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Chapter 8: Legend of the Lakes
Much had happened since Ash had captured Spiritomb. Many weeks had passed, and in that time Ash had done battle with and defeated the leader of the Hearthome City Gym, Fantina, who was a wielder of Ghost-type Pokemon. It was a difficult battle, but Ash managed to defeat Fantina using both Riolu and Spiritomb, who he had managed to tame somewhat since catching it. All the while Ash's training with Riley continued, Ash had not only started to master seeing things by their Aura, but had begun to get the hang of sensing emotions through Aura as well. One thing Ash was having difficulty with however was manipulating Aura to form a barrier like he had done when he fought Spiritomb.
Recently, Ash had done battle with the leader of the Veilstone City Gym, Maylene, who was an expert user of Fighting-type Pokemon, and even possessed her own Lucario. Maylene's Lucario had defeated both Riolu and Spiritomb, but in the end it was Pikachu that triumphed. After defeating Maylene, the group began their journey to the next gym in Pastoria City. A day after they left Veilstone Ash and the others had decided to camp out near Lake Valor. On that particular day they had just finished eating lunch.
"Guys, I'm gonna go take a walk by the lake for a bit." Ash told the others.
"Don't take too long Ash. We should get moving soon if we want to get to the next town before Pastoria City." Misty reminded him.
"You don't have to tell me twice." Ash said with a smile and a thumbs-up. "Pikachu, Riolu, let's go."
Before long, Ash, Pikachu, and Riolu had arrived at the edge of Lake Valor. It was a large and very beautiful lake with pristine clear water that shimmered in the sun. Surrounding the lake were several tall trees.
"Wow, this place is just as beautiful as Lake Verity." Ash commented. Riolu looked at Ash with a slightly confused expression. "Oh that's right Riolu, I forgot that you were just an egg back then. I guess we'll have to take you back there sometime so you can see it."
Just then, Ash glanced out over the lake and saw a bright blue light rise out from the center. After a moment the light took the shape of a creature with a pointed head and two long tails. The creature of light hovered above the lake for a moment before quickly flying away.
"What was that?" Ash asked. "Was that a Pokemon?"
"That was Azelf." A familiar voice suddenly answered. Ash, Pikachu, and Riolu turned around to see Cyrus standing nearby.
"Hi Cyrus." Ash greeted. "You know about that Pokemon?"
"That I do." Cyrus said as he approached. "It is one of the guardians of Sinnoh's three lakes."
"Guardians of the lakes?" Ash asked.
"That's right. Professor Carolina told you the story Dialga and Palkia, correct?" Cyrus replied.
"Yeah, she said they were the guardians of time and space." Ash answered.
"There is more to the story she did not tell you." Cyrus revealed. "The same great power that created Dialga and Palkia also created three other Pokemon, representing the aspect of Spirit in living things. The three Pokemon are Uxie, the representation of knowledge, Azelf, the representation of willpower, and Mesprit, the representation of emotion. It is also said that these three Pokemon fell asleep beneath three lakes in the Sinnoh Region."
"So that's why Professor Rowan's been helping you study Lake Verity." Ash realized. "So you can find out more about the Lake Guardians."
"Quite right, and I believe the arrival of your friend Misty at Lake Verity awoke its guardian, Mesprit. Just as your arrival here at Lake Valor has awoken Azelf." Cyrus theorized. "The two of you seem to have attributes that the Lake Guardians have reacted to. Which means that the arrival of the right person at Sinnoh's third great lake, Lake Acuity, might just awaken the third guardian, Uxie."
"An interesting theory." A familiar voice cut in. Ash and the others turned to see Riley and Lucario. "And just what do you intend to do with this knowledge Mr. Cyrus?"
"Mr. Riley wasn't it? My ultimate goal from studying the Lake Guardians is to find a way to create a new and better world for all of us." Cyrus replied.
"I see… and just what sort of world to you plan to create?" Riley asked with a suspicious eye. "Everyone has their own idea of a better world should be. Your idea might not be one that everyone likes."
"You raise an interesting point." Cyrus replied. "If you must know, the world I plan to create is one free of war and conflict."
"The world seems pretty peaceful to me as is." Riley retorted. "There hasn't been a war in ages."
"True, but then there are groups like Team Rocket who continue to cause conflict." Cyrus pointed out. "Groups of people like them continue to cause conflict each day. And while there are no wars there are still common criminals, and places where people feud with one another over trivial things. Perhaps this world is not as peaceful as you think Mr. Riley."
"Maybe not, but it doesn't seem like you're telling us your whole plan." Riley told him. "Just how do you plan to create this new world of yours?"
"You will find that out in time Mr. Riley." Cyrus replied. "But for now I must be going. I have business to attend to elsewhere. Perhaps all our paths will cross again in the near future."
With that, Cyrus began to walk off. All the while Riley and Lucario were giving Riley a suspicious eye.
"Hey Riley," Ash spoke up, getting his mentor's attention, "what do you have against Cyrus? He's just trying to make the world a better place."
"Weren't you listening to any of that conversation?" Riley asked. "We don't know anything about what Cyrus is planning to do. And his interest in the Legendary Pokemon of Sinnoh is a little suspicious."
"But you seem to think that Cyrus is up to know good." Ash pointed out. "What I want to know is why?"
"Look, I'm not saying that Cyrus is plotting something bad, all I'm saying is that his actions seem suspicious." Riley told him. "And there's another reason why Lucario and I suspect Cyrus of something. Read his Aura the next time you see him, you'll understand then."
With that, Riley and Lucario walked off. Meanwhile Ash turned back to face the lake with Pikachu and Riolu to think. Ash still could not quite understand what reason why Riley thought Cyrus was up to no good, yet he could not deny that there was something fishy about just why Cyrus was interested was interested in the Lake Guardians.
"Hey." A familiar voice called. Ash turned to see Misty standing behind him. "Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all." Ash replied, and with that Misty took a spot next to Ash. "So what brings you here?"
"I just came by to see what you and Riley were doing." Misty explained. "I overheard some of what you and Riley were talking about with Cyrus."
"Oh…" Ash responded.
"So do you think Riley might be right about Cyrus?" Misty asked. "I mean he made some good points."
"Yeah, but I'm still not sure what to think though." Ash answered. "I still can't picture Cyrus being up to know good, but then I really don't think that Riley would be suspicious of him without a good reason."
"You really look up to Riley, don't you?" Misty observed.
"Yeah, he's taught me a lot." Ash admitted. "I wouldn't even know about this power if it wasn't for him. And… he kinda reminds me a little of my dad. At least I think he does."
"How long has it been since you've seen your dad?" Misty asked.
"A really long time." Ash answered. "It's been so long I don't remember too much about him. But he left to become a Pokemon Master just like I did."
"I see… well I'm sure your dad's proud of you wherever he is." Misty assured him.
"I'd like to think so too." Ash agreed. "Well, we should probably get going now if we want to get to the next town before the end of the day."
* * *
Meanwhile, not too far away from Lake Valor, Cyrus entered a large black helicopter that was awaiting him in a clearing. As soon as he boarded the chopper it took of. Once in the air, Cyrus reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a cell phone, after which he dialed a certain number.
"Saturn here sir." A voice on the other end of the phone once it had stopped ringing.
"Our suspicions about Lake Valor have proven correct. Azelf is there and it has been awakened by that boy, Ash Ketchum." Cyrus said into the phone.
"You mean that brat who mistook me for a woman? How interesting." Saturn replied. "What are your orders, sir?"
"Send some agents to Lake Valor to begin setting up for Phase Three." Cyrus ordered. "While you're at it you might as well send some agents to Lake Acuity to set up as well. It's logical to assume that Uxie is there since its brethren have confirmed to be at the other two lakes. In the meantime, you, Mars, and Jupiter head to Iron Island to begin Phase Two."
"It shall be done right away sir." Saturn replied.


