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In spite of the increased presence of women in the work force, they often still find that gender bias blocks their advancement. Several things have happened during the last 13 months that may make women less patient with gender bias, however. First, the treatment of Anita Hill by the all-male Senate Judiciary Committee during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings in October 1991 angered many women, even including many of those who didn't believe her story. This year the Tailhook scandal broke, and has remained in the news throughout the year.
More women than usual ran for public office during 1992. Many of the candidates indicated that anger resulting from the Thomas hearings and Congress' lack of responsiveness to family issues had driven them to run. A record 11 women made it through the primaries to run on their parties' tickets for the U.S. Senate. Sometime during the year, women-owned businesses for the first time surpassed the Fortune 500 companies in the numbers of people employed, according to a study by Cogenetics, Inc., of Cambridge, Massachusetts and the National Foundation for Women Business Owners.
It was also during this, the Year of the Woman, that Flemington, New Jersey-based American Humanagement Association (aha!), a consulting and training firm that helps organizations with strategic gender issues, announced the results of the first audit to determine the costs to an organization of systemic gender bias. The study revealed that these hidden costs, without including sexual harassment, amounted to approximately $15.3 million for the organization, a Fortune 500 utility company that had 27,000 employees. According to Kate Butler, founding director of aha!, the members of top management for the firm, which she calls Utilico, didn't think they had gender bias until they saw the results of the audit. They since have taken steps to eliminate the glass ceiling in their organization.
In another, similar-sized company, sexual harassment costs reached an estimated $6.7 million, according to The 1988 Working Women Sexual Harassment Survey. This indicates that gender bias and sexual harassment combined would most likely result in documentable after-tax losses to a company of this size of $22 million annually, or as much as 1% of total operating expenses.
The DOL's A Report on the Glass Ceiling Initiative points out that the most available research indicates that artificial barriers significantly inhibit the advancement of qualified women and minorities in U.S. corporations. With the existence of the glass ceiling a given, let's take a look at where gender bias typically exists in companies and what it costs them.
Executives hire by the white male model.
A major problem in recruitment seems to be the image recruiters and managers have in mind of the ideal candidate. Stephanie Allen, president of The Athena Group in Denver, says, "It's unintentional, but executives hire and promote by the white male model. They tend to pick guys like themselves. If you aren't a guy, it's kind of hard," she says.
Butler has found the same problem. When she asked recruiters to describe the applicant in the best interview they had ever conducted, several white male subjects described themselves, right down to the number and style of rings worn, color of their neckties and so on. "None of the white men who did this were even aware that they had described themselves, and none of the women I interviewed described physical characteristics similar to their own. In fact, few women gave physical characteristics at all," she says.
Companies often are aware of these biases in recruitment and try to correct them. Allen points out that search firms sometimes are asked specifically to find women, although a DOL study indicates that too few companies do this.
Utilico had attempted to address this issue by having a recruiting staff that represented the cultural diversity that was desired by the firm. Butler interviewed the culturally diverse individuals on the recruiting staff. They denied having any biases for or against any particular group. She followed up by asking, "Not even toward your own cultural group?" and was chastised by the recruiters. "It was as though I had accused them of favoring Hispanics or single mothers or 'white guys who walk funny,' as one recruiter described himself to me."
Butler's study of recruiters ultimately showed that, fearing to appear in favor of their own kind, recruiters who were minorities actually bent over backwards to avoid such charges. Instead, they ended up favoring the white male. "Organizations put together recruiting teams of culturally diverse people to increase the diversity in the work force, but systemic bias prevents that from happening," she says.
In general, women don't measure up to this unconscious white male model. "When we interview clients to determine what the selection process is like, we find that cooperative attitude and teamwork aren't given the same credit as being competitive and aggressive," Allen says. These valuable qualities earn praise, but they aren't valued as much as characteristics more often associated with men.
Even eliminating such biases from the minds of Utilico's recruiters wouldn't be enough to solve the problem. The applicants' potential was judged solely on his or her most recent five-year work history. This process effectively shut out women who were coming back into the work force after an absence, a group that's now—and likely to remain for the rest of the century—the fastest-growing demographic group of potential workers.
While conducting the audit of gender bias at Utilico, Butler also received reports that recruiters were steering women away from technical jobs and into customer service, which was at odds with Utilico's objectives to increase the number of women in technical positions. This was borne out when Butler posed as an applicant for a job as a technician. She also found that candidates seeking admission to a training program for a physically demanding technical job were given a test for physical abilities, which contained "a significant discriminatory element, presenting the greatest exposure to lawsuits uncovered by this audit," Butler says. This instrument judged women on the same dimension as for men, although gender differences for this dimension are known to be significant. Gender differences in actual performance of such jobs usually are insignificant, however.
Gender bias has an especially profound effect on applicants for positions in top management, according to Carolyn Kenner-Varner, human resources consultant for Philadelphia-based Rohm and Haas Co. Her observations are consistent with the findings of a study by Catalyst, an organization that works with corporations to foster the career and leadership development of women. The Catalyst study showed that, in senior management, women held 5% or fewer positions in the majority of these companies. The DOL places the number even lower, estimating that women represent only 1% to 2% of senior executive level officials. This phenomenon doesn't appear to be changing rapidly, however. In fact, a study done by Korn Ferry and the University of California at Los Angeles showed that representation of women in senior management only increased by two percentage points between 1979 and 1989.
"When you're talking about a six-figure salary—a position in which key decisions are made—skills and competency aren't the issue," Kenner-Varner says. Women usually have the skills, experience and competency by the time they apply for such positions. "Then the issue of relationship comes into play. Executives choose a candidate with whom they feel comfortable and can associate outside of work," Kenner-Varner says. She doesn't blame the decision makers, because people at that level must make subjective decisions that can make or break the organization. "You choose a person you feel comfortable with—a person you can do business with. That makes gender bias difficult to address," she points out.
The DOL report states that many companies fill mid- and upper-level positions through word-of-mouth referrals. "In some of these instances, corporate executives had learned of individuals, interviewed them casually (luncheons/ dinners), and made them an offer, outside the formal recruitment process," the report states. The female interviewee also may have a comfort problem when interviews are held in hotel rooms, according to a study by the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women.
These practices reduce opportunities for hiring women. Employee-referral programs, job-posting programs and use of executive search firms were also cited by the DOL report as possible sources of unintentional discrimination.
Intentional discrimination in hiring does still exist, much of it because male managers assume women will have a lower career commitment than men because it's assumed that they'll have children and quit, according to Mary Mattis, vice president of Catalyst. She points out that many male managers don't want to risk promoting a woman or giving her an important assignment for this reason.
The costs associated with these discriminatory practices are incalculable with present data. "They include lost opportunities associated with failing to consider qualified candidates, based on a less-than-salient set of criteria," Butler says. These practices must change, however. Women, minorities and immigrants will make up a large proportion of job applicants during the 1990s. The demand for engineers is expected to increase by 44% by the end of the century, but not the number of engineering students. The proportion of women engineering students has grown, however. Jobs for technicians are projected to grow by 38%, and so will the percentage of women applicants.
Allen points out that 52% of college graduates and 31% of MBAs are women, and that a majority of the top 10% are women. "If you aren't hiring women, you're overlooking some of the best candidates," she says.
Women offer different perspectives.
Hiring women may not be as bad as the die-hard chauvinist in the traditional organization thinks. "Research shows very little difference in traits between women and men—I.Q., ability to stick to a job, intuition, verbal ability, and so on," Allen explains. Even work considered to be too physically demanding for physically fit women has been found to be no more so than for men. One St. Louis packaging company lifted its prohibition against hiring women for a position that required them to move packages heavier more than 20 pounds. Even after 18 months, the company still had recorded no back injuries in the two new women employees, although this had been a common problem for workers in this position.
Bringing women into the work force can have other advantages. "Women tend to have a different perspective of the world," Allen explains. When a woman comes into a room, she's more likely to look at the interaction between people, whether the atmosphere is harmonious and people are taken care of, she points out. Men tend to be more interested in the task and their place within the hierarchy. Individuals may fall anywhere on the bell curve, of course, so that some women are more task-oriented, and some men are more concerned with how people work together. "Where the bell curve meshes, you'll find the bridging people, who can deal with both men and women. They play a critical role," Allen says.
"A woman is more apt to see several points of view; men are more likely to see things as either black or white and miss the shades of gray," says Kathy Doyle Thomas, vice president of marketing for Half Price Books in Dallas. This can be a real advantage but is often treated as a disadvantage, perhaps because men often seem to feel they must have the answers.
Whether the differences are genetic or learned is still being debated, but the cause probably is irrelevant to HR. Women generally have had different experiences than men have. "We're faced with having to make occupational concessions that men rarely have to make," Mattis says. She points out, for example, that, although men have difficult choices of their own, it's rare for them to have to choose between having a family and having a career.
These differences can be an advantage for companies trying to make management style more collaborative. During the 1980s, as the U.S. shifted from an industrial to an informational and global society, women became leaders of small and midsize organizations. "With no background in sports or the military...and few mentors to teach the masculine ways, women were thrown back on their instincts," write Patricia Auberdene and John Naisbitt in Megatrends for Women. This left the most creative women free to experiment. The traditional pyramid hierarchy was replaced by networks, lattices and webs. In fact, the early descriptions of the manager of the future, à la Peter Drucker, Tom Peters and others, match the leadership style more often used by women.
"Women tend to be more intuitive and visionary—at least they don't seem to have to work as hard at it as men do," says Kenner-Varner. Companies often overlook this advantage. "Women often produce a good working product with less effort than men have to make," she adds.
This doesn't mean that companies should have only women in the top executive positions, however. Evidence indicates that men and women complement each other in the work force and in management. During a conference of the National Training Labs Institute held in Snowmass, Colorado, in 1983, for example, an experiment showed that men and women working together did a better job inventing an egg-catching device than either an all-female group or an all-male group. (The all-male group came in last.) Clearly, an organization that hires a man instead of an equally qualified woman executive because the CEO feels more comfortable working with a man, is limiting its opportunities for increased insight and productivity.
Women are given less feedback.
Before you begin congratulating yourself on having had the foresight long ago to hire women and minorities—are you sure that your corporate culture allows them to live up to their potential? If not, you may be throwing money out the window. Management at Utilico claimed to have a woman-friendly workplace; its management staff was 35% women. It was unaware, however, that most of these women were at the lower levels. The turnover statistics for 1988 indicated that 74% of the managers and 70% of all employees who left the company during the year were women, citing most commonly a lack of advancement opportunities as the cause.
That it's costly to replace employees who leave the company is obvious. Less obvious to Utilico, according to Butler, were the increased costs associated with losing women employees. "Women represented 47% of the entire work force in 1988, yet received 57% of Utilico's tuition reimbursements," she says. Providing educational opportunities to women creates two factors that can lead a female employee to leave the organization after receiving it:
- It sets up an expectation of future advancement
- It makes her more employable.
Even if they stay, women don't receive the same benefit from their experience within the organization that men receive. Other forms of training, such as coaching and mentoring, performance appraisals and other feedback, often are either absent or negative.
"The greatest coaching discrepancy I've found is in both the kind and amount of feedback given to subordinates," says Butler. The greatest challenge is for male managers who must coach women subordinates on their appearance. "A new sales woman who arrives dressed in a halter top for a casual event may be talked about, rather than talked to. Without feedback, she remains inappropriately dressed and commits career suicide. A new salesman, also dressed inappropriately, is spoken to by his manager and slips out to change his clothes and save his reputation," she explains. Women have been deprived of feedback all their lives, according to Butler. "I've found that feedback given to men is two-and-a-half to three times lengthier than that given to women," she says.
Many men feel uncomfortable mentoring women. "When considering a male mentor, women should seek guidance from him first, to find out if he can deal with the role," says Allen. She points out that some of the best mentors are men who have had comfortable relationships with strong mothers or sisters, or men who have grown daughters and know firsthand of the problems associated with lack of feedback and challenge.
