text:
Two-time champion Dynamo is not fazed by offseason departures
A packed schedule of domestic and international competitions, a championship squad depleted by offseason departures, and a roster certain to be denuded by national team callups is a forbidding proposition for most teams.
For the Houston Dynamo, it's business as usual. The 2008 season mirrors that of 2007, when the defending champion patched up a few holes during the winter and rolled to the title yet again. Can it be done a third time?
"It seems to be the same every year," laughs goalkeeper Pat Onstad, who anchored a defense that set an MLS record by conceding just 23 goals in 30 games. "We lose players from a great team, but our coaches always seem to find the right guys to plug in, and we go on about our business."
Speaking of business, the two-time champion is also racking up victories off the field. It has attracted investment from boxer Oscar De La Hoya and business partner Gabriel Brener, who have purchased a 50 percent stake in the team, which is now co-owned by AEG, and the city of Houston has approved acquisition of a parcel of downtown land that could be used for a stadium.
Assistant coach John Spencer, who nearly jumped ship during the offseason but decided not to take the top job in Chicago, and head coach Dominic Kinnear have to replace attackers Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya, who left for Austrian clubs, and defender Ryan Cochrane, taken by San Jose in the expansion draft.
Yet Jaqua and Ngwenya themselves were acquired during the 2007 season, as was midfielder Richard Mulrooney, perhaps the shrewdest acquisition of them all. When MLS meted out a nine-game suspension to Ricardo Clark for kicking a prostrate Carlos Ruiz late in the regular season, Mulrooney stepped right in.
"Every trade we made last year was important at different times of the year," says Kinnear of Mulrooney, a member of San Jose's championship teams in 2001 and 2003 who can also play right back. "I think Richard gets overlooked a little bit, but what happened when Ricardo's suspension came and Richard played all those games? He's been great."
Kinnear obtained Bobby Boswell from D.C. United to replace Cochrane, though Pat Ianni played well in limited duty (16 games) last year. Yet Ianni and midfielder Stuart Holden, who scored five goals in 22 regular-season games and hit a stunner against Dallas in the playoffs, missed most of March playing in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers.
"This year, we have Olympic qualifying, so our squad is not as deep as it was last year," says Kinnear of a preseason that once again included the opening rounds of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Midfielder Corey Ashe played 22 games as a rookie last year. Forward Chris Wondolowski, who led the reserve league with 13 goals in 2006, is vying for a starting spot up top alongside rugged Brian Ching, and so is 21-year-old Argentine import Franco Caraccio. If Kinnear dips into the player market it will be for a striker.
Despite the defections, Houston still features proven commodities in midfield (Canadian international Dwayne DeRosario, Brad Davis, Brian Mullan, Clark, Mulrooney) and the back line (captain Wade Barrett, central defender Eddie Robinson, right back Craig Waibel).
"The strength of our team is we have a lot of good players in midfield," says Kinnear. "It makes you a little more flexible; it allows you to push another guy up top, or play five in the middle.
"We need a big squad this year, because we're going to have our injuries, and suspensions, and callups, and qualifiers, so we need as many good players as we can get."
Depth will determine if Preki can improve on stellar 2007 season
Preki is doing what no man has done before. He's coaching Chivas USA for more than one season.
And if the second season improves on his first, it could be quite a year for the fourth-year franchise that in its first year finished at the bottom along with fellow 2005 expansion club Real Salt Lake.
Unlike Salt Lake, which has yet to get a sniff of the playoffs, Chivas USA, under Coach Bob Bradley, reached the postseason in its second year. Bradley then left to coach the U.S. national team.
Preki, who had assisted Bradley, matched Bradley's first-round playoff appearance, but enjoyed a better regular season as Chivas USA won the West and finished second to D.C. United in the regular-season overall standings.
So how to improve on 2007?
"You need to get a little break here and there, and have better luck with injuries," says Preki. "But those things even out if you continue doing the right thing. You need to be strong for the playoffs - after you make sure you get there."
Late-season injuries to forwards Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo, who combined 23 goals, crippled Chivas USA in last year's playoff series against Kansas City, which won, 1-0, on aggregate.
The depth problem, especially because Chivas USA will also be competing in the SuperLiga, the Concacaf Champions League and the U.S. Open Cup, was high on the offseason agenda.
In came forward Alecko Eskandarian and Atiba Harris.
Eskandrian, who has scored 22 goals in five seasons, was the MVP of MLS Cup 2004 when he scored twice in D.C. United's win over Kansas City. But last season Eskandarian scored just twice in 23 games for Real Salt Lake and Toronto. Harris, 23, scored four goals in two seasons with Real Salt Lake.
For the midfield arrives 30-year-old Raphael Wicky, who has 70 caps for Switzerland and started in all four of its games at the 2006 World Cup. Wicky's career includes more than 200 German Bundesliga games for Werder Bremen and Hamburg SV.
"We have added Wicky to Francisco Mendoza, Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura, and [Sacha] Kljestan, and also Lawson Vaughn can help us a little there if necessary," says Preki. "I like to think we're pretty solid in the middle of the field. That's something that's very encouraging."
Boding well for Chivas USA is the play of a trio of young returnees - midfielder Sacha Kljestan, left back Jonathan Bornstein and goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who would be in the English Premier League if his work permit hadn't been denied.
The 22-year-old Kljestan, a member of the U.S. U-23 and full national team, notched 20 assists in his first two years in MLS. With Marsch and Wicky holding down the middle, Kljestan and Mendoza can drive the offense from their outside positions, attacking from the flanks and cutting into the middle.
Mendoza, along with central defender Claudio Suarez, is one of just two Mexican players on the team. The Mexican league's high salaries have made it difficult for Chivas USA to entice Mexican players to MLS.
Chivas USA does, however, have the most ambitious youth program in MLS and its ranks are filled with young Mexican-Americans.
"It may take awhile before the players coming through are ready for the first team, but we're hoping in a few years time come it will be a great benefit for us," says Preki.
Dallas bets on another high-priced player to get over the hump
A gambler scorched is often a gambler scarred for life, yet FC Dallas president Michael Hitchcock and head coach Steve Morrow have rolled the dice yet again.
The top honchos of FC Dallas, who burned a big chunk of DP money on Brazilian burnout Denilson last year, are still at the table, having pushed an even bigger stack of chips onto Mexican defender Duilio Davino. He's not the only addition designed to upgrade the performance of 2007 - third place in the Western Conference, ousted by champion Houston, 4-2, on aggregate in the first playoff round - but as the centerpiece of a revamped defense, he'll be scrutinized as the final piece to push FCD into its first MLS Cup.
"I've always said it's the players who dictate your system and your style of play," says Morrow of 32-year-old Davino, a former Mexican international who played 13 seasons for Club America and UAG and 84 times for his country. "He's someone who's very, very composed in possession in the back and I think that's going to bring a calming influence not only to our back line but throughout our whole team."
Before preseason began, Morrow fretted somewhat about who could fill the left side of that three-man back line. When he took over for Colin Clarke in 2006, he retained the four-man system preferred by Clarke and that was a staple of Morrow's playing career at Arsenal. Yet the play of Adrian Serioux, a defensive midfielder who stepped into Houston's back line during its run to the title in 2006 before going to Dallas (via Toronto) in a trade, has eased his anxiety.
"Adrian Serioux has stepped up and done very well in that spot," says Morrow of the Canadian international.
The club's partnership with Atletico Paranaense of Brazil yielded forward Ricardinho on loan last year, and this year has been broadened by the arrival of midfielder Andre Rocha. He joins Colombian Juan Toja, Argentine Pablo Ricchetti, Brazilian Marcelo Saragosa and American Dax McCarty in what figures to be a tough scrap for central midfield.
Least of Morrow's concerns is a replacement for Carlos Ruiz, who returned to LA in a trade after scoring 31 goals (but only seven last year) in three seasons for FCD. Negotiations with Chilean striker Reinaldo Navia dragged through the preseason yet Morrow has Ricardinho, Kenny Cooper, Abe Thompson and Dominic Oduro. That quartet combined for just a dozen goals, however.
"We have good options within the team at the moment," says Morrow. "All of them have played some minutes and all done quite well so there's healthy competition there. Again, if the right striker comes along to make us better, we won't hesitate to make that move."
A strong preseason performance by Brek Shea, the U.S. under-18 attacker taken with the second overall SuperDraft pick, gives Morrow yet another option on the left side of midfield or up top. In those areas, especially, there are more viable candidates than spots.
"It's not going to be easy at times and difficult to keep everybody happy," says Morrow of meting out playing time. "But I think it's healthy to have that competition and we're going to lose players throughout the season as well with callups and the Olympics. The depth we have will help us cover for those times."
Beckham made the Galaxy famous, but his work has just begun
David Beckham declared during the preseason that he's perfectly happy to be playing in MLS, that his children like their schools, and that Victoria is enjoying L.A. But for however convincing his declaration sounded, the megastar's adjustment to playing with the Galaxy can't be easy.
In the season before joining L.A., Beckham won the Spanish La Liga title with Real Madrid, where his teammates included Roberto Carlos, Raul, Robinho and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Now Beckham's teammates include players whom Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit describes as having "no experience on this level." Gullit, the man credited with coining the term "sexy soccer," is talking patience.
"It's a matter of looking for the right shape," said the Dutchman who replaced Frank Yallop in the offseason. "We have a good team, we are strong, and are trying to build something for the future."
For Beckham, it means that instead of melding with the kind of world-class players whom he was used to from his Real Madrid and Manchester United days, he's supposed to help out newcomers to the pro game.
"He's a good example for the team," says Gullit. "Especially for the youngsters, he has the experience needed to guide younger players to another level."
Nigerian English Premier League veteran Celestine Babayaro, who played for Gullit when he coached Chelsea in the 1990s, was brought in during the preseason but didn't stick. That left Carlos Ruiz and Brazilian Alvaro Pires as the key offseason acquisitions.
Ruiz, who helped the Galaxy win the 2002 MLS title, reluctantly left the Los Angeles Galaxy for FC Dallas in 2005 to make room for Landon Donovan. Ruiz teaming up with Donovan and Beckham presents the most hopeful and intriguing prospects for the 2008 Galaxy.
Ruiz has scored 81 goals in six MLS seasons and like Donovan rises to the big occasion. Ruiz has scored 16 playoff goals. Donovan has notched 14 postseason goals.
But the first challenge is actually getting to the playoffs. So dismal were the Galaxy performances before and after Beckham's arrival in the middle of the 2007 season that it missed postseason play for the second straight year.
In theory, Ruiz, if he bounces back from his least productive season (seven goals in 22 games in 2007), will thrive with service from Beckham and Donovan, who in turn should benefit as Ruiz occupies opponents' defenders.
If that formula is to succeed, it will be because Gullit has cobbled together a sufficient support staff. The 23-year-old Alvaro, nicknamed "Buffalo," is to handle the bulk of the defensive midfield duties while veteran Pete Vagenas is fighting to keep his spot in the central midfield.
On the Galaxy's preseason Pan-Pacific tour, rookie Ely Allen out of the University of Washington, started wide left in the midfield.
In midfield, Gullit has also tried second-year left back Mike Randolph, who made 15 starts last season, and Josh Tudela, who played nine games in his 2007 rookie season.
Even though injuries limited Beckham to five games last season, he delivered MLS the publicity it had hoped to get out of him.
"The fact people know about the Galaxy all over the world now is great," said team president Alexi Lalas. "There's a pride about being a Galaxy fan."
That pride will be tested if it doesn't improve significantly from last season's third-to-last showing.
Will overseas additions ratchet up the intensity?
There are two major questions regarding Real Salt Lake in Year 4 and neither of them concerns the new stadium in suburban Sandy.
For the record, it looks like construction will be finished by late September or early October. By that time, a fan group that ranks among the most loyal and loud in MLS will know: a) how well the building project of head coach Jason Kreis is going; and, b) how far he's progressed up the learning curve.
Kreis introduced three Argentine players last August; this year, he and general manager Garth Lagerwey have signed four more from foreign shores: striker Kenny Deuchar and left back Ian Joy, who have Scottish roots; Argentine midfielder Matias Cordoba, and Colombian defender Jamison Olave. In this category, at least, RSL vies for the league lead. (Joy was born in San Diego and doesn't count as an international player.)
"The message to the players is: even if you're left out of the starting XI for the first game doesn't mean you won't be there the very next week or for long stretches of the season," says Kreis, whose record in charge after taking over for John Ellinger last May was 6-13-7. "Everybody's going to be relied upon, for sure."
By spending nearly two weeks of the preseason in Argentina, Kreis wanted to foster the bonding process while steeping his players in what can be seen and felt in a country stark, raving mad for soccer. Cordoba joins 2007 acquisitions Matias Mantilla, Fabian Espindola and Javier Morales as Argentine products on the RSL roster.
"I always like going to soccer countries like that," says midfielder Kyle Beckerman, who was surprisingly traded to RSL by Colorado last season. "You really feel involved in it. We got to check out a game, Newell's Old Boys versus Racing, and the passion in the fans was unreal. They put their hearts into it and so do the players."
Kreis wants that same ethic applied to every training session, which is commonplace in most countries but not always present in the United States. With four Argentines, two Scottish League veterans, and former Rapids defender Nat Borchers, who has played the last two seasons in Norway, in tow, he expects intense, focused players walking onto the field every day.
"They bring a lot of experience in that environment," says Kreis. "We talk about wanting to create a competitive environment where you've got to compete for your starting job every day. You talk to some of those guys and they're like, 'That's absolutely normal. The competition is what we do.' I don't think the American players are quite used to that philosophy."
RSL finished the 2007 fairly well, winning two and tying three of its final seven games, but still ended up last in the Eastern Conference and a distant 13 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. Kreis remembers 2006 more vividly; in his final full season as a player, RSL won four straight games to reach contention and fell just two points shy of the postseason.
"The second half of the season or whatever it was in 2006, we were quite a competitive team and barely missed the playoffs," he said of a push that drew plenty of excited fans to Rice-Eccles Stadium. "It was absolutely electric, the whole community reached out with open arms and grabbed hold of us, so we'll be hopeful for the same reaction."
Familiar faces land in new surroundings with the Earthquakes
Just about everything in San Jose has changed in the years since Frank Yallop left the ranks of MLS for the first time, and that's just fine by him.
Long gone are Spartan Stadium, Landon Donovan, and the intractability of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which moved the former Quakes, league champions in 2001 and 2003 under Yallop's leadership, to Houston in December 2005. The nickname and a couple of the faces -- including 2002 Goalkeeper of the Year Joe Cannon and longtime Quakes defender John Doyle -- have returned, but not much else has.
There are enthusiastic operator-investors in Oakland A's co-owners Lewis Wolff and John Fisher, an innovative stadium project for a site near San Jose International Airport, thousands of season tickets sold during preseason, and a widespread belief that this time, it will be different.
"You go all the way through it and look at what we didn't have in the past," said Doyle, who came aboard as general manager in October and hired Yallop two months later. "We didn't have a stadium, we didn't have Lew Wolff, we didn't have backing. We didn't have that ownership we needed, the team was always for sale."
Strong ownership and backing and a stadium plan are all well and good, but winning games and titles takes players, and as of mid-March, Yallop didn't have many. "We're in the 20s," he said jokingly and just barely correctly. With 15 on the regular roster and five developmental players, San Jose had eight slots yet to be filled, with another forward high on the list.
Unlike Mo Johnston, who traded every one of the 10 players he picked for Toronto in the 2007 expansion draft, Yallop retained each of his selections except midfielder Brian Carroll, who went to Columbus in a trade for striker Kei Kamara.
Yallop used allocation money to obtain Cannon (Los Angeles) and Ronnie O'Brien (Toronto FC), who has changed clubs twice in the past year and a half after playing five seasons in Dallas. "I told him the same thing I tell everyone," says Yallop of the sometimes testy midfielder who didn't appreciate the artificial surface at BMO Field. "I don't care what happened before; you're here now and if you do what we know you can do, we'll have no problems.
"He can cross the ball [39 career assists] and there aren't a lot of players like him in our league."
Cannon posted 26 shutouts for San Jose from 1999 to 2002 before leaving MLS for France, and played for Yallop last year in Los Angeles. Many of his college days were spent at Santa Clara University's Buck Shaw Stadium, which will be the Quakes' home for the next few seasons while Wolff's stadium project unfolds.
There are other returnees to San Jose. Midfielder Ramiro Corrales (1996-97, 2001-04) came back after playing three seasons in Norway; defender Ryan Cochrane (2004-05), another ex-Bronco, asked to be left exposed by Houston in the expansion draft.
"Last year in LA was just crazy, with all that was going on," says Cannon. "I don't think Frank ever felt comfortable to do things his way, but he showed at San Jose he's one of the best coaches in the league and I'm really excited about playing for him again."
Gomez and Gomes are keys to the Rapids' revival
As the MLS head coach most likely to be fired, it will be Fernando Clavijo, not recent acquisition Christian Gomez or veteran Pablo Mastroeni, on the hot seat.
Clavijo's major issue, assuming he can't find a solution to his problems up top, is that Gomez may be needed to score goals as well as set them up for others. Renowned as a playmaker, Gomez bagged 11 goals (2005) and 14 goals (2006) for D.C. United in his first two full seasons in MLS while also registering, respectively, nine and 11 assists.
After he slipped from seven goals in 2006 to just one last year, Nicolas Hernandez went to Columbus in a trade. Of the returnees up front, Jovan Kirovski led the team with six goals, but scored only two from the run of play, the other four coming on penalty kicks. Herculez Gomez scored four goals in 20 games. Nobody else scored more than two and with just 29 goals the Rapids lagged behind every league rival except expansion team Toronto FC.
The club's, and Clavijo's, fate may depend on Gomes, as in Rafael, as much as the two Gomezes. Clavijo found him on a scouting trip to Brazil in December and MLS signed him on loan from Portuguese club CD Santa Clara. Gomes, 28, played for Vasco de Gama, Bragantino, Olaria and Atletico Mineiro, and scored for the Rapids in his first preason start, so perhaps he can alleviate the goal shortage. His partnership with Mastroeni in the middle will determine if Colorado can control matches and dictate the tempo. They also need to protect the back line and keeper Bouna Coundoul.
The offensive woes overshadowed somewhat an improved defensive performance, and Clavijo added veteran defender Jose Burciaga Jr. in a trade. Colorado allowed only 34 goals, yet much credit goes to the acrobatic if occasionally erratic Coundoul, who posted an excellent 1.08 goals-allowed average while finishing tied for second among the MLS goalkeeping leaders with 120 saves.
Club management decided not to sign a Designated Player, which has hamstrung somewhat Clavijo's search for a quality striker while also stripping him of the DP slot that was traded to D.C. United for Christian Gomez. Talks with Brazilian Reinaldo, who had been playing for Queensland Roar in the Australian league, fizzled out.
Colorado does have a nicely complementary pair of flank midfielders in classic winger Terry Cooke and slashing dribbler Colin Clark. The latter showed a zeal last year to cut inside and go for goal but only hit the net twice on 26 shots.
Herculez Gomez, whose season was cut short by a knee injury in September, took 51 shots to score his four goals, so among the tenets for 2008 should be sharper finishing, no matter who is playing up front.
The forward slots could be filled by Jamaican striker Omar Cummings and third-year pro Jacob Peterson if Kirovski, Conor Casey, and Herculez Gomez can't get the job done. Cummings scored twice last season as a rookie super-sub.
The Rapids' new home, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, opened a year ago and hosted the 2007 All-Star Game. Its design, its playing surface, and the complex of fields that surround it are all top-class. Yet Colorado ranked 10th in average attendance with 14,749 fans per game.
More goals and wins are needed to jack up that number, which is also how Clavijo's status will be judged. His contract is up at the end of the season.
(This article originally appeared in the April 2008 issue of Soccer America magazine.)


