text:
Chris Buescher, a 21-year-old Roush Fenway Racing rookie in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, never put a wheel wrong on Saturday during the Nationwide Children's Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and made a great final fuel run to win his first career Nationwide Series race in his 30th career start. The drive was impressive at the 13-turn road course as was the fuel conservation as he went 38 laps on the final fuel run after a nice call by crew chief Scott Graves.
Buescher missed the season opening race at Daytona but now has climbed to seventh in the point standings after returning the No. 60 Ford to victory lane. Buescher is a 10-time winner in the ARCA Racing Series and the 2012 champion in that series.
"It's incredible," Buescher said in victory lane. "This Ford Mustang was fast and we pulled right away and were actually just cruising there at the end."
He was referring to a restart on lap 76 of 90 where he had a lead of over 20 seconds wiped away. He got a good restart with Regan Smith alongside and was able to pull away and then make his lead stand in the closing lap when lap traffic became a factor.
Sam Hornish Jr started from the pole after earning that on Saturday morning but it was Brian Scott who started in third that took the race lead in Turn 2 on the opening lap.
The first caution flew on lap 4 when Jeffrey Earnhardt went into the gravel trap in Turn 4. He would continue after some time in the garage and would finish in 29th of the 39 car field. The race restart on lap 9 and Scott continued to lead. The three drivers able to keep pace with Scott were Hornish, Alex Tagliani, and Chris Buescher.
On lap 18 Justin Marks went off course while running sixth and pitted to get grass off his grill. He was also hit with a speeding penalty. Then on lap 23 Elliott Sadler went off at Turn 6 and on lap 24 pitted to get grass off his grill. He also was hit with a penalty for speeding. Chris Buescher pitted for a scheduled stop on lap 25 from the fourth position. On lap 26 the second and third place cars of Hornish and Tagliani pitted but Tagliani was hit with a speeding penalty.
As James Buescher was limping back to the pits with a flat right-front tire on lap 27 Brian Scott got to pit road for his stop. Then the second caution flew on lap 28 for the tire carcass that came off of James Buescher's car. Ty Dillon brought his car down pit road under caution and his crew went to work on fixing the power steering. He would lose two laps.
The race would restart on lap 33 with Scott in the lead over Hornish, Buescher, Smith, and Brendan Gaughan. Tagliani was in eighth. Hornish got a good restart and he took the lead from Scott off of Turn 2.
On lap 38 Gaughan spun into Turn 4 and contacted slightly into Chase Elliott. Gaughan was trying to take fifth and ended in the gravel but was able to drive out. The third caution then flew on lap 40 when Tomy Drissi spun into Turn 9 and backed into the tire barrier. He would continue after getting towed from the gravel and would finish the race in 23rd.
The race would restart on lap 46 and this time Brian Scott grabbed the lead from Hornish in Turn 1. The fourth caution then flew on lap 51 when Kenny Habul had an engine issue and pulled off course. He was running sixth at the time. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Sam Hornish Jr, who was second, also then pulled to the garage with an engine issue under the caution period. Hornish finished 30th and Habul 31st.
Eight cars then stayed on track while other's including the lead cars pitted. Trevor Bayne was in the group that stayed out and led for the lap 55 restart. Dylan Kwasniewski was second, Justin Marks third, Brendan Gaughan fourth, Mike Bliss fifth, JJ Yeley sixth, Ryan Sieg seventh, and Carlos Contreras eighth. Regan Smith was the first driver off pit road of the drivers that pitted for four tires and fuel. He restart ninth with Alex Tagliani tenth, then Brian Scott, Chase Elliott, Elliott Sadler, and Chris Buescher.
Tagliani and Scott tangled on lap 58 forcing Scott into the grass. He pitted on lap 59 to have grass cleaned from his grill. On lap 60 Tagliani pitted as drivers were in their fuel window to the finish. Trevor Bayne pitted from the lead on lap 61 which put Brendan Gaughan into the lead. Regan Smith pitted from second on lap 62 and Gaughan would stay out until lap 66 when he pitted.
That gave the lead to Chris Buescher with Jeff Green in second. Those two drivers were going to try to make their fuel last to the finish if possible without stopping again but probably needed another caution flag to make that work. Unfortunately for Green that caution was for his No. 14 Toyota. Entering Turn 6 on lap 71 his throttle hung and he crashed hard into the tires. He finished 28th. The caution was good for Buescher because it allowed him to save fuel but it also cleared away a 23 second lead he held over Regan Smith.
The race restarted on lap 76 with 15 laps to go and the young rookie from Texas got a good restart and held the lead over Smith. Tagliani restarted third but had some contact with Scott off Turn 1 and coming off Turn 2 Tagliani had dropped to fifth behind Scott and Chase Elliott. By lap 80 Buescher had opened a two second lead over Smith.
Brendan Gaughan was running seventh when he needed to pit on lap 84 due to overheating issues. He would finish in 20th. Buescher's fuel was holding out and on the final lap he still had a comfortable lead over Smith and Scott. That was until Turn 11 when he ran up on the lap car of Tim Cowen. Cowen stayed in the racing groove and in Turn 12 Buescher moved Cowen out of the way with his front bumper and then accelerated off Turn 13 to take the checkered flag and win.
Regan Smith scored his best career road course finish in second and Brian Scott finished third. Chase Elliott was fourth and Alex Tagliani fifth. Finishing sixth was Justin Marks with Elliott Sadler seventh, Dylan Kwasniewski eighth, Trevor Bayne ninth, and Dakoda Armstrong tenth. Mike Bliss was 11th, Ryan Reed 12th, Matt DiBennedetto 13th, Landon Cassill 14th, and Cody Ware was 15th in his first career start. Ryan Sieg was 16th and Tanner Berryhill was the final lead lap car in 17th. Tim Cowen was 18th, Ty Dillon 19th, and James Buescher 25th.
After 22 of 33 races Chase Elliott leads the points by 10 over Regan Smith. Elliott Sadler is 16 points back in third, Ty Dillon is 28 points back in fourth, and Brian Scott is 42 points back in fifth. Trevor Bayne is in sixth, Chris Buescher seventh, Brendan Gaughan eighth, Ryan Reed ninth, and James Buescher tenth.
The next race on the schedule is Friday, August 22nd at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Seeing your team play in the SuperBowl is priceless. Watching the SuperBowl live in the stands for $1 per week is beyond priceless. Find out how at TicketScore.com, the future of Championship Tickets.
Tags: Alex Tagliani, Brendan Gaughan, Brian Scott, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, Elliott Sadler, Jeff Green, Justin Marks, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Motorsports, NASCAR, NASCAR Nationwide Series, Regan Smith, Scott Graves, Trevor Bayne


