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Lake Michigan IceFebruary 15th, 2014 at 9:51 pm by Bill Steffen under Bill's Blog, Weather
Here's the MODIS satellite pictures from Saturday PM – a rare mostly (but not totally) clear day across the Great Lakes. Click on the pictures to enlarge. In order, we have Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. As of Friday, GLERL reports that the Great Lakes are 80.2% ice-covered. Lake Michigan is at 66.5% ice cover, Lake Superior 86.1%, Lake Huron 91.8%, Lake Erie 93.4% and Lake Ontario 35.5%. Look at this graph of ice on Lake Michigan this season. Note how the ice coverage fluctuates…it's not just a steady linear climb. Fluctuations are often due to changes in wind speed and direction. Trough over the Great Lakes at the end of the month, looks cold for Michigan. Peak ice may not come until early March.
Also: Lowest Wind Chill Record for the state of Alaska set at Howard Pass, Alaska on Feb. 14, 3:39 pm AKST at -97F. Old record: -96 F. Snow at the State Capitol in Atlanta this morning. They had a 95mph wind gust at Berthoud Pass, CO early this morning, with 60-70mph gusts at Colorado Springs. The latest storm produced a 91-foot wave of Penzance, U.K. There was a supermarket roof collapse yesterday in Felters Corners, NY due to heavy wet snow. Many other roof collapses across NY & NJ. We've had half a dozen here in West Michigan. 850-pound snowball smashes into college dorm.


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Message Board
Public Notices
Top Stories This Week - August 6, 2014
Getting a feeling for the area through its culture and products
Pictured above, from left, are Hector Goudreau, the Progressive-Conservative MLA for Dunvegan-Central Peace-Notley; Francoise Lavoie, a local ACFA board member; Heather Klimchuk, the minister of culture and Progressive-Conservative MLA for Edmonton-Glenora; and Joel Lavoie, the president of the local ACFA organization. Klimchuk was in the area last week for a tour, including the Honey Bunny honey factory in Guy. She also met with elected officials to hear their concerns about things like MSI funding.
The Francophone community in Alberta is very powerful and it is the fastest growing population outside of Ontario and Quebec.
Alberta Transportation has changed the closure date for repair work to an affected area of Highway 744 near Peace River.
If you're looking for something for your children to do this summer, then take them to the Kimiwan Birdwalk Interpretive Centre in McLennan, where they can learn about various bird species.
There seems to be no end to the push for "green" energy solutions, including solar power, which should be looked at cautiously.
Albertans' thumbs and fingers are getting plenty of exercise these days. At least according to a June survey commissioned by the Alberta Motor Association (AMA).
As the old song goes, ever it be so humble, there's no place like home.
News Room - Online
Spotlight: Trumpeter swans soar off Alberta's at-risk species list
The trumpeter swan is now identified as a species of special concern.
The following is the final instalment of the campground and development updates in the Peace Region.
LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, do not deny yourself some pleasure, especially if you have been putting in a lot of work and effort to attain your goals. Enjoy a little down time when you can.
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Asus Launch 2900XT with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Half Life 2 Black Box
"Following the release of the new 2900XT, Asus have announced a superb game bundle with their version of the 2900XT - the EAH2900XT"
Published: 14th May 2007 | Source: Asus |
Asus Launch EAH2900XT - with a whole load of goodies!
Asus have launched their 2900XT in style. Along with the normal Valve "Black Box" voucher that comes with every 2900XT, Asus are adding the awesome S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl.
|Exclusive Only to ASUS EAH2900XT: Special 4 Game Bundle
S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadows of Chernobyl from THQ
The ASUS EAH2900XT will be exclusively bundled with THQ and GSC Game World's critically-acclaimed survival horror First-Person Shooter (FPS) game S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadows of Chernobyl. "S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadows of Chernobyl is a very visually engaging open-ended FPS, so the graphical portions of the game are very detailed and requires a graphics card with powerful performance and high quality to bring out the best portions of the game," said Ian Curran, Senior Vice President of international publishing, THQ. "ASUS's EAH2900XT is certainly up to the task, and THQ is pleased to bundle S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadows of Chernobyl with ASUS's high-end performance graphics card."
"The Black Box" from Valve
Additionally, Valve offers a voucher coupon that allows users free copies of 3 upcoming titles from Valve's "The Black Box" game bundle. This offer includes Half Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 and Portal, and the games will be available via downloads through Steam – Valve's online platform for PC games, when they become available later in 2007. In the meantime, users will be able to enjoy a free copy of Valve's Day of Defeat.
Certainly a nice bundle of Tech and with additional Asus features like "Splendid™ Video Intelligence Technology" and "ASUS Gamer OSD" it's really something to get your teeth into.
Most Recent Comments
We now need to get things moving a bit.
I've already posted about the store in the following forums:
* Kustompcs
* Extreme Overclocking
Would you guys be up for posting in some other forums?
This is what i've been saying, but you can obviously put what you want:
"Hi Guys,
I just wanted to let you all know about a store i've set up specialising in the importing of OCZ products from the USA just for all us overclockers :D.
Most of the prices are cheaper than anywhere you will find in the UK. For example: OCZ Platinum PC3200 Rev.2 (TCCD) @ £150 including free shipping!
Check it out here "
hmmm i dunno mate, this gave us a bad rep last time. on the bright side it is working as we just has 2 guests viewing the thread.
But we are only letting people know about cheap ram....
You could even do the post from the POV that you have just bought some memory from there, and it arrived, and you want to let others know.
ok, ill find some UK forums
Cool...or even some large forums that have UK members ;)
If so let me know what forums so we dont do the same ones.