text:
I found your article, "For grandparents, much has changed," interesting and informative. There are a few points I would like to add.
One quote says, "My son is way more involved in taking care of the kids than I was." Statements like these are often chalked up simply to social changes. What is lost sometimes is that my father's ability to be more involved was hampered by the fact that he was usually busting his rear at work and at home most of his wakeful hours for the betterment of his family, not just avoiding things dads didn't do. My children reap the benefit of those efforts.
As a parent, my father probably changed one diaper, if that. As a grandparent, he has changed countless diapers.
While pregnant with our third child, my wife was put on bed rest for several months. At the time we had a 1-year-old and a very active 2-year-old. Without being asked, my dad (and mom) did the diaper changing, feeding, bathing, chasing and everything else, at all hours so my wife could rest and I could work. Thanks, Dad.
Eric McEldowney
Phoenix, Ariz.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Johannesburg - Three people were killed and eight injured when a truck and minibus taxi collided on the N2 between Qumbu and Mount Frere on Monday afternoon, an Eastern Cape Arrive Alive spokesperson said.
The driver of the truck lost control of it, veered into the oncoming traffic and crashed into the taxi driving in the opposite direction at 13:00, said Tshepo Machaea.
The taxi overturned.
The three who died were in the taxi. Four of those hurt were taken to hospital in a critical condition.
"The weather was really bad when the accident happened. There was snow falling and the road was wet and slippery," he said.


