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VIEWS: 337 PAGES: 12 CATEGORY: Business POSTED ON: 2/21/2008
10 Reasons Why Satisfaction Surveys Don't Fail Author: Michael Whitehouse Introduction Survey-driven attitudinal analytics have exposed can yield insights that his monochromatic approach the hearts and minds of real website visitors, and never could. the findings have started a whole new wave of conversations about the voice of the customer Yet given his stature and the reputability of the in corporate boardrooms. Gone are the days company he works for, Reichheld's arguments have when customer relationship management meant often been cited as reasons why online customer only periodic telephone satisfaction surveys and satisfaction surveys are not the way to go. Therefore, bi-yearly focus groups. With online attitudinal this paper will do more than just meet and discredit reporting at their disposal, progressive decision Reichheld's objections—it will propose 10 reasons makers are continuously attentive to the voice of why satisfaction surveys absolutely do not fail. their customers. This flourishing industry is not without its critics, 10. Online surveys are getting more and however. There are influential voices in the field more unobtrusive of market research that have lobbied for a more minimalist and simplistic approach. In his seminal work on customer loyalty and brand evangelism, The Ultimate Question, consultant Fred Reichheld People like knowing that their opinions are valued, argues that satisfaction surveys are poor barometers but they are always conscious of the demands being when it comes to the true salient issues with which placed on their time. Reichheld contends that when companies are grappling. Further, he dismisses the "surveys grow to thirty or forty questions or more… notion that high customer satisfaction, within the response rates drop, and the sample size shrinks," frame of feedback surveys, has any causal link to a pattern that, according to him, "introduces sample corporate performance and growth. bias and makes scores volatile and unreliable."1 Gratuitously long telephone surveys can certainly Reichheld's work is not to be taken lightly. Indeed, become tedious very quickly, especially if there are he is incontrovertibly a pioneer in the movement to young children needing attention in the background monetize customer loyalty. Yet, in many ways, he or dinner boiling on the stovetop. Responding to overstretches himself in this book and attempts to more than 10 questions in a situation like that might impugn the value of customer satisfaction surveys be an extreme exercise in patience. Yet with an in ways that are, at best, misguided and, at worst, unobtrusive online survey, delivered after the site misinformed. All of his analysis is based on offline visit, there are surprisingly low leakage rates, even observations; indeed, despite being written within as the number of data points collected exceeds 30. the last eighteen months, his book has a decidedly dated feel to it. Nowhere does he grapple with Consider the following example, taken from data the nascent phenomenon of survey-based web collection for a major electronics OEM. Structurally, analytics and the way in which this type of analysis our survey allows for drop-off only after the first Fred Reichheld, The Ultimate Question, 79. 1 iPerceptions two sections, which, in this case, comprise 5 data A similar pattern emerges across industry verticals, points. As the graphic below demonstrates, even as such that low samples sizes are most frequently the number of data points collected rose to 30 and attributable to low site traffic, rather than wholesale then 35, the abandonment rate never exceeded 8% survey abandonment. While response rates are of the total sample during this five-month collection not dissimilar to those observed in offline market period. A robust enough sample base, devoid of research, completion rates regularly trend above bias, was maintained at all times. 90%. People like keeping their word and seeing a survey through to its end. By soliciting responses without obstructing the site visit or taxing the visitors' time, it is that much easier for them to do so. Further, Respondents through first sections by employing a 3-month cookie, visitors who have (5 data pts) already taken or refused the survey are not then solicited again. Experience has borne out the fact Jan-07 > 2203 that indiscriminate surveying only yields respondents upset at being queried for the third, fourth, or fifth Feb-07 > 1481 time. Minimizing response fatigue and making Mar-07 > 1478 sure not to over sample—these are two small but significant ways in which the survey experience is Apr-07 > 1416 made that much more visitor-friendly. May-07 > 1580 9. Listening to the right people Abandonment Section 3 Section 3 Rate (30 data pts) (35 data pts) Reichheld raises a good point when he argues that, unlike in political polling, where representative Jan-07 > 5% 6% samples are essential to make statistically significant Feb-07 > 6% 6% generalizations about the broad population, in ROI driven surveying, it is essential only to speak to the Mar-07 > 5% 7% right people. What he fails to account for, however, is the fact that the "right people" in an online medium Apr-07 > 6% 7% are not simply the largest spenders. May-07 > 5% 8% Instead, the right people to talk to are what Malcolm Gladwell has called "connectors:" people who are willing and enthusiastic to propagate their opinions iPerceptions 3 and consensuses over the internet. These are the partners to undertake tactical segmentation, based type of people who respond to online surveys; on demographic or psychographic criteria, that they are also the type of people who maintain allows employees to look at response patterns and blogs, make frequent posts on popular message draw out problematic issues for high risk or high boards, and in general exert an influence over value clients. online opinion that is probably far disproportionate By integrating attitudinal data gleaned from surveys to the actual amount of money they spend on any with behavioral data pulled from click stream one company's products. It is now possible for analysis, companies can analyze not only where these opinions to spread very quickly through viral leakage is occurring in the purchase process, but distribution networks. It is therefore imperative for also what aspects of the online experience are companies to solicit and take direction from the mitigating the desire to purchase and affecting feedback generated by these influencers. conversion. 8. With good data, employees are 7. Surveys establish objective industry empowered to take action standards Reichheld charges that survey data, because of Reichheld charges that many market research their complexity, do not empower employees with surveys are executed for purely promotional the necessary tools to take corrective action. Yet the purposes. According to him, this process has aspersion that survey data are somehow recondite helped destroy the credibility of satisfaction data. He or overly obscure is very quickly being discredited. cites the triviality of some of the categories in which Rather, what employees have at their disposal J.D. Power awards are distributed, such as airlines now are ASP solutions that offer a portfolio of that offer flights over 500 miles. sophisticated online tools. These deliver nearly real- time information in an intelligible format and they It is our belief that there is nothing wrong with touting also allow for myriad drill-downs into more tactical high grades in customer satisfaction. Having an and granular tidbits. industry-leading iPerceptions Satisfaction Index score is the result of a concerted effort on the part Reporting should never be restricted to only top-line of many divisions within a company to heed the analysis. As Reichheld correctly opines, "customer voice of the customer, and it is certainly deserving of feedback needs to relate specific problems to specific recognition and approbation. Our industry verticals groups of customers."1 We could not agree more, comprise many sector leaders. Therefore, if a which is why iPerceptions works with its clients and company is outperforming its industry in terms of Fred Reichheld, The Ultimate Question, 81. 1 iPerceptions customer satisfaction, it is doing so relative to other not something that will necessarily be borne out by well-established and reputable firms. short-term stock or fiscal analysis. Coming back to Reichheld's original point, paging There are at least a dozen environmental factors that through our questionnaire, one realizes very could impinge on the earnings/stock performance quickly that it is not in any way a branding exercise. of a company whose satisfaction ratings are Participation in the survey is never incentivized either nonetheless high: labor costs, development costs, in the form of a cash honorarium or in the form of macroeconomic balance of trade (import/export a product subvention. No promises of reward of fluctuations), monetary policy (currency issues), any kind are made. We merely call on the visitors' market climate (bear/bull), credit crunches (the sub- goodwill and desire to make the site better. prime mortgage fiasco leaps immediately to mind), political events, seasonality, corporate malfeasance, Finally, if by drawing attention to an industry-leading media coverage or reviews, large share dispositions, iPSI score, a company experiences a short-term takeover bids. This is far from being an exhaustive increase in sales, so be it. Only a longitudinal list, and a financial analyst would probably commitment to visitor satisfaction will drive the chastise me for missing some very obvious ones. company's online business forward in the long term (see below). More pragmatically, a manufacturer with a deep commitment to customer satisfaction might still see its stock value eroded by a court order to pay out 6. Customer satisfaction links to long-term higher retirement benefits to its former employees. sustainability Alternately, an interest rate hike by the Federal Deposit Reserve would trigger both an increase in the cost of borrowing, with an attendant effect on corporate bottom lines, and a movement away from In attempting to discredit customer satisfaction stocks into fixed income, which would drive share surveys, Reichheld parrots a commonly repeated prices down. This would be the case across sectors, fallacy: that because a company's customer irrespective of customer satisfaction levels and CRM satisfaction scores are asynchronous with its best practices. earnings or stock performance, the satisfaction data can be considered dubious. Yes, it is reasonable The point to be conveyed is that customer satisfaction to expect that a company that maintains high levels should always be pursued as an end in itself, and of customer satisfaction will outperform industry progressive decision makers should never forget benchmarks over the long term. In the short term, its intrinsic value. A satisfied customer base will however, there are far too many circumstantial always translate into long-term sustainability, even factors in play. Companies should strive to grow if their rosy brand outlook is not always mirrored in satisfaction because the windfall is long-term, and the last quarter's dividends. iPerceptions 5 contain both types. Thus, we avoid the "one-size- 5. Targeted solutions bring immense value fits-all"1 research that Reichheld impugns, all the to companies while making allowance for the fact that companies will always have a healthy appetite for industry- wide baselines. To borrow from Tolstoy: every satisfied customer is alike, but every dissatisfied customer is unique in his or her own way. For this reason, companies need . The iPSI is the emerging standard for to have research methodologies at their disposal knowing customer satisfaction that will provide more than just directional insight. Brand, product and web presence stakeholders have consistently voiced their need for research that Web analytics, both behavioral and attitudinal, are is targeted and permits for