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Greater awareness is being made to the general public about just what the actual effects of nicotine are. Nicotine is more often than not the scapegoat that is used by most anti-smoking groups use to get people to try and quit. They play up the fact that nicotine is part of what keeps you addicted to smoking. This is part of why e cigarettes have received such backlash from non-smokers, because of the presence of nicotine. However, what is not often reported is the fact that nicotine only stays in the human body for three days, which means that once it is out of the body there is no more real need for it. This is why many smokers subscribe to the so-called three day rule when they try to quit smoking.
It is worth noting, as well, that there are almost no reports whatsoever about people becoming addicted to nicotine products such as nicotine gum and patches. Could there be some other culprit behind the addictive quality of cigarettes?


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25 Fattening Foods You Should Never Eat
Arnold's Whole Grain Country White Bread
Don't fall for the "whole grain" marketing trick without knowing all the facts.
While "whole grain" sounds good, this product doesn't have nearly the amount of heart-healthy whole grains as products that say "100% whole grain."
Two slices: 220 calories, 4g fat, 420mg sodium, 42g carbs, 4g fiber.
Choose this instead: Try two slices of Arnold's Light line of breads, like the 100% Whole Wheat: 80 calories, 1g fat, 160mg sodium, 5g fiber. Or try the new Deli Flats from Pepperidge Farm. One 100% whole-wheat roll has 100 calories and 5 grams of fiber.
Next: Reese's Puffs Cereal
Get the latest health, fitness, anti-aging, and nutrition news, plus special offers, insights and updates from Health.com!

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm listening to an autobiography of Octavian, the man who went on to become Augustus Caesar.
What's interesting from the book is that Augustus had more patience than his various rivals of the day in large scale affairs and reforms, but he moved with serious haste - celerity - when there was a situation that could be settled decisively.
Around six years ago, I started paying more attention to business and entrepreneurship and generally success and things like that. I remember coming across a lot of literature that encouraged doing things faster - especially in business. Shaving off the shipping time from 7 days to 4 days. Things like that.
Back then, I didn't understood why there was so much emphasis on speed. I thought, "Okay, obviously you wouldn't want to go too slow, but why go so fast? Why does it matter that much?"
And more recently, the answer has been clicking. It's not that getting your package 4 days from now instead of 7 makes such a big difference in all cases. Much of the time, it doesn't.
But when it matters, it really matters.
Let's say someone is building a new wooden fence, but he doesn't know about finishing fences. So he orders a book on it. If the book takes 3 more days to come, that's 3 more days before he can order whatever kind of sealant or paint or stain he's going to use on the fence.
If the stain he orders takes 3 more days to come, he's now six days behind where he could be on a faster schedule.
On top of that, if he's gotten busy or something else has come up in his life, he might not be able to finish the project right now... the six days could make the difference between it getting done now, or never.
Also, even if he stays motivated and nothing comes up, those six days burn some of his thought cycles. It imposes a cognitive cost on him.
Paul Graham wrote about this as well, in the excellent essay "The Top Idea in Your Mind." If the man is thinking about the fence, he's not thinking about something else. If the fence was built, he could be proud and celebrate for a moment, but then stop thinking about it, which frees his thought cycles to do other things, or just to relax more.
Celerity. Speed. Haste.
When you move faster, it speeds up the rest of the process. Sometimes this is the difference between success and failure. But even when it would have gotten done eventually anyways, going slower means some thoughts are never born that would have been. By moving faster, you can discharge action and get it behind you - either so you can relax with lower cognitive burden at the moment, or get on to the next thing.
Augustus realized this. He was patient until he could move decisively, but then he did - oftentimes, the circumstances that would have allowed for a war or a treaty were very temporary, and would have faded if he didn't move fast. So he moved fast, and he looked to conclude things thoroughly so he could move on afterwards.
Think about celerity. About speed. If you can speed up crucial areas of production, maybe you can get important things behind you earlier? It might take 50 hours either way, but if that 50 hours of production time is done in two weeks, then you're more free to relax or get to daydreaming about your next project after it's complete. Whereas for the man it takes two months, his thoughts are dominated by the unfinished project - he's less relaxed and less open to new things he could do.
Celerity. I'm making it a new mantra of mine.
August 11th, 2011. Chiba, Japan.
A mix of confusion and awe as I step off the platform.
I must have made a mistake. But maybe a good mistake.
Birds caw and cicadas click gently, filling the warm afternoon air with sounds of nature. The train platform is open to the air and on the other side of the tracks is a high fence. Beyond it, a bicycle and walking path leading to a park.
Children are running around and playing in the park, but surprisingly quietly. Very Japanese.
It's a dangerous night to be walking outside. Not for me, but for the tiny little frogs that dot the gravel road. I swish my overpowered Surefire flashlight across the dark gravel trying to avoid stepping on them. When I get close they freeze in their tracks, making them harder to see. This would be a good reflex if I was trying to eat them, but it's working against them tonight.
I'm walking down to the beach for old times' sake. It's 2am and I'm in Milton, Vermont. Calling it a beach is generous. Shale rocks densely scattered over green outcroppings of weeds lead up to murky water. There are a few docks and a few boats pulled up out of the water. They're not locked to anything - they're just sitting there.
I crouch, pick up one of the little green frogs, and watch him slowly climb around my wrist as I rotate it. I probably haven't touched a frog in ten years. Playing with frogs used to be my favorite thing to do when I was in Vermont. I liked to catch them in a bucket and then empty it into the nearby creek and watch them swim away. Sometimes we'd throw them in the air so that they'd land in the lake. That seems a bit inhumane now, but we didn't know better back then. We were kids. I lower my arm to the ground and nudge the frog off of my wrist.


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May 28, 2016
Mr. Earnest Tims
Memorial services for Earnest Tims will be held Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. at Thirty First Missionary Bapt. Ch. with Rev. Dr. S. L. Thompson officiating.
Burial will be was in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois, with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Tims, 52, of Meridian, died August 2012 at his residence.
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text: I recently put together a tool for allowing "all in one" remote control of various systems in an IT support environment. The basic concept is to make a single, miniature applet window that allows IT staff to quickly connect to a remote system by simply typing in an IP address - no connectoid configuration, hunting down a particular applet, etcetera ( a major plus for anyone who has ever used a mix of Citrix, Terminal Services, and pcAnywhere for large-scale remote support). Currently the tool supports VNC, pcAnywhere, Terminal Services, and Citrix Metaframe connectivity. It should be released under a GPLish license eventually (the dependency on OEM library files is the only sticky point - I intend for the work I have done to be available in classic Linuxish fashion). The "source" is raw HTML of course. It requires IE 5.01 or higher on Win32 to run; I have no idea of behavior on anything other than NT4SP6a, Win2KSP2, and XP Professional though. The IE 5.01 requirement is due to it being an HTA file. I *believe* it might run properly under IE 4 if you are courageous enough to try it - I have notes on the page about a possible way to do it. The description, download link, and *all* the current documentation outside the "source" code itself is at the link below. As I said above and repeat on the web page, it IS beta, I bear no responsibility for any problems it may cause, you're on your own and acknowledge it by making use of this link: http://www.bittnet.com/aka/aka/rchta/ That said, it should be *very* useful to anyone who has to do a lot of mixed remote control work. I use it every day now. NOTES ON FEEDBACK AND THINGS I'M SEARCHING FOR I am particularly interested in feedback from anyone who makes heavy use of remote control tools and has comments about it. I also am on a hunt for "other" remote control clients and tools which have an ActiveX control available for them (or even a Java applet or some type of "run in a browser" functionality). In particular, an open source ActiveX telnet client or ActiveX FTP client would be handy, simply in terms of making some task automation possible. I'm even willing to try non-open "freeware" at this point since I've had such minimal luck with finding open source versions of either of the above. If someone out there is just itching to start up a random project, they ccould always take the source code to Teraterm and turn it into an ActiveX control (sounds easy to *me* - I don't have to do it)... --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, mail majordomo "at" uk.research.att.com with the line: 'unsubscribe vnc-list' in the message BODY See also: http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/intouch.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------


text:
Solvay Novecare
RHODOLINE® 688 is a VOC and APE freeworkhorse defoamer for flat to semi-gloss waterborne coatings and adhesives.
- RHODOLINE® 688 Datasheet (English)
- Solvay Novecare Coating Additives (English)
Solvay works closely with its industrial partners both to satisfy market expectations – characterized by a constant demand for greater innovation, safety and efficiency – and to meet regulatory requirements. We provide services and products to help develop new solutions to protect and extend the shelf life of industrial equipment and finished goods in metal and surface treatments, inks and industrial coatings and similar sectors.
Where to Buy
Solvay Novecare
Are you a distributor who is interested in being listed here? Contact us!
Solvay Novecare makes their documentation available in the regions indicated below:
The information presented here was acquired by UL from the producer of the material. UL makes substantial efforts to assure the accuracy of this data. However, UL assumes no responsibility for the data values and strongly encourages that upon final material selection data points are validated with the material supplier.


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Archive for the 'cool fashion for girls 2014' tag
Rainbow Fashion Dresses For Girls
Rainbow Fashion Dresses For Girls
Here at Write In Color, rainbow is always in style. But just in case you need another reason to pull those vibrant hues out of you closet, allow Chanel and Givenchy to be your official votes of color confidence. Here's our favorite rainbow-inspired fashion from the Paris Fashion Week RTW 2014 runway.


