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quote:Originally posted by JOSHUACANADAI disliked him prior to this lawsuit. I find this lawsuit against an unknown poster who heard something true or untrue and repeated it on a social network and he is now suing, is now what is lowering my opinion of him.
quote:Originally posted by nuxfanyou are not a fan of Burke going with the virtual lawsuit, or you are not a fan of Burke suing someone for slander/defamation?
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SWINDON skipper Troy Batchelor is expecting a "spine chilling" evening in Cardiff tonight as he bids to continue his stunning Grand Prix form.
The Aussie goes into tonight's showpiece at the Millennium Stadium on a crest of a wave after plundering a massive 20 points in the series' last round in Copenhagen, with his only blemish coming in the final where he finished second to Niels-Kristian Iversen.
Batchelor's magnificent night in PARKEN lifted him firmly back into contention for a place in the all-important top eight, but insists there's no extra pressure on him now despite the expectation of a repeat performance.
"This is the biggest of the best and I'm sure it will be crazy down there, it's going to be spine chilling, so to ride in front of that crowd is amazing and it's an achievement for me to have even got there," he said.
"You have to try and block out the noise but Copenhagen was a good warm-up for this because it was a big crowd in a similar stadium and a similar track so that was good for me. That was my first indoor meeting so there's plenty I can take from this one into Cardiff.
"I'm normally pretty chilled out, it's an Aussie thing I reckon, and the more chilled out I am the better I seem to ride. I want to enjoy it but whatever happens, happens and I will be giving it 110 per cent.
"Getting on the podium (in Copenhagen) was amazing and I would love to do it again, it's certainly doable on Saturday but it's possible for every other one of the guys in there too because they are all good riders.
"There's no pressure really and I'm just going to try and win as many races as I can.
"To get 20 points last time against those guys was amazing and everything went right, but sometimes it can got the opposite way and you get two gate threes and are out after every track grade and you just don't have things going right.
"I'll definitely go out there with a positive attitude and see what happens for me. If you go out and have a good first race you know you are on the money and you can work from there."
Batchelor has not used the engine which powered him to success in Copenhagen since the last round of the series, but is hopeful "she" can produce the goods again as he powers his way towards the top eight.
"She hasn't turned a wheel since Copenhagen but we'll take it out in practice and hopefully it feels good," he said.
"That one has been good for me for a few years and she's always been one of the favourites, I have a lot of engines but you tend to stick to a couple of favourites.
"I rode her in Finland and it did well and then again in Copenhagen which was obviously good, so it has a good average in the GP.
"The top eight is not far away for me now and it's only half way done so anything can happen. The table will be turned upside down between now and the end of the season I'm sure because nobody's safe."
After his heroics in Denmark, the Robins skipper sits 11th in the standings, eight points behind Pole Jarek Hampel who occupies the final spot in the top eight.

subset: commoncrawl


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Naked Photos Leaked? Nope, The CW's Reign Actress Caitlin Stasey Wants You To See Her And Others NakedNude photos online is usually a bad thing for actresses (at least that's what they want you to think) but for Reign star Caitlin Stasey, she's not about to be a victim -- she wants you to see her naked, to make a point.
'Reign' Recap: Death Becomes ThemTelevision recap of "Reign" season 2 episode 1, discussing The Black Death that spreads through the castle and Mary's choice that costs many lives.
'Reign' Recap: The Traitor's DaughterTelevision recap of "Reign" season 1 episode 10, discussing Francis' absence and Bash's relations to a traitor's daughter.
'Reign' Recap: Long May You ReignTelevision recap of "Reign" season 1 episode 9, discussing the power shifts between Francis and Bash. Poll: Who should be king?
'Reign' Recap: To the Power of Love and FriendshipTelevision recap of "Reign" season 1 episode 8, discussing the mid-season finale where one of Mary's ladies meets her end.
'Reign' Recap: Under SiegeTelevision recap of "Reign" season 1, episode 7, discussing the castle taken hostage by the Count of Italy. The recap includes a poll about the best scene of the night.
'Reign' Recap: Devils in the WoodsTelevision recap for "Reign" season 1 episode 6, discussing Bash's darker side after he kills to save himself. The recap also includes a poll about Bash's decisions.
5 Reasons You'll Want to Watch 'Reign'5 reasons why people will want to watch "Reign" -- discussing the production value, the ships, costumes, and love triangles.
'Reign' Recap: Forbidden RomanceTelevision recap of "Reign" season 1 episode 5, discussing the relationship between Francis and a young girl who arrives at the castle after being hunted. Also, a poll is included.
'Reign' Recap: Blood to SpillTelevision recap of "Reign" season 1 episode 4, discussing the Prince of Portugal, and the good, great, and brilliant moments from the episode. The recap also includes a poll about Mary's ladies in waiting.
'Reign' Recap: Kings Never ApologizeTelevision recap for "Reign" season 1 episode 3, including a discussion and poll about first kisses.
Clips from 'Reign'


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As ESU embarks on its Strategic Vision for 2014-2017, your support is more important than ever.
East Stroudsburg Normal School opened its doors on September 4, 1893. Today, ESU is a comprehensive university in northeastern Pennsylvania offering 55 undergraduate programs, 22 master's programs and 1 doctoral program. ESU is one of the 14 institutions in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.


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Grinding out further workplace reforms is unlikely to be the primary source of the productivity gains the nation needs. Most Australians are already working close to their maximum potential. Actual hours worked by full-time and part-time personnel have trended up for the past 32 years, while the jobless rate is near its full-employment threshold.
A principal policy focus for the next federal government should be improved supply-side incentives that help Australians originate and monetise new ideas, and attract and retain the best human capital in an increasingly competitive global economy.
The pitched ideological conflict between labour and capital that both sides of politics and some in the media cling to is yesteryear's battle. Indeed, with employees increasingly shareholders in the businesses they work for, this distinction is becoming conceptually redundant.
Given diminishing and more marginal returns from industrial relations reform, innovation and technological progress will be the main drivers of our future prosperity. Yet we hear so little about these subjects in the day-to-day policy debate.
The Liberal Party can claim credit for advancing the workplace reform agenda, which economic expediency compelled the Hawke and Keating governments to embrace. These structural changes were a key reason why Australia was able to produce two decades of continuous growth without invoking serious wage-price spirals.
But much of the low-hanging policy fruit has been harvested by various governments over the last 30 years. Private sector union density has declined dramatically, from 31 per cent of workers in 1990 to just 13 per cent today. Days lost to industrial disputes are around one-tenth the 1980s average.
While further policy action could yield efficiency gains, there is an opportunity for the Liberal Party to revisit its broader strategic approach to the labour market.
In particular, there may be merit in moderating its war with the unions and recognising, for the first time, the welfare-enhancing contributions collective bargaining can make in specific circumstances.
This could dampen the intensity of the looming electoral battle, which the latest polling implies will be close, while lubricating the divisions emerging between the unions and their political partners.
Labor confronts an identity crisis: whereas half the federal caucus are former union officials, only one in six Australian workers associate with one. Labor has been blindsided by assaults on both the left and right. Its once formidable union base has narrowed to a minority interest group. Threatened with irrelevance, Labor risks tearing itself in both directions. The likelihood is that the fissures with unions will only widen.
Economic and political logic argue in favour of the centre-right recognising the goals, organisational capabilities and financial resources of the union movement. A flaw in the Liberals' prevailing policy framework is that it fails to acknowledge any productive purpose for unions at all. This engenders toxicity and prevents Liberals from tactically exploiting Labor's brewing chaos.
There is another benefit to rethinking unions. By articulating those scenarios in which collective bargaining and union activity can help minimise labour market failures, it simultaneously highlights those cases where union interference is welfare-destructive.
Privately, there is a surprising amount of mutual respect and common traits between the two tribes. A senior insider says to me, "Rather than stupidly assuming all unions are bad and forcing us into total war, which we are well resourced to wage, Tories should consider a détente."
In highly competitive and substitutable labour markets with few information asymmetries, employees can negotiate wages in line with their "marginal product". In these situations, there is rarely a role for collective bargaining or union mediation. The concern is that union activism hampers productivity by imposing frictions on the process by which markets dynamically allocate labour and capital to their most suitable uses.
This is not to say that unions have no value to add. Democratic associations representing diffuse employees can provide a collective voice that boosts employer awareness of secular issues (for example, female entitlements) with free-rider attributes that are hard for individuals to advocate.
One of the union movement's most important legacies has been our world-class superannuation system, one-third of which is now self-managed. Compulsory super mitigates a well-known bias in human decision-making called "hyperbolic discounting". In short, many of us display irrationally strong preferences for current consumption rather than future consumption. We are "time inconsistent" – we make choices today, like not saving enough, that our future self will disagree with.
The most obvious and positive case for union organisation is in the structural dysfunctions that occasionally perturb labour markets.
What do politicians, teachers, nurses, emergency professionals and defence personnel have in common? First, they work in industries for which there is usually only one buyer of their services, a so-called "monopsonist".
Secondly, a single government employer normally exists because the services they render are a "public good", and private markets are not great at producing them in the quantities society desires.
Thirdly, it is difficult to measure the contribution each worker makes to the production of the public good. Quantifying a soldier, nurse, policeman or teacher's "marginal product" is not easy. This can make more homogeneous wage regimes ideal.
Finally, monopsony market structures create significant imbalances in negotiating power between employers and employees that prevent the latter from earning competitive returns. This in turn distorts resource allocation. Do you think the federal treasurer's $391,000 pay packet is commensurate with his responsibility for overseeing a $1.4 trillion economy? Private sector precedents suggest not.
Collective bargaining by employee proxies like unions can help remedy these deficiencies and generate socially superior outcomes. This is probably why we see union densities that are three times higher in monopoly government enterprises.
Australia will face daunting policy tests during our lifetimes: major fiscal and productivity challenges induced by an ageing population, a fading US hegemon, the rise of China and India, and possible climate change. Workplace reform is unlikely to be first-order. The Liberal Party should prioritise its policy agenda to reflect this.
The Australian Financial Review


