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Before executing a search warrant for the Burlington Police Department, an Alamance County sheriff�s lieutenant questioned whether deputies were going to the right house, according to the sheriff�s office, though the Burlington officer on the scene assured the lieutenant they were.
The search warrant was obtained April 4 by Burlington Police Officer R.D. Hebden for a house on Maplewood Avenue in Mebane as part of a months-long investigation into alleged drug activity.
Hebden mistakenly used the wrong house number for the search warrant, Burlington police said. The sheriff�s office was tasked with executing the warrant, as the house was outside the Burlington Police Department�s jurisdiction.
According to Randy Jones, public information officer for the sheriff�s office, Lt. Brandon Wilkerson, who was overseeing the execution of the warrant at 3264 Maplewood Ave., looked up the address using a geographic information system that evening before the deputies went to the house.
Wilkerson apparently noticed a discrepancy between suspect names in the search warrant and the homeowner�s name on the property information. Jones said when Wilkerson asked Hebden about the discrepancy, Hebden informed him that the house was being rented.
The Burlington Police Department�s Assistant Chief Verdeck said when the team of deputies, along with Hebden, arrived at the house to execute the warrant, Hebden was in the last of four cars to drive down a 50- to 75-foot driveway. At around 8 p.m., it was getting dark outside, Verdeck said, and as the deputies went straight around to the back of the house to enter it, Hebden took his assigned post guarding the front of the house.
�He stopped in the front, and the sheriff�s office was in the back,� Verdeck said, adding that at that time, Hebden was realizing he had made a mistake. �During that time, he was trying to process it (after realizing) it wasn�t the right place.�
Though Hebden had a radio with which he could communicate with deputies conducting the operation, Hebden never used it to inform Wilkerson or the others that they were possibly at the wrong house, both Jones and Verdeck confirmed.
Jones said after deputies had handcuffed the two residents and secured the house, Wilkerson obtained their names and realized they were the homeowners. Wilkerson then went outside to speak with Hebden about his concerns with having the wrong house, Jones said, at which time Hebden informed Wilkerson a mistake had been made.
Verdeck said Hebden had previously seen the correct house, 3250 Maplewood Ave., in person while conducting surveillance of a suspect as part of his investigation.
The Burlington Police Department previously said that Hebden mistakenly obtained the wrong address before applying for the search warrant by estimating where the suspect house was located on GIS.
�I�m not trying to make excuses for what our officer did,� Verdeck said. �We were wrong. It happened because it was a long, drawn out investigation that culminated very quickly at the end.�
That particular drug investigation had been ongoing since Dec. 1, according to Hebden�s affidavit for the search warrant. Verdeck said on the day he applied for the warrant, Hebden quickly went back to the office, opened Alamance County GIS, �pulled up the street and counted the number of houses down from the road.�
�Was that the right way to do it?� Verdeck said. �No. That should be a follow-up technique. The address and description (of the house) should have already been gotten.�
Upon the Burlington Police Department�s completion of an internal investigation, Hebden will face consequences, though Verdeck said the agency would not elaborate on what kind of disciplinary action would be taken.


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Amid all the talk of recession and bailouts, foreclosures and bankruptcies, unemployment and deflation, bear markets and capitulation…finally a story to lift the human spirit from the never-ending "doom and gloom." On Thursday, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III heroically landed his US Airways plane in the Hudson River after engine failure, saving the lives of 150 passengers and five crew members in the process. So, while Pandit (Citigroup), Lewis (Bank of America), Thain (Merrill), Wagoner (NYSE:GM), and many others shirk responsibility over corporate (and shareholder) losses, let's not forgot that true heroes still exist and their leadership is not measured by the value of their portfolios or size of their (missed) bonuses. Thank you, Sully.
As Barack Obama prepares to take the historic oath of office as the 44 th President of the United States, he faces the worst financial and economic crises since the Great Depression. He intends to hit the ground running and put his personal touches on the much discussed stimulus package (with or without a new Treasury Secretary who is working through IRS issues). Dems in Congress revealed their plans for the stimulus which has grown to $825 billion and includes $275 billion in tax cuts. For good measure, the Senate approved the release of the next $350 bln of TARP money, but only after Obama pledged to place restrictions on banks that will be receiving funds. Bank of America, fresh on the heals of its first quarterly loss in 17 years, emerged as the initial beneficiary of new TARP dollars (and loan guarantees) to help absorb Merrill into its corporate umbrella (where it joined forces with another failing institution, Countrywide). While BofA seemed to be embracing the "financial supermarket" concept made famous by Citigroup, the latter took the opposite approach and sold part of its Smith Barney brokerage unit to Morgan Stanley and divided its remaining operations into two entities. Citi lost over $8 billion last quarter, despite its personal government bailout and initial TARP money. Deutsche Bank warned of a $6 billion quarterly loss of its own, revealing that the financial debacle is not limited to the States. JP Morgan-Chase recorded a slight profit last quarter, but added to its loan loss reserves as its CEO expressed "disappointment." (Even "good" news turns negative in a hurry.)
Year Close (2008)
Qtr Close (12/31/08)
Previous Week
Current Week
YTD Change
|Dow Jones Industrial
|Russell 2000
|Fed Funds
0 bps
|10 yr Treasury (Yield)
6 bps
While the financials reported earnings (losses) early to avoid the painful waiting, the news from other sectors was not any better. Alcoa kicked off the season by announcing worse than expected results, while Intel lived up to its dire outlook by reporting a 90% drop in profits. Though Thomson Research predicted a 14% decline in earnings (S&P 500) for the quarter, that forecast may look optimistic after the initial reports. In other corporate news, Nortel filed for bankruptcy; Yahoo found a new CEO; Circuit City moved closer to liquidation; and Apple will continue without Steve Jobs for the foreseeable future. Oil plunged below $35/barrel for a bit as OPEC and International Energy Agency reduced their projections for global demand in 2009. Equities resumed their downward spiral (before rebounding slightly late in the week) as the banking sector proved that TARP was no easy fix and earnings season could be disastrous. A horrific retail sales report (see below) added to the economic woes as investors searched long and hard for something to believe in. Thanks again, Sully, for the welcome relief (no matter how temporary).
Weekly Economic Calendar
|January 13
|Balance of Trade (11/08)
|Best showing in 5 years
|January 14
|Retail Sales (12/08)
|More than twice the loss the Street was expecting
|Fed Beige Book
|Broad-based negativity throughout the economy
|January 15
|5 th straight monthly decline in wholesale inflation
|Initial Jobless Claims (01/10/09)
|Higher than expected post-holiday claims
|January 16
|Lowest annual increase since 1954
|Industrial Production (12/08)
|Twice the decline analysts expected
|The Week Ahead
|January 19
|Martin Luther King Day
|January 20
|Inauguration Day
|January 22
|Housing Starts (12/08)
|Initial Jobless Claims (01/17/09)
Alas, a Bernanke sighting. During the week, Dr. B. expressed his belief that a new stimulus package could provide a "significant boost" to the economy and confirmed that policymakers will "do their part" to promote recovery. The Fed's Beige Book depicted a domestic economy growing weaker by the day as conditions deteriorated within virtually all sectors across virtually all regions. Fearful of a weakening labor picture, consumers disregarded the available (deep) discounts provided by the nation's retailers and contributed to a very dismal holiday season. In fact, retail sales plunged by 2.7% in December, more than twice the expected decrease in activity, and suffered the first annual decline on record (since 1992). While the trade deficit dropped to its lowest level in five years, exports also fell as our international trading partners have lost their unlimited appetites for US-made goods and services. This bad news for domestic manufacturers will surely be reflected in corporate earnings in the quarters to come. On that note, industrial production dropped by 2% in December, a far worse showing that analysts expected. On the housing front, 30-year mortgage rates fell below 5%, though home purchases are still rare and borrowers with less than stellar credit face difficulties in refinancing loans in this environment.
The inflation picture offered a bit of a reprieve from the negativity (though naysayers continued touting deflation or worse). Wholesale prices plummeted for the fifth consecutive month and experienced their first annual drop since 2001. In December, gasoline prices fell by another 25% and even food costs suffered their largest decline since early 2006. The less volatile core PPI (excludes the food and energy components) rose slightly in December, though most economists expect that the lower energy costs will soon impact other sectors of the economy as well. CPI data reflected another large decline in retail prices and the smallest increase in annual inflation since 1954. Unfortunately, few analysts even speak of the stimulus package that Americans have received at the pumps over the past few months as gas prices have plummeted well over 50% since mid-summer (and this one won't cost taxpayers a penny down the road).
On the Horizon… Traders and investors alike take a much-needed vacation on Monday to celebrate MLK day as the markets will be closed. Some may even extend the holiday a day to watch history in the making as President Obama takes the oath of office on January 20 th. The honeymoon ends immediately as the galas come to a close and pressing issues like the stimulus bill and bailout money take precedence. Congress will begin grilling Treasury Secretary nominee Tim Geithner over his failures to pay certain taxes (especially since the position oversees the IRS). A light week on the economic calendar gives way to more earnings reports as investors move beyond (depressed) financials and focus on other key corporate releases: IBM (Tuesday), Google (Thursday), Microsoft (Thursday), GE (Friday). Expectations are incredibly dire so any positive earnings surprises (no matter how low) should be well received. The new (improved?) Citibank will be worth watching as some analysts expect its downward spiral to continue and anticipate a similar fate as Lehman. Any more bailout money available within that $350 billion?
By Ron Brounes, www.ronbrounes.com

