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A Few Good Association Management Tools
Tools to track, manage, and serve your your nonprofit's members
August 8, 2011
This article is courtesy of Idealware, which provides candid information to help nonprofits choose effective software. For more articles and reviews, go to www.idealware.org.
An association management system can be a huge help in tracking your members, newsletter subscriptions, special gifts, invitations to events and workshops, and discounts on products and services. In this article, which was updated from a 2008 version, we asked a number of different nonprofit experts about the systems that have worked for them.
Your organization serves a large group of members, and in exchange for their membership you offer a free subscription to your newsletter, special gifts, invitations to events and workshops, discounts on products and services, and more. It's a challenge to manage so many varied and complex interactions. From membership levels and renewals to benefits and event schedules, how do you keep track of all the details?
If money's no problem, you can custom build a database. For the majority of nonprofits, it probably makes more sense to invest in one of the existing association management tools on the marketplace. There are many, and each offers a mix of features and customizations to fit your price range. A third choice is the happy medium of customizing the features of an existing platform based on your budget and requirements.
We asked a number of nonprofit technology professionals with similar needs what software has worked for them and created a list of solid tools that might work for you.
Association vs. Membership Management
Software used to track membership tends to fall into one of two categories: standard membership systems or association management systems (AMS). There's no black and white distinction between the two, but AMS tends to imply a system with more support for offering a number of specific benefits to members.
For some organizations, membership is a fundraising strategy that helps achieve goals larger than just serving members. As an example, consider public radio stations — though they raise money through membership drives, you don't have to become a member to listen. This type of organization might need a membership management system to track member "dues" and renewal dates that offers a lot of fundraising abilities. But this group doesn't necessarily need sophisticated functionality to track member benefits or conferences.
In contrast, other organizations have a more direct mandate to serve groups in specific ways. Such organizations offer memberships as a way for their constituents to receive those benefits. A trade association might provide critical services to affordable housing builders, including accreditation, conferences, certification, networking at members-only-events, group insurance rates, discounts on building materials, and more. This set of needs is likely to require a more sophisticated system — usually called an AMS.
While these distinctions won't necessarily dictate which type of software you'll need, understanding the difference will help you choose. Membership management systems tend to start at a lower cost, while AMS software often provides a wider range of tools to help track the various services you offer members — including managing both organizational and individual members.
Considering Your Needs
Like most systems, membership and association management systems range from the simple and inexpensive to the robust, complicated to learn, and expensive to sustain. The cost can begin to climb as you add more features.
Before you choose a system, carefully define your membership processes to ensure you get the best system for your money. In particular, take time to consider the following:
Membership Benefits and Structure
What services do members get, and what must they do to get them? Match membership pricing to membership levels and to the array of gifts, discounts, access, and services they receive.
Event Management
If events are a critical part of your organization's work, describe how they function and in what areas they depend upon membership structure.
- What member discounts do you offer?
- Are there multiple days, tracks, or workshops?
- Do you need to manage vendor halls, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers?
- Which member preferences play a role, and how do members register and pay?
Member Communication
Describe how you communicate with members and how they will communicate with each other.
- Do you need to search a member list by certain profiles to create mailing lists?
- Do you have organizational chapters, and do they need access to manage their own chapter information?
- Do you offer newsletters and other publications?
As a side note, many AMS and membership systems lack the detailed functionality for fundraising provided by packages specifically designed for that purpose. If you're primarily asking for membership fees or donations from members, they may well meet your needs, but if your fundraising operation extends well beyond members and into the realm of major donors, pledges, and other more complex areas, you may want to consider a fundraising system instead of — or in addition to — your membership system.
Using What You Have
Organizations with relatively simple rules for members could get by with their existing constituent relationship management system, like Salesforce or CiviCRM, in conjunction with an event management tool (see Idealware's articles, A Few Good Tools: Low Cost Constituent Databases and A Few Good Event-Registration Tools). These systems won't provide robust support without configuration. However, they can be extensively customized to provide more features, and it's pretty straightforward to add a simple dues-tracking functionality.
