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The Digital EnterpriseDigital business, Digital disruption, Digital initiatives, Digital transformation
Much has been written about Digital Enterprises of late and enough buzz has been generated on digitization, which seems to have taken the industry by storm. As happens with most new technologies and new practices, digitization too has gone through the hype cycle generating noise and creating visibility. People have been told this is the future and those who don't follow this route may find themselves doomed.
I met a few CIOs and broached this subject with them. Though some were clear others displayed an air of understanding though would talk no further. They speak in generalities and say they are at the stage of planning. Some were adventurous enough to claim complete digitization in their organizations, simply meaning that they have automated a lot of stuff. I had the opportunity to teach this subject as an introduction to students of a management institution, however in the ensuing exams, half of the students described digital enterprises as ones who practice extensive automation.
It is perhaps not fair to blame them since the industry has not explained the subject rationally to people but created a buzz around the subject. Vendors would serve better selling the concept rather than their wares and develop partnership with customers. Let me attempt to demystify this topic and explain this in simple terms.
What is a Digital Enterprise (DE) ?
Digital Enterprise is an IT driven business model created in response to the emerging market place and value chains which are going digital. Companies can either take a pro-active stance and create a competitive advantage or quickly react to moves by competitors. The Digital Enterprise is built upon the use of IT to automate the processes (both internal and external) to create a digital boundary enabling all stakeholder interactions. An immense amount of information is created which needs to be consumed and acted upon. In other words 'DE' is an organization that uses technology as a competitive advantage in its internal and external operations.
There is an enabling environment which makes this shift feasible. Customers and employees today, particularly those who are digital aware, expect a new style of commerce, content and collaboration. They look for anytime, anywhere access and any-device convenience. They interact with companies through multiple channels and therefore it becomes important for companies to access these channels to understand their behavior. Vast amount of market and customer data need to be analyzed for understanding opportunities and trends. This calls for companies to be agile and to have IT infrastructure that is flexible and scalable.
The way to go
In order to take care of these requirements in this emerging scenario, organizations have to go the 'SMAC' way ; SMAC stands for 'social', 'mobility, 'analytics' and 'cloud'. These are the four pillars of a Digital Enterprise. Let me explain these terms briefly :
Social : This covers all interactions on the digital social platforms with individual users and groups which Include tweeting, texting, instant messaging and posts in blogs and on the company's website. These are important indicators for the company to address.
Mobility : There is a distinct shift towards mobility and therefore important to capture transactions from all portable devices including laptops, smart phones via wireless networks (WLAN, GSM,GPRS etc.). Policies and procedures have to be geared to meet this requirement.
Analytics : A huge amount of data is likely to be collected in the form of structured, semi-structured and unstructured data which would need analysis to draw meaning out of them. Several technologies such as Big Data, Business Intelligence (BI) can help analyze and summarize to draw conclusions and aid decision-making. This can provide huge amount of learning about customers and markets.
Cloud : For meeting all the above requirements we would need an Infrastructure that is flexible and scalable. Rather than building, it could be far more convenient and cost effective to work on infrastructure and applications as acquired services. This is where cloud computing comes in as an essential part.
It is the combination of these four themes that gives it meaning – its a catchword or an acronym but represents a comprehensive view of the solution. It is about viewing the customers through a multitude of channels and working out suitable responses. What we need is a holistic approach to digitization and a choosing an effective way to attain competitive advantage.
Managing ChangeBusiness strategy, Change management, Digital strategy, it management
We see changes that take place all around us and realize that nothing remains static. The Earth moves around in space and so do all objects in the Universe. Situations change, so does the environment people change and so do businesses. With so much going around can we afford to sit pretty and resist change? Perhaps not.
We also get bombarded with lots of phrases like 'change is the only constant', 'perish or change', 'run even if you want to stand at the same place', 'embrace change if you wish to survive' and so on. Management jargons and clichés thrown at the CIO make him run for cover. Facing such intimidation, the poor CIO reluctantly decides to go for a change. He may not be quite clear what he has to change but he knows he has to. This is where the problem takes its shape.
The change program
The CIO sometimes takes this change business a little too seriously. When he joins a new organization he notices that IT has still not achieved the star status that is should have with the previous incumbent. Loaded with the knowledge that 'change' does the trick, he tries his hand at making changes all around him. He relooks at the hardware and network architecture, changes IT vendors that the organization has been dealing with, reworks the application priority list and starts fresh dialogue with some users. If he has been in the same place for a while, he tries to reshuffle his team, rework user interface screens and may be try to aggressively introduce new technologies. However when all these measures do not seem to impress the management, the poor CIO looks crestfallen not knowing what more he could do. The same is the experience when I see CIOs executing their role as members of professional associations ; they bring about changes and when they don't work, they blame the CIO community, the vendors, the industrial environment etc.
I agree that their predicament is genuine. An era where 'change' is touted as the most powerful tool of governance, how is it that the changes carried out by him are not accepted by the organization that he works for. While he may not have the answers some others may have.
Untangling the mystery
Now let us look at a some of the reasons why organizations adopt changes ;
- Change in the marketplace – New challenges often crop up in the form of new players, new products, price wars, new methods of distribution etc. to which the organization develops its responses.
- Change in consumer behavior – Customers needs change over time and they may have different demands to which the company has to respond to.
- Internal drive to excel – When companies try to get better, improve its working and want to scale new heights.
- Change in circumstances – Like new laws, political and geographical changes etc.
- Technology developments – Necessitate use of technology to ride a few notches above the competitors.
Now when organizations set on this journey of change and in the right manner, they are aware of the objectives they are trying to meet. They are clear about their purpose and targets they are pursuing.
The lesson
CIOs can take a cue from this illustration and work out their change program to lend it purpose. A change for the sake of change leads us nowhere. It is important to have an agenda for change. He has to ask a few questions of himself when taking on this task. For example he can look at the unfulfilled business needs from the technology standpoint, he can assess if the technology infrastructure is the bottleneck, he can seek external advice to reorient his IT plans, he can find out delivery failures or inefficiencies etc. and devise programs to tackle these problems. If he finds that no IT Plan or strategy exists he should work to prepare a new document.
In the end a change has to have some end purpose which acts as a beacon to guide their path. The CIO has to define a specific business purpose that he is attempting to tackle and one that is in line with the business objectives and goals. Just making a few technology changes or restructuring his organization without a business purpose in mind does not find purchase from the management. A change is a powerful tool which could either help meet a challenge, scale new peaks or win over competition, only if it is properly targeted.
The blurring lines between Telecom and IT
We witnessed the telecom revolution over the last two decades which altered the way people communicated with each other, a change that impacted the daily lives of people. The information technology boom and the advent of internet did something similar by significantly redefining the way people dealt with tasks on a day-to-day basis and the way businesses functioned. Development on both these fronts initially went along in parallel.
The convergence of telecommunications and computing has been noted and commented on for some time now. However, there is a much richer interrelationship at present than at any time in the past. In fact, one can argue that the very terms "telecommunications" and "computing" are losing their relevance as separate identities, and also that these fields will become virtually indistinguishable in the near future.
Merging of computing, communication and entertainment has changed the landscape. Emergence of the acronym 'ICE' really signified this move towards convergence. The boundaries between telecom and computing have really been blurred with significant overlap between the two. The traditional use of a telephone to talk and use of computers to access the net & to do other tasks is giving way to a scene where we increasingly use computers and applications like skype, hangout, yahoo messenger etc. to talk to people on a audio or a video chat and use our handset for accessing our mails, for using the social; networking sites, read news and for general browsing – a role reversal of sorts.
Impact on telecom companies
Telcos have been reporting fall in the 'average revenue per user' (ARPU) and this is understandable. There has been an increasing usage of free apps like viber, jumblo, skype to talk to others riding on the web and thereby starving telcos of revenue through voice calls. Widespread use of chat facility on whatsapp, yahoo messenger, hangout etc., for messaging has resulted in revenue loss for telcos for such value-added services. Revenue from long distance calls has also seen significant drop as people use skype, hangout etc., to set up video calls connecting with anyone around the world.
Let me share my experience of communicating and net browsing when travelling abroad recently. I purchased a country specific card from one of the telecom service providers which carried call lower tariffs than international roaming charges for my regular number, and also an internet service pack. At the end of my trip I incurred very little expense over and above the fixed charges. At most places I could find access wi-fi connection like in the hotels that we stayed, most airports, train stations, shopping malls and even in the long distance bus that we were travelled. I could fetch my mails, post entries in facebook, linkedIn and twitter, send messages on whatsapp and speak to people using viber without incurring any extra charges. I am sure telcos would be ruing this revenue loss and may already be revisiting their business models to plug such loss to business.
The future scenario
While describing the current state of convergence and as we speculate what it may mean in the coming years, one can argue that as a result of the horizontal integration of all media (voice, audio, video, animation, data) in a common network and terminal infrastructure, telecommunications and networked-computing applications will no longer be distinguishable.
We are going to see cities with wi-fi connect at public places and chances are that many big cities may sport widespread free wi-fi connects covering a good part of the city. As more people use this facility, tariffs for telephone networks and internet bandwidth may undergo revision to become more realistic. Telecom companies have been charging indecently high rates for international roaming but I am sure this would change soon.
Taking the argument further it is not clear whether we would use our telecom handset for talking to others or we would use a gadget connected to the internet instead. In other words I am not sure if we will be using a phone of a telecom company which also gives access to internet or that we will we use a gadget connected to the internet and do away with the phones altogether.
Recognizing Vendor ContributionVendor management
Vendors form an essential part of our team that strives to excel in our organizations and vendors play a prominent role in the implementation of our IT plans. The vendors include those who supply and install hardware, those who put in our networks, develop software, help implement application systems, consultants, outsourcing vendors, security reviewers, audit partners etc. They work for us and work with us to ensure completion of the tasks that we work on. They do contribute to our success and do so in different measures depending on the role that they have been assigned. It will therefore be in order to acknowledge contributions made by them.
There is no doubt that vendors are bound by the contract and have to perform for the fee that they charge. However the quality of work done by them depends to a large extent on the work environment that we create. When vendors are enthused, they put their heart out and accomplish more than what we would have bargained for.
We are all advised to treat vendors as partners and to work together with them to create new solutions that work for us. Vendors may be many, some who perform critical tasks, some who carry out small and odd jobs and others who perform routine but important operations, but all play a role in our success. They are worthy of being called partners and we should be treated as such. Such an approach goes on to improve relationships and thereby their performance.
Vendor management
It is important to have a formal process to manage vendors so that we get the best out of them. The vendor base should be rationalized and there should be a defined process for vendor evaluation, selection, contract execution and their deployment. Subsequent processes including project management with periodic reviews and mapping results to the agreed deliverables are essential to ensure successful completion of projects.
Vendors Recognition
To keep vendors motivated it is important to acknowledge whatever good work that they do. While we may have punitive measures to make vendors perform, rewarding them for good work is more positive and goes on to ensure their full participation. There are multiple ways to acknowledge them. For example calling some of the critical vendors to a company function gives them a feeling of being a part of the company. Awards, rewards and recognition programs are wonderful ways of acknowledging their work. You could institute an award and choose the best vendor every year, or call over and honor a vendor if he really has been a partner in your progress and has contributed significantly. Some companies treat IT vendors on par with the material and other main suppliers and include them in their vendor conferences.
One other requirement of vendors is that we become their reference clients and speak positively about them to their potential customers. By agreeing to do so we get their appreciation and they stay committed to us. I remember whenever we had become reference points, vendors not only gave us heightened attention, they also charged us lesser so as to ensure out continued support.
Does it work ?
Well, it does. I have heard great stories from others and I have experienced it too. A small recognition goes a long way in keeping the partner enthusiastic and committed to the task. The focus should not be limited to ensuring their performance on the current projects but to keep in mind future relationships. Such vendors come back on their own to help even after they have completed their tasks and are no longer actively engaged. If they have helped us, it is but fair to acknowledge their contribution.
Big Data – Is it too big to comprehend ?Big Data, Big Data analytics, Business Intelligence
Not so long ago, while we were still grappling with the implementation of Business Intelligence and trying to shape up for Business Analytics, the concept of 'Big Data' hit the market like many other technologies do. We know most new introductions come in with a high dose of publicity and shrill marketing which tries to sell but does very little to explain what it means. For example when 'cloud computing' arrived with all fanfare it did create a stir but it took quite a while for glamour to fade away and for the reality to hit the user. The constant bombardment of the scene with new terms leaves the users bewildered.
The truth is that I am also confused and trying to make sense of this new concept in town. Let me therefore try to arrive at some understanding to help remove the haze from our vision. I remember the time I had started with Business Intelligence long ago trying to support business with new found knowledge from analyzing business data and making information easily accessible. While I was happy with what we did, we were suddenly stumped with the term 'business analytics' which took us on a tizzy till we got back our senses. When we are adjusting to the new definition we were teased again with the new term 'Big Data'. I am sure many of our friends are also trying to comprehend this new development. I will make an attempt to understand the differentiation between these terms.
Business Intelligence
BI is not a new concept. Data warehouses, data mining, and database technologies have existed in various forms for years and we have been using them merrily. Big data as a term might be new, but many IT professionals have worked with large amounts of data in various industries for years. Business Intelligence (BI) encompasses a variety of tools and methods that can help organizations make better decisions by analyzing "their" data. Therefore, Data Analytics in my opinion should be a part of BI. Is BI then the mother concept and the other off-shoots of it ?
Business analytics (BA)
BA is comprised of solutions used to build analysis models and simulations to create scenarios, understand realities and predict future states. Business analytics includes data mining, predictive analytics, applied analytics and statistics, and is delivered as an application suitable for a business user. These analytics solutions often come with prebuilt industry content that is targeted at an industry business process (for example, claims, underwriting, financial analysis or a specific regulatory requirement). BA therefore could be a specialized tool that analyses data in depth and makes multiple correlations to unravel stories that not visible from a simple analysis. This perhaps puts BA in a slightly different league and has a leg up when compared with BI.
Big Data
Big data may not just be about large amounts of data, as the name may suggest. Going beyond the conventional process of analyzing structured data as present in our databases, this approach involves digging and analyzing a lot of semi-structured and unstructured data. Fifteen years ago, we didn't analyze email messages, PDF files, or videos. The Internet was just a fad; all information there was of a secondary nature there were no social networking sites or other discussion groups that give valuable information and insights into consumer behavior. Similarly, wanting to predict the future isn't a new concept, but being able to access and store all the data that is created is new.
Various sources claim that 90 percent of the data that exists today is only two years old. And that data is growing fast. If 90 percent of all the data in the world was created in the past two years, what does that say about the data?
Now organizations with huge amounts of data would find it hard and time consuming to analyze and interpret them to generate meaningful information on time. Old technology platforms are slow and inefficient and now we need computer systems and technologies that can handle big data and solve the velocity-volume-variety problem. The new in-memory systems technologies provide a breakthrough solution for big data analytics.
The way ahead
We are therefore in a new era where information processing dons a new dimension and acquires the capability of accepting, storing, processing and huge and a diverse set of data and putting them through any complex analysis to generate meaningful information for business. It requires our skills in making use of this technology to our benefit.
Talent Acquisitionbest practices, Talent acquisition
