text:
- About us
- Services
- Pain Management
- Rehabilitation
- Injury Prevention
- What Are Your Symptoms
- Our Team
- Client Resources
- In Motion News
- Patient forms
- Testimonials
- contact
Patients preparing for joint replacement surgery may be referred by the surgeon for pre-operative rehabilitation (Prehab).
The goal of Prehab is to help you be as well-conditioned as possible prior to surgery to enhance your post-operative recovery, and to understand the therapy routine that you will need to be involved in after surgery.
Prehab is accomplished in the few weeks before surgery:
Patients meet with a physical therapist for an assessment of their current mobility status and home set-up.
They learn a home exercise program at the first Prehab visit.
Two to three follow-up visits allow the patient a chance to show the therapist their progress with movement and strengthening.
Patients learn how to move safely with the new joint when completing daily activities such as stairs, bathing and dressing.
Patients learn how to utilize the devices used with their recovery, such as a walker, crutches or cane.
If you are planning on a joint replacement surgery, plan to do everything you can to guarantee a successful outcome! Contact our professionals today to see how we can work with you to ensure that your surgery is a resounding success.
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Dr. Brendan Carney Kilian
Chiropractor | Clinic Director
Dr. Brendan Carney Kilian graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours Bachelor of Science (Kinesiology – Pre-health Professions Option) in 2002 and from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in June 2006, Magna Cum Laude with Clinic Honours. Dr. Carney Kilian is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and has been working in the fitness industry for over a decade. He has special interests in musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation, weight management, and individualized program design. Dr. Carney Kilian has additional certifications as a Certified Golf Performance Therapist, and a Spine certified Active Release Techniques® (ART) Provider. From his small town roots, Dr. Carney Kilian emphasizes a patient-centered approach that stresses patient education and long-term successes.
Dr. Carney Kilian opened In Motion: Health – Wellness – Fitness to provide an innovative Pain Management, Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention solutions for the residents of Sarnia-Lambton.
Dr. Luke Winegard
Chiropractor | Clinic Director
Dr. Luke Winegard graduated from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Science (Human Kinetics) in 2001 and from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in June 2006. Over and above his professional training, Dr. Winegard has studied to become Full Body Certified in Active Release Technique® (ART), as well as received a Diploma of Clinical Acupuncture and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Dr. Winegard's professional focus is to help an active clientele to reach their potential through active therapies, patient education and the promotion of an active lifestyle.
Actively involved with the Sarnia Seaway Kiwanas Club, the Rapids Family Health Team and the Health Professional Advisory Committee of the LHIN, Dr. Winegard is committed to developing strong ties to the community of Sarnia.
Dr. Winegard decided to open In Motion: Health – Wellness – Fitness to provide an innovative Pain Management, Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention solutions for the residents of Sarnia-Lambton.
Dr. Jane Pilkey
Dr. Jane received her Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University and went on to graduate from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2011. She furthered her education by becoming a Contemporary Medical Acupuncture Provider in 2013. Dr. Jane takes special interest in prenatal and pediatric care and is working towards obtaining a residency in pediatrics through the ICPA.
Dr. Jane is an evidence based practitioner that focuses on a patient-centered approach to care; she emphasizes patient education and promotes an active lifestyle to help keep patients both pain free and fully functional. She maintains professional affiliations with the Canadian Chiropractic Association and the Ontario Chiropractic Association in addition to being a registered service provider for the Department of Veterans Affairs, RCMP, and WSIB.
Originally from Sarnia, Jane was born into an active family and grew up a competitive figure skater, swimmer, soccer player, and golfer. Her love of sport and volunteer work as a coach and athletic trainer with various teams has resulted in immense experience dealing with athletic injuries. She looks forward to her future with In Motion and helping her clients to remain active.
Amanda Sargent
Registered Massage Therapist
A local girl, Amanda Sargent was born and raised in Sarnia and attended Lambton College. Prior to becoming a Registered Massage Therapist in 2003, Amanda spent time in the healthcare setting as a nursing student and a personal support worker. Amanda has gained experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary healthcare team, at Canada's leading facility for comprehensive healthcare assessments, and in a small family chiropractic office. Amanda has additional training in fascial release, advanced lumbar spine techniques, and Neuromuscular Integration and Structural Alignment (NISA). Amanda has special interests in pregnancy and deep tissue massage. She is excited to be back home to serve her local community as a member of In Motion's Health Team.
Jenn Van Horne
Registered Massage Therapist
Born in Sarnia, Jenn was raised and currently resides in Corunna. She graduated from SCITS high school and then from the 3 year massage therapy program at Lambton College in 2007. During that time she took special interest in treating those with chronic pain. Jenn has taken courses in soft tissue release and deep tissue massage. She is experienced in treating MVA injuries, clients in severe, chronic pain, pregnant and elderly clients as well as repetitive strain and sports injuries. She incorporates the use of hydrotherapy into treatments whenever indicated to aide in fully releasing the tissue.
Adam Gray
Adam was born and raised in Sarnia. He attended the University of Waterloo for his 4 year B.A, and after completing his studies, completed a 3½ year Podiatric Medicine program, at the Michener Institute of Applied Health Sciences/ University of Toronto Campus. In addition, he has completed 3 years of internship in the Greater Toronto Area in various hospitals and private clinics.
As a registered Chiropodist, his specialization includes, but is not limited to: lower limb, foot, and ankle injuries (sports medicine); dermatological and nail care; soft-tissue surgeries; nail surgeries; arch pain; biomechanical assessments, footwear, and orthotics; diabetic consultation/treatment; prescriptions for NSAID's, antibiotics, and/or antifungals; pharmacological care and injections; compression stockings; and treatment using therapeutic modalities (TENS, ultrasound. Etc.)
Stefanie Senior
Registered Dietitian & Sports Nutritionist
Stefanie Senior is one of the leading registered dietitians and sports nutritionists in Toronto. She specializes in weight management, eating for exercise and athletic performance, and corporate wellness.Stefanie Senior, RD offers registered dietitian and sports nutrition services in the GTA and runs a private practice at Athletic Edge Sports Medicine and online via Skype for In Motion. Stefanie offers nutrition counselling, weight management programs and support groups and creates customized meal plans based on food preferences, lifestyle and goals. Stefanie is also a professor in food and nutrition at the Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts at George Brown College and the in-house dietitian and spokesperson for the CBC Live Right Now campaign.Stefanie is a professional speaker who uses dynamic and interactive seminars to teach simple, powerful and sustainable strategies for achieving optimal health, energy and wellbeing. The energetic nutrition guru has appeared on CP24, CTV, Rogers Live, CBC television and radio, Canada AM and has interviewed for articles published in the Toronto Star, Canadian Living, Best Health Magazine, Chatelaine, the Huffington Post, and the Toronto Observer. Stefanie studied dietetics at the University of British Columbia and completed a post-graduate dietetic internship program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Previous to entering the field of dietetics, she did a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in Psychology at the University of Guelph and worked as a Personal Trainer in Vancouver, British Columbia.Stefanie has a unique approach to her practice and provides advice that is realistic, easy to follow and emphasizes stepwise change, balance and flexibility. She is a firm believer that small, gradual changes to an individual's eating and exercising regimen coupled with patience, commitment and a positive attitude can lead to permanent lifestyle change and a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.In her spare time, Stefanie enjoys being active, cooking, travelling and experiencing the newest restaurants and food trends in Toronto and across the globe. Stefanie is excited to join the In Motion Team to offer high quality nutrition and weight loss couseling via Skype.
Cassandra Rapaich
Cassandra was born and raised in Sarnia where she attended Bright's Grove Elementary School and Northern Collegiate High School. In 2003, Cassandra was recruited on a full-ride soccer scholarship to Clayton State University (NCAA DII) in Atlanta, Georgia where she captained the Lady Lakers Soccer Team for 3 of the 4 attending years and was awarded a Bachelor's of Science Degree majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Biomedical Applications.
Cassandra then pursued her Bachelor of Physiotherapy in the athletic hotbed of Australia, at The University of Queensland. With an international reputation for clinical research, the University's Physiotherapy division is recognized as a national and international leader in physiotherapy research. The University of Queensland's active and collaborative research teams specialize in areas of, Musculoskeletal Pain and Injury, Neck Pain and Whiplash, Pain Management, and Joint Stability. Cassandra's main area of concentration will continue in this direction as it relates to the injured athlete. Cassandra's clinical training has been centered on a multi disciplinary musculoskeletal rehabilitation team and she is excited to put her training into practice at Sarnia's In Motion.
Cassandra graduated from the University of Queensland in December 2011 and is now registered in Canada.
Ciara Wright
Physiotherapy Resident
Ciara grew up in Grand Bend and Brights Grove. She graduated from Western University with an Honours Bachelor of Health Science in 2012 and went on to complete her Master of Physical Therapy at McMaster University. She is now a registered Physiotherapy Resident in the province of Ontario. Ciara treats her patients holistically and understands the importance of empowering the client. Her treatments focus on combining "hands on" manual therapy with individualized exercise programs. She has taken a post-graduate course in Soft Tissue Release and plans to further her education to include advanced manual therapy, and pelvic health courses.
Having grown up in two small beach towns, Ciara has always been passionate about leading a healthy active lifestyle. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, jogging along the lake and spending time with friends and family. She is excited to be returning to the Grove and looks forward to helping clients get back to activities that are meaningful to them.
Kristi Kleinsmith
Personal Trainer
In 2000 Kristi earned herself a full tennis scholarship to Northern Illinois University where she spent four years playing tennis for the Huskies and earning her Bachelor's of Science Degree, with Honours, in Preventative and Rehabilitative Exercise Science. A minor in Exercise Gerontology was also achieved. She continued her education for two years on graduate assistantship and received her Master's of Science in Education focusing on Exercise Physiology and Fitness Leadership. Kristi has also obtained an American College of Sports Medicine certification (Certified Health and Fitness Specialist).
Kristi has experience working with people of all ages and fitness levels. She has experience working in different fitness industries such as corporate fitness, commercial fitness, and exercise gerontology. Kristi was a university professor at Northern Illinois University and Lambton College where she taught health and fitness, weight training and conditioning, tennis, volleyball, and badminton classes.
In 2018, Kristi became a Functional Patterns, Human Foundation Practitioner. This new system of personal training develops the human body as a whole organism. Learn how to correct your dysfunctions by assessing your current posture and gait cycle. Correct your biomechanics and bring the body into a state homeostasis and have it remain there for a lifetime.
Her interests include spending time with her family outdoors, whether it is hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking, or skating. Her family likes to visit the local fruit, vegetable, and animal farms in the area. Discovering the Pinery Park and other parks in the area create new adventures and experiences. She is constantly learning more about how to be a healthy human for a lifetime and wants to share this knowledge with her family, friends, and clients.
Get ready to be motivated, encouraged, and challenged to your full potential. Let her ambitious and uplifting attitude guide you through various workouts and classes.
Jodi Rawcliffe
Office Manager
I was born in Michigan, raised in Corunna, ON. I have more than 20 years of client relation experience and more than 10 years of managerial experience working for NCO. In 2012 when NCO closed I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go back to school. I enrolled in the Medical Office Administration Program at Lambton College and graduated in 2014 at the top of my class. While attending Lambton College I was the Campus Program Coordinator for the Ministry of Health campaign - Leave the Pack Behind, which focuses on Smoking Cessation for students. I also gained experience working in a medical office environment as a work study and co-op student in the Lambton College Wellness Centre.I am married to my husband, Steve and we have 2 children – Alexis and Jaxon. Alexis is currently attending the University of Ottawa and hopes to become a dentist. Jaxon is an avid lacrosse and football player. I also have 2 furbabies – Chihuahuas, Martini and Skye.We love travelling, playing with our dogs, and watching Jaxon play lacrosse and football.
Heather Noble
Business Development - On Leave
Raised in a small town and currently residing in Sarnia, Heather graduated with her Social Service Worker diploma in 2005. She has since contributed 10 years of municiple program creation, evaluation and counselling services to youth and their families. Heather is practiced in crisis management and prides herself in being an advocate and present force for her clients. In her spare time she enjoys reading, friends, family and being engaged in the great outdoors. Heather looks forward to expanding her skill set and feels that In Motion's mission statement fits perfectly with her personal goals.
Leah Boire
Client Relations
Leah was born and raised in Chatham, ON and is a recent transplant to Sarnia. Leah has more than 14 years' experience in customer service, office administration and management. Leah graduated with honours in 2002 from St. Clair College (Thames Campus) with an Office Administration – Executive diploma. After graduation she continued her involvement with the college by teaching night classes and tutoring students. Leah and her husband Kyle decided to move back to his hometown of Sarnia. In her spare time Leah likes to spend time with her family, friends and fur babies. She likes exploring her new hometown and surrounding communities and taking advantage of all the festivals and events in the area. She also enjoys reading, travelling, attending concerts, watching the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Leah is excited about her opportunity to be a part of the In Motion Team both professionally and personally.
Mary Beth Purdy
Client Relations
Born and raised in Sarnia, Mary Beth attended Lambton College and graduated with a Sports and Recreation Administration Diploma in 2013 and a Medical Office Administration Diploma in 2015. With 8 years of customer service experience, Mary Beth loves working with people. She gained experience working in a medical office environment during her co-op placement at Bluewater Health in the Pharmacy department. Since graduation, Mary Beth has gained further experience while working as a chiropractic health assistant. Mary Beth has always been enthusiastic about health and wellness and is especially enthusiastic about cardiovascular and weight training. In her spare time she enjoys going to the gym, horseback riding, watching the Toronto Blue Jays / Toronto Maple leafs, and spending time with her family, friends and fur baby Haalie – a 4 year old husky lab. Mary Beth looks forward to expanding her skill set and is excited to be a part of the In Motion Team.
Kelsey Johnston
Client Relations - On leave
Born and raised in a small town, and recently moved to Sarnia. I studied Business – Marketing and Dental Assisting at Fanshawe College. After college I worked chairside for a dental office before switching to more office administration work. I have always loved working with people and enjoy that working reception has allowed me to spend lots of time talking to clients. Since switching to more office administration work I have gained experience while working as the office manager for a chiropractic office. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family and friends by the pool, going camping, cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays/Toronto Maple Leafs, as well as spending time with my fur babies Jasmine, Sammy, and Roxy. I am looking forward to expanding my health and wellness knowledge, and I am excited to be part of the In Motion Team.


