text:
Basics 5-piece Bar Dining Set by Ivy Terrace™
Item #740760
The Ivy Terrace™ Basics 5-Piece Bar Set includes four Basics Bar Arm Chairs and a Basics 36" x 36" Bar Table made with high-quality aluminum frames and durable all-weather polystyrene lumber that is as eco-friendly as it is good looking. The textured silver frames are powder coated for durability, while the recycled all-weather polystyrene slats offer the look of real teak without the maintenance. You'll be able to dine at ease knowing this set is stain resistant and cleans easily with soap and water. Ivy Terrace™ furniture boasts a 20-year warranty and is proudly made in the USA. The Basics Bar Arm Chairs arrive fully assembled, and the 36" Bar Table assembles with only four bolts.
- Includes four Basics Bar Arm Chairs and an Basics 36" x 36" Bar Table
- Features high quality aluminum frames and All-Weather PS recycled lumber that provides the look of natural teak without the maintenance
- All-Weather PS recycled lumber requires no painting, staining, waterproofing, or similar maintenance
- Solid, heavy-duty construction withstands most anything nature can throw at it
- Coloring runs throughout the UV-stabilized recycled plastic lumber so there is no exterior finish to wear or scratch off
- Will not splinter, crack, chip, peel, rot, or suffer from insect infestation.
- Resists stains and is easy to clean with soap and water
- Stainless steel hardware
- 20-year limited residential warranty; 1-year limited commercial warranty
- Minimal assembly required
- Made in the USA
- Bar Arm Chair Dimensions: 22.25"W x 22.5"D x 46"H
- Arm Height: 37.5"
- Seat Height: 30"
- Seat Dimensions: 19.25"W x 17.25"D
- Bar Chair Weight: 21 lbs.
- Bar Table Dimensions: 36"W x 36"D x 42"H
- Bar Table Weight: 60 lbs.
Brand: Polywood
Collection Name: Ivy Terrace
Color: Silver
Material: Aluminum
Model: IVS116-1-11NT
Number of Pieces: 5
Delivery is available to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. An additional shipping and handling fee will be applied at check out and additional transit time will be required. Locations outside of a regular delivery area may be restricted. Click here to view restricted areas. To inquire about delivery to these areas, please contact customer service.
Costco.com products can be returned to any of our more than 600 Costco warehouses worldwide.
How to Return: For an immediate refund (including shipping and handling), simply return your purchase at any one of our Costco warehouses worldwide. If you are unable to return your order at one of our warehouses, please email customer service or call our customer service center at 1-800-955-2292 for assistance. To expedite the processing of your return, please reference your order number.
If you request an item be picked up for return, the item must be packaged and available for pick up in the same manner as it was delivered. If your order was delivered "curb side", it will need to be available for curb side pick up.
If the item arrived to you in a box, it will need to be in a box at the time of pick up.
View Costco's Return Policy.
For information or a written copy of the manufacturer's warranty, please contact us at: firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Richard Lewis, Susie Essman standing up against bullying for Milwaukee benefit Jan. 19
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" stars Richard Lewis and Susie Essman are pairing up for an anti-bullying comedy benefit, "Laugh It Up Milwaukee 2013: Stand up to Bullying" at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center Jan. 19.
Admission to the event is $125 and includes a cocktail and dessert reception, with proceeds going toward Children's Hospital of Wisconsin's Act Now! bullying prevention program. »Read Full Article
4 places to 'drink while you think'
Want to know where to play trivia in Milwaukee? Here are four trivia hot spots in Milwaukee that you recommended for Monday through Thursday. On Tap this Weekend hosts, Heather Ronaldson and Brandon Tschacher, checked out what you love about them. Game on! »Read Full Blog Post
Dierks Bentley, Cheap Trick playing Milwaukee Admirals concerts
The Milwaukee Admirals are bringing in country singer Dierks Bentley and power pop act Cheap Trick for post-game concerts at the BMO Harris Bradley Center early next year.
This will actually be Bentley's second year in a row he's performed a concert after an Admirals game. Rockford, Ill. band Cheap Trick, a frequent presence in Milwaukee, was last here opening for Aerosmith at the Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary Celebration. »Read Full Article
Carr Valley, La Quercia and New Glarus producers at Midwest dinner Nov. 8 at Bacchus
A dinner called Masters of the Midwest on Nov. 8 at Bacchus will bring together well-regarded cheese, dry-cured pork and beer producers from the region.
Sid Cook of Carr Valley Cheese Co. based in La Valle, Herb Eckhouse of La Quercia in Norwalk, Iowa, and Dan Carey of New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, will attend the dinner, which will feature their products. »Read Full Blog Post
Exclusive Video: Interview with Scott Aukerman from 'Comedy Bang! Bang!'
Laverne and Shirley. They're not burly.
These are not merely keen observations. They're the inspired words taken from Scott Aukerman's freestyle rap about Milwaukee, which you can see for yourself below from our hilarious 10 for Tap video interview. »Read Full Article
On Tap for Today: Mums and a movie
Welcome to Monday. Don't say you weren't warned.
There are a couple of things going on that merit your attention. »Read Full Blog Post

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
From the Publisher"The decades of research since Identity and Discrimination was first published have shown how badly a theory of indiscriminability is needed for understanding a wide range of philosophical problems. Williamson's discussion has numerous applications in metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind."
—Susanna Siegel, Harvard University
"This is the first book of one of our greatest philosophers. Unrelenting in his clear, thorough style, Williamson presents a groundbreaking epistemic account of indiscriminability. The unified vision underlying some of Williamson's best-known subsequent work—-on vagueness, identity, and knowledge—-emerges here."
—Delia Graff Fara, Princeton University


text:
To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog:
On May 27, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois held that a mortgage servicer did not violate Regulation Z when it credited a payment two days after the borrower submitted the payment online. Fridman v. NYCB Mortg. Co., LLC, No. 13-3094, 2014 WL 2198395 (N.D. Ill. May 27, 2014). The borrower filed a putative class action against her mortgage servicer, alleging the servicer violated TILA and Regulation Z by failing to promptly credit her online payments. The court explained that the servicer allows borrowers to submit payments online, but requires borrowers to acknowledge that its ACH process takes two business days to post the payment. In this case, the borrower selected the online payment option, and the delayed payment application resulted in a late fee for the borrower. The court rejected the borrower's argument that the servicer's online payment screen is the equivalent of a check, and therefore the date of receipt is when the servicer receives the information—either at the online submission or when the ACH file is created through the nightly batch processing. The court determined based on Regulation E staff commentary that the ACH system utilized by the servicer is an electronic fund transfer system, and determined that the payment at issue fits squarely within the definition of "electronic fund transfer" that is considered received under Regulation Z "when the mortgage servicer receives the third-party payor's check or other transfer medium, such as an electronic fund transfer." Therefore, the court held that the servicer was in compliance with Regulation Z when it credited the account after receiving the transfer of funds from the borrower's deposit account two days after the borrower submitted her payment online. The court granted the servicer's motion for summary judgment and dismissed the suit.
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
© BuckleySandler LLP
Read fresh new writing on compliance, cybersecurity, Dodd-Frank, whistleblowers, social media, hiring & firing, patent reform, the NLRB, Obamacare, the SEC…
…or whatever matters the most to you. Follow authors, firms, and topics on JD Supra.
Create your news brief now - it's free and easy »
BuckleySandler attorneys are among the leading financial services law practitioners in the country...
View Profile »
See more »
Sign up for your custom alerts now, using LinkedIn ›
Back to Top
Copyright ©


text:
Gillette Atra Plus Razor Refill Cartridges
Gillette Atra Plus, Refill Cartridges– The revolutionary and now classic Gillette two-blade shaving system, which immediately found world-wide popularity when it was introduced in the 1970s, is still available with Gillette Atra Plus, Refill Cartridges. With their innovative pivoting design and LubraStrip technology, these cartridges continue to provide a clean, smooth and comfortable shave. They are compatible with any Atra razor handle, ready to continue the Gillette tradition as a pioneer in shaving.
Multi-Blade Technology
The advantages of using the two-blade razor cartridge is based on the physics and engineering of shaving. The researchers at Gillette discovered that hair reacts to shaving in a way they called "hysteresis," a process in which the first blade grips and extends a hair shaft, holding it in place so that the following blade can cut through it further down. Together, the two blades also double the contact points with the skin, distributing the pressure of shaving across a wider area, reducing the drag of the cutting edge and causing fewer nicks and cuts. The pivoting head, introduced for the first time in the Atra system, helps the blades glide over the contours of the skin, reducing irritation and helping to avoid missed areas. Infused with soothing and healing aloe, the LubraStrip adds to the comfortable shave that everyone has come to expect from the Atra system.
A Tradition of Innovation
For more than a century, Gillette has been famous for its leadership in shaving technology. Their pioneering two-blade cartridge system, introduced in 1976, offered the greatest advance in shaving efficiency and comfort since company founder King C. Gillette patented the safety razor more than seven decades earlier. The Atra shaving cartridge became an instant favorite, providing a close, smooth and safe shave. Even today, the Gillette Atra Plus, Refill Cartridges continue to serve the fans of this pioneering shaving system.


