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Car-as-a-service era is here
3 comments
What if you were able to try out driverless features in your car for one month at no charge? If you liked it a lot, you could buy an annual subscription. When your subscription runs out, you could renew it through your smartphone. On a weekend, you might want to upgrade the driverless feature from commuter style to race track style, and be driven at breakneck speeds on a racetrack.
Googles driverless car, which was awarded a driving license in Nevada in May 2012, is a guide for the technology-driven transformation of the automobile industry. Observers are dreaming up possibilities as exemplified by if you give a car the abilities of race car drivers (instead of the average driver) and combine them with conservative software used for standard driving then you can develop a safer driving experience.
Such possibilities are endless. At their core, they speak to the looming transformation of business models in the automotive industry. A business that is characterized by occasional vehicle sales today is soon to become the car as a service, creating an on-going relationship between auto manufacturers and consumers with recurring revenues from sales of apps and services. The recipe driving the transformation of automotive manufacturers consists of essential ingredients, platform + apps + service. This is seen in Googles driverless features, which were retrofitted onto a Toyota Prius and enabled by a combination of hardware platform (e.g. laser radars), breakthrough software and Internet-enabled services.
Until recently, comparing Apple to Ford would have been dismissed as a meaningless exercise. However, Apples formula of platform + apps + services, exemplified by the iPhone platform + iPhone Apps + iTunes content, serves as an indicator of the payoff that automotive manufacturers can expect, if replicated correctly. The table below shows that Ford and Apple are roughly similar by revenue. However, Apples market capitalization per dollar of revenue (3.1 in the table below) is 10 times that of Fords.
Despite this difference, these types of returns are very much within reach, and Ford, in particular, is heading in that direction.


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Ann I. Lansing, Janesville, WI (1931 - 2014)
March 30, 1931 - April 5, 2014
Ann I. Lansing, age 83, of Janesville, died on Saturday, April 5, 2014, at St. Mary's Janesville Hospital. She was born in Milwaukee, on March 30, 1931, the daughter of Carl and Irma (Spearbraker) Zuehlke, and was a lifelong resident of Janesville, graduating from Janesville High School in 1949. Ann married Edward W. Lansing on Jan. 14, 1951, and he preceded her in death on March 20, 1986. She had been employed by Mercy Hospital, the Janesville Board of Education, and M & I Bank retiring in 1993. She was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church and the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary as Treasurer, contributing over 11,000 hours of volunteer service.
Ann is survived by her son, Michael E. Lansing of Janesville; two daughters, Julie (Kurt) Panke of Madison, and Pamela (Russell) Smestad of Middleton; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents.
A Funeral Service will be held at 12 Noon on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, at SCHNEIDER APFEL SCHNEIDER & SCHNEIDER FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY with Rev. Bond Haldeman officiating. Interment will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Wednesday from 11 a.m. until 12 Noon at SCHNEIDER APFEL SCHNEIDER & SCHNEIDER FUNERAL HOME. Memorials may be made to the Southern Wisconsin Humane Society. For on-line condolences and registry: www.schneiderfuneraldirectors.com
The family wishes to thank all the health professionals who cared for Ann over the years.

subset: commoncrawl


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Global political risk has moderated as emerging economies stabilize in the wake of the Arab Spring and pressures related to the financial crisis abate, according to Aon Risk Solutions' latest mapping of such risk.
On Aon's political risk map for 2013, 13 countries were upgraded to show they pose less political risk, while 12 were downgraded to show they pose a higher risk. While that nearly even split between upgrades and downgrades may not sound encouraging, it represents a big improvement over 2012, when just three countries were upgraded and 21 were downgraded, and 2011, when 11 upgrades were outpaced by 19 downgrades.
"The overall situation has been improving," said Roger Schwartz, senior vice president of political risk for Aon Risk Solutions, noting that the ripple effects of the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 have been subsiding. "The political violence has eased in some areas, and the economics have eased in some areas but not in others."
The upgrades of a few countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus region, including Azerbaijan and Armenia, and cited efforts in emerging Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States to put in place structural reforms, according to Aon. In the Middle East, where a number of nations were downgraded in 2012, Bahrain, Oman and UAE were upgraded this year. Countries in Northern and Western Africa remain under pressure, with Algeria, Cameron, Chad and Mali downgraded on this year's map.
Aon Risk Solutions' map focuses on the developing world and excludes members of the eurozone and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. This year's map was developed in partnership with Roubini Global Economics and includes input from Lloyd's syndicates and insurers that write political risk insurance.
The political risk map assesses six areas of risk for each country: exchange transfer, legal and regulatory, political interference, political interference, political violence, sovereign nonpayment and supply chain disruption.
This year's generally upbeat message was qualified by a big uptick in the number of countries tagged with supply chain risk, with that characterization added to 47 countries and territories, while just eight countries showed an improvement in supply chain risk, including Brazil, China, India and Panama.
Schwartz noted that many of the countries that had the supply chain risk icon added this year are in Africa and the Middle East, regions that are politically stressed. "A lot of these supply chain issues are relating to the ability to get product in or out of the country," he said.
A recent Deloitte survey suggests that supply chain risks are increasing in developed economies as well. The survey of 600 executives at retail and manufacturing companies worldwide showed 48% are seeing risk events crop up in their supply chain more frequently over the past three years, and 53% said supply chain risk events are more costly than they were three years ago.
Kelly Marchese, a principal in the supply chain strategy practice at Deloitte Consulting, linked the increase in supply chain problems to the fact that companies' supply chains have become more complex and more likely to span the globe. "This problem isn't going to go away, it's only going to get tougher to manage a supply chain. As complicated as our supply chains have gotten, we have to get more sophisticated about how we manage the risk," Marchese said.
The mention of supply chain interruptions may bring to mind the 2011 tsunami in Japan or the flooding that same year in Thailand, but many of the executives surveyed by Deloitte said the problems that carried the biggest price tag occurred closer to home. Forty percent indicated the most costly problems in their supply chains occurred in North America, while 34% cited the cost of problems in Northern and Western Europe and another 34% pointed to China.
While floods or hurricanes make headlines, other risks relate to individual companies and the decisions they make regarding their supply chains," Marchese said. "Some of the things that affect companies are almost self-inflicted. They've made decisions over time because of cost-cutting without looking at the total risk involved."
More than half (54%) of the executives surveyed said margin erosion was the most costly type of supply chain problem they encountered, while 40% cited sudden changes in demand.
According to the survey, 63% of companies have a supply chain risk management program. But executives were skeptical about those efforts, with only 55% describing risk management for the supply chain as extremely or very effective.
The biggest challenge that executives saw in controlling supply chain risks was cross-functional collaboration, which was cited by almost a third (32%).
Companies with supply chains that reach across countries and regions may have managers in charge of a certain region or a certain program, said Marchese, who's pictured at left. "Until you get up to the CEO or COO, there's no one person who owns the whole thing. That's one of the things that makes supply chain risk so hard to manage."
"Having the governance in place that spans the entire supply chain is incredibly important to insure risk management decisions are being made end-to-end or sourcing departments aren't making lowest-cost decisions in a vacuum without realizing the decisions," she added.
The cost of risk management efforts was the secondecond most frequently cited challenge was the cost of risk management efforts, cited by 27%.
Marchese argued that companies can work to ensure their supply chains are resilient without necessarily spending a lot of money, and cited the hypothetical case of a company that has a factory in Brazil manufacturing products for Latin America and another in the U.S. making products for North America.
"If something happens in the U.S., how easy would it be for you to produce those things in Brazil and then ship them?" she asked, and suggested the company could ensure that that's possible in case the U.S. factory suffered damage. "It has to do with who your suppliers are, how your facilities are set up, whether you have the right tooling or regulatory permits. It doesn't have to be expensive but it does take planning."
Developing a metric for supply chain resiliency would aid risk management efforts, since executives who are measured on costs will focus on cutting costs, according Marchese. "If companies start to look at a measure of resiliency and shareholders hold companies responsible, then we'll see decisions being made differently," she said.


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Death notices for Dec. 8, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Karen A. Crisman, 73, Lake Geneva, died Thursday at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lake Geneva. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Steinke Funeral Home, Lake Geneva.
Bradley Zane Downing, 50, Janesville, died Friday at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, Janesville. Arrangements are pending at Henke-Clarson Funeral Home, Janesville.
Richard J. Potter, 74, Delavan, died Friday at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center, Elkhorn. Arrangements are pending at Monroe Funeral Home, Delavan.


