text:
Creating virtual clusters with Rocks
Administering Virtual Compute Nodes
After a virtual compute node is created, you can query the VM state from the front-end node to make sure the virtual machine boots successfully. To query the state of the compute nodes, execute the command rocks list host compute-0-0-1; output similar to Listing 1 will provide information about the currently installed virtual machines and their states on all VM containers. (The status output is blank because processes have not been scheduled to run on the newly created VM.) Also, you can check the state of the VMs on the VM container itself with Xen xm commands (Listing 2).
Listing 1
Checking Vitual Machine Status
01 [root@cluster ~]# rocks list host vm 02 03 VM-HOST SLICE MEM CPUS MAC HOST STATUS 04 compute-0-0-1: 1 512 1 00:16:3e:00:00:02 vm-container-0-0 active 05 compute-0-0-2: 2 512 1 00:16:3e:00:00:03 vm-container-0-0 active 06 compute-0-0-3: 3 512 1 00:16:3e:00:00:04 vm-container-0-0 active
Listing 2
The xm Command
01 [root@vm-container-0-0 ~] xm list 02 Name ID Mem(MiB) VCPUs State Time(s) 03 Domain-0 0 1024 1 r------ 4035.5 04 Compute-0-0-1 2 512 1 -b----- 23174.3 05 Compute-0-0-2 3 512 1 r------ 3228.3 06 Compute-0-0-3 4 512 1 -b----- 2114.3
The rocks command is the primary administration command for the entire Rocks management system. The basic command-line structure is rocks <command> <arguments>. A full list of Rocks commands is available at the rocksclusters.org website or by typing rocks list help at the command line. The rocks command allows you to start and stop compute nodes, change configurations, and query configuration entries.
Rocks includes distributed administration utilities for executing commands against an entire cluster or group of cluster nodes. The default command for distributed command execution is tentakel, which is described as a program for executing the same command on many hosts in parallel. Tentakel is simple to use, and Rocks automatically adds all cluster nodes to /etc/tentakel.conf in various groupings. To execute a command against all nodes in /etc/tentakel.conf, type tentakel <command>. To execute a command against a group of nodes, execute tentakel -g <group_name> <command>.
Clustered Applications
To utilize all of the cluster nodes in a single application, it must be designed for the cluster. OpenMPI is a software library that is commonly used to design distributed applications for running on clusters. Sun Grid Engine and Torque are queuing systems for distributing jobs among the elements of the cluster. Although the problem of designing and implementing applications to use all cluster resources is an extensive topic, you will find resources online about the use of Sun Grid Engine, Torque, and Condor for these purposes.
Rocks' ease of use and support of the most common distributed applications makes it a favorite among scientific supercomputing facilities working on unlocking the mysteries of the universe.
- Rocks Clusters: http://www.rocksclusters.org
- Sun Grid Engine: http://gridengine.sunsource.net/
- OpenMPI: http://www.open-mpi.org/
- Sun Grid Engine Roll Users Guide: http://www.rocksclusters.org/roll-documentation/sge/4.3/roll-sge-usersguide.pdf
- Rocks Documentation Page: http://www.rocksclusters.org/wordpress/?page_id=4
« Previous 1 2 3
Visit Our Shop
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:038-041_rockclusters.pdf (543.34 kB)
Tag Cloud
KDE Announces Software Compilation 4.13
New release comes with better semantic search and improvements to Kontact.
Coverity: Open Source Code has Fewer Defects
Annual code quality report shows FOSS is more secure at all project size levels.
An Even Smaller Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has announced an even smaller version of the tiny computer that will fit into a DIMM slot.
Freaky Privilege Escalation Attack
A new class of problems lets a malicious app pre-configure an invisible privilege update.
Facebook Rolls Out New PHP-like Programming Language
New Hack language adds static typing and other conveniences.
Fedora Announces Innovative Crytography Policy System
New crypto policy system will offer easier configuration and more uniform security.
Shuttleworth Calls for Declarative Firmware
Ubuntu founder denounces insecurity in proprietary, close-source software blobs.
New TLS Attack Takes the S out of HTTPS
Vulnerability affects many Linux web servers
Munich Adopts Kolab
The Bavarian capital shuns Microsoft, Google, and other alternatives to implement an open source groupware solution.
Canonical Announces Ubuntu Smartphones
Phone vendor partnerships bring Mark Shuttleworth's dream of Ubuntu on a phone a step closer to reality.


text:
|Inside Athletics » News Releases
Another Five-Run Inning, Another First Career Win for Freshman
Recap | Boxscore
Related Links
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Wednesday was a banner day for the Crusader offense and freshman pitchers. Trevor Haas (1-0) threw 5 1/3 innings Wednesday night for his first collegiate win behind nine runs from the Valpo bats. The 9-2 win over Yale University was the first victory over the Ivy League club in school history.
Just as in the first game of the day-night doubleheader, the Crusaders batted around for five runs. Catcher Billy Cribbs led off the hit parade in the 3rd inning with a basehit to left-center fieid. With the score still at 0-0, Bryce Hara was called on to sacrifice Cribbs up to second base. After the successful bunt, Valpo rattled off five consecutive singles and an infield ground out en route to its second five-run frame of the day.
The Crusaders tacked on another run in the top of the 4th inning to make it 6-0 when a Spencer Mahoney fielder's choice plated Cribbs for his second run scored of the evening.
Haas was especially efficient in his first four innings, expending just 49 pitches and allowing only one runner past first base.
The Bulldogs put on a mark under the run column in the home half of the 5th. Catcher Chris Piwinski hit a sacrifice fly that brought home right fielder Eric Hsieh.
Yale (1-4) made it 6-2 the following inning when David Toups singled to right to score leadoff batter Nate Adams.
Senior Mike Jacobs relieved Haas with one out in 6th inning. The southpaw struck out the first batter he faced on the front end of a strike 'em out-throw 'em out inning-ending double play.
A Bulldog staff bereft of reliable arms beckoned infielder Green Campbell to pitch the 7th and 8th innings. The sophomore fared the best of all Yale pitchers Wednesday night throwing two hitless frames, his only blemish a walk to designated hitter Andrew Bain.
Jacobs worked a perfect 7th and 8th inning before being rewarded the final inning. A scoreless 9th inning qualified the senior captain for the save, the first of his career.
The offensive outpouring of nine runs was a season-high for Valpo.
Mahoney, Bain, John Loeffler, and Michael Morman had two RBI-games each.
Haas' final line was: 5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K. The right-hander earned his first college victory just hours after fellow freshman Dalton Lundeen did the same in the 10:00 am Navy game.
Valpo (6-10) is back in action Thursday afternoon at 2:00 pm Eastern/1:00 pm Central against the Bucknell Bison.
Valparaiso University | 1700 Chapel Drive | Valparaiso, IN 46383-4543
©2014 Valparaiso University. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Mobile Site
Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf
Soccer | Swimming & Diving | Tennis | Track & Field
Basketball | Bowling | Cross Country | Golf | Soccer
Softball | Swimming & Diving | Tennis | Track & Field

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Articles on Life of Worship
Joining Jesus in Song
Mark 14:26
by John Piper
We are a singing people because we are the children of a singing God.
A Case for Seriousness
by John Piper
Will there ever be revival in a place where everything is aimed at cultivating a light and pleasant spirit?
On Princeton and Worship
by John Piper
Take worship seriously. None of us knows when it will be our last day in the house of the Lord.
The Ministry of Waiting
by John Piper
Our love for one another should make us eager to help one another get to God.
Two Ways to Be Silent Before Majesty
by John Piper
We can be silent before majesty either because of its beauty or because of our blindness.
Worship in War-time
by John Piper
If worship were optional Paul and Silas would not have been singing with bloody backs in the Philippian dungeon at midnight.
O, Spare Us This Rebuke at Bethlehem!
Matthew 15:8-9
by John Piper
To grow up into the fullness of the stature of Christ includes emotional transformation.
Why Worship and Ministry Fridays?
by John Piper
Ten reasons to set aside a Friday night each month for corporate worship.
Bodies, Breakfast and the Marriage Bed
Meditation on Daily Worship
by John Piper
You are always in a temple—your body. Therefore, always worship.


text:
Enjoy the natural warmth of wool with easy care – no dry cleaning necessary. Made in USA from 100% New Zealand lambswool, our cozy blanket is napped for extra softness and shrinkage controlled for lasting quality. All sides are finished with a smooth, satin binding. USA.
Care Instructions: Machine wash cold, gentle cycle. Tumble dry low.
At Cuddledown we strive to offer you as many bedding options as possible so that you can create a bedroom that is as comfy as it is attractive. Use our Cuddledown Bedding Guide to help you find the Cuddledown bedding that matches your bedroom & lifestyle.
Fine linens are more than just thread count. Read Cuddledown's How To Choose Fine Linens guide to learn about some important things to consider when shopping for bed linens.
It can be very frustrating when a stain ruins a beloved sheet, blanket, or item of clothing. Our How To Remove Stains article provides some quick tips to help you minimize the damage when a spill does occur:
Good sleep, very simply, is fundamental to your good health. How Much Is a Good Night's Sleep Worth To You? gives some insight into a restful night's sleep.
As life gets chaotic and guests come and go, it may seem like spring cleaning needs to come more than just once a year...Cuddledown's Organizing And Storing Cuddledown Bedding provides a few tips for staying organized all year long.
With all of the fantastic products available to us here at Cuddledown, it's no surprise that many of us find our linen closets disorganized. We compiled the following Tips For Organizing The Linen Closet to help make the task a little more manageable.
Your complete satisfaction is our number 1 priority. If you have any questions about our products or services, please let our friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives assist you.
We've been making and selling fine home fashions since 1973. With so many years of experience, research, and development, we know our products extremely well. Many of our products are even tested and used by our team every night, so we can describe to you firsthand just how our products feel, fit, and perform.
We offer three different ways to contact our customer service representatives:
We've also posted answers to many Frequently Asked Questions about our company and its products:
Frequently asked questions about products Frequently asked questions about services
Email Us•Visit Our Store
Our bedding fabrics are Oeko-Tex® certified - exhaustively tested to be free of substances harmful to you and your family. And by keeping these chemicals out of our fabrics, we also help protect the environment.
Since 1973, our bedding experts have been manufacturing our comforters, pillows, and featherbeds here in the USA, employing the renowned quality and values of traditional, hard-working Maine businesses.
Everything we sell is backed by our unlimited lifetime guarantee. If you're not pleased, we'll exchange your product or give you a full refund, whichever you prefer!