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The Secrets of GTA's Massive Mainstream Success
Sep 28, 2013 5:00 AM PT
It's not every day that a video game becomes a mainstream tech story. Then again, it's not every day that a video game promptly records US$1 billion in sales.
Grand Theft Auto V did just that, however, eclipsing the 10-figure mark three days after its Sept. 17 release. The game's success is an emphatic declaration that the GTA brand -- first introduced in 1997 -- is still going strong, and that it will be a force as the next generation of game consoles comes to life.
In this TechNewsWorld podcast, we chat with Jon Hicks, editor for Xbox 360 - The Official Xbox Magazine (UK). Joining us from London, Hicks talks about how GTA appeals to video game aficionados and laymen alike, why the UK-made game is so America-centric, and how GTA gets away with being so ... GTA.
Listen to the podcast (20:53 minutes).
Here are some excerpts from the podcast.
TechNewsWorld: There was so much made of the launch of the game last week, and of the insane production costs, which reportedly went over $250 million, and there were also a lot of revenue projections about when it would hit the $1 billion mark. But it's perhaps worth stepping back and asking how the actual game is. As a video game fan and as a video game critic, what were your initial takeaways, and what do you think about the game itself now that the dust has settled a little bit?
Jon Hicks: Well, I think its success was almost a foregone conclusion. GTA is one of the biggest gaming franchises, and it's particularly potent because it's quite a rare release still. I mean, I haven't actually seen the relative values compared, but the other big-money franchises kind of drop in every single year, like Call of Duty and FIFA. They sell very well, and they do good business, but because they arrive every year there's diminished excitement around them. They're a sort of regular fixture.
GTA -- it's been five years since the last one came out, it has this huge audience, it transcends the standard gaming demographic. People will buy GTA and they will buy almost no other games. I think that's one of the reasons why it's so successful: Everybody who buys video games buys GTA, and many other people who don't routinely buy video games will also buy it. It's got to that level of sort of cultural weight.
On top of that, it's a really exceptional game, as well. Rockstar [which makes the game] are amazing at creating open worlds, and certainly they really pushed the boat out with Grand Theft Auto IV, which was on Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2008. They've actually gone back and kind of stepped it up another level here in terms of the virtual recreation of Los Angeles -- the size of the world, the characters of the world, it's got this really ridiculous level of detail ... It's just a really, really spectacular piece of work.
TechNewsWorld: It's interesting to hear you talk about how GTA is kind of a transcendent game; I wanted ask you about that. It was interesting reading your official review of the game, and you mention some other titles that you could perhaps compare GTA to -- there was No Russian, Righteous Slaughter, Red Dead Redemption. As I was reading it -- I'm not a video game connoisseur, and I really didn't know these games, but I do know Grand Theft Auto, and I have known Grand Theft Auto for 10 years, ever since I had GTA III on my PlayStation. What is it about the game that makes it so transcendent to the point where someone like myself -- someone who has a video game console but doesn't have a particular fascination with video game -- why would somebody like me or my layman's demographic be so fascinated with GTA?
Hicks: I think it's the freedom the games give you. Most video games, they have very specific formats, there's a very specific challenge. To go to the other big one I mentioned, Call of Duty, it's basically a shooting gallery in single player, and it's a sort of free-for-all in multiplayer. FIFA is football. They're kind of quite regular.
GTA -- it took off with GTA III. That was the first time the game really hit massive mainstream success, and I think it's because they give you the whole city. You can just kind of wander around with your character, and you can steal cars and drive cars and beat people up and drive into the ocean and all this kind of stuff. It's a very instantly rewarding, kind of sandbox experience: Even if you don't really play video games, it's possible to pick up a controller and play GTA and just mess around with it in a really satisfying way. And again, because the games get more advanced every single time, there's always an extra layer of systems in there. There are different radio stations to listen to, or the pedestrians react in a certain way...
Most games you have to sort of explain the setup -- "you are a soldier and you're trying to get inside the battlefield" or... I don't know, video games aren't historically very good at storytelling. They all revolve around shooting aliens or something for some sort of spurious reason. And if you aren't particularly engaged in that, and you don't find the actual act of shooting very rewarding, then it's quite easy for people to sort of bounce off that sort of thing. I think with GTA, you can just go, "Here's a world. You can do pretty much what you like. Get on with it."

subset: commoncrawl


text: I moved mail for one domain to google apps. When I try to send to that domain (which is now directed to google apps) from my server, it is rejected. I changed the dns settings for the domain's mail server to direct them to google's servers. I also changed the "Mailserver" on that domain to "External Mailserver." Anything else I need to change? It seems to work fine from other servers.