text:
Pacific Sunwear of California (NASDAQ:PSUN) is a youth-oriented retailer that sells brand name and private label California and action-sports themed apparel. Competitors selling similar apparel include Zumiez (NASDAQ:ZUMZ) and Tilly's (NYSE:TLYS). While Zumiez and Tilly's reported profits in their most recent earnings releases, PacSun has not reported positive earnings for any fiscal year since 2007.
There have been numerous articles written recently suggesting PacSun's days are numbered. As some of these article seem narrow in focus, I will offer some counterpoints that investors may wish to explore further. The two main concerns I will look at are suggestions that PacSun is on the brink of bankruptcy, and concerns that it cannot compete with Zumiez and Tilly's.
Concern No. 1: Some say that PacSun is on "the brink of bankruptcy" or will disappear from the mall.
In its most recent 10-Q, filed on June 6, 2012, for the quarter ended April 28, 2012, the company stated:
Based on current forecasts and plans for the year, the company believes that cash flows from operating activities, working capital, borrowing availability under the New Credit Facility, and cash on hand resulting from the closing of the Term Loan and the two mortgage transactions discussed below will be sufficient to meet its operating and capital expenditure needs for the next 12 months.
Same-Store Sales
The company went on to state that the preceding assumption was based on a scenario in which the company does not experience same-store sales declines comparable to its same-store sales declines in 2009 and 2010. According to the company's 10-K filed on March 31, 2011, same-store sales declined 20% in 2009 and 8% in 2010.
Is there any reason to expect this kind of decline in same-store sales in the near future? At the end of last year, PacSun announced it would be closing approximately 200 of its underperforming stores by the end of fiscal 2012. The company further stated at the time that the stores to be closed had average sales per store over the prior 12 months of $600,000 vs. average sales of $1.1 million for the remaining stores. PacSun closed 87 stores in Q4 2011. The company's net store count declined by four stores from the end of fiscal 2011 to May 17, 2012, to a total of 729 stores.
Furthermore, in PacSun's most recent earnings release for the first quarter ended April 28, 2012, the company reported a same-store sales increase of 1% and guided same-store sales for the second quarter of negative 1% to positive 4%. Based on this sales guidance, the company guided a non-GAAP net loss from continuing operations of between $0.11 and $0.16 per share for its second quarter.
Whatever conclusions investors may draw after reviewing management's commentary and financial statements, it may be worth looking at PacSun's insider activity following the issuance of the second-quarter guidance. Specifically, from the end of May 2012 to the beginning of July 2012, PacSun insiders, including CEO Gary Schoenfeld, have been notably buying stock in the company. Despite these insider buys, according to Nasdaq, there were about 6.4 million shares short of the company on July 31, 2012, which has declined from almost 8.8 million shares on June 15, 2012.
Affiliate of Golden Gate Capital Loan
While some of the articles I have seen have raised questions of PacSun's solvency, I have not seen many articles commenting on the specific details of its $60 million dollar loan.
The company's 10-K, filed on April 4, 2012, described a five-year, $60 million senior secure term loan funded by an affiliate of Golden Gate Capital. Page F-14 of the 10-K specified: "Annual cash interest for fiscal 2012 is expected to be approximately $3 million." Furthermore, the "principal balance and any unpaid interest related to the Term Loan is due on Dec. 7, 2016. The company is not subject to any financial covenant restrictions under the Term Loan."
So while some articles may question PacSun's solvency, investors may want to consider the company's comments on same-store sales and that metric's relation to cash flows. In addition, investors may want to consider the due date of the term loan, and whether they believe the company can afford to pay $3 million in interest on the loan in fiscal 2012.
Concern No. 2: Some say that PacSun is unable to compete with Zumiez or Tilly's.
While PacSun's competitors have fared better in recent years, that is no guarantee that the future will resemble the past. Investors can conduct channel checks at various stores and talk to target customers to attempt to subjectively determine which retailers may be "cool."
I believe that social media, while far from scientific, can provide potential clues as to which brands are increasing or decreasing in popularity. A recent comScore study commissioned by Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) indicates that when an individual posts a status update mentioning a retail brand, that individual and his or her Facebook friends who see the update are more likely to buy a product from that brand's store.
In May, I compared Facebook "likes" of PacSun, Zumiez, and Tilly's. Since then, all three companies' "likes" have increased by approximately 13%. PacSun has the most "likes" of the three, recently passing the 2 million "like" mark. The chart below, comparing Facebook stats at the time of writing this article, would seem to indicate that if the "likes" are authentic -- PacSun is not as unpopular as some investors may believe. The source of this information on Facebook can be viewed by clicking on PacSun's Facebook page, Zumiez' Facebook page, and the Facebook page of Tilly's. I have also included Facebook's statistic called "People Talking About This."
Facebook Likes Around May 21, 2012
1.77 Million
1.04 Million
Current Facebook "Likes"
2.00 Million
1.17 Million
Change (%)
"People Talking About This"
Investors in youth-oriented retailers face the tricky challenge of determining whether a brand is gaining or losing popularity with potentially fickle customers. However, when reading headlines declaring any company to be finished, investors may want to do additional research to see if there are other factors that one should consider before drawing such a conclusion.
In PacSun's case, investors may want to consider management's comments, insiders' actions, and what the actual potential customers think of the brand. Furthermore, when the company announces earnings, investors might want to keep an eye on any guidance for the back-to-school season, and see how the company expects to perform compared to any guidance provided by its competitors.
PacSun and Tilly's have both recently announced that they will report earnings on Aug. 22, 2012. At the time of writing this article, Zumiez does not have its Q2 earnings release date on its investor relations' events calendar. However, it has already reported a same-store sales increase of 9.5% on its second quarter compared to the prior year.
Disclosure: I am long PSUN.
Disclaimer: The commentary expressed in this article is not legal advice, nor investment advice, and is subject to Seeking Alpha's Terms of Use.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Road Hole Bar
Whisky aficionados around the globe flock to the Road Hole Bar to sample more than 300 whiskies representing every operational and many mothballed distilleries in Scotland, including a Tullibardine (the hotel's own label malt), Highland Malt, 1988, which is only sold in the top 10 percent of bars in the UK, and a rare Ben Wyvis, Highland Malt, 1972. The bar also has an excellent range of cocktails, champagnes and wines. Its daytime menu ensures the Road Hole Bar is the most coveted viewing gallery in the world of golf.
Enjoy our resident pianist every Friday & Saturday evening.
Location & Hours
Explore More Dining
- Photo Gallery


