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Information Technology Policies and Standards
Enterprise Application and Software Policy
To Be Reviewed
Applies to the proposed implementation of applications and systems software that duplicate the functions of existing software already in use in City government.
To ensure that City business objectives are met and the confidence of our citizens, customers, taxpayers, ratepayers and bondholders is maintained, all employees have a responsibility to protect information from unauthorized access, modification, disclosure, and destruction, whether accidental or intentional.
Policy Provisions
The implementation of application and enterprise system software solutions must be in compliance with the City's enterprise-wide software and system software standards.
Although this policy guides City business units to use identified enterprise applications and system software whenever possible, circumstances may be such that this is not feasible. In these instances, approval to deviate from the enterprise applications and system software standards may be granted at the discretion of the Information Services Committee.
Enterprise Applications defined
: Software products designed to integrate computer systems that support a business unit's operations to increase internal coordination of work and cooperation across an enterprise. These products facilitate the integration of core business operations and processes, including accounting, finance, human resources, inventory, field service, imaging, call tracking and reporting. Enterprise applications also play an important role in external linkages with suppliers, business partners and citizens.
An implementation might involve a single application, or portions of a single application, or an enterprise system could control all major business processes in real time, via a single software architecture on a client/server platform.
Enterprise System Software defined:
Software that connects two otherwise separate applications. For example, there are a number of middleware products that link a database system to a Web server. This allows users to request data from the database using forms displayed on a Web browser, and it enables the Web server to return dynamic Web pages based on the user's requests and profile.
The term middleware is used to describe separate products that serve as the "glue" between two applications. It is, therefore, distinct from import and export features that may be built into one of the applications.
The City encourages the use of enterprise software and middleware across City functions. This allows for the integration of City services into a common foundation of software applications and middleware, and provides more efficient use of support resources. This policy enables the City to:
Facilitate the exchange and sharing of data electronically, by using the same programs (with related file formats) and platforms across the Metropolitan Area.
Achieve substantial savings in person-time support costs, over a period of time, by reducing the number of products that are supported
Reduce training costs by having the same application software in use throughout City Government.
NOTES: Update in 5 years.
Back to Information Technology Policies and Standards
Brian A. Osterloh
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June 9, 2012
CL Playoff Game 4
Angels (Rose Tree Fire Company) 13
Dodgers (Media Copy) 6
The Angels Defeated the Dodgers 13-6 before a packed out this afternoon at Continental Field in a much-anticipated showdown between the league's two biggest run-producers of the 2012 season.
The Dodgers scored 6 runs off of 17 hits, including an impressive 5-run inning in the fourth to keep the game in competitive balance. They were led by sluggers Seamus Rogers (3 for 3, 1-2B, 1-R), Matt Sparling (3 for 3, 1-R), Jack Bateman (2 for 3, 1-R, 2-RBI), Daniel Morgans (1 for 3, 2-RBIs, 1-R), Sean Maguire (1 for 2, 1-RBI) and Evan Golato (1 for 2, 1-RBI). Defensively, the Dodgers made four defensive outs in the game, including an impressive pop-out/tag of first double-play in the first inning by (name).
The Angels combined for 13 runs off of 22 hits in six innings of play, led by Rowan Degnan (3 for 3, 1-2B, 3-RBI, 1-R), Dylan Colvin (3 for 3, 3-2B, 2-RBi, 1-R), Joshua Emery (3 for 3, 2-2B, 2-RBi, 1-R), Alex Maillie (2 for 2, 1-RBI), Isabella Mingioni (1 for 2, 2-R), Sam Kleinman (2 for 2, 2-R) Kadin Matotek (2 for 3, 1-RBI, 2-R) and Michael Costello (2 for 3, 1-3B, 2-RBI, 2-R). The team's resiliency paid off, as they countered a Dodgers fourth inning surge with a five-run inning of their own followed by another five in the 5th to put the game away. Defensively, the Angels accounted for 9 defensive outs, none bigger than a first inning race to the plate where pitcher Kadin Matotek beat out the Dodgers' Philip Caruso to prevent a key run from scoring.
The Angels and Dodgers would like to thank Jim Cawley and Mike Kinsley of the Rays for officiating the game, calling it straight down the line.
The Angels move on to the Semifinals where they will face an upstart Diamondbacks team, fresh off a first round victory over the top-seeded Nationals. The Game is scheduled for Thursday, June 14, 2012, 6:00pm at Continental Field.
Third Inning – 3 Runs
#1 – Jake Maillie (Rowan Degnan 2B)
#2 – Isabella Mingioni (Rowan Degnan 2B)
#3 - Sam Kleinman (Alex Pak 2B)
Fourth Inning – 5 Runs
#4 – Kadin Matotek (Michael Costello 3B)
#5 – Michael Costello (Dylan Colvin 2B)
#6 – Dylan Colvin (Joshua Emery 2B)
#7 – Joshua Emery (Michael Byrd 1B)
#8 – Sam Pietrzak (Alex Maillie 1B)
Fifth Inning – 5 Runs
#9 – Isabella Mingioni (Rowan Degnan 2B)
#10 – Sam Kleinman (Kadin Matotek 1B)
#11 – Rowan Degnan (Michael Costello 1B)
#12 – Kadin Matotek (Dylan Colvin 2B)
#13 – Michael Costello (Joshua Emery 2B)
First Inning – 1 Run
#1 Matthew Buckley (Jack Bateman 1B)
Fourth Inning – 5 Runs
#2 – Seamus Rogers (Jack Bateman 1B)
#3 – Matthew Sparling (Daniel Morgans 2B)
#4 – Jack Bateman (Daniel Morgans 2B)
#5 – Daniel Morgans (Sean Maguire 1B)
#6 – Aidan Nolen (Evan Golato 1B)

subset: commoncrawl


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It's been days and days...the constant posts have died down...no one has offered one shred of actual proof that any of the story was true...and yet Mojo is still a Group Owner of October 2011.
So, BBC - are you going to give us ANY kind of statement? At any point are you even going to say "we are looking into this" or "we will let you know". It seems like a slap in the face that no representative of BBC has made a peep during something so huge. I've been on here since 2006 and it is by far the biggest debacle I have witnessed. We have been given big sisters for far less that what has gone on lately.
A huge number of women from this community specifically asked for her resignation, people were upset and hurt. Even if the powers that be have proof that everything she has said is true - why have we not been told that?
The process of electing a GO is always thorough and specific...and no member who has ever been involved in any arguments, private groups or the like is eligible. Yet now we don't even get an acknowledgement of our concerns.
I appreciate the GO's, or some of them anyway, for trying to communicate but it is clear they aren't being told anything either.
At any rate...this may get deleted or closed or whatever but I am not violating any rules. I am not attacking the GO in question or bullying or harassing anyone. And I don't think its a disruption of the community for the women for whom this board was created to request some type of contact from BBC. In all other instances, and plenty of times during this issue, people have been deleted, banned and threads closed...most of which can only be done by Mods. So it is completely beyond me why we've heard nothing on the subject from the "bosses".
For the record, I am not alone in my feelings. I have taken everything else with a grain of salt...the bannings, the warnings that have absolutely zero merit or truth to them, the thread closings that are simply meant to stifle free speech....but to not hear from BBC is just too much.
Thank you for listening. I hope a few people get to read this before it goes "poof"


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Texas Tech Wins Second Game in Vancouver
Aug. 10, 2010
VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Texas Tech women's basketball team dominated the second half to win its second game in as many days on its Canada tour as the Lady Raiders defeated the University of British Columbia, 85-49, at War Memorial Gym Tuesday night.
Head coach Kristy Curry inserted four different players into the starting lineup, leaving just one starter from the night before, Monique Smalls. Joining Smalls in the backcourt was Chynna Brown, while Marissa Ashton was at the wing and Shauntal Nobles and Teena Wickett got the start down low.
Tech had a 34-29 lead at the half, but controlled the second half to get the 36-point victory.
Leading the way for the Lady Raiders was Wickett and Casey Morris as both finished with 14 points. Wickett recorded a double-double, grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. Christine Hyde and Kierra Mallard both scored in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Antiesha Brown chipped in eight points. Mallard also added eight rebounds.
Next up for Tech is a game at The University of Fraser Valley on Wed., Aug. 11, at 6 p.m. PDT.