Talent acquisition has always been a challenge and we all struggle to find and get right people on board. We complain but still go about our process, managing to select persons who appear closest to the requirement that we defined at the start. In doing so we miss out getting the right talent and end up in a compromise citing various constraints to justify our stand.
There is a difference between talent acquisition and recruitment. While recruitment is about filling up a position, talent acquisition refers to the selection of the right person in the right position. Many a times we try to fit a square peg in the round hole, resulting in the incumbent's dissatisfaction, low productivity and slow progress.
I have seen companies going through the process of recruiting CIOs and have also seen CIOs trying to appoint senior members to assist them in their work. They follow the normal process of recruitment and do sometimes manage to get good people but they also falter on many occasions. It may be useful to discuss a few factors or practices which can make talent acquisition more targeted and effective.
Defining the need
The requirement for a person could arise due to several reasons. It may arise when a new project or a new area is being taken up or when a new technology is being introduced. It could be to acquire a talent or expertise which the company does not have or could simply be to replace a person who has left. Whatever be the reason, it is necessary to know clearly the need for the person and his role in the organization. In the case of a replacement there is often a tendency to get a person with similar profile instead of reassessing the position and the need. In many organizations roles are assigned to persons to suit their capabilities but they do not review the role when a new person with a different skill set takes the position. For new positions too, the need should be clearly defined and understood by all.
The organization structure and his fitment
This is an area which requires more attention and a casual handling of this aspects leads to long term problems. The organization structure in some companies is not formally recorded and approved and in other cases it is not reviewed at regular intervals to match the new emerging realities. It is important to know the position, designation and the reporting relationship for the new inductee. This helps in specifying the suggested profile, seniority and skill set for searching and short listing candidates for the position. Some companies often tweak the position depending on the candidate they have chosen which I think is not proper. While some flexibility could be in order but the organization structure and the requirement should not be played around with. I do not sometimes find the requirement to have a direct connect with the organization strategies and goals. For example when I left an organization my position (reporting to the CEO) was filled up with a person who was relatively junior and since he was three levels lower in hierarchy they changed the structure made him report to the finance function. The importance of IT and its value to business seemed unclear in this case.
Job or position description
All such positions should have a formal document describing the role, responsibilities and expectations from the incumbent. Such clarity is important when assessing candidates and in understanding their suitability. It is not uncommon to find non availability of a formal document authorized by the HR. On many occasions I have been handed over a quickly written paper listing down a few tasks that the candidate is expected to perform. For example when a CIO wanted a person to head infrastructure management, the job description said that he should know Unix/Windows, server management, database management and handling of LAN & WAN networks but nothing more.
While we lament unavailability of right candidates, we hear well deserving candidates complain lack of good opportunities. There is obviously a disconnect, which can be addressed to some extent if we are clear, objective and focused in our talent acquisition drive. Getting the right person adds synergy to the environment and serves our objective well.
The Annual Performance Appraisal
As we start with the new financial year in April, two of our main obligations come to fore. One is seeking approval for the annual budget already presented and the other one is the year end appraisal of our staff members. While the former is important for working out our plans for the year, the latter I feel is more important as it helps in setting up the morale of the work force and helps enhance their productivity in the period ahead.
I have seen many a drama enacted during the appraisal process when staffs' performance is assessed and later when the final ratings are announced. The whole exercise leaves a few people happy but many others sad and is a situation which is tough but has to be managed with tact. A lot depends on the process adopted by the organization and the way the manager and the HR deal with this sensitive matter. Some companies have a mature and an equitable system while some others have a process not so well defined and followed more in default than in compliance. Let us examine various elements that can make the assessment process better and enjoyable rather than one that is intimidating and disliked.
We are dealing with a valuable human resource here and therefore there is need for us to be more considerate. The HR department should come out with clear policies which are well communicated. Let us discussing a few good practices below ;
Making the process participatory : Breaking away from the old practice of assessor making unilateral assessment, the process should be made participatory with the appraisee having a say in the assessment. He should be allowed to voice his complaints about factors that hindered his performance or suggestions for improvement.
Assigning of goals : Every employee should be aware of the expectations of him. He need to be assigned clear tasks and told of the desired outcome in the form of deliverables or goals. Only then we can assess his performance vis-à-vis his targets.
Self appraisal and supervisor assessment : It is always a good practice to let the appraisee assess his own performance first and then let the appraiser agree or note down his disagreement. Serious differences could then be resolved by HR.
Appraisal discussions : Oftentimes discussion turn too formal and geared towards on assigning scores for performance. This should change with the discussion focus more on development and helping the candidate get over his failings and build further on his strengths.
Make the process transparent : Employees often wait with a bated breath not knowing how the news will hit them. The assessment is kept secretive and there is an element of suspense. This is undesirable and unfair. The process must be transparent and the appriasee should be aware of the manner of his assessment and the areas that he should have done better. Proper documentation and a process of consultation would make the process much more meaningful. Many companies use an automated work flow with pre-defined rules to enter goals/targets, self assessment, evaluation, remarks etc. thereby making the process transparent.
Avoid rigid adherence to the bell curve : The often talked of 'Bell Curve' formula sometimes makes us force fit people into slots of excellent, good and the poor performance. Though this could be a general guideline, a small deviation will be in order at times to make possible a fair assessment.
Periodic assessment : In a traditional set up, the appraisal is carried out at the end of the year which means that the candidate comes to know of his shortcomings, if any, only then when the year has run out. A periodic and a formal assessment, say every quarter, can give him an opportunity to improve upon his performance based on the feedback he gets. Such a step would be positive, supportive and fair on the appraisee.
The award : The final give-away is in the form of salary increment or promotion to the next level. People tend to mix up the intent of these issues thereby causing heart burn. Increments are incentives for good performers, a step by which they encourage sincerity, hard work and delivery. On the other hand people who show promise and capability of handling higher responsibilities, are elevated to the next level. This needs to be understood by assessors.
Performance appraisal should therefore be an exercise that people look forward to rather than being an activity that people dread. If it is an ongoing exercise with an intent to develop people and provide encouragement for performing better, this exercise could be enjoyable and productive.
When Companies Hibernate
I often come across companies that start IT projects with all fanfare, complete the initial tasks but cool off later. I first enquire, then nudge them and finally try persuading the folks to continue but they somehow go into a period of hibernation and wake up much later. I have wondered about the reasons for such phenomena and tried to analyze but have yet to come out with proper answers.
This is not a rare state that companies get into but a situation I have observed with regular frequency. Companies have always a lot of explanations to offer and look perfectly justified in their approach. To an external observer however such position doesn't look so normal and convincing and he is at a loss to understand this period of stagnation. The blame could lay with the CIO for not being pushy enough, the users for their uncooperative attitude or with the management for turning a blind eye to the IT projects. For instance one of the companies that I am advising discussed seriously about restructuring the IT infrastructure which was in a highly decentralized mode but postponed it for two months till the start of the new financial year citing budget constraints but it has been now been several months since. Another company was to start off with their BI project and bought the product as well but couldn't get its act together to implement for over several months now. If I try to analyze the reasons for such delays, some of the following points emerge :
Lack of budget : This is a reason often cited by the CIO or the management. Budget constraints could be true in certain cases when companies reel under depressed sales or eroded margins but in most cases it is either lack of drive or unwillingness to invest further in terms of company's resources or funds that stalls these projects.
Not convinced of the project : The management may not be sold out to the idea and hence could hold back their approvals. The CIO may not have been able to work out a proper business justification or that the management themselves not made efforts to understand the proposal and the impact on the company.
Ignorance on IT : While the managements may profess to know, their ignorance of IT is hard to cover up. They still hold the view that the company has survived and prospered without IT so far and hence further such investment would be overkill. They would rather invest these funds in a marketing campaign or for capacity build up.
Unsure of the future plans : Managements may not be ready with their immediate business plans due to market uncertainties or may have business plans but refrain from talking of IT plans. It becomes convenient to put such investments on hold.
Conflict amongst the main stake holders : I have experienced this situation more than once. When talking of Supply Chain Management (SCM), Business Intelligence (BI) or Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), I found the main stakeholders standing their ground and not coming to a consensus, thereby holding up the project. Poor coordination at the top ensures indefinite delay in the execution of such projects.
Plain lethargy : This last point takes the cake. Sluggish companies not seriously affected by market conditions, or the ones that are happy with moderate growth or those who are monopolies, take it easy and do not see the need for hurry. They can wait and take a look at the proposal when they are in a mood to do so.
Such periods of inaction are rather intriguing. Irrespective of the reasons for delay one wonders if this stretch of time benefits anyone. Perhaps none, except the companies who are able to postpone their investments. It was amusing to hear of a senior manger patting himself on his back for holding back decision saying that the delay has really helped because they can now work on the new version of the software, not realizing the fact that they had lost the opportunity in not being to make use of the facility before. Lethargy, indecision and procrastination are qualities or habits that we can do away with and move ahead with a greater sense of purpose.
Effective use of BI
It was during a seminar a few years ago, organized by a leading software vendor, that I listened to the IT head of a large organization, a customer, about implementation of Business Intelligence (BI) suite in their organization. This lecture was a part of the key note session and it had a large attendance. The speaker spoke at length about the project describing how they had been able to generate multiple reports for decision making. Following the talk, a person from the audience raised a pertinent question. Remarking that he did not hear any reference to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or its equivalent, he wanted to know if they had identified critical areas in the organization which they wanted to address with information analysis. The speaker could not adequately answer the question and admitted that they had reserved such an approach for the next stage.
I later discovered that this was nothing new and that many organizations implementing BI use it for generating standard MIS reports that they have been using for a while. Being familiar using such reports they don't see the need for a change. The advantage they derive is easy processing of reports, greater accuracy and timely reporting. The question is if they just get a little more with this wonderful piece of software, is it really worth investing so much and going through the entire grind of implementing BI.
One of the customers that I am currently advising was going through a similar phase. On my advising them to consider BI, they promptly agreed to evaluate, negotiate and buy a package. The implementation partner they spoke to lead them through the familiar approach of taking out routine reports first. The client also seemed to agree as they as they were in a familiar territory. I had then to intervene and explain to them how BI could help them address specific business challenges rather than using this tool to generate reports they already get out of the old systems. The ROI factor hit the CFO mind and he then supported the need to define KPIs for all functions before starting with BI.
The need to define KPIs
Businesses use IT to help enhance their efficiency and effectiveness in dealing with competition and market forces and information plays a key role here. Information however needs to be targeted and this can be done only if we identify the key performance parameters that we like to be met and work out a way to need to monitor them regularly. Let us first understand what KPIs are.
A key performance indicator (KPI) is a business metric used to evaluate factors that are crucial to the success of an organization. KPIs differ for every organization, for example business KPIs may be net revenue, customer loyalty metric, customer-wise profitability, sales performance, performance against competition etc.
Before KPIs can be identified, organization should conduct an exercise defining business objectives, working out measures for success, outlining approach for remedying variances etc. KPIs help an organization assess progress toward the declared goals.
To make the information easily accessible to the senior management personnel, organizations go further and create executive dashboards. Dashboards provide a visually intuitive display of data for monitoring enterprise activity and help organizations track performance from a single screen, thus optimizing decision-making. The purpose is to offer an at-a-glance understanding of the organization's health to executives, managers, and business users. There are frameworks which are in vogue, like creating a business scorecard to improve business performance which define the overall goals and break down those goals into a series of objectives that will enable them to meet the goals. The 'Balanced Score Card' framework originated by Dr. Robert Kaplan and Dr. David Norton is the most popular and this approach adds strategic non-financial performance measures to traditional financial metrics to give managers and executives a more 'balanced' view of organizational performance.
It is important that organizations implementing Business Intelligence packages make the most of what the software offers. Companies should go beyond conventional reporting and look for strategic use of information to help meet it's objectives and goals. Identifying KPIs and creating dashboards are some of the ways to achieve the purpose and organizations should take that path for effective use of the opportunity with them.
Managing Pulls and Pressures in the Organization
The position of CIO in any organization is a challenging one. He has to deal with various people within and especially his seniors. He derives his powers from the defined set of duties and responsibilities assigned to him and the support that he gets from the CEO and other senior functionaries in the organization. He draws out his IT Strategy based on business needs and he executes his plans in consultation with the CIO and other business heads. He has often to take dictats from some of these senior members, and at other times he has to listen to his professional ethics, conscience and sense of propriety. It is a fine balance – a tight rope walk that he has to carefully tread on.
One question that comes to his mind is – whether he is working for his boss or the organization. If his boss asks him to carry out a task which in his judgment is not proper he has clear his throat, pick up courage and speak out his opinion. If he still is unable to convince his boss about his line of thought he has to exercise his discretion and act in a manner that is good for the organization and at the same time ensuring he doesn't compromise with his principles. A tough task you might say but the CIO has to work an honorable way out for coming out of such situations. Let me describe a few instances from my experiences to explain the matter.
Pressure from boss to recruit a new person
The CFO to whom I was reporting to, asked me to interview and recruit a person who was related to one of the Directors on the Board. Not finding him suitable (as he was not even a graduate and had no knowledge of the platform we were working on), I rejected his candidature. Two weeks later he appeared again with the recommendation of my boss saying he has undergone a 10 day course and learnt the language referred to. I still found him unsuitable and wrote out my remarks accordingly. My boss then gave me sermons saying I should be more mature and practical and asked me to change my remarks. I try explaining to him but he still refused to listen and therefore I suggested that he overrule my decision and instruct me to take him in. However he did not have courage to take responsibility himself and hence let the matter pass.
Instruction of CEO for acquiring certain equipment
Our CEO who had joined a year before asked for a similar hardware as he had in the previous organization. Soon after I joined the company I was asked to finalize the hardware details and place orders. I however felt uncomfortable with the old hardware platform which was getting obsolete due to emergence of new standards. When I suggested a fresh evaluation I received angry responses from the CEO and he was not on talking terms with me for the next six months but grudgingly allowed me to proceed. A year later after the new platform was acquired and after we had a few successful applications running he changed his mind and started extending his support.
CEO wanting commissioning VC just to prop up his image
This was a case some years ago when video conferencing had made an appearance and it was fashionable to have one running in the organization. Our CEO too wanted to boast of this facility in the comity of his peers in the industry and asked me to procure and install. His idea was to link the head office with two of our factories which were just 25 to 50 kilometers apart. I evaluated and expressed my opinion that this facility may not be used as people were used to meeting personally as the distances were short. Since he insisted I had to agree to assist him but excused myself from implementing the project citing busy schedule. He got it commissioned and except the first few meetings which were forced by the CEO, the facility remained unused thereafter – another example of wasted investment.
The case in point is that pulls and pressures do exist in organizations but we have to deal with them in an appropriate manner. We should either be clear and forthright in expressing our thoughts or be diplomatic but use our discretion to accept the situation or deflect it. Such issues should not get stuck in our ego but should be dealt with an open mind. There is no doubt there is an element of risk if our stand goes against the demand of the superiors but we have to take a call one way or the other. This is not just about a difference of opinion but one that stirs our conscience or challenges our professional standing. We should stand tall and act as appropriate.