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With Palm Beach County poised this week to join a growing list of school districts approving teacher pay raises, Gov. Rick Scott on Monday praised those getting on board with the $480 million plan he pushed through last spring's Legislature.
Fifty-two of Florida's 67 school districts have approved some form of increase. Many of the salary bumps, though, are falling short of what Scott and lawmakers expected to range from $2,500 each for teachers rated "effective" to $3,500 for those who earned "highly effective" grades.
Palm Beach's raises look likely to land around $1,000 for first-year teachers to $2,000 for the highest-paid educators. But after a slow rollout of the raises — caused mostly by protracted local negotiations — Scott appeared happy that some level of increase is being achieved.
"Working with the Legislature, we were proud to recognize the achievements of Florida students by awarding teachers for their work," Scott said. "We will continue to find ways to support Florida's teachers, who are the backbone of our entire education system."


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Does anyone know if the needle part of a juvederm syringe will fit onto teosyal?
Will a Juvederm Needle Fit a Teosyal Syringe?
Doctor Answers 1
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.


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Whether consciously or subconsciously, all golfers are influenced by tour pros in some way, shape or form. You know you've mimicked a tour player's pre-shot routine or swing, bought similar attire, or even reacted similarly to a shot, and you probably do it more often than you think.
My friends and I began doing this years ago when we started thinking we were way better than we were. We began intentionally acting as if we were tour pros playing inside the ropes in front of large galleries. What started as a joke morphed into a full fledged side competition and reached the point where we celebrated a well-executed tour mannerism more than a great shot.
Below are some ideas for how you can join in on the fun (ordered by degree of ridiculousness). And remember, throw subtlety out the window when trying any of this stuff. We call it #TourSauce.
The Lingo
You're a pro now, remember that. You did not "get new clubs this offseason" – rather, you're "going through an equipment change." Yes, those 6 year old Mizuno's you bought at Golf Galaxy count as an equipment change. And don't forget to throw in some fabricated stat like "I got them bent so my traj is 1.5 degrees lower than last year" or "My ball speed is up 6 miles an hour."
You haven't been "taking lessons." Instead, you're working with a new swing coach. It doesn't matter that your lessons cost $25/hour at Ranger Rick's (they just put in lights this year!). You're going through some swing changes, and you need to make it clear to everyone that you feel good about where you are in "The Process." Just remember, all the hours you've been putting in with the new "physio" you brought on the team a few months ago are going to start paying dividends soon (nevermind that this new "physio" is just the instructor in your group Cardio Jam class at L.A. Fitness).
The Twirl
This is probably the only tour thing you can do that isn't completely ridiculous. You may even already do this as part of your routine, but you can absolutely go next level with it. My favorite is the tee shot where the club is twirled away from the body, and the tee is picked out of the ground before the ball has even reached its apex. No need to watch the ball. It really doesn't even matter if you hit it well – remember, you're trying to be as arrogant as possible.
The Crowd Wave
You wedge in from 130, knocking it to 12 feet, sprinkling goobie dust on it and making your ProV1x dance just a little bit. Your playing partner acknowledges you with a "Good ball." Your instinct is to reply with a simple, "Thanks." Resist the urge – even though you've missed six greens in a row, you're not satisfied – 12 feet is mediocre. Remember, you're playing in front of a gallery. You just stuffed it to 12 feet. There is a smattering of applause. And while you want to acknowledge the applause, the subtlety of the crowd wave is the key here as you need to convey two things: 1) that you're not thrilled with the shot 2) that you're still grateful for their adulation. Basically, you want to find that spot one step above the Tiger crowd wave and one step below the Matt Kuchar smile/Phil Mickelson thumbs-up-fest. This is guaranteed to at least get an eye-roll from your partner, probably to the point that they're going to stop complimenting your good shots. All for the better. You've got the crowd behind you now. The utter silence after you drain your next 15 footer is going to be deafening.
A similar move is to work in the casual tug of the hat after picking your ball up out of the hole, or after a modest approach shot. The key here is not to pull on the cap. Just touch your index finger and thumb to the bill of the hat. Don't remove the hat under any circumstances. Act like you've been there before.
The Divot "Fix"
Let's say you hit an 8-iron to 14 feet on the next hole (you're really starting to groove your irons, although you hit your first drive OB), and the crowd is getting into it. You really want to convey that the shot was no big deal to you. Suddenly, you feel the urge to tap the area around your divot repeatedly with your club, which does absolutely nothing to fix the divot. Your heart is weeping for the piece of turf you just dug up. However, you can't completely ignore the crowd. You take your free hand and briefly acknowledge with a wave, NEVER breaking your focus on the divot.
Once you've mastered this move you'll also be able to utilize a similar technique after you hole the 14 foot bogey putt that you're about to start grinding on. Immediately after you snag your ball out of the hole, tap down your imaginary spike marks as you walk away from the hole, while throwing in a subtle crowd wave. Of course your soft spikes didn't make a mark on the furry public green that you just bogeyed, but why would that matter?
The Wayward Drive Directional Point
Sometimes, even a tour pro like yourself hits one off target. Luckily you play on tour, and you've got a marshall up ahead to help you spot your ball. You do all you can do make sure he knows which way to look. When Bubba Watson isn't calling out a cell phone user or berating his caddie, this is typically what he's doing when he's pointing left. You're not going to look for the ball yourself. The marshall is going to find the ball – you're doing him a favor by offering up a directional hint.
The Follow Through Club Throw
You crank a drive, but it's slightly off line. You're DISGUSTED. As a tour pro you can easily feel any flaws in your swing prior to impact. You have to let everyone know how displeased you are, so you just throw your club on the follow through. But you really don't worry about potentially hitting someone with the club – I'll give you something to remedy any collateral damage in a bit.
The Rehearsal
After hitting a mediocre iron shot, you're pissed. I mean it's still on the green, but for godsake you're a freaking tour pro. Something had to have gone horribly wrong for that ball to go 10 feet offline (you tell yourself that it's just a byproduct of where you're at in "The Process"). It's time to rehearse your swing until you've figured it out. Nevermind that your group is now at the green, and the foursome of ladies behind you is ready to tee off…. you need to figure out what the hell just went wrong.
The Caddie-Ball Toss
You've hit yet another green in regulation. Big deal. You're used to this. Time to clean off your ball and drain another birdie. But there's no chance in hell you're cleaning the ball yourself. Mark your ball, and toss it to your "caddie" (unsuspecting playing partner) to clean it.
Be Incredibly Confused by the Wind
Keep a scorecard in your back pocket. As you get ready to hit a shot, back off and pull it out and act like it's a yardage book. Act like you're talking to your caddie, and get REALLY specific. Throw every blade of grass in the air and act as if you've never seen wind on a golf course before, and you have no idea what to do. Look high up at the trees, as if that somehow gives you more information about the wind.
No Cameras Please
If you're feeling uncomfortable over a shot and need to back off of it, it's time to blame it on someone else, usually the crowd. This is done best if you can stop your swing halfway through.
This works for after a poor shot as well. Point at the groundskeeper minding his own business a couple of fairways over and act like he's the camera man that clearly clicked in your backswing.
The Apology
This is one by far my favorite, and by far the most difficult to pull off. Say you hit a ball out of bounds (someone snapped a picture on your downswing AGAIN). Once you finish belittling the fool that won't quit capturing Kodak moments, you realize you hit it into someone's yard and the homeowner happens to be out trimming the hedges. You walk up, feigning genuine concern, and lead with your standard, "Is everyone ok?". After you've played your shot, you take off your glove, walk over to the fan (confused homeowner), sign it, and give it to them and apologize. Throw in a gratuitous "I'm not gonna find this on Ebay next week, am I?" joke in there, as if your John Hancock has some real monetary value.
The Interview
You just completed your round. Everyone in the clubhouse is dying to know how it went (were they not watching the telecast? Geez). You stroll through the pro shop and the club pro (we'll call him "Tom") casually asks you how your round was. This is your cue to go into full interview mode:
"You know, Tommy, course looks great, greens are really stimping right now. I like my chances."
Or… "All-in-all, felt like we got some good work in today. Left a few shots out there, the one on 13 hurt, but I really flighted the ball well and I'm seeing my lines. This track is so gettable right now, so hopefully I can rest up and post a low number tomorrow."
Drop a "Thanks Tommy" as you walk away.
If you don't already, follow us on twitter and let us know when you see some #TourSauce. Check out Part II here, and Part III here…
27 comments
Kyle Bailey
A++ article. Huge chuckles up here in the Great White North.
Good stuff–if I'm not mistaken, looks like you worked KFS into the 'Crowd Wave: Yes' .gif. Nice tip of the hat to Soly's former roommate.
Disappointed though, to not see the 'Raise-the-Left-Arm-and-Pull/Twist/Adjust-the-Shirt-Sleeve' move prior to every shot, as if the normal cut and fit of a golf shirt made for and worn comfortably by 17.5 trillion golfers over the last 40 years does not now hang right. Maybe we're trying to keep that left arm in tight on the backswing? Maybe. But, all of a sudden the contour on that shoulder seam is juuuust not up to pro standard. Quick, someone get Munsingwear on the line. Got a new idea.
Great article if you coupled it with an instructional montage featuring tour players that would hit the big time. Keep it up guys, great job.
Leslie Ambrose
This is an awesome website. Very creative and unique. I have passed it on to many of my friends and co-workers. I really enjoy the content with the twist of sarcasm and facts. Keep up the good work. Website like no other!
Lisa Genant
Very very clever…..you sure did your homework….EXCELLENT
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good stuff! The one thing that I see is that token guy that never grabs the pin – like he is used to playing with a caddy!
A man of many talents! Your English teachers would be very impressed with your ability to share your thoughts in such a humorous way! I enjoy your writing, but mostly I enjoy spending time with you at golf tournaments where undoubtedly you're skilled at picking up the pro's golf antics! Great job!!!!
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Loved this when I read it last week. Can't wait for part 2.
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phoenix golf jobs
Torrey Pines Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course, and the name is as famous as its
location. A tight shirt may constrain your freedom of movement and interfere with your concentration.
It is possible to also ask other novice golf players around the
course or search for reviews on-line.
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Chris Heavenor
This is gold, Jerry! Gold!