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March 20, 2004 - April 10, 2005
is an exhibition of eight works of contemporary art that will
be exhibited individually and sequentially in a specially designed
space in the Speeds tapestry gallery. Presence aims to reinvent
the space where the concentrated visual activity required to look
at art regains its allure. A special space will be built within
the central area of the tapestry gallery in the museum. This capsule
will be designed functionally to house the works for Presence
but will clearly contrast with the older, sedate style of the
gallery it occupies. There will be enough space for visitors to
still view the tapestries and to walk around the exterior of the
capsule. The interior of the capsule will be a plain white space.
The eight
works of art in Presence will each be exhibited alone,
in sequence, in the capsule. Each will be exhibited for five weeks,
with a turnaround gap of two weeks. The complete project will
last twelve months. The exhibition will bring works by internationally
renowned and regional artists into the same framework. Each work
will be accompanied by an introductory pamphlet about the artist
and their work. Presence will also encompass eight significant
lectures, each addressing the concept of presence from a different
direction. At the conclusion of the project, these eight lectures
will be edited into book form, together with the pamphlets and
installation photographs of the works.
included in the project are: Franz Gertsch, March 30 - May 2,
2004; Ik Joong Kang, May 18 - June 20, 2004; Bill Henson,
July 6 - August 8, 2004; Mark Wallinger, August 24 - September
26, 2004; Gerhard Richter, October 12 - November 14, 2004; Chris
Cunningham, November 30, 2004 - January 2, 2005; Berni Searle,
January 18 - February 20, 2005; and Louisville artist Valerie
Sullivan Fuchs, March 1 - April 10, 2005.
To celebrate Presence the exhibition, the Speed Art Museum in
partnership with Equus Run Vineyards is offering 8 unique collectable
wines with Presence inspired labels. Each installation within
the exhibition will receive its own label or the label will be
representative of the work. Each collectable wine will be released
to coincide with the opening of the work. Wines may be purchased
exclusively at Liquor Barn.
June 17 – November 28, 2004 at The Speed Art Museum
June 23 – September 19, 2004 at The Overlook at Waterfront
This exhibition features near life-size portraits of families
that capture the traditions and social conditions of over 130
countries, creating "a Family Album of Planet Earth"
and underlining the importance of family to all cultures.
photographer for over 30 years, Ommer began his journey to capture
average families around the world in 1996. Four years and 180,000
miles later he had images of a thousand different families. Using
the same white backdrop and the same lighting in each photo, the
collection tells the story of families, conventional and unconventional,
and speaks to what it means to be part of a family and the family
of man.
This exhibition was made possible in Louisville by the generous
support of Yum! Brands, Inc.
Partners in
the project are Metro Louisville and the Waterfront Development
Visit the
Families page.
to The Overlook at Waterfront Park (near the Gracehoper Sculpture)
as well as additional information may be found at www.louisvillewaterfront.com.
Gratefully Acknowledge Our Sponsors:
Metro Government
from the Easel: American Narrative Paintings from Southeastern
Museums, circa 1800-1950
14 December 12, 2004
With the Columbus
Museum, the Speed Art Museum premieres the traveling exhibition,
Tales from the Easel: Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century American
NarrativePaintings from Southeastern Museums, circa 1800-1950.
Featuring 70 works by some of this countrys most acclaimed
artists, Tales from the Easel presents a fascinating glimpse into
American narrative painting.
Drawn from
the permanent collections of 28 prominent museums in the Southeastern
United States, Tales from the Easel tells the American story through
10 themes: Literature, Fantasies, History, Politics, Agrarian
America, Urban America, Community, Domestic Life, Childhood, and
tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $4 for students
and children. Museum members receive free admission to the
exhibition. A group tour rate of $6 per person is available
for groups of 10 or more. To schedule a group tour, call (502)
Tales: American Storytelling Art from Kentucky Collections
14 – December 12, 2004
Telling Tales:
American Storytelling Art from Kentucky Collections showcases
masterpieces of American narrative art held in Kentucky including
paintings, sculpture, drawings, and photographs drawn from state-wide
collections and the museum's holdings. Artists represented
include Winslow Homer, Elihu Vedder, sculptor Randolph Rogers;
America's greatest illustrator, Newell Convers Wyeth; Louisville
artist Aurelius O. Revenaugh; William Ranney, Carroll Cloar and
Images Of The World September 16, 2003 to June 13, 2004
contemporary collection of the Speed Art Museum is a fast growing
and important resource. Potential Images of the World showcases
recent acquisitions to the Speed's contemporary collection and
includes works in many different media from paintings, sculpture,
prints, and photography to video works of art. Augmented by works
from regional artists and works from local private collections,
Potential Images of the World is presented through three conceptual
Place - Forms of location: including works by Vito Acconci,
Thomas Delisle, Langlands and Bell, Richard Long, Tania Kovats,
Julian Opie, Yinka Shonibare, Marjetica Potr_, and Richard Ross.
Ritual - Forms of transformation: works by Helen Chadwick,
Roy Deforest, Mark Fox, Anthony Goicolia, Ellen Kooi, Juan Munoz,
Dennis Oppenheim, and Mark Wallinger.
Emanation - Forms of emergence: works by William Anastasi,
Ed Hamilton, Alfredo Jaar, Javier Pérez, Letitia Quesenberry,
Rosângela Rennó, Meyer Vaisman, and Yinka Shonibare.
In these frameworks, individual works enter into a dialogue of
difference with each other suggesting a variety of potential meanings.
As Place variously implies locations and spaces, it also
indicates a relationship to the world of both material things
and abstract thoughts, including the notion of consciously knowing
one's place. Ritual, as well as being considered in terms
of ceremonies and rights, can be thought of in terms of formalized
routines, habits, and repetitive behavior. Emanation connotes
welling and the potential of becoming as well as suggesting discharge
and drainage. In this multiplicity of interpretations, the works
in Potential Images of the World resist definitive explanations
and, through the subjective engagement of the viewer, offer a
view of identity that is fluid and indeterminate.
Speed Art Museum Commemorates Lewis and Clark Bicentennial with
Faces From the Land: A Photographic Journey Through Native America
by Ben Marra
October 14, 2003 May 9, 2004
In commemoration of the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition,
the Speed Art Museum will present Faces from the Land: A Photographic
Journey through Native America by Ben Marra, on view October 14,
2003 through April 11, 2004.
In 1988, Seattle
photographer, Ben Marra and his wife, Linda, set out to document
Powwows and the shared cultural qualities that bind together the
community of Native America. Powwows are an integral part of Native
American life, offering Native Americans the opportunity to gather
together to celebrate their spiritual connections to their ancestors,
the earth, community and traditions through drum, song and dance.
Faces from the Land focuses on many of the Native American cultures
that Lewis and Clark encountered during their expedition, such
as Sioux, Lemhi Shoshone and Nez Perce. Also included in the exhibition
is a photograph of Sacajaweas great, great, great grandniece,
Rose Ann Abrahamson.
These 36 large
print portraits of dancers are accompanied by text written by
the subjects describing the tribal significance of their regalia
and dance. These striking images along with their text vividly
detail the magic of the powwow, while also allowing the viewer
the opportunity to the see the juxtaposition of ancient tradition
and modern culture.
book, Powwow
Images along the Red Road, (Abrams), featuring
105 color photographs representing more than sixty tribes and
nations is available for sale in the museum gift shop for $16.95.
Dedicated to using his photographs to strengthen and perpetuate
an appreciation for Native American Culture, Ben Marras
work has been featured in numerous galleries and national magazines,
and was recently included in Handbook of North American Indians,
published by the Smithsonian Institution.
April 20 – May 20, 2004
The exhibition
Performing Body marks the first public showing of works
by Marina Abramovic in this part of the country. The Amsterdam-based
artist, whose performance and video installation Balkan Baroque
(1997) won the International Award at the Venice Biennale of that
year, has pioneered the use of performance as a visual art form,
using her body as subject and medium.
For over 25
years, performance has formed the basis of Abramovic's work
in sound, photography, video, and sculpture. In multimedia she
tests and pushes the boundaries of physical and mental endurance.
Body entails two acts, "The Onion" (1995) and
"Image of Happiness" (1996), both performed for video.
The intention of juxtaposing these two videos is to explore the
idea of alienation, a theme that pertains to our contemporary
society and the habits of living in it.
produces art for the public, hoping the viewer integrates their
own experience by participating in the works - in this case spending
time in front of a video monitor. The artist believes that through
performance one is able to transfer ideas and make changes in
the observer's mind.
Abramovic has shown worldwide and is included in the 2004 Whitney
Satyrs, and Saints: German "Little Master" Prints
From the Collection of Malcolm Bird
January 20 – April 4, 2004
This exhibition
features 50 works of a remarkable, but little-known, group of
printmakers often referred to as the "Little Masters."
Working in Germany during the early 1500s, these innovative artists
produced finely detailed engravings, occasionally producing prints
no larger than a modern postage stamp. These artists—including
Barthel Beham, Hans Sebald Beham, and Georg Pencz—were influenced
by the pioneering painter and printmaker Albrecht Dürer and
are today recognized for successfully combining stylistic elements
of the Italian Renaissance with a distinctly northern European
The engravings
and woodcuts featured in Sinners, Satyrs, and Saints illustrate
the wide variety of subject matter employed by the Little Masters
and their contemporaries. Influenced by the success of Albrecht
Dürer's woodcuts and engravings, these artists continued
to explore traditional, religious subject matter. Recent translations
of the Bible from Latin into German and the popularity of religious
plays also prompted a new interest in scenes from the lives of
Old Testament figures. But as the Reformation took hold in Germany
and artists were forced to look beyond the Catholic Church for
patronage, the Little Masters also began exploring secular subjects,
including portraiture, allegories, mythological subjects, and
scenes from everyday life. Carousing, festive peasants were a
particularly favorite subject for Sebald Beham.
& Chintz: Early American Quilts from the Smithsonian American
Art Museum December 16, 2003 - March 14, 2004
& Chintz is drawn from an unparalleled collection of rare
decorative bedcovers fabricated before 1850 by women of taste
along the Atlantic seaboard and on southern plantations. Dating
from 1818 to 1850, the twenty pieced, appliquéd, and whole-cloth
quilts in the exhibition are exceptional examples of an unfamiliar
chapter in American art. The quilts record a pre-Civil War patchwork
aesthetic based on the generous use of the finest printed cottons
imported from England and France, where textile printing had developed
into an art form. The sheer beauty of the luxury fabrics printed
before the introduction of aniline dyes in 1856 reveals a colorful
opulence enjoyed by upper-class American households in cities
along the eastern seaboard and on southern plantations. The simple
compositions of many of these lavish quilts rely on ornate printed
imagery to create exciting juxtapositions of color and form. Pieced
side-by-side, squares and strips cut from different chintzes and
calicoes create kaleidoscopic effects that appear surprisingly
modern. The exhibition is organized by the Renwick Gallery of
the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Madison County, Kentucky area
Desk, about 1805
Cherry, other woods
Collection of Bob and Norma Noe
Eye for Ornament: Early Kentucky Decorative Arts from the Noe
Collection December 16, 2003 - March 14, 2004
exhibition will gather together a distinguished group of early
Kentucky furniture, silver, textiles, and ceramics from the outstanding
collection of Bob and Norma Noe. Along with providing a general
introduction to Kentucky decorative arts, the exhibition will
examine the various types and styles of ornament used during the
1810 to 1840 period. From floral patterns inlaid on furniture
to decorative moldings applied to silver, ornament offers an index
of changing tastes and historical sources. It can also help decode
where particular objects were made and what sorts of symbolic
associations they possessed.
Copyright 2013
/ FAQ / Contact
2035 South Third Street Louisville, Kentucky 40208
502.634.2700 speedmuseum.org


text:
Mobile Hotspot on AT&T iPhones
Are Mobile Hotspots Coming to the AT&T iPhone?
Like us on Facebook
Of course, the decision to offer mobile hot spots on the AT&T-enabled iPhones ultimately rests with AT&T, whether the functionality is built into the the iPhone software or not. An AT&T representative says that the company is evaluating the new feature, but is still undecided whether or not to offer it to customers.
Update: Looks like the hotspot feature is included in the developers' build of iOS 4.3!


text:
Scheduled Events
- 125th Anniversary Symposium: Celebrating Leadership for Tomorrow, with Kristine Roome, Tom James & Ellie Drago-Severson
When: 2/18/2013 4 PM
See event details
Future Events
- Colloquium: Leadership, Learning, and Experience
When: 6/3/2013 7 PM
Join us for an engaging panel discussion on the intersection between leadership, learning and experience!See event details
- Adult Learning and Leadership Holiday Party
When: 12/17/2013 6 PM
See event details
- Adult Development Meets Leadership Development
When: 4/28/2014 6 PM
Panel Discussion: Adult development meets leadership development.See event details
- Graduation Brunch
When: 5/20/2014 11 AM
See event details
- Teachers College Convocation 2014: Organization and Leadership
When: 5/20/2014 12:45 PM
See event details
- Adult Learning and Leadership Graduation Celebration
When: 5/21/2014 11 AM
See event details
- 1st International Columbia Coaching Program Conference
When: 10/22/2014 9 AM
See event details
- 11th International Transformative Learning Conference
tagged with: Alumni networking
When: 10/23/2014 4:30 PM
See event details
- ALL Holiday Party
When: 12/9/2014 5:30 PM
Adult Learning and Leadership Holiday Party. December 9 (5:30-9pm). Macy 130.See event details


