text:
Project Management Skills and Techniques
Here are rules, processes and tools for project planning and project management.
Large or complex projects in big organizations often require some sort of executive 'sponsorship' or leadership. This is commonly termed 'project sponsorship' (see the separate section about project sponsorship ).
While project management skills are obviously important for overseeing projects, interestingly the methods and tools that project managers use can be helpful for everyone .
A 'task' does not necessarily have to be called a 'project' in order for these methods to be very useful in its planning and implementation. Even the smallest task can benefit from the use of a well-chosen technique or tool, especially in the planning stage.
Any task that requires some preparation to achieve a successful outcome, will probably be done better by using a few project management methods somewhere in the process. The following methods can help in the planning and managing of all sorts of tasks, especially complex activities.
Project management is chiefly associated with planning and managing change in an organization, but a project can also be something unrelated to business - even a domestic situation, such as moving house, or planning a wedding. Therefore, these methods and tools can be useful far more widely than people assume.
Project management techniques and project planning tools are useful for any tasks in which different outcomes are possible - where risks of problems and failures exist - and so require planning and assessing options, and organizing activities and resources to deliver a successful result.
Projects can be various shapes and sizes, from the small and straightforward to extremely large and highly complex.
In organizations and businesses, project management can be concerned with anything, particularly introducing or changing things, in any area or function, for example:
- people, staffing and management
- products and services
- materials, manufacturing and production
- IT and communications
- plant, vehicles, equipment
- storage, distribution, logistics
- buildings and premises
- finance, administration, acquisition and divestment
- purchasing
- sales, selling, marketing
- human resources development and training
- customer service and relations
- quality, health and safety,
- legal and professional
- technical, scientific, research and development
- new business development
- and anything else which needs planning and managing within organizations.
Successful management, for projects both large or small, tends to follow the process outlined below.
The same principles used selectively and appropriately, also apply to smaller tasks.
Project management process
- Agree precise specification for the project - 'Terms of Reference'
- Plan the project - time, team, activities, resources, financials - using suitable project management tools .
- Communicate the project plan to your project team - and to any other interested people and groups.
- Agree and delegate project actions .
- Manage and motivate - inform, encourage, enable the project team.
- Check, measure, monitor, review project progress - adjust project plans and inform the project team and others.
- Complete project - review and report on project performance; give praise and thanks to the project team.
- Project follow-up - train, support, measure and report results and benefits.
1 - Agree precise specification (terms of reference) for the project
Often called the project 'terms of reference', the project specification should be an accurate description of what the plan aims to achieve, and the criteria and flexibilities involved, its parameters, scope, range, outputs, sources, participants, budgets and timescales (beware - see note below about planning timescales).
Typically and prior to the project's formal establishment the scheme 'terms of reference' are produced or at least drafted at a fundamental level by a 'project sponsor', or 'executive in charge' (of the project). Often such an initial top-level general project description (a 'business case' basically) is required for the plan to be justified, approved, and funded at a corporate level, prior to the commencement of detailed project planning. The project manager, typically appointed by the 'project sponsor' or the 'executive in charge', may be involved to varying degrees in the drafting of the initial corporate project description or business case. It is not unusual for someone to first be unofficially appointed to the role, pending corporate approval of the project itself and the formal appointment of the project manager. The project sponsor is usually more senior than the project manager, although not necessarily the 'boss' or senior up-line manager to which they normally report. All substantial projects generally require a formal and senior 'project sponsor' or 'executive in charge', although minor plans forming part of a manager's conventional duties, and not requiring specific board or corporate approval, may not require a 'project sponsor' as such, in which case executive accountability for the project and the project manager belongs to the normal up-line reporting manager/executive.
Usually, the project manager must consult with others (especially the project sponsor) and then agree on the detailed project specification with superiors and/or relevant authorities. The specification may involve several drafts before it is agreed. A specification is essential in that it creates measurable accountability for anyone wishing at any time to assess how the project is going, or its success on completion. Project terms of reference also provide an essential discipline and framework to keep the enterprise on track, and concerned with the original agreed aims and parameters. A properly formulated and agreed project specification also protects the supervisor from being held to account for issues that are beyond their control or outside the original scope.
This is the stage to agree special conditions or exceptions with those in authority. Once you've published the terms of reference you have created a very firm set of expectations by which you will be judged. So if you have any concerns, or want to renegotiate, now's the time to do it.
The largest projects can require several weeks to produce terms of reference. Most normal business proposals however require a few days thinking and consulting to produce a suitable project specification. Establishing and agreeing on a project specification is an important process even if your task is simple one.
A template for a project specification:
- Describe purpose, aims and deliverables.
- State parameters (timescales, budgets, range, scope, territory, authority).
- State people involved and the way the team will work (frequency of meetings, decision-making process).
- Establish 'break-points' at which to review and check progress, and how progress and results will be measured.
Separately the acronym BOSCARDET provides a useful example structure for Terms of Reference headings/sections: Background, Objectives, Scope, Constraints, Assumptions, Reporting, Dependencies, Estimates, Timescales. This structure contains no specific heading for costs/budgets - these considerations can be included within 'Constraints' or 'Estimates'.
Since projects (and other activities requiring Terms of Reference) vary considerably there is no standard universal structure for a Terms of Reference document. The responsibility lies with the project manager or leader to ensure all relevant and necessary issues are included, and this local interpretation tends to imply TOR headings and document structure. Brainstorming can be a helpful process by which all relevant Terms of Reference criteria can be identified and structured.
Organizations may have standard TOR structures, such as the BOSCARDET example, which it is sensible to use where applicable, mindful of risks of omission or over-complication that can arise when following standard practice. See also Terms of Reference in the business dictionary section .
See also project sponsorship .
2 - Plan the project
Plan the various stages and activities of the project. Where possible (and certainly where necessary) involve your team in the planning. A useful tip is to work backwards from the end aim, identifying all the things that need to be put in place and done, in reverse order. Additionally, from the bare beginnings of the project, use brainstorming (noting ideas and points at random - typically with a project team), to help gather points and issues and to explore innovations and ideas. Fishbone diagrams are also useful for brainstorming and identifying causal factors which might otherwise be forgotten. For complex proposals, or when you lack experience of the issues, involve others in the brainstorming process. Thereafter it's a question of putting the issues in the right order, and establishing relationships and links between each issue. Complex projects will have a number of activities running in parallel. Some parts of the plan will need other parts of the plan to be completed before they can begin or progress. Such 'interdependent' parts of a project need particularly careful consideration and planning. Sometimes they will require a feasibility stage before the completion of a detailed plan. Gantt Charts and Critical Path Analysis Flow Diagrams are two commonly used tools for detailed project management planning, enabling scheduling, costing and budgeting and other financials, and project management and reporting. See also project sponsorship to understand how project sponsorship may be integrated with the project manager's responsibilities for planning.
Project timescales and costs
Most projects come in late - that's just the way it is - so don't plan a timescale that is over-ambitious. Ideally plan for some slippage. If you have been given an fixed deadline, plan to meet it earlier, and work back from that earlier date. Build some slippage or leeway into each phase of the project. Err on the side of caution where you can. Projects which slip back and are delivered late, or which run over budget or fail to meet other financial requirements often cause significant problems. Many planners are put under pressure to deliver projects sooner and more cost-effectively than is realistic. Ambition and aiming high are good attitudes, but planning without proper prudence and responsibility is daft. Investors and executives tend rarely to question an over-ambitious plan, but they will quickly make very ruthless decisions when any overly ambitious project starts to fail. Exercising a little realism at the outset of a venture regarding financials and timescales can save an enormous amount of trouble later.
The Project Team
Another important part of the planning stage is picking your team. Take great care, especially if you have team-members imposed on you by the brief. Selecting and gaining commitment from the best team members - whether directly employed, freelance, contractors, suppliers, consultants or other partners - is crucial to the quality of the project, and the ease with which you are able to manage it. Generally try to establish your team as soon as possible. Identifying or appointing one or two people even during the terms of reference stage is possible sometimes. Appointing the team early maximises their ownership and buy-in to the project, and maximises what they can contribute. But be very wary of appointing people before you are sure how good they are, and not until they have committed themselves with terms that are clearly understood and acceptable. Don't imagine that teams need to be full of paid, official project team members. Some of the most valuable team members are informal advisors, mentors, helpers, who want nothing other than to be involved and a few words of thanks. Project management on a tight budget can be a lonely business - get some help from good people you can trust, whatever the budget.
To plan and maintain large complex projects with various parallel and dependent activities you will need to put together a 'Critical Path Analysis' and a spreadsheet on MS Excel or equivalent. Critical Path Analysis will show you the order in which tasks must be performed, and the relative importance of tasks. Some tasks can appear small and insignificant when they might actually be hugely influential in enabling much bigger activities to proceed or give best results. A Gantt chart is a useful way of showing blocks of activities over time and at a given cost and for managing the project and its costs along the way.
Various software is available for this, much of which is useful, but before trying it you should understand and concentrate on developing the pure skills, which are described in this process. The best software in the world will not help you if you can't do the basic things.
See also project sponsorship for detailed explanation of how the sponsor may be involved with the main team.
Project management tools
Here are examples and explanations of four commonly used tools in project planning and management, namely: Brainstorming, Fishbone Diagrams, Critical Path Analysis Flow Diagrams, and Gantt Charts. Additionally and separately see business process modelling and quality management , which contain related tools and methods aside from the main project management models shown below.
The tools here each have their strengths and particular purposes, summarised as a basic guide in the matrix below.
|Importance of commonly used Project Management skills
Matrix key:
*** - main tool
** - optional/secondary tool
* - sometimes useful
|Project brainstorming and initial concepts, ideas, structures, aims, etc
|Gathering and identifying all elements, especially causal and hidden factors
|Scheduling and timescales
|Identifying and sequencing parallel and interdependent activities and stages
|Financials - costings, budgets, revenues, profits, variances, etc
|Monitoring, forecasting, reporting
|Troubleshooting, problem identification, diagnosis and solutions
|'Snapshot' or 'map' overview - non-sequential, non-scheduled
|Format for communications, presentations, updates, progress reports, etc
Brainstorming is usually the first crucial creative stage of the project management and project planning process. See the brainstorming method in detail and explained separately, because it many other useful applications outside of project management.
Unlike most project management skills and methods, the first stages of the brainstorming process is ideally a free-thinking and random technique. Consequently, it can be overlooked or under-utilized because it not a natural approach for many people whose mains strengths are in systems and processes. Consequently, this stage of the planning process can benefit from being facilitated by a team member able to lead such a session, specifically to help very organised people to think randomly and creatively.
Fishbone diagrams
Fishbone diagrams are chiefly used in quality management fault-detection, and in business process improvement, especially in manufacturing and production, but the model is also very useful in project and task management generally.
Fishbone diagrams are useful for early planning, notably when gathering and organising factors, such as during brainstorming. They also are very good for identifying hidden factors which can be significant in enabling larger activities, resources areas, or parts of a process.
Fishbone diagrams are not good for scheduling or showing interdependent time-critical factors.
They are sometimes called 'cause and effect diagrams' and Ishikawa diagrams, after Kaoru Ishikawa (1915-89), a Japanese professor specialising in industrial quality management and engineering who devised the technique in the 1960s. His diagram became known as a fishbone diagram, obviously, because it looks like a fishbone.
A fishbone diagram has a central spine running left to right, around which is built a map of factors which contribute to the final result (or problem).
For each project the main categories of factors are identified and shown as the main 'bones' leading to the spine.
Into each category can be drawn 'primary' elements or factors (shown as P in the diagram), and into these can be drawn secondary elements or factors (shown as S). This is done for every category and can be extended to third or fourth level factors if necessary.
Fishbone Diagram Example
The diagram above is a very simple one. Typically fishbone diagrams have six or more main bones feeding into the spine. Other main category factors can include Environment, Management, Systems, Training, Legal, etc.
The categories used in a fishbone diagram should be whatever makes sense for the project. Various standard category sets exist for different industrial applications, however it is important that your chosen structure is right for your own situation, rather than taking a standard set of category headings and hoping that it fits.
At a simple level this diagram is a very effective planning model and tool - especially for 'mapping' an entire operation.
Where a fishbone diagram is used for project planning the 'Effect' is shown as an aim, outcome or result, not a problem.
The 'Problem' term is used in fault diagnosis and in quality management problem-solving. Some fishbone diagrams can become very complex indeed, which is common in specialised quality management areas, especially where systems are computerised.
This model, and the critical path analysis diagram are similar to the even more complex diagrams used on business process modelling within areas of business planning and business process improvement.
Project critical path analysis (flow diagram or chart)
'Critical Path Analysis' sounds very complicated, but it's a very logical and effective method for planning and managing complex projects. A critical path analysis is normally shown as a flow diagram, whose format is linear (organised in a line), and specifically a time-line.
Critical Path Analysis is also called Critical Path Method - it's the same thing - and the terms are commonly abbreviated, to CPA and CPM.
A commonly used tool within Critical Path Analysis is PERT (Program/Programme/Project Evaluation and Review Technique) which is a specialised method for identifying related and interdependent activities and events, especially where a big venture may contain hundreds or thousands of connected elements. PERT is not normally relevant when the project is simple, but when it is of considerable size and complexity - particularly when timings and interdependency issues are crucial - they can benefit from the detailed analysis enabled by PERT methods. PERT analysis commonly feeds into Critical Path Analysis and to other broader management systems, such as those mentioned here.
