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source : 2012.11.09 REUTERS (ボタンクリックで引用記事が開閉)
China's economy is likely to overtake the euro zone's this year, India is leapfrogging Japan and by 2030 the Asian pair will be bigger than the United States, euro area and Japan combined, the OECD said on Friday.
In a crystal-ball exercise to tease out long-term trends in the global economy, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said the combined gross domestic product of China and India was likely to exceed that of all the current Group of Seven rich economies by around 2025.
Their output in 2010 was less than half the G7's GDP.
The projections of the Paris-based OECD, a club of indutrial democracies, are based on 2005 purchasing power parities (PPP).
At market exchange rates, it will take emerging markets a bit longer to seize the crown - for example, Goldman Sachs reckons the BRICs quartet of Brazil, Russia, India and China will overtake the G7 by 2037.
Asa Johansson, one of the authors of 'Looking to 2060: long-term global growth prospects', said the report presented a hypothetical scenario rather than a firm projection.
Nevertheless, she said the extent of the expected shift in economic power away from developed countries was striking.
Measured in 2005 PPPs, China and India will account for 28 percent and 11 percent respectively of the output of 42 major economies by 2030, compared with 18 percent for the United States, 12 percent for the euro zone and 4 percent for Japan.
The OECD pencils in global growth of 3 percent a year over the next half-century, mainly driven - as in the past - by productivity improvements and a build-up in human capital.
Until 2020, China will have the highest growth rate among the countries studied, but it will then be surpassed by India and Indonesia as its working-age population rapidly declines.
However, China has a big start over India thanks to strong productivity growth and intensive investment in the past decade.
As a result, even though both economies will grow seven-fold in the next 50 years, China's per capita income will be 25 percent higher than current U.S. income by 2060, but India will languish at half the present American level.
Looking at it differently, China's GDP per capita is now just one-sixth that of the United States. But by 2060 it will have reached 60 percent of America's income level, putting China just behind Spain and France but ahead of Italy.
The OECD's exercise underlines the importance of demographics as a long-term driver of savings, investment and growth.
China's savings rate, which now exceeds 50 percent of GDP, is expected to plunge by no less than 40 percentage points by 2060, with about half of the drop due to ageing.
Italy, Greece and Portugal are likely to eventually run current account deficits in the order of 10-15 percent of GDP.
China, by contrast, is expected to see its current account surplus widen until the late 2020s as investment falls even faster than savings due to slowing potential growth.
Globally, current account imbalances will be back to pre-crisis levels by 2025-2030, potentially undermining growth in the absence of ambitious policy changes, the OECD said.
In keeping with the long-term focus of its report, the OECD assumes that the global financial crisis will have no permanent effect on trend growth rates.


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Although there are notable exceptions, the majority of flowering plants in the Arnold Arboretum's Living Collection bloom over the course of spring and early summer. While it is normal for some plants like the Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) to flower in early fall, the autumn or winter occurence of flowers on plants that normally bloom in spring can be a surprising sight in the landscape. Why do some plants flower again during the off season? Is it a sign of climate change?
For Iñaki Hormaza, a Research Associate of the Arnold Arboretum and Professor at the Mayora Research Station of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), this phenomenon provides an opportunity to study how plants regulate their biological functions. "As temperatures start to drop after summer," he explains, "flower buds enter a dormant stage to help them to survive harsh winter conditions." The duration of this dormancy is specific for each plant, but usually lasts the entire winter. "Once the plant has accumulated its required number of cold hours," he adds, "warmer temperatures induce flowering."
However, in some cases, such as the Fuji cherry (Prunus incisa f. serrata) near Faxon Pond pictured here, the required dormancy may be quite brief, and warm days in November or December may trigger early flowering. Atypical flowering behavior may be related to flower developmental arrest resulting from environmental stresses like low temperatures or drought in early fall followed by warm and rainy weather. It is likely that this situation may be observed more often in the future as global climate change delivers more frequent irregularity in weather patterns. The Arnold Arboretum's extensive collections provide ample opportunity to study dormancy to understand how crucial biological functions like flowering may be impacted by incremental shifts in our environment.

subset: commoncrawl


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Next month… on March 2… I'm going to jump into a lake in Minnesota. Now it's cold in Minnesota. In fact, they're going to have cut a hole in the ice so that we can do this.
Why are me and a few friends doing this? Well, partly because we are a little bored. But mostly to help raise a little money for the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics, if you aren't aware, is a sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The organization serves communities all over the world and has more than 50,000 events each year.
So, of course, I'm asking if you, my dear reader, will sponsor me in this endeavor. Will you help some kids out with a little sports activity. And if you need a bigger incentive… will you send me to the ice… or hole in the ice… wearing a unicorn mask?
Thanks Already
A special thanks already to those who have already sponsored me. This includes:
- Joe Sack (Blog | @josephsack)
- Jes Schultz Borland (Blog | @grrl_geek)
- Sarah Strate (Blog | @DanceM0m)


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i just came in to work (lazy, lazy me!) and decided to browse a bit before finally immersing myself to another crazy work day and guess what i found:
(images from Girltalk)
both beauties are from Bally, and i know these would cost me a lot but I WANT THEM both! i love anything with heels and i still love Melissa (and lately, Ferreti which i'll be blogging about soon!) but i really want these pairs.
geesh, now i can't stop thinking bout shoes.
any idea how much these cost?
or probably you can suggest other brands..HELP!
okay, now i better start working...


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July 18, 2002
Release # 02-204
|Aroma's Recall Hotline: (800) 276-6286
CPSC Media Contact: Kim Dulic, (301) 504-7058
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Aroma Housewares Co., of San Diego, Calif., is recalling about 117,000 more juice extractors or juicers. The juicer's filter and lid can break apart and project metal and plastic into the air, causing injuries to consumers.
The firm previously recalled 40,000 juicers in June 1999. This recall includes redesigned juicers used as replacements for the original recall.
Aroma Housewares has received two additional reports of the redesigned juicer's filter and lid breaking apart, resulting in two consumers suffering minor injuries. There have been 32 reports of the original juicer breaking, and 32 reports of injuries. Seven of these injuries required stitches and one required surgery for lacerated arteries.
All model ACJ-250 Aroma Juice Extractors are included in the recall. "ACJ-250" and "MADE IN CHINA" are written on the bottom of the juicer on a silver label. The juice extractor is made of white and clear plastic and has a metal filter. "Aroma" is printed on the front of the unit.
Discount specialty and department stores sold the recalled juice extractors from March 1996 through July 2002 for about $25.
Consumers should stop using the recalled juice extractors immediately, and call the company for information on receiving a refund. Even if consumers previously received a replacement juicer as part of the original recall, they should contact Aroma Housewares for a refund. Consumers should call Aroma Housewares at (800) 276-6286 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
Aroma reported to CPSC the recent incidents of the redesigned juicer breaking. See CPSC's July 2, 2002 press release
Original-design model ACJ-250
Redesigned model ACJ-250
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.
Please use the below phone number for all media requests.
Phone: (301) 504-7908
Spanish: (301) 504-7800