text:
But the agenda for this particular day was different than usual. Each executive had to pretend he or she was a news reporter, and had to arrive prepared to read aloud the first few sentences of an article they each had written about what they envisioned the Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based company would be in 1999—and how it got there.
"We spent five hours that day having our top 100 executives, one at a time, stand up and read his or her two paragraphs," recalls Anthony J. Rucci, Sears' former executive VP of administration, who left the post in 1998 to become the dean of the business school at University of Illinois at Chicago. "People's ideas were all over the ballpark. Some people had us opening motorcycle dealerships in China and all kinds of innovative, if somewhat crazy, things," Rucci recalls.
From that process and through several other steps, Sears' senior management team gelled its firm's new vision into a simple, but powerful vision statement: "To make Sears, Roebuck and Co. a compelling place to shop, work and invest." A big part of achieving that strategy was to transform Sears' solid 113-year culture into a vibrant, modern, customer-driven one. After some analysis, Sears realized its customers were primarily (70 percent) women. This inspired "the softer side of Sears" approach and store facelifts that included installing wider aisles, softer lighting and fancier displays to mimic more expensive department stores.
Sears also narrowed its focus. After having seen other more-focused retailers like Wal-Mart and Target take significant market share away from the long-established retailer, the company's new chairman and CEO, Arthur C. Martinez, was determined to see Sears not only regain its position, but to lead the market. To achieve market leadership, Martinez folded the company's long-standing catalog operations and refocused the company by divesting it of its insurance and real estate subsidiaries—The Allstate Corp. and The Homart Development Co. In 1996, the company marked its first year of operations focused exclusively on retailing since 1931.
Over the past seven years, Sears' drive toward financial and cultural transformation has involved unwavering effort from the entire senior management team and every Sears associate. But it has also been a drive that wouldn't have been accomplished without the efforts of Sears' HR team, first led by Rucci, and now headed by John T. Sloan, Sears' senior vice president of human resources who succeeded Rucci in March 1998.
Achieving the initial financial turnaround by 1994 and coming up with a compelling mission statement were big steps in the right direction. But for HR, it was only the beginning of a long road to implementing the transformation of HR's own processes and the entire company's culture. HR was not only up to the challenge, it has exceeded expectations and has become a model for the retail industry—and others—to follow.
Transforming Sears' HR group.
While the rest of the company was immersed in a transformation effort, Sears' HR department was undergoing its own metamorphosis. Back in late 1993, shortly after Rucci came on board at Sears, he challenged his senior HR team to take six months and come back with a redesign of the HR function. The design had to be radical, and it had to treat the internal organization as if it were the customer.
That meant they had to go out and identify the requirements of the customer before they could figure out what the HR function ought to look like to meet those requirements. They extensively surveyed their customers—finding out what they liked and what they didn't like based on a specific set of questions, such as: "How do you think the comp and rewards side of HR is functioning? How about selection and college recruiting? And what about HR information systems and support?"
Based on data derived from surveying, the HR transformation team went back and completely changed the HR function. It reassessed everyone in the HR function with these new standards of customer service orientation, responsiveness and so on. Then it completely restaffed the department using a "zero-based" staffing approach. In addition, Rucci changed the reporting relationships of HR people—rather than reporting to him, he had them report to the businesses they supported. Moving HR back to the line, so to speak, is an idea that is now only just beginning to take hold for most HR departments, and helps move HR into strategic business partner status.
"We asked a lot of all of our HR people," says Rucci. "On one hand, people responded marvelously. We couldn't ask them to do any more than they did. On the other hand, change, if not done well—even under the best circumstances—creates a certain degree of anxiety for people." Rucci explains that having a clear vision early on about what excellence was supposed to look like in the transformation process paid huge dividends later on. "When we came back and asked people to make these changes, at least they knew what the end vision looked like," says Rucci. "We spent an enormous amount of time communicating and getting people at all levels involved in the change process."
Today, having transformed the HR operations and processes, Sears' 650 HR people spend most of their time continuously helping associates align with the company's new vision. Adds Sloan: "Although HR at Sears is vitally linked to all three aspects of the vision of the company, we spend the bulk of our time on making Sears a compelling place to work." That has translated into a host of training, development and rewards strategies.
Employees learn new ways of working.
By 1994, Sears had done a good job of transforming senior managers' ideas around Sears vision, but the average associate still wasn't fully engaged in the process. The new mission statement was rolled out, but it needed legs to help employees understand what it meant for them. With 838 full-line department stores, more than 2,700 off-the-mall stores and more than 300,000 employees, Sears needed to embark on a companywide plan to spread the word.
"One of the things we discovered—and it's sort of a fundamental principle of organizational change—is that change is much more effective if people understand why you're asking them to change rather than just saying 'do it,'" explains Steve Kirn, Sears' vice president of organizational learning and development. "You have to give them a framework for why particular kinds of changes are important."
Sears' learning chiefs figured out a powerful way to show employees why the transformation was necessary, rather than just tell them by using Learning Maps™ (Learning Map™ is a trademark of Perrysburg, Ohio-based Root Learning® Inc.) and town hall meetings. Learning Maps provide information and encourage employees to think about the industry and the company they work in. At Sears, groups of roughly 10 employees at a time "walk through" each map aided by a written guide and questions. For example, the first Learning Map Sears associates (employees) walked through was called "A New Day on Retail Street." It takes people on a time-capsule journey from the '50s through the '90s and shows people how the retail environment has changed, how demographics have changed—from the country's ethnic makeup to the number of working women—and how much free time people have on their hands to go shopping.
During these sessions, employees learned that the number of visits the average shopper made to a shopping center per month was 12 in 1980, but only four in 1990. "So the group looks at that number and ends up saying, 'Whoa, we don't have as many opportunities to see our customers as we used to. We'd better make shopping easy for them because it looks like they're shopping with a greater eye toward convenience,'" says Kirn. At town hall meetings, larger groups of employees who had been through the Learning Maps process came together to talk about what changes they could make in their individual stores to help Sears reach its overall goals. Employees were asked to figure out one thing they could do, could stop doing or could simplify when they returned to work the next day to improve Sears' competitive position. Because they were local improvements, headquarters didn't have to approve the changes.
In general, Sears associates get much more training now than before the transformation began. Over the past four years, Sears has spent the equivalent of millions of dollars on training its associates about Sears' new goals and in world-class retailing skills.
The good news for Sears is that all the training around Sears' new vision has stuck firmly in the minds of its associates. "The impact now is the sense of ownership that associates feel," says Gale Book, Sears' store trainer in Pensacola, Florida. "It's no longer just a small group of people who have an impact on assignments. It now comes from all different areas of the store."
Whereas some companies initiate turnaround projects and get their initial goals met, Sears has built a platform on which to root its long-term business planning. Employees use the company's three C's (compelling place to shop, work and invest) to test management decisions in day-to-day business. They also learned about the beliefs that senior managers had identified are important to Sears for the future, the three P's—"a passion for the customer, the belief that Sears' people add value to the enterprise and an uncompromising belief in performance leadership."
For example, though no formal orientation existed before, now there's an eight-week orientation process. And management education, which had been virtually nonexistent before the turnaround because of severe cost-cutting measures, is a high priority. Some of that learning takes place in person at Sears University (SU) which was established in 1995. Since SU opened, more than 40,000 Sears managers have been trained through the program. They also operate a strategic-retail-management program, which more than 250 senior executives have attended in groups of approximately 30 at a time.
Other learning takes place through desktop or distance learning courses. Employees can borrow audio or videotapes to brush up on everything from selling techniques to strategic planning. And employees can demonstrate their mastery of courses or modules they've taken through Sears Training Tracking System (STTS)—an interactive voice-response testing system. Today, more than 20,000 Sears employees a year are in learning programs that range from one to six days a shot.
"The really important message is: There's no magic bullet when it comes to how you deal with people," says Kirn. "You create cultural transformation by doing things in an array of business areas. The trick is to make them all interlock, and not to compete with one another."
Measuring the return on investment.
As the former head of human resources, Rucci led the transition team—sanctioned by Martinez, organized by Rucci and made up of 16 line executives—that was responsible for implementing the culture change Martinez envisioned. The transformation team figured it wasn't enough to just have a vision, they had to determine exactly how to put that vision into action. They set out to come up with an econometric model that would show people how to add true value to their retail operation.
They postulated a theory that a company's financial performance—rather than an obvious sign of how a company is doing—actually is a lagging indicator. This means that by the time Sears (or any company for that matter) publishes its annual report, it's too late to do anything about financial performance—especially if it isn't favorable. They figured there had to be some "leading indicators" that would help predict later financial performance. For Sears, those turned out to be something that may seem rather obvious to most business people, but few, if any companies have made the link as directly as Sears. They theorized that things like employee attitudes and whether customers see their stores as fun places to shop were directly linked to financial performance, and they've actually proved it.
By culling many taskforce suggestions and through much of their own work, the transformation team arrived at a business model that would track success in many areas including management behavior, employee attitudes, customer satisfaction and financial performance. To track and measure the outcomes of the business model, they developed a highly effective and world-class performance index called the employee-customer-profit model. It comprises six measurements: one measure for a compelling place to work, two for a compelling place to shop and three for a compelling place to invest. By means of an ongoing process of data collection, analysis, modeling and experimentation, the Total Performance Indicators (TPI) show Sears how well it's doing with customers, employees and investors.
In an elaborate 800-store study of employee attitudes recently conducted by Sears, researchers found there's a direct correlation between employee satisfaction and profitability. Sears found that if positive employee attitudes on 10 essential factors—including workload, treatment by bosses and so forth—increase by 5 percent, then customer satisfaction will jump 1.3 percent, leading to a one-half percentage-point rise in revenue.
Sears' customer satisfaction ratings began creeping upward in 1993 measured against their leading competitors. A Fortune magazine survey published in February 1997 showed Sears' customer satisfaction jumped 5.6 percent from 1995 to 1996, more than twice as much as any other retailer surveyed. In '96 and '97, its customer satisfaction scores rose two more percentage points, placing it at parity with its target competition. Since March 1997, Sears cash registers have been randomly kicking out receipts that ask customers to call an automated toll-free number and respond to questions. The survey results are then compiled into a statistically significant customer satisfaction score—a number that has risen several points since 1996.
Associate satisfaction scores also increased during that period. The employee satisfaction score is now 69.5, and has risen 1.5 percent in the past year and a half alone. "It's extremely difficult to move up a quarter of a point, so every move up really is a significant move in the right direction," says Sloan. "And what we've found is the stores that have higher scores basically perform better financially than those with lower scores." So the firm knows where to focus its energy and attention.
Another measure of employee satisfaction is the fact that the company's turnover rate has plummeted from 100 percent turnover when the transformation project started to 66 percent—the bulk of the turnover being in the part-time hourly ranks. For salaried personnel, turnover is about 20 percent. "Our largest area of opportunity is continuing to address our part-time, hourly workforce," says Sloan. "But that has dropped significantly since we started the transformation, and continues to drop."
The increase in employee satisfaction scores and drop in turnover further indicate there's alignment inside the organization with the firm's strategy and direction. For Sears—with annual revenues of approximately $44 billion—this increase amounts to more than $200 million in additional revenues for the company each year. That alignment and performance needs to be rewarded.
Transforming rewards and compensation.
When Sears redirected its vision, it also needed to drastically change the way it paid and rewarded people. "Too often, companies attempt to change employee behavior by changing pay and incentive practices," said Martinez in an interview with the ACA Journal (Autumn 1997). "Over the long term, people change their behavior not because of pay practices, but because they relate to the organization's vision and strategy. Pay practices then need to reinforce that strategy."
On January 1, 1996, Sears' senior management took the bold step of placing a substantial portion of the company's 200 top executives' long-term incentive compensation at risk based on the TPI: being a compelling place to shop, work and invest. This means executive incentives are based on non-financial as well as financial performance—divided equally between customer measures, employee measures and investor measures. "That puts the retailer on the corporate world's cutting edge in using a 'balanced scorecard' that includes non-financial factors," commented Bob Duncan, professor of leadership and change at the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in a Chicago Tribune article last year.
Putting executive pay on the line is the hot compensation trend of the '90s, but it's a radical departure for the once-paternalistic Sears, where paychecks were steady and benefits were better than average. Now all of Sears' 19,000 salaried managers have pay tied to financial performance of their business units and company performance. Six years ago, 90 percent of a Sears manager's pay, on average, came in the form of salary. Now it's closer to 80 percent, and it's even lower for top execs whose bonuses can exceed their salary. It's all in an effort to move away from entitlement mentality, and toward a focus on what drives financial rewards: the customer.
Turnabout is fair play.
Financially speaking, the market value of Sears increased by nearly $15 billion from 1992 through the end of 1997, adjusting for the effects of spinoffs (exact final figures for 1998 weren't available at press time). "We didn't have a great year in '98," admits Jan Drummond, a Sears spokesperson. "However, we're on the right course." Sears has come a long way. She explains that Sears' revenue back in 1993 was $29 billion when Sears Merchandise Group was the retail arm of Sears and included Allstate and other service businesses. "The revenue now for us as a stand-alone retail organization is going to be in the neighborhood of $43 to $45 billion in 1998," adds Drummond. Even Wall Street analysts are impressed by Sears' comeback, even if some think Sears' retailing strategy still seems fuzzy. Sears managers admit they still have work to do.
Said Martinez in the firm's 1996 annual report: "While we have made good financial progress and have solid growth plans, we have not yet achieved fully the kind of transformation that we seek for the business. Transformation requires a workforce, from top to bottom, who is committed to embracing and fostering change. Associates must think like owners if we're to keep the process of continuous reinvention alive inside the company."
Still, Sears' human resources efforts in nurturing the company to where it is today are no less than heroic, and have earned much notice by the media, HR analysts, consultants and academicians. "Sears has been creative in both the theory and practice of HR. The company recognized early that employee commitment predicted and affected customer commitment," says Dave Ulrich, a professor at the University of Michigan Business School where he co-directs the Human Resource Executive Education Program, and has been a consultant with Sears' HR executives during the transformation process. "As a result, it focused HR practices on enhancing employee commitment." Just about everything HR could change to help add value to the organization, it did change with a high level of excellence.
Perhaps its cliche to say that Sears is a true Diehard®. With a 113-year history, that may be obvious. The ultimate compliment is that a company with such a long history can figure out how the eldest player on retail street can still be a wise player. Certainly, the fact that Sears has determined its human resources are a key to playing the game effectively is noteworthy. While we await the fully transformed Sears, we applaud the HR side of Sears for its world-class efforts thus far. It's a compelling HR example to follow.
Workforce, March 1999, Vol. 78, No. 3, pp. 24-29.


