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Overstock.com (NYSE:OSTK) is an online marketplace that offers discounted brand name merchandise purchased from the surplus inventories of manufacturers and retailers. Although its been able to cut costs effectively since its inception in 1997, the company has incurred yearly net losses due to high operating expenses[1].
At the heart of Overstock's challenges is the increasing competition to attract customers. It operates in a very competitive market and as search engines such as Google have become more popular, customers begin their search for online merchandise through general search rather than through the established platforms of Overstock or competitors Amazon and Ebay. As a result, Overstock must spend large sums on acquiring search engine promotion. Additionally, poor global economic conditions have affected consumer demand for the kind of goods that Overstock sells.
The only way to overcome the search engine filtering by customers is to build a strong brand so that when people look for value (jewelry, fixtures, or travel, or insurance) they know that Overstock.com provides it and start their search from there (like with Google for search or Amazon for books). Overstock seems aware of that and spends money in targetted online advertising but also in brand advertising (TV, radio, print and most recently the Oakland Coliseum).
Overstock managed to build critical mass (web-estate, trade relations, $1b revenue mark, technology) and achieves about 2.2 million quarterly orders @ $118/order (averages for the last 12 quarters ending Sep-2011). In terms of capital spending 5y average capex < 5y average depreciation which is a positive sign. As of September 30, 2011 the company has federal net operating loss carry forwards of approximately $190.5 million and state net operating loss carry forwards of approximately $174.3 million, which may be used to offset future taxable income. The partnerships concluded towards the end of 2011/early 2010 (nook, travel) are still in test drive but indicate a new growth direction through which Overstock may employ its web estate and customer base with little or no need for additional investment (sales agent for partners like Barnes & Nobles and Priceline).
Some shy profits peeked out in 2009 and 2010. The fact that it benefits of backing of top quality, long term, value oriented shareholders (Byrne family, Fairfax, Chou Funds) provides the company with a competitive advantage.
To be successful, an online agent such as Overstock must be a low cost operator, own a strong brand, attract traffic, offer a likable product portfolio and shelf space, good prices and superior customer service. Amazon is an example of success in the online retailing industry. The company is a far cry from Amazon's numbers but better positioned as compared with many of its competitors.
However, Overstock must prove it is able to grow profitably given that the online shopping space in some of its targeted segments is dominated by the huge brand equity built by Amazon, Ebay (arguably, a competitor) and many of its other competitors' online businesses are backed by helpful brick and mortar networks.
Overstock is an online retailer offering discount brand name, non-brand name and closeout merchandise, including bed-and-bath goods, home décor, kitchenware, furniture, watches and jewelry, apparel, electronics and computers, sporting goods, and designer accessories, among other products. The web site operates four tabs: Shopping, Cars, Insurance, B2B ( www.overstock.com, www.o.co and O.biz). Under the Shopping tab/Worldstock the buyer can procure merchandise from craftsmen in many world's countries. For the time being about 99% of the revenue is generated in the USA but the company could deliver many products to a great deal of international destinations. The company tried various models such as operating various website tabs, operating more US warehouses and local presence in Mexico. One of its promotion initiatives was penalized by Google in 2011 so it was given up (but that might have costed 5% in lost revenue). In the past its systems failed to invoice properly some of the costs which should have been born by Overstocks' fulfillment partners so the company chose, in the end, to bear some of them itself. A more detailed analysis of the company (bull view) is available here. Bearish comments to this bull stance are presented here.
Overstock's shopping business has two different business lines: Direct Segment and Fulfillment Partner Segment.
The Fulfillment Partners segment does not ship excess inventory from its leased warehouses; instead, it acts as a liaison between consumers in search of the low prices and retailers, cataloguers, and manufacturers looking to liquidate surplus inventory. Such products are listed on the Overstock.com website and then shipped by the third party "fulfillment partners". Overstock has roughly 1,900 partnerships with third parties who post approximately 960,000 SKU's products on the Overstock.com website. Revenue generated from sales on the Shopping site from both the direct and fulfillment partner businesses is recorded net of returns, coupons and other discounts.
This segment, as well as the Direct segment, are highly seasonal, with sales historically peaking in its fourth fiscal quarter. Overstock also controls a number of peripheral business lines that are based on the same concept of using the Internet to facilitate consumer access to discount merchandise. These including auctions, auto sale listings, and real estate sale listings, all of which contribute negligibly to the company's revenue.
Direct revenue includes sales directly to individual consumers from certain offline channels and Overstock.com's leased warehouses, where purchased surplus inventory is stored and then re-sold at a premium on the website.
The Proxy Statement as well as the transcript of the 2011 Stockholders' Meeting provides more detail but a few excerpts make the point:
1) After ten years of service without any salary or bonus, Patrick Byrne, agreed to accept a salary of $100,000 for 2011; 2) The other Executive Officers' salaries stay at the same rates paid in 2010, as follows: Mr. Johnson: $350,000; Mr. Chesnut: $300,000; Ms. Simon: $300,000; and Mr. Peterson: $300,000; 3) the Compensation Committee approved the recommendation of the Executive Officers that they be paid no bonuses relating to 2010 (according to the transcript of 2011 Shareholders' Meeting they gave up their bonuses so that the employees could have theirs); 4) The number of restricted stock units granted to Executive Officers were as follow: Dr. Byrne: 15,000; Mr. Johnson: 15,000; Mr. Chesnut: 15,000; Ms. Simon: 15,000; and Mr. Peterson: 15,000; 5) Substantially all employees of the Company are expected to be eligible to participate in any bonuses ultimately paid under the 2011 Bonus Plan. The total bonus pool under the 2011 Bonus Plan is expected to be an amount equal to 20% of post-bonus ''Measurement Amount'', with 20% of the pool expected to be allocated to the members of the executive team (18 people).
The fact that 80% of the bonus pool is reserved for employees suggest a certain management attitude towards them which in turn might explain the 9th place occupied by Overstock in Glasdoor's Employees' Choice Awards for Best Places to Work.
In 2005, Overstock sued Gradient/Rocker Partners Lawsuit for libel, unfair business practices and tortuous interference. Gradient settled in 2008 (some media coverage here) and Rocker Partners settled in 2009 when it paid Overstock $5 million.
In 2007, Overstock filed an unfair business practice lawsuit against some prime brokers over the practice of naked short selling. "I didn't want to fight this fight. ... I'm telling you there is a crack in the financial system. It's filling up with phantom shares until they so warp the market ..." declared Mr. Patrick Byrne, on a conference call (Q1-2006, page 3). An article (FalseProxies) from Bloomberg Markets explains some elements of the "crack" that made Patrick pick that fight.
The Prime Broker Lawsuit (trial date set in March 2012) with Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch/BAC as the remaining defendants (some other prime brokers have settled, see OSTK 10-K, 2010, page 33). This trial, David vs. Goliath type of story, might raise a lot of public interest – and a great deal of goodwill and name recognition for Overstock.com.
Originally, Overstock has asked for $3.48 billion in damages from the prime brokers.
Information on Overstock's and other comparable "Phantom Shares" legal proceedings is available here. More specific information on Overstock's litigation is presented here.
The company faces some headwinds from district attorneys in California who filed a suit in 2010 and claim that Overstock made "misleading statements ". The Consumer Affairs.com provides more details. An excerpt is below:
"Overstock made "misleading statements "which accompanied virtually every product listing on its site," according to the suit. By way of example, the complaint points to a patio set that Overstock claimed had a "list price" of $999. The website offered the set for a seemingly rock-bottom $449. But a consumer who bought the set on Overstock found a Wal-Mart sticker listing the sale price as $247 -- a full $200 cheaper than the price at which Overstock offered the set. Mark Griffin, Overstock's vice president and general counsel, said in a statement that "no one is perfect but also that Overstock "[does] deny the allegations and we deny the interpretations." Griffin said that misrepresenting prices would be devastating for a company that has plenty of competition. "The bottom line is that people shop our website in large part because of the prices we offer," he said. "So we have to be as accurate as possible because we know that our customers can easily check the prices that are available elsewhere." As for the patio set, Griffin said it was a misunderstanding between Overstock and its vendor."
This suit is in the discovery stage and Overstock intends "to vigorously defend this action". The latest [1] provides more information about the outstanding litigation.
According to Internet Retailer's Top500, Overstock is no 27 in the list of Top 500 business-to-consumers retailers in the US and Canada, based on on-line sales 2010. In terms of 2010 sales growth, Overstock outpaced 39 of the top 55 retailers (website with chart) ranked by Internet Retailer's Top 500.
Google's Doubleclick Ad Planner Top 1000 sites (as of July 2011) estimates Overstock to hold position 431 globally, among all websites: 10 million unique visitors, a global reach of 0.6%, and 250 million page views. In a list that includes: Mass Merchants & Department Stores, Auctions, Shopping Portals and Engines, Apparel, Clothing Accessories, Beauty & Fitness, Bed & Bath, Office Supplies, Footwer, Fashion & Style, Book Retailers, e-books and Crafts that were ranked by Top 1000 sites, Overstock sits on the 32 place (globally) (website with chart).
Customer acquisition and retention has become increasingly difficult for specialized internet retailers such as Overstock. Customers have an ever greater choice of websites from which to search for merchandise for retail purchase. Over the last several years, Overstock has been competing for traffic and spent large sums on marketing.
According to Alexa, on Dec 18, 2011, Overstock's global rank is 558 and its US rank is 99 (among all sites in Alexa's universe). See the chart at this link: Traffic (were you can dig for more for information) or below:
The fall in the first part of 2011 coincides with the rather sudden replacement of www.overstock.com for www.o.co, a mistake acknowledged and repaired by management as the graph's subsequent evolution points out.
This link provides Alexa's rank of shopping sites. Overstock takes the 16th place which suggests Overstock's web estate is valuable and a platform to build on which might not be so easily achieved by competitors.
The fact that Overstock is ranked 2nd in retail customer services nationwide, may help in making a difference [2]
Overstock has begun to focus on attracting international customers and has service to 90 international customers. Overstock is using FiftyOne Global Ecommerce solutions to facillitate its international presence.[3]
All that being said, according to the company's presentations, a number of operational improvements are visible. A slightly increasing pool of customers (the sudden re-branding and the Google penalty took a toll on Q2, Q3-2011) places a slightly increasing number of orders at a slightly increasing average order value:
The Net Promoter Scores (% of promoters - % of detractors) provided in the company's presentations show improving customer service.
In May 2008, New York state passed a law requiring Internet retailers to collect and pay New York state taxes. Previously, online retailers have only had to collect sales taxes from online shoppers in states which they have a physical presence. Thus, Utah-based Overstock would only have to collect taxes from Utah customers. However, New York enacted a law that treats affiliates of online stores as extensions of the store itself. Because Overstock has over 3,400 affiliates in New York, it would have to collect sales tax on its customers in New York. Rather than collecting sales tax, Overstock cut all its New York affiliates, removing their "physical presence" from the state.[4]
In February 2010, the California State Senate passed a bill requiring online retailers to start charging sales tax on purchases in California. The new tax, nicknamed the "Amazon tax", was included in a $5 billion state budget package and was estimated to contribute $107 million annually to California's budget. However, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would veto the the bill.[5]
As more and more states try to collect sales taxes from online retailers, these new taxes will cut into Overstock's revenue. When the price of a product is raised due to the new taxes, consumers will buy less quantity, eroding Overstock and other online retailer's revenue.
Many factors can influence a consumer's decision whether to buy online or in-store. One of the most prominent advantages of purchasing goods on the internet was the lack of sales taxes. However, to combat soaring budget deficits, states such as North Carolina and Rhode Island are now requiring sales tax to be paid on goods sold on the internet[6]. This makes internet shopping much less attractive to those buyers trying to find a bargain from internet sites such as Overstock, and the company has had to cut ties with 3,400 online affiliates in 2009 in response to tax changes.
The entire on-line retailing industry faces headwinds due to the local states tax issue whose resolution is not predictable. It is unlikely to see the industry or Overstock destroyed by this tax but it might make days cloudier for all of the players, especially the weaker ones - which in the end may benefit the stronger ones.
Other factors which play a role in willingness to purchase online are secure credit card payments and broadband internet access. As buying online becomes more secure with the likes of PayPal and the rates of broadband internet penetration rise, consumers should be more likely to purchase from the web.
The use of downloadable media programs such as iTunes, Kazaa, Morpheus, Bittorrent, and Napster has had a negative impact on the CD/DVD industry. As these downloading systems become more established, hard copies of music and movies have become increasingly obsolete. Considering digital media has historically contributed greatly to Overstock's revenue, this could have a negative impact on Overstock's top line.
The industry has minimal and low cost barriers to entry and therefore it is a very competitive market. Overstock has many competitors in the Internet sales business, including Ebay, Amazon, Buy.com, Shop.com, and Smartbargains.com.
Easy entry (technically) does not necessarily mean that a new entrant can build easily web estate, traffic, customer base, etc. One must consider that Overstock's business model consists of two distinct business lines: a) selling the overstock of others; b) helping others sell their merchandise (travel, books, insurance, etc). Trade relationships (+1900 supplier base), customer relationships (more than 22 million customers), technology and web estate are not that easy to build for a new entrant in the current market environment. An online business model is better positioned to succeed if it employs: a) brand/traffic; b) heaviest discounter reputation (which is probably part of the brand equity); c) low cost operations.
It is difficult to know how Overstock divides its marketing budget between different lines (Sales and Marketing expenses consist primarily of online and offline advertising, public relations and promotional expenditures, as well as payroll and related expenses for personnel engaged in marketing and selling activities) but they do spend money on marketing at the expense of net profits:
Spending USD 363 million on sales and marketing (a chunk of each is marketing alone) during the last six years clearly shows the Overstock's management is aware of the importance of brand. Yet, interestingly, they chose to suddenly replace Overstock.com with O.co in February 2011 (!...). The cold shower which followed sent a strong message and now they try to work it out properly (O.co is catchy but Overstock stands for something).
The closer proxy for brand value may be Internet Retailer's Top500 and Alexa rankings which position Overstock as no 27 or no 16 online shopper in the US.
A look in the table below, which outlines COGS as a % of revenues for some players, provides a rough general picture:
Overstock's COGS as a % of net sales, shows that they are either a heavy discounter or they do not control the purse strings when buying merchandise. The former might be closer to the truth and in 2012 COGS is ~83% of sales as compared to 85% the average of previous 9 years. That shows an improvement. Hard to say based on public data if it is due to: a) increased bargaining power with suppliers?; b) closure of warehouse in Indiana (2007)? c) increased fulfillment partner weight in total revenues? d) higher sales prices?
The adjusted SG&A presented in the table below consists of the sum of the SG &A and R&D percentages, as provided by Morningstar for each player. Again the analysis is rough but it glimpses at the competitive landscape:
In terms of SG & A Overstock looks worse than some competitors, and better than others. The trend is positive (with ups and downs but decreasing).
Overstock is a far cry from Amazon but it employs a bundle of assets that position the company better than many of its competitors:
Will these assets be managed properly for domestic growth and profits? Can Overstock become a global player?
The next five years shall prove the evolution of its business model and the happiness of its public shareholders one way or another.


