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Category Archives: Big Data
Is it the CDO or CAO or Someone Else?
A month ago, I shared that Frank Friedman believes CFOs are "the logical choice to own analytics and put them to work to serve the organization's needs". Even though many CFOs are increasingly taking on what could be considered an internal CEO or COO role, many readers protested my post which focused on reviewing Frank Friedman's argument. At the same time, CIOs have been very clear with me that they do not want to personally become their company's data steward. So the question becomes should companies be creating a CDO or CAO role to lead this important function? And if yes, how common are these two roles anyway?
Regardless of eventual ownership, extracting value out of data is becoming a critical business capability. It is clear that data scientists should not be shoe horned into the traditional business analyst role. Data Scientists have the unique ability to derive mathematical models "for the extraction of knowledge from data "(Data Science for Business, Foster Provost, 2013, pg 2). For this reason, Thomas Davenport claims that data scientists need to be able to network across an entire business and be able to work at the intersection of business goals, constraints, processes, available data and analytical possibilities. Given this, many organizations today are starting to experiment with the notion of having either a chief data officers (CDOs) or chief analytics officers (CAOs). The open questions is should an enterprise have a CDO or a CAO or both? And as important in the end, it is important to determine where should each of these roles report in the organization?
Data policy versus business questions
In my opinion, it is the critical to first look into the substance of each role before making a decision with regards to the above question. The CDO should be about ensuring that information is properly secured, stored, transmitted or destroyed. This includes, according to COBIT 5, that there are effective security and controls over information systems. To do this, procedures need to be defined and implemented to ensure the integrity and consistency of information stored in databases, data warehouses, and data archives. According to COBIT 5, data governance requires the following four elements:
- Clear information ownership
- Timely, correct information
- Clear enterprise architecture and efficiency
- Compliance and security
To me, these four elements should be the essence of the CDO role. Having said this, the CAO is related but very different in terms of the nature of the role and the business skills require. The CRISP model points out just how different the two roles are. According to CRISP, the CAO role should be focused upon business understanding, data understanding, data preparation, data modeling, and data evaluation. As such the CAO is focused upon using data to solve business problems while the CDO is about protecting data as a business critical asset. I was living in in Silicon Valley during the "Internet Bust". I remember seeing very few job descriptions and few job descriptions that existed said that they wanted a developer who could also act as a product manager and do some marketing as a part time activity. This of course made no sense. I feel the same way about the idea of combining the CDO and CAO. One is about compliance and protecting data and the other is about solving business problems with data. Peanut butter and chocolate may work in a Reese's cup but it will not work here—the orientations are too different.
So which business leader should own the CDO and CAO?
Clearly, having two more C's in the C-Suite creates a more crowded list of corporate officers. Some have even said that this will extended what is called senior executive bloat. And what of course how do these new roles work with and impact the CIO? The answer depends on organization's culture, of course. However, where there isn't an executive staff office, I suggest that these roles go to different places. Clearly, many companies already have their CIO function already reporting to finance. Where this is the case, it is important determine whether a COO function is in place. The COO clearly could own the CDO and CAO functions because they have a significant role in improving process processes and capabilities. Where there isn't a COO function and the CIO reports to the CEO, I think you could have the CDO report to the CIO even though CIOs say they do not want to be a data steward. This could be a third function in parallel the VP of Ops and VP of Apps. And in this case, I would put the CAO report to one of the following: the CFO, Strategy, or IT. Again this all depends on current organizational structure and corporate culture. Regardless of where it reports, the important thing is to focus the CAO on an enterprise analytics capability.
Related Blogs
Should we still be calling it Big Data?
Is Big Data Destined To Become Small And Vertical?
What is big data and why should your business care?
Author Twitter: @MylesSuer
There are Three Kinds of Lies: Lies, Damned lies, and Data
Not so long ago, Google created a Web site to figure out just how many people had influenza. How they did this was by tracking "flu-related search queries", "location of the query," and applied it to an estimation algorithm. According to the website, at the flu season's peak in January, nearly 11 percent of the United States population may have influenza. This means that nearly 44 million of us will have had the flu or flu-like symptoms. In its weekly report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put this at 5.6%, which means that less than 23 million of us actually went to the doctor's office to be tested for flu or to get a flu-shot.
Now, imagine if I were a drug manufacturer. There is a theory about what went wrong. The problems may be due to widespread media coverage of this year's flu season. Then add social media, which helped news of the flu spread quicker than the virus itself. In other words, the algorithm is looking only at the numbers, not at the context of the search results.
In today's digitally connected world, data is everywhere: in our phones, search queries, friendships, dating profiles, cars, food, and reading habits. Almost everything we touch is part of a larger data set. The people and companies that interpret the data may fail to apply background and outside conditions to the numbers they capture.
Now, while we build our big data repositories, we have to spend some time to explain how we collected the data and under what context.
Twitter @bigdatabeat
Half of Healthcare Execs Have Analytics Initiatives
I understand that fighting for budget and time to implement analytics is a challenge with all the changes happening in healthcare (ICD-10, M&A, etc.). But hospitals using analytics to drive Value-based care are leading healthcare reform and setting a higher bar for quality of service. Value-based care promises quicker recoveries, fewer readmissions, lower infection rates, and fewer medical errors – something we all want as consumers.
In order to truly achieve value-based care, analytics is a must have. If you are looking for the business case or inspiration for the business driver, here are a few ideas:
- In surgery, do you have the data to show how many patients had lower complication rates and higher long-term survival rates? Do you have that data across the different surgical procedures you offer?
- Do you have data to benchmark your practice quality? How do you compare to other practices in terms of infection rates? Can you use that data to promote your services from a marketing perspective?
- Do you know how much a readmission is costing your hospital?
- From a finance perspective, have you adopted best practices from other industries with respect to supply-chain management or cost optimization strategies?
If you don't have the expertise, there are plenty of consulting organizations who specialize in implementing analytics to provide insight to make the transition to value-based care and pricing.
We are always going to be facing limited budgets, the day will always have 24 hours in it, and organizations are constantly changing as new leaders take over with a different agenda. But one thing is certain; a decision without data is just someone's opinion. In healthcare with only half of the executives making decisions based on analytics, maybe we should all be asking for a second opinion – and one based on data.
Jumping on the Internet of Things (IoT) Band Wagon?
There is a new "Band Wagon" out there and it's not Big Data. If you were at this year's CES Show this past week, it would have been impossible even with a "Las Vegas-size" hangover not to have heard the hype around the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of Things includes anything and everything that is connected to the Internet and able to communicate and share information with other "smart" devices. This year as well as last it was about home appliances, fitness and health monitors, home security systems, Bluetooth enabled toothbrushes, sensors in shoes to monitor weight and mileage, thermostats that monitor humidity and sound, to kitchen utensils that can track and monitor the type of food you cook and eat.
If you ask me, all these devices and the IoT movement is both cool and creepy. Cool in the sense that networking technology has both matured and become affordable for devices to transmit data for companies to turn into actionable intelligence. IoT is creepy in the sense where do I really want someone monitoring what I cook or how many times I wake up and night? Like other hype cycles or band wagons, there are different opinions as to the size of the IoT market. Gartner expects it to include nearly 26 billion devices, with a "global economic value-add" of $1.9 trillion by 2020. The question is whether the Internet of Things is truly transformational to our daily lives? The answer to that really depends on being able to harness all that data into information. Just because my new IoT toothbrush can monitor and send data on how many times I brush my teeth, it doesn't provide any color whether that makes me healthier or have a prettier smile :).
To help answer these questions, here are examples and potential use cases of leveraging all that Big Data from Small devices of the IoT world:
- Mimo's Smart Baby Monitor is aimed at helping to prevent SIDS, the Mimo monitor is a new kind of infant monitor that provides parents with real-time information about their baby's breathing, skin temperature, body position, and activity level on their smartphones.
- GlowCaps fit prescription bottles and via a wireless chip provide services that help people stick with their prescription regimen; from reminder messages, all the way to refill and doctor coordination.