text:
Visa USA
Campaign Finance$342,045 Given
Figures are based on itemized contributions reported to the Federal Election Commission and state agencies. Please note that:
- contributions under $200 are not reported, and so are not included in totals.
- only contributions from individuals and organizations to candidates are included. Various accounting measures and more exotic contribution types are excluded.
- contributions are matched based on organization and recipient name reported within each election cycle. Contributions using an incorrect or non-standard version of the name may be missed.
- corporate name changes and mergers may cause figures to differ from those of the Center for Responsive Politics.
- organization totals include known subsidiaries of the organization.
For more information, please see our campaign finance methodology page. Lobbyist bundling data is described on our lobbyist bundling methodology page.
Top Recipients
- PAC Color Block
- Organization's PAC(s)
- Employee Color Block
- Associated Individuals
Republicans vs. Democratsin dollars. "Other" includes 3rd parties and organizations without official party affiliation.
State vs. Federalin dollars
Top PAC Recipients
- PAC Color Block
- Organization's PAC(s)
- Employee Color Block
- Associated Individuals
Lobbying$12,430,000 Spent
Figures are based on lobbying activity reported to the Senate Office of Public Records. Reported dollar amounts are required to be accurate only to the nearest $20,000. For organizations whose primary business is lobbying, we display total income and top clients. For organizations that are not primarily lobbying firms, we display total amount spent on lobbying and top lobbying firms hired.
For more information, please see our lobbying methodology page.
Lobbying on Behalf of Visa USA
Names of Lobbyists
Firm Hired Amount Visa USA $12,430,000
Most Frequently Disclosed Lobbying Issues
- Finance,
- Banking,
- Copyright, Patent & Trademark,
- Fed Budget & Appropriations,
- Consumer Product Safety,
- Homeland Security,
- Science & Technology,
- Law Enforcement & Crime,
- Taxes,
- Telecommunications
Most Frequently Disclosed Bills
Bill No. Title S.968 PIPA S.575 Debit Interchange Fee Study Act of 2011 S.1207 Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2011 S.1151 Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2011 H.R.1081 Consumers Payment System Protection Act H.R.3156 Consumer Debit Card Protection Act H.R.3261 Stop Online Piracy Act S.1534 Identify Theft and Tax Fraud Prevention Act S.413 Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act S.1731 Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Counterfeiting Act of 2011
RegulationsMentioned in 3 dockets
All data is based on documents downloaded from Regulations.gov. The first table shows mentions: all documents that include the name of the company anywhere in the document or document metadata. The second table shows submissions: all documents where the submitter metadata included the company name. Each table shows the top 10 dockets, ranked by number of occurrences.
Matches are based on a search for the company name. Variations in the company name, such as acronyms, nicknames or alternate names may cause documents to be missed. The mention of a company name in a document may be incidental and does not necessarily indicate that the company has any relevance to the document. Company names that are common English words may erroneously match with text that is not referring to the company.
Not all agencies submit public comments to Regulations.gov. For a list of participating and non-participating agencies see here. Agencies that do submit to Regulations.gov have varying levels of accuracy and completeness.
Regulations and public comments can be downloaded in bulk here.
The tables show occurrences of "Visa USA" in public comments on proposed federal regulations.
Mentions in Document Text
- Mentions
- Agency
- Docket
- Date
View all mentions data for Visa USA
- Toggle 1 FDA Non-Face-to-Face Sale and Distribution of Tobacco Products and Advertising, Promotion, and Marketing of Tobacco Products 2011
- Toggle 1 CFPB Request for Information on Consumer Financial Products and Services Offered to Servicemembers 2011
- Toggle 1 CFPB Electronic Funds Transfer Act – Prepaid Cards 2012