subset: commoncrawl


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The 6 Best GRAMMY 'In Memorandum' TributesNote to the GRAMMY Awards show producers: there are no medleys on this list.
Watch Jennifer Hudson's Powerful 'Purple Rain' PerformanceLast night, Jennifer Hudson and the cast of The Color Purple paid tribute to Prince the best way the Broadway family knew how. And boy did they nail it.
Jennifer Hudson Buys Her Assistant A New Home For ChristmasAnd he reacts accordingly...watch the funny clip!
Celebrities Are Just Like Us At The Airport!Celebrities are just like us when they travel.... check it out!
Kelly Rowland At The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame: 'Donna Summer Continues To Inspire Women Around The World'
John Fogerty, Mike McCready, Jerry Cantrell Added To Rock Hall Induction Ceremony
Katy Perry & John Mayer Wear Matching White To Clive Davis' Pre-GRAMMY Party
Watch Jennifer Hudson Honor Whitney Houston This FridayThe special, 'We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute To Whitney Houston,' features Celine Dion, Usher and Britney Spears.
'The Voice' Recap: The Top Ten PerformAnd the judges are joined by industry mentors, including Jennifer Hudson, to help identify who has the biggest talent this season!
Whitney Houston Tribute Special To Air This FallCeline Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Usher and more will pay their respects to the celebrated singer.
Clive Davis To Release Autobiography Next YearThe memoir, due out in February, will tackle the record business legend's early beginnings, going from an orphaned teen to a Harvard Law School graduate and eventually becoming the hit maker we know now.
John Fogerty Adds Jennifer Hudson To His Guest ListJohn Fogerty just added another major star collaboration on his new album 'Wrote A Song For Everyone.'


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(NECN: Greg Wayland) - Milford, Mass., where from the section they call The Plains to Main Street, they welcome the newcomer. Italian, Irish, Portuguese.
"You name it, they live here," says one resident.
We went down the the first annual Milford Senior Hot Dog Social to see if the name John Martorano rang a bell. After all, Martorano is a senior himself. But we got many folks just repeating the name back to us, as if wondering if he might be an old neighbor or someone they'd met in passing.
"I may know him by sight," said one man.
But gradually people began to realize we were talking about the guy connected to the trial of James "Whitey" Bulger - and then we told them he lives in town.
"Really?" said one woman.
Yes, really. He has lived in town for at least two years, according to Police Chief Tom O'Loughlin, and the chief says he's not been a problem. There was a minor traffic accident last April, for which he was issued a written warning. The chief says while he's seen Martorano walking around downtown, he hasn't met him personally.
We went to talk to neighbors at Martorano's condominium block nestled among trees, with flowers growing out front. He, of course, was not home, being busy with testimony at federal court in Boston. His neighbors were not home, either. We understand he has two dogs and a small dog was giving us a barking greeting through the glass at the back door.
One woman at the senior center, finishing up her hot dog lunch, was in a forgiving mood, saying this should be a case of "live and let live" -- until she realized we were talking about the man who's admitted to 20 murders on behalf of the Boston mob.
"Oh, that's the one," she said, then added with a laugh, "hang the bastard!"
"How'd he ever get in here?" said another woman.
But a placid looking fellow in reflector sunglasses temporized, "You gotta live someplace."
Chief O'Loughlin agrees.
"We've had no issues, " he said.
One woman lamented that it's always the criminals who get the publicity and that we should be doing a story about the pair of nuns that help out so generously at the senior center.
We did, at least, ask the sisters about John Martorano.
"Long as he's not causing any problems, I say it's okay," said Sister Claire.
"Everyone deserves a second chance," said Sister Estelle.
So, ultimately in Milford, it does seem to come down to that old adage, "live and let live," though that's not a philosophy the mob was known to live by.


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text:
'Hey Red, you awake?'
Supergiant Games, Logan Cunningham, Bastion... these are all things that have something in common, they're all part of one huge fantastic indie development team that constantly strives to prove that aesthetics and near-flawless art direction, sound design, can make a rich and compelling game even if some elements of the gameplay are slightly off. Supergiant Games are mad geniuses, we're pretty convinced of that, ditching the traditional element of a gameplay map for Bastion and proving a game that built the map as you played could be a success...was a pretty ballsy move.
They're at it again with Transistor, another game from their stable that marries interesting (though somewhat repetitious combat) battle tactics with a top-notch aesthetic and visual style that has to be seen to be believed. If anything, Transistors major strength is that the art design and creation of Cloudbank City (where the game takes place) is something really quite amazing. It's art deco, with cobbled streets, faded moments of glory where old Internet terminals gleam against neon lights and a decidedly up market futuristic design.
Design is key here and it's gorgeous looking, from the art to the lighting to the little details that crop up everywhere in the background. Then you have Red, the game's main character and proof you can design interesting female characters in video games, give them a back-story that's not phoned in and then spend ages on nuanced details such as animation and character which convey far more about her than any handful of text can.
Then you have the way that Transistor brings you into the game, opening with Red and the mysterious (Logan Cunningham) Transistor (a talking tech-sword that evolves in character as the game's excellent writing progresses).
Red loses her voice at the start of the story, you as the player are just as clueless as she is as well. But you quickly learn that if you experiment by grabbing the pad's buttons and especially (L1) you can make Red hum, she might not be able to sing, but she can hum still. It's here that you really get a sense of character too, as you can hum at any time, it serves no purpose at all rather like tipping John Marton's hat in Red Dead Redemption - it's a pure aesthetic element.
The game is show, don't tell, it doesn't give you a clear pathway or idea of what you're supposed to be doing and whilst some might look upon this as a fault, we look upon it as Supergiant Games trying to expand gaming by challenging our preconceptions of what makes a game. It's never frustrating and you soon get the hang of navigation, watching Red move dragging that huge sword behind her leaving a trail of individually detailed sparks.
There's numerous terminals to interact with, some powers to discover (by absorbing the souls of NPCs who have passed on) and like Supergiant we're not going to explain everything in this review - we like the feel of being lost at the onset, it connects us to Red. You'll get a good sense of Red's personality from the crisp writing, especially since she can interact with message boards, leaving messages that show off how she thinks and how she's evolving over the course of the game.
Eventually (pretty early on) you're going to get into combat in Transistor and there's two flavours, one where the abilities are mapped onto the face buttons of your controller, square, circle, triangle, x and it plays like an action game. You'll have to wait a little bit for an ability to ready up again before you use it.
Then there's a tactical pause-time combat mode that's far more interesting and certainly offers the greater scope for planning your encounters with your foes. Each move you make as Red will cost you some energy, each action you take is recorded and that too uses energy, empty the bar and you'll see the payoff to your plan. Or you can trigger the end of your turn and see how your tactics play out.
It's simple, and effective. It works quite well and although it's never truly hard, it all comes down to your grasp of the powers and how they work. You also need to remember that once you're out of energy, you can really only run away whilst that bar recharges. You can Jaunt (teleport) and looking at the word: Jaunt makes me wonder if Supergiant are fans of the old Tomorrow People TV show way back when.
I think if we were to level any kind of criticism at the combat it would be that it does begin to become somewhat repetitious later on. If you're a fan of pause-based tactical combat though, it's fun and fresh enough.
The PS4 version also employs some neat pad-trickery by letting you set an option to allow the Transistor's voice to come through your pad speaker. It's a nice little bit of immersion and it worked quite well in inFAMOUS: Second Son for some of the various comm chatter and other elements.
Transistor is worth a shot and the game is great just from the aesthetics alone. The music is the icing on the cake, proving that Supergiant knows how to hang a great tune into a game as well as make some compelling gameplay.