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Indianapolis Life Insurance Co, listed under "Insurance" category, is located at 710 W 14th St F Austin TX, 78701 and can be reached by 5124790164 phone number. Indianapolis Life Insurance Co has currently 0 reviews.This business profile is not yet claimed, and if you are the owner, claim your business profile for free. If you are not the owner you can invite this business to join by email or by phone.Browse all Insurance in Austin TX. If you would like to see census data for this geographical location click here.
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This funny circle logo style badge or emblem has the Maya Tower or ancient Mayan ruins in a yellow gold starburst and says I survived the end of the world Mayan Apocalypse 12/21/2012 with a yellow sun
This great custom product in noble brown from our department Men and T-Shirt category can be printed just for you in the size and style you like. The design I Survived Mayan Apocalypse End of the World was created by studiometzger and uploaded to Spreadshirt for you to have printed on a T-Shirt. Next to a host of other great customized designs, you can find this I Survived Mayan Apocalypse End of the World design in Spreadshirt's Satire category. If you are interested in topics like 12 21 2012 or Humor, then you'll love I Survived Mayan Apocalypse End of the World designs by studiometzger. Spreadshirt also offers a huge selection of custom t-shirts, hoodies and accessories for the category Satire as well as top Maya tower clothing. studiometzger's designs have already impressed many of our customers, so we are sure that we've got right stuff for you! Spreadshirt is your destination for great designs of all kinds – whether it's 12 21 2012, Humor or Maya tower. We are sure that you will find something nice in our shop, there are many amazing custom Satire t-shirts, hoodies, or accessories for you to find! Tags: Design ID: 12202641
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May 24, 2016
Tallahassee, FL - The Florida A&M University Volleyball team will have a three-match home stand at the Al Lawson Center beginning on Sunday, Oct. 9.
FAMU will have back-to-back Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matches as they will host North Carolina A&T on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Then the Lady Rattlers will host North Carolina Central on Monday, Oct. 10 at 7p.m. The match was originally scheduled for Friday, Oct. 7, but was rescheduled due to a scheduling conflict.
FAMU will then wrap up their three-match home stand on Wednesday, Oct. 12 as they will host Mercer University in a 6 p.m. start.
The Lady Rattlers are currently 1-1 in conference play and 1-11 overall. FAMU picked up their first win of the season last Monday night as they defeated Savannah State, 3-0 (25-12, 25-12, 25-16).
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Chlorogalum pomeridianum – Soap Plant, Amole
Also Called
Soap plant or Amole
This plant is part of the Hyacinth or Hyacinthaceae family.
Distribution and Habitat
All zones except the high mountains and deserts. Dry and open slopes up to about 5000 feet. From Oregon to San Diego.
Description of Plant
This plant grows from a bulb and has long leaves which are strap-like, looking like a wide grass. In late spring and summer the flower stalks range from four to eight feet tall and can form small colonies of plants. The flowers are one inch wide, scattered along the stalk and evening blooming. The flowered open over a period of several weeks and each lasts for a single week.
Description of Plant Uses
The Native Americans used this plant for many different uses including for fiber, soap, adhesive, food and to stupefy fish.
The bulb is stripped of its outer fibrous layer and then crushed to make a soap. The soap was used to create a lather to clean clothes as wells as hands. It was also considered to be an excellent shampoo.
If slow roasted in a pit oven this bulb could also be used as a food source. Usually the bulbs would be placed in a pit oven at night and they would be ready for use in the morning. This slow cooking method made the bulb lose its soapy properties. The left over fibers were used as brushes, usually to brush the fine flower made from various nuts and seeds such as acorns out of baskets.
Young leaves were often harvested and cooked in a pit oven. This slow roasting process made these leaves sweet and therefore very delicious. The young leaves were also often eaten raw while the older, larger leaves were used to wrap breads before placed in ovens.
When cooked the bulb produces a thick substance. This was commonly used as a type of glue to attach feathers to arrows. Juice from the leaves were used as a type of tattoo ink, producing a green color.
One of the most interesting uses for this plant was its use as a fish poison, which is now illegal in California. Large numbers of fish were caught by damming streams and then by throwing in the crushed bulbs. This would stupefy the fish which would then float to the surface and could easily be picked out by hand. This process would stupefy fish and eels but not frogs. The poison also did not affect the fish as a food source.
Ornamental Value in the Landscape
This plant can be used for its ornamental value in the landscape. It is easy to cultivate and may multiply into a small colony in the garden. Plant it amount shrubs or at the edge of an oak canopy. It prefers sun to partial shade and is drought tolerant. It is adaptable to many different soil types.
Ethnobotany / Medicinal Uses
The soap plant, Chlorogalum pomeridianum, was also used medicinally. It was commonly used as a poultice for sores and rheumatism.


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This site if for applications or utilities that are Microsoft Exchange Server based. Sites related to Outlook utilities or applications should be listed under Computers: Software: Internet: Clients: Mail: Windows: Microsoft Outlook.Exchange Server is Microsoft's Groupware platform.
Please only submit sites dealing with third-party GroupWise solution providers.There is currently no description created for this category.
Please do NOT submit wikis focused on particular fields, topics or issues; rather, they belong in the more broad topical category the wiki covers.Wiki is short for WikiWiki, which means quick or hurry in Hawaiian Creole. Inventor: Ward Cunningham, of Cunningham & Cunningham, Inc. Wikis are a type of collaboration software, a group collaboration space, that makes information sharing easy, and uses few resources. They let you easily create your own Internet, intranet, or extranet communities for collaboration or static message posting. Uses: managing projects, sharing documents, planning events, working remotely, closing deals across wide areas, clubs (aircraft, cars, food, investment), user groups, study groups, K-12 and college classes, software development (open or closed source), focus groups, committees, family, friends, and anyone else who wishes or needs to share ideas. Wikis were originally invented, and propagated, in the open source community, but some newer variants have closed source features and versions.


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First there was the "Rocky Horror Show." Then a few years later, the young team of writer Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken had their own bright idea for a hip musical based on, and spoofing, a cult B-movie.
That would be "Little Shop of Horrors," a successful exercise in flagrant, fantastical silliness that applied 1950s girl-group pop, doo-wop and early Motown soul to a bloody romp about a flesh-devouring plant.
The 1982 tuner (based on a very low-budget yet weirdly engrossing Roger Corman film) has returned to Seattle in an exuberant production smartly helmed by Bill Berry, and co-produced by ACT and 5th Avenue theatres.
The combined audiences of both theaters are likely to chow down happily on the show during its very long run (through June 15), given the talent on display and the unstinting appetite for the show, which spawned an uproarious 1986 movie of the same title.
- Power restored after major, hour-long outage in downtown Seattle
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Spot-on casting wins the day here. Joshua Carter as Seymour, the horticulture nerd who toils in a failing Skid Row floral shop, is endearing, and a strong singer. Jeff Steitzer blusters and flusters with aplomb as Seymour's harried boss, Mr. Mushnick.
As the voice of Audrey II, the monstrous plant ravenous for far bigger game than insects, Ekello J. Harrid Jr. supplies the rumbling tone and dastardly laugh for some of the show's best laugh lines and its funniest "Feed me!" song, "Suppertime."
A saucy trio of Nicole Rashida Prothro, Alexandria Henderson and Naomi Morgan, as the teen slacker chorus, bop in and out. (Their characters are Ronnette, Chiffon and Crystal, in tribute to several great girl groups.)
And if David Anthony Lewis as leather-jacketed psycho-dentist Orin doesn't ooze all the bad-boy allure one hopes for, he fills a scattering of other comic roles well and sings heartily.
But the two standout performances in the solid cast come from Jessica Skerritt, as Stanley's ditsy bottle-blonde love interest, Audrey, and from the array of gnarly, toothy puppets (designed by Martin P. Robinson and manipulated by puppeteer Eric Esteb) that portray the ever-expanding Audrey II.
Skerritt has developed in recent years into a bona fide leading lady, who here is laughable, adorable and in lovely voice. And Audrey II? It resembles a cross between a shark and a giant cactus, with slimy, clinging vines.
Truth be told, this mounting of "Little Shop of Horrors" seems awfully crammed on the thrust stage of ACT's Falls Theatre, especially during Audrey II's final growth spurt. There's hardly room in Martin Christoffel's pop-up storefront set for the actors to maneuver.
But even a scenic malfunction that took a while to fix didn't seem to bother the audience on a recent night. People came prepared to laugh, to enjoy Menken's score (nicely executed by musical director R.J. Tancioco and combo) and to gobble up a quirky little perennial with a long shelf life.
Misha Berson: email@example.com


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3 Jun 2010 5:50 AM #1
check box wrapper distorts layout. How do I control this element? Source?
My layout includes checkboxs that are laid out in columns. Ext is wrapping them in a
 that looks like this...
HTML Code:

<input type="checkbox" name="ext-comp-1043" id="ext-comp-1043" autocomplete="off" class=" x-form-checkbox x-form-field" checked="">

How do I take control, modify, and or remove this div? I do not want to simply figure out how to assign an id to modify it, as I generate these checkboxes dynamically. I really need to alter it with the parent container or checkbox itself.
Any help is appreciated!
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Tarpon Springs High (2-1) at Dunedin High (1-2)
LAST MEETING: Aug. 31, 2012 at Dunedin – Spongers 24, Falcons 7
*** Suncoast News Game of the Week ***
*** Full coverage and photos after the game at www.SuncoastNews.com ***
These are the ones that count.
The Spongers and Falcons, both coming off lopsided losses last week, will square off Friday night for a Class 5A District 8 game at Dunedin.
It's the first league game of the season for two teams essentially vying for the district's second seed. Lakewood, one of the county's top squads, is a heavy favorite to run the table in league play. What remains up in the air is where the other five teams will settle in at when it all shakes out.
Tarpon Springs (2-1) is the frontrunner to take second and Dunedin (1-2) may represent their toughest challenge outside of Lakewood. Gibbs and Boca Ciega are a combined 1-5 right now.
Though the Spongers will go to Dunedin as a favorite, it will be interesting to see how the team bounces back after its first run-in with adversity. Tampa Catholic came to Tarpon Springs last Thursday and ran away with a 27-3 win. Last year's 2-0 start ended with a 3-7 finish, so a good showing Friday can keep bad memories of 2012 from creeping back in the minds of players.
East Lake High (3-0) at Clearwater High (0-3)
LAST MEETING: Nov. 9, 2012 at PHU – Eagles 41, Tornadoes 29
Well, right now the score's still 0-0.
After 7:30 Friday night, that's probably going to change quite a few times – primarily in East Lake's favor.
First-year Clearwater coach Donnie Abraham, a former NFLer, assistant coach at East Lake and father of Eagles' star DB Devin Abraham, will have his hands full trying to pull off what would be an astounding upset.
The Eagles haven't surrendered a single point this season (See article at: http://suncoastnews.com/su/list/suncoast-news-sports/east-lake-defenses-continues-blanking-opposition-20130919/), having pitched three-straight shutouts while outscoring opponents 119-0.
Eagles coach Bob Hudson said during an interview Monday that although his boys are amped up to run the streak as long as they can, he doesn't plan on leaving starters in during a blowout situation just to preserve it.
This one should be over by halftime, but the shutout streak makes it worth keeping an eye on.
Countryside High (2-1) at Northeast High (0-3)
LAST MEETING: Oct. 5, 2012 at Countryside – Forfeit: Northeast Win
If last week showed anything, it's that Countryside is still trying to find itself after losing a boatload of starters from 2012.
The Cougars got worked over at home by Palmetto High, 27-0, after jumping out to a 2-0 start that included a season-opening upset victory over Lakewood.
C-Side should be able to take some frustration out on Northeast this Friday. The Vikings have begun the 2013 season streaking just like East Lake, though in a much less fortunate way. Whereas East Lake has yet to give up a point, Northeast has yet to score a point. Vikings opponents have outscored them 82-0 through three games.
The Cougars' running game was completely bottled up last Friday against Palmetto, picking up just 6 yards on 24 attempts. Also uncertain is the quarterback situation. Starter Robby Hicks went 11 of 17 for 129 yards and an interception, but backup sophomore Trent Chmelik was given a look and completed 5 of 6 passes for 46 yards.
[OFF: Palm Harbor University]
(727) 815-1071