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Police blotter: Spartanburg man found passed out in car, with child unrestrained in vehicle
Published: Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 11:22 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 11:22 p.m.
Spartanburg Public Safety Department
A Spartanburg man was arrested on several charges after officers said they found him passed out behind the wheel of his car with his child on board.
Raciel Zuniga Fuentes, 23, of 219 Wilder Drive, was charged with driving under the influence, child restraint violation and child endangerment, according to online jail records.
An incident report states that police received a call about a man passed out in a car at John B. White Sr. Boulevard and Kensington Drive about 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
Officers arrived to find Fuentes passed out in the driver's seat, with the car still running and in gear, with an unrestrained child, according to the report. An officer reached inside the car and shut it off without waking Fuentes, the report states.
Officers woke Fuentes, who said that he hadn't been passed out. He refused treatment from Spartanburg EMS, and failed field sobriety tests, the report states.
Fuentes refused to take a breath analysis test at the jail, and his driver's license was suspended, the report states.
Fuentes was released from the Spartanburg County Detention Facility on Sunday on a $1,836.75 bond, according to authorities.
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subset: commoncrawl


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CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi men's basketball program wrapped up a strong 2012 summer camp season this weekend, concluding with the team camp on Sunday, July 1. Hundreds of youngsters visited the campus and learned more about the game of basketball from the Islanders' staff.
"This was a solid turnout for our summer camp sessions," head coach Willis Wilson said. "It's always so enjoyable to get to see the campers – from the youngsters who are just getting started in the game to the high school players who are trying to advance to the next level. An added bonus is getting people from the Corpus Christi and surrounding communities out to see our beautiful campus and to meet our players. All in all, it was a great summer."
The camps encompassed skills at all levels – from the week-long day camps and competition camps to single-day camps focused on big men and guards. The team camp saw 20 high school teams sign up to visit the Island University for two days of games, lectures and learning from a coaching staff with nearly 100 years of combined college basketball experience.
This year's camps saw a wide range of individuals. Included in the camps' participants were descendants of Dr. James A. Naismith, who invented the game of basketball in the late 19th century. The family brought a replica basketball of the first one ever made. Also in attendance were the children of Jarvis Sanni, who played under Wilson and Associate Head Coach Marty Gross.
"Some of the stories that we heard from campers this year were fantastic," Wilson added. "There are so many great people in the Coastal Bend, and we have really enjoyed getting to know them and getting them introduced to our basketball team."