Alternatively, some popular donor management systems like The Raiser's Edge by Blackbaud, DonorPerfect, and PledgeMaker support members and associations and are helpful for organizations that need strong support for both fundraising and membership. These options can work well for organizations with a smaller membership base or tighter budget who may not want to purchase an additional database.
Options for Small Organizations
What about smaller organizations with less-complicated membership and benefit structures? Our experts recommended a few systems with lower implementation and annual costs that also tend to provide fewer features and options for customization than more expensive systems. Carefully evaluate the combination of features to see how each stacks up against your needs.
This lightweight, hosted AMS offers strong event- and conference-management functionality, with workshop/track management, session capacity setting, multiple event pricing, custom fields, attendee questionnaires, automatic event calendars and more. Membership management functionality supports organizational members with "flow-down" control, which allows member benefits to be selected for individuals within the organization. One of the more affordable systems, pricing is determined by the number of members, and starts at $50 per month for up to 100 members and an additional 500 non-member contacts, plus transaction fees per event registration.
MemberClicks offers a hosted solution focused on managing a membership community online. Community features include a contact center for members, rosters, discussions, job board, and event calendar. MemberClicks also offers a flexible form-building tool that lets associations develop custom signup forms for events, donations, membership dues, and more. Basic event management is available, but not suitable for more-complex conference scenarios. MemberClicks offers only basic constituent management and segmentation and no association-specific financial management features. Pricing starts at $115 per month plus an $895 setup fee for up to 300 members and 900 non-member contacts.
This hosted service offers a wide range of basic association management features. Focused on member social networking and community management, it includes several tools for web content management, blogs, community calendars, and group and chapter administration. Weaknesses include less-robust event-management functionality, limited subscription, and no financial management features. Pricing is straightforward, at $1,495 for setup and $5,995 annual license fee for unlimited members, multiple users, and all functionality.
Tendenci focuses on online transactions with members, such as signups, registrations, dues and member rosters, but offers less-robust support for building a member community. It has a wide variety of features, including web content management, jobs board, press release management, photo albums, online discussion rooms, built-in RSS feeds, and a continuing education module. However, many of these features are not deep in functionality. It may not be particularly well-equipped for more complex conference management. And membership functionality offers only basic support for different membership types (such as individual and corporate). Pricing starts at $2,000 setup for web template ($3,000 to use your own) plus $195 per month for up to 500 members, $295 per month for 1,000 members, or $395 for 2,500 members, with options to expand up from these levels.
Wild Apricot
Wild Apricot is a compelling, intuitive system focused on membership, events, and site-management functionality for smaller membership-based organizations. The core of the system is aimed at controlling web pages and quickly integrating membership and event-signup forms. The platform is highly specialized in some areas and very basic in others. Wild Apricot offers a bare-bones, ad-supported free version providing web and membership integration for up to 50 members. The monthly fees scale up from there, beginning at $25 a month up to $200 a month for a maximum of 15,000 member records.
Small organizations could also consider StarChapter, Osprey by Active Computer, IMPack by ISSI, or Timberlake's Go! or Pro! solutions.
Options for Mid-Sized Associations
In general, solutions with mid-range pricing offer deeper functionality and greater ability to configure the application to meet the individual association's needs. Many of these solutions integrate key accounting functions for associations, offer more robust subscription- and event-signup management, and support divisions of members into chapters or other groups. General constituent management is typically strong, with more fields to track information and more flexible ways to filter and segment the information according to your own criteria.
Note that these are all hosted solutions, which offer advantages over installed software packages for smaller organizations, such as lower startup costs and shorter implementation times. When reviewing these systems, be sure to identify where additional configuration or customization may be necessary to meet your needs.
i4a AMS
This system offers strong features for a good price, including website content management, an online form builder, conference management, accounts receivable and batch processing, and a query-building tool for filtering and segmenting constituent information. Strong chapter management functionality allows chapter officials to access and manage their own data. Pricing includes a $1,500 startup fee plus $99 per administrator per month. More advanced pricing options include additional features, such as an online store, survey builder, and discussion forums.