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Coconut White Chocolate Chip Blondies
I love a good blondie as much as the next blondie, especially when there's coconut involved.
May as well keep the coconut recipes coming while in the Caribbean.
And I always like white chocolate, but I had mentioned that when I'm in Aruba, there's something about it that I'm especially drawn to, even more so than usual.
For all the white chocolate fans, consider these part three (part one and part two) of my installment plan of white chocolate recipes on this trip, and I'm not done yet.
I tweaked my go-to blondie recipe for these, but it's still as simple as ever. The beauty of it is that you melt a stick of butter in a big bowl in the microwave, add a cup of brown sugar, an egg, vanilla, and stir.
Add flour, coconut flakes, white chocolate chips, and your batter is made in about 4 minutes and these are ready to bake.
Because only brown sugar and no granulated sugar is used, not only are they incredibly moist and soft, but the blondies take on caramel tones.
What could be better than caramely, one-bowl cookie bars, full of white chocolate, coconut, and drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate?
Oh yes. Chocolate that doesn't start to sweat the minute they're taken out of the refrigerator would be nice.
Caribbean heat knows no boundaries but a little sweat never bothered me.
Although Scott likes them, they are totally my kind of food and being that the pan only makes 9 bars, the less I had to share, the better.
He's so into something that I made that I made, twice, because he loved it so much. Recipe forthcoming this week.
Not me.
I'm almost tempted to make these twice. And I did but I tweaked it. Recipe forthcoming next week.
Coconut White Chocolate Chip Blondies
Soft, ultra-moist, and loaded with sweet coconut and white chocolate chips. These easy, one-bowl, no-mixer blondies have a bit of chewy texture from the coconut and white chocolate chips, while the dough is buttery soft and dense. A final semi-sweet chocolate drizzle adds a little pop of dark chocolate and balances the flavors.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes, loosely packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted for drizzling
Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 60 seconds. To the melted butter, add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the egg, vanilla, and stir to combine. Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix or the blondies will be tough. Fold in the coconut. Fold in white chocolate chips and pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula or offset knife if necessary.
Bake for 23 to 27 minutes, or until edges begin to slightly pull away from sides of pan, center is set and golden, and a toothpick comes out clean; do not overbake. Note: if blondies appear to be browning too fast on top, you may wish to lower your oven temperature to 325F midway through cooking; both coconut and white chocolate have a tendency to cook quickly and burn easily. Allow blondies to cool for at least 45 minutes before drizzling with melted chocolate.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips on high powder, about 1 minute, or until they can be stirred smooth. Drizzle blondies with melted chocolate using a spoon. Allow chocolate to set before slicing and serving, at least 15 minutes. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The blondies are ripe for substitutions and variations. Add or Try: Other baking chips; butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, milk chocolate chips; toffee bits, fresh or frozen fruit including cherries, peaches, nectarines, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries; macadamia nuts or slivered almonds; diced candy such as Snickers, Butterfingers, M&Ms, Reese's Pieces or whatever strikes your fancy. To keep gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free flour blend.
All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
Related Recipes
Chocolate Chip and Cherry Blondies – thanks to many of you who've made these and reported back; you can use any fruit, fresh or frozen, that you have on hand
White Chocolate Chip Blondies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting – I prefer today's recipe to this one because of the coconut added, but if you don't like coconut, go for this version
Creamy Mixed Berry White Chocolate Crumble Bars – these use both white chocolate and coconut, use fresh or frozen fruit of any kind
Coconut Peanut Butter Magic Cake Bars – easily one of my favorite desserts of 2012 and ranks right up there for one of my favorite desserts of all time
Do you like coconut? White chocolate?
I love them both, big time.
All white chocolate recipes are here
Feel free to link them up your favorite coconut, white chocolate, or blondie recipes.
The winner of the Vegan a la Mode Cookbook Giveaway is Laura Dembowski
Have a great week!


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Benvenuto in Profoto Academy
Profoto Academy è una piattaforma di apprendimento online che offre corsi con video pratici e dai quali trarre ispirazione da alcuni dei migliori fotografi e formatori di tutto il mondo.
Attualmente, la sezione Academy del nostro sito e il materiale dei corsi sono disponibili solo in lingua inglese.
Cinematic and moody – Dramatic portraits
100% satisfaction guaranteed. We offer full refunds up to 14 days after purchase.
About this course
Hannah creates inspiring cinematic images for a commercial client, using stunning locations and more advanced lighting techniques. In the first scenario Hannah is shooting in a beautiful art deco cinema using a three light set-up, including a main, rim and background light. You'll learn how to drag the shutter with a long exposure to bring out the interior tungsten lights and use flash to freeze your subjects. Hannah will show you how to create a cinematic Hollywood look with hard light modifiers and grids. Then in an atmospheric dawn shoot, Hannah uses flash with a long exposure to freeze the subject's movement, whilst combining it with the city's ambient light.
Lighting skill level: Intermediate
Duration: 43 min
What you get in this course
- Online light shaping course
- Downloadable step-by-step guide
- Scenario based teaching from real life photographic shoots
- Unlimited access on all devices
Discover how to:
- Create a concept shoot for a commercial client
- Make your portraits more dramatic with background lights, hard modifiers and grids
- Build different 3-light setups using main, rim and background lights
- Shoot in low light situations by dragging the shutter both indoors and outdoors
- Use flash to freeze movement at dawn, whilst mixing it with ambient light
Essential information
Recommended gear
- 3 x lights for off-camera use
- 1 x hard light modifier of choice
- 1 x grid of choice
Useful knowledge
- Lighting skill level: Intermediate
- Strongly recommended to take the other courses in the Professional portrait series
- Want to start exploring simple lighting techniques
- Camera skill level: Comfortable in handling the camera in manual mode
Hannah Couzens
Frequently Asked Questions
A series consists of two or more courses from the same photographer. If you buy a series, you will benefit from a bundled offer for the entire package. Also, when you complete a series, you'll receive personal feedback from one of our instructors and become a Certified Light Shaper.
No. All our courses are designed to improve your photography, regardless of what equipment you're using.
As soon as we've received payment, you can view or take all your courses online - simply by logging on to the Profoto Academy website. You'll find your courses at the Profoto Academy start page.


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Lobster with Thermidor butter
A luxury that has been prized by chefs for years, so make the most of it with this cheat's classic
Nutrition and extra info
- butter only
- Easily doubled / halved
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal419
- fat34g
- saturates20g
- carbs3g
- sugars2g
- fibre0g
- protein24g
- salt1.62g
- 2 cooked lobsters
The king of the crustaceans, lobster is a delicacy that commands a very high price, with white,…
For the butter
- 150ml dry white wine
- 1 shallot, very finely chopped
Related to the onion (as opposed to being a younger version of it), shallots grow in clusters at…
- handful tarragon leaves, chopped
A popular and versatile herb, tarragon has an intense flavour that's a unique mix of sweet…
- handful parsley leaves, chopped
One of the most ubiquitous herbs in British cookery, parsley is also popular in European and…
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- juice 1⁄2 lemon
Oval in shape with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile…
- pinch paprika
A spice that's central to Hungarian cuisine, paprika is made by drying a particular type of…
- dash Tabasco sauce
- 5 tbsp parmesan, finely grated
Parmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…
- 140g butter, softened
Butter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…
First make the butter. Put the wine and shallot into a pan, then bring to the boil and simmer until nearly dry. Tip into a bowl to cool, mix all the ingredients together, roll into a log, using cling film or foil, then chill to harden. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Snap away the claws from the lobster. Using a large chef's knife, cut the lobster in half and wash the head cavity under cold water, then dry with kitchen paper. Lay the lobsters, cut side up, on a baking tray. Crack the claws and remove the claw meat. Divide claw meat between the head cavities. This can be done the day before and the lobster kept in the fridge ready for grilling.
Heat grill to high. Slice the butter into thin rounds and lay it along the lobsters so all the meat is covered. Grill for 5-8 mins until the butter is bubbling and starting to brown. Put the lobsters on plates, pouring any butter from the tray over them. Serve with new potatoes and some dressed salad leaves.