text:
« Lab Equipment: Any H-Cube Troubleshooters Out There? |
| Telling the Layoff Story »
Posted by Derek
A reader who's (unfortunately) in a position to know the details sends along some numbers on Pfizer's chemistry shakeout. According to his figures, Pfizer (pre-Wyeth merger) had about 900 chemists. The Wyeth deal brought in about 350, but no one expected the merged department to stay at 1250 - instead, the guess was that the new chemistry staff would be in the 1000 range, which is what I would have guessed, too.
But the chemistry head count is now apparently headed to about 850: smaller than it was before the merger. I have to assume that outsourced chemistry isn't included in this total, and that that's where the deficit is being made up. It is being made up, right? Pfizer isn't actually trying to become a bigger company with a smaller research staff - right? Posters and coffee mugs about working smarter and doing more with less can only take you so far, you know.
As I say, these are numbers from the inside, and I'll be glad to listen to (and post) corrections to them. But from what I'm hearing, this is accurate - and no one (especially at Wyeth) saw this coming on as hard as it has. . .
Comments (51)
+ TrackBacks (0) | Category: Business and Markets
1. anon on November 11, 2009 8:21 AM writes...
Every time we underestimate the sheer stupidity of Boston Market Man, we find we are in error. More hundreds of people gone who were HELPING humanity and contributing far, far more to the world than he ever could.
2. FME on November 11, 2009 8:54 AM writes...
I do not know anything about the headcount you are referrring to.
I have, however, already mentioned in this fine forum) I strongly believe, that the industry is trying, correct that, is actually altering their business model. That is to say, to outsource "handiwork" outside of the US/Europe and focus on marketing. This argument fits exceedingly well with the current news be it from Pfizer, J&J, MRK and what have you not.
All the best
3. Anonymous on November 11, 2009 9:00 AM writes...
Has anyone checked the Wuxi web site Chinese version, and compared to the English version? There are some very interesting things to be learned. The Chinese version contains much more aggressive language, & presents Wuxi as an enterprise to discover and develop new drugs - not the "partnering" subservient stuff on the English version site. And Wuxi has purportedly learned the trick of repatriating native Chinese speakers into good positions, then slashing their salaries once they have moved back and are committed. Wuxi is rapidly developing a really bad reputation among Chinese chemists in the US.
The rhetoric for the mergers about streamlined R&D, partnering with Asian CROs & CMOs is reflective only of those few CEOs and upper management types who will directly benefit monetarily from saving a few dollars now. The fact that these upper management pharma guys are training our competitors is beside the point - the O/S strategies make money for these few hundreds of individuals across the industry, at the expense of not only pharma jobs for scientists in the West, but also at the expense of human health globally.
I would like to ask these few hundred CEO/upper management folks what their plans are for their respective companies' survival ten years from now. Do they truly expect O/S to save the so much money over the long term? And how fast will new innovations come from vendors under their thumbs? Or will we see more and more Dr Reddy's type chemistry that is "a sack of raving nonsense." How many more melamine and heparin disasters? And how will the CEOs/upper management types distance their names when the next disaster is tied to a Big Pharma due to the suspect Asian vendor? You will have to own that disaster Mr Kindler, Mr Clark, Mr Viehbacher, Mr Brennan, and your entourages of yes-men.
But what's a few tens of thousands of jobs lost, or a few thousand deaths from tainted drugs when you have the chance to make so much money now?
4. You're Pfizered on November 11, 2009 9:25 AM writes...
I think that the notion that we are training the WuXi and ChemPartners of the world and that they are skimming compounds, intermediates and scaffolds is widely understood by folks in the trenches. Once you get past a certain level, however, it's probably looked upon as self-serving paranoia by scientists who don't want to lose their jobs.
It's the middle managers who still feel that this type of activity is happening, and yet go along with the experiment without expressing their thoughts that irritate me. They figure that as long as they have their position as an intermediary between the two companies, all's right with the world.
Can't say I blame them in this job market.
5. emjeff on November 11, 2009 9:45 AM writes...
"Pfizer isn't actually trying to become a bigger company with a smaller research staff - right?"
Of course they are. Then, in 3 years they'll wonder why projects are taking so long...
6. Anonymous on November 11, 2009 9:47 AM writes...
Do you guys really think that the type of chemistry being done in big pharma cannot be outsourced to China or India. Building heterocycles using Suzuki couplings and similar stuff is not exactly challenging stuff. And big pharma chemist, never made the attempt to encourage their management to go after the real hard stuff (natural product SAR) which has the high risk/ high reward potential or anything else really different or novel. It is difficult to make a drug but do you guys really think that it is difficult to engineer low nanomolar compounds using traditional SAR for the majority of targets that are being worked on in pharma. And no one wnats to touch targets that have traditionally been challenging to optimize against or some other truly novel paradigm.
You reap what you sow guys.
7. Former PFE on November 11, 2009 9:58 AM writes...
Pfizer laid off 50,000 when they bought Pharmacia, so one can expect similar carnage from this acquisition. I call it the "one plus one equals negative 10" theory of trying to build a balance sheet through value destruction.
Pfizer's plan to build a significant relationship with China, as part of a move toward massive selling into the Chinese market place is seriously flawed. Only a leader whose career was built by asking, "Would you like fries with that?" would further his company's downward spiral in this manner. China doesn't honor patent laws, so the logical next step is that China will manufacture and sell drugs for use in China (and elsewhere) without regard to proprietary trade secrets, copyrights, or patents. Pfizer is teaching the Chinese how to make its next blockbuster drugs, with no hope of ever selling any of those drugs in China.
The kicker is that all this outsourcing doesn't actually save money in the long run. It is, however, killing morale and innovation.
8. Calvin on November 11, 2009 10:28 AM writes...
I'm sarcastically entertained by the stupidity on show at Wyizer. It strikes me that there are two things going on with this announcement.
1. Biologics/Vaccines are the future so we don't need no stinking chemists. It's absolutely incredible that higher management have such short memories or lack of insight. While biologics have their not inconsiderable place in pharma it is absolutely certain that there will be a move back towards small molecules at some point when somebody realises the con and biologics doesn't deliver on what it's promising. I seem to remember this same situation occurring in the late 80s.
2. Outsourcing will continue again until it is understood that med chem is not a process. You can't just make massive libraries of compounds of dubious quality at Wuxi and expect drug products to appear. Eventually, it will become obvious that in order to develop drugs your going to need people with considerable creativity and drive to discover drugs.
I really do feel for the people at Pfizer/Wyeth who have been shafted. The sad part is that this is going to happen in other big companies until the cycle turns and who knows how long that will be.
9. Hey! on November 11, 2009 10:29 AM writes...
@6 As a Big Pharma chemist who's group is still actively doing natural product SAR and working with "nasty" academic looking compunds to try and find new targets/ideas I resent the assumption that all pharma chemists do are suzukis and the like. And even so getting a stubborn buchwald or peptide coupling to go is no walk in the park. Thanks.
10. MedChem on November 11, 2009 10:37 AM writes...
Did or does Pfizer really have 900 chemists? That's a mind boggling number even for a huge company like Pfizer, which absolutely dwarfs other big pharmas. I'm starting to see what might be going through their upper management's mind...
11. Sili on November 11, 2009 10:40 AM writes...
As it happened I just vented against this kind of thinking in an application I typed up last night. Though, in my case I commending the company for not being involved in headless mergers like this.
Of course, it wasn't a synthetic position, and even then I have no chance in Belgium for landing it.
12. Hap on November 11, 2009 10:52 AM writes...
The cycle of stupidity goes on. I would figure that competition may not be a bad thing, but I don't know if the people running pharma realize they're training their competition and making it easier for them to get hosed ten years down the line when Congress realizes it isn't costing any American jobs to collectively bargain for gov't drug prices or to actively restrict drug prices. The ability of drug companies to sell products depends on having good products and their trustedness in their target populations, both of which haven't been helped lately, and which cutting research or sending it elsewhere won't help. Their resultant ability to sell other people's drugs probably won't be much better than that of either the companies with the drugs they want or the eventually formed foreign drug firms. Not much preferential sales ability and few products does not bode well for the future survival of (large) drug companies.
Meanwhile, fewer people are likely to want to be chemists because, though our unemployment is likely better than the bulk population, our sunk costs are far greater. In addition, the jobs in pharma are likely to migrate to smaller firms with less job security and benefits and (maybe) decreased pay. Grad schools will (already do) bring in more foreign students (because grant work can't get done with no chemists), driving down wages and job security further once they graduate (or providing highly trained assistance to companies abroad). (This could be altered either by staff chemists through NIH/NSF funding to replace postdocs, perhaps, or by shifts of schools to provide more industrial experience to fill nonpharma jobs, but those options really don't help current professors - they might help to fix a "structural disequilibrium" that is beneficial to them.) Either drug research will leave the US because there aren't enough people to do it or because the jobs (and pay) are elsewhere.
13. T on November 11, 2009 11:07 AM writes...
Does '900 chemists' refer to just discovery chemists? If so I'm with #11, that seems like a huge number (for so little return in recent years)!?
14. Ed on November 11, 2009 11:14 AM writes...
Strikes me that there is a huge, once-in-your-lifetime opportunity here for entrepreneurial people (chemists and biologists) who are currently working on teams/projects that are going to get canned wholesale.
Was it only last week that Derek posted on the rise of micropharma?
Take your inventions (drug target +/- lead compounds) find a willing partner (or two) who complements your med chem skillz (biologist/pharmacologist) and go on a funding hunt.
15. pc on November 11, 2009 11:35 AM writes...
If you still use lack of IP protection as a main argument against outsourcing/partnering with Chinese folks in mainland, you'll likely find that fixation of mindset to be a costly mistake down the road. Though it's often said that WX and the like treats their low level chemist staff in a you-know-what-I-mean way (well let's just say that they can and should do better in this regard), they at least to some extent have trained a good portion of their staff in terms of respect of IP/trade secrets. We have interviewed some folks trying to leave these companies, and I was surprised to see that many of them insisted not to reveal detailed information regarding their previous projects, citing the confidential agreement with their employer. You don't see that kind of mindset just a few years ago.
16. not a chemist on November 11, 2009 11:42 AM writes...
I mean no disrespect, but it appears these
companies are seemingly oblivious WRT
China's record on IP law?
Outsourcing certain IT functions is one
thing - not that China is a big player
in that market - but outsourcing pharma
development might be akin to handing
over the keys to the kingdom.
17. Lawrence on November 11, 2009 12:36 PM writes...
Hap said-
"but I don't know if the people running pharma realize they're training their competition and making it easier for them to get hosed ten years down the line"
"IBGYBG" was a common phrase used by executives who engaged in practices which produced short term profits but resulted in the long term destruction of their companies.
There is no one at the helm.
IBGYBG- "I'll be gone, you'll be gone."
18. Hap on November 11, 2009 12:56 PM writes...
I think funding issues have eased some for small companies, but funding probably isn't very good right now. (A previous post also cited shifts in VC funding of small companies - probably the post on micropharma). Some companies (for example Pharmacia in Kalamazoo?) helped use their ex-resources to start companies, but I don't know if that's general. The legal constraints cited in "Do I Own This Or What? Answer: What" also might make starting a company with your company's rejected IP a bad deal for chemists, but perhaps that's better than nothing, or maybe it can work out.
I don't know how good IP protection is in India and China. The recent patent prosecutions in India (and the uncertainty in the population whether drug patents are in India's best interest or not) might make me hesitant, though its domestic companies are starting to venture into discovery (and so must be hopeful that their IP will be OK). China will probably do what it has the leverage to do - in the short term, that might be good or bad for IP, though in the long term it probably will want to assure itself the money from the drugs its companies will develop, and so might work to protect patents once they have a good position. Of course, the "money at all costs" industrial underground might present a lot of problems for companies now outsourcing (while executing the worst probably discourages some, the fact that a lot of companies won't be around to reap what they sow and the Chinese gov't's need for money mean that quality and IP might be the victims - if you're willing to sell diethylene glycol as a toothpaste component, regulation and conscience can't be factors).
19. not a chemist on November 11, 2009 1:24 PM writes...
20. Hap on November 11, 2009 1:46 PM writes...
patent prosecutions = Roche's issues over their cancer drugs in India
21. Global Equilibration on November 11, 2009 2:02 PM writes...
Is it possible that Pfizer realises that there may be a middle ground between very well paid big pharma, higher quality work in the US and lower quality cheaper work in the East? Namely outsourcing to the the UK for less pay.
This would kill two birds with one stone.
Same high quality at a lower cost.
22. David P on November 11, 2009 2:23 PM writes...
Looks to me that the companies (not just Pfizer here) are looking to streamline themselves and will use outsourcing to make up gaps when project loads get higher - using the right kind of researchers depending on where they are in the drug development process. Having streamlined, it seems unlikely they would just rehire a bunch of people again, even if times and budgets get better. I think this is how it will be. It is up to U.S. small CROs to try and make a case for their piece of the pie.
23. Mark on November 11, 2009 2:40 PM writes...
No, 900 chemists would include discovery, analytical, process, formulation, and separation chemists, among others.
If I remember correctly, the Groton site had about 160 Discovery chemists as of early 2009. Add in all the other sites and it's under 500, probably not quite 400.
24. NJBiologist on November 11, 2009 6:28 PM writes...
@23, 13 et al.:
Under 1,000 chemists in a drug company with >75,000 employees? Somehow, that just doesn't sound right. Are the numbers similar at other big pharmas?
25. Anonymous on November 11, 2009 7:00 PM writes...
I also resent #6, "Building heterocycles using Suzuki couplings and similar stuff is not exactly challenging stuff."
There are a lot of these seemingly simple looking heterocyclic compounds that are very synthetically challenging, where you have to be creative, solve problems, and develop new chemistry. Sure, there is a lot of routine chemistry, but there is a lot that is challenging, and that requires highly skilled synthetic chemists. Different kinds of problems than academic natural product synthesis, but still real problems.
26. Charlie on November 11, 2009 8:34 PM writes...
"Strikes me that there is a huge, once-in-your-lifetime opportunity here for entrepreneurial people (chemists and biologists) who are currently working on teams/projects that are going to get canned wholesale."
I couldn't agree more. Follow the lead of the folks in Kzoo and AA. The time is now. Think honestly but creatively. For those who can relocate or find another big pharma job, great! For the other 99%, let's make something happen in St. Louis.
27. Mark on November 12, 2009 1:34 PM writes...
I'll just add, before I left Pfizer, the project I was working on had more headcount in China (in terms of synthetic chemists) then we did at our US site.
28. MTK on November 12, 2009 1:51 PM writes...
at #24:
Yeah, 900 research chemists out of 70K employees is probably about right. Remember that R&D is but a fraction of the total employees. There's manufacturing and distribution, sales and marketing, IT, legal, HR, etc. As of about a year ago GSK, for example, had 17K R&D employees out of 103K total.
Then remember that chemistry is just a fraction of R&D. There's biologists, toxicologists, formulations folks, doctors of all types, lab technicians, clinicians, etc.
In other words, we're not as important as you think.
29. David P on November 12, 2009 4:52 PM writes...
"In other words, we're not as important as you think."
No, no, quality over quantity! Small but mighty!
But the companies don't need as many of us to run a drug discovery program. Less and less as time goes on, apparently.
30. XFZ on November 12, 2009 6:18 PM writes...
How many medicinal chemists left at J&J after this round of downsizing?
31. milkshake on November 12, 2009 7:01 PM writes...
#28 in fact we are not important at all. Early discovery projects can be re-aligned, razed, buried and paved over and the saved resources turned into dividends and management bonuses. Commies used the same re-investment strategy with a resounding success in the Eastern Bloc.
32. Anonymous on November 12, 2009 8:52 PM writes...
The last remaining Celebrex inventors were Pfired this week.
Talley, John J. ;Penning, Thomas D. ;Collins, Paul W. ;Rogier, Jr., Donald J. ;Malecha, James W. ;Miyashiro, Julie M. ;Bertenshaw, Stephen R. ;Khanna, Ish K. ;Graneto, Matthew J. ;Rogers, Roland S. ;Carter, Jeffery S. ;Docter, Stephen H. ;Yu, Stella S., Substituted pyrazolyl benzenesulfonamides for the treatment of inflammation, US5760068, Issued 19980602
33. Anonymous on November 12, 2009 11:01 PM writes...
If ypu are a chemist in big pharma prepare to get pfucked.
34. Anonymous on November 13, 2009 11:36 AM writes...
Well working for a company, as I do, with 350 employees, 120 of which are chemists, and half of the rest are biologists, I can suddenly why Pfizer can't afford to do it's own R&D! Their overheads must be HUGE!!
I agree that outsourcing to US/european CROs and the rise of micropharma (to hark back to a previous thread) is the intermediate solution that has a chance of saving the industry.
35. goodtimes on November 14, 2009 9:46 AM writes...
All this rhetoric about "training the competition"? Come on - big pharma companies can barely find drugs - what sacred knowledge are they passing along to the evil Chinese and indians? You find drugs by making a lot of compounds and hoping one has the right combination of safety and efficacy - and making a lot of compounds is exactly the sort of activity that you can do anywhere in the world. Pharma has just come to realize they dont need to pay a Harvard PhD 150k a year to sit on his/her ass and say "gee, lets make the methyl, ethyl and isopropyl analog..."
36. Hap on November 14, 2009 12:38 PM writes...
...except weren't those same people discovering drugs twenty years ago? Did they all get dementia simultaneously?
If your rationale is along the lines of "we finished last with you, we can finish last without you", then it makes sense. But Pfizer didn't get big because it finished last - it got big because it finished first, and parlayed that into a good financial position. If other people can discover drugs, let alone better and faster (or at least cheaper), then they should be given the resources to do so, but that experiment doesn't appear to have borne fruit, yet, and so placing your industry's future on it (or at least your company's) might be...optimistic. Kind of like putting all of the Republican Party's eggs in the "Palin for President '12" basket.
37. goodtimes on November 14, 2009 5:00 PM writes...
Actually, there we never "those people" there were a very few few people who discovered something that made what are now the big pharma companies fantastically wealthy - 99% of the people at these companies come and go without any impact on the business other than to draw a paycheck. And even that 1% has a little serendipity. As I said - you find drug by producing compounds (and hopefully having a some mechanistic insight) and we all know what the fate of production jobs are in the US (textiles, auto, and so on).
The world doesn't belong to the big pharma chemists in the US anymore (and won't ever again), and wishing it were different or talking about the good old days will just make the inevitable that much more difficult to accept.
Remember - offshore CMOs didnt steal your business - your senior management gave it away.
38. milkshake on November 14, 2009 9:51 PM writes...
This new round of mega-merger and layoffs must be the result of all the breakthroughs and hundreds of new targets in cancer and diabetes that LaMattina was raving about three years ago. The industry outlook has never been rosier.
39. Anonymous on November 15, 2009 10:47 AM writes...
Go to China or India or other industries (if you hate those countries) to find a job before it is too late. It is a capitalist trend that no one can reverse. Capitalist is to blame.
40. Dr Doom on November 15, 2009 10:49 AM writes...
Actually you find a drug by finding an appropriate target, then throwing a bunch of compounds at it. The most distressing feature of being part of big pharma over the last ten years is that we have become very smart at understanding the parameters for successful drug optimisation, but have been spectacularly bad at identifying targets to work on. Not all of this has been science-driven. Anyone who has worked at Pfizer could regale you with tales of compounds nominated for development that met the grade but which marketing and commercial just lost interest in. And not every group has taken these lessons on board. The Wyeth small-molecule folks are gone, not just because they were deemed unnecessary but also because they hadn't learnt the lessons of history. While some may choose to mock Lipinski's rules, when you look at the Wyeth small molecule patents, they are the company with the most patented compounds outside of Ro5 space (stats that Leeson et al have published), and there is indeed a direct correlation between compound attrition and non-compliance with Ro5.
Please don't tell me that small biotechs do it so much better either. Most are a bunch of charlatans, snake-oil salesmen and no-hopers with no clue who couldn't find a drug in a pharmacy. They just cling to a tiny piece of intellectual property and hope to be bought out by large pharm suckers. Most go under, taking the VC funds with them.
So the future state of our industry will be more outsourcing of the wet chemistry and screening, with (for the time being) design remaining in the West. And it is hard to blame companies for using CROs who do on the whole deliver what is needed at lower cost. But unless target selection is addressed this model will ultimately fail too.
But we all have to understand that globalisation means a transfer of wealth from the first world to the developing world (and the pockets of our CEOs). By fixing their exchange rates these countries are ensuring the playing field will remain uneven until all of our means of production are destroyed. Ironically this will also destroy the market for the products that they produce, but by then maybe their home markets will be large enough to compensate. But we in the US and Europe are going to get very, very poor along the way.
41. Anonymous on November 15, 2009 1:30 PM writes...
To the folks who didnt like #6, not everyone does challenging chemistry all the times. Maybe 10-20% is somewhat challenging but the rest is mundane, especially once the routes are some what established and there is only analog bashing to be done.
So, I would estimate that at least 70% of the routine chemistry can be outsourced with minimum impact on productivity in discovery. In any case, not everyone working in a med chem department is super motivated to make a difference. I would say that more than half the people are there to do some work and collect a paycheck. Their contributions will not be missed!
Get real folks, the golden era is over, the road ahead is going to be more difficult with more challenges and lesser rewards.
42. milkshake on November 15, 2009 1:43 PM writes...
most middle management at companies like Pfizer do the cover-my-ass first, hence the insistance on Lipinski and microsomal stability.
Ro5 is a very helpful guidance shorthand to teach the new recruits (especially in CNS projects where it is more like Ro3) but there are whole areas where Ro5 breaks down, such as antibiotics. One should really start by looking at the approved and successful orally-administered drugs within the therapeutic area, to get a feel on whats permissible and reasonable in terms of the design.
(Most of the time one finds that Ro5 points in the right direction.)
The failure of companies like Pfizer in developing new drugs is not related to the qualification of their chemists and biologists (which I bet is on average better than in startup - with the corresponding difference in salary) but in the management. The red tape, micromanagement, sluggishness and baloney tends to scale with the size of the corporation. Once you got your project (to which you put several years of your best effort and hope into) killed for no good reason, and this happened several times over the course of your career - and you even never got to meet the idiots who did this to you but you know their names and the background which is usually either law and business - and you know that they are lying through their teeth and collect seven figure bonuses for it - you get the attitude "why the fuck should I care anymore about the fate of my project" and "this was the last weekend I will ever give to this imbecile company - no working for free in the lab for me anymore".
Startups are not as professional, and they tend to be less carefull about putting their compounds in the clinic, but at least they still have the drive.
43. Anonymous on November 15, 2009 2:48 PM writes...
I used to think that medicinal chemists are the most admired positions in pharmaceutical companies because they tend to be paid better than their biologist peers and more arrogant. No more.
44. milkshake on November 15, 2009 3:34 PM writes...
Once the medchem project/target is established and assays developed and validated, the actual inventive step shifts to chemistry - the biology needs to be reliable but the chemists are in the drivers seat from then on.
As a chemist I always preferred biology - heavy projects. That way, a chemist gets more support and insight and attention in such a project - and besides, as the biologists cannot make the compounds themselves they are lot less snotty about what they get from you (as opposed the situation where you have three chemistry labs competing for the same piece of the prestige project pie and its the back-stabbing chemistry lab bosses jostling for promotion that are commenting on your choice of compounds). Too much chemistry with little biology makes no sense.
I always tried to cultivate the relationship with biologists and I kept them motivated by explaining what I am trying to do and why - in this way they feel less like a pair of hands (running the same screens for you over and over again) and they get kick from the developments in our project because they get the understanding about where the series are headed and why.
Also, I should mention that the most productive projects and companies do not suffer from over-abundance of egomaniacs. One thing you do not want to have is a bunch of arrogant insecure young PhD from Ivy League assholes who all want to become the boss of the chemistry department.
I was lucky to work with a bunch of Chinese chemists. They were rater modest and civil. Not all of them were superstars chemistry-wise but by working together they made an excellent progress. There couple of ambitious group leaders but the rivalry was mostly kept under control by the wise and generous management and most people were fairly content with their role. See, you cannot have a project and the lab where everybody wants to become the boss.
45. Dr Doom on November 15, 2009 5:05 PM writes...
My comments about Ro5 are very much empirical. Anytime anyone tells you they have more leeway than Ro5 just point them in the direction of Leeson et al papers/talks. You can see all those compounds that exceed the parameters just disappear as you move through Phase I, II and III. And yes there are exceptions such as CNS drugs (need to be a lot smaller on the whole) and compounds which can hide their size and h-bonding such as macrocycles. But groups that have ignored Ro5 deserve everything they get when their compounds fail (and the patent lit suggests that includes the majority of med chemists in the industry). Repeating the mistakes of the past is the definition of stupidity.
46. LNT on November 16, 2009 6:50 AM writes...
Dr Doom is a stereotypical Pfizer chemist:
1) We are the best
2) We did everything right
3) Everyoneone else sucks
4) We got screwed by management/marketing
I'm sick of the excuses Dr. Doom. Get a life and stop blaming everyone ELSE for your problems. Your discovery stage research track record SUCKS and its high time that the Pfizer chemists open thier eyes and take some responsibility!
47. Dr Doom on November 16, 2009 12:57 PM writes...
Didn't say I still worked at Pfizer.
Show me any company with a reasonable track record of internal drug discovery over the last ten years.
The point I made above was that we have largely been working on poor targets, and yes I'm afraid biology, marketing and management all share some of the blame for that. The failure rate from CAN to Phase 1 in most companies has improved significantly over the last ten years and that has been down to medicinal chemists. We all now suck at Phase II and Phase III attrition.
I'm ready any time you want to compare personal success rates. I think you'll find yourself a little outmatched.
48. Anonymous on November 17, 2009 1:50 PM writes...
My Chemistry molecule is BIGGER than your chemistry molecule......lol Chemists.........
49. SAHER on January 26, 2010 1:30 PM writes...
Dear Sir,
I want to know if you provide projects to post graduate students,if yes how to apply for it.
I have been a pfizerite for few months,and now i am pursuing mpharm in pharma chemistry.
50. Morkizga on February 8, 2010 10:15 AM writes...
Dr. Doom, if you would like a look at the future chemistry to be used in Pifzer, email me! I'll send you a technical disclosure. This chemistry allows the synthesis of almost every macrocycle. The chemistry exploits the difference between linear oligomers and cyclic compounds physical properties to create a driving force for their formation while controlling the desired oligomeric lenth of the desired oligomer, so that the Gaussian dsitribution centers on the desired oligomer ring size.
That is why we are going with Ensemble discovery!
51. Morkizga on February 8, 2010 10:19 AM writes...
Cyclic technology that allows for synthesis of every macrocycle: www.ODINindustries.com
Email Address:
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Three-star cornerback prospect Adrian Baker — known on Twitter as @PrimeTimeBake — challenged Oklahoma and Clemson fans to convince him their football program was worthy of his commitment.
Recruiting and social media: Twitter leads to new set of compliance problems
"#BoomerSooner or #TigerNation?" Baker tweeted Friday afternoon.
Several fans on both sides responded to the Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna standout, who plans to announce his college choice — which he's narrowed to Oklahoma and Clemson — Wednesday morning.
Every fan who responded to Baker's call committed an NCAA recruiting violation.
NCAA bylaws only allow an institution's coaches and authorized staff to contact prospective student-athletes; those who are prohibited from contacting recruits include boosters, season-ticket holders, students, alumni and, yes, even average fans.
"Fans cannot contact a recruit and attempt to entice them to attend a certain school, as this is a violation of NCAA rules," said NCAA spokeswoman Kayci Woodley, in an email to The Oklahoman.
"If a school comes across an instance of this happening, it is expected they would reach out to those athletics personnel, fans and boosters and reinforce the ground rules related to communicating with recruits. This communication outreach would most likely be reported to the NCAA, which would show the school is doing their due diligence to abide by the NCAA rules."
The athletic compliance offices at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State each dedicate time and resources to monitoring such social media activity, but the very nature of the Internet makes it impossible to stop all of it.
Continue reading this story on the...


