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Clunes Accommodation, Hotels, Tours & Information
Places nearby Clunes
- Alphadale
- Alstonville
- Alumy Creek
- Angourie
- Ashby
- Ballina
- Ballina East
- Ballina North
- Balwarra Heights
- Bangalow
- Banora Point
- Banyabba
- Barkers Vale
- Barneys Point
- Baryulgil
- Bentley
- Bexhill
- Bilambil
- Bilambil Heights
- Billinudgel
- Binna Burra
- Bogangar
- Bonalbo
- Booyong
- Bora Ridge
- Braunstone
- Brays Creek
- Broadwater
- Broken Head
- Brooklet
- Brooms Head
- Brunswick Heads
- Brushgrove
- Buckendoon
- Bundgeam
- Bungawalbin
- Burringbar
- Byangum
- Byron Bay
- Byrrill Creek
- Cabarita Beach
- Camira Creek
- Cangai
- Capeen
- Carool
- Casino
- Casino West
- Cawongla
- Cedar Point
- Chatsworth Island
- Chillingham
- Chinderah
- Clothiers Creek
- Clovass
- Coaldale
- Cobaki
- Commissioners Creek
- Condong
- Coombadjha
- Coombell
- Coopers Creek
- Coopers Shoot
- Coorabell
- Copmanhurst
- Coraki
- Corndale
- Cougal
- Coutts Crossing
- Cowper
- Crabbes Creek
- Crystal Creek
- Cudgen
- Cudgera Creek
- Dairy Flat
- Dilkoon
- Dobies Bight
- Doon Doon
- Doubtful Creek
- Dovedale
- Duck Creek
- Dunbible
- Dungay
- Dunoon
- Duranbah
- Dyraaba
- Dyraaba Central
- Dyraaba Creek
- Eatonsville
- Eden Creek
- Edenville
- Ellangowan
- Eltham
- Empire Vale
- Ettrick
- Eungella
- Evans Head
- Ewingsdale
- Fairy Hill
- Federal
- Fernleigh
- Fine Flower
- Fingal Head
- Geneva
- Glengarrie
- Goolmangar
- Goonellabah
- Goonengerry
- Grafton
- Grafton West
- Green Pigeon
- Grevillia
- Gundurimba
- Gurranang
- Halfway Creek
- Harwood
- Harwood Island
- Hastings Point
- Hogarth Range
- Homeleigh
- Horseshoe Creek
- Huonbrook
- Ilarwill
- Iluka
- Jackadgery
- Jiggi
- Junction Hill
- Kielvale
- Kilgra
- Kingscliff
- Knockrow
- Koonorigan
- Kungala
- Kunghur
- Kyogle
- Lanitza
- Lawrence
- Leeville
- Lennox Head
- Lillian Rock
- Limpinwood
- Lindendale
- Lismore
- Lismore East
- Lismore Heights
- Lismore South
- Loadstone
- Lower Coldstream
- Lower Southgate
- Lynchs Creek
- Maclean
- Mallanganee
- Marom Creek
- Meerschaum Vale
- Midginbil
- Minnie Water
- Modanville
- Mongogarie
- Montecollum
- Mooball
- Mororo
- Mount Burrell
- Mount Lion
- Mountain View
- Mullumbimby
- Mullumbimby Creek
- Mummulgum
- Murwillumbah
- Murwillumbah South
- Mylneford
- Nashua
- Naughtons Gap
- New Brighton
- New Italy
- Newrybar
- Nimbin
- Nobbys Creek
- North Lismore
- Numinbah
- Numulgi
- Ocean Shores
- Old Bonalbo
- Opossum Creek
- Palmers Channel
- Palmers Island
- Palmvale
- Piggabeen
- Pillar Valley
- Pimlico
- Piora
- Pottsville
- Pottsville Beach
- Ramornie
- Rappville
- Red Rock
- Rileys Hill
- Rock Valley
- Rosebank
- Round Mountain
- Rukenvale
- Ruthven
- Sandon
- Seelands
- Shannonbrook
- Shark Creek
- South Casino
- South Golden Beach
- South Grafton
- South Gundurimba
- Southgate
- Stokers Siding
- Stratheden
- Suffolk Park
- Swan Bay
- Swan Creek
- Tabbimoble
- Tabulam
- Tatham
- Terania Creek
- Terragon
- Terranora
- Teven
- The Channon
- The Pocket
- The Risk
- Theresa Creek
- Tintenbar
- Toonumbar
- Towgon Grange
- Tregeagle
- Tucabia
- Tullera
- Tullymorgan
- Tumbulgum
- Tuncester
- Tunglebung
- Tuntable Falls
- Tweed Heads
- Tweed Heads South
- Tweed Heads West
- Tyagarah
- Tyalgum
- Tygalgah
- Tyndale
- Uki
- Ulmarra
- Upper Crystal Creek
- Upper Eden Creek
- Wardell
- Warragai Creek
- Wategos Beach
- West Ballina
- Westlawn
- Whian Whian
- Whiporie
- Wiangaree
- Wilsons Creek
- Wollongbar
- Wombah
- Woodburn
- Woodenbong
- Woodford Dale
- Woodview
- Wooli
- Woolners Arm
- Wooloweyah
- Woombah
- Wooroowoolgan
- Wooyung
- Wyneden
- Wyrallah
- Yamba
- Yelgun
- Yorklea
Clunes is located 20 kilometres north-east of Lismore. The town was named after an early engineer, Robert Mortimer Clunes, and was a staging post on the Lismore to Bangalow Road where the famous north coast dairy industry was first established.
View its beautiful north coast houses and some fine early Australian church architecture. The town of Clunes has a general store and bottle shop, cafe, native nursery and a wonderful vintage shop, The Old Romantic Shack, full of amazing treasures.
Great deals on hotels in Far Nth Coast...
Aston Motel Yamba - Yamba
From: A$143More Info...
Avlon Gardens Motel and Holiday Houses - Ballina
From: A$90More Info...
Ballina Byron Motor Inn - Ballina
From: A$90More Info...
Ballina Colonial Motel - Ballina
From: A$116More Info...
Ballina Hi-Craft Motel - Ballina
From: A$106More Info...
Ballina Homestead Motel - Ballina
From: A$117More Info...
Ballina Manor Boutique Hotel - Ballina
From: A$207More Info...
Bay Haven Lodge - Byron Bay
From: A$200More Info...
Bay Motel - Byron Bay
From: A$335More Info...
Bent Street Motor Inn - Grafton
From: A$159More Info...
Best Western Ballina Island Motor Inn - Ballina
From: A$122More Info...
Best Western Ballina Island Motor Inn - West Ballina
From: A$148More Info...
Best Western Kennedy Drive Motel - Tweed Heads
From: A$133More Info...
Blue Pelican Motel - Tweed Heads
From: A$132More Info...
Breakfree Eco Beach - Byron Bay
From: A$187More Info...
Clunes: Where To Go / Sightseeing
The Old Romantic Shack
39 Main Street
Clunes, NSW, 2480
Located 0.6K from Clunes
Bexhill Open Air Cathedral
The Bexhill Open Air Cathedral was built by the Bexhill Christian Youth Fellowship and dedicated on Palm Sunday 1958 as a place of Christian worship. The Cathedral has been maintained by the Christian Church for over fifty years, and both the Open Air Cathedral and the Church of the Good Shepherd which is only a few hundred metres down the road, are open to all branches of the Christian Church for weddings, baptisms, funerals and other worship services.
The Bexhill Open Air Cathedral is just 15 minutes from Lismore.
Inspiration Point,
Grace Road
Bexhill, NSW, 2480
Located 6.4K from Clunes
Rocky Creek Dam
The dam has a platypus viewing platform, elevated boardwalk and pontoon bridge. There are picnic and barbecue facilities with wood supplied, benches, tables and children's play equipment.
Four walks are available, ranging from 1.2 kilometres (20 minutes) to six kilometres (two hours) in length. Water Dragon Walk takes you up the hill to the lookout. Platypus Walk goes alongside Rocky Creek and back across the dam wall. Cedar Walk takes you towards the edges of the Rous Water Rainforest Reserve. Scrub Turkey Walk passes through tall a variety of forest environments.
Nightcap National Range
Dunoon, NSW, 2480
Located 10.0K from Clunes
Summit Day Spa
Find everything you need on their Spa menu including:
Stone Massage; Aromatherapy Massage; Reiki Massage; Remedial Massage; Relaxation Massage; Scalp Treatment; Foot Treatment.
Evohe Facial: traditional cleanse, exfoliate and massage with an amazing Silica mask.
Isis Body Treatment: full body Evohe experience which cleanses on every level.
Body Polish includes all aspects of the Isis treatment except the facial
Hand Treatment.
791 Ballina Road
Goonellabah, NSW, 2480
Located 10.4K from Clunes
Brooke Clunie - Red Door Studio
Brooke creates original custom made and personalised pottery tableware ideal for unique gifts celebrating occasions such as weddings, births, birthdays, and christenings.
Brooke also specialises in corporate orders for businesses wishing to create lasting relationships with their clients.
Thrown on the potter's wheel and individually decorated with her loose and playful imagery, Brooke's ceramics celebrate colour, vitality, and imagination.
