text:
Around the Region: TV anchor jury slowly picked in Arkansas
From Our Press Services
LITTLE ROCK -- Jury selection has been slow in the trial of a man accused in the bludgeoning death of TV anchor Anne Pressly.
By the end of Tuesday's court session shortly before 6 p.m., 11 jurors had been chosen out of 12 jurors and two alternates needed.
Circuit Judge Chris Piazza and lawyers for both the defense and prosecution spent the first half of Tuesday questioning a batch of jurors, all of whom were excused. Two were let go because they opposed the death penalty.
Curtis Lavelle Vance of Marianna could receive the death penalty if he is convicted of capital murder for killing the KATV personality. Pressly, 26, was raped and beaten in her Little Rock home late on Oct. 20, 2008, and died five days later. Vance has pleaded not guilty.
Tennessee: Bredesen sees future cuts
NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen says the influx of federal stimulus money has "concealed" the extent of Tennessee's budget woes and he is asking state departments to plan for 6 percent spending cuts when he holds budget hearings later this month.
Bredesen says he will also ask agencies to plan for a further 3 percent in cuts in case poor economic conditions require them.
Bredesen told reporters Monday that Tennessee is "a long way underwater with the stimulus holding us up at the moment. It's going to be a tough year."
The governor said requiring spending cuts will be all the more difficult as the economy shows signs of renewed growth. Officials project the state's tax base won't return to 2008 levels until at least 2014.
Tennessee: Church funds go missing
ATHENS -- An East Tennessee woman has been accused of embezzling more than $50,000 from a rural Baptist church where she is treasurer.
The Daily Post-Athenian in Athens reports that 39-year-old Kelly Maynor of Ten Mile was arrested Monday in Meigs County on charges of theft of services and filing false financial statements.
Lakeside Baptist Church in Ten Mile reported more than $50,000 in church funds missing.
Meigs County Detective Keith Kile told the newspaper that church leaders contacted authorities a few weeks ago.
Kile said Maynor apparently spent much of the money for her own personal use.
OXFORD, Miss. -- A U.S. magistrate says a 58-year-old Mississippi man can wear an electronic monitor at home while awaiting trial in the death of a Dutch bicyclist on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Wendell Blount of Calhoun County has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. His trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 7. Esther Hageman, a 51-year-old journalist from the Netherlands, was struck by a sports utility vehicle April 22 on the parkway.
CONWAY, Ark. -- Police in Conway say two shipping containers stolen from a distribution center in Conway have been found in Florida and Mississippi. The two containers of Kimberly-Clark products were stolen Oct. 24 and were worth more than $450,000. Police spokeswoman Sharen Carter said Monday that one container was found Thursday in Miami and was empty. Carter says the second container was found Friday in Marshall County, Miss., and a tractor-trailer rig also stolen from Conway was found about 20 miles away.
LITTLE ROCK -- Police say an officer fatally shot a man wielding a knife at a southwest Little Rock home after the man wounded his grandmother and himself. Police said the shooting occurred Tuesday afternoon when officers arriving at the scene believed the man to be a threat. Two officers fired shots at the man, police said. The man killed was identified by police as Landris Hawkins.
TOWNSEND, Tenn. -- Several controlled fires are planned this week for about 450 acres in scenic Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Smokies managers say the fires are a cost-effective way to prevent the cove's open fields from being reclaimed by forest. The park usually conducts controlled burns in the spring.
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Top 25 Teaching Colleges in the U.S.
Read about the top 25 teaching colleges in the United States. Learn about the degree options at three of these top schools, and find a table with at-a-glance facts about other colleges and universities in the country that offer teacher preparation programs.
School Information
Elementary, middle and secondary teachers must complete a teacher training program and obtain a state license before they can work in a U.S. public school. Three of the top 25 teaching colleges include Michigan State University, the University of Georgia in Athens and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. All three universities offer teacher preparation programs that lead to a bachelor's degree, the minimal educational requirement for obtaining a position. In general, teacher education programs include courses in instructional theory and a major subject area, as well as an internship.
Top U.S. Teaching Colleges
1. Michigan State University in East Lansing
Michigan State University (MSU) ranked 71st among national universities in 2012, according to U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, USN&WR ranked MSU first in the nation for both its elementary and secondary teacher education programs in 2011. At the undergraduate level, Michigan State offers 5-year teacher preparation programs for elementary, secondary and special education teachers.
2. University of Georgia in Athens
U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Georgia (UGA) 62nd among national universities in 2012, as well as fifth in secondary education and sixth in elementary education for 2011. UGA offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in elementary, middle school, adult and workforce education. For those interested in teaching language and literacy, the university offers English, teaching language to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and world language education programs.
3. University of Wisconsin in Madison
In 2011, the University of Wisconsin's special education program ranked first in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The university was also designated as a best Midwestern college and placed among the top ten best value public colleges in 2012, according to The Princeton Review. Future teachers at the University of Wisconsin can pursue an individualized teacher education program that includes a major and minor area of study. Graduate students may be interested in the online Master of Science for Professional Educators.
25 Good Colleges with Teacher Education Programs
|School Name
|Arizona State University
|Students in the elementary teacher education program can specialize in ESL
|Phoenix, AZ
|Boston College
|Special preparation programs for teachers in urban areas
|Chestnut Hill, MA
|Columbia University
|Ranked second among elementary teacher education schools, according to U.S. News & World Report in 2011
|New York, NY
|Harvard University
|Graduate students can participate in the Berkeley Exchange Program
|Cambridge, MA
|Indiana University
|IUconnectED offers online master's degree programs in elementary, secondary and special education
|Bloomington, IN
|Michigan State University
|Special cohort programs in urban and global education
|East Lansing, MI
|Montclair State University
|Teacher Education Advocacy Program supports and encourages minority teachers
|Upper Montclair, NJ
|New York University
|Short-term graduate programs in 20 countries
|New York, NY
|Ohio State University
|Ranked first in technical/vocational teacher education, according to U.S. News & World Report in 2011
|Columbus, OH
|Pennsylvania State University
|Offers over 40 teacher preparation programs
|University Park, PA
|Stanford University
|Ranked second in secondary teacher education, according to U.S. News & World Report in 2011
|Stanford, CA
|University of California - Los Angeles
|National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Project helps teachers earn National Board Certification
|Los Angeles, CA
|University of California - Berkeley
|Teacher education programs focus on child development
|Berkeley, CA
|University of Connecticut
|Integrated Bachelor's/Master's Program (IB/M) for teachers
|Storrs, CT
|University of Florida
|Duval Urban Apprenticeship program allows future educators to complete teacher training while working as paid apprentices
|Gainesville, FL
|University of Georgia
|Online B.S. in Special Education program
|Athens, GA
|University of Illinois
|Largest public university library in the world
|Champaign, IL
|University of Maryland
|5-year combined bachelor's/master's program for secondary and special education students
|College Park, MD
|University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
|Secondary teacher education programs include 18 majors and minors
|Ann Arbor, MI
|University of Minnesota
|Most teacher preparation programs culminate in a master's degree
|Twin Cities, MN
|University of Texas at Austin
|Operates the University of Texas Elementary School
|Austin, TX
|University of Virginia
|3+1 program allows students with advanced standing to earn a bachelor's and master's degree in education in four years
|Charlottesville, VA
|University of Washington
|Field-based training prepares teachers for challenging classrooms
|Seattle, WA
|University of Wisconsin - Madison
|Teacher preparation programs in more than 30 academic areas
|Madison, WI
|Vanderbilt University
|U.S. News & World Report ranked Vanderbilt's Peabody College of Education and Human Development the best school for education in 2011
|Nashville, TN
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Yeah, let the vitriol fly fanboys (and girls). See, I still do this weird arcane thing at night. No, not THAT weird, arcane thing. That comes later. 1,029 more words
Tags » R A N T S
sowing bread and roses
Subtitle: If that's what it takes to fit in these days. . .
I love to garden and I do most of the sowing and reaping around here. 682 more words


text:
NVidia Display Drivers screw up KDE
View Single Post
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 19
NVidia Display Drivers screw up KDE
Thanks to bigredlinux's suggestion, I decided to start a new thread concerning my problem.