- BeClose offers a wearable alarm button and other discrete wireless sensors placed around the home, the BeClose system can track your loved one's daily routine and give you peace of mind for their safety by alerting you to any serious disruptions detected in their normal schedule.
- Postscapes provides technology a suite of sensors and web connectivity help save you time and resources by keeping plants fed based on their actual growing needs and conditions while automating much of the labor processes.
- OnFarm solution combines real-time sensor data from soil moisture levels, weather forecasts, and pesticide usage from farming sites into a consolidated web dashboard. Farmers can use this data with advanced imaging and mapping information to spot crop issues and remotely monitor all of the farms assets and resource usage levels.
- Banks and auto lenders are using cellular GPS units that report location and usage of financed cars in addition to locking the ignitions to prevent further movement in the case of default.
- Sensors on farm equipment now provides real-time intelligence on how many hours trackers are used, the weather conditions to predict mechanical problems, and measuring the productivity of the farmer to predict trends in the commodity market.
I can see a number of other potential use cases for IoT including:
- Health devices not only sending data but receiving data from other IoT devices to provide real time recommendations on workout routines based on weather data received from real-time weather sensors, food intake from kitchen devices, to nutritional information based on vitamins and medications consumed by the wearer.
- Credit card banks leveraging their GPS tracking device data from auto loan customers to combine it with credit card data to deliver real-time offers on merchant promotions while on the road.
- GPS tracking devices on hotel card keys to track where you go, eat, entertain to deliver more customized services and offers while one is on a business trip or vacation.
- Boxing gloves transmitting the impact and force of a punch to monitor for athlete concussions.
What does this all mean?
The Internet of Things has changed the way we live and do business and will continue to shape the future hopefully in a positive way. Harnessing all of that Big Data from Small devices does not come easily. Every device that generates data sends it to some central system through WiFi or cellular network. Once in that central system, it needs to be access, translated, transformed, cleansed, and standardized for business use with data from other systems that run the business. For example:
- Access, transform, and validate data from IoT with data generated from other business applications. Formats and values will be often different and change over time and needs to be rationalized and standardized for downstream business use. Otherwise, you end up with a bunch of Alphas and Numerics that make no sense.
- Data quality and validation: Just because a sensor can send data, it does not mean it will send the right data or data that is right for a business user trying to make sense of it. GPS data requires accurate coordinate data. If any value is transmitted incorrectly, it is important to identify those errors; more importantly correct it so the business can take action. This is especially important when combining like values (e.g. Weather status = Cold, Wet, Hot however the device is sending A,B, C)
- Shared with other systems: Once your data is ready to be consumed by new and existing analytic applications, marketing systems, CRM, or your fraud surveillance systems, it needs to be available in in real-time if required, in the right format, and structure as required by those applications and doing it in a way that is seamless, automated, and does not require heavy IT lifting.
In closing, IoT's future is bright along with the additional insights gained from all that data. Consider it Cool or Creepy one thing is for sure, the IoT band wagon is in full swing!
8 Information Quality Predictions for 2015 And Beyond
The last few months have allowed me to see MDM, data quality and data governance from a completely different perspective. I sat with other leaders here at Informatica, analysts who focus on information quality and spent time talking to our partners who work closely with customers on data management initiatives. As we collectively attempted to peer into the crystal ball and forecast what will be hot – and what will not – in this year and beyond for MDM and data quality, here are few top predictions that stood out.
1. MDM will become a single platform for all master entities
"The classical notion of boundaries that existed where we would say, this is MDM versus this is not MDM is going to get blurred," says Dennis Moore – SVP, Information Quality Solutions (IQS), Informatica. "Today, we master a fairly small number of attributes in MDM. Rather than only mastering core attributes, we need to master business level entities, like customer, product, location, assets, things, etc., and combine all relevant attributes into a single platform which can be used to develop new "data fueled" applications. This platform will allow mastering of data, aggregate data from other sources, and also syndicate that data out into other systems."
Traditionally MDM was an invisible hub that was connected to all the spokes. Instead, Dennis says – "MDM will become more visible and will act as an application development platform."
2. PIM is becoming more integrated environment that covers all information about products and related data in single place
More and more customers want to have single interface which will allow them to manage all product information. Along with managing a product's length, width, height, color, cost etc., they probably want to see data about the history, credit rating, previous quality rating, sustainability scorecard, returns, credits and so on. Dennis says – "All the product information in one place helps make better decisions with embedded analytics, giving answers to questions such as:
- What were my sales last week?
- Which promotions are performing well and poorly?
- Which suppliers are not delivering on their SLAs?
- Which stores aren't selling according to plan?
- How are the products performing in specific markets?"
Essentially, PIM will become a sovereign supplier of product data that goes in your catalog and ecommerce system that will be used by merchandisers, buyers, and product and category managers. It will become the buyer's guide and a desktop for the person whose job is to figure out how to effectively promote products to meet sales targets.
3. MDM will become an integral part of big data analytics projects
"Big data analytics suffers from the same challenges as traditional data warehouses – bad data quality produces sub-optimal intelligence. MDM has traditionally enabled better analysis and reporting with high quality master data. Big data analytics will also immensely benefit from MDM's most trustworthy information." – Said Ravi Shankar – VP of Product Marketing, MDM, Informatica
Naveen Sharma who heads Enterprise Data Management practice at Cognizant reemphasized what I heard from Dennis. He says – "With big data and information quality coming together, some of the boundaries between a pure MDM system and a pure analytical system will start to soften". Naveen explains – "MDM is now seen as an integral part of big data analytics projects and it's a huge change from a couple of years ago. Two of large retailers we work with are going down the path of trying to bring not only the customer dimension but the associated transactional data to derive meaning into an extended MDM platform. I see this trend continuing in 2015 and beyond with other verticals as well."
4. Business requirements are leading to the creation of solutions
There are several business problems being solved by MDM, such as improving supplier spend management and collaboration with better supplier data. Supply chain, sourcing and procurement teams gain significant cost savings and a boost in productivity by mastering supplier, raw materials and product information and fueling their business and analytical applications with that clean, consistent and connected information. Jakki Geiger, Senior Director of IQS Solutions Marketing at Informatica says, "Business users want more than just the underlying infrastructure to manage business-critical data about suppliers, raw materials, and products. They want to access this information directly through a business-friendly user interface. They want a business process-driven workflow to manage the full supplier lifecycle, including: supplier registration, qualification, verification, onboarding and off-boarding. Instead of IT building these business-user focused solutions on top of an MDM foundation, vendors are starting to build ready-to-use MDM solutions like the Total Supplier Relationship solution." Read more about Valspar's raw materials spend management use case.
5. Increased adoption of matching and linking capabilities on Hadoop
"Many of our customers have significantly increased the amount of data they want to master," says Dennis Moore. Days when tens of millions of master records were a lot are long gone and having hundreds of millions of master records and billions of source records is becoming almost common. An increasing number of master data sources –internal and external to organization – are contributing significantly to the rise in data volumes. To accommodate these increasing volumes, Dennis predicts that large enterprises will look at running complex matching and linking capabilities on Hadoop – a cost effective and flexible way to analyze large amount of data.
6. Master insight management is going to be next big step
"MDM will evolve into master insight management as organizations try to relate trusted data they created in MDM with transactional and social interaction data," said Rob Karel – VP of Product Strategy and Product Marketing, IQS, Informatica. "The innovations in machine and deep learning techniques will help organizations such as healthcare prescribe next best treatment based on history of patients, retailers suggest best offers based on customer interest and behavior, public sector companies will see big steps in social services, etc."
Rob sees MDM at the heart of this innovation bringing together relevant information about multiple master entities and acting as a core system for insight management innovations.
7. MDM and Data Governance
Aaron Zornes – Chief research officer at the MDM Institute predicts that in 2014-15, vendor MDM solutions will move from "passive-aggressive" mode to "proactive" data governance mode. Data governance for MDM will move beyond simple stewardship to convergence of task management, workflow, policy management and enforcement according to Aaron.