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Ifor B. Powell collection (20th C.)
The personal library of political pamphlets and press cuttings collected by Ifor B. Powell, previous professor in London and Cardiff, covering his interests in the League of Nations, south east Asia, and other topics; mainly for the inter war years, plus some mid 20th century material. A printed handlist of the collection is held in the Library.
A few of the pamphlets are from the First World War period but a considerable number belong to the inter-war years; these are of League of Nations or League of Nations Union origin. There are also some Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs) Information Papers dealing with colonial questions in the same period. The months immediately preceding the outbreak of the Second World War are covered in an American review of world affairs called Events and in the Chatham House publication, Bulletin of International News. Other pamphlets relate to United States government, politics and foreign policy. There are a dozen or so papers published between 1960 and 1965 by the South African Institute of International Affairs on South African problems. There is an almost complete run of the fortnightly Reports of the Foreign Policy Association of the USA for 1945-1951. There are also a few issues of the other F.P.A. publication, the Bulletin. In addition, there are many booklets and pamphlets on Far Eastern questions in the inter-war years and since 1945. Press cuttings included in the collection cover the period from just after the First World War until 1972 and are mainly from The Times. Those about the USA are from the New York Times, Time, and New Republic.
Date range: 1910s-1970s
Significance: Significant in Wales
Size: c. 1,000 pamphlets, plus press cuttings.
Language: English
Keywords: Politics, League of Nations, Europe, South east Asia.
Notes: Personal papers of Ifor B. Powell are held at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.


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Dec. 4, 2011
BERKELEY - Bolstered by the play of tournament MVP Joel Dennerley, USC won its fourth-straight NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship with a 7-4 victory over rival UCLA Sunday (Dec. 4) at the University of California's Spieker Aquatics Complex. Dennerley, the Trojans' senior goalie from Chester Hill, Australia, finished the championship match with 14 saves, while seven different field players scored for USC.
The Trojans end the year 24-3 and become the first school to win four consecutive NCAA men's water polo titles. UCLA, the winners of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament, dropped to 24-5. The Bruins were led by a pair of goals from junior Josh Samuels. UCLA had won the conference tournament, hosted at its own Spieker Aquatics Center, with a 10-9 in sudden-death victory over USC on Nov. 27 in the title game to earn the MPSF's automatic berth into the NCAAs.
In the NCAA third place match, Princeton (22-10) defeated UC San Diego (17-11), 9-7. The Tigers were able to break away from a 7-7 tie in the fourth quarter when freshman Thomas Nelson scored with 1:34 left in the final period, and then iced the contest with another goal with 28 seconds left in the match.
In the championship match, UCLA's Samuels scored first on a five-meter meter penalty shot with 3:05 left in the opening period, but then the Trojans ran off five straight goals - from Michael Rosenthal, Connor Virjee, Nikola Vavic, Stephen Siri and Mace Rapsey - before Samuels was able to score again with 2:29 left in the half. From there, USC controlled the contest with tight defense as Dennerley was able to block several of the Bruins' shot attempts.
Besides Dennerley's MVP honors, Peter Kurzeka and Vavic were NCAA Tournament first-team selections for the Trojans. Samuels and Cullen Hennessy were members of the NCAA Tournament first-team for UCLA, Nelson was a first-team selection for Princeton and Graham Saber from UC San Diego rounded out the NCAA Tournament first-team.
Second-team All-NCAA Tournament picks were goalie Matt Rapacz, and field players Griffin White and Cristiano Mirarchi from UCLA; Jeremy Davie and Mace Rapsey from USC; Drew Hoffenberg from Princeton, and Brian Donohoe from UC San Diego.
For a copy of the 2011 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship bracket click 2011 NCAA MWP Bracket.
Cal had hosted the 2010 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship as well.