444 Fernleigh Road
Fernleigh, NSW, 2479
Located 10.9K from Clunes
Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery and Retreat Centre
Pannyavaro plans to develop a meditation community to serve both lay and monastic practitioners on ninety-five acres of beautiful land at Tullera five minutes from Lismore in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia. This land has been purchased as a sanctuary and hermitage - known as Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery and Retreat centre.
78 Bentley Road
Tullera, NSW, 2480
Located 11.2K from Clunes
Teven Valley Golf Course
In the gentle hills of the Ballina hinterland, an unforgettable golfing experience awaits you.
Royal Teven, as it has been fondly named by locals, is set in a peaceful and breathtaking valley amongst meandering creeks and remnant rainforests, with only the songs of birdlife and the occasional splash of a platypus to interrupt your relaxing golf game.
Just 10 minutes from Ballina, Teven Golf Course is central to Lismore, Byron Bay and picturesque beaches.
The superbly maintained course is a challenging par 31 layout, testing all golfers - Teven is a pleasure to play.
Perfectly suited to casual and holidaying players as minimal formal competitions are held, you are always assured of a great game.
1684 Eltham Road
Teven, NSW, 2478
Located 11.6K from Clunes
FootGolf at Teven Valley Golf Course
Launched in Europe only three years ago, the popularity of FootGolf is sweeping the globe and Teven Valley Golf Course is the fourth course in Australia to offer the opportunity to play.
What is FootGolf? FootGolf is a unique combination of football (soccer) and golf.
The object of the game is to kick a soccer ball around a golf course into 52 centimetre holes beside the greens or in the rough. The rules basically follow the rules of golf. FootGolf is a faster game than golf, requiring less equipment and is great fun for men and women of all ages.
Tee times available at Teven Valley Golf Course every day from midday.
Sports shoes or Futsal shoes (no spikes or studs) required.
1684 Eltham Road
Teven, NSW, 2478
Located 11.6K from Clunes
Goonellabah Skatepark
Oliver Avenue
Goonellabah, NSW, 2480
Located 11.6K from Clunes
Clunes: Shopping
Clunes has a well stocked general store and bottle shop, cafe, native nursery and a wonderful vintage shop, The Old Romantic Shack which is full of amazing treasures.


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Home > Baby Changing Bags > All Changing Bags
2 in stock
Get a free Aden + Anais Giant Muslin Swaddle worth £17.95 with every changing bag while stocks last, it will automatically be added to your basket.
The Kerikit jane Camel bag is the Queen of handbags, she is the perfect weekender / multiples bag.
All Kerikit bags are limited edition beautiful Italian leather baby changing bags that come with a multi - functional food / shoes bag and a changing mat that also doubles as a lap top sleeve.
All KeriKit bags also come with the following as standard: External front, back and end pockets. Our fantastic, unique, internal removable organiser (IRO). This original addition has a multitude of pockets, a dummy / key holder and two bottle holders at each end of the central zip compartment. An extra-wide removable cross body strap with a matching leather padded shoulder support strap. Oversized zip pullers and a two way zip at the top of the bag, where feasible, means it can be worn on either shoulder and still gives easy access to any part of the bag. A waterproof lined pocket in the base of the bag, perfect for dirty nappies, soiled clothes or an umbrella. Large feet to protect the base of your beautiful KeriKit bag and a dust bag to keep the body of your bag safe and sound if, for some crazy reason, you aren't using it every day. Your keyring has a small photo frame and a concealed mirror so you can check how amazing you look with your KeriKit bag on your arm.
Our Opinion: ' We love this bag, what a fabulous size if you have loads to carry around or you are going away.'
Weight: 1.20kg
Be the first to Write a Review for this item!
Ordering from Mummy & Little Me
You can order your goods online or if you prefer you can call us on 01522 684153 Monday to Friday 10.00am to 4.00pm where we will be happy to offer you any advice and process your order for you.
UK Delivery
Free delivery any orders over £85, if you are under that it will cost £2.99 this will take 2-4 working days. You can use our priority service which takes 1-2 working days and costs £4.99. For urgent orders we also offer next day delivery if ordered before midday which costs £9.00 for weekdays and £13.00 for saturdays.
EUROPEAN DELIVERY CHARGES £12 (for orders upto £299)
WORLDWIDE DELIVERY CHARGES £18 (for orders upto £299)You will be liable for any taxes that may become due on receipt of the item.
Please not for orders over £300 international postage is calculated at checkout.
How will my parcel be sent?
We use Royal Mail tracked for the majority of our deliveries. For larger items we use Parcelforce. Please note a signature may be required to take delivery.
What if my parcel doesn't arrive?Because all of our mail is sent signed for should your parcel not arrive within 5 days of receiving the dispatch confirmation then please call us on 01522 684153 and we can track it down and find out where it is for you.
What if I change my mind or the item isn't suitable?You have up to 30 days from receipt of your item to return it to us for a full refund or exchange providing it still has all of its original tags and packaging. In the case of clothing it must not have been worn or washed. All returns are at your cost, we recommend that your obtain proof of postage as we cannot accept liability for loss or damage in transit until the item is received by us. To return an unsuitable item please send to: Mummy & Little Me, C/O Denby Transport, Sadler Rd, Lincoln, LN6 3JR
Please include your name, order details and the course of action you would like whether it is an exchange or refund. If you would like an exchange then you can call us on 01522 684153 to discuss your alternative requirements so we can ensure it is in stock ready for you. Once we have received your item you will get a confirmation email from us, any refunds will take 5-10 days to appear back in your account depending on your bank. All refunds will be processed by your original form of payment.
Kerikit Changing Bag Aryella Leather£370.00
Kerikit Changing Bag Aryella Python£350.00
Kerikit Changing Bag Keri Jane in Black£395.00

subset: commoncrawl


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If I walked into a room full of therapists today and told them that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) wasn't all it's cracked up to be I'm sure I'd get some dirty looks. Yet, it is true. CBT isn't always effective. I think as a consumer it is important that you understand the good and bad sides of therapy. So today I want to share with you what can make CBT ineffective. Before I do that though I want to make it clear that CBT does help many people. In fact, the reason it is so widely used is because, unlike so many other of forms of therapy,
This Is What Researchers Say About Non-Drug Anxiety Treatments
This week's guest post was written by AG contributor Kate. Kate is a writer, blogger, and psychiatry researcher living in San Francisco. She is passionate about mental health and utilizing science to develop evidenced based approaches to psychological health. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" – Franklin D. Roosevelt We should learn to accept our fears and overcome them so they don't hold us back. We have to accept that everything is going to be okay. I hear rhetoric about conquering fear and anxiety all the time. But how do we
The Power of Anxious Thinking
If there's one thing that anxious people need, it's constant reminding. This isn't because they don't understand what's happening to them, rather it's because anxiety is distracting. Feelings of anxiety, physical symptoms, and worry take attention away from solutions and keep you focused on potential danger instead. Anxiety is good at that, but it's not exactly helpful to stay problem focused, right? That's why this week I want to review a topic that is near and dear to my heart: Anxious thinking. I've discussed this issue several times
Two Proven Methods to Help Reprogram Your Anxious Brain
When you become an anxious person one of the first things to go out the window is your ability to tame fearful thoughts. This, of course, makes total sense. When you become sensitized by anxiety you literally make contact with the dark side of your mind and come to be over-focused on death and derangement. In your mind these two things aren't just likely outcomes of your ordeal, but imminent threats that need to be warded off. However, what's interesting is that if you want to get better you have to do the opposite of fight or escape.
How to Get the Most Out of Therapy
What's so special about therapy anyway? Isn't it just a super long conversation with a stranger? No, it's not. It's much more. It can feel like the millions of conversations you've had in the past but with one major twist. When done right therapy elicits the truth; you know that thing you hide from everybody. Most people aren't totally honest about their inner world because humans are damn good liars, which isn't all bad. Lying serves an important function in that it helps us to keep on a pretty mask so the "ugly" doesn't scare away
The 2 Step Guide to Being Anxiety Free
It may seem inconceivable for you to live without anxiety right now but you can. Perhaps you've spent time alone pondering what will become of you because of the troubles you're facing. To be honest, that's to be expected given your predicament. Still, you can get better. Here's a good question: How did I overcome anxiety and when did I know it? In the beginning I was Lost "Uncertainty is the refuge of hope." - Henri Frederic
Collaborative Psychoeducation is Essential
For most people, information about psychotherapy, or any mental health treatment, is a mystery. People often have preconceived notions that they will be required to delve into their past but not sure why, will have to take medication, and often figure that they don't know best and need their therapist to tell them. Psychoeducation refers to being educated about a psychiatric/psychological condition, whether one is a patient, a family member, or someone not in treatment but interested in learning about a particular topic. Ideally,
Is Talk Therapy Worth It?
Recently I found myself on a website that had a lot of comments about how talk therapy was a waste of time and money. Well, consider this a response to all those people. Now, for starters, it's true that I am biased. I mean, I am a grad student learning to become a psychotherapist after all. Just keeping it honest. I also lived with severe anxiety and depression for over 10 years, so it isn't like I don't know what it's like to need or undergo therapy myself-- been there, done that. So, here's the thing: Talk therapy works. And it
What's the Best Option for Treating Anxiety and Depression?