deep dives into crucial still a nascent form of conducting market research. visitor segments. It is to be expected, therefore, that many satisfaction metrics have been, and still are, vying for primacy Concurrently, all brands need to be able to evaluate and ubiquity. The iPerceptions Satisfaction Index their customer satisfaction relative to competitors, (iPSI), however, leverages several key factors that which is why there is a marked need for stock are just not present in other metrics. The iPSI's 11- categories of data, which allow for easy industry point scale allows for a healthy spectrum of opinion benchmarking. To that end, our automotive industry and encompasses a sufficient amount of response comparative site satisfaction report comprises six diversity. An analysis of the relationship between categories that are consistent across the brands for ordinal iPSI scores and verbal site experience which data is collected: relationship to the company, ratings yields tangible proof of the iPSI's credibility. purpose of visit, purchase horizon, age group, As the graphic below demonstrates, site satisfaction visit frequency, and overall site satisfaction. Many for visitors to a leading software manufacturer's insights have been gleaned from these categories. website increased in direct correlation to their self- For example, understanding website visitor age reported level of online satisfaction. distribution relative to the industry can help a company identify whether or not it is attracting its Further, the iPSI has a robust research pedigree. targeted visitors. Its genesis was in the work of the late Dr. Max Garfinkle, who devised a cutting-edge perceptual The key is to strike a balance between data collection framework that was later adapted to analyze that can easily be syndicated within an industry the totality of the web experience. In essence, the sector and data collection that is agile enough to model adumbrates the web experience as an allow for a high level of customizability. We firmly amalgam of five distinct Dimensions: Navigation, believe in deploying research questionnaires that Content, Interactivity, Motivation, and Adoption. Fred Reichheld, The Ultimate Question, 87. 1 6 iPerceptions iPSI Predicts Overall Satisfaction 9.6 9. 9.3 8. 8.0 8. 7.6 7. 6.8 6.8 6. 6.0 5.6 5. 5. .8 . .0 3.6 3.6 3. .8 . .0 . 0.0 Very bad Fair Good Very good Outstanding Each Dimension comprises multivariate identifiers of understanding visitor satisfaction. At times, multiple the online experience. Scores are assigned to each sources of business intelligence must be leveraged of these Attributes and all Attribute scores are rolled to understand the customer more fully. up and weighted equally within the iPSI. Yet the iPerceptions Satisfaction Index (iPSI) is While we applaud Reichheld's call for a "standard, increasingly becoming the gold standard for intuitive system" to measure experiential data, no online voice of the customer (VoC) research. iPSI company or index can possess a monopoly on scores have now been outputted for over three iPerceptions 7 million actual website visitors. Most critically, the More specifically, our perceptual framework re- iPSI is, to our knowledge, the only metric conceived casts the web experience as the convergence of exclusively for online data collection. Thus, it does two conceptual axes. One axis is temporal, and it not suffer from the same portability issues that have weighs the creation of immediate versus long-term to date plagued metrics based on offline collection value; the other axis is based around orientation and methods. measures front-end user desirability versus back- end site usefulness. Understanding the website in these terms allows us to evaluate how effectively it 3. Understanding the totality of the web helps to construct and maintain crucial emotive links experience is key with the visitor. These are the links that either make or break the company-customer relationship; time and again, data sets show that these links begin to form well before the visitor clicks "buy now." Many companies are content only to understand the purchase process, with the goal of identifying leakage and boosting conversion. While this is certainly a fruitful exercise on many levels, . Online surveys provide a safe forum for transactional and behavioral studies of this nature expression fail to account for the totality of the web experience. By restricting their scope of analysis to only the purchase process, decision makers who employ these tools exclusively blind themselves to many Research that is inimical to enthusiastic participation causal insights. Only attitudinal analytics can by volunteers is bound to fail. In many ways, online unearth the "why" behind the "what," and not only in surveying is a natural evolution of the telephone terms of transactional behavior or pathing. surveying method, but without its greatest flaws. Our surveys never intrude on the website visit. To his credit, Reichheld is dead on when he calls for Instead, a polite solicitation is presented on arrival surveying that includes every aspect of the online to the site. If declined, visitors are thanked and sent experience, including emotional and branding on their way. If accepted, a second, minimized issues. Our research consistently demonstrates window is launched and visitors can then proceed that relationship building is incipient well before the without having any part of the site occluded by the transactional stage of the site visit. This is why our surveying interface. The focus should be on the site, perceptual framework, while taking into account not the survey. Therefore, after respondents have elements that speak to commerce and conversion, completed their visit and turned their attention toward pushes well beyond that narrow ambit to include the survey, they are again reminded to not begin the all front end and back end aspects of the site survey until they have thoroughly completed their experience. onsite task. Layered invitations are also coming into 8 iPerceptions Immediate con ion at t en ig na v t Desirability Adoption Usefulness vit y mo ati c ti ra tiv on i nt e Long Term use, and they undoubtedly point the way forward in terms of user-friendliness. 1. Respect for the customer improves There is another important factor to consider communication within a company here. During telephone surveys, respondents are routinely asked questions (for example, related to age, income, or religion) that they may be unwilling Reichheld contends that employees manipulate to answer while connected with another party. Their satisfaction scores to gain accolades; but the discomfort can lead them to dissemble and furnish opinions of real customers in real situations are incorrect or inaccurate information. Online surveys objective and immune to manipulation. While are not plagued by these shortcomings. Instead, the currency of customer satisfaction is certainly they provide a safe and secure forum for reasoned, tremendously valuable, progressive organizations deliberative, and, above all, honest feedback. This understand that gauging the pulse of online visitors way, concern for tact and personal embarrassment is a subtle and iterative procedure, one that must never impede on the sincere expression of truth. necessarily draw upon the collective business iPerceptions 9 acumen of many divisions within a company. All of our clients are dealing with a vast wealth of Conclusion experiential data, some of which do not fit easily into established paradigms about how shoppers, browsers, and researchers behave. This is precisely why it is so important that customer insights get a The evolution and maturation of the entire field of wide readership and substantial upward mobility web analytics have radically altered the way in within a company. We always stress to our clients which a company's online presence is evaluated the importance of engaging as many stakeholders and have irrevocably placed the customer at the as possible in a conversation about customers. epicenter of all tactical and strategic website decision A satisfied visitor base should be the concern of making. Going further, it is a universally recognized everyone. fact among industry leaders that survey-based attitudinal analytics have furnished an invaluable Working towards solutions with clients, we have trove of business intelligence for website decision found that a sincere and conscientious effort to makers. bring the voice of the customer to the decision making table is healthy for an organization. Rather At the same time, the expectations being placed than inciting internecine conflict between divisions on websites are maturing and becoming more over who gets the highest loyalty scores, genuine exacting. As noted by a leading mind in the field, consumer advocacy heightens interoperability and " (now) there is a deep demand for the web channel to helps to build lateral bridges between the various be held just as accountable as the other channels… components and departments of a company, all of companies are demanding that the web leadership which have an unequivocal stake in making sure justify investments being poured into the channel. visitors to the website leave feeling that their time was This is an amazingly transformative experience for well spent. Often, this dispels faulty assumptions the channel as its leadership is looking in all places about the customer and engenders a desire to to prove results." innovate. As Jim Sterne so aptly notes, "Bringing the voice of the customer to senior management is One number can never be powerful enough to one of the most powerful tools for internal change."1 provide all the insights that website decision makers I would add that it is also one of the most powerful need to meet these new challenges. At the same tools for boosting inter-departmental collaboration time, one number can never allow for the full and giving everyone a clear goal towards which spectrum of visitor commentary and opinion. A far to strive. more holistic picture is needed. This picture can only 1 Jim Sterne, We Know What You Did Last Summer, 9. 2 Avinash Kaushik, Web Analytics: An Hour a Day, 6. 10 iPerceptions be drawn by survey-driven attitudinal analytics. The time is now for a different approach, one driven only by a devout respect for the voice of the customer. Contact Us About iPerceptions USA iPerceptions is one of North America's leading 575 Madison Avenue web-focused attitudinal analytics providers. Its Suite 1006 webValidator Continuous Listening solution and New York, NY its Proprietary Satisfaction Index (iPSI), turn 100-511 thousands of data points into easy-to-understand USA strategic and tactical decision support for website marketers. iPerceptions' clients include such well Tel: 877-796-3600 known brands as InterContinental Hotels, General Fax: 866-8-600 Motors, Dell Computers, Hyundai, CompUSA, LG Electronics, Toshiba, Choice Hotels International, Canada BMW and Hilton Hotels. iPerceptions has offices in 999 St-Catherine St. West New York, Toronto and Montreal. Suite 500 Montreal, Quebec H3Z 1T3 Canada Tel: (51) 88-3600 Fax: (51) 8-600 For further information please contact: email@example.com www.iperceptions.com Jonathan Levitt Vice President Marketing 877.796.3600 ext 50 email@example.com www.iperceptions.com iPerceptions 11 Know Satisfaction TM
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How do I preserve my peach tree leaf until Tuesday?
mcgyvr2009i(Schenectady, NY 5b)June 7, 2014
I posted a question here:
about an hour or so ago, and if I get confirmation on if I'm dealing with leaf curl, I'm hoping someone will recommend a product for treatment. If I am recommended something, I need to keep the leaf green, and fleshy with the fungus still intact so I can show the clerk what I'm dealing with and tell them what I'm looking for. I only need to preserve the leaf until Tuesday when I get my money. I have it in my refrigerator at the moment to try and slow down decomposition long enough to get a response. Can you tell me how to preserve the leaf until tuesday? I'm looking for a method good for 3 1/2 days. Thanks a bunch.