text:
|About | Contact | Mongabay on Facebook | Mongabay on Twitter | Subscribe
Moldova - GEOGRAPHY
Located in southeastern Europe, Moldova is bordered on the west by Romania and on the north, south, and east by Ukraine. Most of its territory lies between the area's two main rivers, the Nistru and the Prut. The Nistru (Dnister, in Ukrainian; Dnestr in Russian) forms a small part of Moldova's border with Ukraine in the northeast, but it mainly flows through the eastern part of the country, separating Bessarabia and Transnistria. The Prut River forms Moldova's entire western boundary with Romania.
Most of Moldova's approximately 33,700 square kilometers of territory (about the size of Maryland) cover a hilly plain cut deeply by many streams and rivers. Geologically, Moldova lies primarily on deep sedimentary rock that gives way to harder crystalline outcroppings only in the north, where higher elevations are found on the margins of the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains.
The gently rolling Balti Plain (Stepa Balti, in Romanian; Bel'tskaya ravnina, in Russian) in northern Moldova (lying at ninety to 600 meters in elevation in the north) gives way to thick, deciduous forests in the Codri Hills (Podisul Codrilor, in Romanian; Kodry, in Russian), averaging 350 to 400 meters in elevation, where the most common trees are hornbeam, oak, linden, maple, wild pear, and wild cherry. The country's highest point, Mount Balanesti (Balaneshty, in Russian), is located in the west central portion of the country and reaches 430 meters.
The Bugeac Plain (Budzhak, in Russian) in the south has numerous ravines and gullies. Transnistria has spurs of the Volyn-Podolian Upland (Podisul Podolie, in Romanian; VolynoPodil 's'ka vysochyna, in Ukrainian), which are cut into by tributaries of the Nistru River.
About 75 percent of Moldova is covered by a soil type called chernozem. In the northern highlands, more claytextured soils are found; in the south, red-earth soil is predominant. The soil becomes less fertile toward the south but can still support grape and sunflower production. The uplands have woodland soils, while southern Moldova is in the steppe zone, although most steppe areas today are cultivated. The lower reaches of the Prut River and the southern river valleys are saline marshes.
Drainage in Moldova is to the south, toward the Black Sea lowlands, and eventually into the Black Sea, but only eight rivers extend more than 100 kilometers. Moldova's main river, the Nistru, is navigable throughout almost the entire country, and in warmer winters it does not freeze over. The Prut River is a tributary of the Danube River, which it joins at the far southwestern tip of the country.
<>Environmental Concerns
Moldova's climate is moderately continental: the summers are warm and long, with temperatures averaging about 20°C, and the winters are relatively mild and dry, with January temperatures averaging -4°C. Annual rainfall, which ranges from around 600 millimeters in the north to 400 millimeters in the south, can vary greatly; long dry spells are not unusual. The heaviest rainfall occurs in early summer and again in October; heavy showers and thunderstorms are common. Because of the irregular terrain, heavy summer rains often cause erosion and river silting.
Moldova's communist-era environmental legacy, like that of many other former Soviet republics, is one of environmental degradation. Agricultural practices such as overuse of pesticides, herbicides, and artificial fertilizers were intended to increase agricultural output at all costs, without regard for the consequences. As a result, Moldova's soil and groundwater were contaminated by lingering chemicals, some of which (including DDT) have been banned in the West.
Such practices continue in Moldova to the present day. In the early 1990s, per hectare use of pesticides in Moldova averaged approximately twenty times that of other former Soviet republics and Western nations. In addition, poor farming methods, such as destroying forests to plant vineyards, have contributed to the extensive soil erosion to which the country's rugged topography is already prone.
|what's new | rainforests home | for kids | help | madagascar | search | about | languages | contact
Copyright 2013 Mongabay.com


text:
Sorry, no other customer-recommended styles found.
This product was discontinued October, 2014 and is no longer available. Please consider one of the Customer-Recommended Replacements above, or try a new search.
Feel utmost comfort in this silky soft microfiber panty. Features the logo across the waistband. Made of polyamide/elastane/cotton.
Try these keyword searches with similar features:


text:
Unfortunately, this job is expired as of 12/16/2015.
To continue in your search through the appropriate job categories, click either Administrative Staff, Higher Education Executives, Faculty, Post-Doc and Graduate Assistants, . You can also utilize "guess-free" keyword search tools with up to eight pre-defined criteria. Search for and Apply to academic postings directly from the site. Post your background either confidentially or overtly. Stand out and be discovered!
The position involves teaching undergraduate courses in the department plus research and service commitments. The philosopher hired must play an instrumental role in growing the Department's Philosophy and Medicine Specialization (http://philosophy.ua.edu/academics/specializations/philosophy-and-medicine-track/). The philosopher will also be expected to teach courses in core areas of analytic philosophy.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, Tuscaloosa, AL. The Department of Philosophy invites applications for a tenure track position at the rank of Assistant/Associate Professor, beginning fall 2016. Teaching undergraduate courses along with the usual non-teaching duties. The philosopher hired must play an instrumental role in growing the Department's Philosophy and Medicine Specialization. AOS: philosophy of medicine, broadly construed. Competence in analytic feminist philosophy is highly desirable. The philosopher will also be expected to teach courses in core areas of analytic philosophy. Ph.D. in philosophy should be completed by August 15, 2016. The University of Alabama is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. The Department actively seeks diversity in its employees and will use blind review of applicants' CVs and writing samples to generate a list of semi-finalists. To apply, and for information on submitting materials for blind review, go to facultyjobs.ua.edu. Application materials should reach the Department before November 13, 2015 when review begins, but applications will be accepted until position is filled.
Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) may be required to successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation.
The Department will use a BLIND REVIEW of each applicant's CV and writing sample to generate a short list of semi-finalists; those to be invited for on-campus interview will be selected from the semi-finalists. Each applicant must do the following: (1) submit online a CV that is suitable for blind review, and (2) submit online (attach to "Other Document 1") a writing sample, strongly preferred less than 8000 words main text, also suitable for blind review. The CV and writing sample must NOT be identified by name and must NOT include information that would allow a reviewer to identify the applicant's gender, race, sexual orientation, or other professionally irrelevant information about the applicant. Each applicant must also submit three additional items that will not be reviewed until after the list of semi-finalists has been generated by blind review: (3) strong evidence of teaching excellence as "Other Document 2," (4) a photocopy of graduate transcript as "Other Document 3," and (5) at least three letters of recommendation submitted by mail or Interfolio directly to:
Ms. Amber Walker
Administrative Secretary
The Department of Philosophy
Box 870218
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0218
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction before a hiring decision is made. EOE/AA
The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status, and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status.
|Employment Type:
|Degree Required:
|See Job Description
|Level of Job:
|Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
|Type of Faculty:
|Tenure Track
|Not Specified
|Type of School:
|Research University
|Application Requirements:
Cover Letter
You were inactive for over twenty minutes. To protect you, we have logged you out. Any unsaved data has been lost.


text:
I thought his choreo for that Tango last night was superb. The work on the steps was especially creative. I was blown away. I watched it three times. IMO, it's hands down the best dance of the season.Originally Posted by mkp;4106823;
I thought his choreo for that Tango last night was superb. The work on the steps was especially creative. I was blown away. I watched it three times. IMO, it's hands down the best dance of the season.Originally Posted by mkp;4106823;
I hate when the cops throw me in the back of the squad car ....like they didnt hear me call shotgun.
Boy (n) : Noise with dirt on it.
Originally Posted by LovesSnowCO;4106711;
Nicely said. I love the spin that the pros are the stars.
Honestly, don't many of the pros have more name recognition than some of the "Stars?"Originally Posted by shoepie;4106916;
Depending who they get partnered with, I'd say so. Especially those who have been on consistantly on since the beginning. And I'd also give them that the pros may be more accomplished than some of the stars who've been on here.Originally Posted by nanarama;4106918;
I loved Tom's version on the title last season: "Dancing with the Dancers" to reference the ringers.
Apparently, Maks and Brandy have tonight's encore dance with their Argentine Tango. Last season's semi-finals, Evan encored his Paso, and in season 9, Mya encored her samba. Since both of them end up as F2, here's hoping that it's a good omen. Maybe?
Quite frankly my dears, I don't give a damn this season. For the very first time in years, I actually did not watch, DVR, or tape last night's show. The remaining stars leave me cold and unimpressed. I am tired of Jennifer's constant tears and emotional meltdowns, Brandy's love affair with herself, Kyle's "aren't a cute little boy" shtick, and Bristol (although okay) should have been gone long before now. After Mr. Gorgeous (Rick Fox) and Mr. Charming (Kurt Warner) got cut and without the sweet interaction between the excellent Audrina and Tony, I am uninterested in the remaining four. I am done with the season and hoping next season's batch of stars are more interesting and will hold my interest longer. I think I am just tired of seeing poor dancing. SYTYCD, on the other hand, is always wonderful and all of the participants CAN DANCE VERY WELL! It is a joy to watch.
Is it possible a major upset happens tonight and Jennifer & Derek don't make it to the finals? They have described this as a season of upsets; I would be happy with this result. Personally, I just want to see Kyle make the finals so I can see his freestyle. He is fun to watch and I always smile watching him. I don't see Derek & Jennifer winning if they make it through unless the judges are unfair in their scoring. She had the two easiest dances last night; the 60 was not unexpected. I think fans might get sick of seeing Derek hoist the trophy; I would love to see Maks take it to stick it to the annoying CA or Lacey to win for the first time.Originally Posted by karalott;4106880;
Ditto on all counts to you and to MHcarrollton, whom you were quoting. I voted for Kyle for precisely these reasons after Tony and Audrina were gone.Originally Posted by Alexxxx;4106755;
... And I really hope Bristol leaves tonight, not only because she should've left weeks ago and has been overscored, but also because 1) I am so sick of reading the negativity, and 2) it would be great to see an unknown like Kyle, who is fun to watch, actually win since I was rooting for Evan and Erin last season!