Today I want to chat a bit about treatment options for anxiety and depression because I'd like to clarify a few things. And in case you're strapped for time here is what I want to say: Curing abnormal anxiety and depression has nothing to do with magic, voodoo, or instant anything. Instead, treating abnormal anxiety and depression involves finding the right mix of remedies that work for you, committing to that treatment, and a little time. This whole issue of anxiety treatments came up because I recently read a question posted on


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by Shelby McKee
August 06, 2015
"Over the years, readers have suggested their favorite ways to keep warm at the office. A few people have recommended these discreet Keysocks for keeping your toes warm."
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by Shelby McKee
January 13, 2017
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by Christy Parry
January 13, 2017
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Surrounded by lush gardens sprinkled with palm trees bougainvillaea and tropical plants the charming ambience here is friendly and relaxing. Designed in typical Moorishstyle this complex is the perfect getaway and caters for all tastes and ages. Complimented by a wealth of facilities including four magnificent swimming pools and bursting with activities such as watersports on the beach to tennis squash lively entertainment and a range of fine dining options the list of options here is endless. This excellent complex scores highly on all accounts! Blessed with a lively ambience its the perfect place for those moments when you want nothing more than to relax in the sunshine but is equally suited to those in search of more energetic pursuits. NB: The Caribbean Village Agador shares the resort complex with the neighbouring Caribbean Village El Pueblo Tamlelt.
4 swimming pools 1 swimming pool is heated end of Nov21st March
FREE sunbeds and parasols
FREE WiFi access
Laundry service available
Boutiquegift shop
Meals and Drinks:
LOasis buffet restaurant
Le Cloitre buffet restaurant July August and during certain peak times
Theme restaurant: Moroccan Mediterranean Italian steak house Asiatic and Japaneseonce a week reservation required
Dress code applies
Pool bar
La Rotonde bar
Beach bar serving soft drinks
Salon bar
Coffee bar
Shisha tent
Spa with treatments
Table tennis
Disco drinks not included
For Children:
Sections of the main swimming pools
Activities programme
Hotel kids club 412 years
FREE cot
Hotel room for up to 3 adults consists of
Twin beds
Shower and wc
Satellite TV
Safety deposit box charge
Central heating weather dependant
Balcony or terrace
Family room with bunk beds for kids for up to 4 minimum 2 adults2 children and Single room available at a supplement
Key Facts:
Nearest beach: 300 metres
Main resort area: 1 km
343 bedrooms
Lifts: 2
Child age: 212 years
Telephone no: 00 212 528 84 71 02
Official rating: 3 star
Note: :Some facilities and activities may incur a local charge
Caribbean Village Hotel Agador
Agador el Pueblo
00212 28841615


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Simple Soba Noodle Salad
Recipe by KimmieCat1
I had this at a baby shower and just had to get the recipe. It is very easy to make and does not take a lot of time to prepare. I hope you enjoy.
Top Review by Parsley
Fantastic, simple Asian salad! To cut down on fat, I halved the amount of sesame oil and it was still wonderful. I love the versatility of this salad. You could leave it simple and use as a side salad and/ or add more veggies or cooked chicken/shrimp and call it a meal. Thanx for sharing this salad recipe!
See Discussion:6 Reviews
Ingredients Nutrition
- 8 ounces soba noodles
for the salad
- 3⁄4 cup carrot, shredded
- 1⁄2 cup peanuts, chopped
- 1⁄4 cup green onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
for the dressing
- 6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
- 1⁄4 cup sesame oil
Directions See How It's Made
- 1. Prepare the dressing by combining the rice wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup sesame oil.
- 2. Cook the noodles for about 5 minutes. Dry really well and mix with the carrots, peanuts, green onion, & 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
- 3. Mix the salad with the dressing and serve.


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The Disney podcast Magical Definition just did a very interesting podcast which is definitely worth a listen in honor of Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension. The podcast is co-hosted by long-time Disney history and gossip reporter Jim Hill and Nathan Rose, founder of movie news and gossip site FlickDirect.com. But the real star of the podcast is Mr. Hill, giving some inside information and gossip on what the future may hold for Phineas and Ferb as a franchise much in the same vein as he gives information about Disney's past, present, and future on his always entertaining website JimHillMedia.com, as well as giving his own thoughts on what the future may hold. It's a very interesting listen. Some of my favorite tidbits and discussion topics:
-Disney already has their Phineas and Ferb promotion for Summer 2012 in line- "The Teal Takeover", a "Who Shot J.R."-esque conspiracy involving Perry disappearing in early summer which will be resolved in late summer. (This seems to show Disney's hopes are getting higher and higher as the series progresses and becomes a franchise: 2010, one-hour special, 2011, made-for-TV-movie, 2012, summer promotion, 2013 or 2014, feature film.)
-At one time, Disney had as high hopes for Kim Possible as they do Phineas and Ferb, even going so far as to have series creators Schooley and McCorkle do a script for a live-action movie. This ended up being scrapped when Schooley and McCorkle were hired to rewrite the script for Sky High, which Disney hoped would launch a franchise since Disney wanted to get into the superhero craze. (Of course, more recently they've been able to do so on a larger scale now that they own Marvel Comics.)
-According to Hill, Disney's idea for the Phineas and Ferb feature is something along the lines of "Across the 2nd Dimension": the film starts and ends in animated form but the middle portion is the characters in the real world. To his understanding, one of the script ideas already floating around is indeed "Phineas and Ferb across the third dimension" Disney is apparently looking for a high-scale name comic actor to play the part of Doofenshmirtz, a la Hank Azaria as Gargamel. The high-hope name on their list: Jim Carrey (Though Hill remarks that one wonders if Carrey would accept, or if Disney could afford him). Hill also points out that it would most likely be a lower-budget late-summer film with one big name to do PR on Letterman, Leno, etc. to get the parents interested (Carrey?) rather than a big-budget summer blockbuster on the lines of, say, a Pixar feature.
-Hill points out that one of his insider friends who works alongside Dan and Swampy once told him that the executives frequently ask for "special episodes" of Phineas and Ferb, such as a Halloween special or a Valentine's special, something that would take Phineas and Ferb out of their summer. They were able to do it for Christmas since there actually is a break from school then, and it's possible they may do it again in the future for a time when there's also not school (another Christmas break, school break, etc.). But for the most part, when they ask for a "special episode", the staffers' response is to pretend that they want a "very special episode", which gets the execs off their backs pretty fast. ("Well, I don't know if we really want the 'Candace bad-touch' episode, but if you insist...") Apparently, the staffers were also adamant that the movie didn't seriously alter the Phineas and Ferb universe and how it works, which is why it ends the way it does.
-Could Phineas and Ferb last as long as, say, The Simpsons? Hill remarks: Possibly, but the "summer vacation" theme has its limits. But Disney will probably try to ride the P&F craze for as long as they can. (Or, as The Simpsons's own Troy McClure put it, "who knows what adventures they'll have between now and the time the show becomes unprofitable?")
-Hill also talks a little bit about the series itself and its writing/characters: in his opinion, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is one of the greatest cartoon characters to be created in the past 25 years. Much like Homer Simpson, he's so well-defined but his personality has limitless comic potential. (I definitely agree on this one.)
Of course, a good number of this is rumors and speculation, though some of it does have a basis in what's already known. (Especially the feature film is just rumors/speculation at this point- as Hill himself points out, it's a project that's literally just started development and may not even be made.) But I've always been interested in Hollywood shop talk and gossip, so this podcast was really fun to listen to, especially when it comes to discussing and speculating as to what the future of Phineas and Ferb may hold as Disney attempts to turn it into a franchise that they hope is, for lack of a better term, Disney's SpongeBob.


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A brand-new Los Olivos weekend is all about strips and sips. Read »
One of wine country's sweetest small towns throws an autumn-flavored party. Read »
A Los Olivos winery is offering face-painting for grown-ups. Read »
Over a half dozen institutions are waiving admission for a day. Read »
The Los Olivos vineyard is devoting a Sunday afternoon to sips and snacks. Read »
A Los Olivos wine company is hosting an afternoon of harvesty bites and bevs. Read »


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Susser CEO: Population Boom Will Drive Company's Growth for Years
The retailer points to Texas' increasing Hispanic market as a major impact on sales.
NEW YORK -- Massive projected population growth should drive Susser Holding Corp.'s earnings for at least the next 25 years, President and CEO Sam L. Susser said during a presentation at today's Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer & Retail Conference.
According to U.S. Census data, Texas -- where the majority of Susser Holdings' Stripes convenience stores are located -- will see population growth of 69 percent from 2010 to 2040. If the government data holds true, the state will sport a population of 41.1 million people 28 years from now.
The leading factor behind that growth will be the Hispanic population, according to Susser. "Hispanic customers are heavy c-store users. In some of our markets, Hispanic customers make up 80 percent of our customer base."
Foodservice will be the top way to keep drawing Hispanics, as well as all other customers, to Stripes convenience stores.