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Japanese Grammar FAQ
From WagaWiki
(→Can I use か(ka) after だ(da)?)
(→Are Japanese tenses different from English?)
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だ follows nouns and na-adjectives, as in 「猫(ねこ)だ」 or 「きれいだ」, but the polite form です conveniently may follow i-adjectives also. 「寒いです」
だ follows nouns and na-adjectives, as in 「猫(ねこ)だ」 or 「きれいだ」, but the polite form です conveniently may follow i-adjectives also. 「寒いです」
=== What is ~んだ (-nda) / What is ~のだ (-noda) ===
=== What is ~んだ (-nda) / What is ~のだ (-noda) ===
Current revision as of 09:20, 19 February 2013
I began writing this FAQ when I was still at a relatively early stage of learning Japanese. A fair few years must have past... so now I intend to write this thing up from start to finish.
For the most part, I'll be referencing grammar questions that arose in the thejapanesepage.com 's forums. Any recommendations or personal queries? Feel free to send me a PM. I want to arrange these grammar questions starting with general/common questions, and gradually getting more specific and uncommon. I will try and answer them as concisely as possible. Anyone is welcome to make improvements (or corrections!) but I appreciate your asking first.
That said, Yoroshiku!
だ(da) VS です(desu)
The copula だ・です is used to finalize a statement. They mean the same thing, except that です is polite and, like any polite Japanese, is usually prioritized when speaking to anyone outside of friends and family. The extremely polite form is でございます (de gozaimasu)
Other forms of this word include である (de aru) which is used in formal or academic text/speech. It sounds very certain and sometimes even proud - like the title of Natsume Soseki's book: 我輩は猫である "I am a Cat." The Samurai-esque alternative is でござる (de gozaru).
Can I use か(ka) after だ(da)?
When asking a question in polite Japanese, your sentence will often end in 「ですか。」However, even though ですis a polite form of だ, Japanese people do not say だか, which actually gives off a distinct country-bumpkin feel. Questions in casual speech are best ended with the particle の (refer to the んだ・のだ section)
It should also be noted that だ should not follow an i-adjective (「い形容詞」)or a verb.
On the other hand, verbs/i-adjectives can be joined to だ with ん/の but the meaning will be affected. For example:
寒い 0
寒いんだ 0
The first sentence means "It's (or "I'm") cold." The second sentence could mean "Oh it's cold" (indicating realization) or "I'm cold" (in explanation.) Please refer to the んだ・のだ section for more details.
だ follows nouns and na-adjectives, as in 「猫(ねこ)だ」 or 「きれいだ」, but the polite form です conveniently may follow i-adjectives also. 「寒いです」
Are Japanese tenses different from English?
Talking about things in the past, present or future is easy enough in Japanese, but the past tense in particular can be somewhat misleading.
1. Future. 私は勉強します。わたしはべんきょうします。 This literally means "I study" but because the dictionary form of Japanese verbs indicates one's intentions, it can be used to express what you are about to do. To express things at a later date in the future, you can use the dictionary form with time specific words such as "next week:" 「来週、映画を見に行きます。らいしゅう、えいがをみにいきます。」"Next week, ... go to see a movie." Note that the subject ("I" or "we" or "they") is left out as it would be understood from the context.
For uncertain future events, simply add だろう・でしょう after the verb: 「彼はいつか帰ってくるだろう。かれはいつかかえってくるだろう。」"Someday he will return" (I think he will, but I can't be certain.)
No matter what tense, the て form of a verb can be used to carry on the sentence. The two sentences below are in different tenses, but the verb in て form (開ける・あける to open) does not need to specify the tense because that is done by the final verb (入る・はいる to enter)
(私は)ドアを開けて部屋に入ります。 "(I) open the door and enter the room" (私は)ドアを開けて部屋に入りました。 (I) opened the door and entered the room"
What is ~んだ (-nda) / What is ~のだ (-noda)
~んだ is a contraction of ~のだ. They are interchangeable, and both can be used in polite or casual Japanese. Since the former is more common, using the latter will sound like you are purposefully trying to sound serious, or proper, so I would say it works well in polite Japanese.
They can follow an い形容詞 (i-adjective) or a verb. If you want to follow a な形容詞(na-adjective) you must include the な(na), please see examples below. Usage should be covered elsewhere, but I'll just say that inserting ん or の suggests one is seeking an explanation (when used in a question) or giving an explanation (when used in a statement.)
Using ん・の in a question:
イギリスは、今寒くないんですか Isn't the UK cold now? (Here「ん」demonstrates the speakers interest for the listener's knowledge/explanation.)
宿題はもうやったの? Have you already done your homework? (In casual speech, it generally works well to use の as your question marker.)
Using ん・の in a statement can be to give an explanation, or acknowledge/understand something you didn't before.
これは、便利なのです。 This useful/convenient. (Here the「の」is saying 'that's why!' in explanation as to why you like or recommend something.)
終わったんだ。 It's finished/over (Here ん describes the speaker's realization at that very moment that something has finished.)
Conditionals: what's the difference?
In English, we use the word "if" a lot; some of our conditionals ("were I to.." "should you..") are falling out of use. By contrast, Japanese has a number of conditionals that are all used frequently, and understanding the way to distinguish the use of these is a challenge all Japanese learners will face. Despite having distinct nuances, there are times when more than one conditional will fit a given sentence, which is probably one of the causes of confusion.
と is placed after a verb in dictionary/plain form. For example, 見ると (if/when I look.) Whatever follows next, と tells us that it follows (or followed) succinctly, smoothly, directly. This can be thought of as 'cause and effect.' 写真を見ると、彼を思い出します。When I look at the photo, I remember him. しゃしんをみると、かれをおもいだします。
It is often used in the context of giving advice. In such a context, it is clearly more assertive than ば or たら。
それを持っていくと便利ですよ If you take that with you, it's useful! (underlying nuance: you really ought to take it!)
暖かいうちに食べるといい It's better if you eat it whilst it's hot (underlying nuance: I really recommend you eat it whilst it's hot)
- Advanced: と following the volitional form of a verb will create the meaning 'even if' (usually expressed with verb stem + ても) I feel that using と in this way has a sense of poetry or emotion.
何を言われても、気にしない >>> 何を言われようと、気にしない
Has the nuance of 'provided that.' 'On condition that.' なら directly follows a verb or noun.
あなたも行くなら、私も行く If you will go, I will go too. (underlying nuance: I'll go too but only if you are)
君ならできる If it's you, you can do it (underlying nuance: If anyone can do it, you can)
Leaving out the い does not change the meaning, てる originated from fast colloquial speech patterns (in the same way as people say 'gonna' for 'going.'
本を読んでいる >>>本を読んでる
汗をかいている >>> 汗をかいてる


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Death notices for Sept. 1, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Howard A. Belter, 73, Milton, died Thursday at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, Janesville. Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at St. Mark Lutheran Church, Janesville. There is no visitation. Henke-Clarson Funeral Home, Janesville, is assisting the family.
Lorraine Paulson, 89, Evansville, died Saturday at St. Elizabeth's Manor, Footville. Arrangements are pending at the Ward-Hurtley Funeral Home, Evansville
Ralph W. Plantikow, 87, Janesville, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Nursing Home, Janesville. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Lutheran Church, Janesville. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the time of services Wednesday at the church. Henke-Clarson Funeral Home, Janesville, is assisting the family.


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What the heck is buzzing around our deck?
My wife and I were getting ready to enjoy supper on our deck Wednesday night when I first saw the little object buzzing around. At first I thought it might be one of those big ground wasps that have tunneled holes into our yard three times the past two summers, until I hit them with Raid lest Molly, our cairn terrier, tangle with one and get stung.
But this flying object seemed larger, and I thought we had seen this buzzer a couple of nights earlier, zipping around our front yard and garden. So on Wednesday night I snuck out for a closer inspection as it flitted around Cheryl's many flowers decorating our deck. Something in the back of my mind said "hummingbird moth," perhaps because that's what it looked like. It didn't seem to be scared by my presence, and I grabbed my camera and quickly attached the zoom lens. I snuck back out the door—as it almost joined me inside—and tried to get it in a frame as it kept moving quickly from flower to flower or plant to plant. My first few frames were futile—its wings were flapping so fast the photographic images were nothing but blurs. I switched to flash mode and after three attempts got the photo you see here.
It kept buzzing the flowers as we ate, and, fortunately, Molly seemed to ignore it. At one point, it almost flew right into my salad until I waved it away. (Perhaps it prefers Wish Bone Western dressing!).
As we finished eating, a clambering of crows caused a commotion in the big trees next door. That's when my wife spotted a hawk—my guess is it was a Red-tailed hawk—sitting high atop a tree. This predator set the crows to squawking.
On Thursday I checked a few websites to see if my suspicions about our visiting "hummingbird moth" were correct. Sure enough, it appears to be one of a variety of hummingbird moths, this one known as the white-lined sphinx moth, that are seen during daylight.
A wikipedia website says this moth, with a wing span of about 2 to 3 inches, ranges from Mexico to Canada and is generally seen between April and October. It's often called a hummingbird moth because its rapid wing movement resembles that of a hummingbird.
The website eHow.com called it a sphinx or hawk moth and says such an insect gathers nectar with a long, flexible proboscis that, when not in use, is kept coiled up beneath its head. That is what this moth was doing Wednesday evening around Cheryl's flowers.
Still another website on hummingbird moths says birds are among predators of these insects. I hope that Red-tailed hawk watching us from its high perch wasn't planning on having our flighty little friend for its next meal!
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or email@example.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.


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Side & End Tables
Let your creativity be on display with one of our acrylic, metal, wood, or leather side or end tables. View our practical designs, some with lift tops, many in sets with size gradations crafted in surprising materials such as faux marble, and shimmering metallic finishes. Check out our whimsical collection of pedestal styles in modern, country, and traditional classic lines, all with a lot of flair.