8. The market will solidify for cloud based MDM adoption
Aaron says – "Cloud-innate services for DQ and DG will be more prevalent; however, enterprise MDM will remain on premise with increasing integration to cloud applications in 2015.
Naveen sees lot of synergy around cloud based MDM offerings and says – "The market is solidifying for MDM on cloud but the flood gates are yet to open". Naveen does not see any reason why MDM market will not go to cloud and gives the example of CRM which was at similar junction before Saleforce came into play. Naveen sees similar shift for MDM and says – "The fears companies have about their data security on cloud is eventually going to fade. If you look closely at any of the recent breaches, these all involved hacks into company networks and not into cloud provider networks. The fact that cloud service providers spend more dollars on data security than any one company can spend on their on-premise security layer will be a major factor affecting the transition". Naveen sees that big players in MDM will include cloud offerings as part of their toolkit in coming years.
Ravi also predicts an increase in cloud adoption for MDM in future as the concern for placing master data in the cloud becomes less with maximum security provided by cloud vendors.
So, what do you predict? I would love to hear your opinions and comments.
Data Security – A Major Concern in 2015
I have to admit, I was one of those who saw the movie and found the film humorous to say the least and can see why a desperate regime like North Korea would not want their leader admitting they love margarita's and Katy Perry. What concerned me about the whole event was whether these unwanted security breaches were now just a fact of life? As a disclaimer, I have no affinity over the downfall of the North Korean government however what transpired was fascinating and amazing that companies like Sony continue to struggle to protect sensitive data despite being one of the largest companies in the world.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there were 761 reported data security breaches in 2014 impacting over 83 million breached records across industries and geographies with B2B and B2C retailers leading the pack with 79.2% of all breaches. Most of these breaches originated through the internet via malicious WORMS and viruses purposely designed to identify and rely back sensitive information including credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and social security information used by criminals to wreak havoc and significant financial losses to merchants and financial institutions. According to the 2014 Ponemon Institute Research study:
- The average cost of cyber-crime per company in the US was $12.7 million this year, according to the Ponemon report, and US companies on average are hit with 122 successful attacks per year.
- Globally, the average annualized cost for the surveyed organizations was $7.6 million per year, ranging from $0.5 million to $61 million per company. Interestingly, small organizations have a higher per-capita cost than large ones ($1,601 versus $437), the report found.
- Some industries incur higher costs in a breach than others, too. Energy and utility organizations incur the priciest attacks ($13.18 million), followed closely by financial services ($12.97 million). Healthcare incurs the fewest expenses ($1.38 million), the report says.
Despite all the media attention around these awful events last year, 2015 does not seem like it's going to get any better. According to CNBC just this morning, Morgan Stanley reported a data security breach where they had fired an employee who it claims stole account data for hundreds of thousands of its wealth management clients. Stolen information for approximately 900 of those clients was posted online for a brief period of time. With so much to gain from this rich data, businesses across industries have a tough battle ahead of them as criminals are getting more creative and desperate to steal sensitive information for financial gain. According to a Forrester Research, the top 3 breach activities included:
- Inadvertent misuse by insider (36%)
- Loss/theft of corporate asset (32%)
- Phishing (30%)
Given the growth in data volumes fueled by mobile, social, cloud, and electronic payments, the war against data breaches will continue to grow bigger and uglier for firms large and small. As such, Gartner predicts investments in Information Security Solutions will grow further 8.2 percent in 2015 vs. 2014 reaching $76.9+ billion globally. Furthermore, by 2018, more than half of organizations will use security services firms that specialize in data protection, security risk management and security infrastructure management to enhance their security postures.
Like any war, you have to know your enemy and what you are defending. In the war against data breaches, this starts with knowing where your sensitive data is before you can effectively defend against any attack. According to the Ponemon Institute, 18% of firms who were surveyed said they knew where their structured sensitive data was located where as the rest were not sure. 66% revealed that if would not be able to effectively know if they were attacked. Even worse, 47% were NOT confident at having visibility into users accessing sensitive or confidential information and that 48% of those surveyed admitted to a data breach of some kind in the last 12 months.
In closing, the responsibilities of today's information security professional from Chief Information Security Officers to Security Analysts are challenging and growing each day as criminals become more sophisticated and desperate at getting their hands on one of your most important assets….your data. As your organizations look to invest in new Information Security solutions, make sure you start with solutions that allow you to identify where your sensitive data is to help plan an effective data security strategy both to defend your perimeter and sensitive data at the source. How prepared are you?
For more information about Informatica Data Security Solutions:
- Download the Gartner Data Masking Magic Quadrant Report
- Click here to learn more about Informatica's Data Masking Solutions
- Click here to access Informatica Dynamic Data Masking: Preventing Data Breaches with Benchmark-Proven Performance whitepaper
How to Get the Biggest Returns from Your Hadoop and Big Data Investments in 2015
2014 was the year that Big Data went mainstream from conversations asking "What is Big Data?" to "How do we harness the power of Big Data to solve real business problems". It seemed like everyone jumped on the Big Data band wagon from new software start-ups offering the "next generation" predictive analytic applications to traditional database, data quality, business intelligence, and data integration vendors, all calling themselves Big Data providers. The truth is, they all play a role in this Big Data movement.
Earlier in 2014, Wikibon estimated the Big Data market is currently on pace to top $50 billion in 2017, which translates to a 38% compound annual growth rate over the six year period from 2011 (the first year Wikibon sized the Big Data market) to 2017. Most of the excitement around Big Data has been around Hadoop as early adopters who experimented with open source versions quickly grew to adopt enterprise-class solutions from companies like Cloudera™, HortonWorks™, MapR™, and Amazon's RedShift™ to address real-world business problems including: (more…)
Imagine A New Sheriff In Town
As we renew or reinvent ourselves for 2015, I wanted to share a case of "imagine if" with you and combine it with the narrative of an American frontier town out West, trying to find a new Sheriff – a Wyatt Earp. In this case the town is a legacy European communications firm and Wyatt and his brothers are the new managers – the change agents.
Here is a positive word upfront. This operator has had some success in rolling outs broadband internet and IPTV products to residential and business clients to replace its dwindling copper install base. But they are behind the curve on the wireless penetration side due to the number of smaller, agile MVNOs and two other multi-national operators with a high density of brick-and-mortar stores, excellent brand recognition and support infrastructure. Having more than a handful of brands certainly did not make this any easier for our CSP. To make matters even more challenging, price pressure is increasingly squeezing all operators in this market. The ones able to offset the high-cost Capex for spectrum acquisitions and upgrades with lower-cost Opex for running the network and maximizing subscriber profitability, will set themselves up for success (see one of my earlier posts around the same phenomenon in banking).
Not only did they run every single brand on a separate CRM and billing application (including all the various operational and analytical packages), they also ran nearly every customer-facing-service (CFS) within a brand the same dysfunctional way. In the end, they had over 60 CRM and the same number of billing applications across all copper, fiber, IPTV, SIM-only, mobile residential and business brands. Granted, this may be a quite excessive example; but nevertheless, it is relevant for many other legacy operators.
As a consequence, their projections indicate they incur over €600,000 annually in maintaining duplicate customer records (ignoring duplicate base product/offer records for now) due to excessive hardware, software and IT operations. Moreover, they have to stomach about the same amount for ongoing data quality efforts in IT and the business areas across their broadband and multi-play service segments.
Here are some more consequences they projected:
- €18.3 million in call center productivity improvement
- €790,000 improvement in profit due to reduced churn
- €2.3 million reduction in customer acquisition cost
- And if you include the fixing of duplicate and conflicting product information, add another €7.3 million in profit via billing error and discount reduction (which is inline with our findings from a prior telco engagement)
Despite major business areas not having contributed to the investigation and improvements being often on the conservative side, they projected a 14:1 return ratio between overall benefit amount and total project cost.
Coming back to the "imagine if" aspect now, one would ask how this behemoth of an organization can be fixed. Well, it will take years but without management (in this case new managers busting through the door), this organization has the chance to become the next Rocky Mountain mining ghost town.
