text:
When WNET invited me to speak to this intimate little luncheon in Orlando today, I jumped on a plane because I had nightmare visions of an imminent merger, and Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse hosting the MacNeil/Lehrer Report and Charlie Rose opening his show by singing, "Be my guest, be my guest . . ."
Actually, I came down today because I believe I owe the launch of my career as a playwright to Jac Venza and Great Performances. My first play, "Uncommon Women and Others," a memoir about my time at Mount Holyoke College, starred Glenn Close, Swoozie Kurtz and Jill Eikenberry when they were in their 20s. When the play closed, a network called to turn it into a series if I would replace my unknown cast with the girls from Charlie's Angels. Although I was tempted because it would have been my ultimate revenge on Mount Holyoke, I turned it down because I had, in fact, what turned out to be a much better offer. Jac Venza offered to make the play with the original cast and the original text for public television. Since that time I've been a sucker for a three-figure deal. Because of the PBS broadcast, "Uncommon Women" has had a continuous life in over 4,000 colleges. I'm also a sucker for a two-figure deal.
Perhaps I'm overly influenced by the title of my play, but it seems the most natural thing in the world to speak the world "uncommon" in the same breath as the words "public television." For public television is, to me, something quite out of the ordinary; something very special and precious. It is that group of uncommon people — you people — who take an essentially valueless box of lights and wires, as Edward R. Murrow called it, and fill it with life and promise, imagination and hope. It puts — you put — this little technological contrivance in the service not of profit but of the human spirit. In this day and age, if that's not uncommon, I don't know what is.
Again, I'm clearly biased, but for me the most wonderful thing public television has done is bring the arts to so many people. My play, sure — that made me a fan. But, of course, I'm referring to the extraordinary variety of work I see on public television. Dance, theater, opera, jazz, film. The grand, right next to the intimate, a jazz classic beside an opera classic, the gentle beside the shocking. That's America, if you ask me. And you guys do it like no one else.
Can I mention something I hear just about every day? The Information Superhighway. It's coming, and it's going to change our lives. To my mind, it's Murrow's boxes of lights and wires all hooked together. And now you'll be able to interact with the boxes. But whatever miracles of information manipulation it may enable us to do, it's still machinery without a soul … and machinery that may not be available in America's neediest neighborhoods, as you are. I only hope that when that superhighway finally detours into my house, I can turn it on, and you'll still be there. Otherwise, I fear all the technological wizardry will amount to nothing. If you're needed now — and you are — you'll be needed even more then. When the vacuum is even bigger, the need for the soul you provide to all Americans will be that much greater.
The soul, if I haven't made it clear so far, is not just for my benefit. This is not, in other words, about what pleases a single viewer, or a group of viewers for that matter. There's much, much more at stake. I'm speaking on behalf of my generation of American artists when I say that we have a great need for a place where we can express ourselves with integrity and are treated with dignity. And there is an equally great need for the public to have a place where it can find ideas, beauty, eloquence and inspiration. There is a great need, then, for a medium that allows us to promote and share the finest aspects of our culture. And I have seen how much public television has done to fulfill that dream.
A few weeks ago I spoke to the Women's Studies Department at the University of Michigan. I was terrified of saying something politically incorrect. At the end of my speech, a student approached me and I thought, "Oh, oh, it's coming," and she said to me, "I saw your 'Uncommon Women' on PBS when I was eight. It was the first play I ever saw, and from that play I always thought women could be playwrights. From that I always thought plays could be about the conflicts of young women like me."
Public television has not only brought the finest in the arts to millions of people who would never otherwise have experienced them, but it has also shaped the direction of those arts. It has given voice to new talent even as it has celebrated the canon of great works. That's why you have had such a great impact.
And that's what made me want to take my relationship to public television beyond that of playwright. That's why I became a board member at my public television station, WNET in New York. It's why I have testified before Congress on behalf of the arts. It's why I'm here in Orlando today, for key lime cake.
When I was growing up, public television was where I and my generation expected to find the likes of George Balanchine, Beverly Sills, Alvin Ailey, Leonard Bernstein and Joseph Papp. But it also became the medium for our message. Public television was my first highway to America. And so it was for Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman, the playwright George C. Wolfe, Wynton Marsalis, William Hurt and all the other young talents America first saw on public television.
I don't have to tell you how many more are out there. A new generation of them. And the world is waiting for them, too. It needs them. It needs their humanity and the education they can provide. It needs their diverse reflection of our society. Turn on the television — to any channel but your own — and you will see what I mean. There is a frightening sensationalism running rampant on the airwaves. Commercial interests are rapaciously mining the darkest veins of our psyche. Exploitation seems to be the standard to which almost all television is subscribing. It is a morbid process, and one that degrades us as a people.
But, thankfully, we have another view of ourselves. We have a mirror that shows us as teachers and students, as musicians and poets, as writers and philosophers, as builders and dreamers. As a people with individual voices and a soul. You–public television–are that mirror.
When it comes to taking action, America has always been predisposed to invest in material things. Bricks and mortar find money and support more easily than do ideas. The makers of bombs and rocket ships don't have to struggle from year to year to keep their dreams alive. Those who celebrate ideas do. You struggle to achieve your vision. It doesn't come easily, I know. But isn't it worth it? When you consider the choice — a world of darkness or a world of light — is there really any choice at all?
A cornerstone in a midwestern college bears the engraving, "Arts are the signature of a civilization." Today's most powerful educational institution, public television, doesn't have a cornerstone to carve its grandest intention. But it has something better. It has everyday access to every part of the country to create the signature of a civilization to come.
"Exploitation seems to be the standard to which almost all television is subscribing. It is a morbid process, and one that degrades us as a people. But, thankfully, we have another view of ourselves. We have a mirror that shows us as teachers and students, as musicians and poets, as writers and philosophers, as builders and dreamers. As a people with individual voices and a soul. You — public television — are that mirror."
Wasserstein died at the age of 55 in January 2006, NPR reported.


text:
D-Link has started shipping a mobile wireless router in Canada that can keep users connected on the go, via a 3G connection, or serve as a backup for in-home connectivity.
With a third-party mobile Internet access subscription and mobile broadband USB adapter, the D-Link Mobile Wireless Router (DIR-412) allows users to access a broadband Internet connection through a secure 802.11n Wi-Fi network from just about anywhere. The wireless router allows users to share with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
Customers can use the mobile wireless router for home and small or remote offices by connecting it to their DSL or cable modems, providing users with a fast primary Internet service while using their mobile Internet access as a backup Internet connection.
If the user's primary Internet service goes down, the mobile wireless router employs an auto-failover feature to ensure an uninterrupted connection by automatically connecting to the 3G mobile broadband network.
"The DIR-412 offers the perfect balance for users looking for a home or travel router that works with their 3G USB adapter," said Lou Reda, D-Link's vice president and general manager for the consumer division. "Our DIR-412 router supports all major carriers in Canada such as Bell, Telus and Rogers and will connect automatically with your 3G USB adapter, making it an easy-to-use solution for anyone looking to do more with their plan."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Improv is back on TV. After the return of Aisha Tyler's Whose Line Is It Anyway? on The CW, there's apparently enough momentum for more improvisation on television that Fox is set to come out with its own improv series, Riot, on May 13th at 9/8c.
Riot will have a core set of very funny improvisers comprised of John Ross Bowie, Jamie Denbo, Brian Palermo, Jordan Black, Jessica McKenna, Meryl Hathaway, and Rob Gleeson, all alums from UCB, The Groundlings, and more. Aussie comedian Rove McManus, who you've seen on the Nerdist Channel on Set List, will host, but even more impressive is the list of guest stars committed to the show:
Steve Carell
Jason Alexander
Cheryl Hines
D.L. Hughley
Tom Green
Chris Kattan
Mayim Bialik
David Arquette
Oscar Nunez
Andy Dick
Orlando Jones
Nicole Sullivan
Michael Ian Black
Will Sasso
Andy Buckley
Rob Delaney
So, in theory, with Riot we could see what it would be like if Oscar joined Michael Scott's improv class from the "E-mail Surveillance" episode of The Office.
HT: TV Line