text:
Professional Liability: Lien Rights and Lien Waivers
Lien Rights and Lien Waivers
The creation of lien rights is a statutory enactment. A lien allows a party to secure payment for labor and materials used to improve real property. Liens are seen as an effective remedy if the client refuses to pay since a lawsuit is a lengthy and expensive method of collecting money. Lawmakers recognize that once labor has been performed and materials provided and incorporated into some improvement to real property, such labor and materials cannot be readily repossessed or reclaimed if the property owner fails to pay for them. Lien rights are based on the equitable concepts of restitution and the prevention of unjust enrichment.
Professionals occasionally want to place liens on property to assure payment for their services. In many states the services provided by professional service firms that are directly related to the construction of a project qualify the firm to seek liens against the property. Often, as a condition of their contract, professional service firms are asked to waive any rights they have to place such liens. In addition, many times they have a contractual commitment to secure the waiver of lien rights from contractors and subcontractors prior to the design professional's approval of an application for payment.
Most state laws allow contractors, subcontractors, or other parties to waive any right to file a lien. The waiver can usually be made at nearly any point during the course of construction. The act of waiving is the intentional relinquishing of a right or claim and therefore for a lien waiver to be effective, the waiving party must know its rights. Usually only a partial waiver is obtained; it covers a period of time such as "up to the present requisition for payment" for the construction work performed or the materials supplied. Some clients, often on the demand of their lenders, include lien waivers in the owner-contractor agreement. Such blanket waivers may apply equally to subcontractors. Many states prevent such blanket waivers in construction contracts.
The issue with either design professionals or those performing construction work having lien rights or providing waivers of such rights is highly dependent on state law. While it is obvious that an owner would want those performing the construction work to provide lien waivers as a condition precedent for payment, in many cases such design professionals have no similar lien rights. And, as to requiring the design professional to secure the waivers of lien rights from construction contractors or subcontractors, it makes little sense to have the design professional serve as anything more than the conduit for the transmission of those lien waivers.
© 2009, Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc. Statements concerning legal matters should be understood to be general observations based solely on our experience as risk consultants and may not be relied upon as legal advice, which we are not authorized to provide. All such matters should be reviewed with a qualified advisor. Victor O. Schinnerer & Company Inc. is managing underwriter for the CNA/Schinnerer Professional Liability Insurance Program, commended by NSPE/PEPP since 1957.
New NSPE Blogs
NSPE now has three new blogs, in addition to the president's blog.
PE Licensing Blog: written by Craig Musselman, P.E., F.NSPE
Sustainability in Engineering Blog: written by Brad Aldrich, P.E., F.NSPE
Young Engineers Blog: written by Austin Lin,P.E., the Young Engineers Advisory Council Representative to the NSPE PEI Executive Board
Sign up to receive an e-mail notification whenever a new post is made by entering your e-mail address under "Email Notifications," which you'll find on the left-hand side of any blog post.
[ return to top ]
Top 10 Items To Include in Your Contracts: A Profit Perspective
Herbert M. Cannon
10. Be Sure to Have a Well Designed Scope of Work
Including a specific scope of work in your contract can save a great deal of aggravation and money. If we don't have a clear scope of work in the contract, the only way I can see of performing this work is on an hourly basis with no upset limit. Even then we need to have a written understanding with our client as to our ultimate goal.
9. Propose a Fixed Fee for Your Reimbursable Expenses
While it won't work for every project or client, receiving a fixed fee for reimbursable expenses has the potential of producing a substantial profit. When firms are working on a familiar project type for a good client, I have seen fixed fees produce a 30%+ profit. Of course, you need to price it properly and make every effort to keep your costs in check—but it is worth the effort. Think of the time saved on copying, collating, and invoicing alone! The client also benefits by having price certainty for their project.
8. Include a Contract Termination Date in the Contract
All good things must come to an end—including contracts. By putting a reasonable contract termination date, you reinforce the project schedule and set up the case for invoicing hourly for any services beyond the termination date.
7. Include Limitation of Liability
Include a limit of liability clause in your contract. The amount should be limited to the amount of your fee. Why should we have unlimited liability to the client when we are receiving a $5,000 fee? You won't always be able to get it included, but give it a try.
6. Include a Royalty Clause
Many firms are worried about ownership of documents but pay little or no attention to their intellectual property rights. I personally couldn't care less who owns the paper documents but I do care a great deal about someone reusing my ideas as presented in the documents. For this, I want to get paid a royalty. Include a royalty clause in the contract to compensate you for your ideas and guarantee you a consulting role in any reuse or adaptation.
5. Be Wary of Payment Not Contingent Upon Third Party Reimbursement
I am not necessarily talking about being a subconsultant to the prime. I have experienced some unfortunate situations when working for a "not for profit." After the work was performed, I was then told they needed to apply for a grant or do fundraising before we could get paid. Of course they acted surprised that I wasn't aware of this. Be careful when doing work for nonprofits. Many of them have no problem spending your money to further their cause.
4. Include a Schedule of Deliverables
Yes, in item number 10, I talked about a carefully defined scope—but I am getting much more specific. Include a drawing list and schedule of other specific items they will receive. It avoids "confusion" by the client as to what they will get.
3. Define What Is not Included in the Scope of Work
This is particularly important when dealing with the nonprofessional consumer of A/E service. By nonprofessional, I mean those clients or institutions that are not regularly involved in design and construction projects. For example, they might expect that a professional rendering or landscape design is included in your base fee. I have also had the experience of an experienced developer claiming that professional renderings are always included in basic services. Let's not go down that road—layout in detail what is not included in basic services.
2. Ask For Retainers
Be sure to ask for a retainer on every project. How do you get a retainer? You ask for it! Especially with a new client or one you have had a bad experience with. There is no commitment from the client until they write a check. If you don't have the nerve to ask for a retainer, have one of your junior project managers ask—they don't know any better. (More about this in a future issue of my newsletter.)
1. Exercise Your Right To Stop Work for NonPayment
What a radical thought! Let's include a clause that says if the client doesn't pay within 60 days, we have the right to stop work and withhold all work produced to date. I know that many of you will say that we already have this right or we can't stop working in construction. Well, to this I say there is no reason that I know of to legitimately keep this right out of the contract. If the client objects to this clause, proceed with the project at your own financial risk. Do I want to stop work? No. But I do want to use this clause to force a face-to-face meeting in which we resolve the nonpayment issues. If they won't agree to the meeting, I stop working until the issue is resolved.
Herbert M. Cannon, president of AEC Management Solutions Inc. and publisher of AEC Managing Partner Newsletter, is a management consultant, seminar provider and speaker exclusive to the A/E Industry. He is available to speak at company meetings and conferences. For more information contact Herb via e-mail . Or visit his website.
[ return to top ]
Young Engineers Needed
Each year for the past seven years, a group of NSPE members under 35 and working in private practice have joined together to create products and services for the good of PEPP and NSPE. This group has been generously funded to meet together and attend leadership and education sessions through PEPP. Work is continued on a regular basis through monthly conference calls.
If you are looking to meet your fellow PEPP Young Engineer members, network, and create products and services for NSPE, and if your employer is willing to support you in these endeavors, we've got just the spot for you.
To learn more about the group and the opportunities to get involved, contact David Conner PEPP-YEAC 2009-2010 chair.
Past PEPP-YEAC products include the following and are all free to members:
NSPE's Mentoring Guide for Small, Medium, and Large Firms
Strategies For Member Retention and Attraction
How-to Manual for Seminars, Socials, and Ceremonies: A Practical, Step-By-Step Guide to Organizing and Hosting Events for Local and State Chapters
A Guide to Enhancing Professional Development: From College Student to Company Principal
Motivation Factors of Young Engineers
Engineers in Elected Office Canned Presentation
A Guide to Enhancing Professional Development: From College Student to Company Principal Web Seminar
Become a 2010 PEPP Sustaining Firm
Your support is needed for the efforts of the Professional Engineers in Private Practice (PEPP) as we strive to promote the hard-earned professional engineer (PE) designation and enhance the image of the PE in private practice. Becoming a 2010 PEPP Sustaining Firm has many benefits including:
Your options to participate include the following (*Price reflects 10% discount for payments received by 10/31/09).
Bronze Level $121* (regularly $135) Listing only. Includes listing and link to firm's Web site and e-mail address.
Silver Level $180* (regularly $200) Listing plus Logo. Includes Bronze level package plus firm logo/banner graphics. E-mail your firm's logo (.gif or .jpg file, up to 10KB) to firstname.lastname@example.com (703-684-2833)
Gold Level $517* (regularly $575) PEPP Featured Firm package. Includes Silver level package plus complimentary registration to the 2010 Synergy HR & Finance Roundtable in Alexandria, Virginia.
If you are interested, please complete the form and MAIL or FAX them back today! Your participation will not only help you reach potential clients and partners, it will also provide valuable support for our industry and profession. Please visit www.nspe.org/PEPP for a complete list of PEPP programs. Thank you for your continuing support of NSPE/PEPP.
NSPE Fall 2009 Web Seminars Offer PHD Credits
NSPE's fall Web seminars offer a wide variety of topics from ethics to social media to GNSS systems. Earn one PDH for each of the sessions while sitting at your desk or in your conference room. The member price is $119 for each session. The price is per site, you can get together with others in your office or chapter to participate.
September 29, 12:30–1:30 p.m. (E.D.T.), Communicating Technical Ideas Persuasively
Speaker: Mel Lester
Description: Got a good technical idea? You're halfway there. In the competitive marketplace of ideas, it takes more than innovative thinking to succeed. You must also be able to persuade others that your ideas are worthy of their attention, acceptance, or investment. There are many competent engineers who can generate sound technical solutions. But few of them have mastered the art of persuasion. This session describes the basic dynamics of persuasion, explains why engineers in particular struggle with persuasive communication, and outlines some keys to selling others on your technical ideas.
October 7, 12:30–1:30 p.m. (E.D.T.), Ethics Forum Part II: Objectivity, Truthfulness, and Preserving Confidentiality.
Speaker: Arthur Schwartz
October 8, 12:30–1:30 p.m. (E.D.T.), Social Media and Engineering
Speaker: Stephanie Brown
Description: This presentation will highlight the following: introduction to social media; how, why, and where social media is a fit for B2B, AEC; strategy is key; case studies; dangers and pitfalls; benefits; case studies; HR perspective; monitoring & measurement; policies; the impact of social media on SEO (Search Engine Optimization); success with your Web site.
October 14, 12:30–1:30 p.m. (E.D.T.),GNSS Capabilities for Engineering, Surveying and Mapping
Speaker: Tim Kerr
Description: Satellite positioning technologies have become prominent in our daily lives. This Web seminar will provide an overview of the location technologies available today at various levels of precision. These range from pure autonomous navigation to sub-centimeter location for high precision monitoring and mapping projects. Emphasis is placed on selection the proper tool to meet the requirement of any project
October 15, 12:30—1:30 p.m. (E.D.T.), Solving the Risks in Green Design and Construction
Speaker: George Dubose, Liberty Building Forensics Group
Description: The great irony of building green is that the very concepts that are intended to enhance a building's performance over its lifetime are many of the same things that also make it highly susceptible to catastrophic moisture and mold problems during the first few years of operation.
This presentation will identify the specific reasons that green buildings are at increased risk for failures and what contractors and developers/owners must do to avoid problems— in short, what practices are being promoted as green but are also place the entire development team at risk.
October 20, 12:30–1:30 p.m. (E.D.T.), A Sustainable Approach to Planning and Design
Speaker: Paul Horton
Description: Have you been wondering how to make your projects more sustainable? Have your clients been asking for more sustainable planning and design? Paul Horton will provide an overview of the critical elements necessary in order to achieve a higher level of Sustainability in projects. While we won't be able to make every project super green, we should nonetheless have a clear strategy (or approach) and a set of tools to allow us to make meaningful sustainable advances or improvements based on the specific situation and the current client conditions.
October 22, 12:30–1:30 p.m. (E.D.T.), Comparing Contracts Documents: EJCDC, Consensus DOCS, and AIA
Speaker: Justin Weisberg
Free! November 4, 12:30–1:30 p.m. (E.S.T.), Qualifications-Based Selection: Under Attack
Speakers: Dan Tanksley, JD, P.E.; Christopher Stone, P.E., F.NSPE; William Fendley, P.E., F.NSPE
Description: Have you ever wondered what qualifications-based selection was really all about? Our panel of experts will explain QBS without the jargon, discuss its value to you and your clients, and tell you about how QBS is being threatened right now by legislative and regulatory actions at the state and federal levels and how you can help.
November 11, 12:30–1:30 p.m. (E.S.T.), Ethics Forum Part III: Conflicts of Interest and the Ethics of Gifts
Speaker: Arthur Schwartz
November 17, 12:30–1:30 p.m. (E.S.T.), Forensic Engineering (Co-Sponsored by National Academy of Forensic Engineers)
Moderator: Marvin Specter, P.E., LS, F.NSPE, Hon M.ASCE
Panel: Michael Kravitz, P.E.; Michael D. Leshner, P.E.; W. T. (Dusty) Yaxley, P.E., CSP
Description: This session, based on real life cases, will highlight three different situations in which engineers are required. In addition, each of the cases involves a different level of penetration of the legal system.
EJCDC Revised Documents Now on Sale
The Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee, a leading publisher of construction contracts and forms, has published revised editions of its Design/Build set of documents, its Owner Engineer Agreement (Task Order Edition) E-505 and its Owner Engineer Agreement-Short Version E-520.
EJCDC documents are immediately downloadable in MS Word format and are user-friendly. Their usability for multiple projects makes them a cost-saving alternative to other documents on the market. They are also peer-created and consistently reviewed, meaning users get the most balanced, fair, and updated documents available on a continual basis.
In addition to the newly updated documents, EJCDC offers contract documents in the following categories: construction, owner/engineer; engineer/subconsultant; and environmental remediation and procurement. NSPE members enjoy a significant discount on the cost for the documents, which can be immediately purchased and downloaded at www.nspe.org/ejcdc
EJCDC members include NSPE-PEPP, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Associated General Contractors of America, and the participation of other professional engineering, design, construction, owner, legal, and risk management organizations.[ return to top ]
Home Page
to a Friend
ARCOM Master Systems
Publisher of MASTERSPEC, the leading master guide specification system for 30 years.
NSPE member discounts available. For more information, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com or call 800-424-5080.
Become a 2010 now and 10% off.
Click here to join.
Bill Clarke, P.E., F.NSPE
St. Louis, MO
Mark Davy, P.E.
La Crosse, WI
Andrea Martinez-Graves,
Tampa, FL
Immediate Past Chair
Randy Rakoczynski,
Buffalo, NY
Vice Chair, Northeast Region
Randy Petersen,
Washington, DC
Vice Chair, Southeast Region
Dan Dawson, P.E.,
Wilmington, NC
Vice Chair, Central Region
Kent Buehrer, P.E., F.NSPE
Maumee, OH
Vice Chair, North Central Region
Karen Stelling, P.E.
Kansas City, MO
Vice Chair, Southwest Region
Eric West, P.E.
Midland, TX
Vice Chair, Western and Pacific Region
Wes Segawa, P.E.
Hilo, HI
Young Engineer Representative
David Conner, P.E.
Denver, CO
SSEC Representative
Pat Christians
Birmingham, AL
PEPP Staff
Kim Granados, CAE
1420 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
tel: 703-684-2857
fax: 703-836-4875
For more information or to contact us directly, please visit www.nspe.org.
TO UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, please reply to this e-mail (firstname.lastname@example.com)
with your full name and nine-digits.
To unsubscribe to future editions of PEPP Talk, please click


