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Mazda is also applying the Tomoiku approach to human resources development in China. Thanks to sizzling economic growth in recent years, China is now said to be the world's largest auto market. In 2005, Mazda sold 96,000 vehicles in China; by 2010, the figure had swollen to 236,000.
"To raise Mazda's presence in the ever-growing Chinese market, our most important task is to train the dealers who have direct, day-to-day contact with customers." So says Zhang Xiaonan, Assistant Manager at the Customer Service Department of Mazda Motor (China) Co., Ltd. (MCO). In 2009, Mazda opened three training centers, in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, providing vital facilities for human resources development in China. Zhang is tasked with the management of these three centers.
Located in a suburb of Shanghai, Mazda (China) Training Center Shanghai is fitted out with the latest service equipment to handle the latest Mazda models. In May 2011, in one of the training rooms, trainees were seen crowding around a Mazda6 (Atenza in Japan), poring over details and trying their hand at various service tasks. In a lecture room, peering intently at technical diagrams projected on a screen, the assembled trainees jotted down memos.
One of the instructors, Wang Xuewen, believes that in order to teach others, he must be the foremost authority on the topic at hand. This is why he has even dismantled a vehicle's transmission, part by part, diligently examining every facet. "It's important to gain a solid grounding in both theory and practice," he explains. "Nothing makes me happier than to see my trainees apply on the shop floor what they learn here, and even win prizes in engineering contests."
Feng Zhigang is an employee at the Shanghai Jinghe Branch of FAW Mazda Motor Sales Co., Ltd. (FMSC), a Mazda dealership in Shanghai, and a trainee at Mazda (China) Training Center Shanghai. Feng's eyes shone as he related, "I've had plenty of practice, so that part wasn't too difficult, but the theory was a real challenge for me. But doing the practice after understanding the theory helped me to learn much faster. I was really surprised at how my technical skills were growing every day."
The general manager (equivalent to a president in Japan) at Shanghai Jinghe, Shao Ji, introduced an anecdote that illustrates Feng's excellence. "A customer had requested us to fix a problem, but the other staff couldn't solve it. We had no choice but to contact Feng on his day off and ask him to take a look. He fixed the car in an instant!"
Naturally, having outstanding staff members like Feng enhances customer satisfaction. His example also has a powerful impact in motivating the other employees and improving their skill levels. "Thanks to the target model Feng has represented, the other staff members are more focused than ever on acquiring skills," Shao enthused. "It also energizes the whole workplace."
The training centers are rapidly emerging as important forums for Mazda's training activities. Issues remain, however. In 2010, the three training centers provided a total of 381 training days, roughly half their capacity. While this figure represents a 115% improvement from the previous year, increasing the utilization of the facilities in a short time remains a daunting task. Two reasons for this challenge are the blistering pace of China's economic growth and the country's sheer size. To participate in training programs, trainees have to entrust their duties to other staff, which is difficult at a time when every employee is completely busy in the rapidly growing market. Further, some regions are as much as two days' travel by train from the training center, creating great difficulties in attracting staff from throughout the country.
"The time taken by staff to commute to and from the training centers and train there poses a temporary obstacle for a company's regular work, but when you consider how staff members grow as a result, the benefits for the company as a whole are tremendous," Zhang explained. Growing serious, he added, "To gain people's understanding on this point, we are going to enhance the content of training programs, improve efficiency of management, and raise the working rate. If we can do that, we can encourage more trainees to use the training centers, greatly advancing the human resource development in China."
A vital mission of the training centers, as well as conducting the training on the latest products and technology, is conveying an understanding of Mazda's unique approach. The Mazda Way is a core component of that approach. "In the Mazda Way, 'Continuous Kaizen' and 'Tomoiku' are important for us," Zhang noted. "In this era of fast-paced change, it's impossible to learn everything by myself. What we're trying to achieve at this center is a flexible atmosphere where trainees can learn and help each other study together."
The cumulative number of trainees at the three training centers exceeds 3,000. By imparting an understanding of Mazda technology and the Mazda approach, these training centers are fostering capable personnel to steer the future of Mazda in China.


text:
Are you tired of yo-yo dieting?
Are you tired of yo-yo dieting or using food as a way to fulfill your emotional needs?
Do you constantly think about food?
Do you hate the way you look?
Do you use food to take care of yourself or to punish yourself?
Are you tired of dieting and don't know what else to do?
Why dieting and restricting doesn't work
You have learned to diet, to restrict, to limit yourself of the food you love (restricting = anything you do to make a food "bad"). This doesn't make you want the food less. In fact, often you want the food more! In the end, in spite of your intentions to eat less, you end up overeating. Have you ever noticed that you overeat (binge) on the very same food you decided never to touch again? Of course. It isn't that you don't want it, it's that you made it bad, the forbidden item. This actually increases your desire for the specific food you are trying not to eat.
Try NOT thinking of a pink elephant.
Food works the same way and that is the reason restricting doesn't work.
In fact, studies show that 95%-98% of diets don't work.
When you are in the dieting cycle, you begin by restricting in a variety of ways: the diet starts, you don't eat what you really want, you eat less than you want or need, you feel bad about what you eat, and/or you starve yourself.
Perhaps you eventually eat the forbidden food, but with a feeling of losing control. You might then feel you have failed and become angry with yourself. On the other hand, you may completely deny that you started eating the food again by saying you are taking a break from the diet or will just have "a little bit". Or, maybe you eat it but then throw it up, exercise madly trying to burn it off, or beat yourself up for eating it.
Ultimately, you don't lose weight that you will keep off or stop thinking about food. Instead, it leads you even deeper into a feeling of powerlessness. You feel unable to control yourself.
Perhaps, you blame your problems (being alone, unloved, angry) on food and your body. You tell yourself that if only you could lose weight, everything would be okay. You pay huge amounts of energy and attention to who looks thinner or fatter than you. You feel bad every time you eat something you think is "bad" for you.
You think it is your fault. There is something wrong with you. You are flawed.
Does this sound familiar?
If so, I'd like to help. If you find yourself spending more time dieting, hating your body and thinking about food than living your life, I may be able to help you out of your struggle.
Taking the first step towards getting help is often the most difficult. It could also be the best thing you do for yourself. Because life is a lot better without this struggle!
I would love to keep in touch by sending you information to support you in your journey. Sign up below to get gentle help from afar.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Yesterday's New York Times contained an op-ed by Katherine Stewart in which she bemoaned the fact that a local church uses a neighborhood public school for religious services. She thinks this is wrong, that it threatens the separation of Church and State, that such services are divisive not inclusive, etc. Stewart's impoverished imagination fails to see that a scholl can and should be a vibrant part of a community and that opening its doors to groups like churches or community groups that need a place to gather will enhance the community not divide it. She notes that partisan groups are not permitted to use the school, to which I say, well let them in. She complains that some churches do not share her Greenwich Village values, to which I mutter to myself "Thank God" but also think that the First Amendment protects those religious groups to believe what they want and not to be discriminated because of it.
But, the extent of Stewart's hostility comes through when she gives voice to her resentment that the PTA paid to renovate the bathrooms that this church group can now use. Heaven forfend.
Church groups, like other groups, should have to pay to use public facilities but they should not be disciminated against in the use of such facilities because they are religious. Surely Ms. Stewart is smart enough to explain to her child that, no, allowing a church to use the space does not mean her school is a church or that the First Amendment is not profoundly threatened by such use. Why the Times gave valuable space on its op-ed page to print her rant is beyond me.
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Nidhogg is to swordfighting what Sensible Soccer is to foot-to-ball. It's the International Track & Field of sticking people with pointy objects. It's a two-player multiplayer distillation of a swashbuckling action movie, with every extraneous element burned away until all that's left is a couple of buttons, a few moves and twice the concentration of drama and excitement.
This is Wot I Think.
Read the rest of this entry »