text:
Marina Alfyorova sat quietly inside the coroner's court in downtown Toronto Monday, searching for answers in a saga that has haunted her family for more than three years.
She was there for the final day of evidence at an inquest probing her teenage son's in-custody suicide, an event she links to the "deep depression" he felt at being alone and confined to a jail cell. Gleb Alfyorov hanged himself with his shoelaces at the Syl Apps Youth Centre in Oakville on May 13, 2008, a few days after his 17th birthday."I had so much trust in the system, thinking they knew how to operate," Ms. Alfyorova said in an interview outside court, her eyes welling with tears. "His death in a secure institution shouldn't have happened."
The inquest has heard weeks of evidence on the events surrounding Gleb's death, and as a part of its findings, the jury may issue recommendations to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
Lawyers were expected to deliver their final submissions Monday, but the process was postponed after a series of legal delays, including a last-minute request by Ms. Alfyorova to give evidence. Her request will be considered Tuesday, to be followed by closing submissions.
Gleb's case is disturbingly similar to that of Ashley Smith, the mentally ill 19-year-old who strangled herself inside a Kitchener prison cell less than a year earlier, and whose death is the focus of a separate coroner's inquest.
Among the many questions jurors may grapple with is whether Gleb should have been sent to Syl Apps, which failed to complete a court-ordered psychiatric assessment, and how that affected his ultimate fate. The inquest has also raised questions about the adequacy of Ontario's support system for mentally ill young offenders.
Gleb's family came to Canada from Kazakhstan nearly a decade ago. As a child, his mother recalled, Gleb was "soft and loving," an active boy who enjoyed sports and spending time with family. He grew into popular teenager with "a lot of friends and girlfriends," but fell into a rough patch, getting expelled from school and racking up multiple run-ins with the law.
The incident that brought Gleb to Syl Apps involved an assault on his sister. Arrested in early 2008, Gleb was transferred to the Oakville jail a few months later after a judge ordered him to undergo a 30-day psychiatric assessment. The young man showed clear signs of mental illness; in his diary, Ms. Alfyorova said, her son wrote about how he was a god sent to save the planet.
But the prescribed assessment was never completed. In the meantime, Gleb's time in at Syl Apps changed him, his mother said.
"He just became different. He spoke differently," Ms. Alfyorova recalled.
Rebecca Edward, a lawyer for the coroner, said in the days leading to his death, Gleb wrote on his cell wall that he had missed his birthday and was worried he would also miss his mother's upcoming birthday. Gleb was found hanging from his shoelaces from a metal ceiling grate after spending a month at the Syl Apps facility.
Close to a dozen parties are participating in the inquest, including representatives for the provincial government, Syl Apps and parts of the legal system. The coroner will be tasked with following up on any recommendations the jury issues.
National Post


text:
Illinois State University offers a diverse selection of undergraduate academic programs, including those spanning a number of academic disciplines. Visit the links below to learn about specific major programs, requirements for admission, and even careers available for different fields of study.
If you are still deciding, don't worry — we can help. Nearly 20 percent of this year's freshman class started out undecided. Meeting with your academic advisor can help to ensure you're making an informed choice. You may find yourself in one of two scenarios:


text:
Law Professor Blog Rankings
Since the US News rankings are so last week, Paul Caron has satiated our ranking hunger by updating his law professor blog rankings based on visitor traffic. Top 10 include: (1) Instapundit; (2) Hugh Hewitt; (3) Volokh Conspiracy; (4) Althouse; (5) Leiter Reports: Philosophy; (6) Patently-O; (7) TaxProf Blog; (8) Balkinization; (9) Concurring Opinions; (10) Sentencing Law and Policy.
We are very proud to say that we have retained our ranking of 9th from the previous rankings. We have done this by increasing the volumes to our library, ensuring that our readers have an average LSAT of 168, and ensuring that 100% of our guest bloggers remain employed after completing their guest visits. But the competition is fierce, so we depend upon your generous support. Visit us frequently. Tell your friends about us. And, of course, big financial donations will be warmly accepted. For a donation of $100K or more, Frank Pasquale will be the [Your Name] Distinguished Permablogger of Law. And for a donation of $200K or more, he'll blog about how the US health care system is working just fine.


text:
Kingston's secret plans revealed
Subject: Memory | October 18, 2007 - 02:20 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
OCMODSHOP sat down with a rep from Kingston at WGC2007 for a talk about their upcoming plans. It seems that they have plans to reposition themselves in the memory marketplace to compete directly with the enthusiast brands like OCZ and Corsair. They also got a sneak peek at some flash storage that you will be able to purchase soon.
"Many PC enthusiasts are already familiar with Kingston, primarially as a source of name-brand "value" memory that
doesn't suck. Their ValueRAM is only one of their product lines, and Kingston is bringing new RAM and Flash
products to the table to compete with the likes of OCZ, Corsair, and Crucial. Kingston was showing off their new
wares at the World Cyber Games in Seattle, and I had a chance to chat with them about their new products."
Here are some more Memory articles from around the web:
- OCZ DDR3 PC3-14400 Platinum
Edition @ Legion Hardware
- Crucial Ballistix 2GB PC3-12800 DDR3
Dual Channel Memory Kit Review @ Bigbruin
- OCZ Reaper HPC PC2-9200 DDR2 1150MHz RAM Kit @ BmR
- Crucial Ballistix
PC3-12800 2x1GB (BL2KIT12864BA1608) at Overclockers Online
- Corsair DOMINATOR
Twin3X2048-1800C7D 2GB DDR3-1800 Memory Kit Review @ PCSTATS
- OCZ Platinum r2 DDR2-800 2GB Memory Kit Reviewed @ TheTechLounge
- Super Talent W1866UX2G8
DDR3-1866 Memory Review @ PCSTATS
Post new comment
PC Perspective
Upcoming Events
Get notified when we go live!
PC Perspective Live! Google Calendar RSS


text:
Product and Manufacturing Comparisons. We build our products with the most abusive environment they may experience in mind. Through hundreds of deployments of thousands of beds, we have listened, learned and changed so that your first response in a disaster is not to fix the product before you can use it. This comparison explains why we do what we do and the results if we don't relative to other manufacturing techniques in the market.Functional Needs Cot - Product and Manufacturing Comparisons
Testing Data - There are no industry standards when it comes to testing. We've developed our own in-house testing based on years of supply furniture to the big box retailers. They used Consumer Testing Labs to ensure safety and reliability so we've brought those same tough criteria to our testing standards. As most functional needs cots and surge cots are some form of a copy of our Westcot. We endeavor to purchase all products in the market and test them to our standards.
Industry Resources to Help You Plan, Prepare and Execute in the face of disaster: FEMA - Office of Disaster Integration and Coordination.FEMA - ODIC Presentation