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Rainbow Dash squinted and blinked her eyes, trying to clear her vision. All she could see was white… and it felt like she was hovering in the air even though her wings were closed at her sides. Her memories began to flood her mind as the white appeared to be fading… "A monster ruined the picnic my friends and I were having… When I tried to stop it from taking my friends, it knocked me out… and then I woke up somewhere totally far from Ponyville! I met this awesome guy named Sonic whose friends were also taken by that monster, and we worked together to save our friends and we all visited familiar places and got to beat up some old bad guys! We then confronted that monster, the Time Eater… there was a huge fight, and then… then…" Her eyes widened as she remembered what had seemingly just happened, a tear in the white opening up in front of her and pulling her through it.
As she went through the opening in the white, her hooves came into contact with grass as she was set down gently. She looked around and saw a hill, a wooden fence going along the side of it, and several trees nearby. "Where am I?" she wondered out loud. Almost as soon as she asked that question, she saw five white glows appear near her, forming a circle including her. As she watched, each of her five friends were deposited onto the grass, all of them looking a bit surprised for a moment before they looked around in confusion. Rainbow noticed that their coats and manes had returned to their usual appearances, Twilight was back to being a unicorn, Fluttershy's wings were pegasus wings again, and they were all still wearing their Elements of Harmony. Looking down at herself, she saw that she too had returned to normal and she was still wearing her Element of Loyalty necklace.
After a moment, Rainbow looked up at them and asked, "Hey, are you guys okay?"
The others looked at her and Applejack, her and Pinkie standing closest to the cyan pegasus, said, "Ah reckon so, Rainbow. But… what was all that white about?" She looked to the left, behind Rainbow, and noticed that the fence went around until it ended abruptly further down from the girls, standing in front of a patch of flat grass and a lake, and added, "And where are we? Ah'm pretty sure Ah haven't been here before…"
Twilight, who was standing across from Rainbow with Rarity and Fluttershy on her left and right respectively, looked up and murmured, "Hmm…"
Fluttershy looked over at her and asked, "Um, Twilight? Do you have any idea where we are? N-Not that there's a problem if you don't know, I'm just asking."
The lavender unicorn replied, "I can't say I know for certain, Fluttershy, but maybe…" She stopped short and her eyes widened as she remembered something. She looked at her friends and asked, "Wait, what happened to Sonic and Spike and everybody else?" Her friends' eyes widened at that and all six of them started looking around again, searching for some sign that the blue hedgehog and their friends and family were all right.
Rarity soon noticed something when she looked to her right and pointed with a hoof while saying, "Look, over there!" The other five mares all looked where she was pointing to see an empty picnic table sitting near the shade of a tree and a white glow floating directly to the, from where they were standing, right of it.
After a moment, the glow deposited a familiar blue hedgehog wearing a bracelet on his left wrist in front of the table. After shaking his head to clear the slight disorientation, Sonic looked around and quickly recognized where he was. "Hey, this is…" he started before he remembered something. Tilting his head up, he saw his present from Tails falling straight down towards him, flipping end-over-end as it came down. He raised and swung his right hand, cleanly catching the chili dog in it, holding it up to his face and giving it a sniff before taking his long-awaited second bite of it. "Mm, still warm," he commented. He then chuckled as he tossed it up in the air and caught it, "Heh, time travel does have its benefits!"
A second later, he heard Pinkie Pie call, "Sonic!" and turned to his left to look. He smiled as he saw Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack quickly trotting towards him while Rainbow flew and Pinkie bounced over. Twilight reached him first, followed by Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack. They all smiled back at him (or in Pinkie's case, grinned at him). Before anyone could say anything, they all heard a sound coming from the picnic table and turned to see more white glows beginning to appear on the other side of and above the table.
As they watched, all of their friends, families, and rivals, save for Tails and Spike, were deposited before them, the Cutie Mark Crusaders being set down on top of the table while everyone else appeared behind it. They all looked around and at each other for a moment or two in confusion before they saw the seven standing on the other side of the table and many of them began cheering, some of the ponies also whinnying (there was also a distinctive "Eeyup" heard as the cheers began to die down). Luna managed to retain her composure and instead gave Sonic and the Element Bearers a nod along with Celestia while Shadow, Gilda, and the Babylon Rogues simply acted disinterested for their own reasons. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all soon leapt towards their desired pony, giving them a hug.
Knuckles was the first to say something, "I've gotta admit, you guys made one heck of a team back there."
Jet rolled his eyes, "Eh, they were okay."
Amy, who just so happened to be standing next to him, turned and glared at him, angrily asking, "'Okay'? Are you kidding?" Before Jet could react, she slapped him in the face with the back of her right hand, sending him rolling into the nearby tree while she turned back to the group and clasped her hands together, saying, "They were all great, especially Sonic!" Wave shot the pink hedgehog a dark look that she didn't notice before moving to help Jet while Storm, remembering the last time he and Amy crossed paths alone, looked nervous before following suit.
Sonic and the Main Six, as well as some of the others, looked on in surprise at this display before Fluttershy leapt over the table to go help Jet while Rainbow and Applejack shot Rarity a look, as if daring her to comment on how cute Amy's affection for Sonic was, and Twilight and Pinkie looked over at Sonic questioningly, the blue hedgehog glancing down to the right and scratching the side of his head with his left index finger while giving a wry smirk.
After a moment, they heard Spike's voice off to their left, all of them turning to look as the baby dragon asked, "So he always returns to normal after a while? Huh. What happens to the Chaos Emeralds afterwards?" His question was directed at Tails, who was walking alongside him while looking down at him. The fox was carrying his radar in his left hand, though it was in its closed state at the moment.
"They always get split up due to all that energy coming together and being used all at once. And there's no telling where they'll turn up; they could end up in the Special Zone or anywhere in the world," Tails replied. Spike nodded, having missed most of Tails telling Twilight about the Chaos Emeralds earlier. When they got closer to the picnic table, Spike ran ahead to Twilight, leaping up to her and giving her a hug, glad to see that she was okay. This prompted Shining Armor and Cadance to move around the table and join in, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith also moving to join in on the hug Apple Bloom was giving Applejack.
When Tails reached the table, he walked over to Sonic and the two gave each other a high five with their free hands. Afterwards, as the hugging ponies and dragon began to back off and Fluttershy came back over (Wave having shooed her away after telling her Jet was fine), Sonic took another bite out of his chili dog and swallowed it before asking, "So Tails, would you say our little time crisis adventure is over now?"
At that, almost everyone looked at the two-tailed fox, who replied, "From the way things are looking here, it sure seems like it. But if we want to know for sure…" He held up his radar in both hands and flipped it open, typing something into it. After a few seconds, he said, "Hmm, according to these readings, a lot of the damage that Eggman and Discord caused with the Time Eater is healing up nicely. In Equestria, it looks like the recovery is starting in Ponyville, where the creature first appeared, and is spreading out from there. The same thing is happening here too. It'll take a little time, but all the damage should heal on its own soon."
At that, Mayor Mare smiled, "Really? That is indeed wonderful news, Tails! So it won't be long before our quaint little town and the rest of Equestria is fully restored?" Tails nodded.
Scootaloo spoke up, "You guys sure walloped Eggman and Discord way past next week! That was so amazing!"
Sweetie Belle looked at Tails and asked, "We helped, didn't we?"
The fox replied, "Uh, yeah, Sweetie Belle. Everybody helped out!"
The unicorn filly grinned, "I knew it! I knew it!" She giggled happily.
Apple Bloom, while looking at her flank, said, "We tried ta get our cutie marks in moral support before, but we didn't get anythin' that time. Maybe this time we'll get somethin'?" Babs couldn't help but chuckle lightly at her cousin's ever constant hopefulness. While Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's sisters and Rainbow Dash tried to calm the now-curious fillies down, the earth pony filly glanced over at Sonic, Tails, and Twilight and casually blew her mane to the side, acting calm as ever. The three of them simply shared a smile with her, Sonic taking another bite out of his chili dog a moment later.
Pinkie Pie suddenly piped up, everyone's attention shifting to her, "Silly fillies, there'll be plenty of time for cutie marks later! Right now, we need to celebrate!" She then shifted her attention to the other girls, "Instead of a picnic like the one that was ruined earlier, let's have a party instead! And everyone's invited!" At that, most of Sonic's friends began to look bothered as their eyes fell on the picnic table, the empty picnic table. Pinkie and most of the other Equestria residents quickly picked up on this, the former asking, "Hey, what's everyone looking so sad about?"
Before anyone could answer, Celestia spoke up, "Forgive me if I upset the mood further, Pinkie Pie, but our little filly friends have just reminded me of something." She looked at Sonic and asked, "What happened to Discord?"
Sonic shrugged, "He got hit with the Elements of Harmony. It doesn't look like he's around, but the Elements are supposed to do the trick against him, right?"
Celestia leveled a stern gaze at him, "I'm afraid that's not going to be enough. If the power of the Elements of Harmony was somehow offset by the power of the Chaos Emeralds, then Discord could still be out there somewhere, free. I need to see proof that he is not still free and causing chaos somewhere else."
Before anyone could say anything, they all heard a loud crashing sound coming from the other side of the nearby hill, everyone looking in its direction. Sonic and Tails shared a look before they both ran towards it, the Main Six coming up behind them. When they reached the top of the hill, Sonic and Tails looked down towards the other side, the girls looking over or around them to do the same, and they all gasped in surprise. Near the foot of the hill, Dr. Eggman, Orbot, Cubot, and a familiar draconequus were lying on the ground, one of them not moving.
Eggman groaned as he sat up, "Oh, my head… What just happened?"
Orbot and Cubot both popped out of their closed state, the latter grunting and whirring for a moment before saying, "Ah don't know, but Ah reckon it hurt a bit. Mah head feels kind of funny too."
Orbot looked at him and sighed, "It would appear your voice chip is stuck on cowboy yet again."
Eggman, not realizing where he was, began to stand up as he growled, "Ugh… great. As if Discord fiddling with his voice chip all the time wasn't bad enough. He just couldn't settle on something that wasn't annoying and permanently set him to that, no! He had to try EVERY voice setting!"
Orbot spoke, "Speaking of which, Boss, it looks like Cubot isn't the only one who's back to where he started." Eggman turned to look at him, about to yell at him since he was sure he was referring to him, but he stopped when he noticed the red-headed robot wasn't even looking at him. He followed his gaze to see Discord lying on the ground, his body turned back into stone. Looking his petrified partner over, Eggman saw that his pose resembled the one he had been locked in when he had been retrieved from the Canterlot statue garden, except his tail was pressed flat as though he'd been sitting on it, his legs stuck straight out just like his arms, and, while his head was facing forward, his eyes were looking off to the left, possibly at where Sonic and the Element Bearers had been after their attack on the Time Eater. Also, the stone encasing him appeared to be a darker shade of gray and both his arms and legs appeared to be mixed up.
"My, he just can't seem to avoid having his face freeze like that, can he? Still, those Elements do pick such fine stone to imprison him in," Orbot commented.
"Yep, and this here stone looks stronger than the old one, Ah reckon. Still, Ah'm glad the same thing didn't happen ta us," Cubot replied.
"I wouldn't have minded, especially if it would've fixed you two," Eggman grumbled as he stood up straight. He then walked over to Discord and stood at his side, placing his left arm atop the draconequus' chest/neck and leaning on him while looking at his face. He then spoke, "Well Discord, I hope you're pleased. When you agreed to our partnership, I was expecting you to bring your A-game, but instead you spent most of your time free messing around and amusing yourself. Still, you were the best choice out of all of Equestria's villains. Working with Rouge in the past has made me averse to trusting girls with any of my plans, and even if there was anything left of King Sombra, I'd never work with him because he's a psycho!"
He shuddered for a moment at the thought of what he'd learned about the former Crystal Empire king before he continued, "That's why I set you free: to help me and share in the spoils of the end results. Alas, it seems the only thing that really mattered to you was enjoying your freedom, so I hope you did, because you know what? I'm never helping you out again, you clown!" As he was speaking, he raised his right fist up and brought it down on Discord's neck as he finished. A second later, Orbot pointed and started laughing at him as he hopped in place while clutching his hand and crying, "OW! My pinky!"
Orbot's laughing abruptly stopped when a familiar pink pony popped up out of nowhere on Discord's other side, Eggman falling backwards in shock with a yelp and the others, still on the hill, looking on in confusion. "Ooh! I just heard my name! But don't be silly, Eggy; I'm not your Pinkie!" she said.
Eggman glared up at her. "How did you get back there?!" he exclaimed.
"Science… FICTION!" Pinkie grinned. Cubot looked at Orbot in confusion, the red-headed robot shrugging, also confused.
Eggman growled, "Great. I lose one clown just to get stuck with another." Pinkie just continued to grin at him. A second later, Sonic ran up behind Eggman and stood there, prompting Pinkie to wave at him. "What are you waving at?" Eggman asked. He got his answer a moment later when Sonic cleared his throat and Eggman turned his head to look back at him. "Gah! Sonic?!" he cried.