text:
The Perennially Dissatisfied User
This laptop is quite heavy; it gives me a pain in the neck and shoulder, I need something sleeker and lighter. Also the battery life should be at least 5 hours if not longer and minimum 1 TB of storage. You know an i7 processor would be great! Why cannot we shift to the new Windows tablets which are so much lighter and also have a touch interface which makes life so easy? I would love a larger screen but I am willing to compromise on the screen size if the tablet offers a full HD experience. Did you get what I want?
This application is so antiquated! Look at the user interface, this is really Jurassic; it would require a rocket scientist to use it. Why cannot the human machine interface be more like the social media sites which anyone can start using intuitively? You missed the following key dimensions while capturing the data on the customer! Where do you expect me to get so much data from? I am required to sell and not just gather data about customers! Why do reports take so much time to generate? Can I see them on my mobile? Is there an app for this?
CIOs, software engineers, business analysts, hardware specialists, enterprise architects, for that matter if you are in IT and work with customers – internal more than external – every IT professional faces such questions every day; the above is just a sample of the discussions and challenges that get thrown in almost every interaction. It would appear that whatever you do, it never meets expectations. One interesting observation is that the critique increases with the age of the person and decreases with the tenure within the company.
Typically in the case of software solutions, when you approach your colleagues for inputs on what they want, they would normally start with a broad outline of what they require. You create something, go back for inputs, hoping to get closer to the end point; after multiple iterations you are either going round in circles or far removed from where you started. Do users of technology not know what they want or IT fail to connect to the need? Every IT guy would vehemently say YES and the requesters would lament that IT guys don't understand what we want.
Even if we assume that there is a chasm to bridge here, how can the same be extended to a simple request for hardware; can that be so complex? A piece of hardware is a piece of hardware; differences between devices that organization endorses to the aspirational consumer devices incompatible with conventional corporate legacy systems exist for budgetary reasons more than any other. Mandate, as IT budgets are going up, buy cheaper devices. Yes off course, but why can we not get better battery life and bigger or better screens?
Diagnosis attempted by wise and sundry professed theories that created industries to remedy the lacunae. Later and not sooner after spending inordinate budgets everyone realized that maybe there was no merit in the models. Evidently it had nothing to do with alignment between business and IT or the fact that the language spoken by the opposing parties has been classified to be incompatible. Then again, the efforts towards change have largely been lopsided. It is neither art nor science; it is to do with the unknown alien characteristic of IT users that IT professionals have been unable to master.
From Hollerith cards to Phablets and wearable technology, the pace of evolution has kept everyone guessing on the next shift. Unsettling yet consistent, the change has created an expectation that does not accept what is, but wants the unreasonable until it becomes reality. Shifting targets keeps everyone running only to find that they haven't moved much. I do not believe that the game will change in the near foreseeable future. Users will keep asking for the moon, while actually meaning the light bulb and the description matches that of a CFL.
Keep playing the game while you can, sometimes you may hit the target in the dark!
Unbranded value
Out of the blue I got this call from a friend who I remember was doing quite well as CIO of a large company where he had spent more than a decade. He had decided to hang up his boots and get off the corporate rat race and treadmill to become his own master. Curiosity getting better of me, I asked him about his decision and what prompted him to leave his well-settled and visible corporate avatar? When did the entrepreneur bug bite him? How had the first few months been ? He promised to meet and catch up.
We met over a cuppa; he had been asked this so many times that he started narrating his story. His planning had started almost a decade back with financial goals and family commitments post which he had his succession plan executed and made a clean break. I admired his long-term planning; consciously he took no extensions, no being a consultant and lingering on, no special assignments and no burnt bridges too. He wanted to pursue his passion and thus took the plunge; early results had been a mixed bag.
His new venture focused on a vertical which did not have too many people focusing or investing on; his early meetings got him good traction and agreement to work together with almost every stakeholder he met. He had chosen well and used his expertise and knowledge to create options and solutions. He had also thought of offering his experience as CIO to work with other CIOs towards research and analysis, benchmarking, and KPI review or aid any other activity where CIOs needed additional capacity or bandwidth.
Most CIOs he met knew him or knew of him and the success he had created; they would hear him out, agree they needed help but were reluctant to sign him up. The story repeated itself with the same outcome until one CIO candidly mentioned to him: I know you and I know the quality of work you can deliver; but how do I convince my team and management of the value proposition? They need a credible brand which can withstand scrutiny from any quarters. It is not about where you have been or what you have done or can do.
Many moons later I met another CIO who had trained to become an executive coach; he too had sold his Ferrari and followed his desire to coach and mentor people. He was successful as a CIO and being highly vocal about his views, it made him a popular fixture in conferences. He was getting along with some training, workshops and coaching for aspirant leaders for a couple of companies. His branding was strong and as a mascot for his chosen industry, he wanted to encash the branding. He too had met with similar fate.
Quickly he realized the reasons behind the lack of conversions from proposal to projects. His CIO brand was well known, his consultant skills not so; his potential customers wanted a management consultancy or a research organization to provide the required respectability and branding. Most of them took his inputs and then went along to the tier one providers to provide the slideware that they could use within their organizations. He was disheartened and was mulling the option to join hands with one such firm; if you can't beat them, join them!
Is branded advice such a big thing that differentiates it from what an independent consultant would offer? Is the person offering his/her expertise reduced when there is no stamp of endorsement? The reality is in almost all cases is yes! Consulting and research houses have wealth of knowledge gained over hundreds if not thousands of engagements available to all their consultants. They are able to use this and also bounce ideas of a group of experts that gives them an edge over a lone ranger. This cannot be replicated by the individual.
If the strategic parts were to be separated with the operational, tactical and execution, there could be some traction that individual professionals branching into consulting could leverage. Collectively some individuals representing a company, their own outfit has a story, alone it's a nonstarter. There are some who have done this and are gaining traction in the small and medium enterprises; they are not pitching to big enterprises. If you are on your own, think about joining hands with someone.
How to make presentations
I became a fan of presentations from the time office automation tools came into existence a couple of decades back. It was exciting to be able to put together slides so quickly when compared to the earlier chore of writing everything on transparencies with permanent markers or sketch pens only to realize that any change required the entire slide to be recreated. Later, I could print my slides using inkjet printers or laser printers if I was careful of the sheet quality. They looked better than the handwritten stuff.
The advent of projectors changed the paradigm again though initial quality was far removed from the current high definition displays, the software evolution provided the bells and the whistles which people used effectively and ridiculously depending on their fancy. Soon presentations became the standard way to conduct a meeting. And with the ability to add loads of text, images, animation, transitions, charts, videos, and what have you, the presentation puts an Oscar winning director to shame.
Then why is it that now the general reaction to presentations is far from enthusiastic? Why have they become torturous to sit through? It does not matter where the presentation is, what the subject is, and in many cases who is presenting (conditions apply); they have reached the limits of endurance for a normal person. Every time you see someone on the stage or in a meeting opening up his/her slide deck, an audible groan emanates the room. Having been subjected to zillions, I have kind of become an expert on analyzing grueling presentations.
Here are some quotes that bad presenters use during their time in front of their audience:
1. I know it is a busy slide, but let me ….
2. I think the people in the back may not be able to see clearly …
3. I believe that the font is a bit small for you to read …
4. The colour combination is not how it appears on the screen …
5. Let me skip some of these slides in the interest of time …
Now I am sure if they made the slides themselves, they knew the lacunae to begin with; then why did they go ahead with not clearing the slide or making it visible or for that matter reduce the number of slides to fit the available time. What were they thinking when they allowed the above to happen? Is the audience going to sleep through the time or that the audience is too dumb to notice the difference. Glaring at the laptop screen or turning the back to the audience and playing with the laser pointer on the large screen is another irritating trait.
If they did not create the slides, then it gets worse as they have no clue what the content is about or what is coming up next. They just read the bullets and get off the stage quickly. This happens a lot of times in conferences and events where the original senior presenter decides his/her priorities lie elsewhere and passes on the mantle to a junior colleague thereby insulting the senior audience as well as creating a situation that the time, effort and money spent by his/her company is totally fruitless and a waste of time for everyone.
Coming to the exceptions where the audience is in rapt attention and soaking in every word with their eyes glued on the person in front of them, what has changed? In most cases there are no slides, or just a few pretty looking pictures, or clearly visible few words or bullets that convey a thought or a clear message that connects with the listeners. The body language is confident, their tone of voice crisp and clearly articulated, their eyes connected with every person in the audience, their mastery of the subject clear, and their passion visible.
Is it difficult to make the transition? For many the answer would be yes as they do not understand the impact they create on the audience. Those who seek feedback or are able to perceive the connect with their subjects do improve over time with practice. Keep it simple, rehearse the presentation many times, have someone listen to you present before the D-day. Don't use the slides as a crutch, work upon the subject and research it thoroughly. Those who stumble through the motions because they were pushed on stage will need to conquer stage and content fright.
Seasons' Greetings and a Happy New Year!
Last week I met with two old friends who I had not met for a long time; one for more than a decade, the other a little less than that. The first was a successful technology entrepreneur; the second had made a successful global sales career. After the nostalgia was behind us, the dinner conversations ended up exchanging notes on attracting and retaining good talent. Across different geographies and specialties, both berated the fact that finding good people had become even more difficult with passing years.
We agreed that the situation had deteriorated with increased competition and changing aspirations of the newer generation. Not too many were thinking of long-term careers, most worked like mercenaries willing to change allegiance for an additional few pieces of silver amongst other things. The new talent pool does not want to wait for grass to turn green; they look at the other side and whenever the grass appears greener, with no thought except of them, off they go gallivanting leaving their companies in a lurch.
Ruminating over these thoughts it also occurred to me that there are a few individuals in the industry who are never short of talent and are able to retain their teams with ease. They took on existing teams changed a few ingredients, added some fresh blood and within no time had a great team working like Swiss clockwork and delivering to promise. Whenever they needed resources, skills or expertise, magically they found the right people. In almost all cases, attrition within their direct reports was tending to zero.
What makes these individuals better leaders equipped with an ability to create success oftener? Why are people willing to join their teams leaving behind whatever shade of green their grass was ? How do they keep their teams motivated as to not look for alternatives? Their teams consistently deliver and are seen as a cohesive unit which knows where they are going. Do they do things differently that the team is always charged and willing to stretch? What is it that makes them talent magnets?
Talking to many such motivated team members over the years I found the big difference was the aura of credibility these leaders had carefully developed around themselves. They were themselves highly motivated, principle-centred and self-driven. Across companies they were able to engage CXOs in meaningful discussions around outcomes and then disseminate the messages within their teams. The resultant momentum between their peers and teams rarely found budget challenges or reluctant users.
The team members were coached and mentored by the leaders with continuous feedback and feed forward connecting them to the vision, the goal and the tasks. With freedom to take risks and fail, the teams found themselves pushing their performance with rigor that they did not know they possessed. Thus they found success more often with lesser bottlenecks because they knew that their leader would always stand alongside. They respected their leader's ability to help them find answers when they needed.
Their ability to sell a vision and the direction they were taking the company and the function was unparalleled; they created excitement with their stories; industry case studies validated the fact that these were not fiction. The message that I got consistently was that they were passionate about what they did and the passion was infectious. I was surprised by the commitment levels and connect with what the team members were doing and the fact that without exception they looked up to their leaders as role models.
Can this be emulated? I believe so as many such team members have risen to become leaders in their own right and practice the same principles that they were subjected to. The multiplier effect is not yet high; the roots are taking shape and they are themselves becoming talent magnets. Picking some of these learning I have been fortunate to find hidden reserves within teams and attract talent from outside over the years. I hope that the force of attraction and cohesion is stronger than another force applied by someone else.
Working on Vacation
I switched on my laptop to check on my holiday resort reservation and a message popped on my screen, an accusing one at that: "What are you doing online on vacation? Checking email or responding to some crisis that requires your intervention? Or just that you cannot get work out of your veins?". I tried to justify to her that I was not checking mails, nor facing anxiety or withdrawal symptom disconnected from my mail. I was just checking on my bookings and that's that. "Then why is your corporate IM on?" she chided.
It's that time of the year when everyone, well almost everyone (travel and hospitality industries excluded) is on vacation. Whichever part of the world you look at, across cultures, companies, industries, everyone is on vacation as evidenced by their "Out Of Office" messages. It's like the entire world shuts down for a period of 2-3 weeks going out on trips, spending time together with family and/or friends, enjoying snow or the sun, and to that extent business for most comes to grinding slow motion if not fully shut.
Over the years OOO (Out of office) messages have increased during festive seasons and less frequent for rest of the year. Immediate conclusion would be that people are working harder through the year and then taking a good long well deserved vacation. It could also imply that irrespective of travel, vacation, weekend or time of the day, everyone gets their hands on their mobile devices and feel gratification giving attention to whatever came in or responding to mail, or just checking out or updating social status.
Our need to constantly check our smartphones has resulted in a situation that we compulsively want to stay connected all the time. It is now psychological and nothing to do with work or life or the balance that was a discussion in the past. To check my hypothesis I sent messages to about 600+ people in my list; CEOs, Head of business, friends, relatives, and loads of business acquaintances. I received about 200 odd out of office messages telling me that they were on vacation and not likely to respond to messages.
The subject line clearly indicated "Seasons' Greeting" and thus was not urgent, important, a crisis or life threatening to merit immediate attention or response. Despite this, within 24 hours I received about 70 responses to my messages from those who had set OOO status! Most messages carried a "Sent from a ….." footer. Was it an acknowledgement of the greeting or my hypothesis that we have become slaves to technology? I now know which smartphones they use or service provider they have subscribed to.
There was a time when I would respond to every message that needed a response or I had a view on as soon as it landed in my inbox. Everyone loved it and commended my quick response; I was on 24 hour clock, not that it helped my life at home, I was thumb happy. Is it more to do with the way the stimulus response is changing rather than just work or life? Are there any remedies available beyond old and simple willpower? Is there a way out for the corporate bonded labourers armed with technology that keeps them in chains?
Reality is that this is self-imposed nemesis of time, energy and expectations; if anything indeed merits response, do it, in most cases the urgent or critical will not land in your inbox, people will call you. Messages with scores in "To" or "cc", rarely require critical review or immediate attention. A 24 hour cooling period is equally good in most cases and works well enough. Exceptions could be individually marked messages that may come to you from your Boss or a peer CXO for information or action.
Driving back from a vacation with the family comprising two teenaged kids, I noticed that both were constantly glued onto the small screen with rapid thumb movements and fleeting expressions as they deftly switched from screen to screen and application to application. There was little communication between us as I maneuvered the traffic and they sent updates ad infinitum. I wonder how the new generation would behave during their vacations or work; would it be in anyway separable for them?
Process or Relationships?
Within a span of a week, twice I was asked the same question in different forums by different people. I don't know if that was pure coincidence or what is due to the fact that both belonged to different parts of the world and thus had different perspectives. In both cases they were curious to get an alternative view of how CIOs succeed in culturally diverse environments with dissimilar work ethics and realities. What if anything separates the modus operandi and style of the CIOs in the East and the West?