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Research Group on Graph Theory and Combinatorics
Library Home || Full Table of Contents || Suggest a Link || Library Help
|Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
|A group of about twenty-five members whose research belongs to the area, developing research projects and/or conducting works directed toward Ph.D. dissertations. Includes a searchable publication database and a page on The (Degree,Diameter) Problem for Graphs. One of the main objectives of the group is the application of Graph Theory to the study and design of interconnection networks. The problems usually considered include the analysis of characteristic parameters of the network (diameter, connectivity measures, etc.), the study of special substructures (rings, trees, etc), routing algorithms, modularity properties, and specific networks (symmetric networks, permutation networks, loop networks, etc).
|College, Research
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|Problems/Puzzles, Departments, Research Centers
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|Combinatorics, Graph Theory
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The Math Forum is a research and educational enterprise of the Drexel University School of Education.


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Just thought I'd say hello. I'm 58 years old and retired. Since I have the time I decided to put away the keys and try to do most of my day to day stuff on my bike. Doing so has made a remarkable improvement to my general health. I highly recommend it. I've been riding two wheeled vehicles (bikes, scooters, motorcycles) for longer than I can remember. My current ride is a 26 year old all steel Ross, which has served me very very well.
In the off case that you took the time to read this posting, have a great day!


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ABC's of HR Tech Not Easy
Vendors of workforce management software offer a new generation of applications delivered over the Internet. The software is presented as much easier to put in place. And vendors say their analytical tools can sift through corporate information and offer insights that help companies make smarter choices about hiring, training and firing.
All this may be true, in theory, but many organizations remain far from the lofty goal of at-a-glance strategic assessments. A major stumbling block is shaky data, which can be blamed in part on the lack of standard definitions for workforce metrics. A related hurdle is continued difficulty with integrating HR systems. Bolting new applications onto an existing human resources system can result in aborted missions, leaving behind silos of data that are not easily studied. A recent report from HR.com found that more than three-quarters of "best of breed" systems—essentially stand-alone products such as recruiting software—are not integrated with core human resource management systems.
That report was sponsored by Oracle, which of course has an interest in clients choosing its family of interconnected applications. But the integration problem is genuine, says Ed Newman, founder of consulting firm the Newman Group. Newman, whose company focuses on recruiting methods and technology, says all recruiting applications today suffer from "gaps" that make implementing them a challenge. He also estimates that less than half the Fortune 500 have "clean" HR data. In his view, much of the dilemma stems from the way large organizations constantly do such things as acquire new divisions, divest units and reorganize. These shifts cause havoc with HR systems, Newman says.
"Companies are changing so fast that it's hard to keep the data in the system matching the reality," he says.
The Progressive Group of Insurance Cos. is a case in point. Following a corporate restructuring several years ago, the auto insurance provider found itself with workforce reports that clearly were wrong. This was despite a major investment in PeopleSoft software in the late 1990s, says Laurie Munoz, HR systems manager at the company.
"We got these numbers that were ludicrous, like 475 percent turnover in some areas," Munoz says.
The quest for an accurate headcount is a pressing one for many companies, says Lois Melbourne, CEO of Aquire, a Dallas-based HR technology firm. Melbourne, whose software aims to help companies compile workforce data from a variety of sources, says information on reporting relationships also can go missing. In a survey of 2,900 actual and potential clients, Aquire found that typically 3 percent to 12 percent of employees do not officially have a boss.
Cleaning up data
A major reason HR data is so messy, observers say, is that workforces are complex. Coming up with a figure for headcount, for instance, requires deciding how to treat part-time workers, temporary workers and those on maternity leave. Given the relatively recent focus on measurement in the HR arena, standard definitions have not yet emerged as they have for metrics in the finance world, says Claude Balthazard, director of research at HR.com and author of the Oracle-sponsored study. In short, HR lacks a GAAP—the generally accepted accounting principles that guide finance.
In addition, multinational companies face privacy laws that can restrict the flow of employee information between nations. Corporate politics also plays a role. Mergers can trigger battles over whose HR system will be used or whether to retain more than one, says Freddye Silverman, vice president of HR technology solutions at travel and real estate services provider Cendant, which acquired dozens of companies in the late 1990s and earlier this decade.
"Everyone is used to what they've got," she says. "Everyone wants to fight for their system."
One way companies can get a handle on their workforce data is to establish a single, central database that becomes the trusted source of information not only for HR but for such departments as finance and risk management. Silverman calls this the "brass ring" of HR systems.
Another method for tidying up data is to let a number of HR applications or databases coexist, but pull information from multiple sources into a new repository. That's the concept behind the Aquire product Unifi, which is built to be able to aggregate data from multiple Oracle, PeopleSoft and SAP human resource systems.
However they go about it, firms have good reason to get their workforce information in order. Messy HR data can result in unwanted scrutiny under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Aquire's Melbourne says. When checking on compliance with the financial reporting law, one of the first things auditors do is compare payroll records with a company's organizational chart and job codes, Melbourne says.
"If they start finding problems there, then they start digging deeper," she says.
Data analysis for better decision-making also depends on sound workforce information. Applications today aim to let companies do such things as figure out the financial impact of open job requisitions and extend succession-management programs to include midlevel leaders as well as top executives. But this sort of strategic analysis relies on accurate data in the HR systems.
"If you don't have the basics down, all the information in the world is worthless," says Nov Omana, founder of consulting firm Collective HR Solutions.
In the wake of its faulty turnover figures, Progressive decided to establish companywide definitions of basic metrics. Getting people throughout the firm to agree wasn't easy, says Munoz, the company's HR systems manager.
"The debate over turnover was like pulling out your fingernails," she says. One controversy centered on what time periods should be used for reporting, while another focused on how the average headcount number should be calculated. Human resources eventually realized it should take a leadership role. "We needed to take control," Munoz says.
Cendant HR leaders also asserted themselves to achieve clean data. As the company snapped up firms, all newcomers were forced to adopt the Lawson software system that Silverman's team had customized. It was the only way to guarantee that employee data from different units was consistent, she says.
The centralized approach also lowered operational costs, and is proving itself again as Cendant splits into four companies, Silverman says. Each of the new organizations is implementing Oracle HR software, and the process has been smoothed by the simplicity of the existing system, she says.
Reliable workforce data is important, but companies can overemphasize exactitude, HR.com's Balthazard says. Workforce managers have sought to replicate the "hard" numbers of financial accounting, but even the accounting department's figures involve a degree of judgment, he says. An employee satisfaction survey may be a better predictor of likely defections than past turnover statistics.
"Sometimes it's more important to have an imprecise measure of the right thing than a precise measurement of the wrong thing," he says.
Integration hurdles
When it comes to integrating HR applications, things have gotten better, Balthazard says. Standards have emerged for disparate software programs to "talk" with one another more easily. But the amount companies pay overall for software and its integration often exceeds their expectation by 20 percent to 30 percent, thanks to integration difficulties, he says. "There are still hidden costs."
The time to complete software integration projects has shrunk from a year or more a decade ago to a few months now using applications that are accessed over the Internet. But that doesn't mean the projects are a piece of cake, Newman says.
"Every implementation has its unique challenges—and none of them are easy," he says.
One common challenge is that software applications do not correspond to the actual structure of a company or to its main HR system, Newman says. For instance, a recruiting product may provide summaries of job openings on a department, division and overall company level, but the customer may want additional reports for subdepartments and different countries.
Sometimes the reason integration projects run into trouble has more to do with human habits than technical hurdles, Aquire's Melbourne says. The users of a particular HR application can be loath to switch to a new one or to learn new tools, she says. "It is a biggie."
To help clients with the change management process that comes with implementing new technology, Aquire often works with consulting partners such as Accenture.
After plenty of work in the trenches Progressive tuned up its HR technology, with impressive results. Its HR Scorecard system showed the company that it should focus on employee referrals as a good source of job candidates. It also highlighted the need to slow its growth in a specific market because of high turnover among claims adjusters, Munoz says.
The experience of Progressive and other companies shows that organizations can—and perhaps should—shoot for the stars with their HR applications. But they should keep in mind that flawless execution could be light-years away.
Workforce Management, June 12, 2006, p. 1, 39-41 -- Subscribe Now!