text:
Capturing the promise of shared services
The value of shared-services organizations will be in their ability to work closely with internal customers to identify needs and to effectively source appropriate services on the open market. This requires new capabilities in areas such as strategic sourcing, development of third party alliances, and application of e-commerce techniques to match internal demands with external suppliers.
Capturing the promise of shared services
Chicago Vinay Couto Senior Partner +1-312-346-1900 vinay.couto @strategyand.pwc.com Dr. Deniz Caglar Partner +1-312-346-1900 deniz.caglar @strategyand.pwc.com Dubai Per-Ola Karlsson Senior Partner +971-4-390-0260 per-ola.karlsson @strategyand.pwc.com Andrew Horncastle Partner +971-4-390-0260 andrew.horncastle @strategyand.pwc.com Olaf Schirmer Principal +971-4-390-0260 olaf.schirmer @strategyand.pwc.com Munich Stefan Frey Partner +49-89-54525-0 stefan.frey @strategyand.pwc.com Frederic Pirker Partner +49-89-54525-0 frederic.pirker @strategyand.pwc.com Rio de Janeiro Paolo Pigorini Senior Partner +55-21-3232-6291 paolo.pigorini @strategyand.pwc.com Sydney Varya Davidson Partner +61-2-9321-1900 varya.davidson @strategyand.pwc.com
About Strategy&
Strategy& is a global team of practical strategists committed to helping you seize essential advantage. We do that by working alongside you to solve your toughest problems and helping you capture your greatest opportunities. These are complex and high-stakes undertakings — often game-changing transformations. We bring 100 years of strategy consulting experience and the unrivaled industry and functional capabilities of the PwC network to the task. Whether you're charting your corporate strategy, transforming a function or business unit, or building critical capabilities, we'll help you create the value you're looking for with speed, confidence, and impact. We are a member of the PwC network of firms in 157 countries with more than 195,000 people committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax, and advisory services. Tell us what matters to you and find out more by visiting us at strategyand.pwc.com/me.
Capturing the Promise of Shared Services
this decade, shared services has been trumpeted as a new means to deliver support services more effectively and at significantly lower cost than traditional delivery models could. Although most of the leading companies throughout the world have adopted the model in one form or another, many have been disappointed with the results. Others, however, have achieved benefits well beyond their expectations. One reason for the varying levels of success is that models and practices have evolved so quickly over the last 10 years that the term shared servicescan mean vastly different things to different organizations. At one end of the spectrum, shared-services organizations are nothing more than old-fashioned head-office central services with a new name. At the other end, where the most successful companies fall, are stand-alone service delivery organizations that are operated like any other business unit. In working with and talking to hundreds of organizations that have implemented shared services in the past decade (most of them in the past five years), we have observed three predominant sharedservices models — all of which are still in use today. (See Exhibit 1.) 1. Organizational Consolidation. Many early shared-services implementations (and even some recent ones) were intended to capture scale efficiencies within their organization. An executive was appointed to implement the new shared-services model and after
122 strategy+business Reader
Exhibit 1: Evolution of Shared-Services Models
Business-Driven Solution Description Supply-Side Restructuring • P roc ess es r eengineered to best- practice e iciencies • B usin ess es s till use s ervices at hi stor ic le vels • P roc ess es r eengineered to best practices • B usin ess uni ts c ontrol demand
Organizational Consolidation
• Functions co nsolida ted without reen gineering • B usin ess es u nsupporti ve of centrali zation
L ow
L ow
Source: Strategy&
the structure was established, the shared-services head began negotiating with business units about the services that would be "consolidated" and sold back. The focus was on consolidation rather than fundamentally changing the way services were delivered. And because this solution focused primarily on centralizing service delivery, business unit managers fought against it. In the absence of true restructuring, it was often not possible to reduce costs. This resulted in a shared-services organization with few of the benefits but many more of the headaches of implementation. 2. Supply-Side Restructuring. Many organizations understand that in order to fulfill the promise of shared services, fundamental restructuring of support services, not just consolidation, is required. The best implementations involved a major functional reengineering effort to eliminate work and simplify processes; this was led at a senior level to make the supply side as efficient as possible. In general, the results were positive: Overall costs were typically reduced by an initial 15 to 20 percent, and performance was maintained through the transition. However, not all organizations have succeeded with this model.
Capturing the Pr omise of Shar ed Servic es 123
Some shared-services managers have been too aggressive in outsourcing activities such as finance and IT without fully understanding how to manage external relationships. And business managers have at times not been fully engaged in the process, seeing it as a functional initiative to take away control. Without both sides working together to further drive down costs, the potential of this approach is limited. 3. Business-Driven Solution. The new wave of successful implementations has recognized that around 40 percent of the total benefits available in a shared-services implementation comes from demand management, shared-services managers working with the businesses to achieve a cultural change in the way they think about support services. (See Exhibit 2.) The goal is for business managers to think of support costs as controllable rather than as a head-office allocation. Clearly, all of the supply-side restructuring and reengineering is still necessary, but successfully managing demand requires that business unit managers rethink their support requirements and be actively involved in the design and delivery of services. The focus of shared-services managers has shifted, from providExhibit 2: Shared-Services Benefits by Type
Source: Strategy&
Work Practices
Demand Management
Management Structure
strategy+business Reader
Exhibit 3: Buyers Committee Role
Shared-Services Managers • D evelop servi ce offe rings tha t meet customers ' needs • Demon str ate cost competitiveness ve rsu s extern al su ppliers • Cont inually pr opose new initiatives that will drive down costs • Demon str ate to busin ess es t he potential savings if demand is reduced Business Unit Representatives • Coordinate ser vice o eri ngs with sharedservices manage rs • P rovide a business pe rspec tive on "wh at is needed," rat her tha n the "gold-pla ted solu tion" • Cha llenge other bu sine sse s as to ser vice l evels that are demanded, on the bas is of internal benchmarking • W ork w ith shared- ser vices or ganiza tion to devise lowest- cos t s olution • Ma ke c onsist ent ser vice-l evel ag ree ments
Source: Strategy&
ing functional excellence to users, to providing functional adequacy in which the businesses determine their needs and the level of service they can afford. To achieve this cultural shift, many organizations have adopted governance mechanisms and processes that involve key business and functional representatives in the ongoing decision-making process. Generally, a shared-services board and a shared-services buyers committee are the primary decision-making bodies. (See Exhibit 3.) Description These groups meet a few times during the year to define required services, monitor performance, and approve budgets. It's critical that the process not become a legally oriented, contentious environment — a culture that will soon sink any shared-services initiative. Rather, what successful organizations are doing today is creating a cooperative model. Buyers committee meetings are short, focused on three to five key business drivers, and depend on one- to three-page service-level agreements. These meetings provide a mechanism to ensure business units maintain control without having to own the activities. Thus, much of the resistance to change from the implementation of shared services is eliminated. (See Exhibit 4.) This approach has demonstrated that the overall structure is less important than getting all the major stakeholders involved in developing the solution. As a result, more-innovative service delivery
Capturing the Promise of Shared Services 125
Exhibit 4: What Makes a Service-Level Agreement Successful?
Critical Success Factors Simplicity What You Need • Agreemen t is s hort (3–1 pages) and s imple to unders tand • Services are bundled by bus iness units to enable trade-o s across functions • Agreemen t enables stra ightforward, ongoing communication • Invoicing is clear and unders tandable • Pricing provides ins ight into s ervice cost drivers and encourages des ired behavior • B ase level "lights- on" opera tions are s epara ted from optional se rvices • Service levels are flexible and s cala ble, up or down • Performan ce is tracked against internal targe ts and external benchmar ks (without adding excess ive infras tructure) • B us iness and s ervice managem ent are linked
Transparency and Choice
Metrics and Accountability
Source: Strategy&
models are beginning to emerge that locate services with the businesses to maximize customer intimacy, while being managed centrally to achieve scale and utilization advantages, and leverage expertise across the organization. (See Exhibit 5.) With a successful implementation of both demand-side and supply-side initiatives, companies that have implemented a business-driven solution have been able to successfully sustain cost savings of more than 30 percent.
Lessons Learned
Clearly, to capture the maximum benefits expected from shared services, a business-driven model is required. With that end in mind, the organization needs to determine how it will migrate to the new model. Many organizations have failed to achieve their vision because the implementation was poorly executed. Common shortfalls we have observed include: • Long time frames that lose focus and momentum partway through the process. • Very ambitious implementations that open too many fronts and
126 strategy+business Reader
Exhibit 5: Examples of Service Delivery Models
Model Hosted Description • No s epara te s ervice delivery entity, but ra ther centers of expertise • E ach bus iness divis ion given resp onsibility to s ell s ervices to the other bus iness divis ions (e.g., divis ion A s ells IT to band C; divis ion B s ells HR to A and C) • A s mall, central ized s ervice delivery organ ization mainly resp onsible for ensur ing utilization, and e iciency and s har ing acro ss bus iness es • Support s ervices generally located close to the bus iness units to ensu re maximum unders tanding of bus iness re quiremen ts • A central s hared - s ervices organ ization (loca ted away from the corpora te center) hous ing all s cale - driven functions
Source: Strategy&
strain the management resources required to successfully achieve the objectives. Implementations that are not driven from the CEO level and therefore stall when middle management begins to disagree with some of the recommendations.
In our experience, there are a number of lessons learned that, if followed, can increase the probability of a successful implementation. Ensure CEO-Level Commitment to Drive the Change Effort. Implementing shared services is a major restructuring effort that will put significant stress on the organization to capture the benefits. Inevitably, many functional and business staff will not support changes that challenge the status quo. Once the going gets tough, they will be quick to go to senior management and complain that the concept won't work. The CEO and senior management team must make it clear that they are committed to driving the changes and lead by example. Set Aggressive Goals and Stick to Them. Undertaking a large-scale restructuring places significant strain on the resources of any organCapturing the Promise of Shared Services 127
Are Your Shared Services Healthy?
• Has your organization invested substantial managerial capital to establish shared-services operations, yet you find yourselves disappointed by the results? • Have you implemented shared services, but not yet seen significant cost and service improvements? • Has implementation stalled, with only a few transactional activities being shared across business units? • Do businesses feel alienated, viewing shared services as a loss of management control for no real benefit? • Have business units begun to add back support functions or gone to the market to source services rather than utilize the internal shared service? • Are you having difficulty attracting the right people to shared services? • Have demand levels within the organization stayed unacceptably high long after implementation? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have a significant opportunity to enhance the implementation of your shared-services operations and generate significant value for your organization.
ization, so it must be done right the first time. The senior management team must have a clear view of what it needs to achieve and continue to challenge the organization to achieve it. Without this clarity, savings targets will be continually eroded throughout the design process, to the point where the magnitude of change becomes marginal. Communicate to Staff Frequently. Implementing a shared-services organization presents great uncertainty for a large number of staff. Business managers will be concerned about loss of autonomy, and functional staff will be uncertain of their future. A well-structured change-management program will significantly reduce the level of tension within the organization. In particular, implementing an extensive communication plan that delivers frequent messages through a broad range of channels (including face to face, intranet, and internal publications) is an excellent means of bringing the organization through the change process. Manage the Transition Closely. In shared-services restructuring, the devil is truly in the details — an incorrect process step or system error can easily cause invoices to be processed incorrectly or staff
128 strategy+business Reader
paychecks to be late. These hiccups can cause significant loss of credibility for a new shared service, so the transition should be planned in as much detail as possible, including a detailed migration schedule. Establishing the various buyers committees early in the design and using them to provide input into the solution are also effective ways to achieve a business-driven model. Build an Attractive Career for Staff. Many companies find it difficult to attract their best staff to shared services, given its reputation for being a place for deadwood. The reality is that the shared-services structure can actually provide enhanced career opportunities for staff, as it provides a professional services environment that was previously located in a small number of businesses. To build a positive image for staff, shared-services managers must embark on building a new customer-focused culture for the organization as soon as it is announced. Initiate formal programs to orient staff in their new roles, and publicly celebrate some early wins to reinforce the new approach. Measure Performance Closely against Original Targets. The underlying goal for implementing shared services is always to continually improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service. This requires ongoing tracking of a few key metrics for each service. These metrics must be explicitly linked to the drivers of demand to make sure the overall shared-services performance is continually improved. In addition, the metrics must be made part of the organization's overall performance metrics. Integrate all improvement initiatives into the formal budgeting process and tie performance of the sharedservices operation to the relevant managers' compensation.
Reengineer the Processes — Don't Just Make Organizational Changes.
Remember that more than half the value stemming from a sharedservices implementation comes through eliminating work, capturing scale benefits, and improving utilization of support staff. This can be achieved only by fundamentally reengineering processes. If
Capturing the Promise of Shared Services 129
the only changes made are organizational, bottom-line benefits will not flow, and the tension between business and functional managers will increase. Engage the Businesses to Drive Down Demand for Services. The other half of the benefits from shared services will come from helping the businesses understand that they can control support-service costs just as they control any other expenses. If business managers reduce their demand levels from a gold-plated service to a lesser but adequate service level, they should see their costs decline. Structuring a menu of pricing options with variable service levels is often a good way to quickly engage business managers to take a more active involvement in demand management. By following these implementation principles, shared services can deliver significant benefits to organizations. However, it requires a major restructuring effort and change in behavior from both functional and business managers. Only after making these changes will real benefits from shared services flow.
The Next Generation of Shared-Services Organizations
Over the next few years, as technology continues to advance and third-party services become much more attractive, we believe that shared services will evolve to a fourth stage, enabling another source of efficiency and effectiveness benefits. The focus of the shared service of the future will move further away from efficiently managing internal support functions and toward managing third-party suppliers. Although information technology has been outsourced for many years, value chain dis-integration and the continued decline of communication costs are driving a more extensive range of thirdparty services in areas such as finance, human resources, legal, corporate affairs, customer care, and billing. As more and more functions are outsourced to lower-cost providers, the value of shared-services organizations will be in their
130 strategy+business Reader
ability to work closely with internal customers to identify needs and to effectively source appropriate services on the open market. In this emerging role as a service broker, the ability of sharedservices managers to build customer relationships and manage demand will become a much larger part of their position. Yet they will also need to acquire the skills necessary to secure appropriate services quickly, at the lowest possible cost. This will require new capabilities in areas such as strategic sourcing, development of thirdparty alliances, and application of e-commerce techniques to efficiently match internal demands with the increasing number of external suppliers. Only by continuing to innovate will shared services remain a valuable and relevant component within major corporations throughout the world. +
Capturing the Promise of Shared Services 131
Strategy& is a global team of practical strategists committed to helping you seize essential advantage. We do that by working alongside you to solve your toughest problems and helping you capture your greatest opportunities.
These are complex and high-stakes undertakings — often game-changing transformations. We bring 100 years of strategy consulting experience and the unrivaled industry and functional capabilities of the PwC network to the task. Whether you're
charting your corporate strategy, transforming a function or business unit, or building critical capabilities, we'll help you create the value you're looking for and impact.
We are a member of the 157 countries with more than 195,000 people committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax, and advisory services. Tell us out more by visiting us at strategyand.pwc.com.
This viewpoint was first published in 2007, prior to the separation of Booz & Company from Booz Allen Hamilton in 2008, and the merger of Booz & Company (now Strategy&) with PwC in 2014.
details. Disclaimer: This content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional advisors.