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Kids Eat Free at Liam Fitzpatrick's
September 8 @ 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm
An event every week that begins at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, repeating indefinitely
Kids Eat Free at Liam Fitzpatrick's
Kids Eat Free 4 pm – 10 pm at Liam Fitzpatrick's
951 Market Promenade Ave, Lake Mary, FL 32746


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Frequently Asked Questions
Kettle Brand庐 products (including our Kettle Brand庐 Popcorn, Kettle Brand庐 Baked, 40% Less Fat, Organic, Krinkle Cut鈩 Potato Chips, and Kettle Brand庐 Oven Fries), are gluten free and processed in a gluten free environment. We recently received Gluten Free certification for our Kettle Brand庐 Potato Chips and Kettle Brand庐 Popcorn, and we are in the process of updating our packaging. These products are now certified Gluten Free, and you will see the GF emblem on our packaging in the future.
All Kettle Brand庐 Potato Chips and Kettle Brand庐 Popcorn are processed in an environment free of peanuts and other nuts. We consider them to be safe for people with peanut allergies to enjoy. Kettle Brand庐 Quality Handcrafted Nuts are made in a separate facility from our various chip brands. All nut products share roasting and grinding lines with peanuts, and we include the following statement on the packaging: "Processed on equipment shared with peanuts and other nuts."
No. In fact, they never have and never will. At Kettle Foods we exclusively use Non GMO, expeller pressed, high monounsaturated safflower and/or sunflower and/or canola oil to make Kettle Brand庐 products. Our Kettle Brand庐 Baked Olive Oil flavor is our only product made with olive oil. All of these oils are naturally free of trans fatty acids and are not hydrogenated in any way. We have taken the extra step of sending our products to independent third party labs to test for the presence of trans fats and results indicate we are "trans fat free" meaning none were detected. You will see zero trans fats listed on our packaging.
'High monounsaturated' refers to the makeup of the oil itself, or what is known as the 'fatty acid profile.' The fatty acid profile of an oil is the ratio of the three kinds of fat that all edible oils contain: saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Oils from different sources have different fatty acid profiles. For example, the fatty acid profile of cottonseed oil is very different from olive oil. The oil that we use exclusively for all Kettle Brand庐 products is specifically Non GMO 'high monounsaturated' safflower and/or sunflower and/or canola oil or olive oil. Its fatty acid profile is naturally very high in monounsaturated fat, much higher than the bottled safflower, canola or sunflower oil commonly found on supermarket shelves that does not carry the specific designation 'high monounsaturated.'
Our products are processed on equipment shared with ingredients that contain very small amounts of dairy. We thoroughly clean our lines after each flavor run, but there is a slight potential of cross contamination.
No, we do not use MSG in any of our products or in any of the ingredients in our products. Some ingredients we use, like tomato powder and yeast extract, are naturally high in amino acids including naturally occurring glutamic acid which is a component of MSG. People who have severe sensitivities to MSG may want to consider moderation in eating food with these ingredients.
Our organic select potatoes used to make Kettle Brand庐 Organic Potato Chips, are available to us for only a few months of the year. With these potatoes, we maintain a year-round offering of several varieties of Kettle Brand庐 Organic Potato Chips. At this time, we have no organic offerings for Kettle Brand庐 40% Less Fat Potato Chips or Kettle Brand庐 Baked.
Kettle Brand庐 has been using all-natural, Non-GMO ingredients since our founding in 1978. We reached out to a third party in 2009, the Non-GMO Project, to verify our products and give our consumers extra reassurance of the steps we take to ensure ingredients with integrity. Kettle Brand庐 is the first potato chip to be verified as using Non-GMO ingredients by the Non-GMO Project. Many of our potato chip and popcorn flavors are now verified by the Non-GMO Project. We are committed to and working towards the verification by the Non-GMO Project of all of our products. Click here for more information about our Non-GMO Project-verified products.
Yes, all Kettle Brand庐 products are certified Kosher.


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Shawn Ostrow, younger brother of DU freshman forward Kyle Ostrow, has reportedly committed to the Pios for 2009 or 2010. (OK, I got scooped by www.letsgodu.com – those Houston-based stirrer-uppers! … that's why I say "reportedly," which, come to think of it, is a stretch in this case.)
Seriously, Shawn was at the Wisconsin series last week, taking what I believe was his official trip. He's got some sick stats for the AJHL's Camrose Kodiaks – 48 points (20 goals) in 41 games. He'll turn 18 in March. — MC


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QIAlink Software
New version release – improved user-friendliness and additional features
QIAlink Software automates data transfer between QIAsymphony SP/AS instruments, Rotor-Gene Q instruments, with Rotor-Gene Q software or Rotor-Gene AssayManager, and LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System), improving the efficiency and productivity of your laboratory workflow.
Buy Products
QIAlink is middleware software that is intended to provide bidirectional connectivity between a LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) and QIAsymphony RGQ, which consists of QIAsymphony SP/AS with QIAsymphony Management Console (QMC) and Rotor-Gene Q, or Rotor-Gene Q MDx, with Rotor-Gene AssayManager or Rotor-Gene Q software.
Product Details
Improvements with QIAlink Software version 2.0 include:
Laboratory workflows may include many steps, which are often performed on different instruments. If data flow between the instruments and LIMS is not fully integrated, the data has to be manually transferred, which is time-consuming, error-prone and costly.
QIAlink Software, which runs in the background, automates data transfer between QIAsymphony RGQ and LIMS, enabling an efficient automated workflow from sample to result.
QIAlink Software enables:
Increased flexibility with connection to any LIMS
QIAlink Software facilitates a connection between LIMS and QIAsymphony SP/AS instruments, and between LIMS and Rotor-Gene Q (MDx) with Rotor-Gene AssayManager or Rotor-Gene Q software. The standardized HL7 interface makes QIAlink Software compatible with any LIMS, providing increased flexibility. This interface can be easily implemented by your LIMS provider using the specifications provided by QIAGEN.
Efficient data transfer streamlines your workflow
After receiving a test order from LIMS, QIAlink Software generates work lists for the QIAsymphony SP. QIAsymphony parameters are automatically assigned to the samples and manual parameter assignment is no longer required, enabling a streamlined workflow. To further improve workflow efficiency, rack files are automatically transferred from QIAsymphony SP to QIAsymphony AS instruments, facilitating transfer of the eluate plate from the QIAsymphony SP to QIAsymphony AS.
Simple export of results to LIMS
Results can be exported from Rotor-Gene Q software to LIMS via a simple one-click procedure. After release of results in Rotor-Gene AssayManager, a LIMS output file is exported to QIAlink Software. QIAlink Software then automatically transfers the results from the LIMS output file to LIMS. Automated result export reduces the time and effort required for checking results and helps to eliminate human error.
Easy configuration of new user-defined tests
The easy-to-use Interface Setup environment allows configuration of new user-defined tests, delivering the flexibility to meet your future needs. Users with an "Administrator" role can create, modify, activate, and deactivate assay profiles, and all changes are tracked in a full audit trail.
Traceability of process data
Sample-related process data are securely archived within an SQL Server Express database. Extensive search functions enable fast and easy retrieval of archived result files and support your quality control procedures.
Tracking of pending assay orders
QIAlink displays and prints an overview of pending assay orders, helping you to keep track of all orders.
Fast startup with full installation service
QIAGEN analyzes your lab infrastructure and works closely with your LIMS provider to ensure seamless integration of QIAlink Software into your laboratory workflow. QIAlink Software is installed at your site by a highly qualified QIAGEN Field Service Specialist, who will configure the software and extensively test it. Your lab personnel will be fully trained on operation of the integrated system and configuration of new user-defined tests.
QIAlink enables automated data transfer between QIAsymphony RGQ and LIMS.
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Club-record signing Kostas Mitroglou remains sidelined with a knee injury but loanee Darren Bent could feature having missed the win over parent club Aston Villa last weekend.
If Magath can mastermind back-to-back league wins for Fulham for only the second time this season, they will close to within two points of Norwich.
And defender Jonny Heitinga is convinced the west Londoners can maintain their place in the Premier League.
"You have to believe we can still do it, I believe we can," he said.
"The only thing that matters right now is the club's survival - we just need to find the way
This is the first time I've been involved in a relegation battle, but you have to deal with the same pressures as when you are challenging for trophies.
"Of course, the trophy for us will be staying up in the Premier League
It's a real challenge but it's up to us to play as well as we can between now and the end of the season."
Neil Adams insists his first match as Norwich manager will not on its own determine whether the Canaries retain their top-flight status.
Adams replaced the sacked Chris Hughton on Sunday after the loss to West Brom which leaves Norwich five points clear of the relegation zone.
Matches with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal follow for the Canaries and many predict the losers of the Fulham-Norwich clash will be consigned to the drop.
But Adams said: "I keep hearing the must-win, the one-game season
It's a five-game season
We're capable of beating anybody."
Adams, who last season led Norwich to victory in the FA Youth Cup, could invoke a seige mentality.
"If people want to write us off, great," he said.
"We'll be confident we'll win games
If people want to give us no chance, fine.
"We're used to that
We're down at the bottom end of the table with six, seven, eight other clubs who have been written off on a weekly basis.
"(But) at Carrow Road against the big teams we've won games.
"For these next four weeks, five games, we've got to leave no stone unturned and come what may, whatever happens, one thing we would've done was given it everything.
"We've got to stay in this division this year
That's the one and only goal."
Defender Michael Turner and Leroy Fer could be in contention to return after recovering from hamstring injuries and Wes Hoolahan is expected to be included in Adams' first starting XI.
Defender Sebastien Bassong should be fit following a knock, but Elliott Bennett (knee) is again involved with the under-21s.
Source : PA
Source: PA