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"Yessiree, I ain't scared of no goats," smiles the 49-year-old, Canadian-born actor.
"Or words to that effect. I think the rule is there for a good reason, but both children and animals have become much more professional down through the years.
"Besides, I think that's where my humour really comes to life -- when I'm allowed to be silly. And both children and animals allow you to be very silly indeed."
"Doesn't it?" he nods. "I was definitely kind of hooked from very early on with this movie. The book is pretty old, and it's stood the test of time. That was definitely another part of the appeal -- for a kid's story to last over 70 years, it's got to be special.
"Of course, it helps that Mr Popper's Penguin has been part of the reading curriculum in elementary schools in America all this time, too. That way, kids have got to like it."
"Yeah, I think you could call it loose," says Carrey. "We wanted to change a few elements of the story, and push the comedy of the situation that little bit higher. It's just too sweet a concept not to push it a little. A guy in New York whose apartment suddenly becomes a winter wonderland because he's got all these penguins living with him -- how could I resist that?"
"They're smart, those penguins, but not quite smart enough to do entire dance routines with me. We tried to get the penguin from Happy Feet involved, but he was too busy on his sequel. And, frankly, we couldn't afford him -- he's too big a star now."
And there can only be one star in a Jim Carrey film.
"That's right!" Carrey shouts. "I don't want anyone who might be funnier, smarter, or more beautiful than I, appearing in any of my films. It's a policy that has made me the superstar that I am today."
Sad and lonely?
"It would be very, very easy to go crazy, always looking at the numbers for your movies," says Carrey. "There's such an exact science when it comes to market research and test screenings, and yet, anyone in Hollywood will tell you that you really never truly know what's going to happen with a movie.
"So, you know, best not to think about all that too much, and just get on with making movies that you get a kick out of. I'm lucky in that I don't have to sweat it, I don't have to go out begging for work. Of course, I want the work that I do commit to to have some merit, to have a degree of fun involved. And fun involves being challenged a little too."
"We're all getting older," finishes Carrey, "but, the big question is, are we getting wiser? Here's hoping. In the meantime, I think having some fun along the way is probably the best path to take. It's important to go out with a smile on your face . . ."
http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/film ... 30386.html