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A Wild Chetco Adventure
Summer is a great time for river adventures. Floating down a Wild and Scenic River in areas where few people ever go is a thrilling endeavor. In 2010, we listed the Wild and Scenic Chetco River in Oregon as one of America's Most Endangered Rivers™.
One of our partners on the Chetco listing, wild rivers enthusiast Ann Vileisis, is an American Rivers supporter on the Southwest Oregon coast. She is married to river runner and author Tim Palmer, a long-time American Rivers supporter. Recently Ann went on a wild river paddle along the Chetco River, and she shares her story below:
"Summer vacation was especially meaningful this year. I finally got to explore a remote reach of the Wild and Scenic Chetco River that I've been working several years to protect from the threat of increased gold mining.
"The Chetco flows from rugged mountains in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness down to the ocean in southwest Oregon, not far from my home. I knew the river's roaded, close-to-town reaches, but I'd never had the chance to paddle its difficult-to-access, class 4, wild and scenic reaches.
"Our low-water, mini expedition began with a couple of days heading upstream. We paddled through brilliant clear pools and dragged our inflatable kayaks up bony rapids to check out a wild reach at the wilderness edge. Then we floated back downstream through a forest-clad canyon, following the small river through a relentless series of maze-like drops with massive boulders. The low water and inflatable kayaks made the usually challenging whitewater fun and not-too-hard.
"As a river lover, I've paddled my fair share of Wild and Scenic Rivers, but the Chetco is unique. It has a small canyon and gin-clear water— some of the clearest that I've ever seen. In deep pools, we could see down 40 feet to cobbles at the bottom, and in some places it looked like our boats were floating on sky. The water was alive as it should be— filled with newts, crayfish, caddisflies, and thousands of little fishes.
"Next winter when the hard rains come and the waters rise, I'll know where the salmon and steelhead are heading. I'll remember the river magic and know deeply— in every water molecule of my body— that the Wild and Scenic Chetco deserves defending.
Thank you Ann for sharing your river adventure with us and for all of your hard work in support of the Chetco River! It is great to know that we have supporters like you out there fighting for these special places.


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Russia Bonds Rally as Micex Jumps on Ukraine Crisis Accord
Russian stocks rose the most in more than three weeks and bonds gained after talks on Ukraine yielded an agreement aimed at easing the conflict. The ruble weakened after surging the most this month yesterday.
The Micex Index added 2 percent to 1,356.54 by the close in Moscow, the most since March 25 and trimming this week's decline to 0.4 percent. The yield on Russia's ruble debt due February 2027 fell 17 basis points to 9 percent, the lowest in a week. The ruble declined 0.1 percent against the central bank's basket of dollars and euros to 41.6642 by 6 p.m. The currency gained 1.4 percent yesterday.
Talks in Geneva between representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the U.S. and the European Union ended with an agreement to "de-escalate tensions and restore security," according to a joint statement yesterday. The U.S. and its European allies have threatened to increase sanctions on Russia if it doesn't act to calm the situation in eastern Ukraine.
"An agreement was achieved and this has reduced the tension," Oleg Shagov, head of equity research at OAO Promsvyazbank, said by phone. "It looks like Russia won't see new sanctions in the short term."
Deadly clashes in eastern Ukraine this week halted a record inflow of money into the Market Vectors Exchange-Traded Fund. Investors pulled $34 million from the ETF on April 16, the first outflow since March 3. Last month saw a record $574 million of inflows, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The Obama administration told asset managers last week that it was planning additional sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.
Managing Risk
Officials from the Treasury Department and the National Security Council met in Washington with mutual-fund and hedge-fund managers, according to a person who attended. Their comments sent a message that more sanctions are on the way and that investors, if they were concerned about the impact, should manage that risk, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions weren't public.
OAO Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port surged 10 percent to 2.43 rubles, the highest since Feb. 28. Russia may split the port into two entities under control of different shareholders, Vedomosti reported today, citing an unidentified government official.
State-run OAO Transneft will buy out the company's oil and oil-products terminals for up to $1 billion, while privately owned Summa Group will get control over Novorossiysk seaport, which will only keep non-oil terminals, Vedomosti said.
Ruble Weakens
OAO Gazprom, the nation's natural-gas export monopoly, gained 3.1 percent to 133.90 rubles. OAO Sberbank, Russia's biggest lender, increased 2.5 percent to 78.82 rubles.
Equities on the Micex trade at 5 times estimated earnings, the cheapest valuations among 21 developing countries monitored by Bloomberg.
Russian investment is slumping on the threat of sanctions and geopolitical risks, Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said in Moscow today.
Ukraine's hryvnia weakened 1.3 percent to 11.30 per dollar in Kiev, the first drop in five days. The Ukrainian Equities Index rose for a second day, adding 1.1 percent to 1,105.65, the biggest gain in a week on a closing basis.
The ruble weakened 0.2 percent against the dollar to 35.5440 and fell less than 0.1 percent against the euro to 49.1445. The currency is the second-worst performer against the dollar this year among 24 developing-countries currencies tracked by Bloomberg.
Putin, who annexed Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea last month, yesterday rejected accusations from Ukraine that he'd already deployed forces in the east of the country and said he would fight to defend compatriots outside Russia. He said he hopes he won't have to send in troops.
"The ruble is in a slight correction today after yesterday's strong gains on the back of Putin's dovish comments and the Geneva accord," Vladimir Osakovskiy, chief economist for Russia at Bank of America Corp. in Moscow, said in e-mailed comments. "If these are followed by real steps to de-escalate, the ruble has a good chance of strengthening further, given its underperformance against other emerging currencies this year."


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May 29, 2016
About two hundred bicyclists will be in downtown Meridian this weekend for a road race.
The Magnolia Cyclist Bike Races will start at 12 noon Saturday and continue till 8 p.m.
It means that several streets will not be open to traffic. Those streets include Fourth Street, Constitution Avenue, and 18th Avenue.
Motorists will need to take alternate routes during those hours. The suggested detours are using either 29th Avenue or the 26th Avenue subway area to travel north and south during the afternoon and evening and to use 14th Street for east-west travel.
The city says detours will be marked and police officers and race officials will be on hand to control traffic and ensure safety.
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jered nelson
Michael Mina's Tableware: Locally Sourced, Very Covetable
By Sara Deseran on November 09, 2010 5:26 PM
Now that Michael Mina has moved into the old Aqua space, I got a chance to dine there the other night. For Mina fans, it's a true second coming. You should have overheard the reverent foursome at the next table over from me who practically passed out when Mina, the man/the legend, walked over on water to greet them.
And though there was a whirlwind of activity going on around me (the servers might be wearing jeans and a bottle of self-serve water might be set on your table, but that doesn't mean the old tableside service is over), I became particularly fixated on the beautiful plates.


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Now this is one big, hot mess waiting to happen. And I'd be lying if I didn't say that part of me is so disturbed by the idea of this that I'm secretly dying to watch it. There's a new reality dating series set to hit the U.S. and in the spirit of "Joe Millionaire," the premise is to lead the contestants to believe something very different about the object of their collective affection and then hit them with the truth at the end of the show. Only this time, instead of finding out that Joe isn't rich, it's more along the lines of, "By the way, I have a penis." Originally a UK series, the show was titled, "There's Something about Miriam," and contestants competed in the hopes of dating Miriam, a Mexican 21-year-old model, only to find out in the final episode that Miriam is, in fact, a man. Yikes. Lawyers, on your mark, get set…GO! I have a feeling this is just going to end up a violent, hate-crime filled suing fest with at least one slow-car police chase.
New Gender-Bending Reality Dating Series Set to Hit the U.S.
This isn't much different from the violence-inciting "surprise" episode of the Jenny Jones Show where someone ended up getting murdered. I hope this never makes it to the air.
If it's FOX, it's sure to be a spectacle meant to dehumanize and humiliate the tranny. This is stupid idea.
WTF. I was never aware there was a UK version.
It's already been shown here in Australia. It's actually pretty funny, but half the guys ended up suing the show to not let it air (so people couldn't see them making out with a guy).
I can't believe you guys are just getting this show now – we had it on a couple of years ago. Usually Australia ends up with all the cast off shows from the US (we're still getting the Mark Phillopousis "age of love" crap showing here…)
Oh no! Seriously how LOW can they sink? This is no joke and not funny.
Yeah, like KatieA above, I'm surprised they are showing this one so late. It's at least 4 years old.
Spoiler alert:
all the guys are nasty pigs. Except the main protagonist, she's nice.


