Kumar T, Co-Founder & CTO, a techie with more than 15 years of knowledge and experience in the areas of IoT and AI. Also, they are supported by various professionals, experts and senior advisors like Aly Madhavji and Nandakumar Balanujan with 36+ years of experience in supply chain; and incubated by the Blockchain Founders Fund.
IoTium is a startup based in California with an aim to advance secure network infrastructure for the industrial Internet of Things. Their Network as a Service (NaaS) solution is designed for the building automation, industrial automation, oil and gas, manufacturing, transportation and smart city industries, empowering them to securely connect legacy onsite systems to cloud-based applications to leverage new analytics, machine learning, and predictive analytics applications. Till date, IoTium has secured $8.4 million in Series A funding and is backed by investors including GE Ventures, March Capital, and Juniper Networks, as well as Pankaj Patel, former Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Cisco. The funds have been used to expand its trail in the oil and gas, transportation and smart city industries with the launch of the IoTium NaaS. This investment has helped them in a recent distribution partnership with The Panel Shoppe and a building automation firm, Relevant Solutions.
Evrythng is a startup based in London, New York, and San Francisco which creates IoT and smart solutions to make products more intelligent and interactive. They collect, manage and apply real-time data from smart products and smart packaging to drive IoT applications. The company aims to ensure that connected devices can be managed and enhanced through real-time data and analytics throughout the full product lifecycle. This includes assigning digital identities to devices which allows them to be tracked and thus driving IoT a step further. This provides businesses with insights into their supply chains and consumers with awareness of the counterfeit product. The startup has secured $42.3 million in four funding rounds with lead investors being- Sway Ventures, Atomico, and BHLP. The company's clients include Coca-Cola, Avery Dennison RBIS, Crown Holdings and West Rock.
Notion, an IoT startup based in Denver, Colorado, provides home security and monitoring through adaptable sensors. The low-cost sensors can be used to monitor unauthorized entry and take temperature readings of a user's home. Notion's small sensor can be placed near doors and other locations around the house to monitor motion, temperature, water leaks etc. The startup has secured $16 million in funding by following a solid crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter through six investment rounds and has used the funds to expand the development of home sensor products and to tap into the insurance market. It has attracted audience and investors including Draper Nexus, Translink Capital, Mesh Ventures and XL Innovate.
Starting from home devices to industrial machines and automobiles, it is widely speculated that the next tech revolution is likely to be spurred by the ability to connect things. Therefore, the tremendous interest generated in IoT evident from the growing number of startups and mounting investments is a testament to IoTs potential to create enormous business opportunities around the globe. As the technology is yet to mature and the market for it is far from being saturated, the time is ripe for investing in IoT based solution providers.