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Difference between revisions of "Esoteric Order of Dagon"
From ZineWiki
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'''Esoteric Order of Dagon''' is an [[Amateur Press Association|APA]] devoted to H.P. Lovecraft and his circle.
'''Esoteric Order of Dagon''' is an [[Amateur Press Association|APA]] devoted to H.P. Lovecraftand his circle.
===Esoteric Order of Dagon Zines===
===Esoteric Order of Dagon Zines===
Revision as of 07:58, 5 June 2011
Esoteric Order of Dagon is an APA devoted to H.P. Lovecraft and his circle.
Esoteric Order of Dagon Zines
- Amethystine Hippocampus by Derrick Hussey
- The Arkham Anchorite by Joe Moudry
- Crumbling Relicks by Chet Williamson
- Crypt of Cthulhu by Robert M. Price
- Darkness Over Providence by Lawson W. Hill
- Drake's Potpourri by David A. Drake
- Eldritch Leanings by Will Hart
- Fantasy Commentator by A. Langley Searles
- Ibid by Ben Indick
- The Inhabitants of the Lake by Bernadette Bosky
- Magic Lantern by Christine Pasnen and Harry Morris
- Mantichore by Leigh Blackmore
- The Miskatonic by Dirk Mosig
- The Moshassuck Review by Kenneth Faig
- Nocturne by Harry Morris
- Outre by J. Vernon Shea
- Queer Madness by Wilum Pugmire
- Tales of the Lovecraft Collectors by Kenneth Faig
- What Is Anything by S.T. Joshi
- Zarfhaana by Glenn Lord


text:
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Safety and Health -- Products and Resources
Website of the world's largest manufacturer of protective gloves and clothing. Includes the SpecWare guide to online chemical hand protection.
Information regarding products for infection control and laboratory use.
Guide to finding the right glove choices for protection in various types of settings.
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text: They have sound systems for RC warbirds now that use actual real sounds from the full scale piston engines...I'm in heaven. This is my plane, a P-51D Mustang that a friend of mine was kind enough to install the sound system for me. To skip forward to the sound, go to 3:15.


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03 April 2007
If you're a regular viewer, you'll already know that TWL has a less-than-favourable view of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (see here and here, for example). We're not entirely sure why...it just seems like a bit of a stuffy old institution that is struggling to remain relevant.
This week's fuel to our fire is a letter in PRWeak from Mark Ramsdale, head of education policy at the CIPR. From what we can ascertain, the CIPR's education policy seems to be: "If you haven't got a degree in PR, you shouldn't be in the industry."
Under the headline, "PR degrees should be a recruitment must" which, admittedly, we don't know whether was penned by Ramsdale or PRWeak's editorial staff, he writes: "PR is a strategic business function and requires a skills set that non-PR degrees simply do not provide."
Not only do I think that this entirely ignores the excellent training and skills programmes in place at many of the UK's PR consultancies, I also don't think it's true! For me, qualities that are vital in succeeding in PR include a decent level of intelligence, a willingness to learn, an ability to write, a proactive approach, a dash of confidence and some half-decent presentation skills...all of which can be gained in degrees covering many different subjects and, indeed, through experience outside higher educational establishments...like it can for other important roles.
For instance, some might say that being a CEO is a fairly "strategic business function" but I don't see the Chartered Institute of Chief Executives calling for a policy of degrees in Chief Executing being essential for new recruits...
Ramsdale goes on to state that, "The CIPR approves degree courses based on their ability to equip students with the necessary training to operate as effective PR professionals." That's fine - I have no problem with PR degrees per se - but to say that only those people that have been through a CIPR approved degree should find employment in the industry is elitist and arrogant.
How many superb PR practitioners would have been lost to the industry had such a policy become entrenched decades ago? Indeed, the only reason that UK universities have been able to create PR degrees (and to have them full to bursting and generating lots of lovely tuition fees) is because people without PR degrees built an industry! And now we're told that those very same people haven't got the requisite skills...(as you might have guessed, I lack a degree in PR...)
I ask you, I really do.
20 comments:
No degree is required in order to fly fast jets for the RAF - just a handful GCSEs, some aptitude and a few years of intensive 'on the job' training.
A comparison like that makes the CIPR look ridiculous...
- 10:33 am
- Andrew Smith said...
Its just rubbish. Perhaps there has been a sea change in students on these courses, but I used to do the rounds of Leeds, Cardiff, Manchester et al giving presentations on real world PR to them - it didn't take much to work out that only a handful of them showed any understanding of what PR was about (and naturally, these were the ones you tried to hire) - but quite frankly, some of them would be lucky to find work in any industry. The very notion that only those with PR degrees should work in the industry is ludicrous.
- 10:35 am
Well this guy obviously has an agenda to push but it's self evidently hogwash. I've only come across one person with a PR degree and he couldn't find his backside with both hands and a torch.
I'd also question why you need a three year course to learn how to do the job. Most in company training courses last six months at best and the vast majority of that time is spent learning on the job.
- 10:56 am
- ::::r c:::: said...
In the same issue there was a feature 'News Analysis: How important is PR experience?' (subscription required) written by Alex Black, Ramsdale takes a much more moderate tone:
Interestingly, trade body the CIPR is not against people moving from other areas of a business into PR.
"PR is a strategic business function, so people moving from a business management background will have worked as strategic thinkers." says CIPR head of education policy Mark Ramsdale.
- 11:06 am
Couldn't agree more. I run a small team with clients in some niche technology sectors. Degree qualifications range from American and Commonwealth Literature to Leisure Management. Not one of them got the job on the basis of these degrees alone (clearly) but all of them have demonstrated an ability to excel in some pretty challenging situations. The skills that have equipped them to succeed could have come from any decent quality degree-level qualification, and if anything I am disinclined to interview people who have made a career choice at 17 and have little experience outside the narrow confines of whatever it is they teach in PR degrees.
- 11:08 am
- ....the world's leading.... said...
Oh, yes...see that. So now I'm confused...are PR degrees essential or not? Or is general maagerial experience (or "strategic thinking") more important to a PR role than either a PR degree or some PR experience..?!
I've asked Mark Ramsdale to pop over an explain himself.
- 11:12 am
to be honest most of the PR grads I see lack any sense of interest or experience and tend to have really shonky written english. so I'll stick to those with good degrees and a levels regardless of subject.
- 11:49 am
I have a PR degree but I don't think they should be made necessary to get into the profession.
The good thing about a PR degree is, if you know the career you want to progress into after study (in my case I knew I wanted to get into PR)it allows you to develop an understanding for the profession as a whole.
Around a year and a half before graduation I pretty much knew what type of PR I wanted to get into and where I wanted to do it so, in that respect, I benefited from it.
But I think drive, determination, willingness to learn and how much enjoyment you get out of working in PR are the key points.
- 12:04 pm
How about some sort of engineering degree being useful in tech PR?
Or medicine as a background to pharma PR?
Or any English-language based degree (history in my case) as a good proving ground for writing skills.
Actually one of the best PR folks I know doesn't have a degree at all, and one of our graduate intake this year (with a PR degree) left to become a lawyer instead. Hmmmm - methinks the degree is less necessary than we are being led to believe.
- 1:32 pm
One thing many recent PR grads seem to have in common is the perception that their degree entitles them to a fast track, better pay and means they are more 'experienced' at their jobs before they even start.
It doesn't.
- 4:41 pm
- Serena said...
Very interesting post. I came to it via a PR discussion list and have 'linked' you in my PR blog. Please feel free to comment but bear in mind that I am coming to this debate halfway through a PR qualification and at an early stage in my career. (ie be gentle...!)
- 6:00 pm
I'm against vocational degrees in general. Degrees used to be about broadening your education and expanding your mind, not getting a job. I'm a chartered accountant, and the best chartered accountant who trained with me had a degree in Classics from Cambridge (we both worked for Deloitte's). Sad that our young people are pressured into pigeon-holing themselves so early - there's plenty of time for your career after university. Or at least, there used to be.
- 7:48 pm
Let's face it. The only thing of value to come out of the CIPR in recent years was a free glass of wine and cheesy nibble at some event or other, but let's not use this discussion as a reason to bash graduates with PR degrees (I'll just make it clear at the start that I haven't got a PR degree – French & Spanish, thanks for asking).
There is some great 'talent' coming through from PR courses. Likewise some of the best PR people I've worked with have not had PR degrees at all. What they have had in common is a fair level of intelligence, a lot of common sense, a willingness to learn and an ability to work hard without falling to pieces. If you can add to that a sponge-like absorption of information and an ability to get on with other people, then that's more than you can ask for. Everything else can be learned on the job.
No word on whether "Hayley Booth, 30, of the PR agency Brando" has a PR degree: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article1610495.ece
- 11:14 am
Started to write a comment, but it got too damned long so it's now a post:
- 5:46 pm
- Rajiv said...
Like Stuart, the comment became too long, so here's the post
- 8:33 pm
- ....the world's leading.... said...
Rajiv, I've read your post...and I'm almost at a loss about where to start with a response.
Perhaps I should start by suggesting that if your post is reflective of the standard of education at Leeds Metropolitan University, then our industry really is in trouble. The grammar is simply appalling; from the entirely superfluous comma in the headline to the fact that in paragraph four you manage to ask three separate questions yet fail to end any of the sentences with a question mark.
One of the first things that I learnt (on the job) was that poor grammar and spelling completely devalues what you've written...which by rights means that I should dismiss everything that you've stated, which I'm happy to do on the content itself in any case.
You say things such as:
"My perspective stems from the very simple equation that with a degree one can attain work experience. However with work experience you cannot gain theoretical knowledge. No matter how many years of work experience a person might have, it will never enlighten him to the theoretical aspects of the job that can only be mastered through a specialized educational degree."
What absolute rubbish! I read books too you know...
You fantastically reckon that:
"I can challenge any student today who doesn't have a PR degree to do better than me in this field. I just think it is not possible."
How incredibly arrogant! I know plenty of non-PR grads who have blown the socks off PR grads in the workplace (and, fair enough, plenty of great PR grads too).
Then, brilliantly, you shoot yourself in the foot with this comment about people from journalism and other majors:
"He will be better than me in only one thing, which could be writing (Not to be boastful), but I doubt mine and my fellow PR students witting skills are any less competitive."
You end with this:
"Lastly, No matter how many years of work experience (without specialized qualification) one might put into a PR job, he can only specialize or master aspects of PR that he has worked on. This cannot beat the person who has attained qualifications through the highly structured and extensive curriculum taught in a PR degree course.
"Any PR companies hiring people today, should consider what I have said above."
Oh, the conceit of it!
It's a poorly written and poorly constructed argument, Rajiv. Best of luck in your PR career.
- 1:57 pm
- Rajiv said...
I am sorry to say, but I had no idea that this was a personal attack column. I thought it was a blog where you share your personal opinions and air your views, being well aware of the fact that there will always be people who disagree with you (not lash at you). We still live in a democracy, don't we?
I was going to mention my new post, which would have been an addition to the ongoing debate. However, now I won't, since I refuse to allow my views to be used as somebody's personal agenda.
It seems a bit ironical that a professional like you would display such immature behaviour. I guess that they forgot to teach you diplomatic writing etiquettes (on your job). I am sorry if I hurt your feelings in any way, but your bitterness is tearing my heart apart. ;)
PS. Thank you for your wishes and concern for my career. I really appreciate that.
- 4:46 am
- ....the world's leading.... said...
Rajiv, Rajiv...I'm concerned that you might not have the resilience required for a job in PR.
You pointed us to your post. I read it and disagreed with much of what you said, so I pointed that out. I'm direct, that's my style. I've always appreciated honesty in others' feedback on my work so I'm the same myself.
But I'll tell you something, my directness is nothing to that of a journalist that you're calling on deadline with a duff story...but that's something you'll learn when you move out of theory and into practice.
If you're talking about my comments on the quality of your writing, then I stand by that too. Again, it's direct feedback that will be repeated when you move into the working environment. When I started my first job, I had one boss who would refuse to look at my written work if it contained incorrect spelling or poor grammar; another would give it back to me with comments in red pen all over it. I'd be made to feel stupid...and that's how I became a decent writer. I don't resent it - I appreciate it.
Start living in the real world Rajiv...it's tough.
- 9:11 am
- Rajiv said...
TWL, I really appreciated your comment and because of that I am making an extra effort to improve my writing skills. You have mentioned somethings which I have been asking many people in my education circle to tell me.
My only point was that you could have been a little more polite.
- 7:04 pm
- ....the world's leading.... said...
Good for you Rajiv! Well done.
- 9:01 pm