I am not sure if this is a fair comparison or should we be listing the divergence in the approaches; both adapt well to their realities and both have had share of success and challenges. Neither can be said to be better than the other as they address similar opportunities a bit differently. One way of working cannot be transplanted as-is into the other world and expect success; even if the second is a part of the same organization in another geography. Thus global best practices remain good to read, not always workable on the ground.
What separates the CIOs between the West (read US, Canada, and EU) and East (mostly Asia, though the comparison set is largely India). You will hear this from almost every vendor doing business in East, and so will you get a similar message from the CIOs of Indian enterprises or CIOs of the Indian entities of global companies with business interests in India. Despite the recognition I have not come across a formal analysis of such differences in the way of working across markets and geographies.
Everyone agrees that India is a value conscious market; products and services vend at lower margins and discounting is normal. The outsourcing boom in India driven by wage arbitration did not leave too much behind for the Indian companies who had to pay higher wages to get quality skills. Due to this the services play for the Indian market was taken up by mid-sized companies who out-priced their bigger brothers who were happy to take the higher margin business from the West until recession dried up their pipeline.
Software vendors realized that to gain market entry and sustain business, the discount levels had to be different from their home markets. For hardware manufacturers the margins stood squeezed to low single digits, enough to cover marketing and administrative costs, not to make too much money. System integrators and consultants fared a bit better though not by too much; only the subject matter experts and high technology professionals could bill at global rates, in many cases reduced to advisory roles.
CIOs in the West are process driven, like standardization, drive scale though tools and technologies and create predictable outcomes with great contracts and Service Level Agreements between the parties. This is fairly well accepted as a way of doing business and everyone internally and externally aligns to the order and discipline. There is limited flexibility and exceptions are indeed rare. Thus everyone knows where they stand and what the terms of engagement and governance are likely to be.
The East shuns order that takes away individuality; everyone believes they are uniquely different. Standard solutions are frowned upon as they take away the flexibility that casts everyone into the same mold. While contracts are drawn up and SLA signed, they are rarely followed if at all irrespective of the size of deal or financial implications. If there is a change in reality, the first thing customer wants is a change in terms of engagement. If there is an adverse event, SLA is damned, immediate service is expected.
People do business with people and that is reality. Standards can change because the relationship manager changed jobs; who you know overrules contracts or SLA. A call to the right person will get you right resources or help resolve a problem. Relationships score over process every time. Value is paramount and cost is always expected to go south. It is a delicate balance which everyone learns to sustain their business interests. So SLA is measured, penalties rarely enforced; contracts are fought over until signing, rarely referred to afterwards.
I believe that for a global business to sustain, these differences are acknowledged and adapted to. There is no other recourse. For the leader, the CIO, s/he continues to wonder about the debate over the different realities. I am sure there are nuances to each country, market and culture; a global entity takes all in their stride. Employees who work across borders get used to this. For management consultants and their elk, they want to create untenable uniform models as global best practice. All the best to them!
Awry Outsourcing Anguish
Recently I met a friend whose company had signed a strategic outsourcing deal a few years back with much fanfare and was talked about as one of the first in his industry. His company made news in restricted industry circles and the vendor gained good leverage out of the deal. The long-term deal was expected to create efficiencies which were acknowledged by the Management and the Board. The teams were excited with the prospects of the new engagement and the benefits outlined.
From initial discussion to closure of the deal, it had taken a lot of groundwork between both the teams who toiled for over a year. Setting the baseline was the most rigorous task which required everyone to agree to the "as-is" scenario; number of assets, age and residual life, upgrade and replacement norms, scale-up of the business operations, revenue growth targets, additions to workforce, industry outlook; everything was required to be put in writing to ensure that the contract survives the signatories.
I asked him on how it was going; after going down the journey for close to three years, had they started seeing the benefit of their decision? How was the service delivery and how had the users taken the change? What would be his advice to others who may want to go down the same path? After all not many had signed long-term deals in recent times. He looked at me hard as if trying to understand why I was asking him all that. Seeing no ulterior motive in my query, he responded:
We have decided to terminate the deal; it is not working out. Our problems started during service transition. The team misinterpreted almost every clause and intent; we had to involve the pre-sales team and escalate across layers to get to the shared understanding that went into the contracting. The people on the ground had skills deficit and were unable to come up to the same level of service pre-outsourcing. In every review meeting they promised improvements and then nothing changed.
The commercials were based on certain assumptions of growth and efficiencies. They were expected to make upfront investments on tools and technologies which took longer than committed to materialize. Business had also started slowing down and the cost was beginning to hurt. The vendor was unwilling to accept this and review terms of engagement even though one of the primary benchmarks, cost as percentage of revenue, was broken and going north instead of the promised south.
After much discussion, escalation and negotiation, small tweaks were done to the model which survived a stormy year. When business growth eluded us as per original plan and required deferral of certain initiatives and hardware refresh, the dialogue was not very encouraging. All the spreadsheets that made lot of sense prior to commencement now appeared to be work of fiction. The contract did not allow significant change downward while it captured the upside. Short of suing each other the only recourse was termination.
In recent times there have been many outsourcing contracts that have run into rough weather; what seemed like a great idea in the late 90s and turn of the century have lost charm. Back then everyone was racing to outsource; now it seems that everyone is in a race to find a way out. Most contracts that are coming up for renewal are finding favor with neither incumbent vendor nor new partners. Have the outsourcing benefits suddenly disappeared? What has changed that suddenly makes enterprises shy away?
It is evident that for many who outsourced with large long-term deals with big service providers have not gained the promised benefits. Where did it fall short? Sales organizations did a great job of painting a rosy picture while the delivery and execution team ran out of color red. The gap between intent and execution and the inability to adapt to variability of business has resulted in both sides feeling shortchanged. The advent of newer services and scenarios like RIMS and BYOD has anyway changed the game.
One of the models that I have found survive over others is a deal where service parameters and expectations are reset every year. It requires IT, business and the vendor to work on the same side of the table. I have observed many successful deals that survived multiple challenges; they had clearly defined ownership. When you outsource, you still are accountable and responsible; it is not abdication of responsibility. New models of outcome based engagements are appearing on the horizon, their efficacy is yet to be experienced.
The micromanagement macrocosm
As he entered the room, he was looking quite frustrated to say the least, and he is someone who does not feel frustrated so easily. That raised the curiosity of many in the room who have known him as the "jolly old fellow" always ready to help anyone with a smile. As someone who had been there done that with rarely a fluster it was unusual and appeared unnatural. We naturally gravitated towards him wanting to understand the load of the mountain he was carrying that bowed him down.
He was an acknowledged leader and had been a CIO for close to two decades; his business acumen, industry and domain experience was unparalleled. As a turnaround CIO he had changed IT perceptions and created delivery frameworks in many companies. Through thick and thin he portrayed himself as the savior for challenged business and IT; the image stuck and led to his enviable growth. If he ever had moments of uncertainty or felt overpowered by a situation, no one had the privilege of seeing that.
So the emotion that he displayed was alien to the group; they tentatively edged up to him to seek the reason for his annoyance. What could have flustered the first amongst equals? He looked around at the anticipation and decided to share his situation. It appeared to be an innocuous position which everyone felt should be easily resolvable. As the discussion progressed the perception slowly faded away to leave the group in an exasperated state of mind. It was as if there was no way out.
The CIO was doing well working with the business and the Board; the company had endorsed his plan and strategy including required investments. Everyone was happy with progress, direction and outcomes. He had no reason to worry or think about anything adverse happening or changing his reality. The company underwent a management change and he now had a new boss whose belief system was a contrast to the earlier culture. She challenged everything and wanted to be involved in every meeting with peers and be the gatekeeper to every communication.
She restricted access to the CEO and the Board with a view that their time is valuable and everything that goes upwards or sideways needs her endorsement. The CIO used to a free hand started feeling stifled and struggled to work within the new rules. Every presentation, communication, and meeting request needed approval; the new manager appeared to require control of everything. Other CXOs reporting into her also shared similar experiences. Individually and collectively a solution failed them.
Seeking advice from other peers and earlier managers did not reveal any new solutions. The CEO was either unaware of the discomfort of the team or did not believe that the situation warranted a change. So everyone who was being touched by her cringed and wondered how to overcome the overbearing and autocratic behavior of their new colleague. Her credentials were reasonable, the bravado and projected success larger than life. Her conviction and mannerism did not easily allow for a challenge.
Having run out of options, our CIO friend was thus wallowing in choppy seas with no straws to clutch and wondering if he should look for new opportunities. A few members of the group shared similar experiences in their respective careers where they finally found a way out on their way out. People join companies, people leave their bosses stood proven many times over. Then someone raised an interesting question. "Why not align to the new style and start working to new expectations rather than fighting them?"
It was as if that option was never considered and fight of wills was the only option. Agreed that it is a departure from the conventional and it puts a constraint on the ability of the CIO to continue to innovate, in the absence of any other avenue, this may be a model that allows progress. It had everyone wondering and as they thought deeper, the solution appeared practical though not in the best interest of the flexibility and freedom that typically CIOs enjoy. I am not sure I would choose that path, but then …
What would you do?
Insecurity is good
"Insecurity is Good", so said a KOL CIO (Key Opinion Leader, a term I pick from my current industry – pharmaceuticals) in a conference which had over 100 CIOs gathered for a couple of days. It had the audience arise from their post-partum slumber, suddenly awake and scratched their collective heads in an attempt to decipher the deeper meaning (if any) of the phrase. Seeing the disbelief and curiosity on almost everyone's face, he clarified his stance. The moderator and co-panelists raised more than an eyebrow!
The panel discussion among the CIOs was an attempt to unravel the seed of the perennial discussion on the endangered CIO. All the panelists had close to three decades of experience each with more than half their tenure as the head honcho. They were beacons of success and looked up to by every aspiring and junior CIO. News and views on the waning influence, diminishing power, struggle to hold on to budgets, and finally with every new technology an adverse opinion required a platform to unravel the reality and learn from the learned.
The CIO clarified his position: CIOs should not get into comfort zones and shun risks that may require a different level of thinking. They should be risk takers, and as they take on the unconventional, it is natural to feel insecurity; the opposite being complacency, insecurity is a preferred state of mind. Insecurity ensures that complacency does not set in and that the CIO will think out of the box and explore all options before taking a decision. The calculated risk and the accompanying insecurity are essential to keep the bar of performance high.
Are CIOs really an insecure lot? Are CXOs really insecure about their future? Do they really live in a world of uncertainty with no visibility of how their role will change for the good or worse? Do utterings from a motley lot of opinionates indeed make their daunting predictions require rebuttal? The group largely disagreed and opined that once for all this debate should be put to rest; not just by argument, but by actions which shall strongly signify reality as it is, giving a burial to this postulation.
A potential solution was proposed by one: CIOs are reluctant communicators; they send occasional status reports, outage notices, a project go-live or delay, and a few times an update on the industry or a new trend. A lot of the good work done by the IT organization remains unnoticed or unappreciated only to be negated when something fails. There is almost no match to the communication sent by other CXOs or their functions on specific/generic issues internally or externally. This commentary is rarely matched by IT.
Another viewed the situation as a self-inflicted disease; why are CIOs so gullible that they are willing to be swayed so easily? Why do they have to retaliate to every small instigation? They should ignore the doubters and work towards creating a position for themselves driven by results rather than by debate. I kind of agree with the view except that I cannot let go of a good fight without getting into the ring. Should the CIO take the non-violent biblical path towards his/her success and acknowledgement?
I do not believe that any hypothesis is universally applicable to the entire fraternity. There are some who have adapted and evolved to becoming KOLs, while some remain in their positions of perceived insecurity. Evolution is selective and that is nature's way of weeding out the weak. Everyone without exception has to build relationships on the foundation of credibility and trust which is derived from success. Most shortcuts lead to perdition, the escalator to success is rarely sustainable. Take the ladder or stairs up.
So coming back to "Is insecurity good"? I believe that insecurity is not the opposite of complacency, it is an inexplicable feeling of being incomplete that keeps you from achieving more. It does not and should not have anything to do with external stimulus or instigation; the CIO gets to this position based on some core competencies and deliverables. S/he has adapted to the changes thus far and achieved success; why should the future be different?
I wonder if CIOs have lost their mojo so abruptly?
Unlearn to learn again
We all have been part of multiple project teams; projects big and small, spread over weeks to months and years, functional and cross-functional, department, geography, or enterprise wide. We have played roles ranging from team member, functional or project lead, sponsor, champion, or simply an observer. We have shared the euphoria on successful completion and anguish of failed projects, the pain of projects missing timelines, the anger when someone does not get it, the relief of recovering from missed milestones, heartbreak when a project was abandoned.
Every project has its set of protagonists, antagonists and fence-sitters; the mix largely determined not always by reality but the perception of impact to self, team, function, and organization. The difficulty level and the change to existing norms, processes, role, conventional wisdom also determines the enthusiasm demonstrated by everyone. Position within the organization hierarchy and age too play an important role in determining how we embrace the project and the change it brings about.
Change management has thus become an industry where specialists and consultants have defined frameworks to help overcome resistance to change. From proactive to resistive management, these practices collate experiences from multiple projects with a hope that some of them can be universally applied. The faith in such an intervention keeps fueling the growth of change specialists and enterprises continuing to invest in managing change with every project. There are a few basics that address the challenge: engagement, communication and agreement.
Project charters to creation of a team, and bringing them together typically defines the first few stages of any project. The collective belief in the outcomes is a basic necessity to create a foundation on which the project will be build. When a motley group gets together the first time, their collective conscience needs alignment to the common goal. Achieving this requires the leaders to engage the team in formal and informal settings. Their professional, social and emotional states require tuning with each other.
Communication needs a plan and then you break the plan to adapt to project progress; there will always be instances when a few will raise a furor that they were not informed or involved or constrained from participation. Everyone in the team needs to take charge of communication rather than a few chosen ones tasked with it. It is not just status reports, newsletters, and email campaigns, but open and honest dialogue within the team across hierarchy and laterally, is the best mechanism to keep the spirits high and aligned.
Whenever a group assembles, there is disagreement, conflict, and politics; projects with significant change also bring fear of the unknown, surfaces insecurities, and highlights missing competencies. These emotions and states challenge not just the project, at times also the company and business continuity. It does not matter if they were mediocre or high performers in earlier roles, or their longevity; the fact that they have to change is unpalatable to the human mind by design.
Young are impressionable and embrace all ideas without judging them; as we grow older we benchmark any new ideas with our past and what we believe is correct. We want things to be white or black equated to right or wrong rather than as an alternative view or way of working. What we disagree with is not necessarily wrong. This fixation to slot every action or decision into two buckets leads to conflict and a change averse behavior. We all learn through experience as there is a limit to what we can gain from others.
Every day is a discovery of our ignorance; we have to unlearn the past to learn something new. Giving up old beliefs is always difficult, they were part of our lives and brought us where we are. As Marshall Goldsmith said "What got you here, won't get you there." I believe that change starts from self. Change is a threat when done TO us, but an opportunity when done BY us. Threats are resisted, opportunities are embraced. We have to give up being a caterpillar to become a butterfly.
Change is like that only!