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Specter of position switch persists for top catchers
Specter of position switch persists for top catchers
Most seasoned baseball people will agree that crouching behind home plate for upward of 120 games a year, the typical output for a first-string Major League backstop, is enough wear and tear for knees to endure in a lifetime, never mind a full 162-game schedule.
And what about everything else, like the mental taxation of calling pitches, anchoring a defense, blocking the plate during often hellacious collisions, and when the time comes, hitting and running the bases?
Yes, there's no doubt that being a full-time catcher can shorten a playing career. That's why some of the elite offensive players of this era who happen to be catchers are the subject of a question that doesn't seem to go away: When will they move to another position?
Therein lies the catch.
"Being a catcher is a very unique spot on a ballfield," says Mariners manager and former catcher Eric Wedge. "It's such an important spot. When you have young players and players without a lot of experience, you give them the opportunity to catch. It's good for them to work at other positions, too. I think it's good for athleticism, it's good to see the other side of the baseball.
"Catching is at a premium. It's tough to find good catchers. So you just give them every opportunity to catch."
The perfect case studies are Buster Posey of the Giants, Joe Mauer of the Twins and Jesus Montero of Wedge's Mariners, all for different reasons.
Posey, of course, was the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year and a huge part of his team's World Series championship that season. But when his collision with Scott Cousins of the Marlins in early 2011 mangled his leg, ended his season and put his future in doubt, there were plenty of calls from Giants fans, the media and other voices around the game that it was time for the youngster to trade that big, fat catcher's mitt for a first baseman's glove when he got healthy.
Well, that wasn't exactly an opinion shared by one very important person in all of this: Buster Posey.
Posey, who's 24 years old, came up as a catcher and has said all along that it's the role he wants to maintain. While the Giants have been careful to keep him out of the crouch here and there, playing him in a handful of games at first base throughout this season, his value behind the plate, not to mention his offensive prowess, are immeasurable.
"You forget about that at such a young age, he's been able to command not only the respect of the pitching staff but the coaching staff as well," Giants reliever Javier Lopez said during Spring Training as Posey started working with pitchers again.
"Everybody has complete faith in him. That's one of the things I think everyone's looking forward to -- being able to see him get down in that squat again and be behind home plate."
So the Giants will keep Posey where he belongs while watching out for his well-being moving forward. And that brings us to the Minnesota Twins and Joe Mauer, another rare talent at the plate who wants to keep playing every day behind it.
Mauer, the No.1 overall pick in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, has won three batting titles and a Most Valuable Player Award (2009). He has been a dynamic hitter, with a career batting average well over .300. He's also been besieged by injuries, and while Posey's season-ending incident in 2011 was clearly rooted in the catching position, it's tough to say why Mauer has been so banged up.
But that doesn't mean people don't make assumptions, and the main assumption is that he shouldn't catch anymore. It was never more obvious than after last season, when Mauer came off arthroscopic knee surgery in the 2010-11 offseason and and never seemed right. He missed 58 games early in the season and ended up missing 80 in all because of bilateral leg weakness, neck stiffness, a viral infection and an upper respiratory infection that turned into season-ending pneumonia.
But not catch? Not a chance. Mauer came back strong this year and has been his old self, at and behind the dish. He made another All-Star team, and while he said he's been open to the notion of playing some first base -- he played 18 games there in 2011 -- he still sees himself as a catcher.
"I guess you wonder about it, but it's funny, every time -- and I know going on the DL is not a good thing -- but every time I get hurt, everybody brings up everything," Mauer said last year. "I've had some injuries, but you look at everything, and I've played a lot, too."
That's what the Mariners hope Montero will do for many years to come, and that's why Seattle traded away young pitching talent Michael Pineda prior to the 2012 season to land the then-prize of the New York Yankees system. Montero, 22, was seen by scouts as an unfinished product behind the plate at best, and a career designated hitter at worst. The dude can hit -- nobody questioned that. But why catch?
As Wedge and maybe any other ex-big league backstop might say when presented with a package of an elite bat in the body of a durable, smart player who can lead a team on and off the field, why not?
"A lot of times catchers come [into their own] late," Wedge said. "There's wear and tear at any position, but more, of course, behind home plate. But I don't think you let that get in the way of anything.
"It's baseball. These guys condition themselves so well. You don't force-feed it one way or the other. You kind of let it play out. It'll show you the way."
Doug Miller is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @DougMillerMLB and read his MLBlog, Youneverknow. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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text:
1. Which is used to compute the truth of any sentence?
a) Semantics of propositional logic
b) Alpha-beta pruning
c) First-order logic
d) Both a & b
View Answer
Explanation: Because the meaning of the sentences is really needed to compute the truth.
2. Which are needed to compute the logical inference algorithm?
a) Logical equivalence
b) Validity
c) Satisfiability
d) All of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: Logical inference algorithm can be solved be using logical equivalence, Validity and satisfiability.
3. From which rule does the modus ponens are derived?
a) Inference rule
b) Module rule
c) Both a & b
d) None of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: Inference rule contains the standard pattern that leads to desired goal. The best form of inference rule is modus ponens.
4. Which is also called single inference rule?
a) Reference
b) Resolution
c) Reform
d) None of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: Because resolution yields a complete inference rule when coupled with any search algorithm.
5. Which form is called as conjunction of disjunction of literals?
a) Conjunctive normal form
b) Disjunctive normal form
c) Normal form
d) All of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: None.
6. What can be viewed as a single literal of disjunction?
a) Multiple clause
b) Combine clause
c) Unit clause
d) None of the mentioned
View Answer
Explanation: A single literal can be viewed as a disjunction or one literal also, called as unit clause.
7. Which is not a property of representation of knowledge?
a) Representational Verification
b) Representational Adequacy
c) Inferential Adequacy
d) Inferential Efficiency
View Answer
Explanation: None.
8. Which is not Familiar Connectives in First Order Logic?
a) and
b) iff
c) or
d) not
View Answer
Explanation: "not" is coming under propositional logic and is therefore not a connective.
9. Inference algorithm is complete only if,
a) It can derive any sentence
b) It can derive any sentence that is an entailed version
c) It is truth preserving
d) Both b & c
View Answer
Explanation: None.
10. An inference algorithm that derives only entailed sentences is called sound or truth-preserving.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: None.
Sanfoundry Global Education & Learning Series – Artificial Intelligence.


text:
"Exit Interview" is a feature at WolverineNation where we chat with departing seniors from the Michigan football and men's basketball programs about their time in Ann Arbor in a Q&A format.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Will Heininger was a rarity -- a local guy who decided to stay home, a big man whose preferred sport in high school was baseball, not football, and yet he decided to become a walk-on for Michigan anyway.
It worked out well. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound defensive end started the first 12 games of his senior season before he tore the lisfranc ligament in his right foot, ending his season and career. He had surgery on the foot on Jan. 10.


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Ordered 4 dozen - brilliant price - excellent parcel service who advised in advance a 1 hour slot for delivery… Read Full Review
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Mitt Romney on Sunday accepted an apology from MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, who alongside her guests had cracked on-air jokes recently about a family photo featuring Romney's adopted African American grandson, Kieran.
"I think her apology was clearly heartfelt, and we accept that," Romney said on "Fox News Sunday."
Romney's son Ben and his wife, Andelyne, adopted Kieran last fall. The baby appeared in a family photo that Harris-Perry and her guests joked about late last year. Harris-Perry apologized -- first on Twitter and later in an emotional segment on her show Saturday.
No hard feelings, said the 2012 Republican presidential contender.
"I recognize that people make mistakes," Romney said. "And the folks at MSNBC made a big mistake. And they've apologized for it. And that's all you can ask for. I am going to move on from that. I'm sure they want to move on from it."
Romney also took aim at President Obama's signature health-care law. When asked whether he thought he would have defeated Obama had the president revealed during the campaign that some Americans would lose their health plans, Romney said he didn't know, but wishes he could go back and try again.
"I wish I could back and turn back the clock and take another try," he said. "But history is in the past."


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text:
Not only does it exist, but in duplicated form it occupies wall space above godknows how many sofas in the US at this very moment.
The originator of this image, one Thomas Kinkade, died on Friday, and may he rest in peace.
If I start writing about what this situation, and the above example of his work, evokes in me, I'll never quit, so better to let "Thom" (as he liked to spell it) speak for himself;
There's been million-seller books and million-seller CDs. But there hasn't been, until now, million-seller art. We have found a way to bring to millions of people, an art that they can understand.
His work reminds of nothing so much as the renderings of "harmony and well being" represented by illustrations in Jehovah's Witness leaflets as what we can expect after the coming of the Lord. The next one, that is.
Don't fret — the bald eagle emerging from the lightning bolt (!) is probably one of those vegan eagles, and wouldn't dream of … well, you know.
None of this is my cup of tea, unfortunately. I'm more of an "Elvis on velvet" kinda guy, myself.