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These games teach valuable skills and have a high fun and educational rating.
Your child develops fine motor and mouse skills by guiding the Backyardigans' pirate ship around obstacles.
Your child develops fine motor and keyboard skills by navigating the Backyardigans through several different courses as they chase a run-away baby dragon.
Zoodles 11.8.7 Copyright (c) 2014 Inquisitive Minds, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Imagine your holiday in a villa overlooking one of the most diverse treasures in America - red rock vistas. Or you might choose an urban condo in the middle of a cascade of things to do. Breakfast on your terrace and plan your day; enjoy a romantic bottle of wine after a day of exploration. Holiday rentals offer the privacy, space and residential feel that hotel stays can't provide.
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A short history of SPC as a CD-i development company
Below you will find a short history of SPC as a CD-i development company. This is a much abbreviated version of the full story, which probably won't ever be written because the company doesn't exist anymore and its people have dispersed wildly.
All CD-i titles marked "SPC Vision", "The Vision Factory", "SPC Codim" or "SPC Group" were in fact produced by the same relatively small group inside SPC. At its peak, the CD-i developers (programmers and graphical artists) numbered somewhere around ten, but at least three times that number of people has rotated through this group.
SPC originally started as SPCC (rumored to stand for Sergeant Pepper's Computer Company); it was a split from Stebis (which still exists, I think) when the founders disagreed about wanting to sell hardware or develop software. You can guess which business went to SPCC :-)
Originally SPCC did mostly business-to-business software, usually in C or Informix using SCO Xenix (later SCO Unix). The software was either administrative in nature or involved controlling devices; this peculiar combination has always been typical of the company. At some point, SPCC partly expanded the acronym and started calling itself SPC Company, probably motivated by the creation of SPC Training, which gave computer training courses.
SPC Training at some point acquired some computer courseware guys who developed LaserDisc courses and things like that. Another company was created to hold them, SPC Vision. It became customary to use a slash in the names, e.g. SPC/Company, SPC/Training etc.
When CD-i came out (at that time still spelled CD-I), the SPC/V people somehow got the specs of the system (perhaps they were approached by Philips, but I don't know this for sure). Since all the SPC companies where at that time closely intertwined (several people worked for more then one), these specs got to the programmers of SPC/C. Two of them were part of the Atari game community, and they went "Wow! There's an 68000 in this thing! We know how to program *that*!".
Somehow this developed into Alien Gate. It is rumored that the first sprite demos blew away the Philips people, who at that time where accustomed to seeing things like Compton's encyclopedia. Alien Gate was actually a very primitive game according to later SPC standards, but it surpassed anything else that existed on CD-i at the time.
After Alien Gate came Dimo's Quest, Steel Machine, etc. The computer-training people left the company and the SPC/Vision name went to the CD-i developers (still intertwined with SPC/Company, for a time some people did both B2B software and CD-i games). When a separate game label was desired, the Vision Factory was born (it was never an actual company, only a publishing label).
At some point there was an attempt to join forces with Codim Interactive Media and so SPC/Codim (tentative name) was born. The SPC Vision people moved into the Codim building in Eindhoven because it had room to spare and the SPC building in Oss was becoming very crowded. But the merger didn't pan out, there were differences of opinion at the shareholder/manager level and both companies went their separate ways. A few people shifted companies (in both directions) at this point. I think there's only a single disc out there marked "SPC/Codim" (bonus points if you can name it)!
The SPC/Codim episode had (for various reasons) demoralized many game programmers and one by one they left for greener pastures, leaving SPC without the specific "game" expertise but with all its technical CD-i knowledge intact. Many other large and small projects followed, e.g. the Standaard Encyclopedia, Het Staat in de Sterren, Sport Freaks, including a number of professional titles. These were mostly realized in C++, in contrast to most of the game titles that had been written mainly in assembly language.
Two of the game people had gone off to form their own company, PixelHazard, and SPC contracted them to produce Lucky Luke using the SPC software library and CD-i development equipment. Accelerator had been written by a summer intern during the SPC/Codim period and was finished by other SPC people; if memory serves right it was the last "real" CD-i game ever released by SPC.
SPC Group
When the other SPC companies moved to a larger building in Den Bosch, SPC Vision (the slashes had been dropped from the names) rejoined them, once again bringing all the SPC companies under one roof. Sometime later it was decided to "lift" most of the software development activities into the parent holding, SPC Group. CD-i titles were still being produced, but CD-ROM and Internet were growing fast and SPC Group started developing for those platforms to. The Standaard Encyclopedia was ported to CD-ROM; later the Medical Encyclopedia was developed for both platforms simultaneously. A few game-like titles were also produced (e.g. Uncover Tatjana) in this period.
Eventually CD-i titles stopped being produced by SPC Group and it focused on CD-ROM and Internet. When the Internet bubble erupted, there were a few internal shuffles and a big layoff about halving the company, but it didn't work out and early 2002 SPC Group, after briefly going under the name Aebly, went bankrupt.


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There are 8 item(s) tagged with the keyword "Public health".
Reading the recent announcements from Public Health Minister, Steve Brine, about the new trailblazer programme to tackle childhood obesity I couldn't help but wonder whether there is any joined up policy thinking taking place on domestic matters whilst the shadow of Brexit remains looming large over the country.
Whilst any new money is welcomed by local government, alongside the ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030, a competition where local authorities can bid to be one of five winners who will receive £100k a year for three years to come up with innovative ideas around active lifestyles and healthy eating, isn't going to push back the tide on the problem when a tsunami of cuts is coming in the other direction and overwhelming public health initiatives; closing parks; forcing greenspace sell offs; and causing significant reductions in accessible sports and leisure facilities.
Another week, another warning. If we don't address the funding pressure building in the system around adults and childrens' social care services then local governments ability to fulfil its more general responsibilities, to its communities, will implode.
So will Government address this impending catastrophe through new fiscal raising proposals in the imminent social care green paper or deal with it in next year's comprehensive spending review? Or will we remain like mindless zombies on a relentless march to fulfil the predictions contained within various versions of the graph of doom? That money will run out for anything other than statutory services and even then such protection will be severely tested.
A recent APSE opinion poll, conducted by Survation, exploring public opinion on neighbourhood services, found that yet again, the public give parks the highest satisfaction ratings amongst all local government services, however we also know that parks are one of the hardest hit services as a result of austerity, with many facing an uncertain future.
Anyone who reads the local government sectoral journals is well versed in the graph of doom scenario and the squeeze it creates on non-statutory services. The £3B of cuts that have hit England's neighbourhood services are playing out harshly on the average parks services and for the most deprived areas the impact of austerity is felt all the more harshly.
The recent launch of the much delayed Childhood Obesity Strategy turned out to be something of a damp squib after being trailed as one of the most important health initiatives of our time.
With voluntary targets set to cut sugar in children's food and drink by 5%, ultimately rising to 20% and a threat that Government will 'consider alternative levers, if insufficient progress is being made', the language of 'should, might and we encourage' is hardly going to promote a rush by suppliers in the food industry away from sugary drinks and junk food.
School meals funding in England currently comes from a variety of sources; free school meals and Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) are funded via local authorities with money from Government. For other students, parents or guardians are expected to foot the bill. Many local authorities continue to subsidise the cost of school meals, though the number able to do this is decreasing rapidly.
As is evident in APSE's latest finance report, 'Sustainable local government finance and liveable local areas', it looks likely that by 2020, council combined current and capital spending will be at its lowest level since before 1948. It is increasingly evident that education catering may only survive in many local areas where it is capable of being able to fully recover the costs of the services. However, in spite of the parlous state of funding for school meals, it is an important contributor to the wider role of local authorities in public health.
Former speaker of the US House of Representatives, Tip O'Neill, is credited with the quote 'All politics is local' and I think that adage has never been more apt than at present.
Having spoken at and attended a number of packed fringes at all of the main party conferences recently I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that there is a reawakening by the political parties that many of the most pressing policy issues are best resolved at a local government level.
While there are few surprises when it comes to local government's ability to attract the blame for issues of national significance they have had very little control over, even a cynic like myself was shocked at how quickly they became the whipping boys on public health when recent life expectancy league tables were published.
Visited Telford and Wrekin Council today to catch up with the Managing Director Richard Partington and find out what current initiatives the Council are working on. And there was plenty to hear about and see.