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From Ian Brown's argument that it's ok for men to look admiringly at women to the story of a tycoon who ponied up $63-million to get a man to marry his daughter, we give you the best-read Life stories of the year
1. Why men can't - and shouldn't - stop staring at women
Ian Brown's article on the irresistible (and, he argues, acceptable) urge men have to admire women struck a nerve.
"I ask a woman sitting in an outdoor café if she minds being looked at by men," writes Brown. "Her name is Ali – a 26-year-old student with an Italian boyfriend who looks at everyone. That used to bother her but doesn't any more. 'Just looking, I don't think it's offensive. But I think it's offensive if there's comments.'
Every woman I speak to says the same thing, without exception. So why does girl-watching have such a terrible reputation? Maybe because it's an act of rebellion."
The article garnered over 1,400 comments - with reactions ranging from total agreement to utter disgust.
1. 10 signs your spouse may be planning to divorce you
"January is one of the busiest months for divorce lawyers, Globe Life reporter Tralee Pearce observers in this piece.
"Major red flags that are often overlooked during a season characterized by fresh beginnings include a spouse suddenly taking a greater interest in the kids' activities or convincing their partner to do some major financial shuffling – all ways in which they may be trying to secure the most custody and the least costs possible," she writes.
More than 400 people commented on this story.
1. From a mistress, advice for wives
Marsha Lederman talks to Sarah Symonds about turning her past as a mistress into a career, ahead of the debut of Symonds' reality show and book.
"Nobody ever wants to talk about the other woman, but we're people too – making bad decisions, but we're not bad people," she told Lederman. "Everything is about the wife, everything is about the man who's cheating. What about the woman who's discarded? She gave her heart to this man. What happens to her?"
Some 600 readers chimed in with reactions to this story.
(Rafal Gerszak/Rafal Gerszak for The Globe and Mail)
1. Awkward! CTV anchor accidentally propositions colleague on air
"Which of the following words is not a synonym for chat: yak, gab, canoodle or blab?" asks Amy Verner in this Hot Button blog post.
"If you guessed canoodle, you have a better mastery of old-fashioned expressions than CTV news anchor Andrew Johnson, who unintentionally proposed an amorous interlude with his colleague Astrid Braunschmidt on the local Vancouver Island channel yesterday...The make-out mix-up came about after a segment on Union Bay, a small community near Courtenay, B.C. An elderly woman recalled a time when guys would bring their girlfriends to a wooded area to 'canoodle or whatever.' In his transition to the weather report, Johnson announced, 'It's time now for a full look at your forecast with Astrid. Maybe we can canoodle before you get into it.'"
This light-hearted story gave Globe readers a good chuckle.
1. Tycoon offers $63-million to any man who marries lesbian daughter
The headline of this Hot Button post sums it up pretty well. Globe writer Erin Anderssen looks at a story out of Hong Kong, where a real-estate tycoon, after hearing of his daughter's marriage to her long-time girlfriend, offers a $63-million cash prize to a man - any man, anywhere - who will get her to marry him. (It seems dad was in denial about the lesbian marriage.)
"He did, as reported by the Telegraph, offer some praise for the prospective bride in this business arrangement," writes Anderssen. "'Gigi is a very good woman with both talents and looks. She is devoted to her parents, is generous and does volunteer work.'"
Bizarre, yes, but apparently true.


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Best Colleges Offering Online Degrees/Majors in Wildlife Management : Tennessee
Take a look at this list of quality schools that offer online degree options and are focused on delivering an education in Wildlife Management and that are successful at it, with graduates among the top earners after graduation.
Due to lack of data, we couldn't rank every college that offers Wildlife Management. To see a full list of all the colleges offering this program check out our listing of Annual Wildlife Management Graduates. To see a list of all the colleges that offer online degree options in Wildlife Management, check out our listing of Annual Wildlife Management Graduates From Programs Offered Online.
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text: I agree mfitz73. If there are 2 people out that clearly know each other a shark has no business sitting on them to the point that they have to take it into account when a wave comes. The shark could have sat 100 to 200 feet away, still been within earshot if he was hungry and respected someone else's space. If that's too far for it's comfort it doesn't belong out there and needs to wait for dinner or until there are enough people in the water that one missing will go unnoticed.


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Welcome to Dragon Cave! Dragon Cave is an online adoptables game. Collect eggs, raise them to adulthood, and then breed them to create interesting lineages. New types of dragons are added regularly!
Water Walkers are small dragons that are frequently found around bogs and ponds. While they are flightless, they retain the flight sacs and hollow bones of their airborne cousins. These traits, coupled with their extraordinarily long, webbed toes, allow them to stand on top of calm waters, using their small sails to propel them wherever they please. They spend the majority of their lives on the water, retreating to the tops of lily pads when the waters become too rough to float atop.
Dragons are creatures with nearly unlimited life spans. They can survive for long periods of time, and no one has found a dragon that has died of old age. Adolescence is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling's wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. Once they hit adolescence, hatchlings change quickly, maturing to their full forms in only 2 years.
Dragons don't communicate with each other verbally, but they will growl to scare off predators and frighten prey. Young dragons will emit an extremely high-pitched squeal when they are frightened. To communicate, they use telepathy with each other and to speak to other creatures.