JL Systems' NOAH
JL Systems provides a large and refined set of features particularly strong in back-end membership relationship management and website integration. With the launch of NOAH in January 2008, the vendor shifted its focus from an installed version to a hosted service with all the same features. The system offers granular control over member groups, including the ability to let each group manage its own pages online. NOAH starts at $99 per month per user, with a minimum of five users, plus hosting at $50 per month per 1,000 contact records, with a total minimum cost of $200 per month.
Avectra's netFORUM Team and Pro
Avectra has long offered an enterprise-level solution and has more recently focused on hosted products. netFORUM Team and Pro are stripped-down versions of the company's other offerings, but still packed with features and frequently updated with new functionality. Both Team and Pro offer some website integration, recently improved to allow for custom page creation, but the focus is more on back-end member relationship management. Since it offers no customization and limited configuration options, be sure this works well for your needs out of the box. Avectra license costs depend on the product chosen and user roles and range from $125 to $175 per user per month.
More Customizable Solutions
These products mix core functionality with custom consulting services to more closely match the individual association's needs. They tend to require longer planning-and-implementation times, and costs can vary widely depending on specific requirements. Associations who put the time in with vendors can craft a custom solution that rivals less-configurable hosted solutions.
Affiniscape offers a focused back-end association management solution called Members360, which is hosted and custom-implemented by Affiniscape consultants to align with client requirements. This model makes pricing variable based on the needs of the individual organization. Expect a minimum of $9,500 per year plus $7,000 for consulting, with costs rising for advanced needs.
Euclid Technology's ClearVantage
The ClearVantage approach is more of a custom engagement. The system has strong member relationship management functionality, including support for project and association process management. As an example, its exhibit hall support includes floor plan design tools helpful for larger conference engagements. Custom pricing depends on the features and services required, but expect costs in the same range as the other solution in this class or higher.
Higher-End Solutions
These solutions target larger professional or trade associations who have the technical staff in place to adopt and sustain enterprise software. They offer complex association features, customized tool sets, and stronger vendor support partnerships. Pricing for the software alone ranges from $15,000 to more than $100,000 in annual costs, and implementation generally ranges from $30,000 up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Example solutions in this space include Computility, gomembers, iMIS, Association Server, TCS Software Prevail, Aptify, and Personify/TIMSS. Designed as comprehensive association management systems for big organizations, these systems require internal training and support and can therefore be unwieldy for organizations lacking strong departmental resources. Vendors provide custom pricing and implementation services depending on specific service and feature requirements.
Selecting the Right System
Many of these packages offer very different feature sets. When considering them, first make sure you've properly identified your needs by documenting membership rules, benefits structure, events, and online community needs.
Features that seem similar in vendors' product and services descriptions often compare differently in real-world applications. Explore them thoroughly and put them through realistic scenarios in order to eliminate surprises.
Beyond the basic features, an AMS can grow quite expensive. Consider hiring a skilled database consultant with experience implementing such applications to help make sense of all the information. That can help you focus on the task at hand — finding the system with the right features and the right price for your organization, your members, and your needs.
For More Information
AMS Vendors
A listing of association management vendors from effective database management. EDM also provides additional resources on its blog.
American Society of Association Executives
A resource for all areas of association management, including articles covering associated management systems.
AMC Institute
A resource for finding "association management companies" that provide outsourced services for managing associations' information.