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By: Amanda Froelich,
Did you know that it is possible to prevent the sniffles, aches, and shakes by taking some preventative action through dietary change? By adopting healthier lifestyle choices (getting plenty of rest, drinking water, exercising, and eating right), you'll find you not only feel better, but are more resistant to the common cold.
Immune-boosting nutrients, vital minerals, and alkalizing components of the following recipes have the ability to support your best health and actually prevent any illness from grabbing hold. Isn't that worth digging into some delicious and healthy cuisine?
1. Simple & Spicy Raw Carrot Soup {Raw & Vegan}
Raw soups have a different texture than cooked variations, but having not been heated above 115 degrees, they retain life-enhancing enzymes and share more nutrition. This raw soup is full of immune-boosting Vitamin C and A, blood-pumping spices, and cleansing herbs. The fact that it tastes delicious only makes it more appealing to make!
(Serves 3-4)
- 2 ½ Cups Carrots (chopped)
- ½ Clove Garlic
- ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Tandoory Masala
- ½ tsp Cinnamon Powder
- 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 Tbsp Tahini
- 1 small Green Onion
- 3 Cups Warm Water
1) Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy right away.
2 . Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce {Vegan}
Thank you, Vegan Yum Yum
Hearty, tasty dishes seem to bring the family together during the holiday season. This dish won't disappoint! Being vegan and easy to make, it's a simple and heart-healthy dinner that will be sure to 'wow' your friends and family.
- 1 Tomato
- ½ Cup Cashews (Raw)
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- ¼ Cup Water
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- 6 oz Whole Wheat Spaghetti
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 ½ Tbsp Wine (or water, optional)
- 1 ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Handful fresh Basil Leaves (chopped)
1) Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
2) Core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin, and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth.
3) Add olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, being careful not to burn. Once water is boiling, add pasta. Pour sauce from the blender into the sauté pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4) If desired, add win/water to thin out the sauce. Taste and season more if necessary. (Great herbs include: Thyme, Oregano, Basil, and Chives) Once pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta to the sauté pan with black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves.
5) Toss to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil.
3. Mock Tuna Salad {Raw & Vegan}
Celebrate the festivities with this Vitamin A and C powerhouse salad. No fish needed, it's a perfect recipe to protect the oceans and gain better health.
(Serves 4)
- 2 Cups Sunflower Seeds, soaked 24 hours
- ¼ Cup Pickle Juice or Water
- ¼ Cup Lemon Juice
- ¼ tsp Sea Salt
- ½ Cup Yellow or White Onion, minced
- ½ Cup Celery, minced
- ¼ Cup Parsley, minced
- ¼ Cup fresh Dill, minced
- 2 Tbsp Dulse Flakes
1) Drain and rinse the sunflower seeds.
2) Place seeds, pickle juice (or water), lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Pulse 10-15 times until seeds are broken up.
3) Spoon mixture into a bowl and add remaining ingredients.
4) Make wraps with whole-grain tortillas or collard leaves. Julienne carrot, tomato, cucumber, avocado, and/or sprouts and roll into wraps!
5) Store left-over
4. Yuletide EggNog {Raw & Vegan}
You can enjoy the holidays without the mucus-causing dairy and refined sugar. This delicious Egg Nog alternative is easy to make, is rich in healthy protein, and will keep you nourished and full so other treats aren't as tempting. (Serves 4-6)
- 2 ¼ Cups of Almond Milk
- ½ Cup Raw Cashew or Almond Butter
- 1/3 Cup + 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar or ½ Cup Pitted Dates
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp Bourbon (optional)
1) In a high-speed blender, combine all ingredients on high until smooth and creamy. Serve cool, or warm gently before serving.
5. Spirulina Nice Cream
Miss Ice Cream? Indulge in this creamy treat that is full of potassium (Vitamin K), fiber, natural sugars, and is dairy-free. Spirulina gives an additional immune boost, being rich in B vitamins, important minerals (Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, and Zinc), and essential fatty acids.
(Serves 2)
- 4 Frozen Bananas
- ½ Tbsp Spirulina
- Optional: 1 Tbsp Raw Honey, 1 Tbsp Cacao Nibs
1) In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine your bananas and a dash of water. Process until a consistency similar to ice cream is formed.
2) Add in your Spirulina plus any optional additions (such as raw cacao nibs or a dash of raw honey). Pulse until well combined.
3) Enjoy right away!
Enjoy the food that loves you back! Rich in nourishing vitamins and minerals, you'll experience the many benefits healthy cuisine offers and reduce your risk of the seasonal sniffles all at the same time!


text:
Originally Posted by lar
If you already own DKS, you'll be upgraded for free to Dev Cut (at least that's the intention, we're still working out the details but they *should* be worked out by the time the digital versions of Dev Cut & Anthology go live.
As far as Dev Cut is concerned - it includes the full DKS, but then also comes with a separate executable that allows you activate the Developer Mode. Additionally, it also includes a documentary & the treasure vault, a folder containing all kinds of goodies like milestone videos & design documents.