text:
Spanish Language Arts and Reading (EC–6 Bilingual)
The Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language Arts and Reading (EC–6) at St. Edward's prepares you for the critical role of teaching in today's rapidly growing dual-language classrooms. We emphasize hands-on learning through teaching experiences in elementary schools in Austin.
You'll achieve a solid yet flexible foundation for teaching a variety of subjects as a bilingual teacher in English–Spanish classrooms. After completing a student teaching internship and the required certification exams, you'll be eligible to apply for your EC–Grade 6 bilingual generalist certification in Texas. Once you're certified, you'll be well prepared to teach in elementary classrooms.
Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language Arts and Reading (EC–6 Bilingual)
As a BA in Spanish Language Arts and Reading major, you'll develop deep proficiency in the Spanish language and Spanish literature. You'll explore different teaching models and develop effective methods for motivating young bilingual learners. You'll learn to design lesson plans for a language-immersion setting, present multicultural subject material and integrate technology into your teaching approach. You'll gain skills in assessing student learning, managing classroom behavior and communicating with parents.
Students select this degree with the goal of teaching in bilingual classrooms in elementary schools. Close interaction with faculty at St. Edward's — and time spent in classes, advising sessions and teaching fieldwork — fully prepares you for your student teaching internship and certification exams.
With a BA in Spanish language arts and reading, graduates may teach early childhood through grade six classrooms after successfully completing the specified certification requirements. Advanced degrees are required for teaching positions at the college level.
Course Preview:
In addition to the general education courses required of all majors, and elective courses, BA in Spanish Language Arts and Reading majors take courses from these groups:
Students who major in Spanish language arts and reading complete core courses, which include Reading and Listening Comprehension, Advanced Composition, Introduction to English Linguistics, Professional Oral Communication, and Content Area Literacy.
BA in Spanish Language Arts and Reading majors complete supporting courses, which include Arts for Children, Teaching Science in the Elementary School and History of Texas.
BA in Spanish Language Arts and Reading majors complete required minor courses in Teacher Education, which include Foundations in Education, Learning Processes and Evaluation, and Educational Technology Integration.
You will have 80 to 120 hours of teaching experiences in the field, which include one-on-one, small-group and whole-class settings.
After completing your field experience hours, you will undertake a 13-week student teaching internship in a culturally diverse school in Central Texas.
View the Degree Plan (PDF) for sample course information for the Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language Arts and Reading (EC–6 Bilingual).
In addition to an internship that may be required for your degree, St. Edward's University offers numerous opportunities for optional internships, professional-level research and hands-on creative experiences (writing, art, music, theater and more). These activities enhance your résumé, build your confidence and skills — and give you a distinct advantage in your career and for graduate school.


text:
Reports: Andy Murray will decide status for French Open on Wednesday
ROME — British media are reporting that Andy Murray has undergone a back scan in London and will make a decision on whether he will play the French Open on Wednesday, two days before the draw is to be made.
After undergoing scan in London, Andy Murray just announced he's resting & will make French Open decision on Wednesday.—
Barry Flatman (@Barry_FlatmanST) May 18, 2013
Andy Murray talking to specialists, French Open decision around Weds – sounds like nothing immediately conclusive with his scan.—
Mike Dickson (@Mike_Dickson_DM) May 18, 2013
That's a slight step down from Murray's ominous comments earlier in the week after he retired from his opening-round match in Rome with a back injury.
Murray, who made the French Open semifinals in 2011, revealed he had been struggling with the injury since the end of 2011 and reaggravated it on the clay, saying he would be "surprised" if he was able to get fit enough to play the French Open.
If the back scan revealed a more serious injury, it stands to reason that he would have announced his withdrawal sooner.


text:
Recommended Just For You
Customer Raves & Reviews
A beautiful card/magnet that serves two purpose
Birthday Milestone Birthday Invitation Magnets LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this magnet!!! I used this magnet design as my daughter's 1st birthday thank you cards. It served two purposes, as a thank you card/magnet and a favor. We love visiting our friends and family members and seeing her magnet up on their refrigerator. The magnet itself arrived in a timely manner and we were very pleased with the quality. We found it to be more beautiful in person than online. This magnet is worth every penny!!!
loved it
Birthday Milestone Birthday Invitation Magnets great to use as an invitation, all the family and friends love to have magnets, it a must that we have to do every year.
Great Card; Superb Customer Service
Birthday Milestone Birthday Invitation Magnets Magnet Street is an AWESOME company. They were responsible for my wedding save the dates over two years ago, which are still proudly displayed on many of my family and friends' refridgerators. For my daughter's first birthday party, we decided to go with a 5x7" magnet. When I struggled with layout issues, in a quick phone call I reached a representative who walked me through the process. I was able to remove spaces provided for pictures and add text and change the sizes of the spaces allotted for pictures, They told me that it would be 2-3 days before I received a proof, but I received it the following day. And they said it would take 7-10 business days for it to print and then it would be shipped. I had the magnets in hand 4 days later. I have received glowing praises from everyone and I mean EVERYONE who has seen the invitation. I can't say enough about Magnet Street. I would highly recommend them!
Great product
Girly Girl Birth Announcement Magnets I have used magnet street several times in the past and will continue to do so in the future. We love the products and the personalization availability is outstanding :)
Perfect announcement
Girly Girl Birth Announcement Magnets We ordered baby announcements online and received our shipment before our expectations. The quality of these magnets were great. Everyone loved them and I am sure this picture will continue to be on our friends and families' fridge for a much longer time than a typical paper announcement.


text: This is a wonderful handcrafted, handblown art glass dish by Murano of Italy. It has the original foil label. It is green, to white, to clear in color and is pulled or stretched glass. It measures 1.5 inches high and 7.5 inches across. This piece is price reduced because it does have a place on one point where it has a rough spot. It isn't real noticeable, but you can see it. I do not know the age of this auction item.


text:
Online pharmacy:fesmag.com/tem
NCAA tournament mixed bag for local fans: SLU wins/Mizzou loses
Meanwhile, The Saint Louis University Billikens easily handled their first round matchup against New Mexico State Thursday afternoon, winning 64-to-44. They move on to play Oregon on March 23rd.
SLU, Mizzou could face off in NCAA tournament
The Missouri Tigers also got a ticket to the big dance. Mizzou is the ninth seed in the Midwest. They'll face the No. 8 seed Colorado State on Thursday.
If Mizzou and SLU make it through the first two rounds of the tournament, they would face each other in the Elite 8.
After an up and down season, the Fighting Illini made it into the tournament with a No. 7 seed and will face No. 10 seed Colorado in the Eastern Region on Friday.
Missouri whips Arkansas 93-63 - stays perfect at home
Fellow senior Jabari Brown helped finish off the Razorbacks early with 13 of his 23 points in a dominant first half with the Tigers (22-8-11-6 SEC) leading 48-22. The third senior, Alex Oriakhi, had 10 points and eight rebounds and topped 1,000 career rebounds.
BJ Young had 27 points for Arkansas (18-12, 9-8), which shot just 31 percent in the first half while going 1 for 15 from 3-point range. The Razorbacks surrendered a season high in points.
Missouri finished 17-0 at home for its second unbeaten slate in five years. The Tigers shot 58 percent in the first half and 57 percent the rest of the way.
Bowers, Missouri rally, upend No. 5 Florida 63-60
Phil Pressey added 10 assists, seven points, six rebounds and three steals for Missouri (19-7, 8-5 SEC). The Tigers didn't have Bowers a month ago in a 31-point blowout loss at Florida.
Mike Rosario had 14 points for Florida (21-4, 11-2) but missed a 3-point try at the buzzer. The Gators had won 13 of 14 and led 49-36 with 10:51 left, then hurt themselves at the foul line.
Florida missed five straight free throws in the second half, three times on the front end of one-and-ones. The Gators made six of 12 foul shots overall, while Missouri was 12 of 15.
The Tigers improved to 15-0 at home this season. They are 30-1 the last two seasons under coach Frank Haith.
Mizzou still winless on the road in SEC
The loss dropped the Tigers (16-6, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) to 0-5 in true road games. They have won three games at neutral sites this season.
Laurence Bowers was wide open when he hit a 3-pointer to give Missouri its first lead of the game, 68-67, with 53 seconds left.
Harris turned it over on Texas A&M's next possession, but Phil Pressey gave it right back with a turnover to set up the winning score for A&M (14-8, 4-5).
Ray Turner blocked a shot by Keion Bell with 2 seconds left to secure the win.
Alex Oriakhi led the Tigers with 15 points.
Mizzou Wins 4th Straight Braggin' Rights Game
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- After a long wait, Jabari Brown is finally feeling like part of the Missouri basketball program.
Making his first start of the season, Brown had 18 points and seven rebounds Saturday to lead the 12th-ranked Tigers to an 82-73 win over No. 10 Illinois in the annual Braggin' Rights game.
Laurence Bowers paced Missouri (10-1) with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Alex Oriakhi added 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Phil Pressey had 12 points and 11 assists to help the Tigers win their fourth straight in the 32-year-old series.
Brown, a transfer from Oregon, became eligible after the first semester and made his initial appearance Monday in a 102-51 win over South Carolina State.
A blue-chip recruit, he made the most of his first starting assignment Saturday.
"It was fun. I'm part of the family now," he said.
Brown anxiously watched from the sidelines as the Tigers rolled out to an 8-1 record without him. After becoming eligible, he has worked hard to make up for lost time.
"I wanted to prove I could play right away and fit in any way I can," Brown said. "I spent a lot of time practicing and getting used to things and the way they play here.
"Now, I'm finally feeling comfortable."
Brandon Paul led Illinois (12-1) with 23 points. Tyler Griffey scored 14, Joseph Bertrand had 13 and Nnanna Egwu 12 for the Illini.
Missouri used a 9-0 run late in the game to take the lead for good at 70-64. The Tigers held a 58-35 edge on the boards and outscored Illinois 44-24 in the paint.
Illinois, which leads the overall series 20-12, won nine meetings in a row from 2000-08 before Missouri began its winning streak.
Brown triggered a key 9-0 spurt that erased a three-point deficit and put the Tigers ahead 70-64. He had four points and two rebounds during the 2:31 span.
Brown scored from close range off a perfect pass from Earnest Ross to increase the lead to 68-64. Pressey added a short jumper seconds later to complete the run.
Oriakhi, who had his fourth double-double of the season, was impressed with Brown's effort.
"He's unbelievable. He did a little bit of everything tonight," Oriakhi said. "I can't believe he's fit in so fast. He's one of us now."
Brown played in two games at Oregon last season before deciding to transfer. He watched last season's Braggin' Rights game from his home in Oakland and was intrigued by the atmosphere, which annually features a sellout crowd with the fans divided equally between the schools.
"I had visited (Missouri) and really hadn't made a decision, but I thought, if I choose (Missouri), that's going to be a fun game to play in," Brown said.
Missouri coach Frank Haith was more than pleased with the performance of his new addition. He immediately moved Brown into the starting lineup after a 12-point performance against South Carolina State, in which Brown excelled defensively.
"It was all about our balance," Haith said. "And he can do a lot of things."
The physical game against Illinois featured 19 lead changes, 35 fouls and 43 free throws.
"They've got a lot of depth and they've got size," Illinois first-year coach John Groce said. "They're good now. They've got a chance to get even better moving forward."
The Tigers scored 12 of the final 16 points in the first half to take a 41-35 lead into the break. Illinois reeled off eight unanswered points midway through the second half to go up 51-50 on a driving layup by Tracy Abrams. The Illini took their biggest lead of the second half, 64-61, on a baseline jumper by Egwu with 6:43 remaining.
But the Missouri defense took over from there, forcing seven successive Illinois misses. Brown, Ross, Tony Criswell and Pressey chipped in with key baskets.
Illinois managed only three field goals in the final 3:29.
Latest News
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Ferry stops service on Mississippi River
MEYER, Ill. (AP) — A farm cooperative has shut down a ferry service that shuttled agricultural products and other goods across the Mississippi River between western I...
Pepsi franchise to open center in Cape Girardeau
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — A Pepsi franchise is planning to build a new customer service center in Cape Girardeau (juh-RAHR'-doh) that could create 74 jobs. The M...
Man charged in Kansas City-area highway shootings
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a Kansas City-area man has been charged with 18 felony counts in connection with about a dozen recent random highway shootings...
Molina's error hurts Cardinals in 3-1 loss to Nats
WASHINGTON (AP) -- There's a simple reason St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha felt comfortable putting a changeup in the ground with the bases loaded in the se...
St. Louis priest accused of having sex with minor
St. Louis, MO (KTRS) - A St. Louis priest is accused of having sex with a minor at the Cathedral Basilica, where he served. Reverend Joseph Jiang was arrested on ...
Missouri man in custody after clerical error frees him …
ST. LOUIS (AP) - A Missouri man who avoided prison because of a clerical error and led a law-abiding life for 13 years said he is overwhelmed by the support he's received since ...
Hazelwood voters could vote on new utility tax
St. Louis, MO (KTRS) - Hazelwood residents could soon have the chance to vote on a proposed utility tax. Currently, Hazelwood is the only St. Louis County municip...
Courts moving away from eyewitness testimony as gold st…
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Courts and legislatures are slowly shifting away from using eyewitness testimony as the gold standard of evidence. The reason: Studies show it's only right...