Critical Path Analysis flow diagrams are very good for showing interdependent factors whose timings overlap or coincide. They also enable a plan to be scheduled according to a timescale. Critical Path Analysis flow diagrams also enable costings and budgeting, although not quite as easily as Gantt charts (below), and they also help planners to identify causal elements, although not quite so easily as fishbone diagrams (below).
This is how to create a Critical Path Analysis. As an example, the project is a simple one - making a fried breakfast.
First note down all the issues (resources and activities in a rough order), again for example:
Assemble crockery and utensils, assemble ingredients, prepare equipment, make toast, fry sausages and eggs, grill bacon and tomatoes, lay table, warm plates, serve.
Note that some of these activities must happen in parallel - and crucially they are interdependent. That is to say, if you tried to make a fried breakfast by doing one task at a time, and one after the other, things would go wrong. Certain tasks must be started before others, and certain tasks must be completed in order for others to begin. The plates need to be warming while other activities are going on. The toast needs to be toasting while the sausages are frying, and at the same time the bacon and sausages are under the grill. The eggs need to be fried last. A Critical Path Analysis is a diagrammatical representation of what needs doing and when. Timescales and costs can be applied to each activity and resource. Here's the Critical Path Analysis for making a fried breakfast:
This Critical Path Analysis example below shows just a few activities over a few minutes. Normal business projects would see the analysis extending several times wider than this example, and the time line would be based on weeks or months. It is possible to use MS Excel or a similar spreadsheet to create a Critical Path Analysis, which allows financial totals and time totals to be planned and tracked. Various specialised project management software enable the same thing. Beware however of spending weeks on the intricacies of computer modelling, when in the early stages especially, a carefully hand drawn diagram - which requires no computer training at all - can put 90% of the thinking and structure in place. (See the details about the most incredible planning and communications tool ever invented , and available for just a tiny fraction of the price of all the alternatives.)
Project critical path analysis flow diagram example
Gantt charts
Gantt Charts (commonly wrongly called gant charts) are extremely useful project management tools. The Gantt Chart is named after US engineer and consultant Henry Gantt (1861-1919) who devised the technique in the 1910s.
Gantt charts are excellent models for scheduling and for budgeting, and for reporting and presenting and communicating project plans and progress easily and quickly, but as a rule Gantt Charts are not as good as a Critical Path Analysis Flow Diagram for identifying and showing interdependent factors, or for 'mapping' a plan from and/or into all of its detailed causal or contributing elements.
You can construct a Gantt Chart using MSExcel or a similar spreadsheet. Every activity has a separate line. Create a timeline for the duration of the project (the breakfast example shows minutes, but normally you would use weeks, or for very big long-term projects, months). You can colour code the time blocks to denote the type of activity (for example, intense, watching briefly, directly managed, delegated and left-to-run, etc.) You can schedule review and insert breakpoints. At the end of each line you can show as many cost columns for the activities as you need. The breakfast example shows just the capital cost of the consumable items and a revenue cost for labour and fuel. A Gantt chart like this can be used to keep track of progress for each activity and how the costs are running. You can move the time blocks around to report on actuals versus planned, and to re-schedule, and to create new plan updates. Costs columns can show plan and actuals and variances, and calculate whatever totals, averages, ratios, etc., that you need. Gantt Charts are probably the most flexible and useful of all project management tools, but remember they do not very easily or obviously show the importance and inter-dependence of related parallel activities, and they won't obviously show the necessity to complete one task before another can begin, as a Critical Path Analysis will do, so you may need both tools, especially at the planning stage, and almost certainly for large complex projects.
Gantt chart example
Project planning tools naturally become used also for subsequent project reporting, presentations, etc., and you will make life easier for everyone if you use formats that people recognize and find familiar.
A wide range of computerised systems/software now exists for project management and planning, and new methods continue to be developed. It is an area of high innovation, with lots of scope for improvement and development. I welcome suggestions of particularly good systems, especially if inexpensive or free. Many organizations develop or specify particular computerised tools, so it's a good idea to seek local relevant advice and examples of best practice before deciding the best computerised project management system(s) for your own situation.
I am grateful to I Kerr who wrote (Oct 2013): "...I teach a module on Project management as part of a volunteer programme and have found the free tool GanttProject to be very effective and user friendly..."
Indeed GanttProject seems to be excellent free software. I've not tested it fully so would appreciate further reports about it.
Project financial planning and reporting
For projects involving more than petty cash you'll probably need a spreadsheet to plan and report planned and actual expenditure. Use MSExcel or similar. Financial accounting for small projects can sometimes be managed using the project's Gantt Chart. Large projects are likely to require some sort of dedicated accounting system, although conceivably Gantt Charts and financial management accounts can easily be administered within a spreadsheet system given sufficient expertise. If you don't know how to put together a basic financial plan, get some help from someone who does, and make sure you bring a good friendly, flexible financial person into your team - it's a key function of project management, and if you can't manage the financial processes your self you need to be able to rely completely on whoever does it for you. The spreadsheet must enable you to plan, administer and report the detailed finances of your project. Create a cost line for main expenditure activity, and break this down into individual elements. Create a system for allocating incoming invoices to the correct activities (your bought-ledger people won't know unless you tell them), and showing when the costs hit the project account. Establish clear payment terms with all suppliers and stick to them. Projects develop problems when team members get dissatisfied; rest assured, non- or late-payment is a primary cause of dissatisfaction.
Remember to set some budget aside for 'contingencies' - you will almost certainly need it.
See also project sponsorship , for details of how that role may be involved with aspects of project planning and reporting.
Project contingency planning
Planning for and anticipating the unforeseen, or the possibility that things may not go as expected, is called 'contingency planning'. Contingency planning is vital in any task when results and outcomes cannot be absolutely guaranteed. Often a contingency budget needs to be planned as there are usually costs associated. Contingency planning is about preparing fall-back actions, and making sure that leeway for time, activity and resource exists to rectify or replace first-choice plans. A simple contingency plan for the fried breakfast would be to plan for the possibility of breaking the yolk of an egg, in which case spare resource (eggs) should be budgeted for and available if needed. Another might be to prepare some hash-browns and mushrooms in the event that any of the diners are vegetarian. It may be difficult to anticipate precisely what contingency to plan for in complex long-term projects, in which case simply a contingency budget is provided, to be allocated later when and if required.
3 - Communicate the project plan to your team
This serves two purposes: it informs people what's happening, and it obtains essential support, agreement and commitment. If your project is complex and involves a team, then you should involve the team in the planning process to maximise buy-in, ownership, and thereby accountability. Your project will also benefit from input and consultation from relevant people at an early stage.
Also consider how best to communicate the aims and approach of your project to others in your organization and wider network.
Your project 'team' can extend more widely than you might first imagine. Consider all the possible 'stakeholders' - those who have an interest in your project and the areas it touches and needs to attract support or tolerance.
Involvement and communication are vital for cooperation and support. Failing to communicate to people (who might have no great input, but whose cooperation is crucial) is a common reason for arousing suspicion and objections, defensiveness or resistance.
See also project sponsorship , for details of how that role may be involved communicating to the wider environment and stakeholders.
4 - Agree and delegate project actions
Your plan will have identified those responsible for each activity. Activities need to be very clearly described, including all relevant parameters, timescales, costs, and deliverables. Use the SMART acronym to help you delegate tasks properly. See the delegation tips and processes . Using proper delegation methods is vital for successful project management involving teams. When delegated tasks fail this is typically because they have not been explained clearly, agreed with the other person, or supported and checked while in progress. So publish the full plan to all in the team, and consider carefully how to delegate medium-to-long-term tasks in light of team members' forward-planning capabilities. Long-term complex projects need to be planned in more detail, and great care must be taken in delegating and supporting them. Only delegate tasks which pass the SMART test. Other useful materials to help understand team delegation are the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum , and Tuckman's group forming/performing model . The Johari Window model is also an excellent review framework for quickly checking or reminding about mutual awareness among team members in large complex projects, where there is often a risk of project fragmentation and people 'doing their own thing' in blissful isolation - which seriously undermines even the best planned projects.
5 - Manage, motivate, inform, encourage, enable the project team
Manage the team and activities in meetings , communicating, supporting, and helping with decisions (but not making them for people who can make them for themselves). 'Praise loudly; blame softly.' (a wonderful maxim attributed to Catherine the Great). One of the big challenges for a project manager is deciding how much freedom to give for each delegated activity. Tight parameters and lots of checking are necessary for inexperienced people who like clear instructions, but this approach is the kiss of death to experienced, entrepreneurial and creative people. They need a wider brief, more freedom, and less checking. Manage these people by the results they get - not how they get them. Look out for differences in personality and working styles in your team. Misunderstanding personal styles can get in the way of team cooperation. Your role here is to enable and translate. Face to face meetings, when you can bring team members together, are generally the best way to avoid issues and relationships becoming personalised and emotional. Communicate progress and successes regularly to everyone. Give the people in your team the plaudits, particularly when someone high up expresses satisfaction - never, never accept plaudits yourself. Conversely - you must take the blame for anything that goes wrong - never 'dump' (your problems or stresses) on anyone in your team. As project manager any problem is always ultimately down to you anyway. Use empathy and conflict handling techniques , and look out for signs of stress and manage it accordingly. A happy positive team with a basic plan will outperform a miserable team with a brilliant plan, every time.
6 - Check, measure, and review project performance; adjust project plans; inform project team and others
Check the progress of activities against the plan. Review performance regularly and at the stipulated review points, and confirm the validity and relevance of the remainder of the plan. Adjust the plan if necessary in light of performance, changing circumstances, and new information, but remain on track and within the original terms of reference. Be sure to use transparent, pre-agreed measurements when judging performance. (Which shows how essential it is to have these measures in place and clearly agreed before the task begins.) Identify, agree and delegate new actions as appropriate. Inform team members and those in authority about developments, clearly, concisely and in writing. Plan team review meetings. Stick to the monitoring systems you established. Probe the apparent situations to get at the real facts and figures. Analyse causes and learn from mistakes. Identify reliable advisors and experts in the team and use them. Keep talking to people, and make yourself available to all.
See also project sponsorship , to appreciate the higher-level responsibilities for monitoring and reporting of a project's progress, status, implications, etc.
7 - Complete project; review and report on project; give praise and thanks to the project team
At the end of your successful project hold a review with the team. Ensure you understand what happened and why. Reflect on any failures and mistakes positively, objectively, and without allocating personal blame. Reflect on successes gratefully and realistically. Write a review report, and make observations and recommendations about follow up issues and priorities - there will be plenty.
Where a project sponsor is involved it is reasonable for this role to be responsible for top-level reporting/review, and where applicable recognizing and rewarding the successful project manager and team too.
8 - Follow up - train, support, measure and report project results and benefits
Traditionally this stage would be considered part of the project completion, but increasingly an emphasised additional stage of project follow-up is appropriate.
This is particularly so in very political environments, and/or where projects benefits have relatively low visibility and meaning to stakeholders (staff, customers, investors, etc), especially if the project also has very high costs, as ICT projects tend to do.
ICT (information and communications technology) projects often are like this - low visibility of benefits but very high costs, and also very high stress and risk levels too.
Project management almost always involves change management too, within which it's very important to consider the effects of the project on people who have to adapt to the change. There is often a training or education need. There will almost certainly be an explanation need, in which for example methods like team briefing have prove very useful.
Whatever, when you are focused on project management it is easy to forget or ignore that many people are affected in some way by the results of the project. Change is difficult, even when it is good and for right reasons. Remembering this during and at the end of your project will help you achieve a project that is well received, as well as successful purely in project management terms.
And again, see the relevance and typical responsibilities of project sponsorship within the overall successful conception, management and delivery of a project.
Someone once said "Don't you love it when a plan comes together?"
It's true.
As project manager, to be at the end of a project and to report that the project plan has been fully met, on time and on budget, is a significant achievement, whatever the project size and complexity. The mix of skills required are such that good project managers can manage anything.
Amusing project management analogies
To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the project manager, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
A clergyman, a doctor and a project manager were playing golf together one day and were waiting for a particularly slow group ahead. The project manager exclaimed, "What's with these people? We've been waiting over half and hour! It's a complete disgrace." The doctor agreed, "They're hopeless, I've never seen such a rabble on a golf course." The clergyman spotted the approaching greenkeeper and asked him what was going on, "What's happening with that group ahead of us? They're surely too slow and useless to be playing, aren't they?" The greenkeeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind fire-fighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime." The three golfers fell silent for a moment. The clergyman said, "Oh dear, that's so sad. I shall say some special prayers for them tonight." The doctor added, rather meekly, "That's a good thought. I'll get in touch with an ophthalmic surgeon friend of mine to see if there's anything that can be done for them." After pondering the situation for a few seconds, the project manager turned to the greenkeeper and asked, "Why can't they play at night?"
And this (thanks G Bee)... A project manager was out walking in the countryside one day when a frog called out to him. He bent down, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket. The frog called out again, saying, "If you kiss me I shall turn me back into a beautiful princess, and I'll stay with you for a week as your mistress." The project manager took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it, and put it back into his pocket. The frog called out once more, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you for as long as you wish and do absolutely anything that you want. Again the Project manager took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and put it back. Finally, the frog demanded, "What's the matter? You can turn me back into a beautiful princess, and I'll stay with you for ever and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?" to which the project manager replied, "Understand, I'm a project manager. I simply don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog .... that's cool."
Related Materials
The materials linked from this page that are contributed by The Project Agency are ©Ron Rosenhead.