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Anand's Take on Mobile 6800 Ultra
Subject: Mobile | February 24, 2005 - 10:22 PM | Sean Pelletier
The guys at Anandtech also had the opportunity to take the new GeForce Go 6800 Ultra for a spin on Dell's new flagship gaming notebook. Is this latest mobile graphics module truly worthy of the "Ultra" branding? Per usual, there's only one way to find out.
Today, Dell is introducing their Inspirion XPS Gen 2. The DTR notebook features a 2 or 2.13GHz Pentium M and a GeForce Go 6800 Ultra with 450/550 core/memory clocks. Rather than just ship their Go 6800 at the high core speed, NVIDIA has given it the Ultra moniker to differentiate the product.
The "new" GeForce Go 6800 Ultra graphics card is exactly the same as the original Go 6800, except that we are finally seeing it at the high clock speeds NVIDIA originally promised we would see. For an explanation of the differences between NVIDIA's mobile and desktop products, please see our initial review.
Source: AnandTech
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Viva Geneva
The small convoy, three cars in all, moves quickly through the clean, empty and burning hot streets of Netivot. The stickers on the cars "Yes to an agreement," give them away: Yossi Beilin and his troupe, the Geneva Initiative people, have come to town. Each week they visit a different city, and like old-time peddlers, they try to market their dubious, forgotten wares, and to open people's eyes to their unique qualities.
Working slowly and diligently, the long-suffering group meets week after week, winter and summer, with heads of local authorities, local council members, high schools students and factory workers. Almost a year and a half of Sisyphean work, lacking any media coverage, is taking place entirely in the paralyzing shadow of the disengagement plan, which is neutralizing thoughts of anything else.
About 45,000 people have met Beilin and his people during these encounters, but the trip last Tuesday was different for two reasons: This is the first time the program has included rabbis - Rabbi Baruch Abuhatzeira, the "Baba Baruch," in Netivot, and Rabbi Yigal Shriki in Ofakim. And the second reason was Yehiel Zohar, the mayor of Netivot. The Geneva people have had the opportunity to meet quite a number of elected officials and wheeler dealers in the Likud, who have expressed openness, interest and supportive curiosity regarding the model for a permanent status agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, which was developed in the Swiss city in November 2003. But what they heard from Zohar, a veteran Likudnik, left them speechless. And they're not accustomed to that.
He greeted them in his office in the morning, in City Hall, which looked quite deserted for that hour. They came in a small delegation: Beilin, Brigadier General (res.) Shlomo Brom, Nissim Calderon and Gadi Baltiansky, the director general. "Although I am a member of the Likud Central Committee, I am much closer to you than I am to [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon," Zohar declared to Beilin. After Beilin spoke about the connection between the end of the conflict and a solution to Israel's economic and social problems, the mayor began to speak:
"All these years they have been telling us stories, that Israel's only problem is Yesha [Judea, Samaria and Gaza] and the Arabs. Today people are beginning to understand that they have been deceived. That the real issues are education, welfare and health care. If the left in Israel had presented things the way you present them, things would have looked different. If you work with the members of the Likud Central Committee, you can change the map. Most of the members of the central committee share my opinions. Most of the Likud heads of the local authorities share my opinions, too. Ask them: What has the right given you? Nothing. If only you would take over the government - but it won't happen. Every time you were in power, your people in the government ministries gave me more. You can quote me anywhere. From you I got everything I wanted, much more than Bibi [Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], whom I supported until now, gives me."
It was impossible to stop Zohar, nor did anyone try. He spoke about the problems in his city. "Every day I see people in distress, sitting in the dark because their electricity has been cut off, and what do they talk to them about? About Judea and Samaria, about the settlers. I recently said at a very small conference: You deceived us! You told us that living in the heart of Gaza means security for Israel. We all went and said that. Living there is security? All the money goes there, and is it any wonder that the Palestinians hate us? I saw how they live, and in their place I would also shoot at us."
In the coming weeks he is supposed to arrange a meeting between the Geneva people and the members of the Likud Central Committee. At least that's what he promised to do.
Beilin and the Baba
In the courtyard of the handsome villa of Rabbi Baruch Abuhatzeira in Netivot, beneath a roof, a luxurious Mercedes, of the type that government ministers can only dream about, is parked. In the foyer, which was once called a "hall," at the head of a rectangular table, sits the Baba. A large back skullcap covers his head. At the end of the table is a round tray, and on it a variety of medicines. Beilin, in a picture that will certainly gladden the heart of MK Tommy Lapid (Shinui), sits to the left of the rabbi, who is quick to compliment him and "Shimon," for their welcome activity for the benefit of Judaism, when both of them - Peres and Beilin - were in the Finance Ministry, between 1988 and 1990.
"The Likud is destroying the country economically and socially, but the public is blind," complains the rabbi. "Since Sharon came to power, all the 10 plagues have descended on us. When you were in the treasury, is there anyone you didn't help?"
Beilin cringes a little at the outpouring of praise. It is not difficult to tell who is the object of the rabbi's affection, and whom he hates. "Sharon, for example," he says, "this entire disengagement is only to save himself and his sons from their corruption." Last week, the rabbi spoke before tens of thousands of settlers who began their journey to Kfar Maimon in Netivot. He says he asked them not to behave violently. Others recall that he encouraged them in their struggle. "I," he says, "was the first in 1991 to speak about negotiations with the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization], and I tell you today that if after the disengagement there is no diplomatic continuation, if there are no negotiations, there will be a catastrophe here."
"Your activity," he advises Beilin, "should be with [Palestinian Authority chair Mahmoud Abbas] Abu Mazen, who has to stop the terror. I also think that the disengagement is good for the Jews. I am in favor of a separation of powers, on condition that they honor it. That the peace be genuine, not phony."
The rabbi is unable to complete an idea without returning to Shimon. It turns out that they are very close friends. After the elections in 1996, he says, "Shimon was unable to accept the loss to Netanyahu. Each time he asked me, what did I do? Why did I lose? Each time I would tell him a different story, to calm him down. I felt sorry for him. By coincidence, on the day Bibi evacuated Hebron, I was in Shimon's office. Again he asked me: Honorable rabbi, why did I lose? I told him, this time I have an answer for you: If you were prime minister, you would not be able to evacuate Hebron, God sent Netanyahu only so he could do that for you. Shimon said to me: Now I feel better."
The stories about Shimon arouse the rabbi's long-standing anger at Ehud Barak. "How that man tortured Shimon, his teacher and mentor," he says angrily, and here, too, he has a story. "In the presidential elections [in summer 2000], Moshe Katsav came to me. He's a friend of mine, and he asked me to influence Shas to support him. I told him, even with Shas, you don't have a majority. He told me, you'd be surprised, honorable rabbi, six MKs from the Labor Party will vote for me. I asked him, how are you sure of that? He told me, Barak came to me and promised me."
Barak's office, in response: It never happened. Either the rabbi is lying, or Katsav lied to the rabbi.
Marketing advice
Beilin and his men get a wealth of marketing advice from Rabbi Shriki in Ofakim, who is said to be one of the greatest of the Kabbalists. It turns out that the honorable young rabbi is a supporter of the Geneva Initiative. What bothers him is that there are no religious, ultra-Orthodox people among the leaders of the Geneva plan. "As long as only the left presents things, people will have difficulty trusting you," he tells his guests, in his villa. "The minute you take people who wear skullcaps, and outstanding people from the right, you will have a majority and they'll trust you. Take someone like MK Amnon Lipkin-Shahak [one of the signers of the Geneva Initiative, who often joins Beilin's `a day in the community' trips, Y.V.], let him talk about it in the media. People will believe him, because he's a former chief of staff."
What's going on here, Beilin was asked at the end of the visit, have Ofakim and Netivot become bastions of the left?
"This is not the first time we've been in the south," he says, "and we always find an open door there. A substantial percentage of these guys are quite strange. They're in the Likud only because it's the ruling party. But I discover a great deal of openness there to a final status agreement, and even under quite far-reaching conditions. The moment they understand the connection between the end of the conflict and an improvement in their situation, they have a different attitude towards it. There is almost no hostility, there are very practical questions and genuine curiosity."
And what will come of this curiosity?
Beilin is the last person to fantasize. In the upcoming elections there won't be a revolution, maybe there will be a beginning of understanding that after the implementation of the disengagement, the time has come for a final status agreement.
And by the way, where were he and his friends last week, when the right held its horror show in Kfar Maimon, and where will they be again next week, during the second act?
"I don't think that we should be there," he replies, surprised at the question. "The left is not relevant to this issue. It's between the right and the government, the police, the army. Why should we stick our noses in? Our job will begin in September, after the disengagement. Then we'll come with our plan."
Nevertheless, doesn't the left have something to say when the right tries forcibly to prevent decisions of the government and the Knesset?
Beilin sighs: "Of course we have to be on guard. To be interviewed, to issue declarations. We've done that."
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You are here
Chevrolet Camaro Convertible concept news - Detroit show: Camaro Convertible Concept - 2007
While the Japanese manufacturers were doing their best to wow the crowds with futuristic concepts and technological wizardry, Chevrolet got the home crowd on its side in a much more simple way with this, the Camaro Convertible Concept.
After stealing the Detroit show last year with its retro hard-top Camaro concept, Chevrolet has repeated the trick this year by chopping the lid off its old-school muscle car.
A predictable move, perhaps, but a real crowd-pleaser - especially in that unmissable orange 'n' black paintjob.
The Camaro Convertible remains true to the styling of the hardtop, and the 22-inch alloys (at the back, at least - they're mere 21s up front) give it a muscular poise.
Of course, there's a V8 under the bonnet, and although GM is keeping sketchy on the details, we reckon it should put out at least 400bhp through the rear wheels.
In keeping with the rest of the car, the Camaro's interior has retro touches in the round gauge/square hole instrument panel. The satin aluminium trim, however, is a nice modern touch.
The Camaro hardtop is due to go into production in early 2009, with GM insiders saying that the ragtop will follow a couple of months later.
What do you think?
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when you go to you pm page it has inbox sentbox outbox and savebox
what is the outbox?????
IF it's anything like outlook, the outbox is where your message goes right prior to being sent. It's an intermediate step in between composing and Sent. The only time something should be in there is right after you send a PM with large attachments (you may not even notice it) or if there was a problem sending it. It would remain in your outbox because it technically hasn't been sent.
Hope that makes sense.
I thought it was where copies of sent messages go after you send them. I know that in my e-mail I have a folder listed as "sent items".
Messages in your outbox are messages that you have composed and the cc member that you sent it to has not read it yet. Once they read it it disappears out of you Outbox.
yeah think of it as an outbox at work...things go there to be sent out....once they have been picked up it will go to the sent box.


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For the Love of Dogs
Going away and don't want to put your dog in a kennel? My home is the perfect place for Fido's vacation. It's the next best thing to deluxe hotel accommodations!
Don't want your dog to be alone all day? Drop him off at my home for a playdate. He or she will have a ball (literally) playing with Sam, walking and receiving lots and lots of attention!
I know just how much you love your dog and will treat him or her like royalty with each visit. I provide long walks and plenty of exercise and playtime for your fur friend.
Here at Inn Four Paws - Dog Walking and Private Boarding your pet is like a family member to me. I am a mother of two children and have a dog of my own. Each visit with your companion is a personal experience for me. Whether it be a walk, playtime, day or overnight care in my home, I will pamper your pooch.


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13 Comments
MateusQuandt Artist from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
shihamanji Artist from Philippines
nice mirko!
Cool! +1
CreepyRainbow Artist from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
wowo!!! +1
please help me too T_T
Great art! +1
Check this out: Endless Death
looks like Osama Bin Laden
ADAMLAWLESS Artist from Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Panday! +1
chrijerasmus Artist from Gauteng, South Africa
Awesome! I love this! +1
Please support me by voting for my designs:
And here are my designs, enjoy :)
Temple Of Life
It's Complicated
Temple of Air
very nice lines man!! great design +1
mirkobaluyot Artist from Philippines
thanks guys
rosegalaxy Artist from United States
Very nice!


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Launch of the WHO Pacific Islands Mental Health Network
Port Vila, Vanuatu, 14 March 2007
The Pacific Islands Mental Health Network (PIMHnet) has been officially launched at the Meeting of Pacific Ministers in Vanuatu 12 – 15 March 2007. It took place on Wednesday 14 March 2007.
The programme started with opening remarks by the WHO Western Pacific Regional Director, Dr Shigeru Omi, followed by remarks by a consumer, Mrs Dorah Marcel (Pango Village, Vanuatu), messages from Hon Sir Peter Barter (Minister of Health, Papua New Guinea) and from the donor (New Zealand Aid), as well as messages from Pacific Islands Mental Health Network member countries.
The ceremony closed after the signing of the network logo by all member countries: American Samoa, Australia, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Dr Shigeru Omi,
pdf, 37kb
WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific
Press coverage
"New network seeks to improve mental health care in Pacific Island countries"
pdf, 137kb
WHO press release - Vanuatu, 12 March 2007
"Mental Health is everyone's business"
pdf, 128kb
FSPI News release - Port Vila, Vanuatu 12th March 2007
"New network seeks to improve mental health"
pdf, 69kb
Vanuatu/Manila/Geneva, 13 March 2007
The PIMHnet launch live!
featuring speeches of Hon. Gatoloafaana Amata Alesana Glalow (Minister of Health, Samoa) and of Dr Michelle Funk (Mental health coordinator, WHO Geneva).