The problem I'm having with the latest NVidia Display Drivers is that KDE will no longer work, nor will any of the KDE applications. Thus, I don't get the X server at startup, but I can still access the other GUI's without difficulty. When I type in "StartX", no matter if I'm logged on as root or as a user, it displays the following messages in the X server:
Couldn't load kdeinit: Please check your installation.
Couldn't load ksmserver: Please check your installation.
This is not exact, but close enough. I also got the following script in the terminal:
XFree86 Version 4.2.1 / X Window System
(protocol version 11, revision 0, vendor release 6600)
Release Date: 3 September 2002
(displays warnings about newer video cards)
Build OS: Linux 2.4.18-23mdkenterprise i686 [ELF]
Module Loader present
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default set, (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational, (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log File: "/var/log/XFree86.0.log", Time: Thu Oct 3 16:09:25 2002
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/XF86Config-4"
Using vt7
(II) [GLX]: Calling GlxExtensionInit
Waiting for X server to shut down.
With this, would you need the log file to see the actual cause of the problem? If so, let me know. I really need to get KDE up and running again. Thanks in advance.
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text:
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Wednesday was a volatile trading session for shares of Herbalife (HLF - Get Report).
Despite more allegations of wrongdoing by hedge fund manager Bill Ackman -- who has a rather sizable short position in the name -- the stock opened relatively strong. In fact, by 11:00 a.m. EDT, shares were higher by as much as 5%, to $69.
A few hours later, the first big headline appeared: Shares of HLF, HALTED.
For an active trader, the word "halted" is one of the worst in the world. You're locked into a position that you have no way of exiting or hedging until it is resumes trading.Usually, when the security resumes trading, it's messy action and the trader either gets crushed, or makes a fortune. A real world coin toss. Shares of Herbalife proved no different, plunging down to $54, more than 20% off session highs. Then shares reversed higher by $6 from there, finally ending the day at $60.57. In mid-morning trading Thursday, shares were down about 5% at $57.60 on the Nasdaq. Wednesday was crazy. But in the ensuing year, it's only likely to get crazier.
Traders are going to be all over this thing. And why wouldn't they be? It's a trader's paradise. Herablife is a very volatile stock, and has huge price swing potential. But for an investor, is it really something you want to be in, long or short? I guess you have to ask yourself, How much conviction do I have? If you truly believe the company is a pyramid scheme that will literally be shutdown, then I guess you could stay short. If you believe that the opposite is true, and the stock is undervalued, then I suppose you could stay long.
But seriously, how much conviction could you possibly have? If you're not a wealthy fund manager with plenty of connections or have enough money to investigate for yourself, how can you truly pick a side, with 100% accuracy?
Simply put: You can't. For me, man, there are so many other stocks I'd rather be in before Herbalife. Even if it is an undervalued, non-pyramid scheming company. Look at shares of Google (GOOG), Celgene (CELG), Under Armour (UA), Michael Kors (KORS), and Facebook (FB).
This article represents the opinion of a contributor and not necessarily that of TheStreet or its editorial staff.
DISCLOSURE: At the time of publication, the author was long Facebook. -- Written by Bret Kenwell in Petoskey, Mich. Follow @BretKenwell This article represents the opinion of a contributor and not necessarily that of TheStreet or its editorial staff.


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Previous Episode | Next Episode
The Beast of BeauvillageThe Beast of Beauvillage (2004) Episode 14-A- The Tofus Cartoon Episode Guide
This page has been viewed 19 times this month, and 199 times total.
- The Tofus Cartoon Episode GuideEpisode GuideTelevisionSeriesCartoon
- SIP Animation, 4144236 Canada Inc., CinéGroupe
- Cartoon Characters: Lola, Beth, April, Titus, Mom, Pop, Lily, Phil, Cherie, Kris, Chichi, Buba, Beatrice.
- Voice Actors: Brigid Tierney, Pauline Little, Jesse Vinet, Harry Standjofski, Maria Bircher, Marcel Jeannin, Kayla Grunfeld, Jason Szwimer, Sarah Allen; Full Voice Cast ...
- Produced By Danielle Marleau, Bruno Bianchi, Olivier Dumont, Jacques Pettigrew, Jacqueline Tordjman, Michel Lemire.
- Written By Karine Mazloumian.
- First Aired about 2004.
- Originally Aired on Teletoon (Canada).
- Running Time: 15 minutes.
- Color
- France / Canada
Cartoon Summary:
As the rumor that a dangerous wolf is roaming the hills of Beauvillage spreads like wildfire, mysterious damage and attacks are perpetrated at night. The town is... (more)
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Chichi and Lola Tofu, pre-teen brother and sister, are trying to live a "normal" life despite the back-to-nature lifestyle of their sweet but "too green and slightly... (more)
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Great with chicken nuggets or wings - or use as a salad dressing or as a sandwich spread.view recipes
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text:
QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS. Scientists always have questions, but never quite as many as around graduation time. Making the transition from a world of lectures and essays into a life of employment and pay cheques poses a fair few conundrums.
Of course, the biggest is: which way next? Picking your career path is among the biggest decisions you'll ever make, and takes a great deal of research, not to mention soul-searching.
Once you've managed to answer that one, another pesky question pops up: how do I get where I want to be? It's all very well dreaming of being a racing car driver, for instance, but you need to know how to go about bagging the right skills (would-be Formula 1 employees should turn to Real life: race engineer for a few hints).
That's not all. You probably have plenty of other questions about your next step on your mind right now. Over the next 10 pages, we plan to do our best to answer them. From CV-polishing tips (Graduate special: How do I write a scientific CV?) to starting a business (Graduate special: How do I use science to start a business?) to postgrad funding advice (Graduate special: What are the insider tips for getting postgrad funding?) to how much you are worth (see graphic), this special supplement is a comprehensive guide to your next big leap.
If you think there are questions we've missed, or if you have any other feedback, do let us know at
Careers - Find out how to make the most of your career in our comprehensive special report.
Looking for a job in science or technology? Take a look at the latest opportunities on Newscientistjobs.com.
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If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.


text:
User stories may be by far the most abused and misused XP practice ever conceived. First, look at the name. It's a USER story. So you need an actual live human being to even meet the naming criteria.
As a <certain type of user>
I want/need <some functionality>
So that <business reason>
The Green Part:
This is a description of a certain user. Be as specific as you can be. Ideally there will be the first and last name of an actual user of the functionality. If you write "As a user I want …" this doesn't really count as a user story.
The Red Part:
This is the part where you actually write the functionality you think will work in this case. Easy-peasy.
The Blue Part:
This is the hardest part. You actually need to know why does your user need that piece of functionality. Heavens, you will have to actually TALK to the human to know that. Or your Product Owner (I just got chills … ooooh …).
So a little trivia for you:
- Which part of the User Story is the most important and you can't write one without it?
- Which part is optional?
- Which part is usually the only one used?
Give yourself a couple of minutes before decoding the correct colors of answers:
So user stories need to have a live person behind them and they can't go without a reason. So let's see some examples of VERY BAD user stories:
As a system module I need an interface to communicate with the report section so that I can generate reports
As a user I need a login
As an administrator I need a panel
As a report I need something to generate me
As a registered user I need a login to log me in
So just don't. Pretty please!
Few examples of neat user stories:
As a registered user I need something to identify me for the website.
As an elderly shop owner I need my new administrative panel so that I can get new functionalities along with old ones that were easy to use for me.
As a football coach I need an administration panel so that I can automatically bribe referees without leaving traces on my personal accounts.
As any polish politician I need a mute button on the media so that I can silence critique.
So if you're going to use User Stories use them wisely. And the wisest way to write them is to omit the red part. Really. It's hard, but pays off!
Splitting your user stories
Sometimes user stories are big. Some people call them epics then. We don't obsess with the naming – use the one you like the most. But the one thing you have to remember is to ALWAYS keep them big enough to hold business value. How will you know that? As long as the BLUE PART is making sense, the story has business value. I know that v-word will be haunting you over and over. Get used to it. It's not going away.
