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That description pertains to any number of the rushed art projects that pepper Franco's career of late, and despite its shortcomings, "Interior. Leather Bar" holds together better than most of them (perhaps thanks to Mathews' handle on the material). The movie is considerably smarter and more engaging than its premise may suggest. While positioned as a recreation of 40 minutes, far less leather bar footage actually figures into the production.
Instead, we spend most of the time with lead actor Val Lauren, an old Franco chum (and the star of the Franco-director Sal Mineo biopic "Sal") who accepts the Pacino role in the project. While the cool-headed Mathews pulls together the practical ingredients of the shoot, Franco and Lauren provide the proverbial "straight" perspective, engaging in an ongoing dialogue about whether their involvement in the project puts their heterosexuality at risk. Rather than drifting between reality and fiction, the movie predominantly functions as a conventional documentary on the hazy nature of sexual identity in contemporary society.
To that end, it succeeds. The dialogue in question, however, unfolds with a loose, fragmented style that only connects in individual moments. Early on, Franco establishes the precedents of their intentions by citing "The Trouble with Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life," by his former Yale professor Michael Warner, which engages with the idea that queer culture evades normalization by definition. As Mathews puts it, "assimilation into straight culture erases the queerness of that world." So while hordes of men prep for the shoot by strapping themselves up in various revealing garb and eventually engage in hardcore antics, Mathews' editing frequently emphasizes Franco and Lauren's confused reaction shots, eking out the presumed dichotomy of sexual desires.
The results are intriguing for the very same reason that Lauren appears uncomfortable about his role in the project. "Interior. Leather Bar" visualizes the discourse its subjects struggle to put into words. Mathews says the project aims to help "inform choices," but mainly showcases choices that have already been made. Lauren voices the central issue plaguing the movie with the biggest question it leaves unresolved -- whether the filmmakers intend to use the footage "to make a certain point or want it to be what it is."
Ultimately, "Interior. Leather Bar" does a fine job at formulating this core issue while leaving it somewhat frustratingly unresolved. The on-camera discussions eventually get redundant to the point where the project's gimmicky nature takes over. A glimpse of S&M action leads Franco and Lauren to huddle in the back and check their biases; over the course of the conversation, they hit on a few insightful points (Franco ranting about "the straight, normative behavior fucking installed in my brain") while heading down distracting pathways better left on the editing floor. The invocation of Franco's celebrity comes across as a distraction. "You're starring in a Disney movie, for chrissakes!" Lauren spouts, in one of a few moments where Franco's upcoming role "Oz, the Great and Powerful" comes into play. "That's what's giving it half its power," Franco replies with a smirk. But is it? "Interior. Leather Bar" largely works not because of Franco's involvement but in spite of it.
Criticwire grade: B
HOW WILL IT PLAY? Premiering at Sundance's New Frontiers section and set to continue its festival life at Berlin next month, "Interior. Leather Bar" is bound to provoke the same kind of dialogue found in the movie, but its concise running time and graphic material suggest its post-festival life lies mainly on digital platforms.
Jeffrey with one f | January 20, 2013 1:57 AM
The Franco factor is undoubtably an issue that will cloud many a judgement - but I think F-MGR8 has a point: the movie, arguably a Criticwire grade B worthy one, wouldn't have gotten made without the Franco factor. It certainly sounds like a good cinematic subject. So good on him, eh?
Franco-MathewsGr8 | January 20, 2013 12:26 AM
So reading between the lines, it was great project undertaken by Franco and Mathews and it seems like it was a success. This site sure love to hate on Franco at every opportunity, he must be doing something right. It was Franco's idea initally regarding this project and I'm glad that the combined effects of these two amazing talents plus all involved appears to have worked. Glad, they left it open for the audience to ask more questions. Always, keep them wanting more.
Hopefully, it reaches a wider audience too.


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text: It's Me, ErnieWrong as usual… Posted September 26, 2013 11:14 pmTARKThey're not too much worried about the opponent's health or ability to fight at the weight… The offer comes in and Josesito says "yes" or "no." … Canelo is the guy they're worried about because he could potentially bring in 100′s of millions over the next 10 to 15 years. Posted September 26, 2013 6:25 pmPublic EnemyThey did the same sht to Josesito Lopez vs Canelo, actually that was even worse because 140lb Lopez did pull off the upset and should've been given a few EZ fights to make some Money for his Family instead he was fed to the 172+lb Canelo because Canelo has Red Hair, Freckles and is so handsome? LOL definitely represents the true AZTEC Warriors? Posted September 26, 2013 12:54 pmTurb0-H@msterThanks Old Yank – I didn`t realise W.A.D.A had amended those rules. Arums missing the point though, it isn`t some pot at issue here, it`s the history of disrespect to rules, his trainer, to weight, and the WBC mollycoddling him that turns people off. Mexicans get behind their fighters and I love that, but Jnr is embarassing them. Posted September 25, 2013 9:49 pmTurb0-H@mstertest Posted September 25, 2013 9:14 pmFight AficionadoTranscript of JR: "I'm smoking blunts and got the munchies y'all! See you at 185 lbs." Posted September 25, 2013 7:59 pmHidalgoRay Gordon Reid, where are you from? Posted September 25, 2013 6:28 pmHidalgo"This is pathetic and very unfair to Bryan Vera. But what can he do? He's the B-side and the pinata of their party." And Arum is swinging the bat. Posted September 25, 2013 6:25 pmOld YankHBO! Want to preserve a grain of integrity with boxing fans? Run a movie instead! Posted September 25, 2013 6:06 pmJoseph HerronI just spoke with Ronnie…he, Vera, and Artie Pelullo are currently negotiating a new weight for Friday. This is pathetic and very unfair to Bryan Vera. But what can he do? He's the B-side and the pinata of their party. Posted September 25, 2013 5:11 pmjuniorDont call that fat cnut junior!!!! Posted September 25, 2013 4:54 pmOld YankWADA does NOT ban cannabis "out of competition", it only does so during competition. Therefore, testing positive the day of a bout would REMAIN A VIOLATION! Junior's positive test resulting in a suspension in Nevada resulted from a test taken the day of the bout. There is NOTHING about recent WADA changes that would sanction Junior's pot smoking habits. Arum is full of crap! FULL OF CRAP!!! Posted September 25, 2013 4:43 pmOld YankHidalgo — In typical Amum-speek, he twists the truth to his liking at will. Here is the truth: WADA recently amended its rules on cannabis, raising the threshold for a positive test from 15 nanograms per milliliter to 150 ng/ml. Posted September 25, 2013 4:37 pmHidalgoI'd like to know what sanctioning body is administering this fight. I want to read their rules and see if in fact that Bob Arum is telling the truth about pot-smoking rules being changed. Posted September 25, 2013 3:39 pmPublic EnemyThe only Jr I've seen that has shown inherited skills is Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. and he didn't even want to get into Boxing. He got into Boxing when he was laid off from his Card Dealer Job during the Market dives several years back. He did grow up in the Gyms with his Dad so he picked up training to pass the time. Posted September 25, 2013 3:24 pmAnonymousALL THESE BOXING LEGENDS TODAY, I DONT KNOW HOW THEY FIGHT SO MANY TIMES IN A YEAR. Posted September 25, 2013 3:18 pmHARSH REALITYBOB ARUM: " I want to go on record that there is nothing wrong with smoking pot. There is nothing wrong with Marijuana. Any sentence for an athlete that has smoked marijuana other than smoking while he is in the ring is unconscionable and wrong and now even WADA has said the same thing. Let's be honest. There is nothing wrong with pot and it absolutely cannot be beneficial. I know what Julio said about doing wrong but I don't think he did anything wrong" Exactly why this old buzzard needs to be removed from the sport. Marijuana is a masking agent. Silly old man. HARSH REALITY Posted September 25, 2013 3:13 pmOld YankHidalgo — Ha, ha, ha! The munchies explain the weight issue too! Posted September 25, 2013 3:07 pmOld YankMick the Marmalizer — Other son's of non-champ dads: Robert Guerrero and Danny Garcia. Posted September 25, 2013 3:07 pmHidalgo"He is very hungry…" That's what marijuana does to you. Posted September 25, 2013 3:03 pmOld YankMick the Marmalizer — Mayweather Posted September 25, 2013 2:58 pmlargoChavez Posted September 25, 2013 2:29 pmMick the MarmalizerSons following there Champion Fathers into the fight game rarely achieve success. Brian Mitchell & Ray Mancini are the only one who springs to mind & there Dad's were never World Champions. Frazier, Fitzsimmons, Minter, Hearns. The list goes on! Posted September 25, 2013 2:25 pmPublic EnemyLets see if they say anything about Juniors inhability to make weight and now demands a higher weight.. or if its totally ignored by all.. LOL Posted September 25, 2013 2:10 pmPublic EnemyWho really Cares??? Posted September 25, 2013 2:09 pm |