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This summer could represent a big moment in the fight to close the wage gap in New Jersey. Two bills aimed at addressing pay discrimination recently cleared both of the houses of the state's legislature — the Unfair Wage Recovery Act and the Wage Transparency Act. But Governor Christie has previously vetoed both these key pieces of legislation, and so the question is — will he stand in the way of progress toward equal pay yet again?
The Unfair Wage Recovery Act is modeled on the federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — a landmark law adopted five years ago that kept the doors of the federal courthouse open for workers who experience pay discrimination. This bill would provide that the time period for a person to bring a pay discrimination suit under New Jersey state law re-starts each time that the person receives a paycheck that reflects discrimination. This would ensure that victims of discrimination won't be denied a remedy just because they weren't aware of discrimination until years later, and that employers will have the right incentives to promptly root out and eliminate any unfair pay disparities.
In states across the country, this has been a banner year for agreement across the aisle about the importance of safeguarding women's rights at work. First Governor Chris Christie signed a law – adopted with just a single dissenting vote in the state legislature – ensuring that pregnant workers in New Jersey with medical restrictions will have access to basic workplace accommodations that they need to continue performing their jobs and earning income for their growing families. Then similar protections for pregnant workers became law in West Virginia with unanimous support.
And now both New Hampshire and Minnesota are poised to improve protections for women in the workplace after the legislatures in both states took bipartisan actions earlier this week!
This past Wednesday the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted in favor of a bill that would strengthen equal pay protections by: Read more »
Great news out of New Jersey! Yesterday, Governor Chris Christie signed a bill into law that protects and supports pregnant women in the workplace. The new law bans pregnancy discrimination and requires employers to reasonably accommodate pregnant workers so that they can continue working safely through their pregnancies. By signing the bill, Gov. Christie joins the unanimous New Jersey Senate and 77-1 New Jersey Assembly that support reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers. As a result, fewer pregnant workers will be forced off the job at the moment they can least afford it. Read more »
It's 2014 and it's hard to believe that pregnant women still face discrimination in the workplace. Many women can work through their pregnancies without changes in their jobs, but some women need temporary, often minor adjustments in their work duties or schedules to continue working safely during their pregnancy. Unfortunately, many times these women are being fired from their jobs, forced onto unpaid leave, or forced to quit when employers refuse to provide temporary accommodations for pregnant women to continue working without jeopardizing their health and the health of their pregnancy. Read more »
Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, the holiday shopping season is officially in full swing. But while some of us retreat to the internet to avoid frenzied shoppers at the mall, the season is far more stressful for many of the workers restocking store shelves and serving meals in the food court (and not just because they have to deal with swarms of cranky customers). For millions of employees in retail, fast food, and other industries that pay poverty-level wages, the end of the year means hard work and higher expenses – without any chance of a holiday bonus.
As Paul Krugman points out in the New York Times this week, the inflation-adjusted wages of nonsupervisory workers in retail have fallen almost 30 percent over the past four decades. That drop parallels the declining value of the federal minimum wage, which is just $7.25 per hour today; if it had kept up with inflation since reaching its peak in 1968, it would be over $10.70 per hour by now. In another recent piece for the New York Times, Professor Arindrajit Dube notes that this "erosion of the minimum wage has been an important contributor to wage inequality, especially for women" (who make up two-thirds of minimum wage workers in the U.S.); in fact, "the evidence suggests that around half of the increase in inequality in the bottom half of the wage distribution since 1979 was a result of falling real minimum wages."
Fortunately, there's movement on the minimum wage in a number of states and localities – and even some encouraging signs nationally. Today, in a major speech on economic mobility, President Obama renewed his call to raise the minimum wage. Recognizing the link between the low minimum wage and widening economic inequality, he described an increase as a key piece of an agenda to restore opportunity for all. Read more »
On Election Day this week, New Jersey voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to raise the state's minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25 per hour beginning January 1, and to adjust the wage annually thereafter to keep up with inflation. This is an important win for New Jersey workers – especially for women, who represent almost 70 percent of the state's minimum wage earners. A one-dollar boost in hourly pay will mean an extra $2,000 a year for full-time work – nearly a 14 percent raise (though still not enough to pull a family of three out of poverty). Indexing the wage to inflation will ensure that these modest gains are not eroded as the cost of living rises.
When New Jersey's minimum wage goes up in January, an estimated 250,000 women and 179,000 men will get a raise. About a quarter of these workers are parents; over 200,000 children live in families in which at least one parent would benefit from the minimum wage increase. New Jersey Policy Perspective estimates that the additional dollars flowing through the state's economy would create over 1,500 new jobs. And because women are the majority of workers who would get a raise, the higher minimum wage could help close the wage gap. Read more »
Next Tuesday (November 5) is Election Day, and it's a particularly important one for voters in the Garden State. In addition to choosing their next governor, New Jerseyans will get to decide whether their state's minimum wage will remain at $7.25 per hour for the foreseeable future – or go up to $8.25 next year and continue to rise with the cost of living.
Today, New Jersey's minimum wage is the same as the federal minimum, despite the extremely high cost of living in the state. At $7.25 an hour, a full-time worker makes just $14,500 in a year – thousands of dollars below the poverty line for mom with two kids. Women are nearly 70 percent of New Jersey's minimum wage workers, and contrary to popular myth, the vast majority of these workers are adults, many with families to support.
On Tuesday's ballot, New Jersey voters will see Ballot Question #2, which – if approved – would amend the state constitution to raise the minimum wage to $8.25 per hour on January 1, 2014, and adjust it annually thereafter to keep up with inflation. Read more »
It's been fifty years since the Equal Pay Act of 1963 made clear that women should receive equal pay for equal work, but women are still paid less than men in nearly every occupation.
And because employee salaries are often kept secret, it is difficult for women to find out when they are being paid less than their male colleagues, and therefore difficult to challenge pay discrepancies. In fact, over 61 percent of private-sector employees report that discussing wages is either prohibited or discouraged by their employers. Employer policies and practices that prevent workers from discussing their pay mean that a woman worker could be paid less year after year than the man across the hall doing her same job and never know it.
One week ago today, New Jersey took a huge step toward solving this problem when Chris Christie signed into law a bill prohibiting retaliation against employees who disclose salary information for the purpose of investigating whether pay decisions are being made unfairly. Effective immediately, the new law prohibits employer retaliation against employees for discussing information such as job title, occupational category, rate of compensation, and employee benefits. Read more »
It's a fitting question to ask this week, which marks the 75th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the landmark law that established the first federal minimum wage. And it's a particularly important question for women, who make up nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers nationwide.
The answer, though, depends a lot on where you live. A majority of states follow the federal minimum wage, which is not scheduled to rise even though it has been stuck at $7.25 an hour for almost four years — and for tipped workers in states that follow the federal standard, the minimum cash wage has been frozen at a shockingly low $2.13 per hour for more than 20 years. But in states like Washington, Colorado, Ohio, and Vermont, the minimum wage will automatically rise in January 2014 to keep up with inflation, and minimum wage increases recently enacted in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island will also begin to take effect in 2014.
To make it easy for you to find out what's happening with the minimum wage in your state, the National Women's Law Center just released this handy interactive map.
You can click on any state to see its minimum wage and tipped minimum wage, along with the share of minimum wage workers who are women, the next scheduled increase in the minimum wage, and any recent action on the minimum wage in the state legislature. Read more »
Momentum continues to build around a minimum wage increase in the days following President Obama's call to raise the federal level. Today brings good news from the Garden State, where the New Jersey Assembly just approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25 per hour, then adjust the wage annually to keep up with inflation. The Senate approved the same proposal last week. Whether New Jersey workers get a raise is now up to the voters: the amendment will be on the ballot this November. (State lawmakers adopted the constitutional amendment strategy after Governor Christie issued a conditional veto of the minimum wage bill the legislature passed last year; the governor has no role in the amendment process.)
A minimum wage of $8.25 per hour would increase a full-time minimum wage worker's annual pay from $14,500 to $16,500. This $2,000 boost would still not be enough to lift a family of three above the poverty line, and it definitely falls short of a living wage in a state as expensive as New Jersey. Moreover, the proposed constitutional amendment would not change New Jersey's minimum cash wage for tipped workers, which is just $2.13 per hour. (Though employers would be required to ensure their tipped employees are paid $8.25 per hour, tipped workers are often paid less than the minimum wage due to wage theft and other illegal practices.) Nonetheless, a $1.00 per hour increase in New Jersey's minimum wage would be an important step in the right direction – and indexing wages to inflation would help ensure that these very modest gains are not erased as the cost of living rises. Read more »
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Flying from Sylt
There is only one airport located on the island of Sylt. Book flights from Sylt Airport (GWT) and fly with airberlin. The airport is also sometimes referred to as Westerland/Sylt Airport.
Sylt Airport Information
Sylt Airport has one terminal, which has been upgraded throughout the years to incorporate more advanced equipment and to offer more passenger services.
There is now a selection of shops and services at the airport that appeal to leisure and business travelers alike. There are conference rooms, lounges, ATMs, restaurants, and technical facilities, among numerous other amenities to make traveling more convenient.
Getting to the Airport in Sylt
Most travelers rent a car or take a taxi to Sylt Airport, which takes about 15 minutes. There are no railway lines or stations nearby to take a train to Sylt Airport, nor are there any public bus routes in this area. If you have a lot of people in your group and you want to take a bus to Sylt Airport, you can hire one privately for a convenient drop in front of your terminal.
Arriving in Alicante
Nestled along the Costa Blanca, Alicante is set upon a beautiful expanse of Mediterranean coastline. However, your tickets to Alicante offer more than beach lounging because when the sun goes down, the Spanish flair for evening revelry takes hold, and a vital excitement grips the city.
First Time in Alicante
Most flights to Alicante are filled with excited vacationers that are looking to claim their spot on the beach; and with over 200 kilometers of scenic coastline, there is plenty of sand for everyone. Also, travelers can tour the local countryside on horseback, or explore the city's historic Barrio de Santa Cruz.
Your Alicante
History buffs will love the Basilica of Santa María, which was built in the 13th century. Food lovers should walk along the promenades near the yacht harbor.
Making the Most of Your Alicante Holiday
The region's mild climate makes holiday travel to Alicante a tempting prospect any time of year. However, travelers may have better luck finding cheap hotels in Alicante during the less crowded and colder winter off-season. Compound savings by visiting airberlin.com for some great flight deals to Alicante, as well. Enjoy convenient Check-In Services and more when you fly to Alicante with airberlin.