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Joint town-village fire station moves forward
DARIEN—If everything goes as planned, the town and village of Darien could break ground on a new fire station as soon as spring 2014.
On Monday, the Darien Village Board approved a contract that would allow the village� to buy land for the new station.
On Tuesday, the Darien Town Board approved a similar contract.
The two municipalities have long shared fire and rescue services. The new station will be on Gerry Lane in a privately owned industrial park in the village.
The current fire station at 311 West Madison Ave., Darien, was built in 1972.�
�"Since that time, equipment has gotten bigger and bigger," said Kurt Zipp, village president and member of the ad hoc fire station committee. "The space between the engines went from about 6 feet to about 2� feet. This is a safety issue."
The station will sit on four acres, and the two municipalities agreed to pay $140,000 for the site.
At a meeting in August, officials heard that the land was valued at $20,000 an acre.
Zipp said the original estimate had not been formalized but was a rough guess by the village assessor.
An independent assessor put the value of the four acres at $134,000, Zipp said.
Gerry Pelishek, a Darien businessman and philanthropist, originally offered to give the land to the village and town. Pelishek was the original owner of the industrial park. At some point, he set up the Gerald Pelishek Charitable Trust and transferred ownership of the land to the trust. Pelishek and his wife are beneficiaries, as are other organizations.
The attorney representing the trust told the ad hoc committee that the land could not be given away, and the new price was negotiated.
Several contingencies were attached to the sale of the land, including:
-- Soil tests.
-- The industrial park tax incremental finance (TIF) district must not expire before its original expiration date of 2017.
�A TIF district is an economic development tool that helps municipalities finance improvements to attract development. New businesses generate tax revenue that repays the city for its investment.
The village is currently on track to close the TIF district in 2016, said Diana Dykstra, village administrator and clerk/treasurer.
In order to keep it open, the village would have to fund more projects.
-- The village of Darien must also make an effort to extend the TIF until 2021. �Extending the TIF would help the trust continue to attract businesses to the industrial park.
The industrial park site was picked over a site on land that the village already owned. That site was deemed unsuitable because it would have required an estimated $140,000 of fill and other work.
The industrial site also has the advantage of being close to Highway 14, Zipp said.
Zipp estimated that the total cost of the fire station would be between $1.2 million and $1.6 million.
Basic architectural drawings have been done, but the committee will have to bid out the major architectural and construction work, Zipp said.� Both boards must approve each step.
Zipp said that at least another six weeks of work would be needed before the bid process could be considered.
At Tuesday's meeting, the Darien Town Board voted 4-0 with one person absent to approve the spending.
The vote on the contract at Monday's village board meeting was 5-2.�
Jim Abbott, village trustee and ad hoc committee member, voted "yes." Abbott said the people who voted "no" were concerned about how the village would pay for the fire station.
Abbott said he wasn't concerned about the cost and said he had "every confidence in the world that our administrator and clerk/treasurer will be able to find the money for a fire station. She was able to find the money for a million-dollar village hall."
In an e-mail, Dykstra said that when she was hired, the board told her a new village hall was a priority.
"The village applied for and was awarded the USDA Rural Development Public Facilities Grant program that allowed them to fund the village hall," Dykstra wrote.


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Webshop warranty & returns policy
Lifetime Return Policy!
Product not quite what you expected? Items purchased from philandteds.com may be returned to the respective warehouse for a full refund of the cost of the item if returned unused, in their original packaging and in saleable condition (at the full discretion of our global warehouse teams). The cost of the item will be refunded to your account once the return has been received, no associated freight fees will be refunded. If you have purchased from our 'rest of world' region, you will need to return your item to our warehouse based in New Zealand.
How to return a product
Register your return online (User registration and sign in is required). Once your request has been received we will be in touch with instructions and address details for your local warehouse, usually within 2 business days.
Product Registration - get covered!
We know how exciting new toys can be, but amidst all the buzz don't forget to register your product either online or through a retailer. Registering your product streamlines the warranty process in the event that you need to make a claim, and also allows us to contact you should your product require a safety upgrade in future. Product registration is different to signing up to our newsletter, you will not receive regular news and information from us simply by completing your registration. You can expect to hear from us if we have essential information to share about your product.
Warranty Policy
rights & remedies
We are dedicated to delivering a quality product to all our customers. All of our products are warranted for one year from date of purchase against defects in material and workmanship.
If we determine that the product has a manufacturing fault, we will repair or replace it free of charge for you. The decision to repair or replace is solely at the discretion of phil&teds.
A repair may mean we will send you a self repair kit or send replacement fabric components which you may need to fit. Don't worry, if our 90 year old grandma can't manage the repair herself, we won't expect you to! Due to some parts being discontinued or unavailable, replacement parts and product may be subject to minor variations when compared to the faulty part.
what do you require?
All warranty claims must be accompanied by a proof of purchase (sales receipt) to allow verification of the date of purchase. Where proof of purchase is not provided, phil&teds reserves the right to charge a service fee and/or charge for parts replaced/repaired. A return freight charge may apply.
Please retain your Proof of Purchase.
Only the original owner is covered by the manufacturer's warranty and must have purchased the product from an authorised phil&teds dealer. The best way to ensure your covered is by registering your product online post-purchase!
what is not covered under warranty?
Our manufacturing warranty does not cover claims resulting from misuse, abnormal use, overloading, general wear and tear, child outgrowing product, not following instructions, transportation damage (including airline or freight damage), poorly maintained product, dropped goods, negligence, second hand product, modified product, colour fading, over inflation, mould, damage to handle foam in use or fabric cuts and tears. Our warranty also does not cover tyre punctures or corrosion to frames or fasteners as a result of atmospheric or environmental conditions.
The warranty is 'return to base' and not a free in home service. This means you'll need to arrange for the product to get to a phil&teds representative for warranty or service.
outside of warranty terms?
If your product is outside the one year warranty period or if the fault is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty, we will happily repair your product where possible for a reasonable charge.
who do I contact?
If your product is less than a year old and subject to a warranty claim, please file one through the support section of the phil&teds website. (User registration and sign in required.)
Any consequential loss or damage to any person or property directly or indirectly as a result of using product.
The warranty is only valid in the country of purchase. If you file a warranty claim outside of the country of purchase you may be charged fees by the local provider.
Please note that tyres, inner tubes and foam hand grips are not covered by warranty, except for out of box instances of failure.
general care instructions
Rubber tyres can react with some surfaces (including, but not limited to, vinyl floor coverings, carpets, synthetic laminates, parquet and linoleum) and cause stains. Always stand the stroller on a protective surface when indoors.
help & support
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Webshop FAQs - Webshop returns - Replacement parts - Shipping
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Compatibility - what fits what?
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Product questions? / How To's
Use the search to find a topic
Upgrades & Recalls
Read about important product upgrades
Warranty form - Warranty policy


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Loyola Park
1230 W. Greenleaf Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60626
(773) 262-8605
Fee: Free
Age Range: All ages welcome
Lend a helping hand in keeping Loyola park beautiful! Spruce up the park and beach areas around Loyola park by removing garbage and other items that inhabited the area throughout winter. This year Loyola park will pay special attention to the areas where beach grass was planted last Fall.


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Rogue Rodent
You can find just about anything at Wal-Mart, and that apparently includes large, semiaquatic rodents. Louisiana resident Rebecca White was shopping at one of the retail chain's locations in 2008 when she claims that a wild nutria, a beaver-like creature originally native to South America, "suddenly and without warning" came charging toward her. While attempting to shield herself from the animal, White purportedly pulled her loaded shopping cart over her foot, breaking two bones and damaging nerves.
When the startled shopper told store employees about her encounter, she allegedly discovered that not only did the workers know of the nutria's presence in the store, they even had a name for him: "Norman." She sued Wal-Mart for "pain, suffering, mental anguish, fear, disabling injuries and medical expenses," and settled with the company for an undisclosed sum earlier this month.
Student Suit
It appears that the University of New Mexico School of Law may be training its students too well. One of those aspiring attorneys sued the school after a classroom chair in which she was sitting allegedly collapsed, leaving her with serious injuries. Jennifer McCabe was assigned a UNM 56 "Think Chair" on her first day of classes last August. Just four days later, however, the chair's back rest reportedly separated from its body when McCabe leaned back in it, and she hurt herself "as a result of the jerking movements" she used to keep herself from falling.
McCabe's lawsuit includes the university's Board of Regents, as well as New Mexico Office Furniture, which made the chair. She claims that a missing bolt caused the chair to malfunction, and that the furniture company should have assembled it properly.
Groundhog Goof
On Feb. 2, famed animal prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil predicted that spring would come early this year. But more than six weeks later, many Ohio residents were still suffering through low temperatures and lingering snowstorms, leading one state prosecutor to lodge a complaint against the famed groundhog. Mike Gmoser indicted Phil for fraud, claiming that he "did purposely, and with prior calculation and design, cause the people to believe that Spring would come early."
The lawsuit was tongue-in-cheek, but the potential penalty was stiff: Since Phil already spends much of his time behind bars, Gmoser maintained that the death penalty was the only appropriate punishment. Phil escaped this grim fate, however, when his handler Bill Deeley took responsibility for misinterpreting the animal's "groundhog-ese."
Absent Alcohol
Many people would need a stiff drink if they were faced with a costly lawsuit. But for Pennsylvania man John Saunders, it was a stiff drink that landed him in legal trouble in the first place. Saunders, the former live-in caretaker at the J.P. Brennan mansion near Pittsburgh, Pa., is accused of drinking more than $102,000 worth of century-old whiskey from the house's collections.
The whiskey, which was distilled in 1912, was discovered in the walls and stairwell of the house while it was undergoing renovations in 2008. The mansion's current owner, Patricia Hill, claims that after Saunders moved out of the house, she discovered that 52 of the 108 whiskey bottles were empty. DNA testing of the bottles reportedly implicated Saunders. The caretaker, however, denies the allegations, and maintains that the whiskey is actually worth "about $10 a bottle."
Cockroach Coffee
Nothing wakes you up like a good cup of coffee—unless it's coffee with cockroaches inside. That's what three Illinois residents allegedly found when they went looking for a caffeine fix at a college vending machine. Bobbi Smith, a student at Joliet Junior College (JJC) in suburban Chicago, along with JJC employees Gary Broyles and Richard Anderson, claim that they purchased the coffee from an on-campus machine run by Hometown Suburban Vending, and drank part of the beverage before discovering the insects inside.
They are now suing the company, claiming that drinking the contaminated beverage caused them "great pain and anguish in both mind and body" and "hindered [them] from attending to usual affairs of life."