text:
In the warm Cuban twilight, the silhouette of a man can be seen wading in the pool of the Hotel Nacional and smoking a long, pungent cigar. Forty years ago, it could have been Winston Churchill, who had an affinity for this grand hotel in Havana, but today it is simply another tourist enjoying the facilities at the city's finest hotel.
The Hotel Nacional showcases old Cuban traditions for luxury and service and suggests that they have not been completely forgotten in the wake of the 1959 Revolution. A face-lift costing $64 million has brought the hotel back to its former glory. Everything-the simple yet tasteful rooms and apartments, elegant dining areas and vibrant swimming pools-has been restored.
Located on a small knoll overlooking the entrance to Havana Bay, this stylish Havana accommodation was originally built in 1929-30 through a joint agreement with the Cuban government and U.S.-based banks. American companies designed and built the Nacional, and as soon as it was completed, tourists from America flooded the hotel's spacious reception areas, dining rooms and gardens. It was "the" place to be in Havana. This hotel was frequented by film legends like Frank Sinatra, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, and Ava Gardner - their pictures decorate the walls of the hotel's café bar.
Hotel Nacional is inextricably linked to the mobster years. In 1946 Lucky Luciano called a summit at the Nacional at which the carving up of Havana was on the agenda. In 1955 the Nacional's casino and nightclub were opened and managed by Meyer Lansky.
In 1990 the government decided to renovate the hotel and bring it back to its showpiece status. In May 1992, the 483-room hotel reopened, catering primarily to businessmen and high-class tourists. Unlike most other hotels in Cuba, the Nacional does not focus on the package tour business, giving it an altogether more professional and luxurious ambiance.
The Nacional is now a major business centre in Havana. Businessmen are in abundance, speaking English and Spanish and making deals. The Hotel Havana Libre used to be where the deals were made, but the power centre is quickly moving to the Nacional. There's even an executive floor in the hotel with concierge service, meeting rooms, faxes and computers. All the guest rooms have air conditioning and are well-equipped with minibars, direct line telephones and cable television. However, this doesn't mean that you can't come to the Nacional just to relax and enjoy the Cuban weather and culture. The main swimming pool is large and extremely welcoming after a hot day spent on the Havana streets or visiting cigar factories. There are few things better in Havana than taking a quick dip in the pool and then sipping an ice cold Cuban beer while overlooking the cityscape or the bright blue Caribbean. A three-minute walk from the hotel and you are on famous Malecon Boulevard, which runs along the rocky coast of Havana. In addition, the hotel has a good gym, tennis courts and plenty of gardens to stroll through.
Finishing the day in such a glorious way, it's easy to see what Churchill liked about the Nacional - or whoever it was in the swimming pool that evening.
Official Emblem
Nacional Hotel Room Reservations
Site Sponsor


text:
I've heard several stories of people who ate something, realized it was non-kosher, and therefore induced vomiting. Is this halachically required? Recommended? Does it accomplish anything? (If not, how should it be viewed?)
If I recall correctly there was a speaker from ... I think the OK; he said there's a story circulating that R' Moshe Feinstein vomited upon realizing he'd eaten non-chalav yisrael milk. The speaker then said that this story is 100% FALSE.


text:
I don't normally cross-post with my Music 3.0 blog, but I feel strongly about his topic and wanted to get it out to the widest audience.
I think it's safe to say that we're at the end of the "album age," and although the format will hold on for a while, it's clearly waning in popularity. I've given this a lot of thought and have come up with what I think are the reasons, but be aware, they're not all exactly what the popular wisdom assumes. So let's begin with the 6 reasons why the album format has, for all intents and purposes, died.
1) It was a visual experience. The album format in the vinyl record age had the advantage of that wonderful piece of cardboard known as the album jacket. The album jacket contained the cover art (still found on CDs), and most importantly, the liner notes on the back, which we'll get to in a second. But one thing that everyone either forgets or has never experienced is the fact that millions of albums were purchased completely on impulse because of the album artwork alone!
It may be hard to believe, but it was quite common to come across an album cover that was so cool that you'd buy it without knowing a thing about the artist. Sometimes it would be a total loser, but you still had the liner notes to read, and occasionally that would still make it a worthwhile purchase.
2) It was an informational experience too. Those of you too young to have experienced this don't know how much the liner notes meant to nearly everyone who bought an album (the picture on the left gives you an idea how extensive they could be). You could spend hours reading a well-written gatefold jacket, checking out every credit, wondering just where these exotic studios were (Smoketree Ranch in Malibu was the one that always intrigued me the most as a kid), and generally just soaking up any info you could about the artist. Of course, this was way, way before the Internet, so the liner notes were sometimes the only place to find any of info on the artist at all.
To say the least, the visuals and information along with the music made buying an album a total experience that today's album doesn't some close to.
3) The demise of the record stores. Once again, this may seem hard to believe but nearly every community had someplace that sold records, even if it didn't have a record store. There was an entire network set up to supply records to department stores, supermarkets, even diners. You couldn't help but to run into someplace selling records during the course of a day.
But the record store was the place to not only buy music, but to spend hours browsing. Why? Because of the cover art and liner notes. You'd peel through a bin of records, stopping every so often to look at an intriguing cover, which made you want to read the liner notes, and maybe even buy the album as a result.
But the record store was also the best place for word of mouth. The people that worked the record stores always knew what was hot, what was underground but about to pop, and what was overhyped. You could go into a store and ask a clerk, "What's really good?" and he'd give you 10 choices, most of which were pretty high quality. This is something that the music industry is still looking for today online. Now we call it "music discovery" and VC's still throw big money at anyone who claims to have an app.
4) The price. Albums used to be a bargain. A 45 RPM single used to cost anywhere from $.99 to $1.29 (ironically what a download costs today, except you got two songs then), but an album started at only $3.98, before prices gradually began to increase. Either way, in the beginning the album was a no brainer even for a kid on a tight allowance. For the longest time, the album was priced at $8.98, before it was discounted, which was still a bargain.
The greed started in the early 80's as the major record labels were taken over by multi-national companies, the attorneys and accountants ruled, and the prices of the album began to rise - first with what they called "superstar pricing," which tacked on an extra dollar for a superstar act (Tom Petty sued his label keep the price at $8.98, a gesture that would be very unlikely today by a big music act).
5) The CD. Then came the CD, and the business went to hell in hand basket. The packaging was different, so the jacket was no longer needed, and as a result, the cover art became less important, and you couldn't really do extensive liner notes because the print would be too small to read. Then the record labels really got greedy, charging outlandish prices (called "technology charges") on a product that eventually cost them less than the vinyl records they previously were making. In fact, prices soared to $19.95 for a front line artist's CD. If you bought one of these and weren't completely and totally satisfied, you were pissed, since dropping a deuce on anything was a real commitment.
And of course, there were no more impulse buys anymore because the artwork behind a 5 inch piece of plastic just doesn't have the same impact as on a 12 inch piece of cardboard.
6) Too much filler. Most vinyl albums are between 35 and 45 minutes long. This was out of necessity because of the physics of a record. Make it any longer and it starts to get noisy, the frequency response suffers, and it won't be as loud. But 40 minutes or so turns out to be the perfect amount of time for listening. There's a time commitment you have to make, but it's well within reason, especially if you like the music.
A CD is capable of containing a bit more than 73 minutes of music. Unfortunately, artists began to think that it was a really good idea to put all the garbage that they normally would've tossed from a vinyl record, and put it all on their CD. Now instead of having 40 minutes of great music, we had 55 minutes of mediocrity. Even if the artist had some great songs, it was frequently buried under another 50 minutes of crap. Now not only was the fan paying more money, but she was paying more money for less quality. Something had to give.
Which is just about the time MP3's and Napster came on the scene, which eventually helped push the music business from an album business into the singles business that it has now become. Ironically, popular music started with as a singles business, to whence it now returns.
It's easy to say that online music slayed the album, but it was only the final dagger after 6 long swords.
You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.
Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating the music business.
Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.


text:
At this year's Download festival we sat down with Billy Talent drummer Aaron Solowoniuk and chatted about his recovery from open-heart surgery and the return of the Canadian band.
Pick up the Summer issue of Rhythm and you'll find our Welcome Back interview with Aaron, but here's a few extra snippets for you.
When did you realise that you needed surgery?
"I recorded drums [for Billy Talent's new album] in November and December in Vancouver. The day I got home from recording drums I had a second opinion about my heart because I still didn't really know if I needed the surgery or not. I explained to them what I do and they told me I needed to get it done as fast as I could. They fitted me in on 2 February, the surgery took an hour and a half, I was in hospital for seven days and at home for five weeks. It's crazy."
It's a few months on now, how are you shaping up?
"I'm pumped. I'm running on treadmills, I'm not napping anymore. When I get to the halfway point of the set, before I'd be worn out, but now I'm energised and can just keep going. If you get the chance, I can't see how anyone would blow the opportunity to become healthier. I've changed my whole routine. I'm conscious about eating healthy food. I just want to play drums and be a good drummer, and I think I'm going to be able to do that. I'm always pumped to play drums."
There's been a few lifestyle changes, then?
"I quit drinking and I quit drinking coffee. My routine of what you put in your body really does affect how you feel. Everyone tells you that but until you have open-heart surgery and go through all of that, it's weird you realise that something as simple as flossing your teeth every day makes a difference. It's crazy. I'm a little bit of a health nut now."
Did you have to ease yourself back into drumming? Were you scared of pushing yourself?
"I remember the first day that I did push it. I'd been given a clean bill of health and I played all of the Billy Talent I record and I played it as hard as I could. I got to the sixth or seventh song and I text the guys telling them that I played the record and felt awesome."
Your new album, Dead Silence, is released in September. Are there any tracks on their that you're proudest of?
"Viking Death March is a drum heavy song. There's lots of tom fills. My drumming is usually just beat-orientated. AC/DC is one of my biggest influences. This whole album I'm moving around the kit a lot more. I can't wait to do the next album because I'll have a healthy heart and I'll be able to do a lot more. You're always learning and now that I can play harder for longer I'm going to really pick it up for album five, but that's not for a while yet! I've been given a great opportunity and it's sad when people squander opportunities. Just for me to be able to play drums is great and the fact that I think I can play them even better is really cool."
Did you change your set-up at all on this record?
"The only thing I switched was I used to play a 24"18" and I went to a 22"x20" kick. I've found you get the same sound, or maybe even a little more bass out of it. I use Dunnett snares and all Sabian cymbals and a DW9000 pedal. I like just a small set up, a 12", 16" and a snare."