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The lovely electro lasses of Perfume are about to release a new single later this week, and to get the hype machine spinning they've just unleashed a unique video focusing on the words of the song on their official YouTube channel.
The song, "Hold Your Hand", also doubles as the theme song for the NHK drama Silent Poor. The single version is set for release via iTunes and other outlets on 5/21.
BONUS! New visual for the "Hold Your Hand" single
Patrick Macias is editor in chief of Crunchyroll News. He is also the editor of Otaku USA magazine. Check out his rather amazing Tumblr at japanesefashioninferno.tumblr.com.


text:
> Career Resources
> Interviews > Industry Updates > Banking / Finance > Retail Banking
Private banker provides sophisticated solutions to wealth management
In Hong Kong, a pro-business environment results from the regulatory and legal framework, top-class infrastructure such as telecommunications and transportation, wide use of English, availability of both local and foreign talent, and proximity to many of the world's most vibrant economies, particularly those in Asia.
"The modern comforts and security in this locale are conducive to the wealth management business. They have had a part to play in making Hong Kong a magnet for high net worth individuals to invest their funds in the international financial centre," says Kaven Leung, chief executive officer, Citi Global Wealth Management Asia Pacific.
According to the Merrill Lynch Capgemini Wealth Report 2006, the number of US$ millionaires in Hong Kong grew nearly 15 per cent to reach 77,000 in 2005, making it one of the fastest growing wealth markets in the world. The city links up with Singapore to become the primary hub for Citi Private Bank in the Asia Pacific region, employing more than 1,000 people. The workforce includes more than 600 based in Hong Kong, comprising various personnel with regional and global responsibilities, in addition to the employees solely serving the local private banking market.
"The soaring figure for the rich group in the region, coupled with the rising entrepreneurial qualities of these people, means that they are seeking more sophisticated solutions to wealth management," Mr Leung points out. "They have a tremendous number of needs in managing their wealth: financial planning, trust management, asset allocation, selection of hedge funds and asset managers, and philanthropic management."
Evolving client expectations have created the need for a new professional — private banker, who besides wealth management expertise must also be well-versed in investment and corporate banking skills. "Today our customers want services that can manage both their personal and business wealth, or what we term private investment banking," Mr Leung says.
Human assets
As one of the region's largest and most respected wealth managers, Citi Global Wealth Management Asia Pacific attracts talented people seeking career opportunities. The candidates include those with established track records and expertise in corporate banking, investment banking, asset management, capital markets and other areas in banking and finance.
Despite this, the current demand for wealth management talent exceeds the supply. "This is perhaps the single largest factor constraining the growth of our industry in the region," Mr Leung says. "We can't rest on our laurels. Citi Private Bank has long recognised the fact that in an industry like ours, building a pipeline of talent is critical to our business. Therefore we have our own recruitment and development programme to achieve this."
In 2004, the bank initiated the wealth management associate programme, which was unprecedented in the private banking world when it was launched. This remains a proprietary supply channel, and continues to regularly attract the brightest into the rapidly expanding wealth management sector.
To date, five programmes have been completed in both Hong Kong and Singapore. Over 100 participants, most of them with four to six years' working experience, have taken the six-week intensive programme, during which they underwent classroom lessons, e-learning, examinations for professional certifications and on-the-job exposure to the various facets of private banking. Topics included regulatory and compliance policies and procedures, practical lessons in social and business etiquette, relationship management, operations, credit, fraud awareness, products and investments.
These mid-career management trainees, including former lawyers, engineers, civil servants, consultants and journalists, are now serving in various client-facing positions as associate bankers, investment analysts or portfolio analysts. Depending on their performance, maturity and previous work experience, they are expected to remain in their first position for two to five years before moving on to higher ones.
"The industry should invest in its people, in recruitment and in raising professional standards. That's why our recruitment and training programmes are among the most robust in the trade," Mr Leung says. In the last year Citi Private Bank's learning and development team has organised around 150 training modules, workshops and classes, taught by both in-house trainers and external experts. More than 4,000 staff attended these learning activities. "For senior managers, we also provide more targeted and strategic development initiatives, including executive leadership courses in partnership with renowned institutions such as Harvard Business School and Stanford University."
Citi Global Wealth Management Asia Pacific has more than 20 offices across the Asia-Pacific region serving 13 markets: Australia, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. As such it has the largest footprint among wealth managers in the region. This opens up a wealth of professional development opportunities for talent with the right qualifications and experience.
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It never ceases to amaze me that folks both inside and outside the world of professional theater often insist that theater—real theater—only happens in three places: London, Broadway, and Off-Broadway. Anywhere else is barely worth mentioning by name. At best, the other 99 percent of theaters get lumped into the category "regional."
Theater is one of the purest and simplest art forms. Some have asserted that it requires only an actor appearing before an audience. Nevertheless, we often identify its value not by looking at the quality of a production, but by emphasizing the geographical region where the stage happens to be located. "Surely, a production of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' on Broadway must be better than a staging of the same play elsewhere in the United States."
To be fair, the luster of New York and London can be attributed to the long histories of presenting professional theater in those cities. Before the establishment of Chicago, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, audiences were attending plays in dedicated performance houses in the Big Apple.
Despite the blossoming of American theater—especially over the past centuries—and the development of dynamic arts centers across the continent, the mythic status of places like New York remains. Artists, regardless of their success on the regional circuit, secretly covet a Broadway or West End credit, and often find that they are treated differently—and better—after appearing in a successful production on one of those stages.
There's nothing wrong with dreaming of a Tony or an Olivier, or of wishing for an Obie or a Drama Desk. At the same time, let's acknowledge that the folks who win—or are nominated for—those awards were often honored first by their local communities with Jeffs, Iveys, and Ovations. In Chicago, theater artists sometimes joke that the future of American theater is what happened last year in the Windy City.
As a result of the privileging of what could be called "1 percent theaters," young artists too often bypass the rich regional theaters across the United States. They miss out on the opportunity to hone their craft in comparatively more affordable cities, consisting of scores of established and upstart theater companies, and committed theater critics on the prowl for new talent.
How can we, as artists, critics, and fans of the performing arts, realign our priorities and develop a new appreciation for the theater that exists down the street, across town, and in the next community? Here are a few tips.
See as much local theater as possible. If you see a lot of theater, as much as your schedule and budget allows, then you will quickly realize that great theater can happen anywhere—from a community theater stage, to a storefront, to an award-winning professional stage.
Consider going to your local theater—or arts—awards ceremonies. There's no shame in hosting viewing parties to watch televised award shows. Over one million people watched and re-watched Neil Patrick Harris's rousing opener at last year's Tony Awards. In addition to virtually celebrating folks elsewhere, attend local awards ceremonies and honor the people making theater down the street.
Read—and write—local theater criticism. A theater critic typically sees more plays in a month than most people see in a year—or, sadly, a lifetime. They serve as guides introducing readers to the work that is currently playing nearby. If you live somewhere where there are no critics working for reputable newspapers, then consider blogging, vlogging, and tweeting your own reactions to the work that you just saw. The goal here is not to render judgment, but rather to announce the value of seeing theater and supporting the arts.


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Hans Weiler named Stanford's next academic secretary
HANS N. WEILER, a professor emeritus of education and political science at Stanford, was recently named academic secretary of the university.
As academic secretary, Weiler will serve as the parliamentarian to the Faculty Senate, as well as the Academic Council and its committees.
The Office of the Academic Secretary also serves as the secretary, legislative archivist and institutional memory of the senate and Academic Council. It oversees the annual elections of faculty to the senate and the advisory board. The office is the central repository for records from across the university, including the minutes of the senate, Academic Council committees and ad hoc committees.
Weiler joined the Stanford faculty in 1965 after completing doctoral work at the universities of London and Freiburg.
At the School of Education (now known as the Graduate School of Education), Weiler was instrumental in developing the Stanford International Development Education program (SIDEC), which is now known as the International Comparative Education program.
He served as the school's associate dean for academic affairs from 1984-1986 and as the director of the Francophone West African Educational Research Training Program from 1978-1986. Upon his retirement, Weiler became an emeritus professor in 1994.
Weiler delivered the commencement address at the Graduate School of Education in 2013.
At Stanford, he also was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences and has been awarded research fellowships and grants from foundations in the United States, Japan and Europe.
In the 1970s, Weiler served as director of UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning in Paris. He has served as a consultant to a number of international organizations, including the World Bank and the African Development Bank, as well as foundations and national governments in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Weiler played a key role in the reconstruction of higher education in the former East Germany. In 1993, he was appointed a professor of comparative politics and elected the first Rektor (president) of Viadrina European University at Frankfurt. He retired as president in 1999 and is a professor emeritus of comparative politics there.
Weiler remains active as a consultant on the reform of higher education in Germany and other countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.