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Rector commits to play golf at Clemson
Published: Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 11:32 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 11:32 a.m.
Hendersonville's Jonathan Rector, who is now a junior at Christ School, already has his future set, collegiately, and it will be at an ACC school.
Rector, a former Times-News Boys Golfer of the Year, committed to Clemson on Monday night, according to his father, Jon Rector, who is the head golf pro at Biltmore Forest Country Club.
"This was his dream school and one that has produced many PGA Tour players," Jon Rector said.
Jonathan Rector has been on the links playing competitive golf all summer long. Last month alone he won the Fazio Junior, the Dogwood State Junior, finished ninth at the IZOD AJGA and was also named to the Carolinas Team in the Carolinas vs. Virginias Cup. In that tournament, he won all three of his matches to lead the Carolilnas to victory.
Jonathan Rector had a slew of Division I schools seeking his talents, including North Carolina, N.C. State, Virginia, Wake Forest and Liberty, just to name a few.
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So, my name's not really Martha OR Eebie...but the formality of Elizabeth (my given name) is not my thing. I was dubbed Martha by dear Kate and Alex Tracey, though a few called me the Martha of Maplewood....back in my days in "Maplegood." Pretty much I'm a "do-er." I sew, I cook, I used to be a huge baker, I scrapbook, I decorate, and I love to throw parties. I like to cook, but I love to eat. I like to socialize but I love to party. I also like to drink and then recreate those pricy cocktails at home. My two kids and two dogs keep me on my toes and either pulling out my hair or laughing hysterically. Hope you enjoy!
October 2012
I'm a FAN...Click on the below


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Tuesday, July 31, 2012
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- News 12 is following all of the local races you care about in our Georgia Primary coverage.
We'll keep you updated throughout the night on air and online.
11:17 p.m.
Richmond County sheriff candidate Freddie Sanders has won the Republican nomination with 76 percent of the vote. It's looking like a runoff for Democratic Richmond County sheriff candidates Scott Peebles (47 percent) and Richard Roundtree (39 percent).
Lee Anderson is headed into a runoff on Aug. 21 but who his opponent will be is unclear at this time. Anderson got 39 percent of the vote (89 percent reporting), while Rick Allen and Wright McLeod are very close at 26 and 25 percent, respectively.
Alcohol sales passed in Grovetown with 63 percent of voters saying yes.
In Columbia County, Trey Allen is keeping his seat in District 2 after taking 68 percent of the vote, and Charles Allen won District 3 after capturing 72 percent. Another heated race in Columbia County was the position of magistrate judge -- Justin Troiano took 54 percent of the vote over Jason Hasty and Christopher Hudson.
For TSPLOST, it was a pretty close vote. About 54 percent of you voted yes on the penny sales tax toward roadwork, while 46 percent voted against it. One of the big projects on the referendum extends Riverwatch Parkway into Evans, but every county in our area is slated to get some work done. Richmond County is up for nearly 50 projects. Our area was one of three districts in the state to pass the measure. The 1 percent increase will begin Jan. 1. Projects may start as early as next spring.
11 p.m.
U.S. House, District 12 (GOP) - 63 percent reporting:
Lee Anderson 34%
Rick Allen 26%
Wright McLeod 25%
Maria Sheffield 15%
10:30 p.m.
Richmond County Sheriff (Dem) - 92 percent reporting:
Scott Peebles 47%
Richard Roundtree 39%
Robbie Silas 9%
John Ivey 6%
Richmond County Sheriff (GOP) - 87 percent reporting:
Freddie Sanders 76%
Mike Godowns 24%
U.S. House, District 12 (GOP) - 88 percent reporting:
Lee Anderson 34%
Rick Allen 26%
Wright McLeod 24%
Maria Sheffield 16%
TSPLOST, CSRA District - 62 percent reporting:
Yes 54%
No 46%
9:55 p.m.
Richmond County Sheriff (GOP) - 36 percent reporting:
Freddie Sanders 77%
Mike Godowns 23%
Richmond County Sheriff (Dem) - 71 percent reporting:
Scott Peebles 44%
Richard Roundtree 42%
Robbie Silas 8%
John Ivey 6%
9:52 p.m.
TSPLOST, CSRA District - 74 percent reporting:
Yes 56%
No 44%
9:35 p.m.
Sheriff's candidate Richard Roundtree checking results twitter.com/SheliWRDW/stat…— Sheli Muniz (@SheliWRDW) August 1, 2012
Richmond County Sheriff (Dem) - 36 percent reporting:
Richard Roundtree 45%
Scott Peebles 42%
Robbie Silas 7%
John Ivey 6%
Richmond County Sheriff (GOP) - 29 percent reporting:
Freddie Sanders 78%
Mike Godowns 22%
From the Allen campaign:
From the Sanders campaign:
9:15 p.m.
From Sheli Muniz:Sheriff's candidate Richard Roundtree checking results.
9:05 p.m.
The scene at the Silas campaign:
The scene at the McLeod campaign:
Richmond County Sheriff (Dem) (29 percent reporting):
Richard Roundtree 47%
Scott Peebles 40%
Robbie Silas 8%
John Ivey 5%
8:45 p.m.
Richmond County Sheriff (GOP):
Freddie Sanders 76%
Mike Godowns 24%
Richmond County Sheriff (Dem):
Richard Roundtree 49%
Scott Peebles 37%
Robbie Silas 7%
John Ivey 6%
8:15 p.m.
Some updates on some key races:
Richmond County Sheriff (GOP):
Freddie Sanders 74%
Mike Godowns 26%
Richmond County Sheriff (Dem):
Scott Peebles 54%
Richard Roundtree 33%
John Ivey 8%
Robbie Silas 5%
TSPLOST, CSRA District:
Yes 59%
No 41%
U.S. House, District 12 (GOP):
Lee Anderson 47%
Rick Allen 25%
Wright McLeod 19%
Maria Sheffield 8%
7 p.m.
Polls close across Georgia. Results are starting to come in!
5 p.m.
As voters gathered at precincts across the state to vote in the Georgia Primary on Tuesday, candidates in local races did some last-minute campaigning.
Wright McLeod waves to drivers. He is fighting against three others for Georgia's 12th Congressional District.
Richmond County sheriff candidate Richard Roundtree's team battles the rain.
Scott Peebles, Richmond County sheriff candidate, campaigns on Tuesday.
Richmond County sheriff candidate John Ivey campaigns on Tuesday.