"Many people think people visit a convenience store only to buy gas or cigarettes. That's not the case. Only 19 percent of our sales come from cigarettes," said Susser.
Leading its foodservice effort is Laredo Taco Co., offered in about 330 of Susser Holdings' 541 Stripes c-stores.
"Laredo Taco is what makes us unique," he said. "We love Taco Bell, but our food is made to order fresh in front of the customer. And 72 percent of customers who make a purchase at Laredo Taco buy other stuff with it; mostly high-margin items like beverages and salty snacks."
Susser joked that he likes Laredo Taco so much that he eats it too often, as event attendees could "clearly see."
He's not the only one who apparently enjoys the product. "Laredo customers are very loyal," he said. "They visit 4.3 times per week."
However, remaining a successful company over the next several years will require a lot of hard work, Susser admitted. "We're in a very competitive environment in Texas. "Walmart is everywhere and it sells gas. And in the supermarket space, H-E-B is a really fabulous company."
To help counteract such staunch competition, Susser Holdings will continue to pursue acquisitions. According to Susser, that market is "attractive" and "valuations are lower" than they have been in previous years.
Another approach Susser Holdings is taking to remain strong in the tough marketplace is the wholesale business. "We love this business," Susser explained. "It's very stable; 80 percent of our wholesale fuel margins are fixed. That compares to our convenience store business, where zero percent is fixed."
Susser, who has served the company for 24 years, concluded that Susser Holdings has and will continue to take market share from competitors. But he acknowledged that despite a having a strong balance sheet, Susser Holdings' stock price has not risen in tune with the market in the past few years.
"We're frustrated at how cheap our stock has been since we went public [in 2006]," Susser remarked. "We are constantly taking steps to alleviate concerns investors have about our business. One comment we often get is that we are a 'complicated business. Help me understand it.'"


text:
MBA Operations Management Adjunct OmanFranklin University
A Six Sigma Black Belt Certification would be a plus in this position. Franklin University, located in Columbus, Ohio is seeking part-time adjunct faculty...
Oman25 days ago
Site Coordinators JobBetchel
Implements Six Sigma tools, analysis, and decision making in the execution of duties. Knowledge of the Six Sigma program tools and methodologies, and of...
Oman4 days ago
Do you want aHigher salary & a Better Job?Get certified / learn new skills with courses in Six SigmaSee all coursesCertified professionals make 10% more money & hold higher positions.
Job searches related to Six sigma Jobs in Muscat


text:
Firelands Local Music Spot
Brandon Helman will return for your Firelands Local Music Spot! This week, Emily Keener will be coming into the studio to discuss the release of her latest album, "Breakfast"! Listen live at 1pm every Friday on your radio, stream directly online from our website, or set the Tune-In Radio app to 95.3 WLKR to hear about all the great local music in your area!


text:
Chikballapur is the district headquarters of the new Chikballapur district of Karnataka. This district, which was previously a part of Kolar district, has many fascinating tourist attractions.
Chikballapur town lies about 50 km from Bangalore and is the district headquarters of the Chikballapur district. This district is the birth place of the engineer/statesman Sri Visveswarayya, and is an educational center, with many existing and proposed educational Institutions like the IIT Muddenahalli, The Visveswarayya Institute of Advanced Technology and the Sri Sathya Sai Baba University.
The Attractions Around Town - Tourist places in Chikballapur
Chikballapur has many natural attractions and man-made monuments that attract tourists here. The famous Nandi Hills is located in the Chikballapur Taluq. The Yoga Nandeeshwara Temple on top of the hill and the Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple in the village at the base of the hill are the main attractions here.
The Vivekananda Waterfalls, about 12 km from Chikballapur town, is a beautiful place with the cascade at its best after rains. Rangasthala, which is also located near Chikballapur, has a beautiful temple with a splendid black stone Vijayanagara style statue of Lord Vishnu. Muddenahalli, which is also located near the region, is the hometown of Visveswarayya, and his house is now preserved as a museum. There are other places of interest like the Subramanya Swamy temple at Chitravati, the Ellode Sri Lakshmi Adinarayana Swamy temple, and the Kandavara Lake.
Travel Talk
- Will Suggest 144
- My Favourite 78
- Been There 65
- Will Plan 60
- Will Avoid 44
Want to share your reaction with friends?
Some of the hills offer opportunities for rock climbing and mountaineering activities.
How to reach Chikballapur
Thanks to its proximity to the main city of Bangalore, commute to Chikballapur is never a problem as there are many options available for tourists through road and rail.


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What is JotForm?
JotForm is a free online form builder which helps you create online forms without writing a single line of code. No sign-up required.
At JotForm, we want to make sure that you're getting the online form builder help that you need. Our friendly customer support team is available 24/7.
We believe that if one user has a question, there could be more users who may have the same question. This is why many of our support forum threads are public and available to be searched and viewed. If you'd like help immediately, feel free to search for a similar question, or submit your question or concern.
Produce packing slip automatically.Asked by pnolin on November 05, 2015 at 05:43 PM
I would like to use JotForm to input customer telephone orders and process payments. The workflow is as follows:
1. Staff input customer name and contact info into a form. (I can set this up in JotForm).
2. Process credit card payments within the form. (My IT guy will set this up).
3. Upon completion of the transaction, have a packing slip or "order complete" form pop up on the screen that I can print on letter paper, fold and stuff into a #10 window envelope. The customer mailing info would line up for the window of the envelope. (This is the part I need help figuring out).
Is this a realistic project to accomplish with JotForm? Is there a template that I can customize? It's mainly step 3 that is stumping me.
JotForm Support
I'm thinking of creating a Custom Thank-You page and print it after submission. Since most browsers have an option to print the page, you can use that to print the custom Thank-You page that you will be creating.
Here's a sample form: https://form.jotform.com/53087650021953
What we need to create the custom Thank-You page are the field names of the fields. You can get all field names by pressing Ctrl+Shift+I on your keyboard when you're on the form builder page or try folllowing the instruction this guide: How-to-find-Field-IDs-Names
Notice that I've separated the fields for the address so that it would be easy to arrange it in the Thank-You page.
You can also get those field names when you edit the Thank-You message.
Now, when your form is submitted. The Thank-You message will show which you can then print using your browser's print option. The print option also allows you to save it first as a PDF copy and print it at a later time using your PDF reader.
I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please feel free to let us know and we will be glad to help you. Thank you.
Hi @Mike_G. Just wanted to share what I came up with.
Hi @pnolin.
Here's the link for the live form.
1. The approach I used is similar to that of JotForm Support @Mike_G. The print-out info can be viewed on either the Notification email you will receive and the Thank You page. (fig. 1 & 2 below)
I think the Thank You page would be easier to print since there are no other stuff surrounding the contact info for printing. As compared to the one received in the email which will include in the print-out some email-client stuff like a short summary of the email subject, message and other info.
2. Another method is to Download the customer info you need for printing then setup Mail Merge in MS Word and specify the dimension of the paper you'll use.
*** The placement of the contact info is dependent on where the window is positioned. It can be adjusted as needed.
Just my 2 cents worth :)
- Randy, fellow JotForm user.
fig. 1 - with superimposed dimension for #10 window envelope (for visual comparison only)
fig. 2 - for actual print-out with #10 window envelope dimensions
Dimension i used as guide for the #10 window envelope:
JotForm Support
@ Randy
Thank you for sharing your solution to us and to a fellow user.
Great job and we highly appreciate this.
Thanks folks. These are some great ideas. I'll work with them.


text:
When Does a Mom's Day End?
A Mom's World: When Do You End Your Day?
Sometimes a mom's day-to-day routine can read like a checklist. Get up, check. Go to work, check. Make dinner, check. Do a load of laundry, check. Quiz the kids on their spelling words, check. Some women consider the end of their day when they leave the office, step foot in the door, or kiss their kiddos good night. For other moms, it's when the sun sets or when they hit the hay themselves. It's said that once a woman enters motherhood, she never sleeps the same or shakes off concerns the way she once did, but did the length of your day change, too?


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Aug 10, 2004
|Filing date
|Aug 1, 2000
|Priority date
|Dec 27, 1995
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Anna Charny
|Original Assignee
|Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (27), Non-Patent Citations (6), Referenced by (4), Classifications (13), Legal Events (9)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/579,393 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,878 filed Dec. 27, 1995 the entire teaching of which are incorporate herein by reference. The present invention is related to Patent Application now U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,531 entitled Method and Apparatus for Hierarchial Relative Error by Anna Charny, filed on Dec. 27, 1995.
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of rate-based scheduling and weighted fair sharing of a common resource. The problem of rate-based scheduling and weighed fair sharing arise in many different contexts and relate, for example, to the field of computer networks or to processor design. In general, the present invention relates to any problem of scheduling jobs according to some rates in a broad context of environments and application.