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|North Bethesda, MD
North Potomac, MD
Rockville, MD
Bethesda, MD
Wolf Trap, VA
|Tysons Corner, VA
Friendship Village, MD
Reston, VA
Aspen Hill, MD
Idylwood, VA
|Vienna, VA
Gaithersburg, MD
Redland, MD
Falls Church, VA
Silver Spring, MD
The center of each city listed is within 10 miles of Potomac, MD.
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Auto manufacturers have long used robots in car production on the assembly line, but Toyota has recently put a humanoid communication robot in another vehicle -- the International Space Station. The robot astronaut Kirobo became the first robot to speak in outer space, saying "On Aug. 21, 2013, a robot took one small step toward a brighter future for all."
The words were the first step in a project created to explore humans coexisting with robots in the future. Later this year, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, the first Japanese Commander of the International Space Station, will arrive on board and will participate in the world's first conversation held between a person and a robot in outer space.
Tara Baukus Mello writes the cars blog as well as the weekly Driving for Dollars column, providing both practical financial advice for consumers as well as insight into the latest developments in the automotive world. Follow her on Facebook here or on Twitter @SheDrives.


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All country is how I would describe these two. She is your typical southern bell beauty, and he is a real live rancher. They both come from hometowns of less than 1,000. So, you could say they are small town peeps. Neither one of them were looking for love, but you know how friends love to hook up friends, and the rest was history….these two just couldn't keep their hands off one another during the session, you'd think they were getting married or something. 😉
We started our session off at this cool barn, very fitting for this couple…the lighting inside the barn was glorious. And their love lit it up that much more…
I want her cowgirl boots…they were a gift from her fiance…so cute!
Ok…this truck is just plain awesome.
drooling yet??? sheesh…..they are one good looking couple…and the sweetest couple ever to work with!!! Can't wait for your country wedding in May!!! Gonna be so much fun!!


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A RESTAURANTEUR is facing court action if she fails to remove lights outside her property, which the council says are unlawful.
Sally Smith, who runs La Cantina Bistro and Restaurant in Usk, put up five swan neck lights outside its entrance in Bridge Street to make the area safer at night for customers.
But Monmouthshire council's Planning department say the lights, which cost La Cantina £1,000, are unlawful because they do not have planning permission and are unsuitable within the Usk Conservation Area.
Mrs Smith claims to have received a "very threatening" letter in February telling her to take them down, and was told any appeal would be declined. Another letter in June said she had 14 days to remove the lights or face prosecution in the magistratesÕ court.
This could result in a maximum penalty of £2,500 and an additional daily fine of £250 for every day after conviction that the lights remain in place.
Mrs Smith, who also runs a South African shop Biltong2u Ltd in Llancayo Court, hit out at the authority, claiming it should do more to help independent businesses thrive, at a time when others around it are closing.
She said: "David Cameron has been saying all the time he wants to relax the planning laws to help small businesses and Monmouthshire Planning Department come along and do this."
The council's enforcement manager Paula Clarke said: "Unfortunately the lights continue to be used and no positive steps have been taken by the owner to resolve the matter.
"The council recently advised that unless the lights were removed within 14 days we would have to commence prosecution proceedings for the offence. The council remains available to discuss alternatives with the owner."
Mrs Smith said the lights are in place but have never been used and says she has requested a meeting with planners several times but they have failed to respond.