Thanks to the following nonprofit technology professionals for providing recommendations, advice, and other help for the original article and the update:
- Eric Leland, FivePaths (2008 and 2011)
- Jill Kurtz, Balance Interactive (2011)
- Dan Shenk-Evans, Community IT Innovators (CITI) (2008)
- Robert Weiner, Robert L. Weiner Consulting (2008 and 2011)
- Wes Trochlil, Effective Database Management (2008 and 2011)
About the Authors:
Eric Leland has spent the last 13 years working with progressive organizations tackling online and offline technology challenges. As the founder and director of Leland Design, Eric focuses on strategic technology planning, Web site, and database planning and development for progressive health and human services organizations, human rights, and environmental advocacy groups. In addition to Leland Design, Eric served as the director of TechCommons at TechSoup.org, one of the nation's most comprehensive nonprofit technology assistance organizations, and worked with a variety of organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights First, and Witness. Eric is active in nonprofit and technology circles, serving as the co-chair to the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network in San Francisco, and as a member of the Graphic Alliance, the Tech Underground, and the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network.
Kyle is a senior at Indiana State University, where he studies Communication. He decided to travel up to Maine to spend his last semester in a research internship, helping Idealware with social media research and support of their day-to-day work. Prior to joining Idealware, Kyle split his time between managing the student radio station, researching video game communication, and working on local elections.
Copyright © 2011 CompuMentor. This work is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.


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Western North Carolina's rich cultural heritage comes to life on Aug. 6 through during the Asheville Quilt Guild's 28th Annual Show at The North Carolina Arboretum.
The popular show is a judged event featuring more than 250 quilts of exceptional craftsmanship from across the U.S. and worldwide. The three-day show offers live demonstrations, a vendor's mall and more. This year's theme is "Stars Over the Mountains."
The show runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. $8 for parking per vehicle and $5 for the Quilt Show.
Visitors to The Arboretum during the Quilt Show will also be able to explore engaging indoor and outdoor exhibits, including:
• "Balance and Beauty: A Visual Celebration of Rural Life," featuring paintings by Margaret Scanlan at the Baker Exhibit Center.
• "Inflorescence," a new outdoor sculpture exhibit throughout the Arboretum's gardens by Jason S. Brown and Elizabeth Scofield that features a variety of botanical forms created from synthetic nylon fabric.
828.665.2492 or www.ncarboretum.org.

subset: commoncrawl


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Vatican fields cricket club as sport, faith merge
VATICAN CITY >> The Vatican served tea and cucumber sandwiches Tuesday as it launched its first cricket club, an initiative aimed at forging ties with teams of other faiths.
No, Pope Francis isn't taking up the sport long associated with manicured grounds and English nobility; the soccer-mad "slum pope" still prefers the lower-brow sport of his beloved San Lorenzo club.
But he and the Vatican have long championed sports as good for mind, body and soul, and the cricket club is the latest initiative of the Vatican's culture ministry to use sports to engage in dialogue with the contemporary world.
Australia's ambassador to the Holy See, John McCarthy, was the force behind the initiative and said he hopes the St. Peter's Cricket Club will field a team to play the Church of England at Lord's sometime next fall.
He said the aim is to boost interfaith dialogue, given cricket's immense popularity in largely non-Catholic India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It would be a "very special occasion" if seminarians from Rome's pontifical universities might one day play students at Muslim or Hindu religious schools on the subcontinent, he said.
The initiative also is aimed at educating Italy, the Vatican and even Pope Francis that "there is some sport other than football!" he said before passing around a tray of cucumber tea sandwiches, a mainstay of cricket events.
The club is expected to count on some 250-300 students and priests at the Vatican and various pontifical universities around Rome where cricket is already being played informally; from these individual teams a Vatican one would be selected and fielded as early as the spring.
Rome's Capannelle Cricket Club is letting the Vatican use its pitch, and McCarthy said anonymous private sponsors were prepared to fund equipment, organizational and other related costs.
The Vatican already has its "Clericus Cup" soccer tournament, which pitches the Swiss Guards against seminarians from the North American College and other teams.
And just on Sunday in another sporting initiative, the culture ministry organized a "Race of Faith," laying down a 100-meter (yard) track along the main boulevard leading to St. Peter's Square to emphasize sports' positive spiritual and educational values.
Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield


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Legal System
Federal prosecutors are now charging suspects with breaking non-existent federal statutes in cases involving violations of internal NCAA rules. But if there is fraud anywhere in this sorry affair, it is committed by federal prosecutors, defense attorneys, federal judges, and journalists.
Bureaucracy and RegulationLabor and WagesPoverty
Dollar stores are hardly the starvation-producing hellholes that the critics claim them to be. They serve their customer base well, but it is not a customer base of elite journalists and politicians.
Legal SystemMonopoly and Competition


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About ProjectManagement.com
Who's Who
Headquarters14 Campus Boulevard
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What is ProjectManagement.com?
Being a project manager can be a stressful job. You are responsible for a project that business people in your organization care a lot about. Someone may have over-committed you, and is now asking you why you aren't on time, within scope or under budget. You and your staff are working together to find solutions as best you can--but within your organization there is no one you can lean on for answers.
This is why we built ProjectManagement.com. Our mission is simple: To make project managers more successful. ProjectManagement.com is the experience bridge that fills in the gaps--providing help to project managers in a number of ways. It is a community, your community, for project managers in all industries.
We are your one-stop shop for PM answers, helping get you "unstuck"—and confidently meet every new challenge that comes your way. How do we help make your job easier?
You might remember us as gantthead, which launched in 2000. At that time, every project worth managing was run using a gantt chart. However, times changed and many project leaders were more focused on their KanBan Boards than on a linear schedule. Although some of the tools and approaches changed, our commitment to you and your work has not. Our name change in October of 2012 wasn't because we hated gantt charts, but simply the next step in our evolution. We wanted our site to be the logical destination for everything related to project management, the place you think of first when you need help. For those new to the craft, we are a lot easier to find...and by growing faster, we can only help everyone become better.
ProjectManagement.com gives you:
Please take a look around. Grab whatever you need--that's why we're here. If you don't find what you are looking for, drop us a line. We think you'll be surprised by our response. As always, if there is a way we can help you that doesn't exist on the site, please let us know at firstname.lastname@example.com.
About Project Management Institute (PMI)
Project Management Institute is the world's leading not-for-profit professional membership association for the project, program and portfolio management profession. Founded in 1969, PMI delivers value for more than 2.9 million professionals working in nearly every country in the world through global advocacy, collaboration, education and research. PMI advances careers, improves organizational success and further matures the profession of project management through its globally recognized standards, certifications, resources, tools academic research, publications, professional development courses, and networking opportunities. As part of the PMI family, ProjectManagement.com creates an online global community that delivers more resources, better tools, larger networks and broader perspectives.Visit us at www.PMI.org, www.facebook.com/PMInstitute, and on Twitter @PMInstitute.
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Roundabouts in Lincoln
What is a roundabout?
A modern roundabout is an unsignalized circular intersection with the following key design characteristics:
- Yield on entry; priority to circulating vehicles
- Pedestrian access & crossing
- Lack of parking
- Truck apron
- Landscaped central island
- Deflection of vehicle paths to reduce speed
What are the benefits?
Roundabouts are being used to improve safety, increase intersection capacity and efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance community values. Additional benefits may include lower costs over other types of intersections and greater design flexibility.
How are they being used in Lincoln?
The first modern roundabout at an intersection of two major arterial streets in Nebraska was built at 33rd and Sheridan in 2002. The intersection had been traffic signal controlled since 1980 and had a high rate of crashes using "traditional" traffic control measures. In the three years following completion of construction, total crashes dropped by 83%, with a 95% reduction in injury crashes. Not only were fewer people hurt, but the cost of property damage due to crashes was reduced by $810,000.
Since the initial success of the 33rd and Sheridan improvement, dozens of roundabouts have been installed throughout Lincoln, and more are planned in future projects.