The good news is that this operator is seeing some management changes now. The new folks have a clear understanding that business-as-usual won't do going forward and that centralization of customer insight (which includes some data elements) has its distinct advantages. They will tackle new customer analytics, order management, operational data integration (network) and next-best-action use cases incrementally. They know they are in the data, not just the communication business. They realize they have to show a rapid succession of quick wins rather than make the organization wait a year or more for first results. They have fairly humble initial requirements to get going as a result.
You can equate this to the new Sheriff not going after the whole organization of the three, corrupt cattle barons, but just the foreman of one of them for starters. With little cost involved, the Sheriff acquires some first-hand knowledge plus he sends a message, which will likely persuade others to be more cooperative going forward.
What do you think? Is new management the only way to implement drastic changes around customer experience, profitability or at least understanding?
What is the Role of the CIO in Driving Enterprise Analytics?
When you talk to CIOs today about their business priorities, the top of their list is better connecting what IT is doing to business strategy. Or put another way, it is about establishing business/IT alignment. One area where CIOs need to make sure there is better alignment is enterprise analytics. CIOs that I have talk to share openly that business users are demanding the ability to reach their apps and data anywhere and on any device. For this reason, even though CIOs say they have interest in the mechanisms of data delivery–data integration, data cleanliness, data governance, data mastering, and even metadata management — they would not take a meeting on these topics. The reason is that CIOs say they would need to involve their business partner in these meetings. CIOs these days want you have to have a business value proposition. Given this, CIOs say that they would want to hear about what the business wants to hear about.
- Enabling new, valuable business insights out data to happen faster
- Enabling their businesses to compete with analytics
CIOs as an analytics proponent versus the analytics customer
So if the question is about competing with analytics, what role does the CIO have in setting the agenda here? Tom Davenport says that CIOs–as I heard in my own conversations with CIOs–have good intentions when it comes to the developing an enterprise information strategy. They can see the value of taking an enterprise versus a departmental view. Tom suggests, however, that CIOs should start by focusing upon the analytics that will matter most to the business. He says that IT organizations should, also, build an IT infrastructure capable of delivering the information and analytics that people across the enterprise need not just now but also in the future.
Tom says that IT organizations must resist the temptation to provide analytics as an add-on or a bolt-on basis for whatever transactions system have just been developed. As a product manager, I had a development team that preferred to add analytics by source rather than do the hard work of creating integrative measures that crossed sources. So I know this problem firsthand. Tom believes that IT needs to build a platform that can be standardized and integrate data from more than one source. This includes the ability to adapt as business needs and business strategies change.
Making this an Enterprise Analytics Capability
In the early stage for analytics, IT organizations need to focus more upon a self-service approach. But as the business matures at analytics, Tom says that IT needs to shift gears and become a proactive advocate and architect of change. Tom says that IT should be a part owner of the company's analytical capabilities. IT managers, therefore, must understand and be able to articulate the potential for analytics being created at an enterprise level. At the same time, the IT staff–which often lacks the heavy mathematical backgrounds of analysts–needs to be able to interact with the analytics pros who use and consume the information that IT creates to build models. I had this dilemma first hand where my analytics modelers were disconnected from BI product developers. They were two different communities working on our project. And although some modelers can build apps or even a BI system, what excites them most in life is building new analytical models.
Talk the language of the business
Tom Davenport says that IT managers can make their own lives easier with the business and the with analysts by instead of discussing cloud computing, service oriented architecture, or even OLAP, discussing decision making, insights, and business performance. Meanwhile, Tom feels that the enterprise analytics journey starts with good, integrated data on transactions and business processes managed through enterprise applications like ERP and CRM Systems (Analytics at Work, Thomas Davenport, Harvard Business Review Press, page 51).
Focusing on the big questions and the right problems
Clearly driving the business to focus on the big questions and the right problems is critical. IT cannot do this but they can facilitate it. Why does it matter? An Accenture Study found that "companies that derived any real value from them (their analytics) had anticipated how to leverage the information to generate new insights to improve business performance. ("Using Enterprise Systems to Gain Uncommon Competitive Advantage, Accenture, page 3). This is critical and too few organizations succeed in doing it.
With this accomplished and to achieve the second goal, IT needs to be eliminating legacy BI systems and old spaghetti code as well as silo data marts. The goal should be to replace them with an enterprise analytics capability that answers the big questions. This requires standardization around an enterprise wide approach that ensures a consistent approach to data management and provides an integrated environment complete with data repositories/data lakes, analytical tools, presentation applications, and transformational tools. This investment should be focused on improving business processes or providing data needed for system of systems products. Tom says that IT's job is to watch out for current and future users of information systems.
Parting Thoughts
So the question is where is your IT organization at today? Clearly, it is important as well that IT measure enterprise analytic initiatives too. IT should measure adoption. IT should find out what is used or not they are used. I had a CIO once admit to me that he did not know whether currently supported data marts were being used or even still had value. It is important that we have these answers. Clearly, being close to the business customer from the start can limit what this CIO discussed.
Related Blogs and Links
Analytics Stories: A Banking Case Study
Analytics Stories: A Financial Services Case Study
Analytics Stories: A Healthcare Case Study
Who Owns Enterprise Analytics and Data?
Competing on Analytics: A Follow Up to Thomas H. Davenport's Post in HBR
Thomas Davenport Book "Competing On Analytics"
Solution Brief: The Intelligent Data Platform
Author Twitter: @MylesSuer


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July 10, 2013
A. Grease is often given the least attention, and has been described by many fleet managers as the weak link in establishing maintenance schedules. Today's fleets have steadily extended re-lubrication schedules. This, combined with more corrosive anti-icing agents and the demand for higher productivity, has placed grease lubrication at risk.
Discriminating fleet managers have discovered that by selecting high-performance, longer-lasting grease, they have been able to not only safely extend the re-lubrication schedule, but also significantly extend component life.
The trap that maintenance programs often fall into is that "any grease will work if I see my truck often enough." It is true that the more frequently re-lubrication occurs, the more the fleet manager can compensate for average performing products.
It is highly recommended to consult with your grease products supplier to learn about products that can go far beyond typical expectations.
by Mark Betner, Lubricants Expert - Also by this author
Posted @ Wednesday, July 10, 2013 12:00 AM
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Dr. Heidegger's Experiment (Google eBook) |
What people are saying - Write a review
Review: Dr. Heidegger's Experiment
User Review - Ana R�nceanu - Goodreads'Age is deformed, youth unkind,. We scorn their bodies, they our mind.' - Thomas Bastard(1566-1618) This short story reminded me of this quote. It probably surprises no one that few understand the importance of acting ones age and appreciating life in all its stages. Read full review
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Conditions Treated
The Pain Management Service is designed to treat patients who are experiencing pain that is related to a wide variety of medical conditions including:
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US News and World Report has ranked Newton-Wellesley Hospital 16th in Massachusetts.Learn More >


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Wall of Love
Add your pet's photo to the Wall of Love, and your contribution will rescue more cats and kittens this winter. This online photo display will remain up throughout 2015. Post your own pets, or add a friend's cat, dog, bunny, or other pet as a holiday gift. Click here to view the Wall of Love and post your photos.


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This year's "Walk to End Alzheimer's" was like no other. Nelda Strong, the Chair for 2013 Walk to End Alzheimer's, Aliceson Howell and several committees worked effortlessly and diligently for the great success that manifested in the number of agencies, volunteers and participants who trouped out for the event. For example, participants came from all …
Tag Archive: Sabine
Permanent link to this article: http://www.easttexasreview.com/walk-to-end-alzheimersthe-walk-unites-and-strengthens-the-fight/
May 22 2013
local photographer awarded
The Longview Convention & Visitors Bureau participated as a sponsor in the 2013 "We Pine for East Texas" Photography Competition sponsored by the Texas Forest Trail Region. The contest celebrates the natural and cultural treasures of East Texas to encourage travelers and locals alike to explore this heritage rich region of Texas. The Longview CVB's …
Permanent link to this article: http://www.easttexasreview.com/local-photographer-awarded/
Permanent link to this article: http://www.easttexasreview.com/letu-to-host-sboe-chair-barbara-cargill/


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Maryport Blues Festival date for House of Three Hands
Last updated at 20:36, Thursday, 24 May 2012
A young Cumbrian band, set to perform on the main stage at this year's Maryport Blues Festival, will soon be recording their first album.