text:
|Clickable Index of Reasons to Study Plants
|Wood and Paper
|Fossil Fuels
|Pitch and Resins
|Essential Oils
If we go back in time some 4.5 billion years before present, our planet was composed of a mineral earth with some surface waters (ocean) and an atmosphere of gases with weather patterns. There was no life on our planet at that time. The atmosphere was different from what it is now:
Ancient Atmosphere:
As you might notice, this is an anaerobic (no oxygen gas) atmosphere with many components that would be toxic to much of life as we know it now.
If we then move up in time to just 3 billion years before present, after more than a billion years without any life on earth, we find our first evidence of life on the planet. These newly appearing organisms used fermentive pathways and primitive forms of photosynthesis that were insensitive to the toxic elements of the atmosphere. In some very recent research it appears that this photosynthesis included only about half of the light reactions that we know about now. The earliest forms of photosynthesis appeared in prokaryotic cells (cells lacking a nucleus) which we would probably classify today as cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).
We can summarize photosynthesis as this overall reaction:
CO2 + H2O light
As you should immediately notice, this reaction has the potential to change the atmosphere in important ways. The carbon dioxide of the atmosphere is combined with water in the ocean (from around the cells) using the energy of light to produce carbohydrates (more on that below) and oxygen gas. Thus if photosynthesis is carried out on a large enough scale and for sufficient time, the carbon dioxide gas concentration would be reduced and the atmosphere would have oxygen in it for the first time.
These ancient cells populated the vast oceans of that time and carried out photosynthesis for 1.5 billion years before there was any kind of eukaryotic (cell with a nucleus) organism on the planet! In that much time earth's atmosphere was changed to what we now recognize as our own...more than 70% nitrogen, around 20% oxygen, and small amounts of other gases. This transformed atmosphere is aerobic, and the presence of oxygen permits life based on respiration to exist. The transformation permitted eukaryotic organisms to evolve.
|Plants provide the Oxygen we breathe
The oxygen gas in the atmosphere is routinely converted to ozone by natural processes:
This ozone absorbs ultraviolet light coming from the sun. Prior to the aerobic atmosphere, the ultraviolet exposure on earth's land and upper layers of ocean must have been severe. This light causes mutation in the genetic material and must have resulted in rapid rates of genetic change. After photosynthesis put oxygen into the atmosphere, the resulting ozone provided a protective shield allowing life to exist with much less mutation. It provided stability for life as we know it.
|Plants provide the Ozone UV screen
Now if we move up to 1.5 billion years before present we find the first eukaryotic cells... those with a true nucleus. These single-celled organisms would ultimately evolve into vascular plants, fungi, and animals. Some of the first steps in this evolution involve the development of the pathway called respiration:
CH2O + O2 -----> CO2 + H2O + energy
It is important to note that all plants, fungi, and animals use this same pathway. They acquired it very anciently by taking in a respiring bacterium as an endosymbiont (an organism living mutualistically within another organism). These endosymbionts are now called mitochondria. Based on recent DNA analysis, the eukaryotic organisms that later became plants added the photosynthetic pathway by acquiring a photosynthetic bacterium as an endosymbiont, now called chloroplasts. Thus plants have both photosynthesis in chloroplasts and respiration in mitochondria, so plants are really more than animals.
By 0.5 billion years before present there were eukaryotic algae and invertebrate (no backbone) animals populating the oceans. By 0.25 billion years ago, amphibians and arthropod animals invaded the land as did fern-like plants. By 0.12 billion years before present we had fish in the ocean and dinosaurs, insects, ferns, conifers, and the first flowering plants on land. By 0.05 billion years before present mammals arose to prominence on land. It wasn't until 0.003 billion years before present that the first "humanoid" evolved; Australopithecus afarensis. Our species in its archaic form did not show up until about 250,000 years before present as Homo sapiens and the modern form we would recognize as "ourselves" first appeared on earth only about 28,000 years before present.
Put in other terms, there were 3 billion years of photosynthesis before we got here. The flowering plants beat us on the planet by at least 90 million years. And our stunning human achievements in recorded history go back only 4,000 years! We are definitely a "Johnny come lately" and the length of our stay on earth so far constitutes the briefest of moments in the time of life on our planet.
Another look at the photosynthesis reaction gives us additional reasons to study plants:
CO2 + H2O light
The carbohydrate product of this reaction (CH2O) is really just a symbol of many possible carbohydrate and carbohydrate-related biomolecules that plants can make. The diversity of chemicals here is mind-boggling and is part-and-parcel of many businesses and industries. We can think of at least some of this as food.
Included here are the grains in which the carbohydrate is mostly starch. In this category we have pasta, bread, breakfast cereal, desserts all made from such grains as wheat, barley, corn, and rice. Here, under starches, too are tubers and roots such as potatoes, poi, and yams. In other species the carbohydrate is converted to fats; under oils we have soybean, corn, peanut, palm, coconut, sunflower, olive, safflower, and many others. These are important sources of dense energy as food. In yet other species the carbohydrate is stored as simple sugar as in fruits: grapes, figs, olives, dates, pomegranates, mulberries, bananas, oranges, mangoes, guava. In still other species the sugar is stored in stems (sugarcane) or roots (sugar beets) which we can harvest to stir into coffee or sprinkle on cereal. From other plants, we eat a mixture of carbohydrate forms and derivatives that provide balance in our nutrition. These include the "vegetables": tomato, lettuce, celery, carrot, melon, asparagus, broccoli, etc. The plants convert the carbohydrate into nitrogen-containing protein as well. Plant foods high in protein include beans and many other vegetables.
Regardless of how we think of the vegetable contributions to our diet, these plants are also the foods of animals, which we also consume as food. So plants are the source of energy and protein for animals to make pork, chicken, and beef as well as the ultimate source of milk, eggs, and cheese. In fact, as the basis for the entire food web (food chain), plants are responsible for feeding all the animals on the planet. We are completely dependent upon plants for our oxygen as well as our food!
Feeding our huge population is an increasing concern. Eating plants rather than animals (becoming a vegetarian) makes feeding the world more efficient. To make one kilogram of beef it takes 10 kilograms of grain! It is more efficient to eat the grain ourselves! In fact one bushel of corn provides enough energy and protein for 23 people! Plants are an efficient source of food and provide us with a very diverse diet of foods from which to choose.
|Plants provide a diversity of food
Not all carbohydrates are digestible, though. The indigestible carbohydrates include cellulose (similar to starch in form, but different enough to not be digestible by humans and most other animals). We sometimes refer to indigestible carbohydrates as "fiber" in our diet. While we cannot digest fiber, it is nevertheless very useful to us...
Cellulose in plants is deposited into large volumes of tissue called xylem. In some plants these fibers are long and slender and can be spun together to make thread. This thread can be woven or knitted into fabrics including linen (from flax fiber) and cotton (from fruit fibers). In fact our town, Willimantic, CT, was world-famous between 1860 and 1970 as a leader in thread-making. It still is sometimes referred to as "Thread City" but its true mark was made as the world's leading producer of linen fabric from that thread.
Alas, this fame was fleeting and the industry is gone. Now the mills are converted for other uses or are being torn down. The industry was put out-of-business by the 1970s polyester double-knit fad. That clammy, then smelly, scratchy fabric needed no ironing, washed beautifully, and held brilliant colors. The synthetic was not made in Willimantic. Of course famous drug addicts ignited their polyester clothing accidentally while free-basing on cocaine, and the lack of comfort eventually moved people toward blends, but before natural threads came back into popularity Willimantic's industry was finished.
There had been some warning about synthetics, though. Plant fibers could be chemically digested, repolymerized, and extruded into semi-synthetic fibers called rayon and nylon. These materials were the forerunner of polyester, but never really caught on with the public except for hosiery and limited shirting fabrics.
|Plants provide fibers
In plants, large concentrations of xylem made the tissue we know of as wood. This useful material forms the trunks of trees and can be cut into lumber for building houses and ships. It can be burned as fuel for heating homes and cooking food. It can be chipped into individual fibers for digesting into nylon and rayon, or the fibers sized together into sheets of paper. The paper provides a writing surface, a decorating cover for walls and gifts, single-use (disposable) dishes and clothing, and so on.
|Plants provide wood and paper
Not all of the plant carbohydrate was eaten with 3-billion years of plants living and dying before animals started eating up everything produced. The bacteria and fungi probably digested some of the excess plant material, but much of it remained piling up in the ancient landscape. The piles were covered over and buried deeply by sediments. The buried vegetation initially decomposed to form natural gas (CH4) in part. Some of that methane was released back into the atmosphere as swamp gas, and the flammable gas sometimes ignited causing swamp fires. But the deeper buried methane collected underground in many places which we tap today to power our electric plants, heat homes, cook, and so on. Some of the vegetation was compressed and formed coal which is also used in electrical generation. Yet more of the deposits formed crude oil which is the source of a range of hydrocarbons for making plastics of all sorts as well as other synthetic molecules.
So a plant was the ultimate source of the gasoline in your car, the grease in its axles, as well as home heating oil, and the electrical energy that powers the lights and your hair dryer. The oil is the source of plastics in your telephone and computer, your car and your house. It provides the energy to refine metals for your jewelry, machinery, nails and screws, aluminum siding, and copper wire. In fact, even that polyester double-knit fabric was made from fossil fuels, so even it was a derivative of plants!
|Plants provided fossil fuels
Fossil fuel is also converted into a wide range of synthetic compounds including alcohol and a wide range of medicines. Of course plants are a source of medicines directly. The origins of medicine are tied up with plants. Alcohol was produced from starch early in civilization for use as a beverage preservative, but also as a surface sterilizing agent. Quinine from plant bark prevents malaria. Morphine, codeine, and cocaine are useful as local anesthetics and serve other purposes through side effects too. Digitoxin from foxglove has been used to regulate heartbeat. Caffeine from plants is an important daily stimulant for many humans. Nicotine and Δ-9-THC are important recreational drugs. There are probably many more important medicines to be found in the tropical forests of the world where countless species remain unknown. Yet we burn rain forests there at an alarming rate. For a few acres to grow corn we may lose the one species that will solve the AIDS epidemic or cure cancer. We need to preserve the biodiversity found in these tropical forests, and to do so by paying the indigent native peoples what their holdings are worth!
|Plants provide medicines
Plants produce other compounds that are not particularly edible or useful as fuel, but are nevertheless important for people. One such compound is latex. Rubber trees in the tropics bleed a kind of sap when wounded that we can harvest as latex. This natural rubber can be used for making gloves for surgery and dish washing, or washers and water-tight seals, or condoms for safer-sex. If this isn't important to you right now, perhaps it will be someday.
The latex can be combined with sulfur and formed into vulcanized rubber that makes really tough tires and v-belts for running our machinery and transporting our cars down the road. If our cars ran on steel wheels the ride would be pretty lousy.
|Plants provide latex
Other species of plants have a different kind of sap product. You get it on your hands when you climb a pine tree. It is called pitch. This was used to make wood ships float without waterlogging the wood. A coating of pitch made the lumber water-resistant. The eastern seaboard states of the US had huge forests of pine which were used to make ships and coat them with pitch. These ships permitted our young and very small and limited-power colonies to defeat the world's greatest power at the time of our American Revolution. The forests you see today are secondary growth. The original woods are mostly gone. The US Constitution was built in the early days of our country and some of its timbers have stood the test of time thanks to pitch. If your ancestors came to America by ship, you can thank plants for the ship, its water-tightness, the sails, and the rigging!
Pitch is also the source of turpentine and other resins for making varnish and paints. These coat and protect wood for both function and beauty. The Victorian homes of Willimantic are sometimes called "Painted Ladies" because of the many different colors of paint used. So not only are the plants the source of the building material, they produced the materials for protecting and beautifying the wood as well.
|Plants provide pitch and resins
Plants produce a wide range of essential oils. These are very attractive to humans. We use them to make our homes and bodies smell better and our food to taste better. They were the reason for the exploration leading to the European "discovery" of the "New" World. Your incense is a plant product. Citronella candles help repel mosquitoes from your picnic table. Jasmine, Gardenia, Lily, and other flowers provide essential oils for perfumes. Pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, cloves, and mint provide very important fragrances and flavorings for foods.
|Plants provide essential oils
We have quite a few reasons to study plants so far and I haven't yet even mentioned the one most people think about, decoration. We use plants in landscaping our towns, businesses, and homes. We bring plants into our homes as houseplants and decorate our end tables and dinner tables with flower arrangements. We give flowers as gifts and put corsages on formals and tuxedos. We use them in ceremonies such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals. From birth to death we decorate our lives with plants. Nursery and floristry is the third-largest business in Connecticut! Most people do not know that.
|Plants provide decoration
Plants have been a constant source of business and employment throughout human history. When we think about what people and plants do together we need to look toward the past first. The following is a table showing the percentage of the US population engaged in farming.
|% Population
as Farmers
|90.0 %
|20.0 %
|6.0 %
|2.5 %