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May 25, 2016
After United took a quick 2-0 lead LBJ battled back with a run in their half of the 2nd. That's all the offense the Wolves could muster though as United took back control with two in the 3rd on their way to a 6-1 victory. With the win United keeps pace at the top of the 29-5A standings with Alexander who beat Del Rio Tuesday night.
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The Millionaire Matchmaker: Rachel Federoff Dishes on Doug and Dave
December 14, 2010 11:00 AM by Shayla Perry
Patti Stanger's matchmaking team on Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker was thrilled to be working with two male millionaires again after their issues with millionaire women in the past few episodes. That is, until they met their clients for this week–Doug and Dave–who both give new meaning to the word "creepy." Find out what Rachel Federoff of Patti Stanger's team had to say about both guys and their chances for finding love–or at least getting another date.
From Rachel Federoff's blog:
Could it be true? Are there really two men this week as clients? Hooray! Yes, we finally went back to our roots and had the pleasure of not dealing with crazy millionaire women. But wait, our sigh of relief only lasted for as long as this sentence, since we had yet again challenges on our hands.
Let's start on the lesser of the two evils with my client Doug. I do have to tell you Doug is believe it or not a really sweet guy and just needs MULTIPLE slaps upside the head and then he will be good to go! When we first met him and his tattoos, spray on abs, and four piece suits (who wears a vest, tie, and jacket?) we knew we were in for some work. Then he opened his mouth and all we heard was, "Blah, blah, SEX, blah, blah, SEX, SEX, blah." Okay, now it's gone from some work to MAJOR work. Ladies and gentlemen we have a sex-a-holic in the house. Sorry Doug, but true story.
Doug's type, besides anything that has a hole, is exotic. Thanks to my whip cracking on Andreea, we had plenty of lovely exotic girls for "Sex Machine" to pick from. The goal was to try to break Doug of his sex happy ways and to focus at the mixer on getting know them on a mental, not physical, level. Oh yeah, and to show up with his shirt on.
Now on to Destin's lecherous client David, who looked like Telly Sevalas and Uncle Fester's love child. If that doesn't give you the creeps I don't know what would. To make this icky guy even ickier, he involved his brother in the meet and greet with Patti [Stanger]. So now we have two love children! Dave's type was blonde, Jewish, hot (of course). Again Andreea found some wonderful girls for David to creep all over (poor girls). We really hoped the hidden ear piece and our Cyrano style would help him to be a gentleman and not scare them all away.
The mixer was held at Greenhouse, one of the hot spots in Manhattan, and we had a gaggle of gals there that were perfect for our millionaires. We had such a blast talking in Doug and David's ears telling them what to do and say and how to act. We even used code words, it was magical! The mini dates for David with Ilene and Sharron were of course creepy but he chose wisely by picking Ilene a sweet, cute, Jewish girl. Doug's mini dates with Keren and "Rihanna" involved side boob. Ohhh Doug why won't you listen? In the end Doug chose Karen, which was perfect for him.
I'm going to bypass Doug's date with Keren because although it was a bit on the "too much" side, he did a great job. Slime ball David on the other hand, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? Let's see a trip to Grand Central Market then a pre set meal of embryos, sea urchin roe, and a glass of sweat from his shiny head? Isn't that what every girl dreams about on a first date? David says to Ilene, "You can and you will" eat this fermented embryo! Â He was ordering her? Oh, hell no! He then proceeds to blame us? Here's my wrap up, Doug go attend a Nympho Anonymous meeting please so I can find you a great girl, because you've got promise. David, no woman likes to be talked to like some sort of slave. Next time you're in Grand Central please take the next train to Loserville where you can feast on all the embryos you want ALONE.
–Rachel Federoff
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Photo credit: Bravo
Topics: Bravo Reality TV Shows, Millionaire Matchmaker |
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Marcia On The Move
Posted on Tue Feb 10th, 2009 6:00am PDT By X17 Staff
Out of the way, people - the Desperate Housewives star has places to go and people to see!
The sweater's a bit drab, but those sunglasses are fierce.
Links: Marcia Cross
SEE THE GALLERY Marcia Lives On The Inside
Stories from around the Web


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Republic of the Philippines
Metro Manila
Fourteenth Congress
Third Regular Session
Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-seventh day of July, two thousand nine.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009."
SECTION 2. Declaration of Principles and Policies. – Sections 14, 15, 16, and 17, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution declare that the State shall foster the preservation, enrichment, and dynamic evolution of a Filipino culture based on the principle of unity in diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression. The Constitution likewise mandates the State to conserve, develop, promote and popularize the nation's historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations. It further provides that, all the country's artistic and historic wealth constitutes the cultural treasure of the nation and shall be under the protection of the State, which may regulate its disposition.
In the pursuit of cultural preservation as a strategy for maintaining Filipino identity, this Act shall pursue the following objectives:
(a) Protect, preserve, conserve and promote the nation's cultural heritage, its property and histories, and the ethnicity of local communities;
(b) Establish and strengthen cultural institutions; and,
(c) Protect cultural workers and ensure their professional development and well-being.
The State shall likewise endeavor to create a balanced atmosphere where the historic past co-exists in harmony with modern society. It shall approach the problem of conservation in an integrated and holistic manner, cutting across all relevant disciplines and technologies. The State shall further administer the heritage resources in a spirit of stewardship for the inspiration and benefit of the present and future generations.
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be defined as follows:
(a) "Adaptive Re-use" shall refers to the utilization of buildings, other built-structures, and sites of value for purposes other than that for which they were intended originally, in order to conserve the site, their engineering integrity and authenticity of design;
(b) "Anthropological Area" shall refers to any place where studies of specific ethno-linguistic groups are undertaken, the properties of which are of value to our cultural heritage;
(c) "Antique" refers to a cultural property found locally which is one hundred (100) years in age, more or less, the production of which has ceased;
(d) "Archaeological Area" shall refers to any place, whether above or under ground, underwater or at sea level, containing fossils, artifacts, and other cultural, geological, botanical, zoological materials which depict and document culturally relevant paleontological, prehistoric and/or historic events;
(e) "Archives" shall refer to public and private records in any format which have been selected for permanent preservation because of their evidential, historical informational value; otherwise known as archival materials collections or archival holdings; the place (building/room/storage area) where archival materials are kept and preserved; and an organization or agency or part thereof whose main responsibility is to appraise, arrange, describe, conserve, promote and make archival materials available for reference and research, also known as archival agency;
(f) "Built Heritage" shall refers to architectural and engineering structures, such as but not limited to bridges, government buildings, houses of ancestry, traditional dwellings, quartels, train stations, lighthouses, small ports, educational technological and industrial complexes, and their settings, and landscapes with notable historical and cultural significance;
(g) "Collector" shall refers to any person who or institution that acquires cultural property for purposes other than sale;
(h) "Commission" shall refer to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA);
(i) "Conservation" shall refers to all the processes and measures of maintaining the cultural significance of a cultural property, including but not limited to, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, protection, adaptation or any combination thereof;
(j) "Cultural agencies" shall refer to the following national government agencies with their specific areas of responsibility: National Museum (cultural property); the National Library (books); National Historical Institute (Philippine history); National Archives (documents); Cultural Center of the Philippines (culture and the arts); and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (language).
(k) "Cultural Education" shall refer to the teaching and learning of cultural concepts and processes;
(l) "Cultural Heritage" shall refer to the totality of cultural property preserved and developed through time and passed on to posterity;
(m) "Cultural Heritage Worker" shall refer to an individual undertaking cultural heritage work;
(n) "Cultural Institution" shall refer to entities engaged primarily in cultural work;
(o) "Cultural Property" shall refer to all products of human creativity by which a people and a nation reveal their identity, including churches, mosques and other places of religious worship, schools and natural history specimens and sites, whether public or privately-owned, movable or immovable, and tangible or intangible;
(p) "Dealers" shall refer to natural or juridical persons who acquire cultural property for the purpose of engaging in the acquisition and disposition of the same;
(q) "Heritage Zone" shall refer to historical, anthropological, archaeological, artistic geographical areas and settings that are culturally significant to the country, as declared by the National Museum and/or the National Historical Institute.
(r) "History" shall refer to a written record of past events relating to Philippine history;
(s) "Historical Landmarks" shall refer to sites or structures that are associated with events or achievements significant to Philippine history as declared by the National Historical Institute;
(t) "Historical Monuments" shall refer to structures that honor illustrious persons or commemorate events of historical value as declared by the National Historical Institute;
(u) "Historical Shrines" shall refer to historical sites or structures hallowed and revered for their history or association as declared by the National Historical Institute;
(v) "Historical Street Name" shall refer to a street name which has been in existence for at least fifty (50) years and over time has been considered historic;
(w) "Important Cultural Property (ICP)" shall refer to a cultural property having exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance to the Philippines, as shall be determined by the National Museum and/or National Historical Institute.
(x) "Intangible Cultural Heritage" shall refers to the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills - as well as the instruments, objects and artifacts associated therewith, that communities, groups and individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage, such as :(1) oral traditions, languages, and expressions; (2) performing arts; (3) social practices, rituals, and festive events; (4) knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and (5) traditional craftsmanship;
(y) "Intangible cultural property" shall refer to the peoples' learned processes along with the knowledge, skills and creativity that inform and are developed by them, the products they create and the resources, spaces and other aspects of social and natural context necessary for their sustainability.
(z) "Library" shall refer to an institution where the collection of books, manuscripts, computerized information, and other materials are organized to provide physical, bibliographic, and/or intellectual access to the public, with a librarian that is trained to provide services and programs related to the information needs of its clientele;
(aa) "Museum" shall refer to a permanent institution that researches, acquires, conserves, communicates, and exhibits the material evidence of humans and their environment for purposes of education or leisure;
(bb) "National Cultural Treasure" shall refer to a unique cultural property found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value which is highly significant and important to the country and nation, and officially declared as such by pertinent cultural agency;
(cc) "Nationally significant" shall refer to historical, aesthetic, scientific, technical, social and/or spiritual values that unify the nation by a deep sense of pride in their various yet common identities, cultural heritage and national patrimony.
(dd) "Natural Property of Cultural Significance" shall refer to areas possessing outstanding ecosystem with flora and fauna of national scientific importance under the National Integrated Protected Areas System ;
(ee) "NCCA Portal Cultural Databank" refers to the specific domain in the Commission's intranet for cultural information that is accessed only internally with control and confidentiality. It includes the registry of national cultural property.
(ff) "Pre-history" shall refer to the period of human history before the introduction of the forms of writing;
(gg) "Registry" shall refer to the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property which is the registry of all cultural property of the country deemed of significant importance to our cultural heritage;
(hh) "Restoration" shall refer to the action taken or the technical intervention to correct deterioration and alterations.
(ii) "Tangible cultural property" shall refer to a cultural property with historical, archival, anthropological, archaeological, artistic and architectural value, and with exceptional or traditional production, whether of Philippine origin or not, including antiques and natural history specimens with significant value.
SECTION 4. Categories. - The Cultural Property of the country shall be categorized as follows:
(a) National Cultural Treasures;
(b) Important Cultural Property;
(c) World Heritage Sites;
(d) National historical shrine;
(e) National Historical Monument; and,
(f) National Historical Landmark;
SECTION 5. Cultural Property Considered Important Cultural Property. -For purposes of protecting a cultural property against exportation, modification or demolition, the following works shall be considered Important Cultural Property, unless declared otherwise by the pertinent cultural agency:
Unless declared by the Commission,
(a) Works by a Manlilikha ng Bayan;
(b) Works by a National Artist;
Unless declared by the National Museum,
(c) Archaeological and traditional ethnographic materials;
Unless declared by the National Historical Institute,
(d) Works of national heroes;
(e) Marked structure;
(f) Structures dating at least fifty (50) years old; and
Unless declared by the National Archives,
(g) Archival material/document dating at least fifty (50) years old.
The property owner may petition the appropriate cultural agency to remove the presumption of important cultural property which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
SECTION 6. World Heritage Sites (WHS). - The appropriate cultural agency shall closely collaborate with United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural organization (UNESCO) National Commission of the Philippines in ensuring the conservation and management of world heritage sites of cultural and mixed sites category, in the Philippines.
SECTION 7. Privileges for Cultural Property. - All cultural properties declared as National Cultural Treasures and national historical landmarks shall be entitled to the following privileges:
(a) Priority government funding for protection, conservation and restoration;
(b) Incentive for private support of conservation and restoration through the Commission's Conservation Incentive Program for National Cultural treasures;
(c) An official Heritage Marker placed by the cultural agency concerned indicating that the immovable cultural property has been identified as national cultural treasures; and/or national historical landmarks, sites or monuments; and,
(d) In times of armed conflict, natural disasters, and other exceptional events that endanger the cultural heritage of the country, all National Cultural Treasures or national historical landmarks, sites or monuments shall be given priority protection by the Government.
All cultural properties declared as Important Cultural Property may also receive government funding for its protection, conservation, and restoration. An official Heritage Marker shall likewise be placed on an immovable cultural property to identify the same as important cultural property.
SECTION 8. Procedure for Declaration, or De-Listing of National Cultural Treasures or Important Cultural Property. - The procedure in declaring as well as in delisting a National Cultural Property or an Important Cultural Property shall be as follows:
(a) A declaration or a delisting of a cultural property as a National Cultural Treasure or an Important Cultural Property shall commence upon the filing of a petition by the owner, stakeholder or any interested person, with the Commission, which shall refer the matter to the appropriate cultural agency;
(b) Upon verification of the suitability of the property as a national cultural treasure or an important cultural property, the cultural agency concerned shall send notice of hearing to the owner and stakeholders. Stakeholders, including but not limited to local government units, local culture and arts council, local tourism councils, non-government conservation organizations, and schools, may be allowed to file their support or opposition to the petition;
(c) The owner and/or other stakeholders shall file their position paper within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the notice of hearing, furnishing all the parties, including the appropriate cultural agency, with such position paper. Extensions may be allowed, but in no case shall it exceed more than thirty (30) days; and
(d) The petitioner/stakeholder shall give their answer within fifteen (15) days upon receipt of any position paper. Thereafter, no further submissions shall be allowed.
(e) The appropriate cultural agency shall have a maximum of ninety (90) days from the deadline of the submission of all the answers within which to submit its resolutions and render its decision on the application.
SECTION 9. Right of First Refusal on the Sale of National Cultural Treasures (NCT). –
The appropriate cultural agency shall be given the right of first refusal in the purchase of cultural properties declared as national cultural treasures. Prior to the finality of the sale, the appropriate cultural agency may likewise match any offer made for the purchase of national cultural property.
SECTION 10. Licensing of Dealers of Cultural Property. - All dealers of cultural property shall secure a license to operate as such from the appropriate cultural agency concerned. They shall submit a quarterly inventory of items carried, which shall include a history of each item. Failure to submit two (2) consecutive inventories shall be a ground for cancellation of the license. All dealers of Cultural Property shall be subject to inspection of the concerned cultural agencies.
The cultural agencies may charge and collect fees for registration as well as for licenses, inspections, certifications, authorizations and permits that they issue and undertake in connection with the implementation of this Act. Funds generated from these collections by cultural agencies shall be retained by the cultural agency concerned for its operations.
SECTION 11. Dealings of Cultural Property. - No cultural property shall be sold, resold, or taken out of the country without first securing a clearance from the cultural agency concerned. In case the property shall be taken out of the country, it shall solely be for the purpose of scientific scrutiny or exhibit.
SECTION 12. Designation of Heritage Zones. - The National Historical Institute and the National Museum in consultation with the Commission and, the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board or other concerned agencies, shall designate Heritage Zones to protect the historical and cultural integrity of a geographical area.
SECTION 13. Maintenance of Heritage Zones. - A Heritage Zone shall be maintained by the local government unit concerned, in accordance with the following guidelines:
(a) Implementation of adaptive re-use of cultural property;
(b) Appearance of streets, parks, monuments, buildings, and natural bodies of water, canals, paths and Barangays within a locality shall be maintained as close to their appearance at the time the area was of most importance to Philippine History as determined by the National Historical Institute; and,
(c) Local government units shall document and sustain all socio-cultural practices such as but not limited to traditional celebrations, historical battles, recreation of customs, and the re-enactment of battles and other local customs that are unique to a locality.
Continued in Part II