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"I was disappointed in how we played not how we lost because Arizona's a great team, ... I thought we might be nervous and then Arizona's pressure set the tone early. Then we dug ourselves another hole we couldn't climb out of."
Related quotes
"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him."


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University Archives
The University Archives is the designated repository for records, documents, publications and other material pertaining to the University of California, Riverside. Located in Special Collections & University Archives department, the Archives houses campus materials of enduring historical value. Our holdings document the history of the campus from its beginnings in the early 1900's as the Citrus Experiment Station (CES) to its present form as a thriving academic institution within the University of California system. These resources support university administration, the institution's educational goals, and community outreach activities. The Archives' holdings are non-circulating and are open for use by the campus community as well as the general public during normal operating hours.
The following collecting areas have been established for the University Archives:
- Official University administrative records and publications
- Select papers of individual faculty members, staff, and alumni
- Sound and video recordings [Guide to UCR Sound and Video Recordings in the University Archives]
- Photographs of UCR including academics, research, events, student life, and buildings
- Campus memorabilia and artifacts
Browse the University Archives*
*Additional materials regarding the University of California, Riverside are cataloged and listed in SCOTTY, the UCR Library's online public access catalog.
**Only a select number of collections are available through the Online Archive of California (OAC)
Questions or comments? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com


text: Archives > Writers 6 Items Found A breath of hope By Nikolas GrosfieldPosted Nov. 14, 2014Lifestyle | A Montana couple practices patience in ministering to Native Americans [http://www.worldmag.com/2014/11/a_breath_of_hope] God and reconciliation in Rwanda By Nikolas GrosfieldPosted April 25, 2014Rwanda | Emmanuel Gatera loves Rwanda's capital, Kigali—Rwandans pronounce the "K" with a "ch" sound. He says the progress Kigali has made since 1994… [http://www.worldmag.com/2014/04/god_and_reconciliation_in_rwanda] Vandals attack Christian sites outside Cairo By Nikolas GrosfieldPosted Oct. 15, 2013Egypt | While media attention has focused on Cairo, other Egyptian cities are also in tumult. Fayoum, southwest of Cairo and home to 1.5 million Egyptians and many… [http://www.worldmag.com/2013/10/vandals_attack_christian_sites_outside_cairo] Raw milk law raises red flags in Montana By Nikolas GrosfieldPosted April 11, 2013Health | "Sunup to sundown." That's how Jennifer Holmes describes her typical work day on a Montana dairy farm. Holmes has been a dairy farmer for 15 years. [http://www.worldmag.com/2013/04/raw_milk_law_raises_red_flags_in_montana] Mr. Risky vs. Mrs. Reserved By Nikolas GrosfieldPosted Jan. 12, 2013Marriage | Rick and Lynne Shenk may approach life differently, but after 35 years of marriage they've learned how to make sacrifices and overcome conflict together [http://www.worldmag.com/2013/01/mr_risky_vs_mrs_reserved] The view from Qatar By Nikolas GrosfieldPosted Nov. 7, 2012Politics | A kitchen chair in front of a flat-screen TV may be a normal venue for watching the U.S. presidential election. But doing so with a well-educated Palestinian… [http://www.worldmag.com/2012/11/the_view_from_qatar] 6 Items Found


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• Pillows in an array of sizes anchor the head of the bed. Mixing satin-covered Euro squares with bolsters and small embroidered pillows creates an inviting focal point.
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• Fine filigree and open floral patterns unite elements from disparate cultures. Here, a Moroccan table lives comfortably with a Chinese rug and Indian pillows.
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• A solid-color quilt and shams and crisp white sheets form an understated foundation that doesn't compete with the patterned elements elsewhere in the room.


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RUSTON, La. - Hill Oil's Inside Bulldog Football with Skip Holtz and Dave Nitz will air live Monday at the Dawg House Sports Grill in Ruston with this year's start time set for 6 p.m.
Holtz will team up with Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Nitz to talk Bulldog football each Monday of game weeks during the season as the one-hour radio show will air live on the LA Tech Sports Network, including KNBB 97.7 FM (Ruston/Monroe), WUBR 910 AM (Baton Rouge/Zachary), KRMD 1340 AM and 100.7 FM (Shreveport), KVCL 92.1 (Winnfield) and KDBS 1410 AM (Alexandria/Pineville) and will be aired on tape delay on KBEF 104.5 (Minden) and KASO 1240 AM (Minden).
Holtz and Nitz will review the Bulldogs season-opening loss against the 4th ranked Oklahoma Sooners while previewing this weekend's road contest at UL-Lafayette set for Saturday night at 6 p.m.
Bulldog fans are encouraged to come out to the Dawg House Sports Grill to eat dinner and to experience the show in person as one segment will include taking questions from the fans. This week's show will also include a segment with Louisiana Tech President Les Guice and one with new Senior Associate AD Marco Born.
LA Tech season tickets are on sale and can be purchased by contacting the Tech Ticket Office at 318-257-3631 or emailing firstname.lastname@example.com. The Tech Ticket Office is located in the Thomas Assembly Center and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fans can also purchase tickets at LATechSports.com/tickets.
The Bulldogs open their home schedule Sept. 20 when they host Northwestern State at Joe Aillet Stadium. LA Tech also faces UTEP, UTSA, Western Kentucky and Rice in Ruston.


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In fact she dropped Kardashian too!
Formerly known as Khloe Kardashian Odom, Khloe is now just known as Khloe on Twitter. Her username @khloekardashian remains the same. The timing of this change seems very representative of what is going on in Khloe's life. Today is her and her husband Lamar Odom's fourth wedding anniversary, so that give you a pretty good idea how she's feeling about things.
However, a source tells People that Khloe is still hoping that she can fix her marriage. "She still wants to save their marriage; she wants him to get better, but there is a lot to work out. She's taking everything one day at a time and concentrating on herself. Everything with Lamar is very unclear," the source adds.
According to Khloe, the only thing that Lamar can do to help their marriage, is go to rehab and get help for his drug addiction. Lamar doesn't quite see it that way.
TMZ is reporting that Lamar is planning a huge surprise for Khloe. He's said to be spending over $100,000 on a gift that will blow here away. Good luck with that one Lamar.
Launch the gallery to check out the pics of a slicked back Khloe.
EMAIL ME: firstname.lastname@example.com FOLLOW ME ON: Twitter
FOLLOW SOCIALITE LIFE: Twitter · Facebook


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It's funny how when I get my writing mojo back, I can't seem to lay off of it. [This is a Leo thing, right Tracy?] So here I am, burning the midnight New Moon oil with a lot of things swirling in my head. I still have two or more IFBC posts, but I'm giving it a break or you might think I'm utterly stuck waxing poetic about food blogging conferences and friends.
I'm sure you other food bloggers will agree that not everything we prepare in the kitchen makes it on our respective blogs. In my case, about half of what I cook and bake never gets featured here because they:
- taste meh, bad, or just okay,
- look gross,
- accidentally fell on the floor or disintegrated before taking photos,
- were not photographed,
- were badly photographed,
- inedible,
- or most likely: lost in notation
I had this Filipino dish to have you try, called Tortang Talong (Filipino Eggplant Omelette), but it had a case of #7. It's super simple, but my limited short-term memory didn't retain the oven setting and time. It's easy enough to search online on how others do it, but I just don't include a method, technique, or other parts of a recipe if I didn't test it myself. So this will have to wait until I buy more eggplants and oven-roast them again. On the other hand, more eggplant goodness for my belly.
Still on a Southeast Asian Motherland kick, I've been wanting to share the Filipino Chicken Empanada recipe that I learned while observing relatives of relatives on the East Coast. BUT. Guess what? #7.
If this keeps going on, I don't think I'd even get to my golden years!
Tonight I wasn't particularly keen on cooking. I began reviewing a friend's book draft (I'm not a professional, but she asked me to check it out…as a friend) after a 4-hour meeting the previous night, and now with 3 hours of sleep. Long story short, this Energizer bunny needs to rest. All my residual charge could muster up to do was boil, peel, and slice beets. And then I decided they need some other color, like pluots. And then I wanted something salty and creamy, there goes the feta.
A light drizzle of blood orange olive oil later…
…an excited first bite was superseded by great disappointment. That'll be number 1 and 7.
However, all is not lost as I discovered that pluots and feta party together. I mean, Hi, let's go on another date tomorrow! I'm feeling creamy feta-pluot in my next 24-hour future. What it would end up as, I'm not sure, but I'm getting them a room already. Hopefully it works out.
Have you put together something that seemed brilliant in your head and ended up in a pile of disappointment, beside newly delivered pizza? Or maybe, you have recipe testing fails to share? Do tell!
If you have other pluot-feta recipes, I'm yours. Oh, just remember I have 1/8 cup of butter left. That's all I can use for now. It's ghastly to have less than 4 sticks of butter available. That's just not right.
Energizer bunny out.