The problem of scheduling different jobs sharing a common resource occurs in many different contexts. In the most general terms it can be formulated as follows:
A single resource of some kind is shared by several entities indexed by integers i=1,2, . . . n. Every entity has a rate R(i) associated with it. The rates are assigned in such a way that sum of all R(i) does not exceed the capacity of the resource. For example, in computer networks the entity is an individual flow, and the shared resource may be a bottleneck communications link or a server capacity. The entities can be served in some service increments, one at a time. For example, the service increment for a network flow is one packet (or cell, in the ATM terminology). A device, called the Scheduler, needs to determine the order of service for different entities so that average service rate received by an entity is its assigned rate R(i). Aside from guaranteeing the long-term average rate, an important goal is to bound the discrepancy between the ideal and the actual service times of each individual service increment, i.e., each packet of each flow.
An example of an environment where such problem occurs is a processor which must schedule jobs competing for its cycles. If all jobs are of equal importance, then it is desirable to provide all jobs an equal share of the processor capacity. If, however, the jobs have different importance, a possible strategy is to assign weights to all jobs corresponding to their importance, and provide each job a share of processor capacity proportional to the weight assigned to the jobs. In this case the desired service rates are determined by the weights of the flows. An alternative approach might be to assign rates to flows according to some other rule, which is specific to a particular policy and environment of the problem. For example, a rule might be to give some fixed allocation to high priority jobs and then share the remaining bandwidth among low priority jobs.
As mentioned earlier, another example when a similar problem might occur is in computer networks. For example, in ATM networks there is usually some rate associated with every flow traversing the network. This rate can be either the result of negotiation with the network at setup time, as for example for Constant Bit Rate (CBR) traffic, or can be the result of a traffic management feedback control scheme as is the case for Available Bit Rate (ABR) traffic. The set of rates can be either relatively static, as for long-term CBR flows, or may change quickly in response to congestion as in the case of ABR flows.
Even if the rates are not assigned explicitly, which is the case, for example, in many packet-switching networks, different flows may be of different importance. For example, one flow may be a compound flow of data from 1000 users, while another flow may represent a single user. It may be reasonable in such case to assign weights to different flows given their relative importance. If the total demand of flows exceeds the capacity of the bottleneck resource, typically a communication link, then a possible policy is to service the congested switch to all flows proportionally to their weights just as described earlier in the example of processor sharing. This effectively assigns rates to the flows.
In recent years, rate-based scheduling disciplines at the switching points in computer networks have received a lot of attention. A comprehensive review of such schemes can be found in Hui Zhang, Service Disciplines for Guaranteed Performance in Packet-Switching Networks, Proceedings IEEE, October 1995. These schemes generally are applicable at network switches and can guarantee rates assigned to the flows.
The problem of scheduling of different flows in computer networks exists not only for the switches in the network, but in host adapters as well. For example, an adapter in an ATM network must schedule different flows each having a rate associated with it. Typically, the CBR flows are serviced at a higher priority according to a pre-computed schedule. One of the disadvantages of pre-computing the CBR schedule is that because it is computed without taking any non-CBR flows into account, the service of non-CBR flows may be unnecessarily adversely affected by the CBR bursts. Pre-computing the schedule also has the disadvantage that it is computationally expensive and is usually done in software on a slow time scale. While this may be acceptable for CBR flows which only need to perform this once a new connection is established, it is not feasible if many flows with frequently changing rates need to be scheduled.
Another scheme that is known for rate-based scheduling is the so-called Leaky Bucket, described for example in The ATM Forum Traffic Management Specification Version 4.0. The scheme requires a large amount of per flow state and therefore is prohibitive for a large number of flows.
Also frequently used is the so called "time-wheel" or "calendar queue" approach. An example of the calendar queue approach may be found in Brown., R, Calendar Queue: A fast O(1) priority queue implementation for the simulation even set problem, Communications of the ACM, vol.31, pp.1220-1227. Unlike the Leaky Bucket scheme, the calendar queues are simple to implement. Unfortunately, in general the calendar queue approach cannot guarantee that the long-term average rate achieved by the flow is equal to its assigned rate.
Therefore, it is desirable to design a scheme that can be used for rate-based scheduling of flows with dynamically changing rates at networks adapters and can guarantee the assigned rate of the flow.
It is also desirable that this scheme can be used for CBR-type traffic (also known as guaranteed service in packet switching networks) and ABR-type traffic (also known as adaptive traffic) simultaneously, as well as VBR traffic (variable bit rate) in ATM networks (also known as predictive traffic in packet switching networks). Finally it is desirable that this scheme can be used in a more general context of rate-based scheduling as described earlier.
The approaches described in the paper by Hui Zhang for switch scheduling are not easily applicable to the adapters. One of the reasons for that is that most of the scheduling schemes for the switches rely on packet arrival times to the switch to determine the scheduling order of packets from different flows. The notion of arrival time is not always well-specified for the adapter, since typically the adapter requests data from the application when it is ready to transmit its data.
What is needed is a general approach to rate scheduling that will work in many different environments. In particular, the new approach should work well for network adapters as well as for network switches.
The new scheme described in this application, referred to as Relative Error (RE) Scheme can be used in particular for network adapters as well as for network switches to provide stringent rate guarantees. However, as mentioned earlier, its use is not limited to the field of computer networks. Unlike most of the schemes described above, which operate in the time domain, the RE scheme operates in the frequency domain. One of the advantages of it is that the necessity of rate-to-time conversion (which involves finding an inverse of a rate) is eliminated.
A method of scheduling a plurality of data flows in a shared resource in a computer system, each of the data flows containing a plurality of data cells, is provided including the steps of providing a scheduler in the shared resource, the scheduler having a plurality of link cell slots, initializing the scheduler to receive the plurality of data flows, receiving each of the plurality of a data flows in the scheduler, each of data flows containing a requested flow rate, scheduling, by the scheduler, each of the plurality of data flows such that a sum of each of the requested flow rates of each of the plurality of data flows is less than an available bandwidth in the shared resource and a relative error is minimized between an actual scheduling time and an ideal scheduling time on a per cell basis, and repeating the steps of receiving and scheduling.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as features and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the detailed description of specific embodiments, which follow, when read in conjunction with accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer network in which the present invention may be used;
FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the invention as it resides in the scheduler 50 of host node 10 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing the effect of three external events upon the scheduler 50 of host node 10 of FIG. 1.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in the context of a computer network. Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary network is shown to include four host nodes labeled as 10, 12, 14, and 16. Each of the host nodes is also shown to be shared by a number of users. Specifically, host node 10 has users labeled as 26 and 28, host node 12 has users labeled as 30 and 32, host node 14 has users labeled as 34 and 36, and host node 16 has users labeled as 38 and 40.
The exemplary network shown if FIG. 1 also includes two switches labeled as 42 and 44, respectively. Users communicate through the network with each other. For example, user 26 at host node 10 communicates with user 36 at host node 14, user 28 at host node 10 communicates with user 38 at host node 16, and user 30, user 32 at host node 12 communicate with user 38 and user 40 at host node 16, respectively.
The host nodes are shown connected to the switches, and the switches are shown connected to each other, by way of communication links. For example, link 18 connects host node 10 to switch 42, and switches 42 and 44 are connected by a link 20. Link 22 connects host node 12 to switch 42, link 24 connects switch 42 to host node 14, and link 25 connects switch 44 to host node 16. For convenience, we shall associate the flow of data from a source to a destination with the source of this flow. For example, we shall refer to flow from user 26 to user 36 as "flow of user 26."
Each of the host nodes 10, 12, 14, and 16 are shown to include a scheduler. Specifically, host node 10 has a scheduler 50, host node 12 has a scheduler 52, host node 14 has a scheduler 54, and host node 16 has a scheduler 56. Typically, the scheduler resides in a host adapter card (not shown).
Each of the switches 42 and 44 is also shown as having a scheduler associated with each link connected to the switch. For example, switch 42 contains a scheduler 58 associated with link 18. Scheduler 60 is associated with link 22, scheduler 62 is associated with link 24, and scheduler 64 is associated with link 20. Switch 44 contains a scheduler 66 associated with link 20, while scheduler 68 is associated with link 25.
Each of the schedulers shown in FIG. 1 is responsible for scheduling different flows which share common resources within the exemplary network. By way of example, we shall assume that a limiting factor (or "bottleneck") resource is a link's capacity. For example, assume that all links in the network are of capacity 155 Mbs except link 20, which has capacity of 50 Mbs. Therefore, user 28, user 30, and user 32 share a common bottlenecked link, i.e., link 20. To insure fairness, each of these users can therefore transmit data at one third of the capacity of link 20, i.e., at approximately rates R(2)=R(3)=R(4)=16.67 Mbs. User 26 can therefore transmit data at the full remaining bandwidth of link 18, i.e., at R(1)=138.33 Mbs. However, any other transmission rate assignment is possible, as long as the sum of rates of user 26 and user 28 does not exceed 155 Mbs, which is the capacity of link 20, and the sum of the rates of user 28, user 30, and user 32 does not exceed 50 Mbs, which is the capacity of link 20. The average service rate that the scheduler provides to each user must be equal to the rate assigned to these users. Thus, the scheduler 50 is responsible for scheduling flows submitted to host node 10 by user 26 and user 28 at rates R(1) and R(2) respectively.
The present invention may reside in any of the schedulers shown in FIG. 1 and relates to a method and apparatus of rate-based scheduling and weighted fair sharing of a common resource.