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Self-verified patient of Dr. Ramon U Suarez - Posted on October 3rd, 2014
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- Urinary Incontinence The symptoms and causes of urinary incontinence or urge incontinence.
- Contraceptive Implants Facts about contraceptive implants; how they work, benefits & risks.
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- View All Care Guides Prepare for your next visit with our extensive library of Care Guides


text: This is a beautifully crafted, high quality Multi Color Bead LED String Light with 24 Multi Color LEDs (Light Emitting Diode). Comparing with the traditional filament bulbs, it can save up to 80-90% of the energy. With the environmental friendly and also the durability characteristics, it is specially designed for using in places that have no power supply. It gives romantic and magical lighting in your decorations for wedding parties, Christmas Celebrations, BBQ, Camping, or Daily Decors. Designed with steady on and a variety of flashing modes, it is a great idea to attract any of your guests. Operated by 3 AA batteries, it is very convent for indoor/ outdoor decoration without any household power supply, perfect choice to place in beautiful small plants, floral arrangement, or table centerpieces.


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Sunday, 25 August 2013
Akasaka Palace State Guesthouse
The closest station to the Akasaka guesthouse is Yotsuya station. Usually you can only see it from afar behind the gates, but on occasion it's possible to not only go a little bit closer but also inside.
I'd been inside the gates before on the 3rd of November last year, but was only allowed outside the front of the main building. If you make bookings in advance it is possible to be chosen to go on a tour of the rooms inside as well as viewing a limited fountain area behind the building.
Originally built as the Imperial Palace for the Crown Prince, now it is used as the official accomodation for visiting state dignitaries.
As you'd expect, security is quite high. They had set up airport style walk-through scanners. I brought my camera with my nice ultra-wide angle lens to take in the opulence of the rooms, but I was quite dismayed to soon find out that they didn't allow photos.
Why do they do this? I find out later they sell photo cards at the end of the tour. How convenient. I did manage to take a photo of the stairwell but sad to say it's not worth putting up here. If you'd like to see what you missed look here for a description of the rooms and their photos.
Tours inside are limited to 10 days a year and guests are chosen by lottery, so good luck if you get in. While it was kind of interesting to see what most people won't, you shouldn't lose too much sleep if you don't. From the first to the third of November there will be another open day. It is only outside, but pre-registration is not required.
Saturday, 17 August 2013
Onjuku Beach
There are quite a few "juku" in Tokyo. You might have heard of some, Harajuku, Shinjuku for instance. How about Onjuku?
Onjuku Beach is about two hours from central Tokyo on the Chiba peninsula. Usual way is the JR Sobu line, which continues on the Sotobo line to Kazusa-Ichinomiya, then you take the local service to Onjuku station. The cost is 1,890 yen from the Shinjuku area.
Some friends wanted to go somewhere different, so it was decided to come here.
The weather was nice and there were a few waves, although quite lame. While you could do some simple bodysurfing, I'd be a little embarrassed bringing a surfboard here. Chiba faces the open sea so it is possible. (Kujikurihama comes to mind)
Instead of a surfboard, I brought along a floatie ring that I "found" in Enoshima. It was left behind before we left that day. I got a 105 yen air pump to blow it up but it was pretty useless. One of the beach hut guys inflated it for "free" seeing that we rented an umbrella (1,500 yen). Not very manly (especially in pink), but it did the job nicely allowing me to zone out a bit
The beach is a similar shape to Zushi. On arrival there are two camel statues greeting us at the entry. Strange. The sand is perhaps relatively cleaner, but the sea is much the same. Quite a lot of people with tats and tans around. I saw a girl with a butterfly tattoo on her chest. Not pretty.
If I lived in Chiba I'd frequent this beach more often, but for the time and money getting here, I'd say Kanagawa beaches are more worthwhile, as long as it's not loud and dirty Enoshima.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 11:59 am 0 comments
Friday, 16 August 2013
Sompo Building
One of the interesting building that you see in the west Skyscraper district of Shinjuku (Nishishinjuku) is the Sompo Building. It looks like this:
You'll notice the possibly even more interesting Mode Gakuen cocoon building on the right.