This change looks like a disaster for human employment. It is misleading. First you will notice that before 1940 most of the people in America were farmers of one kind or another. You had to be a farmer to survive--you grew your own food fresh because preservation was primitive, storage was difficult, etc. If you wanted a chicken dinner you raised grain to feed the chicken for months, then went out to the barn, grabbed a chicken, killed it, dressed it, cooked it, served it, and ate it. The discovery of fossil fuels and development of farming equipment (tractors), and the passage of the Morrill Act (signed by Lincoln in the 1800s) permitted people to leave farming per se and become employed in the industrial revolution. Individual families did not have to farm because each farmer could be so much more productive that they could support whole communities. The machinery accelerated and streamlined farming processes and the Morrill act provided the intellectual weapons to improve crops and crop management through the land-grant universities it established in each state. The University of Connecticut is the land-grant college in our state.
The number of farmers has steadily declined since then to now very low levels in the US. But this is misleading because of the separation of the many tasks carried out by farmers in earlier times. If you read about the chicken dinner carefully above, you realize that the industrialization of farming has dissected the work. Sure less than 2.5% of the population is on tractors in America. But the farmer on the tractor just grows the grain to feed the chicken. Frank Purdue buys the grain from the farmer and it is transported to the industrialized coops by a transportation network of haulers (maybe represented by Teamsters Unions?). Purdue and his employees and the truckers are not counted as farmers, but these jobs were counted as farming in earlier times. The gasoline refiners to fuel the trucks and tractors, and the fertilizer companies and pesticide manufacturers for raising the grain are now part of the farming operation now too. The machinery needs repair and design and engineering teams, and this is before we even start feeding the chickens. The coop needs light and ventilation so now we have to figure in the energy businesses such as Northeast Utilities and Connecticut Light and Power. These are part of what was originally "farming" too. Purdue's people do the chicken raising, killing, and dressing now and they aren't counted as farmers. There is more transportation now because the consumers are not on the farms or near the coops, so the chicken must be packaged. Enter more engineers and laborers into the mix. Add more truck manufacturers, drivers, fuel company staff, repair business people, parts suppliers, tire manufacturers and salespeople, etc. to the thinking. Add then the grocery store or distribution center and its staff of people. They carry out the former farmer's role of bringing the dead chicken to the home. Stock people, cashiers, baggers, janitors, all of these jobs fit in here. If the chicken goes home it then gets into family cooking, but if it goes to a restaurant, you now have to add a chef, waitresses, hostesses, bussers and dishwashers to the picture. Oh, and we must not forget marketing. Advertising and media jobs help to focus consumers on particular brands of chicken and particular restaurants, etc.
My point is this: rather than all of us doing all the jobs involved in farming, we are all doing some of the jobs that formerly occupied people as farmers. The dissection of the farming tasks have created a myriad of career choices for American citizens. In other words 90% of the population is still involved in what was farming in 1790. We have simply renamed and refined the jobs. If we add the rest of farming tasks into the employment picture: gardening, recreation, parks, research, breeding, genetic engineering, agronomy-field crops, entomology-insect pests, plant pathology-plant diseases, horticulture--we have a huge number of jobs for people.
Horticulture alone can be divided into several subcategories:
Pomology-fruitsand so is amazingly large in terms of human jobs!
Post-harvest Physiology-storage, processing
Ornamental Horticulture-landscape plants
Landscape Architecture-design
|Plants provide jobs
If you think hard about it, and review everything above, you will see that plants are at the foundation of just about every human endeavor. This gives us very good reasons to study plants. Employers are looking for people with the knowledge and skills needed to function most productively in business and industry. By learning about plants, you add to the necessary qualifications to land you a job or assist in your promotion on the job. Biology is a great major and is a wonderful minor in college! Today business majors, for example, are a dime a dozen, but a business major with a biology minor (or better a double-major!) is a hot prospect!
Botany, the study of plants, then is the umbrella discipline that provides all of this knowledge and experience for you. By adding this to your credentials you become a more valuable job candidate and a more valued employee. Not everyone has noticed the connection between botany and business and human survival and so they have not availed themselves of this opportunity; too bad for them. Congratulations on making a fine choice of course of study!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
J.A. Myerson, Truthout
Wednesday 7 December 2011
Yesterday, no one had lived in 702 Vermont Street for three years. Vermont Street sits in East New York, the Brooklyn neighborhood where foreclosures are five times more frequent than in the rest of the state. Today, Alfredo and Tasha and their son and daughter moved in, with the help of a number of friends whom they'd never met. Some were from the advocacy groups Picture the Homeless and Vocal New York, others were clergy or members of the city council. They had been organized and brought together by Occupy Wall Street for a national day of action to promote foreclosure resistance, an event kicking off a project they call Occupy Our Homes.
Alfredo, Tasha and the kids, way back yesterday, were homeless, having been foreclosed upon by a bank and hundreds upon hundreds of people who had never heard of them came to East New York today to get them a home. Occupy Wall Street is itself somewhat homeless these days, having been evicted from Zuccotti Park on the orders of the 12th-richest man in the United States. A few weeks ago, the media tycoon in question deployed what he openly calls his "army" to dispossess the occupation, including, naturally, everyone who called it their home. Much wondering has been going on in the press about what Occupy Wall Street would do now that it was homeless. Today's answer seems to have been: get other people homes.
The few hundred activists marched through the streets of East New York and took a tour of the foreclosed properties in the area, which is very easy to do, since they are everywhere. "On every block, we have one or two homes either for sale or in foreclosure," Lorraine, who lives in the neighborhood, told me. "I think we have three houses for sale on my block alone."
On the Upper West Side, there are always street fairs. There are museums and libraries and there are parks and concert venues. And on the Upper West Side, there are places for kids to go after school and there are places for people who want to get healthier to exercise. On the Upper West Side, there are churches made of stone. In East New York, there is a church called Hope Christian Center, which looks like an abandoned office building, the paint on the façade stripping away to reveal the brick beneath.
"There's nothing to do here," said longtime East New Yorker Corinne Gonzales, who attributes the many people who watched the march from their windows to this. Revealingly, it was at their windows where people found themselves on a chance Tuesday afternoon in this neighborhood and not, perhaps, at work. Many of them joined the march, which, at its peak, swelled to what was widely estimated to include 1,000 participants - on a Tuesday afternoon in the rain.
Corrine had never seen anything like it. News cameras and satellite vans don't come here, except, occasionally, in the case of a shooting. Now, they'd come here to document the difficulty of a life of poverty and the attempt to change that dynamic. If Occupy Wall Street had chosen to do something else today, another day would have gone by in which no one in the media or politics paid any attention to East New York.
"It's not fair to us low income families," Corrine told me. "Everybody's talking about middle class. Middle class? What about us? We got children. It's not fair to us. And I thank God that you guys came out today to represent us low income families. And I appreciate it very much."
Some activists brought housewarming gifts for the new residents of 702 Vermont Street. Yates McKee, 32, marched carrying a large houseplant. "A plant is important because it's something that helps make it a nice environment," he told me. "It's also a metaphor for sustaining life."
Lorraine had brought brownies. She started a "part-time cooking thing" to make extra money before she lost her job. "They're free," she said, offering me one. "It might energize you, with a little sugar. I have a sweet tooth." These brownies were to welcome the activists who had come to help, though the baker herself faces foreclosure. "Any person at this point is one step away from being jobless and homeless," she remarked. "It's a reality. This is the life that we're living right now. It's like this is what we worked for, all those other years. This is the point that we've come to."
If anybody wanted demands, they were clear today. As Brian Gibbs of Picture the Homeless said by way of the people's microphone, "What we need is real, affordable housing now. It has to change." Gibbs was once homeless on the street and spoke of the police harassment routinely visited upon him and others in his situation. "The problem with homelessness is that people get so desperate, they are willing to risk arrest in order to get off the streets," he told the crowd.
At one stop along the tour, a young man named Quincy, who works as a part time plumber, took the people's mike. "I was tricked into signing over my deed," he confessed. "Now I'm getting evicted. I have a loan of $475,000."
Standing beside him, his city council member, one-time Black Panther Charles Barron, announced, "We will not let this young man lose his home. We've stopped other foreclosures and we're going to stop this one." Thereupon, Quincy began to weep, the friends and comrades he never knew he had gathering around him to place their calming hands upon his shoulders and his arms and his head. He didn't know they were out there, but 1,000 people ready to protect his home happened to be around the corner the day upon which he was getting foreclosed.
As Quincy wrapped up his remarks, a cry from the crowd drew everyone's attention to another longtime resident of the neighborhood, who told the story of having bought her house in 1997, putting $80,000 down. She'd been working two jobs all of her life and had paid her mortgage responsibly, putting down months in advance when she went on vacation. Her son did four years in Kuwait and four years in Iraq and now he's dead. The Pentagon, the woman said, doesn't know whether he died by enemy bullets or friendly fire. Since then, she's become sick and the bills for her medical treatment have ruined her hopes for paying off the rest of her mortgage. Crying to the sky, she asked again and again, "How am I going to do it?"
At the march's destination, balloons announced the block party to be thrown for the incoming neighbors. A tent appeared on the roof, on which was scrawled, "You cannot evict an idea whose time has come." Remarks were shared by, among others, Alfredo, a 27-year-old community organizer around stop and frisk, and Tasha, whose shyness in the face of the people's microphone moved her to nervous giggles and a swift conclusion to her brief thanks.
I went into 702 Vermont Street with the Occupy Wall Street Sanitation Working Group, who entered before anyone else to get the house ready to be, so to speak, occupied. This was a formidable charge. It very much seemed to one as though the people who left 702 Vermont Street did so in a big hurry. Crumbled dry wall, copious mold, piles of refuse - the house might as easily have been Sarajevo in 1996 than in the same city as Wall Street in 2011.
The sun set over Vermont Street behind the clouds, steadily drizzling on the block party. Eventually, Bloomberg's army, consisting of quite a smaller number of people when there wasn't rich people's property to protect, asked the block party to stick to the sidewalk, and the event drew to a close, teams of occupiers agreeing to stay with Alfredo and Tasha and with Quincy for the night, vowing to put their bodies between the residents and anyone attempting to turn them into something else.
The police's boss has $19.5 billion. He's got places to stay all over the world, luxury townhouses in the swankiest neighborhoods in the finest cities in the world and sprawling mansions in lush paradises in the tropics. And no one ever threatens to kick him out of any of them. For the time being, anyway.
This work by Truthout is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
J.A. Myerson is an independent journalist who is involved in the Media and Labor Outreach committees at Occupy Wall Street.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Occupy Our Homes
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
My newspaper (name entered in form below) hereby grants HSPA Information Network, a venture of Hoosier State Press Association, Inc., permission to post stories from the newspaper's Web site to the HSPA Information Network Web site.
As a participating member of the HSPA Information Network, the newspaper will be able to download stories from other participating newspapers. To establish the content sharing process, the newspaper agrees to facilitate HSPA Information Network's ability to download stories from the newspaper's Web site (for example, providing a password so that the network can access the stories).
This limited use of the newspaper's stories by other newspapers does not alter the newspaper's copyright interest in the stories posted on the HSPA Information Network Web site or reduce any of the newspaper's rights of action to defend its copyright interests.
HSPA Information Network will not develop any derivative works based on its posting of this newspaper's stories under this agreement. Participating HSPA member newspapers will limit their use of this newspaper's stories to print publications. The newspaper will limit its use of other participating newspapers' stories to its print publications.
HSPA Information Network will password-protect its Web site so that only participating newspapers and other participating entities will have access to the Web site.
The attached Operational Policy governs specific details of the HSPA Information Network procedures for participating newspapers and HSPA and is a part of this agreement.
This agreement shall remain in effect until and unless revoked by the newspaper or the HSPA Information Network with 30-days written notice to the other party. Hoosier State Press Association, Inc. is located at 41 E. Washington St., #301, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204.
The newspaper understands that following the pilot project period in 2010, HSPA may assess a participation fee to fund the ongoing operation of the HSPA Information Network that will be paid by the newspaper to continue as a member of the network.
You must be fully authorized by your company to enroll your publication in HSPAIN. Persons found to not have the required authority will have their publication's accounts deleted from the HSPAIN.
NOTE: This form is only to be used be persons representing a publication.
Freelancers must click this link to sign up to participate in this service.
Freelancers must click this link to sign up to participate in this service.