"Hey, Eggman. I don't remember seeing your name on the list of surprise party guests," the blue hedgehog replied while untying the ribbon on his chili dog, holding it between his left index finger and thumb as he raised the gift to his mouth and began taking the last bites of it.
Pinkie looked at him with wide eyes, "Did you say party?!"
Before Sonic could answer her, Eggman turned over, getting on his hands and knees and pointing at Sonic as he yelled, "You cocky little…! You think you've defeated me, but this day's not over yet! You still want a fight, Sonic?! I'll give you one right now!"
After finishing his chili dog, Sonic waved the ribbon in Eggman's direction as he smugly replied, "I think I'll take a rain check on that, Doc. It looks like some of our guests have a few complaints about your brand of entertainment that they'd like to 'discuss' with you."
Eggman looked confused by that statement until he turned his head to look up and to the left at the hill. "…Oh…" he muttered as his anger quickly evaporated at what he saw. In addition to Tails and the other five mares, he saw that everyone else was now standing at the top of the hill, all of them glaring angrily down at him, some, like Knuckles and Gilda, already making it clear that they'd have no problem tearing him a new breathing hole.
Orbot spoke up after a moment, "I believe the expression is 'discretion is the better part of valor'."
Cubot looked at him, "Meanin'…?"
Orbot replied, "As you might put it…" He grabbed Cubot's right arm with his left and suddenly shot away from the gathering, saying, "Let's get the heck outta Dodge, partner!"
Some of the group members stared in surprise at this sudden action. Taking advantage of this, Eggman stood up and ran after them, yelling, "Get back here, you cowards!"
Sonic turned his head in Eggman's direction, watching him run but deciding not to go after him. He looked back at Pinkie Pie a second later when she asked, "Is there a party going on somewhere?!"
Sonic opened his mouth to answer her, but Rainbow interrupted him before he could start with a shout, "Hey!"
Spitfire pointed a hoof, "After them! Don't let them get away!" She, Soarin, Rainbow Dash, and Gilda all spread their wings and took off, flying after Eggman and his henchbots while (mostly) everyone else turned their attention to the new Discord statue.
A few minutes later…
"Okay, he's almost there! You ready over there, Big Mac?" Vector asked as he stood on Discord's left side while the red stallion stood near the other side, Sonic and Espio behind the draconequus, Knuckles and Applejack in front, and Tails and Fluttershy hovering near the head as they tried to fine-tune the angle for Celestia to set him down as she held him with her magic.
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh answered, both him and Vector ready to step up in case Discord started leaning when he was set down. Pinkie was standing at the Princess' side, doing the surveying while Sonic, Applejack, Knuckles, and Espio corrected the statue from the bottom and Fluttershy and Tails corrected it from the top. It was close to touching the ground now, so they wanted to make sure it landed properly.
"Hmm… Okay, a little~ to the left with the tail and slightly to the right up above!" Pinkie called while holding her hooves up in front of her. Knuckles, Espio, and Fluttershy moved forward at that, making the adjustments. "Um… maybe just a smidge back to the right a bit now," Pinkie said when they were done, Sonic and Applejack carefully making the correction. Afterwards, Pinkie tilted her head to the side a bit before saying, "Okay, make sure he goes down like that!" At that, Tails flew a bit above Discord, almost getting his tails caught in the tree branches, and pushed down on his head to simulate the pull of gravity. Pinkie nodded, "Perfect! Okay, Princess, let 'er rip!" Celestia nodded and set Discord down, releasing her magic grip on him.
For a second, Discord seemed to sit just fine on his tail, but then a breeze blew and he started leaning towards Big Macintosh! The red stallion quickly rushed towards him and pressed his side against him, pushing as Sonic, Applejack, and Tails moved to help him. Once they stopped the leaning tower of Discord, Espio, Knuckles, and Vector moved forward to help right him again. "All right, guys, easy… not too much!" Vector called as they tried to find Discord's center of balance. After a few moments, they managed to get him under the nearby tree just enough that the branches and leaves caught his horns. They then backed away slowly, watching, but the branches and leaves overhead helped hold him up. "All right, there we go!" Vector said.
Sonic gave Big Macintosh a playful punch at his side while saying, "Pretty cool, big guy! You're one tough Apple workhorse!" Big Macintosh gave him his usual calm, quiet smile at that.
Celestia nodded, "Very well. That will do for now until we can get a proper pedestal for Discord."
Knuckles stepped away from Discord along with the others and turned to look at him. He wiped his forehead, "I know he's tall and all, but I never would've guessed a guy like him was so heavy." Applejack chuckled at that.
Luna glanced up at her sister, "Celestia, did we really need to prop him up? He would've been fine if we'd left him lying down."
Fluttershy asked, "Oh, but wouldn't it be rude to just leave him like that, Princess Luna?"
Shadow grunted, "Hmph, it doesn't matter. Either way, he's right where he belongs. He has some power, to be sure, but unless he learns how to use it properly, he does not deserve to be free. He'll have to learn his lesson if he wants to earn his freedom." The black hedgehog's words may have been harsh, but nobody wanted to argue with him, especially since he was, to some degree, correct.
Sonic looked up at Discord's face, once again frozen in a look of terror. "He was manipulative, he tried to break ponies apart, he turned their lives upside-down when they didn't want it, he went along with Eggman's scheme, it seems like he's got a ways to go before he'll understand what it's like having friends and feelings, and Shadow's right. He does need to learn a little restraint. Even so…" He continued to stare up at the draconequus with his arms crossed, still thinking he might be, at the very least, a halfway decent guy deep down, but disappointed that, for all the things he wanted to change, it seemed he didn't want to change himself.
Celestia noticed the look on his face and thought to herself, "Hmm…" She'd been quietly listening to everything that was just said, particularly what Shadow had said. The look on Sonic's face, however, reminded her of her reign when Luna was imprisoned in her beloved Moon. It was the look of someone thinking about what had been and what was going to come in the future. Looking back at Discord's statue, she began to wonder to herself, "Maybe…"
Before she could get too absorbed in her thoughts, Rainbow Dash, Gilda, Soarin, and Spitfire returned, Celestia and the others looking up as they landed, all of them looking tired, especially Soarin and Rainbow. Blaze stepped forward and asked, "What happened to Eggman?"
Spitfire panted, "He got away, along with his robots."
Spike and everypony looked surprised at that. "They got away?!" Twilight exclaimed.
Rainbow threw her hooves up, "I can't believe it either! He's a fat guy; how can he run so fast?!"
Sonic sighed, "Never quite figured that one out either."
Gilda stood up straight, walked over to him, and poked him in the chest with a claw, all the while saying, "Yeah? And what were YOU waiting for, an invitation?! Why didn't you try to catch him?! He's your enemy, for crying out loud!"
Sonic shrugged, "I don't know, Gilda. I just don't feel right attacking the guy when he's got nothing to defend himself with." He then lowered his arms, "Besides, given how fast you can fly, what's your excuse for not catching him?"
Gilda growled at that. She then said, "At least I'm not the one showing signs of weakness!"
Espio cleared his throat, causing Gilda and Sonic to look over at him. "To show mercy is not weak; it is a sign of true strength," the chameleon stated while he held his right index and middle fingers up near his horn. Gilda just cocked an eyebrow at this.
Suddenly, Pinkie popped up between her and Sonic, Gilda backing away quickly with a yelp while Sonic stared at the pink pony in confusion. "Super! So now can we go to this party you mentioned earlier?!" Pinkie asked while placing her hooves on Sonic's shoulders and staring into his eyes.
Rarity cleared her throat and said, "Pinkie, darling, I'm sure it was just a figure of speech, just like before."
Before Pinkie could express her disappointment, Sonic spoke, "Actually, Rarity, it wasn't." The pink earth pony perked up again at that.
Tails nodded, "Yeah, um…" He looked over at Twilight and Rainbow and asked, "Twilight, Rainbow, you remember how back when we first met at the library, I said we were having a friendly get-together when the Time Eater showed up?"
The unicorn and pegasus in question glanced at each other for a moment before they remembered and nodded, Rainbow saying, "Yeah, Twilight referred to it a friendly gathering or something. Why?"
Tails replied, "Well, it's just… what I actually meant was we were having a party for Sonic. You see… it's his birthday today."
That little tidbit of information was met with a number of wide eyes and surprised gasps, particularly from the Equestria residents. Pinkie Pie even did one of her famous floating gasps. Rainbow flew up to Sonic and asked, "Your birthday's TODAY, Sonic?! Why didn't you say something?!"
Sonic scratched his head, "Because time being messed up was a bigger thing to worry about than what day it was?"
Marine turned to Blaze and yelled, "Blaze! Why didn't you tell me Sonic's birthy-day was coming up?!"
The cat sternly replied, "I TRIED to tell you, Marine. I sent you a letter, I sent a messenger; I even personally visited you when I didn't receive an answer from you. I tried to tell you then, but you kept talking about your most recent adventure and the newest one you were setting out on and you hardly listened to me. In the end, I was left with no choice but to go without you if I wanted to make it in time for the party." Marine blushed and grinned weakly at this explanation.
Nearby, Fluttershy murmured, "Oh my goodness…"
Twilight looked at Sonic and asked, "How old are you?"
He answered, "Uh... sixteen."
Rarity began panicking, "No, no, no, no, NO! This simply will not do! How could I have not known it was a friend's birthday today?!"
Applejack raised a hoof to her chin as she muttered, "Do we have any cider left over…?"
Pinkie cheered, "Oh my goody goodness! This means we can have a really super duper HUGE party to celebrate!"
Wave spoke up above the noise, "Hm, doesn't look like much of a party, if you ask me." That caused a lot of the frantic and excited talking to die down almost instantly.
"Ooh…! You just had to go and ruin the mood, didn't you?!" Amy angrily said to Wave.
"Well, you can't blame her. If this is where you guys were having a party, it sure doesn't look like it," Jet smugly answered for his teammate.
Blaze spoke up, "We did have a party all set up before. We had everything: the cake, the decorations, the refreshments, and the snacks." Looking over at the empty picnic table, she added, "But when that Time Eater creature showed up, it took everything we'd prepared." She looked down at the ground and said, "And it looks like we're not going to get any of it back." Sonic's friends looked sad or upset at that.
Sonic scratched the side of his head, "Sorry, guys…" In any other situation, he'd do his best to perk his friends up and help them look at the bright side of things, especially if it'd been a party set up for everyone. But his friends had put a lot of work into setting up a surprise party for him, and he knew they all wanted to enjoy it just as much as he did. At the moment, he wasn't quite sure what to say to them.
Tails shrugged sadly, "I guess we'll just have to have a plain party instead. It would take too long to bake a new cake and get new decorations and everything."
Pinkie Pie popped up beside him with a smile on her face and patted him on the head with a hoof while saying, "Don't you worry about a thing, Tails! Your Auntie Pinkie Pie will take care of everything!" She then trotted away, everyone looking at her with confusion and curiosity.
Tails looked at the others a moment later, "'Auntie Pinkie Pie'?" Spike and the girls just shrugged at him, all of them looking back at Pinkie Pie a few seconds later.
Everyone watched as the pink pony happily walked past the fence, towards the lake… and into a portal that was in front of the lake! "Hey, what's she doing?" Vector asked.
"Where'd she go?" Charmy wondered.
Tails opened up his radar and pointed it in the direction of the portal. After a few moments, he said, "It looks like that portal leads back to Equestria. Maybe Pinkie knows that too."
Silver asked, "Why's she going back, then? And after what she said just now."
Sonic shrugged, "Maybe she's going back to Sugarcube Corner."
Blaze held a hand to her chin, "To prepare another party? Surely she must know that it will take time, even for her."
Gilda smirked, "Oh, this should be good to watch." Spike and the ponies didn't say anything; they had a feeling Pinkie would surprise them all.
Seeing that nothing seemed to be happening and everyone else was mostly silent for the moment, Shining looked over at Shadow and (carefully) walked over to him. The black hedgehog had his arms crossed as he looked at the portal Pinkie had disappeared through from under the shade of the tree. Sonic and Twilight noticed what the unicorn stallion was doing and turned their heads to watch him.
Once he was right next to him, Shining quietly asked, "Uh, Shadow?" The black hedgehog turned his head to look up at the stallion, the expression on his face as stoic as ever. Shining winced slightly at this, but he pressed on, "Listen, I, uh… I'm sure it's nothing like what you went through, but I nearly lost one of the most important ponies in my life to Eggman and Discord, and I could do nothing to stop them. I… well, I walked a mile in your… shoes, and it really showed me a few things. So I'm sorry for what I said to you. You didn't deserve a word of it."
Shadow stared up at him for several tense moments, his expression not betraying a single thought going through his head. He eventually turned away and said, "Fine." Shining frowned at that and looked back over his shoulder at Sonic for help. The blue hedgehog shrugged, having not heard what was said between the two, and gestured the stallion to come over.
Twilight glanced at Sonic as her brother walked back over. She understood just as well as Shining did what that gesture meant. She looked back at the white stallion as he came to a stop in front of them. Sonic looked up at him and asked, "So what's up?"
Shining replied, "I was just saying sorry for what I said to him earlier, but all he said was 'fine'."
Sonic gave him a sympathetic smile, "Well, then don't worry about it, dude. That pretty much means he's not going to hold what you said to him against you now. That's about as good as most of us get when he doesn't have something to say." Shining briefly glanced back in Shadow's direction before giving Sonic a small smile.
Suddenly, everyone heard Pinkie's voice call, "INCOMING!" They all looked back at the portal to see her party cannon pointing through it. It fired a second later, causing nearly everyone to get down and cover their heads. As they stayed like this, the party cannon fired several more times, yet nobody seemed to get hit by whatever was being shot out of it. After a couple of seconds, following one last shot, they all heard a loud thump along with several smaller thumps followed by Pinkie saying, "Ta-dah!" Everyone uncovered their heads and began to stand up at that, looking around. What they saw amazed them.