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Women's Basketball Coaching StaffFlames Home > Women's Basketball Home > Coaching Staff > Coach Detail
Alexis SherardAssistant Coach
College: Saint Michael's ('93)
Start Date: 4/16/2007
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Alexis Sherard is in his seventh season as an assistant coach on the Lady Flames' coaching staff. He serves as the team's recruiting coordinator and assists with game strategies and player development.
Sherard has earned Big South championship rings during five of his first six years with the Lady Flames. Liberty has averaged more than 25 wins per season over the past six years, making five NCAA Tournament appearances and one trip to the Postseason WNIT Tournament.
Sherard, who coaches the Lady Flames' post players, oversaw the development of 2012 graduate Avery Warley. She graduated as the leading rebounder in Liberty and Big South Conference history and then began a WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury in 2012. Additionally, Liberty has led the nation in rebound margin three times (2009-10, 2011-12 and 2012-13) during Sherard's tenure with the Lady Flames.
Sherard joined the Lady Flames' staff after spending the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons working as an assistant for the Liberty men's basketball team. He also served as the Flames' director of recruiting and aided in post player development.
"Being part of Coach Green's program has been a great experience," stated Sherard. "The Lady Flames and Liberty University truly train Champions for Christ. I'm blessed to be part of this winning tradition."
Sherard came to Liberty after six years of service on Pete Gillen's men's basketball staff at Virginia. Sherard joined the Cavaliers' program in 1999 as the director of basketball operations, serving in this capacity from 1999 to 2002, as well as the 2003-04 season.
During the 2002-03 and 2004-05 seasons, Sherard served as an assistant coach, where he aided in Virginia's recruiting efforts, while assisting in practice planning, game preparation, bench coaching and opponent scouting. Sherard helped guide the Cavaliers to the NCAA Tournament in 2001, as Virginia finished the season with a 20-9 record and was ranked as high as No. 6 in the country. He was also a part of two Cavalier squads which qualified for the NIT Tournament (2000 and 2002). The 2002 squad finished fourth in the event.
Sherard got his coaching career started at Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vt., where he served as an assistant coach from 1993 to 1995. He assisted the head coach in practice preparation, skill instruction and recruiting. During the 1995-96 campaign, Sherard served as the head boys varsity basketball coach and Dean of Admissions at Lakewood Prep School in Howell, N.J., where he led his team to a 15-7 record and the semifinals of the playoffs.
From 1996-98, Sherard was the administrative assistant at Providence, where he helped guide the Friars to the NIT in 1998 with an 18-12 record and to the "Elite Eight" round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament, as Providence finished the season with a 24-12 overall record.
Prior to joining the staff at Virginia, Sherard served as the assistant coach at Binghamton during the 1998-99 season and was responsible for the Bearcats' recruiting efforts throughout the East Coast.
"Alexis quickly surpassed our expectations and established himself as an outstanding addition to our staff," Green exclaimed. "He is a great recruiter because he really cares about the players. He also possesses a thorough knowledge of the game of basketball and is a tremendous asset in the development of game strategies. Furthermore, we are most excited about Alexis' character and values."
Sherard graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and education from Saint Michael's in 1993. A member of the Purple Knights basketball team, he was selected to the Northeast 10 Conference All-Defensive team during his junior and senior seasons.
Sherard, who received his master's degree in guidance from Providence in 1998, is a native of Lakewood, N.J., and is married to the former Evangeline Maupin. The couple has four children – Jamea (22), Jai (18), Iyana (8) and Elijah (7).


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COLCHESTER United chairman Robbie Cowling will lead fans on a charity cycle ride to a game in London.
He will head up a group cycling 50 miles to Leyton Orient's Brisbane Road, on Saturday, September 13.
The ride will raise money for the Tom Bowdidge Foundation, set up in memory of a young man who died of stomach cancer inOctober last year, aged 19.
The charity has been selected as the U's charity for this season.
Organisers are encouraging more cyclists to take part.
Lea Finch, who has organised a number of fundraising rides, including for teenagers diagnosed with cancer and for prostate cancer patients, said: "Robbie came up with the idea, so I thought, although it is short notice, it was definitely worth a go. Last year I did a ride on behalf of the club, which started at Leyton Orient and went to Colchester."
The group will set off from the Weston Homes Community Stadium at 7.30am.
Mrs Finch said: "Allowing six hours should give us plenty of time for the 3pm kick off.
"I'm looking for riders and support vehicles to help out."
To help, email ernleafinch @btinternet.com.