text:
Written in very cursive script denoting the maturity and education of the author
July 4th
Dear Journal,
I am sitting here in my office in Dalaran this morning and slowly waking up. I've got my coffee and my cigarettes and I can look through the door and see my lovely bride lying in our bed, very much asleep. I will never regret marrying this woman, after all of these years, she was my mate and the Mother of my children, now, and finally, she is my wife.
We had planned on having our wedding in the area between Mulgore and Feralas in a high mountain lake; however, with the events that have happened in the last week or two, it didn't seem like a good idea. Felestrien was going to officiate at the services after he had consecrated the ground to keep our lovely strange being from Silvermoon from being able to do anything to both Amyn and myself or to our guests that we were supposed to attend.
At the last minute, Amyn and I decided that it would be too risky to allow the service to go through as planned with this demon so near to attacking, or we feel that she is near to attacking us, our friends and our loved ones. I quickly dispatched a courier to notify Felestrien that we would not be having the wedding where we had intended so our plans for securing the area were not needed there after all. He has been a great help in the situation, however, I fear that he is going to find that this particular adversary is going to be difficult to dispatch.
Luckily for us, Felessa had already left Silvermoon and had made her way to Thunderbluff which was the closest to our wedding site that she needed to get prior to the services. She was visiting with the Cloudhoof Clan and I assume that she was having a great time with them, she always seems happier in Thunderbluff for some reason, maybe it has a peace to it that soothes any soul – the blessings of the Earth Mother are indeed great there.
Anyway, to make a long story short, Amyn and I decided that we would go to a place that we had grown quite fond of over the years in Feralas and have Felessa join us there along with Mooma Cloudhoof, the matriarch of her clan and a well-known druid amongst her people. Sadheart decided on his own that his Mama and Felessa needed an escort and I do appreciate his taking his time to bring them to the site. Amyn wore her wedding gown and I almost cried when I saw her in it.
It was a simple robe of silver with gold thread; her feet were bare in the Sindorei fashion to walk through the flower petals that she had liberally scattered on the ground. She looked both radiant and sad – this was not the wedding that the poor thing had envisioned us having, however, under the circumstances, it was what we had to do. No matter the threat, we were going to get married on the day that we had intended regardless. Mooma gave us her blessings in the Tauren fashion before Felessa started her legal ceremony. It was indeed a beautiful ceremony and I will admit that my bride was almost glowing in her bridal raiment.
We thought it best to do it this way to throw off the demon that I am sure was able to find out what our plans were by infiltrating my mind in the manner that she did. The necklace that Felestrien gave me seems to be working somewhat and I don't feel the nearness of her nor do I hear her voice in my head that was becoming stronger each day.
Our honeymoon, if you can call it that was also in Feralas, not the lovely island in Nagrand that I had envisioned for us. Nor was it all that private since we had bodyguards with us and it rained the whole damned time. So much for a romantic beginning to our new lives, however, I made a promise to Amyn that as soon as this issue was resolved, we'd take our honeymoon after the reception that we are going to have for our friends in Dalaran.
I know that Amyn must have been rather disappointed with my performance on our wedding night and I hope she understood that it was due to my mind being more than a little bit distracted by what had been going on. There's nothing that makes a man feel worse than to have his bride laying in his arms sobbing rather than making love to her.
One thing that has me concerned now is the fact that right after my fiancée committed suicide, I started having nightmares and felt like my home was haunted or something. I remember going into the room where she died, I saw her body lying in a pool of blood; the baby she was carrying must have been aborted at the time of her death because it was lying there as well, malformed as it was due to its early delivery. The healers were able to determine that had the child lived, it would have been a daughter.
Now, the dreams I had back then were pretty graphic and I will have to admit that it caused me a great deal of angst to add to my already mourning soul. I could feel the ghost or the presence of my beloved in my bed, touch me, caressing and I could hear her soft laughter. A few times I think that we even made love because I could hear her passionate moans in my ears before my eyes would fly open and I screamed. Yes, I cried almost nightly there for a while and got to the point that I didn't want to sleep – that is when I really did start smoking. Anything to keep me awake and not fall asleep so that this phantom of my mind would not invade me and even rape me as I slept. It got so bad that I went to the healers and talked to them. What transpired then was rather bizarre by itself.
The healers gave me potions to take that would make me sleep deeply. The dreams became even more graphic and there were times that I couldn't wake up from them easily. It was as if my very soul were slowly being taken from my body each time this phantom came into my bed, which was nightly. I quit taking the potions and went back to the healers.
A very beautiful young priestess and healer was listening into the conversations that I was having with her trainer and started talking to me one day as I was leaving. She had an idea that we both thought might work. She would come home with me and stay with me all of the time while I was in the house so that whatever this was – a figment of my imagination or even a true phantom, demon or whatever would be persuaded that I had taken another lover and would desist. She slept in my bed, me on top of the covers with a blanket and she under the covers so that we would both remain chaste. However, it's doubtful that my manhood would have been capable of any kind of performance due to my emotional state. She stayed with me for several weeks and the dreams started going away. I'll never know if it was the fact that there was another human being lying there next to me or if it was truly something that this phantom could not overcome. Each night the priestess would perform a rite before we retired and it seemed to help.
I have to laugh now a bit at the circumstances back then because I later found out that this was no young lady that had been sharing my bed. She was exquisite and one of the most people women that I have ever laid eyes on, however, under that robe, she was all male. I do thank the Light that nothing intimate had happened because in my state of mind at that point, I think that I would have fallen apart and had a hysterical attack of laughter. Not that I find the idea of men being together appalling or anything, it's just not something that I enjoy.
Why I am bringing this up now is the fact that those dreams have returned. Even with Amyn in my bed, this phantom has sought me out again. Just as it was in the past, the laughter, the moans of passion and I can feel her hands touching me. The thing that disturbs me the most is that this phantom has brought our daughter with her now. It is the most grotesque thing that I have ever seen; it's like something that has escaped the labs of Undercity. The baby or thing is in jar of what appears to be embryonic fluid and has fully developed – it has its eyes open as it stares out of the jar and even smiles when it sees me, the teeth are those of a much older being and look as if they would belong to some kind of carnivore.
These dreams started on our wedding night in Feralas. I have the necklace that Felestrien gave me that is supposed to suppress the mental attacks of this thing in Silvermoon; however, it's not protecting me from this new horror. Have I told Amyn? Absolutely not, I've made her cry enough with the way that we changed our beautiful wedding and honeymoon into an impromptu camping trip.
This morning when I woke up, I felt like my leg was burning off, as I flipped back the covers to get out of bed and to see what was going on with my leg. I could see teeth marks on the inside of my thigh – these were not the marks that sometimes my Kaldorei would leave in the heat of passion, these were actual bite marks as if something were trying to draw the blood out of my body secretly. The marks soon faded away as I took my bath and dressed in my robes before retiring to my office to write this down.
I'm not horrified by any of this, I am absolutely terrified. With all that is going on in our businesses and family, I don't want nor need anything around that is going to ruin it all. Whatever this thing is, it has to be stopped by someone or something. I'm not an expert on supernatural things, nor would I even attempt to comprehend what is going, however, I need to find someone that can help before I lose what is left of my somewhat fragile mind and spirit at this point.
I look into our bedroom and I see my wife sleeping soundly and I am debating on whether I should tell her this latest revelation or should I just keep the information to myself? I think that I need to let Felestrien know what is going on, his necklace with the holy water isn't working all that well other than to mask the voices and the way this thing was controlling me there for a while. I wonder if he has something in that Paladin bag of magic tricks that can protect me from this.
I know that I have to hide things from Amyn because she has this amazing temper and I'm afraid that she will actually go to Silvermoon and try to stalk this thing down on her own. She's very protective of the things that she loves.
Well, I suppose I ought to try to concentrate on something else, the contracts, the letters, the plans for our reception that Amyn still wants to do. Anything to stop thinking about this. I also need to find out if we have gotten any more bizarre mail at the office in Orgrimmar, which has disturbed me greatly and worries me with my sons in Stormwind without some kind of protection other than the paid guards.
I guess that I should thank the Light that I have had at least two months of peace and have had time to grow closer to my sons, step-sons and my wife. I should focus my mind on that, the pleasant things before I just start sitting here and shaking like a leaf. I'll admit it, I'm a grown man and I don't think that I have ever been this frightened.
Fnor Morningstar