Stretched across the side of the tree facing everybody was a white banner that read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONIC', each word colored in red, yellow, and blue respectively, and some smaller decorations hanging from the leaves. Pinkie stood across from the tree, in front of a white unicorn mare whose mane and tail were similar in color to Shining Armor, was wearing dark purple sunglasses, had a double quaver for a cutie mark, and was standing behind a turntable, grinning like nothing weird had happened, and a gray earth pony mare with grayish hair who wore a pink bowtie with a white collar, had a purple treble clef for a cutie mark, and was holding a cello with her left foreleg and a bow for it in her right foreleg (she looked considerably more surprised about this whole situation). But what was on the picnic table was particularly amazing.
The table now had plates filled with cupcakes, candies, other sweets, and, amazingly, chili dogs as well as cups and refreshments, including a few jugs of the Apple Family's famous cider. At the center of it all was a large three layer cake frosted and decorated to look like the Green Hill Zone. Topping the cake were what appeared to be the Chaos Emeralds and the Elements of Harmony, most likely made of hardened sugar or candy, and going around the cake atop the layers below were little plastic figures of Sonic, Tails, Spike, the Main Six, and everyone else who was at the party. It may not have been an MMMM, but it still looked delicious all the same.
"What… How in the world…?" Blaze stammered.
She looked at Twilight when the unicorn spoke, "Don't worry about it too much, Blaze. It's just Pinkie Pie."
Sonic looked at her for a moment before smiling, "Yeah, you're right. That is Pinkie Pie." He then looked over at the party pony and asked, "So, what's this all about, Pinkie?"
In an instant, the pink pony zipped around the table and passed Gilda, who was giving her a glare that she probably didn't even notice, and wrapped her right foreleg around the blue hedgehog's shoulders while standing on her hind legs. She then smiled at him, "That's easy, silly! I LOVE throwing parties; it's my special talent, don't ya know! And when Blaze said the party she and your friends had prepared for you was ruined, I just had to fix that! And now we've got a real doozy of a party, and you know why?"
Sonic looked back at her without answering, so she explained, "First, it's your birthday; that's why your name is all over it! Second, everypony and everyone is TOTALLY invited to it! And finally, and this is most important now, you've got such good friends! They put so much effort into preparing a surprise party for you, only to have it ruined by those meanie pants! So this party is definitely for them to enjoy too!" Despite how fast she had explained it all, they all seemed to get it, as Sonic and (almost) everyone else began to smile at her.
Of course, there were a few party naysayers. The Babylon Rogues proved to once again be the sour apples in the bunch as Jet said, "Yeah, uh, no thanks. We helped you guys and all, but that's it for us. We've got better things to do." With that, he, Wave, and Storm (even though he looked like he really wanted to stay) turned to leave.
They didn't manage to get very far, however, before Pinkie suddenly rose up in front of them, causing Jet and Wave to hide behind Storm, both of them peering out from behind the albatross at her, all of them suddenly afraid of her. It was not her sudden appearance that shocked them; it was the grin and wide eyes she was making at them as she stood in front of them. "STAY… FOR… THE… PARTY," she stated slowly in no uncertain terms. Storm, Jet, and Wave slowly began to back away from her at that, Pinkie slowly following them and making it clear that anyone else who tried to leave would suffer the same fate.
Back with everyone else, Luna looked up at Celestia and begged, "Oh sister, can we please stay for this party? Please? It will be a fine private celebration for time's restoration and Sonic's birthday!"
Celestia let out a sigh, but then she smiled to let her sister know she was joking as she said, "Oh, very well, Luna. Sometimes, you can be such a foal." Shining and Cadance smiled at each other at that, figuring that meant they could stay as well.
Scootaloo grinned at her fellow Crusaders, "A Pinkie Pie birthday party! This is gonna be awesome!"
Apple Bloom looked at Babs and said, "Pinkie Pie throws amazin' parties, Babs! You'll really like it!"
The orange filly uncertainly replied, "Uh, if you say so, 'Cuz."
Sweetie Belle asked, "Is something wrong, Babs?"
Babs rubbed the back of her head with a hoof as she replied, "Well, no, but… I kinda told my folks I'd come straight home after me and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders were done at the meeting. I was heading home when all this happened; how am I gonna explain this to them?"
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked sad that they wouldn't be able to hang out with Babs until Applejack stepped forward and placed a hoof on the filly's shoulders. When Babs looked up at her, she smiled, "Now don't you worry about a thing, Babs. Just stay and enjoy the party. When it's over, Ah'll go with ya back to Manehattan, and Ah promise you right now, Ah'll make sure you don't get in any trouble." Babs smiled uncertainly up at her at that, but it became more sincere when she looked back at her cousin and her friends.
Braeburn looked over at Little Strongheart and said, "Say, Little Strongheart, if ya want, when we get back to Appleloosa, Ah'll go with ya ta help ya find yer fellow buffalo. Ah feel mighty awful about you gettin' yanked away from 'em like that. You won't mind, will ya?"
Little Strongheart smiled at him, "Not at all."
Omega whirred, "PARTIES… DO NOT COMPUTE. HOWEVER, I WILL STAY AND OBSERVE A 'PARTY' TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM."
Rouge smirked over at Shadow, "So what are you going to do? Are you going to take a chance and try to sneak past Pinkie Pie?" Shadow just grunted in annoyance, but deep down, he actually did want to stay.
No one else had any major objections to staying for the party, so Pinkie leapt back into the midst of the guests and said, "All right, then!" She pointed a hoof over at Vinyl Scratch and Octavia (who appeared to have recovered from suddenly being fired out of a cannon), the former grinning and placing a record on her turntable, a song already starting to come from her speakers. "LET'S PARTY!" Pinkie cheered.
Meanwhile, in a field far away
Eggman, with his hands on his knees, panted as he looked down at the grass below him. "Blasted pegasi… and that griffon… I can't remember the last time I had to run so fast…" he breathed.
Orbot and Cubot hopped up behind him and opened up, Cubot saying, "It's been a while, ain't it? Ah reckon not since the days o' blast processin', back when you were more involved with Sonic's blastin' and processin' o' yer machines."
Eggman turned around slightly to glare back at him, "What?! What does that even mean?!"
Orbot said, "Boss, please. You just nearly ran a marathon for your latest escape. Don't agitate yourself further."
Eggman growled and clenched both hands into fists, thumping them against his knees. "Rrrgh…! I just can't believe Discord couldn't act serious for more than five minutes when it really counted! Him and his games…" He let out a loud shout to the sky and then exclaimed, "I need something to do! Preparing a new scheme, getting a bite to eat, watching cartoons… anything!"
Orbot perked up after a moment and said, "It sounds like you could use a vacation, Boss, or at least a break from planning misdeeds."
Eggman grunted, "More like I need a vacation from you two."
Orbot wagged a finger at him, "Now, now. Sonic's surely spending time with his friends, both old and new. Why not spend some time with some people you know? For some time now, you've been taking a night off every week to go somewhere that you haven't told us about; you could start by doing that."
Eggman held a hand to his chin, thinking about it for a moment before saying, "That's not a bad idea, actually. I'll have to check when they're meeting next, but that could do me some good. Getting together with old faces, talking about what's been happening lately… and of course imparting a few pearls of wisdom! I always enjoy telling people what to do!" He grinned upwards while Orbot facepalmed and Cubot stared at him curiously.
A familiar voice spoke up a second later, startling them all, "Yes, that's one thing I've noticed about you, Doctor." The three of them turned to look behind them, where they heard the voice coming from.
Orbot and Cubot looked around in confusion, not seeing anything, but Eggman saw a familiar figure standing across from him. "What… Discord?! But how?!" he exclaimed, shocked to see a transparent version of the draconequus standing there at his full height while smirking down at him.
Orbot and Cubot looked up at Eggman in confusion, both of them thinking he was talking to nothing. "Um, Boss?" Orbot asked.
Discord spoke before he could say anything else, Orbot and Cubot hearing him but not seeing him, "Those Elements of Harmony delivered a rather powerful blast. It seems they knocked my spirit clean out of my body." He stretched, "Mm, feels good to still be able to move."
Eggman asked, "So you weren't actually back there, only your body?"
Discord replied, "Well, I'm not going back to it right away! I'm sure it's with Celestia, those ponies, and her new, I suppose, allies right now. I want to listen to as little of whatever they have to say as possible; means less wanting to roll my eyes but being unable to." After a moment, he let his arms drop to his sides and sulked out loud, "Now if only I could use my chaos like this, it would be perfect."
Eggman grunted, "Oh, I feel so bad for you, Discord. I guess that means you'll have to delay the pleasure of doing what you want to do yet again, hm?"
Discord crossed his arms, "Hey, I played my part, Doc! I did what you asked me to do! The only complaint I had was that you weren't thinking big or chaotic enough. So why don't you use that big brain of yours to come up with a way to free my body? Like… oh, I don't know, find six creatures to really make a mess of Twilight and her friends. Make it something really chaotic!"
Eggman replied, "As I already told your body, I'm not helping you out anymore! I thought your chaos would be helpful, but it proved to be just as much help as it was trouble! You spent entirely too much time goofing off when you could've been helping me get started on rewriting history! Well, you can stay in that statue for the rest of time for all I care! Besides, I can't just automatically think up a plan and carry it out! I'm going to have to do some research first! Maybe I'll come across something mysterious that's worth investigating."
Discord rolled his eyes, "Blah, blah, blah! You know, Doc, you think about things WAY too much and don't plan for the unexpected. If that brilliant plan that you came up with had more chaos in it, it would've worked perfectly."
Eggman said, "Don't you start preaching to me. Your chaos caused far too much trouble in the end since even YOU couldn't predict what happened with Sonic and he ultimately burned both of us. A little more thought on your part would have been much appreciated."
Discord turned away from Eggman, his arms still crossed. "Leave it to a scientist to discount the value of unpredictability, despite how common it is," he muttered.
"I heard that!" Eggman exclaimed.
Discord looked back at Eggman, "Tell me something, Doc." He turned around fully, "Have you ever won before?"
Eggman hesitated for a moment before saying, "There are times where I've come close! Very, very close indeed!" Orbot and Cubot looked at each other knowingly at that.
Discord raised an eyebrow, "So… no?" Eggman didn't answer him, instead shooting him a sour look. The draconequus sighed, "Well, that's encouraging. At least I'm not as big a loser as you are."
Eggman retorted, "Oh yes, because sitting as a stone statue for a thousand years is SO much better! At least I've had time to come up with and put into motion many different plans instead of randomly causing trouble and assume that no one can stop me like you did before! The only plots you come up with all have your enjoyment at the center of them! I, on the other hand, have plenty of experience when it comes to plans."
Noting the proud, tall way the human stood, Discord smirked, "Ah yes, what was I thinking? Of course you have experience, not to mention muscle like you said before, because you're constantly being foiled by a meddlesome hedgehog and his friends. Let's see… they've wrecked nearly every base and plan you've come up with, an ancient water monster turned on you, your grandfather nearly destroyed you along with this planet, several of your own creations have turned on you, and…"
While Discord was talking, Eggman's anger had been growing with each word he said, and now he couldn't take it anymore. In anger, he ran towards Discord and swung his right fist at him while shouting, "OH, SHUT UP!" Discord jumped back to dodge it, despite the fact that it would've gone through him anyway, causing Eggman to spin once on one leg before falling onto his back.
Discord laughed, as did Orbot, and said, "Look at that! Another ingenious scheme concocted by the brilliant Dr. Eggman!" He then lifted off the ground and, while floating above it, began to stroke his arms and legs while he was on his back, almost like he was swimming. And he did in fact start floating away from Eggman, who began to stand up soon afterwards. Orbot and Cubot watched in silence as Eggman angrily ran after the draconequus' spirit, shaking his fists and screaming the entire time.
The Best Birthday Ever, Pt. I by GreenSonic21Watch
©2013-2016 GreenSonic21
Awesome, just awesome. There is nothing else to say. And very funny too.
One problem I do have is the statement of Sonic's age, but it is just me being overly bothersome. Despite logic, it is disambiguous how old he turned, and he has to be officially declared 16. I always imagine that he would be interrupted when he tried to state his age. But hey, its your story and you're the boss, and I can accept that.
One problem I do have is the statement of Sonic's age, but it is just me being overly bothersome. Despite logic, it is disambiguous how old he turned, and he has to be officially declared 16. I always imagine that he would be interrupted when he tried to state his age. But hey, its your story and you're the boss, and I can accept that.
Thank you.
Okay, so it's not officially stated in the games up to this point. But he was stated to be 15 in both the Archie comics and SatAM. He even had two birthdays in the Archie series. Also, the Sonic Channel website stated that his age was/is 15 in the games. ...I'm sorry.
Okay, so it's not officially stated in the games up to this point. But he was stated to be 15 in both the Archie comics and SatAM. He even had two birthdays in the Archie series. Also, the Sonic Channel website stated that his age was/is 15 in the games. ...I'm sorry.
Looks like Dr. Eggman and Discord are gonna by stuck with each for awhile
In the brightest day and in the darkest night,
No evil force shall escape our might,
When darkness falls and hope is lost,
Beware the power of Harmony's Light!
In the brightest day and in the darkest night,
No evil force shall escape our might,
When darkness falls and hope is lost,
Beware the power of Harmony's Light!
its awesome gs