text:
Ferro Pizza and Restaurant
8146 North University Drive
Tamarac, FL 33321
View more Tamarac restaurants
(954) 722-3444
- Sun - 3:00pm - 10:00pm
- Mon - Sat 11:00am - 10:00pm
Cuisine: Pizza Places
4.5 of 5.0 from 16 reviews
Is this your restaurant? Claim Your Listing
Ferro Pizza and Restaurant Reviews
Add your review for Ferro Pizza and Restaurant.
I could eat Farro's pizza every day breckfast, lunch and dinner and would be the happiest person in the world!!!
by ChefMoz.org
The food at Ferro Pizzeria is AMAZING. The service is great and the owners make you feel like family.
by ChefMoz.org
This restaurant has been around for at least 15 years. The food is awesome and the owners are wonderful people. They are very geniune. I worked there when I was 19 years old in 1990. I still think about them and miss John and Val.
by ChefMoz.org
Ferro has the best white pizza. I can almost eat an entire pie by myself. Almost is the keyword. There cannoli's are great too! The service is also very kind, and polite. I do not have one bad thing to say about Ferro. It's just a great place!
by ChefMoz.org
Best Pizza on the East Coast, hands down.
by ChefMoz.org
Busy, delicious, great customer service
by Shari C.
Garlic rolls. Enough said.
by anais m.
Try the pizza pompadoro
by Cynthia D.
The food is delicious and such large portions for the price!!!😊
by JoAnn S.
www.TamaracTalk.com says to try the cappuccino already!
by Tamarac T.
Crowded as hell right before early bird
by Ryan H.
We LOVE their Veggie Pizza, It comes with a big amount of veggies and it is really good. We also love their Eggplant Parmesan. Ferros is awesome!
by Deyson O.
Best pizza in Tamarac.
by James S.
Try a pizza extra thin! Ferro's has the best pizza in town!
by Jennifer F.
Have your picture taken pointing to a cling sticker and uploaded to #4sqcling on Twitter.
by Lamar M.
$7 pizza on Tuesday. Best pizza in coral springs and tamarac.
by Adam L.
Tamarac Foodie Blogs
Do you blog about dining in Tamarac?
Share your opinions with Foodio54 users and get extra exposure to your blog!
Restaurants similar to Ferro Pizza and Restaurant
Pizza Hut
7221 Northwest 88th Avenue
Papa John's Pizza
8016 W McNab Rd
Domino's Pizza
11339 West Atlantic Boulevard
Domino's Pizza
5452 North University Drive
Pizza King
171 S State Road 7
Papa John's Pizza
10344 West Sample Road
Domino's Pizza
10345 West Sample Road
Chuck E Cheese
8099 West Oakland Park Boulevard
Nearby Restaurants
Heathgate-Sunflower Homeowners
8100 Northwest 70th Avenue
Fried Rise
8244 Waterford Avenue
Woodmont Country Club - Pines
7801 Northwest 80th Avenue
Maria's Pizza and Pasta
7168 North University Drive
Little China Inc (dba Fortune Dragon)
7178 North University Drive
Wat A Lunch N More
7130 North University Drive
7025 N University Dr
590 North University Drive
630 North University Drive
Pagoda Chinese Restaurant
8263 NW 88th Avenue