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Journal Abstracts
Unlimited access to full-length articles is included with membership. Click memberships to become a member.
Obstetrical Procedures: A Critical Examination of Their Effect on Pregnant Women and Their Unborn and Newborn ChildrenAbstract:
Medical and social attitudes and practices as they pertain to pregnant women and their unborn and newborn children are examined applying the scientific, the sociological, the psychosomatic and the pre- and peri-natal psychology perspectives. The case is made that hi-tech tests and obstetrical procedures adversely affect the pregnant woman and her baby. Medical interventions tend to be dehumanizing, disempowering and sometimes harmful.
ABSTRACT: It has long been accepted that there is a developmental process women progress through during pregnancy as they take on the parenting role. This paper develops a theory of the unborn baby's role during the prenatal period as an active instigator in this parenting role. Referring to the work of Arnold Gesell and adapting it to the prenatal period, the author theorizes that the unborn baby's growth and development drives the developmental process of the parenting role prenatally.
Are Telepathy, Clairvoyance and "Hearing" Possible in Utero? Suggestive Evidence as Revealed During Hypnotic Age-Regression Studies of Prenatal MemoryAbstract:
ABSTRACT: Evidence supplied through age-regression studies of adults based on a combination of ideomotor techniques and hypnosis suggests that telepathy, clairvoyance and some form of hearing are perceptions available to the human fetus from the emotional moment its mother knows she is pregnant onward. Fetal interpretation of maternal communications may be mistaken as rejection. Telepathic commands between mother and immature young probably have survival value for lower mammals. The mechanism for silent warning and absolute obedience needs completion before birth.
ABSTRACT: Two thousand, one hundred and sixteen subjects from a variety of backgrounds and places of origin responded to a questionnaire concerning their pre-and perinatal experiences and their present personality. Of particular interest were potential relationships between present personality and maternal drug use during pregnancy and labour, maternal stress during pregnancy, birth type, and physical placement immediately after birth. Responses were analyzed using non-parametric chi-square tests, t-tests, and point biserial correlations.
The concept of intelligence embodied in I.Q. tests seventy five years ago is now being radically redefined in psychology. New approaches formulated by Robert Sternberg (1988) and Howard Gardner (1983) are many-dimensional, behavioral, and closely related to everyday living. In this presentation experimental, clinical, and anecdotal evidence about life before birth is marshalled to meet the proposed criteria of intelligence. Six specific implications and conclusions are drawn.
Clinical Implications for Behavioral Assessment of Sleep/Wake States in Neonates: Augmenting Medical Diagnostic EvaluationsAbstract:
ABSTRACT: The use of behaviorally defined sleep and wake states for detecting or predicting abnormal development in high risk newborn infants is addressed. One case of a relatively low risk 32-week gestation infant is used to illustrate that immediate subjective impressions by a trained observer may reveal information useful to the medical staff without having to wait for the lengthy computer analyses usually performed with this assessment technique.
Attachment or Loss Within Marriage: The Effect of the Medical Model of Birthing on the Marital Bond of LoveAbstract:
ABSTRACT:This paper compares marriages of couples who gave birth at home in a private, loving, intimate way with a group who delivered in the hospital using the customary medical model of birth. Significant differences were found between the two groups at 4- and 12-months postpartum regarding the quality of the love relationship. The do-it-yourself homebirthers revealed far more compatibility in their marriages than did their hospital-delivered counterparts.


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Armour Square Park
3309 S. Shields Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60616
(312) 747-6012
Fee: $10 per person
Age Range: All ages
Saturday, March 23 10:30 am-12:30 pm. Armour Square Park will host and egg hunt, arts and crafts , face painting, and inflatables. Bring your camera to this event to capture all the fun!


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Never say never!
George Clooney, Hollywood's most eligible bachelor, is going to be a married man once again.
The Oscar-winning actor, 52, is engaged to wed 36-year-old British lawyer Amal Alamuddin, a source close to the couple tells Yahoo.
[Related: 5 Things to Know About Amal Alamuddin]
"Entertainment Tonight," which broke the story, reported that the two dined at Japanese restaurant Nobu in Malibu, California, on Thursday, and that Alamuddin was seen flashing her (undoubtedly impressive) ring to Clooney friend Cindy Crawford.
Clooney and Alamuddin were first photographed together having dinner in London back in October. At the time, Clooney shot down stories he was dating Alamuddin or any other women for that matter. Later, however, the two were seen in New York; L.A.; Washington, D.C.; the Seychelles; and on a Safari in Tanzania.
The newly engaged couple have a lot to talk about: two areas of law that Alamuddin specializes in are international law and human rights. The philanthropic Clooney has an interest in both. He was arrested last year for protesting in D.C. about human rights in Sudan and became a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan think tank, in 2010.
[Related: George Clooney's Mystery Woman Revealed]
Clooney has attained playboy status in recent years as he's romanced several younger beauties such as Elisabetta Canalis and Stacy Keibler, and was named People's Sexiest Man Alive twice.
However, the "Gravity" star was married once before to "Mad Men" actress Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993. In several interviews, Clooney has said it was his fault that the marriage failed. He's also mused that it's unlikely he would wed again because he wasn't very good at being a spouse.
"I don't expect to ever get married again or have children," he told Britain's Sunday People in 2008. "I am never at home and every woman gets sick of it… If I was them, I would never put up with me for long — and they don't."
Good thing Alamuddin is used to traveling.


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Superior shocks UW-Whitewater women
The UW-Superior women's basketball team stunned top-seeded UW-Whitewater on Thursday night.
Sally Linzmeier scored 21 points, Superior shot nearly 59 percent from the floor and the Warhawks fell 84-63 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference semifinals at the Williams Center.
The Warhawks shot just 25.7 percent in the first half and fell behind by 16 points. They never quite recovered.
They made nine 3-pointers in the game but made just 12 of 47 shots inside the arc.
It was a shocking defeat for Whitewater, which went through the WIAC regular season without a single loss.
Kaitlyn Thill led UW-W with 16 points.
The Warhawks will now await their Division III NCAA tournament fate. The brackets are scheduled to be released on Monday.
Last updated: 11:40 pm Thursday, February 27, 2014


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Death notices for Jan. 6, 2014
Mardella T. Dummer, 86, Beloit, died Sunday at Azura Memory Care, Beloit. Arrangements are pending at Brian G. Mark Funeral Home, Beloit Chapel.
Phyllis Ann Schlitzer, 73, Evansville, died Saturday at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, Janesville. Services will be at noon Thursday at Ward-Hurtley Funeral Home, Evansville. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the time of services Thursday at the funeral home.
Marion R. Schulz, 91, Janesville, died Saturday at Cedar Crest Health Center, Janesville. Arrangements are pending at Whitcomb-Lynch Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Janesville.
Ronald A. Tank, 78, Elkhorn, died Saturday at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center, Elkhorn. Memorial services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Haase-Lockwood & Associates Funeral Home and Crematory, Elkhorn. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of services Saturday at the funeral home.
Dick Teske, 64, Janesville, died Sunday in Battle Creek, Mich. Arrangements are pending at Brian G. Mark Funeral Home, Beloit.


text: Marriage and family counselors are professionals trained to deal with a wide variety of marital and interpersonal problems. If you're looking for a marriage and family counselor, there's a very good chance that you're unfamiliar with some of the concepts and terminology used in this field. Below we'll define certain key terms you might encounter.


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Great for traveling, these portable drawing studios include everything you need to sketch - anywhere you go! Bring along for car, airplane, or train rides! Kit includes a 16 page lesson book, drawing pad, sketch pencil, pencil sharpener, cartooning pen, and "carry anywhere" case.
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I used them for a program for college students. Though I thought that the instruction book would be more extensive, the kits are a pretty handy introduction to teach a lesson on comic strip drawing.
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Army Aviation Hall of Fame 2013 Induction - Ft. Worth, TX
Lieutenant General August M. Cianciolo, Retired
LTG August M. "Gus" Cianciolo, a Master Army Aviator, helped shape Army Aviation through dedicated application of visionary leadership and management skills over a 34-year career.
His distinguished career includes two tours in Vietnam where he commanded B Battery, 2nd of the 20th Aerial Rocket Artillery (ARA) and served as the battalion S-3. During each tour his superior leadership led to his unit receiving special recognition for valorous performance. His individual bravery was also recognized with a Bronze Star for valor.
Other distinguished service included program management of two Army acquisition programs – the Standoff Target Acquisition System and the Multiple Launch Rocket System. As the Army Staff Director of Weapons Systems, he was responsible for oversight of the development, funding, fielding and sustainment of all Army Aviation programs to include the Black Hawk, Apache, Chinook and Kiowa Warrior. Serving as the commanding general of the Army Missile Command and Redstone Arsenal he led the development, production and fielding of the HELLFIRE missile on attack and armed reconnaissance helicopters. Culminating his career as the Military Deputy to the Army Acquisition Executive and Director of the Army Acquisition Corps he provided management oversight of all Army acquisition programs.
General Cianciolo's ability to work effectively with senior leaders and subordinates ensured that there was "one voice" advocating for Army Aviation. His sustained outstanding leadership established a bedrock foundation for the Army's highly capable combat aviation systems of today and tomorrow.