By way of example, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in the context of flows in the exemplary network of FIG. 1. However, the present invention is adapted to any computer application that requires a weighted fair rate service in scheduling computer jobs. The exemplary embodiment will use an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network as an example. ATM networks use fixed length data packets generally referred to as ATM cells. However, as mentioned above, the present invention may be generalized to variable length data packets.
Using an ATM network as a specific example, the present invention may reside in an adapter (not shown), the adapter having a scheduler (i.e., 50, 52, 54, and 56) contained in each of the host nodes 10, 12, 14, and 16, and/or in the schedulers 58, 60, 66, and 68 of switches 42 and 44.
As is described below, the main idea of the present invention is to a use Relative Error (RE) approach to minimize the discrepancy between the actual scheduling time and the "ideal" scheduling time on a per cell basis through any switch or adapter in the ATM network.
In the context described, the problem of scheduling of flows through and by any switch or adapter may be formulated as follows.
n flows indexed by integers 1,2, . . . n sharing a slotted link (any switch or adapter) of capacity C
each flow i is assigned a rate R(i), so that
We assume for this embodiment that all packets are of the same size, as for example, in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network. We shall use the ATM term cell to denote a fixed size packet. The time of transmission of one cell at link speed will be referred to as "cell time" or "cell slot," interchangeably.
At the beginning of j-th link cell-slot the scheduler needs to determine the cell of which flow (if any) must be scheduled for transmission. The goal is to ensure that the long-term average rate of flow i is guaranteed to be R(i), with bounded discrepancy between actual and ideal transmission times of each cell.
Note also that in the context of processor job scheduling (in contrast with the flow scheduling in a network), the rates R(i) typically reflect the weights of the jobs, C is the processor capacity available for these jobs, and the inequality above is typically an equality, and the service increment is usually some number of processor cycles dedicated to a job.
To fully illustrate the present invention, hereinafter referred to as the RE scheme or the RE scheduler, the following variables are used:
D(i,j) error term for flow i at link cell slot j
R(i) rate of flow i (i=0 corresponds to the "virtual flow" (fully described below), whose rate is simply the difference
between the available bandwidth C and the sum of rates of all real flows i=1,2, . . . n.
w(i) rate of flow i relative to the total available bandwidth C
Note: R(i) are required for initialization and rate changes only, and do not need to be stored in per flow state. Variables w(i) and D(i,j) are stored per flow.
The flow indexed by zero is the so-called "virtual flow". Its rate is simply the link bandwidth unused by all "real" flows. In this disclosure we will refer to flow 0 as a regular flow, and by sending a cell of flow zero we shall mean that an idle cell was sent (no cells of "real" flows transmitted).
Initialization of the procedure RE_Scheduler occurs in the following manner:
for all i
D(i, 0)=0;
The RE scheduler operates as described in the following pseudocode.
do forever
find flow f with D(f, j)=max_{i}D(i, j)
if ((f > 0) AND (cell of flow f available))
transmit next cell from flow f
else do not transmit (transmit an idle cell)
D(f, j) = D(f, j)+w(f) − 1;
for all i ≠ f
D(i, j)=D(i, j)+w(i);
The following procedure updates the appropriate variables upon a change of the rate of some flow. It is assumed that the set of rates remains feasible after the rate change, i.e. the sum of all rates does not exceed the link bandwidth C.
if rate of flow i≧0 changed to Rnew(i)
Note that the procedure Rate_Change can also be used if a new flow enters or an old flow exits by assigning w(i)=0, to any inactive flow. Note also that it is assumed that any change of rate does not violate the requirement that the sum of all rates of all "real" flows does not exceed the link capacity. Similarly, when a new flow enters with some rate, the sum of all rates still does not exceed the link capacity. If the rates of several flows change simultaneously, the procedure Rate Change is executed for all flows one at a time.
The RE scheduler described above exhibits several properties. The first property, referred to as Property 1, follows:
let B(i,m) denote the "ideal" beginning time of transmission of m-th cell of flow i in isolation. Assuming the zero-th cell transmission starts at time zero, the m-th cell transmission then starts exactly at time mT(i), where T(i)=cell_len/R(i)). Here cell_len is the length of one cell (in bits), and R(i) is the assigned rate of flow I in some units of time, e.g., seconds. Denote A(i,m) the beginning of actual transmission time of the m-th cell of flow i under the scheduler RE. Then for any m
where n is the number of supported flows, T(i)=cell_en/R(i) is the interval between cell transmissions at rate R(i), cell_time=cell_len/C is the cell transmission time at link speed. If k scheduling opportunities were missed by flow i because data was not available at the time the flow was scheduled, when the m-th cell finally becomes available, then the starting time of transmission of this cell would satisfy
This simply means that the RE scheduler treats any missed cell opportunity as if the cell was actually sent, so the m-th cell is indistinguishable from the m+k-th cell if k cell opportunities were missed.
Property 1, as described above, gives the worst case discrepancy bound that could be proved analytically. In actual simulations performed, the discrepancy observed for all cells of all flows satisfied a much tighter constraint which is formulated below as a conjecture.
A conjecture is that the discrepancy bound of the RE scheme is
where the notation is the same as in Property 1.
The second property, referred to as Property 2, exhibited by the RE scheduler described above is that the long-term rate achieved by flow f under RE scheduling is exactly the assigned rate R(f) of flow F, i.e., the RE Scheduler provides stringent rate guarantees to all its flows for an arbitrary set of rates assigned to the flows.
This second property immediately follows from the first property, described above, since each cell is transmitted within a fixed bound from its ideal transmission time.
The derivation of the RE scheme described above is found in Appendix A. The proof of the Property 1, described above, may be found in Appendix B.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a flow chart of the operation of the RE scheme as it executes in any of the schedulers of FIG. 1 is shown. FIG. 2 depicts the operation of the scheme on static rates. The process begins at step 100 wherein the scheduler conducts an initialization. During the initialization, the following is executed by the scheduler. A link cell slot zero is set equal to 0. A virtual flow rate R(0) is set equal to the difference between the available bandwidth C and the sum of all rates of real flows i=1, 2, . . . n. Finally, for all flow rates i=1, 2, . . . n, a rate of flow for each flow rate i relative to the total bandwidth C is set equal to the quotient of the rate of flow i and the total available bandwidth C, and an error term for each flow i at link cell slot 0 is set equal to 0.
At step 104 the RE scheduler finds a flow f with an error term D(f, j) equal to the maximum for all the error terms D(i, j) in the set of all flows i.
At step 108, the scheduler checks whether a flow f is a virtual flow (f=0) or f is a "real" flow" (f>0). If it is a virtual flow, or if f is a real flow but does not have a cell available, then at step 112 an idle cell is transmitted. If so, at step 116 the next cell from flow f is transmitted.
At step 120, the link cell slot index j is incremented by 1 and the error term for flow f at link cell slot j is set equal to the error term for flow f at link cell slot j plus the relative rate of flow f w(i) minus 1.
At step 124, for all rates of flow i not equal to the rate of flow f, the error term for flow i at link cell slot j is set equal to the error term for flow i at link cell slot j plus the rate of flow i relative to the total available bandwidth C. The scheduler then returns to step 104 to continue.
Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram shows an action taken when one of the following three external events, labeled as step 200, 202, and 204, respectively, occur:
(1) At step 200 a new flow i enters with an assigned rate Rnew(i). In this case variables w(i) and R(i,j) are allocated and initialized to zero and procedure Rate_Change is executed by the scheduler at step 206.
(2) At step 202 the scheduler detects (or is notified) that flow i exited. In this case Rnew(i) is set to zero, then the procedure Rate_Change is executed at step 206, after which the variables w(i) and D(i,j) are deallocated at step 208.
(3) At step 204, the rate of flow i changes to Rnew(i). In this case, the procedure Rate_Change is executed at step 206.
Note that these three events described in steps 200, 202, and 204 can occur completely synchronously with the execution of the RE_Scheduler at step 206. However, since the result of the execution of the procedure Rate_Change at step 206 affects the variables w(i), w(0), D(i,j) and D(0,j), which are used by the scheduler at step 206, it is assumed that these variables are updated at the beginning of some (preferably the closest) cell slot time after the event occurred, and that the update precedes the decision of the RE_Scheduler at step 206.
Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will now become apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments incorporating its concepts may be provided. It is felt therefore, that this invention should not be limited to the disclosed invention, but should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Derivation of the RE Scheme
Denote S(j) the time of the beginning of j-th cell slot of the link (assuming that S(0) = 0). Then
S(j) = j cell_time
where cell_time is the time in seconds of transmitting 1 cell at link speed.
Suppose by time S(j) the scheduler had given m(j)-1 transmission scheduling opportunities to some flow
i, so that the m-th cell of flow i will be scheduled at S(j) or later. Then denote by L(i,j) the ideal
beginning transmission time of the cell which is to be scheduled next at or after S(j) by L(i,j). Consider
some flow i with its assigned rate R(i) bits/sec. Suppose its zero-th cell is sent out at time T = 0 sec.