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Television dramas and reality shows were dark spots in an otherwise upbeat FilmL.A. report on production in the region last year.
Overall, permitted production days in the city of Los Angeles and surrounding areas coordinated by the not-for-profit organization were up 4.7 percent in 2012 over 2011. There were 46,254 PPDs last year compared to 45,484 in the previous one.
The big-spending TV drama category, however, was down 20 percent from 2011 and reality shows slipped 11.8 percent.
The overall television category fell 3.4 percent, mitigated by an increase in on-location sitcom production.
"We know that part of the decline in our TV drama figures stems from producers' desire to cut costs by filming more on studio back-lots and soundstages," Paul Audley, president of FilmL.A., said in a press release.
The organization's figures do not include days shot on industry properties.
"Unfortunately, last year we also saw a record number of new TV drama series shot out of state, resulting in negative economic consequences."
That's due, as has long been the case, to the more generous, less restrictive and longer-established economic and tax incentives many other states offer, compared to California's.
In a telephone interview, Audley elaborated on why the situation is so dire.
"The 20 percent down for TV drama is a record since we've been keeping statistics," he said. "TV dramas are one of the most valuable economic engines to us, and to see a 20 percent drop should frighten the people of greater L.A.
"They last longer (than most other kinds of productions)," Audley said of multi-episode, mostly hourlong shows. "They have more long-term positions and they hire more people. And truthfully, most of their budgets, probably, are bigger than a lot of the small independent films that are now making up the majority of feature work in L.A."
Continuing a multi-year trend, commercials saw the highest uptick in production last year, 8,078 PPD over 2011's 7,079, a 14.1 percent rise.
Feature film shoots went up 3.7 percent, with 5,892 PPD in 2012 versus the previous year's 5,682. State tax credits were given, well, credit for some of that, with productions such as "Gangster Squad," Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring" and "Dark Skies" taking advantage of the incentives.
Other significant features that shot in the region last year were the next "Star Trek" movie and Jason Bateman's comedy "Bad Words."
Even that, though, seems pretty paltry for the movie capital of the world.
"I think it's a catastrophe," said Sharon Hardee Jimenez, founder of the three-year-old Bring Hollywood Home Foundation, a nonprofit, grass-roots group "dedicated to education and support in the fight for production incentives in order to end the outflow of independent film and television industry jobs from California," according to its website.
"It's an indication that we remain non-competitive in California in our business models and tax credit incentives in order to keep production here," Jimenez continued. "I know groups like FilmL.A. are doing the best they can, but the problem is that we are not serious about keeping the industry here. There is not a serious effort."
twitter.com/bscritic ___


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An Overview of our Country Inn & Hotel "Vilstaler Hof":
At the country inn & hotel "Vilstaler Hof" we serve excellent local Bavarian cuisine made of regional ingredients. We are happy to welcome you in the Antonius-Parlor, the Florian-Parlor, the Hunting-Parlor, the Chimney-Parlor, in the winter garden, in the large ballroom, in the beer garden or in the EventBarn.
The country inn & hotel "Vilstaler Hof" is located in the tranquil Vilsvalley, directly at the Vils valley bikeway and close to the "Bockerl" bikeway. However, if you go by car, the Bundesstraße B20 is only three and the Autobahn A92 only 10 minutes away. From there you can easily reach the cities Dingolfing, Landau a. d. Isar, Eggenfelden, Straubing, Deggendorf, Altötting, Landshut, Regensburg, Passau and Munich/München. Right at the country inn & hotel we provide our guests with a spacious parking area (garage if desired) for cars, busses and camping vans free of charge.
The entire "Vilstaler Hof" can be accessed by wheelchairs and baby strollers. There are toilets for the disabled, a playroom for children and a baby changing room.
The 60-bed hotel "Vilstaler Hof" provides single, double and multi-bed rooms, junior suites, family rooms, family suites with a small kitchen, business rooms, apartments and bridal suites. The rooms are equipped with a Sat-TV, a minibar, a telephone, a safe, wireless internet connection, sky-tv, partly with a balcony or air conditioning and currently with free wireless internet access and iPhone connector. The new bathrooms dispose of shower/toilet, make-up mirror and hair dryer. Noise-control windows and window nets guarantee peaceful and relaxing sleep. All rooms can be comfortably reached by elevator.
Give yourself a treat and begin your day with our "Vilstaler Hof" breakfast buffet with juice bar, muesli corner, delicious jams, fried or scrambled eggs, fried bacon, seasonal fruits, regional sausage and cheese delicacies and a variety of bread and rolls!
The "Vilstaler Hof" can house conferences, trainings, workshops, bus excursion groups, meetings and work parties. The new Event Barn provides enough space for up to 400 people, the beer garden for up to 200. The entire (technical) equipment (presenter's box, projector, flip chart, screen, microphones, fax machine, slide projector, copying machine, overhead projector, telephone, speakers, TV, pinboards, speaker's desk, stereo (cassette, CD, radio), can be provided if desired. The premium coffee maker Piacetto Espresso for Italian coffee may be used by participants as desired.
The "Vilstaler Hof" offers the suitable framework for family and wedding parties. The Antonius-Parlor, the Florian-Parlor, the Hunting-Parlor, the Chimney-Parlor, the winter garden or the EventBarn – you will find the perfect atmosphere for every party in the stylishly decorated rooms. Family Bachhuber and their service team will be happy to help you with any aspects of planning your party. Excellent local Bavarian cooking made of regional ingredients, refined beverages and a friendly service invite you to the "Vilstaler Hof", which is barrier-free and child-friendly. Family Bachhuber and the "Vilstaler Hof" service team are looking forward to your visit!
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It doesn't really reach the level of terrorism, but some countries seem to be including online attacks in their portfolio of diplomatic activities
Recent Web site attacks apparently connected to sensitive international issues have generated a lot of talk about cyber terrorism. There was the spate of denial-of-service attacks in early July against government and financial sites in the United States and South Korea, supposedly originating in North Korea and, more recently, attacks against the Web site of an Australian film festival that had offended the Chinese government.
The Domain Name System Security Extensions, a scheme for digitally signing the records that direct much of our Internet activity, are slowly gaining traction.
Several countries already have signed their zones, the U.S. government has signed the .gov top-level domain and agencies are working toward getting second-tier domains signed by the end of the year. The Public Interest Registry, which runs the .org domain, has started signing and testing, and on a much smaller scale, the Energy Department's Energy Sciences Network is signing ESnet records within the .org and .net domains.
Neither of those incidents rose to the level of terrorism. Instead, they appeared to be part of a trend toward the use of online activism as a kind of rogue diplomacy. Countries that want to be taken seriously can grab a lot of attention by taking down a few Web sites.
The Korean activity came at a time of heightened squabbling between North Korea and the rest of the world about missile tests. According to security experts, the distributed denial-of-service attacks were about as sophisticated as the missiles the country has been launching. But, like the missiles, they received international attention.
More recently, the Web site of the Melbourne International Film Festival was defaced with a Chinese flag and angry messages July 25, shortly after a diplomatic protest from China against the showing of a documentary film, "Ten Conditions of Love," about Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer. The Chinese government blames Kadeer, now living in exile in the United States, for recent riots in China that left 200 people dead, and the country withdrew its films from the festival because of the documentary.
It is difficult to pinpoint the source of and motive behind online attacks, and beyond speculation, there has been nothing solid to tie the Korean attacks to the North Korean government. According to the Australian Broadcasting Company, a Chinese citizen who claimed to be the film festival hacker denied by e-mail any connection with the Chinese government and said he was acting out of anger over the perceived national slight.
This kind of hacktivism is not new, but it is appearing more often in connection with international issues. With an increasingly tense and fragmented international community, the number of such attacks is likely to increase.
The U.S. government claims that a number of countries are developing cyber offensive capabilities. That makes sense because the asymmetrical nature of cyber warfare could make even a small country a formidable opponent online. Countries that would never have the resources to attack us militarily could easily match us click for click with a relatively modest outlay.
In the same way, a country can use cyberattacks to bring attention to its concerns, sometimes out of proportion to its international influence. North Korea has a real image problem, and most of the world does not take its threats seriously. But if someone is kept out of Amazon.com for a few hours, North Korean concerns become a factor in his or her life. It is unlikely that many people outside Australia would have known about China's displeasure with the Uighur film had someone not gone after the festival Web site. As tensions flare over major and minor issues around the world, we probably can expect corresponding spikes in online hostile activity.
About the Author
William Jackson is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
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All: Perhaps "terrorism" is an incorrect moniker, but it's still criminal activity, and eventually someone will die because of it, if they haven't already (e.g. Georgia, or similar). When they do, what do we do then? I don't think folks want to just write the dead bodies off as a cost of "the way business gets done", or provide excuses for the folks who do this kind of thing.
This is not terrorism. It is information operations. There is no psychological component of terror. The goal is to increase attention and to make things more difficult, not to inspire terror. Likewise, H, piracy is not terrorism. It is financially-motivated crime and extortion. If it were terrorism, the goal would be to scare all of the boats away, which is not at all what pirates are hoping for.
I agree that labeling many things "terrorism" dilutes the true meaning of the word. Terrorism is achieved when an event instills a persistent state of fear in a people.
Have any of these recent web attacks caused damage and financial distress sufficient to cause the populus to live in terror? The answer is NO. While these attacks were "hostile", "malicious" and certainly "criminal", they were not "terrorism" by a long margin.
The correct term to use might be "attempted terrorism". The intent to cause terror may have been present, but overall, they failed.
There are only two groups of people who felt that this was terrorism.
(1) poor, misguided souls who insist on labeling all evil events as "terrorism" and
(2) the media.
The danger in making "all things terrorism" is that the term "terrorism" loses its sting. The term is already loose enough - to expand it to include any action intent on behaviour influence is counter-productive. Plus, cyber defences are readily available (albeit requiring constant monitoring and upgrade) and the vast majority of web users are employing at least some of them. Users (including consumers) have come to accept occasional theft, web defacing, service suspension, etc., without abandoning the web itself through basic precautions and damage limiting strategies. Cyber attacks may attempt harrassment and intimidation, but are just not in the same league as "terrorism".
In my view cyber attacks are in the same category as terrorism. When you consider the commercial aspect of the internet it is clearly an attack on capitalism, just via another avenue. Would you not consider piracy as terrorist activity? The intent is to do harm, in much the same way as a physical attack. With more and more activity on the web how can this be judged a "prank"? As we speak there are known (and most probably unknown) botnets sitting in waiting for the trigger to be pulled. What damage could be done if say Salesforce.com had a DOS attack? What is there was a DOS attack between main sites and third party vendors (think outsourced here)?
Besides isn't terror political?
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LONDON (AP) — British police say a second man has been charged with kidnapping two Western journalists in Syria.
Jubayer Chowdhury was arrested by counterterrorism officers at London's Heathrow Airport on Monday after arriving on a flight from Bahrain.
Scotland Yard said Thursday that the 24-year-old has been charged in connection with their investigation into alleged terrorist activity in Syria.
Chowdhury is the second person charged in relation to the abduction of two photographers, Briton John Cantlie and his Dutch colleague Jeroen Oerlemans, between July 17 and July 26 in Syria.
Police say Chowdhury will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.