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Second Tier, But Trying Harder
From Cutting-edge Control Systems to Lower Prices, Second-Tier Suppliers May Have Just What You Need
Everyone in the process industries is familiar with companies such as Foxboro/Invensys, Honeywell, ABB, Siemens, Rockwell Automation and Emerson. These six, the "Big Boys" dominate the control industry, fill the pages of control magazines with ads, and issue news and product announcements by the dozens. They are so big, some hold their own trade shows. And judging by the press releases we get nearly every day, they are selling multimillion-dollar process control systems around the world in record numbers. Recession? What recession? The Big Boys appear immune to it.
We picked these six as the Big Boys because they consistently ranked in the top five of the process control system category in our Reader' Choice Awards, or were among the top five on our TOP 50 Suppliers list. Most made both lists as well. Refer to our Jan. 2003 issue to see exactly how well each of these companies did on both surveys.
Lost in the Shuffle
Virtually lost in the shuffle are the second-tier process control system suppliers. We define "second tier" as all process control companies except the six named above.
While some second-tier vendors market their products nearly as well as the Big Boys, others meekly hold up their corporate hands and whisper, "Hey, we sell control systems, too." While the Big Boys lobby the media and their customers with professional, powerful marketing communications, several second-tier companies had to curtail their marketing efforts over the last few years, laying off their PR folks, cutting their ad budgets and limping along, trying to survive in these tough economic times.
Are offerings from the second-tier companies just as good as those from the Big Boys? Of course they are. The best evidence of that surfaced in 2003, when Foxboro Invensys announced its new A2 process control system. It was a control system originally developed by Eurotherm, a second-tier company that Invensys acquired. Eurotherm had been trying to peddle its system with only modest success. When Foxboro's marketing machine took over, sales skyrocketed.
It shows the power of good marketing and the value users attach to a name like Foxboro. It also shows that there are some very good hardware and software systems out there that you should be considering for your next process control system.
Back in 1998, Ken Wright, fuels specialist at Conoco Phillips in Bartlesville, Okla., needed to replace the legacy control system in the company's catalyst lab. Although Honeywell was the Conoco Phillips's principal DCS (digital control system) vendor at the time, Wright didn't think a big system was what he wanted.
"Are offerings from the second-tier companies
just as good as those from the Big Boys?"
"We reconfigure test cells and controls on a regular basis, so we need a lot of flexibility," says Wright. "A big DCS would require us to shut down eight or more of our 40 test cells just to reconfigure one of them. Instead, we ordered a control system from Opto 22. Now, we can reconfigure controls without shutting anything down."
Wright reports that the Opto 22 system has been trouble-free since 1998, and they have steadily added to it over time. In fact, they recently ordered enough control equipment for six more test cells.
What's in a Name?
The value of a legendary brand name is immeasurable. Some of the Big Boys have been around since the dawn of time, installed tens of thousands of systems, spent billions of dollars in product development, and have worldwide networks of sales and service organizations. This is very important to many end users, like Thomas Badura, electronics project engineer at a plastics company in Sheboygan, Wis.
"As an end user in a smaller sized company, I feel the benefits of long-term commitment to, and support of a control platform, outweigh the advantages to constantly pursuing the latest technology," says Badura. "This is an attribute we look for in a controls supplier. Our company generally does not require extremely high end or exotic control strategies. Accordingly, the standard, established systems offered by the big boys fit our needs."
10 Years of Second Tier
The Flying J refinery in North Salt Lake City installed an Opto 22 Control System in 1993, and it has been running ever since. It was one of the first PC-based control systems ever installed in a refinery.
Other end users don't have time to search out the smaller players. Ed Bullerdiek, control group leader at Marathon Ashland Petroleum, says Marathon is a big company, so they look at the big players. "There are a lot of big players, and not a lot of time, so you limit your list when you are looking."
Systems integrators have a somewhat different point of view. "As far as deciding [on a system], we usually rely on the customer's preference. When it's not available, we try to be good stewards of their money and find the most cost-effective solution," says Cliff Speedy, controls engineer at C&I Engineering, Louisville, Ky. If an end user wants to save money, a second tier supplier is an excellent choice, because their systems sell for half to a third the cost of a big DCS. However, cost is not the only issue.
"There is also the consideration of maintaining support for a system. Our company is not into service contracts or continuous on-site work. We want to put in a large system and turn it over to the client. So I think the biggest thing going for the larger suppliers is a network of capable, independent support."
The problem is that large, complex systems need much more support than simple systems. And many of the big control systems out there are very complex.
"The Big Boys like to take an all-encompassing, top-to-bottom approach when developing their process automation systems," says Benson Hougland, director of technical marketing at Opto 22, a second-tier supplier. "They construct elaborate architectures that, while very effective, are costly and require a major, enterprise-wide commitment by the customer to the vendor. This is how they like to play ball, entrenching themselves and reaching their tentacles into as many areas of the enterprise as possible."
This approach certainly seems to work, because the Big Boys are selling huge numbers of systems.
The Big Boys may have all the weapons, but chinks are starting to show in their armor. In this month's Control Report (p25), we show that some end users are starting to question the technical leadership, commitment to R&D and outsourcing of support. It's not an overwhelming mass revolt by any means, but where there's smoke, there's fire. We've heard that customer support, now being farmed out to developing countries, annoys some users. We also heard that some DCS suppliers are acting arrogant and are hard to deal with.
We heard no such complaints about second-tier suppliers. In fact, nobody had anything bad to say about them at all. Maybe it's because they take a different approach.
We Try Harder
"The bottom line is that many companies don't need a top-to-bottom full system-wide approach. In fact, many companies today simply don't have that kind of funding. We take a different approach," says Hougland. "The hardware and software tools we provide allow the customer to scale their solution much more easily. We provide a tool set for customers to incrementally improve or upgrade their process control applications. As a result, we approach the customer as a provider of these tools, and we have a portfolio of systems integrators who can help implement the solution."
Many of the second-tier suppliers offer "tools" that are based on ordinary, plain-Jane technology, such as Ethernet, Windows, PCs and open architecture. Each supplier, of course, adds its own expertise to the products, and what emerges are the most advanced, high technology process control systems, devices and software available on the market.
In some cases, even the Big Boys use tools from second-tier suppliers. National Instruments says it provides a wide range of products that are used for many different types of measurement and control applications in process, discrete and batch industries.
"The Big Boys that you refer to don't have all the pieces necessary to address every requirement of all process automation systems," says Don Holley, Industrial Automation Product Manager, National Instruments. "Many times, National Instruments products are used in conjunction with one of the Big Boys' systems to solve high-speed measurement and control problems, integration with analytical instrumentation, and advanced analysis and control."
It works the other way, too. Some second-tier suppliers use tools from the Big Boys. Cindy Hollenbeck, marketing manager at SoftPLC, says one of their customers is installing Model P266 software-based PLCs with Intellution-based HMIs. SoftPLC was in competition with major DCS vendors for the job, and Hollenbeck says they won because they were one-third the cost with better performance, the same reliability and less ongoing maintenance, even when using an established HMI/SCADA software package from a DCS vendor.
"Neither SoftPLC nor Intellution has the complete solution for all the tasks done by a DCS," says Hollenbeck, "but together we do."
Although the Big Boys pioneered distributed control in the 1970s and 1980s, they seem to have lost some of their technological edge to second-tier companies, who are much more willing to go out on a limb and stake their company's future on new technology. Today, the Big Boys are sometimes willing to let others break new ground, and then adopt it after it works.
"Wago was the first company to offer a fieldbus-independent solution," says Dean Norton, Wago Marketing Manager. "While the fieldbus wars were going on, it was Wago's position to support all protocols and not try to figure out who was going to win this war. As it turned out, no one really won this war, and our position of offering customers all solutions has proven itself to be the right decision. This is particularly important to our distribution and system integration channel partners. They can provide connectivity to almost any protocol, such as DeviceNet, Profibus, Ethernet, Modbus, Interbus-S, CANopen, etc."
Get the Job Done for Less
Process control systems from second-tier suppliers such as Wago may not have Glamorous three-CRT operator panels, and may not include everything from field instruments to asset management software, but they get the job done.
Some second-tier companies have hardware and software that will, figuratively speaking, run rings around established DCSs, because they are using the most modern CPUs with faster processing speeds and the latest software, such as Windows Mobile or CE 3.0. For years, the Big Boys have realized that second-tier companies jump ahead in some areas, so instead of developing the products themselves, they snapped up technically advanced companies such as Moore Products, Wonderware and Intellution. This is a trend that's likely to continue.
"The lack of innovation at the DCS companies has accelerated," says Russ Agrusa, president of Iconics. "Just look at ABB, Invensys and Honeywell. They continue to farm-out innovation to consultants and India in a cost-cutting effort. There is complete lack of leadership and vision, and no effort to keep the innovative expertise that put them on the map in the first place. Their only hope is to purchase the innovators and then squeeze their juices till they are part of the corporate culture. Where is the Bill Gates of Rockwell, Siemens, ABB and the other stegosauruses?"
The second-tier companies are often way ahead of the DCS dinosaurs in applying technology. For example, Iconics offers a report generation and asset management package that performs the same functions at a fraction of the price of similar systems from DCS vendors. Opto 22 has a proven Ethernet-based system that costs a fraction of a DCS vendor's network. Indusoft has HMI/SCADA software that runs on PCs, PDAs and Smartphones (picture cell phones). And National Instruments has advanced data acquisition hardware and software. When the Big Boys need that kind of technology, they just acquire the company that has it.
Some of the second-tier companies are giants on different turf, and are just now turning their attention to the U.S. process control market.
Schneider Electric, for example, is a giant in power distribution and discrete automation, but almost off the radar screen in process control. As we reported in our January issue (In the News, p16), they have taken aim at process control and intend to build their market share.
Yamatake is a giant control company in Japan but, until three years ago, was tucked under Honeywell's wing. "Yamatake has been supplying valve equipment and process controls for nearly 100 years," says Russ Kirkman, marketing manager. "We have only been operating in the USA under the name Yamatake for about three years. Previously we were partnered with Honeywell, who had been private labeling our control technology since the 1950s. That makes Yamatake one of the Big Boys, I guess."
What about the service that so many users demand? Some second-tier companies pride themselves on it. Mike O'Connor, Product Marketing Manager at Sixnet, says, "As a small company we feel we are much more responsive to our customers, especially OEMs. For example, when you call Sixnet you always get a live person and not voicemail. We also love to work with OEMs, big or small, to supply them with a solution that meets their exact needs. We provide a completely different experience"more down home, you could say"than what you typically get with the Big Boys."
"When a problem occurs in our company, the programmer immediately drops everything to fix it," says SoftPLC's Hollenbeck. "We e-mail the fix ASAP, with no case numbers, no waiting on hold for an hour, and no talking to someone who can't respond"you get an expert on the first contact. For example, we had a customer doing a chemical processing system call in a problem on Friday. By Saturday morning it was fixed and e-mailed to them."