text:
m (Reverted edits by 188.8.131.52 (talk | block) to last version by Effluvium)
|Line 35:
|Line 35:
The credits roll as the entire Simpson family including Patty, Selma, and Grandpa Simpson, sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Near the end of the song Homer chokes Bart for adding "unofficial" words to the song.
The credits roll as the entire Simpson family including Patty, Selma, and Grandpa Simpson, sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Near the end of the song Homer chokes Bart for adding "unofficial" words to the song.
Revision as of 11:07, 6 November 2010
- "This could be the miracle that saves the Simpsons' Christmas. If TV has taught me anything, it's that miracles always happen to poor kids at Christmas. It happened to Tiny Tim, it happened to Charlie Brown, it happened to the Smurfs, and it's going to happen to us!"
- ―Bart Simpson
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" is the first episode of Season 1 and the first independent episode of The Simpsons (since previous episodes having only been proceeded by shorts on the "The Tracey Ullman Show"). It first aired on December 17, 1989. The title of the episode is a parody of the festive song, "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire". Fox considers the episode to be a special, so it was one of two episodes from the first season to be nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Series. It lost to "Life on the Fast Lane". It was also nominated for Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or Special.
It's a not-so-merry Christmas for the Simpsons, when Mr. Burns decides to cut the Christmas Bonuses and Marge has to spend the family's Christmas savings to erase a tattoo Bart thought would make a great Christmas present. In order to hide the fact that he did not get the bonus, Homer takes a second job as a mall Santa.
Opening Sequence
The title, The Simpsons Christmas Special, appears on screen against a black snowy background and the camera pans down to start act one. No blackboard joke or couch gag.
The episode begins as Homer hastily drives Marge and Maggie, in the family car, through snow covered streets. They are late for Bart and Lisa's Christmas pageant at the school. Once at the school, Homer and Marge stumble through a full audience to find their seats; everyone looks on stage at the pageant that has already begun. Homer and Marge sit down just in time to see Principal Skinner introduce the second grade. They do a presentation of different Santa Clauses from around the world, and Lisa steals the show as Tawanga, the Santa Claus of the South Seas. Cut to Skinner introducing the fourth grade singing a medley of Christmas carols. As they all sing Jingle Bells, Bart can be heard singing much different words to the song, he is quickly yanked from the performance. The pageant continues on, as a bored Homer wonders aloud how long the pageant will last. Afterwards, at the Simpson home, Marge writes a letter for the Simpson family Christmas cards, as Homer gets out Christmas decorations, and Bart and Lisa write their Christmas wish lists. In the letter Marge describes how everyone is doing and as she reads the letter in her head the camera pans around to the different family members as she mentions their names. Bart and Lisa show Marge their wish lists; Marge is upset when Lisa once again asks for a pony for Christmas and Bart asks for a tattoo. Just then Marge's sister Patty calls; a grumbling Homer hands the phone over to Marge and the two sisters discuss their plans for getting together on Christmas Eve. Cut to Homer, who is outside putting the finishing touches on the Christmas lights on the roof, as the kids watch from the sidewalk. After Homer falls from the roof, he calls out to Marge plug the lights in. Only a few of the lights actually light up, and Homer admires his handy work, while the kids are less than impressed. Ned Flanders is also outside, and ready to plug in his lights for the first time, he calls out to Homer and tells him to check it out. As he plugs the lights in his entire house lights up, including a talking Santa Claus on the roof. The lights illuminate everyone's face and much to Homer's dismay; his kids are very impressed at Ned's display of lights. At breakfast the next morning, Marge tells the kids to grab their money so they can go Christmas shopping at the mall. As the excited kids run off to get their money, Homer asks Marge where she has been keeping the Christmas savings. She makes him turn around and she pulls a big jar of money out of her hair. Homer is impressed at the amount of money they have for Christmas this year. Later at the mall, as Marge, Lisa and Maggie look at gifts together; Bart is off by himself, and comes across a tattoo parlor. In the window, he sees a tattoo of a heart with the word "mother" written across it. He daydreams that Marge will have a positive reaction to him getting a tattoo, so he runs inside the parlor, lies to the tattoo artist about his age, and hops into the chair. Meanwhile, at the nuclear power plant, Mr. Burns announces over the loud speaker that there will not be any Christmas bonuses this year for unskilled workers; this includes Homer. Homer sighs as he remembers they still have the big jar full of money for Christmas presents. Back at the mall, Marge hears Bart's yells of pain coming from inside the tattoo parlor and she quickly runs inside to see Bart with the heart tattoo halfway finished on his arm. She quickly pulls him out of the chair and takes him to a tattoo removal clinic. The tattoo removal is expensive and requires a full cash payment up front. Marge has to use all the Christmas money for Bart's tattoo removal, but she sighs when she remembers they still can use Homer's Christmas bonus. Back at home Marge tells Homer what has happened and Homer freaks out. She tells him to calm down, and that they will just have to stretch his Christmas bonus a little further this year. Homer fakes relief when Marge mentions his bonus, he tells everyone that this will be the best Christmas ever and steps outside for a walk. Once outside he looks up at his poorly decorated house and then at Flanders' masterpiece. A depressed Homer hangs his head in despair.
That night in bed, Marge senses something is amiss with Homer and she asks what is wrong. Homer almost tells her the truth about his Christmas bonus, but quickly backpedals and instead offers to do the Christmas shopping, so she doesn't have to. Marge agrees and seems satisfied that there is nothing wrong and they both go to bed. The next day Homer does some Christmas shopping alone at a cheap thrift store. He purchases pantyhose for Marge, pads of paper for Bart and a squeaky chew toy for Maggie. On his way out the door with his bag of presents Homer accidentally crashes into Ned who has an armful of fancily wrapped packages. All the presents are spilled onto the ground, and as Homer picks the few he purchased and sees how many Ned bought, he becomes sad and depressed and heads over to Moe's. At Moe's, Homer drinks a beer alone, when a cheerful Barney walks in wearing a Santa Claus suit. Barney explains that he is in a good mood because he has extra money from working a part time job acting as Santa Claus at the mall. Homer suddenly has an idea. Cut to the personnel office in the mall, as Homer fills out an application and is interviewed to be a mall Santa. After reviewing Homer's application, and interviewing him, the personnel director welcomes Homer aboard and sends him to mall Santa training. A montage of Homer enduring Santa training ensues. Homer finally makes it home late at night and a worried Marge wants to know where he has been. Homer ignores her and heads upstairs, but Marge tells him that her sisters are here and that he needs to visit with them. As Homer talks with Patty and Selma, they comment on the fact that the Simpsons don't have a Christmas tree up yet. Homer tells them he was just on his way out to get one, and he angrily hurries out the door. In the car, Homer drives past several expensive Christmas tree lots and finally stops at a private tree farm and uses a chain saw to steal a nice Christmas tree for the family. Back at home, Homer stands up the tree, and everyone is impressed except for Patty and Selma. On Christmas Eve at the mall, Homer works as Santa Claus, while children wait in line to sit on his lap. From a distance, Bart and Milhouse watch the kids line up to sit on Santa's lap, they comment on how they can't believe that these kids are falling for the fake Santa bit. Milhouse dares Bart to yank off Santa's beard and Bart agrees. Bart jumps in line and finally gets his turn on Santa's lap. Not knowing that Santa is really Homer, Bart yanks off his beard. Bart is shocked at what he has uncovered, and an angry Homer escorts Bart inside Santa's workshop to speak with him in private. Homer explains the situation to Bart, who understands and feels bad for yanking off Homer's beard. At the end of the Homer's shift, Bart goes with Homer as he picks up his check. Homer is surprised to learn that he has only made 13 dollars. When he questions the cashier, she explains the majority of his check went to pay for the Santa suit, social security, etc. While a depressed Homer sits down to figure out what to do with the 13 dollars, an excited Barney tells Homer that he is going to the dog track to place a bet with his 13 dollars. He invites Homer to come along with him, Homer is reluctant but Bart convinces him to go, citing that this might be their only chance to save the Simpson family Christmas.
Back at the Simpson home everyone including Patty, Selma and Grandpa Simpson, wait for Homer and Bart to come home. Cut to the dog track, where Barney gives Homer a tip on a dog named Whirlwind. After seeing what Whirlwind looks like, Homer is reluctant to bet on him. Just then an announcement plays over the P.A. system, announcing that a dog named Santa's Little Helper will be replacing another dog in the fourth race. Homer senses that the announcement is an omen, and decides to bet on him even though Bart recommends not to, and despite the fact that the odds are 99 to 1. Homer puts down all 13 dollars on Santa's Little Helper. Meanwhile at home, Patty and Selma talk bad about Homer, while everyone still waits for him and Bart. Back at the track Homer and Bart anxiously await the running of the fourth race. As the race begins Homer and Bart cheer on Santa's Little Helper, but Whirlwind, Barney's pick, is out to an early lead with Santa's Little Helper bringing up the rear. Homer and Bart quickly realize their chances at winning any money are dashed, as Santa's Little Helper doesn't even finish the race. Cut to Homer and Bart, out in the parking lot of the dog track, looking for discarded betting slips hoping to find that someone has thrown away a winner. Barney drives by in a convertible with a woman in the passenger seat, and gloats to Bart and Homer about his pick for the race: Whirlwind. A dejected Bart and Homer head back to their car, when off in the distance they see a racing dog owner yelling and chasing off Santa's Little Helper for losing once again. Santa's Little Helper jumps up into Homer's arms. Bart asks Homer if they can keep the dog. Homer, reluctant at first, quickly warms up to the dog and decides to take him home. Cut back to the Simpson home, where everyone still awaits Bart and Homer's return. Suddenly, a sad looking Homer enters in and starts to confess to everyone about the fact that he didn't receive his Christmas bonus, and apologizes for the lack of presents; when Bart bursts in, along with a barking Santa's Little Helper. Everyone falls in love with the dog, and Homer realizes that in the end he has done a good job providing gifts at Christmas.
The credits roll as the entire Simpson family including Patty, Selma, and Grandpa Simpson, sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Near the end of the song Homer chokes Bart for adding "unofficial" words to the song.
Fox was very nervous about the show because they were unsure that they could sustain the audience's attention for the duration of the episode. In the end, they gambled by asking FOX for 13 full-length episodes. The series was originally planned to premiere in the fall of 1989, but due to major problems with the animation of "Some Enchanted Evening" (the first Simpsons episode produced), the series instead began on December 17, 1989 with this episode. "Some Enchanted Evening" instead aired as the season finale.
The episode, being the first to air, lacked the now famous opening sequence which was later added in the second episode when Groening thought of the idea of a longer opening sequence resulting in less animation.
The "Santas of many lands" portion of the Christmas pageant is based on Matt Groening's experience in the second grade when he did a report on Christmas in Russia. Groening also used that reference in his strip "Life in Hell" when he spoofed himself as a young man, being told that it is too bad his grandmother is from Russia, because Christmas is against the law there. Also, Matt Groening claims that this episode has been incorrectly credited with creating the "alternate version" of Jingle Bells.
David Silverman directed this episode, although Rich Moore storyboarded it and designed Flanders. Several of the scenes were laid out by Eric Stefani, brother of Gwen Stefani. In this episode, Barney had yellow hair which was the same color as his skin, but that was later dropped because of the belief that only the Simpson family should have such hair.
This episode was released on VHS by FOX Home Video in 1991. The VHS release was titled "The Simpsons Christmas Special". It was later released on VHS and DVD in Christmas with the Simpsons in 2001, and then eventually released in 2001 in the Season One boxset.
The episode was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 1990: "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)" and "Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or Special." Because "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" is considered to be a separate special, The Simpsons was nominated twice in the Animated Program category; the episode would lose to fellow The Simpsons episode "Life on the Fast Lane".
External Links
- "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" at The Simpsons.com
- "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" at the The Simpsons Archive
- "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" at the Internet Movie Database
- "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" at TV.com