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IPO Pick-Up Lifts Economy
With more Silicon Valley start-ups going public this year than in the past several years, the activity is starting to ripple out across the region's initial-public-offering ecosystem.
Investment bankers, lawyers, consultants and financial printers that make up Silicon Valley's IPO machine are all reporting a surge in business. Some are hiring again for the first time in more than a year, while others are extending overtime hours to their workers to cope with the increase in activity.
"It's nice to be busy," says Horace Nash, a partner at Silicon Valley law firm Fenwick & West, which counts Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. among its clients. Mr. Nash says Fenwick currently is working with two Bay Area companies that have filed for IPOs—Force10 Networks Inc. in San Jose and Amyris Biotechnologies Inc. in Emeryville—and has others cued up. As a result, Fenwick's corporate group has hired 11 attorneys this year, increasing the division's head count 13% from its 87 staffers at the end of last year.
Overall, 21 IPOs of venture-backed companies have taken place so far this year, exceeding the total of eight that went public in all of 2009, according to research firm VentureSource. Of the IPOs this year, at least nine companies were based in the Bay Area, up from two for all of 2009.
Tom Shanahan, head of West Coast investment banking at Needham & Co. in Menlo Park, says the investment bank has also gone from "no hire" to "hiring" again as the IPO market has heated up. Needham has been involved with IPOs of SPS Commerce Inc. SPSC 0.54 % and MaxLinear Inc. MXL -0.40 % so far this year, among others.
Mr. Shanahan says the backlog of venture-backed companies that have filed to go public—many of them Silicon Valley based—remains large, with 48 on file at the end of May. While Needham's IPO business is the busiest it has been since 2006, he cautioned that the IPO market remained choppy.
Lise Buyer, who runs IPO consulting firm Class V Group here, says she is working with one or two companies looking to file to go public and working with a few others in the early preparation stage. That is a change from last year when "business for all intents and purposes was silent," she notes, adding, "I'm thrilled to have this amount of work."
At financial printer Merrill Corp.'s Palo Alto office, employees are working overtime hours, which wasn't the case before, says John Castro, chief executive of the Minneapolis-based company, which prints IPO prospectuses and other regulatory and compliance documents.
He adds that the Silicon Valley office is seeing four to five times more IPO project activity than a year ago. And while business is still just getting back to normal after the recession, he says it is "still fun to be busy again."
Write to Pui-Wing Tam at firstname.lastname@example.com


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There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood (rated R for violence) qualified for likely Oscar nominations by opening in a few theaters late last month. It has its nationwide rollout next week. If you're a moviegoer who trusts the many reviewers who have already declared it magnificent, you'll race to the box office. Here's one piece of advice: Don't go.
The plot is simple enough: A determined oil man in the early 1900s gets rich by lying to farmers and buying their land cheap. An evangelist becomes powerful in other malignant ways. They're both hypocrites, mirror images of corruption who increasingly show their hatred for all, including family members and each other.
The movie has moments that transcend its 3E clichéd assumption that Entrepreneurs and Evangelists are all Evil. Its visually stunning opening and several other scenes display director Paul Thomas Anderson's cinematic talent. Daniel Day-Lewis, playing the businessman who becomes more overtly evil, is the early Best Actor favorite.
And yet, the clichés make the 158-minute movie a tiresome and predictable kiss-up to secular liberal ideology - and many reviewers, sadly, know so little of reality that they see the stock characters of fiction and media as historically typical. Newsweek called the film "an acute portrayal of unfettered capitalism." The New Yorker termed it "an allegory of American development in which two overwhelming forces-entrepreneurial capitalism and evangelism-both operate on the border of fraudulence."
I read two dozen reviews from New York and Los Angeles publications, wondering whether anyone would protest the same old same old malevolence toward Christianity and business. Only the Los Angeles Times noted that "the film as a whole has a weakness for the didactic." New York magazine cynically but accurately described the "Oscar strategy" of the movie: "Be relevant. It's about the intersection of single-minded capitalism and fundamentalism -- sound familiar?"
The use of familiar plots does not necessarily produce mediocrity: Shakespeare turned England's golden oldies into high drama. But just as some Christians make assumptions about secularists and then resort to mechanical presentation of the gospel rather than personal interaction, so many liberal screenwriters and directors assume that Christianity is a racket and business is soulless - in that case, why waste time in character development and explanation as to why a pastor goes bad or a businessman disintegrates?
The one newspaper reviewer I ran across who panned the film writes not for a New York or Los Angeles publication but for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Christopher Kelly noted that There Will Be Blood doesn't show "real people or real places" but exists in a "stylized cinematic universe.... the conflicts here are banal, the emotions muted, and the central allegory half-baked." A reviewer who's away from the hive finds it easier to deviate from the buzz, buzz.
The cover story in World's Jan. 12 issue will show how movies like Juno have wonderfully moved away from pro-abort clichés, but many film Odysseys still sport only evil entrepreneurs and evangelists. A film with unexamined 3E assumptions is like a pig with lipstick.