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Ready to Deliver Next Day and Saturdays to the UK Mainland
Rear Brake Caliper Piston Kit Suzuki GSF1250 AK9 Bandit Naked ABS 2009
This kit will contain the correct type of piston and seals for the model shown above.Our replacement brake caliper piston kits consist of a single piston with matching seals including the internal sealing and outer dust seal.NB: Your caliper may have more than one piston and they may not all be of the same size so please check your caliper piston dimensions or refer to your service manual for confirmation before you place your order.
**All parts and accessories are brand new and include VAT where applicable.
**Most parts are pattern or aftermarket although some will be genuine but are not always stated as being so.
**The use of motorcycle manufacturers' logos and brand names are for reference purposes only. We do not imply that the products we sell are made by or with the permission of the brands listed.


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When it comes to footwear, we believe that a woman should never have to compromise on style or fit. That's why we offer a superb choice of fashionable wide fitting shoes - so you can have it all!
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Joyce E. Schensky, Janesville, WI (1936-2014)
August 6, 1936 - January 23, 2014
Joyce E. Schensky, age 77, a longtime Janesville resident, passed away Thursday morning, Jan. 23, 2014, at St. Mary's Hospital, Madison. She was born Aug. 6, 1936, in Madison, the daughter of the late Norman M. and Orpha M. (Porter) Quamme. She attended school in Madison, until her senior year, and was a graduate of Stoughton High School. On Aug. 11, 1956, she married Albert O. Schensky at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Monona. He preceded her in death on June 6, 1997.
Joyce was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Janesville. She was a woman of very deep faith and conviction. She loved her family and her many friends, and always put them ahead of herself! Joyce fought a long battle with rheumatoid arthritis, but always maintained a very positive outlook, and will be an inspiration to others because of it. She loved music and singing and was a huge fan of Elvis!
Joyce is survived by her daughter, Carole (Scott) LaVeen; her three grandchildren: Brandon LaVeen, Amber (Rob Spors) LaVeen, and Alyssa (Alex) Arneson; her five beloved great-grandchildren: Caleb and Chelsea LaVeen, Mason and Madison Spors, and Landon Arneson, all of Janesville; her six siblings: Robert Quamme of Milwaukee, WI, Carlton (Deanna) Quamme of Montana, John (Mary) Quamme and Sandra Penzkover, both of Madison, Edward Quamme of Stoughton, and Linda (Dan) Douglas of Madison; her brother-in-law, Doug Gehrke of Texas; nieces, nephews, and many friends, including her very dear friend, Jeanette Harper of Janesville. Besides her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Charlene Gehrke; and a brother who died in infancy, Norman Quamme.
Funeral services, with a Mass of Christian Burial, will take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, at ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 315 Cherry St., with Fr. James Kuhn officiating. Burial will take place in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Friends may call on Tuesday evening from 4 until 7 p.m. at the WHITCOMB-LYNCH FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES and from 10 until 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the CHURCH. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials in Joyce's name may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, 10427 W. Lincoln Ave., Suite 1300, West Allis, WI 53227.
Whitcomb-Lynch Funeral Home & Cremation Services
21 S. Austin Rd., (608)752-2444


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Good food comes from Janesville food truck
JANESVILLE—Food trucks are so trendy in larger metropolitan areas that the Food Network devotes entire shows to them. Some food truck entrepreneurs have become culinary rock stars for their gourmet rebel-on-wheels approach to cuisine.
What is now commonplace in larger cities can be a little more problematic around here.
Last summer, Los Agaves found that its taco truck wasn't welcome in Milton. In Janesville, Chad Measner is dealing with a tangle of city ordinances that make it challenging to conduct business from his Cajun-inspired food truck.
That's too bad because South Padre Streetfood delivers the goods.
I mean that literally: They deliver to your door for $3 if your order is $20 or more. I also mean that figuratively: Measner makes food in that converted RV that rivals many established restaurants in town.
The first time we tried South Padre was in mid-January, during that nasty weekend of icy roads. I felt guilty asking someone to deliver to our home, which meant parking a car on an icy incline. But deliver they did, bringing the hot, delicious goods to our front door.
My husband, Richard, tried the Slap Yo Mamma Gumbo ($5.99 for a bowl), a nicely seasoned soup that wasn't as thick and gloopy as a typical chowder. It was packed with shrimp, fish and crawfish as well as a pleasant punch of heat. South Padre's food is on the spicy side, but at a level that enhances rather than obliterates the flavor.
I ordered the jambalaya special ($9.99), which also brought the heat but had the richness and complexity of flavor that makes the dish a staple of New Orleans dining. The spicy dirty rice was packed with shrimp, mahi mahi, andouille sausage and crawfish and served with a generous hunk of baguette.
Despite several Southern sojourns, bug-like crawfish have never won me over. Richard happily dispatched them for me. South Padre's jambalaya is better than versions I've had at many established Cajun restaurants. It tastes like the real deal.
Our son doesn't like spicy. Fortunately, the truck also offers a good assortment of sandwiches. He enjoyed his Bucky Burger ($8.99) with melted cheese curds and bacon on top. It came with a side of crispy, freshly fried and salted "truck chips."
Both the gumbo and the jambalaya were on the small side, but the quality of the ingredients and preparation made it worth the expense.
Richard stopped by the truck on a recent Saturday afternoon and brought home an unusually good lunch. The crab and shrimp cakes ($8.99) were two thick, meaty patties of seafood and vegetables crusted in panko crumbs and lightly fried. Served with a nuanced remoulade sauce, they were exceptionally good. You can order them in a po' boy sandwich, too.
Speaking of which, the po' boy ($9.99) is a huge hunk of soft, chewy baguette filled with your choice of Southern fried or blackened shrimp, Mahi Mahi, crab cake or chicken. We had the fried shrimp as our filling with a nice combo of mildly spicy sauce, lettuce and tomato. The truck chips that came with the sandwich disappeared quickly, too.
Richard had a cup of the Don't Be So Shellfish Bisque ($2.99), a surprisingly light concoction made from shrimp stock and sherry with finely diced lobster, crab, shrimp, crawfish and clams. Really delicious.
Knowing my utter weakness for macaroni and cheese, Richard brought home a cup of the lobster mac-n-cheese ($2.99). At first, I was a bit put off by the small serving size, but after the first bite it was clear that this cup packed a lot of flavor. The cheese sauce incorporated lobster broth in its base, making the seafood integral to the dish. Many places would have just stirred some chunks of lobster into a standard mac and cheese. South Padre's version took more effort and used better ingredients.
Our friend Jim is a passionate fan of the Swissconnie ($7.99), a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. He does his best not to eat it before getting to his shop, but he usually gives up and gobbles it in his truck—it smells and tastes too good to wait.
I hope the city accommodates Measner. He's serving exceptional food at good prices and working his tail off to make a go of it. He deserves a fighting chance.
If you love good food, give his delicious South Padre Streetfood a try.
Last updated: 7:10 am Thursday, February 6, 2014


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Nuisance trappers: Skunk population up this year
JANESVILLE—When I got home from work Tuesday night, Cooper, the family dog, was locked in the garage. The garage door was closed, but I could smell him before I even got out of my car.
The stink was like a mix of sewage and smoldering rubber.
It seems Cooper had been out for his nightly walkabout in the backyard when he came across a young, inquisitive Mephitis mephitis: alias polecat, alias striped skunk.
My wife, Melissa, recounted how she'd tried to spray Cooper with the garden hose to get him to back off the frightened skunk, which he had cornered near the garden. The skunk beat her to the punch.
It spun around backward, lifted its white tail and let out a 10-second blast of thick, yellow musk into the cool night air. Cooper caught most of the rank fog right in his face. The side of the house (and Melissa) caught the rest.
I went to Woodman's and grabbed three gallons of white vinegar, two giant boxes of baking soda and several bottles of dog shampoo: de-skunking supplies, according to a quick Google search on my smartphone.
Melissa got herself cleaned up, but two days and three dog-baths later, Cooper still reeks—albeit more mildly. As for Cooper's friend the skunk, he was back skulking around our yard last night. I could smell him.
At work, I called trappers and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Lately, I told them, I've noticed more than a few dead skunks in the road, and on my nightly walks in Janesville, I've seen lots of skunks out foraging.
Yet, Tuesday was the first time we'd actually had a skunk invade our property, which is near the mall on Janesville's northeast side.
Dan Hansen, a Lake Geneva-based nuisance animal trapper who works in Rock, Walworth and Dane counties, was not surprised. Hansen has spent most of this year dealing with a deluge of calls for nuisance skunks under people's porches, decks and sheds.
"It's been a significantly bigger year for skunks. I don't know why," Hansen said.
One day this summer, it reached the point of absurd.���
"I was at (Lake) Geneva Commons on one call on raccoons and two skunks. In the time it took me to set three live traps there, I had five more skunk complaints in Walworth, Rock and Dane piled up on my cellphone," Hansen said. "You get so many calls you can't even keep up. I was having to refer people to other nuisance outfits for a while."
He said one man in Walworth County had three mother skunks with three separate sets of babies all under his deck.
"That's so many skunks in one place it doesn't even make sense. They're territorial animals. They don't normally pile up like that," Hansen said.
The state DNR does no official population count on skunks, which are considered nuisance animals. There's no set season for trapping or hunting them.�
Eric Lobner, wildlife supervisor for the DNR's southern district, said a rise in the skunk population in southern Wisconsin wouldn't surprise anyone.
He said a break in last year's drought and a cool, wet start to the year gave rise to more insects, small mammals, aquatic and amphibious creatures such as frogs and toads and especially mice. Those critters are a skunk's ideal diet.
"Where you have a higher feed base of prey animals, you'd have higher production of skunks. A higher nutritional intake (for skunks) leads to higher reproduction rates," Lobner said.
Combine that with what local DNR field biologist Brian Buenzow calls the "fall shuffle." Now's the time of year when young mammals are out of the nest and on the move, mostly at night, foraging on their own for the first time.
Skunks right now are apt to root in the ground for grubs and even scavenge garden detritus, Buenzow said. Both can put them in your backyard, where clashes with unwitting people and pets are more likely.
Our run-in Tuesday seemed more a pitfall for us and our dumb dog than for the skunk. But it's a common occurrence in a skunk year, Lobner said, and a skunk's spray is fairly harmless except for the smell—which, as we learned, is strong enough to permeate a house's siding and get inside.
Although skunks are a major carrier of rabies, Lobner said skunk spray, an oily irritant that skunks produce in glands under their tail, poses no risk of transmitting disease. He said pets outdoors should be up to date on rabies vaccinations, and people should avoid touching a killed or dead skunk with their bare hands.
The best remedy to rid skunk-spray smell from a dog, a person or clothing, Lobner said, is to mix a paste of water, hydrogen peroxide or vinegar and baking soda. Lather it up, and let the solution soak in well before washing it off.
Lobner said some common remedies to skunk-proof your yard include moth balls, cayenne pepper, ammonia-soaked rags and a radio outside tuned to talk radio. Yet, he said, skunks eventually get desensitized to those deterrents.
"They're interested in food. If you've got the best buffet around, they'll eventually come back," he said.
Lobner said people should rid their yard of fallen seed under birdfeeders and keep dishes of pet food inside at night.
If skunks are holed up under a porch or in a burrow nearby, the only real way to get rid of them, says trapper Hansen, is to have them trapped and removed.
"If they're digging in your yard, you can bet they've got a burrow real near. Skunks don't travel very far, maybe only 1,000 yards. They are going to come back," he said.