text:
While your Audi Q5's engine mounts can last the life of the entire vehicle, it is possible that they will go bad. Vibration and a clunking sound are the two most noticeable symptoms when driving the vehicle. There are plenty of visible signs as well.
Engine mounts connect the engine to the frame of the Q5. They also provide vibration dampening. It is essential to the operation of the vehicle that they are working properly. If you have bad motor mounts, it's usually pretty obvious.
Table of Contents
1. Audi Q5 Bad Engine Mount Symptoms
Clunking Sound
Moving Engine
2. Q5 Bad Motor Mount Diagnosis
Exhaust Leak
Broken Belts or Hoses
Visible Motor Damage
3. Causes
Bad Mount
4. How Long Should a Motor Mount Last
5. Conclusion/Summary
Bad Engine Mount Symptoms: Audi Q5
The job of the motor mounts is to keep your Q5 from rattling to death, while keeping the engine in the engine bay. All of the symptoms of a bad motor mount are going to be related to vibration, and the motor moving from it's proper location. That being said, here are the three most common symptoms of a bad motor mount. They usually happen in stages.
Stage 1: Vibrations
The most noticeable symptom of a motor mount that is going bad is vibration. That is, more vibration than you would typically feel when you are driving your Q5. You'll know when it's happening. It may not necessarily feel like the vehicle is going to rattle apart, but it's very noticeable.
This is the most prominent symptom of a bad engine mount, and the first one that you'll typically notice. If it is left alone long enough, it'll lead to hard clunking sounds, which we'll cover next ↓.
Stage 2: Clunking
An engine mount that has gone bad will begin to exhibit a clunking sound. This sound will be most noticeable when putting your Q5 in and out of gear, when the engine shifts, as well as when you accelerate or de-accelerate abruptly.
This clunking comes from the mount being worn and having enough play to move when the force suddenly changes. This clunking may be accompanied by, or lead to full on engine movement ↓.
Stage 3: Engine Movement
If you are driving and you feel the engine banging around, that's a sure indication that a motor mount has failed. Really, you shouldn't drive a vehicle with a motor mount clunking or even vibrating. If you hear and feel the engine rolling around, it's time to stop driving and have the motor mounts replaced immediately. It's going to cause all sorts of collateral damage in there.
Bad Motor Mount Diagnosis: Audi Q5
You can inspect the motor mounts and look to see if they have any free play. If you take a look at your Q5's engine as it goes in and out of gear, it is normal to observe some movement of the engine as it torques one way or the other. It is not normal for it to make a clunking noise, or move excessively. It is very difficult to tell that a motor mount is bad just by looking at it. That's why it's better to look for the signs of a bad motor mount, than to look at the mounts themselves.
Here are some ways of telling if your engine mount is bad just by looking for signs.
One of the best ways that you can tell that you have a bad motor mount is if it is drooping to one side. An engine is meant to be level. If it is tipping in any one direction, that is a very strong indication that you have a bad motor mount.
Exhaust Leak
As your engine moves around the engine bay, it can cause an exhaust leak. Exhaust leaks are pretty easy to distinguish. A pinging or knocking sound coming from the exhaust is typical. This happens because there's not a lot of free play in the exhaust, so when it's stressed, it'll crack or blow a gasket.
Broken Hoses or Belts
There isn't a lot of extra room in the modern engine compartment, which means that things can easily get cut or broken when they move. This is exactly what can happen to hoses and belts when a motor mount fails. A broken radiator hose can quickly cause a lot of damage if it runs your Q5 out of coolant.
Related: Audi Q5 Bad Serpentine Belt
Obvious Engine Damage
If you see their engine is damaged, and that there's some corresponding damage on the frame, that is a telltale sign that you have a bad motor mount.
Why an Engine Mount Goes Bad
There are many reasons why your Audi Q5 could end up with a bad motor mount. Here are the most common ones:
Collision Damage
One of the most common reasons that a motor mount will fail is when it gets damaged in an accident. Even if it's a minor fender bender, that will often be enough to cause some serious damage to the mount. That's why even if you are in an accident and it's not that bad, it's always a good idea to take it into an alignment shop. You should really take it to a mechanic and have them take a look and make sure there's nothing else wrong.
If you put enough mileage on a vehicle everything will eventually break. The motor mounts are no exception to that. This is particularly true because most motor mounts have rubber bushings. They will dry and crack as they age even without mileage being put on the vehicle. Some motor mounts are liquid filled. This provides great vibration dampening, but when they go bad they do it in a hurry. You can usually tell when one has gone bad, because they will be leaking fluid onto the frame. It'll look like your engine mounts have an oil leak.
Poor Quality Mount
If your car has recently been in an accident, the motor mounts may have been replaced. But, that doesn't mean that they were replaced properly. That's why it's important to find a good shop whenever you have a major repair done.
How Long Should Motor Mounts Last?
There's no perfect answer to this question. It's going to depend a lot on how often you drive, whether or not the vehicle's ever been in a collision, and what the motor mount is made out of. The best thing that you can do is have them looked at whenever you're getting your vehicle serviced. Although, you should reasonably expect it to last for at least seven years.
Conclusion: Q5 Bad Engine Mount Symptoms
Good luck finding out what's going on with your Audi Q5. Just remember while bad motor mounts are common, there can be other causes that would make your vehicle vibrate. It can be something as simple as a misfiring engine. Although, you should get some sort of trouble code if that were the case.


text:
- Press Release
March 20, 2012
**STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, March 20, 2012 – Tobii Technology, the global leader in eye tracking and gaze interaction, announced today that it has closed a USD $21M funding round. New investor Intel Capital joins existing investors Amadeus Capital, Investor Growth Capital and Northzone Ventures. The funding will be used to continue R&D investments in core technology and to take eye tracking and gaze interaction to mainstream computers and other mass-market applications.
The new funding from Intel Capital will help Tobii to further accelerate the technological evolution and to take the leap into mass-market applications, such as mainstream computers, cars, games and other consumer and professional products. More specifically it will help Tobii to do necessary R&D investments, grow their R&D organization and build new strategic competences.
"Eye Tracking and gaze interaction has the potential to revolutionize computer interaction much the same way touch has changed hand-held devices," said Henrik Eskilsson, CEO at Tobii Technology. "Tobii aims at taking eye tracking from niche markets to mass-market applications, in mainstream computing and automotive applications. This investment will help us to take this leap and to make the technological advancements necessary to maintain a leading position in eye tracking technology."
"Intel Capital believes that eye-tracking could form an important part of Man machine interface. Tobii is a market segment leader in eye-tracking and a leading candidate to enable the latest generation of user-interface technology," said Marcos Battisti, Managing Director for Intel Capital, Western Europe and Israel.
Effective from March 2012, Ian Cooper will be appointed to Tobii's board of directors as the investor representative for Intel Capital. "I am looking forward to working with Tobii to build the leader in consumer-focused eye-tracking," said Ian Cooper, Investment Director at Intel Capital.
"Eye-gaze tracking holds great promise as a novel method for user/machine interaction. Working closely with Tobii, we hope to bring the benefit of this new technology to personal computing," said Joel Fisch, Director of Business Development at Intel's Architecture Development Group.
About Intel Capital
Intel Capital, Intel's global investment and M&A organization, makes equity investments in innovative technology start-ups and companies worldwide. Intel Capital invests in a broad range of companies offering hardware, software, and services targeting enterprise, mobility, health, consumer Internet, digital media, semiconductor manufacturing and cleantech. Since 1991, Intel Capital has invested more than US$10.5 billion in over 1,218 companies in 51 countries. In that timeframe, 196 portfolio companies have gone public on various exchanges around the world and 291 were acquired or participated in a merger. In 2011, Intel Capital invested US$526 million in 158 investments with approximately 51 percent of funds invested outside the U.S. and Canada. For more information on Intel Capital and its differentiated advantages, visit www.intelcapital.com or follow @Intelcapital.
About Tobii Technology
Tobii Technology is the world leader in eye tracking and gaze technology, which makes it possible for computers to know exactly where users are looking. Implemented in comprehensive solutions for research and communication, Tobii's leading eye tracking technology has already transformed research in many fields and has enabled communication for thousands of people with special needs. Tobii delivers market-leading eye tracking technology and OEM components to applications such as computers, gaming and vehicle safety systems. Founded in 2001, Tobii continues to achieve rapid annual growth and receive awards and recognition for its accomplishments. Based in Sweden, Tobii has a global presence, with offices in the U.S., China, Germany, Japan and Norway, as well as a worldwide network of resellers and partners. For more information, visit www.tobii.com.
Tobii is the global leader in eye tracking and pioneer of attention computing. Creating tech for a better future, our technologies and solutions apply to areas such as behavioral studies and research, healthcare, education and training, gaming, extended reality, automotive, and many more. Headquartered in Sweden, Tobii is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (TOBII). For more information: www.tobii.com.
March 20, 2012
Head of Investor Relations
+46 (0)708 807173
Head of Communications, Tobii
Tobii is the global leader in eye tracking and pioneer of attention computing. Creating tech for a better future, our technologies and solutions apply to areas such as behavioral studies and research, healthcare, education and training, gaming, extended reality, automotive, and many more. Headquartered in Sweden, Tobii is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (TOBII). For more information: www.tobii.com.