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Art and Science of NatureUnderstanding the Beauty of the Natural World
Archive for June, 2009
The Significance of Snail Shell Color and Pattern
[Adapted from an article that I co-authored entitled, "Isolation of Evolution of the Amphidromus in Nusa Tenggara" in American Conchologist magazine]
The tropical biosphere is inhabited by animals of far greater color than any other zoogeographical zone on Earth. The Phylum Mollusca, and in particular the terrestrial mollusks, the land snails, develop shells that have some of the greatest diversity of color and pattern among all living organisms.
The often brilliant coloration and bold patterns attracted ancient societies who used the shells for ornamentation purposes. Today, naturalists with a bent on conchology are still amassing collections of these brilliantly colored snails for aesthetic reasons, but also for scientific study.
The question of why these molluscan species have developed a multitude of colors and patterns can be best understood through the foundations of evolutionary science.
Land snails can develop shells with myriad colors forms within one population (intra-population variability), or may vary from the norm only in separated populations (inter-population variability). Occasionally a species can exhibit both phenomena. The Darwinian concept of natural selection can best be used to explain why a snail species can vary locally or over its entire range.
The external appearance of a shell — color and pattern, for instance — are likely to be influenced by natural selection when determining the genetic make up of a snail. Extreme color polymorphism in a population perhaps indicates that looking different from your neighbor is advantageous, making it more difficult for predators to develop a search image, such as color and contrast, to locate their prey. The unique color form can then spread rapidly in a population.
This phenomenon, known as frequency dependent selection, may explain why some intra-populations of snails in the genus Amphidromus from eastern Indonesia often have unpatterned or strikingly different colored shells mixed in among the predominantly multi-colored or strongly patterned shells. Natural selection is typically considered to favor one form over another, thereby shifting the bell curve, yet frequency dependent selection flattens that bell curve and spreads it out.
One explanation for inter-population variability may be a phenomenon called genetic drift. To illustrate this, let's say a population gets split in two, one on island A, and one on island B. Both populations might start off identical, with chances at 50/50 for a particular trait. It is unlikely that the offspring will be 50/50. They may be 47/53, and the subsequent generation may be 43/57. Over many generations, the percentages will fluctuate up and down at random, and they can end up being very different from where they started. Yet, in the real world, a new mutation doesn't start at 50/50. It might be only 1/10,000 or 1/100,000. By chance it can have more surviving offspring than average, and slowly increase in the population. Smaller populations will drift faster than large populations. But, if by chance that first mutant does not have any surviving offspring, that trait disappears. This is a more likely scenario. So, genetic drift tends to eliminate variation within a population and increases differences between populations. Over a period of time, the populations from islands A and B will end up looking very different.
Inter-population variability might also be explained by the founder effect. The snails that colonize an island may represent only a small fraction of the parent population's genetic diversity. If a rare mutant color form is mixed in among the new colony, a colony that was 1 in 1000 in the parent population, it may instantly be 1 in 10 in the new population. Given a brand new set of environmental influences, the population may evolve in whole new directions from its parent population.
Environmental factors such as the geology, climate, flora, fauna, and food are all suspected contributors to the rise of a unique shell appearance. To reduce the competition with other species which overlap in some aspect of their niches, a phenomenon called character displacement occurs. Shell, behavioral, anatomical or biochemical characters eventually deviate from the ancestral form to allow the species to survive with its neighbors. Character displacement might also manifest itself in the color, pattern, and even the form of the shell. Changes brought on by one, or a combination of, these biological concepts can eventually render an isolated population unable to interbreed with the parent population, producing a situation which makes speciation possible.Isolation is the key ingredient for a species to evolve, and natural barriers provide the necessary separation to allow speciation to take place. Whether the barrier is a series of mountain ridges separated by deep valleys, or islands separated by wide channels as in the case of some species of Indonesian Amphidromus, isolation allows a species to evolve independently from its ancestral form.
Though these concepts are often difficult to understand when evolutionary science is not your main focus, understanding that tropical snails do change and adapt to external factors and random influences is enough to appreciate just how diverse a snail species can be.
Rain at Dolphin Head
Dolphin Head in Hanover Parish is one of the most massive geological formations in western Jamaica. It is often referred to as an island within an island.The mountain is surrounded by a few small farming communities accessible by traversing narrow, winding and unimproved roads. The draw to Dolphin Head is that it is home to many endemic species of plants and animals, a mecca for scientists studying biodiversity.
Only a handful of trails lead to the mountain itself. The trails up the mountain are steep and thick with vegetation. Add to this mix long periods of rain each day and the trail becomes a slippery mess, and makes for a rather interesting hike. This video includes clips from various parts of the trip to Dolphin Head. My next blog post will include some of what we found on the mountain.


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A light motive executed on percussion instrument "Bamblong". May be suitable for television, commercials, corporate ads, presentations, etc.
This item also can be found in the "Ethnic Music Pack"... [click here]
Please visit also our new portfolio! [click here] There you can find more orchestral and cinematic music for your awesome projects! Thanks.
For Videohive & ActiveDen authors:
- Please, post back link of your work with my audio and I'll promote and add it into my profile page. Thanks.