text:
Creighton finds itself in the penthouse of the Missouri Valley baseball standings after being expected to be an outhouse occupant this season.
The Bluejays were picked to finish seventh in the league's preseason poll but head into this week's series at Indiana State alone in first place with a 5-1 record. Overall, Creighton stands 18-6 and owns the No. 30 spot in the Collegiate Baseball rankings.
Neither coach Ed Servais nor his players are making too much out of the good start to conference play. They say it's early and that the first two series came against the teams that were picked sixth and eighth in the preseason poll. They also know the strength of their Valley schedule is back-loaded.
Yet, one senses the better-than-expected start has produced a certain degree of satisfaction within the ranks.
"We didn't put too much emphasis on where we were picked but we are out to prove something," Creighton shortstop Alex Staehely said. "We want to prove that we can play with the guys that were picked at the top.
"I think we've done a good job of doing that these first six (conference) games but we just have to continue doing that."
Staehely noted timing has a huge impact on how a season develops. The Bluejays opened by winning two of three games at Evansville, which was picked eighth. Creighton then swept a home series against Bradley, which was picked sixth.
A year ago, Creighton had to open Valley play at preseason favorite Missouri State. The Bears swept the series, starting the Bluejays on a path of inconsistency that they didn't pull out of until they won four straight games at the conference tournament to claim a second straight trip to the NCAA tournament.
This year, Creighton won't play Missouri State and Wichita State — the teams picked 1-2 in the preseason poll — until the final two weeks of the regular season.
"I think having the schedule like that will be beneficial," Creighton reliever Mark Winkelman said. "The word about Creighton is that we get better as the season goes along. We know we have some tougher conference opponents coming up at the end of the season, so we have to keep getting better."
Wichita State and Missouri State are tied for second with 4-2 records. In order to make the end-of-the-season games against those teams meaningful, Creighton must take care of business in upcoming series against Indiana State, Southern Illinois and Illinois State.
The Sycamores come into this week's games at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute with a 4-5 league record and a 14-13 overall mark. They'll throw the biggest challenge of the season at the Bluejays in Friday's 5:30 p.m. opening game in starting Sean Manaea.
The 6-foot-5 left-hander is projected as a high first-round pick in this spring's amateur draft. He's 4-2 this season with a 0.99 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 45 innings.
"We've seen him for two years now, so we'll have a pretty good idea of what he's going to try to do out there on the mound," Staehely said. "He's throwing a little harder this year. We just have to have a good plan when we go out there to face him."
Servais' plan for his team heading into the season was to rely heavily on veterans such as Staehely, Mike Gerber, Brennan Murphy, Jake Peter and Brad McKewon. The Bluejays lost 12 seniors off last season's team, and outsiders were fixated on their replacements.
Instead, Servais figured if his veterans could shake the offensive inconsistencies that plagued them last season that it would provide this season's team with a solid foundation. Peter, who hit .217 as a freshman, leads the team with a .402 average and has pitched in five saves while doubling as the closer.
Staehely's .299 average is more in tune to the .285 he hit in 2011 rather than his .207 junior season in 2012. Gerber's average is up about 50 percentage points and his three homers at midseason is just one fewer than he hit last season. McKewon and Murphy also have shown improvement at the plate, hitting .309 and .263, respectively.
Their solid starts have allowed the newcomers on the mound and in the field to transition into roles that contributed to the 18-6 season.
"Our offense has been fairly consistent," Servais said. "I'm seeing a lot of growth in our pitchers and our defense. When we pitch and defend, we can play with a lot of people."
Servais downplays how much he might have emphasized the preseason projection of a bottom-of-the-conference finish for his team. Still, he takes pride that his program has been a championship contender in most seasons since he took over the program in 2004.
"We talked about it briefly before conference play started," Servais said. "I told them that we think Creighton baseball is better than that. We've worked too hard over the last 10 years to establish who we are.
"We should not be considered to be the seventh-ranked team in this league. I understand what those polls are all about, and I'm mainly concerned about getting this team better."
>> NOTES: Tommy Strunc (4-0, 3.23 ERA) will start Friday's opening game, with Nick Musec (0-3, 5.91 ERA) and Austin Groth (2-0, 6.00 ERA) scheduled to start on Saturday and Sunday. … Creighton is hitting 52 percentage points higher than it did a season ago (.251). The Bluejays' .303 team batting average is the second-highest in Servais' tenure as coach. … Creighton is 7-0 in Strunc's starts this season. … Winkelman is closing in on the school record for appearances. Scott Reese holds the record with 123, while Winkelman has 115. … Creighton's 8-2 record in road games is tied for 10th-best nationally this season.
Contact the writer:
402-679-2298, firstname.lastname@example.com, twitter.com/PivOWH


text:
the moon certainly confuses things... otherwise, really beautiful.
the moon certainly confuses things... otherwise, really beautiful.
October: Giant Insect vs BPRD
November: Blob vs ??
December: Satan vs Hellboy
the moon and trees on the right of the picture seem to be a very slight nod to Fox Mulder's 'I Want to Believe' poster from the X-Files
The September Year of Monsters cover:
Man, our chances of seeing Abe or Liz on any of these covers is starting to look remarkably remote. That's a shame.
That is pretty awesome.
Okay... this one I need a little help with... I love the drawing, but what is the monster? Is the agent encased in amber?
It's the blob. Also, I think we have already seen the December issue in the form of a teaser a while back:
If anyone was curious, The World of the Horned Demon has some thoughts on the November cover's origins.