text: We carry a wide range of hand tools, power tools and accessories for all your building and home improvement needs. Below is a short list of the tool brands we stock at our stores. Please not that our product selection is not yet available online. If you are searching for a specific item please contact our stores or use our handy Live Chat feature. Some brands are not available at all stores.


text: Hi, Am Samstag, den 28.08.2010, 21:11 +1000 schrieb Ivan Lazar Miljenovic: > > A similar problem is solved by > > http://github.com/jgm/hsb2hs > > which might be useful if you need to embed larger pieces of text. > > Huh, very nice; thanks for the link. > > Unfortunately, it doesn't look like John has released a version on > Hackage yet :( > > Then again, the first commit on github was the beginning of this month... probably won't happen, unless someone steps up as a maintainer (you?): http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/2010-August/081398.html Hmm, now that I look at the thread, you took part in it (when the discussion turned to TH on different arches) :-) Greetings, Joachim -- Joachim "nomeata" Breitner mail: mail at joachim-breitner.de | ICQ# 74513189 | GPG-Key: 4743206C JID: nomeata at joachim-breitner.de | http://www.joachim-breitner.de/ Debian Developer: nomeata at debian.org -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 198 bytes Desc: This is a digitally signed message part Url : http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/attachments/20100828/9cd187c8/attachment.bin


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Guys and Gals…it doesn't work. You are not going to get a man or woman if you are creepy.
But, each new day gives us an opportunity to creep…I guess.
A man swims up to Taylor Swift's waterfront home in Rhode Island. First of all, it was 2am. Secondly, didn't the guy expect security? So, the guy swims up. Security sees him. He has to swim a mile back to where he started from. He gets caught and admits he just wanted to meet Taylor.


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Renal cell carcinoma does not respond well to chemotherapy, but it may be used to treat select patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma.
Radiation therapy may be used to treat kidney cancer that has spread to the bone or brain. Or it may be used on other regions of the body to provide symptom relief in patients who are too sick to have surgery.


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Uber just bought a shedload of self-driving Volvo XC90s
'Tens of thousands' of autonomous Volvos to be delivered by 2021
So what is it?
A Bentley Continental V8 with a little extra. This is good news: since the arrival of the second-gen GT in 2012, the 'base' 500bhp 4.0-litre V8 has been our pick of the engines over the more powerful 6.0-litre W12.
But this V8 S, says Bentley, is a car pitched at V8 owners 'who want more'. It's priced at £139,000, some £16,000 more than the regular V8, which places it above the regular 567bhp W12 but below the range-topping, 616bhp W12 Speed on the price scale.
What do I get for my extra 16 grand?
More powerrrr. Twenty-one horsepowers more, to be precise, taking the twin-turbo V8's output to 521bhp and cutting the 0-60 time to 4.3 seconds, the same as the regular W12. V-max? 192mph. Sufficient.
Torque is up, too, from 487lb ft to 502lb ft, the whole lot on tap from 1700rpm right the way through to 6000rpm. Such grunt reaches all four wheels through an eight-speed ZF auto recalibrated to hold onto the gears for longer.
So it's thirstier, right?
No. Economy and emissions remain the same as the standard GT V8 (26.8mpg combined, 246g/km CO2), thanks in part to the V8's cylinder de-activation system, in which four cylinders are turned off under light throttle 'cruising' conditions, the full eight coming on song when your inner Stig takes control.
Let me guess: it's lower, stiffer, pointier?
Correct. Bentley has dropped the GT's sports suspension by 10mm, increased the spring rates (up 45 per cent on the front, 33 per cent on the rear), revised the damping, stiffened the bushes by 70 per cent and rear anti-roll bar by 54 per cent, recalibrated the steering for 'improved precision and feedback' and loosened up the stability control to allow for 'increased wheel slip at higher speed'.
So how do I tell it's not a cheapskate standard Conti V8?
Externally, the V8S has a more aggressive front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser finished in Beluga gloss black. Check the wheels, too: our test car was fitted with the optional 21-inch alloys wrapped around the largest carbon ceramic brake discs ever fitted to a production car (420mm front, 356mm rear and yours for £10,405, cough).
And on the inside?
Inside the V8 S it's business as usual as you drop into what is one of the very finest interiors in the automotive world and surround yourself with quilted perforated leather, knurled aluminium dials and piano black surfaces all finished with a world-class build quality and millimetric accuracy that more than justifies the price of admission.
So what's it like to drive?
If you're taking it easy, very… Continental. The S has lost none of the GT's ability to devour huge distances while cosseting and relaxing the driver: drop the gearbox into D and this four-seater will cheerily burble across any continent you choose to point it at, with that dismissive poise that has cemented the Conti such a mighty GT car.
But the S is supposed to be for those 'who want more' and it delivers. Drop the 'box into 'S', gun the throttle and the V8 S rides its wave of torque all the way to 6000rpm, building speed in a way that no car weighing over 2200kg should, the optional sports exhaust serving up a very British baritone soundtrack.
Once you've re-calibrated to the fact that your GT has transformed into something altogether more menacing, you can dig into the staggering grip that the AWD GT can deliver. Dial the active damping up to Sport mode and the V8 S does a mighty fair impression of eliminating body roll, flowing through corners on a tidal bore of torque, grip and noise. The revised steering is more precise while the brakes remain face-bendingly effective, time after time.
Are you telling me the Conti's become a Lotus Exige?
No. While the poise and body control of the V8 S are both impressive and not a little unsettling, you remain acutely aware that this is a car that is piledriving physics out of its way. But if you want Exige reactions, buy an Exige: it's that seemingly unstoppable solidity that differentiates the Continental from the crowd, that makes it a Bentley.
So should I buy one?
If you've 140 grand to spend on a very fast GT, then yes, yes, yes. True, the standard Continental W12 offers more power for slightly less cash, but the V8 S is cleverer than that. It's a car concerned with the detail rather than merely the headline figures, and all the better for it.
How about an alternative?
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Mustangs oust Black Diamonds
Panther Valley and its season ran out of gas Tuesday night.
No-hit by East Stroudsburg's Rob Solano, the Black Diamonds dropped a 7-0 decision and were officially eliminated from the Keystone Senior Babe Ruth playoffs.
"He was absolutely nasty," said PV manager Chris West. "He had great command of his pitches and had us off-balance all night. It wasn't that anything he threw was overpowering but he kept our kids off-balanced and that's all he needed to do.
"The team we had this year, we had 11 kids on our roster. There's only so many times you can ask those kids to dig into the tank. We lost to this team in the first round of the playoffs ... and I don't think there was much left in our tank. I think they were physically and emotionally drained. If we could have gotten up early, maybe it would have been a different story but we couldn't generate any offense."
Solano had a lot to do with that.
The right-hander struck out 10 batters.
"I warmed up just five minutes before the game started, so I was worried about that," said Solano. "But as soon as I got on the mound I felt comfortable.
"They weren't catching up to the fastball. The curveball was really on and that was my go-to pitch. I was also mixing in a slider to throw them off a bit."
PV starter Zach Stanko also kept the Mustangs off the board for the first two frames but East Stroudsburg got to him in the home third.
Danny Knowles opened the scoring with a home run to center. Joe Jessen added an RBI single and an error plated a third run.
"Zach pitched a solid game for us for a few innings but your tank starts running pretty low when you realize your guys aren't putting the ball in play and putting runs on the board," said West. "That's was happened, the energy just faded as the game went on."
Unfortunately for the Black Diamonds, as their energy faded East Stroudsburg's rose to another level.
The Mustangs used a run-scoring single from Jay Maletz and a two-run double by Nick Kazura in the fourth to push the margin to 6-0.
"The bats came alive," said Solano, who threw 104 pitches including 67 for strikes. "We've been hitting all postseason."
While the Black Diamonds weren't great in their finale (only two baserunners made it as far as second base), they met and actually exceeded their season goals.
"Our expectations in the beginning of the year, knowing we only had 11 kids, were that we would be lucky to finish .500," said West, whose team finished with a 13-8 record. "The fact that we were the No. 3 seed in our division and that none of the 11 kids ever quit makes us exceptionally thrilled and proud of the effort they gave this season."
Black Diamonds 000 000 0 - 0 0 4
Mustangs 003 310 x - 7 10 1
Solano and Jessen; Stanko and Trimmel. W - Solano. L - Stanko. HR: ES - Knowles (3rd, none on).