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Key Earnings Announcements This Week:
Monday, February 25, 2013
Before: DDD, ANFI, WTR, ARIA, CWH, CTB, DNDN, DCI, FE, BGC, HL, HTZ, LOW, KWK, RLGY, SFL, KOS, TGE
During: ARTW, HVT, HSKA, ROSE
After: AEGN, AMSG, ARB, ASTX, ADSK, AXTI, BBRG, CZR, CSV, CHUY, CYBE, EROC, ECYT, GBLI, GB, GLF, HALO, HCN, KAMN, KND, LGCY, MELI, MR, OAS, OKE, OKS, OTT, SALM, GAME, SLRC, SF, SGY, SUNS, TWI, URS, VVUS
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Before: CAS, AG, AKRX, AMCX, AMT, AZO, AUXL, BMO, CRZO, CDI, CTHR, CIE, GSJK, CBRL, CMLP, SSP, ECL, EME, EXPD, EXH, EXLP, GTE, HSII, HFC, IPCC, LDL, M, MSO, RRD, RSH, RBA, SKS, SPRD, SHOO, THC, TRS, UNS, UNFI
During: -
After: ACCL, AWK, ASCMA, AVGO, BIO, BTUI, CO, STV, DL, DGI, DWA, EIX, ENPH, ERIE, EXAC, FAC, FSLR, GA, GWRE, GPOR, HSTM, KAI, LMAT, MAKO, MIDD, NATL, NUVA, ONVI, ORA, PZZA, PCLN, QCOR, RRC, REXX, RIMG, INN, SPN, TTEC, UNXL, VRSK, VNO, RNIN, ZAGG
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Before: AH, AES, ARCC, AMAP, BWEN, CYD, CBB, ABV, DIN, DLTR, ICA, FIG, GLOG, HTWR, HPT, HII, INXN, ITT, LOJN, LTXC, MVIS, NRG, OGE, PACT, PTNR, PDCE, SRT, STWD, SWC, SUSS, TJX, XIN
During: AU, BHP, HBM
After: ANW, AFCE, ADC, ATSG, AMSF, ANIK, ARI, AGO, BSFT, DVR, CWT, CECO, CBI, CBEY, CHDN, VALE, CDXS, CLR, CSGP, EXE, CFI, UAN, DPM, DEL, BOOM, EIG, ELGX, EVC, EPAM, EXAM, FARO, FMX, GMED, GEF, PAC, GTAT, HNSN, PODD, IILG, ITC, JCP, LINTA, LTD, MCHX, LEDR, MWE, MMLP, MTSN, MNST, MYL, NED, PLL, RM, RLJ, RST, SRC, STAA, STNR, BEE, RGR, PANL, VCRA, VSEC, WES, WLL, XPO
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Before: ACIW, ACU, AIXG, AWR, ANSS, BRY, BBY, BDBD, BBEP, CVC, CM, TAST, CTRX, GTLS, CHS, CIR, COWN, DRAD, DPZ, FLML, FCN, GVA, HDSN, SNAK, IRDM, IRM, ISIS, KSS, LKQ, LMOS, MENT, MTG, BABY, NIHD, NXTM, OCN, HK, PQ, RNO, RDC, SHLD, SHEN, SJI, TEF, TTI, TISA, TD, VTX, WWE
During: AT, AKO.A, LUX, TEO, WAYN
After: ALSK, AMRN, ANCI, ARC, ATRC, BODY, CEMP, CERS, CLNE, CLVS, FIX, BVN, CPNO, DAIO, DECK, DRH, BAGL, ESC, ENDP, ESL, FRGI, GPS, GXP, HTGC, TEG, KOG, LTBR, MBI, MDR, MDVN, MCP, MCRI, NKTR, NNI, NGD, NOG, OVTI, OPTR, PANW, PFMT, RLH, RNDY, CRM, SLXP, SD, SEMG, SSRI, SPLK, JOE, UHS, WR
Friday, February 29, 2013
Before: AMRC, XTXI, EXLS, FWLT, XLS, MGA, NVAX, POM, PNM, SRI, WLB
During: SJT
After: BRK.A, DHIL, PBA, VNR
Note: All economic numbers and earnings reports are in line with those compiled by Briefing.com. Occasionally changes will occur that are made after the posting of this column and some companies have not confirmed their time, so always double check when taking positions overnight during earnings season! (?) = Not yet confirmed at the time the list was compiled.


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SUPPLY—Teaching creationism and evolution is a hot topic among voters trying to decide which candidate to choose in the upcoming Brunswick County Board of Education election.
At the candidate forum Tuesday night at Odell Williamson Auditorium, an audience question gave candidates their chance to voice their opinions on the topic, which has drawn much controversy since the board's September meeting when a parent questioned why it wasn't taught in Brunswick County schools.
The Continuing Education and Workforce Development Department (CEWD) at Brunswick Community College offers short-term programs and classes for self-improvement, cultural enrichment, and academic achievement geared towards adults seeking skills for employment, intellectual stimulation, community involvement and social interaction.
Many small business courses are free due to funding from a Small Business Center grant. Seniors, 65 and older, can also take many classes free of charge.
Communities in Schools of Brunswick County Inc. (CIS) has released its annual data and information report for 2007-2008.
The organization aims to address dropout prevention and offers educational resources for students and families throughout the county.
CIS operates and facilitates five main programs: Adopt A School and Volunteer Program, After School Program, Teen Court and Peer Court, Family Resource Centers (Family Literacy and Parenting Education), and Academic Scholarships.
Adopt a School and Volunteer Program
An attorney for the Brunswick County Board of Education has filed a motion in U.S. District Court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Brunswick County schools employee in August.
Kathleen Tanner, the board of education's attorney, filed the motion to dismiss the lawsuit Sept. 25.
"We have asked the court to dismiss the entire lawsuit, because Ms. Williams has failed to state a claim of discrimination or retaliation," Tanner wrote in an e-mail to the Beacon.
"We will look for a ruling from the court in the next six months or so."
For parents, teacher workdays are often inconvenient because of work schedules and the difficulty of finding day care for children. For staff, it is a critical day where staff can continuously review the information available to improve the teaching and learning process.
Hopefully, the information provided in this edition of "Superintendent's Corner" will allow parents and the community to see that teacher workdays expand 21st Century teaching opportunities in our classrooms.
LELAND—North Brunswick High School returned to normal Monday morning after the school was locked down for about one hour.
Two suspects were arrested and charged with trespassing.
Lt. Roger Harrington of the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office said a report came in someone at the school had a weapon.
About a half hour after the school was locked down, sheriff's deputies stopped two suspects near Trinity Drive in Leland.
Brunswick County School District was honored Tuesday night at the monthly board of education meeting by representatives from Atlanta, representing the national SRA/McGraw-Hill headquarters.
When Joel Fanti tried to help his ninth-grade son study for his world history test, he found a problem with chapter one of the class' assigned textbook.
"It was presented in chapter one that evolution was a fact," Fanti said. "I did not have a problem with a theory of evolution being presented, but it should not be presented with a fact. All I wanted to do was study with my son for his world history test, but I couldn't just sit there and let him think this was a fact."
North Brunswick High School was locked down for about an hour Monday morning. Sheriff's deputies arrested two suspects for trespassing.
Lt. Roger Harrington, of the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office, said a report came in that someone at the school had a weapon on campus. About 30 minutes after the school was locked down, sheriff's deputies stopped two suspects near Trinity Drive in Leland.
Christopher Bell, 28, and Jacquelyn Eleise Mitchell, 43, both of Bell Way, Leland, were charged with second-degree trespassing.
The Continuing Education and Workforce Development Department (CEWD) at Brunswick Community College offers short-term programs and classes for self-improvement, cultural enrichment and academic achievement geared toward adults seeking skills for employment, intellectual stimulation, community involvement and social interaction.
Copyright © 2018
The Brunswick Beacon is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Brunswick County, North Carolina and surrounding areas.