subset: commoncrawl


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Search results
Displaying 21 - 30 of 294
Two-Thirds of Zimbabweans Do Not Have Toilets
3 Sep 2014- 09:40 by Local Press Report HARARE New Zimbabwe A survey by the Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency (Zimstat) has revealed that at least 70 percent of households in some parts of the country have no access to toilets. The report said " ...
Local Press Report - 09/03/2014 - 09:40
Harare Needs $1 Billion to Rehabilitate Water Treatment Plant
12 Aug 2014- 10:07 by OOSKAnews Correspondent HARARE, Zimbabwe Zimbabwe's capital city, Harare, will need as much as $1 billion USD to overhaul its water treatment infrastructure to meet rising demand for clean water, Local Government Minister Ignatius ...
OOSKAnews Corre... - 08/12/2014 - 10:07
More Corruption Unearthed in Zimbabwe Water Project
22 Jul 2014- 10:22 by Local Press Report HARARE SW Radio Africa A committee investigating the project to resuscitate Harare's water infrastructure has said they unearthed more corrupt practices and were unable to audit accounts in a multi-million ...
Local Press Report - 07/22/2014 - 10:22
Rehabilitation of Zimbabwe Treatment Plant Stalled
16 Jul 2014- 10:19 by Local Press Report LONDON SW Radio Africa The rehabilitation of Harare's Morton Jeffrey water treatment plant has been stalled after the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority withheld construction equipment at the Forbes Border Post. State ...
Local Press Report - 07/16/2014 - 10:19
Zimbabwe's Capital Needs New Water Schemes
26 Jun 2014- 10:22 by Local Press Report HARARE The Herald Harare is currently facing acute water shortages. Under its present pumping capacity, the city's water supplies are only able to satisfactorily reach 40 percent of the city's population. ...
Local Press Report - 06/26/2014 - 10:22
Zimbabwe Orders Thousands of Businesses to Install Wastewater Treatment Equipment
14 May 2014- 10:20 by OOSKAnews Correspondent HARARE, Zimbabwe A Zimbabwean Cabinet Committee has ordered thousands of businesses to install waste interceptors and pre-treatment systems immediately to reduce pollution of potable water sources, or face ...
OOSKAnews Corre... - 05/14/2014 - 12:01
Zimbabwe Water Polluted by Funeral Parlors, Service Stations
9 May 2014- 10:05 by Local Press Report HARARE The Herald Funeral parlours, service stations, fuel holding depots and food processing plants have been dumping waste in the drinking water system countrywide. This has incensed a Cabinet Committee, which has ...
Local Press Report - 05/09/2014 - 10:09
Zimbabwe Government to Improve Sanitation
21 Apr 2014- 09:53 by Local Press Report HARARE The Herald Government has established a committee to work towards improvement of water supply and disposal of waste water in urban areas to reduce disease outbreaks, President Mugabe has said. Addressing ...
Local Press Report - 04/21/2014 - 09:53
Harare Mayor Admits the City Overpaid for Water, Sewage Rehabilitation Work
10 Apr 2014- 10:05 by OOSKAnews Correspondent HARARE, Zimbabwe Giving evidence last week before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni revealed that a $144 million USD ...
OOSKAnews Corre... - 04/10/2014 - 10:05
South African Company Offers to Upgrade Harare System for $100 Million
10 Mar 2014- 10:04 by Local Press Report HARARE The Standard A South African company has offered to replace and upgrade the ageing Harare water distribution network at a cost of US$100 million. The development comes at a time when the city is seeking ...
Local Press Report - 03/10/2014 - 10:04
Water Shortages Persist in Zimbabwe's Capital
6 Mar 2014- 10:10 by Local Press Report HARARE The Herald Most suburbs in Harare have gone for more than three weeks without water owing to rationing measures that council introduced to allow for the completion of the upgrading of the Morton Jaffray water ...
Local Press Report - 03/06/2014 - 10:10
Typhoid Breaks Out in Harare Neighborhood
3 Mar 2014- 10:11 by Local Press Report HARARE New Zimbabwe As critical running water shortages continue in Harare despite abundant rains, the poor neighbourhood of Mabvuku in the capital has been hit by a typhoid outbreak, the Combined Harare Residents ...
Local Press Report - 03/03/2014 - 10:17
Zimbabwe to Regulate Wells, Wetlands
4 Feb 2014- 10:02 by OOSKAnews Correspondent HARARE, Zimbabwe Zimbabwe plans to start regulating well drilling in the country's urban centers and enforcing wetlands preservation, in order to conserve the country's dwindling freshwater resources, ...
OOSKAnews Corre... - 02/04/2014 - 10:02
Zimbabwe Gets $20 Million From AfDB for Water, Sanitation
24 Jan 2014- 09:59 by OOSKAnews Correspondent HARARE, Zimbabwe The Zimbabwean government on January 22 signed a $53.4 million USD grant agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB). The funds will be used to upgrade power, transport and water ...
OOSKAnews Corre... - 01/24/2014 - 09:59
Zimbabwean Capital Restores Water Supply
2 Jan 2014- 10:05 by Local Press Report HARARE The Herald Harare City Council has managed to restore water supplies in some residential areas that had gone without water over Christmas with taps now running again in the Avenues, Kuwadzana, Cranborne and a ...
Local Press Report - 01/02/2014 - 10:05