So let's see how we can split user stories so that they have business value. This is sometimes referred to as the Concept of Travelling Light – why? Because if you shine a beam of light on one end of the system it should be visible on the other end with the same user story. Short – you have to span all the layers of the system (UI, Logic, Persistence, Abstractions etc.)
Let's take an example User Story to split:
As a credit card owner I need to be able to input my correct payment information so that I can pay for my plane ticket.
Tough one, eh? Maybe not that bad. Let's see how can we split it.
- Sub-user type: Credit Card Type
As a [Mastercard/Visa/Amex/Discover] owner I need to be able to input my correct payment information so that I can pay for my plane ticket.
- Data: What payment information do we need
As a credit card owner I need to be able to input my correct [name, card number, expiry date, CVV code, billing address, messaging confirmation code] so that I can pay for my plane ticket.
- Payment steps/elements
As a credit card owner I need to be able to input any payment information so that I can make sure I can use my credit card
As a credit card owner I need to be able to input credit card information so that I can make sure it's valid
As a credit card owner who has secondary security measures on I need to be able to input the validation code so that I can feel safe while processing my payment
- Maybe you see another line of division?
Price is what you pay, value is what you get.
This V-word will be your partner throughout your Scrum life. Get acquainted.
What's business value? It's the quantification of the goal your customer wants to reach with the product you're building. Basically it answers the question: what for?
It's amazing how often people don't pay attention to this. And that's where the statistics of 35% of requirements changing and 65% of functionality not being used (or barely) come from. You might have noticed that these two numbers add up to 100%. So what the heck are we building?
The problem lays in the fact that the only measurement used nowadays is money. And since software is intangible you only know about its quality when something goes horribly wrong. With cars for example, estimating the value you get from them is relatively easy (even if the seller isn't completely honest with you) – you can see how they're made, how much the gearbox is screeching, it it's big (or small) enough, if it has the right mileage and you can check the opinion of the model with other drivers. You can easily say if you're willing to pay the price for this beauty.
Would you buy a $100 car with beautiful outside, but with no engine and lacking a couple of front seats? Unless you need it for body part reselling, you will probably choose a $10 000 car with good engine, comfy seats and reasonable fuel consumption (or fun factor). So you're willing to pay for quality. Or you'll pay twice.
What usually happens in IT is when you're gathering requirements, you tend to get as much as possible in fear that if you don't – you will never be able to get them. That produces quite a lot of waste. You also wouldn't buy a car that has everything in the world. That makes it ekhm… Homer-Simpson-like?
So how do you measure Business Value?
Your Product Owner is responsible for that. There is even a required column in your Product Backlog that should contain Business Value. If it doesn't – bug your PO for it.
Sometimes you can measure Business Value directly. If you're making a system that will speed something up or save money, you can get the exact value it will bring and put it in the Product Backlog.
But if you don't have that kind of luxury, your PO can estimate it. In some abstract scale – it can be something like Story Points for business value (your PO and stakeholders can play Planning Poker to get it) or completely abstract things like materials, t-shirt sizes, fruit etc.
Oh and one small thing. Paying back your technical debt has NO VALUE. It's paying your loans, it doesn't bring you joy.
Hello Again!
Happy new year! Hope you're all full of good food, nice feelings and excitement to come back to what you do best :)
Today I will give you a simple tool – a poster that you can give to your teams, that can really help.
Few years ago, on a conference I met a great guy – his name was Chris Avery. He mainly works with leaders and high-level management. He introduced me to his Responsibility Process, which I really like. It's based on a model that you can use in your daily work. And if you'd like to know more visit his website.
So what is this all about? Simply: about responsibility. In English, there are two words very close to each other, but with a major distinction. I noticed that not only in Polish, but also in many other languages Responsibility and Accountability are the same word. So please, check in your language if this isn't the case. And if is, stress the difference on every occasion!
So why a model or a process? Can't a person just be responsible? It's a little more complex than that. Children learn responsibility as they grow up and experience more. As adults we can also go through this process every time something happens. So let me explain how it works with an example – I lost my keys.
Quit – you can always quit and just not solve the problem. In the case of losing keys, I would call my boyfriend and say I'm stating with him tonight.
"No, no no! I couldn't have lost those keys!" – I rummage through my purse again and again with hope of finding it. Denial is basically a refusal to admit something happened. Kids would go with "It's not broken" when confronted with a broken vase.
Lay Blame
"This stupid cashier! She was so abrasive, I must have lost those keys because of her!" – this level usually involves some anger. With kids "He/She did it!" is very popular. Basically you blame someone else.
"It was raining, it was dark, all the stuff was heavy, because all of this I lost those keys" – I am trying to justify that there was no other way, I must have lost those keys. With kids it would be "It happened itself!". We are trying to lay blame on all natural or supernatural powers we can imagine. But still we don't admit it may be us.
"I'm so stupid, I lost those keys again …" – I am blaming myself. Nothing good comes out of it, I just bring some bad mood on myself. Kids who admit they did something bad, are usually taught to feel ashamed "Shame on you!". It's a step forward, at least we admit there is some of our fault. But still, nothing gets fixed.
Also known as "Accountability". "Man, I lost those keys, so I HAVE TO call that witch, landlord again… and I'm so bad on the phone". If you feel you have to do something, but for some reason you don't really feel like it, that's obligation. Obligation towards your boss or yourself. Kids usually go with "My mom/dad told me to". You fix the problem, but out of necessity, not because you want to.
This is the highest level. You don't look at whose fault that is. You don't blame yourself. It happened – sh*t happens. "[phone rings] Honey, can I come by your place to pick up my spare keys? I just lost mine. – Thanks, bye!" – something happened? Just go and fix it. That's responsibility. Doesn't matter if there were 0,00003% of your fault. Just do it. With intrinsic motivation, not being coerced.
Every person has a certain level of responsibility in specific areas of life. For example – your love life, you can be on the Shame level. You blame yourself for everything that happens. Or you can be on Lay Blame at work – "It's their fault" or "That's not my job, it's theirs". Usually with your kids, you're always Responsible. You can also change the level you're on. Up or down.
Most important thing about this model is that you can't impose it on anyone. It has to be their decision. When using it as a team, you can post a poster on the wall and whenever someone says "It's not my job" you can ask – what level was this comment on? Works like a charm :)
Good hunting!
Hello again :)
Just like I promised – the second Toolkit post is 2 weeks later. Just click on the tag, it will show you all the toolkit posts.
Today I wanted to show you how humans differ from other living creatures and why we should take advantage of that in our work.
First, we have to understand what Power is. One major thing about power is that only you can grant someone else power over yourself. Sometimes it's in exchange for something, sometimes it's just because you want to. Let's take an extreme case – you have a knife on your throat. Someone holding it demands you do something. You still have a choice whether you do it or not. The price is high, but still, it's your decision.
So let's take a look what kinds of power are there, and what benefits they bring.
1&2 – Rewarding & Coercive
These two forms are the most common in nature. Every animal is susceptible to those. Basically they mean that you can do something for someone in order to receive a reward or avoid punishment. This is exactly the carrot & stick. If you use this power, you will get obedience. But nothing more. So if you want your dog to obey, you can give him or her treats to reinforce good behavior and punish bad. But remember, even if you do that , you might not be able to take control over your dog. Because when you turn around, the sausage will still disappear. Exactly the same applies to humans. If you reward and punish, everything will go towards what you reward and what you punish will be hidden. But apart from that, no creativity can be expected.
3 – Given/Formal/Legitimate
This power is only present in creatures who build societies. Did you ever watch The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan? If you did, try to remember what he wanted to achieve. He was the Pack Leader for the dog and taught owners how to do the same. He wanted the dog to be submissive. And this is exactly what you will have if you have formal power over someone – like a manager or a police officer. Someone who is high in social ranks, somehow culturally above someone else. But if you operate with this power, you will have submission and submission only. There is still very little creativity involved.