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Gpredict Packaging Status
From MyLabWiki
- Mac OS X: Build, Bundle, and Integrate, see http://gtk-osx.sourceforge.net/
- Wintendo, see http://www.gtk.org/download-windows.html - though we want cross compilation, right. Build+installer. Compatibility matrix XP, Vista, 7. Is it enough with one 32 bit binary?
- Ubuntu: build+debs, use PPA? Latest on 32 and 64
Should be able to build as regular Gtk+-based library
- For windows there are pre-compiled binaries at http://curl.haxx.se/download.html
- For Mac I only see it via Mac ports. See however this Mac developer site: http://www.opensource.apple.com/


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STOCKHOLM -- Matteo Manassero remains on track for a second consecutive European Tour victory after taking a two-shot lead at the Nordea Masters on Friday.
The 20-year-old Italian, who won last week's BMW PGA Championship, added a 7-under 65 to his opening 66 for a 13-under total for two rounds on the Bro Hof Slott course in Stockholm.
Manassero capped his round with four birdies in succession from the 11th hole.
"It was nice after my good start to come back today and shoot another great score," he said. "I am glad the way the day has gone as I played solid. Over the last five or six holes I didn't feel as good as I did at the beginning but I was scoring well which is a good sign."
Finland's Mikko Ilonen is second at 11 under after birdieing his last three holes for a 9-under 63. He matched a new course record, set just hours earlier by Scotland's Peter Whiteford, who is third at 10 under.
It is the third time Ilonen has shot 63 in his career, while Whiteford's effort is the 32-year-old's lowest score in five full seasons competing on the European Tour and one shot lower than Lee Westwood's 64 set en route to victory in the event last year.
"It was brilliant and a great round of golf, and it's put me in a good position though it's still a long way to go," Whiteford said. "The scoring looks like it will be low over the weekend but it's just great to be in contention again."
Whiteford came close to his first Tour win a month ago, losing in a playoff for the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea.
Sweden's Peter Hanson, the highest ranked player in the field at No. 23, had reached 8 under after 16 holes. But then he double bogeyed the par-3 17th for a second successive 69 and a 6-under total.
Australia's Andrew Dodt became the first player in European Tour history to record two holes-in-one in the same round when he aced his second, the 11th on the course, and his 16th hole, the seventh on the Stockholm layout.
He finished with a 65 to reach the 2-under mark and squeeze into the weekend rounds. Last year, Dodt secured the second-to-last Order of Merit position to retain full 2013 European Tour membership.
Among those missing the cut was Scotland's Marc Warren (143) who had been involved in last Sunday's BMW PGA playoff and former British Open champion Darren Clarke (145).


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Building profiles
Cutler Apartment Complex
1030 Kuskokwim Way Units 1-6
The Howard Cutler Apartment Complex townhouse units were opened in 1984 as the Student Apartment Complex, often called SAC. The 59 two-bedroom units and one four-bedroom unit accommodate 240 single students. Each apartment is fully furnished, including a kitchen, living area and a full bathroom. The state's One Percent for Art Program provided the stained glass in each entryway. The complex, which is coed by apartment, houses single students who are at least in their sophomore year with 10 apartments designated for graduate students only.
Howard Cutler was chancellor from 1975 – 1981; he was the first chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks after the university became a statewide system. During his term, UAF added sea grant status to its land grant designation and experienced dramatic growth, including creation of the Department of Petroleum Engineering and programs in computer technology and resource management. In 1981, Cutler assumed the position of regents' professor of economics at UAF and received the rank of chancellor emeritus and regents' professor emeritus at Commencement 1983. He died in 1995.
Aurora magazine: Laughter, fun and a little bit of trouble


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Each school year seems to go by faster and faster, and the hard work is rewarded with one month off (without pay). During my summer break, we had an unexpected treat. Craig's college age niece came to visit us, from Missouri. She's been enduring triple-digit temperatures--so when I apologized for the overcast and cloudy 60-ish degree weather, she responded that she was thrilled to have a chance to cool off.
Cuisine at Home issue. The front cover photo had my mouth watering, and I made a mental note to make it. The time had come!
I realized that I had all of the ingredients to make this recipe, so off I went to make this recipe! I've never been to Tuscany (and it's on my bucket list), so I decided that Tuscany was coming to our own California backyard.
A printable recipe card is at the end of this post.


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Email Abbie!
"I would like to open this site for conversation with women of all ages, convictions and styles of life – wherever situated on the gamut of experience. In principle, there is no bar to men joining in, since how one defines women has a lot to do with what it means to be a man. But it is women I invite to pull up a chair at this virtual café table and put their questions and views into the conversation. I can be wrong as often as right, so specific advice will be avoided. What will be sought is light on how best to frame the situation of women, considered as a highly interesting problematic. What kind of hand have we been dealt, as women, and how can we best play it?
Comments are warmly encouraged on any post at any point."
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Tag Archives: medical protocol
Treachery and Transcendence
Posted on May 2, 2017 by Abigail
Treachery and Transcendence In a recent column, I told of a problem that arose during a new treatment for my walking handicap. One of the administering nurses routinely used an expression — always accompanied by a little laugh — that … Continue reading →
Posted in "Absolute Freedom and Terror", Absurdism, Action, Alienation, Anthropology, Art of Living, Atheism, Autonomy, beauty, Biblical God, bureaucracy, Chivalry, Class, conformism, Contemplation, Contradictions, Cool, Courage, Courtship, Cultural Politics, Culture, Desire, dialectic, Erotic Life, Eternity, Ethics, Evil, Existentialism, exploitation, Faith, Fashion, Femininity, Feminism, Freedom, Friendship, Gender Balance, Guilt and Innocence, Health, hegemony, Heroes, hidden God, hierarchy, History, history of ideas, ID, Idealism, Ideality, Identity, Ideology, Idolatry, Immorality, Institutional Power, Legal Responsibility, life and death struggle, master, Memoir, memory, Mind Control, Moral action, Moral evaluation, Moral psychology, Mortality, non-violence, Ontology, Oppression, pacifism, Past and Future, Peace, Political, politics, politics of ideas, Power, presence, promissory notes, Propaganda, Psychology, public facade, Reductionism, relationships, Roles, Romance, scientism, Seduction, self-deception, Sex Appeal, Sexuality, social climbing, social construction, Social Conventions, social ranking, Sociobiology, spiritual journey, spiritual not religious, Spirituality, status, status of women, Suffering, The Examined Life, The Problematic of Woman, the profane, the sacred, Theism, Time, twenty-first century, victimhood, victims, War, Work, Writing, Zeitgeist | Tagged "do no harm", a patient's trust, accusation, acting up, anger, blaming the victim, confrontations, consolation from prayer, cover story, curing injustice, demeaning words, detachment, disrespect, effective treatment, effects of prayer, errant employee, fury, gaslighting, guilt, handicap, in-house politics, incredible, insight from prayer, intelligent hope, keeping it brief, lost trust, lying, manipulation, medical protocol, meta-level, micro-aggression, mind/body connection, minimalist explanation, mischievous employee, neuropathy, nuns, nurse, office politics, outrage, patient's dignity, patient's rights, petitionary prayer, plausible, prayer, promise breaking, promise keeping, reprisal, responsible administration, righteous indignation, self-defense, self-exculpation, self-exoneration, self-protection, sense of dignity, significant dreams, signs of guilt, sympathy, tactlessness, the Hippocratic Oath, transparency, treatment room, trespass, troubleshooter, trust, under the radar, walking handicap, witness consciousness | 2 Comments


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Celeste Holm, the versatile actress who achieved fame on Broadway in the original production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's hit musical "Oklahoma!" in 1943 and five years later won an Oscar for best supporting actress in the landmark movie-drama "Gentleman's Agreement," died Sunday. She was 95.
Holm, whose more than 70-year career in show business included performing in nightclubs, died in her apartment on Central Park West in New York City, said her husband, Frank Basile.
She had recently spent two weeks in a hospital, where she was discovered to be dehydrated and ended up suffering a heart attack. She asked to be taken home Friday, Basile said.