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Ready to explore the universe? Blast off into space with a trip to the Russell C. Davis Planetarium, a popular venue for kids of all ages who want to learn about the future of space exploration and take in a breathtaking show. The Cabot Lodge Jackson North Hotel is located just a short drive from the popular planetarium. Click here for interactive driving directions to the Russell C. Davis Planetarium from the hotel, powered by Google.
The Russell C. Davis Planetarium features nightly shows that are sure to entertain the entire family. Discover the mysteries of the skies with the educational Sky Show programs, a multimedia slideshow and movie segment that explain how stars and planets came to be. If you have time to take in one of the large-format films, hold onto your seat for a spectacular giant-screen movie theater that features films shot in exotic locations around the world. The daily schedule features a show twice daily on weekdays and weekends, with an extra evening showing on Friday and Saturday nights.
Still, one of the most popular events at the Russell C. Davis Planetarium is the Laser Light Show. It's a high-energy concert featuring the music of contemporary and classic rock and roll, all synchronized to an indoor laser system to project bursts of color around the planetarium walls. It's a show that's fit for all ages, and sure to leave you mesmerized.
The Planetarium is open seven days a week except on most national holidays and select City of Jackson holidays. Click on the link below to learn more about the Russell C. Davis Planetarium.
All guests staying at the Cabot Lodge Jackson North Hotel have easy access to the Russell C. Davis Planetarium and tickets can be purchased in advance. After a fun day of laser light shows and stargazing, you can look forward to returning to the comforts of home at the Cabot Lodge Jackson North hotel. Our hotel offers complimentary services including high-speed Internet access, 24-hour coffee service and a delicious breakfast served each morning in our room. If you make it back to the hotel before 5:30 p.m., settle in for complimentary snacks and cocktails in our atrium.
All guests who book their stay through this website can enjoy the best rates and latest availability on our guest and Executive rooms. Enjoy your stay at Cabot Lodge Jackson North and look forward to easy access to area sites and attractions including the Russell C. Davis Planetarium.
(Russell C. Davis Planetarium)