text:
Appearing at Download would be a landmark for any fledgling band. This year, you can play the rock festival without leaving your bedroom.
For the first time ever an unknown band will get to 'play' the main stage at Download in a live broadcast from their bedroom. The virtual gig will be beamed to thousands of fans ahead of the performance from Marilyn Manson.
If you've got the talent and are building your fanbase then your upload could get you to appear at Download 2009.
Here's how to enter:
1. Upload your video to redbullbedroomjam.com. Don't worry about the quality, a mobile phone vid of you playing in your bedroom will do.
2. Get your fans to log on and watch and rate your video.
The most popular artists get selected for a live-streamed performance. On broadcast day, the Red Bull Bedroom Jam crew collect the musicians and selected mates and fans, and the winners rock out in front of the camera. Easy.
Videos will have to be uploaded by Friday 5 June. The winners will be informed on Monday 8 June.


text:
Additional Information
Jacket material | Wool |
According to the principles of our tailor shop, a jacket must lean lightly on the body in a soft manner whilst still maintaining a "clean" linear silhouette.
Our ultimate goal is achieved by following these traditional steps:
The inner stitching, is visibly finished to perfection.
The shoulder pads are non existent or done in a minimal fashion.
The sleeves are elegantly rounded at the top (la tromba) and slightly shortened at the bottom to show off the cuff of the shirt underneath, the jacket buttonholes are sown on precisely by hand.
The sleeves in certain models are sown "in camicia", the same manner in which a button down shirt is made. The fabric is applied under the shoulder giving the jacket a light and soft fit.
Jacket material | Wool |


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Show All Answers
We have chosen to live in a village of natural beauty and historic interest. The "built" environment, anything that we construct, directly impacts the "natural" environment. Without more rigorous standards for sustainable building practices, the threat to our village will grow. We need to act to preserve and protect our village by requiring "low impact" building development.
Unsustainable building practices are ones that are a major source of greenhouse gas emission, do not conserve energy, water or building materials and that result in degradation of the environment. A process is sustainable when it meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
From inception to completion, the core ideas of best sustainable building practices are integral to both these choices.
On filing for a building permit, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or International Codes Council checklist will have to accompany the building application. A knowledgeable third party may "rate" the proposed project for expected performance. Before the interior finishes are applied, the building will be checked by a third party to see that established benchmarks are met. A final inspection verifies performance and other features called for in the drawings and specifications. The rating standards are practical and foster good design, specify energy-saving techniques and systems and reward the best, most efficient use of all resources. Documents filed at completion are reviewed by national organizations to determine level of achievement.
Costs for Registration and Certification - including the third party rater fees - are about $1,000 for a 3,000 square foot home. Fees for all the above are based on a sliding scale pegged to the size of the home. It is possible that for a residence of 10,000 square feet or more, fees may approach $5,000. Construction costs may increase anywhere from zero to 5% for homes under 5,000 square feet. Note that the bottom line is impacted by finish selection to a far greater degree than by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes Certification. The compliance pathway runs parallel to that of the normal design and construction process, so project time is not increased.
Benefits to the Homeowner include decreased operating and maintenance costs for the life of the building, increase in the market value of the home, and reduction not only of the on-going carbon emissions of the building, but in the carbon emissions usually created by the building process. Other benefits include increased quiet and comfort, healthier indoor air quality and reduced water usage fees. In addition, there are rebates and tax credits currently available from federal, state, and even local sources to encourage energy efficient building. Everyone benefits when sustainable building practices are followed - consumers, designers and builders, and the community as a whole. It is a real win-win approach.
The new amendments will not apply to renovations and additions that constitute less than a 50% rework of the existing building, however green guidelines are available through both the United States Green Building Council and National Association of Home Builders and are recommended.
The new amendments will be introduced in Phases, with Phase I providing time for learning, Phase II for gradual implementation and Phase III for full implementation with incentives. The dates will be:
The Village of Southampton Building Department, same as usual; just furnish the additional documentation.


text:
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Odisha farmers Wednesday rushed to shift their harvested paddy left in the fields to safer places as Cyclone Lehar threatens to lash the state with heavy rain.
Agriculture Department director R.Santhagopalan told IANS that the total area under the paddy cultivation during this Kharif season was 3.6 million hectares and the harvested crops in about fifteen percent of the area are still lying in the open.
"We have asked the farmers not to leave their harvested crops in the open. They have started moving their crops from the fields. Those who have not done are likely to move it by Wednesday evening," he added.
The Cyclone Lehar, which hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with wind speed of over 110 km per hour Sunday, lay centred about 725 km south-southeast of Gopalpur, off Odisha coast.
It would intensify and move west-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada around noon Nov 28, the weather office forecast.
Although there is no visible damage in Odisha at this point, Bhubaneswar Met Office has predicted widespread rain and has asked the authorities to take adequate measures against standing crops in southern and western parts of the state.
Disaster Rapid Action Force (DRAF) teams have been sent to ten southern and western districts which could witness heavy rainfall and flooding, an official said.
The latest alert has triggered fear among the coastal residents as the Bay of Bengal has already witnessed two severe cyclones since October.
Cyclone Helen hit the coast last week, forcing authorities to evacuate thousands of people in Andhra Pradesh. It killed six people and caused extensive damage to standing crops in that state.
The cyclone hit the coast weeks after another severe tropical cyclone, Phailin, in the Bay of Bengal devastated lives and damaged properties in more than 17 districts in Odisha after making landfall Oct 12 night near Gopalpur in the state's Ganjam district.
Santhagopalan said Odisha expected a bumper Kharif output of 10 million tonnes this year. The target is now 6.3 million tonne as more than 20 percent crops were damaged by Cyclone Phailin and subsequent floods.
Odisha contributes about a seventh of India's total rice production, he said.


text:
Member since Dec 21, 2010
- Profile: /members/7476-jason.htm
- URL: http://html5asp.sourceforge.net
- Comments: 1
Recent Blog Comments By Jason
Default To The Numeric, Email, And URL Keyboards On The iPhone
Posted on Dec 21, 2010 at 3:29 PM
@Gorczas: I had the same thought as an ASP.net developer. I got these to work in postbacks by overriding the Render and BeginRender events of custom server controls in ASP.NET (VB). If you want to look at the source or just grab the DLL with the toolset, I've open-sourced the project at html5asp.... read more »


text:
FISA Amendments Act Legalizes Lawlessness
The folks at Irregular Times have done a fantastic job covering the FISA Amendments Act: FISA Amendments Act Legalizes Lawlessness:
"We've written a lot about the FISA Amendments Act this year. There's quite a bit to learn if you really want to understand the law, and what makes it such a danger to the survival of democracy and liberty in the United States. The issues can seem overwhelming.
That's just what the supporters of the FISA Amendments Act are counting on, though. They've tried to make the law so complex that Americans become deterred from even trying to understand it.
Don't fall for that trick. At its core, understanding the FISA Amendments Act is quite simple. All you need to know about the FISA Amendments Act in order to understand its essential nature is one thing:
The FISA Amendments Act allows the White House to break the law on spying."
I strongly suggest reading the rest of the post.
Technorati Tags:
American Politics, Politics, Privacy, Spying, FISA


text: man, oh, man–i love when you're working on a hack and then see someone else do it and figures out stuff you didn't think of. i had been using my ibook with the external bluetooth dongle, but was thinking of putting one internally in the ibook, this hack shows you how to do this. the only downside with this is the usb port can't be used for anything else, i think another way might be to solder in a small usb hub then add the bluetooth inside.