Hardware and Software
One of the biggest arguments in favor of purchasing a DCS from a Big Boy is this type of company's ability to treat an entire process plant as an enterprise. The big DCS vendors offer complete enterprise integration that links field instruments and DCSs to HMI/SCADA systems, plant historians, asset management systems, supply chain management packages, ERP systems at corporate headquarters and everything in between. Over the past several years, virtually all the Big Boys have developed architectures, frameworks, networks and links that make all this possible.
FieldPoint hardware and LabView Software can deliver process control, data analysis and information handling capabilities in a single platform.
It was a magnificent achievement by the Big Boys, and gives them an apparent leg up on the second-tier suppliers. Few, if any, of the second-tier companies can offer such an elaborate enterprise integration scheme.
As Opto 22's Hougland essentially put it, the argument from second tier suppliers is so what? Who needs that much complexity? Instead, Opto 22 offers standard interfaces to standard enterprise software packages.
Wago says it has a whole suite of software products that help the integration of the plant floor with the rest of the enterprise via OPC, DLL, Visual Basic or C programming. "Our suite of Ethernet based controllers further bridge this gap with Internet applications and protocols such as XML, FTP, HTTP, UDP, SNMP, SMTP, etc.," explains Norton.
SoftPLC does it the same way. "Interfacing to management systems is easy through interfaces such as OPC, SQL, XML and others," says Hollenbeck. "SoftPLC can also send e-mail messages for remote data acquisition/reporting, service calls and more. We can also provide web browsers with viewable live data without opening security holes in plant network firewall schemes, via our Java technology."
InduSoft has formed an alliance with Valeosoft, a vendor of asset management software. "We have begun a program that will align us with the best software manufacturers in the world," explains Ernie Roland, president. "Our core competency is in HMI/SCADA, not asset management, vibration analysis or supply chain management. However, our customers need that kind of software, and we want to make sure our software is compatible with it. Therefore, we are actively seeking out the leaders in various software categories and forming joint marketing agreements with them."
Suffice it to say that all second-tier hardware and software vendors have seen the light, and can provide links to virtually any enterprise packages you may need. They must do this, or they won't survive.
Pick Your Poison
There's no question that DCSs from the Big Boys are powerful, sophisticated systems that are supported by an army of experienced process control professionals. Their engineers understand your application and their worldwide sales and service capabilities will support you no matter where your plant is located. If you buy a DCS from a Big Boy, it will work and work well.
The whole point of this article is to point out that there are alternatives. Some second-tier process control suppliers have hardware or software that are equal to, and sometimes more advanced than what the Big Boys now offer. Second-tier companies also can integrate with enterprise software, just like the Big Boys.
Admittedly, few of the second-tier vendors can offer themselves as a single source for products ranging from field instrumentation and process controls to fieldbus architectures and ERP software, but second-tier company system offerings can interface to any of those products.
If there is a place where second-tier companies fall farther behind the Big Boys in any area, it has to be in product marketing. For example, although we polled all the second-tier companies listed in our Buyers' Guide that say they make process control systems, not everyone responded. You undoubtedly recognize the companies quoted in this article, because they are among the most successful. Their marketing departments also responded quickly to CONTROL's editorial queries, which may help account for their success.
A roundup of second-tier companies appears [CONTROL, March '04, p59]. As you will see, your possibilities range from component suppliers, where you essentially put together your own system, to full-line integrated hardware and software vendors. More information on these systems can be found in our Buyers' Guide (CONTROL, May 03) or via our on-line buyers' guide at www.controlmag.com.
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Midday Express of 2010-10-06
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communication
The "Innovation Union" – turning ideas into jobs, green growth and social progress
The European Commission's "Innovation Union", tabled today, sets out a strategic approach to innovation, driven by the highest political level. The Innovation Union will focus Europe's efforts – and co-operation with third countries - on challenges like climate change, energy and food security, health and an ageing population. It will use public sector intervention to stimulate the private sector and to remove bottlenecks which stop ideas reaching the market. These include lack of finance, fragmented research systems and markets, under-use of public procurement for innovation and slow standard setting. The Innovation Union is a "flagship" in the Europe 2020 Strategy.
Winners of the EU Prize for Literature announced at Frankfurt Book Fair
The European Commission announced the winning authors of the 2nd annual European Union Prize for Literature at the Frankfurt Book Fair today. The prize aims to draw attention to new talents and to promote the publication of their books in different countries, as well as celebrating European cultural diversity. The 11 winning authors were selected by national juries in Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. They will receive their prize from Androulla Vassiliou, the Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, during a ceremony on 18 November in Brussels.
No increase in deep-sea fishing opportunities 2011-2012
The European Commission proposes not to grant increases in fishing opportunities for deep-sea fish in EU waters and in international waters of the North-East Atlantic for 2011-2012 until positive trends in the abundance of deep-sea stocks have been properly identified. The Commission's proposal is based on scientific advice. However, some important Total Allowable Catches (TACs) will be kept stable. The Commission also remains committed to phasing out fishing for deep-sea sharks and orange roughy until there is clear evidence regarding the level of unavoidable by-catch of these valuable species.
Unlocking the full value of scientific data
European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes today welcomes a High Level Report on Scientific Data which suggests that the EU should approach scientific data as an open infrastructure. Too much data is now hidden or duplicated because it is not openly available. Kroes says: "We cannot afford to keep publicly funded data locked away, and nor should we. Scientific data has the power to transform our lives for the better – it is too valuable to be locked away." Making the data generated by publicly-fund research available to all will help build a new generation of science, entrepreneurship, civic initiative and good government policy. Kroes says that today's report, tabled by Professor John Wood, will help formulate e-infrastructure policies for the EU's Eighth Research Framework Programme. See SPEECH/10/518
Commissioner Piebalgs visits the Czech Republic to promote development policy
Tomorrow, 7 October, Andris Piebalgs, the European Commissioner for Development will visit the Czech Republic to promote development policy and encourage the contribution of the Czech Republic. He will hold a bilateral meeting with Tomáš Dub, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the members of Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and European Affairs. The Commissioner will also meet representatives form the Czech Development Agency, Czech Council on Development Cooperation and different NGOs. Explaining the Commission's priorities of the upcoming months, engaging the Czech Republic in collective EU efforts towards reaching the Official Development Assistance commitments and other development issues will be discussed during this short visit in Prague.
Commission services launch public consultation on access to a basic payment account
The services of the European Commission have today launched a public consultation to seek stakeholders' views on possible measures to be taken to ensure access to a basic payment account for every consumer in the EU. The measures outlined in the consultation document could improve access to payment accounts and electronic means of payment, thus promoting the full participation of all consumers in the Internal Market, as well as financial and social inclusion. The replies received will feed into the Commission's work on developing a future legislative initiative in this area. Interested parties are invited to send their comments to the Commission by 17 November 2010. The consultation paper is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/consultations/2010/payment_account_en.htm .
Euro area and EU27 GDP up by 1.0%
Euro area (EA16) and EU27 GDP increased by 1.0% during the second quarter of 2010, compared with the previous quarter, according to second estimates from Eurostat. In the first quarter of 2010, growth rates were +0.3% in the euro area and +0.4% in the EU27. In comparison with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP increased in the second quarter of 2010 by 1.9% in the euro area and by 2.0% in the EU27, after +0.8% and +0.7% respectively in the previous quarter. In the second quarter of 2010, Lithuania (+3.2%) recorded the highest growth rate compared with the previous quarter, followed by Germany (+2.2%), Estonia, Finland and Sweden (all +1.9%).
Autre matériel diffusé :
• Memo Turning Europe into a true Innovation Union
• Memo European Commission and Libya agree a Migration Cooperation agenda during high level visit to boost EU-Libya relations – en Rediffusion
• Statement by President Barroso following the ASEM Summit– en Rediffusion
• Speech by Commissioner Piebalgs 'The Commission increases its contribution to the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria', New York
• Speech by Vice-President Kroes 'Unlocking the full value of scientific data', Brussels
• Opening remarks by President Barroso at the opening ceremony of the first EU-China High Level Cultural Forum, Brussels
• Opening remarks by Commissioner Vassiliou at the opening ceremony of the first EU-China High Level Cultural, Brussels
• Speech by Commissioner Vassiliou 'Cohesion policy and uniting divided communities: The experience of football', Brussels – EMBARGO 12h45
• Speech by Vice-President Reding 'Das Stockholmer Programm – welche Prioritäten für die Schaffung eines Europas der Bürger?', Brussels
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You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
"I was so afraid to order my shipment without seeing the exact card proof but I love them! I had ordered the LINEN background because others had recommended it, and instead of the textured I ordered the PEARL WHITE SHIMMER for a more modern look. I couldn't be happier with them. It looks like, from other reviewers, you really have to change the background to linen if you want the shimmer. I hadn't liked the roughness of the original sample. The red is a bit on the pink side but not too much. The designers were able to put the little Ganesh in the top circle for me which I was very impressed with! I definitely recommend!"
"I am so happy with these invitations! They are simple, yet beautiful and classy. I wanted to put all the information (reception and all) on one card, and I needed to make a second set in another language. The designer followed my instructions perfectly and made great suggestions to fit the text on the page. They turned out even better than expected. The paper quality (I used the shimmer paper) was excellent. I would recommend the shimmer paper. I can't say enough about the service as well. The proofs were done so quickly, the people on the phone were amazing and friendly and the package was delivered days ahead of time. The only hiccup I had was that they were unable to tell me what the customs/duties would be so I had to just keep my fingers crossed. In the end, it wasn't so expensive (about $60 for Canada). I would recommend Wedding Paper Divas to any bride-to-be!"
"We are so happy with how our wedding invitations turned out! I can't believe how much we love them. The colors are vibrant and elegant and are perfect for our Dallas rooftop wedding. I give this product 5 stars for sure and nothing less."
"This is a simple elegant card but the bride and groom didn't like the organge color of the coral, so with the designer's help it was changed to a smoke gray - both the invitation as well as response and details card. Feel free to be creative - you can have your own perfect card! Only dissappointment was they don't provide "inside" envelopes - only outside. Too late to add them now. Should be provided at no extra cost."
"I am having and as Asian-American wedding and was looking for an invitation that wouldn't put us over out budget but still had a nice Asian flair. I loved the design and to top it off the little elephant on the front and back made everything come together perfectly. My family is from Laos the land of a million elephants. I was able to keep the information simple yet it still made the invitation beautiful. The customer service was wonderful. I received my proofs within a timely manner and when I did come in contact with any staff they were always friendly, and knowledgeable."