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(CNN) -- Two therapists who try to turn gay people straight, along with a student who says he was successfully converted to heterosexuality, are suing nearly two dozen California state officials, including Gov. Jerry Brown, saying a new state law infringes on their civil rights.
The plaintiffs' legal team will file a motion sometime this month seeking an injunction before the law goes into effect, attorney Matt McReynolds told CNN on Thursday.
The legislation known as Senate Bill 1172 -- which the state Senate passed in May, Brown signed into law this weekend, and will take effect January 1 -- prohibits attempts to change the sexual orientation of patients under age 18.
"We have not seen the state of California go this far before in trying to restrict speech," McReynolds said.
The non-profit Pacific Justice Institute, whom McReynolds works for, filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court on behalf of family therapist Donald Welch, psychiatrist Dr. Anthony Duk, and Aaron Bitzer, who is studying to become a therapist, and who court papers say "seeks to share his personal experiences with future patients as a mental health professional."
The institute describes itself as a "legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties."
The plaintiffs say they're seeking a judgment finding the new law unconstitutional, injunctions against the law's enforcement, and attorney's fees, according to the legal complaint.
Among other concerns, the complaint details arguments that SB 1172 violates Californians' rights to privacy, freedom of religion, and due process.
"Certainly, the religious freedom aspect is very strong in this case," McReynolds said.
The American Psychiatric Association -- which is the world's largest of its kind, with more than 36,000 members -- has determined that sexual orientation change efforts, as the complaint calls the controversial therapy, pose a great risk, including increasing the likelihood or severity of depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior for those undergoing therapy. Therapists' alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already felt by patients, the association says.
"This bill bans non-scientific 'therapies' that have driven young people to depression and suicide," Brown recently tweeted. "These practices have no basis in science or medicine."
Earlier this year, psychiatrist Robert L. Spitzer apologized for his 2003 study of reparative therapy in which he suggested that the practice could help gays and lesbians become straight. He said the study was deeply flawed.
"I believe I owe the gay community an apology for my study making unproven claims of the efficacy of reparative therapy," Spitzer said in a letter to the editor of the Archives of Sexual Behavior. "I also apologize to any gay person who wasted time and energy undergoing some form of reparative therapy because they believed that I had proven that reparative therapy works with some 'highly motivated' individuals."
But according to the complaint, when Bitzer underwent "therapy described in the statute as" sexual orientation change efforts and reparative therapy, he "found it quite helpful in achieving his goals." Bitzer had "experienced same-sex attractions. ... However, he never believed the simplistic message of the Gay Community, which states that 'we are born this way and should just live accordingly,'" the complaint says.
The case revolves around a legal issue, not a moral one, according to McReynolds.
"It's not a debate in court about whether reparative therapy is a good thing, or how well it works, so much as it is a debate of the role of the government dictating to professionals, patients, and religious institutions what their options are going to be in that area," he said.
David Pickup, a spokesman for the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, told CNN on Monday his group would file its own lawsuit against the new statute.
"We do competent therapy, therapy that truly works," said Pickup, who said he underwent such therapy and now administers it to others.
A summons filed on Wednesday requires that each of the defendants respond to the Pacific Justice Institute with an answer to the complaint within 21 days after receiving the paperwork. Beyond Brown, the defendants include state officials Anna Caballero and Denise Brown, as well as the members of the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and the Medical Board of California.
The first scheduled court hearing in the case is a pretrial scheduling conference on January 22, according to court papers. However, McReynolds said he expects the court will respond to a motion for a preliminary injunction by setting a hearing date later this year, prior to the January 1 implementation of the new law.
CNN's Josh Levs contributed to this story.


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- Highlights from the art world at a glance
- Art chosen by our expert curators
- Personal invitations to exclusive exhibitions
- Two issues a year, absolutely free
ABOUT THE WORK Ocean Peacefully, the water extends as far as the eye can see. And though we conjure up the sound of the waves, we perceive an indefinite, invigorating stillness. Rarely does the sea seem so bare and so majestic at once as it does in Wolfgang Uhlig's work. Uhlig sets himself apart with his reduced visual… Read more
Intro Bio Exhibitions
IntroductionABOUT THE WORK
Peacefully, the water extends as far as the eye can see. And though we conjure up the sound of the waves, we perceive an indefinite, invigorating stillness. Rarely does the sea seem so bare and so majestic at once as it does in Wolfgang Uhlig's work.
Uhlig sets himself apart with his reduced visual language, and his work conveys absolute tranquility and beauty. There is nothing that could disrupt the idyllic scenery – no people, no civilization, not even any ships. The artist also purposely keeps the beach completely out of frame, allowing the viewer to become completely engulfed. Uhlig's depictions of the shimmering water seem to reveal the ocean's various moods, its states of mind spanning the entire spectrum of human emotion. Viewers' own memories seem to become visible in the depths.
Born in 1962, Wolfgang Uhlig learned his trade as an assistant to various photographers between 1986 and 1990. After studying to be an art teacher at the University in Frankfurt am Main, he stayed in the Hessian city, where he has been a freelance photographer since 1992. Other than that, little is known about the "Master of wanderlust" – his photos speak for themselves.
The Frankfurt-based artist always keeps his focus on the sea, capturing this atmospheric subject at different times of day and in diverse weather conditions. Providing a common structure, the horizon is what ties Uhlig's Ocean series together, allowing him to present the shifting colours of sky and sea in a formation of clearly defined lines.
At dawn, the sea is bathed in a soft light. Soon thereafter, the sun highlights its powerful colours. With great subtlety, the photographer creates his images of the sea in the most diverse shades of blue. Through his atmospheric approach, the artist captivates the viewer, evoking memories of the classical landscape paintings of William Turner or Caspar David Friedrich. Uhlig's insightful works are links to art history that stand out through their sheer precision.Bio
1962 born in Darmstadt, Germany 1986-1990 Assistance to various photographers 1990-1992 Art education, University Frankfurt, Germany 1992 lives and works in Frankfurt, GermanyExhibitions
2000 FFF, group exhibition, Studio Gutleut, Frankfurt, Germany 2002 1/8 motion, solo exhibition, Galerie Morgan, Frankfurt, Germany 2005 Seltmann Werbefoto, group exhibition, Städtische Galerie, Lüdenscheid, Germany 2008 See-Conference Deepol, group exhibition, Wiesbaden, Germany 2009 Access All Areas, group exhibition, Die Firma, Wiesbaden, Germany 2009 Werbefotopreis 2009, group exhibition, Postfuhramt Berlin, Germany