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I explain in this article what elements and analysis lead me to the conclusion that CMO's book value could be down over 20% in Q2, putting its current stock price at a premium of 12% above BV and making it fairly rich.
Capstead Mortgage Corp. (CMO) is an agency mortgage REIT focused on adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs). As such, it is considered safer than mREITs such as American Capital Agency (AGNC) that invest purely in fixed-rate mortgages (FRMs). The simple reasoning is that pure fixed-rate MBS players have a lot more duration exposure (these MBS's durations are currently in the 5-7 years range, versus 1-3 years on ARMs). However, mREITs that invest in FRMs tend to carefully...
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Mitt Romney and President Obama want a strong mandate from voters to support their governing approach. They won't get it. Given the enormity of America's challenges, it might not be such a bad thing if the winner of this election emerged with humility instead of hubris.
Claremont, Calif.
President Obama and Governor Romney both want a mandate – an election result showing that the voters strongly support what he wants to do in the next four years. The one certainty about this election is that neither man will get one.
To have clear title to a mandate, the winning side must accomplish three things. The first is to lay out a specific policy agenda. An incoming president can hardly assert that the election was a mandate for proposals that the electorate never heard about. The second is to win a big majority of the popular vote, at least 55 percent. And the third is to gain decisive majorities in Congress.
Yet it's already clear – based on campaign messages, polling, and congressional redistricting – that the winner will meet none of these conditions.
Both candidates have been hazy about the nation's harsh fiscal choices. When critics faulted Mr. Obama for lacking a second-term agenda, his campaign responded with a glossy brochure of things he's already tried. Its message seemed to be that the road to a balanced budget is paved with attractive photographs. Mr. Romney talked about limiting some tax preferences, but never got around to naming which ones he meant.
Unless the polls are wrong, the winner will have a thin margin in the popular vote. In fact, as in the 2000 election of George W. Bush, the loser of the popular vote may prevail in the Electoral College.
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Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
All Time Low invade Europe with The Audition
Our favorite Marylander's are still over in Europe, but not for long. Their tour with The Audition winds down soon…soo get your tickets before they're gone. And for everyone stateside, don't worry, the Glamour Kills tour starts in 15 days!! 9/30/09 Manchester, UK – Manchester...
September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | Read MoreDamion Suomi and Andy Zipf to perform on TWLOHA global webcast
To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. On October 5th the TWLOHA...
September 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | Read MoreAll Time Low sends their greetings from Sweden
Even though All Time Low isn't in the states…you can check out what they're up to. Here are some photos from a recent in store in Sweden.
September 21st, 2009 | Uncategorized | Read MoreAll Time Low premiere their new video on Myspace
The band released their new video for Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't) exclusively to Myspace today! Go check it out and let us know what you think. All Time Low – Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)
September 16th, 2009 | Uncategorized | Read MoreAnarbor announce dates with The Almost
Get your tickets now to see Anarbor with The Almost, This Providence, and The Dares later this month! And don't forget the guys will be supporting Straylight Run, Lydia, and Camera Can't Lie in October. Get your tickets here
September 15th, 2009 | Uncategorized | Read MoreAll Time Low take over the KIIS FM studio
Alex, Jack, Rian, and Zack recently stopped by Los Angeles' KIIS FM studio to play a few songs for fans, answer some questions and hang out for the afternoon. Photos from the intimate performance are below for you to check out! Enjoy
September 10th, 2009 | Uncategorized | Read MoreThe Dangerous Summer announce new tour dates for fall
Make sure to get your tickets for The Dangerous Summer's upcoming tour with Straylight Run, Mansions (Select dates), Moving Mountains (select dates), Brian Bonz, Dave Melillo 10/26/09 Dallas, TX – The Door 10/27/09 Austin, TX – Emo's 10/28/09 Oklahoma City, OK – Conservatory 10/29/09 Little...
September 10th, 2009 | Uncategorized | Read MoreBehind the scenes photos from All Time Low's video shoot
Check out photos from the Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't) video shoot exclusively on Glamourkills.com. Go here to see them all…
September 9th, 2009 | Uncategorized | Read More