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The Haunting in Connecticut
|Release Date: March 27, 2009
|Running Time: 92 mins.
|MPAA Rating: PG 13
|Box Office: $55,325,526.00
|Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Virginia Madsen
Kyle Gallner
Elias Koteas
Amanda Crew
All Cast & Crew >>
Summary:Based on a true story of one family's terrifying, real-life encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history. Not only was the house a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner's clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover. Now, unspeakable terror awaits when Jonah, the boy who communicated with the dead, returns to unleash a new kind of horror on the innocent and unsuspecting family.


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Backstraps it is
Love it....and them too! Along with my wife of almost 50 years..............
Colorado Cowboy
Cowboy Action Shooter; Endowment Life Member-NRA
The Original Rocket Scientist-Retired
"My Father always considered a walk in the mountains as the equivalent of church going."
Aldous Huxley
Haha I love it. Looks almost as good as the Duck Commander chocolates I got this morning.
Arise... Kill, Eat! - Acts 10:13
Thats awesome!
Was scared to look...thought it could've been the chunky Cupid boy again.


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Well we totally know why Trevor Donovan was hired for 90210. The abs. Trevor is seen here shooting a scene in which he's playing some shirtless football on beach. Donovan's co-star Tristan Wilds showed a little less skin while filming a scene where he's wearing a wetsuit and holding a surf board.
The new season of 90210 debuts September 8th on The CW.