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Thiamine Supplementation to Improve Cardiac Function in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure
This study has been completed.
Luzerner Kantonsspital
Information provided by:
Luzerner Kantonsspital
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: October 3, 2008
Last updated: June 22, 2011
Last verified: June 2011
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
Working Hypothesis: a treatment with thiamine improves functional status and heart function of patients with congestive heart failure when on a diuretic treatment.
|Heart Failure
|Drug: Thiamine Drug: Placebo
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Thiamine Supplementation to Improve Cardiac Function in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure on Long-term Treatment With Diuretic Drugs
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: Heart Failure
Drug Information available for: Thiamine Thiamine hydrochloride Thiamine mononitrateU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Luzerner Kantonsspital:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Left ventricular ejection fraction [ Time Frame: One day, one week, two weeks, four weeks ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Quality of life [ Time Frame: One day, one week, two week, four weeks ]
- 6-minutes walking test [ Time Frame: One day, one week, two weeks, four weeks ]
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|June 2004
|Study Completion Date:
|December 2009
|Primary Completion Date:
|December 2009 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
|Active Comparator: Thiamine
Drug: Thiamine
Supplementation of thiamine (vitamin b1) 300 mg per day, once daily, for a duration of 4 weeks
|Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Drug: Placebo
Placebo, once daily, for a duration of 4 weeks
Detailed Description:
In the treatment of congestive heart failure, diuretic drugs have become a firm cornerstone of therapy. Up to 50% of patients with congestive heart failure in industrialized nations will undergo long-term diuretic treatment. Diuretic therapy is associated with a loss of water soluble vitamins, including vitamin B1 (thiamine). Electrolyte dysbalance, a major side effect of diuretic therapy, has been extensively studied. In sharp contrast, only few data are available about the effects of vitamin loss and in particular of thiamine in this setting. Available data suggest that a diuretic treatment is associated with an increased risk for thiamine deficiency. Thiamine plays a crucial role for normal cardiac function, since severe thiamine deficiency leads to congestive heart failure (wet beriberi). Consequently, patients undergoing diuretic treatment might have compromised heart function. Supplementation of thiamine has been reported to improve cardiac function in patients with congestive heart failure on long-term treatment with diuretic drugs. However, no efforts have been made to confirm those preliminary observations by a placebo-controlled, double-blind study.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients with stable congestive heart failure on a prescription for diuretic drugs
Exclusion Criteria:
- Acute heart failure
- Foreseeable need for further changes in medication
- Current medication containing vitamins
- Patients with a creatinine above 250 μmol/l
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00770107
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00770107
|Kantonsspital Luzern
|Luzern, Switzerland, 6000
Sponsors and Collaborators
Luzerner Kantonsspital
More Information
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on August 23, 2017
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Schoenenberger AW, Schoenenberger-Berzins R, der Maur CA, Suter PM, Vergopoulos A, Erne P. Thiamine supplementation in symptomatic chronic heart failure: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over pilot study. Clin Res Cardiol. 2012 Mar;101(3):159-64. doi: 10.1007/s00392-011-0376-2. Epub 2011 Nov 5.
|Responsible Party:
|Paul Erne, Kantonsspital Luzern
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00770107 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
Thiamine in Heart Failure
|Study First Received:
|October 3, 2008
|Last Updated:
|June 22, 2011
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Heart Failure
Heart Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
Vitamin B Complex
Growth Substances
Physiological Effects of Drugs
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on August 23, 2017


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Security risks mounting over Heke's burial
Media Release
For Immediate Release
17 October 2013
Security risks mounting over Heke's burial says Ngapuhi spokesman
Ngapuhi spokesman David Rankin has expressed serious concerns over the security surrounding the burial of the remains of his ancestor – the nineteenth-century warrior chief Hone Heke – at the end of this month.
Two years ago, Mr Rankin removed Heke's bones from a cave near Pakaraka, where they had lain since 1850. Now, though, he has heard that there are plans to disrupt the reburial.
"I have heard from reliable sources that there are plans in place to prevent the procession carrying Heke's remains from going up Mt Putahi. These are the haters and wreckers from our iwi," says Mr. Rankin. "They crave attention, yet are culturally ignorant. Ngaphi is full of the. They contribute nothing to our culture."
It is expected that hundreds of people will attend the re-interment ceremony on 28 October, which will bring together descendants of those hapu that fought alongside Heke, together with those who fought with the Crown:
"This is a once in a lifetime event," says Mr Rankin, "and if anyone or any group plans to disrupt the event, we are prepared for that challenge."
Mr Rankin says he has organised extra security for the day, but will not disclose the details of these preparations. "All I can say to those planning to disrupt this event is 'wait and see'."


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Let Go, Listen & Love
Recently, I was working with a client, Mike, who was anxious to move his life forward. I could feel the frustration welling up inside of him as he described his confusion about what actions he might take.
Mike knew that he wanted to make significant life changes, and was taking steps to move in a new direction. But at every turn he seemed to run into obstacles over which he apparently had no control, including a series of health challenges.
This certainly wasn't the first time that I heard a story like Mike's. He wasn't the first client who was anxious to move forward yet felt unable to do so because of external circumstances.
Can you relate to Mike's frustration?
Whether the frustration stems from unexpected obstacles, tight finances, lack of necessary skills, missed opportunities – or any other problem – the desire to get what you want when you want it can lead to frustration, disappointment, and a sense of failure.
I've worked with Mike over the course of the last nine months, so I have witnessed the real progress he has made. His potential success, if he continued on the same trajectory, is evident to me, but obviously not to Mike.
An Internal Answer…
Knowing that Mike had been on a long-term path of spiritual and personal development, I suggested that perhaps he was being guided to let go of his concept of the future he was trying so hard to create.
Perhaps, if he let go of a preconceived idea of his success, a new and better pathway would open up. Perhaps if he allowed himself to quiet down and listen to the inner guidance he had received at times in the past could shine through.
Mike took a deep breath and the frustration dissipated as he realized that the answer to his quandary about what steps to take couldn't possibly emerge while he was in an anxious state. We both agreed that the answer was to let go, listen, and love – himself and everything in his life.
It takes courage to wait for your pathway to emerge. These days, financial frustrations often push people to act from a fear base. Yet, when you can let go of the fear and trust in a positive future, you can do what's in front of you now and listen as your inner voice guides you towards your true expression.
During the chaotic times in which we are living, personal and financial success are still well within the realm of possibility. Those who achieve success now are people who can look deep inside and find a place of peace.
It's clear that there is no certainty about the future. The fact is, there never was. Certainty has always been an illusion. The key to success now is to be able to live peacefully with uncertainty.
The key to success is to let go, listen, and love. Can you do that?


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This article titled "5 ways to hack the planet" was written by Philip Hoare, for theguardian.com on Thursday 12th September 2013 11.34 UTC
It's been a week of doom as far as the public face of science is concerned. On Tuesday we had Sir David Attenborough's depressing prognostications that the future is going to be worse for our children and their children (especially if we insist on producing more children in the first place).
Now the comments by the astronomer royal, Martin Rees, take the apocalyptic tone to a new level, one which resonates with his medieval title. With a Nostradamus-like gloom, he intimates it may be too late to naturally reverse the effects of climate change – and believes that radical geoengineering may be the only way we can cope with the desperate scenario. It is one which Lord Rees does not relish: "Geoengineering would be an utter political nightmare", he acknowledges, as well as stirring up practical and ethical dilemmas we can't begin to imagine. But that doesn't stop us trying.
Geoengineering – planet-hacking, in other words – is another of those scientific ventures that pursues the fantastical and seeks to implement it in reality. It's a kind of steampunk for boffins and entrepreneurs – Jules Verne gone viral. It ranges from the ostensibly practical, to the practically insane – but it reminds us that we humans have that one extraordinary superpower which might yet get us out of this fix: imagination itself.
So (every science statement begins thus nowadays), what are the ideas?
1. The giant sunshade
One of Lord Rees's fellow astronomers, the aptly named Roger Angel, has come up with a vast sunshade to be constructed from 16tr glass discs, assembled in space, and sent into orbit using electromagnetic launchers. This has a beautiful, obvious simplicity. Angel believes that by blocking just 2% of the sun's rays, global warming could be reduced to manageable proportions. That we could regulate the earth's temperature, much as we do with the blinds in a sunny conservatory. All well and good – but issues of maintenance and other practicalities – asteroids, for one – cast a shadow on this mega-space umbrella.
Practicality rating: 5/10
Apocalypse rating: 3/10
Cost: 8/10
2. Iron fertilisation
This is the idea that by infusing the ocean with iron filings, we could stimulate phytoplankton blooms, increasing bio-productivity and create a green carbon sink, in the process absorbing large amounts of CO2. It may sound like a school lab experiment gone crazy, but since the 1990s, this has been one of the most favoured geoengineering techniques.
However, it completely ignores its effect on marine life. Surely one reason we're trying to save the planet is to preserve the reasons why we liked it in the first place. And anyway, sperm whales have been doing this naturally for millennia. A recent Australian report estimated the southern ocean population of whales release enough faeces to absorb 400,000 tonnes of carbon a year. Although no-one's proposing training huge pods of the creatures to do our dirty work. Yet.
Nevertheless, more localised environmental concerns didn't stop Russ George of Planktos dumping 100 tonnes of iron sulphate in the Pacific last year, an act which has been accused of violating the UN's convention on biological diversity and other international conventions that forbid dumping at sea. Good old human bureaucracy may yet stymie the wilder excesses of geoengineering. Meanwhile, other scientists claim that diatoms – photosynthetic plankton – may merely absorb the iron into their shells and sink to the sea bed, negating the intended effect.
Practicality rating: 8/10
Apocalypse rating: 6/10
Cost: 3/10
3. Seaweed farms
Proposals for giant seaweed farms work on a similar principle to iron fertilisation, and would cultivate larger, more CO2-absorbing plant forms than phytoplankton. They also sound rather more directly appealing (at least for lovers of Japanese cuisine) in that they'd have the added bonus of furnishing us with food as a byproduct.
Practicality rating: 8/10
Apocalypse rating: 2/10
Cost: 2/10