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By David A. Johnson
Part I of III
The impetus for recovery planning usually comes from the top down, with an organizations senior management mandating the
development of a computer recovery plan by the Information Systems Department. All too often, the plan is considered complete
after all the technological issues have been addressed, without considering the implications to the people who use the technology.
Consequently, the plan may not ensure the organizations ability to continue critical business functions following a disaster.
Development and testing of recovery plans cannot be confined to the inner sanctum of the I.S. department, but needs to spread
throughout the organization, actively involving the users of computer systems. This involvement can, and should, occur during the
development of detailed recovery plans for existing systems, and during regularly scheduled testing of the overall recovery effort.
Most importantly, however, a new discipline must be introduced into the system development cycle that ensures user involvement in
recovery planning from the very beginning of the process.
The development, testing, and maintenance of disaster recovery plans are frequently treated as internal, and largely transparent,
functions of the I.S. department. The people in the organization that would be most affected by an actual disaster may not even be
aware that recovery plans exist.
The people that would be most affected by a disaster are those that are dependent upon computer technology to conduct the
day-to-day business of the organization. In computer jargon, these people are labelled Users, a somewhat degrading term implying
some form of helpless addiction. The term is not inappropriate, however, since any Users deprived of their computer systems can
experience withdrawal symptoms of the worst kind.
Within most large organizations, Users occupy the bottom level of a kind of corporate caste structure. Despite the fact that Users
are the people that best understand how the organization functions, they are often seen as mere appendages to the organizations
computer systems. For this reason, they are ranked below the Systems People in the caste structure.
Systems People are those individuals who design, implement, operate, and support the organizations computer technology. They
usually hold themselves in very high esteem, and look down upon the poor Users because of their lack of technological
sophistication. Unfortunately, while Systems People may know all there is to know about the technology, they often dont know
very much about the business. For this reason, they are often viewed with some suspicion by the people at the top of the caste
structure - the Executives.
The Executives are those individuals in senior management positions who wield the overall decision-making authority in the
organization. They look down upon both Users and Systems People as necessary evils, however they are usually forced to form an
uneasy alliance with the Systems People. The purpose of this alliance, theoretically at least, is to ensure that computer technology is
exploited to the organizations strategic advantage. Sometimes, both the Executives and Systems People lose sight of the fact that
this technology must serve the Users, not vice versa.
In most organizations, the impetus for disaster planning comes from the top down, with the Executives mandating the development
of recovery plans. This is usually not their own idea, however. Credit generally goes to a group of individuals that sit somewhat
outside the corporate caste structure: the Auditors. These organizational pariahs are continual critics, always harping on about such
things as the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer systems.
The persistence of the Auditors is the reason many organizations have a disaster recovery plan. Their constant nagging, and talk of
gloom and doom, eventually forces the Executives to do something to get the Auditors off their backs. What the Executives do, of
course, is tell the Systems People to develop a recovery plan. This is usually followed by a prolonged period of negotiations
between the Systems People and the Executives over how much to spend on such a plan. Eventually, a budget is set and the
Systems People go off to do their thing.
This top down approach would be fine if the Systems People then went off to work with the Users on plan development. This rarely
happens, however. Most Systems departments wouldnt dream of involving the Users in something as technically complex as
recovery of computer hardware, communications networks, operating software, application systems, etc. In any event, since the
Systems department is now on the nub to deliver a recovery plan as soon as possible, the last thing they want is the aggravation of
dealing with Users who would do nothing except slow the process down.
This unfortunately, is a very short-sighted approach. While the absence of User involvement may well hasten the delivery of a
recovery plan, the end product may not be worth the paper it is written on.
Why is User involvement in recovery planning critical? Well suppose, heaven forbid, that the Systems People actually have to
invoke the recovery plan. If this is the first time the Users discover that such a thing exists, it may come as quite a shock.
To illustrate, lets look at four hypothetical disaster scenarios: the transparent disaster, the almost transparent disaster, the visible
disaster, and the highly visible disaster.
1. The Transparent Disaster--Lets suppose its Friday evening. The Users have all gone home for a long holiday weekend. The I.S.
department has shut down all the on-line systems, run all the overnight batch jobs, and taken full backups of all the software and
data. Moments after shipping the backups off-site, disaster strikes the data center, putting it out of commission.
The recovery teams are notified immediately, and spring into action. Working around the clock, the teams recover all the
applications at the alternate processing facility and reroute the data communications networks to the hot site. When the Users come
back to work on Tuesday morning, refreshed from their long weekend, they sit down at their terminals and start working as if
nothing had happened.
In this scenario, the fact that the Users know nothing about the I.S. departments disaster recovery plan is immaterial, since the
entire exercise was transparent to them. Unfortunately, this scenario is a pipe dream. Disasters are not this neat. Building a recovery
plan on the assumption that a disaster will strike at the best possible time is suicide.
2. The Almost Transparent Disaster--Lets look at what could happen if we change a few parameters of the disaster. First of all,
lets assume that everything is the same as in the first scenario, with one exception: disaster strikes before the latest backups are
shipped off-site. The recovery teams still spring into action, and recover all the applications, but using previous backups which are a
day or a week out of date, depending on the backup cycle.
Now when the Users return to work Tuesday morning, it is soon apparent that there is something not quite right with their
applications. The phones start ringing in the I.S. department, confusion erupts in the User community, processing errors begin to be
made, and the nice, neat recovery effort starts falling apart. Without a clear understanding of what has happened, or what they are
supposed to do about it, the Users make erratic and unpredictable attempts to fix up their systems. After a day or two of these
uncoordinated activities, business operations are in a shambles: transactions have been lost or duplicated, files are out of whack, the
systems are spewing out error messages, and normally routine procedures are becoming chaotic. The original disaster now seems
trivial in comparison to the aftermath.
3. The Visible Disaster--Lets look at another scenario. Its the middle of the week. The Users are hammering away at their
computer terminals, when they suddenly go dead (the terminals that is, not the Users). After banging on their terminals for a while,
the Users start calling the Help Desk, only to get a recorded message that service has been temporarily disrupted. For the next
hour or so, the Users sit around cursing the Systems department, until word starts coming down the grapevine that some serious
calamity has struck the data center. The balance of the day is spent in confusion and frantic phone calls to the Director of MIS.
Eventually, the official position of the MIS department gets out: We have activated our disaster recovery plan. Well get back to
you in a couple of days.
In the MIS department, the recovery teams have swung into action and are going through their paces with carefully rehearsed
precision. After 48 hours of around the clock activity, the systems are brought up at the alternate facility, and the exhausted
recovery teams go home. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it has been a totally different story. The Users had no carefully rehearsed
plans to fall back on. For the most part, they had no plans at all for losing their systems for this length of time. Some areas simply
sat around idly waiting for the systems to come back up; others improvised workarounds on the fly; still others tried to re-activate
long dormant manual procedures. What no one did was figure out what they would do when the systems did come back up.
The successful recovery effort performed by the Systems People did not, unfortunately, result in a return to business as usual.
The systems came back up alright, late in the week, but no one had explained to the Users that they would now have to: a)
reprocess the transactions lost during the time period between the last backup and the point of failure; b) process the backlog of
transactions that had built up during the recovery period; and c) reconcile the systems with any manual processing, or
workarounds, that had been performed while the systems were down. Since the recovery teams had all gone home, there was no
one around to help them sort out the mess. In despair, the Users simply went home for the weekend, hoping that Monday would
never come. Unfortunately, it always does.
4. The Highly Visible Disaster--There is one more scenario which needs to be presented. This is the one that people responsible for
computer recovery plans rarely address, or are rarely allowed to address: the disaster that directly affects the Users working
environment, as well as the data center. In this scenario, the data center and the Users are all in the same building. When the disaster
strikes, the Users not only lose their systems, they lose access to their offices, their terminals, their PCs, their phones, their faxes,
their files, their work-in-progress - everything! Sure, the computer recovery plan still works, but when the recovery teams have
finished recovering the systems, theres no one there to use them! All the Users are at home, or wandering aimlessly around the
This type of disaster is obviously highly visible to the User community. They may actually have watched their offices burn to the
ground on the evening news. You can rest assured that their first reaction wasnt Oh my God! Weve lost our computer systems.
No doubt their only thoughts were about when and where they would return to work, if indeed they ever would return to work.
Since the Users had never been involved in any aspects of disaster planning, the thought that something like this could happen to
them had probably never crossed their minds. Certainly no one had given any thought to how the Users office facilities could be
replaced in the event of a disaster.
The Systems People are no help in this scenario. They are too concerned with their precious computer systems to worry about
mundane things like arranging for alternate office space and furnishings, replacing phones and office equipment, recovering lost
documents and work-in-progress, installing new terminals and PCs, etc. Presumably, they felt that it wasnt their job to worry about
these aspects of disaster planning. But if it wasnt their job, whose was it? The purpose of disaster planning is not merely to recover
computer systems, but to ensure that the organization can survive a disaster. Without plans that address any eventuality, including
this worst case scenario, this assurance cannot be given.
Part II of III
In Part I of this article, we looked at four hypothetical disaster scenarios. In three of these scenarios, something was missing from
the Recovery Plan. In each case, the plan only addressed what the Systems People would be doing after a disaster, not what the
Users would, or should, be doing. Since User involvement was the critical missing element in the Recovery Planning exercise, this
should not be a great surprise to anyone. To identify the specific components of the Recovery Plan that were overlooked, and to
highlight the criticality of User involvement, each of the four scenarios will be re-examined in detail.
In the first scenario, the disaster occurred on a Friday evening, after all the Users had gone home for a long weekend, and after full
backups had been taken off site. In this scenario, nothing is missing from the Recovery Plan. The off-site backups were taken after
the Users had finished their normal processing for the week, the disaster occurred while no processing was taking place, and the
systems were restored before the Users needed to resume normal processing. The timeline for the recovery looks pretty simple.
(See Exhibit 1).
In the second scenario, the disaster also occurred on a Friday evening before a long weekend, but before backups had been taken
off site. In this scenario, and in most real-life disasters, a certain amount of User processing is lost when the systems are recovered.
Unless the organization can afford to take continuous off-site backups, via electronic vaulting, the data that is recovered will not be
completely up to date. This means that the Users must re-process all of their lost transactions in order to restore their systems to a
usable state. (See Exhibit 2).
It is absolutely critical that detailed plans for this process of System Restoration be developed and tested. Otherwise, the recovery
time period may be extended well beyond acceptable limits, and the integrity of the systems may be seriously jeopardized. For each
system, there are essentially three requirements that must be addressed:
1. User Notification - Procedures must be in place to ensure that key User personnel are notified when the Recovery Plan is
invoked. These Users would have to arrange for the required staff to be on site as soon as the system is recovered, and would then
have to coordinate the System Restoration.
2. Transaction Identification - The User personnel must be able to identify those transactions that were processed after the last
off-site backup. This requires that workflows in the User departments be examined, and possibly modified. It also requires that the
Users fully understand the off-site backup cycles.
3. Transaction Re-processing - The Users must have routines for re-processing the lost transactions as expeditiously as possible.
These are not normal system routines, and must be developed in conjunction with the Users to ensure that they can restore the
system to its pre-disaster state without duplication of any completed processes (e.g. re-processing of an Accounts Payable
transaction shouldnt generate another payment if one had already been made).
The process of System Restoration is not something that can be worked out on the fly after a disaster has occurred. It must be
planned, documented, and tested well in advance. System interdependencies must be identified, and the overall effort must be
carefully coordinated to ensure that all affected systems are brought back on stream as cleanly and quickly as possible. All of this
can only be accomplished with active User involvement in the Recovery Planning process.
In the third scenario, the disaster occurred during an active business cycle. In most organizations, it is not acceptable to simply shut
down shop for a few days until the systems are restored. Critical business functions must continue, in one fashion or another,
during the disruption in service. Consequently, the Users must be able to bypass the computer systems and perform these functions
an alternate way. These Bypass Procedures must be developed, on a system by system basis, as follows:
1. Identify Critical Functions - The Users must determine the business functions which need to continue during the outage.
2. Document Bypass Procedures - The Users must develop, and document in detail, the processes to be followed to perform these
critical functions while the systems are unavailable. Depending on the circumstances, these may be manual processes, PC-based
processes, etc.
3. Modify Current Systems - Systems People typically design systems to maximize the Users dependence on those systems. The
Users must work with the Systems People to ensure that sufficient flexibility is built into the systems to make the Bypass
Procedures viable. For example, if the Bypass Procedures are manual, the information required to support those procedures must
be available to the Users in hardcopy form, even if it is normally only available on-line. Similarly, if the procedures are PC-based, the
information must be available on the PC, even if it is normally only available on the mainframe.
Development of Bypass Procedures is rarely given the attention it deserves, by either Users or Systems People. Users have a
tendency to underestimate their dependence on computer systems, and hence overestimate their ability to function in the absence of
those systems. Systems People, on the other hand, seem to have an abhorrence of any form of manual processing: if they cant
program it, they dont want anything to do with it. Both of these tendencies must be overcome. Bypass Procedures cant be
addressed as an afterthought to the development of a computer system; they need to be considered part of the overall system
development process, and must be tested and maintained with the same rigor applied to the computer programs.
Taking a rigorous approach is also important in order to avoid a common oversight with Bypass Procedures. It is not enough to
have a workable bypass; the Users must have a bypass that is workable and that permits an orderly return to normal processing after
the systems have been restored. In other words, the Users must be able to reconcile the restored systems with the manual, or
PC-assisted, processing that was performed while the systems were unavailable. This may seem obvious, but it is often overlooked
or left to the Users to figure out after a disaster, with the result that the return to normal may be much longer than necessary.
As we can see from Exhibit 3, the recovery timeline is starting to get somewhat complicated. It is also clear that the Users are going
to be very busy during the recovery time period. Not only will they need to invoke their Bypass Procedures to ensure the continuity
of critical business functions, they will also need to re-process their lost transactions once the systems have been recovered, and
then reconcile the restored systems with the processing that has been taking place in bypass mode. Obviously, failure to involve the
Users in planning and testing these processes before a disaster takes place, can have disastrous consequences after.
The fourth, and final scenario added one more major wrinkle to the recovery process. In this scenario, the Users did not just lose
their computer systems, they lost access to their place of business. As important as it is to recover these systems, it is even more
important to find replacement office facilities for the Users so that they can begin to maintain critical business functions.
The window between occurrence of the disaster and replacement of the Users office facilities is now the most critical part of the
recovery timeline. (See Exhibit 4). Until the Users are able to return to work, no business can be conducted, even in bypass mode.
This highlights what should have been obvious all along: the most critical components in a Disaster Recovery Plan are not the
computer systems, but the Users. Unless your business has been so highly automated that it does not require this human element
to function, simply recovering the technology will not return the organization to normal operation.
On one level, development of Facility Replacement plans is relatively straightforward. Alternate office space must be identified, an
immediate source of office furnishings and supplies must be determined, a plan for installing replacement terminals and PCs must
be in place, and a strategy for re-instating voice communications must be established. While these are not trivial matters, they only
involve logistical and financial considerations. Nevertheless, these plans must be carefully documented and maintained and the
various procedures reviewed and rehearsed, by those responsible, on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, there is another, more complex level to Facility Replacement planning: the human level. People (i.e. Users) tend to be
creatures of habit. They get up at the same times each morning, take the same routes to work, sit down at the same desks, reach into
the same drawers for their work-in-progress, and begin following the same daily routines. In the event of a disaster, it is bad enough
that their normal routines have been disrupted by the loss of their computer systems. When this is compounded by unfamiliar
surroundings and the loss of their personal files, notes, reference material, etc., it can be positively traumatizing. This can be
avoided, or at least minimized, however, by involving the Users in the planning and rehearsal processes, to give them an opportunity
to prepare themselves psychologically for such an eventuality.
User involvement is also essential to ensure that one final aspect of Facility Replacement planning is properly addressed: Document
Retrieval. In the worst case scenario of loss of both office facilities and computer systems, the Users may be expected to maintain
critical business functions without access either to the information in their computer systems, or in the hard copy documentation