House of Three Hands have just been signed by independent label Longevity Records.
It is a huge deal for Jake Wedgewood, 19, of Mawbray, Alex Brown, 20, from Whitehaven and Dave Annis, 19, from Carlisle.
They will record original material in the Blueprint Studios in Manchester, where the likes of Lady Gaga, 50 Cent and Elbow have worked.
The band's luck was in after a chance encounter with Radio One DJ Chris Moyles at Carlisle's Big Weekend music show last year, which resulted in an eight-minute session on the station.
Jake recalls: "We were about to do a gig and Chris Moyles saw a flyer and asked if the band was good.
"Chris came and liked it. He talked about us and played our music. We couldn't believe it."
Jake and Alex are living in Salford, Manchester, where Alex works and Jake studies music. Dave is in Bristol studying music.
It makes the logistics difficult, especially when the band have gigs nearly every weekend.
The band started out as Kape Town Kicks about four years ago, but the name of House of Three Hands came when three people cupped their hands around a cigarette as it was being lit to shield it from the wind.
"This looks like a house with three hands," someone commented, and the name stuck.
Says Jake: "I suppose if you wanted to categorise us we could be described as alternative indie. Some people think we sound like the Police, some like the Arctic Monkeys."
The boys are set to release three singles between now and 2013.
Jake adds: "We're still not earning much money and I can't say we feel as though we are on the brink of something. But things are going really well and we are very busy.
That will include their appearance at Maryport Blues Festival on Friday, July 27.
Says Jake: "Two years ago I took my girlfriend to the blues festival as an audience member. Then last year House of Three Hands played at the Captain Nelson during the festival which was fantastic.
"This year we are on the main stage, and looking forward to it."
First published at 19:21, Thursday, 24 May 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk
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Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket cell phone accessories today to make using your phone tomorrow a little better! All of the accessories for Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket are ready to ship and will simplify your life.
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Fits perfectly and is very functional. I feel like the phone is protected and still have access to all of the "necessary" buttons. I like it much better than the Otterbox case I had before.
Sleek and functional
Wish the volume button was not covered (but I rarely use it anyway)


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Salem business owners oppose parking meters |
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A group of downtown Salem property and business owners created a petition against future actions by the city on installing meters downtown. Read more at The Statesman Journal. {biztweet}salem parking{/biztweet}
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Will Medford Ever Be Cool?February 2015Friday, January 23, 2015 BY DAN COOK | PHOTOS BY JASON E. KAPLANA real-estate developer and a Lithia Motors executive aim to revamp the city's forlorn downtown. Read more... |
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Is your business ready to join us in the call for action? This opening panel includes Oregon businesses who will discuss why they signed the Oregon Climate Declaration, the investments they are making to reduce carbon emissions, and how their actions are affecting their companies.
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Does anyone grow Moser Pink Stripe? If so, could you please provide your experiences regarding the growing habits and preferences for this beauty? |
Follow-Up Postings:
It isn't a very vigorous plant own root, Lynn. Jannorcal shared it with me a few years ago from the Sacramento Cemetery. I have it in partial sun out back where it regularly mildews (as opposed to frying in the hotter sun). It's more dramatically striped than the commercial "Rainbow" I'd grown previously, but about as wimpy a grower. The foliage is fairly sparse with long stretches of bare cane between the leaves. Like Rainbow, the hotter the weather, the less dramatic the striping. In cooler weather with bright sun, it can be striking. One of these days, I will find time to bud the danged thing in hopes of creating a better specimen of it. I keep it because it is the most dramatically striped Tea I've encountered yet. I keep hoping it will eventually come into its own, but I'm not holding my breath. Kim |
Hmmmm . . .. Now, MY experience is different -- which demonstrates the importance of microclimate. I also grew a named 'Rainbow' long ago, and it was, indeed, a miserable wimp of a plant. "Moser House Pink Stripe," while it is still in a 7-G pot, has begun to grow tall. For a rose in a pot, it is looking very healthy, and it blooms reasonably well -- better than average, for a Tea Rose at that stage of the game. There's a clue in Kim's mention that it stripes more dramatically in cooler weather. MY weather is almost always markedly cooler than his. Maybe -- "Moser House Pink Stripe" LIKES my conditions! And, for whatever reasons, it doesn't mildew for me. Or mildews rarely, and minimally. So, there you are. Jeri |
- Posted by Kippy-the-Hippy 10 Sunset 24 (My Page) on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 19:07
very pretty! I need to stop looking at all the varieties out there |
Makes sense, Jeri. Seven gallon pot of richer soil with warmer roots versus "coarse corn meal and talc" soil with more extremes in cold and heat and much more intense sun (virtually no "fog days"), yeilding more water stress which can be a leading cause of mildew. "Tall", yes, wide, dense, thick, "husky" and well foliated....not by a long shot. In comparison, your climate is more green house like than mine. Teas and their ilk adore those conditions. While they can be really good here, they usually won't be AS good as they should be for you on your hill. Kim |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 19:53
:) Doesn't seem like there is a good chance that Moser Pink Stripe will like my gardening conditions at all. While I will push the boundaries a little, I do not want to waste time/energy and money on roses that will clearly be a long-shot in my garden. I have been searching for a striped rose and really like the look of this one; the softness. I have looked at so many striped roses, but the colors I believe are too deep or the wrong colors. I wanted something with a lot of pink that would remain on the small to medium size. Thank you for your input:) Lynn |
Good, Lynn -- because that's what we're doing here. Figure -- if a rose is troublesome for Kim -- but better for me, near the coast -- it's NOT what you need. You don't want to know how many roses we planted, and removed over the years it took us to realize that we were not going to succeed unless we planted things that "liked" our conditions. And it's not like no one told us. We were just STUBBORN. So I'd like to help others avoid that pesky learning curve. Jeri |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. -Las Vegas, NV (My Page) on Wed, Aug 7, 13 at 22:43
Jeri, And you all are greatly appreciated:) I believe it is people like you both and many that make this forum so special. Lynn |
This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 0:01
- Posted by cemeteryrose USDA 9/Sunset 14 (My Page) on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 16:01
Moser Pink Stripe is fantastic in the Sacramento cemetery so intense valley heat is not problem for it. We have another plant of what we've IDd as Rainbow that came from Oneto Ranch, not far from the Moser House, and it's about half as vigorous. I believe that they have to be the same plant and came from the same source, whether commercial or pass-along, but the two plants are placed side by side and perform differently. Both roses stripe regardless of weather. The only criticism could be long internodes, which means that it is not densely foliated, and rather gawky sprawling growth. I think if I had it in my home garden and pruned it more deliberately it would be a more shapely plant but in the cemetery, the care is hit or miss - which lets us see how the plants do left to their own devices, but is not always indicative of how they'd look at home. I can't draw any conclusions from Kim or Jeri's experiences, but in Sacramento, "Moser House Striped" is a winner. We get cycles of triple-digit heat in the summer, cooler nights (usually) and some freeze in the winter, by the way. |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b (My Page) on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 16:14
Hi Anita, Than you for your input. July is brutal here...and relentless. During August, while many days are still in the triple digits, it at least cools down to the high 70's, low 80's, so similar to Sacramento. Roses can be somewhat unpredictable due to garden/climate variances. Lynn |