text:
Discover a selection of top forums zombies weapons p2 on the internet. Come to share your passion on forums zombies weapons p2 and meet other fans of zombies weapons p2. Then, why don't you create your own forum of zombies weapons p2 ?
A full, thriving ninja world is set before you. Make friends, gain enemies,hunt the greatest Legendary Weapons, take part in the grand Epic Missions and save the world or destroy it!
free, forum, naruto, role, play, that, simple, join, uzumaki, fights, chat, help, jutsu, ninjutsu, save, world, destroy, enemies, friends, legendary
Online forum community for WOMEN only, 18+! No attention whores, just real people. We talk about zombies, kink, food, & more!
women, blogging, parenting, debates, graphics, friends, parents, pregnancy, advice, contests, bloggers, vent, ladies, moms, mothers, designers, competition, pregnant, topics, games, challenges, crafts
The Imperial Gunnery Forum is a vintage Star Wars forumcreated by collectors for collectors. Discuss Lili Ledy, Harbert, Palitoy, Meccano, Clipper, Kenner, variants and many more! Come see our new bootleg section for information on Uzay Hungarian an
action, figure, imperial, gunnery, vintage, star, wars, forum, lili, ledy, glassite, uzay, variants, loose, repro, lightsaber, blaster, discussion, harbert, #weapons
Post-apocalyptic Pokemon RP forum
epidemic, johto, post-apocalyptic, horror, zombie, pokemon, apocalyptic, epidemicjohto, #zombies, nintendo, game, freak, undead
Nazi Zombies Portable Official Community
nazi, zombie, portable, maps, #zombies, alpha, beta, reflux, call, duty, world, black, custom, homebrew
Insaniac Gaming is Community where we play Custom Gamemodes made by the IG Team Including GTA V Zombie Apocalypse Roleplay---Real Life Roleplay--- Gang Land Roleplay and various other games on PC and Xbox
call, duty, ghosts, grand, theft, auto, zombie, warfare, community, clan, #zombies, roleplay, where, play, certain, games, modes, have, played, created, mainly
Kriss Vector Super V System K10 Kard forum
kriss, vector, super, talk, kard, system, forum, forums, ar15, black, rifle, assult, krisstalk, arms, #weapons
An intense power struggle...with zombies thrown in.
Free forum : The Apothecary creates new weapons using human subjects. Their new virus has been lost inside a girl protected by their own android creation.
free, forum, apothica, scifi, #weapons, using, human, subjects, cannot, control, nature, super-virus, lost, inside, beautiful, girl, love, android, violence, romance