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For women, the differences are stark
In light of Rep. Todd Akin's (R-Mo.) recent remarks that "legitimate rape" victims have "ways to try to shut that whole thing down," the results of a recent poll are truly puzzling. The USA Today/Suffolk University Poll found 90 million Americans who are eligible to vote might not do so, with 42 percent agreeing that: "there's not a dime's worth of difference" between the two parties. I must respectfully disagree.
From a woman's right to choose, to a woman's right to receive equal pay for equal work, the differences between the two presidential candidates are stark indeed. Consider the following.
Story Continued Below
On a woman's right to choose:
President Barack Obama believes that a woman's reproductive choices should be hers to make. He recognizes it as a very difficult decision but said: "I trust women to make these decisions."
Gov. Mitt Romney on the other hand, opposes a woman's right to choose, except in cases of rape and incest and believes that Roe v. Wade should be overturned. He selected as his running mate a man who opposes abortion in cases of rape and incest and who co-sponsored a federal law that could in effect, criminalize popular forms of birth control.
On the issue of equal pay:
Obama understands that gender-based pay discrimination has a huge impact on women's lives. The first bill he signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, pointing out that: "Over the course of her career, she [Lilly] lost more than $200,000 in salary, and even more in pension and Social Security benefits."
Romney has repeatedly refused to say whether he would have signed the bill. His pick for vice president, Paul Ryan, voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Act.
On the issue of family planning:
Obama has said that instead of defunding Planned Parenthood, we should make sure that women control their own health care choices, knowing that access to affordable contraception and the ability to space and time their children has a huge impact on the health of millions of women.


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UFCW Local 770 service workers protest for a living wage outside of Ralphs at the corner of Carrillo and Chapala Streets.
Be succinct, constructive, and relevant to the story. Leaving a comment means you agree to our Discussion Guidelines. We like civilized discourse. We don't like spam, lying, profanity, harassment or personal attacks.


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Stacy Seicshnaydre is a leading authority on fair housing and anti-discrimination law, and her research and writing on housing law and policy have been influential in federal civil rights litigation.
As director of Tulane Law School's Civil Litigation Clinic from 2004 to 2016, she guided students in the representation of clients on a variety of civil rights cases in federal courts at the district and appellate levels. She was founding executive director and later general counsel of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center.
Seicshnaydre clerked for Judge W. Eugene Davis of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals then was the first Tulane Law graduate to receive a Skadden Fellowship, through which she worked as a staff attorney for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C.
She has served on the board of the Inclusive Communities Project and National Fair Housing Alliance and on the Louisiana Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy cited her work in the landmark disparate impact case of Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project.
The Fair Housing Choice Myth, 33 CARDOZO L. REV., Issue 3 (forthcoming 2012).
How Government Housing Perpetuates Racial Segregation: Lessons from Post-Katrina New Orleans, 60 CATH. U. L. REV. 661 (2011), available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1947107.
Is the Road to Disparate Impact Paved with Good Intentions? – Stuck on State of Mind in Antidiscrimination Law, 42 WAKE FOREST LAW REV. 1141 (2007)


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In October 2008 the NYCDEP convened a two-day, State of the Bay symposium highlighting emerging research on a range of issues impacting the ecology of Jamaica Bay, a unique and irreplaceable ecological resource for New York. The symposium was very successful. There were nearly 100 participants, and based on responses from attendees, each found the symposium very informative.
Audience members included many Jamaica Bay environmental stakeholder groups, regulatory agencies, academic institutions and concerned citizens. The symposium included 19 speakers presenting information on a diverse range of scientific research topics that included; salt marsh dynamics, wetland trends, eutrophication issues, implementation of "keystone" habitat pilot projects and stormwater best management practice pilot projects within the watershed of Jamaica Bay. The symposium was capped off by a boat tour of Jamaica Bay that captured all its splendid beauty.
As part of a management strategy identified in the Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection Plan, this was the first of many biennial symposiums that will be sponsored by NYCDEP and other watershed partners. As NYCDEP and its many partners move forward to improve the ecological integrity of Jamaica Bay, these symposiums provide the framework to actively engage the scientific community, environmental groups, and regulatory agencies in the development of public policy that is based on scientific research. NYCDEP looks forward to actively working with its many partners and will continue to promote additional research efforts to help close some of the existing data gaps.
Symposium Presentation Material
Symposium Presentation material is available in PDF format below:
Current Biological Trends in Jamaica Bay
John Waldman PhD, Queens College
Jamaica Bay Bio-Blitz
Wetland/Estuary Trends in the Northeast Region
Carl Alderson, Northeast NOAA Restoration Center
Nitrogen – Effects on Wetlands
Cathy Wigand PhD, USEPA, Atlantic Ecology Division
Paleoecology of Jamaica Bay
Dorothy Peteet PhD, Columbia University, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Restoration in Jamaica Bay: Initial Site Selection and Potential for Success
Chris Pickerell, Cornell Cooperative Extension
Denitrification and Habitat Benefits of the Eastern Oyster (Crassotrea virginica)
John Brawley, Saquish Scientific
Ecological Pilot Projects of Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection Plan
Dave Yozzo PhD, HDR Consulting
Attenuating Urban Runoff and Potential Habitat Benefits of Stormwater BMPs within Jamaica Bay Watershed
Marc Cammarata, PE, Philadelphia Water Dept
Ted Brown, Biohabitats
Wetland Loss – A Closer Look at Wetland Loss Research Activities in Jamaica Bay
Patti Rafferty (speaker) and Charles Roman, National Park Service Northeast Region
Effects of Mean Tidal Range on Jamaica Bay Wetlands
Larry Swanson, PhD, Stony Brook University
Salt Marsh die-back along the Atlantic Coast
Dave Osgood, PhD, Albright College
Biogeochemical and Structural Regulators of Spartina alterniflora
Paul Mankiewicz, PhD, Gaia Institute
Summer Nutrients and Phytoplankton Trends in Jamaica Bay
Raymond Sambrotto PhD, Columbia University, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory
Circulation and Mixing: Implications for Sediment Transport
Robert E. Wilson, PhD (speaker) and Charles N. Flagg, PhD, Stony Brook University
Sediments: Current Models and Predictions for Tidal Hydrodynamics and Sediment Processes within Jamaica Bay
Henry Bokuniewicz PhD, Stony Brook University
Alisha Renfro, Stony Brook University
Lessons Learned – Chesapeake Bay Foundation (to come)
Terry Cummings, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Download the symposium agenda


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SiriusXM's B. Smith to Interview First Lady Michelle Obama
On the third anniversary of the "Let's Move!," campaign, The First Lady speaks with B. Smith about teaching kids how to make healthy choices, the changes she was forced to make as a working mother and being a style icon
B. Smith named White House Guest Chef of the Day for Black History Month celebration at the White House
Feb 26, 2013, 12:40 ET
NEW YORK, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced that SiriusXM host B. Smith will interview First Lady Michelle Obama on the third anniversary of "Let's Move!," the national campaign she launched with the goal of ending childhood obesity within one generation.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101014/NY82093LOGO )
In the interview airing Tuesday, February 26 at 5:00pm ET on The B. Smith and 'Thank You Dan' Show on SiriusXM Urban View, channel 128, Obama will talk about the campaign and her commitment to help end childhood obesity, the changes she had to make as a busy, working mother, being a style icon and celebrating Black History Month. The interview will replay Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 3:00 pm ET.
SiriusXM hosts B. Smith and Dan Gasby have also been invited to attend the Black History Month reception at the White House as guests of the President and the First Lady on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. The reception follows B. Smith's invitation to be a Guest Chef of the Day where she will chose and prepare a special menu for the White House.
Launched by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2010, "Let's Move!" is dedicated to creating a healthy start for children by empowering parents and caregivers; providing healthy food in schools; improving access to healthy, affordable foods and increasing physical activity. The campaign, which she has called her mission and passion, aims to change the way a generation of kids thinks about food and nutrition.
The B. Smith and 'Thank You Dan' Show airs daily, Monday through Friday, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on SiriusXM Urban View, channel 128. The husband-and-wife team, B. Smith and Dan Gasby, invite listeners to join in on their daily conversations about healthy living, food, entertaining, succeeding in business, as well as sharing their secrets to a successful relationship.
SiriusXM Urban View features B. Smith and Dan Gasby, Joe Madison, Al Sharpton, and other channel hosts as they offer listeners conversations about lifestyle, social, political, and economic issues from the African American perspective.
For more information, visit http://www.siriusxm.com/urbanview.
About Sirius XM Radio
Sirius XM Radio Inc. is the world's largest radio broadcaster measured by revenue and has 24 million subscribers. SiriusXM creates and broadcasts commercial-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy; news; exclusive talk and entertainment; and the most comprehensive Latin music, sports and talk programming in radio. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company in the U.S., from retailers nationwide, and online at siriusxm.com. SiriusXM programming is also available through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for Android, Apple, and BlackBerry smartphones and other connected devices. SiriusXM also holds a minority interest in SiriusXM Canada which has more than 2 million subscribers.
On social media, join the SiriusXM community on Facebook, facebook.com/siriusxm, Twitter, twitter.com/siriusxm, Instagram, instagram.com/siriusxm, and YouTube at youtube.com/user/Sirius.
This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimated," "believe," "intend," "plan," "projection," "outlook" or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.
The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: our competitive position versus other forms of radio and audio services; our dependence upon automakers; general economic conditions; failure of our satellites, which, in most cases, are not insured; our ability to attract and retain subscribers at a profitable level; royalties we pay for music rights: our ability to attract and retain qualified executive officers; the unfavorable outcome of pending or future litigation; rapid technological and industry change; failure of third parties to perform; changes in consumer protection laws and their enforcement; and our substantial indebtedness. Additional factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.
Media Contact:
Michelle Dominguez
(212) 901-6792
SOURCE Sirius XM Radio