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vs Henderson State University- Arkadelphia, AR
Come help recognize our football seniors this Saturday, November 16, 2013. The recognition ceremony will begin around 1:45 pm before kickoff. Come show your support and thank our student-athletes as they finish out their 2013 season. And in case you need reminding, they'll be taking on that school across the street.
"The Hunger Games"
Starting at 11 am in the Student Center, we would have Fall cartoons such as Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and serve apple cider, pumpkin muffins, and pancakes.
vs Midwestern State University
On Wed. Dec. 4, Ouachita Baptist University's Campus Activities Board (CAB) will host a Coffeehouse Christmas Party. The event will be free and held at Dr. Jack's Coffeehouse in Evans Student Center at 8 p.m. All OBU students are invited to attend.
"CAB would love to see everyone attend the party," said CAB Co-Chair Shelby Davis, a junior biology major from White Oak, Texas. "Since many of us are at home for Christmas, the Christmas party is a great opportunity to come out and fellowship with our Ouachita family before the break."
"Students can expect a great time to be with friends during this joyful season," said Davis. "Not only that, but they can make crafts and get pictures to capture the memory."
"We will have most of the men's and women's social clubs provide the music and entertainment," said Brandon Sanders, a senior psychology and sociology major from Franklin, Texas, and CAB's other co-chair.
There will be a prize awarded to the two participants with the ugliest and prettiest Christmas sweater. "Who doesn't want an excuse to wear a Christmas sweater?" Davis noted.
In addition to music, contests and fellowship, the party will feature "a Christmas craft station, cookie decorating and a place to take pictures with Santa and his elves," Davis added.
In addition to Davis and Sanders, the CAB Leadership Team includes: Movie Chair Kate Collins, a senior biology major from Texarkana, Ark.; Secretary Hayley Dahl, a junior biology major from Red Oak, Texas; Special Events Chair Wesley Henson, a sophomore sociology major from Little Rock, Ark.; and Coffeehouse Chair Dustin Walter, a junior biology and chemistry major from Marion, Ark.
For more information, contact CAB Co-Chair Shelby Davis at firstname.lastname@example.com
vs Southern Arkansas University
Women @ 5:30pm
Men @ 7:30pm


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Research into human multi-tasking, especially an often-cited study by Carnegie Mellon University, has shown that there are significant neurological costs associated with switching between multiple tasks, something that happens a lot in single-pilot instrument flying. For example, when subjects in the CMU study were told to imagine rotating an object while listening to complex sentences, their performance on both tasks dropped significantly. Guess that helps explain why pilots flying single-pilot IFR miss so many radio calls from ATC and why long periods of hand-flying can be so tiring. Trying to multi-task does not make us stupid per se, but it does reduce our performance.
Most newer GA aircraft are equipped with autopilots and this is a good trend. I can't think of one instrument instructor I've spoken to who doesn't believe a functioning autopilot to be a critical safety factor in single-pilot flying. Effective use of an autopilot might not make you a smarter, but it can improve your performance, reduce fatigue, and keep you from doing something stupid.
Consider the recent events in Florida where a low-time private pilot had to take control of a King Air B200 after the pilot became incapacitated and then died. One of the first issues facing the pilot was how to wrest control of the aircraft from the autopilot. You never know when an understanding of autopilot flying could come in handy!
- Failing to know or respect the A/P limitations
- Lack of system-level knowledge
- Not understanding the modes of operation
- Trial-and-error button pushing
- Failing to recognize undesired or uncommanded mode changes
- Minimum altitude for engaging after takeoff
- Minimum and maximum airspeeds with the A/P engaged
- Maximum flap configuration with the A/P engaged
- Minimum altitude for flying precision and non-precision approaches
- A/P use in airframe icing conditions
Most manufacturer's documentation will state that the A/P may not be used in flight unless it was first tested on the ground prior to flight. Don't confuse this preflight functional test with the system self-test that many units will perform when they are powered on or that you initiate by pressing a TEST button. Many manufacturers' checklists don't include the numerous steps for the autopilot functional test in their normal checklist, so use the procedure found in the supplement.
The G1000 with the GFC 700 autopilot displays its mode information right above the attitude indicator on the primary flight display. Here's the GFC 700 set to intercept the a localizer and descend to 3,300 feet. The active modes are displayed in green and the armed modes in white. The lateral navigation, shown on the left side, is heading mode (HDG shown in green) with the NAV mode armed to capture the localizer (shown as LOC in white). The center field shows the A/P is active (AP in green). The vertical navigation mode is vertical speed (VS shown in green) with a 300 foot per minute descent rate to capture the selected altitude of 3,300 feet (shown as ALTS in white).
Here's the GFC 700 tracking the localizer and the glideslope.
- Flying in complex airspace with lots of traffic
- Flying a complex departure procedure
- While evaluating XM weather displays or radar returns
- While copying a complicated clearance or holding instruction
- While briefing an instrument approach or STAR (Standard Terminal ARrival)
- When being vectored to an approach
- Flying an approach close to minima
- Flying an approach when you are fatigued
- Flying the missed approach (above the minimum altitude for A/P engagement)
- While performing an abnormal or emergency check list


text:
ReelzChannel Celebrity Rundown
Charlie Sheen's "Violent Torpedo of Truth" tour looked like a plain old bomb when it launched in Detroit on Saturday night, as the actor was nearly booed off stage in an atmosphere described as "that of a professional wrestling match." Audience member Natasha Sutton of Rochester, Michigan, described the show more simply to People saying "It was all crap."
After the show, someone on Team Sheen suggested driving the tour bus straight back to Los Angeles, but Sheen said "F**k that," and stayed up until 4:30 AM reworking the format for last night's Chicago performance that began and ended with a standing ovation.
RadarOnline.com reports that while Lindsay Lohan lost out to Amy Adams in the role of Lois Lane in the Superman reboot, she is still being considered for a spot in the pic, possibly as a villain. Meanwhile, LiLo has been offered the role of Charles Manson victim Sharon Tate in Eyes of a Dream.
Katie Couric plans to leave the CBS Evening News anchor desk and is expected to launch a syndicated talk show. Last week the "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric" saw its lowest-rated first quarter among total viewers and adults 25-54 since at least 1992 — as far back as Nielsen's records for the program go.
Justin Timberlake was seen on a date a with soon-to-be-divorced Olivia Wilde, dancing and drinking vodka all night at the Roxbury (in Hollywood) until they left together at 3 AM. Since breaking up with longtime girlfriend Jessica Biel, Timberlake has been linked to Oliva Munn and Mila Kunis.
Rutgers University parents are outraged after it was revealed Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was paid $32,000 to speak on campus last week, a sum $2 grand larger than what Toni Morrison will make for delivering the school's commencement address next month. Nester Delgado, 43, whose daughter is a freshman, said, "It's disgusting. Next year, is it going to be Jwoww or The Situation?"


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Carlton coach Mick Malthouse gives photographer a bake over noisy pastry wrapper
- From: News Limited Network
- March 15, 2014
A PRESS conference with Carlton coach Mick Malthouse turned sour on Saturday over a noisy pastry wrapper.
Mick was talking about the Blues' chances against Port Adelaide in their first game of the season when he became distracted by a photographer rustling some food wrappers.
The snapper insists he was moving some nearby litter rather than taking advantage of the free food provided, but regardless of the reasons for the noise, Mick snapped.
If the message wasn't clear enough, a Carlton staff member delivered the coach's message personally after the press conference ended.
WATCH MICK'S PASTRY BAKE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVEOriginally published as Grumpy Mick's pastry bake
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Lisa Occhipinti Repurposes Abandoned Novels into Sculptural Bookmobiles
Books are more than just containers for information and stories – they're also an amazing resource for artists looking for a new creative medium. Lisa Occhipinti repurposes old, abandoned books from flea markets and libraries into sculptural hanging mobiles.
Read more >