text:
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
In this Article
How does Omega-6 Fatty Acids work?There isn't enough information available to know how omega-6 fatty acids work.
Are there safety concerns?There isn't enough information available to know if omega-6 fatty acids are safe to use as medicine. They can cause an increase in the level of triglycerides (a type of cholesterol) in the blood.
Do not use omega-6 fatty acids if:
Dosing considerations for Omega-6 Fatty Acids.The appropriate dose of omega-6 fatty acids depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for omega-6 fatty acids. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.


text:
Robert Butler Albright
Robert Butler Albright, 86, of Holliday passed away Friday, July 12, 2013.
The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at the chapel of Owens & Brumely Funeral Home with Mr. David Wylie, officiating. Interment will follow in Holliday Cemetery under the direction of Owens & Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls.
A son of the late Harry Butler and Elizabeth Marjorie (Sparling) Albright, he was born November 23, 1926, in Highland Park, Michigan. He served our country proudly in the United States Army Air Corp during WWII as an Air Warning Plotter. He married Bonnie Marie Underwood in 1945. Robert retired as a Construction Electrician. He was a member of I.B.E.W. Local 58 in Detroit, Michigan, a sixty-five year member of the NRA, and a life member of The Texas Rifle Association. After retirement, Robert moved back to Wichita Falls in 1986. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Jack Albright; son-in-law, William Keith Robinson; and great-grandson, Justin Morris.
He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Bonnie Marie Albright; his daughter, Frances Robinson; his grandchildren, Colleen Marie Navarre and husband Christopher, Shawn Connett, Kelly Connett and wife Gayle, and Jessica Venegas and husband Chris; great-grandchildren, Jeffery Clontz and wife Cynthia, Melissa Renee Watkins, and Kristopher Scott Connett; and great-great granddaughter, Caitlyn Marie Nicole Clontz.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.owensandbrumley.com.
Subscribe to the Times Record News
Need Help? Call us at 1-877-710-6181.
Monday-Friday: 5:30am-8pm / Saturday: 6am-1pm / Sunday: 6am-1pm