retained at their normal place of work. Unless they have extremely good memories, this can be an impossible task. Consequently,
the Facility Replacement plans must include provision for retrieval, from an alternate source, of backup copies of all essential
The only people that can properly assess what documentation is essential are the Users. Hence, this is a task which must be
assigned to them. It is an interesting task since it forces the Users to take a very close look at what they do, why they do it, and how
they do it. The insights gained from this exercise can prove to be extremely beneficial, not just to Disaster Recovery, but to normal
operations. In any event, identification of the critical documentation is the easy part. The hard part, which requires collaboration
between the Users and Systems People, is development of strategies for backing up and retrieving this documentation. This will
necessitate procedures for duplicating the documentation and storing it off site, either in hard copy format, or on microfiche,
diskette, or other readily useable media.
In Part II of this article, we discussed why user involvement in the Recovery Planning process is mandatory. The unanswered
questions, however, are when to involve them, and how to involve them. In a perfect world, Recovery Planning is not something
you do after a system has been developed, it is something you do while the system is being developed. The development and
implementation of a new computer system is based on the successful collaboration of Users and Systems People, with the Users
providing the business knowledge and the Systems People the technological knowledge. This, then, is the ideal time to involve the
Users in the Recovery Planning process. It requires, however, that both parties recognize that the purpose of their collaboration is
not just to deliver a functionally and technically sound system, but to deliver a system which can be quickly restored in the event of
loss, and which can be temporarily bypassed in order to maintain critical business functions. To deliver such a system, additional
discipline will have to be incorporated into each phase of the development cycle.
Before system design even begins, the Users will have to specify one simple parameter that will be critical to the entire process: the
Disaster Window. The Disaster Window is the maximum length of time, between loss of a system and its return to normal
operation, that can be tolerated without seriously jeopardizing critical business functions. It must be recognized that this window is
not merely the length of time that it will take the Systems People to recover the system, since it must also include the leadtime before
the Recovery Plan is invoked, and the time it will take the Users to restore and reconcile the system. It will also have to allow for any
leadtime for Facility Replacement.
It is important that the Users, not the Systems People, determine the Disaster Window, since they are the ones qualified to assess
the business impact of the systems unavailability. They are also the ones who will have to perform the Bypass Procedures, and the
System Restoration and Reconciliation procedures. It will be necessary for the Users to make trade-offs in setting this window: the
shorter the window, the less disruption to normal operations; the longer the window, the greater the safety margin for the overall
recovery effort. Obviously, the critical business functions which will need to be maintained during the Disaster Window must also
be clearly specified.
With the Disaster Window and critical business functions specified up front, the system can be designed accordingly. The risk of
making a bad design decision, from a Disaster Recovery perspective, is minimized. It also forces the Users to participate actively in
the design process, something which does not always happen in the traditional approach to system development. Some of the key
design issues to be resolved jointly by the Users and Systems People are reviewed below.
1. Backup Cycles
Systems People are very good at designing backup and retrieval mechanisms for system data. However, the focus is usually on the
ability to recover from processing errors. With the Users involvement, backup and retrieval mechanisms can be designed which
focus on the ability to recover from a disaster. This requires establishment of backup cycles based on the requirements of the
business, not just the requirements of the system. It must also be recognized that establishment of the backup cycles is not
necessarily limited to data contained in the computer system. Critical data contained in the Users desks, filing cabinets, PCs, etc.
will also need to be backed up offsite.
2. Transaction Processing
Traditionally, systems are designed to process transactions one way: the normal way. In a disaster scenario, transactions may
have to be processed in an abnormal way, in order to reprocess lost transactions or reconcile the restored system with the
processing that was occurring in Bypass mode. With the Users involvement, the ability to perform this abnormal processing can be
built right intothe system design, rather than attempting to develop add on routines at a later date.
3. Batch Processing
In addition to processing that occurs on-line, most systems also do routine batch processing based on normal business cycles
(e.g. daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). When recovering from a disaster, special batch processing may have to be performed to get the
systems back in sync with the business cycles. Provision for this should be built into a systems design.
4. System Dependence
Systems People have a tendency to over-automate even the most trivial of functions. As a result, Users are frequently locked into
a total dependence on the systems availability unnecessarily. With the Users involvement in design decisions, they can ensure that
they will maintain a measure of control over the system, and retain the flexibility to perform routine (but often critical) functions
without computer assistance. Often this is as simple as ensuring that the Users can look up essential system information via printed
reports, microfiche, etc. in the event that on-line access to the information is unavailable.
5. Bypass Procedures
Traditionally, no one develops a means of bypassing a computer system until long after it has been developed. This is the hard way.
Bypass procedures should be designed at the same time as the computer systems, since the design of the Bypass Procedures can
affect the design of the computer system, and vice versa. Doing both at the same time allows trade-offs to be evaluated, and helps
guard against the unnecessary system dependencies mentioned above. The principal responsibility for design of the Bypass
Procedures belongs with the Users, since they are far better qualified to determine simple, but workable, means of maintaining
critical business functions during the Disaster Window.
6. Distributed Processing
Increasingly, systems development is moving away from the traditional mainframe towards processing that is distributed
throughout client-server networks. In many organizations, new systems tend to be a hybrid of centralized processing on the
mainframe and localized processing on PC/LANs and/or midrange platforms. Designing a system which does part of its processing
centrally, and part locally, can insulate the Users somewhat from the impact of a disaster affecting the central site. User involvement
in determining what processing should be done locally, and what data should be maintained locally, is essential. Before pursuing this
option, however, two things must be remembered: first, a Recovery Plan will have to be developed for the local system as well as
the central system; and, second, if the local system and central system are in the same geographical area,they may both be taken out
by the same disaster.
In the traditional cycle, Users have little involvement in the actual development of the system, but do get involved in testing out the
various components as they are delivered to them by the Systems People. This is to ensure that the components function as
expected. Of course, they rarely do, with the result that they must be sent back to the Systems People for rework.
In the development cycle being espoused here, an interesting symbiotic relationship occurs. While the Systems People are
developing the computerized routines, the Users are developing the bypass routines. Each side has to know what the other is doing
in order to keep their efforts and approaches in sync. The checkout of one set of routines has to be matched to the checkout of
the other set of routines. Hence, the development and testing of the system becomes a much more collaborative effort, likely
producing a better system.
Needless to say, the Users must also be actively involved in development and testing of the various backup and retrieval
mechanisms, and any specialized routines required for the reprocessing of lost transactions and reconciliation of the system after a
disaster. Since these routines will only be exercised during real or simulated disasters, it is important that the Users prepare detailed
instructions on how to use these routines (these instructions must, of course, be backed up offsite).
Implementation of a new system can be a traumatic time for Users and Systems People alike. It marks a transition from one way of
conducting business to another, and, no matter how thorough the testing, the transition rarely goes as smoothly as planned.
However, a system developed via the approach outlined here can be implemented with less trauma, and less risk of disrupting the
business during the implementation, than a system developed via the traditional approach. It is likely, first of all, that increased User
involvement in the development cycle will have produced a better system, with less unanticipated glitches. Secondly, the Users
will be well positioned to cope with any glitches that do arise, since they need only fall back on their Bypass Procedures while the
Systems People make the necessary corrections to the system.
It is almost to be hoped that glitches do arise, since it is essential that the Users exercise their Bypass Procedures under real life
conditions. If they do not arise, then one or more tests of the Bypass Procedures will need to be scheduled. It is, in fact, an
excellent idea to schedule a full scale test of the Users ability to bypass the system for the entire length of time specified for the
Disaster Window. This should be done after the new system has been thoroughly shaken down, but before the system has
become a thoroughly ingrained part of the Users day-to-day routines.
There will likely be some resistance to shutting down a brand new computer system unnecessarily. However, there can be
considerable benefits to such a move: the Systems People can test their ability to recover the system from offsite backups under
simulated disaster conditions; the Users can prove that their Bypass Procedures work under real-life conditions; and both the Users
and Systems People can confirm that the System Restoration and Reconciliation routines work as expected. Most importantly,
however, a highly visible exercise of this nature raises everyones awareness of the importance of Disaster Planning.
In Part III of this article, we looked at involving Users in Recovery Planning during the development cycle for new systems.
Recovery Planning, of course, cannot be confined to new systems only. When an organization first begins development of a
Disaster Recovery Plan, there are usually dozens of critical systems that must be addressed all at once. While it would be nice to
involve the Users of these systems in the Recovery Planning process right from the start, this is rarely practical. Of necessity, the
Systems People must operate somewhat unilaterally, at least initially, to develop plans for recovering these systems from offsite
backup. Since the existing systems were unlikely to have been designed with Disaster Recovery in mind, this may be a rather messy
process, and it may be that the less the Users see at this stage, the better.
However, there is no reason not to involve the Users once the basic recovery requirements have been satisfied. In fact, User
involvement again becomes mandatory, since there is no way that the Systems People, operating in isolation, will be able to develop
Bypass Procedures, and System Restoration and Reconciliation routines. The logical starting point for User involvement is a
detailed review of the backup cycles established by the Systems People, and the sequence of events that would occur during a
recovery effort.
What this review should highlight immediately are the logistics of System Restoration, that is, the reprocessing of transactions
required to restore the system to its status as of the time of the disaster along with any special batch processing required to get the
system back in sync with the normal business cycles. Working together, the Users and Systems People must attempt to optimize
this process. This may involve improvements in the backup cycles, refinements in the Users normal workflows, and modifications
to the system to facilitate reentry of lost transactions and re-synchronization of batch processing cycles. The result of this exercise
should be a thorough understanding, by the Users, of the System Recovery and Restoration processes, and incorporation of these
processes into the overall recovery timeframe.
With this timeframe established, the Users now have an appreciation for the length of time that their system may be out of
commission. They now must turn their attention to the development of Bypass Procedures required to maintain critical business
functions during the outage. However, this must be a collaborative effort, since it is likely that the Systems People will have to make
modifications to the system to support these procedures. At the very least, the Systems People will have to ensure that the Users
have the capability of reconciling the system with any processing that may occur in Bypass Mode.
As with new systems, it may be highly desirable, at this stage, to test the Users ability to function in Bypass Mode for a period of
time. Again, there may be resistance to this move, but it is truly the proof of the pudding. If the Users, or their management, want
assurance that they can survive an extended system outage, there is really no alternative. It is far better to confirm the viability of the
Bypass Procedures under controlled, pre-planned circumstances, with the computer system still available to fall back on, than under
the do-or-die circumstances of a real-life disaster.
The mere fact that such a test is even being considered can have a tremendous psychological effect. Many people, Users and
Systems People alike, have difficulty in taking Disaster Planning seriously, and simply go through the motions. Many a Bypass
Procedure has been developed, to satisfy some silly Audit requirement, without giving any serious consideration to the
procedures viability. It is amazing how much more attention to detail will be paid if it is known that the procedure may actually have
to be used!
This psychological effect can also get the Users thinking beyond just the issue of computer system recovery. Once they have
accepted the possibility of a disaster putting their systems out of commission, it does not require a giant mental leap to consider the
possibility of a disaster putting their office facilities out of commission. This may then prompt them to begin taking stock of all their
resources that either need to be backed up offsite or replaced in the event of disaster. If enough User departments start thinking
proactively about this issue, it should start creating pressure, from the bottom up, to develop formal Facility Replacement plans.
This, of course, is really what User involvement in Recovery Planning is all about - to get the Users on the DRP bandwagon so that
effective Recovery Plans are being demanded by them, not inflicted on them.
The last area of User involvement that will be discussed is, in all likelihood, the first area that would actually be addressed. This is
User involvement in the regularly scheduled tests, of the overall Recovery Plan, conducted by the Systems People. In the traditional
top-down approach to DRP, the I.S.. department typically reaches the Scheduled Testing stage long before anyone considers
involving the Users via the processes outlined in the preceding sections. This is not entirely unreasonable, since preliminary testing
efforts are usually focused, not on recovery of the Users systems, but on recovery of the hardware and software platforms, and the
telecommunications networks.
Once testing has progressed beyond these high level components of the plan, however, there is no longer any justification for
ignoring the Users. In fact, these Scheduled Tests provide an excellent opportunity to introduce the Users to the wonderful world of
Disaster Recovery Planning. A full-scale recovery test is actually a very impressive event, given the huge number of tasks that must
be performed with clockwork precision. Publicizing these tests, through formal presentations to the User community, cannot fail to
have a significant impact. Even though the technical details may be lost on them, a step-by-step review of the sequence of events
that must occur during a test is bound to impress the Users with the effort that goes into protecting their computer systems from
loss. This can be reinforced if desired, by arranging for key Users to tour the alternate processing facility and offsite storage facility.
Having thus created an awareness of these tests in the User community, the next step is to involve them in the process. This should
begin with participation in the checkout of System Recovery. Two of the major goals of Scheduled Testing are, firstly, to verify that
the Users systems can be properly recovered from the offsite backups, and, secondly, to verify that the systems function normally
under the new environment. This requires execution of a specific test plan for each system, and verification of the results. The Users
should be given the opportunity to participate in the development of these test plans before the test, and evaluation of the test results
after the test.
As the Users become familiar with the testing process, they should then be given the opportunity to participate during the test.
Working out of their normal offices (at least initially), they would perform the checkout on-line, providing a more timely verification,
and one that more closely approximates real-life conditions. This would also provide them with the opportunity to test out their
ability to reprocess lost transactions. In subsequent tests, they could do their checkout from different locations, giving them a
chance to assess the implications of losing their normal office facilities.
As User involvement in Scheduled Testing grows, it is reasonable to expect that they will go beyond being mere participants. The
Users will likely begin setting their own test objectives, focused on resolving business issues, not technological issues. The testing
will also become more integrated, as Users begin working with Users to address the implications of recovering multiple interrelated
systems at the same time. Eventually, the testing may evolve to a two-team structure, with one DRP team planning and coordinating
the efforts of the people responsible for the technology (i.e. the Systems People), and another DRP team planning and coordinating
the efforts of the people responsible for the business (i.e. the Users).
Scheduled Tests are major events, involving considerable expenditure of time and money. Involving Users in these tests will make
them even bigger, and more expensive, events. However, it is an expense with real payback, not just in terms of disaster
preparedness, but in terms of effective utilization of technology. Once the Users have been converted to the discipline of Disaster
Planning, they will, inevitably, view their computer systems in a new light. No longer will they accept systems developed via the
traditional approach, or tolerate recovery exposures in their existing systems. They will insist upon systems being designed, or
re-engineered, to ensure recoverability and the continuity of critical business functions. The result will be better systems.
Disaster Recovery Planning is a discipline that needs to address far more than just an organizations computer technology. There are
many types of disasters that can afflict an organization, and the ability to survive any such eventuality depends upon addressing
DRP from the overall business perspective, not just the computer perspective. An increasing awareness of this fact can be seen in
the gradual replacement of the term Disaster Recovery Planning with terms like Business Resumption Planning and Business
Continuity Planning, labels which clearly place the emphasis on the business.
Nevertheless, recovery of computer technology remains a critical component of Disaster Planning, and is the area that most
organizations address first. This is not illogical, provided that the planning efforts do not stop once the technological issues have
been addressed. The way to ensure this is to bring the Users of the technology into the equation. The Users must become active
players in the planning and execution of regularly scheduled tests, and must share accountability, with the Systems People, for the
recoverability of their computer systems. They must also accept full accountability for the continuity of critical business functions,
and must take a proactive role in tackling the non-technology issues associated with Disaster Planning.
Recovery Planning cannot afford to be the exclusive domain of the Systems People. If they choose to make it so, by failing to bring
the actual Users of the systems into the process, the impact on the organization may be disastrous.
David A. Johnson is President of the Toronto Chapter of the Disaster Recovery Information Exchange, and a member of Disaster Recovery Journals Editorial Advisory Board.
DR World Main Index | Return to DRJ's Homepage
Disaster Recovery World© 1999, and Disaster Recovery Journal©
1999, are copyrighted by Systems Support, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or part is prohibited without the express written permission form
Systems Support, Inc.