text:
Was: $990.00 You Save 16%
This product includes a two year subscription for Autodesk AutoCAD LT support.
Autodesk AutoCAD LT support subscription gives you access to the latest software upgrades, flexible license rights, and technical support.
Receive access to software upgrades as soon as they are released. Stay current with new product features built to increase productivity. Subscription lowers upgrade costs, helps you manage a predictable software budget and gives you the latest design tools to do the job.
Flexible License Rights
Use previous and current versions of your software, install the software on both home and office computers, and use it at multiple locations, with flexible licensing privileges designed to work the way you do.
Technical Support
Resolve issues online with Autodesk® product support specialists who can help with installation, configuration, and other needs. Stay on top of your company's support cases with web-based tracking and management. And if you need more, you can purchase premium levels of Autodesk technical support.
Be the first to write a review


text:
|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
previous taxon |
next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora.
Annual or perennial herb, generally fleshy
Stems generally glabrous
Leaves simple, alternate or opposite, sometimes stipuled
Inflorescence various
Flower bisexual, radial; sepals generally 2(8), free or fused at base; petals 318, free or ± fused; stamens 1many, free or inserted on corolla; ovary superior or partly inferior, chamber 1, placenta free-central or basal; styles 28, generally fused at base
Fruit: capsule, circumscissile or 23-valved
Seeds 1many, generally black, generally shiny
Genera in family: ± 20 genera, ± 400 species: generally temp Am, Australia, s Africa; some cultivated (Lewisia, Portulaca, Calandrinia )
Reference: [Bogle 1969 J Arnold Arbor 50:566598]
Family description and key to genera by Dieter H. Wilken & Walter A. Kelley.
Annual, perennial herb, ± fleshy, from taproot or fibrous roots, generally glabrous
Stems generally several, generally spreading to ascending
Leaves in basal rosette or basal and cauline, simple, oblanceolate to spoon-shaped
Inflorescence: raceme, panicle, or umbel, scapose, leafy, or bracted; flowers generally on 1 side of axis, deciduous or persistent in fruit; bracts generally < sepals, scarious
Flower: sepals 2, ovate to reniform, generally scarious or scarious-margined, persistent in fruit; petals 24, minute, < sepals, tips adherent and cap-like in fruit, falling as 1 unit; stamens 13; style 0 or 1, thread-like, stigmas generally 2
Fruit: capsule, generally translucent, 2-valved, generally compressed, oblong to ± round
Seeds 1many, black, generally shiny
Species in genus: 8 species: w Am
Etymology: (Greek: cap, from petals in fruit)
Reference: [Hinton 1975 Brittonia 27:197208; Thomas 1956 Leafl W Bot 8:911]
Observation of flower, seeds requires 20X magnification.
Annual, 1.513 cm; taproot slender or roots fibrousSee the CNPS Inventory for information about endangerment and rarity.
Stems spreading to erect, leafy
Leaves basal and cauline, 0.56 cm, generally persistent in fruit
Inflorescence: raceme or panicle, ± dense, 0.54 cm, axillary; bracts ovate to ± round; flowers deciduous in fruit; pedicel 12 mm
Flower: sepals 46 mm, round to reniform, scarious; petals 4, 23 mm, white to pink; stamens 13; stigmas sessile
Fruit 34 mm, lanceolate to ovate
Seeds 514
Ecology: UNCOMMON. Sandy or gravelly areas, generally serpentine
Elevation: 5002000 m.
Bioregional distribution: High North Coast Ranges, Inner North Coast Ranges
Horticultural information: TRY; DFCLT.
|YOU CAN HELP US make sure that our distributional information is correct and current. If you know that a plant occurs in a wild, reproducing state in a Jepson bioregion NOT highlighted on the map, please contact us with that information. Please realize that we cannot incorporate range extensions without access to a voucher specimen, which should (ultimately) be deposited in an herbarium. You can send the pressed, dried collection (with complete locality information indicated) to us (e-mail us for details) or refer us to an accessioned herbarium specimen. Non-occurrence of a plant in an indicated area is difficult to document, but we will especially value your input on those types of possible errors (see automatic conversion of distribution data to maps).


text:
Hostel Lulin Reviews
- Info
- |
- Rates
- |
- Map & Directions
- |
- Reviews
- |
- Facilities
Reviews & Ratings Explained
The rating percentage is calculated from customers who booked within the last 12 months.
All ratings and reviews are based on the feedback and opinions of the customers who submitted them and do not express the opinions of Hostelworld.com. This way, you get an up-to-the-minute opinion of just how good a hostel really is.
Read our review guidelines »
If u need just a place for take a shower or have little bit of sleep before going to take a bus or train it s ok. Are u going in a house of someone not in a hostel
- Globetrotter
- Anonymous
- Italy
- Male, 18-24
- (31 reviews)
if you are a student, just don't go there because it will be like living at your Grandma's place.
- Novice Nomad
- Anonymous
- France
- Male, 18-24
- (3 reviews)
I stayed at this hostel as it was easy to walk to the bus/train stations. Not really a backpackers place, It's a small apartment with one room with 6 beds and a double room off it. Two bathrooms and small kitchen, one pc but in Russian but there was wifi too. The lady was pleasant and spoke some English but there was an old man who seemed to live there whose clothes smelt. Dreadful old lift and it was on the 6th floor. Had to wait for someone to work it or walk!! It was ok for a night.
- Globetrotter
- joanbatten
- Wales
- Female, 41+
- (95 reviews)


text:
3ABN Proclaim!
3ABN Proclaim! is our 24-hour channel of preaching and teaching. Listen to popular, respected presenters sharing God's Word every hour of the day!
Note: In January 2012, the channel for 3ABN Proclaim! was moved in order to accommodate the new Dare to Dream Network channel. Please read our page of instructions about how to reprogram your receiver to get both channels.
Daily Schedule
View the daily 3ABN Proclaim! schedule online.
Monthly Schedule PDF
View the monthly 3ABN Proclaim! schedule online in PDF format


text:
We're in the planning stages for McCormick in Motion 2013-14! Stay tuned – We may be bringing the McCormick experience to a location near you!
You can help us determine the cities we will visit this year!
McCormick in Motion (MiM) is a series of regional alumni/ae gatherings around the country that serve as an opportunity for alums and friends to re-connect with one another and to hear more personally what is happening today at McCormick through presentations by a member of our faculty or staff.
[1] http://mccormick.edu/assets/MIM-2012-Slide.jpg


text:
|Andrada6 User
To set the arrival time at troops?
A task to run WW fakes - with a kinda control panel.. or some instructions to enter the WW coords and type of unit to be sent.
|polle1 User
Make it work whith this script http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/28129
|Amar_Singh User
Feature request Looping task
Hi can we have a feature of infinite task looping
Best Regards
|LiuHu User
I would also love the looping, or to be able to make a longer queue/more than 60 odd tasks. Please, I would be so grateful!!
|pomtpomt User
can u edit it agian?
becourse i can't work in thai sever now
thank you :)
|G I Z M O User
I would be also very graceful for looping, especially in market scheduleing ;-)
|congxz6688 Scriptwright
1,I need delete some records from the history list with the "X".most of the records are unuseful , the others are so useful.
2,The best feature of this script is auto-delay for the false tasks.I love it.
3,"set your race"can not work at all.
4,The feature of Send Resource is not enough. What we need is sending all of the Resource from branch villages to main. No matter weather the resource is enough for the order, the transport must run but cancel.


text:
Judge in Tribune bankruptcy could issue opinion today
Kevork Djansezian/AP
The Los Angeles Times building. Parent company Tribune Co. could begin the process of emerging from bankruptcy this week.
UPDATE: Judge Kevin Carey has issued his opinion. Oaktree, Angelo Gordon & Co., and JPMorgan Chase will now be able move toward assuming full ownership of Tribune's assets, under an accepted plan of reorganization. But Aurelius will fight on. This is from the Chicago Tribune:
Even if Tribune Co. emerges from bankruptcy in short order, the legacy of the Zell deal is likely to live on in the courts for years to come. Under the plan Carey approved, a group of junior creditors led by New York hedge fund Aurelius Capital Management will receive payments of $431 million to settle legal claims related to the buyout, including charges that the deal left the company insolvent from the start.
I reached out to Aurelius' Mark Brodsky for comment, but I haven't heard anything yet.
The lengthy bankruptcy of the Tribune Co. — it filed in December of 2008 — could be drawing to a close. There have been reports all this week that Judge Kevin Carey will okay a restructuring plan that will end a drawn-out battle between the senior and junior creditors of the company that owns the Los Angeles Times.
Aurelius Capital Management: The hedge fund that's keeping Tribune in bankruptcy
Tribune Company, which owns the Los Angeles Times, has been in bankruptcy for...well, years. And according to recent reports, it won't be coming out of Chapter 11 any time soon. So what's the holdup?
Basically, it's two very large lenders versus an incredibly tenacious hedge fund. On one side, we have Oaktree Capital Management and JPMorgan Chase. Oaktree invests heavily in "distressed debt" — it has close to $30 billion of it's more than $80 billion under management tied up in defaulted or defaulting securities. According to Bloomberg, Oaktree along with Tribune's other "senior creditors" hold around $3.4 billion on a total of $8 billion that Sam Zell borrowed to buy Tribune in 2007.
For the record, Zell's buyout took Tribune's total debt to a staggering $13 billion.
When Tribune finally exits bankruptcy, Oaktree will exchange its debt for equity — an ownership stake — in the new company. To do this, they want Tribune's bondholders to effectively take a $500 million payoff, then fight it out in court over whatever is left of the "bad" company while a "good" company can emerge from Chapter 11.
LA Times gets fourth editor since 2005
David McNew/Getty Images
Los Angeles Times building in Downtown LA
I got in just in time today to discover that the Los Angeles Times continues to be a paper where top editors don't last very long anymore. Russ Stanton, who had been the paper's editor since 2007, "will step down," according to the LAT's own story. His successor is Davan Maharaj, currently the managing editor, who's been with the paper for 22 years.
Maharaj is the LAT's 15th editor but its fourth since 2005. What's been abbreviating the tenure of the paper's top editors? Problems with Tribune Company management. In 2005, confronted with cost-cutting demands, former Baltimore Sun editor John Carroll left, later to resurface at Harvard's Kennedy School.
Next up, former New York Timesman Dean Baquet — a Carroll hire — had a famous and by some accounts heroic standoff with Tribune over newsroom cuts. He went down and his by-then sympathetic publisher, Jeffrey Johnson, went with him. Baquet is now back at the New York Times.