"Coaching and mentoring become more important when a woman moves into the higher positions in an organization," says Kenner-Varner. "The mentor should have a lot in common with the employee. The mentoring relationship should grow out of a natural attraction. That can create problems for a man mentoring a woman," says Kenner-Varner.
Mattis adds that research conducted by Catalyst indicates that some men are reluctant to mentor women, especially younger ones, for fear that rumors and innuendos may result. When a woman does manage to find a man who's willing to mentor her, she often finds resistance from co-workers or supervisors. "She may be told to stop 'seeing' him because people are talking," Mattis says.
If the mentoring relationship is with a more senior man in the company, she may be perceived as too aggressive. "Women are perceived as either too aggressive or not aggressive enough. It makes it difficult for them to get it just right," Mattis says. The problem can be alleviated by training that promotes an understanding of how men and women work together.
In a small focus group of women who were recipients of a successful mentoring relationship, Butler learned that what they appreciated most was being challenged. "Such critical feedback is denied women consistently by male supervisors because of a genuine fear that women will cry, but women crave the knowledge necessary to improve themselves. That takes critical, constructive feedback," she says.
Women who have been recipients of successful mentoring relationships report an increase of nearly 94% in their professional effectiveness as a direct result of mentoring, according to Butler. "Assuming that 10% of the women in management at Utilico already were benefitting from being mentored, the other 90% may be contributing only half of their possible value to the organization," she explains. If it's possible to provide mentoring to 25% of the women managers in the organization, and you allow for a reasonable increase in the productivity of their subordinates, the loss of this added value can be estimated at $9,562,320 annually.
The reluctance to provide constructive feedback reduces the value of performance appraisals, as well. "Many appraisals tend to lean toward an employee's attitude," says Doyle Thomas of Half Price Books. She says that this isn't a gender-bias problem as much as it is a lack of communication between a supervisor and an employee. "Is the employee expected to do her job and smile all the time? Is she allowed to have a really bad day? Companies should be very specific in writing job descriptions and include everything expected of her," she says.
Butler uncovered extensive gender bias in the performance-appraisal system at Utilico. "Women in our sample outscored their male counterparts on the eight skill sets listed under potential, but received merit pay and promotable ratings at a lower rate. Although their scores averaged 2% higher than those of their male counterparts, only 50% of the women in our sample were rated promotable, compared with 59% of the men," she says.
Of all skill sets used to evaluate potential for promotion, managers at Utilico unanimously chose leadership as the most valuable, and technical skills as the least valuable. An analysis of performance appraisals showed that the greatest predictor that a woman would earn a rating of promotable was a high score in technical skills. Butler says that the adverse impact study conducted by Utilico indicated that 25% of women were rated promotable, compared with 16% for their male counterparts, but only 29% of the women earned extra merit pay, compared with 31% of the men. "The costs to Utilico of this disparity can be measured in terms of turnover and reduced productivity from loss of loyalty and commitment from those women who are highly rated, yet aren't promoted," she says.
Women managers at Utilico filed 33% more applications before receiving transfers or promotions than men did for comparable positions, so the company was losing $45,329 annually in excess effort expended by women. "This doesn't include the disparate success ratios for non-bargained-for women who use the bidding process. If similar to management women's experience, they would increase the costs of disparity in this mobility system by more than $1,500,000," Butler explains. She calculated the cost to the company of the time spent by women discussing with their peers the perceived discriminatory practices at $1,107,138 in 1988. "We haven't accounted for productivity lost because of worry and thinking about disparate treatment in the organization, although we estimate this loss to be considerable," she says.
The climate may mask gender bias.
Women usually are unaware of the extent of the gender bias in the organization, according to Allen. "We live in a culture in which it exists, so we just accept it. Women see no gender bias in the company, but often there are no women at the top. We must wipe the veil from their eyes," she says.
One of the most pervasive problems for women is their invisibility, according to Allen. "Women often don't get the credit for their ideas," she says. A woman may mention an idea to a male co-worker, who presents the idea and takes the credit. If she does bring up the idea in a meeting, she's overridden or ignored, or—even worse—she develops a reputation for being a whiner. "One woman who became tired of being ignored in meetings began standing up every time she had something to say. The men had to listen to her. After a year, she didn't have to do it anymore," Allen says, adding that this invisibility problem is widespread. "Men don't mean to do it. We're shorter. If a woman is standing, talking with a male co-worker, it makes eye contact more difficult," she says.
Doyle Thomas says that behavior that's discounted when coming from a man often is considered objectionable in a woman. "A woman hardly ever is accused of being hard-nosed. Instead, she's a bitch. She isn't lacking consistency, she's scatter-brained. She isn't overworked, she's too weak to handle it," she says.
Kenner-Varner agrees. "It's because of the gender differences in society. When we walk through the door of the organization, we don't drop our differences and biases. They're an ingrained way of looking at things," she explains.
"Old habits die hard," says Tim Jernigan, VP of personnel for Dallas-based Half Price Books. "Gender bias is recognized, but it's still encouraged by advertising, movies, and so on."
Although Butler didn't include sexual harassment costs in her audit of Utilico, another study done the same year, The 1988 Working Women Sexual Harassment Survey estimated the cost for a company of the same size to be $6.7 million, clearly a good expense to eliminate.
The best way to wipe out sexual harassment is to eliminate all gender bias, according to retired Army Brigadier General Pat Foote. "When women aren't permitted to have full participation in an institution, such as the military...then there's a tendency to devalue them as partners in defense, and from that can stem sexual harassment and other unwanted forms of behavior," she says.
"Most gender bias isn't intentional or malicious. It's largely unconscious and unquestioned," Mattis explains. It's difficult to measure whether the problem has become worse or progress is being made. "Increased awareness may increase reporting of gender bias. It doesn't mean it actually has increased in frequency. Certainly, the representation of women in the workplace has increased, so there's a greater potential for such bias to occur," she says.
Kenner-Varner adds, "I think gender bias is disappearing from entry-level and mid-management positions, perhaps just because there are so many women in those positions now, but the problem seems to be increasing in upper management. There are fewer women at that level, so fewer men are used to working with them."
Whatever problems women have are compounded for minority women. People of the same race have a common outlook on some issues, regardless of gender. On the other hand, men of all races have common ways of looking at things that are different from those of women. "Women of color get it from both ends," Kenner-Varner says.
The DOL report shows that women plateau at a lower level than men in U.S. corporations, and that minorities plateau at lower levels than women. "Approximately half of every minority group is female, however," Mattis points out. When that fact is taken into account, it appears that minority males may be doing better than women in general.
Oliver Singleton, VP of Professional Development Group Inc. in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, works for a white, female president. He tells of calling on clients with his boss and hearing them ask her how long she had been working for him. "I thought I really had problems because I was a black male—but at least I'm a male," he says.
Gender bias may be magnified by the recession, as women compete with men for jobs that are increasingly scarce. "Men are traditionally the breadwinners, and a breadwinner needs a job. Some men will call a newly hired female co-worker on the phone and say, 'I'll make sure you never get a promotion,'" Allen says.
Women have their own gender biases.
Some problems are created by women themselves. These problems often can be overcome through awareness. "Women may rise up the ladder and realize that they liked the lower position better," Butler points out. "It's lonely at the top, and women generally are driven by the need to connect. Some consciously prefer to be removed from the fast track, but others are unaware that they're sabotaging their own success," she says.
Networking can be helpful, but some women shy away from women's groups, and instead try to be part of the old-boy network, according to Kenner-Varner.
Networking can help women deal with guilt feelings. "Concern about leaving their babies can be crippling. They need to get together and talk about it," Allen says.
"You can be a working mother or a corporation woman if you want. We must validate these possibilities and not make women feel guilty," Kenner-Varner adds.
Mattis says that women need to be aware of the consequences of self-selecting careers on the staff side of companies, because such jobs are unlikely to lead to top positions. "Women may believe that staff jobs offer more flexibility, but we know that such jobs also may require more face time. The performance criteria are less objective than in line jobs, so it may be more difficult to demonstrate your contribution," Mattis explains. Women are promoted based on performance, rather than potential, so it can take longer to advance in staff positions.
Even in the right job, low self-esteem creates problems for some women. "We try to do everything, and feel splattered all over. This causes us to think we aren't good at anything and can't focus on just one thing," Allen says.
"Either unwilling or disbelieving in her right to be judged, a woman may stumble, balk or simply stop working on a project to avoid being evaluated on her efforts," Butler says. This is already evident by age six. For example, she tells of a little girl on a soccer team, who was good at getting the ball down to the goal, but would leave it and run back to her defensive position, instead of passing it to one of the boys or making the goal herself.
Butler surmises that the first time the girl had found herself in front of the goal with the ball, she either had tried for a goal and missed or had made the goal and been called a ball hog by the boys. "I've seen similar self-sabotage among women on the brink of success," she says.
When working with such an employee, Butler recommends, "If she sabotages her own success, remind her that her work needn't be perfect, but that it must be on time. Tell her her work is good and that you appreciate her promptness and sensitivity to others' needs to meet deadlines. Get her to focus on how her piece is important to the whole. In my experience, women will do for the group that which they won't do for themselves (which they perceive as selfish), because they're focused on being judged."
Perhaps because of this prevalent insecurity, women may be more reluctant than men to point out unfair practices and behaviors. "It makes a woman angry when men talk over her head, but she may not say anything about it because it seems trivial," Allen says.
Because they're feedback-deficient, women may be less likely to offer feedback to others. "If we deny feedback to colleagues, we aren't seen as team players; by denying feedback to subordinates, we fail to get full cooperation and productivity from them. On the other hand, women who bombard colleagues with criticism aren't constructive, either," she says.
Insecurity and inexperience in a work environment may lead to other behaviors that can raise the ire of co-workers, both women and men. Some women may flirt to gain some advantage. "Although a woman may endear herself to one superior by various degrees of flirting, she'll likely alienate other men and women whose respect she needs," says Jernigan.
"Some people argue that younger women believe that they can have it all, but no one, not even men, can have it all—at least, not all at the same time,' says Mattis. "Some of the problems women face aren't created by them; they're inherent in our society. Women need to be more aware of them, for their own self-defense," she adds.
After living with gender bias all their lives, many women actively participate in the continuation of it. They have the same prejudices about themselves and other women that they find so frustrating when expressed by men. As more women prove themselves—and society adapts—these attitudes will fade.
Turnover is expensive.
In addition to the many types of gender bias, including their own, most women must deal with more family and household problems than most men in the workplace do. Women's needs already have driven organizations to provide such options as family medical leave, maternity leave, flex time, job sharing and day care. As these programs become available, men want access to them as well.
"Men in the younger generation don't want to be absentee dads. Neither women nor men want to give up everything in life just to get ahead," says Allen.
Providing family-friendly programs won't keep women in your organization if they hit the glass ceiling, however. They'll leave and go to work for your competitor or become your competitor, an option that has resulted in the recent proliferation of successful, women-owned companies in the U.S. Many of these women left their jobs as a direct result of gender bias.
Mattis estimates that replacement costs total 93% of the departing employee's annual salary. "Furthermore, it's likely that her replacement also will be a woman. You can't ignore or get around dealing with the cost of losing female talent," Mattis says. You'll end up training a new employee, while your training dollars benefit your competition.
It cost Utilico $4,561,190 to replace women who left the company in 1988, according to Butler. It's the most capable women who have the greatest choice of options, who are more likely to leave if you don't make staying a more appealing option than leaving.
Many women were angered when Marilyn Quayle told the 1992 Republican Convention in Houston, "Most women don't want to be liberated from their essential natures as women." They felt that the attitude that women are all naturally unsuited for certain types of roles put limits on their opportunities, and resented having someone else presume to speak for them.
There is some truth to the statement, however. All of us, women and men, do want to be allowed to live according to our essential natures as individuals. That the wonderful differences between individuals far outweigh the superficial differences between genders, races or other categories, will become more evident as men and women of all kinds learn to appreciate each other and work together.
As more women of all types reach top management in our corporations, these problems must be addressed. If we work to eliminate biases of all kinds, whether against women, minorities or "men who walk funny," and then empower all individuals to be themselves, we'll benefit from all employees' unique contributions. Not only is this the way to eliminate the unnecessary expenses of gender bias; it's also how to put the genie to work.
Personnel Journal, November 1992, Vol. 71, No. 11, pp. 70-80.