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The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America and their descendants. Pueblos indígenas (indigenous peoples) is a common term in Spanish-speaking countries. Aborigen (aboriginal/native) is used in Argentina, while "Amerindian" is used in Guyana but not commonly used in other countries. Indigenous peoples are commonly known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, which include First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. Indigenous peoples of the United States are commonly known as Native Americans or American Indians, and Alaskan Natives.
According to a prevailing New World migration model, migrations of humans from Eurasia to the Americas took place via Beringia, a land bridge which connected the two continents across what is now the Bering Strait. The most recent migration could have taken place around 12,000 years ago, with the earliest period remaining a matter of some unresolved contention. These early Paleo-Indians soon spread throughout the Americas, diversifying into many hundreds of culturally distinct nations and tribes. According to the oral histories of many of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, they have been living there since their genesis, described by a wide range of traditional creation accounts.


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Take away the private jets, the screaming throngs, the relationship with the Obamas, the rich rapper husband, the stage extravaganzas, the glam squad, the luxury vacations, and Beyonce and I are a pretty much living parallel lives.
We're both just sweet, simple hard-working, God-fearing gals trying to figure out and make our way through this crazy thing called life.
That's what I gleaned from "Beyonce: Life Is But a Dream" (9 p.m. Saturday, HBO), the about 30-minutes-too-long documentary produced, directed by and starring Bey. The superstar perfectionist wants us to witness a time of change and growth in her life, when she took the reigns of her career and truly became the independent woman of whom she often sings.
Bey starts her story by showing us the Houston home she grew up in. It's nothing like the Marcy Projects of hubby's Jay-Z's youth; it's pretty dang nice. She has memories of popsicles and sunshine and her dad. The dad part is important; the film, in part, is about growing up and sadly, it seems, away from her father. Seems poppa Matthew Knowles didn't take her firing him as her manager well, despite the fact that it was for loving reasons. She wanted him to just be her dad. Her longing for and sadness over that lost relationship is genuinely sad.
The film is a mix of concert footage, home videos (past and present) and Bey sharing her video diary; apparently when she has no one to talk to she talks into her computer. That seems to happen a lot.
We don't hear much from Jay-Z, although he and Bey seem to sing together fairly often, and it's clear she adores him. She's now on record for saying that Jay taught her how to be a woman. And an artist too.
And WE GET TO SEE BLUE IVY'S FACE! Or at least what she looked like during the early months of her first year. She's cute.
"Life Is But A Dream" was conceived, I believe, as our most personal look at Beyonce ever, but I think you'll leave where you started. Unless you didn't know that sometimes Beyonce might be sad, or confused or that money doesn't eliminate all your problems (raise your hand if you'd rather be rich with problems versus poor with problems), you won't leave really knowing anything about her. What do she and Jay talk about? Is there a part of the world she'd like to visit? If she wasn't a performer,w what would she have done? What's her worst fear? Her favorite color? What was all that Destiny Child's stuff really about? I can't tell if Beyonce is so practiced at the art of seeming to reveal without actually revealing that she thinks revealing she's human is revelatory, if she really thinks we don't think she is human and so this fairly superficial stuff is illuminating or if this is as interesting and introspective as she gets.
Overall, like many diaries, "Life Is But A Dream" is full of the kind of stuff that seems profound to the teller, but not to you, and maybe with time, not all that profound to the teller. It's awfully sincere though, and Beyonce, even when she gets a little tough with the help (when she's putting together the show) seems kind and delightfully grateful for the special life she's getting to live.
I don't happen to think it's a bad thing to imagine that there's something spectacularly different about those who live these extraordinary lives versus the rest of us. I get that Beyonce is human, but I don't mind thinking she's superhuman too; that it's not just her voice, hard work and luck that separates us. When you're broke, there's something comforting about believing money could solve all your problems, that stars of stage and screen aren't like us. For Beyonce "Life Is But A Dream" means life is a dream come true. As a fan, I just like dreaming of a life like hers.