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Check out Proyecto Paladar, a Cultural Exchange with Awesome Food on April 3rd
It's not often that art exhibits have really great food, but this looks like an exception. Proyecto Paladar is an international traveling art installation based on cultural exchange. The exhibit—part installation, part performance art—begins in May, but this Tuesday the curators will be hosting a fundraising event the Hudson Terrace from 7 to 9. It'll feature Cuban-inspired food from Sara Jenkins, Marco Canora, Mark Ladner, Sisha Ortúzar,Tamara Reynolds, Pierre Thiam, and Sue Torres. There will also be cocktails aplenty, from Cuba Libres and mojitos to less well-known rum- and coffee-based drinks.
Head on over to their event website and reserve a ticket— they're flying fast. If you do go, look for Kenji and me. We'll be there eating what promises to be seriously delicious food and drinking a Mojito or two.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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WACO, Texas (March 3, 2014) - Not every student who receives free and reduced-price lunch at the school cafeteria eats a solid breakfast before boarding the bus. In Texas, where 27.6 percent of children are considered food-insecure, the public school system is a primary infrastructure for reigning in childhood hunger.
During National School Breakfast Week (March 3-7), the Texas Hunger Initiative, based out of the Baylor University School of Social Work, will release its second edition of the Texas School Breakfast Report Card, demonstrating what participation in school breakfast programs looks like across the state. Designed with school administrators and nutrition personnel in mind, the Texas School Breakfast Report Card provides an introduction to child hunger in Texas while also laying out pragmatic models for breakfast distribution in schools, a breakdown of associated benefits, success stories and suggested goals for school officials trying to create a healthy, hunger-free learning environment.
The full report can be downloaded at http://www.baylor.edu/texashunger/doc.php/219549.pdf.
"The Texas School Breakfast Report Card is unique because it summarizes the state of the School Breakfast Program in Texas. There is no state-level resource that summarizes the program while also providing a layout of eligibility and participation numbers by every county and district in Texas," said Kathy Krey, Ph.D., director of research for the Texas Hunger Initiative. "THI developed the report as a program outreach and advocacy tool. The resource is invaluable for anyone interested in maximizing the social and health impact of the School Breakfast Program."
What is the Texas School Breakfast Report Card?
The report catalogues two sets of data intended to help Texas school officials understand the state of school breakfast in their districts and the potential for growth. The first table frames school breakfast participation over the previous three years. The other is a projection of the impact in terms of what student participation and additional federal funding might look like if 70 percent of children eligible for free and reduced-price lunch ate breakfast at school.
Since each Texas county and respective school districts are represented in the piece, THI's Texas School Breakfast Report Card offers a detailed look at school breakfast participation in each Texas county and school district.
Among the key findings from the Texas School Breakfast Report Card for the 2012-2013 academic year:
According to Erin Nolen, research project manager at the Texas Hunger Initiative (THI), breaking down the data by county and by school district has been "invaluable" to outreach efforts because it allows the report to serve as a practical resource to THI field staff when meeting with local school officials.
"Our field staff are able to point to the report and say, 'Here's what your school breakfast participation looks like and here's what it could be if you were to reach the goal of 70 percent participation, in terms of the number of students that would be impacted and the funding you would receive,'" Nolen said. "It's an all-in-one resource that includes both the data component as well as the program overview component."
Grace Norman, a child hunger outreach specialist for THI's Lubbock Regional Office, said the report is also helpful in that the stories of success in increasing school breakfast participation in other regions are presented side by side with the data.
"It brings credibility to our advocacy efforts in schools to be able to show that such research has been conducted and is currently being conducted to stay up to date with the school year," Norman said.
Alternative Breakfast Models/ Success Stories
Texas public and open-charter schools are required to participate in the School Breakfast Program if 10 percent of the student body qualifies for free and reduced-price lunches. The federal program funds morning meals for those students who are considered low-income.
Unfortunately, hungry students can miss out on breakfast when program application models are not fully maximized.
"Research has shown that participation tends to be lower when breakfast is served in the cafeteria before school starts," Norman said. "I advocate with school districts who have experienced low participation in breakfast to serve breakfast in different ways that might better fit their schools' needs while helping to overcome stigmas and social barriers that tend to be present with the traditional school breakfast model."
The report details some of these "different ways" schools might apply their breakfast programs. Examples of alternative models that have shown positive results are serving breakfast in the classroom or out of kiosks stationed around hallways.
Jon Coker, a second-year assistant principal at Connally Junior High School in McLennan County, has been in education for 11 years, but this is his first time to serve as an administrator at a school that offers an alternative breakfast model. Connally offers the Universal School Breakfast program, which allows schools to offer breakfast at no charge to all students, regardless of income status.
"Everyone gets breakfast now. There is still some stigma with lunch, because it's obvious who has to pay versus who just goes through the line," Coker said. "But the Universal program has done some to help alleviate that at breakfast."
Coker said that he has also noticed a difference in punctuality and attendance.
"Before the program was implemented, students who struggle to afford meals at school knew they couldn't buy breakfast, so they were just straggling in," Coker said. "But now that they can get a breakfast here, I see more kids coming to school on time, either riding the bus or their parents dropping them off."
Research on the Horizon
The Texas Hunger Initiative also has engaged in research analyzing the social and health impact of the universal-free Breakfast in the Classroom model in select elementary schools in a large Texas school district. The findings of the research are forthcoming.
Contributors to the Texas School Breakfast Report include:
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions.
The Baylor University School of Social Work is home to one of the leading graduate social work programs in the nation with a research agenda focused on the integration of faith and practice. Upholding its mission of preparing social workers in a Christian context for worldwide service and leadership, the School offers a baccalaureate degree (BSW), a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, a PhD degree, and three joint-degree options (MSW/Master of Business Administration, MSW/Master of Divinity and MSW/Master of Theological Studies) through a partnership with Baylor's Hankamer School of Business and George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Visit www.baylor.edu/social_work to learn more.
The Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) is a collaborative, capacity-building project focused on ensuring that every Texan has access to three nutritious meals a day, seven days a week. THI develops and implements strategies to end hunger and reduce poverty through research, policy, education and community development. THI convenes federal, state and local government stakeholders with nonprofits, faith communities and business leaders to create an efficient system of accountability that increases food security in Texas and beyond. Headquartered at the Baylor University School of Social Work, THI has 12 regional offices located in Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, McAllen, San Angelo, San Antonio, Tyler and Waco. Visit www.baylor.edu/texashunger to learn more.