text:
Detroit • Ford is recalling 100,610 vehicles in North America for various safety defects.
The company announced the six separate recalls Tuesday. No injuries related to the defects have been reported.
The largest recall, of 92,022 vehicles, affects the 2013 and 2014 Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and Police Interceptor sedans, the Flex and Lincoln MKT crossovers, the 2012-2014 Edge and 2014 Lincoln MKX. Ford says the right-hand halfshaft, which is part of the axle, may disengage over time, making the vehicles inoperable.
Ford is recalling 5,264 2011-2014 F59 commercial stripped chassis because corrosion could lead to a fire risk. It's also recalling 2,124 Escape SUVs from the 2014 model year because their panoramic glass roofs might leak or fall out.


text:
Splashers Ocean Adventures
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
The Morning tour is 3.5 to 4 hours (approx.) a shoreline and seacave tour and snorkeling in the pristine Kealakekua Bay where the Capt cook monument is located. Lunch, snacks & drinks provided.
Manta night time snorkels will regularly embark every night of the week. Call for information. This is will be an experience of a life time. Swim with the Mantas.
Check-in at Fuel Dock at the Honokohau Marina 74-381 Kealakehe Pkwy, 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Restrooms are available at the store.
Captain and Crew gratuities not included and always appreciated.
Category: Boat Rentals


text:
Homework Questions? Ask a Tutor for Answers ASAP
What day and time is the assignment due? Is it APA? How many references are required? Is there additional information to complete the assignment?
Assignment is due by tuesday. APA is not required, but a referenced is needed for each of the essays and no sir there is not any more information needed to complete this question. Thanks!
Sir are you still gonna provide an answer?
No, my apologies. Not by you're deadline. If you need help again I may be of assistance.
Actually, what is the deadline tonight? I should have asked that before stating I was unable to complete the assignment.
Tomorrow around 5pm
What is the difference between qualifying dimensions and determining dimensions? Explain why segmentation efforts based on attempts to divide the mass market using a few demographic dimensions may be very disappointing.
In the world of marketing the number one commodity is customers. There are billions of people who live on Earth and each one has a different desire. Some customers are looking for the latest in electronics while others are searching for the hottest fashions. The adequate use of advertising will draw in large numbers of customers which in turn create massive profits. Some companies can make multiplied millions of dollars by grabbing the right target market. In the process of accumulating customers marketers may incorporate segmentation. Segmentation is the distinguishing of characteristics associated with customers. The characteristics or demographics include age, sex, race, location, occupation, socio-economic status and education.
The largest upcoming population would be the aging baby boomers. Snagging the majority of this market would be profitable but only with certain products such as denture cream and orthopedic shoes. There are other demographic levels outside this segment that could generate profits but are inaccessible. In the category of segmentation there are two sections: qualifying dimensions and determining dimensions. Qualifying dimensions relate specifically to the type of customer that prefers a certain product. Certain core features are mandatory for the customers to desire to purchase the product. These features can include products that don't test on animals or use all nature ingredients. Determining dimensions directly affect the customer's purchase of certain products or brands in the product-market. This type of dimension may create narrow segments. Each identify sections can be governed by a different set of dimensions.
MHHE.com. (2009). Segmenting dimensions (qualifying dimensions and determining
dimensions). Retrieved from
How might a firm's resources limit its search for opportunities? Cite two specific examples for two specific resources.
In corporate world businesses need to find an edge in order to survive. This niche is even more important now that the economy has suffered from a recession, not only in the United States but also around the world. Companies rely on resources to help penetrate and either conquer or occupy certain markets. The analysis of these resources usually results in a SWOT analysis. This is a strategic planning technique that is described as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths help determine the advantages that a company has over other companies in the market. These advantages can come from the internal workings of the company and also from the company's customer base within the market. Weaknesses represent the vulnerable spots within the organization that could cost money, time and employees. These are areas that should either be improved or avoided if possible. Opportunities represent openings within the current market or additional markets where the company can earn additional funds by accumulating more customers. Threats represent external elements that could damage the cash flow and interfere with the growth in customers (Mind Tools Ltd. 2012).
The firm can also use two different types of interfaces: the firm-strategy interface and the environment-strategy interface. The firm-strategy interface deals with three components: goals/values, resources/capabilities and structure and systems. Goals/values isolate what's important to the firm and how it will accomplish those imperatives. Resources/capabilities are a comparison of the resources ability to bring the firm closer to or farther from its objective. Structure and systems describes the inner workings of the firm and how each division works together to achieve or hinder the accomplishment of the goal. The second interface is environment which is composed of competitors, customers and suppliers. These individuals form a chain that is vitally important to the survival of any firm and its plan to gain additional opportunities. Customer purchases the products and produces the revenue. If the original company can't maintained the products desired by the customers they will seek out other firms known as competitors? Suppliers are the individuals that stock the firms with the products needed for customer purchase (Blackwellpublishing.com 2007).
Blackwellpublishing.com. (2007 January 13). Analyzing Resources and Capabilities. Retrieved
from http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/grant/files/CSAC05.pdf
Mind Tools Ltd. (2012). SWOT Analysis Discover New Opportunities Mange and Eliminate
Threats. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm


text:
Hitched: Should We Go To Premarital Counseling?
The State of Texas, beautiful and God-blessed land led by the white conservative men Jesus always intended it to be led by, rewards people who go to premarital counseling. The prize? You get to waive your license fee and don't have a three-day waiting period between obtaining the license and getting married.
I discovered this fun new law while checking out marriage licenses generally, and learned that as of March 1, 2011, Texans getting married can either pay an increased fee for a license or get their asses to a counselor for an eight-hour course that will allow them to waive it.
The program is called, barfily enough, Twogether in Texas. I figured hey, if we can waive the fee and get counseling, that might be kind of cool. Of course, it'll have to be free counseling because otherwise, there's no money saved in waiving the fee. And we're sure not paying a stranger hundreds of dollars to tell us we love each other and agree on major life issues like children (not for us, thanks), money (let's make a reasonable amount of it and share it with each other) and religion (we'll pass). Duh. That's why we're getting married.
So no, we hadn't really considered premarital counseling before, at least not after that one time Patrick's mom suggested we go to Catholic premarital counseling because if there's anybody who knows a bunch about building strong marriages, it's people who've taken lifelong vows of celibacy, am I right y'all?
But seriously. Patrick's mom, who for the record is a lovely woman and I'm really looking forward to being her daughter-in-law, does not attend church. For reasons she couldn't totally articulate, she just wanted us to go to church counseling, even though she also knows neither Patrick nor I attend church. She said it did a lot for her marriage to Patrick's dad. They're divorced.
Patrick and I had a good laugh about it, shrugging it off as just one of those things people feel like they can get all up in your business about because you're getting married. No harm, no foul, no religious premarital counseling for us.
Until the State of Texas was all, hey, how about some religious premarital counseling? To be clear, the Twogether in Texas program is not explicitly religious, but the vast majority of free providers are ministers and pastors.
I looked up every free provider within 40 miles of our home and e-mailed every last one of them, explaining that we had just five weeks until our wedding but we were still interested in taking the course if they could fit us in. No low-cost or free non-religious counselors could see us — one community-based family counseling service told me they'd just lost their grant for this precise thing. But a few religious institutions said they could help us.
And one really sweet lady from a church politely chewed my ass out for not contacting her sooner and suggested I move my wedding date to take her course, that is, if I wanted my marriage "to be durable and fulfilling."
So, off to a good start.
Throughout the process of e-mailing with various pastors of Edgy Font Christian Church and Sunrise Bible Explosion Fellowship and the like, I started to get kind of a creepy feeling. Because I couldn't imagine religious-based premarital counseling being much more than a series of arguments with a probably very well-meaning Christian person. If we can't agree with a counselor on the fundamentals — say, that the Bible is a good place to go to for advice on marriage — how could we move forward to talking about anything else?
Patrick and I are not anti-religious folks. We're not even atheists. We're firmly agnostic. We both were deeply religious as teenagers and as adults, found that our respective organized religions had little to offer us. Right now, most of the religious teaching in our lives comes from one Dr. Gaius Balthar.
I didn't want to go through premarital counseling for the hell of it, or even do it just to get a great Hitched column out of it. I especially did not want to do religious premarital counseling just for the hell of it, wherein it would become clear, very quickly, that not only are Patrick and I not on the same page as someone who believes in a Biblical base for marriage, we are not even on the same planet. Unless I haven't showered, I don't consider myself unclean because I menstruate, and submission sounds like a fun sex game, but I don't consider it an integral part of the role I will play as Patrick's wife. New Testament or Old, even in the most liberal interpretations of the Bible, I am not a huge fan of what the big book says about women. I know there are feminist Christians out there, and I respect their theology and beliefs. But I'm simply not one of them.
In fact, I felt like I had too much respect for everyone's beliefs — mine and Patrick's, as well as the religious counselors I was e-mailing with — to go through some farce of a counseling program just to get a $60 marriage discount. I mean seriously, one place wanted us to sign a "Purity Covenant" before attending counseling. If the first thing a premarital counselor wants to tell me is "Stop screwing your fiancé," we are not starting from a place of mutual understanding. We are starting from a place of "give me a fucking break. No, not that kind of fucking break!"
But I was genuinely disappointed that I couldn't find free resources as easily as Christian folks could. Premarital counseling sounded like it might be kind of fun and eye-opening — however, if Patrick and I wanted it fast and free , we'd have to go the church route. And the more we looked into it, the ickier that became. Many churches I talked to use curriculum called PREPARE/ENRICH, from "Life Innovations," which is affiliated with all manner of extreme conservative folks, including famously homophobic Focus on the Family. (And because Life Innovations is so romantic, they also produced this helpful brochure directed at corporate America wherein they educate companies on how married workers will increase their corporate profits. I'm not saying I'm surprised that happily married people do better at work, but I am saying please, please, do not ply me into marriage by making me part of your corporate plot to increase Chick-Fil-A's revenue. There are so many good reasons to get married, but more chicken tenders is not one of them.)
These churches wanted us to pay $30 for the PREPARE/ENRICH curriculum, so we'd be giving money to religious groups that actively go counter to our deepest personal and political beliefs. Thanks, but no thanks.
I was stumped. If the (presumably secular) government wants people to get premarital counseling, shouldn't they load us up with some secular counseling options? If they want to strengthen marriages, shouldn't they want to strengthen all marriages — Christian or otherwise? Is the point of "Twogether in Texas" to strengthen marriage, or is the point to shore up conservative Christian values and beliefs so that people who share those beliefs reap governmental benefits more easily than those who don't?
In practice, it really feels like the latter — especially since the sponsor of the "Twogether in Texas" bill is one Warren Chisum, a champion of conservatism and anti-gay rights in my fair state. In fact, he's been called our "most powerful fundamentalist." In Texas, that's really, really saying something.
At the end of the work day on which I'd discovered the "Twogether in Texas" program, Patrick and I sat down with a couple of beers and a cheese plate and admitted that we'd both felt increasingly skeeved out by the implications of the program, despite our early openness to its possibilities.
Might we do a counseling thing in the future? Maybe. But we won't do it because the State of Texas rewards us for it. We'll do it with a counselor we trust whose beliefs are aligned with our own.
In the meantime, we're going to go finish "Battlestar Galactica."
I do? So say we all.
Contact the author of this column at [email protected]


text:
Velankanni Overview
You can reach Velankanni from Calicut by road in about using a cab upon driving using a cab.
Velankanni is a small hamlet in Tamil Nadu, Velankanni is a popular pilgrim center, especially renowned for the Church of Mother Mary. As a great number of pilgrims turn up here, like Lourdes in France, Velankanni is nicknamed as Lourdes of the East. Velankanni is also famous for its delicate handlooms and silk. Once a port that traded with Rome and Greece, the tiny commercial center gradually lost its importance to the larger city of Nagapattinam. The canal built to link this town with Vedaranyam still lies to the west. The Vellayar, a minor branch of the Cauvery River, runs south of the town and discharges into the sea. If you are looking for car rental Velankanni let us know and we will be happy to provide you with best budgeted deals for car rentals in Velankanni, cabs booking,Velankanni car rental, car rental in Velankanni, luxury car rental Velankanni, rent a car Velankanni, corporate car rental Velankanni, business rent a car Velankanni, Velankanni cab booking M.I.C.E in Velankanni ,Taxis / Cabs in Velankanni,Business Tour in Velankanni,Long Term Car Rentals in Velankanni, Car Rental Tour Packages in Velankanni and more. For packages, questions or comments for Car Rental Velankanni, write to us by clicking on Send enquiry. . Book cabs in Velankanni


text:
The Baltimore Orioles began playing at Memorial Stadium in 1944, when they were members of the International League, a minor league. Once the Browns moved to the city, Memorial Stadium then served as home to the Baltimore Orioles of the American League. The stadium was also home to the Baltimore Colts before their move to Indianapolis, hosting the NFL team from 1953 to 1984. The stadium hosted the Junior World Series, a clash against the minor league teams, making Baltimore an attractive destination for a Major League club as fans had showed interest in the game.
By 1991, the Stadium had worn down, and the Orioles needed to move into a new ballpark. The newly built Oriole Park at Camden Yards would serve as the replacement to Memorial Stadium, opening in 1992. The park has been admired for its design, which is a type of retro look, the first of its kind. Oriole Park sparked the retro design for newly built stadiums, combing elements of the modern world, while also paying homage to the years past, including the use of brick in the stadium as well as green painted exposed steal. The B&O Warehouse has also been a visual staple in the park, which was converted to team offices once the team moved to Camden Yards.