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It looks like we have the making of a thing on our hands here. Following EA's Origin promotion, which promised a free copy of Dead Space 2 for those who pre-ordered Battlefield 3, it's now employing a similar strategy with Mass Effect 3. We've dubbed it The Leapfrog Initiative™.
Anyone who pre-orders Mass Effect 3 through the publisher's digital distribution platform will get a free copy of Battlefield 3. And even though we expressly mentioned Origin in the first paragraph, we'll say it again: this is a PC promotion only. Don't go thinking EA is going to mail you a PS3 copy of Battlefield 3 or anything.
Interested parties can head over to the Origin site. Everyone else, you can safely go back to playing the Mass Effect 3 demo.
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Dal Moro Gallery Hotel
Travel Blogs from Santa Maria degli Angeli
This morning was a leisurely 2 hour drive through rolling countryside to the Hotel Dal Moro in Santa Maria degli Angeli which is close to Assisi. The hotel is quite modern even though it seems to have been put together from a couple of buildings because there are changes with various levels.
There was a street market by the hotel so we …
Gubbio (said Goo-Bee-Oh)
... Um-Bertie-Day (?)) to get some groceries. After that 'exciting' experience, we drove back to the villa, and ate dinner. Dads just told us about how we should shake out our shoes before putting them on, not leave anything but books on our dresser, and shake our clothes before we put them on, just in case we find a scorpion hiding away! I'm a bit nervous now. Thanks a lot dad.
Got to go check my bed for scorpions.
Milan to Perigia
... for airport in Florence and then got onto auto strada (freeway). Heading in right direction we arrived around 4.30 pm after a deviation to another factory outlet. This is the night we stay in a castle "under the Tuscan sun"! The photos hopefully give you a better picture than my ...
Snakes and scorpions
... it said in one of the guide things that there are grass snakes, vipers, and scorpions (okay. Admittedly the scorpions are only 3 cm long, and grass snakes are harmless, but still...)! We walked up through the grass in blistering heat, until (finally!) we got to the fence that bordered the driveway. I had no idea how we were all going to get across, but then dad gave us all a ...
The Villa
... they were the floating mountains from Avatar (but they obviously weren't floating in mid-air.). We then drove, and drove, and drove, until we came to Umbertide, the village 8km away from the villa. We tried to find a supermarket, but no luck, so we started walking back to the car, and about 200 meters from the car, huh guess what? We found a supermarket! So we bought some food (mum wouldn't let me get M'n'M's. disgraceful.), ...
- Suites
- Shuttle bus service
- Adjoining Rooms
- Continental Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Room service


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Harper Avery Award
1,635pages on
this wiki
this wiki
The Harper Avery is a fictional, famous medical award.
Winners Edit
- Ellis Grey (twice)
- Preston Burke
- Margaret Goodwin
Notes and TriviaEdit
- Erica Hahn was one of the considered applicants for the award for 2008 or 2009. Unfortunately for her, her rival Preston Burke won instead. Erica Hahn decided that it was because it was a big men's club, it didn't make sense because she worked harder and published more.
- Cristina was a very big help to Preston Burke but Burke did not mention her anywhere in the article.
- The Harper Avery was named after Shonda Rhimes' daughter Harper.
- When she didn't get her promotion, Callie Torres told the Chief she would win the Harper Avery Award and he would "rue the day."
- Dr. Jackson Avery is the grandson of Harper Avery.
- Cristina Yang embarrasses herself in front of Harper Avery when he came in after an accident, by misdiagnosing him.
- In season 7, Jackson Avery stepped out of the Chief's clinical trial, because he felt that it had a shot to win the award, but he was afraid that if his name was on it, he'd ruin Richard's chances.