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Checking in on… the MWCPosted by Brian Goodman on November 24th, 2010
Andrew Murawa is the RTC correspondent for the MWC and Pac-10 conferences.
A Look Back
The start of the 2010-11 season has been just about everything the Mountain West commissioner's office could hope for after a tumultuous offseason. After almost two weeks of play, five MWC teams remain undefeated and the nine conference teams have posted a combined 25-6 record with the four biggest contenders for postseason berths a combined 13-1, a New Mexico loss at Cal the only blemish.
Team of the Week
San Diego State – The Aztecs have been busy thus far, posting an early 5-0 record including four wins in the CBE Classic. The highest profile win for Steve Fisher's squad was a road victory over Gonzaga during the ESPN College Hoops Tipoff Marathon, when SDSU showed the rest of the college basketball world what MWC followers already knew: this team is pretty darn good. Perhaps even more impressive for the Aztecs is that their 5-0 record has come entirely on the road thus far, with their first home game scheduled for this Friday when they host San Diego Christian of the NAIA.
Player of the Week
Kawhi Leonard (Sophomore), San Diego State – It's very likely that you'll be seeing either Leonard or Jimmer Fredette's name in this space most weeks this season. While Fredette's 25.7 point per game average thus far has certainly left him deserving of this honor this time around, and while Leonard's Aztec teammate Billy White may have had the biggest single performance of the young season, the nod goes to Kawhi here. He's led his team in rebounding every night out, never failing to grab double digit boards thus far, he's averaged 18.8 points per contest, and has even displayed his versatility and ever-improving skill set, pairing three steals with four three-pointers in SDSU's win over IUPUI on Sunday.
Newcomer of the Week
Will Clyburn (Junior), Utah – Last year about this time, it was New Mexico's junior college transfer Darington Hobson who was making a name for himself as a force to be reckoned with in the MWC. A year later, Utah has its own juco transfer making waves around the Rockies. On a Ute roster featuring eight new faces, it is Clyburn's who has shone most brightly, leading Utah in scoring in each of their three games, averaging 20.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while knocking down five of his 12 attempts behind the arc along the way. Last year's Lobos were picked to be a middle-of-the-pack team last year before Hobson's emergence catapulted them to a conference title. For the Utes to entertain similar aspirations, Clyburn will need to keep up his early pace.
Game of the Week
San Diego State 79, Gonzaga 76 – For only the fifth time in the 82 games in the history of Gonzaga's McCarthey Athletic Center, a visiting team came in and defeated the Bulldogs on their home court. Behind a career-high 30 points from Aztec senior forward Billy White (on 14-18 shooting and paired with nine rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end), San Diego State built up a lead as high as ten before hanging on down the stretch and withstanding a similarly outstanding 35-point effort by Zag senior guard Steven Gray to wrap up a big win that will be a feather in the Aztec cap come Selection Sunday.
Game of the Upcoming Week
Utah at Utah State – The Aggies of Utah State have already given a MWC team all they could handle this season, when they went into BYU's Marriott Center and fought the Cougars to the bitter end in an entertaining game, but this time around they get to welcome the Utes into the Smith Spectrum in Logan for another in-state battle. Utah is looking to prove that they are on the way back from last year's disastrous collapse, but with a bevy of young and relatively untested newcomers, the trip to Logan could be daunting
Power Rankings
- San Diego State (5-0): Aside from the heroics of Billy White and Kawhi Leonard detailed above, the Aztecs have also gotten a big boost from a Santa Clara transfer, sophomore guard James Rahon. Rahon lived up to his reputation as a deadly three-point shooter early in his career in red and black, knocking down three straight threes in the middle of the second half of a tightly contested battle at Long Beach State to break the game open and put the Aztecs on their way to their first win of the season. On the season he is averaging a shade under ten points per night and converting three-point attempts at a sparkling 52.9% clip. Likewise, senior point guard D.J. Gay has shown his leadership abilities, time and again making big plays to spark game-deciding runs for the Aztecs. While Rahon has lived up to his rep as a three-point bomber, Gay has added his own deadly three-point shot to an already strong arsenal, having knocked down 11 of his 22 attempts thus far. If those two can maintain anywhere near that kind of pace, the Aztecs will be looking at a very favorable seed come March, as their imposing frontline has been all that was previously advertised.
- BYU (3-0): Coming into the season, the Cougars pretty much knew what they were going to get from their backcourt tandem of Jimmer Fredette and Jackson Emery. So far, Emery has been off to a slow start, averaging just nine points per game and struggling to find his shooting touch, to the tune of 34.6% from the field and 27.8% from behind the arc. But head coach Dave Rose has no worries about Emery's game coming around in due time. His concerns prior to the season were with an eye towards the rest of the team, specifically in the front court. In the early going, junior Noah Hartsock and sophomore Chris Collinsworth have done a lot to ease Rose's mind. Hartsock stepped up immediately, exploding out of his reserve role in the opener to post a career-high 21 points, then backing that up with 15 points and four blocks against Utah State. Collinsworth, for his part, has been rock-solid, averaging seven rebounds per game and throwing in 8.3 points per game, with a high of 15 points in the Cougars blowout of Chicago State. While BYU still has some work to do figuring out all their roles, Hartsock and Collinsworth have already shown that the talent is there.
- UNLV (3-0): It was a rocky offseason in Sin City, with dismissals, suspensions and injuries scarring the landscape, but three games in, all those rough patches are in the past, with the Rebels having just posted one of the more impressive MWC victories in the early season, a 68-65 victory over visiting Wisconsin. Last year's leading scorer, senior guard Tre'Von Willis, sat out the first two games of the season (easy wins over second-rate competition) as a result of offseason legal difficulties, before returning in a reserve role against Wisconsin, but it was juniors Chace Stanback and Oscar Bellfield who provided the biggest performances for head coach Lon Kruger in the win over the Badgers. Each player knocked down four threes, with Stanback totaling 25 points and Bellfield notching 18. UNLV's ability to knock down the three had been a question mark in the lead up to the season, but both players have done their best to answer that query, with Bellfield having hit seven of his 12 attempts (58.3%) and Stanback six of his 15 (40%). While Willis was not a major factor in his return to action, he did hand out five assists in his 23 minutes of play.
- New Mexico (2-1): The Lobos have faced probably the most consistently tough lineup of games of any MWC in the young season, and perhaps not surprisingly for a young team, have looked pretty strong at home and downright awful in their one road trip. Given that the New Mexico roster is missing junior guard Phillip McDonald due to a partially torn elbow ligament (he is currently day-to-day), is waiting on the services of incoming transfer Drew Gordon (eligible December 17) and is breaking in four new freshmen (including two freshmen starters) and a sophomore transfer, Emmanuel Negedu who, you know, basically died a year ago, I'm not going to ding the Lobos too hard for their 25-point loss at Berkeley, especially considering they looked good in defeating Arizona State at The Pit a few days before that, but Steve Alford and company are definitely having some growing pains in adjusting to life without Darington Hobson and Ramon Martinez. While some difficulty in the non-conference schedule is understandable, the Lobos have a relatively light schedule between now and the end of December when they play in the Las Vegas Classic (a matchup against Colorado and then the winner of Indiana/Northern Iowa), then travel to Texas Tech and Dayton prior to conference play. New Mexico will need to have things straightened out by then, lest they get out of non-conference play with only the Arizona State victory to point to.
- Colorado State (2-0): For now I'll stick with the Rams at the number five spot, if only because their season still seems to be a week away. Thus far, the Rams have hosted Arkansas-Pine Bluff and traveled to Denver, posting workmanlike wins each time, with seniors Andy Ogide and Travis Franklin leading the way with almost identical numbers: 17 points, 6.5 rebounds, one assist, and 1.5 steals each in their first two games. The Rams host Sam Houston State on Saturday before their first big test of the season next Wednesday when they host Drake. The soft early schedule has allowed head coach Tim Miles to get a look at plenty of his roster, with 12 players having averaged at least eight minutes per game. In the early season, such a rotation is working out, but the Rams will have to prune the minutes of several players as the year progresses.
- Utah (3-0): With all the turnover on the Ute roster in the offseason (six players left the program with eligibility remaining, while eight newcomers joined the squad), there were bound to be plenty of questions about this team's ability to win. Three games in, Jim Boylen's squad has at least proven itself capable of winning games at home against teams it is supposed to beat. Along the way, Boylen has had some of his fresh blood step up and announce that they are ready to play, with Will Clyburn, our newcomer of the week, leading the way. Elsewhere, junior college transfer Josh Watkins has taken over the point guard position without skipping a beat, averaging 15.7 points and five assists per game, while holdovers Jay Watkins and Jason Washburn have been solid in the frontcourt. While it remains to be seen if this year's cast has the talent that last year's underachievers did, it seems clear that this will be a more consistent and hard-working bunch than last season's neurotic cast-offs.
- TCU (3-2): This year's early MWC candidate for team most in need of psychiatric treatment is the Horned Frogs. Five games in, this looks like a team capable of wild mood swings, capable of wrapping a 20-point victory over cross-town rival SMU and a six-point neutral-site win over a good Bradley team around a stinker of a 15-point loss against Rider. The Frogs are going to be exciting at times, with their mighty-mite backcourt of 6'2 Ronnie Moss and 5'9 Hank Thorns. Thorns, a transfer from Virginia Tech in his first year of eligibility in Fort Worth, has led the team in assists in four of their first five games, and in three of those four games, he dropped ten dimes. Moss, for his part, has looked excellent playing off the ball, scoring in double figures in all five TCU games, while hitting 45% from the field and 41% from deep. The frontcourt is undersized, but 6'6 wing Garlon Green and a pair of junior college transfers, 6'5 J.R. Cadot and 6'4 Sammy Yeager, have all shown a willingness to help out on the glass. They'll need to keep that up and get some help from more traditional frontcourt players for the Frogs to contend in a tough conference.
- Wyoming (2-2): There had been some talk that last year's underachieving season for the Cowboys was as much a reflection of some bad luck with injuries as it was with some inherent problems with the makeup of the team. Four games into the season, and with a pair of one-game suspensions for primary offensive weapons Afam Muojeke and Desmar Jackson already in the rearview mirror, with a starting lineup that remains in a state of flux, with a team that consistently racks up more turnovers than it does assists, and with the resultant losses to North Florida and Northern Colorado (the first time in 21 games since 1937 that Northern Colorado has beaten Wyoming) in the record books, it's time to face the facts that this team just isn't very good, that head coach Heath Schroyer is just not working out and that the Wyoming basketball program is in need of a reboot. Unfortunately, that reboot is still probably four months away.
- Air Force (2-1): As bad as the state of the Wyoming program is, they haven't lost to a D-III school yet. The same cannot be said of the Falcons, who dropped an overtime affair with Colorado College last Wednesday. They were able to take care of Tennessee State and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, but there is simply not enough talent on this roster for this team to be competitive. Players like versatile senior Evan Washington, senior forward Tom Fow and sophomore guard Michael Lyons are good hardworking kids, but this year's edition of the Falcons are more suited to the Big Sky level of talent than the Mountain West. Head coach Jeff Reynolds will get the most out of this roster, but for him to be comfortable as the head coach at the Academy, he'll need to recruit a higher level of talent.
A Look Ahead
While the battle in the Beehive State may be the game of the week, Utah will follow that up with another interesting game when they host Oral Roberts on Saturday. There are also plenty of other interesting events around the conference as three other MWC teams compete in early season tournaments. UNLV plays in the most high-profile of the three when they compete in the 76 Classic (opening round game against Tulsa, either Murray State or Stanford in the next round and a potential matchup with Virginia Tech in the final), but BYU will play in the South Padre Island Invitational (against South Florida and then either St. Mary's or Texas Tech) and Wyoming will get beat down by Missouri in the Cancun Challenge before advancing to likely lose to either Providence or La Salle.