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Big news: the World is going to end on Saturday. Phew. Now I won't have to make that tax payment next Wednesday. No more standing in long lines waiting for stupid people to go slowly. I'll never have to clean the cats' litter box or take out the garbage again. Damn right it's coming to an end. I know. Just look at the Harold Camping, the great man who figured it all out:
If I know one thing, it's this – this is the look of wisdom. To look at him is to look directly into the eyes of truth and knowledge. Naturally, I assume by now you believe him, too. Too boot, he also knows the exact time its all going down. 6:00pm Eastern time. Plan accordingly to your time zone. I just hope he can stay awake to catch it.
Here's a quick run down of the FACTS:
– At 6:00pm eastern time, 7:30 in Newfoundland, a big, beastly earthquake, like none-ever, ever, will strike
– Said giant earthquake will be so powerful that it will open up ALL graves. Not to mention all the fine china it destroy.
– Simultaneously, the remains of the believers, which can't be much what with how long some of those believers will have been dead for, will rise and become "glorified spiritual bodies", at one with God". The bodies of the non-believers, which will also rise, will litter the streets, to be shamed and left for cleaning crews, thus creating thousands of jobs and ending the economic downturn.
– However, the survivors of the Beast Quake will live in a world of indescribable horror and chaos, highlighted by the release of Transformers 3 and reruns.
– Oddly enough, earth goes on, for a beautiful summer, where people will die daily. It doesn't mention it, but I assume they will die at a higher rate than normal. Those who don't die in the hellish aftermath will die inside from seeing the massive numbers Transformers 3 pulls in.
– Lastly, on October 21st, God will destroy the earth for good. Why does The Lord wait so many days after May 21st? God is the ultimate showman. What's more rock and roll than waiting 153 days to lay down some Armageddon. I guess going on 45 minutes late at the show in Salt Spring Island last week doesn't seem so bad-ass anymore. Unfortunately, I will have to make that tax payment next Wednesday, but not many more.
– Earth RIP.
What a man! You can't make stuff up like this if you tried. Well, you can, actually. You could be psychotic. You see, Mr Camping has been "a tireless student of the bible for over 5 decades". He's spent his life looking for a code in the bible to find the End Days. Sounds like "A Beautiful Mind" a bit, doesn't it? Except, at least in that movie, Russell Crowe used multiple sources to appease his madness. Harold Camping has read that damn book so many times he's lost his mind. He's Don Quixote without the armour. Sadly, he has many Sancho's and countless asses.
I don't believe in this crap. However, I do hope this is The End of some sort of Days.The end of days where people are willing to believe this garbage. Do the World a favour. On May 21, at 5:59 Eastern time, and then again at 6:01, laugh at this man, and everyone you know who was scared about this. And laugh at all other kind of religious fervour from here on in. Laugh and point your finger! With your help, it really could be The End of the World – the world in which we allow religious fanatics to have a legitimate voice that speaks louder than the measured voice of reason. And the world in which we might make Transformers 4.


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Yesterday (February 12), Drake criticized Macklemore's Grammys text message to Kendrick Lamar in an excerpt from the rapper's upcoming Rolling Stone feature. Today, more has been revealed regarding the article, which also features Drake criticizing and celebrating the work of Jay Z and Kanye West.
Drake critiques Jay Z's references to art, for instance. "It's like Hov can't drop bars these days without at least four art references," Drake says in the article, as found on DDotOmen. "I would love to collect [art] at some point, but I think the whole Rap/art world thing is getting kind of corny."
Drake also finds flaws in some of Kanye West lyrics, citing content on the rapper's most recent album, Yeezus. "There were some real questionable bars on there," Drake says, before also referencing Fabolous. "Like that Swag-hili line? Come on man, man. Even Fabolous wouldn't say some shit like that."
Drake has made comments about Jay Z and Kanye West in some of his raps in the past, though at times indirectly. "I'm just feelin' like the throne is for the taking" Drake raps on "I'm On One." "Watch me take it." Rolling Stone notes that this line appears to reference Watch the Throne, an album crafted by Jay Z and Kanye West. When asked about a past rift between Drake and the Watch the Throne duo, Drake admits that tension once existed. "It was a lack of communication paired with natural competitiveness," Drake says. "But those two are gods to me."
Kanye West, specifically, Drake says, has been an integral influence in his work. "Kanye's the reason I'm here," Drake says. "I love everything about that guy." The respect appears to be mutual. In December 2013, Kanye West referred to Drake as "Rap God."
Drake, who says he is planning to work with Kanye West on an upcoming project, also speaks about his recent "Saturday Night Live" gig as the show's host and musical guest. In the Rolling Stone interview, Drake says he hopes the appearance reopens doors to his career as an actor and he shares more about other goals he had before agreeing to do the program."I wanted to prove that there's a distance between me and the people you consider to be my peers," he says in the piece. "I have something special."
RELATED: Kanye West Calls Drake A Rap God


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So many photos, so little time. We spotted tons of celebrities out and about and attending events.
Jeremy Renner was back on the gym grind! And thank goodness too, because we've missed his rippling pectorals.
Diane Kruger looked gorgeous in black while talking about The Bridge at Paley Fest. I love her wardrobe.
And Brody Jenner was shirtless in Cabo. His body is meh, but look at that hair!
Launch the gallery to check out all the pics, and find out who was where and when!


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Currency Displayed in
Waterway Genesis Bath Pump 115v 7.5 amp 321HF10-0150 with Nema cord
Dimensions: Length: 10.78" xWidth: 5.125" x Height: 7.10" x Discharge Height: 6.875"
Volts: 115 (aka 110, 115 & 120volts)
Amps: 7.5
Union connections are 1.5"(actual measurement of 2-3/8") Male Buttress Thread
Manufacturer's 1 year limited warranty free of defects
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And it wasn't even a cool man. It was Ridolfo Vannitelli, her son's tutor.
He claimed that she practiced magic in her home, and turned her into the Inquisition. This was, of course, nonsense, but the 16th century was a very bad time to be accused of being a witch.
Though better to be accused of being one in Venice than almost anyplace else! The amount of torture inflicted on the accused was severely limited, and while in many places victims of the Inquisition were burnt at the stake, in Venice that punishment only applied to people unwilling to repent or those that had been previously accused and relapsed. The Italian Inquisition favored milder punishments, like fines or forcing those found guilty to wear a penitential garment.
The penitential garment would have really cramped Franco's breast-exposing style.
Domenico Venier paid for Veronica Franco's defense, and the charge was quickly found to be without merit. Again, it is pretty great that this happened in Italy. However, Veronica Franco quickly lost all of her patrons as a result of the scandal. And then the plague swept through Venice in 1577.
In her will, towards the end of her life, it is noted that she was living in one of the areas of Venice where many of the poorest courtesans ended their lives. She died at the age of 45.


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when this happens it doesn't seem to be gettin power. engine will stay running properly and within a few seconds the power comes back. until this happens again. could happen 2 or 3 times per da.y. some days it may not at all
by 97breeze in Eastport, ME on March 10, 2013


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I'm in the process of refurbishing a late-'60s/early-'70s middleweight American bike for my wife. The one bit that's holding me up is that I can't manage to remove the nut at the top of the neck. I've tried soaking it with Liquid Wrench, I've tried heating it up with a propane torch, I've offered it cookies, I've threatened it with a turkey baster. Nothing.
I don't suppose that stem nuts were ever reverse-threaded, were they? Any suggestions?


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Coal India (CIL) has suffered a production loss of about 1.2 million tone translating into a revenue loss of up to Rs 250 crore due to an agitation by contract workers in the mines of its subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields in Orissa.
Violence broke out in Mahanadi Coalfields Limiteds (MCL) Talcher coal mine area about a week back when the contract workers protested against their retrenchment by torching scores of vehicles and reportedly vandalising couple of local MCL offices.
In the ensuing disturbance police arrested local BJD MLA BK Pradhan along with some agitating labourers but later released them.
The Talcher administration along with the state police has managed to contain the unrest to a considerable extent around the mines including Jagannath, South Balanda, Dera, Handidhua, Anant, Lingaraj and Bhubaneswari, but problems continue in certain pockets.
To my knowledge we have suffered production loss of around 1.2 MT which has translated into a revenue loss of around Rs 250 crore.
Although violence by contract labourers have been contained to a large extent and the situation is slowly returning to normalcy, Coal India chairman S Narsing Rao told The Indian Express over telephone from Kolkata.
The labour unrest in MCL has compounded worries for the worlds biggest coal miner, which is already contending with the criticism of missing its production target of 41.93 million tonne (MT) for November as it could only produce 39.20 MT.
Its offtake target fell short by 3 MT as it could ensure lifting of 38.76 MT in November. In the first eight months of the current fiscal, CILs output was 274.71 MT, as against the April-November target of 289.38 MT. The Talcher collieries have steady productivity and its mines have an estimated 35 billion tonne of deposits.
The labour unrest at Talcher coupled with threat of nationwide strike the trade unions has made the coal ministrys top brass a worried lot.
Unable to endorse the finance ministrys move to offload 5 per cent stake in the Maharatna miner, they have instead favoured Coal India offering a special dividend as an alternative, which would enrich the exchequer by about Rs 10,000 crore.
The PSU has been occasionally facing issues on contract labour and ancillary works around the opencast mines like small loading which are entrusted to them reportedly get impacted.
While the company has staff strength of over 3.5 lakh people, its labourers supplied by the contractors are also sizeable, who earn