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Apply to Study
Get a top degree and a starting point for your future career or study abroad at Turku..Read more
Come Work with Us
Work in a top scientific environment that inspires new discoveries and innovations.Read more
Welcome to Turku
Find important information for your visit, such as the campus map and contact information.Read more
UTU Graduate School
Fly above the University Hill!The University Hill is the heart of the Turku campus. The main building (inaugurated in 1959), the central square and the surrounding buildings were designed by architect Aarne Ervi, who was one of the most important architects of Finland's post-World War II reconstruction period.
Get to know the history of the University of Turku: www.utu.fi/history
20014 Turun yliopisto, FinlandTel. +358 (0) 2 333 51
People search


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VIEW LARGER > Rollover Photo to Zoom
Womens Lanz Hummingbird Cotton Nightgown
Relax In This Crisp, Cotton Lawn Gown—the Perfect Weight For Warm Weather Comfort
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No detail is overlooked in our Hummingbird nightgown from Lanz of Salzburg. It's skillfully tailored just for us from featherweight 100% cotton lawn, making it perfect for keeping you cool on hot, sultry nights. The sweet, feminine gown features a host of pretty details, including white satin ribbon threaded through white eyelet trim, a scalloped eyelet hem, and shell buttons. Machine wash and dry. Imported. Available in both Misses' and Women's sizes.
- Bird-lovers' print is only found here
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Rated 4.6 out of 5Â by 36 reviewers.
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Rated 5 out of 5Â by VB7652 Light and lovely! Cool cotton of the finest quality! The print is delicate, very much as pictured on the website. Have not yet worn the gown, so not sure, but the straps are not as I thought they were: lace over fabric. They are, however, wide enough so as not to "bunch up," I hope. I ordered the large based on the size chart but I believe a medium might have sufficed. Because the gown doesn't have to accommodate my broad [swimmer's] shoulders, there may be a little too much room. At best, it will not be clingy. Highly recommend this lovely, light gown--a treat in the Florida heat. July 24, 2015
Rated 2 out of 5Â by calliecat disappointed The picture is just lovely. The fabric was a disappointment. It is stiff and doesn't fall in gentle folds, not comfortable. I am spoiled by Eileen West gowns. I even washed it to try to soften it. Didn't work. The cost is worth the upgrade. July 21, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Carol K Beautifully cool I got this for those hot South Carolina summer nights. I sleep so deliciously cool even though my dachshund, a hot water bottle with fur, is right beside me. The sizes may run a bit big, but the length is not too long for even a short (4'11") woman. July 13, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5Â by Ms Kate Love it This nightgown is perfect for summer nights. It does run a bit big. I normally would order a large and I am sure the medium would have fit fine. July 2, 2015


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Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. -- A pantless man wearing boxers over his head robbed a North Augusta bar and stole an employee's car Tuesday night.
The victim, an employee at Wagon Wheel, said she was closing the bar when a man walked up to her at the register and demanded money.
She said he was holding something on his side, trying to disguise it as a gun. It was later discovered to be a bamboo stick.
The victim grabbed a pair of scissors to defend herself and was pushed to the ground by the robber. She says he grabbed her by the hair and took money before pushing her back to the ground again and taking her car keys.
The victim says he grabbed her by the hair and took her into the bathroom. She was able to lock herself inside until she heard the alarm ring and saw him leave.
The man got away in her car, a green 1997 Ford Explorer.
The robber, described as a black male, is said to have been wearing boxers on his head, no pants and a long-sleeved blue shirt.
If you have any information, call the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.


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Carrying the Torch Ministries is hosting May's explosion services this month.
The event began last Sunday with a "miracle deliverance" service.
Events will continue this weekend with Bro. Jim Angles of Virginia. Friday through Sunday topics will include "knocking on the door of a million souls for Christ."
On May 17-18, The Sloan Family from Mississippi will be the featured guests.
On May 24-25, Sis. Sherry Hixon from Alabama will be preaching and sharing the "gifts of the Spirit, which are manifested in her life."
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Strangers allegedly barge into Grand Caillou home, rob occupants
Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 1:34 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 1:34 p.m.
Four people participated in an armed robbery along Grand Caillou Road, and police have arrested all of them, Houma Police said.
A woman knocked on the victim's door about 6 a.m. Tuesday, asking for "Jose," police said. When he told her there was no Jose there, a man emerged, pointed a gun at him and ordered him back inside the home.
The man and woman placed the victim and his roommates facedown and took items such as money, electronics and credit cards from them, police said.
Police said they were able to identify the vehicle the robbers used and stopped this car less than five hours after speaking with the victims.
They arrested the three people inside, but later realized one of the passengers wasn't involved and let that person go, police said. Isaac McKay III, 28, and Jessica McKay, 24, both of 308 Coach Court, are charged with armed robbery. Darrell Rayshawn Smith, 21, 214 Peter St., was arrested Wednesday and is also charged with armed robbery.
Detectives said they later learned that the McKays drove two other people to the home to commit the armed robbery. Dedra Denise McKay, 29, 127 Banks St., is now also charged with armed robbery. Smith is the second of these two people, police said.
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Specialty Dice
Special, unique, and unusual dice. Stone, metal, and bone dice; alphabet dice, rune dice, astrology dice, inflatable dice, fuzzy dice, rubber dice, and more.
Antique Beige & Black Fudge Dice (Set of 4)$11.00
Fudge dice are six-sided dice with two "plus" sides, two "minus" sides, and two blank sides, for use with Fudge and other games. Rolling four Fudge dice returns results from -4 to +4 ("sub-Terrible" to "trans-Superb" in Fudge terms).

This is a set of four Fudge dice, beige and black in color, in an antique style.
 Learn More


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SANTA CLARA -- Head coach Jim Harbaugh already lost two members of his 49ers coaching staff, but it appears more likely that he won't lose either offensive coordinator Greg Roman or defensive coordinator Vic Fangio after this season.
Two of the three head coaching vacancies Roman was linked to apparently went to other candidates Thursday, and Fangio said that he hasn't had any contact with teams seeking a head coach.
Roman reportedly interviewed with Penn State on Monday. He also was linked to the head coaching vacancies for the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins.
"It's speculation," Roman said Thursday. "I'm not going to comment on rumors, water-cooler talk. I'm really focused on this game. I'm sure there's a lot of rumors floating around out there but it's really irrelevant. I'm focused on this game and beating the Panthers" on Sunday.
James Franklin was expected to accept the Penn State job, and the Redskins hired Jay Gruden on Thursday. The Vikings job remains open.
This would mark the second time that Penn State passed over Roman for its vacancy. Two years ago, Penn State opted for Bill O'Brien instead of Roman.
In other news, 49ers defensive line coach Jim Tomsula reportedly is a candidate for the Vikings top job, along with Fangio. Neither coach is believed to have interviewed with the Vikings yet.
Harbaugh already is losing offensive line coach Tim Drevno and senior offensive assistant Paul Wulff after this season. Drevno accepted a job with Southern Cal and Wulff reportedly is headed to the University of South Florida.
Harbaugh said earlier this week that teams contacted the 49ers about the prospect of interviewing Roman, Fangio, Tomsula, and others. On Wednesday he said that he isn't worried about the process taking away from preparation for Sunday's game.
"I know our people, so their focus is right here on this game," Harbaugh said.