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Whether it's by phone, email, twitter or post you can reach us for expert equipment advice and outstanding customer service.
You can find contact information and opening times for the Outside stores on the Our Stores pages.
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|This article describes a geographic region that covers various exchanges, currencies, indices and stocks. View articles referencing this region.
China's impact on international business: almost everything China does has some effect on the world economy, but Chinese outsourcing, mergers and acquisitions, and the valuation of the yuan/RMB stand out as particularly direct by tying immediately into the global supply of labor and economic power balance.
The Chinese domestic market: Tremendous economic growth means that China is no longer just an exporter--it is rapidly becoming one of the world's most important consumer bases. Each of these articles explains a part of the issue in greater detail and lists winners and losers.
The inward investment from abroad is the injection of money from an external source into a region, in order to purchase capital goods for a branch of a corporation to locate or develop its presence in the region.
Inward investment creates jobs in an area and brings wealth into the economy. Some places do however attract inward investment due to their relative remoteness, for example a company wanting to recruit personnel with relatively common skills might deliberately relocate to an area where wage rates are relatively low.
China and the internet: China already has the world's second-largest body of internet users, making it a force to consider for all internet-based companies.
China and the environment: China's environmental issues are troubling both for domestic companies and the world at large. Some industries will benefit, however--especially those with companies that focus on environmental-damage reduction.
In mid-2010 Harvard University economics professor Kenneth Rogoff stated that China's property market was beginning to collapse.[1] In June 2011, S&P lowered its outlook on the China property market; there is concern that a "price war" may emerge, driven by developers which need cash.[2]


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The difference is not just about resolution (or how much sharpening you have to apply to make up for the loss). A good drum scanner can actually focus on and separate the grain which the 9000 cannot do (in the 9000 you see clumped grains as "grain' because it can't resolve down to that level). A good drum scan can also extract more detail out of thin shadows and dense highlights.and FWIW I have been scanning film for a decade now with many film scanners from Epson flatbeds to the Nikon 9000 and professional flatbeds like the IQsmart and drum scanners. The samples I have seen from the Plustek put it closer in quality to the Epson flatbeds that even the Nikon 9000.
Our experience has been very different. I've shot for magazines my entire career. When I shot film, the magazines were responsible for the scans and usually done by pre-press houses connected to the printers-they were always drum scans. That is my professional standard for magazine reproduction. For my b&w artwork I find I can get by with an IQSmart scan, but prefer a drum scan there too.
Anything new on this? Has any expert user tested the Plustek Opticfilm 120 yet?
a friend of mine received his plustek some weeks ago and did some testing, he comes from a well calibrated epson scanner and in the end he returned the the plustek, saying the little differences, and occasionally better results for the epson, arent worth the money.http://retrolux.de/plustek-opticfilm-120-sample-scans
Its kind of interesting. This thread is talking about the newest film scanner, while this thread is talking about using a camera instead of a scanner to digitize film. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=75024.0 Another recent thread also talked about using a camera instead of a scanner. So, maybe another question might be how close using a camera is to the Plustek (or any scanner)?


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Get the Showdown: Scorpion trailer off WP (80mb)
In 2068 Eastern Europe was broken into several industrial regions exploited by American and Asian corporations. Once prosperous cities became sites of harmful plants ruled by criminal syndicates. Drug industry, illegal cloning and experiments on human beings have reached an industrial scale under the patronage of multiple terrorist organizations. When one of this organizations gains a super dangerous nano-virus, a threat to the whole mankind emerges. The best warrior of Russian Special Forces receives an objective to get into the laboratory and to exterminate the virus…
Game Features:
- Futuristic environment: in the city of future you'll have to make your way through hi-tech laboratories, luxurious housing estates, godforsaken slums and industrial areas
- Variety of enemies: underground mutants, armed terrorists, mechanics: track-type robots, minicopters, stationary machine-gun installations
- Game engine supporting all modern graphic technologies - glow, bloom, depth of field, blur, morph animation, rigid body and ragdoll. Physics powered by Novodex Engine by AGEIA
- Flex system of characteristic modifiers for player character - increase of speed, temporary rise of health, etc
- Mysterious assistant Anna communicates with Scorpion by radio system and leads him in this dreadful mission
- Broad assortment of combat equipment - from shocker gun to a flame thrower, several types of hand grenades, integrated grenade launcher


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Time to start shopping!
ChinchillaDetails https://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/live-small-pets/hamsters-guinea-pigs-and-more/chinchilla-5060919.html
1. Select SizePlease select a variation value to continue
Available only at select locationsnot available for online purchase. please check availability at other stores.
product highlights
- Nocturnal by nature; adaptable to daytime activity
- Ideal for children 14 & up
- Requires temperatures below 75° F
- Lives up to 15 years
Things to remember
Lifting & handling
Handle your chinchilla gently -- scoop her up in both hands and hold her snuggly against your body with cupped hands so she'll feel safe and secure.
Temperature sensitive
Chinchillas overheat easily, and should be kept in a cool environment.
They like to run and play at night and sleep during the day, so be prepared for them to be active after dark. However, they can adapt to being daytime active.
Choose a fortified chinchilla diet.
Your chinchilla needs a well-ventilated home with a solid floor, large enough for a food dish and water bottle or bowl, and a hiding house. There should be plenty of room for all cage accessories, and for her to move around freely.
Vet Assured Promise
All pets purchased at PetSmart are raised under our exclusive Vet Assured program and come with a 14-day satisfaction guarantee. Vet Assured is a program designed by PetSmart veterinarians to improve the health and well-being of our pets. The program sets standards for the care of our pets by our live animal partners and store associates and establishes strict standards for the monitoring and prevention of common illnesses found in pets. PetSmart makes a significant investment in the care of our pets and it is apparent in the quality and comfort of the pets in our stores. However, if your pet becomes ill during this initial 14-day period, or if you're not satisfied with your pet for any reason, PetSmart will gladly replace the pet or refund the purchase price. Please keep your sales receipt and return the pet to the store where it was purchased if needed.
find a store
With over 1,500 stores nationwide, you can find the products, PetSmart Grooming, training, PetsHotel boarding, Doggie Day Camp, and Banfield veterinary services you need.


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You are here
Guess Who Zoo with Howard Eisenberg
Date and Time:
March 22, 2014 - 11:00AM
Event Location:
Kray Hall
$5; children under 4 free
Learn lots of facts about animals through fun rhymes and songs by author and poet Howard Eisenberg, write riddle poems, and make puzzle pictures!
Howard Eisenberg is the author of Guess Who Zoo, Guess Who Farm, and Guess Who Neighborhood.
Event Sponsored By:
Poets House
Event Type:
Children's Events


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This Washington Post piece by Dan Balz is called "Bush Scores Points By Defining Kerry." It's a worthwhile discussion of how Kerry's popularity has eroded somewhat in the face of the Bush campaign's "aggressive plan to define the senator before he could define himself." I must say, though, that I have a problem with the notion that Bush has won a race to "define" Kerry, as though the Senator were a blank slate, the meaning of whose candidacy was ever realistically up for grabs. Kerry has been defining himself through his liberal, dovish public record for a period of 35 years. His Senate voting record, among the most leftist of his peers, encompasses nearly 20 years. His failure to take consistent foreign policy positions, though more recent, is incontestable. And anyone who thinks that a new and different Kerry has emerged this political season does not need the Bush campaign to dispel that notion — it is enough to have heard Kerry's own pronouncements during his year-long campaign for the Democratic nomination. So if the Post is correct that, following the Bush ads, "more voters see Kerry as 'too liberal' and a solid majority says he is someone who has changed his positions on issues for political reasons," it is more accurate to say that the Bush campaign has "exposed" Kerry than to say that it has defined him.
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Keeping his winning streak alive, current 2012 IBO National Champion, Levi Morgan, completed his year with a win at the 2012 IBO World Championships. This was Morgan's third consecutive World IBO title and his fourth, overall, in the last six years since beginning his career on the IBO tour.
"I haven't had much time to let it soak in," said Morgan. "The whole weekend was just a roller coaster of ups and downs. Competition was tough and I traded places with one or two other shooters all weekend, the pressure was always on and the weather sure didn't help any."
The World Championship was held August 8-11 at the Seven Springs Ski Resort, in Seven Springs, PA. Ski lifts chauffeured participants to the top of the hill and they shot their way back down the hill on a course that offered steep angles and heavy winds, with gusts up to 20 mph not uncommon. Many failed to complete Thursday's opening round of 20 targets due to rain and had to complete their round Friday morning.
"The rain was a big factor," Morgan said. "I was on a streak and had hit seven 11's in a row during that opening round; I was really seeing targets, but then the rain kicked in and washed me out at 16 targets. I had to complete the final four targets of my first round Friday morning, and that hurts you when you can't find your rhythm. "
Friday's scheduled second round was a complete washout for all competitors and Morgan found himself one point behind the leader after the first 20 targets. However, after the second round, which was held over until Saturday, Morgan picked up a one-point lead on the field. The top five scores from the first two rounds made the cut and headed into the final 10 target shoot off that had been pushed into Sunday due to weather. In all, 8 shooters in the men's Pro Division made the final round, of which four were Gold Tip Pro Staffers: Levi Morgan, Tommy Gomez, Tim Gillingham, and Jack Wallace.
With the final four targets left in the shoot off, Morgan found himself down an almost insurmountable three points, but he came through with three 11's in a row to tie for the lead going into the final target – a 3D wolf set at approximately 48 yards.
"It was a really tough final target, set back at what ended being about 48 yards and almost hidden in the shadows," said Morgan. "But I knew going into it, that even in a tie I'd pull it out with more 11's for the overall competition."
Morgan, knowing a 10 would win, watched his final Gold Tip Pro X-Cutter find the 10 ring. With 25 overall 11's to his closest competitor's 21 overall 11's, Morgan was crowned the 2012 IBO World Champion for a third consecutive year. Gold Tip's Tommy Gomez finished in 3rd place.