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I have a goal set now.
I have a goal set now.
I'll be enjoying the after effects of this on my knee:
ouch that picture looks freaking painful. yeah we're pretty much looking at a sweep of the U23 and p123 categories by yours truly...not.
I can only race one day. That blows. I'll be there anyway, of course.

subset: commoncrawl


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text: 11 February 2012 archive See all show photos Bridalwear took on a whole new meaning at Hervé Leger by Max Azria today as Azria turned out an equestrian-themed collection of his famous bandage dresses. It would be easy to trot out (sorry), the same designs when your iconic garment remains as successful today as it did when it launched in 2007 (when Azria took over the helm), but each season he brings something new to the mix. So this time, we witnessed the body-conscious dresses wrapped up in leather harnesses – some with sleeves attached, made of fur or python skin (my favourite – the black fur felt a bit too like a Satyr), but for the main as a belt or complete gladiatorial torso wrap. The look successfully stayed a few steps back from S&M and instead actually managed to be fierce and feminine at the same time – especially when saddle-coloured cognac leather was placed over fabrics of rose, rustic red and champagne. Less is more is a mantra Hervé Leger does not champion and sometimes it was hard to see the decoration for the detail. Sequins mixed with centurion pleats blended with chains and gold hardware. And just when you thought that was it, a sequence of heavy fringing swished down the runway. The models sleek, long ponytails did nothing to dispel the effect of a high fashion horse guard's parade, but this has never been a label for the faint hearted. If you have the mastery to take the rein of a black jacquard bandage dress, with leather belt, cuffs, bondage boots and bag with wrist strap, then this is a collection you'll want to gallop away with. No one will get in your way at the stables, that's for sure. SEE THE HERVÉ LEGER BY MAX AZRIA CATWALK ARCHIVE Hannah Rand Continue reading Back to top


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What a difference a few months make! The Fall 175 was really well attended by college coaches compared to the summer event. I counted 30 coaches at 1 game. The competition was good as well. I highly recommend this event for next year.
The fields were close and in great condition too.