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California Employment Law
California Employment Law Questions Answered by Legal Experts
i am not sure , but did you receive my response?
Good afternoon Issa,No, there was no response posted to this question. I'm really sorry, but that happens sometimes with the system. Could you please re-post it here.Thanks,Doug
they will take a lot of taxes if it is been paid all a once would n it?
well the 50000 is what they offered over a years time or lumpsum
my concern also is that i want more money for my severance which might include the 50k as initial payment and also get regular salary for the rest of the year on top of that. in that case if they agree will the intial 50k giving right now be considered like a regular ck, since there is more ,
and by the way , while i am get in these cks over a period of time
will i still be considered and employee of that company?
while getting paid over the next 8 month if they agree or if i get one lump sum
will i also be able to collect unemployment now.
Good afternoon Issa,
That is a completely different question. As for a severance package in CA---keep in mind that if the money you get is not stated in a writing as compensation for you giving up any rights you might have to sue the employer--- if it is simply a lump sum of money, or even payments over a period of time to substitute for your lost wages, then unemployment will consider it wages and you will be ineligible for unemployment benefits until the number of weeks has passed which equals the weekly pay you received before termination divided into the amount of severance pay you receive.
However, as many employers provide in severance agreements, if you have to give up the right to sue the employer for some reason in order to get the severance, then you will be eligible for unemployment benefits immediately.Please remember to rate my service to you when our communication is completed, so that I will be compensated for my time in providing you with the information you requested.
I wish you the best in 2013,Doug
employer provided me with separation agreement and general release
can i fax it for you to review it and to help me understand all that it means
and then possibly help me negotiate with employer because i am
thinking to go for 200k to 500k
or should i go see an Attorney in person to handle that?
DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.
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1 South Sathorn RoadSathon, Bangkok, 10120 Thailand+66-26701501
Glow Energy produces power in Thailand. The company provides electricity to the EGAT Public Company and directly supplies electricity, steam, and water to industries. Glow Energy's operations have more than 1,700 MW of electricity capacity, making it the largest private power producer in Thailand. It also is the leading provider of utilities to Thai industries -- producing 967 tons of processed steam per hour, and 3,660 cu. meters per hour of clarified and demineralized water. Glow Energy represents GDF SUEZ's energy investments in Thailand. GDF SUEZ holds 69% of Glow Energy.
Hoover's Inc., a Dun & Bradstreet Company puts you on the fastest path to business. Hoover's offers proprietary business information through the Internet, data feeds, wireless devices, and co-branding agreements with other online services.
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Harry Potters magic shows no signs off wearing off at Universal Orlando.
Universal announced Friday that attendance soared 68 percent during the first three months of the year the biggest increase yet in a series of record attendance gains the resort has reported since opening its wildly popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter last June.
The big crowds fueled a dramatic financial rebound for Orlandos No. 2 theme-park resort, which posted a $45.8 million profit for the quarter after losing $36.4 million a year ago.


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Kelly latest Padre candidate for "Tommy John" surgery
PEORIA, Ariz. The already cloudy picture regarding Padres starting pitching turned darker Wednesday afternoon when it Padres manager Bud Black confirmed that right-hander Casey Kelly has had tests on his right elbow and could be a candidate for elbow reconstruction surgery.
"Anything is possible," the Padres manager said of the possibility that Kelly would be the fourth Padres pitcher to have "Tommy John" surgery in the last 10 months.
"It is that part of the elbow that we're concerned about," Black continued. "The doctors are concerned about what the tests looked like. There's going to be a lot of discussion between Kelly and his family. They'll probably want a second opinion."
Kelly had his elbow examined in San Diego on Tuesday. He returned to the Padres training camp Wednesday morning.
When asked about the possibility of Kelly having "Tommy John" surgery, General Manager Josh Byrnes said: "I'm not sure. We'll know more soon. I can't speculate. Hopefully, we'll get lucky."
Kelly, 23, was a candidate for a spot in the Padres rotation.
Considered one of the top three prospects in the Padres system, Kelly missed much of last season with an elbow strain. He spent much of 2012 rehabbing the strain and returned to make six starts for the Padres -- going 2-3 with a 6.21 earned run average before being shut down right before the end of the season.
When they shut him down, the Padres also scrubbed the plan to have Kelly pitch in the Arizona Fall League to add some of the innings he lost earlier in the season.
Black said the problems Kelly is having in his elbow are more likely a "culmination" of "an on-going situation" from last year.
"This type of injury can happen on one pitch," said Black. "But I think this was more long term."
Kelly last appeared in an exhibition on March 7 and had a 7.71 ERA over seven innings covering three appearances. A first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox (30th overall) in 2008, Kelly was acquired by the Padres in the Dec. 6, 2010, trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox.
Kelly was considered among the front-runners of eight candidates competing for a final spot or two in the Padres rotation.
Over the past year, the Padres have lost developing staff ace Cory Luebke, Joe Wieland and minor league prospect Juan Pablo Oramas to elbow reconstruction surgery. The rehab time is 12 to 18 months, meaning Kelly would miss the entire 2013 season if he has the procedure.
Right field prospect Rymer Liriano also had elbow reconstruction surgery earlier this spring – meaning the Padres could have lost two of their top three top three minor league prospects to "Tommy John" surgery in a span of three weeks.
Minus Kelly, the Padres still have 21 pitchers vying for 12 spots on the major league roster.
That includes 11 candidates for the five jobs in the starting rotation and 15 pitchers seeking one of the seven spots in the bullpen. Five pitchers are candidates for either job. Eight of the 12 openings appear to be locked up.
At the moment, the locks appear to be:
Starting rotation: Clayton Richard, Edinson Volquez and Jason Marquis with Eric Stults having the inside track on a fourth spot.
Bullpen: Huston Street, Luke Gregerson, Brad Brach and Joe Thatcher.
The other candidates appear to be:
Starting rotation: Andrew Cashner, Freddy Garcia, Anthony Bass, Tyson Ross, Sean O'Sullivan, Robbie Erlin and Tim Stauffer.
Bullpen: Dale Thayer, Brad Boxberger, Miles Mikolas, Nick Vincent, Tommy Layne and Arturo Lopez plus starter/relievers Bass, Ross, Garcia, O'Sullivan and Stauffer.