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DESIGNS for a new roundabout in Northwich are being revealed for residents to view and have their say.
Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) has plans to increase the size of the Leicester Street and Chesterway roundabout.
The significant changes are designed to work hand in hand with the regeneration of Northwich and help the roundabout cope with future levels of traffic.
A number of controlled pedestrian crossings will be installed to ensure safe access for those visiting nearby businesses and extensive nearby parking will also be provided.
Clr Lynn Riley, CWAC's executive member for localities, said: "As a result of regeneration plans the town is benefitting from a number of developments and we expect this to continue in the future.
"As part of this we need to ensure that the highways network can cope with predicted increased levels of traffic and pedestrians can continue to navigate our roads safely.
"Our proposals will see Leicester Street roundabout become much more accessible for pedestrians and includes extensive nearby parking.
"I would encourage anyone looking to find out more to head to one the exhibitions or visit our website."
The proposals, including detailed maps and design information, will be on show at a number of exhibitions.
These include:
• Council Offices at Wyvern House, The Drumber, Winsford, CW7 1AH between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday
• Northwich Library, Witton Street, Northwich, CW9 5DR between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Wednesday, 9am to 7pm Thursday to Friday and between 9am and 1pm on Saturdays
• Northwich Customer Service Centre, 1 The Arcade, Northwich, CW9 5AS between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
• The documents will also be available from December 11on the council's website cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.


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A Shawl for Jane by Kathy Crowell
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see 28 projects made from this pattern and much more? create a free account What am I missing?
© Kathy Crowell
© Kathy Crowell
A Shawl for Jane
This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download
A Shawl for Jane is crescent shaped, beginning at top center back and worked down and outward. The shawl was designed to highlight highly variegated yarns through two lacy chevron patterns. Garter rows provide texture. An expanding center panel continues the chevron patterns and accentuates the flattering drape of this shawl.
I named the shawl for a dear friend who recently contacted me after an absence of years and miles.


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BWW Reviews: APARTMENT 13 in NYC - Excellent Dining, Welcoming Spot
Welcome to Apartment 13, your home away from home. This chic new spot has a gourmet menu that is sure to please every taste. It is great addition to the neighborhood where you can relax in the street level bar and spacious lounge or enjoy fine dining upstairs. Seasonal, outdoor dining is also available.
We visited early on a Saturday night and had the pleasure of meeting co-owners, Chef John Keller and Lorrae Doig. Doig commented, "We set out to provide great food and drink in an atmosphere that makes you feel totally comfortable." Keller feels that Apartment 13 is a real extension of the neighborhood. He said, "Our goal is to make dinner feel like a relaxed dinner party; an intimate environment where guests can enjoy the best food and drink offerings." With excellent service, a remarkable menu, and an inviting atmosphere, the restaurant has clearly accomplished its goal.
The "Raw Bar" selections include succulent Chef Select Oysters (half dozen at market price). Keller's Hamachi Crudo ($14) is the best we've ever had with Smoked Tomato Ponzu, Yuzu Kosho, Garlic Chips and Micro Cilantro.
"Snacks" including Pear and Blue ($10) Roasted Sickle Pear, Mycella Blue, Candied Walnuts, Green Goddess Dressing, and Butter Lettuce or Beer Steamed Clams ($13) are just the start your culinary adventure. Try Mimi's Maryland Crabcake ($13) with Coconut Crema, Sour Mango and Scotch Bonnet.
Your dinner entrees can range from The Burger ($15) to specialties like Fish Tea ($28) Atlantic Cod, Miso Butter Lemongrass Dashi, Baby Bok Choy and Hon Shimeji Mushrooms. We enjoyed The Angry Bronzino ($27) Whole Crispy Mediterranean Sea Bass, Five-Chili Garlic and Lemon Sauce and Broccolini.
We sampled some of their original and refreshing cocktails that are all priced at $13. "Ducktails" has Aylesbury Duck Vodka, honeydew, lavender, coconut water, lemon and honey. "Jamaica" is summer in glass with Pueblo Viejo Blanco Tequila, hibiscus, strawberries and lime. They feature a carefully selected wine list starting at $9 a glass. Handcrafted beers on tap ($8) include some of New York's finest; Brooklyn Brewery Chocolate Stout and Ommegang Witte from Cooperstown.
Their menu suggests drink pairings to for the perfect complement to your food. For a wonderful experience in Alphabet City, visit Apartment 13. Open for dinner and late for drinks from Thursday to Saturday. So, leave your apartment and visit Apartment 13; better than any cocktail or dinner party you will find in the city.
Apartment 13, 115 Loisaida Avenue (Avenue C) New York, NY 10009. Phone: (917) 475-1213. email@example.com. Visit their web site at www.apt-13.com.
Photo courtesy of Apartment 13.


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3152 Cristobal Way
Las Vegas, NV 89117
Phone (Toll Free): (800) 614-9824
Phone (Local): (702) 953-4782
America's top corporate magicians for hospitality suites, trade shows, exhibit booths and sales meetings. Search our online directory for magical entertainers. "Nobody knows magic like us".


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The Hunger Games saga continues in this sequel that finds a revolution brewing as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) take a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. President Snow (Donald Sutherland) plots their downfall during preparations for the Quarter Quell, which only occurs every 25 years in celebration of the Capitol's victory over the districts. Hoping to put an end to the growing threat of rebellion, President Snow announces that the Quell's tributes will be reaped from the existing pool of victors -- guaranteeing Katniss a place in the arena. Though Katniss vows to keep Peeta safe even if it means sacrificing her own life, her fellow tributes have a different plan.
Rated PG-13
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Login to interact with events, personalize your calendar, and get recommendations.