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Topic: My mother passed yesterday
I am very sad to share that my mother passed last night at 10:45pm. She was only diagnosed 5 months ago with cholangiocarcinoma or liver cancer (they never really knew). She did not respond to the chemo and she had multiple blood clots throughout the months and on Monday morning, she had a massive stroke. I sat with her and spoke with her and held her hand and caressed her forehead for almost 50 of the 60 hours she was at the hospital and I know she could feel our love enveloping her. She wasn't alone for a moment.
I wanted more time with her and wanted my kids to grow up surrounded by her love and support but the next few months or even longer would have been filled with so much suffering due to her cancer so I believe this was the most compassionate and humane way she could have passed away. I will miss her so much.
Thank you for all of your wisdom and words of encouragement over the last 5 months. You are an amazing group of people who brought me comfort when I was scared and confused.


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Call our experts: 888.808.FINE
Shop Personalized StationeryCarlson Craft Wedding Invitations Customize any Address Stamp to match your style!
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This set of four collegiate inspired note pads features the school name of your choice printed in evergreen and marigold ink. Your name prints in the same ink colors for a coordinated look. Each pad features 50 sheets.


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Minecraft, a popular virtual world game for kids, comes into the report because of MinecraftEdu, a mod or plugin to the base program that allows a teacher to control the environment.
"As a teaching platform Minecraft has tremendous potential," the report enthused. "In social studies, students could build their own pyramid and during the process encounter the same engineering challenges as the Egyptians. Students could recreate scenes from literature. Teachers could demo the principles of biology, physics and chemistry in real time."
One middle school science teacher in Toronto used Minecraft to teach a lesson on sustainable planning in which students played roles such as farmer, builder or miner. A survey of the students showed that 86% of students wanted to use the game again in school and 80% thought it allowed them to be more creative with the assignment.
"Minecraft succeeds as a game for the same reason that it succeeds as an instructional tool. It builds upon a context familiar to everyone or the rules of nature. Keeping the game simple allows for players to engage in authentic learning," the authors wrote.
Brookings also sees room for significant progress in testing and assessment.
Where traditional paper-based testing is static, computerized testing can be adaptive, meaning that the test adapts to the test taker. By varying the assortment of questions presented to each student, computerized systems also deter cheating. By ratcheting the difficulty of the next question up or down, based on whether the last answer was right, these systems can more accurately assess educational achievement. The software can even insert questions designed to boost the test-taker's confidence and reduce testing anxiety.
Sometimes the answer may be not to test at all. Techniques for stealth assessment developed by a team led by Florida State professor Valerie Shute embed assessments in games. Shute found using a Dungeons & Dragons-style game to be an effective way to examine students' problem solving skills, and her team is developing a Newton's Playground game to assess high school students' knowledge of physics. The argument in favor of such assessments is that they are relatively low-stakes, compared with a test, allowing students to perform at a more natural level of competence.
As a think tank aimed at influencing policy, Brookings advocates in favor of making room for new possibilities in education. "The technologies described here could loosen the demands on educators freeing them to teach," the authors wrote. "Imagine a school where teachers work in synchronization with each other to educate students. Teams of teachers each with their own special skills would work jointly to develop curricula and specialized interventions. A school where students could visit the cafeteria with robots to learn words for different foods, a reality simulation lab where students could work on different projects, and a library where students took micro-lessons through MOOCs to advance or reinforce learning. In such a school, students could direct much of their own learning." The challenge is to break free of the "bureaucratic momentum" in favor of business as usual, they argued.
Perhaps in a nod to teachers (and teachers unions) nervous about being steamrolled by education reforms, the authors downplayed the idea that new technologies will cost them their jobs. This is not like the advent of cars obsolescing horse drawn carriages, they concluded. "There is reason to believe that technology will supplant rather than destroy the teaching profession. Educators have a uniquely complex job and have far more to do than time allows. New technologies will take over some teacher responsibilities. However, technology can't make a teacher obsolete in the same way as a carriage."
Follow David F. Carr at @davidfcarr or Google+, along with @IWKEducation.


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Is it necessary to use a size for a div when it's around a banner?
You probably need to give more info about what you mean by "size". A containing div will expand to width: 100% unless told otherwise.
Okay. I have a Div that is holding a banner that is 800 px wide. It is not wrapped around the width of the banner. The div goes from one end of the interface to the other.
I'll assume the banner is an img. Therefore the image will be left aligned. The div will go 100% width by default. If you want it left aligned then no a width is not necessary. If you want the img centered the width is still not necessary.
Yes, that's what I meant by it stretching to width: 100% by default. There are various things you could do, like giving the div a width of 800px or perhaps even floating it, but we'd really need to see this in context to know what will work best in this case, as there are quite a few variables involved.
Thanks. I'll PM it to you. I just want it centered on the page.


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It's been pretty hectic around here the last couple of weeks, and I'm not complaining. Had a lot of stuff to talk about and a lot of fun talking about it.
And now we go back to the off-season, at least for the moment. I still suspect your heroes might be making one more move, though I don't know if it will be significant or not.
Glen Sather has to sign the Captain, and Brandon Dubinsky and the other RFAs — and they will, but they might take a while other than Artem Anisimov, who has been rumored to be relatively close.
Yesterday there was the news that Wade Redden will attend training camp. Well, duh, he kind of has to, or the Rangers can void his contract. Then we'll see what his next move is.
There is also the Traverse City camp … and I'm sure other unforeseen stuff.
But for today, I've got nuthin. At least at the moment. We'll see what the day brings.


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Renzo Piano
Los Angeles, California, USA
The new BCAM, the centerpiece of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), is designed specifically for the display of contemporary art.
The building, consisting of two symmetrical wings that unfold on
either side of a predominantly glass core, is clad in Italian
travertine selected to complement existing historic buildings on
LACMA's twenty-acre campus. The building is topped by a saw-tooth
roof of sunshades.
Renzo Piano has used bright red steel to symbolize circulation, wrapping the building in a "spider" framework of stairs and escalators, so that visitors easily can orient themselves as they move across the LACMA campus.
The Wilshire Boulevard facade has a rotating series of specially
commissioned artworks. The inaugural work is by John
The new covered entrance plaza, in the center of the campus, is
also supported by the same red steel I-beams. Sponsored by the
global energy firm BP the plaza is named the BP Grand
The roof is topped with solar panels capable of generating
100,000 watts of electricity, which is used to power Urban Light,
Chris Burden's specially commissioned outdoor sculpture comprised
of 202 vintage streetlamps.
The main entrance to BCAM is on the third floor, accessed by the
open-air, red escalator that traverses the building's facade.
The central core of the building contains a large glass-fronted
elevator with a three-story-high work by Barbara Kruger contained
in the elevator shaft. Piano calls it a "moving room."
The six loft-like exhibition spaces are located on three floors
in the two wings. The dramatic spaces of the third floor are
suffused with natural light via a glass ceiling.
BCAM's opening installation celebrates the generosity of Eli and
Edythe Broad
by focusing on works from their collections.
/Renzo Piano
If you are designing a museum you offer contemplation. It is not enough for the light to be perfect. You also need calm, serenity and even a voluptuous quality linked to contemplation of the work of art. Achieving such a result at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art depends on integrating the new museum into its broader context. That is the purpose of a master plan.
The intent is neither to seek nor obliterate the past, nor conform to it. I re-imagined LACMA as a potential blend of new and old buildings, each reflecting the values of its age. To unite them, we have carved through the site with the precision of a surgeon.
Architecture can serve as a surgical instrument, capable of cutting through the disorder of the past, and in the process, opening it up to the rational mind. The result is a carefully measured sequence of architectural spaces, a procession through the museum's collection and the city's cultural memory.
All cities are a mess. The question is how you tie this mess together. In this sense, LACMA can be like San Gimignano in Italy. In a short walk, you find surprises - a church, a piazza, a palazzo. In fact, art and its contemplation are sacred, or "sacro."
Everyday life and its attention to more ordinary pursuit, socializing, shopping or dining, we call it profane, or "profano." The sacred offers spiritual and emotional uplift, while the profane delivers more material satisfaction. Together the two extremes define a spectrum of experience that honors the creative spirit in the context of everyday life. At LACMA this balancing of "sacro and profano" offers the guiding spirit for an architectural vision that aspires to energize and transform the experience of a museum visit.
What interests me is shaping form and product together, forcefully sculpting the land, leaving a deep mark on the pre-existing nature or urban structure but, at the same time, making the architecture an accomplice, a partner, imbued with the characteristics of its surroundings.
Facts about BCAM
Exhibition space:
60,000 ft2
Renzo Piano Workshop
Last updated: December 19, 2013
See also
Hotels: Wythe Hotel
Hotels: The NoMad
10 x 10
A Tribute to Jørn Utzon
Tadao Ando