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Mermaids Magnetic Play Set
Explore the depths of a sunny sea with the Mermaids Magnetic Play Set from Imaginetics! The play set features coral, treasure and beautiful blue water on a convenient 14.5" x 8" playboard, just waiting for kids to have their own underwater adventure. These 25 sturdy magnet pieces are easy for small hands to hold, so kids can create a watery world of pretend play. Perfect for travel, the play set will lead to imaginative creations that will really stick!
From Imaginetics |
Item # M81048
- Price:
- $4.95
- Customer Reviews:
- Currently 0/5 Stars.
- Recommended Age:
- 3 years and up
- Availability:
- In stock (guaranteed)
- Available for pre-order
- Temporarily out of stock
- Usually Ships:
- within 24 hours
- Playboard measures 14.5" x 8"
- Includes 25 magnets
- WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.
Developmental BenefitsLearn more
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Product RatingWrite a review
Average Rating
- Currently 0/5 Stars.


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Taxpayer money would shift from capital projects to pension costs, law enforcement and welfare services under San Diego County's proposed $4.77 billion spending plan for the 2012-13 fiscal year, which starts July 1.
The proposed budget, which Chief Administrative Officer Walt Ekard called a "commitment to fiscal discipline," is scheduled to be considered by the Board of Supervisors in June.
Overall, the budget proposes a 2 percent decrease in spending compared with the current fiscal year. That's largely because of the county expects to spend $90 million less on capital projects during the 2012-13 fiscal year, said Don Steuer, the county's finance chief. The county in recent years completed paying for construction projects from a new operations center and medical examiner's building in Kearny Mesa to a new women's jail in Santee, he noted.
After recent years of staffing declines, the county proposes adding 271 more posts than budgeted for the 2011-12 fiscal year, bringing the county's total to 15,958.
Despite slumping tax revenue and rising pension costs in recent years, county officials say they have maintained a balanced budget and avoided the service cuts to libraries and recreation centers that many cities in the region have imposed.
State revenue, the county's largest funding source at 28 percent, is expected to increase by $84 million or 6.7 percent. Meanwhile, property and other taxes, which account for 20 percent of the county's revenue, are forecast for a slight decline of $1.4 million or 0.1 percent, according to the proposed budget.
Public safety
The county would gain 95 net public safety positions under its 2012-13 plan, most in the probation department (74) and sheriff's department (62), taking the county's total public safety staffing to 7,066 funded posts.
Sheriff's substations in Valley Center and Ramona could gain overnight supervisors if the spending plan is adopted as proposed. New positions would also be added to the women's jail set to break ground in Santee this summer.
Overall, the budget would represent a $36 million spending increase (or 2.5 percent) on public safety over the current fiscal year, bringing the total to $1.44 billion.
That proposed increase is largely driven by the state's recent shift of responsibility for jailing and monitoring nonviolent and nonsexual offenders to county governments, Steuer said in an interview earlier this month.
Most of the new probation officers would manage the increased number of offenders.
Welfare services
The spending plan proposes an increase of 176 positions for the county's health and human services agency, which aids the county's poor, disabled, aging and mentally ill populations. That would give the agency 5,306 funded staff positions.
The larger staff would support the county's family resource centers, specifically the ACCESS call center that welfare and food stamp recipients use to apply for benefits.
Advocates for the poor for years have complained the county's food stamp program is inaccessible . In February, county health officials said they plan to nearly triple the staff in the public assistance call center, after an internal report found that in September 2011, 5 of every 6 calls failed to go through from residents seeking welfare and food stamps.
Overall, the budget would represent a $9 million spending increase (or 0.4 percent) on health and human services spending over the current fiscal year, bringing the total to $1.92 billion.
Increased pension costs
Also going up next fiscal year is the projected cost for county employee pensions.
That cost is expected to jump from $296 million this fiscal year to $346 million during the 2012-13 fiscal year, an increase of nearly 17 percent.
Officials said last year that pension costs could climb as high as $472 million annually by the 2015-16 fiscal year, though negotiations with county employees and the performance of the county's pension fund could slow the increase.
Steuer, the county finance chief, said the county has absorbed increased pension costs through a series of measures, including using technology to make workers more efficient.
He said county public health nurses and animal control officers, for example, now use laptops to file reports from the field. That cuts down the need for them to return to central offices and allows them to provide greater service, he said.
"That way we can do more with the same," Steuer added.
The county also reduced pensions for new employees and trimmed its workforce by roughly 2,000 in recent years, eliminating many vacant posts.
"We saw this coming. We planned for it," he said.
Steuer added that the county, unlike many cities such as San Diego and Escondido, has maintained a balanced budget without closing any libraries or parks in recent years.


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Rumor Control: Lady Gaga Not Designing for Alexander McQueen
>> Lady Gaga may have been Alexander McQueen's "unofficial muse," but that doesn't mean she's designing a collection for his label. Yesterday, Fashionising posted that Gaga was working on a capsule collection for the McQueen label, under the working title "Poisson D'Avril," to come out in Spring 2011.
The news circulated far and wide, but "Poisson D'Avril" is the French term for April Fool's Day, and Fashionising has since confirmed in the post: "This is, after all, an April Fool's joke (our apologies)." The Cut also confirmed with a spokeswoman for the label that the rumor is false.


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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons (Attribution: 3.0) License (US), though the work this blog incorporates may be separately licensed.
A Search for Comity in the Intellectual Property Wars: symposium at The New York Institute for the Humanities at NYU, April 28-30, 2006 [slides, audio, transcripts]
Will Fair Use Survive? Free Expression in the Age of Copyright Control, by Marjorie Heins and Tricia Beckles.
download the report [PDF]
« Thomas McEvilley, "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" | Main | Found Art (Crosby St.) Unmonumental 402 »


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The development of cloud applications and platforms that allow people to collaborate from disparate locations has given rise to a new entity: the distributed team.
Businesses, workers and customers benefit from this new arrangement, but managing distributed teams is not without its challenges. Overcoming problems like lack of communication and accountability means recognizing that technology is no replacement for human relationships.
Distributed, Not Remote
If it's your responsibility to manage a virtual team, start by understanding the difference between remote and distributed. A remote team is a subset of a company's workforce: employees who work off-site most or all of the time, while the rest of the staff are based at the office full time. A distributed (aka virtual) team has no central base: everyone is in a different location.
True distributed teams force the point that remote collaboration and teambuilding require different tools and techniques than traditional office-based work.
"A level of trust has to be built into distributed teams so members can depend on each other to get work done," said Alex Sirota, Founder and Director of NewPath Consulting. "Tools help make up for the lack of physical presence, but are not nearly as important as methodology."
The tools and techniques discussed here are mostly intended for completely distributed teams, but can also work for remote ones, as long as proper attention is given to inclusion and connectedness for off-site workers.
In the Cloud
To effectively manage a distributed team, you need cloud tools, accessible to and used by everyone, for:
All of these fit into two main categories described by Sirota: sync up collaboration (e-mail and portals like SharePoint and Basecamp) and real-time collaboration (tools like Skype, WebEx, GoToMeeting and Adobe Connect).
Many tools exist in these categories. Choosing the ones most appropriate for your team involves many considerations including integration, end-point capabilities, cost and training.
"Whatever works for a team is what should be used, nothing more, Sirota advised. "Start simple and see what works, remove tools that are not conducive, and introduce tools to address very specific issues. Productivity is the end goal."
The Role of Videoconferencing
Depending on who you ask, videoconferencing is vital for distributed teams, or it's just a nice-to-have tool that really doesn't get used much.
Barriers to use of videoconferencing include lack of proper equipment, background distractions, privacy issues, and internet connectivity problems. Perhaps more importantly, though, is what role videoconferencing really plays in daily interactions.
"In general, videoconferencing does not replace face-to-face," Sirota said. "It's an attempt to simulate real life and it rarely does this."
Instead of videoconferencing, he recommended audio chat combined with screen or document sharing.
No matter what tools are used, video or not, make it easy for workers to hop on chat sessions with each other anytime for brainstorming, project work, or just to say hi. Informal, real-time communication is just as important for distributed teams as it is for office-based workforces.
Other tools that that might help include virtual whiteboards, video recording apps like Camtasia, virtual customer service platforms like Desk.com and Zendesk, team collaboration portals like Campfire, project management portals like Basecamp, and support ticketing systems like Freshdesk.
Managing a Distributed Team
To effectively manage any team, distributed or not, you need commitment and understanding. Your job is to know the unique characteristics of your team, be organized, encourage vision and philosophy, and set up appropriate communication methods and technologies.
"The perception is that it's harder to manage virtual teams, but being together in person doesn't automatically make you more effective," Sirota pointed out. "If there is a lack of trust or perceived lack of accountability and productivity, the reason is most likely how the team is being managed, not that it's virtual or in-person."
For a distributed team, start with recognized best practices for team building, and pull in cloud tools to support desired outcomes. Some guidelines not yet discussed:
Bottom Line: Communication
Effectively using cloud tools to manage a distributed team really boils down to a simple concept: over-communicate. That's your best defense against isolation and disunity, and your best strategy for leveraging the best aspects of a distributed workforce.
About the Author
Mae Kowalke is a journalist and communications professional who specializes in covering business technology. She has written extensively about VoIP, CRM, ERP and a range of other technologies, both as a reporter and a blogger.