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Brewer at the Legislature: Wind energy is testament to greed
Groene at the Legislature: Holding NRDs responsible
More opinion
NFU urges smooth, transparent transition to Fair Trade framework
New interim executive director named for state brand committee
More Ag News
National No Kid Hungry Day will be celebrated on Tuesday and the North Platte Adopt-A-Backpack program is asking for your help.
Mayor Dwight Livingston will issue a proclamation at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at Gracie Maes.
Parker said the WCHD Healthy Kids Coalition, Bank of Heartland, Wal-Mart DC and the North Platte Public School Foundation send more than 210 packs home with North Platte school children per weekend, to meet the needs.
The packs have food that the children can prepare on their own. Their names are submitted by teachers and school counselors who notice the children in need.
Some children need help for a week, a month, a year or throughout their childhood, Parker said.
Through this program, lines of communication between teachers, counselors and the children are opened. The children do better in school personally and academically, in part because they dont have to worry where their next meal comes from.
"These kids can now focus on what is important
being a kid," Parker said.
Here are ways to help:
Encourage your staff to wear orange colored clothing.
Join our facebook page at www.facebook.com/adoptabackpacknp.
Post on your marquees GO ORANGE for National No Kid Hungry Day, Sept. 24.
Attend our official GO ORANGE bake sale at Gracie Maes.
Purchase an official GO ORANGE t-shirt, available at Whitetail Screen Print (Limited supplies.)
Make a donation in one of our orange cans (or put out a donation can yourself). You can Adopt-A-Backpack for as little as $6 (per pack) or $288 for an entire year.
Encourage kids to participate in the Kids Essay Contest (www.nokidhungry2.org).
Forward on this information to your friends, co-workers and family.
The North Platte Adopt-A-Backpack program was launched in November 2012 to help raise money and awareness for the Backpack Program ran through the Healthy Kids Coalition. It was determined that there was a need beyond what resources were being given to feed area children, and that many children were on a waiting list. Within only a couple of weeks, funds were raised to ensure that no child was on a waiting list anymore for food. In October 2012, nearly 120 kids were be serviced through the backpack program, and now more than 200 kids receive packs weekly or in an emergency situation.
To ensure that no child will ever be on a waiting list for food, your help is needed in raising awareness and funds. Currently, funding is through the NPPS foundations Prepared to Learn Fund, a non-profit 501(3)c organization.
Here are the facts:
Most families struggling with hunger are employed.
Hunger is number one on the list of the worlds top 10 health risks.
Hunger is the single biggest solvable problem facing the world today.
Research shows that providing in-school meals, mid-morning snacks, and take-home rations through school feeding programs can alleviate short-term hunger, increase childrens abilities to concentrate, learn, and perform specific tasks. -World Bank, 2013
On an average school day, 21,000,000 children rely on free or reduced-price lunches.
9 out of 10 K-8 public school teachers indicate they believe eating a healthy breakfast is key to academic achievement.
3 out of 5 K-8 public school teachers say they see children coming to school hungry, regularly.
Average attendance in school increases by 1.5 day for children who regularly start the day with a healthy breakfast.
Children who struggle with hunger are likely to be sick more often, to recover from illness more slowly, and to be hospitalized more frequently.
Children who struggle with hunger are more likely to experience headaches, stomachaches, colds, ear infections, and fatigue.
Children who struggle with hunger are more susceptible to obesity and its harmful health consequences.
Children who regularly do not get enough nutritious food to eat tend to have significantly higher levels of behavioral, emotional and academic problems and tend to be more aggressive and anxious.
Teens who regularly do not get enough to eat are more likely to be suspended from school and have difficulty getting along with other kids.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


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Michelle's sister Christina's toast at the wedding reception: "Michelle taught me the meaning of loyalty. She's very quiet, but she's always there for you." May 2012
This layout is modeled after Lisa Dickinson's "Have Faith" layout in this month's Scrapbook Trends.
Yesterday was Greg & Michelle's 10th anniversary as a couple. Their first date was 10 years ago when they went to see the second Harry Potter movie. They celebrated with a dinner out and drinks in the "tallest bar in Minneapolis". They have made us very happy!
Have a great week, my loyal followers!
$0.84 $0.67


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Tickets are £1 for WRSC members and £3 for non-members. Entry will be by ticket only.
Please make every effort to get your ticket from the WRSC desk. Failing that, please email the supporter's club at firstname.lastname@example.com to reserve your tickets to pay on the night. Please be aware that we need numbers so that the club can gauge the staffing levels


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By Charles Okeahalam, AGH Capital
Nigeria is facing a number of difficulties, most notably the absence of security in the north-east of the country where Boko Haram has killed thousands of people. Linked to this atrocity is the equally atrocious low level of civil, social and economic governance. Poor governance is correlated with social instability. It is also influenced by economic inefficiency. Therefore, only a simple or naïve analysis could attempt to wish away cause and effect.
Presidential and state governorship elections which were scheduled to take place in February have now been postponed to March and April respectively. As the elections approach we need to ask: what is the state of the Nigerian economy and what do we have to do to improve it? These are important questions that need to be addressed following the presidential election. Read more


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UFC 154 will mark the return of UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre as he looks to unify the welterweight titles against interim champion Carlos Condit.
Swick is a 13 fight UFC veteran and veteran of season one of The Ultimate Fighter. The AKA welterweight made a successful return to the Octagon at UFC on Fox 4 after a 30 month layoff due to various injuries. Swick defeated DaMarques Johnson via 2nd round knockout. Swick will face Matt Brown on the UFC on Fox 5 card December 8th.
Kyte currently writes a daily blog for The Province, a newspaper in his hometown of Vancouver and has had his work published in Fight! Magazine as well UFC Magazine. You can also find many of his feature interviews on the UFC website.
Casey is a veteran writer and editor for the world's leading mixed martial arts magazine. Fight! Magazine offers a unique perspective on the sport, exercise, supplements and features some of the best writers in the industry.
Listen to us on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/PDzLXV iTunes: http://bit.ly/SY001z
Tags: Carlos Condit, featured, fight! magazine, georges st. pierre, jim casey, Matt brown, Mike Swick, MMA NEWS, UFC 154, ufc news, UFC on FOX 4, ufc on fox 5


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Project Team
Thanks to a highly collaborative team, the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL) stands as a unique achievement in sustainable design.
OWNER: Omega Institute for Holistic Studies
Omega Institute for Holistic Studies is the nation's most trusted source for wellness and personal growth. As a nonprofit organization, Omega offers diverse and innovative educational experiences that inspire an integrated approach to personal and social change. Located on 200 acres in the beautiful Hudson Valley, Omega welcomes more than 23,000 people to its workshops, conferences, and retreats in Rhinebeck, New York, and at exceptional locations around the world.
ARCHITECTS: BNIM Architects
BNIM Architects is a multidisciplinary sustainable architecture and design firm founded in 1970 in Kansas City, Missouri. Throughout its history, BNIM Architects has remained committed to its local and regional communities while establishing a national presence as an innovator of design methodologies, sustainability, and new technologies in sustainable architecture, planning, and workplace design.
ECOLOGICAL DESIGN/ECO-MACHINE: John Todd Ecological Design; Biohabitats
John Todd Ecological Design Inc., is an award-winning water and natural resources planning firm. Their services include comprehensive construction design, consulting, and facility operations services to public and private clients throughout the world. John Todd Ecological Design, Inc., provides clients with cost-effective aesthetic solutions to natural wastewater treatment, stormwater, aquatic environment management, and bio-solids conversion.
Biohabitats provides comprehensive and specialized engineering services in natural wastewater treatment, stormwater treatment, water reuse, and water resources master planning. Their unique design approach utilizes natural systems, including constructed wetlands, and the applied ecologies of the pond, river, prairie, and woodland to develop sustainable projects.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: Conservation Design Forum
Conservation Design Forum (CDF) is a nationally recognized design firm that explores and creates integrated, water-based design strategies that promote economic, social, and ecological sustainability.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Tipping Mar + associates
Tipping Mar + associates is a highly skilled structural engineering firm dedicated to engineering excellence, creativity, and innovation. Their unique, award-winning approach emphasizes early collaboration with architects and contractors to provide the greatest value in seismic and sustainable design. They rely not only on the technical expertise of their staff, but their imagination.
MEP ENGINEER: BGR Engineers
BGR Consulting Engineers Inc., is a full service mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and technology design engineering firm. They take a collaborative approach to design, working to find and communicate clearly the appropriate design solutions for each project.
CIVIL ENGINEER: The Chazen Companies
The Chazen Companies design innovative, sustainable, and valuable solutions to meet the needs of their clients and enhance the future of their company, their staff, their communities, and the environment.


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I think you should do another study to find out how much of the Health Care costs go to the Doctors, Clinics, Nurses, Technicians, Pharmaceuticals ecc. who actually deserve to be compensated for their services and how much is going to all the Parasites!
The other problem which concerns the poorest/uninsured is the disparity of prices if one requires medical service and does not have insurance. The price automatically goes into the stratosphere and the Long Island Jewish group is the foremost culprit whom I additionally think should be invastigated by the NYS Attorney General because of it. Look over any LIJ bill and see the List Price of the services and then see how much the combined payment is due from the Insurance Co. and the Patient. While the uninsured pays the List Price at a minimum 300% of what I and my Insurance CO. would pay. I have been tracking them. I give you one example, a cousin of my mother in law who cannot afford Insurance but does not qualify for Medicaid needed some testing and his Doctor send him to the LIJ at Glen Cove telling him it would cost about $ 1,500 a sum that said Individual was resigned and ready to pay. Well, when the "Retail" invoice came it was for a whopping $ 5,400!!!!!!!! Absolutely zero conscience. So the cushioned Patient coupled with the Insurance pay $ 1,500 while the unfortunate and less able to pay get crushed with $ 5,400 for the same service! Some weird notion of fair play.
I am a staunch Conservative Republican but when it comes to Health Care Coverage I say it's not working and we should throw all these Parasites in the Bay!
I believe that the insurance companies are to blame for the crumbling healthcare system in this country and not the doctors. The average doctor in this country is operating in a system where they cannot do the things they were taught and trained to do because of the health insurance companies.
For example, lets say you go to your doctor and he says," according to your blood test, you are borderline diabetic. That doesn't mean you have diabetes but you're close to having it." In this scenario, he would tell you to start exercising and eating right. However, the insurance company will not reimburse the doctor because there is no diagnostic code for pre-diabetes. Hence if you don't have a proper code, you cannot justify treatment. If you cannot justify the reasons behind the treatment, you do not get reimbursed.
This ultimately leads to the doctor telling his pre-diabetic patient (in the example given) that nothing is wrong with him, the patient gets full blown diabetes, and then the doctor can give a proper treatment with a justifiable diagnostic code to get reimbursed. What's worse is that the medication perscribed is twice the normal dosage than what he is supposed to give. Thus leading to drug resistant diseases or problems regarding the side-effects of the medications.
Health insurance companies must be thrown in the bay never to return!
I must also agree with you on this, some High School left back working for the Insurance Companies are making the decision of what to approve and what not with the mandate to increase Share Holders Income are telling our Professional Doctors what to do. No wonder many Doctors are leaving the profession and becoming "Salesmen". These "Gatekeepers" are like State or Federal Tax Auditors who are selected intentionally from the dumbest lot to tire taxpayers into submissions with their retardation so we just give up to go back to work!!!!!!! You think I am making it up? Yeap I have dealt numerous times with our wonderful retarded NYS tax auditors…..they couldn't have possibly scrapped them from any lower mental pit! It has to be intentional just like the gatekeepers at the Health Insurance Industry. And they are all the same **** from a different *******! HIP, Aetna, Oxford, Cigna just to name a few I have known. Simply same **** different *******………..
Some rates rise more than 20%