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There is nothing quite like a creamy, no-bake layered dessert. Especially when those layers are chocolate and peanut butter. And believe me, this chocolate peanut butter dessert is out of this world delicious! Really, something this good shouldn't be this easy to put together, but it's so simple, even my kids can make it with a little supervision. (No-bake recipes are always great options for kids in the kitchen.) To make it even easier, use a box of chocolate cookie crumbs, rather than crushing your own Oreos. Of course, then you don't have any leftover Oreos to eat…..
Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Dessert
- 20 Oreo cookies, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar,divided
- 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
- 15-20 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
- 1 cup cold milk
- 1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
- Crush 16 cookies; toss with the butter. Press into an ungreased 9-inch square dish; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth.
- Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over crust.
- Sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups.
- In another large bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix and remaining confectioners' sugar on low speed for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.
- Fold in remaining whipped topping. Spread over peanut butter cups.
- Crush remaining cookies; sprinkle over the top. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.


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Elite Clubs National League (ECNL)
The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) program provides the optimum developmental environment for the nation's top youth soccer players, coaches and referees by emphasizing development through quality training and limited, meaningful competition. Sereno Soccer Club is proud to have its ECNL teams at the top of its developmental structure. The system begins with our U-7 to U-11 youth academy teams and, it provides the platform for players to move into the U-12 to U-18 youth competitive division. The youth academy currently supports over 20 boys and girls teams and the competitive division currently has over 30 boys and girls teams.
The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through:
The goal of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) is to change the landscape for elite female soccer players in the United States through innovative, player-centered programming and to enhance the overall experience by creating a better, more enjoyable, and more successful player, coach, and club development model. Additionally, the ECNL hopes to limit financial inequities in order to improve inclusion of and opportunities for socio-ethnographic groups whose most evident hurdle to development has been the cost structure of the game.
ACTION PLAN (Summary)
To accomplish this goal, the ECNL developed a common organizational structure, composed of individual clubs operating collectively under the direction of a commissioner. Because the ECNL exists to promote the common interest of its member clubs, the ECNL operating model is unified and comprehensive and values accessibility and sustainability. The ECNL utilizes four primary delivery mechanisms, or platforms, for "Changing the Daily Environment":
2013-2014 ECNL Member Club Map
2013-2014 Conference Alignment


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STAGE TUBE: RAYMONDA PREMIERE - January 19, 1898
On this date in 1898 Raymonda premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. The production had music by Alexander Glazunov, choreography by Marius Petipa and an all star cast (for its day) that included Pierina Legnani, Sergey Legat, Olga Peobrajenska and Pavel Gerdt.
The ballet's plot was, and has always been, difficult to follow. Some would say it is downright loony. However, as a dancing showcase it has proved irresistible to both choreographers and dancers.
The full-length Raymonda has been revived many times throughout its performance history: Mikhail Fokine for the Ballets Russes (1909), George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova for The Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo (1946), Konstantin Sergeyev for the Kirov Ballet (1948), Rudolf Nureyev for American Ballet Theatre (1976) and Paris Opera Ballet (1983), Yuri Grigorovich for the Bolshoi (1984) and Sergej Vikharov for La Scala (2011).
Raymonda is probably best known for the three works that George Balanchine choreographed to different sections of the ballet: Pas de Dix (1956), Raymonda Variations (1961) and Cortege Hongrois (1973), the latter two still in the repertoire of the New York City Ballet.
While we don't often see a full length Raymonda it can be appreciated from listening to the full length recording on the Naxos label, available on Amazon as a CD for $6.83 or an MP3 music download for $15.98. The music is wonderful for dancing and can even be enjoyed on its own merits. And no, I'm not plugging Amazon, but just letting you know that there is a full length recording of Raymonda available.


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Did you know?
Wakkerstroom literally means 'lively stream'.
If you're a birder and haven't yet seen a red-chested flufftail, Rudd's lark or a blue korhaan, you cannot miss birding in Wakkerstroom.
This bucolic little farming town in Mpumalanga is nestled in a valley, and is on the edge of a spectacular wetland. Even beginner birders will find the town rewarding – there are over 370 bird species here.
Non-birders also enjoy it, incidentally. There are plenty of things to do here: fly-fishing, drumming, golf, cooing over alpaca babies, wild flower walks, cheese tasting, bike riding on country roads, historical tours and plenty more.
But the town and its surrounds are designated an Important Bird Area in South Africa because the sheer variety of habitat provides an unprecedented opportunity to see endemics. South Africa has 13 such unique bird species, and you can see nine of them in and around Wakkerstroom.
This is mostly high-altitude grassland, but there are also gorges and cliffs, mistbelt forests, farm dams and of course, the magnificent wetland where the flufftail lurks.
Grassland birds are notoriously cryptic and hard to spot, but birders in and around town can give you tips on where to find the critically endangered Rudd's lark, along with Botha's lark, the bald ibis, eastern long-billed lark, white-bellied korhaan and the yellow-breasted pipit.
In fact, birders have made things very easy here. There are several bird hides (and information on what you might see) along with rewarding drives you can take into the surrounding areas.
To up your chances of seeing the specials in this area, hire one of the local bird guides (trained by BirdLife South Africa). They can guide you straight to all the right places. Your bird list is bound to look rather impressive by the end of a birding trip to Wakkerstroom.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Wakkerstroom Information Centre
Tel: +27 (0)17 730 0792
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
How to get here
Wakkerstroom is about 300km from Johannesburg, so calculate around 3 hours' driving time. Take the N3 towards Durban, and turn off onto the R23 at Heidelberg. Head towards Standerton and Volksrust. As you enter the town of Volksrust, take the first turn left on the R543 (which is also the road to Piet Retief) and travel around 28km to Wakkerstroom.
Best time to visit
The Wakkerstroom area has a glorious summer (October to March). The hills, grasslands and wetland are full of flowers and birds. Winter is also beautiful, but there are fewer birds and the high altitude means that temperatures can be icy.
Around the area
You can hike, play golf, visit art galleries, pat farmyard animals and go fly fishing, just to name a few of the activities. Also, the Opi Kopi Private Museum is free and is worth a visit.
Tours to do
You can choose an historical tour or take a tour to see San rock art paintings in the area.
Length of stay
Three days will give you plenty of time to explore the town and surrounding areas for cheeses, views, and, of course, elusive larks.
Where to stay
The town itself has a number of excellent guesthouses and B&Bs.
What to eat
Go to a little shop called Brie Street and acquire some cheese. You'll also find a few other specialities of the region, like paté and trout.