Anita, I agree completely Moser Striped is tremendously better than any commercial Rainbow. That's what attracted me to it in the first place. I'm sure my mildew problems with it are due to virtually no rain compared to Sacramento; virtually no ground water on this 1000' elevation ridge compared to what you have in Sacramento; virtually no organic material in this soil compared to what your great trees in the cemetery have shed on the ground over the past century. You do get much more of a "winter" than we do. We've all here seen how much better most plants, particularly roses, perform after a more pronounced "winter" season. 70 to 80 degree, sunny, dry "winter" does not result in happy gardens! Kim |
Ever consider Mme. Driout? I had her a long time ago in a more humid climate. Big flowers, interesting speckling & stripes. It was vigorous--I'd like to try her again in this new climate. |
Now -- Driout DID mildew here. Profusely! Jeri |
It did in Newhall, too. The flowers crisped so quickly there we used to call it "Madame Dry Out". It could be pretty...when it was pretty, though. But, I've always been a sucker for stripes. Kim |
Oh, I'm a sucker for stripes, too -- but I want a healthy plant. Jeri |
YOU are just TOO picky! LOL! Kim |
Yeah -- Picky me. :-) Jeri |
Yeah -- Picky me. :-) Jeri |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. -Las Vegas, NV (My Page) on Sat, Aug 10, 13 at 0:35
Blue girl, No mildew issues here but if the flowers became crispy for roseseek, they do not stand a chance here. Lynn |
shot down again :( *pickypickypicky* okay, how 'bout Careless Love? She was pretty, too. And a Radiance child! Everyone loves Radiance--right? right? |
Careless Love was the first striped HT sport I collected way back when (1983). I loved it then, I love it now. My Mrs. Charles Bell I use for breeding was supposed to be Careless Love, but it sported/mutated, which it frequently does. If the Radiance clan does well in your area, by all means grow Careless Love. Watch for Mrs. Bell's flowers as it can quickly become all shell pink instead of serendipitously striped cerise and silver. For its type (striped HT sports) it's one of the best. Kim |
^ I just ordered Careless Love because I too adore the stripey flowers. I've had Rainbow for a year and it has yet to come out of its gallon pot. I'll be planting it this next spring, so we'll see I guess. |
I love Careless Love. My first adult rose garden was one I inherited, when I bought my first home, in 1970. My grandmother came over, and ID'd the roses -- but could not name the striped one. I called it my "Tudor Rose" (red and white). It was Careless Love, tho. That was a weak plant, and so was the one I had, a few years back. My third try reverted to pink. I'd love to find a vigorous one. Jeri |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Sun, Aug 11, 13 at 0:29
bluegirl, what a pretty rose. Thank you for the suggestion. When I checked on HMF, it is grown in Southwest Idaho, which can become pretty hot and dry during the summer. It is also regarded to be heat tolerant by some; which is a characteristic I look for. It is a hybrid tea... that will be surrounded by OGR's. There will be a couple varieties of floribundas in the areas, but I do not have to be concerned about the leggy growth with those varieties. It is pretty, and definitely worth further investigation. Lynn |
Lynn, the Radiance family may be HTs, but they are old ones & have old fashioned form of cupped, shell-like flowers that fit right in with OGRs. They all have good fragrance, too. Maybe they'll fit in with your plans. |
Second Kim's recommendation of the Radiance clan -- These are not HTs as we know them today. The early HTs -- say, "Pre-"Peace'" were very different from today's tall, leggy, "bare-bottomed" stiffly-upright, Hybrid Tea Roses. Some of the earliest of them aren't much different in habit or bloom from many of the Tea Roses. Check out Mme. Caroline Testout -- or the lovely Lady Mary Fiztwilliam, and all of the Radiance roses. Jeri |
Yes, they can be a very mixed lot. Some are weak, wimpy and never really generate decent, full plants under them. Others do grow very much like decent Teas, with maturity. Still others are very much HP like in growth. Much of the stiffly upright, bare bottomed growth some take offense to, arose with Peace, but there were some prior to it. The difference is, after Peace, the foliage changed dramatically, sometimes for the better. Kim |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Sun, Aug 11, 13 at 19:33
Learned something new today:) I have never heard of the Radiance clan, and unfortunately, none of the photos on HMF show an image of the entire mature bush, so being classified as a H.T., I incorrectly assumed that leggy growth would be a characteristic for this rose. I am going to conduct a google search for better images. It is not the run of the mill looking rose. Lynn |
Here is a plant of 'Red Radiance' at a historic ranch house in Ventura Co., CA. Because of a curious set of circumstances, this property was unchanged for a half-century. Even after it was opened again, parts of the gardens remained untouched for many years, including this immense plant of 'Red Radiance.' I am five ft. tall. This plant is at least twice that. When I last saw it, the "Ragged Robin" rootstock was gaining fast, but at the stage you see it here, it was still more than half 'Red Radiance.' A glorious, glorious thing. Jeri |
Thanks for posting the Camulos Red Radiance, Jeri. I was thinking of this exact plant from Lynn's post. Might you also have the shot of us all standing nearly inside that thing so they can get an idea of the immensity of both Red Radiance and Gloire des Rosomanes in these parts? Thanks. Kim |
Kim, I will look for that image. It's possible that I have it stored on a CD or DVD. Jeri Great minds . . . :-) |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. -Las Vegas, NV (My Page) on Sun, Aug 11, 13 at 20:35
It is beautiful, but I am afraid it is way too large, I would not be able to enter my backyard. Blue girl had suggested careless love to replace moser's stripe. Would it be in the same size range? Lynn |
Lynn, you can't base anything you might expect from that photo. First, that plant was grafted on Gloire des Rosomanes. Anything you can find today is own root. Second, that plant has grown in a prime citrus area with none of the temperature severity you will subject it too. Yes, it gets hot in Piru, and they do get some chill, but Vegas is tremendously more extreme in all variables than where this plant is. That area is also deep, rich alluvial soil with traditionally good ground water. Yours isn't. They have a century old, nearly half acre spread California Black Walnut, too. Is there any plant like that near you? Third, that plant has grown unchecked for at least half a century, no kidding. Easily half of that mass is root stock. No one prunes it, nor cuts out the 'suckers'. Unless you plan on leaving it alone for fifty-plus years and protect it from the extremes, yours should be tremdendously smaller! I grew Radiance on Huey from Week's in Newhall for years. It was usually four by four feet. Red Radiance was budded by Greenmantle on multiflora and an own root plant I grew under the name "Al's Red" (story on HMF on the Red Radiance page). The budded one was usually about the size of Radiance while Al's Red was not quite as large. Careless Love was own root and often had a few shoots nearly four feet tall by about three feet wide. Rule it out for any reason you wish, but that photo doesn't accurately reflect what you should expect. Kim |
Note descriptive text. This is a rose that was not cared for, and not pruned for a good 50 years. Most roses, in Southern California's mild climate, if given water, and not pruned, will get to be very, very large. This is a good example of that. So, if you were to plant a vigorous budded plant of Red Radiance, and made sure that it had water, but did not prune it, you might see something like this for your 100th Birthday. Jeri |
That. Is. Just....Astonishing! Radiance is such a pretty rose & so nicely fragrant it is one that I'd like to have in at least 3 sports--regular, red & Careless Love. Haven't had Mrs. Charles Bell. I got Radiance last year from Burling & it's been a pleasure to watch it bloom again. Both Radiance & Red Radiance that I had as own-roots from Chamblees back in sultry zone coastal 9 were healthy plants (no-spray) & bloomed well, even in the heat. Lynn, the Vintage rose catalog is a very useful resource, even though Vintage is closing. It's a nice 8.5 x 11" fat book with information on rose classes, history, the provenance of a lot of roses out there, a bit on famous rose clans, growth habits (that's slanted to the possible huge sizes roses can reach in the blessed fields of CA)--anyway, it's a great compact guide for $15. Yeah, you can find the info scattered around elsewhere but it's a really fine one-book reference--&won't be available much longer. |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 0:46
Bluegirl, I think I will purchase it as I even find their website extremely informative. Jerijen, I was thinking the opposite, that without feedings and care the rose would not reach its potential and this one possibly had not. Instead that one grew like crazy and was not restricted at all by a lack of care. Climates, soils, roses, etc. are so different. |
This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 10:44
- Posted by floridarosez9 10 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 9:37
I wish this thread had appeared before I bought Rainbow. Does anyone grow it in a location where it's not wimpy? I have to say, it's bloomed a lot for a small plant in a pot. |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 10:49