4. Expert
Expert power is something that can be described as being respected, because you know a lot or can do something. This is something that has not been observed in any creatures, besides human. Some researchers believe dolphins, elephants, apes and crows may exhibit that power as well, but no hard proof has been found yet. Working with someone with that power over you, gives you wings to learn. You want to become just like this example someone, so you listen, follow footsteps and try to master this subject. This power gives you learning and conquering difficulties.
5. Referent
This is a power that's closest to trust. In large quantities it's perceived as Charisma. It's something that produces good feelings and engagement. It's a power that's easiest to lose and hardest to gain. You feel that this person is just right, you follow their lead. It's something good leaders have.
6*. Informational
Why is there an asterisk here? Because this power was added later on, it wasn't in the original research. This is a power that is present only in informational societies. Where having, withholding or manipulating information is possible. Some also argue if this is not only a different manifestation of a rewarding or coercive power. I will leave it for your consideration.
So why should I bother knowing this?
Because the higher the power number is, the harder it is to gain, but the bigger the benefits are. It's easy to coerce someone to do something, threatening them to sack them or promising a yearly bonus.
Also because coercive and rewarding powers are encoded in our reptilian brain, they are our instincts and it's extremely hard in a critical situation not to use them. Same applies to given power – only if you give in to your instincts, the more primitive one will take over – the carrot and the stick.
And in critical situations we need creativity, learning and engagement the most – to quickly get out of that crisis.
That's why Scrum Masters have to have Expert and Referent power but not formal, coercive or rewarding ones. So that they can get the most of people any time.
Use this knowledge wisely :)
Hi Everyone :)
Today I am starting a new series. We'll see how regularly I will be able to update it, but the two posts will be there before Christmas.
So why a Scrum Master's toolkit? Because lots of SM's and managers/leaders who would like to build better Teams and Scrum Teams struggle with good sources of knowledge. Of course there is Patrick Leoncioni, the Heath brothers, Tom DeMarco, Esther Derby, Diana Larssen, Lyssa Adkins, Seth Godin, Steve Denning, Ken Schwaber, Ken Blanchard, John Kotter, Jurgen Appelo, Uncle Bob, and many, many others. You can read all of their books, and actually you should. But what about someone that has just started working as a SM or a manager? They should start assembling their own understanding-and-exercising toolkit right away and I would like to give them a digest and a direction where they should go. And to point more experienced ones into terrains they may have never explored before.
Let's start with one of the most important models for knowledge and skill development. Many know about the SHU-HA-RI model. Good! If you don't then go ahead and google it. Or not J. The Dreyfus Model is the SHU-HA-RI extended and for me way better explained.
Where did this model come from? In the '70s (maybe even '60s) of the past century, brothers Dreyfus worked with pilots.
As you can imagine, simulators, just like pilot schools have today were not invented yet. So there had to be some other way of knowing whether a pilot knows enough no to kill their passengers when something bad will happen mid-air. They observed lots of people and finally in 1980 they published a paper where they summed up everything they knew.
So let me explain how the model works. I will use an example that most of us can relate to: learning how to drive.
You start learning how to drive with your instructor, parent, guardian or sibling. Take a moment how it felt – clutch, gearbox, safety belts, blinkers, wipers, RPMs, speed, the sound of the engine, the big metal box you just sat in to operate. A lot to take in. And a lot of rules: when you change the gear, push the clutch. Release it slowly. Blinker! There is a 40 speed limit here. At this speed change the gear. Lights! … and so on. You were so consumed with getting to know the rules, you needed someone to remind you about some of them you were just currently not concentrating on.
Advanced Beginner
This is the moment when you start to grasp it. Your leg automatically pushes the clutch when you're changing gears, you don't even think about the blinker, you just turn it on, sometimes even when you don't need it. Seatbelt? Automatic when you sit behind the wheel. Mirrors? You know what they are for. But wait. Now, because your processor load with all the mechanics is off, you start seeing the environment around you. You actually see the road signs your instructor was telling you about. You remember here is a 40 speed limit, but suddenly you understand why – there is a sign!
But wait, there is more – there is traffic! There are other people! They are DRIVING! You suddenly start noticing the environment. It doesn't happen at once of course, but gradually. But this is when you're not a novice anymore. You gain perception of the environment.
This is when you just drive. You got your license some time ago, you know your way around town. You don't worry about operating the car anymore, you just do it automatically and it just listens to what you want to do, not how you want to do it. You drive confidently and you can actually predict what will happen in simple situations. A car coming too fast from a street on your right? You just slow down and watch him closely. Someone isn't going at a straight line? He may be intoxicated, let's pay close attention and maybe call 112/911. Rules are in your blood, you can see the environment and you can envision negative consequences of breaking those rules. This is what a competent driver does.
Proficient would be an experienced driver. Not their first car, they drove quite a few. Maybe even other vehicles. They have their license for 6, 10, 15 years now. Not only they can envision consequences of breaking the rules, but they bend them and understand why. They can predict even complex situations they have never seen before. For example, a truck driver starts slowly turning left. Something's not right. That driver may not be aware what is wrong, but his brain will know and put him in high-alert mode. He will be able to predict what speed limit will is where, even without looking at the signs. He may not even remember it. He also may bend the rules – speed limit? RPM limit on that gear? Getting out of skidding? The fact that you have to speed up to do this, may be incomprehensible for a less proficient driver. So a proficient one automatically sees that something's wrong and bends rules understanding what it brings.
Most of us will not be experts. WRC drivers or F1 drivers would be experts. Professional truck drivers would. These people intentionally break the rules to achieve something more. And they risk a lot with it. Regular drivers may not be able to operate in an environment when your car weighs 30 tons and you have 2 gearboxes and 20 gears at your disposal. Or when you have to speed up to 130 KM/h to be able to turn. This is the environment where only experts can go.
They also sometimes have kind of supernatural powers. There is a story of an F1 driver that just stopped in the middle of a race. He couldn't explain why he did that. There were high walls on the track with fans on the top that could see all the action. Drivers couldn't see more than few
hundred meters ahead. But he just stopped – and as it came out – it saved his life. Right around the corner there was a huge accident, involving several cars. Later everyone started wondering – how did he do that? Does he have some supernatural powers? After further analysis of the footage from the race, it came out that he must have seen the crowd on the top of the fence – they weren't cheering, as usual, they were looking to their right. He must have spotted it with a corner of his eye and his body just reacted, braking and stopping right before it. It saved lives of few other drivers behind him too. Unfortunately I was unable to find the name of this driver. Maybe someone can help me here?
But there is a catch in all this. Do you know when young drivers crash the most? 6 months after getting their license. Why? Because of the Dunning-Kruger effect. You are still a beginner, or start being competent, but you think you're an expert already. That's when you start breaking the rules and you either crash or break the engine, or the gearbox. Because you don't understand consequences as well as an expert would. If you are aware of this effect, you can act.
If you are a Scrum Master, you can watch for that in your team. If they are introducing Scrum for example and after 3 sprints they decide to ditch the Review, you can see the Dunning-Kruger effect is happening. And you can tell then why they should wait a little more, until they actually see the environment.
It applies to everything. Learning to play an instrument, cooking, programming, drawing, simply everything.
It will help :)
Hello, long time no see :)
New Scrum Guide is out, so let's update the PTOS!
Thanks to Fredrik Wendt's comments I also updated the Daily Scrum section by adding the Sprint Goal to it. Grooming changed into Refinement and some minor changes were made to Planning.
Disclaimer: opinions expressed in this post are not meant to offend anyone; they are highly subjective and based on my own experiences.
Just yesterday @thels6 pointed me to a blog post by @pawelbrodzinski on women in IT. Looks like my opinion is sought after :)
I have read this post and the preceding one few times and the only sure thing here is I cannot take a side. Let me explain by scratching the surface of the subject in the longest pos I have written on this blog so far.