text:
I'm running the latest version of firefox 17.0.1 on ubuntu 12.10 on a Acer Aspire One 722 Netbook. It has an amd dual core C60 processor and 2GB RAM.
As you can see, firefox is absolutely killing my system, it responds really slowly and opening tabs is a royal pain. I have on an average 4-5 open tabs at a given time. Is there something that I can do to make my browsing experience more zippy?
Additionally I run the following addons
- Firebug
- HTTPS Everywhere
- Ad block plus


text:
SET 1: Beauty of My Dreams > Cavern > Punch You in the Eye > Runaway Jim > NICU > Stash, Waste, Walfredo, Character Zero > Slave to the Traffic Light
SET 2: Peaches en Regalia > Also Sprach Zarathustra > My Soul > Maze, Wolfman's Brother > Reba[1], Train Song, Harry Hood > Frankenstein
ENCORE: Bold As Love
SET 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Ya Mar, Split Open and Melt, Waste > David Bowie, Hello My Baby, Good Times Bad Times
March 27, 1993
25 years ago
Warfield Theatre
Set 1: Llama, Guelah Papyrus, Rift, Stash, Reba, My Friend, My Friend[1], Uncle Pen, Sample in a Jar, I Didn't Know[2], David Bowie[3]
Set 2: Buried Alive > Halley's Comet > It's Ice > Bouncing Around the Room, Chalk Dust Torture, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Hold Your Head Up > Cracklin' Rosie > Hold Your Head Up, Poor Heart > Golgi Apparatus
Encore: The Squirming Coil, Carolina
[1] Beginning featured Trey on acoustic guitar.
[2] Fish on trombone.
[3] All Fall Down signal in intro.
Phish.net is a non-commercial project run by Phish fans and for Phish fans under the auspices of the all-volunteer, non-profit Mockingbird Foundation.
This project serves to compile, preserve, and protect encyclopedic information about Phish and their music.
Credits | Terms Of Use | Legal | DMCA
The Mockingbird Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Phish fans in 1996 to generate charitable proceeds from the Phish community.
And since we're entirely volunteer – with no office, salaries, or paid staff – administrative costs are less than 2% of revenues! So far, we've distributed just about $1,500,000 to support music education for children – hundreds of grants in all 50 states, with more on the way.