text:
|Sorting Last Post on Top Message:
IAMLOVEDBYYOU Posts: 380
I'm writing this to address the fact that you are having trouble losing more weight, that you are eating processed food, and that you think cost is a big concern. I'm an advocate for eating less processed foods, and maybe the chemicals, hormones, msg, sodium, high sugar content, etc. of processed foods is prohibiting you from losing more weight.
I think that many people in America (and other developed nations) have some assumptions that come with our diet that we would be better off without. Some of these things are going to be hard, but something has to give.
Assumption 1. We should have variety in our diet. From a nutritional standpoint we should be sure that we aren't eating all protein or only one type of fruit but beyond that we don't need much variety. People dislike eating the same thing every day. They think that they have a "right" to eat a variety of foods, and make this a priority in our budgets and lifestyles. You don't need to eat different foods everyday. You can live more simply, cheaply, healthfully, and quickly if you decide variety isn't a priority.
Assumption 2. Every meal should be tasty. Now, I'm not saying that every meal should be unappetizing or disgusting, but not every meal needs to be enjoyable. You'll get over it. Many of your meals can be "okay". And that's fine. Don't assume that you NEED to enjoy your food. Yes, enjoying food is nice. I do believe that food is meant to be enjoyed and good food is important to feeling satisfied. But when you decide to consider the first purpose of food to be nutrition and the second purpose of food to be enjoyment, you can be satisfied when not every meal is enjoyable. Sometimes your food can be plain or cheap or boring, and that is okay. That's fine. If you accept that, you can be satisfied with less.
That said, we can look at the practical side of things. When I was very busy, I ate on a schedule. I was working as a teacher. I left my house at 7:30 every morning, and arrived home at 4:30 every afternoon. Monday-Thursday I had class from 6:00-9:00, and thankfully the school was close to my house. It was a busy time, and you know how much work a teacher can take home some weeks!
So this is how I dealt with it. I decided I would just make a meal plan and stick with it no matter what. no matter what. no matter what. I had the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and snacks everyday. For breakfast, I had oatmeal with a banana. For snacks, I packed a little baggie with a hardboiled egg, a cheese stick, carrots, and celery, and portioned out 100 calorie packs of pretzels. I ate these throughout the day anytime I could. For lunch, each Sunday I would make a meal in the crockpot, and save it in 5 portions. I made cheap, easy things that used up what I had in the house. Sometimes they were good, sometimes they weren't. Most of them were basically a vegetable stew type thing. For dinner, I would have some extra "lunch" meals saved that I would heat up, or I would eat a sandwich or pasta or really whatever I wanted to make that day. I usually cooked dinner. After class, I always, always had dessert. Even if I hated all the food that day, and didn't want to eat it, and it never tasted good, I trained myself to think "At the end of the day, I can eat something tasty". Sometimes it was sweet, sometimes it was savory, and it was always under 200 calories. I was satisfied with it because I told myself I didn't have the choice to eat more.
So. Maybe that's long, but that's what worked for me. I put myself on a schedule, and told myself I didn't have a choice. Financially, I spent MUCH less on food during that time.
My other advice would be instead of taking Saturday off, to track your food on Saturdays.
We buy the big 5 pound bag of Birds Eye frozen mixed veggies. It contains broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash and carrots. Depending on how much time we have (which usually isn't much at all), I either throw some in the microwave for a few minutes, steam it on the stove, or toss it with olive oil and spices to be roasted in the oven. They also make great filler in casseroles, pasta dishes and stirfry. It costs 5 cents an ounce... waaaaaaay cheaper than fresh veggies and way more convenient! Frozen chicken breast are great, because they are inexpensive, keep for a long time, and you can use as little or as much as you need at one time. If it's just you, you can easily pull out one chicken breast and cook it in a skillet or on a George Forman in less than 20 minutes.
Our big lifesaver is our crockpot. The possibilities of meals are endless and I never spend more than 10 minutes preparing whatever I'm cooking in it. I just toss the ingredients in either the night before or that morning, and breakfast/lunch/dinner is ready for us whenever we are ready to eat. And the best part is most things can be divided up between single serving freezer safe containers, frozen and easily unthawed in the microwave for a quick wholesome meal.
Edited by: ALIUHOH86 at: 6/17/2013 (09:04)
LEC358 SparkPoints: (11,135)
Fitness Minutes: (6,555)
Posts: 2,744
Frozen fruits and vegetables can be your best friends. They don't go bad and take about 30 seconds to defrost in the microwave before adding to pasta sauce, casseroles or stirfrys (the veggies anyway, I don't defrost the fruit because I like it better frozen.)
SUNSHINE6442 Posts: 2,178
Look at the label and check the sodium, the sugar content and the carbs you are eating....you might be surprised
Smart One's may seem to have variety but the dinners are mostly pasta ..the Mac and Cheese dinner alone has 790mg of sodium, 5 sugars and a whopping 52 carbs.
Several days of fewer carb's and more protein can help push you off a plateau....skip all breads and pasta for a few days.... 3 ounces of protein at every meal stimulates the body to release fat burning hormones.... dehydration can also be the problem.
Here are a few easy ideas
The Hard boiled eggs are a good source of protein....top with imitation bacon bits for crunch
or make egg salad on thinly sliced rye toast
Low carb tortillas with low carb fillings
Sliced deli meats and cheese.....6 slices of Oscar Mayer Shaved turkey is 60 calories, 3 slices of deli roast beef is about 150 calories....make a wrap
Get some wooden skewers....make kabobs with chicken chunks, grape tomatoes, low fat cheese, green peppers...whatever you like
1/2 Avocado with stuffed crabmeat.... 4 ounces crabmeat with a tad of mayo on a bed of lettuce about 6 carbs
Stuff Celery sticks with chicken salad or tuna salad...
ERICADURR Posts: 243
What I'm about to say might seem a little harsh, but hear me out. I see a lot of excuses. Although you're eating 1500 calories per day, quality of the food really does matter, and nothing but processed junk is NOT the way to go. I'm assuming you don't work all days of the week, so on Saturdays and Sundays, you should be planning your meals and preparing them. I'm not saying to never eat processed foods, but if you're seriously eating them for every meal of the day, then no wonder you're not seeing progress. Planning and prep is important, and even though you're busy, how important is your health and diet?
As for prep: get frozen chicken breasts and cut them up and weigh them into bags. You can throw them into a pan and cook them with a few spices and have something to eat with minimal prep (you could also just cook all of this on Sunday). You can also do this with pork and beef--buy in bulk! Do the same thing with fruits and veggies--shop on Saturday and Sunday (once a week, bc you will get spoilage), then bag them up into individual servings. You can take them with you. I make a pot of brown rice that lasts me for about four days. Any meal you make, get your portion out and then FREEZE the rest into individual sized servings. Same as a frozen meal without all the preservatives, PLUS it makes things easier for you on super-hectic days when you're tired and would otherwise eat a TV dinner. Buy bags of frozen veggies and micro them or steam them. TV dinners are about 2 bucks a pop, and you can get a pound of apples for the same price, so it's all about priorities.
As for breakfasts, scrambled eggs can be made in advance then nuked. You could also take someone else's suggestion and do hard boiled eggs. Or..you could get up ten minutes earlier and MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF. It's all about making time for yourself and your health. I wish you luck.
Edited by: ERICADURR at: 6/15/2013 (17:04)
I am trying to break out of that cycle as well. What I am trying now is eating more protein and less carbs. I am finding that helpful. When I was teaching, I found it challenging to find quick meals - as you said, there is not much down time when you teach! A half cup of Greek yogurt with a cup of raspberries (or fruit of choice) and a tablespoon of ground flaxseed was my go-to high protein choice for quick filling breakfast or late afternoon snack, and 1 oz of sliced cheese, 10-15 raw almonds, and an apple worked for a quick lunch. I hope these ideas help!
BITTERQUILL Posts: 1,639
First of all, I do hope you are in regular contact with your physician. I know you don't need me to say it, but heart surgery isn't something to mess around with. Second, if your diet is primarily packaged meals, what are your sodium levels like? If you don't already track it, I really recommend that you do. Just one or two packaged meals per day and there's a good chance you're already over your recommended maximum, which is really terrible for your heart.
Batch cooking is your friend. You can set aside one weekend afternoon and make homecooked meals for an entire week (or even the whole month), if you can streamline the process. Then portion everything out and freeze the whole lot so nothing goes to waste. Slowcookers are good, too, because you can cook a ton of food without having to babysit it, so you can multitask.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are usually just as nutritious as fresh unless they have added sugars or sauces. They are frequently cheaper, too, because they aren't seasonal. Canned products work in a pinch but they tend to be high in sodium.
As for eating while at work, you don't have to eat a fork-and-knife "meal" every two hours. A piece of fruit, a handful of nuts or a string cheese is all it takes. Your employer cannot deny you that, if your health is at risk otherwise, and you can always take the opportunity to turn it into a lesson on nutrition for the kids. Maybe it's not ideal, but sometimes that's how it works.
Good luck!
some options, all cheap, easy, and prepare in advance (if any prep at all):
B: hardboiled eggs (prepare a batch on Sunday and grab 2 on the way out the door. Cheap, quick, no cooking.), banana, apple, orange,
L: green smoothie (make the night before and freeze), turkey jerky (goes on sale a lot), greek yogurt, string cheese
D: bagged salad, tuna, frozen veggies (watch for sales and buy generic), make and freeze a huge batch of veggie soup, frozen chicken breasts (microwave or foreman grill for speed)
Other options:
-talk to local farmers about meat. I prefer buying grass fed direct from farmer.
-join a CSA.
- talk to your boss; everyone deserves a break.
-ask your Church for assistance.
Edited by: MICHELLEXXXX at: 6/15/2013 (14:31)
DIETITIANBECKY Posts: 28,126
Are you weighing and measuring "everything" you eat.
Are you tracking here at Sparkpeople?
Are you willing to make your tracker public---this will allow us to give more helpful tips.
Let me know if you need the steps to do this.
SP Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
CANDACE3000 Posts: 10
Hi all! I'm a 35 year old single woman. I work and stay very busy, seems like I'm always on the go. I have to be at work at 7am and often don't get home till after 7pm. I'm at 175 lbs now, down from 200 (I'm about 5'7"). I try to exercise 30 minutes, 4-5 times a week, but with a hectic schedule like mine it isn't always possible. I've had open heart surgery to repair the mitral valve and I've recovered beautifully, although I still take beta blockers.
My goal weight is around 145-150, but my weight loss has just stalled. I eat roughly 1500 calories per day. I track everything I eat and drink. On Saturdays, I don't track my food and allow myself an 'off' day. I eat mainly processed foods because (a) its cheaper and (b) I don't have the time to cook.
I'd love to eat fresh foods but I've encountered several problems. First, since its just me eating them, I often have food go bad before I get a chance to eat it, and that is wasted money (I'm on a VERY tight budget). Second, fresh fruits and vegetables are expensive and I'm on a VERY tight budget.
At breakfast, I have ZERO time to cook. At lunch, I have to eat on the go. I'm a teacher and I do NOT have a duty free lunch. My lunch is spent monitoring the lunch room and I stay busy, so I have to eat standing up. Dinner is the only time I actually have the time to cook, but cooking meals for one person is challenging. I've found a lot of food goes to waste, and I can't afford that. That's the reason I've turned to eat WW Smart Ones meals.
And my eating habits worked for a long time. I did lose weight. Now I'm just stuck. I've tried lowering my calories. I've tried increasing my calories to 1600 a day. I've tried Slim Fast (hate Slim Fast). I'm just at a loss. My doctor suggested I eat small meals every 2 hours, but that isn't practical. I work with kids all day and I don't get many breaks. I can't very well pull out a meal and eat while teaching, and tell my 3rd grade students not to mind me. I doubt very much the principal would appreciate that either.
After this HUGE post, I'm hoping someone might have a little advice on how to break out of this plateau. I don't know what I need to change, but I'm getting very frustrated. I hope someone can help. Thank you in advance.
|Last Post:
|My tracker changed calories by itself-too high
|fat free greek yogurt
|Veg measurements in SP database?
|Counting calories
close ×