Availability of IT girls on Polish market
Let's start with a story from some years ago, when I was seeking a job as a junior developer, right out of studies. A male friend did the same at the same time. We finished the same school, had almost exactly the same experience (I even had a little more) and tried finding a job in the same city. Result? He sent 12 applications, had three interviews and in 2 months he was in. I sent 96 applications, had 5 interviews (3 of them in the same company) and it took me over 6 months to start working. And later I found out that it was only my experience as a manager and some leadership traits that got me this position. It did occur to me that maybe I was just a lousy developer, but I passed all technical tests and interviews. Especially when I was talking to my female friend who had a similar experience few years back – this time it was 2 vs. 20 with her male friend. Third girl confirmed same scenario few months later. So I'm not alone.
Same situation from another perspective: as a manager I observed good influence of girls on teams, so I was very happy when my team asked for one. Hundreds of CVs, dozens of interviews and a total of female candidates: 3. One of them didn't know what a hexadecimal is, second didn't show for an interview and the third one failed at writing an algorithm for a Fibonacci sequence. Finally I was able to get girls, but only via friends already on the team or scavenging from a dismantled project.
Why is that? And this is my subjective view:
Girls are really rare in IT in Poland. In one of the corporations I worked with, girls made 11% of the staff, including HR and administration. This is freakishly low. During my studies I was one with 76 guys. There was another girl, but it was temporary.
What I observed was that girls are either brilliant and they excel at almost everything or are just ones trying to go through unsuitable studies to find a husband (and it's not as rare as one may think). So if there is a team that catches the brilliant one, they refuse to let her go regardless of the price. The rest is just the ones that somehow got through the IT studies and now are looking for any job.
Taking this into account look at the cultural implications of a tradition where a woman cannot learn engineering or maths because she is believed to be genetically impaired towards this knowledge. Once in few hundred there is that one girl who is encouraged by parents to pursue what she was good at, wasn't brilliant, but good. This is a phenomenon employers don't really know, thus are afraid of it – will she be as bad as the other girls? Should I risk the simplicity of the male hierarchy for her?
Best are headhunted, worst are suspended between employers. No wonder there is almost no valuable female material on the market. And if there is, it's a pure gemstone, nobody knows what to do with.
Team building, engineering and too much good stuff
If you come to an open space of a corporation, wander a little and listen you can hear an interesting correlation: if there is a space or a room with no women, the frequency of swearwords is significantly greater. If you introduce a girl to this team, the intensity and frequency of these words diminishes. I have observed this in three corporations in Poland, each one affiliated with a different country, so looks like this is not a factor.
Second thing I observed was the decision making process. Girls acted as catalysts and there were two types – the fighters and the quiet ones. The fighters stood up to what they believed in and argued their point until either they won or someone came up with something better. The quiet type just sat there in silence for the majority of the meeting, but the moment she opens her mouth, everyone goes silent. Her opinion and expertise is extremely valued. In both cases the impact on decisions made was positive – less quarrel later on and braver ideas, but better thought through.
So why I prefer to work with men rather than women? I like to have a female friend in a group, but not too many. Why? Let me tell you another story.
A professor in my negotiations class once conducted an experiment. At first it was supposed to be a joke, but it turned out to be scientifically interesting. The experiment exercise was based on two groups of interests – fruit growers and producers of local vodka. Both, not knowing what the goals of the others are, where supposed to gather points that were later summed up by the agreement they all signed. The maximum amount of points a group could gather was around 20.
The control group consisted of few groups of mixed gender: 2+1, 1+2 and 2+2. In these cases negotiations took between 20 and 40 minutes, and the producers beat growers by around 5 points, resulting in average in 8 vs. 13. So the exercise was skewed somewhat towards the producers, rather than growers. Then professor started dividing groups by gender and giving them same exercise.
When both groups consisted of men, the negotiations took less than 20 minutes each time, resulting in low scores for both. Guys just quickly agreed on something and left to take a break. Scores almost never exceeded 10 points, regardless of the side.
If there was girls vs. boys group, girls almost always crushed boys. It was very hard to get a negative score in this exercise, but somehow guys managed to do this few times.
But when there were girls vs. girls, there was fire. The competitive nature of women showed – only few groups managed to finish within the class time (1.5 hour) and the score was about the same as the control group. So no gain here, just more smoke.
Why was that? My explanation is that women's competitiveness and attention to detail resulted in discussing and quarrelling about every little thing there was to discuss. Men looked at the broader picture and strived towards a common goal of having a longer break in the end of the class.
Looking at this exercise and my observations I believe the healthiest groups are mixed ones. Don't strive for too many girls – they may impede the course of work.
In addition in 2010 or 2011 in HBR there was a study published that analyzed gender distribution on executive boards of big companies. The interesting thing was that the more women, the better, but if there was more than three, the correlation stopped. Generally the executive boards with up to 3 women generated about 11% more revenue, but with 4 or more it was less (I couldn't find the article online, I will scan my paper archive if someone is interested).
It all corresponds with what Anita Woolley wrote, I'm only curious about the team sizes she researched. Teams with women on them tend to do better, because of their emotional intelligence and instincts they naturally facilitate group discussions and create a bond in a team. They also increase the mutual respect. As long as someone else doesn't show up in the same dress ;)
Cultures and countries
All my observations concern Poland and our cultural implications. I suspect there is a major difference between how women are perceived and what impact do they have in Poland and outside it and I had some opportunities to observe it – mainly in USA and India, but also in Finland and Austria. There are two major differences I wanted to point out.
First – general cultural perception. In Poland it's customary to let a woman though the door first, to help her with an obstacle, not let her carry heavy stuff, introduce yourself first and things like this. It's absent or barely present abroad.
Second – treating women seriously. And this is a huge problem I'm observing. If a girl is just standing there, looking good or mingling, all is great, she is respected and adored. When she is an expert in something, she has to work three times as hard to prove herself. It takes me way more time to prove I have something interesting to contribute than my male friends. Same happens with my female technical friends. Unless we have been introduced by someone that knows us, we have to wrestle someone down or prove someone wrong before being respected in a male group. This is exceptionally visible in conventions and conferences. I also talked with two transgender professionals and they both agreed that their life became harder as experts when they became women.
And again – this is something I failed to observe or was barely there in the countries I mentioned above. It was completely non-existent in India, where women make 50% of the staff and are encouraged by their male colleagues to pursue what they are good at. Interestingly it's generally testing, but I attribute it to the attention to detail and ability to multitask.
Employ girls. But not at any price and every single one. Treat them equally – look for your own bias, if there is one, but don't choose a girl if she is a worse candidate. I once was lured by the prospect of diversity in a team and failed.
Girls in teams rock – just don't compose a team solely out of girls.
And for the technical discussion – forget there is a difference in gender as hard as it may sound.
Girls – don't wear red to work or to an interview. Unless you want to be subconsciously perceived as an object or a beautiful background by all straight men around. It's in human nature and you can't overrun it with the most impressive technical demonstration.


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You've Never Had A Meal Like This Before
HuffingtonPost.com | Brenna Cammeron | Posted 04.02.2012 | Home
Read More: No Kitchen Required, Food, Video, Underground-Supper-Clubs, Dining, Bbc, Bite Club, Home News
The brownstone was unassuming, to say the least: dim-lit from the outside, it gave no indication of the party gearing up inside. But a second glance a...
Was I in the middle of Amish country or the middle of Queens? This is the magic of urban agriculture. I was charmed before I even had my first bite.


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Preview calendar: Theater and auditions for Nov. 11-17
"Star on the Door" ---- Different Stages presents Jack Starkey and Leo Sears' zany backstage comedy about an aging stage actress, a terrified producer, a depressed playwright, an allergy-prone leading man and a surprise pregnancy; opens Friday and runs through Nov. 21; showtimes, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; Sunshine Brooks Theater, 217 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside; $10-$17; 760-529-9140; nvtheatre.com/tickets.htm.
"Star Showcase: Then and Now" ---- Senior Theatre Actors Repertory presents its third production featuring "Pure Vaudeville," a mix of Coney Island boardwalk songs, dances and burlesques from the early 1900s, to "Pure Broadway," a mix of Broadway show tunes and dances; 2 p.m. Sunday; Hearth Theatre, San Marcos Community Center, 3 Civic Center Drive, San Marcos; $12, general; $10, seniors and children under 12; 760-744-5535 or 760-294-1331.