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Taekwondo teacher earns high-ranking title
JANESVILLE--Michael Plessel has his sister to thank.
Years ago when Michael was 5, she enrolled in taekwondo classes. She showed him cool moves of the Korean-style martial art, known for its powerful kicking and energetic hand techniques.
Then he convinced her to let him join the class.
After six months, Michael's sister dropped out. Young Michael convinced his parents to let him continue alone.
Today, at 32, Michael of Janesville has achieved what few others do: The American Taekwondo Association has awarded him the distinguished status of master instructor. He is one of three people in Wisconsin and one of about 315 around the world with the title.
"It takes years of continual participation to be eligible for the title," said Tish Kohl, a senior master with the American Taekwondo Association. "The most important aspect of eligibility is sharing the art with others. Michael is a school owner and a teacher who shares his art that way."
Michael owns Integrity Martial Arts, Janesville. He also is a lecturer of health and exercise science at UW-Rock County.
He wants to excel as a teacher because he believes in the power of taekwondo to improve lives.
"I have lots of students who come to the school shy and unsure of themselves," he said. "We work on leadership skills and building confidence."
People study taekwondo for different reasons, including coordination, self-discipline and to become better listeners, Michael said.
Richard Mraz of Milton started taking classes earlier this month but already sees a difference in himself.
"I have a hip replacement and pelvic reconstruction," he said. "It's not only been a great workout, but it also has given me a great deal more strength and confidence that I can do the things he is teaching us."
Richard's three children also are studying with Michael.
"He is very patient," Richard said. "The younger ones get distracted easily, but he calmly and efficiently redirects them. They are learning quite a bit."
Since 1987, Michael's passion for the martial art has motivated him to achieve goal after goal.
At the tender age of 7, Michael earned his first-degree black belt, an achievement that took much skill and discipline.
To achieve the rank, a student has to progress through nine colors of belts by showing proficiency at each level.
Only 10 percent ever attain first-degree black belt, the American Taekwondo Association reports.
"It came naturally to me," Michael said. "But it takes a lot of focus and discipline. You have to keep your eyes on the prize."
He demonstrated some 46 moves in sequence, including kicks and strikes, and he performed a controlled spar with a partner, demonstrating blocking and countering techniques. He also concentrated his body's strength into the edge of his hand to successfully break two 1-inch-thick pine boards.
"Once you earn the first degree, you are not eligible to test for the second degree for a year," Michael explained. "When you earn the second degree, you are not eligible to test for the third degree for two years and so on."
The black belt has nine degrees.
When Michael earned his sixth-degree black belt, the American Taekwondo Association invited him to train to be a master instructor.
He embraced the challenge because he has enjoyed teaching ever since he was 12.
"It was my goal from the beginning to be a master instructor," Michael said. "The training manual was two inches thick."
Among the requirements, he had to read nine books about martial art philosophy and leadership skills. He wrote monthly assignments about loyalty, honor and gratitude. He took part in multiple-day workouts with highly skilled instructors.
In addition, Michael completed a nine-day fast while training in Little Rock, home of the American Taekwondo Association.
Michael, who works as a civil engineer in Madison, received his master instructor status at a ceremony earlier this year. His wife, Kristin, who teaches chemistry at UW-Rock County, and their daughter attended.
"It's an accomplishment," Michael said. "But I just keep moving forward."
Michael has more goals. He wants to earn a seventh-degree black belt and become a senior master instructor, which is even more advanced than his current title.
He also wants to be a world champion someday and has qualified to compete in the world championships.
"Through taekwondo, I have learned how to focus and set goals," Michael said. "I have learned that you can accomplish anything, even something you thought was impossible."
Anna Marie Lux is a columnist for The Gazette. Her columns run Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call her with ideas or comments at (608) 755-8264, or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Janesville homeowners learn of demolition plan in newspaper
JANESVILLE--Janesville homeowners said they found out by reading the newspaper that their homes will be demolished to make way for a new fire station.
The Feb. 26 article in The Gazette advanced a neighborhood meeting about the subject scheduled for that night.
"That's how we found out," Barb Anderson recalled.
She and the owners of two other homes gathered eight days later in her living room at 630 Prospect Ave.
The residents had received a letter Feb. 20 from the city inviting them to the neighborhood meeting.
But the neighbors described the letter as vague, pointing out it does not specifically say which properties were at risk of being demolished. It also does not include the location of the meeting.
The residents interviewed said they had always assumed one, maybe two houses would be vulnerable to a fire department expansion. The city had, in fact, recently bought a home on Prospect Avenue.
Residents said they thought they would hear at the meeting about possible power disruptions, blocked streets or interrupted water service during construction.
And then they read the newspaper.
No city employees before the meeting or since have knocked on their doors to talk to them about their futures.
Janesville City Council President Kathy Voskuil said Friday she is surprised and upset to hear the neighbors feel blindsided by the city.
"This reiterates even more the need for communication," Voskuil said, noting city staff at least should have made follow-up phone calls.
The neighbors said they have received no calls from the city.
"The human aspect is more import than the design of the building," Voskuil said.
Voskuil said she intended to investigate if and how the city could have done a better job working with the neighbors.
The council in closed session Nov. 25 voted to consider two locations to build a $9.5 million fire station. The locations are on or near the current site and would mean the demolition of seven or 12 houses.
The council is scheduled to discuss a final site decision Monday night.
Joyce Shea, 706 Prospect Ave., said she believes "they'd already made their decision" months before the neighborhood meeting was scheduled. Her home would be demolished under the second site option.
After the Feb. 26 meeting, residents were left with seven business days to get an attorney or organize a protest to save their homes before a city council decision, Rebecca Farrell said. Her home would be demolished under the second option.
The residents say they feel isolated, deserted, deceived, bitter, angry, frustrated, helpless and let down by a city where many have lived all their lives.
They wonder:
-- Why didn't they have the right to protest a decision about their homes before it was made?
-- Why didn't someone from the city knock on their doors and contact them personally in the last four months?
-- Why were other numerous options for a fire station site, such as the soon-to-be-vacated city bus garage site, discarded? The reasons given at the meeting did not seem very strong, residents said. Why do firefighters need double the number of bays they have now? Were other options considered, such as storing reserve equipment elsewhere, rather than tearing down a historic neighborhood? Doesn't the city see any other options other than taking their homes?
-- Shouldn't the city hold a referendum to ask voter permission to spend $9.5 million on a project?
-- What is the rush to get the fire station project done?
All interviewed said they feared they would not be able to afford a comparable house in another neighborhood.
Residents said they don't have any information. They say they are sick worrying about an uncertain future.
Rebecca Farrell paid $60,000 for the 1920s brick Prairie Craftsman house at 339 Milton Ave. It was in tough shape. The couple has since put in another $60,000 into the house, including a new kitchen.
"That house is so solid," Rebecca Farrell said. "It's so right for us."
"It's our little mansion.
"I want to paint a big sign," Rebecca Farrell said: "This is a family home. We've lived here for 13 years."
Dave Farrell hasn't cooked in his renovated kitchen since he heard his house might come down.
The only comparable home they have found is priced at $200,000. Both Farrells are working for less money now than in the past. Their home was their retirement strategy. They talked to a home lender, and she told them they could not get financing, Dave Farrell said.
The couple said they approached Judy Adler, relocation coordinator hired by the city, at the meeting with their worries.
She suggested they rent.
Barb Anderson, 74, lives in a 850-square-foot home with a finished basement. She bought the home—her first—when she was 50 and recently added new windows, siding and roof to ready for her retirement.
Her home would be razed under either option.
"I find it hard to believe any compensation would be enough to put me in a similar home with all the same upgrades, the same tax level, and not be left with house payments," she said.
Anderson said she stared to cry recently as she backed from her driveway, wondering how much longer she would be there.
Shea, 75, said she always thought she'd be carried out of her home, not pushed out.
She figures she will use any money from the sale of her home to rent. Then, she figures she will be forced into low-income housing.
The neighbors all agree the firefighters need a new facility.
"But the way that this has happened—I do not support it," Anderson said.
"I just get the feeling—they act like we are some sort of gutter neighborhood," Rebecca Farrell said.
"We love each other. We help each other out."
The residents describe themselves as living "on the point." They have gatherings, take out each other's trash and help each other mow and shovel walks.
"I've always felt the fire department was a part of our neighborhood," Rebecca Farrell said.
"I want someone to come down and tell me that they're sorry," Rebecca said, starting to cry.
"I want someone to say, 'We understand the sacrifice you are making and appreciate it.'
"Not one fire person or city employee has the balls to say that to us."