text:
9 out of 10, based on customer reviews.
Don't close this page. We are searching for the best fares...
Incredible India
Experience incredible India! Histroic & beautiful places like Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Goa, Kerala, Khajurao, Varanasi and royal trains.
Caribbean Islands & Mexico
Best deals to Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, Cancun, Dominican Republic,Jamaica, Punta Cana, Los Cabos, Cayman Islands & more...
Vacation Packages
Explore the world with Trip Explorer! Europe, South America, Africa, Australia, Middle East, Asia & more...
Book Sandals Resorts
The Luxury Included Vacation All-Inclusive Couples Only Resorts Jamaica, ST. Lucia, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados & Grenada
Book Beaches Resorts
Ultimate fun & luxury resorts for everyone.Perfect family getaway awaits you at Beaches in Jamaica and Turks and Caicos.
Best Deals On... , Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney Cruiseline, Princess, Norwegian, Holland America, Celebrity, Azamara Cruises, River Cruises


text:
Dennis DeYoung Says He Would Reunite With Styx
He was a big part of helping to build their success story, and although Dennis DeYoung has been out of Styx for more than a decade, he says that if the opportunity were to present itself, he'd be game to return to the band.
DeYoung tells Jeb Wright of Classic Rock Revisited in a new interview that if the phone rings, he won't say no and he remains very proud of the legacy that they created as Styx.
"Here's the thing: I have never ever said one bad thing about the music that we created. You want to know why? It's because I don't believe it. I think the music we created is something to be proud of – some better than others as we've already discussed."
The current Styx might not have a DeYoung in the lineup, but DeYoung himself allows that this doesn't mean they're putting on a bad show… while throwing in an endorsement for what he's doing on his own.
"Just because I'm not there does not mean that these guys can't play and sing. Just because I'm not there doesn't mean that Tommy Shaw lost his talent. There is one thing in this world that I'm better that than anyone else and that is being me. I have to walk the finest line in any discussions about the current band. Let me just say this: I invite anybody to pick up '100 Years From Now' [DeYoung's latest studio album], you don't have to buy it; you can steal it online; just listen to it. To me, I think I've made my case."
As for how his former bandmates feel on the subject, guitarist Tommy Shaw called a reunion something that was not "realistic," commenting last year about the past pairing, "we have a very negative effect on each other."
The current Styx lineup will be back on the road this summer sharing the stage with longtime touring friends REO Speedwagon, with Shaw's former Damn Yankees brother Ted Nugent opening up the evening.


text:
Live the life of 21st century and be always online. No matter if you plan your journey on your desktop computer, or need to know the date of service check. Everytime you are in connection with your ŠKODA.
CarPlay takes the apps you want in your iPhone while driving and puts them right on your car's built-in display. Compatible with iPhone 5 and higher.
Android Auto extends the Android platform to the car. Use familiar apps and services on your dashboard screen. Compatible with Android 5.0 and higher.
Whether you want to select and listen to music on your smartphone or receive turn-by-turn directions, all of this is mirrored on the central display.
Take a look at an overview of mobile devices (telephones, tablets, players) compatible with the inbuilt ŠKODA infotainment systems (Bluetooth handsfree, Bluetooth audiostreaming, MirrorLinkTM, etc.).
Special mobile apps in your smartphone download and analyse current driving data provided from the car system by SmartGate to give you records on operating figures, driving efficiency and costs.
A web interface offers additional opportunities to make use of the ŠKODA Drive mobile app. Apart from data summaries of each journey, this portal offers additional interesting features, including the chance to manage the accounts of multiple cars with SmartGate.


text:
It's Ash Ketchum's tenth birthday, and he's ready to do what many 10-year-olds in the Kanto region set out to do—become a Pokémon Trainer! Things don't go exactly the way he planned when he ends up with a Pikachu instead of a standard first Pokémon, and winning Gym Badges turns out to be much tougher than he thought. Luckily he's got former Gym Leaders Brock and Misty at his side, along with a bevy of new Pokémon friends, including Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.
The Pokémon Company International is not responsible for the content of any linked website that is not operated by The Pokémon Company International. Please note that these websites' privacy policies and security practices may differ from The Pokémon Company International's standards.
Pokemon.com administrators have been notified and will review the screen name for compliance with the Terms of Use.
Your request could not be completed. Please try again. If the problem persists, please contact Customer Support.
You've been awarded 0 Token(s) for watching Pokémon TV!


text:
I have bought my mac last month, so I am eligible to get a free upgrade of Mountain Lion. As Apple stated - I have requested for my upgrade and it said you will be notified with your upgrade code. It's been 24+ hours and I have not received any mail from Apple. So, how much time they're taking to send a mail usually?
EDIT - There was some technical issue with the form on saturday. I called Apple Care and they've sent me the codes now.
Thank you all for help. Ak


text:
If you love embroidery -- and I do! -- you must pick up this book:
Clare Hanham explains shaded embroidery so well with her wonderful pics and directions.
So after paging through this, a huge dose of creative inspiration surges through my body (this is when my family tries to quietly escape out the front door....)
And I start scrounging through my fabric scraps, embroidery thread and found pieces of vintage eyelet lace...
.And begin.
In her book she starts you out with very basic 3 shades of pink embroidery floss and simple long/short stitches to make this flower.


text:
Legal notices
The website is owned and operated by Info Media Group
Information Technology and Individual freedom
This whole website results from the French and international legislation about copyright and intellectual property.
In this respect, any reproduction, representation, use, adaptation, modification, incorporation, translation, marketing, in whole or in part in any manner or form, by means of any process and on any medium are prohibited.
The non-observance of this prohibition constitutes, in the absence of any prior written authorisation sent by Info Media Publishing, an offence that could engage the civil and criminal liability of its perpetrator.
It is strictly forbidden to use or reproduce the name of the site and/or its logo, only or associated, with some title that it is and on some support that it is without prior written agreement from Info Media Publishing.
Information Technology and Individual freedom
As per the law on information technology and individual freedom, n° 78-17, 6 January 1978, you have a right of access to the information concerning you, and the right to correct it if necessary. If you wish to have certain data concerning you changed or removed, please contact Info Media Publishing at the addresses shown at the end of this report.
Info Media Publishing shall not be liable for the content of any site to which you may have access on this website.
CNIL Declaration
In accordance with the law of January 6, 1978, relative to the data processing and with freedoms, you have the right to access, modify, rectify and delete any data concerning you.Contact details
Activity of advertising agencies
Postal address : 33 rue des Chardonnerets,
93290 Tremblay-en-France
Publication director : José Fernandez
Email : [email protected]
Tél : +33 (0)1 84 81 02 70
The website is owned and operated by Info Media Group, 1st B2B Marketplace editor.


text:
this hack is a prime example of how to make something useful out of something useless.
the $1 teleprompter:
1 clear cd case cover
6 cd cases
scotch tape
just set this contraption on top of a laptop screen and the clear cd cover reflects the laptop screen in your direction. your webcam is positioned just behind the cd cover, so your line of sight is aimed directly at the camera.
several of you sent this in, but kris was the first. thanks!


text:
Greek name of a city called "Bet Gubrin" in the Talmud and "Baitogabra" by Ptolemy. In the Old Testament the name can not be identified, but it probably occurs in a corrupted form (see Josephus, "B. J." ed. Niese, iv. 8, § 1). From II Chron. xiv. 9 it is likely that the city had no existence in ancient time. Later the Hebrew name came to the front as Bait Jibrin, a village with some ruins, twenty minutes to the north of Merash, the old Maresah. The immediate vicinity is rich in natural and artificial caverns. As "ḥorim" means "caverns" in Hebrew, and "ḥor" also signifies "free," the Greek name is founded on a confusion of, or a conscious play upon, words.
- Robinson, Biblical Researches in Palestine, ii. 331 et seq. 610, 661;
- Pal. Explor. Fund Memoirs, iii. 237, 266;
- Pal. Explor. Fund Quarterly Statement, 1879, p. 138;
- Neubauer, G. T. p. 122.


text:
World Briefs
Royal Bank of Scotland has agreed to procure goods and services using FreeMarkets, Pittsburgh, an online business-to-business tradingservice.
Tokyo-Mitsubishi International, Japan, has installed Sentry, a risk management software product from Algorithmics, Toronto, to manage collateral risk in its derivatives trading.
Bank of Communications, China, has licensed Guo Mao, a Chinese currency trading system, from Harcourt Companies, Los Angeles.
VP Bank, Liechtenstein, has installed the BancWare and Panorama risk management systems from SunGard, Wayne, Pa., for its private banking, trading and asset management businesses.
Westdeutsche Landesbank, Germany, has installed data storage management software from StorageNetworks, Waltham, Mass.
BreBank, Poland, has licensed AXSPoint, a Web-based information reporting tool from AXS-One, Rutherford, N.J.
Commonwealth Bank Group, Australia, has announced its one-millionth online customer.
Banco de Credito, Peru, has licensed RemoteWare, a remote systems management product from XcelleNet, Atlanta, to control software distribution to its branches and ATMs.
Unibanco, Brazil, is using process and content management software from FileNet, Costa Mesa, Calif., to deliver customer information to its front-line employees.