text:
Processing time
1-3 business days
Customs and import taxes
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Wonderful recycled skateboard sunglasses, handmade.
Constituted several colored maple's folds, the skateboard wood is one particularly solid and light material!
- French Novacel lenses 100% UV category 3 (shimmer grey color)
- UNIQUE Model serial number #263
- Frame made from skateboard RECYCLE
- Flex hinges high tensile strength ( 35kg )
- Hard case decorated with a rolling skate
- Raw cotton Soft Case
- The history of Registration of the board ( skater , best tricks etc. ..)
100% French , craft and recycled production !
Delivered with hard case + a soft case + ecological vial of oil + a keychain like frame shape + a 7PLIS sunglasses towels + stickers !
Possibility of realizing to order.
Shipment tracking
1-3 business days
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 7 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 14 days of delivery
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:


text:
Customer Login
Customer Logout
My Account
View Cart (0)
Check out
| Mailings & Promotions
Sign Up »
Strategic Services Group
The Culver Model
The Strategic Advantage
Regulatory Services
Utility Commission Reporting
Audit Documentation
PHMSA Filing
RP 1162 Compliance
Insurance Audit Support
Program Design
Project Management
Data Management
White Papers
A Positive Safety Culture Is a Game-Changer
From Obligation to Opportunity: The Broad Benefits of Engaging the Public in Natural Gas Safety
Comprehensive Public Safety Education Benefits Us All
Press Releases
Culver Utility Perspectives (Blog)
Products Group
Electric Currents
Gas Currents
Water Currents
Newsbrief Archive
Browse and Search Catalog
All New Products
On Sale
Educational Videos
Educational Websites
6 Ways Your Product Can Be Customized
Follow Strategic Services on LinkedIn
Read the Strategic Services Blog
Follow the Products Group on Facebook
You are here:
User account
Create new account
Log in
Request new password
User account
Enter your Culver username.
Enter the password that accompanies your username.
Utility Perspectives Blog
The Culture of Public Safety and the Importance of Employee Engagement
Effective Public Safety Communication
Measuring Public Safety: Take the Lead
Press Releases
Culver Company Shares Expertise Integrating Public Safety and Risk Management at Annual Utility Conference
Culver Company to Participate in Upcoming Utility Industry Security Seminar
Natural Gas Industry Focuses on Public Safety to Engage Customers and Drive Continuous Improvement
Articles & Case Studies
The Challenges of RP 1162 Messaging
Crane Contacts Reduced from 8 to 0
A Reduction in Dig-ins
A Branded All-in-One Website
Measurable Results from Public Safety
Prevention (EEI article)
Newest Products
Bucket Truck Pop Up Model
Stay Safe Around Electricity
LED Eraser
Be a Water Saver! Coloring Booklet
Lawn and Garden Hose Timer
Natural Gas Safety at Home Brochure—Scented
Product Related News
Smart Lighting: The Foundation for a Networked Future
Are You Covering All Learning Styles With Your Safety Message?
Change Behavior with Creative Tools
Seasonal Tools to Create Lasting Behavior Change
Don't Let Digging Accidents Diminish Your Good Work
Privacy Policy
Site Map
Copyright ©
Culver Company, LLC