Assuming that flow i always has a cell to send, it can be easily seen that in the absence of any other
flows the ideal time of the beginning of transmission of m(j)-th cell of flow i is simply
B(i,mj)) = m(j) cell_len/ R(i), where cell_len is the length of one cell in bits. Then, by definition,
L(i,j) = B(i,mj))
Denote D(i,j) the relative error in transmission time accumulated by flow i at the beginning of j-th link
cell slot. That is,
D(i,j) = (S(j) − L(i,j))/T(i)
T(i) = cell_len/R(i)
is simpiy the "ideal" interval between cells of flow i at rate R(i), or the time needed to transmit one cell
worth number of bits at R(i). Denote, finally, the rate of flow i relative to the link rate C by w(i), so that
w(i) = R(i)/C = cell_time/T(i)
where cell_time is the time to transmit one cell at link speed
Observe that by definition of L(i,j) it is the ideal time of the next cell of flow i to be scheduled at the
scheduling opportunity of flow i.
L(i,j + 1) − L(i, j)
if cell of i is not sent in slot j
L(i,j + 1) − L(i,j) + T(i)
if cell of i is sent in slot j
Therefore, noting that S(j) = S(j − 1) + cell_time, it follows from (3) and (6a,b) that
D(i,j) = (Sj − 1) − L(i,j − 1) + cell_time)/T(i)
if cell of i is not sent in slot j
D(i,j) = (S(j − 1) − L(i,j − 1) + cell_time − T(i))/T(i)
if cell of i is sent in slot j
Finally, from (7a,b), (3), and (5)
D(i,j) = D(i,j − 1) + w(i)
if cell of i is not sent in slot j
D(i,j) = D(i,j − 1) + w(i) − 1
if cell of i is sent in slot j
Proof of Property 1
Consider the static case first (i.e. rates do not change).
Note first that it follows from (3) that S(j) − L(i, j) = D(i, j)T(i). Consider the flow i whose m(j)-th cell
was actually sent in cell slot j. Then the actual beginning transmission time of cell m(j) was A(i, m(j)) =S(j),
and therefore, using (2), equation (3) can be rewritten as
A(i, m(j)) − B(i, m(j)) = D(i, j)T(i)
We will show below that
−1 + w(i) ≦ D(i, j) ≦ n/2 + 1
which, in conjunction with (5) implies that
−T(i) + cell_time ≦ A(i, m(j)) − B(i, m(j)) ≦ (n/2 + 1)T(i)
which establishes the statement of Property 1.
To show that (10) holds we will need the sequence of 5 Lemmas:
Proof of Lemma 1
Note now that at each new iteration D(i, j) of any flow i whose cell is not scheduled is increased by w(i),
while D(i, j) for the flow whose cell is scheduled is increased by w(i) − 1. Therefore, the sum of D(i, j)
over all flows i does not change, since is first incremented by
and decremented by 1. QED.
Lemma 2: D(i, j) ≧ w(i) − 1
Proof of Lemma 2.
Consider any flow i. Note that w(i) ≦ 1, and therefore w(i) − 1 ≦ 0. Thus, as long as D(i, j) ≧ 0, the
statement of the lemma holds. We hall now prove that the statement of the lemma also holds when
D(i, j) < 0. Consider any j such that D(i, j) changes its sign from non-negative to negative. Since initially
D(i, j) = 0 for all i, such j must exist. It is clear by operation of the algorithm that it can only happen if at
step j − 1 flow i was scheduled, and therefore D(i, j) = D(i, j − 1) + w(i) − 1 ≧ w(i) − 1. Lemma 1 implies that at
any iteration j at least one flow k has D(k, j) ≧ 0. Hence, flow i, for which D(i, j) < 0, cannot be chosen by
the scheduler at step j. Therefore, at step j + 1 D(i,j + 1) = D(i, j) + w(i) ≧ D(i, j) ≧ w(i) − 1.
Note now that continuing with this argument we can show that after D(i, j) changes its sign to negative,
D(i, j) monotonically increases with j, until it becomes positive. Since we have already shown that at the
time the sign changes to negative Lemma 2 holds, it now follows that it holds for any j such that D(i, j) is
negative. QED.
Lemma 2 proves the left-hand side of (10).
Lemma 3. Consider some arbitrary k > 0, and some iteration j. Denote n1(j, k) the number of flows with
D(i, j) < 0 at iteration j, n2(j, k) - the number of flows with 0 ≦ D(i, j) ≦ k + 1, and n3(j, k) - the number of
flows such that
D(i, j) > k + 1. Then
n3(j, k) ≦ n1(j, k)/(k + 1).
Proof of Lemma 3.
Therefore, n1(j, k) ≧ (k + 1)n3(j, k) and the statement of Lemma 3 follows.
Corollary 1: For any j, n3(j, k) ≦ n/(k + 2), where n is the total number of flows.
Proof of Corollary 1
n = n1(j, k) + n2(j, k) + n3(j, k) ≧ n1(j, k) + n3(j, k), therefore from Lemma 3
n3(j, k) ≦ n1(j, k)/(k + 1) ≦ (n − n3(j, k))/(k + 1), or n3(i)(k + 2) ≦ n,
which implies the statement of the Corollary.
Lemma 4. For any k ≧ n/2 − 1 and any j, there is at most one flow with D(i, j) > k + 1, i.e. n3(j, k) ≦ 1 in
the notation of Lemma 3.
Proof of Lemma 4
By Corollary 1 to Lemma 3
n3(j, k) ≦ n/(k + 2) ≦ n/(n/2 − 1 + 2) = 2n/(n + 2) < 2
Since n3(j, k) is integer, it implies that n3(j, k) ≦ 1, QED
Corollary 2: For any j there is at most one flow with D(i, j) > n/2
Proof of Corollary 2 Immediately follows from Lemma 4 by setting k = n/2 − 1.
Lemma 5 There are no flows with D(i, j) ≧ n/2 + 1
Proof of Lemma 5
Suppose there exist some i, j, such that
D(i, j) ≧ n/2 + 1
Consider the first time j at which (12) occurs for at least one flow i. Therefore D(i, j − 1) < n/2 + 1, and
thus on j-th step the value of D(i, j) increased. It is easy to see that it means that some other flow k with
D(k, j − 1) ≧ D(i, j − 1)
was scheduled at time j − 1. Hence D(i, j − 1) = D(i, j) − w(i) > n/2 + 1 − w(i) > n/2. However, the flow k
which was scheduled at slot j − 1 must have had D(k, j − 1) ≧ D(i, j − 1), and therefore (13) implies that
D(k, j − 1) ≧ n/2 as well, and therefore there exist two flows i and k such that D(i, j − 1) ≧ n/2, and
D(k, j − 1) ≧ n/2. However, this contradicts the statement of Corollary 2. The obtained contradiction
completes the proof of Lemma 5.
The right-hand side of (10) is now proved as well, which completes the proof of Property 1 for the static
case. Note now that procedure Rate_change preserves the invariant given by Lemma 1. Repeating the
proof of Lemma 1, we can see that Lemma 1 continues to hold after a rate change.
To see that Lemma 2 holds as well note that after a rate change D(i, j) of any flow other than flow i and the
"virtual" flow 0 remain unchanged, D(i, j) = wnew(i) − 1, and Dnew(0, j) = Dold(0, j) + Dold(i, j) − Dnew(i, j).
Suppose Lemma 2 held before the rate change. Then Dold(k, j) ≧ wold(k) − 1 for all k. Therefore
Dnew(0, j) = Dold(0, j) + Dold(i, j) − Dnew(i, j) ≧ wold(0) − 1 + wold(1) − 1 − wnew(i) + 1 = wnew(0) − 1.
Hence, Lemma 2 holds for all flows right after the rate change. Repeating now the argument of the proof
of Lemma 2 we can see that it holds for consequent iterations after the rate change. Since initially
(before the first rate change) Lemma 2 was shown to hold, by induction on the sequence of rate changes
Lemma 2 holds in the presence of rate changes as well. Thus, the left-hand side of (10) holds in the
presence of the rate changes as well.
It is easy to see that the proofs of Lemmas 3 and 4 depend only on Lemma 1, and therefore hold in the
presence of rate changes as well.
Finally note that since Lemma 4 holds immediately after a rate change, then the proof of Lemma 5 can
be repeated without modification as well. Hence, (10) holds even in the presence of rate changes. This
proves the right hand side of (10).
Note now that at the time of a rate change the ideal finishing time of the next cell after a rate change is
not well defined, since the time elapsed between the previous and the next cell depends on the old rate as
well. We shall define it as follows. Given the new value of D(i, j) we first define the new theoretical time
L(i, j) of the beginning of transmission of the next cell after a rate change according to (3). It is easy to see
that given this definition, the derivation of (8a, b) remains valid until the rate of the flow changes again.
Hence, Property 1 holds in the presence of rate changes as well.
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|U.S. Classification
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|International Classification
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text:
Acquisition Growth Strategy - Maximize your Profitability
Acquisitions and mergers are an important strategy for businesses looking to accelerate growth.
According to SunTrust Research, 24 percent of business executives are planning to grow their businesses through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) (This includes 22 percent of businesses with annual revenues of $2-9.99 million and 25 percent with annual revenues of $10-150 million.) M&A is one of the top three strategies that businesses are pursuing.