text:
dy have major medical or primary insurance coverage. Majority of its U.S. policies are individually underwritten and marketed through independent agents. Additionally, the company markets and administers group insurance products. The company's individually issued policies are portable and pay benefits regardless of other insurance. Majority products' benefits are paid in cash directly to policyholders, therefore, its customers have the opportunity to use this cash to help with expenses of their choosing. Its individually issued health insurance plans are guaranteed-renewable for the lifetime of the policyholder (to age 75 for short-term disability policies). The company's group insurance policies are underwritten on a group basis and have some element of guaranteed issue. Aflac U.S. offers accident coverage on both an individual and group basis. These policies are designed to protect against losses resulting from accidents. The accident portion of the policy includes lump-sum benefits for accidental death, dismemberment, and specific injuries, as well as fixed benefits for hospital confinement. In addition, other benefits, such as short-term disability are available as riders. Aflac U.S. offers short-term disability benefits on both an individual and group basis. In 2013, the company introduced a redesigned group short-term disability product with improved benefit options and higher income replacement amounts. Aflac U.S. offers coverage for critical illnesses on both an individual and group basis. These policies are designed to protect against losses resulting from critical illnesses, such as heart attack, stroke, or cancer. On an individually underwritten basis, the company offers cancer plans, critical illness/critical care plans, critical care and recovery plans, and hospital intensive care plans. On a group basis, the company offers critical illness/critical care plans. In 2013, it updated its critical illness plan on the individual platform to offer a guaranteed-issue face amount, which could include lump sum benefits for cancer. The company listened to the needs of its customers, and offers a critical illness plan that is compatible with health savings accounts. Aflac U.S. offers hospital indemnity coverage on both an individual and group basis. The company's hospital indemnity products might provide fixed daily benefits for hospitalization due to accident or sickness, or just sickness alone. Indemnity benefits for inpatient and outpatient surgeries, as well as various other diagnostic expenses, are also available. In 2013, the company introduced a new individual hospital plan, designed to provide flexible options for consumers as they deal with new coverage plans that have emerged with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. This product focuses on providing benefits for various hospital services, including emergency visits, surgeries, and diagnostics, as well as benefits for traditional hospital stays. In 2013, it also updated its group hospital plan, which provides multiple hospital admission amounts for an employer to choose, giving the flexibility to tailor a plan that would match their level of major medical coverage. In addition, it added a wellness benefit to specified levels of coverage, supporting healthier habits with employees and promoting lower health plan utilization for employers. Aflac U.S. offers fixed-benefit dental coverage on both an individual and group basis. Aflac U.S. also offers Vision Now, an individually issued policy, which provides benefits for serious eye health conditions and loss of sight. Vision Now includes coverage for corrective eye materials and exam benefits. Aflac U.S. offers term and whole-life policies on both an individual and group basis. Distribution – Japan The traditional channels through which the company has sold its products are independent corporate agencies, individual agencies, and affiliated corporate agencies. Distribution - U.S. The company's U.S. sales force comprises sales associates and brokers who are independent contractors licensed to sell accident and health insurance. Majority are also licensed to sell life i
aflac inc (AFL:New York)
Last $61.74 USD
Change Today -0.97 / -1.55%
Volume 3.9M
AFL On Other Exchanges
As of 8:04 PM 05/26/15 All times are local (Market data is delayed by at least 15 minutes).
Back to Snapshot
Company Description
Contact Info
1932 Wynnton Road
Columbus, GA 31999
United States
Phone: 706-323-3431
Previous PagePage 123Next Page
|Recently Viewed
|ACE Ltd
|Sun Life Financial Inc
|Allstate Corp/The
|Chubb Corp/The
|Travelers Cos Inc/The
|View Industry Companies
Industry Analysis
Industry Average
|Industry Range
|Price/Cash Flow
Sponsored Financial Commentaries
Sponsored Links
Report Data Issue
To contact AFLAC INC, please visit www.aflac.com. Company data is provided by Capital IQ. Please use this form to report any data issues.
Please enter your information in the following field(s):
Your requested update has been submitted
Our data partners will research the update request and update the information on this page if necessary. Research and follow-up could take several weeks. If you have questions, you can contact them at email@example.com.


text:
Shop now and get Free Value Shipping on most orders over $49 to the contiguous 48 states, DC and to all U.S. Military APO/FPO/DPO addresses.
We want to ensure that making a return is as easy and hassle-free as possible! If for any reason you decide that your purchase just isn't for you, simply return the item within 30 days of receipt and we'll cover the cost of return shipping. Learn more about our Return Policy.
The J. Dewey Parker Hale Gun Cleaning Rod Adapter has been developed to be the ideal way to make sure you can eliminate potentially damaging materials from your gun, that might otherwise cause problems while shooting. This Gun Cleaning Tool from the experts at J. Dewey was developed using extremely strong construction and materials, to provide you with a gun cleaning tool that will last an incredibly long time. For a great way to make sure that your weapon is maintained properly and ready to go, choose the J. Dewey Parker Hale Gun Cleaning Rod Adapter.
Connect with OpticsPlanet
Become our fan, follow us, & subscribe for the latest updates and deals
Subscribe to our email list
Sign up and receive $5 Off and get exclusive access to promotions, sales
events, pre-order sales & more!
Contact Information
Toll-Free: 800-504-5897
Intl.: 847-513-6201
Fax: 847-919-3003
Email: email@example.com
Hours of Operation
8AM-7PM CST Mon-Fri
9AM-5PM CST Sat
9AM-5PM CST Sun (Email & Chat Only)
Our Guarantees


text:
"Where were you?"
I'm suddenly shy. I don't know what to say.
You have that look in your eyes. I have never been able to lie. You know what happened. That I was off exploring a passion, something so deeply fulfilling, I didn't look back. I knew you were there. But my mind was elsewhere.
I have so much to say. The path that you took me on, it's real. It started with you. It wasn't a false start. The way just kept opening up.
I am still falling down the rabbit hole. The view is wondrous.
I have never been more challenged, more exhausted or more in love. Which brings to mind a new favorite chocolate cake recipe. It is dark, rich and dense, with a meringue-like crust and chewy interior. One bite, and I am sealed forever.
Smitten Kitchen's chocolate cake
Dry ingredients, whisked together
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch process unsweetened cocoa
3/4 tsp baking powder
Wet ingredients
9 ounces butter, melted on gentle heat and set aside to cool
7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs, yolks separated
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp water
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1. Add chocolate chips to the melted butter with 2 tbsp water, and hand whisk until smooth. Keep aside.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, egg yolks and 1 tbsp water. Whisk together by hand for a minute until pale yellow and smooth. Add this mixture to the chocolate chip and melted butter mix. Fold in the dry ingredients.
3. Separately, using an electric beater, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until the egg whites stand in stiff peaks.
4. Fold in the egg whites gently into the chocolate mix. Pour into prepared baking pan.
5. Bake at 350F for about a half hour until tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.


text:
Los Angeles, CAUSA
Hometown: Los Angeles
November 9, 2011
Peter Egziabher
Account Recovery Associate
I'd like to meet and connect with like-minded people.
I work at Google on Account Security issues. Originally from Los Angeles, interested in practical applications of technology + cool design concepts. Would love to meet and connect.
Meetup members, Log in
By clicking "Sign up" or "Sign up using Facebook", you confirm that you accept our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy


text:
Brilliant sunshine on glistening cars lined up in rows, strains of familiar melodies drifting through the air, and an occasional train whistle set the stage for the 24th KingFest which was held in King's Central Park this past Saturday.
With temperatures in the upper 80s, beverage, ice cream, and snow cone sales were especially brisk.
Children didn't seem to mind the heat as they patiently waited in line for a ride on the KingFest Express or ran their fastest in the Kids' Olympic games.
Adrian Angle was delighted that the fish he caught at the pond, and he also snagged a trophy and a new fishing rod.
Many people were spotted enjoying a bit of shade and sitting down to enjoy the music of the Zephyr Lightning Bolts, TTW Band, Mason Via, Josh Black, and Taylor Vaden. Miss Joyce's Dance Studio also delighted the crowd, with performances by the jazz classes, 6-10 ballet classes, the teen ballet class, an acrobatic class, and creative movement time.
Others enjoyed shopping with the many vendors at KingFest or strolling the tree-lined paths by the pond.
Heritage demonstrators were kept busy all day and many children took home-decorated pumpkins or trick or treat bags from the craft activities.
KingFest offered a great day for families and fun in the beautiful setting of Central Park.


text:
AOTA's mental health legislation introduced in the House.
Everything you need to know if you're thinking about a career in occupational therapy.
Find out what is happening at AOTA and how to get involved.
Find out about OT's role with the care of individuals with spinal cord injury.
Thinking about a career in occupational therapy? You've come to the right place!
In this section, you can learn about job outlooks (and it's great!), glimpse into therapy sessions with clients, hear current practitioner stories, see the diversified faces of occupation therapy and more!
Get your questions answered, learn about OTs and OTAs, & find admissions criteria.
Occupational therapy has been consistently ranked in top-job and recession-proof job lists.
Occupational therapy practitioners come from all backgrounds and ethnicities.
Hear from current students on why they choose occupational therapy.