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Alfa Wassermann buys licence
05.10.2012 - Italian Alfa Wassermann has acquired an exclusive licence for Theravance's serotonin 5-HT4 agonist velusetrag.
The US biotech partner can bag up to US$63.5 plus royalties for the exclusive development and commercialisation rights of the treatment for gastrointestinal motility disorders such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, and gastroparesis. The Bologna-headquartered pharma firm Alfa Wassermann, will fund Phase II clinical trials and grant Theravance a US$10m option fee payable if Alfa Wassermann exercises its option for Europe, Russia, China, and other key markets after clinical proof-of-concept. The San Francisco-based biotech firm also is set to receive development, regulatory and sales milestone payments of up to US$53.5m. Additionally it may earn royalties on net sales of velusetrag (TD-5108) up to 20%.
What makes velusetrag so attractive to the Italians is its, up-to-now, beneficial safety profile. Previous treatments for gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility targeting the 5-hydroxytryptamine(4) receptor, modified the function of the cardiac HERG potassium channel leading to severe adverse effects. Within the Phase II programme, the Italian firm will evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of once-daily oral velusetrag in the treatment of patients with gastroparesis. The disorder has few therapeutic options and it is characterised by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of a mechanical obstruction with symptoms that include early satiety, nausea, vomiting and bloating. Velusetrag has been shown to accelerate gastric emptying in healthy volunteers.
Theravance will retain the full rights to the drug in the US, Canada, Japan and certain other countries. The US firm has completed a 400-patient Phase II proof-of-concept study in chronic idiopathic constipation for the drug. In the trial the compound demonstrated statistically significant prokinetic activity at all three doses (15 mg, 30 mg, and 50 mg) tested.
It was generally well tolerated and showed a low incidence of adverse events at the two lowest doses.
© eurobiotechnews.eu/tghttp://www.european-biotechnology-news.com/news/news/2012-04/alfa-wasserman-buys-theravance-licence.html


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Public memorial planned for UA's Moore
Service will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Coleman Coliseum
Published: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, April 1, 2013 at 11:53 p.m.
TUSCALOOSA | A public memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday in Coleman Coliseum to celebrate the life of former University of Alabama Director of Athletics Mal Moore.
Moore, who stepped down as athletic director on March 20, was part of 10 football national championship teams as a player, coach or administrator at UA. He died Saturday at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.
He had been in the hospital since March 13 with pulmonary problems.
Moore is survived by a daughter, Heather Cook of Scottsdale, Ariz., her husband, Steve, a granddaughter, Anna Lee, and a grandson, Charles Cannon.
A private church service will be held Thursday morning and burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Good Hope Cemetery in Dozier. Donations in Moore's memory can be made to the Crimson Tide Foundation, c/o Telisa Blanton, P.O. Box 870343, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0343, or the Mal and Charlotte Moore Caring Days Center, P.O. Box 3049, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403.
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3.9-18 Defendant Does Not Guarantee Safety
Revised to January 1, 2008
It is not the law that the
plaintiff is entitled to compensation merely because (he/she) is
injured while on the premises controlled by another. The defendant
is not required to guarantee the safety of all persons on the
premises. Rather the defendant is only liable for the resulting
injuries if the plaintiff meets the burden to prove the necessary
elements of a defective premises claim as I now outline them for
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Share Photo
A young boy holds his hat as he and others stand for the national anthem before the start of the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo, Wednesday, July 3, 2013 in Prescott, Ariz. A mile-high city about 90 miles northwest of Phoenix, Prescott remains a modern-day outpost of the pioneer spirit. It's that spirit that will guide officials as they navigate the days ahead and figure out how to honor the elite Hotshot firefighters who died in a nearby wind-driven wildfire that is still burning. (AP Photo/Julie


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H. Bruce Stokes, Ph.D.
Professor of Anthropology and Behavioral Sciences Director, Professional Ministry Counseling Program
Office Phone: (951) 343-4487 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Office Location: W.E. James Building, Room 133 Office Hours:
|Major Emphasis
|University of California at Riverside
|University of California at Riverside
|Anthropology / Behavioral Sciences
|California State University at Dominguez Hills
|Golden West College
Courses Taught
COURSES TAUGHT: Undergraduate
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Introduction to Physical Anthro and Archeology
Introduction to General Psychology Abnormal psychology for Nurses
Survey of Behavioral Sciences Cross Cultural Communication
Social Theory Culture and Personality
Anthropological Theories of Behavior Theories of Personality
Marriage and Family Integration of Behavioral Science and Theology
Introduction to Psychology Theology as a Behavioral Science
Psychophysiology Christian Institutions and the Church
COURSES TAUGHT: Graduate
Integration of Psychology and Theology ( M.F.T. graduate course)
Cross Cultural Values and Ethics (M.F.T. graduate course)
Human Sexuality (M.F.T. graduate course)
Marriage and Family Ministry (CM graduate Course)
Christian Ethics (M.Div. seminary course)
Models of Cross Cultural Ministry (M. Div. seminary course)
Cultural Anthropology for Educators (M.A. C.L.A.D. course)
Systematic Theology (M.Div. graduate course)
Human Development and the Biblical Life Cycle
Relational Counseling Techniques
Academic Areas & Scholarly Interests
Identity and Marginality
Messianic Judaism
Integration of Theology and Behavioral Sciences
Teaching Experience
Adjunct, California State University, Long Beach (1991)
Adjunct, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (1993-Present)
Research, Presentations, & Publications
Stokes, H. Bruce "Messianic Judaism: Ethnicity in Revitalization." Diss., 1994.
New American Standard Bible. Trans. Stokes, Bruce H. Ed.
The Lockman Foundation. Brea: 1995.
"The Role of Gentiles in the Messianic Movement." Journal of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations. 1997.
"Messianic Jewish Life: The Role of Gentiles in Messianic Judaism." IMJA. Lederer Publications, 1998.
"Sex and Religion: a Culture History." Journal of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations. 1999.
Stokes, H. Bruce, and Nathan P. Lewis. Integration of the Behavioral Sciences and Theology: a systematic and relational approach. New York: Iuniverse, 1999.
"Messianic Jewish Life: Congregation as Community" IMJA. Lederer Publications. 2001.
Toward a Christian Marriage. Anaheim Hills: DiscipleCenter Press.
Rethinking Christian Institutions. Anaheim Hills: DiscipleCenter Press
A Judeo-Christian Catechism. Anaheim Hills: DiscipleCenter Press
Stokes, H. Bruce "Marginality: Fluid Borders of the Ethnic Mind." Southwestern Anthropology Association. Berkeley. 1991.
Stokes, H. Bruce "The Role of Gentiles in the Messianic Movement." International Messianic Judaism Alliance. Puerto Vallerta, Mexico. 1997.
Stokes, H. Bruce "Sex and Religion: a Cultural History." Union of Messianic Jewish Congregation National Conference. 1999.
Church Membership & Activities
Pastor - The DiscipleCenter, Anaheim Hills
Community Service & Involvement
Self-defense and Rape prevention instructor for the Shoshin Ryu Jiujutsu Yudanshakai
Southern Baptists Messianic Fellowship
DiscipleCenter Family Services, Anaheim Hills
Family Counseling Center, Riverside
Interests & Hobbies
Music: Guitar / String Bass
Martial Arts: 8th Degree Black Belt in Danzan Ryu JuJitsu
Sailing Certification from Newport Sailing Club
Personal Philosophy
"Anyone attending college can get a degree. Only those who seek knowledge and study beyond the classroom will achieve an education."