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PHOENIX (AP) — One candidate called for sending National Guard troops and to build fences on the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas to stem the tide of immigrants, and forwarding the bill to President Barack Obama.
Another candidate suggested deploying satellites to control the border. Still another participated in a demonstration in which protesters hoped to block a rumored busload of child immigrants to a small Arizona town.
The Republican race for Arizona governor began quietly with a focus on Medicaid, Common Core education standards and ways to boost the state's economy, but has taken an abrupt turn toward a familiar topic: immigration.
It has also flared up as a campaign issue in a few spots around the country since the influx of immigrants.


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Tata Power had its inception in 1915, establishing India's first large hydro-electric project in Khopoli, Maharashtra and driven by its late founder, Shri Jamshetji N. Tata's pioneering vision. Today, a hundred years later, Tata Power is a respected name; it is a global company with presence across continents and is a dedicated resource to the country, providing 'Invisible Goodness' to the nation. A goodness that although invisible, is crucial.
Tata Power is India's largest integrated power company with significant international presence. From Fuel and Logistics to Generation and Transmission to Distribution and Trading - exploring various renewable sources of energy in India and globally – Tata Power now has a significant presence in wind, solar, hydro and geothermal energy space.
The Company's technology leadership is legendary and it has demonstrated successful public-private partnerships in Generation, Transmission and Distribution, a few being, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited with Delhi Vidyut Board for distribution in North Delhi, Powerlinks Transmission Ltd. with Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. for evacuation of power from Tala hydro plant in Bhutan to Delhi and Maithon Power Ltd. with Damodar Valley Corporation for a Mega Power Project in Jharkhand.
Today, 100 years since, the Company is poised for multi-fold growth. Tata Power today is one of the largest renewable energy players in India and it has developed the country's first 4000 MW Ultra Mega Power Project at Mundra in Gujarat, based on super-critical technology. The Company's international presence includes strategic investments in Indonesia through 30% stake in coal mines and a geothermal project; in Singapore through Trust Energy Resources to securitise coal supply and the shipping of coal for its thermal power generation operations; in South Africa through a joint venture called 'Cennergi' to develop projects in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia; in Australia through investments in enhanced geothermal and clean coal technologies and in Bhutan through a hydro project in partnership with The Royal Government of Bhutan.
Dedicating the Company's 100 years of 'Invisible Goodness' to the nation, and in line with its nationalistic spirit, the Company also dedicated the Tata Power Skill Development Institute (TPSDI) for the development of the country.
While it has ambitious growth plans, it remains committed to 'responsible growth'. From focusing on producing clean and green power to investing and implementing eco-friendly technologies; reducing our carbon footprint to joining global initiatives to combat climate change; scouting for clean power sources internationally to driving energy conservation and efficiency; creating sustainable livelihood for communities to green buildings and villages; Tata Power is putting its best foot forward in its attempts to carry forward its green legacy.
The Company is excited to redefine the contours of the Indian 'Power' Sector and is committed to 'lighting up lives' for generations to come, and continue its dedication to providing 'Invisible Goodness' to the country.


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Whether treating a toddler in an emergency or supporting a teen through chemotherapy treatments, we are dedicated to the care of each patient. It's through teamwork at every level of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and with you, the family, that we are able to achieve excellence in pediatric care.
See more about us
With a proven track record of providing world-class care to patients in more than 30 pediatric specialties, we are a model for other pediatric hospitals. Infants, teens and young adults belong in a children's hospital where they can get specialized treatment from caregivers who know the important differences between children and adults.
See our clinical services
Do you have a question about your child's health? This section offers information that may help you.
View age-appropriate health information for your child.
Research is a cornerstone of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta mission to enhance the lives of children. In conjunction with Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia Tech and Morehouse, Children's seeks answers to the most challenging childhood medical conditions through teaching and research.
We all want happy, healthy kids. But as a busy parent, helping your kids eat well and stay active can be a challenge.
At Strong4Life, created by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, our doctors, nutritionists and wellness experts create fun, easy ways to help your kids eat, move and live healthier. From picky eaters to passionate gamers, we have a slew of simple tips by experts who understand, because we're parents, too.
As a not-for-profit organization, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta relies on the generous financial and volunteer support of our community. Your donations directly impact the lives of each family served by Children's and support many initiatives such as clinical excellence, research, teaching, wellness and charity care.
Playgrounds and outdoor play equipment provide fun, fresh air, and exercise. But they also can pose some safety hazards.
Faulty equipment, improper surfaces, and careless behavior are just a few of the hazards of playgrounds — each year, more than 200,000 kids are treated in hospital ERs for playground-related injuries. Many of these could have been prevented with the proper supervision.
You can make the playground a place that's entertaining and safe for your kids by checking equipment for potential hazards and following some simple safety guidelines. And teaching kids how to play safely is important: If they know the rules of the playground, they're less likely to get hurt.
Parents can help prevent playground accidents by taking some precautions, ensuring that there's adult supervision at the playground, and making sure that the equipment is appropriate to a child's age and maturity level.
Adult supervision can help prevent injuries by making sure kids properly use playground equipment and don't engage in unsafe behavior around it. If an injury does occur, an adult can assist the child and administer any needed first aid right away.
Kids should always have adult supervision on the playground. Young children (and sometimes older ones) can't always gauge distances properly and aren't capable of foreseeing dangerous situations by themselves. Older kids like to test their limits on the playground, so it's important for an adult to be there to keep them in check.
Before you visit a playground, check to make sure that play areas are designed to allow an adult to clearly see kids while they're playing on all the equipment.
The most important factors in evaluating the safety of any playground are surface, design and spacing, and equipment inspection and maintenance.
A proper playground surface is one of the most important factors in reducing injuries — and the severity of injuries — that occur when kids fall from equipment. The surface under the playground equipment should be soft enough and thick enough to soften the impact of a child's fall.
Here are some things to consider:
Keep in mind that even proper surfacing can't prevent all injuries. Also, the greater the height of the equipment, the more likely kids are to get injured if they fall from it.
Playground equipment should be designed for three different age groups: infants and toddlers under 2, 2- to 5-year-olds (preschoolers), and 5- to 12-year-olds (school-age kids).
In the safest playgrounds, play areas for younger children are separated from those meant for older kids and signs clearly designate each area to prevent confusion.
Younger children should not play on equipment designed for older kids because the equipment sizes and proportions won't be right for small kids, and this can lead to injury. Likewise, older kids shouldn't play on equipment designed for younger ones. Smaller equipment and spaces can cause problems for bigger kids.
Here are some things to check for to ensure the equipment is designed and spaced to be safe:
Whether your kids play on a home or public playground, it's important for you to take a general look at the equipment to make sure that it is clean and well maintained.
Check for objects (like hardware, S-shaped hooks, bolts, and sharp or unfinished edges) that stick out on equipment and could cut a child or cause clothing to become entangled.
All hardware on equipment should be secure, with no loose or broken parts. Plastic and wood should show no signs of weakening, and there should not be any splintered or rusted surfaces.
If the local playground has a sandbox, check for hazardous debris such as sharp sticks or broken glass, and be sure that the sand is free of bugs. Sandboxes should be covered overnight to prevent contamination from animals, such as cats.
Help keep your playground clean and safe by picking up trash, using the equipment properly, and reporting any problems to the city, town, or county parks department, school, or other organization that is responsible for the upkeep of the playground. If a part seems broken, loose, or in need of other maintenance, designate it off limits immediately and report the problem to the appropriate authorities.
Safe playground equipment and adult supervision are extremely important, but it's only half of the equation: Kids must know how to be safe and act responsibly at the playground.
Here are some general rules to teach your kids:
Because swings, slides, and climbing equipment are so different from one another, each requires a different set of safety considerations. And there are some kinds of equipment that are not safe for playgrounds, no matter how careful your child is.
Swings are the most frequent source of childhood injuries from moving equipment on a playground. But a few simple precautions should keep kids safely swinging in the breeze:
Because seesaw use requires cooperation between kids, they're generally not recommended for preschoolers unless the seesaw has a spring-centering device to prevent abrupt contact with the ground. Regardless of design, both seesaws and merry-go-rounds should be approached with caution.
Other safety tips to keep in mind:
Slides are safe if kids are careful when using them. Guidelines to keep in mind:
Climbing equipment comes in many shapes and sizes — including rock climbing walls, arches, and vertical and horizontal ladders. It's generally more challenging for kids than other kinds of playground equipment.
Be sure your kids are aware of a safe way down in case they can't complete the climb. The highest rates of injuries on public playgrounds are associated with climbing equipment, which is dangerous if not designed or used properly. Adult supervision is especially important for younger kids.
Climbing equipment can be used safely if kids are taught to use both hands and to stay well behind the person in front of them and beware of swinging feet. When they drop from the bars, kids should be able to jump down without hitting the equipment on the way down. Remind kids to have their knees bent and land on both feet.
Track rides are a form of upper-body equipment where kids hold on to a handle that slides along a track once they lift their feet. These rides require significant upper-body strength and are recommended for school-age kids and above.
Log rolls require kids to grasp handles, then balance on top of the log as they spin it with their feet. This helps older kids to develop balance skills and increase strength.
The following types of equipment are not safe for playgrounds:
Play is an important part of kids' physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development. Following these safety tips will help your kids play as safely as possible.
Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD, and John Howard, MD
Date reviewed: October 2008
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The project will introduce the proven systematic review approach to forestry and land management. It will lend scientific credibility to the guidance given to countries who aspire to participate in a future REDD mechanism, and will provide scientific underpinning of the many approaches that already exist.The Draft Protocol, titled "Comparison of methods for the measurement and assessment of carbon stocks and carbon stock changes in terrestrial carbon pools" was produced collaboratively by Gill Petrokofsky, FAO/UN-REDD Programme and external experts. It has now been posted on the website of the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE), a consortium that facilitates systematic reviews. View document.
The Protocol is now being peer-reviewed. The next phase will consist of putting together a team of reviewers for the full systematic review, which will start in October 2009. Revisions to the Draft Protocol are available on the CEE website and feedback is being collected throughout the period of consultation.
Click here for more information on the process.Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
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In this issueNewsUnited Nations event on forests and climate change underscores North-South agreement and support for REDDSystematic review of methods to measure and assess terrestrial carbonLast days to vote for civil society representativesFeatures & CommentaryUN-REDD and indigenous peoples' engagement: the case of Africa -- By Elifuraha Isaya Laltaika Reports & AnalysisSeveral UN-REDD countries participate in discussion on assessment and monitoring forest degradationUN-REDD countries meet to share experiences on measuring, reporting and verification systems for REDDUS$4.38 million UN-REDD Viet Nam Programme launchedLooking aheadThird Policy Board Meeting of the UN-REDD Programme to take place in Washington, D.C. from 29-30 October 2009 Download Newsletter 2 Printable Version
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Tunnel Vision
|Release Date: January 22, 2013
|Running Time: 82 mins.
|Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Delila Vallot
Delila Vallot
Christopher Leggett
Scott Barry
All Cast & Crew >>
Summary:The jury let the psycho who murdered his family off the hook, but he just can't let it go. Now he'll stop at nothing to get his own bloody revenge on a serial killer whose own grisly methods will be turned against him.