"Steel Magnolias" ---- Patio Playhouse presents Robert Harling's bittersweet comedy about a group of Southern women who deal with life's ups and downs at the neighborhood beauty parlor; opens Friday and runs through Dec. 5; showtimes, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; Patio Playhouse, 201 E. Grand Ave., Suite 1D, Escondido; $15, general; $12, seniors and students; $7, youth under 16; 760-746-6669 or patioplayhouse.com.
"Storyville" ---- San Diego Repertory Theatre presents Ed Bullins and Mildred Kayden's musical based on the roots of the American jazz era, set in 1917 New Orleans during Mardi Gras; the production was revised and is directed by Broadway vet Ken Page; previews, Saturday through Nov. 18; opens Nov. 19 and runs through Dec. 12; showtimes, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays; Lyceum Space Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, San Diego; $30-$53; 619-544-1000 or sdrep.org.
"Tales of Chelm" ---- Chronos Theatre Group presents Eric George Tauber's stage adaptation of the stories by Sholem Aleichem (who wrote "Tevye the Milkman") and others; 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Nov. 19-20; 7 p.m. Sunday; Swedenborg Hall, 1531 Tyler Ave., San Diego; $20, opening night; $15, general; $13, seniors and military; $10, students; chronostheatre.com.
"True West" ---- Lotus Theatre presents Sam Shepard's dark comedy about two estranged brothers who uncomfortably share an east L.A. home while they both write screenplays; 9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Nov. 19 and 20; Urban Grind, 797 Park Blvd., San Diego; $15; lotustheatrestory.com.
"VolleyGirls" ---- El Camino High School presents a comedy about a down-and-out high school girl's volleyball team who come up with a wacky idea on how to turn around their losing streak; 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; 400 Rancho del Oro Drive, Oceanside; $7, general; $5, seniors and students; 760-757-8550, ext. 3902.
"The Winter's Tale" ---- The Old Globe's MFA Professional Actor Training Program presents a student production of this William Shakespeare drama about a jealous king whose jealousy robs him of everything he holds dear; 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7 p.m. Sunday; Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, the Old Globe complex, Balboa Park, San Diego; $19; 619-234-5623 or theoldglobe.org.
"2010 Holiday Variety Show" ---- Classic Youth Theatre will hold auditions for slots in its annual variety show; auditions, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; Classic Youth Theatre, 263 S. Highway 101, Solana Beach; classicyouththeatre.org.


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Financial Audit:
Special Counsel Expenditures for the Six Months Ended September 30, 2007
GAO-08-541: Published: Mar 31, 2008. Publicly Released: Mar 31, 2008.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
- Accessible Text:
(202) 512-9521
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
This report presents the results of our audit of expenditures reported by the Office of Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald for the 6 months ended September 30, 2007. The independent counsels were required under 28 U.S.C. 596 (c)(1) to prepare a statement of expenditures on a semiannual basis. Under 28 U.S.C. 596 (c)(2 ), we were required to conduct a financial review of a midyear statement and a financial audit of a year-end statement. We satisfied this requirement through semiannual financial audits of the statement of expenditures. For the 6 months ended September 30, 2007, there were no active independent counsels. However, we are required to perform a semiannual financial review of expenditures from the permanent indefinite appropriation used to pay special counsel Fitzgerald's expenses. While not required under the permanent indefinite appropriation to perform a financial audit, we have done so for special counsel Fitzgerald--as we previously performed for independent counsels approved under the expired law.
In GAO's audit covering the 6 months ended September 30, 2007, GAO found the statement of expenditures for the Office of Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald, is presented fairly, in all material respects, in conformity with the basis of accounting described in note 1 of the counsel's statement, which is principally the cash basis, a comprehensive basis of accounting other than U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; Special Counsel Fitzgerald had effective internal control over financial reporting (including safeguarding assets) and compliance with laws and regulations as of September 30, 2007; and no reportable noncompliance with laws and regulations GAO tested.
May 15, 2015
Financial Audit:Congressional Award Foundation's Fiscal Years 2014 and 2013 Financial StatementsGAO-15-552: Published: May 15, 2015. Publicly Released: May 15, 2015.
May 1, 2015
Railroad Retirement Board:Actions Needed to Reduce Continued Risk of Fraud and Improper PaymentsGAO-15-535T: Published: May 1, 2015. Publicly Released: May 1, 2015.
Apr 30, 2015
Management Report:Improvements Needed in SEC's Internal Controls and Accounting ProceduresGAO-15-387R: Published: Apr 30, 2015. Publicly Released: Apr 30, 2015.
Mar 27, 2015
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute:Review of the Audit of the Financial Statements for 2014 and 2013GAO-15-395R: Published: Mar 27, 2015. Publicly Released: Mar 27, 2015.
Mar 16, 2015
Improper Payments:Government-Wide Estimates and Use of Death Data to Help Prevent Payments to Deceased IndividualsGAO-15-482T: Published: Mar 16, 2015. Publicly Released: Mar 16, 2015.
Feb 27, 2015
Disaster Relief:Agencies Need to Improve Policies and Procedures for Estimating Improper PaymentsGAO-15-209: Published: Feb 27, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 27, 2015.
Feb 26, 2015
Financial Audit:U.S. Government's Fiscal Years 2014 and 2013 Consolidated Financial StatementsGAO-15-341R: Published: Feb 26, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 26, 2015.
Feb 12, 2015
Financial Audit:Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Funds' 2014 and 2013 Financial StatementsGAO-15-289: Published: Feb 12, 2015. Publicly Released: Feb 12, 2015.
Dec 23, 2014
Improper Payments:DOE's Risk Assessments Should Be StrengthenedGAO-15-36: Published: Dec 23, 2014. Publicly Released: Dec 23, 2014.
Dec 9, 2014
Improper Payments:Inspector General Reporting of Agency Compliance under the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery ActGAO-15-87R: Published: Dec 9, 2014. Publicly Released: Dec 9, 2014.
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** spread thanks - brighten someone's day **


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It can be a scary world out there, and unfortunately for us girls, we're at greater risk for harm simply because of our size (unless you're one of those kick-ass women with a black belt!). An estimated 1.9 million women in America are physically assaulted each year. Hopefully you'll never have to use these tips, but here are some basics on how to protect yourself when you're alone at night or in any other potentially dubious situation:
1. If someone tries to take your purse, give it to him. While it's awful to lose your wallet or belongings, it's not worth the risk of your safety! It can be tempting to try to use your purse as a weapon, especially if it's large or heavy, but if you don't succeed, you might just make the criminal even angrier. If you do get mugged
, throw your wallet or purse in one direction and run like mad in the other; most of the time, the perpetrator will go after the wallet and you can then escape. When you get home, call the police (of course), and call your credit card companies to cancel your cards.
2. Be aware of your body language. Attackers look for women who are distracted: either talking on their cell phones, fumbling around in their purses for keys or rummaging through their car trunks. Instead, stride confidently through parking lots, making eye contact with those around you. Always get your keys ready before you leave the store or the house, so you can walk straight to your car and get in. Lock the doors immediately. Always trust your instincts, and if a place seems suspicious or you get a weird vibe, get out immediately.
3. Don't go out alone! My town unfortunately deals with a fair share of muggings, and most of the time they occur in the middle of the night to someone who is walking the streets alone. Don't make this mistake! If you're going out at night, go with girlfriends and stick together. Keep an eye on each other and watch each other's drinks. Make sure everyone gets home OK, and be very, very careful if you have a friend who wants to go home with a guy she just met.
If you do find yourself alone at night and need to get home, don't risk it! Call a cab; the money it will cost is worth your safety. If you're on a college campus, you might be able to call a police escort or a shuttle service to take you home. Or call a friend or even your parents: even if it's late, they won't mind getting out of bed and picking you up if they know you'll get home safe.
4. Be loud and attract attention. If you are confronted by an assailant, make as much noise as possible. Yell at the top of your lungs, and scream things like "Fire!" instead of "Help!" (people might unfortunately think you are just fooling around with a friend). Honk your car horn, or blow on a whistle. Throw things. Address your attacker firmly: say, "I hear you. I don't want any trouble. Go away right now." Confidence can scare off a predator who is looking for an easy target.