text:
Pickers back at work in Baja California, but animosity remains
The farmworker strike that has crippled Baja California agricultural exports appears to be easing, but labor leaders and industry officials remain at odds and hundreds of protesters on Monday headed to the state capital to keep pressing for higher wages.
Industry and government officials said harvest production totals are almost back to normal as thousands of laborers returned to the fields over the weekend after nearly two weeks of being on strike.
The work stoppage in the San Quintin region 200 miles south of San Diego — a supplier of produce to major U.S. retailers — led to some shortages and economic damage estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.
Talks on Friday ended in acrimony after labor leaders rejected an offer by agribusinesses to boost wages by 15%. But after growers offered the raise to anyone who returned to work, the fields filled with pickers.
Industry and government officials say it is evidence that the coalition of groups leading the strike, the Alliance of National, State and Municipal Organizations for Social Justice, is not representing the wishes of farmworkers.
"The people are happy with the raises," said Alberto Munoz, an attorney representing the Agricultural Council of Baja California, an association of growers. "The problem is with the alliance."
Alliance leaders say that the number of laborers returning to work is fewer than estimated by the industry, and that the ones doing so don't have a choice.
"They're not returning because they want to," said Fidel Sanchez, an alliance leader. "They are returning under protest, under threat." He said agribusinesses will blacklist people if they don't go back to work immediately.
Meanwhile, a caravan of buses filled with leaders and protesters that stopped over the weekend for demonstrations in Tijuana and Ensenada is expected to reach Mexicali on Tuesday. But the number of protesters has dwindled to a few hundred, from the thousands who marched Thursday in San Quintin. Supplies to sustain the movement have been exhausted after more than 10 days of protests, leaders say.
Amid the discord, both sides point to some progress in the discussions, including agreements to provide better access to healthcare, recognition for seniority and a commission to address worker complaints.
Wages remains the sticking point. Labor leaders, who initially wanted 300-peso daily wage rates, have dropped their demand to 200 pesos, about $13 a day. But growers said their offer to boost wages 15%, from an initial 6% increase, is final. Any higher amount, they said, would lead to an economic collapse.
The San Quintin Valley has dozens of growers, but a handful of agribusinesses control most of the production. Those include growers with deep political connections whose owners are former or current state government officials.
Driscoll's, which ships Baja California berries to major retailers across the U.S., said its main grower in the region, BerryMex, is boosting wages by as much as 40% for about 4,000 pickers.
Soren Bjorn, a Driscoll's executive vice president, said the company has been unfairly targeted, in part because its brand is widely known. Workers for BerryMex, he said, have long enjoyed better compensation and benefits than those at other farms in the area.
Bjorn took issue with some of the protesters' tactics, but he said their actions have served to raise minimum standards in the San Quintin area. BerryMex, he said, has long been a leader on social responsibility issues. "I think if there were more growers like BerryMex things would be better in Baja than they are today," Bjorn said.
Other major U.S. companies grow produce in Baja California, including Del Cabo. But their farms lie hundreds of miles from San Quintin in the southern part of the peninsula. They have not been accused of labor abuses by strikers.
The labor movement is drawing support from major unions in the United States. The AFL-CIO on Friday sent a letter to Mexico's secretary of labor urging federal officials to protect the workers' rights.
Twitter: @ricardin24
Must-read stories from the L.A. Times
Get all the day's most vital news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.