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Sep 7, 2013
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | USATSI Gallery
Utah's 70 points tied for the 10th highest single-game total in school history. The last time Utah scored 70 points was against UTEP in 1973 (82-6).
This marks only the second time in school history that Utah has amassed 100 points in its first two games (1973; 29-22 loss at Texas Tech, 82-6 win vs. UTEP).
Utah scored 35 points in the second quarter, which is the most points that Utah has scored in a quarter since 1968 (the first year quarter records could be obtained).
Weber State moved the ball across midfield only twice during the game.
The Utah defense recorded seven sacks, the most sacks, its most since eight sacks against Alabama in 2008.
DB Reginald Porter and OL Isaac Asiata both made their first career starts. The Utes used 53 players during the game.
Travis Wilson was responsible for five touchdowns, passing for three touchdowns and rushing for two scores. Wilson went 14-of-19 for 264 yards passing while rushing three times for 93 yards. He had a long rush of 51 yards for a touchdown. Wilson has six career rushing touchdowns.
Travis Wilson's 80-yard touchdown pass to Sean Fitzgerald is tied for the 10th-longest pass play in Utah history. It is the longest Utah pass play since 2009.
Dres Anderson had four catches for 103 yards, his first career 100-yard game. He scored on a 57-yard reception in the second quarter.
Sean Fitzgerald made three catches for a career-high 87 yards. He scored two touchdowns for the first scores of his career.
Lucky Radley had a career-high 111 rushing yards (13 carries). He scored two touchdowns in the third quarter on runs of 17 and 11 yards. Radley has three career touchdowns.
Kelvin York scored his first touchdown of the season and fourth of his career on a 24-yard run in the second quarter.
James Poole amassed 146 all-purpose yards (44 rushing, 20 receiving, 82 punt return).
QB Adam Schulz made his second career appearance in the second half, going 3-5 for 36 yards passing.
Tenny Palepoi led the defense with eight tackles, including 2.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks. The Utah defense recorded seven sacks.
Mike Honeycutt forced a fumble on a Weber State kickoff return, which he recovered and took in for his first career touchdown.
Tom Hackett placed three of his four punts inside the 20-yard line. He averaged 43.5 yards per punt and had a long of 53.
Eric Rowe had a team-high three pass breakups.
Attendance is 45,053, Utah's 20th-straight sellout.


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Quaker Costume Doll
Rendered by Charlotte Angus (artist), 1935/1942
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper
overall: 51 x 38.5 cm (20 1/16 x 15 3/16 in.)
Index of American Design
Not on View
Object 17 of 26
This doll has a fine china head. She wears a black bonnet over a close-fitting white cap. Her dress of taupe silk has a full-gathered skirt. A white shawl is pinned at the waist with an organdy kerchief under it. Three white petticoats and pantalettes are under her dress, and she wears high black shoes. This doll dates from the 1840s or 1850s, when china dolls were becoming popular. Unlike the all-cloth dolls that were often homemade in early America, china and bisque dolls were produced in factories.
|back to gallery
|continue tour


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So I was just reading the latest article on the Coast Guards deepwater site and it was about the first CG crew completing their training flights aboard the HC-235 etc etc... But the pictures caption says...
Quote:Cdr. Dough Nash in the cockpit of the HC-144A, the official designation issued by the Air Force.
So my question is why does the Air Force designate the Coast Guards aircraft with a different number?
Please check your spelling (press "Check Spelling" above)
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text: Home Lists 2012 The Root 100 Jason Moran is the Kennedy Center's artistic adviser for jazz. 69 Influence: 141.7 Reach: 8.4 Substance: 7.0 Media Mentions: 3 Internet Mentions: 2200 Twitter Followers: 2846 Jason Moran Musician tapped to be the artistic adviser for jazz at the Kennedy Center. Job: Jazz musician Sector: Arts Twitter: @morethan88 Location: New York City Age: 37 Bio: Jason Moran creates original jazz compositions and reinterpretations of classics that stretch the genre's boundaries by blending classical, blues, rock, hip-hop, funk and the spoken word. In November of 2011, he was tapped for a three-year appointment as the Kennedy Center's artistic adviser for jazz -- becoming only the second person to hold the position. Albums by the Houston native and Manhattan School of Music graduate include Modernistic, Same Mother and Ten. Moran has performed with artists such as Cassandra Wilson, Wayne Shorter and Marian McPartland and won a 2010 MacArthur Foundation fellowship. He serves on the New England Conservatory faculty. Like his Facebook page. Powered by Livefyre


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Web databases and data-oriented design
The database is an essential component in most Web applications. Web databases provide data storage and search ability. Without a database to write to and read from, there would be no way to maintain data persistence. Each time a user logged off their data would be lost. Good data architecture provides much more than mere data persistence, however. In today's application environment, users generate enormous amounts of data. Processing big data and turning it into useful information for the user requires application developers to take on a data-oriented design mentality.
How a data center improves car engineering
22 Apr 2016
News - McLaren Automotive has highlighted that racecar engineering principles can innovate better software. More specifically, how a data center can help with that.
Why NoSQL databases are getting replaced
17 Mar 2016
News - NoSQL databases have gained popularity by solving problems at which relational databases fail. Now graphing engines are solving the problems that are too tough for NoSQL.
Big data analytics use cases over data science, says CEO
30 Apr 2015
News - Turning data into information depends on the context it's used in. It takes a new type of engineer to discover the right big data analytics use cases to pursue.
Cloud and on-premises hybrid: The future of mobile content management
29 May 2013
News - To meet both regulatory challenges while leveraging cost efficiencies, the future of content management is a cloud and on-premises hybrid.
Big data trends: Big things in store for 2013
21 Feb 2013
News - Big data trends in 2013 will include rises in cloud storage, organization of unstructured data and the importance of real-time analytics.
Predictive analysis techniques pull real-time results out of big data
30 Nov 2012
Gartner Summit News - Getting real-rime results out of big data makes predictive analysis a powerful tool for enterprise application developers.
JavaOne 2012 preview: Our favorite speakers tell all
28 Sep 2012
JavaOne preview - JavaOne speakers Adam Bien, Kai Wähner and Jevgeni Kabanov explain why they love JavaOne and how to get the most out of it.
JBoss product announcements shed light on JBoss World event
21 Jun 2012
News - JBoss product announcements this week give us a taste of what's to come at Red Hat Summit and JBoss World 2012.
OCPJP & OCAJP: Java 7 training requirement for the Oracle Certified Professional Programmer dropped
21 Dec 2011
News - In order to obtain the certified architect position from Oracle, attending and passing a training course is now required. But what about the Java Professional and Java Associate designations, OCPJP and OCAJP for Java 7?
OCAJP and OCPJP Changes for Java 7: New Objectives, a Format Change and a Price Hike
16 Dec 2011
News - The OCP (Oracle Certified Professional) Java 7 certification (OCAJP and OCPJP), which replaced the SCJP certification, will now require you to pass two exams, each of which will cost $300 to take, pushing the cost of the designation to $600.