text:
Changes related to ".Net Full Trust"
This is a list of changes made recently to pages linked from a specified page (or to members of a specified category). Pages on your watchlist are bold.
10 April 2014
- (diff | hist) . . 'Is .NET A Wrapper Around Win32?' and 'Analysis of .NET Use in Longhorn and Vista'; 18:11 . . (-4,051) . . Bill Sempf (Talk | contribs) (Deleting old content)


text:
Color Choices:
Color Choices:
View front:
View backs:
Related items:
Coordinate with:
Bold and graphic, this save the date has a distinctive urban feel thanks to unique lettering set within large blocks of color.
Size - A7 flat (5" x 7")
Paper Type - White 110 lb double-thick cover paper with a tactile vellum finish. 100% post-consumer waste, FSC certified.
Let's get started!
| View Bag
Customer Service | 1.888.727.3711
View Paper Source Full Site


text:
Our strategy
Transition from emergency assistance to long-term support that helps rural communities, entrepreneurs and youth to build a stronger, more self-sufficient country.
The context
The January 2010 earthquake dealt a tragic blow to a country where 55 percent of the population already lived below a poverty line of $1 a day. Still struggling to rebuild, many families have no means to support themselves. Harmful environmental practices have also harmed the country's vital agricultural land, decreasing production and leading to increased food insecurity.
Our work
- Emergency response: Reached more than 1 million people with emergency supplies, clean water, cholera prevention and temporary jobs immediately after the January 2010 earthquake
- Economic opportunity: Helping women start small businesses to support their families — and protecting them from future disasters with affordable microinsurance
- Agriculture & Food: Boosting farmers' harvests and helping rural communities organize for improved production
- Environment: Promoting sustainable land use practices and establishing alternative fuel sources that provide jobs
- Children & Youth: Using soccer to teach leadership, gender awareness, conflict resolution skills and HIV/AIDS prevention education
All stories about Haiti
Haiti: Teacher to teacher, school to school November 9, 2010
Bonjou! My husband and I arrived in Port-au-Prince's international airport yesterday. The original structure has deep cracks and rubble-filled rooms visible by the new parallel hallway that leads arriving passengers to the new terminal.
Haiti: Using art as a vehicle to help Haiti November 8, 2010
Haiti: How we're helping families in Haiti's rural villages November 5, 2010
I arrived in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday of this week, just ahead of Tomas, the tropical storm that just passed through Haiti today.
Haiti: Haiti under red alert, Tomas likely to arrive as hurricane November 4, 2010
Today Mercy Corps' Haiti team continued to help ready camps and communities for the arrival of a possible hurricane tonight. Now, along with the Haitian government and other aid agencies, Mercy Corps is responding to three emergencies: earthquake, cholera and storm.
Haiti: Tropical Storm Tomas headed toward Haiti November 1, 2010
Mercy Corps' water and sanitation team is out in Port-au-Prince camps today with two messages: how to prevent the spread of cholera, and how to prepare for tropical storm Tomas, which is currently headed toward Haiti and may strengthen into a hurricane at the end of the week.
Haiti: Moving Forward through sports in Haiti October 29, 2010
Guivens Cemervil (at the head of the table) trains local youth workers in the Moving Forward sports program in Port-au-Prince in July. Mercy Corps has trained 55 mentors from 23 local organizations to hold their own sports programs for six months.
Haiti: Getting the word out on cholera October 29, 2010
For the last two days I've been out with Mercy Corps' Haiti team, which has been visiting communities in both Port-au-Prince and the Center Department to ensure they have the information they need about cholera: how to prevent it and treat it.
Haiti: Ready, Steady, Yo! October 28, 2010
Over the weekend of October 16, the third annual "Artisans en Fête" (Artisans Festival) took place in Port-au-Prince. The two-day fair attracted more than 200 artisans that came from all corners of Haiti, presenting wares such as arts, crafts, regional beverages, foods and clothing.
Haiti: Celebrating a success in Haiti October 26, 2010
In Haiti, as might be expected, nothing ever comes easy. Here, the simplest of activities become a challenge and the best laid plans can go awry, which means that introducing something new and different can take on a whole new degree of uncertainty.
Haiti: A new Haiti emergency: Cholera October 25, 2010
I arrived to Haiti last week in time to see another emergency unfold: people dying with symptoms that pointed to cholera — diarrhea and vomiting leading to severe dehydration.


text: Hello! So, we weren't planning on closing this rp, but we're all so wrapped up in our other characters over at the second gen rp, so there's not really a point in keeping this page up! Thank you and good luck to those of you that won't be joining us!


text:
Overview : Vatican City is not only a city, but also the world's smallest country and home to the Vatican. Also known as the Holy See, the... more »
Overview : Vatican City is not only a city, but also the world's smallest country and home to the Vatican. Also known as the Holy See, the... more »
Tips: The Vatican is often crowded with both pilgrims and tourists, so you will have to get in line to get into St. Peter's Basilica and the... more »
Built in A.D. 139 as a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian, this castle was transformed into a fortress by the popes during the 14th century.
You can expect a visit to the castle, including the ancient apartments of the popes (16th century) and the view from the balcony, to last about one hour.
The Romans built the first bridge in front of... More
Have a look on the left of the castle Sant'Angelo in front of you. The wall with several arches that you see about 50 meters above the ground is an emergency exit for the pope in case of attack on the apostolic palace. This passage on top of the wall was built by Léon IV (847-855) and renovated by Alexandre VI in 1227. It links the... More
Stop on the white flagstone and look at the columns surrounding the square and you should see that the columns are perfectly aligned. St. Peter's Square was designed by Bernini to look like two giant opened arms welcoming pilgrims to the home of their religion.
The obelisk at the center of the square was once located in the center of the Circus... More
This huge bronze door has been the official entrance to the apostolic palace since 1663, and is permanently watched by three Swiss guards. The Pontifical Swiss Guard was founded in 1506 and in the 18th century several Swiss soldiers were recruited from various European courts to form the close quarters guards of the kings. Michelangelo designed... More
You are now standing in front of the world's biggest church: St. Peter's Basilica. Every Sunday about 150,000 Christians meet in the piazza in front of the church to listen to the pope's homily.
The construction of this basilica started in 1506 and ended in 1626 under several famous architects: Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini.
St. Peter's... More
This is one of the five official entrance doors of the Vatican and a nice place to watch the Swiss Guards in their unique uniforms.
Here is the entrance used by all those who live in the Vatican and the only door where the Swiss pontifical guards do not wear the famous uniforms designed by Michelangelo.
The Vatican Museum should not be missed on a visit to Vatican City. It is home to many famous paintings, frescos and other artworks, including the Sistine Chapel. You can avoid lines by arriving 1-2 hours before closing, but doing so limits your time there. An average visit lasts about 1-2 hours.
Do not miss this famous painting in the Pinacoteca Vaticana depicting St. Jerome during his retreat into the Syrian Desert. The background is a distant landscape of a lake surrounded by mountains, evocative of another Da Vinci masterpiece, the "Mona Lisa" or "Gioconda."
Be sure to also see "The Entombment of Christ" ... More
Some 40 maps representing the Italian regions and the papal properties at the time of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585) are frescoed on the walls here.
The Sistine Chapel is world famous for its frescoes by Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling between 1508 and 1512. The ceiling, and especially "The Last Judgment" (1535-1541), is widely considered Michelangelo's crowning achievement in painting.
"The Last Judgment" is a depiction of the second coming of Christ and the... More
The paintings and frescoes in the Borgia Apartments were created between 1492 and 1494.
The four Stanze di Raffaello were reception rooms of the papal apartments:
1. Hall of Constantine: dedicated to the victory of Christianity over paganism, its frescoes represent the life of the Roman Emperor Constantine.
2. Room of Heliodorus: The Deliverance of St. Peter, which describes in three episodes how St. Peter was liberated from prison... More


text:
Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
6 Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes 1766WEWReg. $39.99 I Now Only $15.99
Read what our customers say
VERY GOOD & VERY EASY TO PREPAREColleen O. - Youngstown, OH
Yummy!!Kathleen J. - Humarock, MA
Totally Awesome taste fell in love them!! EXQUISITE!!Margaret S. - Grand Rapids, MI
Delicious.Arthur W. - Fredericksburg, VA
love chocalateKaren D. - Houston, TX
This was to die for. Great desert.Janet L. - Haverhill, FL
Everyone loves these.Gay G. - Harvey, LA
Love them. Will always have them on hand never know when the sweet tooth will hit.Karen C. - Lewiston, ME
This is one of our favorite desserts. I had ordered a box of these yummie desserts to try out at home. My 14 year old son immediately stated .... "I want these for my birthday celebration ~ NOT cake." So, we ended up ordering boxes to feed 10 14 and 15 year old boys. They loved them!! I also like the fact that they come individually wrapped, so you can bake as many or as few as you would like. Great stuff!!Kim R. - San Antonio, TX
Excellent item. We really enjoyed these again.John P. - Orlando, FL
Customers who enjoy Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes also enjoy...
Wine Suggestions
Light & Crisp
Fruity & Smooth
Fruity & Smooth
Questions about wine? Call 1-866-989-4637 to speak to our wine specialist. View Wine Details
- All wine prices include shipping and handling. Wine purchases do not qualify for Quick Ship Delivery, Express, Overnight and Saturday Overnight delivery.
- Your wine and gourmet food packages will ship separately. Your wine will arrive in approximately 7 days or less from the day you place your order, unless you have requested a delayed arrival date.
- Wine products cannot be shipped to the following states: AK, GA, HI, IN, IA, KY, ME, MT, OK, UT. Also, Local laws prevent us from shipping to certain zip code in the following states: FL, ID and NH. Information regarding states and zip codes that are not currently serviced will appear at the time that orders are placed. Offer void where prohibited by law.
- You must be 21 years of age or older to order, purchase or receive the delivery of wine.
- Omaha Steaks Reward Gift Cards are not redeemable for wine purchases.
- Wine is sold and delivered by our supplier, Wine.com, Omaha Steaks is the marketing agent.
Sign up for...
Omaha Steaks Emails
Be the first to learn about exclusive promotions, recipes,
new products, unique daily deals and so much more!
new products, unique daily deals and so much more!
Quick View


text:
Phone: (858) 279-8227
Toll-Free: (888) 825-3636
Fax: (858) 576-6564
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Live Chat: Chat Now
American Council on Exercise4851 Paramount DriveSan Diego, California 92123
Expand training to serious athletes with a bundle that focuses on improving sports performance, a highly sought after specialty in the fitness industry. Learn the foundation of performance training and how to boost total body strength, agility, quickness, and reactivity in a convenient at-home format. Earn all your re-certification CECs in one place, and save up to $89 compared to purchasing materials individually.
Bundle includes:
User Comments: Exelent job...
User Comments: The DVDs have an extremely monotonous voiceover by the instructor but are invaluable with the information and exercises provided. The webinars are amazingly informative albeit lengthy. The quizzes don't always follow the course and they word them oddly and differently to throw you off but they aren't impossible. I highly recommend this bundle for those looking to increase their knowledge of sports conditioning.
User Comments:
Like the bundle aspect but videos are awesome
How Would You Rate This Product Out of 5 Stars?
If you need help selecting appropriate study materials, registering for an ACE exam or answering any questions about your certification, we're here to help. Expert consultants are available via e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com, on Live Chat or by phone at the number below Monday-Friday, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. (PST).
Sign up to receive emails about special offers, promotions, exclusive product information and news.