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Wicker Park
1425 N. Damen Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60622
(312) 742-7553
Fee: Free
Age Range: Any
Independence DayStrange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived; its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances to save the planet. The filmmakers behind 1994's smash science fiction hit Stargate have revolutionized and redefined the way big-event movies are produced through a new level of groundbreaking effects, techniques and spectacular, never-before-seen images in this epic science fiction tale.
Rated PG | 144 minutes | 1996
Presented by Charter One, with additional support from RCN.
Underwritten by Wicker Park Advisory Council and The Wormhole Coffee
Movies in the Parks is presented by:
With additional support from:


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Shared visions and big returns: The multiplying impact of advocacy
Today, Jesse Eaves, World Vision's senior policy adviser for child protection in Washington, D.C., describes how child sponsorship is an investment in a child's future, and how advocacy -- speaking out on behalf of those affected by poverty and injustice -- increases the return on that investment.
If you've ever bought stocks or put money in a retirement account, there's one thing you want to see: a good return on your investment.
The sponsorship of a child represents something more than gift. It's an investment you are making in the future of that child. It represents a shared vision -- that your sponsored child and every child will have the chance to reach life in all its fullness.
As any mutual fund manager can tell you, you have to always be looking for ways to increase your return on investment. Over 60 years of experience has taught World Vision an important lesson: Advocacy multiplies our donors' investments.
Savita lives in southeastern India. When she was 12, Savita's mother borrowed $50 to pay for her older sister's wedding. Her mother then gave away Savita as collateral on the debt. Savita was in school hoping to be nurse. But just like that, Savita became a bonded laborer. From 6 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week, Savita rolled cigarettes called "beedis."
No matter how hard she worked, the original $50 debt only got bigger. If her owner gave her lunch, that was added to the debt. If she didn't roll enough beedis, that added to her debt. If she took too long in the bathroom, that added to her debt. Savita knew that at this rate, she would never return to school. Like so many others before her, this would be her life for a long time to come.
Then something unexpected occurred. One day, a group of children associated with World Vision's Born to Be Free program spotted Savita. The kids were part of a youth club that educates children on their rights and on Indian child labor laws.
The kids immediately began coming to Savita's workplace every day, badgering her owner to let her go. When that failed, the kids turned to mothers.
These mothers were part of the Women's Federation that was part of the World Vision program. With seed money from World Vision, the women created businesses to generate income for their families. Every business then gave a portion of their profits to the Women's Federation. That pot of money then served as a community bank so that any family in danger of bonding their child out for a loan could get an interest-free loan from the federation.
In Savita's case, the mothers didn't need to tap into any funds. They simply went to the local mayor and the police chief and demanded action. The men knew better than to go against 200 angry women, and as a result, Savita was free by the end of the day, her debt forgiven.
Born to be Free started as a microloan program to help vulnerable families earn an income to support themselves. That was why donors originally invested in the project. However, advocacy played an essential role in the community. Due to the dynamic power of the Women's Federation and the youth clubs, the program and its advocacy contributed to the release of over 1,000 children over 10 years. Over 20 of those kids were freed as result of youth clubs simply badgering a bonded child's owner.
That's a greater return than anyone imagined.
This is precisely the kind of impact we've seen around the world when people take it upon themselves to bring lasting change to their community. Whether in small numbers or in force, these women and children knew the power of their voice, and their community has been changed for the better. Today, the youth clubs and Women's Federation still operate the same way: empowering their neighbors one loan, one voice, and one freed child at a time.
Savita's story is not an anomaly. We see it every day. With World Vision, you not only get the chance to sponsor a child and form a relationship with that child, but the money you give toward that sponsorship impacts the lives of scores of people.
Through advocacy, we are able to multiply your investment and ensure that successes from our projects impact the larger community and even the entire country. By giving, you have the potential to change not just one life, but the lives of all children in a community and even a country.
Advocacy is not just about raising awareness. Advocacy is about transforming individuals, communities, and governments to take direct actions that enable stronger protection of children. World Vision believes in advocacy because it produces results. With World Vision, supporting a child through sponsorship means that you're also supporting advocacy.
It means that you're helping to empower children, families, and communities to realize our shared vision of life in all its fullness for every child. It means that you are reaping the rewards of any smart investor: the good return on your investment.
Learn more about World Vision's advocacy network and how you can speak out on behalf of the children, families, and communities that we serve across the globe.
Child sponsorship is the cornerstone of World Vision's approach to community development. Join us! Change a child's life for good. Sponsoring a child helps provide life-saving basics, as well as protection from abuse and exploitation. Consider sponsoring a child today!


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repositor.io is a tool for creating and managing Linux repositories. It can mirror online repositories so that you don't need to download packages every time you set up a new server, and it makes it easy to create custom repositories for your own packages. With the integration of a configuration management tool, you can create consistent installations on your servers.
confinedrv creates a new device node /sdx under /dev/mapper which mirrors the given base drive with certain partitions faded out and other partitions limited to read-only or read-write access. It is commonly used to safely boot an existing OS installation with Qemu or any other virtualization software from the same hard disk as the host operating system has been booted from.
g7ctrl is a daemon and a command shell that are used together with the Xtreme GM7 GPS tracker to help simplify its management and to make it possible to monitor alerts sent by the tracker. It is designed to run in the background and can be used to both receive location updates from a remote tracker and configure a tracker over USB. All received events are stored in a database and can be exported to GPX, KML, and CSV, with distances calculated. It can also execute action scripts upon receiving specific events or generate mail notifications. Extensive reference documentation (HTML and PDF) and Unix man pages are provided.
Open School Admin (OSA) is a Web-based school administration system primarily focused on ease of use and access to school information. It has been in continuous use and development for the past 7 years. It manages all aspects of school administration: student enrollment, class scheduling, mark reporting, attendance, user accounts, and room booking. Through the use of various plugins, it also manages email announcements (including automated attendance notices), government reporting, dorm room management, Alumni relations, etc. It is a standalone application written using a Perl/MySQL back end. It requires a Web server (Apache/Lighttpd tested) and should run out of the box on any Unix system. While OSA itself is very mature, the installation and setup is still a young and evolving process.
Nova is a software application for preventing and detecting hostile network reconnaissance (such as nmap scans). It does this by first creating the Haystack: a large collection of low interaction honeypots using an updated version of Honeyd. Finding real machines on the network becomes like finding a needle in a haystack of fake machines. Second, Nova uses machine learning algorithms to automatically detect and classify attempts at hostile reconnaissance, so there's no need to go searching manually through your honeypot's log files. It provides an easy to use Web-based interface powered by Node.js to configure itself and Honeyd instances.
Ramona is an enterprise-grade runtime supervisor that allows software programs to be controlled and monitored during their execution life cycle. It provides supervisor/console functionality with init.d-like start/stop control, continuous integration (e.g. unit/functional/performance test launcher), deployment automation, and other command-line oriented features.
An xdg application menu with full support for additional categories.
An interface to retrieve and manage IMDb's movie information with Python.


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Beer tasting, author visit at Black Point
LAKE GENEVA--Celebrate Father's Day weekend learning about the history of Wisconsin's historic bars and breweries with "Bottoms Up" co-author Jim Draeger at Black Point Estate Saturday, June 14, at Black Point Estate in Lake Geneva.
The tour departs from the Riviera boat dock, located at 812 Wrigley Drive in downtown Lake Geneva at 2:30 p.m., and returns at approximately 6 p.m.
The event will include a beer tasting.
Black Point Estate is located on Geneva Lake, and visitors travel to the site via boat. Tickets can be booked through Lake Geneva Cruise Line, a private tour company. Call (262) 248-6206 for more information.
Tickets are limited to 34 people.
Access to Black Point Estate from the boat dock requires navigating 120 steps. Visitors requiring assistance with wheelchair accommodations should call the site at (262) 248-1888.


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CDimg|tools is a set of commandline tools to inspect and manipulate CD/DVD optical disc images in formats uncommon on free Unix-like systems (like GNU/Linux or BSD). It makes it possible to convert .NRG Nero images, to demultiplex RAW+96 image files containing both stream data and sub-channel data, to decrypt CSS-scrambled VOB files, and to decrypt CSS-scrambled DVD Video image files.
osis2epub is a a program that converts a Bible text stored in Open Scripture Information Standard (OSIS) format to an EPUB book. The resulting eBook can then be read on various eReaders or converted to another format. Conversion to a simple text format and to a collection of HTML files with an accompanying stylesheet and file list (for direct viewing or subsequent conversion) is also supported.
csv2html is a command line utility and reusable Python module that convert CSV files into HTML tables and full HTML documents. They can use either the old school HTMLgen module or the more modern HTML module (both for Python 2.x), and offer a wide range of options for formatting the output.
Boilsoft Video Converter for Mac converts between popular video formats, including .flv/flash, 3GP, AVI, DVD, FLV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, PSP MP4, RM, SVCD, VCD, VOB, WMV, and iPod Mp4. It lets you preview video before it gets converted, add watermarks to the video to be converted, convert a batch of videos in different or the same formats to one specified format, clip and convert a certain video segment as you like, customize output parameters, and more.
FF Multi Converter is a simple graphical application that converts audio, video, image, and document files between all popular formats, using and combining other programs. It uses ffmpeg for audio/video files, unoconv for document files, and the ImageMagick library for image file conversions.