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Welcome back, "Amazing Race" devotees, to the tenth leg as the teams head for Mallorca, the Spanish island the Sri Lankan twins insist on pronouncing with Ls intact. The Texans pronounce it Malacora.
The fabulous Beekmans, of course, pronounce it correctly. They may be the biggest bumblers, but those New York goat farmers can handle anything relating to Russian time zones, tsars or foreign pronunciation. Also, farm equipment. Frustration, cooperation and anything achy or uncomfortable? Not so much.
Josh twisted his ankle running across a field last time and it's swathed in Ace bandages now. "Can you practice your Lamaze breathing?" Brent asks.
"I'm not pregnant," Josh says indignantly.
"Breathe through the pain, " Brent says, demonstrating. "I'm breathing through the pain for you."
"Thank you. It still hurts," Josh retorts.
The three front-runner teams -- the Texans, whiny twins and ever-cheery Chippendales -- all make their way to Barcelona, where they discover the overnight ferry to Mallorca doesn't leave until late that night, so they decide to explore Barcelona and go play at the beach. Good decision. Back at the ferry, they discover that the Beekmans are the fourth team. Hugs all around!
Landing in Mallorca the next morning, they head off to the Dalt Murada to search for devils and demons playing with fire. "We're searching for Lucifer at 7:00 in the morning. I don't know how I feel about that," Jaymes says.
Roadblock: Smashed
The devilish fire dancers are a spectacle, all right. If the dancing thing doesn't work out for them, they could probably do well as a heavy metal cover band. They've got the demonic tongue darting thing down really well. The devils eventually relinquish their clues, sending teams off in stick shift cars to find tennis star Rafael Nadal's practice courts -- and we discover that Nadiya is clutch-challenged. "What's wrong with you?" Natalie whines. "What's wrong with yoooooou?" Nadiya whines back as the car lurches, lurches and lurches some more.
At the clay courts, one member of each team must hit 20 tennis balls fired from a machine, a challenge that Trey polishes off incredibly quickly. "We look over at Trey," Jaymes says, "and apparently when you wear the Andre Agassi headband, you play like Andre Agassi."
Meanwhile poor James has returned just six balls before his basket runs out. The second time, he nails it. Both teams head for the next stop, the spectacular Coves de Campanet, where they're told to follow the music -- flamenco guitar -- to find their next clue.
Back at the courts, the Beekmans seem bent on self-destruction because they send Josh -- yes, the one with the injured ankle -- out to play tennis. "Ah! Ah! Oh! Ah!" Josh wails as he stumbles around.
"He sounds like Monica Seles out there," Brent says.
Josh fails the first round, and the second. He collapses on the ground, miserable, and it takes the arrival of the twins -- at their most shrieky, whiny irksome -- to get Josh back on his feet, flailing at tennis balls.
Detour: Spin it or pull it
The teams now have a choice: They can meet up with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza (awesome!) at a 400-year-old windmill and repair it by attaching two giant blades to the wind tower -- or they can play the bull in a faux bull fight, charging nine matadors in two minutes or less. Both the Texans and Chippendales head off for a little toreador action, but when the Chippendales spot the windmills, they opt for that instead.
"Working at Chippendales we may have seen a construction outfit or two," Jaymes says, suiting up in a hard-hat and harness. "All right, Don Quixote, we're coming for you!"
The Texans head out in a two-man bull suit, Trey steering from behind. The first eight passes go fine but Lexi crashes into the ninth and slices up her finger. They head out again, this time with a tearful Lexi steering, her head poking out from the bull's posterior as she yells, "To the right! Straight! Left, baby!" They finish with 45 seconds to spare.
Pit stop
The pit stop is at the Castell de Bellver, where Phil is waiting with a headless man. No, really. Headless. Very cool. The Texans arrive at the mat first, winning a trip to the Yucatán. The Chippendales -- our favorite team -- comes in second, and the Beekmans are third.
"I have seen you limp, collapse, faint, fall down and you're still here," Phil tells them. "You're like the little train that could."
The twins are in last place and as we watch them finish the windmill task, we're treated to yet another round of nasal whining, shrieking and recrimination that goes on and on and on. Please let this not be a nonelimination round, please let this not be ...
Next time: It's the two-hour finale, and the final four must grapple with horses, plows, bungee jumping and a clonk on the head.


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November 7, 2005
Crime and violence where you live, due in part to gang activity in Augusta. But the traditional gang isn't necessarily what you'll find here. News 12 is on your side with how police are cracking down on gang-related crimes in your area.
Follow Deputy Brantley for an hour and you'll see what he sees thirteen days a month.
"Hey! Ya'll need to find some place to go, alright?" Brantley said. "I don't know if they call themselves a gang but they pretty much stick together."
He calls Cherry Tree Crossing a 'busy area,' and by busy he means lots of complaints stem from here including juveniles smoking, drinking and gambling. His last call was about a teenager who reportedly had a pistol.
"Well she called and by the time we got there he was gone. So, we never recovered the weapon," Brantley said.
It's calls like these that have some worried about gang activity, asking just how safe are our streets?
Last month, Rodnick Patterson was shot and killed at a high school dance. Police suspect it was gang related. And another murder, in an area called the cut, where seven gunshot wounds were found on Dontavious Wyman. Wyman had friends at Cherry Tree. They called him Tape.
"This is how they remember," said Deputy Brantley, talking about graffiti.
"Is gangs a major problem? It is becoming a known problem," said Investigator Tess Alexander-Brunson.
Investigator Tess Alexander-Brunson is Richmond County's only full-time gang coordinator. Her filing cabinet is filled with folders. In them is what she calls interview cards. They look like these, with the names, addresses and phone numbers of confirmed gang members.
"First we have to gain knowledge of what we're dealing with and that's what we are in the process of doing because that's the only way we're going to be able to combat gang activity," Alexander-Brunson said.
What she does know however, she's hesitant to share, not wanting to give gang members the attention they seek. But you might be surprised just how easy it is to find information on the so-called Barton Village gang O-Dubs, or OWTT, which stands for "Only With True Thugs." 22-year-old Serena advertises it on a website. And on another, we learn the meaning behind their sign.
Other active neighborhoods include Dogwood and Meadowbrook, both areas deputies say they aggressively patrol. So much in fact that residents have learned their names and even their hours.
This gentleman recognizes Brantley and rats out a neighbor he says had drugs.
"He said, there go Goodman, he go and got rock with him," said one Cherry Creek resident.
Deputies are also quick to learn who lives where and with whom. Brantley doesn't recognize this man, turns out he's visiting from Tennessee.
"We ask the questions alright? You don't live here…for one, you don't live here, ok?" Brantley said.
As the sheriff's eyes and ears, deputies have proven the most effective tool in the streets, gathering intelligence for Alexander-Brunson to later reflect on in gang-related cases.
But narrow streets and dim lighting make it hard for Brantley to catch everything. And he admits, he often arrives too late.
"They can hang in here, they can see us coming. You know, we ride up in our patrol cars so it's an easy getaway for them," Brantley said.
But perhaps one day officials will be able to say that's not as easy at it once was.


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By Graeme McMillan, Newsarama Contributor
The spider is out the bag Marvel's Spider-Men series will feature Miles Morales and the original Peter Parker teaming up to fight crime across two different universes, despite younger Joe Quesada not being in favor of such crossovers.
But with just two Spider-Men, is this really going to be the best celebration of ol' web head's 50th birthday? Think of all the other wall-crawlers that could've been invited to the party! Like these 10!
Got a comment? There's lots of conversation on Newsarama's FACEBOOK and TWITTER!

Yes, Venom isn't exactly Spider-Man as such but the Mac Gargan version did spend sometime as "Dark Spider-Man" during that crazy period when Norman Osborn managed to convince the Marvel Universe that all of his Avengers were the regular guys who'd all just changed their costumes and body shapes at exactly the same time.
Not convinced...? Well, the Venom symbiotic was also Spider-Man's costume for awhile, so that's got to count for something, even if it's just a one panel cameo at some point.
What's that? Ben's dead? Well, sure but if Spider-Men can push alternate realities together, why can't it also mix in a little bit of time travel to a point where Peter's Clone Brother believed that he was the original Peter Parker and took over the family business of web-slinging and quip-making for a brief but memorable period.
After all, Miles may think that the superhero business is pretty messed up already, but how weird would it be to meet a clone who didn't even know if he was the real deal or not?
Miles Morales was inspired by the sacrifice of a teenaged Peter Parker, and will get to meet a more mature version in Spider-Men but how would he react to the even older, less carefree Peter Parker known to fans of the still-missed Spider-Girl series?
More to the point, how would the regular Marvel U Peter deal with seeing a version of himself that did marry MJ and had a child with her? Given the multiply-cancelled-and-currently-disappeared status of the MC2 universe, it's incredibly unlikely that we'd get to see this team-up... but wouldn't it be great if we could?
The original alternate Spider-Man, Miguel O'Hara, has already met his regular MU counterpart in both the 1995 one-shot Spider-Man 2099 Meets Spider-Man (Snappy titles were apparently not a big thing back then. Descriptive, sure, but snappy...? Not so much) and 2009's Timestorm relaunch, but it'd be nice to see Marvel's first part-Latino Spider-Man meet its second.
If nothing else, they could address their similar costume color schemes and quite what is so inspiring about Peter Parkers of any universe.
For those who never got to read any of Yamanaka Akira's weird but wonderful Spider-Man-inspired manga (which sees Sho Amano become the costumed crime fighter instead of Peter Parker, having the kind of fun adventures that would probably make original Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko shake his head in confused disdain), you probably have no idea why both Miles and Peter would enjoy running into this webheaded analogue character quite so much.
Let's just say that, as good as Spider-Men is likely to be, the addition of Spider-Man J would up the ante on the "wacky" scale no matter how high it already was and, really, when isn't crazier Spidey better Spidey?
Another international version of the character, Pavitr Prabhakar may not have had the career his American counterpart has after his creation in 2005, he only made it through one four-issue storyline but considering his origin sees him being granted powers by a Yogi so that he could fight demons, maybe he could give Peter some advice about what to do if he ever happens to run into Mephisto again, considering how that went down last time.
Admittedly, Peter Parquagh isn't a Spider-Man per se (He called himself The Spider, after all), but the Elizabethan alternative to the busiest superhero in the Marvel Universe that isn't called Wolverine has all manner of qualities that would earn him inclusion in a supergroup of Spider-Men, not least of which are spying skills that require the kind of silence and determined focus that seem to elude both Peter and Miles during times of great stress... which is to say, most of their careers.
You may say that this idea is in bad taste, but think about it: How could any reality-spanning story where Spider-Man meets Spider-Man have a better villain than Spider-Man?
We've already seen the Zombieverse cross over with both the Ultimate and regular Marvel Universes, so there's precedence for this to happen, and how much fun would it be to see Peter and Miles chasing after an undead version of themselves/their inspiration, respectively, to stop him from eating their loved ones' brains? The comic potential alone would almost make the whole thing worth it...!
Everyone always forgets the alternate universe that is Stan Lee's daily comic strip Spider-Man, but if there was any reality-crossing webhead team-up action we really need to see, it's one where the newspaper Peter can explain to the regular MU Peter that his marriage also got retconned away, but then brought back because the readers didn't approve.
If ever there was a time to bring Peter Porker into mainstream Marvel continuity and that's something that everyone can agree needs to happen at some point, right? then it has to be a miniseries celebrating the appeal of multiple Spider-Men and the 50 year career of Marvel's most popular hero and all he's inspired.
It's not even as if there could be better way to make this happen than a reality-bending tale that neither lead character is likely to forget in a hurry (Unless, of course, it's never referred to outside of the core series, which is always a possibility on this kind of thing), which is what's already on the cards... Can we dare to hope that Brian Bendis or Sara Pichelli can make this happen at some point during the five-issue series? It's time to bring home the bacon, Marvel just not, you know, in bacon form, because, well. You know.