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Nick Jonas Betraying His Brothers By Joining 'The Voice'?
November 3rd, 2019
"The Voice" is a singing competition series that premiered on NBC in April 2011. The reality show features aspiring singers from across the country competing for the chance to win a recording contract. It's an adaptation of the Dutch show "The Voice of Holland."
Instead of judges, the show employs a panel of four celebrity coaches who select contestants to participate on their team for the season. The coaches then guide their acts to win the competition. The original coaches consisted of Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green. Aguilera and Green were replaced by Shakira and Usher in Season 4, before both returned for 5. Shakira and Usher then returned for Season 6, but left before Season 7. Pharrell Williams replaced Green in Season 7, while Gwen Stefani replaced Aguilera that same season due to her pregnancy. Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys joined the show for Season 11, replacing Aguilera. Stefani then returned for Season 12, alongside Keys, Levine and Shelton. It was later announced that Cyrus will be back for Season 13, and she'll be joined by new coach Jennifer Hudson. The show was recently renewed for a fourteenth season, during which Kelly Clarkson will join the panel. Carson Daly has hosted the series since its debut.
The show also features a number of famous guest advisors who help one of the coaches mentor their team. Past celebrity participants have included Celine Dion, Cher, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks, Diddy, Selena Gomez, and many more.
The contestant selection process begins with "Blind Auditions," during which the coaches will listen to an artist sing while their chair is facing the audience. If the coach is interested in having the contestant join their team, they push a button, which turns their chair toward the singer. In the "Battle Rounds" and "Knockout Rounds," each coach pairs a member of his or her team to perform together, then chooses one of them to advance to the next stage. Viewers at home are then invited to vote each week on the top 12 contestants who make the finals until one winner is chosen.
The winners of the eleven seasons so far are Javier Colon (Season 1), Jermaine Paul (Season 2), Cassadee Pope (Season 3), Danielle Bradbery (Season 4), Tessanne Chin (Season 5), Josh Kaufman (Season 6), Craig Wayne Boyd (Season 7), Sawyer Fredericks (Season 8), Jordan Smith (Season 9), Alisan Porter (Season 10) and Sundance Head (Season 11).
The show has spawned two live tours, which featured two finalists from each team performing at venues across the country. A video game based on the series, titled "The Voice: I Want You," was released in 2014 and allows players to perform songs from the show into a microphone. A British version of the show, dubbed "The Voice UK," began airing on the BBC in March 2012.
November 3rd, 2019
October 28th, 2019
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September 30th, 2019
February 26th, 2019
October 27th, 2018
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December 19th, 2017


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Having the proper technology environment needed for your online course is a key element to the success of your online course. Knowing the technology requirements for your course can save you hours of frustration. It will also help technical staff to more easily diagnose any problem you might have.
Before you begin any online course, make sure you understand any specific information your instructor may have provided on what the course requires, and plan accordingly. Trying to upgrade to the proper system requirements in the middle of a course may not be practical, and can lead to wasted effort, money, and unsatisfactory grades.


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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Martha Resolves To Stop Defending Herself
No, I don't want to have kids. So what?
No, I don't like watching sunsets or taking hikes. Nature sucks.
No, I'm not interested in my husband's last name. It's lame.
But for some reason, I constantly defend my decision to be a writer and the time I put into writing, critiquing, and networking.
I had previously blogged about how Friend Z asked me, a few months into my decision to write young adult novels, "How long until you quit? Six months? A year?"
The question is reasonable for a person who doesn't understand the publishing industry. But to those of us in the know, it's absurd, and I bristled from it and said, "I would quit you before I quit writing."
In the year since, I wrote a manuscript, got an agent, got rejected by editors, began another manuscript, joined this blog and two critique groups, attended two writing conferences and countless author events, interned for a local agent as her reader, honed my craft and forged relationships.
Through it all, I dealt with questions from many fronts. "Why do you need critique groups?" "Isn't blogging a waste of time - who will read it?" "Are you doing another writing thing?" "Can't you just write the book right the first time?"
I answered those questions, defensively. I want to be clear: the people who asked me these questions are wonderful, caring people in my life. As writers, we find questions like these insulting, but from their perspective, they're trying to understand me.
This past weekend, to kick off 2010, I had a pie party for my writing friends who brought other Bay Area writers.
In addition to eating ridiculous amounts of yummy pie, I met several new faces, connected with authors I'd only known online, and scored tons of ARCs (woohoo!).
The next day, Friend Z said to me, "I thought you should know. Friend A just sold her book, and she did it without having a pie party."
The implication being that I was wasting my time with all this social networking.
I got defensive. I explained why I did the networking. Not because it leads to sales. I network because people like Friend Z don't get it - and by it, I mean writing life. Therefore, I had to go out and find people who did get it, and therefore, got me.
Explaining this exhausted me. Maybe I was having a bad day. Maybe I was tired from the holidays. I just felt like I'd been answering the same questions from the same people without any tangible benefit. Again, this is not about Friend Z. This is about me. My reaction.
So I resolved something. Which came in handy since this blog post on resolutions was due and I didn't know what I was going to write about.
I resolved to not defend my writing lifestyle anymore.
So you can ask me if you want.
Why am I going to another conference? Why do I have to meet my critique group so often? Why am I going to an author signing? Why do I waste my time on a blog?
Here's my new answer for you:
It doesn't matter why. It's my life. I get to choose what I do with it.
Sidenote: Big congrats to Friend A! She signed with an amazing editor, and I look forward to her book. For those of you out there who are decrying, "Whaaa? She sold a book in complete solitude?" No, of course not. She completed an MFA program during which she wrote her manuscript. She joined a critique group. She found her agent via a personal connection instead of blind query. She hosts a literary performance salon where she gets to rub shoulders with New York Times bestselling authors and get featured in the San Francisco Examiner. I think we all know that's just as much work as a pie party.
24 comments:
- tina ambury said...
Never, ever feel the need to defend your decision to be a writer. Your dedication acts as a beacon to dreamers like me.
Oh, and what are blogs for?
Inspiring others amongst a miriad of other, equally valid - including pure, unadulterated fun - reasons.
- January 6, 2010 at 1:25 AM
- Rachael Herron said...
More than time spent, I find myself defending the whole romance thing. But you know what? "It doesn't matter why. It's my life. I get to choose what I do with it."