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Lack of sleep is affecting you more than you think
According to a recent talk in Dubai, work and sleep go hand-in-handMarch 31, 2015 10:46
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Dubai's Drake & Scull drops after proposes no dividend for 2014
Dubai's DAMAC jumps after Q1 sales report
Dubai's Arabtec says appoints CEO for its construction unit
Middle East funds moving to cash as risks rise
UAE central bank foreign reserves up 4.1 pct y/y in February
Turkish Airlines flight diverted to Morocco after bomb scare
Soccer-Qatar 2022 World Cup may not need cooling systems
Dubai developer DAMAC says sales boosted by foreign buyers
Turkish Airlines flight declares emergency, diverts to Casablanca
Abraaj raises $1.3 bln for African investment funds
Qatar Telecom has raised 6.8 billion riyals ($1.87 billion) from a fully subscribed rights issue, the firm said in a statement on Tuesday.
May 29, 2012 12:06 by Reuters
Qatar Telecom has raised 6.8 billion riyals ($1.87 billion) from a fully subscribed rights issue, the firm said in a statement on Tuesday.
The capital will be used for general corporate purposes and to refinance existing debt, according to a regulatory filing to the London Stock Exchange where Qtel has bonds listed.
"Qtel continues to optimise its capital structure to ensure the financial efficiency of the company as it delivers on its strategy," Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Qtel chairman, said.
Qatar National Bank was lead manager for the offering.
In April, Qtel said it had no refinancing needs and would pay back maturing debt using its own cash, following reports it was seeking a $2 billion loan to help refinance a $3 billion obligation due in October.
The Telco had 21.1 billion riyals cash and cash equivalents at the end of March, its first-quarter financial statement said.
Qtel has approached banks regarding a $1 billion commercial paper programme, which, if set up, would be a rare example of a Middle Eastern entity using the liquidity management instrument.
The Gulf state's former monopoly beat analysts' forecasts for its first-quarter results, despite reporting a 12 percent drop in net profit on foreign exchange losses.
Shares in Qtel ended up 0.8 percent on Monday, extending 2012 gains to 22 percent.
($1 = 3.6407 Qatar riyals)
(Reporting by David French; Editing by Amran Abocar