floridarosez9, which rose, Moser's Stripe or Careless Love? I haven't been able to find Moser's Stripe. Careless Love is supposed to be available at RVR and of course Vintage:( I would have likely purchased Moser's Striped Rose had I found it. While summers here are brutal, the weather during the rest of the year is quite beautiful ( sunny, amazingly clear blue skies year round, not a lot of pollution; except for occasional dust, but construction and other measures are taking care of that). I would have looked forward to those blooms in March, April, Early May, late September - early December if it could have survived July and my soil conditions. Good luck :) |
This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 11:12
Kim -- I bet it can. It's certainly happy HERE. Might not be spectacular in your summer, but the winters! AH! The winter bloom. And it's a rose that is lovely from every direction, I think. Jeri |
Understood, Jeri, and I'm enduring its issues BECAUSE it is one I WANT. Eventually, either it will mature past them or I will discover what's necessary to force it to perform acceptably. But, it isn't in any danger of being shovel pruned, at least, not yet. Had it not impressed me so greatly when I saw it at the Cemetery Celebration, I wouldn't put up with it, it's that unimpressive much of the year in this dirt and climate. But, if THIS one is that miffy, how terrible could Rainbow be here? The mind wobbles! Kim |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 14:41
Jerijen, Your'e killing me with those beautiful photos! :) Lynn |
Lynn, take a deep breath... Remember those are taken at a very low elevation just a couple of miles from the Pacific Ocean. How frequently will you experience temps in the mid seventies with a bit of humidity? You MIGHT enjoy blooms like that if you could provide very diffused sun to protect those thin, fragile petals against your laser beam sun. Kim |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 15:43
Temps in or near the sixties, Seventies, low 80's we get; that is the majority of our year, the temperatures are very mild here except for the summer months. It is our trade off, great weather for most of the year in exchange for our summers. Humidity on the other hand; when it rarely rains is about as close as we get to that. The dryness causes regular watering of plants in differing degrees year round. |
Lynn, I agree with Kim -- It would likely be dreck in your summers, but it might like your winters and early springs. For that matter, we are having a deleriously cool summer. We haven't had summer weather like this for several years, and at that, they say it's gonna heat up by mid-week. Jeri |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 19:04
jerijen, it is likely that during July, maybe even late June, that beautiful rose would burn to a crisp and never recover:( But, my search continues. I will find that beautiful pink striped rose. Lynn |
Lynn, I honestly think you would love Careless Love. J. Horace McFarland wrote the Radiance was a "world rose" because "anywhere a man can comfortably live, it will grow to perfection." Perhaps a bit enthusiastic, but Radiance and its sports are wonderful plants with beautiful, fragrant flowers. Kim |
Kim -- I would love to find a BUDDED Careless Love. Jeri |
Wouldn't that be a hoot? This is exactly why I urge people to learn to do it themselves. It is NOT that hard. It just takes practice. Once you can do it, there are few limitations to what you can do and how you can customize the plants to your conditions. It is a pain in the neck doing it for others, though. Too many things can too easily go wrong before delivering them to the recipients. If you do it for yourself and something fails, you just do it again and get the final results when they are ready. For others, there is always the pressure to get them done and the promise discharged. Add that you really should bud several of something which sports easily so you hedge your bets to get one which is actually striped, and you can imagine the room needed to actually produce any quantities. Kim |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 19:56
Jerijen, I am showing my naivety/lack of propagation knowledge???; what is a budded rose? Lynn |
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 20:00
Roseseek, Careless Love is on the list for my next order:) Again, thank you all for assisting me. You are appreciated. Lynn |
- Posted by Kippy-the-Hippy 10 Sunset 24 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 20:01
Lynn, any chance you will be in Ventura in November? The Ventura Rose society is showing propagation techniques. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Event
That's easy, Lynn. You know how some roses have Dr. Huey roots? Those are 'budded' or 'grafted' roses. They're actually two plants bonded together. The roots are one type, the tops are the type you wish to have flowers from. Own root roses are just that, they grow on their own roots, instead of being budded or grafted on another different rose for the roots. There are distinct advantages, and disadvantages, of both types and some vary depending upon the type of rose desired in question. You're welcome, thank you! It's fun helping to demystify these things to enable people to do what they didn't think they could. I think you'd enjoy seeing Burling's Chip Budding method (it's EASY and fun!) and my wrapping method for cuttings if you could swing the trip to Ventura or the VCRS meeting on November 21. It would be fun meeting you, too! Kim |
This post was edited by roseseek on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 20:16
- Posted by desertgarden561 9b. - Sunset Zone 11 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 20:34
Kippy-the-Hippy and Roseseek, unfortunately I will be in Camarillo the following week for Thanksgiving. I will definitely try to make it to one of the annual events and would hope to meet you both. My mother-in-law is a wonderful gardener, and she has kind of moved away from gardening. From what I understand it was something she really enjoyed, so I am trying to see if she has any desire to re-ignite that passion. Budded is synonymous with grafted. Oh. I have read many discussions on this forum regarding grafted vs. own root. I have leaned toward own root unless the rose is not available as an own root plant or recommended as grafted for my climate etc.. What are your thoughts? Lynn |
That works. One size definitely doesn't fit all (or, even most in some cases). Sometimes you simply have to try it one way to see if it works OK for you. If it does, great! It ain't broke so don't fix it. If it doesn't work, it needs fixing. Kim |
- Posted by Kippy-the-Hippy 10 Sunset 24 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 21:08
Kim Do you know if there will be any discussion on things like growing from seed? or Kitty's misting box? Lynn, sounds like we can probably wave at each other in traffic. I think my friend is coming out for Thanksgiving or the weekend after (and no way will I be driving home on I15 that weekend) |
According to the VCRS site and what Jim said to me, it was to be Burling doing her Chip Budding, my wrapping method and him doing some "odds and ends" which he found successful in his Sherman Oaks garden. Now, it is probably just Burling and me. I don't know anything about Kitty's mist box, but seed raising is easy. I can help you with that all you need. Kim |
- Posted by Kippy-the-Hippy 10 Sunset 24 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 12, 13 at 21:21
Thanks Kim I keep eyeing the hips on a couple of roses wondering what they might be-purple splash who lives by Iceberg and a couple of others. Too bad not all of them have hips as big and fat as Don Juan. |
You're welcome Kippy! I completely understand the attraction to big, fat rose hips containing HUGE seeds. Imagine messing with ones like these...they grow up to be Banksiaes! Kim |
Kim -- He asked Clay to come do his presentation on rooting cuttings. Jeri |
Good! I'm glad. Why am I not surprised? LOL! Kim |
Lynn -- I think it depends upon the rose. I would love to grow 'Careless Love' again, but I have tried twice and failed. In my cooler climate, I think my best shot is to get it budded onto something really vigorous (like Fortuniana) that likes sandy soil. OTOH, I can grow Teas, Chinas, and Noisettes all day on their own roots. They take a little longer to get going, but that doesn't bother me, and they will never "sucker." Jeri |
- Posted by Kippy-the-Hippy 10 Sunset 24 (My Page) on Wed, Aug 14, 13 at 11:36
Kim, yesterday I noticed itty bitty hips on Weeping China Doll. Have you tried her hips? Anything thoughts (bet those are some tiny seeds) Also Grandmothers hat has a hidden hip, not very big but nice and orange, any thoughts on her? |
I haven't raised any self set seed from China Doll, Kippy, but it has been used as seed parent so they should germinate. John Bagnasco has released some cute polys from it as well as a few others which are rather nice. Wild Dancer is a bullet proof rose from J&P containing it. I have used Pride of Oakland, a China Doll offspring, which I like very much. One of my seedlings from Pride of Oakland is the one recently named for Anne Belovich. Try them, you could raise some fun things. Grandmother's Hat never set a lot of seed for me until last year when it looked like a fruit plant. I raised a bunch of them which are still in the seed table waiting for "rain" before being transplanted. It was rather surprising how they separated themselves by diseases. One remained healthy from the start and appears to be the most vigorous of the lot. The others weren't as strong off the line but are catching up, cleaning up as they mature. They should provide some interesting results! Good luck with them. Kim |