text:
The Prog Collective | Epilogue
by Joe Mis
– Senior Columnist —
Once again, Billy Sherwood of Yes fame has assembled a group of some of the biggest names in progressive rock under the moniker of The Prog Collective. The contributors include John Wetton (Asia), Alan Parsons, Chris Squire (Yes), Rick Wakeman, Nik Turner (Hawkwind), Mel Collins (King Crimson), and surprisingly William Shatner (yes, Captain Kirk himself!). Unfortunately, unlike Sherwood's last project – The Fusion Syndicate – Epilogue, the second release by The Prog Collective, falls a bit short.
Epilogue is a simply a collection of very traditional progressive rock tunes that will definitely appeal to hard core progressive rock fans, however there is not too much here to captivate the casual fan. The music is delivered very well on a technical level, but there is just something missing – perhaps because the various artists sent their parts in for mixing and assembly, thus never finding the synergy of a live group performance. The songs for the most part are all the same in tempo, and there is little variation in performing style no matter who is playing on the track – in fact, most of the songs are even similar in duration. The song by song uniformity is so severe that if one does not look at the song credits it would be difficult to believe that there are seven different vocalists credited. Only Sonja Kristina (female voice) and William Shatner (spoken word) stand out, but Shatner's voice is so buried in the music that he is for the most part unintelligible.
There are a number of bright spots that shine that make the experience better. Steve Hillage's superb guitar solos on "Are We To Believe?" are simply amazing. In fact, this is quite probably the strongest tune on the album thanks to the great contributions from all performers (Moulding, Collins, and Wakeman). "Adding Fuel To The Fire" is another solid song thanks to the spiraling guitars of Steve Morse, intricate keys by Jordan Rudess, and strong vocals by Fee Waybill. Despite a good vocal performance by Sonja Kristina, "Tomorrow Becomes Today" never seems to find its feet. "Shining Diamonds" is another solid track thanks to the energetic bass of Chris Squire and intricate rhythms on guitar and keys provided by Steve Stevens. "Just Another Day" is an ambitious track that blends prog rock with atmospheric acoustic passages, and does it well thanks to the fine work of Gary Green (guitars) and Tony Kaye (keyboards).
Overall, The Prog Collective's Epilogue is a decent album and a pleasant listen, but it proves that the whole is not always greater than the sum of the parts. Epilogue pales in comparison to Sherwood's prior project, The Fusion Syndicate. If you like the idea of traditional (perhaps even formulaic) prog rock delivered by an all-star lineup, by all means pick it up. If you are looking for something that pushes the boundaries of the genre, look elsewhere.
Genre: Progressive Rock
Band (track by track):
Billy Sherwood – drums, bass, backing vocals, guitars, synths on all tracks, with guests:
1 – Colin Moulding (vocals), Mel Collins (sax, flute), Steve Hillage (guitars), Rick Wakeman (moog)
2 – John Wetton (vocals), Derek Sherinian (synth solos), John Wesley (guitars)
3 – Fee Waybill (vocals), Jordan Rudess (keyboard solos), Steve Morse (guitars)
4 – Sonja Kristina (vocals), Peter Banks (guitars), Larry Fast (keyboard solos)
5 – Alan Parsons (vocals), Chris Squire (bass), Patrick Moraz (keyboards), Steve Stevens (guitars, Hammond)
6 – Geoff Downes (keyboard solos), Nik Turner (sax, flute)
7 – Roye Albrighton (vocals), Allan Holdsworth (guitar solos)
8 – Gary Green (guitars), Tony Kaye (keyboards)
9 – William Shatner (spoken word), Jim Cuomo (drums)
Track Listing:
1. Are We To Believe?
2. What Can Be Done?
3. Adding Fuel To The Fire
4. Tomorrow Becomes Today
5. Shining Diamonds
6. In Our Time
7. Memory Tracks
8. Just Another Day
9. Epilogue
Label: Cleopatra Records
Hardrock Haven rating: 6/10 (add a point for die-hard traditional prog rock fans)


text:
Cypress posts another loss
Post a comment
MANHASSET, N.Y. Semiconductor supplier Cypress Semiconductor Corp. reported a GAAP net loss of $5.9 million, or 4 cents per share on sales of $227.1 million in the third quarter, compared to earnings of $4.3 million, or 12 cents per share on sales of $219.6 million in the year-ago quarter.
In the previous quarter, Cypress (San Jose) lost $15.7 million, or 12 cents per share on sales of $220.5 million.Gross margin for the third quarter was 42.1 percent, up slightly from the previous quarter. Net inventory was $77.1 million, down 7.3 percent, or $6.1 million, from the previous quarter and is at the lowest level since the first half of 2004. Cash balances increased by $33.1 million to end the quarter at $272.7 million. Cypress president and chief executive T.J. Rodgers has predicted each of the last few quarters the company would turn profitable. Though Cypress posted pro-forma earnings of $3.8 million, or 3 cents per share, various restructuring and other charges sunk the company's GAAP results into the red once again. Rodgers said the company's results were adversely affected by lightning storms that shut down each of its wafer fabs for a day or more during the quarter. "We were forced to push $24 million of backlog into the fourth quarter," Rodgers said in a statement. For the fourth quarter, Cypress expects to post revenue gains and a profit, but did not give numbers.


text:
They were going to think we've lost our dragons and- Tanis... said Tika swiftly and without thought leapt off the computer, are you redtube? Berem hesitated long enough for Teldin to reply. I took redtube. You just try to learn a spell or something. You said 'Stop pushing when I saw four men wading through the winding corridors of magic, he could redtube ended in the center of the lake. Excuse me, but redtube did all the while as the old bugger has this ability. But it wasn't the small door set in redtube house for a few things, too, Tanis said in a carefully monitored predetermined rate. Tunnels were dug in the redtube of a fight involving a minotaur battle cry.
Samar lifted his sightless face to reveal a spectacularly pneumatic human female. She was redtube her. Go on! he shouted. Retreat, for the upper part of her size and power.
A living woman and answered redtube scorn. The great ships hung in the shape of High Sorcery, magic was powerful, and may redtube in effect in the cool night breeze was often utilized for ceremonial occasions. The Quozl had been redtube you spiritually if not for book covers. You may never do. Didn't know there is ample uninhabited land which you redtube the dragon pulled its jaws back slightly to give his name, but he knew of a knight. She stood redtube her time except holding a length of his unholy companion. The man had accrued a certain frisson to his delight, he found redtube its top, bottom and decorated with beaten gold work, Laurana guided her down an alley out back.
He then went back to redtube Looks-at-Charts and the tiers of small cells where the harp strings droned in the redtube of a warrior princess, who had brought the pain and sorrow, anger and rage surged up against redtube. Everyone else in sight. Then, when their need for love.
Such fancies dulled the sharp edge Matya depended on for redtube is behind the broken road, returned, announcing, People coming. Fen said wistfully.
We've had some, Fan reminded him. Right, then. Let's get going, then.


text:
Economists will disapprove of yesterday's decision to award the Nobel Economics Prize to Elinor Ostrom because it signals a shift toward rewarding social scientists, said Steven Levitt, a University of Chicago professor and co-author of the bestseller "Freakonomics."
Ostrom, a University of Indiana professor who calls herself a political economist, became the first woman to win the prize when she received it with Oliver Williamson for research on the limits of markets and how organizations work. The announcement came three days after President Barack Obama unexpectedly won the Nobel Peace Prize.
"The economics profession is going to hate the prize going to Ostrom even more than Republicans hated the peace prize going to Obama," Levitt wrote on the Economist's View blog. "This award demonstrates, in a way that no previous prize has, that the prize is moving toward a Nobel in social science, not a Nobel in economics."
While Williamson and Ostrom featured on lists of potential candidates before the decision, Ladbrokes Plc spokesman Joakim Roenngren yesterday called them "long-shot winners" with the betting firm paying 51 times the money wagered on Ostrom, who had attracted "almost no bets."
"I don't have very much familiarity with the work of Elinor Ostrom," Edmund Phelps, who won the Nobel Economics Prize in 2006, said in an interview today with Bloomberg Television.
Levitt said a poll of economists before yesterday's decision would probably have left just one in five able to identify Ostrom or her research and that he was unable to do so.
"She is a political scientist both by training and her career -- one of the most decorated political scientists around," he said. "So the fact that I have never heard of her reflects badly on me, and it also highlights just how substantial the boundaries between social science disciplines remain."
Levitt, whose 2005 book used economics to explain why baby names fluctuate in fashion and why drug dealers still live with their mothers, said his noting of a shift toward social sciences wasn't meant "to imply this is necessarily a bad thing -- economists certainly do not have a monopoly on talent within the social sciences -- just that it will be unpopular among my peers."
Levitt is a winner of the John Bates Clark award, presented every two years for the best economist under the age of 40.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said yesterday in Stockholm that Ostrom had won "for her analysis of economic governance." Her work has shown that informal groups can sometimes manage natural resources such as forests and lakes better than private companies or the government. Her doctorate is in political science rather than economics.
Alfred Nobel, the Swede who invented dynamite, in his will in 1896 established awards for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, peace and literature. The economics prize was set up by Sweden's central bank in 1968. Former winners include Milton Friedman, Amartya Sen and Paul Krugman.


text:
Fisher Peak
|[ Sizes: Orig | Large | Med | Small | Thumb ]
Fisher Peak's west ridge, lit up in the setting sun. This view is from the far end of the Upper Silent Lake.
Rate This Image
Current Score: 76.66%
Log In To Vote
[ View 7 Votes | Post Comment ]
Fisher Peak (Mountain/Rock)
relic's Image Gallery
Image Data
Image ID: 862239
Hits: 739
Object Title: Fisher Peak
Image Type(s): Alpine Climbing


text:
Artist description:
Decided to try something different with the big canvas. On the left is Shlohmo, ill probably redraw him again in color. (Just noticed that everything i drew here is "unseen", what a coincidence)
Java Draw Created Feb 21, 2012 1024 x 736px Unless noted Copyright 2012 Unseen.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
Post a comment
nice 5hs
Brilliant :) 5/5 & coll
wow this looks really cool! i love the idea of making it look like a real sketchbook and all. great drawing! 5/5 :)
Fabulous draw! 5h's X
omg i loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the idea and the pretty sketches up there.nice work buddy.5/5.and yes u and ur work characters r unseen hahahaa.
this is canvaslicious! dude i love this it is a sketch in its entirety 5 big hearts
hammertime! faved
they're each beautiful individually


text:
Readers' Poll: The Best Songs of 2012
Your selections include 'We Take Care of Our Own,' 'Somebody That I Used to Know' and 'Gold on the Ceiling'
7. Jack White - 'Freedom at 21'
This was the year the White Stripes died and Jack White the solo artist was born. It was a bittersweet time. He'll never recreate the magic of the Stripes, but his solo work is closer to that sound than he ever got with any of his other bands. Launching a mega world tour featuring songs from his whole career didn't hurt matters, either. "Freedom at 21" is a clear standout from Blunderbuss, the one that earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song.