text:
Friday, September 19, 2008
What do you think about prologues? Some writers (those who hate "infodump," like Crusie) abhor them; I think they are useful, especially if they describe something that happened in the past that starts off the action in the main story (the theft of a treasure, a vow of revenge, the placing of a curse, etc.) When do they work, and when are they A Bad Idea?
I believe you'll find that, to a person, those who abhor prologues were forced at some time in their lives to memorize the following:
Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Something something something cours yronne,
I had to lerne that craap in English 3
The first twelve lines at least, and as you see,
It stayed with me, at least to somme extente,
Although I never did know what it meant.
Those who don't hate prologues probably didn't recognize that as the opening of the prologue to The Canterbury Tales, which many of us studied in our foreign language classes.
The prologue was introduced by the Greeks in order to help audiences understand the background for their plays. At the opening of a Greek play, a god would be lowered onto the stage and would give a two-hour discourse on cavemen and dinosaurs and a giant obelisk that appeared from nowhere, which were, at the time of the Greek civilization, the only things that could be considered background to anything. Usually the theater was empty by the time the actual play started.
Romeo and Juliet has a well-known prologue. It doesn't help your literary reputation to put down Shakespeare for opening with an info-dump, so most critics will allow that a prologue can work out well on occasion.
If your novel spans six generations of the evil Carstairs family, you don't need a prologue in which some unknown woman (Mildred Carstairs) has sex with Satan. You can simply make that the first chapter. But if the entire novel takes place during a one-month period in 2008, except for one crucial event involving Anabel and the Count in 1811, it might be a bit of a jolt to your readers to discover that Anabel and the Count and the other romantic characters they've come to love and hate in chapter 1 died two centuries ago, and they must start anew with corporate raider Robert Johnston. By labeling the Anabel/Count chapter "prologue," the author reveals that this is an unrelated short story, and the reader skips it.
Interestingly, when an author tells what happened between Anabel and the Count through some ploy like discovering Anabel's dusty diary, rather than showing what happened in a prologue, it tends to be the same people who gripe about prologues who also gripe that an author should show, not tell.
When does a prologue work? Let's say two hundred years ago the Count stole a treasure from Robert Lloyd, who swore revenge and put a curse on the Count's family. Would you rather learn this in dialogue:
Ellen: Why are you such a loser, Robert?
Johnston: Two hundred years ago my ancestor stole a treasure from Robert Lloyd, who swore revenge and put a curse on my family.
. . . or would you rather have witnessed the theft and curse-putting, which seemed unrelated at first, but which you have gradually realized, as Johnston fell into the depths of despair, was profoundly significant?
A prologue fails when the reader gets to the end of the book and thinks, Good book. But what the hell was that prologue? It had nothing to do with anything. It must have been from another book and the printer screwed up.
Future writing exercise: Corporate raider Robert Johnston seems cursed. Write a prologue to explain his run of bad luck.
21 comments:
- Robin S. said...
First- I reaking loved your poem...
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Something something something cours yronne,
I had to lerne that craap in English 3... this being the part that I really started loving it.
Second- I'd say the prologue idea is as good as the writer's ability to create a prologue worth reading.
Two instances that work extremely well - the prologues in Mystic River and in Empire Falls. They just happen to be excellent novels written by excellent novelists.
- Anonymous said...
What do you think of the technique Annie Proulx uses in her short story "Brokeback Mountain" in which the first two (italicized) paragraphs actually show Ennis coping *after* the story, and then the story follows?
- BuffySquirrel said...
I hate prologues--Shakespeare notwithstanding--because you start the process of learning who is who, and where we are, and what is going on, and then suddenly you have to start all over again, often with a whole different set of characters in a totally different place with entirely different things going on.
So I don't read them.
- Mignon said...
Hath in the ram its halfe cours y-ronne, and we had to recite it in Middle English.
No wonder that I despise prologues and refuse to ever read another one.
- ChrisEldin said...
This is a timely discussion for me. And very useful.
I used to be in one camp, but now am in the other.
- Anonymous said...
I was deeply offended to learn (a few years ago)how many people do not read prologues!Some of my dearest friends fall into the category. But these same people almost always read the epilogue! I, of course, begin "reading" at the flyleaf and usually check the publication history, too. The idea of the story having a backstory is the kind of detail I usually like. Can't think of a "bad" prologue just now, but I'm sure there are many.
- writtenwyrdd said...
I love prologs. I think that their being clearly marked as a prolog makes them entirely skippable by those who detest them, but I like them because they can give me a hint as to why this apparently sf book starts out in the apparently normal world and appears to have nothing to do with the backmatter.
What I really hate? Introductions and forwards. Especially ones where you have to read them to understand the story. They stick them in front of a lot of translated or classical literature. I think it's a big fat sign screaming in green neon "this book is totally irrelevant and impossible to follow without a map."
But that's just me. I got an English degree and I hate 99% of all "literature" I was exposed to there; so I either have no taste or my profs didn't. (Actually, I think it was a combination of both.)
- talpianna said...
I happen to have memorized the opening of the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales in high school, too; and I LOVED it, thank you very much. And Chaucer was easy, compared to Middle English and Anglo-Saxon. Hwæt! we Gar-Dena, anyone?
Instead of Robert Johnston, could we write a prologue about a renowned curator?
I think a prologue is a useful way to get in a bit of important backstory in dramatic form, when most of what happened between that event and the actual starting point of the narration is irrelevant. For example, if the McGuffin is a magical talisman, you can open with a prologue showing Merlin enchanting it, and then start chapter one in the present, with the Good Guy and the Bad Guy racing each other to get hold of it.
- talpianna said...
Geoffrey gives advice:
Sir -
Ich wishe for ad[v]yce in the matter of fashion and armes. Ys it verrily a mistake to wear a lilyflour in my helm? (Ich have a shylde of golde.)
Mon Sire Thopas,
By seinte Jerome, finallye someone who kan spelle! Messire Thopas, yow seem a man fair and gent, and Y sholde muchel relish for to tellen yowre tale. Ich shalle have myne peple calle yowre peple. As for the lilye? It dependeth how whethir yow wolde ben 'easte coaste' or 'weste coaste.'
Le Vostre G
Geoffrey on the Perle poete (and I do mean "on"):
O, thatte olde colde tyme on the montayne, when we ownede the worlde and nothynge semed wronge! Indede – the makere of Perle was "wyth" me...
Depe did we stepe ourselves in drinke. Thenne – and by the waye ich assume thou wilt kepe this knowledge from dere Philippa! – we dide thynges that wolde make Alanus of Lille his hede explode. We dide thynges that wolde make Peter Damyan spontaneouslie combuste. We dide thynges that are notte even listede in Burchard of Worms. Rim, ram, ruf!
At morwe-tyde, he sayde me, "Thou knowst I am not of the scole of Edwarde II."
"Me neithere," quod I "'Tis nobodies privitee but oures."
He prefaces the latter post with the classic blogger's apology: "Lordynges, by Goddes grace ich yow biseche that ye forgyven me myn tardinesse yn updatinge myn blogge. In this droughty march, the customes house is unusualie bisy."
- Xenith said...
What squirrel said.
There are many, many books I've never read more than the beginning of because they didn't catch my interest in the first chapter. Why an author wants to double their chances of this happening, I have never understood.
As a reader, I much prefer backstory to through revealed throughout the book, bit by bit like a puzzle, until finally it all makes sense :)
But prologues are handy in multi-book series, to remind the reader what happened in the last book that they read 2 years ago.
- Tracey S. Rosenberg said...
Talpianna -
People who memorized the opening of The Canterbury Tales and loved it, unite!
(First task: find a better name for the group.)
I dislike when historical novels put in an infodump prologue, but on the other hand, if they don't, then I'm frequently struggling to figure out how the hell everyone is related to everyone else, and the details of why this particular political intrigue and backstabbing is significant. It's tough to balance getting historical background across without resorting to 'As thou dost know, Robert' dialogue. Sometimes it's easier when the author includes a scorecard.
- Anonymous said...
When there are a thousand characters and a hundred named gates into a city, I like a map and a list of characters. I won't read more than five new character names on one page. I refuse (and am incapable, besides).
--Bill H.
- Julie Weathers said...
On Barbara Rogan's advice I dumped my prologue I loved. Yes, I do take advice from people. It has now been incorporated into a later chapter.
I love prologues, but there are a lot of people who hate them so it's a slippery slope as a writer.
- BuffySquirrel said...
I didn't memorise the CT prologue, but I still love it. Can I join?
- Phoenix said...
Had to mem the first 30 lines of CT years ago and still remember them. Loved them, too, because I loved the idea of speaking Middle English. But would I have loved them as much if they were in modern English? Doubtful.
As for other prologues, my opinion is that they're fine as long as they're short -- a couple of pages tops. Just enough to set up anything that needs setting up.
As for the opening of Romeo and Juliet, I think of it more like a query letter or short synopsis than a prologue since it tells the whole story of the play in, what, less than 15 lines, with the last two lines throwaways. Queriers could learn a thing or two from old Will.
- ChrisEldin said...
Tal--Yeah, but can you do Chaucer in Chinese?
- Tracey S. Rosenberg said...
Buffysquirrel - absolutely! I'm sure we can have associate membership categories, and maybe a system of bonus points earned by quoting Chaucer gratuitously at EE.
- talpianna said...
Tracey, I hereby declare you a fellow founding member of Pilgrims for Prologging!
I also had to learn (but not until grad school) how to PRONOUNCE Chaucer properly--to as toe, for example.
Chaucer in Chinese? No, but I've read SILVERLOCK.
Linda Howard's time-travel romance SON OF THE MORNING opens with a prologue set in 1307, with the doomed Grand Master of the Knights Templar entrusting the Templars' most precious and secret treasure to the hero. The story then moves to the present, where the heroine's family is murdered by a villain intent on finding that treasure, and she winds up traveling back to the 14th century to meet the hero.
- austexgrl said...
I love prologues...I consider them...well sort of ..like pre-sex..you know, where the love begins selling his/or her self..and you become enamored...and desire builds....even at my middle age, occasionally that will happen..Even somtime on a blog that will occur. Well, my dear friends, the few blogs it has occurred, for me.... are Mr. Slings blog..and, the Evil Editors blog.
Sometimes, in a really good movie, it is the music...as the credits role..it is sort of a prologue...like in..The Deer Hunter... or Dr. Zhivago; know what I mean?
- talpianna said...
Another good one: A DARK-ADAPTED EYE by Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine opens with a hanging; then you read the book to figure out why.
- batgirl said...
Another one here who likes Chaucer and likes prologues. (I can fake up a 14th c. pronunciation for Whan that Aprille, too.) My Scots background causes me to read not only prologues but afterwords, acknowledgements, the teaser chapter for the next book in the series, even review excerpts. Because, dammit, I _paid_ for those words and I'm going to get the value of them.
Most of the complaints about prologues seem to refer to fantasy novels, where they too often refer to legends or history that doesn't immediately relate to the main story.
Mysteries use prologues far more, usually to show the murder or the hiding of the body, and I haven't seen much complaint about those, perhaps because they clearly tie in to the main story?