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The photo of fourteen time Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps, smoking marijuana from a glass bong has made its way onto prime time television and saturated world news. That must be worth something. The owner of the most famous bong of the 21st century believes it's worth $100,000, reports WIS10, Columbia, South Carolina's local news station. Supposedly, he put the bong on eBay.
The media blitz over the now infamous party in Columbia has led to serious consequences for many involved. It might have made one lucky student a rich man. Instead, Sheriff Leon Lott of Richland County has confiscated the shaft of glass. He has also leveled criminal charges against its owner, and seven other individuals who were reported to have been present at the party where the photo was taken. Sheriff Lott has expressed an eagerness to go after Phelps as well.
Read the full report from WIS 10 here.


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In light of the upcoming G8 and G20 summits taking place in Canada this weekend, three leading global think tanks—the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Canada, the Stanley Foundation in the United States, and the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations—joined to weigh in on the issues on a mini-summit called "Three Voices."
Canadian Voice. Canada plays host of the G8 and co-host to the G20 summit with the Republic of Korea. Both summits present significant challenges for the Canadian leadership. Prime Minster Stephen Harper said on the G20's ongoing crisis work, "The G20 process has proven critical to our collective response to the global recession. This represents an unprecedented opportunity for Canada to demonstrate leadership as we continue our work on the economy and in defining the path forward." The G8 is no longer the main body on economic issues, but Canada has stressed that the G8 will stay active in matters such as development and international peace and security.
Canadian leadership is also focused on demonstrating to the world determination. Prime Minister Harper said that it is critical to advance a common agenda in the G8 summit, an agenda of peace and security, and democracy and development. There is also a commitment in securing the implementation of post crisis-commitments that were set forth from the past three summits. Canada is focused on past commitments rather than implementing new ones. By focusing on past commitments, Canada is drawing on accountability. This "accountability" is a reminder that in past summit leaders have failed to implement policies.
Another goal for the summit is shared responsibility. Prime Minister Harper said, "The real test of the G20 going forward is that it develops and sustains among its members a sense of shared responsibility towards the global economy." Canada has also emphasized sticking to the fiscal stimulus programs agreed to by the G20 leaders and coordinating exit strategies. Canada will probably urge G20 leaders to address the imbalances that could threaten the global economy.
Chinese Voice. With the recent recovery of the global market, China is looking for a better position in world governance to keep order stability. Since there has been progress in world governance since the financial crisis, world development should be the new focus. China wants the establishment of the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation and to carry out stricter supervision of financial activity. However, the summit has been faced with many problems from the past.
Currently, the summit is faced with problems of legitimacy, representativeness, efficiency and overlapping of international institutions. These problems need to be addressed. International relations have become more complicated in an era of globalization. Many people don't recognize the G8 as legitimate enough. There have been talks of combining the G8 with the G20, increasing representativeness. However, this could lead to just having a larger group of talkers instead of adding legitimacy. Scholars persist that the issue needs to be further investigated before anything is done.
American Voice. The American Think Tank posits that the extent of international leadership is to carry the torch when the world is faced with problems by using diplomatic influence to find solutions. Currently the world is faced with a lack of international cooperation when it comes to solving pressing global problems such as the economic downturn, global warming, and nuclear proliferation.
The world has shared interests and often shares the same problems, but questions of how the degree the problems they share are make consensus on solving them in concert difficult.