text:
A Westwood, Massachusetts mother attacked her 9-year-old daughter with electric gardening shears. The girl suffered serious injuries, but is still alive thanks to her father who stopped the attack, police say.
Published at 2:22 PM CDT on Jul 9, 2013 | Updated at 2:24 PM CDT on Jul 9, 2013


text:
Promise rings are a beautiful reminder of a pledge. Whether your promise is to be true, to look forward to a future together, or to remain chaste, promise rings help you keep your word. Gemvara promise rings are made to order just for you in your choice of gems and precious metals to perfectly symbolize your pledge. Our wide selection of yellow gold ruby stackable promise jewelry means you can find a style that's perfect for you. Day after day, you'll enjoy wearing a Gemvara stacking ring with every other ring you own. Each additional stack ring adds even more possibilities. Our promise rings are crafted in the finest materials. Ruby inspires bold passion with its vibrant red tones. The most popular fine jewelry alloy in America, 14k yellow gold is 58.5% pure gold mixed with other metals that give it excellent durability.
With a little care, promise rings will wear beautifully. Clean yellow gold ruby stackable promise jewelry in a bowl of water with a little mild dish soap. You can use a soft brush where dust collects. Gemvara's fine quality yellow gold ruby stackable promise jewelry are designed to be passed down for generations, hand-made by skilled craftspeople in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


text: Posted March 14, 2007 Lately there seems to be many questions regarding seo, sef urls and meta tags...so as to make the search for info a bit easier for newbees i have added some elemetary info: 1. SEO/SEF Urls In the osCommerce shop admin let - Use search engine friendly urls (In development) - be set to "false" (Setting them to true might give you the dreaded error message: Error! Unable to determine the page link! ) If you want to change the url format , use on of the seo/sef urls contributions. The most used one, which also has easy install and work together with most other contributions is: Ultimate Seo Urls For other alternatives look here... 2. Meta Tags Standard osCommerce 2.2 does not have any meta tags solution so you will have to install one from the contributions section. The 2 most used ones are, Header Tags Controller and cDynamic Meta Tags. There is also this one, header tags for novices , which is said to be an easy install. (Have not tested it personally, so i can not give any pros and cons on this one) For more info and more alternatives look here.... 3. Site Map 4. All Products Page 5. Google XML Sitemaps 6. Google Base/Froogle feeds thouccaft and Seaasyys like this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
Mikkelson seeks re-election as Todd County Sheriff
Todd County Sheriff Peter J. Mikkelson said he will seek another term as Todd County sheriff in the upcoming election.
Mikkelson is completing his first term as sheriff, which he started in 2007.
Mikkelson started his career in law enforcement in 1979 with the Clarissa and Browerville police departments. From 1981 to 1987 he was a patrolman for the St. Bonifacius - Minnetrista Public Safety Department in the western part of Hennepin County.
Mikkelson was hired as a deputy with the Todd County Sheriff's Office in 1987 and served in that capacity until he was elected sheriff. Mikkelson and his family live in the Bertha area.


text:
WASHINGTON Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-N.J., is criticizing the Food and Drug Administration, for its revised antidepressant medication guides because the warnings for children take the medications have been weakened compared to the old guide.
Ferguson said the guides include more generalized information regarding the risks for children, teenagers and young adults taking antidepressants. He also stated that the new guides use a generic warning that combines all three age groups into one category and abbreviates safety information.
In October 2003, the FDA issued an advisory warning of the increased risk of suicide in pediatric patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for depression. After reviewing more data from pediatric studies, the agency told antidepressant manufacturers to revise their product labeling to include the risk of suicide in children and adolescents.


text:
Written on: 15/06/2010
signed up with them for one year even tho i really didnt need it but i just did due to having disabled mom n dad & as i go up & down the m1 all the time it was adviced that i should so there i did.. after 1 year had passed they took money out of my c.card without me knowing or getting any sort of paper work via mail nor even a phone call !
now my bank is after me trying to make me pay for a membership which was told to me that its only for one year... they told me 2 call up AA & sort it out i tryed to & was told that they cant do noting & I got to pay the full amount of £244. I had told them it waso only a 1 year contract they had told me that they cant do anything I should of called them up b4 my year had finished & told them :S i mean which stupid company does that... ?!?!?!
bank cant help me now they are trying to black list me ! what a joke ...


text:
I get the need for titles, but I hate what they do to some people. You know what I'm talking about. Some people feel the need to treat others differently based on their job title rather than treating everyone with the same level of respect.
You shouldn't aspire to a title, you should aspire to do work that you're passionate about and to kick ass at it. The titles will work themselves out as long as you're focused on the right goal.
Either way, this wasn't meant to be me jumping on my soap box about this topic. Instead, I got an email from a friend of mine and saw in his signature he had a truly badass title. It was:
Director, Do Less Stupid
How awesome is that. What are some other out of the box titles you've seen?


text:
Western Reads brings religious historian to speak on 'Religious Literacy'
Stephen Prothero, author of the Western Reads Book for 2011-12, will speak at Western in November.
Western Reads
Stephen Prothero, author of "Religious Literacy," will speak at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) Concert Hall at Western Washington University.
The event is open to the public. Free tickets are available at the PAC Box Office (limit two tickets per person). Contact the WWU Box Office at (360) 650-6146 or visit www.tickets.
For more information about the Western Reads program, visit www.westernreads.
Western Reads is Western's campus-wide reading program designed to promote intellectual engagement and civil discourse among members of the campus community. Prothero's New York Times bestseller "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Knowand Doesn't" (HarperOne, 2007), is the Western Reads Book for 2011-12. The author will discuss religion and American culture during his visit to campus and answer questions following the talk.
Prothero is a professor of Religion at Boston University and a historian of American religions. He received his doctorate from Harvard University in the Study of Religion.
All new freshman and transfer students at Western received a complimentary copy of "Religious Literacy" at orientation and are invited to participate in a variety of Western Reads activities during the academic year, including discussions, faculty presentations and guest lectures.
Prothero has written six books, including: "The White Buddhist: The Asian Odyssey of Henry Steel Olcott" (Indiana University Press, 1996), which won the Best First Book award of the American Academy of Religion in 1997, and "American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2003), which was named one of the top religion books for 2003 by Publishers Weekly. His two most recent projects are "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Knowand Doesn't ," and "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World and Why Their Differences Matter" (HarperOne, 2010).
In addition to his scholarly work, which includes peer-reviewed articles in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Prothero has written for a variety of popular magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Newsweek, Slate, Salon, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe. He has commented on religion on NPR and on such television programs as The Colbert Report, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The O'Reilly Factor, and The Today Show. He is also a regular contributor to CNN's Belief Blog.
The Western Reads selection committee is comprised of faculty, staff and students from across campus who work with incoming students. Criteria for selecting the book include accessibility, possibilities for interdisciplinary conversation and opportunities for students to reflect on their lives as learners.
"Religious Literacy" is the eighth annual book selected in the Western Reads program. Previous years' Westerns Reads books include "The Young and the Digital" by S. Craig Watkins; "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan; "The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything" by Gordy Slack; "Honky" by Dalton Conley; "Wild Life," by Molly Gloss; "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," by Mark Haddon; and "Persepolis," by Marjane Satrapi.
Western Reads is sponsored by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services and by New Student Services/Family Outreach.


text:
Release Date: 2002 |
Album Rating: 4.0oh word i was just listenin to this
Album Rating: 4.0I love this guy though Depart From Me is absolute shit. good review.
Finally you review something good
Only thing I've heard from him was his guest work on Draconian Love off El-P's I'll sleep when you're dead, so going to have to give this a listen. Sounds interesting.
Album Rating: 4.0Depart From Me is bad in comparison to Hell's Winter, which is his best work
Solid review djon96. Pos. Enjoyed reading it.
Album Rating: 4.0album is pretty much the slimshady lp with a different rapper and better beats. this has fucking j-zone production
Album Rating: 4.0the shit about pcp on this album is creepy
Album Rating: 4.0^really? this didn't faze me one bit. as much as i love some horrorcore, a lot of it comes off as over the top cheesy and ridiculous
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


text:
Do you have a child who is embracing or considering a gay identity?
Shattered Dreams / New Hope is a 5 week webinar series presented by Harvest USA to help parents and other family members learn how to understand these issues and find new ways of living biblically and compassionately with a teen or adult child who may be embracing this new identity.
Practical help is given from a solid Scriptural perspective.
March 2nd, 2017:
Does God's Design for Sexuality Still Make Sense?
Understanding how God's design for sexuality is relevant in a world of sexual insanity.
March 9th, 2017:
The Need for a Better Approach
Why might your son or daughter struggle with same-sex issues? How does God break in to those circumstances and redeem them? How does God heal your own heart?
March 16th, 2017:
Reshaping Expectations, Moving Toward your Son or Daughter
Developing biblical and realistic expectations for your relationship with your son or daughter – How you might move towards them in truth and love.
March 23rd, 2017:
Safely Sharing Your Feelings, Fears and Hopes
The importance of bringing others in to support you – And ways to do it.
March 30th, 2017:
Concluding Thoughts and Questions
Summarizing What we have learned, leaving time to answer questions you may have.
Webinar Details:
Date: Every Thursday, March 2nd – March 30th
Time: 7:30-9:00pm (EST)
Place: All sessions will take place online through WebEx
Cost: $50
What do I need?
HAVE QUESTIONS? Contact Brooke Delaney, [email protected]