Another vote for Careless Love. While I do like striped roses, my other two (Honorine de Brabant and Ferdinand de Pichard) did not survive the rose reduction process I'm currently going through. One reason is that the stripes fade and pale in hot weather, and that the rebloom was only so-so. I do grow once-blooming roses, but I want the repeaters to actually repeat. Careless Love reblooms well, is quite fragrant, and the stripes stay vivid. It was also the favorite rose of my friend Carol Markell, Bluesibe on this forum, so looking at it reminds me of her. A number of my roses remind me of people I associate with them. I was born a nostalgic. It is no wonder I love old roses. Rosefolly |
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POPSUGAR Tech Shopping Cassette-Themed Handmade Finds From Etsy Etsy Finds: Cool Cassette Gear by Tech 4/05/10 111 Shares Print 1 110 0 0 0 Previous Photo 1 of 11 View on One Page ADVERTISEMENT ( more slides) Next 1 Etsy Finds: Cool Cassette Gear What was once a childhood favorite is now a retro throwback. While cassettes may no longer be your preferred method of listening to your favorite music, they still have a fun, geeky charm. Here are a few cassette-themed finds from my favorite source for all things handmade, Etsy. Previous Photo 1 of 11 View on One Page ADVERTISEMENT ( more slides) Next 1 110 0 0 0 Read More Cassette TapesMix TapeEtsyRetroShopping Get inspired with our daily newsletter Enjoy gorgeous decor ideas, fast and easy recipes, and more in your inbox. Food Tech Home Vegetarian DIY Love & Sex Sign up with Link Love Find out how the Megaboom sounds compared to its competition — PureWow How plastic bottles can actually help the environment — NotImpossibleNow A Bud Light fan dodges ghosts in a real-life Pac-Man maze — Co.Create People are already reporting the Apple watch has a weak battery life — ReadWrite The infamous glitter shipping website sold for $85,000 — Newser 110 romantic movies you can stream on Netflix tonight — POPSUGAR Love & Sex Latest Tech
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Jet Lag Drink
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Summertime, and traveling other time zones may be on your agenda! Want to enjoy every vacation moment and eliminate jet lag? Sometimes a week ahead of traveling to Europe we get to bed by 8 pm and awaken at 4 or 5 am so we'll already be on European time. But this isn't always easy, […]
read moreTravel Tips From a Unique Macrobiotic Cooking Class
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You're itinerary's perfection, car, hotel, entertainment, sight-seeing, including plenty of local color. But are you macro-ready? Am I what? Yep, are you prepared to eat well and within macrobiotic diet recommendations while away from your macrobiotic kitchen? There are a few parts to this puzzle. It's do-able, easy, and well worth it. Why? Because you'll […]
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Macrobiotics in south of France is very special indeed. Wait 'til you discover the Bio shops specializing in Lima products, the most delectable macrobiotic cuisine anywhere! Bio describes organic vegetables, and locally grown, these are fresher than the California veggies shipped to Atlanta. Even in Baillargues, our niece's village. My dear husband being Swiss, has […]
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Writing from the mountains of Gstaad, Switzerland where we've been enjoying a family reunion ~ stretching each and every day, we've learned so much about ourselves. And what we'd like to integrate into our daily regime once we're home again. A few years ago a book entitled, All I Ever Needed to Know, I Learned in […]
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This Halloween the AZ Pro Arte Orchestra will provide the accompaniment for the terrifying 1922 German Expressionist Film, Nosferatu- a dark tale based on Bram Stoker's Dracula. Hans Erdmann's original score has long been lost, so director Timothy Verville rose to the occasion and created a new setting of music by Dvorak, Brahms and Wagner to frame the film. AZ Pro Arte's Composer-in-Residence, Christopher Norby, has also contributed original music for several of the film's scenes. Christopher Norby joins K-Bach's Jane Hilton.
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K-BACH's Theater Critic, Chris Curcio reviews the Theater Works premiere production of Richard Warren's play "Shifting Gears."
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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
A Marvel-ous comic book opus
Avengers is an action-packed ensemble of super-heroes. And it's pretty funny, too
About this time last year, we witnessed Transformers Dark of the Moon, a blockbuster that would be the second highest-grossing film of 2011. It delivered impressive digital vistas of destruction, but it was still a dispiritingly stupid movie in the dismal template of director Michael Bay, with lots of flag-waving and horrible humour thrown in to leaven the clanking cacophony of battling robots.
Truth be told, the highly anticipated multi-comic book franchise The Avengers actually seems to borrow a few key plot points from Transformers 3 regarding an alien-invasion-via-space-portal.
But we'll let that pass. For one thing, the plot of The Avengers was set in motion in 2011 with the movies Thor (The Avengers' villain is Thor's brother Loki) and Captain America (The Avengers' MacGuffin is the Tesseract, an energy cube disc the Cap had to pry from Nazi über-villain The Red Skull.)
But more importantly, The Avengers works. Unlike Bay, screenwriter-director Joss Whedon actually has a sense of humour, and the movie is elegantly punctuated with knee-slapping moments, whether a deft one liner from Robert Downey's cynical Tony Stark/Iron Man or a hilarious bit of comic book slapstick courtesy of The Hulk.
Whedon actually pulls off an impressive orchestration here, assembling the heroes of no less than four existing Marvel franchises and putting together a comic book symphony, allowing each character their theme, but layering them all together in a satisfying comic book opus.
On screen, the guy who puts the band together is Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), an eye-patched spymaster in charge of the "Avengers Initiative," a secret strategy of pooling the resources of extraordinary superheroes in the event of emergency.
That emergency arrives in the person of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), a trickster demi-god from Thor's mythical realm of Asgard. He steals the Tesseract from Fury's top-secret facility, and threatens to employ it to transport an alien army from across the universe. Fury enlists Tony Stark and Hulk alter-ego Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo, taking over the role from Edward Norton) to use their scientific acumen to track the cube while unleashing the recently thawed Second World War hero Captain America (Chris Evans) and his super-soldier abilities to harness Loki.
Employing the kinky reasoning that all superhero movies benefit from a woman in form-fitting leather, Whedon gives us two: Scarlett Johansson's feline superspy Black Widow and Cobie Smulders' can-do Agent Maria Hill. Smulders provides a sexier counterpoint to Clark Gregg's droll Agent Coulson, whose participation in all the franchise entries comes to a kind of fruition here.
Where some filmmakers, like Bay and The Green Lantern's Martin Campbell don't seem to understand the comic book genre, Whedon gets it. He stages individual battles (Thor vs. Iron Man) with an admirable understanding of comic book dynamics, but he gives each character the benefit of a distinctive human personality, be it Tony Stark's arrogance or Bruce Banner's rage issues.
Whedon does spectacle really well too, staging a sustained battle finale with great flair. Like Bay movies, the action is fast and furious, but unlike Bay movies, you can actually understand what's going on.
And what's going on here? Only the best comic book movie since The Dark Knight.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 4, 2012 D1
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Sundance First Look: Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders get 'Results' in Sundance rom com
12:29 PM 0About Randall King
In a way, Randall King was born into the entertainment beat.
His dad was Winnipeg musician Jimmy King, a one-time columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press. One of his brothers is a playwright. Another is a singer-songwriter.
Randall has been content to cover the entertainment beat in one capacity or another since 1990.
His beat is film, and the job has placed him in the same room as diverse talents, from Martin Scorsese to Martin Short, from Julie Christie to Julia Styles. He has met three James Bonds (four if you count Woody Allen), and director Russ Meyer once told him: "I like your style."
He really likes his job.
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