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Each and every month all of this will now be yours...
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Up until the 1950s the city of Muncie, Indiana, historically known as Middletown because of its representation of the average American city, could successfully boast several teams that participated in intercity leagues. These leagues included semiprofessional teams like the Muncie Citizens and the Muncie Reds as well as industrial and other company teams. There were teams like the Shamrock Athletic Club. The 1906 Shamrocks were the champions of the city league that year. Athletic Clubs existed for willing men and idle youths in the years before the Great Depression, and baseball was the most popular choice of most.
This is in contrast to the old days when teams would schedule games against the semiprofessionals (Muncie Citizens) for fun and for profit. Baseball`s popularity into the 1950s meant that a great deal of fans willingly spent money to watch their favorite teams compete with local rivals.
Company teams like those sponsored by Warner Gear and Marhoefer Meats would also compete on a citywide level in Muncie. Though companies like Warner Gear still promote league sports for employees, it is often in the form of inter-company softball leagues.Though the fans still come to games, it has been argued that the advent of television kept fans away from the baseball parks, like the popular facility at McCulloch Park in Muncie.
The 1906 champion Kitselman Brothers Knights
1914 Muncie National Institute Team. The Institute is now Ball State University.
Presumably, teams like the Muncie Reds could exist no longer because of the declining revenues associated with the convenience that television offered fans. Muncie was not alone. Similar teams in Indianapolis, Richmond, and in Dayton, Ohio folded as well. Television is not entirely to blame, either. The increasing appeal of major league baseball also lured fans away from the local parks. Muncie`s baseball stars like Clyde Crouse were slowly forgotten as fans turned their admiration to men the likes of Willie Mays and Joe DiMaggio. Baseball had grown top-heavy, and the teams on the bottom would bear the burden of the major leagues growth.
1944 Pittsburgh Pirates roster. The Pirates trained in Muncie in the spring during World War Two.
This exhibit illustrated the important role of the local teams that played in the years preceding World War Two. The Muncie Reds, the Muncie Citizens, and company baseball teams were only a few of the squads that provided Muncie`s population with America`s most exciting spectator sport of the time, baseball. It is these teams, the players, and the memories of their success that can be recalled by taking a glimpse into the exhibit.
The 1917 Muncie Greys
This exhibit was displayed in Bracken Library from July 1, 2003 through September 30, 2003. This online version presents selected items from the exhibit.


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I need a snort rule for the MS blaster worms and its variants. I tried it on my own but no success
This claims to work..... But I can't test it 'cos I don't have the worm...... ;)
alert tcp $HOME_NET any -> $EXTERNAL_NET 135 (msg:"DCE RPC Interface Buffer Overflow exploit"; content:"|00 5C 00 5C|"; content:!"|5C|"; within:32; flow:to_server,established; reference: bugtraq,8205; rev: 1; )
This alerts on an infected PC attempting to infect other PC's. You might want to change the $EXTERNAL_NET to any in case a machine works on the internal network.
Don\'t SYN us.... We\'ll SYN you.....
\"A nation that draws too broad a difference between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools.\" - Thucydides
Forum Rules


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The following hotels, B&Bs and holiday accommodation are located within 10 miles of AB301LF, ordered by distance from postcode:
Alternatively, use the search form to search for some great local deals on hotel rooms around Aberdeen.
Loading hotels...
St Cyrus Park offers accommodation in Saint Cyrus. Aberdeen is 44 km from the property. The accommodation comes with a dining area and seating area with a TV.
The Cottage is a holiday home situated in Saint Cyrus, 47 km from Aberdeen. The property features views of the garden and is 48 km from Dundee. The unit equipped with a kitchen with an oven and toaster.
St. Cyrus Village Inn offers accommodation in Saint Cyrus. Guests can enjoy the on-site bar.
Situated in scenic Fettercairn, in the heart of Kincardineshire, Ramsay Arms Hotel features a traditional restaurant and bar. With free parking, the hotel also offers cosy rooms and free Wi-Fi.
Featuring free WiFi throughout the property, The Old Fishing Station offers accommodation in Saint Cyrus. Free private parking is available on site. A flat-screen TV, as well as an iPod docking station are offered.
Shorehead Seaside Cottages 2 offers accommodation in Johnshaven. The property boasts views of the sea and is 42 km from Aberdeen. Free private parking is available on site.
Set in Auchenblae, this apartment features free WiFi. The Turret Drumtochty boasts views of the garden and is 36 km from Aberdeen. There is a dining area and a kitchen complete with an oven and a microwave.
Offering a garden and barbecue, Apartment Auchenblae 5199 is set in Auchenblae, 36 km from Aberdeen. Stonehaven is 18 km from the property. The accommodation features a TV.
Situated in the peaceful glen of Drumtochty, The Castle Stables offers free private parking and converted stables with free Wi-Fi. Dating back to 1850, the accommodation is adjacent to the historic Drumtochty Castle.
Seaforth Guest House is located in Johnshaven, 42 km from Aberdeen. A flat-screen TV, as well as a CD player are provided. You will find a kettle in the room.


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There aren't many schools and departments that Greg Fleming hasn't helped in his 13 years with UB. An ITCS Field Servivces Technician with IT Customer Service, Greg provides server and desktop support for both faculty and staff. While based on North Campus, he often works with customers on South Campus and Downtown.
"We try to keep faculty, staff, and students educated on the tools and resources they need to excel," Greg said. "We protect them from having their work compromised using the latest anti-virus programs and tools, and are often able to stop viruses before they start as a result."
Greg graduated from Buffalo State College with a degree in Computer Information Systems. After traveling up and down the East Coast with another company for about a year, he realized he wanted to stay in Buffalo full-time and joined UB's staff. "I always wanted to work in an IT environment with an educational institution," said Greg.
Away from UB, Greg is a dedicated father of two and enjoys spending time with his daughters. "One of my daughters is about to get her green belt in karate and the other enjoys soccer and playing the flute."
His home life has directly impacted how Greg is able to assist faculty and staff. "My children have taught me the importance of patience and keeping an open mind. It's very satisfying being able to help someone who's frustrated, and hopefully teach them something at the same time," Greg continued. "Using my skills to fix problems while also easing someone's stress is very rewarding."
Another rewarding aspect of Greg's job is the need to constantly learn and stay up-to-date on the latest technologies. "I've learned more through hands-on experience at UB than I could've ever from a textbook or a training room," he added.
When asked about the future, Greg is clearly very happy where he is. "I like to concentrate at the job at hand," he stated. "I work with a great group of administrators who give 100% every day. I'm grateful for management's flexibility should an emergency arise with my kids. My children are most important and there's a great work/life balance here at UB. It's very much a work family."


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"Dare to Dream" Full Kit *{{Free}}*
If you find my stuff useful, just drop me a comment. I always love your feedback!
thank you for this beautiful kit .... so snagged and so much appreciated.... hugs from Triple_eReplyDelete
Wonderful elements and papers and much more so generous of youReplyDelete
This is lovely, thank you so muchReplyDelete
so nice kit!
thank you :)
have a beautifull year :)
These are THE most beautiful affirmation cards I have ever seen!
Thank you Reem, for always creating such high value and for free.. You're awesome!
And Happy New Year to you. May you be with those you love most, and receive all that your heart desires, soonest, and in the most joyful and effortless ways! >>> Another affirmation :p
beautiful colours - thanks so much for sharing this kit!ReplyDelete
juste a little note to say I shared this post on my blog with my favorite freebies.
thank you for your gift :)
thank you for the wonderful gift found you through nathl on the previos post.. ":)ReplyDelete
Thank you for the beautiful kit.ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing your creativity. Gorgeous kit.
My first visit here - will undoubtedly return!
Thank you very much! :)ReplyDelete
Thank you for the gorgeous kit! <3ReplyDelete
superbe ! magnifique ! un grand merci !ReplyDelete
un grand merciReplyDelete
Blessings and thanks so much for a fantastic gift , Hugs Nana KatReplyDelete
Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments! :)
It's definitely a wonderful start for my year hearing from you all
Thank you!
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Thank you for this lovely kit.ReplyDelete
merci ce kit est splendide !!!!ReplyDelete
What you're saying is completely true. I know that everybody must say the same thing, but I just think that you put it in a way that everyone can understand. I'm sure you'll reach so many people with what you've got to say.
I don't know how should I give you thanks! I am totally stunned by your article. You saved my time. Thanks a million for sharing this article.
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