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In the first of a three-part series, the West Side Sun News examines Robert Stark's motivations and plans for his proposed downtown Cleveland redevelopment, which start with a large infill development in the Warehouse District.
December 2005 Archives
30 December 2005
Next year, Mayor Procuk of Brooklyn Heights intends to focus on planning for the development of the Village's northern section.
As the Friends of Big Creek continue planning a new trail in Brooklyn, Mayor Patton says eminent domain will not be employed, and that the City has no plans to become involved in the process.
A study to evaluate flooding problems in North Royalton found that the Ohio Turnpike expansion had only a slight effect on flooding, but that mitigating erosion problems caused by the expansion could cost between $2.3 and $3.7 million.
Developers of Renaissance Park in Strongsville plan to break ground on the project at Pearl and Whitney Roads in about four months. The first phase will be the construction of a 118,000 square foot Lowe's store, and the second phase is slated to include additional retail and office space. Developer David Lewanski hopes to obtain municipal assistance in acquiring a motel on the site, as well as a TIF agreement.
Brunswick officials favor hiring an outside consulting firm to study the ramifications of a possible merger with Brunswick Hills Township.
A 3-3 tie in Bentleyville Village Council was broken when Mayor Michael Canty cast the deciding vote granting 133 variances for the JETA development near Chagrin River Road. Madison Woods will consist of 12 two-unit cluster homes.
Crain's Cleveland Business interviews Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman, who provides his thoughts on economic and neighborhood development, Steelyard Commons, and the convention center.
29 December 2005
A Plain Dealer editorial views MOCA's move to University Circle as an important step towards reinvigorating University Circle.
A new residential development in Brunswick will introduce 100 new homes on property owned by an adjacent apple orchard and restaurant.
28 December 2005
As eight Northeast Ohio land trusts prepare to merge on January 1, WCPN's Karen Schaefer explores the opportunities and challenges ahead for the new Western Reserve Land Conservancy. The station has also prepared a directory of local environmental web sites.
$7.9 million worth of grants were awarded this December by the George Gund Foundation, including the previously mentioned funding of the relocation of MOCA to University Circle and a $500,000 grant to the County Planning Commission's Cuyahoga Valley Initiative to implement sustainability strategies throughout the Valley.
With a mix of excitement and trepidation, Mayfield Heights residents are anticipating this spring's development of Hidden Woods, a residential development at SOM Center Road and Ridgebury Boulevard.
27 December 2005
The Akron Beacon Journal summarizes progress made over the past year to extend the Towpath Trail throughout Summit County.
Steven Litt is confident that University Circle will see a resurgence under the direction of Chris Ronayne who has been entrusted to continue the district's redevelopment.
A Plain Dealer editorial ties water quality to economic development and urges making the preservation and remediation of the Great Lakes a national priority.
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority has set aside $2 million to provide a hedge against possible bankruptcy should one of their many development projects default on their loans.
The City of Parma will begin focusing code enforcement efforts throughout its northern neighborhoods between Snow Road and Brookpark Road. The City will also begin channeling more redevelopment funds to the area.
A Plain Dealer article highlights the work of Cleveland State University librarian Bill Barrow to preserve the history of Northeast Ohio through the Cleveland Memory Project.
23 December 2005
A new span for the West Third Street Lift Bridge was floated upriver yesterday. The old span was removed in May, and the bridge is scheduled to reopen next June.
CSU Levin College Dean Mark Rosentraub urges local leaders to "rebuild the economy and remove barriers to regional cooperation."
Wells Real Estate Funds, an Atlanta-based REIT, has acquired a 50% ownership of Key Tower from the State Teachers Retirement System. The Jacobs Group will maintain its 50% ownership and management duties.
PolyOne Corp. is seeking a three year, 100% tax abatement for a $5.5 million expansion of their facilities on Walker Road in Avon Lake.
Bentleyville Village Council was expected to approve about 148 variances on Wednesday that would allow JETA to build its proposed 24 unit cluster home project, now apparently called Madison Woods.
Officials from Cleveland and Lakewood have reached a joint development agreement for the area along W.117th Street between Edgewater Drive and Berea Road. The agreement has yet to be ratified by the two city councils.
While some former churches have been redeveloped for other uses, the inverse also occurs. The former Palisades bowling alley in Euclid will become the new home of House of Jubilee Ministries Church.
Bay Village City Council extended the review period for the proposed Bradley Bay Health Center expansion by 60 days.
22 December 2005
Advanced Hydro Solutions rejected a request by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County to conduct an environmental impact study (PDF) for the Gorge Metro Park, where the company wants to build a small hydroelectric plant. A Metro Parks representative calls the decision "a huge disappointment."
The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled yesterday that property ownership includes the right to the groundwater beneath the land, and that water diversions by the government can be considered a property take entitled to compensation.
An Akron Beacon Journal editorial offers mild praise for the new rules for construction and demolition debris landfills in Ohio House Bill 397, calling them "a good first step."
21 December 2005
US EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson is proposing reducing the daily limit for fine particle pollution while leaving the annual limit untouched. A panel of scientific advisers recommended tightening both standards. The agency will make a final decision in September 2006.
Channel 3 reports that the Ohio legislature is likely to pass a law next month that will void the City of Cleveland's residency requirement for City workers. Mayor-elect Jackson says he will challenge the law in court.
20 December 2005
Yesterday, Cleveland officials released a $4.6 million concept plan for a nature preserve at Dike 14. It calls for a six acre wetland, bicycle paths, hiking trails, and an observation deck. More testing is needed to determine if the former sediment disposal facility is safe for public access.
Plain Dealer columnist Phillip Morris urges local leaders to be more aggressive in promoting and encouraging arts and culture.
Team NEO president Bob Farley will leave the organization in March to become senior vice president of a local corporate relocation firm. Don Iannone feels "that we might have some difficulty replacing Bob with a known national talent."
19 December 2005
The southern alignment concept for a new Innerbelt Bridge was presented to the Cleveland City Planning Commission on Friday. Meanwhile, the Plain Dealer's Steven Litt criticizes ODOT's design process, including its lack of transparency, delayed reporting, and accelerated timetable.
RTA now offers trip planning for public transit riders and paratransit scheduling for registered users on their site, powered by software from the Trapeze Group.
(via Brewed Fresh Daily)
Solid waste volumes in several Northeast Ohio counties have declined over the past year, but Cuyahoga County's volume has remained steady. Some attribute the drop to the declining regional economy.
Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials are pursuing the possibility of developing a permanent medical equipment exhibition center that would be developed adjacent to a new convention center. Modeled after Chicago's Merchandise Mart, the center would be designed to lure more medical conventions to Cleveland.
An agreement has been reached to preserve 154 acres of old-growth forest in Hunting Valley. Developer Scott Wolsten signed a conservation easement with the Chagrin River Land Conservancy as a part of developing his own estate.
The current construction of Emerald Commons presages the hoped-for development of several other projects that would create 1,000 affordable residential units over the next several years by the Cleveland Housing Network.
Oberlin City Council may vote on whether to set up a TIF to help finance a mixed-use development in downtown Oberlin.
Faced with the Port Authority's announcement of a study to recommend strategies for removing the Hulett unloaders, Cleveland Councilman Matt Zone wants to relocate the historic industrial artifacts to Wendy Park on Whiskey Island.
Several economic development programs received funding through the Cleveland Foundation's latest round of grants, including projects in University Circle and the east side neighborhoods served by Shorebank Enterprise Group.
Next month, Flats property owners will receive purchase offers from the Port Authority in anticipation of the impending demolition and site preparation for the Flats East Bank Neighborhood development. The use of eminent domain remains an option.
16 December 2005
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority will commission a study to determine the method and cost for removal of the Hulett ore unloaders currently being stored on the port's Whiskey Island property.
The Village of Hunting Valley is considering a new zoning ordinance that would permit the division of parcels greater than 30 acres, half as a conservation area and half for smaller homes. A vote is expected in March.
An Atlanta-based REIT is preparing to purchase Downtown Cleveland's Key Tower, which has been on the market since April.
The City of Garfield Heights is seeking a $75,000 grant from NOACA to help fund a traffic impact study of the area surrounding the I-480 interchange at Transportation Boulevard. Anticipated traffic increases are expected to create a need for additional lanes and reconfigured ramps.
North Royalton officials expect that the planned Town Center District would attract national retailers, and City Council will consider two related resolutions. One would authorize Mayor Luks to sign a project development agreement with The Coral Company, and the other would adopt the economic development study and plan.
The Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine will lose its Chester Avenue home to a Cleveland Clinic expansion, and is considering a move to the former Realty One building in Independence.
Higher than expected bids for construction are delaying the implementation of railroad quiet zones in Olmsted Falls.
By a vote of 4-1, Avon City Council refused to rezone 22.7 acres at the southeast corner of Detroit and Center Roads from residential to retail. Many expect that developer Greg Romes will sue the City over the rejection.
Despite the recent federal funding of the green bulkhead project, a larger pool of money is needed to repair or replace several miles of bulkheading along the Cuyahoga River Navigation Channel.
In a meeting last week, North Olmsted citizens and RTA officials, including general manager Joe Calabrese, discussed the quality of service since RTA took over services previously provided by NOMBL. Calabrese said some steps have been taken and he pledged continued improvements.
The US EPA is moving to ease Clear Air regulations for reporting industrial air pollution in response to an Associated Press analysis of the EPA's data that showed inequities in the racial and economic status of neighborhoods experiencing unhealthy air. The new regulations would effectively reduce the amount of information provided to the public.
(Via Planetizen)
Leaders in South Euclid are considering joining the list of Greater Cleveland communities that require point-of-sale inspections for residential properties.
The enactment of a six-month demolition moratorium for a historic Shaker Heights mansion has attracted attention from people interested in purchasing the home.
Cleveland should focus on fresh water-related innovation as a field in which it could lead the country, according to Chris Varley, who cites CLEERTEC as leading the charge to develop exportable environmental technologies.
The George Gund Foundation has awarded $2.1 million to MOCA to facilitate its move to the University Circle arts and retail district on the corner of Euclid and Mayfield Avenues. The Museum will be located on the Triangle property, thereby anchoring the new district.
(Via Planetizen)
CMHA has purchased 25 acres on Kinsman Road and E.80th Street with the intent to build a central administration facility, apparently setting aside plans to develop offices at the Van Dorn complex. The purchased property was previously planned for the development of the Hemisphere Industrial Park.
The 5th Ohio District Court of Appeals ruled against the City of Hudson in a case where the City's zoning code imposed a size restriction for political signs.
The recently-released Cuyahoga County's 2006 budget includes an extra $1.5 million to the Department of Development to help pay for the strategies proposed by the Blue Ribbon Economic Development Taskforce and reflects funding received from the state from the Clean Ohio Fund for the new County Administration Building site.
15 December 2005
ODOT has chosen an engineering firm to design the new Innerbelt Bridge. Pittsburgh's Michael Baker Corporation also was involved with the Fulton Road Bridge Replacement Project.
As part of their exploration of aging in America, WKSU reports on the Elder Friendly Communities project.
An Akron Beacon Journal editorial demands a substantial response from the Bush Administration to implement the restoration strategies developed this week by the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration and to eliminate what it perceives as the most dire threat to water quality: combined sewer overflows.
The Ohio House and Senate have both passed bills establishing new environmental rules for construction and demolition debris landfills.
Lisa Rab of Scene Magazine details the nine years of missteps that have impeded the development of Ohio City's Riverview HOPE VI project.
Two local projects were among those selected for Clean Ohio Brownfields funding this year: the Ameritrust complex received $3 million for asbestos abatement and the Flats East Bank project was awarded $3 million for demolition and remediation.
K&D Group has bought the downtown Embassy Suites Hotel, which is attached to their recently purchased adjacent Reserve Square apartment complex. $5 million will be spent renovating the hotel.
14 December 2005
Black and poor Americans are more likely to live in neighborhoods beset by industrial air pollution than persons living in neighborhoods that are more affluent or have a lower proportion of persons of color, according to an Associated Press analysis of US EPA data. Ohioans fare particularly poorly, with a concentration of neighborhoods along the Ohio River and Lake Erie that are affected by poor air quality.
The Associated Press provides an online tool for readers to ascertain the level of risk in their own communities.
(Via Great Lakes Information Network)