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Tsze-ch'in asked Tsze-kung, saying, 'When our master comes to any country, he does not fail to learn all about its government. Does he ask his information? or is it given to him?'
Tsze-kung said, 'Our master is benign, upright, courteous, temperate, and complaisant, and thus he gets his information. The master's mode of asking information!- is it not different from that of other men?'


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Cape Town - Residents of Lwandle township, where an eviction operation turned violent last week, are due to be moved to a plot of land in Kuils River.
The eviction at the Siyanyanzela informal settlement began last Monday and continued into Tuesday – 10 residents were arrested after clashes with police. Some also burnt down their shacks in defiance.
The SA National Roads Agency (Sanral), the owner of the land, was granted an eviction order by the Western Cape High Court earlier this year.
Following the attempted evictions last week, several hundred residents, who had lost their homes, were moved into the nearby Nomzamo community hall in Strand.
On Sunday, Lwandle ward councillor Mbuyiselo Matha confirmed that Sanral had provided the land in Kuils River where residents would be moved, but said the land was in a remote area and with no public transport routes near it.
"People are quite happy about the land, it's a huge piece of land and would be able to accommodate everyone," he said.
Matha said contractors were working on the layout and emergency housing kits in preparation for the move. Residents would be responsible for building their homes with the materials given to them.
"Sanral will be paying a contractor to put the emergency housing kits together. That material will then be given to the homeowners for the labour," he said.
The building should start on Tuesday and the first batch of residents would then move on Thursday.
Sanral could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
In a recent statement, Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille said the city was awaiting confirmation from Sanral and the government on the allocated land.
De Lille said that once confirmation had been received they would be able to issue emergency housing kits in a matter of hours.
On Sunday, a meeting was held at Nomzamo community hall.
While the meeting was taking place, Aletta Mketi was trying to comfort her 3-year-old daughter, Cynthia, who has Down syndrome.
Mketi has spent the past five days at the centre with her daughter.
She said she was happy about the move, but worried her daughter would struggle with transport to school.
"She attends a special needs school here and already she is uneasy with these new surroundings."
Mketi said living at the hall had irritated her daughter and her eating pattern had been disrupted.
"My child is used to eating mielie pap in the morning and here they feed us another porridge which she does not like.
"The worst part is that there is no one I can bother or beg from here. It's frustrating," she said.
"I still cry over what happened. We lost a part of our lives there."
Cape Argus


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Other 1136 North End Road Saltspring Island BC V8K 1M1 postalHome Phone: 250-537-2205homeWork Fax: 250-537-5509workfaxWork Phone: 1-888-537-4366workPersonal Email: email@example.com: Visit Website
Cedar Beach ResortCedar Beach Resort
Biographical Info
Cedar Beach Resort is located on beautiful St. Mary Lake on Salt Spring Island. Our 5 acre resort offers 17 cabins and suites as well as 23 fully-serviced RV/camping sites. We have our own private, sandy beach right on the lake. Our heated, outdoor swimming pool (open mid-May to mid-September) and hot tub offer fabulous lake views. All cabins and suites are fully furnished with cooking facilities, and the adjoining Beach House offers indoor and outdoor recreation space. An exceptional venue for family reunions, gatherings, and small group weddings.
Categories: Accommodation, Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park, Campgrounds & RV Parks, Cottages, Cabins & Chalets, Gulf Islands, Gulf Islands & Discovery Islands, Mill Farm Regional Park, Mouat Regional Park, Mount Maxwell Provincial Park, Recreation, Resorts & Lodges, Ruckle Provincial Park, Saltspring Island, Southern Gulf Islands, Vancouver Island & BC Islands, Weddings & Banquets
Updated 3 years ago.


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Fun Stainless Steel Fondue Pot!
This gorgeous All-Clad Stainless Steel 3-Qt. Fondue Pot with Ceramic Insert is the perfect gift for any fun loving person on your Holiday list! The pot and stand are made of heavy gauge stainless steel. The set also includes a ceramic insert, fuel holder, and six color coded fondue forks which are conveniently held upright by the lid. The pot and ceramic insert are dishwasher safe. Can be purchased at bedbathandbeyond.com for $149.99.


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Ask a Career Counselor for Answers ASAP
CC at the end of a letter means, literally "Carbon Copy". It has come to mean copy furnished. In the following example, the letter is being copied to three people. It is used anytime you require a copy to go to someone other than the original person.
For example:
Dear (Name),
Paragraph one
Paragraph two
Best Regards
(Your Name)
cc: Beverly, Bill, John
NOTE: You have to be careful of how you use "cc".
If you send a copy to the wrong person, then you could be admonished for it, or jeopardize accounts.
If you unintentionally use a CC, it can cause great commission, even if the copy never really went. Everyone may think it has gone to that person. For example, confidential business plans being sent to a third party.
On the other hand, in a situation where you need the authority of someone higher up in the organization, it might be appropriate to cc that person. For example, I might need some power to close a deal with a vendor. I can cc the CEO or president of his company and my company. That usually gets things unstuck and moving.
I am writing a formal letter. What does cc mean, and how do I use it correctly?