text:
SUU Digital Library
Marion Wheeler mined at Temple Mountain in 1955. He is standing at the Calex Hole, which is the shaft drilled vertically to allow the air movement into the mine as well as to take miners into and out of the mine. He wrote, "The shaft went down 80 feet and the hole was 36 inches in diameter. The bucket was your ride down into the mine, and you just held on. It was the same bucket that the uranium ore was brought up in and then dumped into the truck (seen in the background). It held about 500 lbs of uranium ore. the bucket was let down by a 6 cylinder Dodge engine. The cable had marks on it so the hoist man knew when to stop to let the men off. Our communications with the hoist man was by a horn to let him know when to go up or down." Once down to the bottom of the calex hole, the mine shafts then were horizontal as they dug the ore out.
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.


text:
GREENVILLE, N.C., Sept. 21, 2013 – The James Madison men's tennis team turned in a solid showing during the second day of the ECU Fall Shootout on Saturday, winning two singles and two doubles matches.
Sophomore Maxi Branth (Stockholm, Sweden/Tullinge Gymnasium) improved to 2-0 playing in the Gold Pod. Branth defeated Navy junior Calvin Mark, a First Team All-Patriot League selection last season, 6-4, 6-4. He also teamed with Mason Smith (Norfolk, Va./Cape Henry Collegiate School) for an 8-4 win over Navy's Alex Gaines and Tyler Tossavainen in the doubles Gold Pod.
Freshman Niels Kathol (Bonn, Germany/Collegium Josephinum Bonn), playing in the Pirate Pod, picked up his first career victory for the Dukes. He topped Navy freshman Krishna Jana 6-4, 6-1 to improve to 1-1 during the fall season.
Kathol was also a winner in doubles play, teaming with freshman Alex Berdnikoff (Calgary, Alberta/Edge School for Athletes) in an 8-4 win over the Coastal Carolina duo of Reanan Samed and Rick Timmerman.
The event was delayed three hours due to rain, which forced some of the matches to be played indoors. The round robin tournament concludes Sunday with a round of singles and doubles action beginning at 9 a.m.


text:
Each year, Medical Center of the Rockies hosts the Nursing Memorabilia Gallery Walk. The event includes a wide variety of historical medical and nursing memorabilia, including:
The 2012 event is May 8 and 9 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each day at Medical Center of the Rockies, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave. in Loveland. See the map at right for customized driving directions.
University of Colorado Health employees dedicate themselves to providing patients and other customers with world-class care and service. Outside organizations recognize that, calling University of Colorado Health's hospitals some of the best in Colorado and even the best in the nation. Some of those accolades are listed below:
University of Colorado HealthFort Collins, email@example.com


text:
Campus-Wide Renovation & Maintenance Pool (Non-Classroom)
The Renovation/Maintenance/ADA Pool is a limited resource pool assigned by the Planning and Budget Committee. The Facilities Advisory Committee may distribute the Facilities Maintenance Fund into general categories such as Emergency Repair, Sidewalk Repair, HVAC Repair, or major project work. Projects differ from scheduled maintenance in that they typically will require more than 50 labor hours, or more than one shop to complete, or require parts and materials that exceed the plant operating budget.
Point of Contact for the Advisory Committee:
Ms. Sue M. Fuciarelli , VP of Finance & Administration firstname.lastname@example.com
Mr. John Crawford, VP of University Advancement email@example.com
Budget Manager:
Mr. Ray Sable, Director of Plant Operations & Facilities Planning firstname.lastname@example.com
Advisory Committee Members:
The following 9 voting members are charged to reflect the interest of the group they represent:
- Vice President for Finance and Administration – Co-Chair
- Vice President for Advancement – Co-Chair
- Deans Council Representative, selected by Provost
- Department Heads Council Representative, selected by the Department Heads Council
- Faculty member, selected by the Faculty Senate, preferably the Chair of the Institutional Planning Committee
- Faculty member selected by the Environmental Issues Committee
- Staff Representative selected by COSA
- Student Affairs representative, selected by the Vice President for Student Affairs
- Student representative, selected by Student Government Association
Ex-officio, non-voting members include the following positions:
- Provost
- Director of Physical Plant
- Director of Auxiliary Services
- Director of Athletics
- Director of Information Technology
- Director of Environmental and Occupational Safety
- Vice President for Student Affairs
Pool Processes & Committee Guidelines:
Schedule & Call for Proposals: All FAC meetings will be open meetings. The FAC will meet at least twice a year. Meetings times and locations will be announced via campus announcements email. Minutes will be posted on the VSU web site. Physical Plant will be responsible for reporting the progress of work on the priority list.
Requesting Funds: A campus call will be issued to submit requests for projects via the work-order system in Plant: http://services.valdosta.edu/plantops/workorder.aspx. It is the project proposer's responsibility to ensure that requests first be vetted through the organizational structure before submission.
All proposed new construction, additions of space, or changes to the campus landscape should flow through the organizational structure and be presented to the FAC by a divisional Vice President. Proposals must be reviewed by the FAC and a recommendation made to the President. While the VSU Planning and Budget Committee allocates funds for construction projects, projects should not be allocated funding if the FAC has not first reviewed the projects and made a recommendation to the President.
Prioritization of Requests: Physical Plant will collect requests and present to the committee at each meeting. The FAC will prioritize projects based on impact to the mission of the university, impact to the greatest number of students, and impact to faculty and staff. Projects that significantly impact safety, health, or security will be given top priority. A proposed ranking will be voted on as one motion and a simple majority of members is needed to approve the priority. If the proposed ranking is not approved, the committee will continue to propose rankings until a final slate is approved by the majority. Select decisions can be decided by email vote if time or other situations warrant as determined by the committee chairs.
Notification of Awards:
Award Accountability:
Annual Summary of Pool Activity:
FY2014 (July 2013 -
June 2014, Academic Year Fall13 & Spring13)


text:
About Us
TVM Capital Group is an affiliation of globally acting venture capital and private equity firms with an operating track record of more than 30 years. Our investment teams have financed more than 250 emerging companies in life sciences/healthcare. During the last 15 years we have become increasingly specialized in these attractive high-growth sectors.
Recent TweetsTweets by @tvmcapital
TVM Capital Life Science Venture Capital
TVM Capital Life Science operates with an integrated team from its offices in Montreal, Munich and Boston. Our mission is to invest in the development of exciting life science products and the growth of substantial companies in the field that are or aspire to be innovative leaders in their market segment. We are resourceful and supportive strategic partners to founders, owners, managers and co-investors alike. [...]
TVM Capital Healthcare Partners
TVM Capital Healthcare Partners is a private equity and growth capital firm focused on investments in the healthcare markets of the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India. The firm, based at the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is licensed and regulated under the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). [...]