text:
Aaron's Lawn Care
LawnSite Member
- Location
- Baltimore, MD
Currently I run a 2 man crew, me and an employee. I have a guy now who I hired after my former employee went back to school about a month ago. Well the situation is...we usually work 4 days a week and work pretty much all day. Without him I can't get all of the work done by myself. Now he hasn't shown up or even called in the last 3 days. I have called him and left messages and don't know what else to do. I'm getting pretty backed up on work because this guy hasn't shown up. I doubt that I won't ever hear from him again considering he still has a paycheck here waiting to be picked up. I'm pretty much considering him to be fired at this point. How would you handle this situation?


text:
|If you have a passion for providing excellent customer service...
...love helping businesses find better ways to service their customers?
...like the idea of helping to build a rapidly growing business and service organization?
and looking for a company where you will be appreciated, and that will provide you with competitive compensation and generous benefits...
Lightpath could be the right path for your career!
Lightpath, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation, is one of the nation's leading telecommunications companies. With our Ethernet-based data, Internet, voice and video services, Lightpath is the next generation in business communications. Our Intelligent Services extend the capabilities of Ethernet to wide and metropolitan area networks (WANs and MANs). They also deliver all the benefits that are inherent to Ethernet, including simplicity, scalability, reliability and cost-effectiveness.
|Lightpath offers everything you deserve in a career: state-of-the-art technology supporting award-winning products and services, a comprehensive and generous benefits program, a true company culture of family and values you can be proud of, and a great career with advancement opportunities. >>Learn More
|Launch your Lightpath career here!


text:
I know that this is probably something simple, but it is something that I
haven't tried before.
Here is the environment that I am using:
I have an IIS application written in ASP pages, which accesses a VB6 ActiveX
DLL running under Component services. The application works fine, but I
need to Internationalize the application. I've written a second VB6 ActiveX
DLL utilitizing a resource file, and this works well with the ASP pages.
What I want to do is call the language DLL from the original DLL.
I've used this code (and other variations):
Private Declare Function getMSG Lib "MyLanguages.dll" _
(ByVal thisMsgID As Long) As String
Public Function getMSGT(ByRef thisMsgID As String, Optional thisReplace1
As String = "-##-", Optional thisReplace2 As String = "-##-") As String
Dim strMsg As String
Dim tmpMsgID As Long
strMsg = getMSG(thisMsgID)
If thisReplace1 <> "-##-" Then
strMsg = Replace(strMsg, "######", thisReplace1)
End If
If thisReplace2 <> "-##-" Then
strMsg = Replace(strMsg, "@@@@@@", thisReplace2)
End If
getMSGT = strMsg
End Function
I've try several set-up but get an error with each method:
1) the language DLL installed in COM+
- error, DLL file not found
2) I've removed the language DLL from Component services, and placed the
DLL in WINNT\SYSTEM32
- error, cannot find entry point.
Has anyone done this?


text:
Musa Family History
14-Day Free Trial
Musa Name Meaning
Muslim: from the Arabic personal name Musa (the Biblical Moses). The Qur'an says (19:51): 'He was specially chosen, and he was a Messenger and a Prophet.' Southern Italian: habitational name from a place called Musa, particularly the one in Melito di Porto Salvo in Reggio Calabria, and the one in Nissorìa in Enna province, Sicily.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press
Similar surnames: Tusa, Mura, Mula, Busa, Husa, Mina, Mesa, Mousa, Mussa, Maia


text:
What is Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy is a branch of orthopedic physiotherapy that focuses on the muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and fascia of the pelvic girdle. The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles that connect to the pelvis and sacrum acting like a sling to support your pelvic organs, providing stability for the lumbo-pelvic and hip joints, maintaining urinary and fecal continence, and aiding in sexual function. A registered pelvic health physiotherapist has received advanced training in pelvic dysfunction and will use internal and external techniques to assess and treat the pelvic floor and associated structures.
Who should see a pelvic floor physiotherapist?
Men and women who suffer from any of the following:
- Urinary urgency
- Stress, urge, and/or mixed incontinence associated with pregnancy, prostatectomies, menopause and hormonal changes
- Urinary frequency associated with pregnancy, prostatectomies, menopause and hormonal changes
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Vulvodynia/Vestibulodynia
- Vaginismus
- Dyspareunia (painful intercourse)
- Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome
- Pain associated with endometriosis and/or dysmenorrhea
- Chronic Prostatitis (Class 3B)
- Hip, low back and sacroiliac joint pain that has not responded to traditional care
The Story of the "Kegal"
- Dr. Kegal created the "Kegal" exercise in the 1940's with the intention to strengthen the pelvic floor post-partum to increase continence.
- This was done in isolation using palpation and biofeedback – we have come a long way since then.
- The pelvic floor is part of a core unit including transverse abdominis, multifidus, and the diaphragm – it is the dynamic interaction of these muscles which is important, therefore we must assess this relationship so we can properly train the dysfunction.
- Simple verbal or written instruction does not constitute adequate training for a Kegal exercise program (Bump et al 1991).
- Proper performance of Kegal exercises should be confirmed by digital vaginal examination (Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada 2008). This is where the internal examination from a pelvic floor physiotherapist is important.
- "Kegals" are NOT for everyone – some individuals have tight, hypertonic pelvic floor muscles and over-activating these muscles may cause pain or make incontinence worse.
- Be sure to check with a pelvic floor physiotherapist before starting a pelvic floor strengthening program to ensure you are doing what is right for you.
Did you know?
- It is a misconception to think that it is normal to have urinary leakage after childbirth or as you age.
- It is a misconception to think that nothing can be done about urinary leakage.
- The pelvic floor muscles are 1 of 4 muscle groups responsible for core stability – if pelvic floor muscles are dysfunctional spinal support may be compromised (Hodges 2007).
- Pelvic floor muscle training is the first line treatment for stress and mixed urinary incontinence in women (Wilson 2005) (ICS Conference 2009) (Cochrane Collaboration 2014).
- Pelvic floor muscle training is effective and cost-effective in reducing prolapse symptoms and should be recommended as first line treatment for prolapse (Hagen 2011).
- In Britain, in order to be considered a surgical candidate for stress urinary incontinence, pelvic floor muscle training must be done with a trained physiotherapist (ICS Conference 2010).
- Many studies show an association between low back pain (LBP) and pelvic symptoms particularly urinary incontinence – UI was noted in 78% of 200 women with LBP (Eliasson 2008).
- Women with chronic pelvic pain had higher resting pelvic floor muscle tone, reduced strength, decreased relaxation capacity, and increased pelvic floor muscle tenderness (Loving et al 2014).
- Pelvic floor physiotherapy is recommended as second line of defense for treatment of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome before cystoscopy or more aggressive testing – first line of defense is diet change and stress management (AUA 2010).