text:
Tripp Lite -- Remote Management Adapter
We've installed nearly a dozen Trip Lite on-line UPSes with the remote management adapter. If they worked as advertized, it would be a good product. We've had numerous problems with temperature probe accuracy,settings, and data collection. If your looking at buying this product - Good Luck - some work some don't. In addition, don't expect to get a lot of support from the factory.
Was this review helpful to you?YESNO


text:
March 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 -- Recycling on campus
Does the university pay for any of the recycling efforts on campus? Are we paying to have any of the recycled materials transported to Anchorage, etc?
Computer monitors are recycled through Total Reclaim in Anchorage. Total Reclaim currently charges 35 cents per pound for Computer monitors/Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT's) delivered to Anchorage.
Mixed paper and cardboard, glass, plastic and aluminum is recycled through K&K Recycling in Fairbanks. There is no charge for drop off but UAF is responsible for individual containers around campus, dumpsters and transportation cost to K&K Inc.
Saturday, March 26, 2011 -- Fundraising for community groups
I just received an email from Chancellor Rogers asking for all of us to support the university's efforts in raising $40,000 for the American Heart Association. In the fall we are asked to support the United Way Campaign.
While both of these are great causes there are many other groups that could use our support. Can you please tell me who decides what community groups the university will actively support and raise money for? Is there is system in place that allows university employees to suggest the groups the university should support?
Chancellor Rogers has made it a priority to raise funds for two community group efforts: The United Way Campaign in the fall and the American Heart Association efforts in the spring. These groups have been supported by UAF for years because of their tradition and because university leadership has been actively involved in both their organizational efforts.
Though the chancellor would very much like to devote resources to help raise funds for every worthwhile community effort, this simply is not realistic or feasible. We believe better outcomes will result from focusing on two to three community group efforts. That being said, employees are more than welcome to suggest other groups that the university may want to support by simply emailing the Chancellor's Office at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Friday, March 25, 2011 -- Tabacco surcharge
Is it true that the smoking surcharge added to UA health care may not go into affect this summer leaving those that don't smoke to foot the bill for the documented higher health care costs of smokers?
The Joint Health Care Committee recommended the university take more time in developing and marketing effective tobacco cessation programs for employees before a surcharge, or an additional cost, is charged when employees or their dependents on the plan use tobacco. Once cessation programs are selected, they will be available at no cost to employees.
From Mike Humphrey, UA Statewide Human Resources
The UA administration agrees with this approach. As such, UA will delay the tobacco use surcharge until FY13, or starting July 1, 2012 (instead of July 1, 2011). More information concerning tobacco cessation programs will be widely distributed when it becomes available.
The loss of the recovery for the tobacco surcharge may need to be accounted for in future employee charges. However, if UA employees and dependents can successfully be encouraged to participate in tobacco cessation programs, it will help our health care plan.
Saturday, March 19, 2011 -- Fisher report draft
I understand that the Fisher Report was made available in draft form to President Gamble and then revised according to his response. I understand there may be reporters requesting this via FOIA, but can you just tell us: is this true? And if so, how is this an "independent" evaluation?
From Kate Ripley, UA Statewide Public Affairs
Draft reports to government entities are nearly always made available to a select group of reviewers first, prior to finalization and wide release. This is done not only at the university but within all levels of government, both within and outside Alaska. Even financial and legislative audits provide for the entity under audit to have an opportunity to review drafts in advance of broad release. Drafts at this stage are considered privileged, pre-decisional and deliberative process documents. As such, they are not public documents under the state's public records act.
The Fisher report is still "independent" because it wasn't developed or directed by the university. Having fresh, critical eyes review an institution from time to time, especially a consultant who has reviewed many other institutions of higher education, helps illuminate strengths and weaknesses. The university is thankful to the Rasmuson Foundation for providing funding for this review. It will be helpful for President Gamble and all key stakeholders in the upcoming strategic planning process for the UA System.
As you indicated, the Sun Star requested a draft of the Fisher Report under the Alaska Public Records Act. That request was denied based on advice from the university's attorney that the draft document was considered privileged, pre-decisional and a deliberative process document.
Saturday, March 19, 2011 -- Career ladder and layoff lists
How should departments handle career ladder promotions in light of the lay off list? Before we can get as far as posting and including web posting text stating it is a promotional opportunity for internal candidates only, we are being asked to review the lay off pool and justify why those candidates cannot be hired.
From Kris Racina, UAF Human Resources
If I understand the question correctly, the department wishes to promote an employee to a higher position. The university supports promotional placements of qualified existing employees under BOR Policy 04.03.030. HR reviews whether the promoted individual was originally hired by competitive recruitment as a condition to the promotional direct appointment, and requires that the vacated position be back filled through a competitive recruitment At the time the vacated position is open, HR requires the hiring authority to first review the layoff list for qualified individuals, and will allow a direct placement of a layoff employee to backfill position(s) vacated due to promotion.
There may be unique circumstances in every situation that require review and you should contact your HR Consultant for assistance. If you have received information contrary to this response, please contact Brad Lobland or Kris Racina to discuss your specific situation so we can better understand any unique circumstances you are facing.
P04.03.030. Special Recruitment Categories
Categories and standardized procedures for alternative methods of recruitment will be established by university regulation. The university encourages promotional opportunities for existing employees.
Saturday, March 19, 2011 -- Exterior temperature gauges
How about having exterior temperature gauges attached outside some (not all) buildings, so when students, faculty, staff leave they can read them and be prepared for inclement/cold weather when leaving the buildings? This will cut on health care costs and prevent accidents.
Saturday, March 19, 2011 -- Trail crossing signs on the Range road
Why are the six Trail Crossing signs on the Range road 12 feet high?
When we purchase the sign posts, they come in the length required to install them into the ground. In this case we needed to place the signs on temporary bases. As this road has limited use in the winter months, we left the post full length until the ground thaws and we can install them properly.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 -- Recycling steel cans
Why can't the university recycle site take steel cans? I've taken mine to K&K in the past. I always washed and flattened them. I didn't get money for them like with aluminum, but they always took them for me. Were they just humoring me?
I think the recycling we are doing is great, but if steel cans were included, I wouldn't have much garbage at all.
For more informaiton on recycling at UAF, visit http://www.uaf.edu/sustainability/getinvolved/recycle/.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 -- Student Services supervisors
It is my understanding that some supervisors within student services that have received extremely poor feedback on supervisor reviews. In addition, former employees have written letters of discontent after leaving the department to have put on file with HR. Who is the watching over the people in power? I have heard extremely unethical and disheartening news from numerous sources. If HR is involved, and dept heads are aware - why does it seem that the all the poor feedback goes unnoticed?
The UAF chancellor emphasizes performance management and accountability for all employees, including supervisors. Most performance management issues are handled between employee and supervisor and others in the department or University at large will be unaware of specific efforts. When employees bring concerns to HR, those concerns are raised to the attention of the responsible supervisor or leadership reporting line, or they are independently handled by HR, depending on the specifics. The university cannot address complaints or concerns that are anonymous and lacking in sufficient details. Employee matters are confidential unless the employee chooses to discuss specifics.
Allegations of unethical behavior are serious and if employees have information about unethical behavior they should raise those concerns directly with a supervisor, or with HR.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 -- Department e-mail accounts
What is going on with the departmental email accounts - I hear there are google groups now, but they are not emails, they are posts. There has not been any communication from OIT about this and the process is cumbersome-to say the least. Finally, how much is UA paying for this system in terms of software and people?
The cost to the university for GoogleApps, which includes email, calendar, docs, groups, as well as a whole slew of other applications, is nothing. It is free to the University. That is why we are trying to move people off the old systems. The longer we keep the old systems running, the less we realize in savings. Once we have everyone (including departmental accounts) off of the old systems, we can stop licensing software and we can avoid costly hardware upgrades.
I can personally take responsibility for the lack of clarity in our communications and will strive to improve that. We have met with our support staff and discussed the importance of listening to the use case for your Group so that we assist you in arriving at the proper configuration. We will also come to your department and work with you so that you are satisfied with your new account(s). We are working with departments one-on-one to ensure that their Google Group is configured to function as they expect or as may work for each particular situation.
Your old departmental account is neither forwarded nor turned off until you notify OIT that you are satisfied with the way your new Google Group account is working.


text:
Place : Cadet, Guadeloupe
Cadet is located in the overseas region of Guadeloupe. Use the menus above, the interactive map below, or the gallery below that to see current weather conditions, recent photos and top rated YouTube travel videos of Cadet. You may also find airports, hotel accommodation, live webcams, tours and activites and hire car rental as per the links below.
Now Showing [ 1-29 ] Of [ 29 ]
Quick Hotel Search


text:
We have been giving you the latest updates of Dilip Kumar's condition while he was at the Leelavati hospital after he suffered from a heart attack. We are now happy to inform you that the veteran actor has been discharged from the hospital today, September 26.
The legendary actor was admitted on September 15 when he complained of uneasiness. He was moved out of the Intensive Care Unit a few days back as his condition had improved. Now that the 90-year-old actor's health has shown stability, he has returned to his home after the 10-day-stay at the hospital.
Kumar's heart condition he faced recently is called as myocardial infarction and we are also aware that he had undergone a heart surgery 14 years ago. "He is better and hence it was decided to take him home," said a source close to the actor's family.
Dilip Kumar was once crowned as the Tragedy King of Bollywood for playing a doomed lover on screen in many movies. The actor was even honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.
While he was still at the hospital, the actor made sure he expressed his gratefulness by thanking everyone for their love and support on the micro-blogging site Twitter. We even saw Big B visiting the actor at the hospital. Now that he is home, we presume that some of Bollywood's biggies may visit him. We will surely update you on that. We wish him a healthy and a long life ahead.