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Results 21 to 25 of 57
Thread: Supernatural!!
October 21st, 2013 02:16 PM #21
I've just started watching Supernatural. It took me a day and a half for the first season so give me a week and I will be participating in this thread.Dany(also known as Athena) | Mama to a kit named Zola Bastet
Alaric Matthew | Elijah Serafin Lior | Henry Marcellus/Marcel | Lucian Malachi | James Balthazar | Peter Lysander | Leo Augustine | Sebastian Rhys | Lilith Seraphine | Katarina Beatrice | Caroline Hazel | Flora Hermione | Lydia Primrose | Hana Felicity | Isabel Mariana | Hazel Andromeda | Matilda Rosalie/Matilda Violet | Madeleine Rhea | Rosemary Gloria
October 21st, 2013 02:28 PM #23
I'm somewhere in Season 7, I believe. Sadly, I haven't been able to watch it on a regular basis since Fall quarter began! I love that there is a Supernatural thread on Nameberry-- so funny!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shae - Mallory - Margaret - Dorothy - Boden - Luca - Veda
Huckleberry - Colt - Benno - Fielder - Lonan - Kick - Shannon - Bodhi - Harvey
October 21st, 2013 04:58 PM #25
Saph – I'm with you, A n g e l S a m was swoonworthy! I literally squealed and grabbed my husband's arm when they showed his eyes going all blue and those tattered wings appeared on the wall behind him. I'm also looking forward to C h a r l i e's return! She's the perfect bridge between the brothers, both geeky and badass, and I love how protective they are of her. I had no idea T r a c t o r A n g e l was a thing! I need to go Google that now. I'd love some D e a n and H u m a n C a s scenes too, but I'm worried that they're not going to happen. I've read some things that make me think C a s has some competition in the D e a n's favorite angel department now!
Maple – Who doesn't love those boys? I'm curious as to why you stopped watching? I'm not sure that's physically possible for me, haha. I don't have a tumblr, but I have accounts on a couple fanfiction sites. Just reading, no writing as of yet.
Fly – w00t! You sound like me when I discovered the show! Can't wait to hear what you think of past seasons. Gotta say, I envy you your ability to watch season 4 with new eyes!
Kate – Well, we have threads for Once Upon a Time and The Vampire Diaries – why not our beloved Supernatural? There are tons of cool names on the show too…half the reason I felt safe starting this thread is because I've seen lots of people commenting on Castiel threads, so I knew we had to have at least a few SPN fans in the house Season 7 was a little gnarly, but don't worry, it all goes up from there!Zion Nathaniel ~ Solomon Fable ~ Balthazar Wolf ~ Malachi Sparrow nn Kai ~ Tobias Rowan ~ Caspian _____
Alice Willow ~ Ophelia Wren ~ Juliet Snow ~ Lucia Pearl ~ Eve Wisteria nn Evie ~ Cosima Rose ~ River Seraphine ~ Elowen Briar
Narnia Rose, Astoria nn Story, Illyria, Serafina, Soraya, Faerydae
Orion Melchior North, Tobias Loki, Edmund, Frost, Oberon, Kenshin, Remiel, Atreyu
October 21st, 2013 05:58 PM #27
@sessha: To be honest, I have too many issues with the show and the writers at this point. I made the mistake of reading too many season nine spoilers, and I'm just really not interested in the direction they're taking the show. Things might change and I might decide to go back and watch season nine later on, but for now I've decided to turn that focus elsewhere. I didn't think it would be possible for me to stop watching because I love Dean, Sam, and Cas so much. It's actually been a lot easier than I thought it would though.Emily • Nineteen • United States
♂ | Samuel ◊ Edward ◊ George ◊ Arthur ◊ Ezra ◊ James ◊ Theodore ◊ Simon
♀ | Jane ◊ Helen ◊ Anne ◊ Caroline ◊ Cordelia ◊ Gwen ◊ Georgia ◊ Arya
October 21st, 2013 06:19 PM #29
Damon wasn't enough to distract me anymore. My DVR still records it, but I just can't be bothered to watch another second. Is Supernatural on tonight or tomorrow? They keep switching nights and I don't remember.Biαηcα ωiηifre∂ Sησω ● Lσreℓei Oη∂iηe ● Octαviα єoωƴη Sσℓ ● ℘etrα Leσcα∂iα Siℓver ● Ƭɦisbe ωiℓ∂rσse
Annika Evadne Felicity Pandora Sunniva Thora | Ceridwen Eilonwy Faraday Illyria Isabeau Kestrel Serafina Sophronia
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Home » News » War » Sept. 11 remembered
Next sign-up begins Aug. 11 for community-supported fishery
New Hampshire Community Seafood board member and fisherman Jamie Hayward holds some of his fresh catch. The Portsmouth-based community-supported fishery delivers fresh-caught fish to 13 communities across the state. (Sara Forrest)
New Hampshire Community Seafood (NHCS) was created to be a type of "farm share for fish," according to Sarah Vanhorn, manager of the community supported fishery.
The fish is caught and delivered "dock to dish" within 24 hours of off-load, she said.
Vanhorn said NHCS has seen its membership grow from 250 in the first year to 520 in the second season. Distribution points have increased from seven to 13.
Vanhorn described New Hampshire Community Seafood as a cooperative of fishermen and consumers who have joined together to protect the ocean, sustain New Hampshire's fishing industry and support the local economy.
For more information, or to sign up, go to www.nhcommunityseafood.com or email email@example.com directly.
- Closing the season in style - 0
- NH Club Briefs: Bedford student wins French oratorical contest - 0
- Bobby Long brainstorms trip back to acoustic roots - 0
- Tom Chapin is talking numbers: specifically, '70' - 0
- NH Club Notes: Danbury Grange to host benefit for fire victim - 0
- St. Patrick celebrations culminate with Manchester parade - 0
- Adam Ezra Group brings road trip to Granite State this spring - 0
- Astrology and Psychic Fair planned - 0
- Egg-citing Easter egg hunts starting across Granite State - 0
Black Label Society goes 'UnBlackened' at the Casino BallroomREADER COMMENTS: 0
On your mark, get set — gather sap
Closing the season in style
George Will: Who says economics is hard?
NH's maple sap isn't as sweet as it once was
Falling clam juice prompts lawsuit
Another View -- Wendy L. Wright: NH needs an immunization registry to protect our children


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AboutA web log for all fans of Walt Disney, The Disney Company, and its many products. Using the theories behind Walt Disney's family oriented entertainment and education, this blog is intended to be a safe read for the whole family. Proud to be a part of Quality Will Out Omnimedia. The Disney Blog is not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company in any way. All Disney parks, attractions, lands, shows, event names, etc. are registered trademarks of The Walt Disney Company. The Disney Blog is affiliated with LaughingPlace.com, the number one Disney Fan site on the internet. Please see creative commons license at the bottom of this page for copyright information. All content on this website is my own and does not necessarily represent the views of my employer or anyone else on the planet. The Disney Blog is supported by advertising and some of the links on this site and in product reviews are revenue share affiliate ads. I also do accept product for review and to give away as prizes. However, I compose all my editorial separate from any decision regarding advertising or affiliate links. YMMV.
Tag Archives: comic book
The Rocketeer – Blu-ray DVD Review
I am loathe to recommend any home video, dvd, or blu-ray release without at least a few decent special features. The 20th Anniversary Edition of The Rocketeer just barely qualifies as it has only one special feature, a not very … Continue reading
Posted in DVD Tagged 1991, Blu-ray, comic book, digital remaster, DVD, dvd review, remaster, review, the rocketeer 3 Comments
Marvel X-Men DVD Giveaway
On April 28th Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment releases MARVEL X-MEN: Volumes 1 & 2 on DVD! For the first time, all 32 episodes of animated TV-series will be available! Discover the origins of your favorite X-Men characters with stories … Continue reading
Posted in DVD, Games, Games Tagged Animation, comic book, DVD, fox family, marvel, saban, x-men 80 Comments
New Disney Comics coming soon
When the SLG comics published Disney branded fizzled out after six issues I figured that was it for a while for Disney in the comics publishing biz. But really, Disney was just switching gears and publishers. Boom! Studios is getting … Continue reading
Posted in Comics, Muppets, pixar Tagged Animation, boom! studios, cars, comic book, comics, disney, Muppets, pixar, the Incredibles 4 Comments


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US and Virginia Economic Outlook
Ann Macheras reviewed economic conditions in February 2015.
Mortgage Performance Summaries
Update: Fourth Quarter 2014
The Fifth District economy continued to improve in recent months.
Fifth District Economic Indicators
The latest regional economic data on the Fifth District
Read about the Richmond Fed's view of key financial and economic issues.
Carolinas Survey of Business Activity
Carolinas Economy Expanded Steadily in March.
Maryland Survey of Business Activity
Solid Business Activity in March.
Fifth District Survey of Service Sector Activity
Service sector activity slowed in March.
Explore the Federal Reserve's History Web Gateway, which offers easy, online access to historical artifacts, biographies, images and videos.
The Richmond Fed opened its doors in 1914. Learn more about the Bank's history through a new collection of photos, videos, oral histories and articles.
Richmond Fed researchers periodically estimate the size of the federal financial safety net – most recently in February 2013. The safety net is intended to reduce systemic risk, but it can contribute to financial instability.