text:
How to Improve your Team Productivity
Retrospectives are used frequently to give teams the opportunity to pause and reflect on how things have been going and then, based on those reflections, identify the improvements they want to make. Conducting Retrospectives frequently and regularly supports a team to continuously improve their performance - but what's the best way to go about it? We have four simple questions to get you started...
How to Get the Most out of your Retrospectives
Numerous approaches are used for Retrospectives. Some are longer and aim to mine the group's experience; some take a quantitative look at the team's history; still others use exercises to incorporate fun into the event, and the team itself. At the root of what we want to do, however, is team productivity improvement so the technique we turn to most often is "The 4 Questions" - a quick and easy approach that guarantees your team will be improving immediately.
We provide a handy step-by-step guide on how to run a 4 Question Retrospective on our website. In this article, we're going to explain the importance of the four questions and how to make sure that you're getting the most value you can from your team retrospectives.
In short, a 4 Question Retrospective gets the the team to reflect on the last, short period of time working together (often 2 weeks) and answer four specific questions:
- What went well?
- What didn't go so well?
- What have I learned?
- What still puzzles me?
And then, based on the answers, the team will decide on actions to improve in the future.
Sounds simple, right? It is. But as with all things simple, it's not necessarily easy. In our experience, understanding the background of the technique and the importance of the wording of the questions, helps teams immensely in getting real value out of their retrospectives.
Where Do Retrospectives Come From?
Retrospectives are popular in the team-working world of the Lean & Agile community but the technique was inspired by the wonderful work of Virginia Satir, the "mother of family therapy". She developed a technique called the Daily Temperature Reading, aimed at keeping relationships healthy and happy. Her questions were different, but the core of the method is first reflecting on what has happened in the past (both positive and negative) and then deciding on what to do in the future to improve.
We Look at the Past to Improve the Future
Before we delve into the specifics, it's important to note that, when we're answering these questions, we must always be looking at the past. The four questions themselves address the looking back part of the process - we'll tackle the looking forward part (actions to embed improvement) at the end of this article.
Each of these four questions plays a vital role in understanding how things went for the team in working together. Retrospectives are about improving the way teams are working - both what we do and how we do it - which will become even clearer as we elaborate on what each question is designed to focus us on...
The 4 Question Retrospective
Question 1: What Went Well?
In the quest to make improvements, it's natural to focus on pain points: things that didn't go well. But asking ourselves what went well starts the Retrospective on a positive note and allows us to acknowledge all the good things that have happened, too.
The Importance of Positivity
Why is this important? First, because it's healthy to take the time to recognise all is not doom and gloom. Noticing the positive can help to balance out the negative. Second, by explicitly acknowledging the positive, we have the opportunity to be deliberate in ensuring we continue to do what we need to do to keep those positive things happening.
Some examples of things that have gone well might be:
"Talking with the customer gave us insights we hadn't noticed ourselves."
"By seeing what each of us was working on, we avoided some tasks that would have been wasted."
"Our project sponsors were impressed with the presentation."
Think Big and Be Specific
It's not unusual for teams to think big with this question and talk about the project as a whole (and we fully support that!), but it's also important to dig deeper, potentially surfacing more of the details. For example, "It helped me immensely when Sharita took 5 minutes to talk me through how to make the posting". Throughout your respective, it's good to focus on both the big picture and the low-level details of what has happened.
Question 2: What Didn't Go So Well?
This question unearths difficulties, issues and dissatisfactions that the team are currently grappling with. It's often the most popular question, which shouldn't be a surprise since the purpose of the exercise is improvement. Where better to look to make improvements than where things are not going well?
The intention of this question is to identify things that happened which someone in the team thinks were less than ideal.
In answering this question, it's important that we focus on things that actually happened - reflecting on the past and what did occur. For instance, "We spent a long time making the decision on the ordering process" rather than, "It shouldn't take us so long to decide the ordering process".
The distinction is subtle, but significant. The first version states an observation of something that didn't go well, which invites the question "How could we improve that?", while the second version implies a judgement as well as a preferred solution. The first version, which looks back on the past and states what actually happened, puts us in the right mindset for making improvements.
Observations on the Past Create Opportunities for the Future
Notice the difference between these two statements,
"Two pieces of work were rejected by our customer," instead of "I wish our customer was more realistic about what we can deliver."
Again, the first version is a simple observation. There are two issues with the second: it states a desire for the future, not an observation about the past, and it implies a single solution, which may or may not solve the actual problem.
We want to avoid identifying solutions at this stage because doing so can limit our thinking on our options. By just noting the facts, we leave more room for deciding how we want to make improvements.
Focus on the Facts
One more example could be, "Our Tuesday meetings are running over time" rather than "We keep getting bogged down in detail during the Tuesday meetings"
Our meetings may be going over time because we're getting bogged down in details, and certainly that could seem like the right answer for the one person in the room who is a manager and thus may be less interested in details. The rest of the attendees, however, may be finding the detailed conversation the most salient point of the meeting.
Being clear about the problem we wish to address (of which there is only one), rather than our preferred solution (of which there are many options), keeps the focus on the problem and opens up a myriad of possible solutions.
Focusing on expressing the facts goes a long way to improving the outcome of a team's retrospectives.
Keep the Team Positive
The final, but arguably most important, distinction between the statements presented has to do with the power of keeping the team positive. As humans, most of us thrive on looking at facts and solving problems. Equally, many of us lose energy when faced with arguments, confrontation and differing opinions of the same event. Why not keep everyone's energy up in the room by focusing on what actually happened? As you know, a positive, happy team motivated by their own forward progression is a tremendous force!
Question 3: What Have I Learned?
This is a powerful question and reflecting on it tends to open our minds to things we might not otherwise take notice of. It encourages us to look at what we've learned about the way we're working. Some examples might be:
"I've learned that it works better to get away from the keyboard when I'm thinking through a tough issue."
"I've learned that I get less distracted if I'm clear about what I want to accomplish before I sit down at the computer."
"I've learned that providing context up front improves how my message is received in a presentation."
Of course we can learn negative things too, such as: "I've learned that making last-minute changes isn't worth the risk."
Embed your Learning in the Team
This question brings to our attention, and thus reinforces, what we've learned. It also opens up the potential for others to make use of that learning, either by identifying an action to engrain the learning in the way that the team works (more about that in a moment!) or by simply voicing it, allowing others to decide if they'd like to individually try it out.
Question 4: What Still Puzzles Me?
Puzzles and open questions are almost the opposite of the previous question. This question liberates us to express things we wish we had the answers for, but don't. Some examples might be:
"Why are we attracting fewer and fewer people to our product demonstrations?"
"Why is doing my work taking twice as long as it did last week?"
"Where does our product fit into the overall portfolio strategy?"
As you can see, these puzzles express a question we have - a gap in our knowledge. This is also a fantastic opportunity to express concerns, misgivings, doubts or other sensitive topics because you can draw attention to your worry without making a statement. A question, after all, is more likely than a statement to spurn thoughts, insights and a positive outcome from everyone involved.
Questions Build Participation
Take for example, the difference between the question, "How can we improve the flow of requests between us and the sales team?" and the slightly more aggressive tone of the equivalent statement: "The sales team are demanding too much work, too quickly, for us to keep up with".
Top Tip: At your next retrospective, you may want to consider trying to change your answers to "What Didn't Go So Well?" into puzzles. We bet you'll find it generates more buy-in and participation. Virginia Satir was one smart cookie when she designed the 4 Questions technique!
Turning the 4 Questions into Improvements
By the time we've answered The 4 Questions, we have some insight into what happened over the time period we're reflecting upon; the next step is to identify the actions we want to take to be sure that we improve in the future.
Knowing that there's only so much time available to devote to making improvements, we recommend that teams take on only a small number of improvements at a time. The simplest way of achieving this is to have the team review the answers to all four questions and identify the top three items to address in terms of importance and value.
For some items, the team will want to take time to root out the cause of the situation. For example, we may decide it's important or valuable to resolve this statement: "We spent a long time making the decision on the ordering process". After a brief discussion, we might determine that access to a specific person could accelerate our discussions. Thus, the action might be to see if we can get access to that person the next time we need to make decisions about the ordering process.
If the team were to decide that it's important or valuable to resolve this puzzle: "Where does our product fit into the overall portfolio strategy?", the team might decide to arrange for the portfolio manager to give a presentation about the product portfolio and how the product fits into the long-term strategy.
How Can You Improve Your Working Environment?
Now that you know all of this, you may be wondering how to introduce all of this knowledge into your team. Grand question! Here are some tips that we've used in the past, which we hope will help you to improve your working environment today:
If your team needs to improve their retrospectives, consider requesting 20 minutes at the beginning of your next session to have everyone read over this article and discuss their thoughts.
If you've never done a retrospective with your team, start today! To learn more tips and tricks for running a successful Retrospective, check out our Tuesday Tip series on Sending Your Team's Productivity Soaring With Retrospectives!
There's good reason for the popularity of Retrospectives, both within the Lean & Agile and software development communities and in the wider business community: they provide a simple, easy-to-adopt technique for coaxing valuable improvements from a team on a regular basis. Sticking points, positive working methods, hidden problems, potential improvements: all of these and more can be discovered using The 4 Questions, catapulting your team to new heights of productivity and effectiveness. Virginia Satir, we salute you!
About the Authors
Laura Waite and Collin Lyons are the duo of business productivity coaches behind Flowmotion. For people in the office world who want to feel the buzz, Flowmotion is an enterprise that will awaken your passion for work. To address the all-too-typical experience of unenergetic working lives, our mission is to redesign how people interact with their environment to generate engaging, productive and collaborative atmospheres and organisations. We share several decades of experience providing organisational transformation and executive coaching and have worked with large and global organisations including: British Telecom, British Petroleum, Standard Life Assurance and Investments, British Gas/Centrica, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Allied Irish Bank and the UK Government. You can find us at here.