Successful acquisitions offer strategic opportunities ranging from revenue growth to product extension and restructuring of competitive dynamics. "Many factors will affect your acquisition strategy," says John Hluck, Senior Vice President at SunTrust Bank, "however, all begin with a clear competitive strategy, and a strong vision of how that strategy will drive your acquisition plans and outcomes."
Why Pursue Growth through Acquisition
Mergers and acquisitions expand your company's capabilities and customer base to improve profit-generating revenue. Of the business executives exploring M&A activity, 35 percent are doing so for growth and expansion. Another 13 percent are looking to improve financial success through acquisition.
Businesses choosing acquisition growth strategies look very different from those choosing organic growth:
- Display confidence. According to SunTrust Research, executives choosing to acquire for growth have a higher level of confidence in the current and future economy, as well as the strength of their particular industry. That confidence leads them to be willing to take the additional risks that acquisition strategies often entail.
- Overcome obstacles. A properly financed acquisition growth plan helps companies overcome the largest obstacles to their growth - lack of capital, infrastructure, high debt ratios and management skills.
- Move quickly. Companies can grow faster through acquisition, immediately absorbing new customers and new sources of revenue. Additionally, companies do not lose time creating new technologies, processes or skills, but can quickly integrate and leverage those functions from the acquired company.
- Fill gaps. Acquisition can help a business accomplish proposed business strategies rapidly when the acquiring company provides customers, technology, production facilities or even reduces competition.
"Any growth strategy needs to be grounded in business planning that looks beyond the usual planning horizon," says Mr. Hluck. "Take a less conventional look, a Six Year Plan, and tie your acquisition strategy closely to your competitive strategy. A Six-Year Plan gets you out of the mindset of projecting the status quo into the future. That sets the stage for what type of company you will look to acquire, whether you are acquiring strengths or trying to overcome weaknesses, and specifies what you will accomplish once integration is complete."
Your Six-Year Plan will guide you through the purchase process as well as provide a roadmap for execution of the combined company. Integration can then focus on leveraging the most valuable elements from the acquired company to put your company on the path you have plotted for future growth.
Top Scenarios Where Mergers & Acquisitions Make Sense
Mr. Hluck cautions business leaders, "Don't let M&A fever dilute your current successes by leaving you working harder and with more risk. Crisp strategy execution wins over size." So while economies of scale drive some M&A, the strategic rationale for an acquisition program as derived from the Six-Year Plan can take many different forms.
Looking for synergies between combined companies is a core M&A approach. Value emerges when a business purchases a complementary company allowing it to sell more products to the same customers. This approach can also improve a business's existing model providing improved product development and more efficient delivery channels. Combining companies that have the same basic product mix can provide cost reduction opportunities through the consolidation of redundant functions such as production or administration. There may also be revenue growth from new sales opportunities and market strength. The newly combined operation also has the opportunity to improve the client experience by offering enhanced products, better pricing or improved distribution channels.
Changing Industry Dynamics
Transformational purchases occur when a business acquires a company in order to enter new markets, channels or in some way transform the integrated company. This approach has been on the rise over the last few years. A PWC M&A survey found that forty-nine percent of respondents undertook a transformation acquisition in 2013, up from twenty-nine percent three years earlier. (PWC, March 2013)
A transformational acquisition changes industry dynamics by providing additional strength over customers, suppliers and/or competitors. Ultimately, the combined company grows large enough to pre-empt – or at least dampen - the effect of new entrants or substitutive products. Transformational deals are more complex and challenging when it comes to integration. The PWC survey also found that companies implementing a transformational strategy tend to struggle more with the integration needed to achieve their most important financial and operational goals.
Successful Business Model
When a company already has a successful business model, it can grow much more quickly by aggressively leveraging its strengths and imposing its existing operating model on others. Finding other, typically smaller, companies that can benefit from its expertise, has proven to be a successful growth model. The target business should have some intrinsic value, such as a desirable product or technology, which can be leveraged across the business. PWC calls these transactions "tuck-in deals" and has found that tuck-in acquisitions have the highest core competence among companies they surveyed, as well as the highest level of success in strategic, financial and operational integration performance.
Weakness in Business Model
In some cases, a company can overcome gaps in its business model more quickly and cost effectively by purchasing a company that has proven successes in targeted functions. The integrated company can rapidly leverage the newly combined management talent and skills to find new ways to increase sales through access to new products, new markets, distribution channels or technical advances not previously obtainable by the individual companies. Gaps in skills, production technology or capacity, customer acquisition or brand marketing can all be improved by purchasing a company that has the functional track record to grow a business successfully.
Final Steps towards Acquisition
While the goals and objectives of your Six-Year Plan should guide your acquisition search and selection, don't lose sight of the basic tenants for a good acquisition target. The target should be a business or industry you know, have a history of good earnings and management and should have key staff and leaders willing to stay and help run the business.
Structuring the Deal
Capital planning helps you find the best financial structure and capital mix for your business acquisition plans Decisions about whether you will purchase assets or stock, the right mix of cash, debt and equity and sources of financing all affect the structure of the deal. Consult with your banker and financial advisors to discuss all options available to you, and the financial systems you should have in place to implement the purchase and integration. SunTrust Research indicates that 35 percent of executives pursuing an acquisition growth strategy have refinanced current loans and 42 percent have taken out commercial loans in the last twelve months.
A thorough capital structure review will explore refinancing, leasing alternatives, revolving credit, real estate financing or asset based lending to help you structure the best deal. Small to mid-size companies should also review SBA loans options and terms to determine suitability.
In today's business environment, cost of capital is historically low. "Having the right leverage plan in place could actually prove to be cheaper than not financing at all," says Mr. Hluck.
It is never too early to start planning the integration of the two companies. A detailed integration plan will align with the strategy that brought you to the purchase in the first place. That includes ensuring that your management team and top level staff are intimately involved in the plan, and will have specific responsibilities in their areas of expertise. Clear communication of tasks, with associated goals, and set timetables, along with plans for milestone meetings will safeguard a smooth implementation of your newly combined entity's integration.
Setting the Deal Team
"Getting the right advice, and putting together the correct group of people to implement your acquisition is critical to your success," says Mr. Hluck. "We see most companies include banking, CPA and legal teams to help manage the deal and provide the wide variety of expertise your company will need to successfully approach, structure and transact the final deal." Your team can help you anticipate the financial, market, and operational data your business will need to structure a deal. They can play a big part in the due diligence necessary to ensure you know exactly what you are buying and what obligations you are taking on. Because due diligence encompasses multiple aspects, such as financial analysis, customer and supplier contracts review, intellectual property assessment, employee contract and skill review and legal and tax implications, having different functional expertise on your team makes your business much better prepared to successfully complete the acquisition while mitigating any associated risks.
Having the right advisors and partners in place to support your acquisition strategy is critical. Whether it's networking to build your team, securing acquisition funding, identifying and communicating with target businesses, or understanding long -term strategic options, your SunTrust Relationship Manager is a great place to start. Your Relationship Manager can help you with advice and access to a team who can support your every financial initiative. To find out more, call you SunTrust Relationship Manager or visit SunTrust online at suntrust.com.
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text:
I don't know why--probably just to make sure I'm not missing any important updates on the latest south county exit poll nobody cares about or to get my daily fix of aerial photographs of toll road construction--but I tend to visit OC Blog every day. Actually the real reason I go there is they occasionally link to one of my stories, often with a snarky aside.
I digress.
Fact is you never know what brilliant untold tales--written by genuinely dispassionate Republican Party operatives--you'll find on OC Blog. Why just today, I discovered that one of the nicest places criminals could hope to find is our very own Orange County jail system. Imagine that!
And I thought the Orange County jail system was kinda....what's the word...deadly? What was I thinking? Maybe I was thinking of this?
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Anyways, thank god for bloggers like Jonathan Constantine and Matt Cunningham (who writes under the byline Jubal). They know that to get to the truth of life behind bars in the OC, you need to go to jail. So they did just that. In fact, and for good measure, they took an official tour of the Men's Central Jail and concluded that the place ain't so bad after all.
"Despite being somewhat outdated at the men's central complex, the Orange County correction system is a buttoned-up operation which has such an efficient level of procedure that its order pre-empts the typical prison violence seen in other prisons throughout the United States," Constantine writes. "Sheriffs deputies, I was told, rarely ever have to resort to agressive force."
But wait, there's more: "While the cells aren't much to look at, prisoners are treated with relative respect by the deputies who police the facility (after all, they are criminals). They are given at least 8 hours per week of recreational time, and can even engage in religious ceremony from visiting clergy. Overall, I believe the people of Orange County can be proud of the competence of our law enforcement, and rest assured of their tax dollars at work."
I don't know what's more amazing: the fact that Constantine and Cunningham charmed sheriff's deputies at the jail into divulging the explosive fact that they "rarely" resort to using force, or the fact that the Sheriff's department didn't pay OC Blog for the press release.
Despite their hard-hitting expose, it seems OC Blog's blogging duo will continue to have access to the jail facility. "Stay tuned," Contantine writes, "as I will post an analysis of the jail's new ICE program, a critique of the linear men's complex, and the benefits of the modular prison topography."
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