text:
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
7 comments:
- Tyler Walton said...
Isaac bikes are inspired by Sir Isaac Newton and what better way to follow the inspiration than to name your TT after the love is his life. I did some research and found out he was never married but in fact was GAY. So I feel you should follow the inspiration and call your bike "ALBERT" or AL for short.
- July 8, 2009 at 4:27 PM
- Ken said...
Looks nice, but I must admit I have hot clue what to call your bike... I did though read this recently, and thought you might find it humourous as I am sure your diet must be pretty intense too...
- July 8, 2009 at 4:29 PM
- David said...
Alright...I'm posting on here and all I do is read your blogs but with Tyler's post and my Physics degrees I must get involved...name her "Apple". Real obvious connection to Isaac Newton but add in the cheesy route it's perfect as the bike is now the "Apple of your eye".
Think about it.
-Jenna's Dave
- July 8, 2009 at 5:21 PM
- RDH said...
Like Tyler's and Dave's suggestions. Here are a few others for consideration.
Sticking with the U.K. theme started by Tyler: Camilla - usurper of Princess.
You could go with a goddess theme: Athena - she will guide you in your battles on the road.
Or, perhaps a sex change is in order (as also suggested by Tyler):
Black Beauty - a strong and handsome stead.
- July 9, 2009 at 6:40 AM
Following the "sexy" theme I would call her Helen Keller or Helen or Hell for short. (Thinking of your playlist...get it?)
Missing you,
- July 9, 2009 at 1:29 PM
- Michelle said...
I love these suggestions!!! A couple of them are rolling around in my head.....keep 'em coming!
- July 9, 2009 at 5:09 PM
- Beth Tennant said...
the new bike looks hot! Congrats! You will be hell on wheels! Best to stick with that theme..
Veloshe - Velo for short
Hell on Wheels - HOWie
Freakin Fast - F2
EMD - Eat my dust
Since she is a single season bike maybe try
summer sizzle - S2
HEAT - hellacious every absolute time!
Whatever you name her i am sure she will serve you well.
- July 10, 2009 at 2:37 PM


text:
Dragon's Den Regional WinnersStudents Raniella San Sebastian, Mile Fonoia, Wilson Lesa and Naotia Atiana won the Dragon's Den Regional Finals on Monday at the Vodafone Events Centre.
The team impressed the panel of 'Dragons' with their business called the Black Bulb Co, which produces a black garlic aioli.
Over 80 teams took part in the Dragon's Den Prelims, from which 15 teams were selected for the regional final.
The competition is run as part of the Lion Foundation's Young Enterprise Scheme (YES). YES students set up their company, create real products or services, compile and implement a business plan and make real profit or loss. For all students, the business knowledge they develop is supplemented by skills in teamwork, communication, problem solving, negotiation, and decision making. Students learn through experiencing the value of innovative thinking and develop enterprising attributes. YES is an incredible learning experience that thousands of students participate in each year.
The Black Bulb Co will compete in the national final later this year.


text:
Watch "Heavenly Body" by Lloyd featuring Rick Ross
A woman's body is a beautiful thing. Lloyd and Rick Ross know this and decided to make a song professing their love of the female body. "Heavenly Body" appears on Lloyd's latest project, TRU. Today we get a visual for the song, which originally came out last year.


text:
Matthew Albert, MD, FACS, FASCRS
Beatriz Martín-Pérez, MD
Florida Hospital, Orlando – United States of America
We present the case of a 58-year-old female, who was found to have cecal cancer on a screening colonoscopy. The patient described no associated symptoms, and had a BMI of 34.
A medial mobilization was performed with central lymph node dissection, which included ligating the ileocolic, right colic, middle colic, and right gastroepiploic vessels successively at their origins.
The ileocolic and superior mesenteric vessel pedicles are located. The small bowel and the omentum are displaced and the transverse colon and the ileocecal junction are towed cranially and laterally respectively. These tractions tent up the root of the mesentery and the right mesocolon, displaying the ileocolic and superior mesenteric vessels clearly, even in very obese patients. The superior mesenteric vein is first exposed and the origin of the ileocolic vessels are identified and then ligated from the superior mesenteric vessels.
A medial-to-lateral approach creates a mesenteric window, just inferior to the ileocolic vascular pedicle. The right retrocolic space between the mesocolon and the right pre-renal fascia is the natural surgical plane, which is extended laterally and cranially. The inferior part of the duodenum is the first exposed structure, followed by the uncinate process of pancreas.
The superior mesenteric vein is skeletonized cranially, seeking the inferior part of the pancreatic neck, where the middle colic vessels branch out from the superior mesenteric vessels. The gastrocolic venous trunk is then located and skeletonized when dissecting the ventral part of the superior mesenteric vein caudally to cranially. The gastrocolic venous trunk is composed of the confluence of the right colic vein and the right gastroepiploic vein draining into the superior mesenteric vein at an average distance of 2 cm from the inferior pancreatic border.
The gastroepiploic artery was located at the anterior of the superior edge of the pancreatic neck, immediate to the right gastroepiploic vein. A hypopyloric lymphadenectomy could be performed along with the ligation of the gastroepiploic vessels.
The transverse colon was mobilized up to the hepatic flexure along the prior plane of dissection as well as the ascending colon, joining the right retrocolic plane. Then, the gastrocolic ligament was divided near the greater gastric curvature. The right colon was completely mobilized once the distal ileum had also been dissected.
Then, indocyanine green was injected to assess the vascularization of the transverse colon, at the level of the anastomosis. Vessels lit up under the camera, marking the site for the anastomosis, showing a correct vascularization. The same process was followed for the distal ileum. The transverse colon was sectioned using an endoGIA, as was the distal ileum.
A functional side-to-side intracorporeal anastomosis between the ileum and the transverse colon was performed. A single stitch was placed to fixate the bowels and facilitate the anastomosis. Two enterotomies were made on each side and an endoscopic stapler was introduced to create the anastomosis. The enterotomies were closed with a V-lock suture. The anastomosis was checked once more with indocyanine green, revealing a perfectly irrigated anastomosis.
For advanced tumors of the right colon, a right colectomy with D3 lymphadenectomy using a medial-to-lateral approach seems to be safe and feasible when the superior mesenteric vein serves as the main anatomical landmark and the right retrocolic space serves as the surgical plane.r advanced tumors of the right colon, a right colectomy with D3 lymphadenectomy using a medial-to-lateral approach seems to be safe and feasible when the superior mesenteric vein serves as the main anatomical landmark and the right retrocolic space serves as the surgical plane.