Water drawn from the Great Lakes must remain within the water basin, according to the agreement signed yesterday by the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers. The regional agreement prohibits the export of water outside of the watershed, except to communities on the border of the basin, or in shipments of bottles. The states and provinces have also pledged to adopt conservation plans to preserve the Great Lakes.
A Plain Dealer editorial supports some of the ideas emerging from the Blue Ribbon Economic Development Taskforce, especially the early-childhood program and the Cuyahoga Innovation Zones, but challenges the County Commissioners to use the allocated funds to leverage more money for more-visible projects of scale.
(Update: Chas Rich disagrees with the editorial stance that a significantly larger response is necessary.)
13 December 2005
The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy was released yesterday by a broad coalition of government agencies and private groups seeking to improve water quality throughout the Great Lakes. While the report calls for a wide range of local interventions, including several in Northeast Ohio regarding contaminated sediments, restoration of wetlands, and protection of riparian areas, politicians and advocates question the commitment of the Bush administration to provide funds for implementation.
The City Club has posted the talk (MP3, 19.6 MB) that featured David Abbott and Carolyn Lukensmeyer discussing Voice & Choices on December 2.
A Streetsboro property owner cites concerns about sprawl and accompanying pollution as the incentives for making plans to develop a walkable neighborhood and parkland.
12 December 2005
Crain's Cleveland Business interviews the Cleveland Foundation's Director of Economic Development, Brad Whitehead, on the Foundation's projects, including Voices & Choices and the Civic Innovation Lab, which provided seed funding to CityWheels.
The Canton Repository reports that Ohio lags behind other states in brownfield redevelopments, and that Ohio's Voluntary Action Program loses nearly $1 million per year.
A task force convened by Cuyahoga County released a draft plan to increase the county's economic development budget from $5 million to $8.5 million that would be used to develop five regional initiatives that would focus on redevelopment and investments in emerging industries.
A Plain Dealer editorial advocates planning for the Opportunity Corridor, stating that the route connecting University Circle to I-490 could help both residents of the Forgotten Triangle and commuters to Cleveland's eastside.
Another editorial calls for federal support for the Great Lakes including $20 billion in funding for programs to improve water quality through environmental remediation and the barring of diversions of water outside of the Great Lakes region.
While lakefront property continues to be attractive to potential homeowners, the state representative who sponsored a bill to limit public access to the shoreline is attempting to purchase a tax-delinquent Lake Erie parcel adjacent to his Avon Lake property that had been used by neighbors whose deeds include the right to use the land.
The Ashtabula River will be the focus of a $50 million environmental remediation project. PCB-contaminated sediment will be removed from the mouth of the river for isolation and treatment, funded in part by the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002.
09 December 2005
Strongsville officials say it would take about $37 million to complete the last of the City's major infrastructure improvements: widening Pearl Road and building a new municipal complex.
An economic study of North Royalton's Town Center District calls for increased infrastructure investments to support planned developments. City Council also passed three bills regarding the project and development incentives.
Avon City Council is poised to vote on Monday on whether to approve the proposed 22.7 acre retail rezoning at Detroit and Center Roads.
Next year, officials from the City of Lakewood and the Lakewood City School District will begin preparing a master plan for the city's youths, with assistance from the National League of Cities.
Site preparation and construction on the Gemini Project in Fairview Park is proceeding according to plan.
The Friends of Big Creek hope to link the Towpath Trail and the Cleveland Metroparks Big Creek Reservation via a new trail connecting existing greenways and public amenities. It would run behind the Cascade Crossing development, and the group is hoping for cooperation from owners Forest City.
Cleveland Councilman Michael Dolan is worried that planned Lorain Avenue streetscape improvements may be delayed by the incoming Jackson administration.
The bank that acquired a historic yet deteriorating mansion at the corner of Lee and South Woodland Roads is seeking permission to demolish it. Shaker Heights City Council imposed a six month emergency moratorium to protect the house while its landmark status is studied.
Millions of dollars are needed to repair Cuyahoga River bulkheads asserts the Flats Oxbow Association. While federal funds have been allocated for "green bulkheads", stakeholders argue that additional assistance is needed to maintain shipping along the navigation channel.
Plain Dealer reporters John Kuehner and Steven Koff summarize recent efforts to improve water quality in the Great Lakes, which is said to be at the "tipping point" in terms of irreversible environmental damage and which also faces increasing pressures to divert water divert water out of the watershed amidst a lack of funding from the Bush Administration.
Stating that the federal government has done too little to address global warming, a delegation of U.S. Mayors and Governors are continuing their efforts to improve air quality on a local level through their attendance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
08 December 2005
There will be a public meeting tonight to present and discuss plans for improving vehicular and pedestrian access to University Circle. The study is expected to be completed by Spring 2006.
Early next year, the new "Money Museum" will open at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, marking the first public opening of the Bank in four years. Exhibits will be mainly tailored to children.
07 December 2005
Michael Gill of the Free Times describes the political environment surrounding the alignment of the Innerbelt Bridge and illustrates the delayed plans of several developments by focusing on the construction of the Western Reserve Fire Museum.
The latest Cool Cleveland includes Roldo Bartimole's column on Mayor-elect Jackson's motions towards regionalism and more letters about the Innerbelt Bridge.
06 December 2005
Approval is pending for a project southeast of Streetsboro that would include 800 acres of parkland and 400 acres of ecologically-friendly mixed-use development. Located near the Cuyahoga River and Lake Rockwell, the potential development involves Sahbra Farm, the Ohio EPA, and the Portage Park District.
Sam Fulwood III of the Plain Dealer comments on Cleveland Mayor-elect Frank Jackson's apparent endorsement of regionalism.
(Via Brewed Fresh Daily)
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium reports on the effects of air deposition on water quality, specifically referring to PCBs, dioxins, and mercury coming from coal-fired power plants that eventually settles into the Great Lakes.
05 December 2005
With a moratorium on new landfills due to expire at the end of the year, the Ohio legislature is preparing a bill that sets new regulations for landfills for construction and demolition debris.
The Cleveland Law Library Weblog covers a recent ruling that the Mayfield Heights city charter did not give the mayor veto power over a city council-passed zoning variance.
The Akron Beacon Journal summarizes competing ferry projects to Canada from Cleveland, Erie PA, and Grand River, and ponders the economic sustainability of a trans-Erie ferry.
Last week's Hotel Bruce argues for an independent study of the alignment of the Innerbelt Bridge, covers the possible expansion of a Mittal Steel landfill on a site adjacent to the Cuyahoga River and Slavic Village, and announces the launch of CityWheels, Cleveland's new carsharing program.
By early next year, a consultant to the Army will release a report detailing contamination on 14 sites throughout the Ravenna Arsenal. The 33.5 square mile site, officially known as the Ravenna Army Ammunition Facility, is undergoing environmental remediation in preparation for use as an Ohio Army National Guard training facility. As part of the cleanup, another study will determine whether six PCB-contaminated buildings can be safely burned.
02 December 2005
Developers intent to establish an 83 acre business park on Miller Road in Brecksville west of I-77. When fully developed, it could include as much as 1 million square feet of office space.
The City of Avon will accept public comments on the proposed 22.7 acre retail rezoning at Detroit and Center Roads until December 12.
A historic 1830s home and carriage house in North Olmsted is on a property slated to become the site of the City's new Fire Station No. 2 next year. City officials and the Olmsted Historical Society would like to move the carriage house to the Frostville Museum in the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation.
Work on the Gordon Square Homes project is scheduled to begin this month. The $16 million renovation of four buildings in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood includes 64 apartments as well as commercial space.
A trial to set damages in the Shemo Case has again been postponed. It has been rescheduled for next spring because of a problem with the appraiser for the City of Mayfield Heights.
The City of Cleveland agreed to purchase the former Big Lots store on Lake Shore Boulevard for $900,000, avoiding a scheduled court hearing. The City intends to convert the building to a recreation center.
On Monday, the board of Coventry Neighbors voted to dissolve the dormant neighborhood association formed in 1969.
Citizens attending a community meeting in Avon expressed concern and disapproval of ongoing plans to add a new I-90 interchange and expand the local road network. Decision makers, however, remain committed to the process.
Many geographic features throughout the United States remain unnamed, and are open to being provided a new designation by any citizen.
01 December 2005
City of Cleveland mayor-elect Frank Jackson will appoint a point-person in charge of regional issues. While details on the position have not yet been established, this move portends increased regional cooperation.
The City of Akron will receive a pilot wireless network that could eventually lead to citywide internet access. The City will provide its partnering company access to city infrastructure for mounting the antennas that will initially provide Wi-Fi service, but could eventually be upgraded to WiMAX, which would cover a much larger area.
In the final installment of the Forest City series, Plain Dealer reporter Christopher Montgomery examines the developer's long term impact on Northeast Ohio including its regional portfolio, and compares the local development prospects with other regions impacted by the company.
Continuing coverage will be provided by the Forest City weblog.
Biologists are growing increasingly concerned about the disappearance of diporeia from the Great Lakes and how it could lead to the collapse of fish stocks throughout the Great Lakes.
A report by Ohio PIRG urges sewer districts to provide public notices when combined sewer overflow events take place and to take steps to address ongoing water quality issues related to CSOs. NEORSD has recently added to their website a CSO overview section that describes what the district is doing to alleviate overflows.
The Ohio Supreme Court is presently hearing a case between the City of Cleveland and a finance industry trade organization regarding laws that the City enacted that are intended to combat predatory lending.
(Via Cleveland Law Library Weblog)
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May 27, 2016
June 19 is the latest trial date for a student from Louisiana who is accused of beating up a freshman at the University of Southern Mississippi.
The Hattiesburg American reports that Chase LaGarde of Bush is charged in Forrest County Circuit Court with aggravated assault on 19-year-old Stuart Ramsey.
Ramsey was beaten in a parking lot next to the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house late on Dec. 4, 2010. LaGarde was a fraternity member.
Ramsey's injuries included a concussion and a broken hand. His father, Tom Ramsey, says he has recovered.
The fraternity chapter was shut down. University spokesman Van Arnold has said it reopened the national fraternity reduced the chapter to "25 outstanding leaders."
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etnies celebrates 10 years of Metal Mulisha!
Posted By etnies, Skip To The Comments (36)
May 12 2009 / Tuesday
The Metal Mulisha was the first of its kind–a group of hell raisers that have been at the center of the Freestyle Moto X movement since it began. To celebrate the Mulisha's 10 year anniversary, etnies salutes them with collaboration Fader and Chrome models for 2009.
The MM/etnies shoes reflect the Mulisha's long history of being "The most bad-ass Moto X team in the world." Brian Deegan has been on the etnies team since before co-founding the Metal Mulisha in 1999, and his fellow Mulisha members Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg, Todd Potter, Josh Grant, Seth Enslow, Luke Urek, Nixey Danielson and Beau Manley are also members of the etnies team.
"It's hard to believe that the Metal Mulisha has been pushing the limits and setting the standard in freestyle Moto X for ten years," says Brian Deegan, etnies team rider and co-founder of the Metal Mulisha. "The etnies Metal Mulisha Fader and Chrome are the best shoes out there right now!"
Speaking of Mulisha, have you read part 2 of Twitch's exclusive etnies interview?


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The Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus gets UK pricing
As we expected, the new Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus comes in at a reasonable £249.99 in the UK according to mobile retailer, Expansys. As such we're anticipating a free device on contracts around the £15-per-month mark and upwards once carriers release their plans for the Plus.
Vodafone UK currently appear to be the only carrier to have confirmed that they will offer the Galaxy Ace Plus, but we will no doubt see its compact proportions crop up amidst the catalogs of the other leading UK carriers not to far down the line.
We've already spent some time with the Galaxy Ace Plus and we decided it would be a device well suited to those either taking their first steps into smartphone territory, or for those who want the features, without the cost.
The beefed-up Ace Plus comes running Android Gingerbread 2.3 with Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top. Hardware sees a 3.65" HVGA display, WiFi, Bluetooth, HSDPA support and all the usual connectivity options we've come to expect from a mid-range droid. The Ace Plus is powered by a 1GHz S1 Snapdragon processor and an Adreno 200 GPU, there's also a 1300mAh battery and a usable 5MP snapper on the back.
To see what we really think of the Ace Plus, check out our preview here and keep your eyes peeled for the full review in the near future.