text:
Montrail Highline
The Highline has been discontinued. If you're looking for something new, check out the best trail running shoes for 2024.
Bought these (March '04) for running on business trips. They are marketed as trail runners. I like trails.The plastic cladding just aft of my left pinky toe cracked in two in the first month. That was from mostly walking, on pavement.
My orthotic slides around beneath the stock innersole, making noise. The midsole is somewhat stiff, yet the cushioning of the sole/footbed is very soft. Standing on one foot in these shoes becomes agony as my orthotic digs up into my foot, with the forefoot material nowhere to be found.
I must underscore also that these are not my full-time shoes. They are worn to the gym for an hour or so, four times a week at the very most. I am too intimidated to attempt anything more aggressive.
There's now a finger tip-sized hole in that spot I mentioned in paragraph #1.Both soles are delaminating at the heels. I have never owned shoes that exhibited so much wear for so little use so quickly.
The good part is the three eyelet plastic mesh compressing my instep, but leaving toes free to wiggle. It's almost a flash of brilliance.
Overall this shoe and its maker remind me of one of those German car companies, testing their "innovations" on the customer. I feel dumb having spent $100 on these. At least I didn't find out the hard way, in the field.
Materials: plastic/nylon/synthetic leather
Use: house to car to gym
Break-in Period: none
Weight: 24 ounces/pair; size 12
Price Paid: $100
As a satisfied user of Montrail trail running shoes I was disappointed with the Highline. I had the same experience as a previous reviewer with the cracking and splitting across the toe and forefoot of the shoe.
My past experience with Montrail has been shoes with a snug heel fit that prevents slipping but a roomy toebox. The Highline had a very snug forefoot and toebox that is unusual especially since I have a borderline narrow foot. This may have contributed to the cracking and splitting but I've never had this problem with the other Montrail shoes, Vitesse and Hurricane Ridge.
Use: trail running
Price Paid: $64.95
Your Review
You May Like
Men's | |
Price |
Historic Range: $59.83-$95.00 Reviewers Paid: $64.95-$100.00 |
Women's | |
Price |
Historic Range: $49.83-$95.00 |


text:
Forum Post: Why 90 million Americans won't vote in November
Posted 11 years ago on Aug. 17, 2012, 12:49 a.m. EST by rpc972
from Portland, OR
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Why 90 million Americans won't vote in November By Susan Page, USA TODAY
They could turn a too-close-to-call race into a landslide for President Obama— but by definition they probably won't.
Annie Provencher, 60, a retired cashier from St. Pauls, N.C., didn't vote in 2008 and isn't sure she'll vote this time.
By Sara D. Davis, for USA TODAY
Call them the unlikely voters.
A nationwide USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll of people who are eligible to vote but aren't likely to do so finds that these stay-at-home Americans back Obama's re-election over Republican Mitt Romney by more than 2-1. Two-thirds of them say they are registered to vote. Eight in 10 say the government plays an important role in their lives.
Even so, they cite a range of reasons for declaring they won't vote or saying the odds are no better than 50-50 that they will: They're too busy. They aren't excited about either candidate. Their vote doesn't really matter. And nothing ever gets done, anyway.
"I don't think Obama helped us as much as he promised," says John Harrington, 52, a heavy-equipment operator from Farmington, Minn., who was among those surveyed. Since 2008, when Harrington voted for Obama, the financial downturn has forced him to sell his home in Arizona, move to Minnesota to be near a daughter and put him on the road to Nebraska, North Dakota and Iowa to find work.
His wife "loves" Obama and is sure to vote in November, but he's not certain whether he'll get there this time.
Even in 2008, when turnout was the highest in any presidential election since 1960, almost 80 million eligible citizens didn't vote. Curtis Gans, director of the non-partisan Center for the Study of the American Electorate, predicts that number will rise significantly this year. He says turnout could ebb to levels similar to 2000, when only 54.2% of those eligible to vote cast a ballot. That was up a bit from 1996, which had the lowest turnout since 1924.
This year, perhaps 90 million Americans who could vote won't. "The long-term trend tends to be awful," Gans says. "There's a lot of lack of trust in our leaders, a lack of positive feelings about political institutions, a lack of quality education for large segments of the public, a lack of civic education, the fragmenting effects of waves of communications technology, the cynicism of the coverage of politics — I could go on with a long litany."
There's also the relentlessly negative tone of this year's campaign. The majority of TV ads don't try to persuade voters to support one candidate but rather to convince them not to back the other guy. Romney ads portray Obama as a failed president and a liar. Obama ads describe Romney as a heartless corporate raider whose firm has laid off American workers while he parked some of his fortune in a Swiss bank account. (Both candidates dispute the truthfulness of the other side's commercials.)
"I really don't know much about him, but from what I hear, he's all about putting taxes on the middle-class people, and I've heard that he's put his money in overseas accounts," Jamie Palmer, 35, a mother of three from St. Joseph, Mo., says of Romney, echoing accusations made in Democratic ads. "I think that's wrong."
So will she vote? Not a chance.
Palmer has never voted. "If a candidate I liked ran for the presidency, that had the right things to say, I'd go vote," she says. "But they say the same things; they make promises; they don't keep them. It's ridiculous. If I vote, nothing is going to come of it. It's just going to be like it is right now."
Who's the vice president?
Many of these unlikely voters are suspicious of and disconnected from politics. In the survey, six in 10 say they don't pay attention to politics because "nothing ever gets done"; 54% call politics "corrupt." Only 39% could correctly name the vice president, Joe Biden. (By contrast, a Pew Research Center poll in 2010 found 59% of American adults could name the vice president.)
On the other hand, they do see a difference between the two major parties: 53% disagree with the statement that "there's not a dime's worth of difference between Democrats and Republicans." Obama scores a huge advantage among all the unlikely voters. By 43%-18%, they support the Democratic incumbent over his Republican challenger.
"There's this pool of people that Barack Obama doesn't even need to persuade," says David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, which took the survey. "All he needs to do is find them and identify them and get them to the polls. It's like a treasure chest. But the bad news is that the treasure chest is locked. …
"You've got this overriding sense of bitterness and people who have been beaten down by the economy and the negativity and the lack of trust, and that's the key that Obama can't find. And he's running out of time."
Two-thirds of the unlikely voters say they voted four years ago, backing Obama by more than 2-1 over Republican John McCain. That helps explain why Obama's campaign is spending millions of dollars on the most elaborate field operation in U.S. political history, aimed at delivering both core supporters and reluctant ones to the polls.
Romney's pick of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate has opened a barrage of Democratic attacks on Ryan's proposal to move toward a voucher-like system in Medicare. Democratic strategists argue the issue could energize some of the president's discouraged backers, especially older ones.
Many of the nation's unlikely voters report hard times over the past four years. Only a third call their household finances good or excellent. Close to half say their annual household income is less than $60,000 a year. They tend to have lower levels of education than likely voters; nearly six in 10 have no more than a high school diploma.
The ranks of eligible non-voters lean toward the Democratic candidate in most though not all election years. The Democratic tilt among them is much greater in this survey than it was in 2004 or 2008 in the Gallup Poll just before Election Day. Then, Democrats had the advantage in voter enthusiasm — an asset they've lost this year.
The process of registering to vote doesn't seem to present a major obstacle. Two-thirds say registering is easy and can be done pretty quickly; 16% say it takes too much time and is too complicated. The new wave of voter ID laws, which experts predict may reduce turnout a bit, doesn't seem to be an issue: 75% support requiring citizens to show a photo ID before voting.
The top reason given by unregistered voters for not having signed up is their busy lives. Among the top reasons given by registered voters for not bothering to go to the polls: not liking either candidate and not feeling that their vote matters.
Lisa Goicochea, 19, a student at LaGuardia Community College in New York City, favors Obama. "I like that he's been trying to go through with the Obamacare, which will benefit a lot of people," she says of the health care law. But she doesn't plan to vote and isn't interested in politics.
"Sometimes people actually enjoy talking about this, and I feel left out," she says. When it comes to the government, she adds a bit ruefully, "it does matter."
Drafting Hillary Clinton
Many unlikely voters feel some regret about not going to the polls. Half agree with the statement that not voting will bother them in November "because I will be letting other people elect the president." Four in 10 say it won't bother them "because my vote doesn't make any difference anyway."
What could convince them to vote?
About one in 10 say they could be drawn by different candidates, by being convinced someone could fix the nation's problems, and by feeling better informed. Asked to name someone whose presidential bid would prompt them to vote, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was the most frequently cited, by 7%. Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who sought the GOP nomination, was next, named by 3%.
Annie Provencher, 60, a retired cashier from St. Pauls, N.C., voted for Bill Clinton and for Democrat John Kerry in 2004. She didn't vote in 2008, and she's not sure she will this time. She knows she doesn't like Obama but isn't sure about Romney. She plans to rely on the advice of her sister, who lives in Massachusetts, on how Romney did as governor.
If Hillary Clinton were running, she volunteers, "I'd be back there, the first one in line when the polls opened."
The survey identified one extremely persuasive argument. Among Obama supporters, 85% say they would go to the polls if they knew their vote would help swing a close election to the president; 70% of Romney supporters say the same for their candidate.
Given the potential closeness of this election, this might turn out to be the case.