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- Musician's Friend Best Selection, Price & Service. Guaranteed.
Call our Gear Heads
at: 800-449-9128
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Designed to support most of the weight on the hips rather than the neck and the shoulders, this ergonomic...
This drum has an 8 ply thin-ply hard rock maple shell with a precision-cut snare bed and snare strainers on...
Sometimes, the name for an instrument manufacturer is the perfect fit for the products they build. That's definitely the case for Dynasty, which has created a legacy for itself that just keeps on growing. Whether you're looking for drums or the hardware to carry them, this selection of Dynasty marching percussion deserves a close look - you can find what you need here, and like any band equipment worth its salt, this gear is built to last.
Naturally, the first things you'll want to look at are probably the drums. Dynasty has a great selection, plenty of which are even available in multiple factory colors so you can match your band's theme without having to paint the shell. Looking for a full-sized snare? Check out the DFXT Marching Double Snare Drum. Something a little lighter? Try the Wedge Lite Series snare. You'll also find three different sizes of bass drum here, as well as several tenor drum sextets.
Once you've picked out the drums you need, it's time to gear up to carry them. You don't need Dynasty drums to take advantage of their harness selection, either: any of the bass, snare or tom carriers found here will work nicely with other drums if you're looking for an upgrade. Interested in a working cover that can stay on your drums permanently to protect them even during marches? Dynasty has these, and they work great for keeping your marching percussion in good shape.
Of course, when you're not marching, it's time to pack up the drums and get ready for the next show. That calls for even more protection, since the instruments have to ride in a car, bus or van, often sharing space with other luggage. The Dynasty Marching Snare Drum Case and Black Molded Marching Quad/Quint Case are two examples of how you can take care of that, putting rigid shells around your marching percussion to keep it safe no matter how bumpy the ride.
Dynasty is a name that's seen on fields all over the country, including the Dallas Cowboys Drumline and too many college bands to name. The reason why top bands trust Dynasty so well is very simple: the quality is just that good. When you're looking for drums and hardware that can support the most elite bands, Dynasty marching percussion has the answer.
Our product catalog varies by country due to manufacturer restrictions. If you change the Ship-To country, some or all of the items in your cart may not ship to the new destination.


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With its headquarters based in Los Angeles, California, Paige abides by a laid-back design ethos. These distressed cotton-blend denim 'Jax' shorts have a love-worn feel and are closely cut into a flattering knee-length silhouette. Work yours with a smart blazer and pointed pumps.
Dark-blue mid-weight cotton-blend denimBelt loops, five pockets, intentionally unfinished hems, whiskering, distressedButton and concealed zip fastenings at front69% cotton, 30% polyester, 1% elastaneMachine wash inside out to avoid color transferDesigner wash: Luca
Product code: 437877 - Need help? Contact us


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How to get lost inside Family Guy's Brian and Stewie
by Bob Sassone, posted Oct 13th 2009 2:26PM
This isn't too far from me, so I should check it out. Someone has mowed a maze into the shape of Family Guy characters Brian and Stewie. And yes, FOX says that they're OK with the Connors family using the characters at their farm.
Looking at the photo, it seems like if you make it to Brian's nose, you're completely lost.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 4, 2011
Contacts: David C. Olson, OCT Director (503) 823-5290 Brendan Finn, Chief of Staff, Commissioner Saltzman (503) 823-3110
With unanimous approval of the Portland City Council (September 21, 2011) the former Office of Cable Communications and Franchise Management (OCCFM) of the City of Portland is now the Office for Community Technology (OCT).
The new title responds to continuing input from citizens and Council members in recent years regarding the need to update the name of the bureau to adequately reflect, among other things, the Office's:
The Office, originally created by the Council in 1980 as the Office of Cable Communications in conjunction with the City's initial citywide cable franchising effort, last had its title updated in 1987 when the Council assigned the Office responsibility for handling utility franchising and administration of the City's Utility License Fee (ULF). The Office also serves as the City's key "point bureau" in public policy aspects of external telecommunications issues and (beginning in the late 1990s) broadband policy. In the early 2000s, the Office was further assigned the responsibility for licensing and overseeing wireless attachments in the public rights of way. The Office's broader role in these matters was on recent City Council agendas with adoption of the City's Broadband Strategic Plan (September 14, 2011) and acceptance of the Bureau's Report on a decade of cable franchise community investments (August 3, 2011).
Bureau Director David Olson commented "The new title is user-friendly and far better describes the ongoing work of the agency. Moreover, it reflects a critical insight regarding the Office's core mission: overseeing legal arrangements (including compensation) for privately-owned 'community technologies' (such as cable, telecommunications, gas, electric, pipelines, etc.) that use City streets or operate within the City. The word 'for' emphasizes the proactive work of the Office in advocating for community benefits and a local voice in community technologies that rely on public resources."
Dan Saltzman, Commissioner-in-charge of the office commented: "I am happy to join with Commissioner Amanda Fritz in bringing forth this long-overdue name change, and gratified that the change was approved with unanimous Council support. This Office has for many years accomplished exemplary, nationally-recognized work on behalf of the City and I trust citizens will join with me in celebrating a shorter, more accurate name that better describes the good work of the office."


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- J.M. Smucker Co. said Friday fiscal third-quarter earnings rose to $154.2 million, or $1.42 per share, from $116.8 million, or $1.03 per share, a year earlier. Net income excluding special project costs was $159.4 million, or $1.47 a share, compared with $138.3 million, or $1.22 a share, in the year-ago quarter. Quarterly net sales rose to $1.56 billion from $1.47 billion a year earlier. "The consumer response to our tactical adjustments over the last few quarters has been positive and we are well positioned for continued profitable growth," said Richard Smucker, chief executive officer. The food retailer, which owns K-cups, said it expects net sales to rise more than 6% in fiscal year 2013.
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Smucker earnings rise 32%
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In Australia both sides of the political spectrum have weighed in with anticompetitive solutions. Right now we see two options from both Labour and the Liberal party for Australia's national broadband network or NBN. In both cases it involves government rolling out an already dated non-commercial network that has to be paid for by government.
Why you may ask?
Well it's fairly simple. But neither party has faith in commercial offerings. Right now they are many technologies that can offer broadband better than the NBN is providing. These solutions are generally offered commercially as a business is not covered under the same restraints as a home user. This of course means increased cost as the business SLA or service-level agreement requires high levels of uptime and availability. Primarily, the SLA dictates dedicated bandwidth. This means that when you pay for a 80mbps symmetrical connection that you get 80mbps directly to the Internet. The problem many home user networks including those offered by the NBN from either side of the political spectrum is that you don't actually get dedicated bandwidth. You get a shared connection at what is potentially very fast locally but which is actually limited.
This political in game of putting all our eggs in one basket often comes from a misapplied and false notion of fairness. Political forces like to play games. This is one of them. The touted reasoning is that the NBN will create universal access for all Australians. The reality is it will limit some as others pay for an inefficient distribution to have a limited service. Right now, they are better, less expensive and better expandable options available.
The problem comes in when we start looking at technology as a solution to all our issues. Then we start to require universal access to the same technology. Even in rural areas where we're not trying to do is offer fibre broadband. What we're trying to do is offer high-speed Internet access no matter how that is provisioned.
This means using different solutions for different regions. The NBN of course is a one-stop universal solution that costs more for everyone. Instead of offering the best of breed solutions where they're needed we force the same technology to be applied everywhere.
Fibre Internet has its place. In densely populated urban areas with the capability of running cable (as occurred time and time again in the Optus, Telstra, AAPT, etc. cable rollouts) fibre is a great option. In other areas, bonded copper solutions connected to fibre backbones can offer just as high-speed connectivity using direct Ethernet-based solutions rather than those found on ATM. In some cases there is actually less latency and overhead.
That said, it still comes down to the amount of dedicated bandwidth offered at the ISP.
In rural areas, wireless, VSAT, LTE and a plethora of other technologies can offer high-speed connections at a far lower cost than direct fibre connections. What we need to start doing is to stop assuming that there must be one option for all people universally.