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Front Page
Nastygram: Faculty and Cyberbullying
Wading into the ongoing and lively discussion about the "Dear Student" series in Vitae, Corey Sparks noted on Twitter that "Working hard on behalf of students and complaining about them aren't mutually exclusive categories." The profession largely agrees, though our discourse on our work leads many of us to call The Chronicle of Higher Education
[continue reading…]
College football is increasingly in the news, and usually for all of the wrong reasons. One of the most concerning things for educators is the relationship between the academic and athletic programs at our nation's colleges and universities. And it is a tenuous, problematic relationship, undoubtedly. Imagine my surprise then when I found myself thinking
[continue reading…]
When many of us think of virtual worlds they think of working in or doing things in them, or perhaps in some instances creating things in them. In 2009, there were over 579 million subscribers to virtual worlds (Keegan, 2009) doing things, building things, experiencing things, and playing games. Virtual worlds are computer constructs that
[continue reading…]
This weekend I planned class sessions for my "Fictional Life of College" composition course, sent emails, pet my cats, talked with a friend about going to poetry readings, worked on my book at a coffee shop, and talked with my partner about a linguistic theorist. All pretty ordinary for a college teacher. Except for Saturday
[continue reading…]
Digital Pedagogy
On the Oculus Rift and using VR in the classroom
On the Oculus Rift and using VR in the classroom. On October 22, 2014, Stephen Addcox and Joshua Hussey conducted a demonstration of the Oculus Rift (DevKit 1). (In the darkened space of DevLab, Eric Rettberg, Stephen Addcox, Nicole Lobdell, and Joshua Hussey take turns stepping into augmented realities through the Oculus Rift headset.
[continue reading…]
Teachable Moments
The V in WOVEN—Student Posters (Part 2)
When I invite students to use social media for more formal assignments, they say they find writing "definitely enjoyable" and "more entertaining" in that they bring more "academic focus" to the their digital lives. Consumed primarily for instrumental reasons (glued to their mobile devices, like the rest of us, students text, post, like, tweet, google,
[continue reading…]
Britt News
Apply NOW!: Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellowship
Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellowship Composition, Technical Communication, and Digital Pedagogy The Writing and Communication Program at Georgia Tech seeks recent PhDs in rhetoric, composition, technical communication, literature, film, linguistics, visual rhetoric/design, and related humanities fields for the 2015-2016 Brittain Postdoctoral Fellowship. The fellowship, renewable up to three years, includes a 3/3 teaching assignment, Instructor
[continue reading…]
Rebecca Burnett on the Brittain Fellowship and Social Justice: A New Podcast Episode!
We at TECHStyle are proud to present our third episode of the podcast, starring Dr. Rebecca Burnett, the director of the Writing and Communication Program in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication and the Director of the Brittain post-doctoral program, both here at Georgia Tech. This episode is the first of a two-part series.
[continue reading…]


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August 02,2010
The Latest Beauty Buzz: The Secrets of Arnica (Is It The New Acai?)
The wonderous powers of the acai berry have been the buzz for quite some time now. It's found in everything from smoothies to face creams and touted for its high...
KEYWORDS arnica , Beauty News


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Related quotes
"The Black Watch is a traditional band. It is what we are known for, and we don't try to veer off that path. If there is anything new, it is in the traditional style. We tend to avoid doing stuff that is good for one year, then not for decades to come."
"The U.S. side is fully responsible for this collision. It was directly caused by the U.S. plane veering at a wide angle toward our plane, making it impossible for our plane to avoid it."
"We're dedicated to supporting mainstream jazz, and we don't veer too far off from that. But we do spend a lot of time thinking about how to make the festival grow and how to have a lot of variety. We have the avant-garde, the old jazz legends, the older musicians and younger musicians and we're known for our high-energy jam session."
"We haven't taken any precautions because in recent times, when there's a storm, it usually veers away at the last minute."
"Admiral Fry, or someone working with him, said, 'You know, if this thing suddenly veers off course and heads to Chicago, we'll have some really tough decisions to make,'"