text:
Rep. Jared Polis again seeks help on mountain insurance rates
WASHINGTON — Rep. Jared Polis sought relief again with Colorado's Division of Insurance this week, asking if there was anything the state agency could do to lower health insurance rates in mountain communities.
Polis, a Boulder Democrat who supports the Affordable Care Act, says he is dismayed at the high cost of health insurance premuiums for district rating 11, which includes Summit and Eagle County in his district.
Under Obamacare, some mountain dwellers will pay rates two and three times higher than suburban Denver.
"I write to express my increasingly urgent concern regarding the high cost of health insurance premiums for Rating Area 11," he wrote to Colorado's Division of Insurance Commissioner Marguerite Salazar. "Not only have I heard from hundreds of constituents in Eagle and Summit County regarding the ridiculous cost of health insurance, but it is beginning to affect this area's reputation."
Polis noted that recent national news stories have named Eagle, Summit, Pitkin and Garfield counties as the worst places to live in the country under Obamacare.
Last year, Polis beseeched Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to grant waivers to mountain community dwellers from the requirement to purchase health insurance. He also wrote to Salazar to ask her to do something.
Secretary Sebelius got back to Polis and said it was a state issue. This sparked Polis to send a second letter to Colorado's Division of Insurance Commissioner Marguerite Salazar this week. Polis asked Salazar to appoint an advocate from the resort district to study health care costs and review why premiums are so high.
Salazar's office had no immediate comment.


text:
24-7/16"" W x 19-5/8" D x 13-5/8" H
Yes. All of our over-the-range (OTR) microwaves are certified by Underwriters Laboratories for use over a gas range.
Unlike other metal objects, the metal rack included with your microwave is specially designed for safe use. The design takes into account the pattern of microwaves to prevent arching and sparks. For example:
• The plastic spacers which hold the rack in place are engineered to keep it from arching against the microwave's sides.
• The rack's tines and outer edges are engineered to form a fully enclosed object, avoiding the open ends that lead to arching.
No other metal objects, including pans, utensils, etc. are approved for use inside a microwave.
All of our over-the-range (OTR) microwaves are factory preset to vent internally – it will recirculate the air back into the room. However, it can also be converted to vent externally, or outside, if you prefer. If this is your preference, please let the installer know before they begin the initial installation and they will share the option that best suits your installation situation.
Your over-the-range (OTR) microwave, it will come with all the necessary installation hardware. Each of our models comes with a complete set of installation hardware.
If your microwave model has a glass tray or turn table, then follow the instructions printed on the popcorn label and place the bag on the turn table. In some instances, if you have a metal turn table (instead of glass), you do need to set the popcorn bag on a popcorn/bacon plate. This plate will lift the popcorn bag off of the microwave's metal turntable, which can otherwise interfere with the metal contained in the popcorn bag.
For step-by-step instructions on how to use PowerPlus ™ 2-in-1 Convection in your Microwave, click here.
Extra-large microwave provides 2.2 cu. ft. of cooking space.
Microwave automatically adjusts power levels and cooking times to cook a variety of items, effortlessly.
Offers multiple settings to meet your cooking needs, including chicken nuggets and snacks.
Our microwaves feature easy-to-use one-touch buttons so you can cook baked potatoes, popcorn or even add 30 seconds with the touch of a button.
Reheat almost anything at the touch of a button.
Just one touch of a button keeps food warm until everything - and everyone - is ready.
Optional trim kit available in stainless and black stainless steel trim in 27" or 30" diameter.
Resists fingerprints and cleans easily.
Cancer and Reproductive Harm -- www.P65Warnings.ca.gov


text:
About Hands Percussion
Hands Percussion has been part of the Malaysian performing arts scene since 1997. Wowing
audiences at home and the world over, their highly acclaimed performances are spell binding to say
the least. With a rich and colourful Malaysian cultural background behind them, their highly creative
and artistic drumming performances incorporate these wonderful varied influences. Contemporary
theatrical drumming infused with Shigu drums and diverse South-east Asian musical instruments is
what HANDS is about! They have indeed put a spin on this art form. Teaching in many schools in the
Klang Valley, their students always have a blast and their Balik Kampung (back to hometown) visits is
the chosen town's highlight of the year!
Home | About Us | Services | Events | News & Press | Contact Us | Residents | Employment
Copyright © 2000 - 2020 Hands Percussion
All Rights Reserved.
Legal Terms | Privacy Policy | Site Map


text:
Page Content
Welcome to the website of the Representative for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses. I offer you support with questions about your studies related to your health: starting with your application for a degree program and continuing throughout the course of your studies until you complete your degree.
Health impairments include impairments in mobility, hearing, speech, and vision as well as psychological impairments (e.g. depression, psychoses), chronic illnesses (e.g. MS and epilepsy), and specific learning disorders.
Follow the navigation on the left. Under the concentrations listed there, you will find answers to your questions. You can inform yourself about topics including:
- Barrier-free access (directions, parking spots, buildings, resting rooms, lecture halls; report a problem, microphone systems, and reserved seats in lecture halls)
- Applying for your studies (hardship case application, special applications)
- Support during your studies (individual advising: compensation for disadvantages, integration assistance, advising in German Sign Language (DGS))
- Projects (working groups, exchange, experience reports, film competition)
- After your studies (advising offers, continuing your education, doctorate, internship, jobs)
You can also just stop by if you're not sure if you know about all the opportunities open to you.
Zusatzinformationen / Extras
Quick Access:
Auxiliary Functions
Straße des 17. Juni 135
via E-Mail
(phone appointments
by arrangement)


text:
- 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 8 red potatoes, cut into chunks roughly the same size as the russet chunks
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk (not skim)
- 1/4 cup double cream
- 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, peeled
Combine potatoes in a large pot and just cover with cold tap water. Place over high heat and season water with 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt, (it should taste like sea water). Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, combine dairy and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Keep this mixture barely simmering until the potatoes are done.
As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove the lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until a potato chunk can easily be crushed with a pair of tongs. Drain, then return potatoes to the pan, return pot to heat and shake for 30 seconds so the surface water can evaporate. Remove pot and set on a towel or hot pads. Pour about half the garlic mixture into the potatoes and mash with an old-fashioned potato masher. Start tasting and looking at the consistency right away. If mashers seem dry or bland, add more of the garlic mixture. Avoid over mashing or you'll end up with gluey instead of fluffy.
Serve straight or garnish with any of the following: parsley, chopped scallions, crumbled bacon, sun dried tomatoes, (If you have the dry ones, make sure you re-hydrate them.) grated horseradish, horseradish sauce, pesto, more bacon, Sauteed mushrooms...use your imagination.