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Doctor Who 3D for 50th Anniversary
Doctor Who will be broadcast in 3D for the 50th anniversary the BBC has announced today.
Full details:
Ben Stephenson, the BBC's Controller of Drama Commissioning, has revealed some exciting news about plans to mark Doctor Who's half-century.
Earlier today he announced, 'As part of the BBC's blockbuster celebrations to mark the Doctor turning 50, fans will be able to see the Time Lord and his adventures like never before – in 3D!'
"It's a nationwide celebration of both Doctor Who and the BBC because I think they are so synonymous. We will be doing a big Doctor Who special in 3D which is very exciting and feels very innovative," he said.
"We will be doing it on cinema screens as well. We are working out the logistics of that at the moment because we need to make sure the main BBC1 experience remains absolute value for money for the audience."
To be broadcast using some of the BBC's HD capacity, Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, said: 'It's about time. Technology has finally caught up with Doctor Who and your television is now bigger on the inside. A whole new dimension of adventure for the Doctor to explore.'


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The Great Pokémon Battle
View Single Post
December 18th, 2012 (7:59 AM).
Skitty trainer
Join Date: Dec 2012
Gender: Male
Nature: Careful
Posts: 40
Rattata - 26
Serperior - 36
Samurott - 32 (SAVE)
Kyurem - 54
Porygon 2 - 56
Deoxys - 16 (ATTACK)
Meet a guy that wants to be a rom hacker.
Just trying... I'm probably not even 1% as good as most people, but I'm trying!
Also, I have pokemon soulsilver to play, but I do not do trades, battles or anything online.
Of course, you can ask me stuff, but I won't usually know the answer
You like my signature? If you do, I owe you 100 bucks. Just messing with ya!
Oh yeah, I have super pokemon rumble too. All of you guys are awesome
Skitty smiley!
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May 26, 2016
A spokesperson for the West Alabama Athletic Department tells Newscenter 11 the school will name its new head football coach Monday at 3:00 pm in the Bell Conference Center on campus.
The next head man for the Tigers will have the task of replacing Will Hall who took the head coaching job at West Georgia just five days after the Tigers won back-to-back Gulf South Conference titles for the first time in program's 71 year history.
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CLEVELAND (AP) — Youngstown's mayor, the Mahoning County auditor and a former politician are scheduled to be arraigned on corruption-related charges in Cleveland.
The men being arraigned Thursday were indicted May 14 on charges that include engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, bribery, money laundering and tampering with records. Prosecutors say the charges relate to an effort from 2005 to 2008 to prevent the move of Mahoning County offices in Youngstown.
The charges against Mayor John McNally, Mahoning County Auditor Michael Sciortino (shor-TEE'-noh) and a county prosecutor candidate were filed in Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH'-guh) County, where prosecutors say some of the alleged activity occurred.
McNally's charges relate to when he was a Mahoning County commissioner. His office said he wasn't available to comment when he was indicted.
Sciortino vowed to fight the charges.


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Look no further and undergo training at KAL Multimedia Training. Not only do we provide quality education, but KAL Multimedia Training also provides a wide range of Vocational courses across various sectors. With courses in business services, community services including childcare and relationship counselling, screen and media, information technology and training & assessment, you choose what suits you best. You can also benefit from VET-FEE Help and Skills Victoria funding.
KAL Multimedia Training is a Registered Training Organisation that delivers nationally recognised training leading to the issue of qualifications under the Australian Qualifications Framework.
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Do not delay. Contact us on (03) 9380 5593, visit us at www.kalmultimedia.com.au or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
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This must be what's happening, because not only does the "1996-1997 International Assignee Research Project" (conducted by Princeton, New Jersey-based Berlitz International Inc. and HFS Mobility Services, now Danbury, Connecticut-based Cendant Mobility) show expats place highest importance on health care among all assignment services, but it also shows only 65 percent are satisfied with the health care service they receive. One-third of the time, expats' most pressing concern is being handled poorly. This is not a situation you want to be in. It's bad for morale. It's bad for assignments. It's bad for business.
So why are expats unhappy? Sometimes it's availability of care, but more often it's access to care. Many assignees struggle through unreal bureaucracy to process claims for simple medical procedures. As many U.S.-based multinationals are learning, creating a special expat benefits plan may be the solution.
Traditional approaches.
This will sound similar to the popular methods of expatriate compensation outlined in "Is the Balance Sheet Right for Your Expats?" (Global Workforce, September 1998) -- but it bears repeating. Traditionally, there have been three choices for handling expat benefits. Consider this scenario: An individual from the United Kingdom works for a U.S. multinational and is being sent to Australia.
- Home-country approach: The employee is maintained, as much as possible, in the U.K. benefits program. Everything from health care to life insurance is kept in the United Kingdom.
- Host-country approach: This system is similar to the home-country approach except that everything shifts to Australia. The person essentially is given the same medical benefits as an Australian national working locally in Australia.
- Headquarters-country approach: In this case, the U.K. employee being transferred is given the U.S. benefits plan. Medical, dental and even 401(k) is covered by U.S. programs. If it's impossible to put the employee in a particular plan, a mirror plan is offered.
These methods have served U.S. multinationals fairly well as fill-gap measures over the years. But today's marketplace calls for a heightened level of effectiveness from assignees. Yesterday's benefits solutions may be out of date in supporting these key players in your global strategy.
Stumbling blocks.
So what makes the traditional solutions out of date? These approaches carry some serious -- and in many cases, avoidable -- stumbling blocks. These are some of the biggest ones.
- Language and currency. This problem applies whether you're working with a home-country plan or a headquarters-country plan. Let's say an expat in Hong Kong receives medical treatment. The claims, written in Chinese and itemized in Hong Kong currency, are sent to a French insurer unused to dealing with this kind of paperwork. It can be a nightmare to get the documents translated and the currency converted, drawing out the reimbursement process months, if not years.
- Pre-existing conditions. What happens if an expat from the United States is localized into the Australian medical system for three years (host-country approach), and during that time develops a health condition? When he or she returns home, this person may have trouble going back into the benefits program in the States without being classified as an individual with a pre-existing condition. The employee hasn't switched firms, but he or she may be stuck with the label simply because the insurers in the U.S. and overseas are different.
- A family member stays behind. If you have an expat transferring without his or her spouse or leaving behind a child in college, you may have a hard time keeping everyone insured. For example, there are some U.S. policies that don't like to cover people not on the local payroll. So if a U.S. employee transfers to Australia and adopts an Australian insurer, the family members in the States may not be able to stay on the U.S. insurer's plan.
- Cost. Another key concern, especially for expats in a U.S. headquarters-based plan, is cost. Some U.S. companies have noticed, for example, that when sending a U.K. employee to Australia, it doesn't matter what insurer they go with in either of those two countries, there's no way the cost could be more than a fraction of what it would be with a U.S. plan.
- Consistency. As discussed in September's compensation article, you also need to consider where you want to have equity. If you have expats in Australia from the United Kingdom, do you want the expats to have the same benefits as their Australian peers? Or do you want them to have the same benefits as their U.K. colleagues? You can unwittingly create friction when employees working side by side have significantly different benefits packages.
- HR's time and attention. When you transfer people from the United Kingdom to Australia for the first time, you have to figure out what to do with them. Later, if you send another U.K. family to Australia, you know what to expect. But suppose your next transfer is from France to Australia. Then it's back to square one, researching your options.
Carving out expats.
This brings us to what some are calling the special expatriate plan. This approach to global benefits attempts to solve many of the problems with the other methods by creating a single program for all international assignees. Eugene Dimitriou, international consultant with New York City-based William Mercer, says, "It doesn't have the administrative difficulties of dealing with different languages and different currencies." He continues, "If you have a Hong Kong-based employee that has medical treatment in Australia, the person can probably expect to get their money back -- and even an explanation of benefits in Chinese -- within 10 to 15 days." This is a drastic improvement compared to the months or even years it may take with traditional methods.
Insurers offering special expat plans, such as Cigna and Aetna, have processes in place to handle the language translation. It may be done internally or through outsourcing. They also understand that employees shouldn't have to take the risk for currency fluctuation, so they process claims using rates applicable for the date the employee paid the bill.
These insurers also offer flexibility, building in waivers for pre-existing exclusion clauses. You'll find this same flexibility when it comes to deductibles and co-insurance premiums. And special expat plan providers will work with you to develop a program that meets the expectations of your expats, regardless of their nationality. This includes understanding local medical practices and covering procedures that usually would be excluded under other programs. For example, in the Netherlands it's common to have a midwife during child birth. A special expat plan would be more likely to cover this procedure for families who are more comfortable with this while they live on assignment somewhere else.
These plans are also fairly flexible regarding who can participate in them. Dimitriou explains that in some cases they're used for local nationals in management positions. This allows the company to improve their benefits packages without having to make arrangements for more expensive individual policies.
Carving out expats is definitely a growing trend. But so far, chances are your company isn't there yet. Ginny Hollis, vice president of sales for Wilmington, Delaware-based Cigna International Employee Benefits, says, "I would say probably 25 percent of the U.S. multinationals now have separate global programs. The other 75 percent probably still have people covered under the domestic program. And they're getting the domestic carrier to try to do a bunch of work-arounds … or they have their own staff playing intermediary still."
So why haven't more companies already made the move? It's a time consuming transition. HR needs to pin down exactly where its expats are in the system currently, move them into one information system and work on setting up new eligibilities. But after this initial effort, you should see an ongoing time savings. Hollis explains, "Once HR goes through the initial work of setting up the plan, it takes a lot of day-to-day headaches away. The plan is totally portable." She adds, "Expats generally will say, 'My gosh, you listened to me! You set up a plan that really meets my needs. You understand what it's like to be overseas.'"
So it seems the special expatriate plans beat the others hands down. Well, not exactly. There are some cases in which the traditional methods are still the better options. This is especially true if a company is sending expats from the headquarters country and it rarely does the reverse -- bringing people in. In this case, things may already be as simple as possible. The same holds true for a company with only one or two global locations. If processes are already standardized, this new approach may not be helpful to you.
As with all components of the expat package, it's important to reevaluate the status quo. Your current way of handling benefits may seem to be working well on the surface, but it's doing your organization a great disservice if it frustrates assignees and burdens HR. You may learn that an updated benefits program is all you need to recruit and retain top expat candidates. And happy, healthy expats are productive assignees.
Global Workforce, November 1998, Vol. 3, No. 6, pp. 18-23.