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Newark >
Beauty > Clara Bella DesignsMonday: 10am-7:30pm
Tuesday: 10am-7:30pm
Wednesday: 10am-7:30pm
Thursday: 10am-7:30pm
Friday: 9am-6:30pm
Saturday: 9am-4:30pm
Sunday: Closed
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Earth Plaster- Historical Overview and Current Uses (2 LU)
May 30 2013
SF Design Center Gallery
101 Henry Adams Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
This seminar covers the history of earth plaster and how it has been used in different places in the world by different cultures, and how earth plaster has a 'modern come back' and is extremely relevant for current building techniques.
Earth plaster is not only relevant for the 'green minded' architects and clients- it is also gorgeous and can fit any style of architecture, including ultra modern.
About the Speaker
Orit Yanai is a local san francisco artisan who specializes in natural plaster for interior and exterior applications. She is LEED ap and has been giving lectures, workshops, and seminars on 'green' building matters for over 10 years.


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Ely.... ;_; You did well, thank you! Now, with kattobingu, we the town shall win this once and for all!
VOTE: Sunburn.
Ely.... ;_; You did well, thank you! Now, with kattobingu, we the town shall win this once and for all!
VOTE: Sunburn.
Um... o__O can you explain why you're voting for me? Elysion checked me and I came up town; I've claimed to a mason, and I've been actively trying to help the town for the last few phases.
You're the godfather. I am 99% postitive. You claimed doublevoter. Ryoga claimed doublevoter. I trust Ryoga, and you counter-claimed with her.
And if we really want to test this out, then how about you both vote each other and see who's lying?
Yes, I did claim doublevoter, since that's the role I was given :P obviously one of us is lying, and one of us is the godfather. At least if I'm lynched, I'll turn up as town, and you'll know who the real godfather is.
Sure haha, there isn't much else I can do at this point I guess. If the results stay as they are, and there is a tie, then you know who to vote for during the next day phase c:
VOTE: Ryoga Kamishiro
Alrighty then.
UNVOTE: Sunburn.
Remember, NO ONE ELSE VOTE. This will assure some kind of gain.
Alright :) at least if she doesn't turn out to be the godfather (assuming she votes against me here, and no one else votes) you'll know I'm the doublevoter and not the godfather.
but what if there's a town double voter and a mafia double voter? just pointing that out, one of you is mafia, but double voter isn't a wise fakeclaim because it can be easily tested.
Hmm, that could be a possibility, but would the godfather also have double voting abilities as well as the basic abilities? It's definitely possible, but we don't really have a lot of options as to how to tell which of us is mafia. The other way would be to flood the votes for me or Ryoga, and if a townie was lynched today, you'd know who the mafia was.
Vote: Ryoga Kamishiro
All right, if you're not the last mafioso, Sunburn is.
Wait, why is there a vote on Ryoga? I thought I said that they should both vote each other. :/
What if they're both double voters but one is mafia? :/ There'd be a tie, the mafia would get a free kill, and we'd be none the wiser. Double voter is such an odd fake claim, since it can be proven so easily.
True, but to be honest, I trust Ryoga to be town and Sunburn to be the godfather. After all, I don't recall Sunburn voting with us as much, he's been more quiet. Ryoga has openly voted out mafioso eagerly. If we're going to test this, then I say we do it against him.
So you think I'M the one lying? No, I'm a TOWN double voter. I don't know how to prove otherwise, but if you are choosing to get rid of me instead, then you guys are all wrong. Who's been voting alongside Town? Me. I don't recall Sunburn even doing much.
Vote: Sunburn
Like I said, I've mostly been trying to observe, as this is my second game ever. However, I know enough about this that I realize there's no way that two town doublevoter roles would be given out. It's either one or the other. Lynching me would be a mistake, but as of now you only have our two claims and your guts to go with, so make your own decisions as you will. Just make sure there isn't a tie in votes, assuming we are both double voters like we claim to be, otherwise the town will have accomplished nothing during this phase.


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We ordered some Carribbean food as a treat for lunch. and were told that it would take around an hour. After 3/4 of an hour we were telephoned to be told that there would be a further delay. I appreciated this as it gave us the opportunity to cancel. The food eventually arrived, piping hot and very tasty. We were pleased we had waited.
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i have some questions regarding DataFlow Import of product data. Is it possible to start import of profile by a cronjob? Standard import of products works for me but i ask myself how to add categories to importet produkct during the import? How can i store categorie informations in xml or csv import file? And how to config profile to import categorie(s)?
It actually does not work. It is not possible to import categories or stock levels. We all hope for an update of magento dataflow. At the moment only product import into predefined categories seems to work.
I'm stuck with it too. Managing categories is still not 100% flexibile.
I'm just making a guess at this, but I imagine that categories will be handled with future releases. For 0.8.161, if you look under app/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Convert/Adapter there is a partially finished adapter for categories, which would leave me to believe that it is coming in the near future. As for the stock levels, I have found that this is supported with the current product parser and adapter using csv. I have not tried it with xml. In your csv file, create a column called qty and put in the appropriate stock levels and they should update. Looking at the code for the product parser, it also appears that further inventory fields will be supported, such as min_qty, is_in_stock etc, but we have not tried to use any of these.
dan_w - 03 March 2008 06:08 AMI'm just making a guess at this, but I imagine that categories will be handled with future releases.
I'm just making a guess at this, but I imagine that categories will be handled with future releases.
YoavKutner claimed that dataflow function is gonna be improved in the future (read here)
thanks for your informations… hope this will be implemented in rc1 or final!
i wrote a simple snippet to do some import via a cronjob, http://www.magentocommerce.com/boards/viewthread/4694/ just try it and tell me what you think, actually, image relation to thumbnail, small_image is not properly done but it almost work, Just give a try a leave a message if this work for you


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This page contains Cheats for Dog Monster organized by sections for iPhone - iPod. Dog Monster is a Action General game, made by Brite Kids, released on Feb 20, 2013 and published by Brite Kids. If you can't find a hint or secret in our list, then please check this page periodically for the latest updates. Note: This apple iPhone game app may also be compatible with the game app for apple iPad.
Dog Monster iPhone - iPod Cheats
Run, jump, smash and unleash the monster!Dogs love chasing cars and this time its full of yummy food. Avoid flying fruits, collect coins and turn your cute pet into a hungry DOG MONSTER. This is where the real rampage begins, smashing everything in it's path, Dog Monster wants that truck so that he can smash it up as well!Dog Monster is a hilarious kid friendly game that is simple, yet addictive and features lots of funny and lovable characters. PLAY MULTIPLAYER! Enjoy Dog Monster with your friends online , you can play competitive multiplayer via Game Center, or have your friends over and play via Bluetooth!Available for iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, iPod Touch, iPad and iPad Mini. HIGHLIGHTS:- tons of missions to complete- lots of cool upgrades and different visual styles- chase the truck by day or at night- full gamecenter support- multiplayer via Game Center of Bluetooth- share your best results with your friends on Facebook or Twitter
- Developer: Brite Kids
- Publisher: Brite Kids
- Genre: Action General
- Release Date: Feb 20, 2013
- ESRB: Not Set
Don't forget to Bookmark this page for the latest Dog Monster Cheats. At this moment there are no cheats or walkthroughs available for Dog Monster. If you know cheats, secrets, hints or glitches for this game then please Submit them.
Stuck on this game? Set a specific, clearly defined question and let others answer your question or view answers to previously asked questions. If you think you are an Dog Monster expert then please try to help others with their questions.
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PORTLAND, OR: Sterling Bank has named Lane PR its first PR AOR as it attempts to fight negative perceptions of the financial services industry and connect with local communities.
Sterling selected Lane after an informal review because of the agency's experience in financial services and in the markets where the bank operates, said Marty Dickinson, EVP of marketing and communications.
Starting December 1, Lane will help Sterling with local and national media relations, digital services, and creative campaign development. A ...
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BeerAdvocate on your phone?! True story. Try the beta now.
Tickets for American Craft Beer Fest are on sale now! (May 30 & 31 in Boston, MA)
Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse. |
Ratings: 2,003 | Reviews: 519 | Show All Ratings:
Reviews by Chiefy770:
3.43/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a Pilsner glass.
A: Pours to a hazy and yellow color. Not much head.
S: A noticeable hit of lemons. A beer smell is lingering behind the lemons but the lemon dominates.
T: I enjoyed the taste. My friends and I joke that this is the Arnold Palmer of beers. It has a straight-forward taste of lemonade and is accompanied by beer. The lemonade dominates the taste.
M: Crisp and refreshing. Fairly carbonated.
Overall this is a beer that I grab on a hot summer day. It goes down easy and really satisfies your thirst. My only complaint is that it is a bit too sweet. Drinkers who do not like flavored beers should avoid this.
Serving type: bottle
10-02-2011 02:45:33 | More by Chiefy770
More User Reviews:
4.4/5 rDev +40.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours a light head, amber colored - aroma has a definite lemon smell.
Undertones of the wheat base but a crisp lemon after-taste. Not over-powering; doesn't linger long. Not too fruity as some of these beers can be. Leinies got this one right. Best served ice-cold.
Serving type: bottle
02-23-2014 07:16:37 | More by billybeerlvr
Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy from Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
out of 100
based on 2,003 ratings.