text: Color Code is a "color portrait of the English language". It's a treemap visualization created by assigning over 33,000 words its own color (colors are determined by averaging the colors of images found for each word on the web). If it's running a little slow on your machine, check out the gallery for some neat examples. By Martin Wattenberg, creator of the grandaddy treemap app, Map of the Market.


text:
Online Photo Cake Delivery in Lucknow
With our photo cake delivery in Lucknow, you can rely on our services for one of the best photo cakes designs. We will make your day with our delicious range of cakes.
Photo Cake
Avengers Cake
Avengers Fondant
Avengers rainbow cake 1kg
₹1,250.00Birthday Photo cake
Chocolate Photo cake
Cocomelon Designer Cake
Cocomelon Designer Cake
Cocomelon Photo Cake
Cocomelon Photo Cake cp
First Anniversary Cake
Happy Anniversary Surprise Cake
₹1,950.00heart photo cake
Minion Birthday Cake
Naughty Doremon Cake
₹1,200.00Paw Petrol Cake
₹1,300.00Red Velvet Photo cake
Super avengers cake
Wedding photo cake
Online Photo Cake Delivery in Lucknow
How about adding sparkle to your festivals? Truly! It can happen easily with the help of Kekmart. Order photo cake Lucknow from our site and make your extraordinary events much more exciting. We deliver in every one of the territories across Lucknow. So nothing to stress over! With our same day and express delivery service choices, you can get your cake delivered in even 2 hours. And not just Lucknow, we deliver our products in over 229+ cities across India. So come up with your requests and send cake to Lucknow to your friends and family to make their unique day astonishing.
And why go for photo cakes? Because they are evergreen and can make anyone smile on their special days. And with our special midnight cake delivery in Lucknow, you can surprise your loved ones even more with our scrumptious range of photo cakes. So if you are looking for online photo cake delivery in Lucknow, then visit Kekmart.com and browse through our various cake categories. You will find an excellent cake for your loved ones here. Just add the cake to the cart and proceed with your payment.You can also download Kekmart App from Playstore for Online Cake Delivery.
Send Birthday Cake with Photo to Lucknow to Wish your Loved Ones
If you are out of town for some business meeting or if you live in different parts of the city and are away from your loved ones, then you can choose Kekmart for sending your well wishes to loved ones. We will deliver your preferred cake from our photo cake shop in Lucknow. Surprise your loved ones at 12 am sharp on their birthday with our birthday cake delivery in Lucknow. They will surely be surprised by your sweet gesture. You can go for our best selling range of photo cakes like Cheerful Photo Cake, Hugs Infinite Birthday Cake, Blissful Time Congratulations, Divine Angels Birthday Cake, Chubby Cheeks Birthday Cake, etc. All these cakes are in different flavors and designs, and you can even make it eggless as we deliver eggless cakes online in Lucknow as well.
So if you are looking to surprise your loved ones with an amazing present, choose from these photo cakes and to make it even more heartwarming, you can go for a cake and flower combo or cake and gift combo like Blooming Butterscotch, Sweet Sin Combo, Sugary Sweets, Best Compliment, Pretty Carnation Combo, Rosy Cake Indulgence Combo and so on.
Get Customized Photo Cakes for Celebrating Special Occasions
No celebration is complete without a cake. So how about making your special celebration even more special with an amazing personalized photo cake. We deliver cakes for all occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Christmas, New Year, Karwa Chauth, Rakhi, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and many other occasions. And for all these occasions, you can go for a great photo cake. You can select an old photo of you and your loved ones or make a collage and send it to us after placing the order. We will deliver fabulous personalized photo cakes in Lucknow with your exact given pictures.
If it 's the anniversary of you and your better half and you have been thinking about how to surprise your better half on this auspicious occasion, then go for our designer cakes in Lucknow. You can find a vast range of designer cakes at Kekmart online portal like Treasured Forever, Exquisite Rose Cake, Blockbuster Movie Cake, and much more available. So according to the choice of your loved ones, you can easily find the perfect cake for them.
Send Photo Cakes Online in Lucknow and Recall your Best Days
How about recalling your best days by sending photo cakes to your friends? Sounds exciting, right? So how about making it even more impressive by actually ordering cakes for your friends. With our photo cake delivery in Lucknow, you can rely on our services for one of the best photo cakes designs. We will make your day with our delicious range of cakes.
And if a get together is on the way, then you can surely celebrate it by reliving your old memories in the form of a photo cake. Select an old photo with your squad and send it to us for an amazing cake. And if you are looking to make this day even more memorable, then you can give personalized gifts as well to your loved ones. We have a variety of gifts like keychains, mugs, photo frames, wall clocks, etc. And don't worry about the price range. You will get the products at an affordable price range. So come up with your orders and enjoy our hassle-free services.


text:
ISOMAX 2 Countryman Microphone
The Countryman Isomax 2 All Purpose Microphone is a miniature and versatile favorite that is well suited for capturing instruments, choir groups, stage performances, ambient audio and much more. The Isomax 2 delivers excellent gain before feedback for maximum performance and minimal noise on stage and in noisy environments.
As an instrument microphone, the Isomax 2 captures brass, strings, percussion and wind instruments with pristine results. For capturing ambiance and group vocals, the microphone rejects off-axis noise and feedback with exceptional results.
A wide variety of connections are available for use with various wireless transmitters. This version features a Pigtail (Unterminated) connector for wireless transmitters.
Inside or outside musical instruments, placed on or hung over stages and hidden in sets for theater, motion pictures and TV
Audience mics, stage mics
Available in cardioid, hypercardioid, and omni directional patterns
Text book perfect polar patterns for excellent stereo separation and rejection of unwanted sounds.
Very low distortion at the high sound levels encountered inside instruments with super flat frequency response for an uncolored, very clean sound.
Directional pattern is frequency-independent – doesn't become omni at low frequencies
Excellent gain before feedback
Handles high SPL
Sleek, small, lightweight mic doesn't distract instrumentalist or house
Easy to hang without scaffolding


text:
The world of Ravaged is a massive "What-if" scenario of our own planet. Our world, as we know it, has ended and is now a place of war and destruction. Two factions, the "Resistance" and the "Scavengers" are in a constant battle to claim what is left of the world's resources. The Resistance wants to use them to rebuild society, and the Scavengers just want to make it their own. What faction will you fight for?
Vehicular Combat: The game currently has 10 vehicles you can drive. Most vehicles have multiple seats, so you can have teammates gun for you or they can just hitch a ride to the next capture point.
Beautiful maps: Very detailed and beautiful maps to play on. Explore what remains of the world after the apocalypse.
Choose Your Side: Choose which of Ravaged factions you want to fight for, each with their own particular style.
All Online: The whole game is online only. Up to 64 players per server makes for epic online battles between players.
Squads: Squad up with your friends and clan-mates while in a match. You can spawn on your squad leader to quickly get back in the action.


text:
One of the fathers of the internet, Vinton Cerf, widely known for creating the TCP/IP protocol took the opportunity in a recent NYT article to dismiss the idea that the internet is a civil or human right, saying that some people are missing the point entirely.
He argues that use of the internet is not a human right, but is merely a method of communication, and entities such as the United Nations should be concentrating on more fundamental worldwide problems and not on making broadband communications a human right.
"Technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself," he writes. "There is a high bar for something to be considered a human right. Loosely put, it must be among the things we as humans need in order to lead healthy, meaningful lives, like freedom from torture or freedom of conscience. It is a mistake to place any particular technology in this exalted category, since over time we will end up valuing the wrong things."
Cerf continued, "The best way to characterize human rights is to identify the outcomes that we are trying to ensure. These include critical freedoms like freedom of speech and freedom of access to information --- and those are not necessarily bound to any particular technology at any particular time."
There is no doubt that the internet has been instrumental to the protests seen in the Middle East and parts of Northern Africa in the last year. With some governments taking to suppressing the internet in signs of trouble it is understandable that its citizens would want some form of civil or human right attached to its usage.
Cerf believes that the internet is a tool used to enable people to exercise their civil and human rights, as well as provide access to government information. It "is always just a tool for obtaining something else more important." His views contrast with comments made by World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee last year.
Ultimately, the internet itself is no more worthy of human rights than the telephone, mobile or even a road. Vint Cerf believes improving the internet is one of many means in which we can improve "human condition." But it is important that it is achieved whilst safeguarding civil and human rights that deserve to be protected, without the illusion that access alone is such a right.