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As for his follow-up to 'Burke & Hare,' which was set to be a Paris-set monster movie (no, not a remake of "An American Werewolf in Paris"), Landis says that's out of the cards for now: "A French producer paid me to write a horror script I liked very much. He read it and said 'What the fuck is this?' He was shocked by it. He wanted changes that I refused to make, so I gave him the money back, so I own it. So I don't know if I can get anyone else to give me the money, everyone wants the same thing."
Landis even went as far as to compare his plight with his son Max Landis, who is currently working on several gestating projects after his hit superhero flick "Chronicle" earlier this year. One of those project is "Chronicle 2" for Fox, which Landis says, "He wrote a sequel, and it's amazing, and the studio read it and said, 'We want 'Chronicle' again!' And he said, 'No, this is the sequel, it's the evolution, and they said 'No, we want that movie again!' So it's difficult, we're dealing with a difficult business.'
Baker also has a very strong to tie to both Landis and 'Werewolf,' but it was the fact that Baker was the first make-up artist to win an Oscar for 'Werewolf' when the film finally released in 1982 (a category seemingly invented that year to solely honor the work he did on the werewolf transformation scene) that really shocked him. Baker told us, "So many people say about winning an Oscar, that it's such a surreal moment. It was surreal. First of all, I couldn't believe I was nominated, especially for a horror movie -- and a particularly gory horror movie at that. Second of all, I didn't really think it was Academy-friendly, so I thought 'It's just an honor to be nominated.'" Baker was particularly happy to have his Oscar presented to him by genre mavens Vincent Price and "Planet of the Apes" actress Kim Hunter, but Baker was even more surprised that he earned before many of the artists he looked up to: "It was unbelievable to win, because there had only been two make-up artists to get Oscars before, John Chambers and William Tuttle – and they were special achievement awards – so yeah, it was unreal." Both Landis and Baker certainly chatted like old friends throughout the question and answer session as well, with Baker stating that "he's changed my life in so many ways."
They divulged in tales of the first time meeting each other in Baker's mom's house in Covina, California, and how Baker met his wife – hair stylist Silvia Abascal – on the set of Landis' underrated 1985 gem "Into The Night." Landis cast Baker in a small cameo as a drug dealer lead actor Jeff Goldblum's character runs into on Hollywood Boulevard, and also used Abascal as a prostitute for the same scene. Landis said he snapped a picture of the two together in costume as their seedy characters, to which Baker replied, "I still have that photograph, it's a very nice 8x10 photograph that John sent me, of the night I met my wife. It's the very first time we met and we have this photograph of that, so, you know."
AMPAS is continuing this series until November 1st. More details can be found here.


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Cosmic Run 5k San Diego Nocturnal Walk/Run
- When Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 7 p.m.
- Where Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Rd, San Diego Map | Website
- Age limit 18+
- Categories Dance, Electronic, Outdoors, Sports
- Cost $50
Above: Promotional graphic for the Cosmic Run on March 22, 2014.
Get ready for lift off at 7:00 PM at Qualcomm Stadium on March 22, 2014! Cosmic Run is a nocturnal, 5 Kilometer journey through the world's most extravagant expressions of light, sound, and color.
Run, walk, jog, or dance as you witness an electrifying world filled with towering LED and 3D-animated lighting elements, fluorescent-glowing color transformations, and heart-pounding dance music.
End the night with headlining performances by some of the world's top electronic music DJ's and producers such as MAKJ, PROJECT 46, Robbie Rivera, and Starkillers, to name a few.
Individual Registration - $50.00
Early Bird - $50 Until Feb 21
Regular - $55 Until Mar 14
Late - $60 Until Mar 21
To register or for more information, visit: www.cosmicrun.com.
Location: Qualcomm Stadium 9449 Friars Rd San Diego, CA 92108 Google Maps


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If you're a diehard football fan, it's never too early to start talking about the upcoming NFL season. No matter what team you root for, attending any NFL game is an experience to remember.
Though the NFL regular season doesn't get underway until Sept. 8, the preseason kicks off well before on Sunday, Aug. 7 with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Played at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, this year's game starts at 8 p.m. and will feature the Green Bay Packers against the Indianapolis Colts. You can watch the first action of the NFL season by getting your tickets today. Tickets start at $123. Check out NFL Hall of Fame Game Tickets Guide and Pricing Info to get you set to attend this classic contest.
Not only does the game officially end the long NFL offseason, but it is held during the same weekend as the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies where pro football legends are recognized for their contributions to the game and are enshrined with fellow Hall of Famers.