5. Even if your attacker is bigger and stronger than you, you still have options to fight back. Surprise the attacker with strong, purposeful, effective blows. Use strong parts of your body, like the bottoms of your feet, your elbows and your hands. Aim at weak parts of the attacker – eyes, throat, groin and knees. Stomp on the attacker's foot using your heel. If the attacker grabs your legs, fight with your arms. Kick the attacker in the shins or in the groin. It's always better to run from a confrontation than to enter one, but if it's too late, don't miss an opportunity to attack back where he is vulnerable.
6. Be prepared with a weapon. Carry pepper spray or a taser with you. If you're walking to your car, you can space your keys between your fingers with the key part sticking out (like Wolverine's claw!) and create a makeshift self-defense weapon to attack the assailant's eyes. Look around and be creative: do you have an umbrella? A pair of tweezers? Some heavy books? A pen? Maybe there's a trash can or a tree branch around that could save your life if you swing with it or poke with it. Or even better, take a self-defense or a martial arts class and learn how to defend yourself.
7. A word on date rape. You always have a choice if you want to have sex; if you don't, it's rape. Half of all women who are raped know the person who is raping them. To stay safe, avoid secluded places, especially with men whom you don't know or don't trust. Alcohol is often involved with date rape cases, so stay sober and aware. Watch your drink and your friend's drinks for someone slipping something in, and never take a drink directly from a man's hands; get it straight from the bartender yourself. Be clear about what you want and don't want if you find yourself in an intimate situation: you should always, ALWAYS, be able to say no. And if you do find yourself a victim, go straight to the emergency room or a police station – they are trained to help you, and you should not feel any shame whatsoever.
Do you have any other tips for us women? Have you ever had to act in self-defense?


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The Maryland lacrosse team was regrouping as the NCAA tournament commenced, and it was once again reminded these Terrapins would never accomplish much with ease. It just wasn't their nature.
Instead, as the postseason beckoned, attackman Joe Cummings assessed the situation as he stood in front of his teammates a few days after Maryland limped out of its regular-season finale at Colgate with a loss.
"'We all need to play better. I need to do better. It was the end of the third quarter, and I rushed a play I needed to make,' " coach John Tillman recalled late Sunday night. "I told him that is really important for your legacy here to take accountability in front of your peers. It's not only going to affect how you're perceived, but it also helps us with younger guys to know you own up to it and move on."
So Cummings did. It was the senior who came around the right side of the cage late Sunday night to score with six seconds left, lifting Maryland to a 10-9 victory at seventh-seeded Lehigh.
The goal capped a rally from a two-goal deficit in the last 10 minutes and provided the sort of finish the Terps struggled to conjure all season.
"This is definitely one of the best memories in the four years [of my career]," Cummings said in a phone interview before a late-night bus ride back to College Park. "It'd be right up there with the Syracuse game in the quarterfinals last year."
Now he's back in the second weekend of the tournament. The Terps (10-5) won their postseason opener for the fifth straight year. They've earned double-digit wins for the 10th straight spring.
And in no small development, Maryland will meet second-seeded Johns Hopkins (12-3) on Saturday in a blockbuster quarterfinal at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in a rematch of the Terps' 9-6 victory last month in Baltimore.
"Should be fun," Cummings said. "I think Annapolis should be rocking."
Consider it one of Maryland's few certainties this season. The Terps remain a team in transition under Tillman, who was bequeathed a veteran team and guided it to the national title game last spring. After absorbing graduation and injury losses, this had the look of an uneven season from the start, and it was.
Cummings was and remains an ideal anchor, an understated and upbeat presence whose job evolved constantly throughout his career. Earlier a midfielder, now an attackman, always an extra-man stalwart, Cummings has a career-best 29 goals in his final season.
The latest is a lasting facet of his legacy. Lehigh switched on defense during Maryland's end-game possession of more than four minutes, leaving Cummings matched up with a weary short stick as the Terps simply waited (and waited) for an appealing shot.
It's what they couldn't do a week earlier. With the ball in his stick, Cummings wouldn't permit it to happen again.
"We had to be patient and not freak out and play as a team," Cummings said. "I think this Maryland team has grown up and we've learned some lessons, even from last week. We learned some hard lessons."
Maryland might be applying its well-earned wisdom in the final stages of the season. Its steady senior made sure it did Sunday.


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Orange Glazed Turkey with Potatoes & Carrots
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Place turkey in the dish.
- In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients (herbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder). Rub half of mixture over the turkey.
- Spread marmalade over turkey.
- Stir potatoes, carrots and oil in to remaining herb mixture. Place vegetables in dish around the turkey. Bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
Additional Tips
Leftover ingredients? Use them in these recipes!
- Asian Marinated Vegetable Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Crockpot Pulled Orange Chicken Tacos with Pickled Vegetables
- Mom's Roasted Turkey with Butternut Squash and Asparagus
- Lemon Chicken and Cinnamon Glazed Root Vegetables
- Simple Chicken or Shrimp Stir Fry
- Pollo Guisado
- Slow Cooker Sauerbraten
Nutritional Info
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per serving
- Calories Per Serving
- 257
- Total Fat
- 3.5 g
- Saturated Fat
- 0.5 g
- Trans Fat
- 0.0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0.5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2.0 g
- Cholesterol
- 76 mg
- Sodium
- 389 mg
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugars
- 7 g
- Protein
- 32 g
1 starch, 1 vegetable, 4 lean meatPrice Per Serving
Recipe copyright � 2015 American Heart Association. This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association's Simple Cooking with Heart � Program. For more simple, quick and affordable recipes, visit heart.org/simplecooking.
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Hot Crab and Shrimp Dip
Community Recipe from
Recipe Time
Prep Time:
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- 1/2 cup(s) Mayonnaise
- 1-1/2 teaspoon(s) Whole-grain mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) Garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon(s) Lemon pepper seasoning
- 1/2 pound(s) Lump crabmeat
- 1/2 cup(s) Chopped cooked shrimp (about 1/4 lb)
- 1/3 cup(s) Shredded smoked cheese
- 1/3 cup(s) Sliced almonds, toasted
- Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in crab, shrimp, and cheese. Spoon mixture into a 3-cup baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with almonds. Makes 3 cups.
October 2013
This recipe is a personal recipe added by MaryannWimberly and has not been tested or endorsed by MyRecipes.
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Faithful and unfaithful readers alike will have noticed a recurring theme in our recent reckonings. We refer, of course, to inflation; that insidious, noxious tax which appears to be gushing out of every economic orifice in the land, but that, somehow, fails to register as even a drip on the government's official inflation-o-meter. Curious, no?
Regular reckoner, Chris Mayer, identified inflation as the "wrecking ball" of 2011 in his column "Inflation's First Phase". Eric Fry addressed it in both "When Stock Market Rallies Validate Effective Monetary Policy" and "Tracing the Fed's Vital Role in the Decline of the US Dollar". And our Reckon-in-Chief, Bill Bonner, touches on it in some fashion, on most days.
In fact, most people in possession of at least one of the five basic human senses seems to see, feel, hear, taste or smell inflation's foul presence. Which means that those trained specifically to keep an eye (ear, nose, etc.) out for it – and who so adamantly deny its existence – are either blessed with a sixth "masking" sense to which the rest of us are not privy…or that they are simply senseless morons, blinded by the light of their own academic brilliance.
Most likely, inflation will continue to be…and not to be. In other words, those manning the controls in the government's "Ministry of Information" will continue to churn out numbers that agree with whatever qualitatively-eased, policy-of-the-month they are pursuing. Meanwhile, the rest of us will continue to weather the adverse consequences of these econo-commands as they express themselves in the form of everyday higher prices.
This time last week, we heard from some of our frontline reporters across the United States. Fellow reckoners wrote in from grocery stores and gas pumps around the country to lend some of their own boots-on-ground perspective.