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World Cup Soccer: Designed to Be Dull
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Most sports become more interesting as the skill of the players advances. The striking exception to this rule is World Cup soccer. In soccer, the higher you go, the duller it plays.
Most sports become more interesting as the skill of the players advances. This is why pro football is more compelling than watching sixth-graders play the game. The striking exception to this rule is World Cup soccer. In soccer, the higher you go, the duller it plays.
I say this despite a fair knowledge of soccer. I've been writing sports copy, including soccer, for decades. I go back far enough to remember, affectionately, the voice of Danny Blanchflower, the color guy for CBS's pro soccer broadcasts in 1967. (Yes, America had soccer in '67.)
But soccer is a troubled sport that exposes its underbelly every four years in the dreariest, costliest, most predictable sports tournament on Earth.
How bad is soccer? Today is June 16. The tournament ends a month from now, and I know already who's going to win. I know the final score will be either 1-0 or 2-1. Or it will be a 0-0 or 1-1 tie decided by one of these silly kicking-contests because, after two brief overtimes, "the world's best-conditioned athletes" are just too tuckered out to play on 'til somebody actually wins.
Soccer's fundamental problem is that it's not fun to watch. It's maddening with suspense -- but fun? I remember sitting in a London pub while a big Premier League game was on all the TVs. I wasn't watching. All my input was audio. What I heard was long stretches of tense silence, interrupted by an occasional hopeful shout from fans around the bar, followed by a group chorus of "Aaaaaaw..." punctuated by a few uniquely British epithets like "Blimey!" and Bugger!"
The reason for these predictable soccer noises is that teams hardly ever score. In the past Premier League season, only a handful of teams averaged two goals a game.
I've long held the theory that the paucity of scoring in modern soccer explains the violence of its fans. There are many sports bloodier than soccer -- football, rugby, wrestling, girls' field hockey -- but no fans more thuggish, brutal, and vicious than the frustrated maniacs who follow soccer and rarely get to high-five a goal.
For example, in World Cups from 1934 to 1954, games averaged more than four goals. In '54, the average per game was 5.38. Since then, scoring has dwindled to the point where the typical game is a 1-1 tie. There have been 167 World Cup ties (in 412 games) since 1986, concurrent with thousands of Major League Baseball, NBA, and NFL playoff games that have recorded dozens of overtimes without a tie.
So, have soccer players deteriorated that badly since 1954?


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As the February 2014 deadline for switching to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) format approaches, there are growing doubts that companies will be ready in time, raising the prospect of a disruption in euro-denominated payments.
The European Community was the latest to chime in, warning in March that while most companies have done their planning for SEPA, many were looking at very late deadlines for making the changes required.
Lesley White, head of treasury products for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, recently participated in a roadshow across the United States where SEPA was among the topics discussed. "The key message was, if you don't think about [SEPA] now, you're not going to be able to make or receive payments," she said. "You could see the light come on in people's eyes."
"As of February 2014, those local instruments that go through local clearing will be decommissioned," White said. "As of February 2014, it will be the SEPA credit transfers and SEPA direct debits that the biller uses to collect from the payer, that they will need to use."
In January, PwC issued a report suggesting that 55% of companies risk missing the February 2014 deadline. However, Peter Frank, a principal at PwC and leader of its Corporate Treasury Solutions practice, said the situation may not be as dire as it's painted.
"To make a SEPA transfer, the payment file needs to be in a certain format, ISO 20022," Frank said. Companies are working on the internal changes that would allow them to generate files in that format, but if they don't complete the work by Feb. 1, "a lot of the banks are offering services to convert the files on their behalf," he said. "You could send a non-compliant format to the bank and the bank will take that file and convert it," he said.
While that allows companies to go on making payments, Frank said that having the bank convert payment files will mean higher transaction costs. And if large numbers of companies decide to rely on banks to convert payment files, the volume could overwhelm banks. "I think there's an open question as to the banks' capacity to do it, that is, their internal processing capacity," Frank said.
White said BofA is well prepared, noting that the bank has "an end-to-end business plan around how we support our clients through SEPA migration," a plan that takes "bottlenecks and resources challenges into account. I do think though that those that leave it to the last minute are absolutely risking not getting the right support," she said.
PwC's survey of 293 finance executives in December and January showed that 22% of companies had not yet planned their SEPA implementation. Even those who put together plans had holes in those plans: for example, fewer than 20% had included the company's HR, legal and sales departments in their planning. And 44% of those with plans had deadlines that PwC describes as "uncomfortably close" to the February 2014 deadline.
BofA's White, pictured at left, said she sees different levels of preparedness among companies. "Some clients are more ready than others and that generally seems to depend on how they're structured, the size of the teams they have outside of the U.S. to focus on this." Staffing is another factor, White said, and noted that that involves not only the employees in a company's treasury department, but also those in IT and operations.
The ECB report warned that companies whose SEPA implementations were scheduled to be completed late this year risked suffering a disruption, and urged companies to complete their implementations by the third quarter.
"The deadline isn't really Feb. 1," PwC's Frank said. "The deadline is probably something well before that. You don't want to send out your first payment file untested on Feb. 1 and hope it will go through."
In addition to allowing time for the normal testing and glitches involved in implementing software changes, companies need to take into account internal constraints around year-end, Frank said. For example, he said, some IT departments won't make changes to ERP systems in the last two weeks or month of the year for fear it would complicate closing the books at year-end.
Implementing SEPA direct debits is seen as a bigger challenge than the credit transfers. Such debits are typically used by businesses that deal with consumers, like utilities or insurers, and are paid by debiting customers' accounts.
"The key thing on the direct debit side is that ownership and management of the mandate—the contract between the biller and payer, which was historically held and managed by the bank—will now be the responsibility of the corporate," said BofA's White. "It's completely new ground for companies."
PwC's Frank said the process of going to all of a company's customers and gathering new mandates could take some time. "Then you may need a technology solution to manage those mandates, depending on how many of them you have," he said. "It's possible companies could spend a year or more getting ready for this." And he noted that unlike credit transfers, where companies could turn to their banks to convert files, "the bank can't gather your mandates or process mandates for you."
Frank suggests U.S.-based companies are behind their European counterparties when it comes to SEPA preparations. "For European companies, SEPA has been organized as a headquarters-led, priority initiative," he said. "A lot of U.S. corporate treasuries have essentially delegated this, and they don't have a lot of visibility into what's going on and not going on."
That may come back to haunt them if the company finds itself unable to make payments on Feb. 1 of next year, Frank said. "I don't think a U.S. corporate treasurer can just say, 'The European finance manager can take care of it.' I think it's the responsibility of the U.S. corporate treasurer to take active ownership, and that's not going on."
Read the May Special Report on Cash Management & Forecasting.
All Eyes on Cash
Cash Keeps Building at U.S. Companies
Accurate Forecasting: It's the Discipline that Matters
Effective Liquidity Management Drives Results


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Forecasters: Cold, More snow on the way
JANESVILLE—A winter storm that dropped 7 inches of snow on parts of Rock and Walworth counties over the weekend has passed, but people should keep their snow shovels handy through Christmas Day, forecasters say.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service say continued snowfall the next two to three days is likely as temperatures continue to fluctuate amid a set of cold and warm fronts that are set to move through southern Wisconsin Monday and Tuesday.�
Brian Hahn, a meteorologist at the Sullivan office of the National Weather Service, said parts of Rock and Walworth counties could get another two or three inches of new snow before Christmas Day on Wednesday.
Hahn said forecasts call for a potential of an inch more of snow overnight on Sunday and into today. Area snowfalls are expected to taper off throughout the day today as a cold front moves in, and temperatures drop off to the single digits overnight.
But he said a Christmas Eve warm front is set to push in during the day Tuesday, with temperatures pushing back up into the mid-20s. The warmer air could bring in another 2 inches of snow Christmas Eve, Hahn said.
The continued pattern of winter precipitation, which has included freezing rain last week and the Sunday snowfall, has kept local street crews busy.
Randy Nash, a foreman in charge of snow removal for the city of Janesville's Department of Public Works, said plow crews worked 12 hours off and on Sunday to contend with the weekend snowfall.
Nash said 25 city plow and salt trucks were out over the weekend moving snow and clearing streets, along with two graders and two end-loaders.
"It's been busy," Nash said. "Even before the weekend, we were busy out preparing for the snow, getting salt and sand down on the streets to deal with the ice pack from the (freezing) rain earlier in the week."
Nash said plow crews on Sunday contended with cars parked illegally along city streets, even though the city had issued a snow emergency requiring people to move their cars off the streets for snow removal.
"That slows the job down," he said.
Rock County 911 dispatcher Michelle McMahon said despite heavy snowfall early Sunday, emergency calls for crashes didn't seem to spike over the weekend.
McMahon reported the two notable accidents were a vehicle rollover north of Janesville on Sunday and a single-car crash in Janesville that took out a traffic signal.