text: Episode Guide Season: 2015 Episode 201 - Goat Country Gregg climbs to the top of the world on North America's most challenging hunt. Icy snow pack, jagged mountains and sheer cliffs where one false step can kill you - this is God's country, this is goat country. Episode 202 - Gila Monsters Gregg chases monster elk near the Gila National Forrest. After five days of hiking he is given one fleeting chance to punch his tag with just minutes left in the season. Episode 203 - Old School Whitetail Gregg gets a visit from Bob and Bill who are determined to bring a little old school logic to Gregg's farm. Deer don't go on the wall, they go in the freezer. Episode 204 - Hunter-Gatherer Part 1 Gregg travels deep into the African jungle to hunt Bongo with one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes on earth, the Baka Pygmies of Cameroon. Episode 205 - Hunter-Gatherer Part 2 Gregg travels deep into the African jungle to hunt Bongo with one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes on earth, the Baka Pygmies of Cameroon. Episode 206 - Raise 'em Right Gregg teaches his daughter the importance of patience in the deer stand and sees the value of his own advice when he has an encounter with a giant buck he's been hunting for years. Episode 207 - Bear Sounds Gregg heads to North to uncover the connection between the Prince William Sound and the thriving bear populations while hunting the banks of an Alaskan glacial lake. Episode 209 - Rattled Gregg brings a new bow hunter to Illinois during the peak of the whitetail rut but a turn of events leaves them both a bit rattled. Episode 210 - The Hail Merry Season Gregg teams up with Tim Highland for a very merry Christmas. With one last chance at the Illinois whitetail season will Santa come to Augusta? Season: 2014 Episode 101 - Humble Beginnings Living in North America's last great frontier is hard work and Alaskan residents welcome spring, which brings salmon to the waters and record book black bears to the coast. Episode 102 - 10 Days in the Hole The Northwest Territories of Canada is home to vast tracts of virgin ground, giant moose, and the Werner Family. Gregg races winter weather as he chases rutting bull moose in a 6,000 acre burn called Hell Hole. Episode 103 - A Tur of Azerbaijan High in the Caucasus Mountains between Russia and Iran live the Azerbaijani people and the Caucasian Tur. Gregg climbs high to meet them both but the locals must take drastic measures to clear the air of bad weather and bad luck. Episode 104 - Blessed Few people put it all on the line to follow their dreams and even fewer people succeed. Gregg travels to Iowa to hunt giant whitetail in the peak of the rut with Lee and Tiffany Lakosky. Episode 105 - New Perspective To gain new perspective you must go where others don't. Gregg travels deep into Nebraska cattle country in search of turkeys but what he finds is hope for the future. Episode 106 - My Idea of Heaven Gregg embarks on his dream of turning an old farm into a whitetail hunting paradise in the heart of the midwest. A difficult early season reminds him that whether you are planting food plots or running the world's largest bow company, it's all about teamwork. Episode 107 - This is Sheep Hunting Gregg embarks on the backcountry hunt of a lifetime on infamous Tiburon Island. Surviving for two weeks deep in the island's interior Gregg gets his shot at a new muzzleloader world record. Episode 108 - Of Pigs and Men Everything is bigger in Texas, including their hog problem. Gregg teams up with the grand punisher of pork, Pigman, to swine and dine in the heart of hog country. Episode 109 - Hand it Down Some of our most cherished traditions are those we inherited. Meet the duo who introduced Gregg to hunting. Whose legacy are you carrying on and who will carry yours? Episode 110 - Wagons West To hunt late season whitetails you need cold weather and food. Gregg heads West to Kansas to try and save his season but he will be hunting 11,000 acres of property he has never seen. Season: 2012 Decoying Whitetails Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Scouts And Hunts A New Property In Illinois. Decoy Tactics. Arctic Adventure Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Hunts The Low Arctic In Pursuit Of Muskoxen Early Season Whitetail Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Strategies Early Season Whitetails. Guest Tim Woods Long Range Tactics Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Hunts The Barbary Sheep Of The Davis Mountains, Texas. Farming For Whitetails Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Describes Farming Strategies For Big Bucks. Lakosky Guests Spot And Stalk Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Hunts The Huge Hai De Guaii Black Bears Of The Charlotte Islands. Hunting Pressured Bucks Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Discusses Tactics For Pressured Bucks. Guest Joel Snow Remote Hunts Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Hunts Brown Bear In The Alaskan Wilderness. Pursuit Of 1 Trophy Buck Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Challenges The Pursuit Of One Trophy Buck Rigors Of Mountain Hunts Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Tackles The Bc Mountains Hunting The Illusive Stone's Sheep Late Season Strategies Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Describes Late Season Tactics. Tim Woods Guest Ancestors Of Caribou Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Hunts The Aleutian Islands With Jim Shockey For Reindeer. Western Big Game Join Hunt Master Gregg Ritz As He Hunts The Rugged Utah Mountains For Trophy Elk. Jason Hornady Guest. Mon:11:30 AM ETWed:11:30 AM ETThu:7:00 PM ETSun:10:00 PM ETMon:4:30 AM ET


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Madison Howard Nelson Roberts; March 13, 1998 – October 29, 2012.
Madison Howard Nelson Roberts, age 14, passed away on Monday, October 29, 2012, at the Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse. Madison was born on March 13, 1998 in... Read More >>
Funeral Services for Levi Sovie, age 35, will be held Saturday, November 3, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Cathedral with Rev. Joseph Morgan officiating. Burial will be in Pine Hill Cemetery following funeral services. Calling hours will be held on... Read More >>
Graveside services for 76 year old George W. (Peanut) Harriman Sr. will be held privately in Bixby Cemetery, Norfolk. Mr. Harriman passed away early Monday Morning at the Massena Memorial Hospital.
George is survived by his wife of 52 years, Linda... Read More >>
Robert W. Wanke, 66, of Willard Road, died unexpectedly Sunday (October 28, 2012) at his home. Robert was born on September 10, 1946 in Columbus, OH, the son of Robert and Phyllis (Wright) Wanke. He attended Ohio State University and graduated from... Read More >>
Graveside services for Wyitt Michael LaRue, infant son, of Felicia Gagnon and Bryant LaRue, will be held on Thursday, November 1, at 10:00 a.m. at Ogdensburg Cemetery with Rev. Robert Longbottom officiating. Master LaRue died at birth on October 28... Read More >>
Malone/ St. Regis Falls – Pearl A. Palmer, 102, passed away peacefully at Franklin County Nursing Home, Saturday, October 27, 2012. Arrangements are entrusted with the Hammill Funeral Home in St. Regis Falls.
Pearl was born in Gile on October 14,... Read More >>
Mr. Albert H. Vervaet, 85, of Hannawa Falls, passed away on Monday, October 29, 2012 at his residence.
Albert is survived by his daughters, Mary Anne Vervaet of Cornwall-On-Hudson, and Susan Vervaet Riveland (and son-in-law Ralph Riveland) of... Read More >>
Arrangements for 76 year old George W. Harriman Sr., 200 Marsh Road, Norfolk, are incomplete at this time with the Buck Funeral Home in Norfolk. Mr. Harriman passed away early Monday morning at the Massena Memorial Hospital. The Buck Funeral Home... Read More >>
Graveside services for Paul C. Burns, age 93, of the 5 Mile Line Road will be held on Thursday (Nov 1, 2012) at 11:00 a.m. at the White Church Cemetery. There will be no public calling hours. Mr. Burns died Friday (Oct 26, 2012) at Claxton Hepburn... Read More >>
Carolyn Keyes Nevaldine, 91, former Canton resident, died October 22, 2012 in Palm Harbor Florida.
She was born in Schenectady. She graduated from high school in Orchard Park, and earned a bachelor's degree from Buffalo State Teacher's College.... Read More >>
Graveside services for Paul C. Burns, age 93 of the 5 Mile Line Road are incomplete with the Fox & Murray Funeral Home. Mr. Burns died Friday, Oct 26, 2012 at Claxton Hepburn Medical Center. Surviving is his daughter, Ann M. Burns of the 5... Read More >>
Anthony Ray Lamendola, 82, formerly of Massena, passed away Thursday, Oct. 25 at the Syracuse VA Medical Center where he had been a patient since April.
Ray was born Oct. 3, 1930 in Massena, the son of the late Andrew and Charlotte Lazore Lamendola... Read More >>
©North Country This Week P.O. Box 975, 19 Depot St., Potsdam, NY 13676 315-265-1000 email@example.com


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Universities Must Try Harder as Students Fear Fee Hike Will Force Them out of Education
59 per cent of UK students will not attend university if fees rise above £5k, research finds.
With A Level results announced this week, UK students say universities are going to need to work harder to tempt them to study and most (59 per cent) will consider dropping out of education if annual tuition fees are hiked beyond £5,000. Research out today spotlights a new tipping point for those contemplating university but worried by the prospect of mounting debts as the Government considers increasing the current £3,225 fees. And those deciding which university to apply for say the establishments must do more to inform them on courses and tempt them, with many Web sites seen as mediocre.
The research also reveals that course choice is the primary consideration for students selecting a university, ahead of other factors such as academic reputation and social life. Current students generally like their university experience – 78 per cent would pick the same university again, however nearly half (48 per cent) wish they had found out more about job and career prospects before applying.
Most students (95 per cent) browse university Web sites before making a decision, however the research indicates that these frequently fail to deliver the information students need. Just 38 per cent of UK students say university Web sites answer their questions and nearly half (47 per cent) rate university Web sites as "poor" or "average".
The importance for universities of having a good Web site is highlighted by the fact that students use more channels than ever before to reach a decision on their university, with social media, careers advisers and independent Web sites the most popular research methods.
Davin Yap, CEO of Cambridge-based software company Transversal, which commissioned the research, said: "In these tough times, it's getting more and more important for universities to compete for students. However they appear to be shooting themselves in the foot with Web sites that are not fit for purpose. Choosing a university is one of the most important decisions anyone can make. Universities need to make sure their Web sites answer the many questions students have."
The survey was carried out in July 2010. All of the 1000 participants were aged 18 to 22 years and were either current students at UK universities or due to enrol in September 2010.