Alas, this academically-defined non-inflation is also pushing up prices in other parts of the world. But fear not. We have eyes (ears, noses, etc.) in those parts, too. And so, without further ado, we present a handful of reader mail from some international Daily Reckoning reader posts…
First up, here's what reader B.L. had to say:
"I currently live in Singapore and travel throughout Asia Pac, Central Europe, ANZ, and was back in the US over Christmas/New Year's. I see food inflation everywhere I go. [In] Singapore the prices have risen noticeably since I've been living there, which was April of 2010. When I was in the US – North Carolina – I was shocked by the food prices when I bought groceries for two families for New Year's Eve and day. Combine the food prices with the fuel price rise and I can see why so many American families are getting support for food from good ole Uncle Sam.
"In places like China or India, where food makes up a huge % of a families cost to live – over 50% versus less than 10% for the middle class in the US – they are really feeling the pinch.
"Lots of reasons, but very scary for those of us that have to eat – oh wait, that is all of us last time I checked on the human condition.
"Keep up the good work."
Sticking in the East for a bit, here's what another reckoner had to say:
"Here in Thailand, inflation is running high.
"On January 1st, 7/11 mini-marts, of which there are thousands across the country, increased all their prices by 10%.
"Hotel rates, mostly in the 4 and 5 stars categories, are going through the roof, 25 to 50% higher than a year ago.
"Restaurants of all kinds regularly increase their prices.
"Overall, the national inflation rate is certainly in the double digits."
Thailand? But why would prices be rising in Thailand? Another reckoner, based in that (offensively gorgeous) part of the world offers some thoughts:
"The millions of dollars flowing into Thailand form your neck of the woods is causing real problems with food prices and more noticeable is the increase in washing powder, soap etc. These too are increasing due to the raw material costs.
"Cambodia and Vietnam are feeling the winds of change also. I live here in Thailand 6 months a year then go home to shitty Britain to fish for trout. I was in Cambodia last week. My friend has just opened a small guest house there and we both went to see friends in Vietnam. Same problem; big inflows of money.
"I hope this adds a new thinking to your insight into inflation."
But what about Japan, the leader in all things DEflationary? Reckoner Gary?
"I live in Japan, and have observed over the past year, food prices have gone down. In fact, prices have been about the same for many years. Last year flour was about Yen 230 a kilo, this year about Yen 150. Living on a fixed income, I must say, I like DEFLATION much more than INFLATION. So tell me, why is Bernanke trying to increase my food costs – doesn't he have my interests at heart?
"The US system is broke, financially, economically, morally, education, etc. And with all the partisan fighting in government, Republican vs. Democrats, secret agendas, it isn't going to get better. I think the best solution is to just let all those banks and zombie companies crash and burn, and we start over again."
Hmm…but what about this… Another email from The Land of the Setting Sun? This one from Reckoner Matthew:
"One small slab of mozzarella cheese imported from Germany costs about 600 Yen, or 7.26 US doll hairs. A small pack of blueberries from Chile costs about the same. These items have become extravagances for consumers.
"How about gasoline? Just filled up my car with a tank of the stuff. Converting liters to gallons and Yen to USD, I paid 6.64 dollars/gallon (high octane, mind you) at today's exchange rate.
"Try guessing what will happen to the USA when prices get to this point? Here in Nipponville, everyone's numb to it all."
And in Australia, Reckoner Ronald:
"The cost of our city-supplied water has tripled in the last ten years. In the last 29 years, the local daily newspaper has quadrupled in price and the TV weekly magazine is up 625%. But petrol (gasoline) is 'only' up 308%."
How about in Europe? Reckoner Paul?
"After taking 2 weeks holiday around Christmas, I returned to my commuting routine to my office in Hamburg, Germany. Between the station and my office, I usually pick up breakfast at one of many bakeries. Between 18 Dec. 2010 & 3 Jan. 2011, my breakfast cost went up on average 3%. Oh My! 10 cents more for my apple turnover or chocolate croissant!"
And finally this observation from Buenos Aires, where your editor experiences daily the effect of government-induced non-inflation…
"Argentina is a good example of food inflation. Meat (main food for most locals) is now 100 % more expensive than a year before, as a result of government controls and policies against production, just in order to maintain local prices in line. Result: less production, less consumption and less exports of an Argentine symbol. Is this a recipe to be applied in other countries?"
A big thanks to everyone who wrote in with frontline reports on the effects of inflation that, we are told, doesn't exist.
Joel Bowman
for The Daily Reckoning
Joel Bowman is a contributor to The Daily Reckoning. After completing his degree in media communications and journalism in his home country of Australia, Joel moved to Baltimore to join the Agora Financial team. His keen interest in travel and macroeconomics first took him to New York where he regularly reported from Wall Street, and he now writes from and lives all over the world.
The insidious thing about the CPI is that people only have so much money to spend, and when things get too expensive they can't afford them and don't buy them. The CPI then assumes that they don't WANT them and doesn't classify it as inflation. At best, the CPI only measures how much people are spending, not what they can no longer buy.
Funny Bernanke said there was no inflation.
The world wide revolts have nothing to do with that non existent inflation I am sure.
The following link is handy with regard to inflation and printing of money.
Addison takes a look behind the curtain during a seminal moment in The Daily Reckoning's history…
A study published in the most recent issue of The Journal of Neuroscience was sparked by researchers who wanted to find out why cocaine addicts so frequently relapse despite sincere attempts to recover from their addiction. Stephen Petranek has more…
While smaller microbrews might not be the best investment right now, I think the trend of better beer isn't going anywhere. And the bigger breweries are realizing they need to figure out how to compete in a market where tastes are clearly evolving.
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Just when you thought the bond bull market was over... Jim Rickards gives his insight on what could cause a bond market rally.
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Shop Gym Shorts, T-shirts, P.E. Uniform for Girls at GapKids Online
Gap makes working out for her easier with gym clothes for girls. Girls P.E. clothes come in an assortment of styles that will make her forget she is even in work-out attire. With P.E. uniform for girls she can be agile and coordinated. While taking a yoga class or running a mile, girls gym clothes will always be the desired choice. Exercising will never go out of style with girls gym clothes from Gap!


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1157 days ago
Article ID# 1521886
Original URL
Humane Society of Durham Region
BRIGHTON, CANADA (durhamregion.com) - The Humane Society of Durham Region has 31 new dogs after investigators uncovered a filthy dog breeding operation in Clarington last week.
After receiving a tip from the public, animal cruelty investigator Debby Houghton attended a property in Clarington on March 22 to find a large group of dogs in unacceptable conditions. She, along with a Clarington animal control officer, found the animals that were used solely for breeding on the property that contains a house, a barn and a large shed.
The dogs were surrendered to the Humane Society and the investigation is ongoing.
The dogs include maltese, maltipoos, yorkshire terriers, corgis, westipoos, miniature schnauzers and mixes. They were found surrounded by feces and urine, and hair so filthy that it was difficult for a veterinarian to take their temperature at first.
Thanks to the generosity of local grooming salons that donated their services, all of the dogs were bathed and groomed within hours of arrival at the shelter, and they've all received vet care.
"They are lovely dogs," said Ms. Houghton. "We're talking about puppies that are nine weeks old to maltese that are as old as four."
The dogs will have some social issues from living in unsocialized conditions, but thanks to their young age, they should adjust quickly.
"Even though their social situation was minimized they should turn around quite nicely," she said.
Some, for example, have trouble walking on a leash since it's a completely foreign task for them, and they will require some extra patience and love.
This new addition of dogs puts some strain on the humane society. It now has 56 dogs in its care and is looking for responsible and caring people to take them home.
"We want them to go to their forever home and go to home that will give them love they should be getting," said Ms. Houghton.
For information on the dogs call 905-665-7430 or visit them at 1505 Wentworth St. in Whitby.
Copyright 2015 durhamregion.com
Updated 1157 days ago Article ID# 1521886
Humane Society of Durham Region
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MISSISSAUGA, CANADA - The animal shelter has had a mystery $25,000 donation from a man who would not be identified. Photo by Sabrina Byrnes. Related Stories. Help please Financial woes cause Humane Society to stop taking animals. The Mississauga Humane Society, which ...
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