Thank you.
- January 6, 2010 at 4:17 AM
- Nita Van Zandt said...
Great line! A great thing to have written! :-)
I'm a sketcher and hobby painter--and either get "why don't you show in galleries?" or "why do you spend all that time drawing?" (implying -- "for no money")
IF I deign to answer, I say, "because I'm having fun this way." And if they have a problem wondering why I like to have fun (serious, productive fun of time well spent)--then they'll never understand me anyway.
- January 6, 2010 at 6:43 AM
- Juliet Blackwell said...
First just let me say -- I'm SO bummed I missed out on pie!!!
Second, I agree with the others: making one's life a joyful, compelling, magical journey is nothing to apologize for. We writers and artists (and scientists and academics and others who set aside the standard sort of life) confuse people who would rather not put themselves out in such ways.
Revel in your craziness!
- January 6, 2010 at 7:17 AM
- L.G.C. Smith said...
Hear, hear! Just yesterday, someone who really knows better said to me, "Why don't you just send that book off as it is and let the editors fix it?" I tried to explain, thought of all my writer friends who would get it, and ended up saying whatever. Thank God for pie parties.
- January 6, 2010 at 7:52 AM
I love this post, Martha! And really, who needs to defend pie?...er, I mean, writing.....
- January 6, 2010 at 8:00 AM
- Sophie Littlefield said...
ahhhh, wish i'd figure all that out a couple of decades ago....
- January 6, 2010 at 8:11 AM
"I network because people like Friend Z don't get it - and by it, I mean writing life."
Amen, Martha! I've finally learned to stop talking writers with non-writers because it only leads to the urge to drink heavily or bang your head against a brick wall, sometimes both. I live for RWA Nationals (and other such conferences) because you get days of people around you who get it. It's like a drug.
Thanks for a fabulous post!
- January 6, 2010 at 8:26 AM
- Heidi R. Kling said...
- January 6, 2010 at 8:36 AM
Two things: 1) You write because you love it, and that's why we all love you. 2) Pie party?! Where was this idea 13 years ago? I would totally eat pie in support of your writing (or anything else you wanted to do - I just like pie).
And though I get that it's not about Friend Z, it is good to know who will or won't be able to understand what you're passionate about. You never have to convince someone that your chosen profession is important, as long as you know it's important. Trust me, I know on this one.
- January 6, 2010 at 8:52 AM
- Lala said...
To be fair, Friend Z sounds like kind of a bitch. Just saying.
- January 6, 2010 at 8:57 AM
- Martha Flynn said...
Holy crap, a lot of ya'all really care about pie! :)
First, apologies to Jill for being a late bloomer on the pie party. We had to contend ourselves with Michelinas frozen dinners. We've come so far! Second, it can't possibly be 13 years since I've seen you/graduated from college because I am but a blushing twenty three years old. Ahem.
To all, thank you - and trust me - there will be pie parties in the future! (Tina/Nita/Pam - are you close enough for a pie party? Bay Area based? Fingers crossed that you are!)
- January 6, 2010 at 8:58 AM
- Veronica Wolff said...
Writing life and choices aside, I have serious misgivings about a person who doesn't try to integrate pie into their lives as frequently as possible. hmph.
- January 6, 2010 at 9:50 AM
- Tom Neely said...
I'm with Lala.
People like friend Z, at least in my world, don't sound like friends. they sound like jerks. friends by my definition are supportive and understanding. those that are neither don't get to bare the distinction of being called a friend. my best friend in the world isn't a musician but she understands that being a musician or a writer isn't a passing phase and that finding success takes an unforseeably long time. that's why i married her, among other reasons.
oh and next time you have a pie party, invite your favorite local songwriter/guest blogger for god's sake :^D
- January 6, 2010 at 10:18 AM
- Poppy said...
Z doesn't seem like a friend worth bothering with. Writer socializing isn't about selling a book, it's about having friends we can talk to about what consumes most of our waking hours. When non-writing friends ask about writing, they either get the same stock answer I give over and over, or I'm just explaining. It's not a conversation.
- January 6, 2010 at 10:36 AM
I'm late to the party, but I'm adding another hearty AMEN, sister! Great post. I've gotten to the point where I don't really speak to my non-writing friends about writing. During NaNoWriMo they just think I've fallen off the face of the earth.
Oh, and Friend Z just sounds snarky and clueless, not awful. Although I do question anyone who questions the need for a pie party.
- January 6, 2010 at 10:36 AM
I'm late to the party, but I had to add a hearty AMEN, sister. I've stopped talking to non-writing friends about writing. During NaNo, they all just think I'm sleeping a lot.
Oh, and Friend Z just sounds snarky and clueless, not awful. Though I do question anyone who questions the need for a pie party.
- January 6, 2010 at 10:39 AM
- Unknown said...
Have been thinking a lot about this concept "frenemy," and how friends and family can actually have a sabotaging agenda and not even know it. Telling frenemies from folks who are just afraid that if I succeed, they'll lose me as a friend is beyond my current emotional intelligence, but I'm sure I'll get it someday.
There isn't a single person in my life who dares question my writing commitments and activities (except to challenge me to do more). I can't imagine having people in my life who say the things that Friend Z says. Perhaps this is why my circle of friends is kinda small?
Anyway, brave writer Martha, hearty congrats on all your successes last year. Isn't it amazing when you can look back over your shoulder, and the terrain you see behind you has been transformed into something entirely new up ahead? I love that feeling!
- January 6, 2010 at 11:38 AM
- Martha Flynn said...
I promise, Lala, Friend Z is lovely. Although, yes, she does have quite the witty/catty tongue. But I do, too. :)
Tom, you're right - my pie party was definitely in need of a songwriter! And Veronica, Poppy and Bethany (do you see that picture of pie, ladies?? that's what you missed! although, yes, Bethany was hella sick.)
Mysti - I think the girls and I should add "frenemy" to our list of tpics!!!
- January 6, 2010 at 1:58 PM
Martha, you must be a very good friend to stay friends with Z. I wouldn't.
The pie party was FANTABULOUS for everything you mentioned. (And I can't have pie.) But you forgot one thing - Apples to Apples. Thanks for that, and of course for the fine company.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:22 PM
- Jeanne B. said...
Friend Z is just jealous. :-) You get to write, be creative, and eat pie with a great bunch of writerly friends! Hey--I think *I* might be jealous! ;-)
- January 6, 2010 at 5:29 PM
- Adrienne Bell said...
I think the big disconnect with non-writers is that they only hear us talk about the occasional pie party or cocktail hour at a conference, the exciting stuff. They never hear us saying, "Ya, I spent six hours alone in a room staring at a blank word document today after I got off work and took care of the kids. The only conversation came from the characters in my head." I don't even think of it as social networking; I think of it as reminding myself that there is a world with real people in it.
- January 6, 2010 at 5:40 PM
- Unknown said...
M-you are a good friend. I am so glad you are into pie instead of performance salons. I would rather eat pie.
ps-nothing against salons, used to play the piano at a music salon once a month :)
- January 7, 2010 at 8:00 AM
- Angie said...
Excellent post. Validation is important, not that we NEED it, but life is so much nicer with it.
Pie, YUM!
- January 8, 2010 at 10:44 AM