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"This is data that used to take days or weeks to assemble," says theaffable 40-year-old public servant. Another click of the mouse and he'sdrilling down into the data by county and then by job position. Seconds later,he's able to slice through the data to view individual workers. "We'reable to determine how pay scales vary in different states and uncover patternsthat influence them, such as education, training, gender, and race. This is likelining up a Rubik's Cube."
The high-tech operation could never be mistaken for grandpa's federalgovernment. The Census Bureau--along with a growing number of companies such asInterwoven, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Merck, and Northrop Grumman InformationTechnology--is turning to sophisticated workforce analytics applications tomine data and gain insight into business processes and labor conditions. Theseapplications can spot hidden patterns and problems and help an organization makemore effective business decisions surrounding programs, policies, and pay. Yet,while workforce analytics uses data-mining and reporting tools that weren'tavailable just a few years ago, the system isn't problem free.
Unless anorganization taps into the right data and ensures that it is accurate--and thenputs the data into action--workforce analytics can become a trip down therabbit hole. Ron Hanscome, senior program director at META Group in Plymouth,Minnesota, is one who can see the distinct advantages. "It turns theintangible into tangible," he says. META reports that about 60 percent ofGlobal 2000 companies will use some form of workforce analytics by the end of2003, mostly to improve decision-making on compensation, recruiting, retention,and performance issues. David Ulrich, a business professor at the University ofMichigan, says that the technology is bringing healthy change. "Organizationsare beginning to recognize that the softer side of the business can be measuredand that it's a key factor in achieving success," he says. Betty Silver,human capital strategist at SAS Institute Inc. in Cary, North Carolina, adds,"Workforce analytics allows organizations to examine a multitude ofinterrelated factors. It can drill into places that previously couldn't bereached."
Although workforce analytics is rooted in humanresources, the ability to deliver detailed informationabout workforce issues and trends--ranging from where to locate a factory forthe best labor pool to how a VP of sales should build incentives--has real applications throughout the organization. Done properly,workforce analytics can help an enterprise sail beyond the flat earth ofspreadsheets and simple reporting and discover a brave new world.
Counting on analytics
Step inside Federal Office Building Number 3 in the Washington, D.C., suburbof Suitland, Maryland, and you will find yourself wandering through amind-numbing labyrinth of corridors and hallways. Hundreds of offices,stretching almost as far as the eye can see, provide an apt metaphor for thelevel of complexity that confronts a person trying to navigate today's datainfrastructure. Without a map and an address for finding a particular person oroffice, all the brainpower ensconced in this massive building is out of reachand virtually useless.
"By putting data into the hands ofmanagers, we're allowing decision-making to take place on the front lines ofthe organization rather than in the executive offices."
Seated at a simulated wood grain desk in room 3254, Pejsa is explaining thehow and why of workforce analytics. In sharp contrast to the world of technologyhe lives and breathes, he surrounds himself with an array of personal items.There are Beavis and Butthead figurines, framed cloth patches from various spacemissions, and a Sopranos poster. At this moment, he is reflecting on how thebehemoth agency is migrating into the digital age. Having spent his entireworking life at the organization--he joined the Census Bureau in 1985 aftergraduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in business management--hecertainly has a sense of perspective. "By putting data into the hands ofmanagers, we're allowing decision-making to take place on the front lines ofthe organization rather than in the executive offices."
At the Census Bureau, workforce analytics has unleashed a new level ofknowledge. From their desktop PCs, line managers have access to information thatwould have been unimaginable only a few years ago. It's possible to examinedata on employee education and training patterns; salary breakdowns by geographyor employee segments; the effectiveness of diversity programs; terminationhistories; who uses employee benefits; alternative work schedules; andretirement and early retirement planning.
When Pejsa decides to create a report, he selects the desired elements fromdrop-down boxes and slots them into the appropriate rows and columns. Once areport appears on his monitor, he can apply filters--such as employees atheadquarters within a specific pay grade--and instantly view a more detailed,customized report. Using SAS Institute's Human Capital Management application(formerly HR Vision), Pejsa and others can view charts, graphs, and raw data andbegin to map out a business strategy for people and resources more effectively.
One advantage of using analytics is the organization's ability to betterunderstand the demand for temporary positions and how much they cost. Becausemany job assignments are cyclical in nature--and the Census Bureau sometimespromotes current employees for weeks or months at a time--planning for changesand budgeting can become a complex task. By using the application, "managersare able to take changes into account and structure the workforce dynamically,"Pejsa says.
Recently, the Census Bureau also turned to the application to betterunderstand employee work schedules before negotiating with its labor union. Bymodeling various scenarios--such as four 10-hour days and the traditional 5x8week--Pejsa can view how changes in staffing levels will affect pay andperformance. "We were able to run the report and discuss the issueimmediately," he says.
In the past, such reporting capabilities required the MIS department to spenddays, even weeks, digesting data on a mainframe. And in many instances, the datasets were so complex that it was simply impossible to generate a report. Just asroom numbers help locate the right office within the vast expanse of CensusBureau headquarters, workforce analytics attempts to bring order to a chaoticdata universe.
Putting data to work
One thing that makes workforce analytics so powerful is that organizationscan tap into data from operations, finance, marketing, human resources, andmore. In addition, it's often possible to use 10, 20, even 30 years of datathat has grown cobwebs sitting in long-neglected databases. By overlaying andcombining data--like a giant Rubik's Cube--it's possible to understand howa particular incentive or compensation plan actually plays out or whatconstitutes an optimal level of turnover. "An organization can make somescientific adjustments based on past successes and failures," Ulrich says.
Simply put, workforce analytics puts line managers on the front lines ofdecision-making. A VP of operations can tweak compensation, rewards, andresponsibilitiesto keep top performers engaged. If he or she adds a bonus, it's possible tomeasure the corresponding results before and after. A finance executive canslice and dice data about labor trends and costs to create a favorable paystructure at a new factory. At the same time, a director of human resources canidentify which benefits employees use, which are frivolous, and how to maximizecorporate resources.
META Group estimates that the initial cost of workforce analytics starts inthe low six figures and averages about $250,000 per 10,000 employees, plusongoing annual licensing and maintenance fees. In some cases, that can translateinto an ROI ranging from a few months to a year or more. And a well-designedsystem can integrate with a human resources scorecard and incorporate industrymetrics to provide a more complete picture of cause-and-effect relationships.That could mean taking industry averages for the cost of a particular benefitand overlaying them with internal costs, or examining how incentives atbest-practice companies affect productivity and comparing it to internalpractices.
At the Census Bureau, the genesis of workforce analytics is rooted in suchknowledge. One day, while Pejsa was sitting with his boss discussing humanresources systems, the two realized how inefficient a homegrown application wasfor managing the 10,000 employees spread across 12 regional offices. "Thesystem was inflexible, and we had questions about the data quality," he says.What's more, the system had a tendency to crash and couldn't accommodate allof the data residing in various databases and datamarts. So, they began to lookat the various analytics and reporting tools on the market.
Eventually, the Census Bureau chose a workforce analytics application fromSAS. The selling points, Pejsa says, were the simplicity of the Web interface,built-in templates, and the flexibility to add and create reports as needed.Moreover, Human Capital Management allowed the Census Bureau to plug in adiverse array of formats, including Microsoft Access and Excel.
After a six-month implementation, the Census Bureau went live with the systemin the spring of 2002. In September, it moved to a Web-based version of HumanCapital Management, and put the application on the desktops of 25 analystswithin human resources (Pejsa hopes to expand the use of the system to 200 to300 managers within the next year or so). Finally, the government agency wasready to put its human resources data to work in a big way. "We had access todata and information that would significantly change the way we make decisions,"Pejsa says.
"We have gained a level of sophistication that didn't existonly a few years ago."
Analyze that
Not only has workforce analytics reduced the risk of delays, errors, andinconsistencies, but it also has saved the Census Bureau tens of thousands ofdollars in staff time. The MIS department no longer spends hours generatingreports. Managers can steer clear of reams of paper or mind-numbingspreadsheets. "We have gained a level of sophistication that didn't existonly a few years ago," Pejsa boasts.
That may be so. But like any other emerging technology, workforce analyticscan present a hornet's nest of challenges, frustrations, and problems. "Workforceanalytics is only as good as the underlying data and how it's used," METAGroup's Hanscome cautions. One of the biggest problems is identifying businessobjectives and mapping data so that it can flow seamlessly across departments,divisions, and business units. Adds Marcia Barkley, president of MBarkleyConsulting, a Sacramento, California, firm: "Building the infrastructure forworkforce analytics can prove intimidating. Many organizations have purchasedapplications and wound up with them sitting on the shelf or sitting idle."
There's also the task of changing a culture that once allowed only the topexecutives to view data but now pushes decision-making further down into theorganization. "If line managers and others don't understand the value of aworkforce analytics application and how to collaborate and share data, then thesystem isn't going to produce anything close to the desired results,"Barkley explains.
At the Census Bureau, the learning curve has been steeper than expected,Pejsa admits. When the agency first turned to workforce analytics a couple ofyears ago, it had plans to use an assortment of features and tools that havesince been placed on the back burner. What's more, it wanted to introduce theapplication to dozens of senior-level managers, but most were woefullyunprepared for the hands-on approach. "Our goals were too ambitious," hesays.
Another giant headache was revamping the agency's organizational structureto fit the application. Over the years, the Census Bureau had assumed adecidedly horizontal structure, and the SAS software required a distinctlyhierarchical model to function effectively. Pejsa spent more than a monthworking with his boss and staff analysts to map all the desired tools,capabilities, and permission rights to the appropriate users.
Finally, the process of connecting all the various systems proved more than abit troublesome. At first, other applications and systems produced hiccups whenthe Census Bureau attempted to switch on the workforce analytics tools. And insome cases, servers crashed and nerves frayed when the agency attempted to plugin back-end applications and stream data across the organization.
The Census Bureau's encounter with workforce analytics has been moresuccessful than most. Only about 10 percent oforganizations are now using it in any significant way, and another 10 to 15percent are dabbling in it, says META Group's Hanscome. Part of the problem,he says, is that some vendors' applications aren't ready for prime time.They simply cannot cull and organize data in ways that provide maximum insight.Another factor is that tight IT budgets and a heavy emphasis on other projects,including customer-relationship management and supply-chain management, havediverted funding and attention away from the somewhat nebulous world ofworkforce analytics.
Yet, for the Census Bureau, which spent less than $100,000 to get the projectoff the ground, the payoff has been substantial. Despite occasional glitches andbreakdowns, the agency is evolving into a smarter, more flexible organizationthat's finally able to measure the cost and value of its workforce. And as theagency has plowed through various problems and challenges, it has found a clearpath to success, Pejsa says. "We now have the tools to make strategicdecisions faster and better.
Workforce, June 2003, pp. 58-63 -- Subscribe Now!


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by Daley J. Francis
Rejection becomes a freelance writer's best friend after a while, such is the number of knock-backs and rejections a writer will face in their career. It becomes second nature and the quicker you can learn to deal with it the better. Unfortunately, rejection is only one of the many distractions a writer will face in their career. A common enemy to a freelancer is self-doubt, and it has to be conquered if you are going to have a long-term career as a solo artist.
You are the Master of Your Own Destiny
Keep repeating the above line to yourself, because as Russell Crowe in Gladiator as it may sound, it is true. You have to look at your position as a huge opportunity and a privilege. There are a lot of people out there worried about losing their jobs because of the recession, or working in a job they hate purely because it pays the bills. Now consider your career: You're doing what you want to do, you are your own boss who picks their own work hours and you are in complete control of whether you succeed or whether you fail. Not so bad after all, is it?
If you are good at what you do, you will succeed as long as you give it maximum effort. We all have our downturns and our moments of self-doubt, but if you are safe in the knowledge that you are great at what you do, you will pull through. Especially when other people realize you are as good as you say you are and start approaching you for work. A freelance life is unpredictable and tough. But it's a great challenge to have, and a great position to be in. Fight through it.
Gain as Much Experience and Knowledge as You Can
The old saying "Knowledge is power" is definitely true. The more you learn, the more you can earn. That's a simple fact. There aren't many great writers out there who are experts on a subject that are not in demand (unless they want to be or they are too busy!). It is too easy to just "get by" and rest on your laurels. The world evolves and you can guarantee your niche or subject will too, so keep up on the trends and do whatever you can to know it inside out. You can do this by reading up on the subject or heading to conferences, seminars and workshops on the subject. You're never too good or too old to keep learning.
Mix it up and Be Flexible
Writers can quite easily become stale, especially when they are writing about the same thing all the time. This is when it can really pay to become more flexible in what you write about, or the kind of writing you do. If you're a freelance writer who specializes in blogging, why not try some PR work? Or maybe try and put together some eBooks on the subject of being a freelancer? The more you mix it up, the more your passion will come across in your writing. Nobody can write about one subject for the rest of their working life without getting bored and wanting to branch out, and it's human nature to try new things. You could find yourself with a new challenge, a new expertise and it could take your career in new and interesting directions.
Don't Become Desperate
We all have bills to pay, and that end-of-the-month feeling looms large in the mind of the every freelance writer. One thing it should never do, however, is be reflected in the way you work and the way you do business. If you're good at what you do and are putting yourself out there using social media tools to promote the great writing you're creating, then you are going to get somewhere. Don't let self-doubt lead you onto the path of $1 per 500 word articles that will burn you out quicker than a cold wind on a match, and leave you with about 2 spare hours a month because you're having to churn out content just to pay the rent. This is not what any writer deserves, and hopefully one day the people who are getting away with offering these ridiculous rates will vanish and every good writer will be able to get paid what they deserve. In the meantime, be confident, hold your nerve and keep pitching. Believe in yourself and others will start to do the same.
Daley is a freelance writer who wants to help his fellow writers to get out there fully confident and armed with great writing. He can be found struggling with his own career at www.daleyjfrancis.com
Image: Alexander Drachmann


text: Welcome Enter Contest Win Michael Bublé tickets The Observer's CLT giveaway ... The Canadian crooner's "To Be Loved" CD debuted at No. 1 on Billboard Magazine's Top 200 pop charts last month. Next for Bublé is a 40-city U.S. concert tour, which stops in Charlotte on Oct. 26. Tickets will be available at www.ticketmaster.com beginning May 31, or take a shot at winning a pair at www.charlotteobserver.com/contests. Enter the contest. The deadline is 11:59 p.m., Sunday, May 26. The Observer will randomly choose and notify the winner. Date/Times All times are in Eastern Time. Completed Current Future Submission Period Thu, May 23 2013 10:28 AM - Sun, May 26 2013 11:59 PM Official Rules Help Feedback Win Michael Bublé tickets Powered by © UPICKEM All rights reserved. Your browser does not support iframes.