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Progetto Flaminio Announces Competition for Rome's New City of Science District
The Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Investimenti Sgr has recently acquired the former Precision Electrical Components Factory in Flaminio, located between Via Guido Reni and Viale del Vignola, that will now be transformed into the new City of Science district.
Signaling the debut of a course of urban developments near Rome's historic neighborhoods, the area is marked by such iconic landmarks as Zaha Hadid's MAXXI Museum, Renzo Piano's Parco della Musica, and the Foro Italico and Olympic Village of 1960. The competition calls for a master plan for a neighborhood "integrated within the context of contemporary Rome." Covering an area of 5.1 hectares, the neighborhood should work in tandem with the City of Science, and feature landscaping, public areas that attract local residents as well as outside visitors, and residential spaces (including apartments and social housing) serving 1,500 to 2,000 people. Six participants will be chosen to move onto the second phase of the competition.
BAG Transforms Wooden Pallets into Temporary Space Observatory
Rome-based firm Beyond Architecture Group (BAG) has designed "experimental furniture" – dubbed Looking (C)up – for the Frammenti Music Festival at the Archaeological Park in Tusculum, Italy. The firm, known for building houses with bales of straw, chose to craft an astronomical observatory with wooden pallets.
Alessandro Mendini Awarded the European Prize for Architecture
Italian architect, philosopher, architectural theorist, visionary and design practitioner, Alessandro Mendini, has been selected to receive the 2014 European Prize for Architecture. Awarded annually by the European Centre for Architecture, Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, the European Prize for Architecture aims to recognize "influential architects that have changed and challenged the direction of contemporary architecture today and who have blazoned a more humane and intellectual approach to architecture."
"Not since Frank Lloyd Wright has the world seen a more theory-driven and profound-thinking architect than Mendini," said Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, the Museum President of the Chicago Athenaeum, in a press release.
The Mirror Houses / Peter Pichler Architecture
Architects: Peter Pichler Architecture
Location: SOUTH-TYROL, Italy
Year: 2014
Photographs: Oskar Da Riz
Biomes and Biodiversity Feature in Azerbaijan's Pavilion for Milan 2015
Azerbaijan has recently unveiled the design of "Treasure of Biodiversity," its dedicated pavilion for Expo Milano 2015, marking the first time the country has participated at a Universal Exposition. Designed by Italian firm Simmetrico Network, the pavilion aims to reflect the unique cultures and landscapes of Azerbaijan while acting as a model of sustainable design. Complete with biospheres and undulating walls, the pavilion's unique form takes cues from the central Expo theme of "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life," and hopes to engage visitors with the values of protected biodiversity.
Podere Navigliano / Ciclostile Architettura
Architects: Ciclostile Architettura
Location: Italy
Area: 600.0 sqm
Year: 2014
Photographs: Fabio Mantovani
MAD's First European Project Wins Planning in Rome
Four years after winning a competition to rebuild 71 Via Boncompagni in the heart of Rome, MAD Architects has been awarded approval and will now enter the implementation phase of their first European project. This approval will allow the Chinese practice to transform an incongruous 1970s commercial courtyard building into a 145-unit residential complex that reutilizes the building's "bookshelf" structure by stripping away its facade and inserting new living quarters, giving it an entirely new look and function.
Wilkinson Eyre Claim Plagiarism At 2015 Milan Expo Site
It seems as though the complex case of architectural copyright has been a major talking point of 2014. As the year begins to draw to a close, a fresh tension has risen between two European offices. British practice Wilkinson Eyre have claimed that a central structure at the site of the 2015 Milan Expo is direct plagiarism of their Cooled Conservatories at Gardens by the Bay project in Singapore, completed in 2012. According to an article in The Telegraph, the 'Tree of Life' will "form the centre-piece of the Italian pavilion" in Milan.
Loft B / Tomas Ghisellini Architects
Architects: Tomas Ghisellini Architects
Location: Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Area: 270.0 sqm
Year: 2014
Photographs: Courtesy of Tomas Ghisellini Architects
Video: The Latest Development at the 2015 Milan Expo Site Revealed with a Drone
The 2015 Milan Expo has been keeping architecture fans in the loop with "Belvedere in Città," its continuing series of videos filmed with the help of a drone. Since our update last month, two new videos have been released – and now that the recognizable forms of the pavilions are starting to emerge, the videos include labels for each feature of the expo site. With the help of these new videos it is easy to see the forms of highly-touted pavilions such as Libeskind's Vanke Pavilion, or Nemesi & Partners' smog-eating pavilion for Italy, gradually taking shape around the twin axes of the "cardo" and "decumanus," an ancient Roman planning tool borrowed for the site's masterplan by Jacques Herzog, Mark Rylander, Ricky Burdett, Stefano Boeri, and William McDonough. Read on after the break for the second video, and screenshots of the construction works.
Suburbian Villa / Deamicisarchitetti
Architects: Deamicisarchitetti
Location: 27027 Gropello Cairoli Pavia, Italy
Area: 460.0 sqm
Year: 2012
Photographs: L. Bartoli
The Ulrichshof / noa
Bosco Verticale: The World's "Most Beautiful and Innovative Highrise"
Bosco Verticale by Boeri Studio has won the 2014 International Highrise Award, deeming it to be the "most beautiful and innovative highrise in the world." Selected from a competitive shortlist of towers by Rem Koolhass, Steven Holl and Jean Nouvel, the forested highrise was praised by the jury for bringing 800 trees and 14 thousand plants to the Milan skyline.
"The Vertical Forest is an expression of the human need for contact with nature," stated jury president Christoph Ingenhoven. "It is a radical and daring idea for the cities of tomorrow, and without a doubt represents a model for the development of densely populated urban areas in other European countries."
A Renaissance Gem In Need Of Restoration
The Pazzi Chapel is a landmark of architecture in the city that was once the cradle of the Italian Renaissance: Florence. Located in the Santa Croce church complex (the largest Franciscan church in the world), the chapel was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi - the goldsmith-turned-architect who dedicated his life to engineering the dome of Florence's Santa Maria del Fiore. It is "a prime example of 15th-century architectural decoration in grey pietra serena sandstone, colourful maiolica, and terracotta."
550 years have taken their toll on this structure and its decoration. Concern for the state of the loggia of the chapel is now so great that the non-profit institution in charge of the church's administration – the Opera di Santa Croce – have raised 50% of the funds needed to carry out a restoration, set to begin in early 2015. They are now looking to crowdfunding to source the remaining half ($95,000) and, in so doing, are inviting people from around the world to become part of the 720-year-long history of Santa Croce.
Reflections on the 2014 Venice Biennale
Fundamentals, the title of the 2014 Venice Biennale, will close its doors in a matter of days (on the 23rd November). From the moment Rem Koolhaas revealed the title for this year's Biennale in January 2013, asking national curators to respond directly to the theme of 'Absorbing Modernity 1914-2014', there was an inkling that this Biennale would be in some way special. Having rejected offers to direct the Biennale in the past, the fact that Koolhaas chose to act not only as curator but also thematic co-ordinator of the complete international effort, was significant. This announcement led Peter Eisenman (one of Koolhaas' earliest tutors and advocates) to state in one interview that "[Rem is] stating his end: the end of [his] career, the end of [his] hegemony, the end of [his] mythology, the end of everything, the end of architecture."
Alpine Foothills House / Deamicisarchitetti
Architects: Deamicisarchitetti
Location: 10080 Borgiallo Turin, Italy
Area: 180.0 sqm
Year: 2013
Photographs: L. Bartoli, G. Leo
Mario Palanti: Architect of Rome's Skyscraper That Never Was
Adam Nathaniel Furman, architect and winner of this year's Blueprint Award for Design Innovation, is currently undertaking his tenure as the recipient of the 2014/15 Rome Prize for Architecture at the British School at Rome. His ongoing project, entitled The Roman Singularity, seeks to explore and celebrate Rome as "the contemporary city par-excellence" – "an urban version of the internet, a place where the analogical-whole history of society, architecture, politics, literature and art coalesce into a space so intense and delimited that they collapse under the enormity of their own mass into a singularity of human endeavour."
In this short essay inspired by the work of Dietrich C Neumann, an architectural historian at Brown University (Providence, RI USA), Furman examines what would have been "the tallest building in the world [...] housing Italy's new Parliament, lecture halls, meeting rooms, a hotel, library, enormous sports facilities, lighthouse, clock, astronomical observatory, telegraph and telephone stations, [reflecting] sunlight off its acres and acres of white Carrara marble." In the shadow of Italian Fascism, Mario Palanti saw an opportunity to transform the skyline of the Italian capital by pandering to the egotistical ambitions of a dictator. Ultimately the extent of his vision was matched only by his failure.
Refurbishment of an Old Barn / Arcoquattro Architettura
Architects: Arcoquattro Architettura
Location: 22070 Cagno Como, Italy
Area: 200.0 sqm
Year: 2011
Photographs: Courtesy of Arcoquattro Architettura


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WASHINGTON — Rising tax receipts are shrinking the federal deficit, and that will shape the budget debate when Congress returns from vacation next month. The big question for lawmakers: Should they renew, end or modify the tens of billions of ...Read More »
Tag Archives: republicansFeed Subscription
Eye Opener: Legislature's ethics committee wants to meet
A few government and politics headlines for Tuesday.Read More »
Sen. Pipkin resigning to pursue master's degree
Sen. E.J. Pipkin, who led debate against tax increases and new gun control measures this year as the Republican leader in the Maryland Senate, will resign from elected office Aug. 12, he said Monday.Read More »
Governors warn Washington against fiscal inaction
MILWAUKEE — The nation's governors have a warning for President Barack Obama and Congress: A fiscal standoff in Washington this fall could be catastrophic for states already feeling the fallout of sweeping cuts in federal spending. "When there's uncertainty in ...Read More »
Losing in the court of public opinion
A new poll finds Americans uniting in their dislike of the Supreme Court.Read More »
Eye Opener: More House Republican leadership moves
A few government and politics headlines for Friday.Read More »
Md. GOP to explore unaffiliated voters in primary
A Maryland Republican Party panel will explore the possibility of allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in GOP primaries in the state, the chairwoman of the party said Thursday.Read More »
Senate OKs Perez to head Labor Department
WASHINGTON — A divided Senate confirmed Thomas Perez on Thursday to become secretary of labor, elevating the son of Dominican immigrants who as a top Justice Department official won praise from Democrats for aggressively enforcing civil rights laws and criticism ...Read More »
Eye Opener: Republicans may let independents vote
A few government and politics headlines for Thursday.Read More »
Senators ready to restore lower college loan rates
WASHINGTON — Senators are ready to offer students a better deal on their college loans this fall, but future classes could see higher interest rates. The Senate could vote as early as Thursday on a bipartisan compromise that heads off ...Read More »