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Our 5 Top Picks for McAfee FOCUS 13
This year's FOCUS conference is less than two weeks away, and the McAfee team is gearing up to make it the best one yet! Between the rise in popularity of cloud computing, concerns surrounding the growing "BYOD" trend, and 2013's much-discussed NSA revelations (courtesy of a one Mr. Snowden), it's never been a better time to talk security. Nor is there a better place to do it.
FOCUS 13 will be a gathering of the best minds in the industry. We're excited to host over 70 breakout sessions, a variety of Turbo Talks (informal, fast-paced, 20-minute chalk talks), Targeted Group Meetings, an epic exposition hall, numerous talented keynote speakers, and of course, some pretty great parties.
With so many events to choose from, we've decided to lend a hand and highlight some of our favorites. Don't forget to choose your own favorites using the McAfee Agenda Builder – available online and through the FOCUS 13 mobile application.
1. The Sponsor Expo
Even if you don't find yourself needing any new technologies or product subscriptions, walking through the FOCUS Sponsor Expo will prove to be an incredibly rewarding experience. This is your opportunity to meet fellow security industry professionals who are just as passionate about the space as you are. Ask questions, exchange business cards, and marvel at how far we've come and where our technologies are headed.
Veteran FOCUS attendees will notice a new addition to the Expo Hall: Turbo Talks. These informal, fast-paced, 20-minute chalk talks will be led by a Subject Matter Expert who will give a deep dive into a complex topic, hitting the main highlights. This is the perfect solution for the on-the-go attendee. Check out the schedule in the mobile app or the online agenda and show up early to make sure you have time to get your questions answered. Each Turbo Talk will be presented once on both October 2nd and 3rd.
The Sponsor Expo hours are below:
Tuesday, October 1st: 3pm – 8pm
Wednesday October 2nd: 11:30am – 3pm
Thursday October 3rd: 11:45am – 3pm
2. Keynote Speaker Leon Panetta
It's not every day that you get an opportunity to hear from an ex-Director of the CIA. Especially when that ex- Director of the CIA also served as Secretary of Defense for a few years. Don't miss this year's FOCUS headliner, Leon Panetta, as he discusses Internet surveillance, privacy, and the future of security. Other FOCUS keynote speakers include McAfee President Mike DeCesare, EVP, CTO & GM of Corporate Products Mike Fey, and Renée J. James, President of Intel Corporation.
3. "Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Network Security" -Breakout Session
The great thing about having 70 breakout sessions to choose from is that there truly is something for everyone. The bad thing is that it's impossible to attend them all. One of the sessions we're most looking forward to is the BYOD and Network Security Talk on Wednesday October 2nd from 4:40 – 5:30pm. It's hosted by Sangram Dange, McAfee's Director of Product Management and will educate attendees on how to put together a practical strategy for working in a BYOD environment.
Other sessions in the Network Security Track include:
- 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM Deep Dive: Building a Successful Data Loss Prevention Program
- 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM How Network Security Unlocks Your World
- 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM Accuvant: Integration Vectors of Next Generation McAfee Network IDS/IPS Systems
- 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM ForeScout: Continuous Monitoring and Mitigation
- 3:30 PM – 4:20 PM The Next Firewall
- 4:40 PM – 5:30 PM Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Network Security
- 4:40 PM – 5:30 PM Network Security Platform
- 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM Deep Dive: Point Solutions Ineffective Against Advanced Malware
- 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM Real-Time Data Protection with DLP and ESM
- 3:30 PM – 4:20 PM Protecting Virtual Environments
- 3:30 PM – 4:20 PM Mobile Device Protection from Network Security
- 4:40 PM – 5:30 PM Best Practices for Network Security Management
4. "An Organizations Learnings from Anonymous" -Breakout Session
Join McAfee leaders Michael Sentonas (VP & CTO of APAC) and Sean Duca (Enterprise Solutions Architect) to discuss the tools and techniques used by Anonymous in attacks on enterprises and government agencies. "Anonymous" refers to a loosely collected group of activists and hackers who have been responsible for taking down Visa, Mastercard, & PayPal among other major public and private entities. Details will be provided on the McAfee solutions used to monitor their movement in the network and lateral spread throughout the organization. This session will provide tips on what to do with the help of McAfee solutions to enact protective measures in response to targeted attacks on your organization, should they arise. This session will be held from 1:30 – 2:20pm on Wednesday, October 2nd.
Other sessions in the "Security Connected" Track include:
- 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM Deep Dive: Security Considerations for Internet of Things
- 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM An Organization's Learnings from Anonymous
- 3:30 PM – 4:20 PM Fighting Insider Threats With McAfee SIA
- 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM Deep Dive: McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) Scaling and Agent Features
- 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM Make Security Metrics More Meaningful
- 3:30 PM – 4:20 PM How Organizations Increase Results with the Expert Inside
5. Private Performance by Kid Rock
Relive your glory days at a private rock concert held exclusively for McAfee FOCUS attendees. One of rock's most popular stars, Kid Rock's musical repertoire boasts an impressive collection of hit songs including "Born Free", "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy," "Only God Knows Why," and "All Summer Long". At the special event held on Wednesday night from 7 – 11pm, guests can enjoy appetizers, drinks, mingling and dancing. To see what other social activities we have in store for FOCUS guests, check out the Special Events page.
We hope you're as excited as we are for the fast-approaching FOCUS 13. The McAfee social media team will be on site covering each of the above events, live tweeting sessions, posting pictures and videos from the conference. Be sure to like FOCUS 13 on Facebook and follow @FOCUSconference on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest before and during the event, and tag your posts with #McAfeeFOCUS and #FOCUS13 to be featured on our social wall!
Registration is still open for this year's event, so if you haven't purchased a ticket it's not too late. Remember, FOCUS comes but once a year!


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LEWIS Hamilton won the Malaysian Grand Prix yesterday after dominating the race from the start.
Hamilton was on pole position and rarely looked in trouble as he coasted to a comprehensive victory.
But there lies the problem.
Despite the new rules and points scoring, F1 is still boring with the guy on pole always likely to win unless his car becomes poorly.
At least the MotoGP riders produce a spectacle, maybe it's time for F1 to introduce speed bumps or cartoon-style nails on the track to make it interesting.


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That being said I play strategy games frequently, and have participated in various high level tournaments (flying to Europe for one), and have made more money from my hobby than I have spent on it. Which is nice.
Probably the first thing aside from trivial stuff would be my speech which can be a little unorthodox, and I guess its funny/charming or something. I can be kinda deadpan and mix together really formal or scientific terms with really crude or informal terms without missing a beat. Some of the time intentionally, other times not.
Movies: Oldboy (Korean), No Country for Old Men, Fight Club, The Departed, Satoshi Kon films (Japanese), Pan's Labyrinth (Spanish lol), Pulp Fiction
If something is really good (gets recommended highly) I'll find it online and watch it, Game of Thrones for example. Along with recommended highly that more often than not ends up being anime rather than western stuff.
I'm pretty open on food, I particularly like Mexican food, stuff with avocados.
I have one scar from a deep scratch I got on my back acquired during intercourse.
I have one scar from rolling over my toe with an office chair, and that one bled the most.


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Check out our profile in the National After School Science Directory. Search by zip code or keyword, it don't matter!
Posts Tagged 'national after school science directory'
Schooba now listed in the National After School Science DirectoryPublished April 26, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: after school, at risk, brooklyn, coalition for science after school, connect a million minds, disadvantaged, dive, diving, education, high needs, high school, inner city, learning, low-income, mentor, mentoring, middle school, national after school science directory, new york city, ngo, nonprofit, not for profit, nyc, ost, out of school, schooba, school, science, science through scuba, SCUBA, time warner, tutor, tutoring, underprivileged, underserved, urban


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How do I register for a workshop?
What if I cannot find an advertised workshop in the SAP Portal?
What if I cannot log into the SAP Portal?
Who may attend a workshop?
When will I receive confirmation of my workshop registration?
What if Professional Development workshop has reached participant capacity?
What if I miss the registration deadline; can I still attend?
How do I submit an idea for a workshop I would like to present?
Do you have a record of the workshops I have attended?
When is New Employee Welcome (NEW II)? Is attendance mandatory? What if I can't attend the first month of my employment?
Can other offices use your workshop space?
Are all trainings offered on campus scheduled through your office?
If my office conducts its own training, can our participants receive credit in the SAP Portal?
Link to the SAP Portal https://ibis.sap.txstate.edu.
Click on the Training and Development Tab.
Click on your chosen category (Organizational Excellence, Personal Effectiveness, etc.) link in the Course Catalog section.
Click on the name of your chosen workshop.
The window that opens next will show the dates of your workshops underlined in blue - Click on your desired date.
The date of the workshop may be scheduled more than 60 days out. SAP defaults to a 60-day search of scheduled courses. You can change the default to search for scheduled workshops more than 60 days in advance.
You will need to contact ITAC. ITAC will be able to determine if you are using an SAP compatible web-browser and/or if your SAP Password needs to be reset.
Our workshops are open to any Texas State faculty or staff member. Occasionally we are able to accommodate guests; contact Professional Development (245.7899) for more information.
You will receive a workshop confirmation within 24 hours of registering by email. You will also be notified the same way if any changes are made to the workshop, e.g., time or room location change.
If a Professional Development workshop has reached participant capacity, the SAP Training and Development Portal will display the following message:
If you click on the "Book on Waitlist" option, you will be placed in a waitlist queue. Should a registered participant cancel their booking and a space becomes available, SAP will automatically firmly book the "next-in-line" on the waitlist. The now firmly booked participant will receive an email confirmation from Professional Development:
At any time, you can check on the status of your wait listed workshops by viewing the "My Training Activities" screen:
For most workshops, "walk ins" are allowed. This means you will not have pre-registered and must do several things when you come to the workshop: 1) sign in on the walk-in sheet, 2) make a name tag for yourself. Multi-day workshops with a substantial amount of prepared materials require a definite advance registration and cannot allow non-registered participants. Call the office at 245.7899 if you have further questions.
Fill out and submit the workshop proposal form.
You will receive an email certification for each Professional Development workshop you attend. Also, the SAP Portal tracks all workshops as verification of your attendance if needed for your annual performance appraisal. Once you log in, click on Training Activities to view or print completed courses.
NEW II is held the second Friday of each month from 8 am-1:45 in the Endzone Complex. Attendance is mandatory for all benefits-eligible employees (employed 50% or more) hired during the previous four weeks. Provisions can be made for attendance at a later NEW II after your employment; however, your vice president and supervisor will still receive notification from the Director of Equity and Access, noting your absence and emphasizing the need for your attendance at the next session.
Any faculty member is welcome to attend the next NEW II after their initial employment. The mandatory annual New Faculty Orientation is only held in August and January, just prior to the beginning of each semester.
You may reserve JCK 460 by calling the office to check for room availability. You will then be asked to fill out the Room Reservation form on the website. Room use is free, but offices using the space are responsible for any charges incurred as a result of damage to furniture or equipment.
No, Professional Development only conducts registration for the workshops that we coordinate. For a complete listing of other offices that provide training, go to the Training and Development link that lists thirteen different offices and information about the training they provide.
Yes, go to the Course Management Through SAP Request link for information about this process.