text:
SEC IFRS Roadmap Coming Aug. 27; Bernanke on Reducing Systemic Risk; PCAOB Ruled Constitutional
By Edith Orenstein, FEI Financial Reporting Blog - The SEC announced this afternoon (Aug. 22) that it will consider proposing an IFRS Roadmap at an open commission meeting on Wed. Aug. 27.
Separately, in a speech earlier today at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Annual Economic Symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben S. Bernanke called for further consideration of systemwide or 'macroprudential' oversight.
In other news, a court ruled today in favor of the PCAOB in a case involving a challenge to the PCAOB's Constitutionality.
See more details on the above topics here.
This blog
FEI Financial Reporting Blog provides highlights from SEC, PCAOB, FASB, IASB, and other regulatory news, including reporting under Sarbanes-Oxley Sect 404. It is written by Edith Orenstein, Director of Technical Policy Analysis at FEI


text:
Points will not be awarded when a coupon not found on MyPoints is used during checkout or when a gift card is used.
Free US Shipping on $50+ order.
No Code, Just Click
evrgrn. gear for good times.
Exp: 06/14/2015
50% off Outdoor Gear and Clothing.
REI OUTLET Deal of the Day.
REI Coupons and Rebates.
Free Shipping using REI Store Pickup.
REI Daysack Pack - Special Buy Was: $64.50 Now: $31.73.
Outlet Closeouts.
10% Annual Refund with a $20 REI Lifetime Membership.


text:
Hi, guys and gals! I keep forgetting to put up a thread for my digital comic SERVANT here in the ART Studio, but I finally got to it today!
First of all, I'd like to let everyone know that in celebration of Servant's 16 years (created 1997) and as my belated birthday gift last September 5th to everyone, the first issue of the digital comic is available now for FREE Download (in PDF, CBZ, and EPUB formats)! Check the link here: http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/product/102925/Servant-#1?manufacturers_id=4502
I use many DAZ products in the comic (love Genesis!), as well as other Poser products from elsewhere. On that note, I'd like to thank the generous creators who put out freebies which I use throughout the comic. You all rock!
Here are sample pages from the first issue:


text:
Pulsar Night Vision - Hand Held
Pulsar Challenger Gen 2+ Night Vision Monocular
( £1,467.99 to £2,195.99)
More Details
Pulsar Challenger Gen 2S 1x21 Night Vision Monocular
( £3,419.95 to £7,149.95)
More Details
Pulsar Challenger GS 4.5x60 Hand Held Night Vision Observation Monocular
( £399.99)
More Details
Pulsar Challenger GS CF Super Monoculars
( £269.95 to £399.00)
More Details
Pulsar Edge GS 2.7x50 CF Super NV Binoculars
( £513.95)
More Details
Pulsar Edge GS 3.5x50 Night Vision Binoculars
( £589.95)
More Details
Secure website - we use market leading security to ensure your data is never compromised
Reliable service - Scott Country has been trading online for 12 years. Our knowledgeable staff will ensure your order is dealt with quickly and efficiently
Order online or by phone - you can order online using our secure system, or by telephone or fax
Can't find what you are looking for?
We stock many more products than we can list on our web site, click here to contact us with your requirements.


text:
Here's a look at how the 49ers' hunt for a No. 3 quarterback has gone full circle since Jim Harbaugh became head coach in 2011.
Video Results
a couple of plays at practice and get some periods superiors Arlington your own thing and that is helping a lot but. David Carr prepared to keep the field with the 49ers for the first time at Indianapolis at Tottenham is better to help he injected
You've been will it start to notice his words like him specifically those words have said you know what they have said that. Competition is what they around here it makes you better answers things is iron sharpens iron so. But the thing that I wanted to hear you know all those guys is. Now have a
Personally interval training camp offers an injury keeps him. Around here that Yeah when that in my opinion. It's been physically and don't let the record don't hit my laser burning you know would I just he is ready to three hours of practice. But I see them you know it's been hell yeah yeah yeah
I was told. Us sojourn has yet. As a warmup than. There's and so we get ready next series. Gotten some. Of the guilt me. And accuse him and went on until it's. Restricted them when your own. You Finally get a W Soviet Butler. I was you. Are here. Well I mean I was Rodrigo and the I had a series of
to select Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers added McLeod Bethel-Thompson to the initial 90-man roster of the Harbaugh regime. The 49ers wanted to add a veteran, but were not interested in either David Carr or Troy Smith from the 2010 roster.
locker is cleaned out. And the Raiders are now looking for another starting quarterback to B Terrelle Pryor's backup David Carr came in on Monday. And veteran more of an athletic quarterback in Pat White is here on Tuesday. And after that the
It seems like this it's so the routes so. That's all that's come. Just in the you verbalize guys these are things and this terminology. As He had done one similar to this Houston was a little like this. Nixon. Greg so. Lot of history. Very similar that it offers so. That's that's easy but it's just
have a new offensive system and they have no idea who the quarterback is going to be a one quarterback under contract David Carr there's no chance he's going to be a starting quarterback. He could really get the. The pretty hard and yearling
the quarterback situation you guys that are on our roster there's there's. One quarterback under us and that's David Carr . You mentioned Alex Smith is an unrestricted free agent. So and decisions to make you. And then evaluate free agency
let's be honest Troy Smith as the quarterback. The fourth string quarterback Henry what part I mean the next night David Carr can't do it but Troy Smith. The teams the beginning of the season I don't even know how much of it not offense and
Alex Smith is Al. Al David Carr was and the but that state can now officially be considered great with Smith injured shoulder expected. About two to three weeks
to see how that works out and we'll go there yeah. are. I don't know just. It's. I think we wanted to do win David Carr came in the game is well because of limited reps and everything else is good. Try to eat and run the ball try to get
It was. to finally make more plays on us they mean when when you Gibbons is officially it's. We try and not think about affecting him it got reps do you have any how wonderful Williams your team you know and we just didn't make enough and make enough plays for my guys and you just went. So we that
obviously he's got the option to David Carr hasn't really gone with it yet ..... pull out the victory. What does David Carr say about all this I mean obviously ..... he saying about that situation. David Carr has has experienced this from both
There yes yeah like WR. Has handled the situation. I didn't go home I think the fact that at the very beginning. David Carr was told the truth about. What his responsibility is here and we're not changing and he's not changing. How he
m not afraid of the consequences that come along with those choices. Problem. The one thing that. You have into a David Carr or Internet or Troy Smith you you have guys. That can't do it. I was just tapped the guy that I felt was best for
hole to me. As far as confidence level I when I look at David Carr . I speak Davey could obviously and do a good job. But ..... Alan Schwartz. before made that decision. Hum I told David Carr know Gordon and then warm up ready to go. And as I begin
Campbell high you may step down. sit in the stands. I was at I was on the floor last night when tired of yelling for. David Carr I could feel the earth move. On your that's certainly better than sitting you know hotel lobbies and you know you
it up and a school there. But I do want to understand this is our quarterback and at no time. I think about putting David Carr in a football game. Home. But I want you to understand their side you'll Alex will grow from this too. I know our
settlement with the addition Troy Smith of the the roster and Eric do you think that this really is more of an indictment on David Carr there anything. How well you've really got got to have them on the field experience and I think that's important
Alex Smith, David Carr and Troy Smith take reps in Santa Clara.
be identical situation. It would be tough and we do David Carr and but I wanted to go. The guy that is due to her quarterback ..... do go back you news I wanna make sure you understand David Carr never. Ever words considered to come in completely they
job protecting us starting. When it comes to me David Carr I think David Carr good guy that. That that I could grow you'll call ..... to get a rhythm and all bogey. But I think good David Carr . You know I had to go to hell yeah. yeah. What
point second 150. That's not really very good to develop talk about the battle to be the backup quarterback David David Carr we talked a probable. Michelle Nate Davis rule and everybody that broadcast the NBC gave the other night but and I