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Fatal police shooting sparks violent protests
Updated: 01/08/2009 - In grainy cell-phone videos played over and over on the Internet, police officers force an unarmed black man to the ground and hold him face-down on a crowded train platform.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - In grainy cell-phone videos played over and over on the Internet, police officers force an unarmed black man to the ground and hold him face-down on a crowded train platform.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Roland Burris has erected a grand mausoleum for himself, carved with the words "TRAIL BLAZER" and a long list of his accomplishments, with a space left for his more recent achievements. That gap could soon be filled in with "U.S. Senator."
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Congress overstepped its authority when it enacted a law allowing the federal government to hold sex offenders in custody indefinitely beyond the end of their prison terms, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Police who searched dumps in three states for the remains of a baby thrown out in a Jersey City hospital's trash gave up Thursday, saying they had little chance of success.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - The search continues for John Paul Forget, a Kansas college student who fell into the Missouri River on his way home for holiday break.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - An attorney for a woman convicted in a MySpace hoax directed at a teen who ended up committing suicide asked a judge to dismiss her convictions Thursday, saying a computer-fraud law was improperly used to prosecute her.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - A 22-year-old Fairbanks man was arrested for allegedly urinating on a bouncer at a bar on Sunday morning. The bouncer at Kodiak Jack's told police that he was trying to remove another man from the bar for causing a disruption.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Boeing delivered about 15 percent fewer airplanes in 2008 compared with the previous year as a strike forced the temporary closure of its commercial aircraft operations.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Arizona resident, Mark Sherman, 56, was injured when his small plane crashed in the eastern Kansas town of Iola.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - People in Wichita are feeling the effects of the slumping economy. The Labor Department says the state's largest city lost thirteen hundred jobs between November 2007 and November of last year.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Drugstore operator Walgreen Co. says it will cut 1,000 jobs this year, or about 9 percent of corporate management, through a combination of voluntary buyouts and layoffs.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Macy's announced it will close 11 stores in nine state. The Topeka store will not be affected.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - A Long Island surgeon embroiled in a nearly four-year divorce proceeding wants his estranged wife to return the kidney he donated to her, although he says he'll settle for $1.5 million in compensation.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Police who searched dumps in three states for the remains of a baby thrown out in a Jersey City hospital's trash gave up Thursday, saying they had little chance of success.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - A fugitive police sergeant said Thursday he won't contest being sent back to Alabama, where he's accused of faking his abduction, stealing evidence money and flying to Las Vegas to try to win enough money to pay off personal debts.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - A Kansas City man pleads guilty to a federal cyberstalking charge for sending the woman harassing e-mails and posting bogus Web ads inviting men to her home.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Thousands of evacuated residents, including former FEMA chief Michael D. Brown, were allowed to return to their homes Thursday after firefighters partially contained a wildfire near Denver that destroyed two houses and several outbuildings.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - The Illinois House committee investigating Gov. Rod Blagojevich released a draft report Thursday that concludes the Democratic governor has abused his power and was poised to recommend he be impeached by the full chamber.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - At least six mares in south-central Kansas are part of a growing number of horses in 28 states exposed to a contagious equine disease.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - An appeals court has ruled that the federal government cannot hold sex offenders in custody beyond the end of their prison sentences.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - It is perhaps the most intriguing unsolved mystery from the gaudy gangland career of John Gotti: Whatever happened to the neighbor who accidentally ran over and killed the mobster's 12-year-old son - and then vanished?
Updated: 01/08/2009 - U.S. Senate appointee Roland Burris said Thursday he's never been involved in an improper deal in his two decades in government and didn't strike any agreement to become embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pick for the U.S. Senate.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Floods, mudslides and avalanches in the Pacific Northwest kept tens of thousands of people from their homes Thursday, brought freight trains to a standstill and stranded hundreds of trucks along the major highways that link Seattle's busy ports with markets around the country.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Some Landon Middle School students left the classroom to test their latest projectsThursday.
Updated: 01/08/2009 - Thursday marks the last day of the Topeka Farm Show. This year is the 20th year for the event in Topeka.


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Gail explains why she was disappointed in Tiffani's final dish.
Curtis Stone highlights his favorite two dishes from the finale.
The chefs battle to to win Top Chef Duels -- and nothing's black and white as they cook for love, honor, and pride.
Hugh discusses the finale and the crucial mistake Tiffani made with her final dish.
Gail talks about the healing powers of food and how Art and Kevin's Duel felt so personal.
Curtis shares what he eats when he's missing Oz and thinks a lot about delicious Southern food.
Hugh would cure what ails with bourbon, chips, and ice cream, but he's glad Art and Kevin chose more noble Southern dishes.


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Three years ago, L.G. was a tiny, malnourished bear cub found orphaned in Nevada. Today he is the state's unopposed champion of solo ursine tetherball.
Article Comments
(Denver Post file)
RockiesColorado Rockies GM Jeff Bridich "big on team structure"
Rookie general manager Jeff Bridich and his lieutenants in the Rockies' front office never got a honeymoon period.
(Mark McDade / For the Camera)
Weird science'Bullet-looking missile thing' turns heads along highway south of Boulder
Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended Thursday
What the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.
(Brennan Linsley/AP)
Colorado town microcosm of art urban development movement
LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) — A national movement that counts on painters, dancers and musicians to help revitalize downtowns is coming to this Colorado city as the first residents prepare to move into new low-income apartments built for artists and their families. Full Story


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21-12405 - Panel Voltage Meter - 4.5V ~ 30VDC
Handy panel volt meter allows placement of a voltage meter anywhere. This meter easily connects to whatever DC supply you are trying to track.
Mfr Name: Adafruit Industries
Mfr Number: 575
60-10555 - Voltage Gauge Digital Cigarette Lighter
Cigarette Lighter Voltage Gauge
Four digit LED display provides voltage readout, accurate to 0.01VDC. Perfect for monitoring vehicles electrical system when under heavy use.
Mfr Name: Distributed By MCM
Mfr Number: NLD-06
21-14805 - Moving Coil 5A Meters
Analog moving magnet meter for measuring DC current in instrumentation or other projects.
Mfr Number: PM11454
21-12400 - Mini 3-Wire Volt Meter - 0 ~ 99.9VDC
Handy display allows placement of a voltage meter anywhere. 3-wire design powers meter with 2 wires and the third is used to measure.
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21-14810 - Moving Coil 10A Meters - 47mm X 47mm Case
Mfr Number: PM11455
21-12410 - Panel Current Meter - 0 ~ 9.99A
Handy panel current meter allows placement of a current meter anywhere. With a shunt already on board this meter hooks up very easily. Requires a DC voltage to run, and has two thick wires to measure current draw.
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Class 2.5 moving coil meter is perfect for instrumentation and projects.
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21-14820 - Moving Coil 30V Meters
Analog moving magnet meter for measuring DC voltage in instrumentation or other projects.
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A low-cost VU meter perfect for audio equipment and instrumentation
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Handy display allows placement of a voltage meter anywhere. Simple 2-wire design powers meter and measures at the same time.
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21-14815 - Moving Coil 15V Meters
Mfr Number: PM11458
21-14685 - Moving Coil 1A Meter - 21.4mm X 43.5mm Case
Mfr Number: PM11427
21-14695 - Moving Coil 5A Meter
Mfr Number: PM11429
21-14705 - Moving Coil 30V Meter - 45mm X 45 mm Case
Mfr Number: PM11431
21-14715 - Moving Coil 1mA Meter
Mfr Number: PM11433
MCM filled my order promptly and delivery was fast. The item I ordered was top quality as is everything I have ordered from them.