text:
Your Source for Quality Christian Music
Sacred Choral Music
805 Horning Road
Richfield, PA 17086
Phone: 717-694-3887
The Joy of God
Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church
Songs: Psalm 117/When Morning Gilds the Skies/Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee/O Jesus, I have Promised/Fairest Lord Jesus/Worship the Lord/Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah/Psalm 121/Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence/Let us Break Bread/And Can It Be/When All Thy Mercies, O my God/Creator of the Earth and Skies/I Need Thee Every Hour/My God, my Father, Make me Strong/Love Divine, All Loves Excelling/In the Cross of Christ I Glory/Low in the Grave He Lay/Crown Him With Many Crowns/This is My Father's World/Lead, Kindly Light/I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say/God, That Madest Earth and Heaven/Before the Ending of the Day
A few of the songs are acappella, but most are accompanied by an organ.
Bless Ye the Lord
Songs: The Organ Introduction/Psalm 148/Ye Servants of God/My Song Shall be Alway of the Loving-Kindness/Sing Joyfully/Sanctus/The Spirit of the Lord/Be Thou My Vision/Gloria/Set Me as a Seal/God be in My Head/Brother James' Air/Psalm 46/Who Would True Valour See/Fight the Good Fight/Erschallet ihr Lieder/O How Glorious is the Kingdom/O Lorde, the Maker of al Thing/Grant Us Thy Peace/The Day Thou Gavest/Preserve Us, O Lord
A few of the songs are acappella, but most are accompanied by an organ. The organ chamber is the largest undivided organ chamber in Toronto, and it houses 5,731 pipes. This magnificent instrument produces a very "big" sound.
"The Joy of God" Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church
"Bless Ye the Lord" Choir of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church


text:
WASHINGTON -- The Heart Rhythm Society said today that the FDA should tighten up post-market surveillance of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD).
The society would also have the agency ditch the word "recall" as not sufficiently specific when the FDA issues warnings about heart devices.
In addition, the society recommended that device manufactures use wireless technology for more consistent monitoring of devices, with the goal of earlier identification of problems.
All these were included in the final recommendations on pacemaker and ICD performance and safety from a society task force, which were released today on the society's Web site and will be published in the October issue of Heart Rhythm.
The recommendations are the culmination of a process that started a year ago when the society and the FDA co-hosted a daylong meeting on the performance and safety of pacemakers and ICDs.
The impetus for that meeting was a series of FDA "recalls" of pacemakers and ICDs, which began in June 2005 and continued throughout the year.
The recommendations, the society said, were intended to improve cooperation among the FDA, device manufacturers, and physicians, while at the same time making it easier to track results of post-market surveillance with the ultimate goal of speeding the reporting of safety and performance information.
Right now the FDA uses the term recall even when a device malfunction would not warrant explantation, the Society said. The Society suggested substituting "advisory notice" or "safety alert" for the word recall.
The FDA responded almost immediately with a statement posted on its Web site that thanked the Heart Rhythm Society for its suggestions, signaling that the agency was inclined to implement the recommendations.
The Task Force on Device Performance Policies and Guidelines worked for a year to craft new recommendations that also include specific advice for physicians, device manufacturers, and Congress. The recommendations were endorsed by the American College of Cardiology Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the International Coalition of Pacing and Electrophysiology Organizations.
The society said the FDA should:
- Simplify language when communicating with the public about device malfunctions and eliminate the term "recall" in public communications.
- Enhance the existing post-market surveillance databases to more readily identify devices that may pose a danger to patients.
- Establish a post-market surveillance advisory panel of independent experts to assist the FDA with its post-market activities.
The FDA said it has already acted on the third recommendation by expanding the "charge of our standing cardiac advisory device panel beyond pre-market issues to address device post-market safety and effectiveness."
The agency said that members of this enhanced "post-market panel have already provided feedback to FDA on internal evaluations associated with cardiac rhythm device malfunctions."
Changes at the FDA are likely to be expensive, so the Heart Rhythm Society called on Congress to increase FDA funding for post-market surveillance, analysis, and reporting.
Turning to device manufactures, the society said that in addition to wireless monitoring, the companies "should establish independent, standing committees of outside experts to analyze device performance reports and to recommend appropriate action."
Addressing physicians, the society said they should not only inform patients about the benefits and risks of devices, "but also about the overall expected performance of devices, including potential malfunction rates."
Other recommendations for physicians:
- Return all malfunctioning devices after explant to the manufacturer "whether the replacement is routine or because of a malfunction."
- Consider the risks of both explantation and re-implantation of a new device when counseling patients about how to respond to notices about device malfunctions.