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Uther Pendragon has learned that Semaj Nagirrac has been captured by General Atazir, who was though to be dead. The Acting High Chancellor has put together a strike force of joint Avalonian-Cymru personnel to rescue the former High Chancellor.
Uther Pendragon and 2 Avalonian soldiers.
Uther Pendragon
Movement: 6 inches
Attack: Beam Saber: 1d6+3
Blaster: 1d6+1 (ranged)
The Acting High Chancellor wants nothing more than to restore Semaj Nagirrac to the seat of power.
Avalonian Soldiers
Movement: 5 inches
Attack: Avalonian Battle Rifle: 1d6+2 (ranged)
OT Tipped Grenade: 1d6+3 (area effect)
The OT Tipped Grenade is an anti-personnel device and does damage only
RT Grenade: 1d6+3 (area effect)
The RT Grenade is a recently imported item from the RIN and does damage
both enemies and structures.
Avalonian soldiers carry one of each grenade.
Lite Sider and 2 Avalonian soldiers
Lite Sider
Movement: 6 inches
Attack: Beam Saber: 1d6+3
Has the power of the Farce (lite side).
The Lite Siders have taken a special interest in Avalon.
Avalonian soldiers have the same stats as above.
Avalonian Spy and 2 Avalonian soldiers
Avalonian Spy
Movement: 7 inches
Attack: BT Kama: 1d6+2
Throwing Dagger: 1d6 (silent/ranged) X2
The Avalonian Spy has all the same traits as a normal ninja, but is able to
mimic the enemy, allowing the spy a chance to issue an order to an enemy
soldier (skill roll of 5).
The Avalonian spy is hidden if he has at least 1/3 cover. His soldiers are
considered hidden if they have 2/3 cover.
Avalonian Soldiers have the same stats as above.
Officer and 2 Cymru soldiers
Movement: 6 inches
Attack: Saber: 1d6+1
Pistol: 1d6+1 (ranged)
Cymru Soldiers
Movement: 5 inches
Attack: Blaster: 1d6+2 (ranged)
Charges: 2d6+1 (area effect)
Rather than having grenades, the Cymru soldiers have remote detonated
charges (1 per soldier).
General Atazir
Movement: 4 inches
Attack: OT Beamsaber: 1d6+3 (can not be parried. Has a chance of deactivating other beam sabers.)
Cybernetic Wheel Chair Blaster: 1d6 (ranged)
General Atazir was long thought to be dead after the battle of the Ying Si
ninja fortress. He has a particular hatred for all Avalonians and wants
nothing more than to see the planet destroyed.
Insectoid Soldiers
Movement: 5 inches
Attack: pistol: 1d6+1 (ranged)
Energy Orb: ???
The Insectoids are known for their mysterious energy orbs which, when
paired with any transparent ore, will produce a random effect. The
transparent ores are: DGT, RT, OT, YT, BT, GT.
Ying Si Ninja
Ninja Leader
Movement: 8 inches
Attack: Beam Saber: 1d6+3
Throwing Knife: 1d6+1 (silent/ranged) X2
All Ying Si Ninja are hidden if at least 1/3 of their bodies are covered.
Movement: 7 inches
Attack: Katana: 1d6+2
Blaster: 1d6+1 (ranged)
Javelin: 1d6+1 (ranged/silent) X1 per ninja
Inquistadores Privateers
Capitan Alejandro De Boombosas
Movement: 6 inches
Attack: Saber: 1d6+1
Dueling Pistol: 1d6+1 (ranged/increased accuracy)
Selected exclusively for his knowledge of Avalonian defense systems by
General Atazir, Alejandro De Boombosas is a tactical genius when deployed
on Avalon and has a chance of receiving intel before the next turn.
Inquistadores Heavy Privateers
Movement: 4 inches
Attack: Heavy Blasters: 1d6+3 (ranged)
Saber: 1d6+1
Armor: +2
The Menggu
Movement: 6 inches
Attack: Death Sickle: 1d6+2
Has a chance of instilling fear in Avalonians. Skill roll of 6 to
paralyze any unit born on Avalon.
Tired of their Avalonian overlords, these rebellious Menggu have
decided to aid General Atazir once again.
Menggu Line Infantry
Same stats as the Avalonian soldier.
Secret Faction:
Will be revealed when enough blood is present on the field. Even the player won't know until they are revealed.
Semaj Nagirrac is held captive in a high security cell in General Atazir's base. He can attempt to break out of his cell, but will have to find his combat suit and a weapon if he chooses to live.
Semaj Nagirrac is a playable character, but is alone.
Movement: 6 inches
Attack: depends on the weapon.
The Field
Lab inside the base. General Atazir can build a super weapon here if successful.
Power supply. If knocked out, all electronic systems shut down in the base. Next to the power supply is an automated gun turret. There are four turrets in the base and they need to be programmed before they can attack anyone.
Landing Platform. A hover sled can move troops or supplies around the map.
Heavy Turret. Must be controlled by a soldier when in use. The turret can be destroyed or deactivated.
Automated turrets.
Comm Tower. This is the same tower General Atazir has used to falsify documents sent to the Allied Nations General Assembly under Semaj Nagirrac's forged signature. The Avalonian strike teams should destroy this tower in addition to rescuing High Chancellor Nagirrac.
Parts of the map.
45 degree view of the map. Two light infiltration sleds have been deployed to assist the Avalonian strike teams. The sleds are capable of flight and shooting holes into the walls of the base to create more entry points.
Map Overwatch.
The Avalonians and Infiltration sleds can be deployed anywhere on the edges of the map, unless I deem otherwise. Enemies of Avalon may deploy anywhere inside the base.
For every 6 rolled, the player will receive a heavy weapon that can be equipped. 1 heavy weapon per team. Some weapons will need 2 soldiers to use.
Sign up begins now.
Uther Pendragon: Apollyon
Lite Sider: Falk
Avalonian Spy: Pwnerade
Officer with Cymru Soldiers: Silverdream
Semaj Nagirrac:
General Atazir:
Ying Si Ninja: Dark Paladin
Alejandro De Boombosas: Bragallot
Menggu Slasher:
Secret Player: Lawmaster
I apologize for the poor lighting and blurry pics.


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How to Build a
Digital Library
Second Edition
Chapter 5: Multimedia documents: More raw material
Figure 5.1: A selection of example characters in Braille
Figure 5.2: Transforming a two-dimensional image
Figure 5.3: Two sine waves
Figure 5.4: Audio from a commercial CD
Figure 5.5: Comparison of analog and digital audio signals
Figure 5.6: The result of compressing and re-expanding a 440 Hz tone
Figure 5.7: Audio Books and Poetry collection
Figure 5.8: Encoding and decoding processes in baseline JPEG
Figure 5.9: Transform-coded images reconstructed from a few coefficients. University of Southern California Image Processing Institute (USC-IPI) image database
Figure 5.10: Zigzag encoding sequence
Figure 5.11: Images reconstructed from different numbers of bits (USC-IPI image database)
Figure 5.12: Progressive versus raster transmission. USC-IPI image database
Figure 5.13: 8 × 8 tiled template used to generate a PNG interlaced file
Figure 5.14: Comparison of visual quality of JPEG and JPEG-2000 compression
Figure 5.15: The Historic Campus Architecture project
Figure 5.16: The Welcome text example expressed using SVG
Figure 5.17: Style properties used with basic shapes in SVG
Figure 5.18: SVG line types
Figure 5.19: SVG advanced features
Figure 5.20: MPEG frames
Figure 5.21: Open Video project
Figure 5.22: SMIL example
Figure 5.23: Structure of a SWF file
Figure 5.24: Chopin digital library from the University of Chicago


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Is the Number of Millionaires in America on the Rise or Decline?
You might think there are more millionaires living in the United States these days than ever before, but a recent study suggests that you would be wrong.
According to the Boston Consulting Group, even though wealthy individuals are on the rise worldwide, the number of millionaire households in the United States has actually decreased by nearly 130,000 people since 2011.
That is a significant decrease considering the global rate has risen by about 175,000.
The report outlines a millionaire household as any household having over $1 million in cash, stock and other assets, excluding property, businesses and luxury goods.
Singapore reported the largest percentage of millionaires in the world, with 17 percent of all households with capital over $1 million. Only 4.3 percent of American households declared that level of wealth, which ranks seventh worldwide.
Countries like Switzerland and Singapore topped the list of countries with households reporting more than $100 million, while the United States didn't even rank in the top 15.
Researchers suggest this is due to solid economic growth in Asia while the United States teetered on the edge of "near default on US government debt, combined with the euro debt crisis" and "a downgrade of the nation's credit rating."
It is expected by the end of 2016 Asia's ultra-rich will marginally surpass Western and Eastern Europe combined.


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Seattle cops can't use red-light cameras for evidence
Washington is among the few states that bar police from using images from red-light cameras in criminal investigations
Yakima Herald-Republic
SEATTLE — Could images from red-light cameras have led Seattle police to a pair of killers?
The ubiquitous cameras are mounted a short distance from the Pioneer Square intersection where Nicole Westbrook, 21, was fatally shot in April by a gunman in a passing car. Other cameras are in the Central Area, not too far from where Justin Ferrari, 43, was killed while driving with his family about a month later.
Detectives wonder if the cameras may have captured images — a fleeing car or a gunman's clothing, for example — that could have helped investigators.
Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy
Full story: Seattle cops can't use red-light cameras for evidence


text:
(AP) Snowden among finalists for EU human rights prize
U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden is among three finalists for the European Union's top human rights prize.
European lawmakers on Monday narrowed down the list of nominees for the prestigious 50,000 euro ($65,000) award to Snowden, Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, and imprisoned dissidents from Belarus.
The pro-environment Greens' caucus said Snowden, who leaked a trove of documents on U.S. surveillance agencies' programs, deserves to win because he "risked his freedom to protect us."
Still, the 16-year-old Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt last year when coming home from school in Pakistan, enjoys wide backing and is seen as the likely front-runner.
The winner will be announced next week.
The Sakharov prize is considered Europe's top rights award. Previous laureates include Nobel Peace Prize winners Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela.


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Google Book Scan Plan A Threat To French Culture?
from the er...-scan-your-own-damn-books dept
The French government always seems to have a problem with the fact that us uncultured Americans use the internet. Years ago, they had to come out with a special French list of internet terms, out of a fear that French people would start using American terms to refer to things online (oh, the horror!). Now, it appears that the head of France's national library is quite upset about Google's plans to scan a large volume of books from various libraries. The fear is that Google, being an American company, will focus mainly on English-language books and American interpretations on events. The obvious answer to this, of course, is to tell him to go scan his own books. Why should he worry what Google is doing? If he's afraid that the books they scan aren't the books he wants, then he should organize an effort to solve that problem by getting the books he wants scanned himself.