text:
ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
Hertz Car Rental - The Hertz Corporation - Hertz Global14501 Hertz Quail Springs Parkway Oklahoma City, Oklahoma United States of America
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
Stay away from Hertz's British car rental agency, which we booked via American Airlines' Travel department. We picked up the first rental car at Heathrow at 8:30 am, 8/25/09. It had 5286 miles on it when we took it out and 5386 miles when it broke down a total of 100 miles that we drove. The clutch balked each time it was used. When it balked before we even left the Heathrow lot, we should have known it was bad, but we chalked it up to unfamiliarity with this manual-drive car.
We drove immediately onto the M4 highway, where the clutch was rarely needed, and got off the highway at about 9:30 am at Swindon to visit the main post office downtown (to exchange currency). Then, with the clutch still balking, we left Swindon heading south.
We no sooner got across the M4 when the clutch started burning as well as balking. We got onto a back road, where it quit entirely (at about 10:20 am) That was when we learned that Hertz's "emergency" number, on their car keys, is for their contractee, the British Automobile Association, and that we had been given NO Hertz phone number that could help us get a second car.
After a two-hour wait, an Automobile Association mechanic answered our emergency call and towed us and the dead car to the Swindon Volkswagon dealer (because its still under warrantee, he was told). In his tow truck, since the phone was on speaker mode, we heard the Swindon Hertz Rental manager, say she had one car on the lot but she wouldnt let that one go to us: she was saving it in case someone walks in.
We sat in the VW lot in the broken-down car while the mechanic attempted all day to find another Hertz dealer who was willing to bring us a replacement car. We asked about another car rental agency and were told then that Hertz is the only car agency whose contract with Automobile Association specifies that only another Hertz car can be substituted.
We tried phoning Hertz but the phone number on the Hertz rent-a-car form had been changed and that number got us to someone at the Heathrow Hertz rental desk. He said he was just a rental desk clerk, had no phone that could make calls, and didnt know how he or we could reach anyone higher up who could help us. We then phoned the US to American Airlines Car Rental, through which we made this car rental, and got us another car reservation.
Though she promised the car for 9 am the next morning, Swindon Hertz, where evidently the rental reservation was forwarded, did not deliver that car until almost noon on 9/26 despite our pleas with the manager. This first replacement cars left front tire was marked by Hertz on its pre-inspection form as scuffed, and with only 5mm tread.
As we drove the car, it kept steering leftward needing constant, vigilant correction for three days. At some point we were forced into a curb, nicking the rim. It then leaked air, but unnoticeably slowly at first because we were doing very little driving on 8/27 and 8/28. But when we got on the M6 highway on 8/29 on our way from Stratford to Blackpool, the leaking of the tires air accelerated and it flattened noticeably.
We stopped at Exit 15 M6 Service Station at 4:30 PM and discovered that the car held no spare tire. By luck Automobile Association mechanic Dave was in the lot picking up another disabled car. He phoned for help for us. At 7:30 pm another mechanic finally arrived. He phoned around and found that the nearest place where we could get another Hertz car was Manchester airport.
He towed the broken-down car and us to the airport, where we arrived at 10:30 pm. We were exhausted (again) from a day of keeping this cars bad steering from causing an accident and then from sitting for hours in a parking lot, missing dinner reservation at a posh resort and a paid-for after-dinner show in Blackpool which had been contemplated as a big highlight of our trip through England. At the airport Hertz we signed all the forms for yet a third car.
After an hour and a half of searching it couldnt be found. At nearly midnight we got a fourth car. It was there and it was in working order. The rest of the trip, we had no car trouble.
Were told that Hertz UK advertises its policy as if your rental car breaks down well bring you another one right away. With us, Hertz violated this policy not once but twice. Hertz ruined three days out of the ten days of our ten-day B=England driving trip and caused us frustration, exhaustion and untold anguish for the entire ten days of car rental. We claimed compensation for lost reservations, lost travel time and wear and tear. We got NONE despite having names, dates, and all other corroborating evidence. All Hertz did was reverse the charge they'd erroneously put on our credit card for the broken clutch!
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 01/21/2010 11:07 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/hertz-car-rental-the-hertz-corporation-hertz-global/oklahoma-city-oklahoma-73134/hertz-car-rental-the-hertz-corporation-hertz-global-hertz-corp-hertz-uk-hertz-provid-557893. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on Hertz Car Rental - The Hertz Corporation - Hertz Global
If you would like to see more Rip-off Reports on this company/individual, search here:Search Tips
In order to assure the best results in your search:
Advertisers above have met our
strict standards for business conduct.


text:
A Double Musical Treat
3:31pm Thursday 26th June 2014
3:31pm Thursday 26th June 2014
There will be a treat in store for music lovers at Great Witley Church on July 5 and July 6, with two performances to savour.
First up, on July 5, at 7.30pm, will be the Wyre Forest Young Voices, with a programme that will take in classical standards and move onto songs from the shows.
The following evening, July 6, will see a recital from Corinne Frost, on the cello, and Janine Smith, on the piano, with a programme of Russian music.
This will include Pezzo Capriccioso and Andante Cantabile by Tchaikovsky and Sonata in G minor by Rachmaninov.
Further details on 01684 561623, or visit www.greatwitleymusic.com
© Copyright 2001-2017 Newsquest Media Group


text:
Halloween Party Food: Edible Insects Edible insects make great and creepy Halloween party food. Here are a few that might wet your appetite. More… Mole Crickets in Trinity, FL Mole crickets are becoming an increasing problem in some states; damaging lawns. They tunnel through the surface layer of the soil which damages the grass roots.Read More
Tag: pests
PestWorld 2013 Day 2
Day two of PestWorld 2013 (October 23, 2013) got off to an enthusiastic start as the 3,300 attendees got the privilege to hear from Jordan Belfort, "the Wolf of Wall Street." After his remarks all of us pest professionals spent the rest of the morning checking out the pest management exhibits in the exhibit hall,Read More
PestWorld 2013 Day 1
The first day of PestWorld 2013 (Tuesday, October 23, 2013) in Phoenix, AZ is just wrapping up, and what a day it's been. Some 3,300 Pest Management professionals from across the globe have packed the Phoenix Convention Center, getting all the latest info on everything from new methods of treatment and control to marketing strategy. HereRead More
Blog Pest Control Headed To PestWorld 2013
Blog Pest Control Headed To PestWorld 2013 Exciting news! Blog Pest Control will be at NPMA PestWorld 2013 this week. For those of you in the pest management industry, tune in this week for our comprehensive daily reports regarding all things PestWorld. Blog Pest Control will be front and center at PestWorld, getting all theRead More
Friday Links Round-Up: Pest Control Articles
Friday Links Round-Up: Pest Control Articles Kissing Bug – Everything You Need To Know About This Dangerous Pest! Kissing bugs are blood sucking insects that are known to attack humans for their food. A major reason these insects are called "kissing bugs†is because they tend to bite around the mouth and eye regionRead More
Guide To The Brown Recluse Spider Infographic
One of the most feared spiders in the United States, also has the worse reputation. I'm referring to the Brown Recluse spider, and unfortunately this bad reputation is well deserved. The Brown Recluse is dangerous. The Brown Recluse is very venomous. Yes, it bites and one of these Brown Recluse spider bites is very painful andRead More
Friday Links Round-Up: Your Weekly Pest Control News
Friday Links Round-Up: Your Weekly Pest Control News Bed Bugs Could Be The New Cockroaches! "Bed bugs are what cockroaches were several decades ago and it is a concern.†More… Pest Control And Stink Bugs Stink bugs are invading homes in record numbers this fall. Learn how to deal with this invasion here. WaysRead More
What Your Customers Are Looking For In A Pest Control Company
Pest control management can be a competitive field to work in since there are usually several companies in one city offering the same services, each one claiming that they can get the job done best. So when a potential customer opens the Yellow Pages or does a quick Internet search, how do they know whoRead More
My Cockroaches Are Worth How Much?!
They're nasty! They scuttle along your kitchen counters and cupboards, only to dart off into deepest cracks and crevices of your home as soon as you flip on the lights. They multiply like crazy; and before long you're overrun with them. I'm referring, of course, to cockroaches! But I bet you didn't know that yourRead More
Friday Links Round-Up: Weekly Pest Control Articles
Friday Links Round-Up: Weekly Pest Control Articles What is a Vole? Often confused for mice, voles can be equally as troublesome. Lean more about voles, here. Facts About Bed bugs Appearance, Bites and Behavior What do bed bugs look like? What do their bites look like? What should you do if you have bedbugs?Read More