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~I share a little of something I have learned in the World of SAP~
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Sunday, September 11, 2016
M7163 Purchase Order Latest GR Date check at goods receipt
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I will live blog portions of the conference call, and if it's not too long, I may transcribe the entire call later.
Stay right here and refresh often after 5:15.
Glen Sather:
"Spoken to Donnie about a month ago but there wasn't a way to make a deal. … guy I've been interested in for a while, surprised last year when Colorado traded him …"
Frolov injury made it more urgent.
On Del Zotto tie-in?: "We like our young defense … we know it's a little risky … but opportunity to do something with a 24-year old who's been a goal scorer, we thought too good an opportunity to turn down."
"I think the obvious reason is we have a lot of good young defensemen progressing the way we like them. We've been building our organization around youth … moving a guy who's 32 years old with this year and next left on his contract, it was a good opportunity for us to get younger and bigger and give young defensemen a chance to play."
"I was very happy with the way Rozy played. He's a good player, durable, works hard, played through a lot of pain in his career. We have nothing but good things to say about him. I thought he was treated unfairly once in a while. We liked him a lot. He was a good person."
Hopes Wolski will be here long-term. "He's a skillful player."
Doesn't know if Rozsival's treatment was tied into his salary.
"Just a situation where we thought we could strengthen ourselves at forward after we lost a pretty good winger the other night."
"The other side of the coin … it's created another opportunity … this reduces our cap by $1.2M so it might give us an opportunity to do something else in the future … (this) makes sense for us for a lot of reasons."
"Deal came together real quick."
"I think the Coyotes team has changed quite a bit from the way they were built last year. Sometimes things change within a team for a player … we think we have some players he might be able to be successful with. We think our (coaches) might be (able to help him be successful)."
"He's got the ability to play (on any line) on our team."
Wolski gets in tonight, will be available tomorrow. Newbury is staying (for the time being).
"The way we've been losing people this year, a lot of these guys from Connecticut could be here at any time."
"If you look historically back at some of the deals that are made for players at this age, you find you're not going tobe able to get (a player like this) unless something goes wrong. … every trade is a hit and miss. … we're going to give this guy an opportunity (said he thinks the coaches can "rehab" his game."
Watched him since Brampton. Checked with junior coaches "have a full analytical dossier" on him.
(The end.)


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"We would never seek to join such a terrifying environment. The reason for our approaching the Shanghai Group is solely for it to be instrumental in Islamic Unity. Otherwise there is nothing about the Shanghai Union we could want. If you join the Shanghai Group without having Islamic Union, you will have joined the Asian mafia. The Shanghai Group is Asia's ruthless and bloodthirsty mafia. It is Islam that will illuminate the world. And that can clearly only happen with the way of the Mahdi."
A Turkish Union without the spirit of the way of the Mahdi, without the love and beauty of Islamic Unity, will not be that effective. Not like people imagine. We are now living in a kind of Turkish Union but that love needs to be installed. There are many Turkic republics now, and many people in Turkey have never even heard of them. They do not even know where the Turkic states are. Yet we should love them. It is wrong not to know where one's brothers and children are. One must know where one's parents and brothers are, and how they are living. One must love them and want to be with them and live with them. Only the Mahdi (pbuh) can bestow that spirit.
But if you join the Shanghai Group without having attained Islamic Union, you will have joined the Asian mafia. The Shanghai Group is Asia's ruthless and bloodthirsty mafia. Syria is part of the Shanghai team, for example, and is a totally psychopathic country; it sheds rivers of blood. Iran is also in the Shanghai team and it is a most ruthless country that limits its own people's freedoms. Apart from that belief, it is very harsh and allows no breathing room for any other beliefs. It has that strange belief in the Mahdi, that it does not even believe itself, that it imposes on people. They say, "The Mahdi is everywhere, he is in everyone's homes." Everyone knows that is untrue, but nobody can say it.
Atheism is also widespread in Iran. India is in a total nightmare. The mafia run the majority of Turkic states, particularly Kazakhstan; Turkish businessmen are afraid to go there. They left behind their homes and possessions there and fled to Turkey, and cannot go back. If the mafia lays its hands on something, that is it. The mafia is above the state. The rule of law does not reign in those states. Courts, prosecutors, the police – they have nothing to do with it. Just the mafia. The mafia is above them all. So what happens if you forge an alliance with such a structure? If you do, you will be cheek by jowl with the mafia and you will surely sink. That would be very dangerous.
That is why alliances with the Turkic states should be based on the system of the Mahdi and the spirit of the Qur'an; on the love, affection, compassion, friendship and conception of art, science and beauty in the Qur'an. Without these, nothing will come of unification. There is the USA, those states are all united but half the population is in poverty. There are degenerates everywhere. Someone is killed every two or three minutes in America. There is a terrifying climate there. There are suicides every hour. Women are raped in India every minute. There are murders everywhere. Bombs go off in Pakistan. Murders in the Turkic states do not even get as far as the justice system. When there is a murder in the Turkic states, Kazakhstan for instance, the press never mention it, the justice system never gets involved.
We would never ask to join such a terrifying environment. What we ask for regarding Shanghai is in order to be instrumental in Islamic Unity. That is why we are approaching it. To be a doorway on the path to Islamic unity. Otherwise, a political Shanghai, a political NATO and a political UN are impoverishing the world. The world is full of suffering, bloodshed and tears. So there is nothing about it for us to desire. It is Islam that will illuminate the world; no happiness or peace is possible otherwise. And that can clearly only happen with the way of the Mahdi. (Adnan Oktar, January 28th, 2013, A9 TV)
2013-02-19 21:42:59


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Your gift to help a hardworking entrepreneur will double in impact thanks to a generous World Vision partner.
Felicisima is from Philippines. She has 3 children. She needs a loan of $250 to purchase fertilizer.
Felicisima is from Philippines. She has 3 children. She needs a loan of $250 to purchase fertilizer.
Felicisima Torino is a farmer from Manjuyod, Negros Oriental. She is 36 years old, married, with three children ages 12, 13 and 14. Her farm is her only source of income.
Felicisima is requesting a World Vision loan so that she can buy more fertilizer for her farm to increase her crop yield.
Any profits would assure her family of a healthy diet, better quality of life and school fees paid on time.
The Agriculture business sector covers all farming and livestock activities. Some entrepreneurs request loans to help in securing supplies and equipment. Others want to buy more animals to breed or purchase feed and medicines. The majority of our loan clients live in rural communities where agriculture is already understood as a business model. It is for this reason that approximately 50% of our loans are in the agricultural sector.
The community of Mountain View is located in a boot-shaped province on Negros Island in the Philippines. Home to Mt. Kanlaon, an active volcano, the area is rich with natural resources. With convenient access to a variety of markets, the community is emerging as a promising frontier for investors.
Economic activities revolve around agriculture, fishery, and forestry. Environmental degradation is a pressing concern. The region has been identified as one of the lowest income-earning areas in the country. Families struggle to acquire proper nutrients, and some do not have access to clean water. Malnutrition and disease are constant concerns. Families are hindered by poor road conditions, and many children drop out of school.
In Mountain View, World Vision has provided community members with key employment skills, including training in food processing and assistance in livestock rearing. We have also provided medical and housing assistance, supplemental food for malnourished children, fees and materials for children to attend school, and educational support for child laborers.
Thank you for supporting a small business loan for Felicisima Torino to expand her farming business.
After receiving the loan from World Vision, she invested the $250 to purchase fertilizer.
Felicisima has been repaying her loan on time with her new profits. She makes weekly payments of $15.
In addition to repaying her loan, Felicisima is using additional income to pay school fees, purchase food for the family, and expand the current business. Felicisima's 3 children continue to study in school.
Thank you for supporting Felicisima and World Vision Micro!
Thank you for supporting the small business loan for Felicisima Torino to improve her farming business. She invested her loan of $250 to purchase fertilizer.
Felicisima has now repaid her loan in full. In addition to repaying her loan, Felicisima has used her additional income to pay school fees, purchase food for the family, and expand the current business. Felicisima's 3 children continue to study in school.
The loan Felicisima received helped her business expand and the profits she is now earning create lasting improvements in her life. In the future, Felicisima hopes to continue to send her children to school, repair or expand their home, and expand the current business.
Thank you for your support of Felicisima and World Vision Micro! These funds are now being recycled to support another eager entrepreneur in the same community.