text:
Persons using assistive technology might not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, please send e-mail to: firstname.lastname@example.com. Type 508 Accommodation and the title of the report in the subject line of e-mail.
Epidemiologic Notes and Reports Update: Influenza Activity -- United States
Trends of national influenza activity and morbidity associated with pneumonia and influenza are shown in Figure 1. A total of 16 states indicated the occurrence of widespread or regional outbreaks of influenza-like illness for the week ending March 9, 1985, compared with 21 states and 26 states, respectively, that indicated similar levels for the 2 preceding weeks. Following the trend shown recently by other indices of influenza activity, the percentage of total deaths associated with pneumonia and influenza that were reported from 121 cities declined sharply to 6.2% for the week ending March 9. Reported by Participating physicians of the American Academy of Family Physicians; State and Territorial Epidemiologists; State Laboratory Directors; Other collaborating laboratories; Statistical Svcs Br, Div of Surveillance and Epidemiologic Studies, Epidemiology Program Office, Influenza Br, Div of Viral Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC.
Disclaimer All MMWR HTML documents published before January 1993 are electronic conversions from ASCII text into HTML. This conversion may have resulted in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users should not rely on this HTML document, but are referred to the original MMWR paper copy for the official text, figures, and tables. An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371; telephone: (202) 512-1800. Contact GPO for current prices.**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to email@example.com.
Page converted: 08/05/98
This page last reviewed 5/2/01


text:
The Set Up
People are turning up dead all over the city. No one knows who's responsible, and no pattern has emerged for the police to follow.
That's not to say that one doesn't exist. All of the victims had something in common. Something that no police officer would be able to find out. It doesn't help that half of the bodies have gone missing, leading the authorities to believe that the purpertrator is using them for some sinister purpose.
Little do they know that after the initial attacks, it isn't the attacker taking the bodies, it's those that want to keep their own existence secret. Groups such as the Guardians of the Veil, who can't afford to let anything, even remains, slip into the hands of those who shouldn't know. Other times, the very natures of the victims causes the body to just… disappear.
So what is it that they all have in common? They're all part of the deeper mysteries of the World of Darkness. From mortal psychics and palm readers who actually can tell your fortune to spirit blooded werewolves, and dead-blooded vampires, all of the victims are in some way supernatural.
It's getting so bad that the Counsolium, the Tribes, and the Prince are all agreeing on one thing: Whoever is responsible has to be stopped at any cost…
That duty falls to you.
Each player takes the role of one type of the three core supernaturals of World of Darkness. While normally the three 'races' don't want to have anything to do with each other, and sometimes actively fight, they also in-fight, and in both cases they can get along for things that need to be done. This is one of those cases.
Your elders have realized that you need to work together, or the whole supernatural world will be at risk of whatever is out there.
When making your characters, follow the regular character creation guidelines as presented in the splatbook you're using. In addition to that, you'll have 55 experience points to use on top of that, used for any merits or powers for fleshing out your characters.
One thing to remember is that you should at least be competent at fighting, even if your primary means of diffusing a situation is talking down the killer. You're primarily cops, at least in this case.
You may want to take any of the secret base merits as well. The mage might want a Sanctum and a Hallow, the Werewolf might want a Locus in the area, or even a Shadowless Room, and the Vampire is very likely to have a few kine to feed on and at least a basement to settle down in while the sun is up. While you're likely to be wary of each other and not be having sleepovers, a library or archive of some sort is also a good thing to have.
Don't pass over social merits like Contacts or Allies either, they might be useful if you find you need to pull in a favor from that guy who owes you for saving his life, or who you're blackmailing.
Also remember that you're at least somewhat established in the World of Darkness, or at least your own little part of it.
- Silver_eyed_seer Played by scribblefag
- Kyrsten Channing Played by Thoon
- Mio Played by Vega


text:
For Real. Really?
There's no doubt that MTConnect is the missing link that makes computer- integrated manufacturing achievable on a practical basis.
I certainly believe that MTConnect, the standardized communication protocol (discussed in the cover story of the December 2009 issue of MODERN MACHINE SHOP) is very much "for real." MTConnect has proven to be an effective means to access and share essential information about manufacturing processes.
I must admit, however, that when I first heard John B. Byrd III's statement that this standard would have a greater impact on manufacturing in the next century than numerical control had in the last century, my instant reaction was: "Wow. Really?" Not that I doubted John's credibility or sincerity, but I simply was astonished by the boldness of this prediction.
I think he's right. Numerical control (NC) has undoubtedly had a profound effect on machining. NC fundamentally changed how workpieces are produced on machine tools. Once impossible operations and processes are now commonplace. Machine configurations and capabilities that were barely imaginable before NC are still being developed. Yet, in many ways, NC did not change manufacturing. Most machine tools have remained stand-alone, self-contained pieces of equipment, albeit extremely productive and efficient ones. NC automated the motion of cutting tools, and the computerized machine controller has automated tool changes, pallet changes and other machine functions. However, the overall production process in most shops and plants still follows patterns set decades before NC appeared. One could make the case that lean manufacturing has done more than any machine control technology to reshape the plant floor in the last few years.
This is not to diminish the impact of NC. The point is that MTConnect is clearly emerging as a key enabler as a shop-wide/factory-wide management capability. It is a key enabler in two senses: First, it enables us to achieve levels of automation and integration rarely achieved because of the expense and difficulty currently involved in these modes. Likewise, MTConnect is key in the sense that it unlocks the otherwise access-resistant data generated by machine tools and other manufacturing equipment. All sorts of monitoring, coordinating, integrating, streamlining and automating are now within reach. As these possibilities are realized, manufacturing will indeed undergo a deep transformation. The breadth and depth of this influence will be extensive.
Of course, making comparisons such as MTConnect to NC will always have to be couched in largely figurative language. Both mark important shifts in technology, but there is no way to measure them in objective terms.
No matter. I'm convinced that at this moment, it would be difficult to exaggerate the impact MTConnect will have on manufacturing in the next several years. Manufacturing will move much more readily toward the virtually seamless enterprise we've long envisioned and for which we've striven. In time, we may even lose sight of the role this standard plays because it will be the invisible thread that helped tie it all together.


text: Cooling When the weather gets warm, it feels pretty good to walk in to your home and be greeted by cool air. And if that's not the case in your home, you are at the right spot. At Assured Appliance and Heating & Air, we can assist you with your cooling system needs. If you are looking for a new system, we can walk you through your options and arrange an installation. If you are lucky enough to already have an air conditioner, our team can help with servicing and maintaining your system to make sure it's keeping up and operating efficiently! Air Conditioning Repair If your AC system isnt working properly, our experts can be out there quickly to check out your system and bring cool air back into your home. Read More Air Conditioner Service It's important to pay attention to maintaining your air conditioning system to make sure it's running at peak efficiency. Whether it's an emergency or a routine checkup, let our team lend a hand. Read More AC Installation Our professionals will work with your budget to find and install the appropriate air conditioner to help meet your homes needs. Read More Air Conditioner Replacement Purchasing a new air conditioning system is a big investment for homeowners, which is why our experts can help make the process easy and find the best solution for your home. Read More Air Conditioner Maintenance We recognize you want to get the most of your air conditioner, which is why its performance relies heavily on undergoing proper maintenance every year. Read More