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Let the concept design phase for Eagle River Center begin.
On Tuesday, Eagle County commissioners approved a $29,000 contract for Populous Inc. to draft a concept design for expanding the county fairgrounds and the center.
The work will start quickly. People are invited to meet the consultants at ERC and give input during 30 minute work sessions between 1 and 5:30 p.m. today, Oct. 18.
Populous is based in Kansas City, Mo., and has an office in Denver. The firm designed the equestrian center for the London Olympics and has currently other projects around Colorado as well. Populous' bid was the lowest of seven, four of which were more than $50,000.
In its current condition, the Eagle River Center at the fairgrounds only generates income to cover one-third of its operating costs. The commissioners and others would like to change that scenario and make the facility a regional amenity that could attract equine events from around the nation. But like many things in life, before the county can make money it needs to spend money at the center - about $3 million.
Also complicating plans at the fairgrounds is a gravel pit and recreation fields that have to be moved some time in next three to five years. After the current pit next to the fields expires, that property will be reclaimed by the county and the land currently under the ball fields will be mined.
The fairgrounds project is currently sidelined with a question mark in the county's 2013 budget.
Commissioner Peter Runyon said Tuesday that the concept design will help the county get a more specific idea what kind of investment and timeline will be needed to make the fairgrounds profitable.
"This will help us do a cost-benefit analysis," Runyon said.
The concept-design process is scheduled to take two or three months. There will be two scheduled workshops, starting Thursday, and then a final presentation, of which the public will be notified.


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Pick up the latest volume of Tahoe Magazine - 2012-13 Winter Edition, the cover of which is above - at locations around Lake Tahoe and Truckee. The 164-page magazine - a joint publication among the Tahoe Daily Tribune, Lake Tahoe Action, North Lake Tahoe Bonanza and Sierra Sun - is packed with information for locals and visitors about the region's ski resorts, nightlife, dining options and more.
Back to: News
November 26, 2012
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Failing grade In an interview prior to the start of the Democratic National Convention, President Obama said he deserves an "incomplete" grade on the economy. It's not the first time the president has made such a comment, but it's getting awfully close to grade time and his tenure has been marked by increases in the unemployment rate, budget deficit, national debt and number of people on food stamps, as well as decreases in home values and the number of people working. With so many negatives on his record, Mr. Obama is very much at risk of receiving a grade of "F" from voters on Nov. 6.
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adidas Soccer Shin Guard Straps
Product Information:
Hold and secure your soccer shin guards in place to ensure total on-field protection and comfort with the adidas® Soccer Shin Guard Straps. These soft and flexible straps feature a hook-and-loop closure system as well as a screen-printed adidas® logo detail for authentic soccer style and a slip-free fit around your legs. Includes two straps per pack. One size fits all.
- Soft and flexible straps hold your shin guards securely in place
- Contains two hook-and-loop straps in one pack
- Screen-printed adidas® logo detail
- One size fits all
- Vendor colors: white and black
- Model: 266W
- adidas
Country of Origin: ChinaWeb ID: 17682096
Customer Reviews:
Rated 4.2 out of 5�by 20 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5�by CowboyFan Adidas Shin Guard Straps Great product. We went from the expensive tape to using this product and it holds the shinguards in place really good. March 29, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5�by miguelito great fit Good quality strap ............stick very strong.. November 18, 2015
Rated 4 out of 5�by Big16 Needs to come in smaller sizes. Would be nice if there was a dive smaller. Thy were a little to big for my 10yr old but, we made it work. May 5, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5�by Ray works as advertised... Also discovered new uses, it also works as shoe string support so that shoe strings do not come undone during matches or games... November 27, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5�by Mom Secure Buying the shin guard straps ensure that my son can remain focused on his game and not on his shin guards moving out of place. November 19, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by Robert Awesome I used to use tape for my shin guards but it started getting annoying so I bought some shin guard holders and they were great. They are worth it. August 30, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5�by Soccer mom Really work! Really keeps shin guards in place, no more having to stop to adjust them! August 21, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5�by Kay Shinguard straps you should use(: They work really well, after awhile the Velcro starts to get dirty and come off when playing. July 15, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5�by Ralph87 Lock in place I think the straps do what they are meant to do. I've used them and they were able to keep my shin guards in the postion I wanted them to be in. July 3, 2014
Rated 2 out of 5�by mpizyou ok product This product does not work as well as using tape to hold Shin Guards in place. I purchased them for my twelve year old son and they kept slipping off no matter how tight we secured them on June 17, 2014


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Razer Orochi
The driver necessary for your Razer Orochi mouse to work.
Release Log:
- Enhance Restore Default function in order to restore Orochi mouse to factory default settings.
- Prevent memory corruption on certain Mac systems (system dependent issue).
Required OS: 10.4
Tags: razer , orochi , driver , game , gaming , mouse , apple
3 Opinions
@brh , i think over the next couple years developers will slowly make everything 64bit, and i refuse to lower the performance of my computer just so a preference pane will open on the first click. eventually they'll release a 64bit operational version and everything will be dandy.
@flyersph9 , you're right - it is a mere annoyance… And it's bound to come up with more prefpanes than just this one… As all of the system prefpanes exist in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors, I'm not sure why it doesn't just default to the 32-bit System Preferences…
But, if you want to spare yourself the time of quitting & reloading System Preferences in 32-bit mode, just Get Info on System Preferences in the Applications folder, and tick the 'Run in 32-bit mode' box.
Works great in OSX Leopard, but in OSX Snow Leopard, when you click on the icon in the System Preferences, a message appears saying:
"To use the Razer Orochi preferences pane, System Preferences must quit and reopen."
It then closes and reopens as stated, but at the top (as in the screenshot I posted) it says (32-bit). Not a problem, just an annoyance.


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STOCKTON - Police are looking for two armed men who broke into a north Stockton home Monday night and demanded money from a woman and her friends, authorities said.
The robbery occurred about 8:30 p.m. in the 8100 block of Bernay Drive. The victims complied with the robbers' demands, and no one was injured, police said.
Both robbers wore black masks, officers said. One was described as an Asian man standing 5 feet 7 inches tall with a thin build, black clothing and a long gun, authorities said. The other was a black man with black clothing and a handgun, police said.
Location, ST | website.com


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Oct 7, 2011
Dec 19, 2011 4:58 PM
How to Win the Tryout Game
This past weekend our travelorganization held tryouts for our 12u, 14u and 16u spring 2012 teams. We hadabout 120 girls come out over two days hoping to make one of the six teams. Thecompetition was pretty stiff and in choosing the teams last night we had tomake some really tough decisions, including cutting some girls already in theorganization.
As is always the case in a tryout scenario many girls are nervous and don'tperform their best with the many coaches, peers and parents watching theirevery move. As coaches, unless we watched them play on another team or got agood report from a reliable source, all we have to go on is their tryouteffort.
As I observed these many young athletes I could instantly tell who was anxious.They would hurry their approach to the ball or the throw, and would have timingissues hitting off the machine. I could just see in many of the girls' eyes andbody language how disappointed they were in their performances.
Now ours is one of the best organizations in southern California and it takes being a pretty goodplayer to join us. However, I can't help but wonder if nerves cost several ofthese girls a shot with us.
Whether your athlete is trying out over the next few weeks or not until springhere are some tips to get her ready to play her best when it counts most:
- Relax - this may sound easy, but in many ways tryouts are more stressful than games; particularly if it's for a team your athlete really wants to play for. Taking occasional deep breathes can help tremendously. Try to keep the conversation light on the drive to tryouts; do not set excessive expectations on your athlete as this will only serve to increase her anxiety and reduce her performance.
- Monitor Her Thinking - it all starts between the ears. If she can focus on positive thoughts the moment she wakes up in the morning on tryout day, and maintain those thoughts all day long she will reduce her stress level. If she can recall a particular success or successes she has had on the field in the past she will increase her confidence level. If she thinks she "can" she will be more relaxed, allowing for a higher level of concentration and focus.
To continue reading this "tryout game" post please go to: http://www.softballsmarts.com/2011/12/how-to-win-tryout-game.html.
Boost your athlete's game day confidence fast with the Sports Confidence Blueprint program!
For more FREE mental game tips and strategies visit me at: Softball Smarts or my Facebook page.
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