text:
Visual Comfort Lighting Studio Brooks 1 Light Table Lamp
$ 483.00
This 1 light Table Lamp from the Studio Brooks collection by Visual Comfort will enhance your home with a perfect mix of form and function. The features include a Polished Nickel finish applied by experts. This item qualifies for free shipping! Check the right-hand bar or call our dedicated Sales Team for similar items and additional options not pictured.
- Collection: Studio Brooks
- Finish: Polished Nickel
- Number of Lights: 1 light
- Wattage Per Light: 100W
- Total Wattage: 100W
- Bulb Type: A-Shape
- Designer: J. Randall Powers
- Shade: Natural Paper
- Bulbs Included: No
- Ships Via: UPS (FREE SHIPPING)
- Dimensions: 23" w x 30" h
- Base Dimensions: 8.75" Round
- Shade Dimensions: 5" w x 23" d x 14" h


text:
Food and Wine Conference 2014
Sunday Supper
Friday, July 18, 2014 at 3:30 PM - Sunday, July 20, 2014 at 3:00 PM (EDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
The Food and Wine Conference brings together bloggers, small business owners, winemakers, chefs, public relations professionals, traditional media, new media, authors and brands.
Attend the conference and tap into information and resources that can lead to growth for both you and your blog. Connections are very important in today's ever growing blogosphere. This conference puts you and those connections in one place. It is an opportunity not to miss!
Please send any inquiries about the conference to email@example.com.
All ticket sales are final. No refunds or transfers.
When & Where
Rosen Shingle Creek
9939 Universal Blvd
Friday, July 18, 2014 at 3:30 PM - Sunday, July 20, 2014 at 3:00 PM (EDT)
Add to my calendar


text:
Ask a Mechanic Online and Get Answers to Your Car Questions
The left side of the engine would make it the front manifold. I don't recall ever having to remove the crank pulley and looking up the procedure, I see there is no mention of having to take the crank pulley off either.
Yes, you will need to create some extra space on the top side by removing the cowl panel.
These are the steps listed for removing the pump....
Remove accessory drive belt. Raise and support vehicle. Remove lower radiator hose. Remove nut on both front engine mounts. Lower vehicle. Remove generator. Disconnect power steering pump pressure hose. Remove cowl top vent panel. Disconnect water by-pass hose. Remove water pump outlet tube retaining bolt, and position tube assembly aside. Attach lifting equipment to left exhaust manifold. Raise engine approximately 5" (127 mm). Remove accessory belt pulley nut, and remove pulley. Remove generator support bracket.Remove water pump pulley. Remove water pump bolts, nuts and studs, noting location of studs. Remove water pump, lower tube and gasket as an assembly.


text:
Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson was reveaked as the cover star for Electronic Arts pro football simulation Madden NFL 13 during a broadcast of ESPN's SportsNation.
Johnson beat out 63 other players, including fellow finalist Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, in a bracket-style tournament to grace the cover of the game, which launches this August for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
The Lions star edged out Newton with 52% of the fan vote, compared to 48% for the Panthers quarterback. More than 19.5 million votes were cast through the course of the tournament.
Johnson capped a huge season for the Lions with a playoff appearance, finishing the regular season with 1,681 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.
Johnson is the second wide receiver to appear on the cover of Madden. Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald was on the front of Madden NFL 10, joined by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.
This is the third year Electronic Arts has opened up the cover of Madden to a fan vote. Previous winners include New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis, who appeared on the covers of Madden NFL 11 and Madden NFL 12, respectively.
Mike Snider began covering the video game industry during the Super Nintendo-Sega Genesis clash in 1992. An original pinball wizard, he eventually was seduced by Robotron: 2084 and Tempest. These days he is a fan of action/shooters and lives out his Keith Moon fantasies playing a mean drum kit on music games. More about Mike.
Brett Molina has been writing about video games for USA TODAY since 2005. He is well-versed in Madden NFL, the fighting genre and first-person shooters. The first video game he played was Asteroids at a local arcade. He has been hooked ever since. More about Brett.


text:
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Did Santa Come Early???
Oh Goody !! Look what Santa (in a huge truck) brought, big boxes. It is always exciting to see the big trucks pull up but today was busier than usual. After these four big boxes came another truck bringing six more.
This is one of the cupboards stashed away in a huge box. I quickly tore through to find more treasures.
7 comments:
- Jessica @Blessings in the Country said...
Gorgeous pieces! What fun to open those boxes. :)
Merry Christmas!
- December 15, 2011 at 10:40 AM
- jennifer768 said...
Beautiful pieces!Sounds like a fun day!Hugs,Jen
- December 15, 2011 at 1:40 PM
- Cherry said...
It was fun seeing all the new things coming out of the boxes but it was a ton of work. Packing material and boxes everywhere. My sweet husband came over to help me dispose of all the cardboard.
- December 15, 2011 at 7:51 PM
- Karen ~ Life In A Primitive English Cottage said...
Wonderful Pieces Cherry! I just wish I lived in the US and could come visit your store in person ::::sigh:::
- December 16, 2011 at 8:21 AM
- Cherry said...
Karen, You are always welcome!! Of course England is a tad far. You manage to prim your home very well.
- December 16, 2011 at 9:58 AM
- earlene said...
Cool pieces!
Merry Christmas!
- December 23, 2011 at 8:51 PM
- Mary said...
Oh my! Those are gorgeous! I am green with envy over that dry sink. :o)
- January 4, 2012 at 11:05 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
The Garden of the Prophet (Kahlil Gibran Pocket Library)
The Garden of the Prophet, which Gibran intended as a companion to his masterpiece The Prophet, is a lyrical celebration of the mystical beauty of Nature.The Kahlil Gibran Pocket LibrarySince their initial publication seventy years ago, the incomparable works of Kahlil Gibran have been translated into more than twenty languages. Infused with a timeless wisdom about life and death and written in spare, beautifully cadenced poetical language, these modern classics have furnished countless individuals with words of joy or consolation on occasions of birth, marriage, death, and all of life's other milestones.With these new editions, the vision of this renowned poet will touch countless more lives seeking expression of the deepest impulses of the heart and mind.
Please visit Help Page for Questions
regarding ISBN / ISBN-10 / ISBN10, ISBN-13 / ISBN13, EAN / EAN-13, and Amazon
Home | ISBN Directory | Affiliate
Program | Contact
Copyright © 2003-2014 AllDiscountBooks.net All rights reserved.


text:
The Farm Sanctuary is an organization that's very close to my heart. They rescue and rehabilitate animals that have endured terrible abuse and mistreatment, and they give them love, often for the first time in their lives.
Right now they are trying to build a new hospital for small animals. They need to raise $190,000 by September 30th in order to start construction.
This is an important time to support this wonderful organization. Not only because they are working on such a vital project, but because any donation you make before October will be matched! So not only will your money go to supporting animals in need, but it will be worth double. If that doesn't sound like a good deal, I don't know what does.
I hope you will support Farm Sanctuary. I am personally grateful for any contribution you can make.


text:
Congrats to Galway and Past Pupils
Congrats to Galway on winning the all Ireland senior and intermediate finals in croke park on sun 15th September. A special mention to past pupils Susan, Molly and Paula.
Our Teams
Banagher College fields three camogie teams each year at Senior, Junior and Minor (First & Second Year girls) level. All teams compete in both Leinster and Offaly competitions.
The teachers involved are Ms Kathleen Gleeson and Mr Jerry Drennan.
Senior Camogie
Banagher played Castlecomer CS on Tuesday 20th 2015. Final score Banagher 4-11 to Castlecomer 1-06. Next match against Thomastown to be played after mid term.
Our team played Sacred Heart Secondary School in Tullamore on Tuesday 6 Oct 2015. Final score SHS 6-11 to Banagher 4-15.
Offaly Minor Camogie Team
Hard luck to Grainne D (Captain) and the Banagher Girls on the Minor Camogie Team who played Kilkenny in the Leinster final on the 12th September 2015.