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Pearson comment has gone to far " win at all cost within the rules of the game only,is the way to play the game. He is correct about going after RG111. You can beat anybody in the game if you can take the QB out of the equation.Dallas loss to New Orleans Saints because Breeze had no pressure put on him , so he was able to pick the defence apart as is true with any fair QB let alone a superstar like DREW Breeze.Beat the QB YOU BEAT THE TEAM. A snake without a head is ineffective.Period,enought said...
Found December 27, 2012 on
Players View:
The funny thing about ex-football players is that they can kickback from the sidelines, the luxury box or the leather recliner and direct a laundry list of absurd requests aimed at their former team. ô
Dallas Cowboys legend Drew Pearson has now become ã that guy.ã
Please Click Here To Read This Story.
Original Story:
Elementary school kids sing cute RG3 Christmas carol (Video)
Robert Griffin III says heãll have more freedom against the Cowboys
Mike Shanahan: Robert Griffin IIIãs level of play is unprecedented in NFL history
Robert Griffin III, Sheriff of Rock Ridge
Mike Shanahan says no one in NFL history has played on RG3ãýs level
RG3 Christmas Carol (VIDEO)
RG3 crashes coach's news conference
Cowboys expecting more dynamic plays from RG3
Cowboys LB hopes to bring the pain to RG III
Redskins Would Expect High Draft Pick For Cousins
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Man-throwin' Danny Bonaduce is fumin' over a recent nude pic that showed the little guy and his -- little guy. In fact, the former Partridge is so steamed about his Internet circulated bird shot, he's decided to show the world what he's really made of -- in the March issue of Penthouse. Can Danny improve on nature?
A rep from Penthouse confirmed to TMZ that Danny did an interview with Chaunce Hayden, and, God help us, a photo shoot. The issue features the Pet of the Year -- and subscribers are sure to get a little more bang for their buck.
Everybody knows, and surely Danny must have figured it out BY NOW that steroid use causes not only that hideous face he sports (anybody seen Sly stallone lately? These two are what the Guillotine was invented for!!) but steroids ALSO cause the itty bitty peter pecker problem...just take a good close gander at those "hunks" in tight "not even there" tiny "suits" who do body building contests...you will see NOTHING where a bulge should be. Bulges of hideous dimensions, ready to burst from the skin and annihilate the earth are ALL OVER their body, but just TRY to find one where you might want one most...NADA!!
Poor Danny the ugly, drunkard goat, wondering why-oh-why his wife wasn't "happy" and never "wanted him"...
Hey c**kless wonder....
-no TOOL,
-you fool,
-no PLAY in wifey's pool!!
Maybe if you knew how to use the STUB that you have left
after you have obliterated BOTH your heads with steroids
she might have shown the SLIGHTEST bit of interest....
Forrest Gump could figure THIS one out:
"Selfish is as selfish does"
"Sex with Danny is like a box of chocolates...
a thin brittle shell on the outside...
and something sticky that leaks all over you
waaaay too soon (before you're ready)
on the inside..."
Happy Pumping Danny....
oh, I don't mean SEXUALLY of course...THAT would be out of the question
given your "condition" and all...
I mean happy pumping from the steroid needle that gives you such an attractive
Goatface....BLAAAAATTTT BLAAAAATTTTTTT
What kind of moron trying to prove his 'manhood' poses for other men?!?!
Is Playgirl not in publication anymore? It'll make the internet anyway, and that's what he wants, apparently.
I saw the picture of the "sparrow" on Perez a month ago. The ONLY thing that will help THAT mess of a man is a penis extention. Ladies, unless you want to HATE the male anatomy, DONT LOOK AT A NAKED BONADUCE.
This lowlife butthole really needs to go crawl back under his rock. I didn't know they gave little girls pee pees!
It MUST be a shrinkage thing. That thang is a joke! Check out Perez Hilton's site if you want to see "it".
i'm really sorry about that creating that guy, but trust me, the better parts ended up running down his mommy's leg. i'll be giving him a yeast infection later this week.


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The American Cancer Society asks, "Are you older than 50? Are you African American? Do you have a father, brother, or son who was diagnosed with prostate cancer before they were 65? Do you eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products and tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables? Are you overweight?" If the answer to any question is "yes", you may be at risk for prostate cancer. For more details, visit www.cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345 (1-800-ACS-2345).
2362 U.S. Hwy 11 Moselle, MS 39459 1-800-844-WDAM (9326) Email Us FCC Public File firstname.lastname@example.com EEO Report Closed Captioning Children's Programming


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By Lisa Johnston
New products on display at the American International Toy Fair, held in N
In order to help consumers further enjoy the ease and convenience of digital photography, Allsop is introducing a new line of home storage products.
Called photo disc storage boxes and photo-disc albums, 11 SKUs in this photo-disc storage assortment include a variety of color, style and size options that coordinate with the company's lifestyle collections of decorative media storage and computer accessories.
Storage boxes and albums can be used by scrap-booking hobbyists or anyone looking to safely, securely and fashionably store digital-photo discs. The functional albums, which help reduce home or office clutter, make disc location easy, said Allsop. The line's decorative appeal also provides continuity within home or office décor.
The photo-disc album 20 in gray or blue holds and protects discs from scratches. Discs are placed in flexible pages with a title card on the spine for personalization and identification of contents. This allows users to create themed collections using multiple albums. Suggested retail is $7.99.
Photo-disc storage boxes protect and organize discs contained in plastic jewel cases or paper sleeves. The photo-disc storage 18 in black and white is $8.99 suggested retail. The same box in fabric black and fabric natural has a suggested $12.99 retail.
Other disc storage solutions include the photo-disc album 32 in brown faux leather, at $24.99. This can coordinate with the Allsop Contemporary Classics collection of media storage and computer accessories for a larger decorative statement.
In the spirit of its Family Portrait collection, Allsop is offering the photo-disc album 32 fabric black and fabric natural at $13.99. Another version is the photo-disc album black and white, at $10.99, matching the style and look of the company's Vivid collection.
Matching photo-disc storage boxes also tie into these decorative collections, whereby consumers can mix and match the photo albums and boxes with other media storage accessories to create an organized digital-age home that also is stylish, said Allsop.
The photo disc storage boxes and albums had been scheduled for spring shipment.
This TWICE webinar, hosted by senior editor Alan Wolf, will take a look at what may be the hottest CE products at retail that will be sold during the all-important fourth quarter. Top technologies, market strategies and industry trends will be discussed with industry analysts and executives.


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Steinbach Nutcracker Graduate - Retired - Signed by Karla Steinbach
Item#: HN-PPC445Sorry, this item is currently
Out Of Stock
Product Summary
School may be out of session during the holidays, but this nutcracker will serve as a reminder of the joy of education. This charming little guy is dressed in a cap and gown and comes holding a book, making this the perfect gift for recent graduates and/or scholars. Handcrafted in Germany from solid wood and signed by the artist, this decoration will stay intact and remain valuable for many graduations to come. At 18 inches in height, this wooden graduate will make an eye-catching decoration in your living room or classroom.
- Beautifully hand-carved in Germany from sturdy wood
- A fantastic present for any scholar or graduate
- Has a personalized signature of the artist
- Made specially by the Steinbach company
- Height measures 18 in.
What's Included
About Steinbach
Steinbach is recognized for the unique design of its wood-carved creations developed many years ago by Herr Christian Steinbach. The Steinbach family started making nutcrackers and other items in the 1800s in the Alpine regions of Germany. The tradition of creating hand-carved Steinbach German Nutcrackers is carried on by the Steinbach family, which remains responsible for the product concept development, design, manufacture, and quality control at the Hohenhameln factory in the northern region of Germany.
Steinbach items are highly collectible. If you are starting a new collection or adding to your existing collection, you will love these unique masterpieces. These treasured collectibles are handed down from generation to generation.
The Making of Steinbach Nutcrackers
Each Steinbach nutcracker is produced using up to 130 separate procedures. Genuine hardwood is cut and shaped into specific sizes and parts. The wood is then turned by hand, using an ancient process that creates smooth, clean surfaces. The pieces are lathed, polished, and drilled before they are turned over to experienced craftsmen who prime and spray them repeatedly, alternating the process with drying to produce an even tone. Carving comes next; wood-carving artisans use knives and finely honed skill to add personality and detail to the pieces. Finally, the painters take over; trained German artists paint these nutcrackers freehand. The result is a truly unique, one-of-a-kind product that is a must-have for collectors and art lovers alike.
Dimensions & Specifications
Limited Editions
Height (in.)
Nutcracker Themes
All Other Nutcrackers