text:
Communicating with Stakeholders in a Crisis
Deloitte Insights video
While Companies may find themselves in operational or financial turmoil, communicating with your stakeholders about your challenges does not expose your weaknesses. On the contrary, communicating with your constituents can help restore credibility, create clarity and provide a window toward a solution that will help to create a more lasting partnership into the future. An organization should aim to reach consensus on its next steps and ultimate endgame, and should involve employees, customers, vendor, investors and other interested parties from day one. With open and regular communication, stakeholders can help a company weather a crisis. Watch this episode of Deloitte Insights to learn more.
Mark Liscio, Partner and Co-Chair, Bankruptcy & Restructuring Department, Kaye Scholer
Michael Epstein, Principal and COO, Deloitte CRG within Deloitte Financial Advisory Services
It is time for Insights, a video news production of Deloitte LLP. Now, here is your host, Sean O'Grady.
Sean O'Grady: Hello and welcome to Insights where today we will be talking about talking, more specifically the importance and the process of communicating with stakeholders during a financial crisis. Now, joining us in the studio for this discussion are Mark Liscio, Partner and Co-Chair of the Bankruptcy & Restructuring Department of the New York-based legal firm, Kaye Scholer. We also have Michael Epstein, Principal and COO of Deloitte CRG within Deloitte Financial Advisory Services. Gentlemen, my first question for you — and we can begin with you, Mark — is what bothers you when you turn on the news and you see an organization taking hits because of a miscommunication during a financial crisis? What's the first thing that comes to your mind?
Mark Liscio: Sean, the first thing I think about is the company has missed an opportunity to manage a problem and also has missed the opportunity to get a problem under control. It is not that we shouldn't see problems in companies and other organizations encounter those problems, but those occur and it is really what you do after that occurs and manage that. So, that's what I get disappointed in that firm missed that opportunity.
Sean: How about you, Michael?
Michael Epstein: And I think, Sean, what's most important at that moment, as Mark said, when you see that opportunity arise, it is to quickly kick into gear and develop a plan of action. What is that plan of action for the organization? Recognizing that an issue exists or potentially that there is an opportunity to avoid an issue is how quickly can you develop that plan, but you need a credible plan. Just going out to your stakeholder audience and telling them that all is well is insufficient. There needs to be support behind what you are trying to achieve there, not only what's going on, where you are going, but what the endgame looks like.
Sean: Well, let's go there. Where does an organization begin? How do they go about developing that plan?
Michael: Again, once the crisis, whatever that crisis is, has presented itself, we really look at developing a command center like mentality. It's a bit like putting together the three legs of a stool — the financial situation, the operational situation, and the communication situation. So, financially, we want to stabilize; operationally, we want to optimize; communication wise, we want to legitimize. So, these are all the critical tools that go into this command center mentality and the leadership requirement that the situation demands.
Sean: How about you, Mark? Do you agree with that command center idea?
Mark: I do. I think there is a threshold issue in order to get to implementing the plan. One of the difficulties that organizations face is recognition by — let's take a corporation — the seniors officers or the directors that they actually have a problem, and that is where a lot of firms fall down by not recognizing that there is a problem. Unless you have a particularly seasoned management team that might have been through it, they really have no idea what's about to happen to them. So, it is recognizing and then finding the right people to help.
Sean: I see you nodding your head.
Michael: No and Mark mentions a great point because most of our management teams, most of our clients have never been through this before, and frankly, I often tell clients that you should have these situations at least occur to you once in your professional life, but only once because the experience itself is a learning growth experience, but, as Mark said, bringing in seasoned professional talent that can deal with the issues of crisis and allow the management team to deal with the issues of running the business is a critical partnership that optimizes the opportunity for success.
Sean: So, is there a prioritization to that? Is there a formula that is available for every single situation? I am guessing not, but again about the stakeholders here.
Michael: There is no formula. As Mark mentioned, the most visible and vocal groups are those that have a seat at the, let's call at the primary table. Those people that the company is interacting with every day, but there is this constant need to remember that there is a whole community. For any corporation, there is a whole community beyond those that have direct representation sitting at the table. Think about civic groups, think about municipalities and towns where these businesses operate, think about the schools in which these companies that are about to go through some sort of change in their financial structure. Remember, we are talking about the financial crisis that exists. A financial crisis is often the manifestation of an underlying operating issue in a business where it may have factories that are no longer productive and they may have workforces that are not as productive as they once were. And think about the toll on the community that an absence of information and absence of communication, what that toll can be on groups that are already underfunded, understaffed, undermanned, or about to be swept up into some maelstrom of change through unemployment, through changes in the workforce roles, through changes in the tax space, and the more you can do to communicate with those groups; You know, Mark mentions the primary groups which are the people we have to deal with every day because without them there is no solution. The ancillary groups are the ones who are often most impacted and have the least ability to participate in that solution or participate in change, yet they are critical to the morale and the ability to get through the situation by galvanizing the community around a solution, whether that solution is a 70% is better than 0%, whatever those numbers may be. So, there is no formula, Sean, back to your question about how you get through these situations.
Sean: Now, here is the fly in the ointment and that is this is the digital edge, so you could have the best laid plan, but one person with mobile phone within ears reach if something that is going on could potentially make that plan have to be activated much quicker, in a much more quick way. So, my question is, how do you advise organizations to do just that to have a plan while at the same time they might have to be communicating because there is a lot of technology that might make it difficult for them to keep some control? How do you advise that?
Michael: There is a toolkit out there called contingency planning; what if A happens, but what if B happens, and if B doesn't work, what if C happens? It works operationally, it works from a financial perspective, and it works from a communication perspective as well. You really need to be ready and that is what folks that do what Mark and I do for living. We are the fire alarm rings. We have to be ready. We have to be ready with multiple plans for that to adapt to the circumstances and what the digital age has done, it has accelerated and made those paths concurrent or almost concurrent because as you said if we can't react quickly enough, then the rumor will overtake the fact.
Mark: Mike, don't we often times have to set the goal of what we want to accomplish. So, the crises are always different and you need to figure out what is the goal. Is the goal to minimize the damage? Is the goal to set the stage for resolution at a later time? So, I think, one of the first things we do is set the goal for the management team and for the shareholders to figure out what they want to accomplish in light of the crisis and then I think we have to periodically — and this is really your contingency planning — reassess that goal as we go on. One of the things I have observed over the years of practice is the corporations and the entities within the crisis take on a bunker mentality and get very defensive when in reality they may not need to be that way. They may need to be open. They may need to acknowledge. The external advisors are able to be very neutral and objective. That is really the biggest difference between the restructuring professionals in a credit crisis versus the officers who are in the middle and may have caused the crisis. That is a big… human nature takes a very important role in these crises. So, what the external advisor, legal, financial, etc., is to really take an objective view as to what goes on and counsel and guide the parties as to the best way out of the morass or the maelstrom.
Michael: Mark, I think you are exactly right. Having that end goal is critical. The one thing we know is the path to that goal. The one constant in every situation is the path to that goal will change and it will change multiple times along the way. In these situations you are working with imperfect information, you are working emotional responses, not necessarily always logical responses, and we are making decisions with 60% or 70% of the information with an aim to get into the next decision note always with an eye on the horizon, always with an eye to where we are going in, and always communicating to the stakeholders that that's the horizon we are going for. If you disagree, now is the time to tell us because what would be terrible for this organization is to get there and find out that wasn't where you wanted to go. There is a famous quote from Henry Silverman from Cendant, the travel-related business, who once said when Cendant was going through all of its trouble that the most important thing we can do during this time of crisis is to make the right decision, the second most important thing we can do is to make the wrong decision, and the worst thing we can do is to make no decision. Our clients tend to get paralyzed by not knowing where that horizon is and not knowing how to go from here to there, and our goal is to say there is no bright line to get from here to there. There is a path and we will tread that path together and that path will change along the way, but we will be proactive and we will keep moving forward along the path.
Sean: Clear to see how emotionalism could pull you right back into the swamp. I guess my last question for the two of you — and we can begin with you, Mark — does drop on personal experience since you both had the opportunity to work through these kinds of restructurings for our audience what have been the real hard lessons learnt that you would like them to walk away with from this conversation?
Mark: I think that some crises are huge and bad, and it is a problem and your main job is to contain them and limit the damage. Other crises and this is where the lesson comes in, other crises can be managed and you can avoid further problems, the key is to develop a coordinated and objective approach to getting there. What I take away and what my lessons are you have to be coordinated and have a plan, and as Mike says, you have to do something. Doing nothing is not an alternative and what Mike and I have said in the cases we worked together and I have seen it, radio silence equals death. So, an entity that has stakeholders or customers or whatever, if it doesn't communicate an effective plan, then the counterparties are left with the conclusion that things are bad and there is no solution, and those are the worse situations.
Sean: So, no radio silence. Last thoughts from you, Michael?
Michael: I think you all hit a great point, Mark. Mark nails it that not answering phone calls, not returning correspondence, the absence of communication will be assumed to be the worst because that is human nature. Human nature fills the vacuum with negative thoughts. Emotion, we talked about management teams having emotion clouding their judgment. Emotion is a good thing, energy is a good thing. I think you can hear when we speak. We are energetic and emotional and passionate about what we do, but we need to marry that passion with the logical approach, the logical response. I think turning a situation around, resolving a crisis, frankly is a lot like a sporting event. You know momentum plays a huge role because people in crisis and people in trouble want to be led, I believe, naturally. They are looking for someone to step in with a calm but passionate view and say, "I know where we are going. I know how to get there. Follow me." And that will galvanize a solution, but it requires this regular communication, it requires a cadence about what you do. You can't communicate fast and then stop communicating. It requires getting into routines and people like routines and getting the message out there in a credible way such that people don't have to think. They just know they are going to be updated. They just know they are going to see progress, and progress will come in days, in weeks, in months, and they won't have to be left to wonder where things stand.
Mark: I was going to turn your question around which is what are the positive lessons to take away, and I was thinking as you are going through your explanation, Mike, and that was my positive lesson that there are good communicators and good managers in our field, which is how I met Mike. We worked on a case and our relationship has been based and grew from. We were on the other side of the table from each other, but Mike was an effective direct communicator with honesty and one of the hallmarks of the successful professional in financial crisis is to have not only advocacy and representation of your client, but to also be interested in the outcome, and if you are interested in a positive outcome and that might be a dissolution, it might be a liquidation, or it might be a combination, if you are motivated to accomplish that goal and you use communication, that will produce a successful result. So, from crisis come good relationships, from crisis come positive impacts on the company, and it is really how you manage that and the participants you work with that can change the whole outcome.
Sean: So, keep the focus on the message and you stay out of the mind traps.
Michael: That's right.
Mark: Yes.
Sean: Gentlemen, thank you both for your time today.
Michael: Okay. You are welcome.
Mark: Thank you.
Sean: Alright. We have been discussing the process of communicating with stakeholders during the crisis with Mark Liscio, Partner and Co-Chair of the Bankruptcy & Restructuring Department of the New York-based legal firm, Kaye Scholer, and Michael Epstein, Principal and COO in Deloitte CRG, which is within Deloitte Financial Advisory Services. If you would like to learn more about Mark, Michael, or any of the topics discussed on today's broadcast, you can find that information on our website. It is www.deloitte.com/insights/us. For all the good folks here at Insights, I am Sean O'Grady. We will see you next time.


text:
Overall customer review score:
Return to Factory Effex OEM Shroud and Tank Graphic 2010 Style Product Page
Reviews by real power sport enthusiasts...your opinion counts to us and fellow riders! Make the best purchasing decision by getting the latest reviews.
Each review submitted enters you into a $100 gift card monthly drawing, and a $500 gift card quarterly drawing!
Comments On Nov 27, 2012:Quality product if replacing stock graphics. A little on the expensive side considering how small the graphic is.
Was this review helpful?
Comments On Apr 24, 2012:Look amazing, great, BUT! .. As a lot of you may already know, veeeerry difficult to put on, I'd recommend seeing if your local MX shop could put them on or something.
Additional Comments On Apr 24, 2012:Super, super easy to put them on. Look great and they'll take a beating.
Was this review helpful?
Stay Connected!
© 2014 Rocky Mountain ATV, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use of any images, thumbnails, illustrations, descriptions, or editorial content without written permission is strictly prohibited. Prices are subject to change without notice.
See our street site JakeWilson.com for: Motorcycle Parts, Motorcycle Accessories, Motorcycle Tires, Motorcycle Helmets and more.
Take a look at our most popular areas: ATV parts | ATV Accessories | ATV Tires | Dirt Bike Parts | Dirt Bike Accessories | Dirt Bike Motocross Tires | Motocross Gear | Motorcycle Accessories | Motorcycle Exhaust | Motorcycle Helmets | Motorcycle Brakes.