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Angus T. Jones: I Don't Want to Be on 'Two and a Half Men'
Angus T. Jones has spoken out against his hit CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men and has expressed his desire to leave the show.
"Jake from Two and a Half Men means nothing. He is a non-existent character," the 19-year-old actor said in a video for the Forerunner Christian Church (via THR). "If you watch Two and a Half Men, please stop watching Two and a Half Men. I'm on Two and a Half Men and I don't want to be on it. Please stop watching it and filling your head with filth. People say it's just entertainment. Do some research on the effects of television and your brain, and I promise you you'll have a decision to make when it comes to television, especially with what you watch."
"If I am doing any harm, I don't want to be here. I don't want to be contributing to the enemy's plan … You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that. I know I can't. I'm not OK with what I'm learning, what the bible says and being on that television show," Angus added. He also called the show "the enemy," presumably referring to Satan.
Angus, who has starred on Two and a Half Men for the past ten years, reportedly makes $350,000 an episode.
Angus T. Jones Denounces "Two and a Half Men" (Comments Start at 7:30)


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This is The Russian"s piece. She wanted to do one of these long wavy bike racks for so long and the moment finally came when we did this CCA installation. { California College Of Art in Oakland}. You wouldn't believe how long this piece was, 30 ft maybe.We were sewing it up tonight and a woman stopped and said " Oh , that's great-of course you put it up in the dark!'
" Not really " I said " we've just been sewing for so long that it got dark".
Several other people stopped and encouraged us " Cool" they said "Did you make that piece in Berkeley, The T?"
"No" we replied '"Just the 60 other knitted poles that are up in Berkeley".
We are going to be 80 and covering The Empire State Building with knitting and people will be asking us "Didn't you do that T in Berkeley in 2010? ".
This looked terrific all finished . Like it was floating. It is very mysterious and yet looks like it belongs there.


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Testicular Cancer Survival Rates
Doctors often use survival rates as a standard way of discussing a person's prognosis (outlook). Some patients with testicular cancer may want to know the survival statistics for people in similar situations, while others may not find the numbers helpful, or may even not want to know them.
The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Of course, many people live much longer than 5 years (and many are cured).
Five-year relative survival rates assume that some people will die of other causes and compare the observed survival with that expected for people without the cancer. This is a better way to see the impact of the cancer on survival.
In order to get 5-year survival rates, doctors have to look at people who were treated at least 5 years ago. Improvements in treatment since then may result in a more favorable outlook for people diagnosed with testicular cancer today.
Survival rates are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had the disease, but they cannot predict what will happen for any one person. Many other factors may affect a person's outlook, such as your age and how well the cancer responds to treatment. Your doctor can tell you how the numbers below may apply to you.
Survival rates, by stage
The survival statistics below come from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. They're based on patients who were diagnosed with testicular cancer (of any type) between 2003 and 2009.
The SEER database does not divide survival rates by AJCC TNM stage. Instead, it divides cancers into summary stages: localized, regional, and distant:
- Localized means that the cancer is still only in the testicle. This includes most AJCC stage I tumors (stage 0 cancers are not included in these statistics).
- Regional means that the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissues. This includes T4 tumors and cancers with lymph node spread (all stage II cancers and some stage IIIB and IIIC cancers).
- Distant means that the cancer has spread to organs or lymph nodes away from the tumor, such as all M1 cancers (which can be stage IIIA, IIIB, or IIIC).
5-Year Relative Survival Rate
Other prognostic factors
As can be seen in the table above, how far the cancer has spread at the time it's diagnosed affects your chances of long-term survival. But overall, the outlook for those with testicular cancers is very good, and most of these cancers can be cured, even if they have spread.
Some other factors can also affect outlook, such as:
- The type of testicular cancer
- Levels of tumor markers after the testicular tumor has been removed
Ask your doctor how these or other prognostic factors might affect your outlook.
Last Medical Review: May 17, 2018 Last Revised: May 17, 2018
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.


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BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. lawnmower manufacturer Briggs & Stratton is used to worrying about turnover - just not the human kind.
Like many foreign investors in China, the Milwaukee-based firm has been hit by a steady rise in wages - which puts it in the same boat as many U.S. businesses in China responding to a survey released on Monday by the American Chamber of Commerce.
After decades of aggressive expansion in China, foreign employers like Briggs & Stratton face a relative shortage of experienced, English-speaking engineers and managers, and find it increasingly expensive to recruit and retain good staff.
Rather than waiting around for extra digits on their paychecks, China's white collar workers are creating their own pay raises by jumping ship at the slightest temptation.
"Turnover is a huge issue for anyone in China. Our turnover is 9 to 10 percent," said Mark Plum, Asia president for Briggs & Stratton in Shanghai. He added that in Shanghai, turnover rates were generally around 18 to 20 percent.
"Anywhere else you'd say that was terrible. Here, it's not half bad."
On the factory floor as well, cheap labor no longer looks limitless, prompting manufacturers to consider moving from the country's prosperous coast to poorer, cheaper inland regions. Some are even taking their lowest-margin, most labor-intensive operations to other countries altogether, such as Vietnam.
Employees and wages now top the preoccupations of American investors in China, according to AmCham's annual business-climate survey of 390 companies.
"I think it speaks to the economic transition that China is in now that it will not be able to rely on cheap labor to drive exports into the future," AmCham Chairman Ted Dean said.
"Management-level human resource constraints" ranked as the biggest business challenge in the survey, cited by 43 percent of respondents compared with 30 percent last year. "Non-management level" constraints were ranked third.
Labor costs ranked as the third greatest challenge, after an economic slowdown in China and the wider global economy.
Though 39 percent of respondents surveyed by AmCham said their Chinese operating profit margins were higher than their global margins, only slightly fewer firms - equal to a third - said their Chinese margins were actually lower. For the rest, Chinese margins were comparable with their global operations.
In a similar survey released by AmCham in Shanghai last month, 90 percent of respondents saw rising costs as a hindrance to businesses. About the same number said finding skilled labor was a challenge [ID:nL4E8DF215].
"There's been an absolute explosion of consciousness of this issue," said Kim Woodard, of consultancy InterChina.
"It's not just because the media have covered it but also in internal budgets they are seeing a 20 percent rise in wages."
Government statistics show that average monthly urban wages rose by 13.3 percent between 2009 and 2010, although companies' actual cost structures can vary considerably.
As the number of adults flowing into the workforce slows, China can no longer attract manufacturing with the promise that an unending pool of rural migrants will keep its wages down.
China's population of 20-year-olds to 30-year-olds fell to around 200 million in 2005. It is expected to climb through 2015 but then fall off again, to below the 200 million mark by 2020, according to a presentation by China International Capital Corp.
That, plus competition for workers by expanded domestic and foreign-invested industries, should help shift more bargaining power to workers to get higher wages and better benefits.
InterChina used to build in simple wage rises of 5 to 8 percent a year when helping clients carry out feasibility studies for new operations in China, Woodard said.
That calculation is now a lot more complicated, with investors having to weigh China costs against Vietnam or India.
Rising Chinese wages will surpass those of Mexico in about five years, he estimated, giving Mexican factories an advantage when exporting to the U.S. market.
Unlike the supply of manual laborers, the number of college graduates is rising steeply. But companies often complain that graduates with the right skills and experience are hard to find, and expensive to keep.
An engineer with up to five years' experience can be hired for $9,500-$20,000 in China, says recruitment firm J.M. Gemini.
This doesn't mean that jobs will flow back to the United States: the average salary of a worker in Milwaukee is $33,140 a year, far above China levels.
While Briggs & Stratton's 3,000 employees in the United States are probably keenly aware that America's manufacturing base is shrinking, Chinese graduates often view their current job simply as a springboard to the next one.
"What happens here is that you get a young person who speaks pretty good English and has worked for two to four years. If the guy is under 30, he may have worked for four companies in just two years," Plum said.
"In the States, you'd never hire the guy because you'd say he can't hold down a job. Here you just have to say well, that's how it is."
Briggs & Stratton, which also makes snow-blowers and other small engines, employs mechanical engineers in China as well as people to figure out how to price and market products. It runs a factory outside Shanghai, one of five international facilities.
According to its website, "Briggs & Stratton believes there is an engine inside everyone that drives him or her forward".
In China, it is forced to fuel that engine with team-building exercises to keep employees loyal, such as taking staff to outdoor sports events or on overnight company retreats.
"As a company, we're not used to having to keep people entertained," Plum said.
"If you get laid off in Milwaukee, there's no jobs - so no one leaves the job they have. Here, if you get laid off or leave, there's a hundred jobs."
Editing by Mark Bendeich


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Hangover Sports Roundup
Payton pleads case to Goodell, Jayhawks and Wildcats battle for the title
Jayhawks head coach Bill Self has transformed his program into a dominant force while avoiding any major NCAA rules violations. Along with winning the 2012 Naismith Men's College Basketball Coach of the Year, he can finish off his great season with his second ever national title. But if you talk to Self he would probably deflect any compliments and attention onto his squad. Kansas was considered an afterthought before the season started but have morphed into one of college basketball's surprise stories. Its come-from-behind victory over Ohio State should only give it a minor psychological edge. Regardless of the outcome, in the midst of a blatant disrespect of rules and structure in college sports, the Jayhawks have remained one of the last examples of a clean sports program.
The same could not be said for the Jayhawks' opponent. Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari uses swagger and charisma to keep media and fans glued to every word he says. Calipari has been to two previous Final Fours that were erased because of rules violations. By winning the national title he can finally begin to regain the respect of the basketball community. The Wildcats have the size and skill advantage and are lead by freshman big man Anthony Davis. If the Naismith College Player of the Year can produce another dominant performance in the title game, the Wildcats will be celebrating their first national title since 1998. If Calipari achieves his lifelong dream, hopefully this team will be devoid of any controversy.