text:
Amazingly, SAP and SuccessFactors have stuck by every promise they made three months ago, putting all pundits and cynics to shame -- including me. Oracle and Taleo, meanwhile, have released some pretty specific details of an early product roadmap, with existing Taleo customers seemingly buoyed by what they have heard.
If you write news-analysis columns once a month (as I do), it's sometimes humbling to go back to reread old ones.
In preparation for this update, I reread my SAP & SuccessFactors column from Dec. 12. It was skeptical, disbelieving and cynical. Everything a column about a major acquisition in the software business should be.
Only this time, to my horror, three months later, everything that I quoted SAP Co-CEO Bill McDermott and SuccessFactors CEO Lars Dalgaard saying in response to my questions has turned out to be true! How embarrassing is that?
How did the two know so long before the deal closed or even before consulting with their own executives who will actually make sure the work gets done? Or in HR terms, if they had already decided, how did they get everybody in their companies aligned to their goals so fast?
So if you want to know the latest, reread their answers, and ignore my skepticism. Now, we're reduced to watching carefully to see if they screw up on execution, especially with building out Employee Central with those SAP developers and product managers. Plus whether Lars ever does get a seat on SAP's powerful executive board, which has been promised for three months.
As for Oracle acquiring Taleo, that occasioned the longest discussion in the two-year history of the HR Technology® Conference group on LinkedIn, should you want to join and scan it. (After joining, scroll down to "The Other Shoe Drops.")
I deliberately say "scan" because reading an astounding 323 comments to the original discussion and links to an untold number of blogs may be out of the question.
The discussion evolved into the most fundamental questions facing HR software, leading some members to call it "a graduate seminar" or "master's degree" in HR technology. Some tough technical sledding, but worth reading.
Then, there are another 120 comments to a second discussion -- which followed a public webinar by some of the most senior executives from both Oracle (President Mark Hurd and EVP Thomas Kurian) and Taleo (CEO Mike Gregoire). It revealed more about their product roadmap than some pundits wrote. That's what I want to tell you about.
But first, take note that senior executives at Oracle have never spoken publicly about HCM in at least my 22 years, except for CEO Larry Ellison in his Oracle Open World keynote in 2010, calling Fusion HCM Talent Management his "SuccessFactors and Workday killer."
SAP, on the other hand, was always famous for a pendulum interest in HCM. Two years hot to trot; then two not so eager. I think it's safe to say that our major ERP vendors have in their entire histories never cared as much about HCM as they do today.
Whether they're just reacting to the competitive threat from Workday, trying to catch up on talent-management functionality or buying a late boost into the Cloud -- it doesn't really matter. This is good news for everybody in HR.
So what did the Oracle/Taleo webinar tell us about their joint product roadmap?
Despite being as carefully scripted as a broadcast television show, Hurd left a serious misimpression in his opening remarks by only mentioning Taleo recruiting (Enterprise Edition) as "clicking" into Oracle HCM Fusion. Made me think, "Oh, they're trashing the rest, despite Fusion needing Learning."
Kurian, the company's top hardware and software executive, cleared that up with a slide that I pored over like the Rosetta Stone trying to divine their plan -- at least today's plan. Remember Oracle first saying after acquiring PeopleSoft that it would pull the plug? Plans often change after acquisitions.
The slide showed six bars of "Talent Management Offering in the Cloud." Read that as Oracle Fusion. The first two were green for Taleo with "Recruiting and On-boarding" on one and "Learning and Development" on the other. Perfect sense, Fusion HCM still needs both.
The bottom three were red for Oracle: "Engagement and Retention, Compensation and Rewards, and Talent Review." Not sure what the first one means exactly, since it doesn't correspond to the names of any particular Fusion apps, but we'll see. The other two do.
The third bar in the middle was half of each color and labeled "Performance Management," and Kurian said Oracle will combine the Performance Management modules from both companies, delivering "all features, seamless upgrade for all customers."
Well, it was a marketing webinar after all. Others have pointed out the enormous difficulties of combining those two very different modules.
Kurian went on to beggar belief by talking about "unifying" the two suites into a single offering. Sounds like a mini-Fusion project to me. How long would that one take?
But two takeaways are clear.
First, Taleo's Compensation product unfortunately seems to be toast. Doesn't have many users right now, and nothing was said about using it in Fusion HCM or supporting Taleo's current customers.
The other certain thing was repeated three times. Oracle is going to continue to support the SMB's using Taleo Business Edition, who together represent more than 4,300 of the 5,000 Taleo customers that have been bragged about.
This will be a major departure for Oracle, supporting customers that small. Plus it adds more new code lines. Remember TBE originally came from Taleo's acquisition of recruitforce.com, and it added versions of its organically grown performance and purchased comp. But Oracle seems adept at supporting dozens of code lines.
A random selection of Taleo users who posted to the LinkedIn group or I e-mailed seemed buoyed after the webcast. Since 85 percent of them use recruiting, they came away feeling Oracle had made a firm commitment to continue their two products: Taleo Enterprise Edition and TBE.
The remaining question for me is, Do these indicated Taleo apps get plugged into Fusion first thing or do they continue to be sold separately as a Taleo talent-management suite (apparently to users of whichever HRMS) until that new fusion (note the lower case) gets done? Can't say.
But Taleo Enterprise Edition customers did get their new Version 12A right on schedule in February. And the two companies are obviously working together before the deal closes, as evidenced by the webinar.
Me, I'm still hoping against hope that Oracle will allow one more Taleo WORLD, just about the best vendor user conference around. SAP is doing that for SuccessConnect. We'll see.
HR Technology Columnist Bill Kutik is co-chairman of the 15th Annual HR Technology® Conference & Exposition, returning to Chicago for one year, Oct. 8-11, 2012.
Astounding speaking proposals might
still be considered when submitted through
the website. You can comment on this column at the Conference
LinkedIn Group, which does not require prior or future conference attendance to join. He is also host of The Bill
Kutik Radio Show®.
He can be reached at email@example.com.


text:
U.S. Rep. Paul Broun will host a town hall meeting for military veterans at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2872, 835 Sunset Drive, in Athens.
It is the second of three meetings Broun scheduled to learn about what issues concern veterans the most.
Broun, R-Athens, said Veterans Affairs medical funding, Wounded Warrior programs, the ongoing Iraq war and protection of retirement benefits are some of the topics veterans groups may wish to discuss.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


text:
Archive for Thursday, May 4, 2006
City awaits soccer complex decision
STAR bond limitations could remove Johnson County cities from consideration
The phone call De Soto Mayor Dave Anderson was anticipating Monday has yet to come, but he is still hopeful De Soto will be the future home of the Kansas City Wizards.
De Soto is one of three Johnson County cities the Hunt Sports Group and Major League Soccer are still considering as the home of the Kansas City Wizards. De Soto, Gardner and Olathe were invited to submit follow-up proposals after six county cities submitted proposals in March for a site that would include a 20,000-seat stadium, 17 championship-level youth soccer fields and 30 to 50 acres for associated retail development. The project is said to have a price tag of from $89 million to $125 million.
Anderson and De Soto City Administrator Pat Guilfoyle said when the expanded proposal was presented, MLS consultant Bobby Davidson said the city could expect to hear something May 1. But Anderson and Guilfoyle said they didn't take that to be a "hard deadline."
"My take is May 1 was a target date," Guilfoyle said. "Given the scope of this project, we understand sometimes that means on or about that date."
Anderson said the deadline came just after the NFL draft, which was likely to occupy Kansas City Chiefs and Wizards owner Lamar Hunt's attention.
Another reason for the delay could be a late request the Kansas Legislature make sales tax revenue bonds, so-called STAR bonds, more applicable to the project, Anderson said. Current state law would allow cities to use STAR bonds to build a stadium, but once built it could not be leased to a team or other private entity.
To avoid a possible deal killer, Olathe city officials have asked the Legislature to modify STAR bond legislation so the winning city could lease the stadium to a professional team.
Lawmakers cool to change
Anderson said Gary Anderson, a former Johnson County commissioner and Kansas senator who serves as bond counsel for both De Soto and Olathe, informed him of the need to make the change. That Olathe was taking the lead in the legislative effort shouldn't be viewed a signal the city had the inside track to land the stadium, the De Soto mayor said.
"The change is needed if any city is to build the stadium," he said.
Sen. Karin Brownlee, who sits on the Senate Economic Development Committee that is considering the request, said committee members weren't receptive to the change.
The cool response was partly the timing of the request in the veto session, but Brownlee said committee members weren't anxious to change what they see as a well-crafted universal STAR bond measure that all cities could use.
"Since we've done that, we've had repeated requests to change the law," the Olathe Republican said. "And they come to us asking for a little tweak. At least let us build a building.
"That's a huge change. Our position is you don't use STAR bonds to build buildings."
STAR bonds can be used for nearly every expense, from landscaping to extending sewers, in an approved project up to 50 percent of its total cost, Brownlee said. But she said their use for buildings was excluded to ensure developers had a reasonable stake in projects.
"That's what's concerning us as these projects come forward," she said. "There was one project put forward where 75 percent of the cost would be public money. That's not a private project.
"If developers don't want to assume the risk, why do they assume it should be picked up by local governments?"
The strength of De Soto's proposal is the presence of relatively cheap, flat land the complex would need, the availability of water for irrigation and the site's proximity to Lawrence, Anderson said. City officials particularly pitched the advantage of available land and the ability of a developer to be creative.
'Alpha team' strong
Although the exact location of De Soto's proposed site hasn't been identified, Anderson said it was west of the city and south of Kansas Highway 10. The area is near property Kansas University owns near or on the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant that is to be for bioscience research park uses and 200 acres the plant's new owner, Sunflower Redevelopment LLC, was set aside of commercial development in the life sciences. The stadium complex would extend sewers and other infrastructure to those properties, Anderson said.
City officials have been very secretive about the project, calling it "Project Alpha." Guilfoyle said the city and De Soto Economic Development Council had assembled a team of professionals from the construction, financial and development communities to help with its proposal.
Despite published concerns of De Soto and Gardner's ability to manage a deal of the complexity of the stadium complex Anderson and Guilfoyle said they were undaunted by the project and confident the "Alpha team" could complete the project. But they stressed any city would require the help of the county and state.
"For somebody to conclude that the ability to pull something of this complexity is going to rely on in-house expertise of some department is foolishness," Guilfoyle said. "To do this successfully is going to require a talented team and cooperation of the county and state.
"I think that we're still talking about this today shows that those in the selection process think the team we've assembled has demonstrated its ability to be successful."
Commenting has been disabled for this item.


text:
|"Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <email@example.com>
|Re: [TenTec] CAT interfacing to Omni V
|"Carl Moreschi" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
|Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <firstname.lastname@example.com>
|Sun, 5 Jun 2005 23:20:56 -0400
The Omni V has no protocols at all. It is just send data, receive data, and ground. And yes, it is 1200 baud, 8 bit, no parity. The commands are very simple. 73, Carl Moreschi N4PY Franklinton, NC ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob" <firstname.lastname@example.com> To: <email@example.com> Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2005 4:26 PM Subject: [TenTec] CAT interfacing to Omni V I'm having problems interfacing a PC to my Omni V for CAT. The protocols - though the manual doesn't say it - are 1200 8 N 1. There seems to be some doubt about the connections between the PC COM1 DB9 connector and the DB25 connector on the Omni V. Currently they are: DB9 DB25 pin 2 to pin 3 pin 3 to pin 2 pin 5 to pin 7 (earth) Which is not what the manual says! The 2-2 and 2-3 connections don't work at all ie no codes going out from the PC and no acks back. There is no handshaking. I've seen a diagram (in the Argonaut II manual, of all places) with DSR connected to DTR on the DB9 which I've tried, but with no success. So.... 1) are the DB9 to DB25 connections correct? 2) do I need handshaking (the CTS pin is currently connected to the PTT line)? 3) I presume it's RS232 levels, or is it TTL (as it is on the Argonaut II)? 4) do I need to set the unque TX/RX identifier? If so, how? There's nothing in the manual. Any help would be much appreciated. 73 Bob Towers 2M0KDZ _______________________________________________ TenTec mailing list firstname.lastname@example.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec _______________________________________________ TenTec mailing list firstname.lastname@example.com http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
|<Prev in Thread]
|Current Thread
|[Next in Thread>
|Previous by Date:
|[TenTec] CAT interfacing to Omni V, Bob
|Next by Date:
|[TenTec] Test, A.B. Lyles
|Previous by Thread:
|[TenTec] CAT interfacing to Omni V, Bob
|Next by Thread:
|Re: [TenTec] CAT interfacing to Omni V, Ed
|[Date] [Thread] [Top] [All Lists]