text:
Mplus Home
Last Day
Last 3 Days
Last Week
Tree View
Edit Profile
Method for finding similiar trajectories
Mplus Discussion
Latent Variable Mixture Modeling
Matt Cooper
posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 8:09 pm
Hi there,
Am after a nudge in the right direction with a problem I have, will try to be concise.
I have longitudinal data on ~200 subjects. The subjects are children coming into a clinic on an ~3 monthly basis from diagnosis until they reach 18. Data starts in 1992 up until now. There is a primary numeric measure on these children measured at each visit, it ranges from 4 to 14, with majority being between 6 to 10. It is known that this variable goes up with age. What is apparent from plotting the data in spaghetti form is that there are groups that start high and stay high, start low and stay low, start low and creep up etc.
I'm keen to try and put people into groupings like this by using the data. Some caveats. Someone who was diagnosed at 10 in 92 and followed until 2010 might go from 8 up to 9.5 over those 8 years, this person may well be the same as someone diagnosed at 10 in 2000 and followed until 2008 who goes from 7 to 8.5, as over the last 20 years the average level across the clinic has declined. I can restrict the data to those diagnosed between certain years to try to remove this artifact in preliminary analysis.
I've looked at things like klm in R but that has the problem of imputing incomplete data (it has to to run), which is inappropriate here given some are diagnosed at 1 and others at 15.
Any helps as to which MPLUS package might be appropriate would be appreciated.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011 - 8:34 pm
Sounds like you are interested in growth mixture modeling. Given the period trend, restricting the data to diagnoses during certain years might help as you say. Perhaps you also want to add a multiple-cohort twist to it, where the cohorts are ages (or age groupings) of diagnosis - unless age of diagnosis doesn't change the growth parameters.
Matt Cooper
posted on Thursday, August 11, 2011 - 6:09 pm
Okay. I've got the Chapter 6 and 8 guide to work through. Will post back if I get stuck when looking to implement the model.
Thanks for you help.
Matt Cooper
posted on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - 6:35 pm
So I've had a read and am not sure of a couple of things for working my data into an MPLUS form. I'm looking at something like:
TITLE: this is a test of a GMM
DATA: FILE = "C:\analysis\for_mplus_test.dat";
VARIABLE: NAMES = id glych age yearcat obs;
USEVARIABLES ARE glych age id;
CLASSES = c(3);
i s |
i s ON age;
c ON age;
My data is in a long form, where each subject has anywhere from 5 to 60 rows, so I need to tell the model that id is the grouping variable. In the examples in the chapters, are y1 y2 y3 the outcomes at the time points? Just getting confused here as my subjects have all come in at different ages so can't lock them into uniform endpoints.
Will continue to play.
Matt Cooper
posted on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - 7:36 pm
In addition, I have hunted around and haven't been able to find an application of Mplus to a problem like mine, where I might have 5 visits for someone between ages 7 to 9 and then 40 on someone else between ages 5 and 17 etc trying to find if people lie on similar trajectories. If you can think of and point me in the direct of a similar application that would be great.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - 1:06 pm
Example 9.16 shows how to set up a growth model when data are in long format. Example 6.12 shows a growth model with individually-varying times of observations.
Matt Cooper
posted on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - 10:03 pm
Thanks Linda. I really appreciate the prompt relies you both give.
I have spent some hours now looking over the examples and trying to think how my data fits in.
Given I want to see latent class groupings for the trajectories, I am confident that TYPE = MIXTURE is what I'm after.
With the wide vs long, my data is in long format, and I can't convert it to wide given the details explained above, almost every column would have 1 record in it if I did that as I have age to 2dp so everyone has a unique time record for their visits (91 days apart, then 115 then 84 etc).
This is where I am at now and the error I get. If I can apply the mixture model to data in long format I think I'll be set.
VARIABLE: NAMES = id glych age yearcat obs;
USEVARIABLES ARE glych age id;
IDVARIABLE = id;
CLASSES = c(2);
i s | glych;
i s ON age;
c ON age;
*** ERROR in MODEL command
The number of fixed time scores is not sufficient for model identification
in the following growth process: I S
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, August 18, 2011 - 8:28 am
Please seen Example 9.16 for the correct specification of a growth model with long format data. If you continue to have problems, send your output and license number to
Back to top
Add Your Message Here
Posting Information:
This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here.
Enable HTML code in message
Automatically activate URLs in message
Tree View
Program Credits


text:
Nickerson Awarded Patent
Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken has been assigned a patent (8,145,591) developed by Jeffrey V. Nickerson, Weehawken, N.J., and Toshihiko Matsuka, Chiba, Japan, for a "detection of hostile intent from movement patterns."
The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method comprising identifying a suspect; determining that the suspect has moved a first distance in a target zone around a target during a first time period; determining a suspect-target distance between the suspect and the target; determining a suspect-potential destination distance between the suspect and a potential destination in the target zone for the suspect; determining that the suspect has moved a second distance in the target zone during a second time period; determining a suspect zone around the suspect; determining a movement characteristic index associated with the suspect zone when the suspect has moved the second distance, and determining, by a computer, a probability of hostility of the suspect, wherein the probability of hostility is obtained from the movement characteristic index and a ratio of the suspect-target distance and the suspect-potential destination distance."
The patent application was filed on July 18, 2008 (12/175,855). The full-text of the patent can be found by clicking here.
For more information please email [email protected]


text: Our green sea turtle, Calypso, became costume inspiration for 4-year-old Gabe last Halloween. As three-year members, Gabe's family visits the Aquarium quite often, making a trip once every five weeks. Through these frequent visits, Gabe has had time to explore many of the underwater creatures at the Aquarium. Out of all the interesting animals Gabe has encountered, he is most fascinated with Calypso. Calypso is unlike the other aquatic animals because she has only three flippers. Calypso is a rescued turtle that was stranded off the coast of Long Island, New York, in 2000. The female turtle was suffering from a condition called cold stunning, which is similar to hypothermia in humans. Turtle body temperatures normally range from 76° to 80° Fahrenheit, but Calypso's body was only a frigid 40.7° Fahrenheit. Additionally, one of her flippers was found to have a severe infection, and had to be amputated. Due to the amputation, Calypso had a low chance of surviving in the wild, so the National Aquarium adopted her and made the Wings in the Water habitat her permanent home. Although Calypso has only three flippers now, she is still very active. She leads a healthy life by munching on greens regularly. Gabe likes to watch her eat lettuce during feeding time. He also enjoys watching Calypso glide through the water with the other animals in the exhibit, including rays, sharks and several fish species. Gabe's costume idea became a reality after his school, and particularly his art teacher, agreed to help with the construction of it. The body of the costume was made out of papier-mâché. A matching camouflage hat and green sweatsuit completed the turtle look. The costume turned out wonderfully, and Gabe loved being his favorite animal for Halloween! Has an aquatic animal ever been the inspiration for your Halloween costume? If so, send your story and pictures to email@example.com and we'll post them on our blog! Tags: calypso, halloween-costumes, members, sea-turtle Categories: Animals, News Previous Post Next Post


text:
Jay Maisel is, in my opinion, perhaps the greatest living photographer. I am honored to know him. Jay is a fantastic teacher, a wonderful person, has a great sense of humor and shares major tips on becoming a good photographer in his workshops http://www.jaymaisel.com/workshop/. The photographs I have posted are to a large degree due to his teachings. One of the main things (I think this is rule #2) Jay speaks to is "going out empty". This means going out with your camera with no preconceived ideas or concepts. Just being free to allow what is in your field of vision (in front, behind, above and below) to ignite something inside of you, to investigate and follow the story.
I set out one morning just letting whim guide me. I drove from central Florida (Ocala) to the west coast of Southern Florida just before the Everglades. A small zoo popped up on the radar that was about the endangered Florida panther. I stopped and took some photographs through the cages. The crusty old owner comes out of the office/house and asks for a donation. No problem a donation for a good cause. We strike up a conversation and he starts telling me about this woman who keeps a full grown panther in her house. He gives me her phone number. I call her and she, for a price and a few prints, is wiling to pose with the "cat".
We met at her house the following day. I walk in the front door and there is this "cat" the size of a large dog on the couch looking directly in my eyes. I can feel him questioning my interaction with the woman -am I perceived as a threat-? . CHECK PLEASE! While the girl was very good looking and I knew I wanted her in the shot with the cat, I forced my mind to be neutral about all guy / girl things… if you get my drift. Everything is fine, I'm a punk, couldn't hurt a fly, I have 4 kids, don't rip my throat out… PLEASE! please!
I know this cat could take me out in thirty seconds or less. Dead, toast, end of story. The girl and I talk about the "cat" and about the ideas I have for the photograph. I end up with her in a red bathing suit with the cat on a leash (yea like that matters) sitting on a local dock. Using a 180mm tele to keep my distance, I managed to photograph the panther and the girl including the vertical for a magazine. Even with the cat on a leash I was worried the entire time. We worked around sunset and you can see the color balance change or I used a polarizer… This was exciting, unexpected (going out empty) and I was glad to get the @#!* away from the cat. Meow.


text:
TrioStack brauchte ein neues Logo Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 172 Designs von 54 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
See the private beta site at: http://www.listpinion.com.
We are about to launch a new web site that allows anyone to create top-10 lists of anything. Our goal is to allow users ability to create their own top-10 style lists on any topic and have others rate, share, vote on them. Since these lists are user-generated, they are likely to be more opinionated than scientific or statically valid.
ListPinion is a site where users create lists that are mostly in their opinion top or worst ever list of items on any topic. For example, a user can create Top 50 fashion trends of 2008 and another can create Worst Holiwood Movies of 2008 or another can create Coolest Gadgets Under $500 or Best XBox Games, etc.
ListPinion is a site where users create lists based on their own opinion and not based on some scientific survey based market study. These lists are there to save others time in their quest for finding similar things.
We want to represent the idea that user-generated lists based on their opinion are very valuable in most internet search.
- The logo to be fun and attractive for young (college going) audience
- Logo that we can print on t-shirts
- Simple and clean
- Not sure what we do not want. :)
Finden Sie heraus, wie ein Designwettbewerb funktioniert, oder lernen Sie mehr über unsere Logo-Design-Angebote.


text:
Last week, Twitter introduced Vine, a mobile service that allows Twitter users to capture and share short looping videos of up to 6 seconds.
Since the launch, Vine has been plagued with porn. But Twitter is now blocking many searches for pornographic terms, reports The Verve:
Trying to search for the #porn hashtag (and other terms such as #sex and #booty) brings up no results at this time. However, there are still numerous workarounds — #pornvine is still allowed, for example, as is #nsfw.
It's available only on iPhone and iPod touch at the moment and is at the App Store, although Apple has pulled it out of the 'editor's pick' lineup.