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Emerick gets 100th career win
At Coughlin, Coughlin senior Brad Emerick won his 100th career match with a forfeit victory at 285 pounds as the Crusader defeated Meyers, 45-27.
Adam Giovanelli (182) and Louis Foster (195) won by fall for the Crusaders.
Prior to the match, former Coughlin standouts Chuck Chulada and Bucky Greeley were inducted in the school's wrestling hall of fame. Both wrestlers were District 2 champs and winners of the George Hooper Memorial Award as the best wrestler in the Wyoming Valley.
Justin Elick (132) and Sam Blankenship (160) had falls for Meyers.
132: Justin Elick (Mey) pinned Eddie Ciprich, 1:13. 138: Brandon Butry (Cou) dec. Gino Setta, 4-3. 145: Quince Hutchings (Mey) dec. Jerry Ryan, 5-2. 152: Johntae Nelson (Mey) pinned Dave Sterba, 3:35. 160: Sam Blankenship (Mey) pinned Tyler Schweit, 2:14. 170: T.J. Cistrunk (Mey) dec. Paul Cole, 11-7. 182: Adam Giovanelli (Cou) pinned Yakeem Adams, 1:35. 195: Louis Foster (Cou) pinned John Mendoza, 5:49. 220: Jordan Phillips (Cou) won by forfeit. 285: Brad Emerick (Cou) won by forfeit. 106: Nick Yankoski (Cou) pinned Dan Semanek, 1:02. 113: Bobby Hawkins (Cou) won by forfeit. 120: Mike Brown (Cou) won by forfeit.
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Muntean, Ioan (2010) The Fiber Bundle at the Gates of Metaphysics. Challenging Maudlin's Proposal. In: [2009] EPSA09: 2nd Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (Amsterdam, 21-24 October, 2009) > EPSA 2009 Contributed Papers.
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In a recent book (The Metaphysics within Physics), Tim Maudlin reconstructs metaphysics by taking inspiration from the gauge theories interpreted in the ber bundle framework. I call his project the "fiber bundle metaphysics". Primarily targeted not to Humean Supervenience, but to any metaphysics employing the relation of resemblance among objects (D. Lewis, D. Armstrong), Maudlin's project is novel and promising. I critically analyze the arguments by identifying several objections stemming rst from metaphysics. The metaphysician questions whether gauge theory represented through ber bundles is apt to reform metaphysics. It needs, I claim, a rmer commitment to realism. Second, she cannot see how Maudlin accommodates the metaphysical "loneliness" of objects in the ber bundle metaphysics and complains that the mathematical structures of the ber bundle metaphysics are weakly discernible only. A second class of objections stems from the physics of gauge theories. I see a "conventional" solution to Maudlin's path-dependency argument against Lewis's "pure metaphysical relations": other invariants of affine connections can play the role of internal properties and relations. I raise an objection and address it regarding the duality of the ber bundle representation which is deeply divided among two types of bundles, corresponding to dierent ontologies: gauge elds and spacetime dieomorphism. Several possible paths towards more realistic interpretations of the ber bundle are briefy discussed. Finally, I bring in the provlem of locality, separability and I emphasize some criticisms. My conclusion is that Mauldin's project is assuring, but not powerful enough to reform metaphysics.
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|Fiber Bundle, Gauge Theories, Metaphysics, Resemblance, Scientific Realism
|Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles
Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory
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|[2009] EPSA09: 2nd Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (Amsterdam, 21-24 October, 2009) > EPSA 2009 Contributed Papers
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|Dr Ioan Muntean
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|02 Apr 2010
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Managing HR administration for large to medium-sized corporations in today's highly competitive environment is similar to the challenge facing the Olympic athlete. The principles are the same-only the terminology is different. Today's HR administrators rely on the skills and expertise of their staff, who must continuously sharpen their capabilities through training and development. They must be supported by the most appropriate technology and must be able to adapt quickly and efficiently to a changing operating environment. They must analyze their own as well as their competitors' strengths and weaknesses. Finally, they must develop an operating strategy that takes all of these into account, along with corporate capabilities, culture and long-term objectives.
Below, Robin Lissak-managing director of HR information technologies with Lyndhurst, New Jersey-based Alexander & Alexander Consulting Group-shares his insights on technology and HR administration.
Although it might seem obvious to the highly experienced manager, in practice the issue of goals frequently becomes not "How can I go for the gold?" but "How can I just manage to stay in the game?" The continuing trend toward wholesale insourcing or outsourcing of HR administration to systems integrators or other service providers is a reflection of administrators' attempts to stay in the game. In my experience as an HR information technologies consultant to major corporations throughout the United States, I've come to recognize that it's time for a more enlightened approach to effective HR administration. By taking a fresh new look at the way you approach the problem-by determining exactly what's the best practice for your organization given its particular strategic objectives and operational parameters-you stand a much better chance of winning the gold.
Just what is best practice?
Best practice doesn't mean just purchasing and installing expensive, state-of-the-art technology. Nor does it mean outsourcing your entire HR administration to the service provider that comes in with the lowest bid or the one that your closest competitor isn't using. Best practice means satisfying a complex equation-unique to your organization-that includes the following variables: the level of service you wish to deliver to your employees, the cost that fits comfortably within your budget, your existing resources (including systems and personnel), your corporate culture and your overall corporate strategy.
This isn't to say technology doesn't play an important role in solving the equation, but like the Olympic athlete's equipment, it must be the right technology, it must be used properly, and it has to make sense in the context of overall strategy.
Consider this scenario: You're presented with a proposal-solicited or unsolicited-from your own staff, an outside service provider or consultant, or from your corporate reengineering task force. The basic premise of the proposal is to automate HR administration using the latest technology and save the company lots of money. Now, how do you go about evaluating the proposal? Even more difficult, how do you compare this proposal with a similar one you reviewed the week before?
Most senior business managers have been trained in classical cost-benefit and activity-based cost analyses. These standard analytical tools compare the hard- dollar costs estimated for the proposed changes with the costs of the existing arrangement. Although these tools are very useful for many day-to-day operational and purchasing decisions, my experience has revealed that for so all-encompassing a decision as reengineering HR administration, neither cost-benefit nor activity-based cost analysis results in a decision that can be implemented with confidence. They fail to take into account three factors: the value of the improvements in service; the indivisible costs of resources, such as systems and personnel that are shared by different departments or operating divisions; and most important, the current hidden or soft-dollar costs that simply can't be identified or accurately valued.
Going for the gold means thinking smart.
To win a gold medal in HR administration you must sometimes adjust your way of looking at things. I decided this after a recent meeting with the vice president and controller of a large industrial concern. On his desk was a proposal for a 10-year contract with an outsourcing partner who would reengineer his HR department and completely run his benefits administration. This arrangement would cost the firm $7 to $8 million, which would take a substantial bite out of the corporation's annual capital budget. Before seeking approval for the contract, he had to make sure he could sell it to management, and his reasoning had to be airtight. This very astute controller decided to abandon traditional cost-benefit and activity-based cost analyses and take a less tactical, more strategic approach.
Over the course of our consultation, we discussed a series of questions that would shape his analysis. Here's a sampling of the issues we discussed:
- Do we have an existing core competence (skills and expertise) in compensation and benefits management enhancing stockholders' value?
- What is the strategic importance of this project compared to other proposed capital projects and in relation to managing our overall capital structure?
- What are the minimum requirements in terms of technology, programming, organizational structure, critical paths and time to achieve the desired improvements in administration?
- What does our ideal centralized service center look like in terms of technology: computers, database, interactive screens and phones?
- Which systems (HRIS, payroll) would drive the data consolidation, and what are the relative costs and benefits of each?
- How do we compare this proposal with the option of doing everything in-house with respect to value added, service levels and risks-such as loss of control, flexibility and skills?
- If we approve this contract, how do we minimize the risks and maintain flexibility?
- What benchmarks in benefits administration do we currently find in practice in our industry? In the marketplace as a whole?
This example is important because it demonstrates the type of integrative, strategic thinking that produces gold-medal results. My client realized he couldn't perform a meaningful analysis of that proposal without looking far beyond the immediate problem that it was intended to solve. Instead, he had to determine what would be the best practice for his company as a whole. As a result, the contract in question wasn't signed.
A silver medalist goes for the gold.
In the HR Olympics, everyone can be a winner. A large service corporation recently consulted with us about its benefits administration. In a well thought out move to cut costs and improve service, management had just completed outsourcing agreements with two separate providers to administer its four distinct benefits plans. Management was more than pleased with the results-a savings of more than 25% a year. Still, they had lingering concerns about maintaining the quality of benefits and service to employees over the long term. After all, the HR department had just been downsized, but the workload stayed the same-and there was still a need for additional services and improvements in certain competencies. Management firmly was convinced additional money could be saved. Clearly, this was a case in which a few highly strategic moves, combined with improved technology, could make the difference between just a winner and a true champion. We performed a comprehensive operations review. Within 60 days, management had accepted our recommendations. As a result, the company realized an additional 8% savings per annum. Now that's going for the gold.
Personnel Journal, February 1996, Vol. 75, No. 2, pp.99-101.


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It is 4am.
Sleep evades me — again. Insomnia, my friend, I would like it better if you were less present in my life and more like a distant relative that just sends fruitcake once a year. But you are a tenacious little bugger. So you give me no choice but to acquiesce to your demands and surrender the night.
The snowfall has ceased and a light blanket of powder and ice glisten in the evening light. The street lights bank off the overcast sky and create a pink hue which encompasses the space between heaven and earth. I watch through the window and truly enjoy the beauty of nature. All the leaves have fallen, the trees are barren and I find it to be shockingly — peaceful.
Winter has begun.


text:
by Terry Trueman
Reviewer Rating:
Reviewed on:
April 6, 2007
April 6, 2007
This should be the best time of Scott's life: He's a star senior on the baseball team. His future in the big leagues is bright. He plays third base or the "hot corner," where anything can happen. Then he learns that anything can happen in life, too. An article about an anonymous gay student is published in the school paper. The next day, Scott's best friend Travis tells Scott that the article is about him. Scott's world is thrown off kilter by this revelation, and he's worried he won't be able to concentrate in the big tournament. Will Scott make good plays in his hot corner, or will a bad hop destroy his friendship with Travis and his future career?
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