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Salaries are the highest expense in the budget for most fitness facilities and can run 50 percent or more of total revenues. This does not leave much afterwards to pay business overhead and still generate a profit. That is why how you set up your compensation packages is so important, especially for your personal trainers.
Several questions arise when determining how to pay personal trainers, but the main two are: should you hire trainers or should they be independent contractors, and how much should you pay them?
Let's first take on the topic of employees vs. independent contractors. In the past, most personal trainers were independent contractors. Slowly, many facility owners brought the training department in-house and made trainers employees. Owners reasoned that they supplied the facility, the equipment and paid the overhead for things such as utilities, meaning they were absorbing the cost of doing business rather than the trainers. So, owners began hiring trainers at less per hour, noting that the owners were absorbing the business costs, so the owners should expect a larger cut of the clients' fees.
Bringing the training department in-house also allowed owners to gain more control and standardization over the personal training department. An independent contractor situation can seem unprofessional and confusing to clientele.
In addition, the IRS has strict guidelines for who should be considered an independent contractor or an employee. According to the IRS, you should hire trainers as employees if:
- Your business establishes and evaluates program recommendations and training techniques
- Your business markets the program, books appointments and collects money
- Your business sets policies and procedures and schedules meetings
- The position is an integral, daily part of the business—a service you offer regularly
Other Factors
If your trainers are employees, you are responsible for paying taxes and deducting employee tax contributions from pay checks. Independent contractors are responsible for their own taxes, marketing, scheduling and money collection.
The IRS typically prefers that businesses have employees rather than independent contractors because the government is then guaranteed to receive the accurate tax deductions. If you are operating in the grey (i.e. you collect the money and the trainers wear your uniforms but control their own schedule) and are audited, the IRS will most likely rule that the trainers should have been categorized as employees, and you will be responsible for back taxes. I encourage you to get advice and counsel from an employment attorney in your state to guarantee everything is legal.
Once you determine the arrangement that is best for you, how much should you pay your trainers? It depends on:
How much overhead and involvement the business has compared to the trainer. If your business covers the cost of the facility lease, equipment, utilities, office equipment, marketing materials, etc., then the business can expect to take a large percentage of what the client pays. If the trainer is responsible for the majority of these expenses, then they can take a larger percentage of what the client pays.
The goal of the personal training program. Is the program set up mainly to bring in a profit, to retain members or both? Some facilities are member-owned and not-for-profit. Because they are not profit driven, they can afford to pay the trainers a higher percentage of what the client pays. Some facilities make so much money on fitness club membership dues that the personal training department operates just to keep the clients happy by helping them get results so they will continue to pay their membership dues. Since these facilities cover all their overhead and still make a profit through membership dues, they can afford to pay their trainers a higher percentage. However, if the facility is profit driven and needs the personal training department to help cover some of the overhead of operating the business (i.e. personal training studios that do not collect membership dues), then the percentages that will go to the trainers will typically be lower.
What the competition is paying. Find out what other business are paying trainers in your area and review current compensation survey results within the fitness industry to ensure your compensation package is fair.
Structuring Compensation Packages
Once you decide how much you can pay your trainers, you have many options for structuring the compensation packages:
- Straight percentage of revenue
- Sliding scale
- Tiered Plan
- Hourly/Salary
Here is how each of those work:
Straight Percentage of Revenue. In this structure, you decide on a percentage that goes to the trainer and a percentage that goes to the business. For example, if you set it up so that 50 percent of the fee goes to the trainer and 50 percent to the business, then the trainer will receive $30 of a $60 session payment.
- Your risk is lessened since you only pay trainers when they generate revenues for your business.
- It is an easy system to calculate payroll
- In many states, if your trainers are employees, they cannot perform administrative duties or complimentary sessions with no pay. So you will need to develop a wage for when they are not with paying clients but are conducting business within your facility.
- This system often forces the trainer to work long hours to obtain a full work day. For example, they may train a few early morning clients, have a couple of hours off, then see a few lunch clients and then experience another lag time and then have to train a few clients after work and evening clients to make up a full eight hour day. This can quickly lead to burn-out.
- This system can get tricky if you offer packages with different rates. For example, if one client purchased 10 sessions at $60 per hour and another client purchased 20 sessions at $58 per hour, the trainer would make a different rate for different clients. You would need to ensure you have a good system for tracking training sessions and various rates.
Sliding Scale. In this system, you pay the trainer more based on their performance. For example, let's say the average client fee is $60. The trainer pay may be as follows:
- One to five sessions per week equals $17 per session for the trainer
- Six to 10 sessions per week equals $18 per session for the trainer
- 11 to 14 sessions per week equals $19 per session for the trainer
- 15 to 20 sessions per week equals $20 per session for the trainer
- 21 to 24 sessions per week equals $21 per session for the trainer
- 25+ sessions per week equals $22 per session for the trainer
- This system rewards the trainers who are performing more for your business. They receive a higher hourly wage.
- It encourages trainers to get more clients and work more hours because they would have the potential to make a greater hourly wage.
- This system can be a nightmare to manage when completing payroll since trainers' rates will change week by week depending on how many sessions they complete.
More Systems
Tiered Plan. Under this system, clients pay different rates depending on the experience level of their trainer. For example:
- For a certified fitness trainer, the clients pays $38 per hour and the trainer gets $18 per hour
- For an advanced fitness trainer, the clients pays $48 per hour and the trainer gets $24 per hour
- For an elite fitness trainer, the clients pays $58 per hour and the trainer gets $29 per hour
- For a master fitness trainer, the clients pays $68 per hour and the trainer gets $34 per hour
- Within this system, you can afford to pay your veteran trainers more because the client is paying more. Therefore, experienced trainers are happy because they have a higher earning potential, and business owners are happy because they can pay the trainer more and it doesn't cut into their profit margins.
- It offers a wonderful stepping stone scale for trainers to aspire to and a plan for earning a higher income
- It can be difficult to create the criteria for who qualifies for which stage. For example, establishing what is most important—degrees, experience, sales success, personality, years with the company.
- It can be difficult to effectively explain the differences to clientele without downplaying the skills of the newer trainers.
- It can create a negative hierarchy among the training staff similar to the medical community. This can sometimes interfere with the team atmosphere.
- It can be difficult when trainers are away or sick for client coverage. For example, "I paid for an elite trainer and my sub trainer is only a certified trainer. I want a refund."
People often ask us what we think is the best system. Of course, we believe our system is the best or we would be doing something differently. Here is how our system is set up:
- Shifts. Within our system, trainers are scheduled for shifts, and we try to balance their shifts to avoid burnout. For example, we may only schedule them for a few opening shifts and a few evening shifts. That way, they only have to wake up really early a few days a week and they only have to stay late a few days a week. They also do not have to be in the facility 12 hours to actually earn an 8 hour day. This type of balance helps to promote longevity in the industry.
- Guaranteed hours. We only hire full-time trainers who are willing to commit to a minimum of 30 hours per week (ideally 40 hours per week). This ensures a certain level of professionalism and makes it easier to manage your team. Would you rather have 20 trainers each only working 20 hours per week or 10 trainers each working 40 hours per week? Obviously it is a lot easier to manage 10 people than 20. At 20 trainers, you have doubled your work but the revenue is the same. Under our system, our trainers are guaranteed a certain level of income each week.
- Two different wages. When our trainers are training a paid client, they may make $17-$25 per hour based on their experience, years with the company, credentials, etc. When they are not with a paid client, they are paid an administrative wage of about $9-$10 per hour.
- Salaried vs. hourly. After a year of training with us, we can review trainers' actual revenue generation and place them into a salaried or set hourly position, meaning they get paid the same regardless of what they do for us. So, if they were able to generate $100,000 in personal training revenues, we should be able to pay them between $40,000-$50,000 in salary. Many of our trainers appreciate the stability of a salaried position; it makes it feel like a real career and helps to eliminate the instabilities and ups and downs of many trainers' pay checks.
- Benefits. We offer paid time off benefits, health allowance, performance bonuses, educational allowances and other perks to add to their entire compensation package.
Even though we think this system works best for us, every system has its pros and cons. For our system, the pros are:
- We have great employee retention because we offer stability and balance to a trainers' career.
- The business is in a position to make a greater percentage and profit by paying salaries. For example, offering a trainer $30,000 per year is a good starting salary, and many will accept this gladly. However, offering a trainer $15 per hour would be frowned upon by even a starting trainer even though $30,000 per year based on a 40 hour work week is $15 per hour. It's the same thing, but $30,000 guaranteed per year sounds a lot better than $15 per hour.
- Trainers appreciate the additional benefits and perks.
And the con is:
- Structuring your business this way is a bigger risk for the business. For example, what if you have guaranteed certain shifts, wages and salary but can't fill the trainer with paying clients? Then, the business is taking a loss. Fortunately, we have been doing this long enough to know that we can fill a trainer with clients really quickly so it is not a big risk for us anymore. We also have enough positive cash flow to allow the business to float the ups and downs of the personal training industry instead of the trainer having to weather these lower and higher income months.
Our system may not be the best system for a new personal training business that may not have a constant influx of new clients or enough positive cash flow to absorb the initial losses. Businesses in this position should start with what they can offer. For example, you may start a trainer at 20 hours per week with a paid training wage of $20 per hour and an administrative wage of $8 per hour. Once you can get them to 70 percent full capacity, you can increase them to 30 hours per week and ultimately to 40 hours per week. After a year, you can review how much revenue that has generated for your company and then decide whether a salary option might work.
Sherri McMillan, M.Sc. has been inspiring the world to adopt a fitness lifestyle for over 20 years and has received numerous industry awards including 2010 CanFitPro International Fitness Presenter of the Year, 2006 IDEA Fitness Director of the Year, 1998 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, & 1998 CanFitPro Fitness Presenter of the Year. As a fitness trainer, fitness columnist for various magazines and newspapers, author of five books and manuals including "Go For Fit - the Winning Way to Fat Loss", "Fit over Forty" & "The Successful Trainers Guide to Marketing", featured presenter in various fitness DVDs, and international fitness presenter, she is a spokesperson for Nike, and PowerBar. She can be reached at www.nwFitnessEducation.com or www.BusinessofPT.com


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This weekend I made some progress in the linuxulator:
- I MFCed the reporting of some linux-syscalls to 9‑stable and 8‑stable.
- I updated my linuxulator-dtrace patch to a recent ‑current. I already compiled it on i386 and arundel@ has it compiled on amd64. I counted more than 500 new DTrace probes. Now that DTrace rescans for SDT probes when a kernel module is loaded, there is no kernel panic anymore when the linux module is loaded after the DTrace modules and you want to use DTrace. I try to commit this at a morning of a day where I can fix things during the day in case some problems show up which I did not notice during my testing.
- I created a PR for portmgr@ to repocopy a new linux_base port.
- I set the expiration date of linux_base-fc4 (only used by 7.x and upstream way past its EoL) and all dependent ports. It is set to the EoL of the last 7.x release, which can not use a later linux_base port. I also added a comment which explains that the date is the EoL of the last 7.x release.


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