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The Knot Weddings Magazine for the iPad, TheKnot.com/iPad, Features Largest Wedding Community, Enhanced Digital Scrapbook, Advanced Share & Send Capabilities and Hundreds of Photos and Videos
NEW YORK (October 18, 2010) – The Knot Inc. (NASDAQ: KNOT, www.theknot.com), the leading lifestage media company with the #1 wedding website TheKnot.com, today announced the launch of its first iPad application, The Knot Weddings Magazine for the iPad, now available on the Apple App store. The Knot Weddings Magazine for the iPad is the first-of-its-kind iPad app that elevates the experience of flipping through a magazine by injecting it with a large embedded community, enhanced scrapbooking and social networking capabilities, and hundreds of photos and videos that provide brides with a close-up, behind-the-scenes look at all the wedding details to help them plan their wedding.
"With the success of TheKnot.com, The Knot magazine and our mobile applications, we know our brides are hungry for wedding content on-the-go," said David Liu, CEO and cofounder of The Knot Inc. "We weren't content with just creating another iPad magazine app like so many out there already, so we made it our mission to create a bold and revolutionary re-thinking of what a digital magazine can and should be."
Innovative features of The Knot Weddings Magazine for the iPad include:
Largest Embedded Wedding Community. Got a pressing etiquette question? Get an answer right on The Knot iPad app! Via an embedded community, brides can comment on articles, take polls, add content and just chat with thousands of other brides on any topic, anytime and anywhere.
Enhanced Digital Scrapbook. Found a flower arrangement you love? Add it to a digital scrapbook for easy access later on! Search, sort and clip 700+ articles, pages and images within a page and have it all automatically organized by category. Plus, include your own notes to each clip.
Advanced Share & Send Capabilities. Ask your fiancé what he thinks about a wedding ring. Poll friends on Facebook and Twitter about the bridesmaid dresses. Adding to the social experience of the iPad app, brides can find anything on the app and easily share it via email, Twitter or Facebook.
Hundreds of Searchable Fashion Photos. Looking for an A-line dress under $2,000? Or a platinum cushion-cut engagement ring? Find it easily by browsing through hundreds of wedding and bridesmaid dresses and engagement rings, and filter based on designer, price and style. Plus, zoom in to see all the up-close details, like the beading and lace on a dress.
20+ Videos. See the wedding dress in the photo move and find it on the runway. View how to create the featured hairstyles and beauty looks. Get a step-by-step guide on DIY invitations. With the iPad app, brides can go behind the scenes with more than 20 videos, giving them a never-before-seen look at wedding details they can't see in a print magazine.
Additional features include:
Looking for a cake baker in New York, Chicago or Houston? Instantly access local inspiration and resources with just one click.
"With technology that was developed internally, we were able to create an iPad app that enabled us to address and enhance the social dimensions of a magazine, and push the boundaries of what digital magazines can be," added Liu. "The Knot Weddings Magazine for the iPad provides brides everything they've come to expect from The Knot magazine, plus all of their favorite features on TheKnot.com."
About The Knot Inc. The Knot Inc. (NASDAQ: KNOT; http://www.theknot.com), is the premier media company devoted to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide them through the most transformative events of their lives. Our family of premium brands began with the industry's #1 wedding brand, The Knot, and has grown to include WeddingChannel.com, The Nest and The Bump. Our groundbreaking community platforms and incomparable content have ignited passionate communities across the country. The Knot Inc. is recognized by the industry for being innovative in all media -- from the web to social media and mobile, to magazines and books, television and video. For our advertisers and partners, The Knot Inc., offers the consummate opportunity to connect with our devoted communities as they make the most important decisions of their lives. Founded in 1996, The Knot Inc. is made up of four major revenue categories: online sponsorship and advertising, registry services, merchandise and publishing. The company is publicly listed on NASDAQ (KNOT) and is headquartered in New York City.


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20-year-old Michelle Johnson with her 1-year-old daughter Aziyah in their Camden home. Michelle exclusively breastfed Aziyah for six months, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. 08.16.13
- Filed Under
A coalition of health care providers, mothers and support services will celebrate World Breastfeeding Day today for the first time in Camden, where low breast-feeding rates are on the upswing.
More than a dozen vendors will be on hand with information, lactation consultation, free books about breast-feeding, children's activities and giveaways, said Karima Alderman, an event organizer and nurse coordinator for the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative's Nurse Family Partnership.
The partnership counsels new Camden mothers about health and wellness during pregnancy and ...


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Super Syd's sights set squarely on Hobart
- From: Mercury
- May 22, 2014
VETERAN Syd Fischer's campaign to win this year's 70th anniversary Sydney to Hobart yacht race is producing record-breaking results.
With entries for the 2014 Sydney-Hobart opening last week, Fischer, 87, of Sydney, has already put 15 of his crack crew from his supermaxi Ragamuffin 100, which was runner-up to Wild Oats in the Sydney-Hobart last summer, on to his Philippines-based yacht Ragamuffin 90 for an Asian lead-up campaign.
Skippered by his supermaxi captain David Witt, Ragamuffin 90 has won line honours as well as broken race records in the 565 nautical mile South China Sea race and the 720 nautical mile Okinawa Tokai race in the past two months.
The campaign is part of Fischer's plan to win line honours in the Sydney-Hobart and finally overcome his nemesis Wild Oats.
For this year's race, Ragamuffin 100's Australian crew will be joined by a handful of US sailors, some of them from the last America's Cup series in San Francisco.
After the Sydney-Hobart, Fischer will then go on an even bigger international campaign.
He plans to compete in the 2015 Fastnet race, which he won in 1971, the maxi world cup and the Middle Sea race.
"I'm looking forward to taking on some new challenges," Fischer said.
"It's good to keep setting goals for yourself and the crew – keeps you on your toes."
Fischer has been on board Ragamuffin 90 for both of its race wins and played far from a passive role.
"He's 87 years old and he sat on the rail all day," Witt said.
"There are some 22-year-olds who could take inspiration from him."
Fischer is yet to enter Ragamuffin 100 in the Sydney-Hobart, and Wild Oats is also yet to be entered.
But already 17 owners have entered their yachts, including Tasmanian entries Natelle Two, which will be skippered for the second time in the great race by Hobart sailor Laura Roper, and Maluka of Kermandie, by adopted Tasmanian Sean Langman, who splits his time between here and Sydney.
A feature of the 70th anniversary event will be the introduction of the Corinthian division.
The winner of the Corinthian title will be calculated on a handicapping system called Time Correction Factors, and entrants must also be entered in one of the other three handicapping categories – IRC, PHS and ORC.
"I'm sure the Corinthian will create some dynamic competition among crews," said the Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Tasmanian Howard Piggott.
"Given the significant anniversary, two Veteran divisions for the classic yachts of yesteryear have also been included – one for yachts 20-plus years [old] and another for yachts 30-plus years."
The CYCA is predicting a fleet of up to 120 yachts to make the start line on Boxing Day for the tough annual 628nm race to Hobart.
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This is such a fun holiday FREEbie, especially the recipient. Create a FREE personalized video message from Santa Claus through the Portable North Pole.
There are many easy ways to get free stuff online if you know where to look!
**Protect yourself! When signing up for freebies and other ways to save online, if you're unfamiliar with the website you're registering with, please use a FREE voice-only phone number and alternate e-mail address to avoid spam and unwanted calls.


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Century 21, the largest real estate sales organisation in the Asia Pacific region, believes that yesterday's decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia to leave the official cash rate on hold will help to create ongoing stability for those Australians considering the purchase of a property.
"At its April meeting the Reserve Bank of Australia elected to keep the official cash rate at 4.25 per cent for the third consecutive month," said Owner and Chairman of Century 21 Australia, Charles Tarbey.
"This move suggests the Reserve Bank of Australia feels relatively comfortable with current economic conditions for the time being and, at a time of comparatively low interest rates, will encourage many Australians to act on a property purchase."
The Reserve Bank's decision follows the recent release of the RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Home Value Index which suggested that the Australian housing market may be showing signs of stabilising, with home values increasing 0.2 per cent in March 2012.
In addition, the Index saw that the market has remained unchanged for the quarter ending 31 March 2012 – the strongest result since March 2011 (which saw a 0.7 per cent rise in values).
"While we must note that much of the improvement seen in the housing market is due in part to the Sydney market which rose 1.1 per cent over the quarter, we are nonetheless seeing signs of a potential stabilisation of home values," continued Charles Tarbey.
"Other factors such as strengthening auction clearance rates and improving demand from first home buyers are certainly encouraging indicators of both the current state of the national housing market and the potential for continued improvements over the course of 2012," concluded Charles Tarbey.