One reason you might like to go up the Sompo building is that there is an art museum on the 42nd floor. While I was there I saw the Jeux Surrealism exhibition. It is also possible to see one of Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" paintings here. Another good reason is the view.
Pretty damn fine.
You may recognise the intersection on the left as the same as the background of my blog. If you look closely you can see Tokyo Tower, and even more closely the Tokyo Skytree.
Thursday, 15 August 2013
Are you one of those people that watch all those Youtube cat videos?
Yes? Then you HAVE to go to the Neko exhibition. The photographer, Iwago Mitsuaki captures cats from around the world in different states of emotions and situations. I'm not a cat lover per se. I consider myself more of a dog person,
but I quite enjoyed it!
The exhibition is being held in the new Hikarie behind Shibuya station on the 8th floor. It's an interesting looking building, but the shops, mainly geared towards female clientele, are a tad boring to me.
Cost of entry is 800 yen, but here's a tip. Give them a photo of your cat and the entry is free! Mr. Mitsuaki also has another exhibition concurrently entitled "Cats and Lions" at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Ebisu. It looks very cool too. I'm planning to check that soon too.
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Katase Enoshima Eastside Beach
Although I did come to Enoshima beach, last time it was Katase Nishihama Beach (Westside). I was a bit confused with the names of the beaches around here. Was it Shonan, Katase or Enoshima beach?
After a bit of research and translating, Shonan refers to this coast of beaches, similar to how Kujikurihama covers the Chiba side. Some say Katase, and others says Katase-Enoshima so that's my conclusion!
Enoshima beach is split by Enoshima Island, which one day I might check out if I have enough time. It looks interesting.
To get here the cheapest way is via the Odakyu line (610 yen). From Shinjuku you can take a one hour rapid train to Fujisawa station, and then walk to the opposite side of the platform to get the local service which terminates at Katase-Enoshima station. From there you take a short walk across the footbridge and either go the Higashihama (east) side, or the Nishihama (west) side of the beach. Super easy.
Enoshima Beach feels very different from other beaches I've been to. Today was absolutely packed. The loudspeaker was blaring incredibly loud with horrible J-pop, and announcements that seemed to come every five minutes.
The crowd here were quite young. My first question I felt like asking was "How old are you?" in case I was chatting up some jailbait. Seriously! Also, once I got in the water I felt like there were many more guys than girls here :(
The water is quite shallow so this would be a good place for kids, although it's noticeably dirtier with tiny furry algae, and I noticed a used bandaid floating by. Ew. Maybe it was just today but I seemed to get stung by jellyfish particles more often than usual. Every now and then I heard someone say "Ittai" (ouch!).
By the time 5pm rolled around, they started playing the go home music ("Auld Lang Syne", the default closing time song in Japan). For a beach? That's pretty strange. Once that finished and people started going home, it was quite blissful hearing the natural sound of waves. Almost felt like a different beach!
A big disappointment though is this beach is SO dirty. A lot of people just leave their trash on the beach when they go home. Lots of blue tarps and empty bottles, cigarettes left behind. I saw a floatie ring that it seems like every girl has when they go to the beach.
I grabbed it to take next time. It was pretty difficult to let the air out though. That's probably why. Anyhow, it's mine now, and it's pink!
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Free Wifi in Tokyo
Years ago when I was travelling through Europe, internet access was paying 2 Euros for 30 minutes in some nondescript cafe to check emails and keep in contact with family (Yeah, that and "cheap" phone cards). Life was simple without Facebook. No doubt a better place :P
These days it's virtually a given that free wifi internet access is part of the deal with a lot of hotel rooms these days. BUT I don't really stay in that many hotels since I live here.
I never really liked Softbank's iPhone deal. Unlimited internet access and an iPhone! The phone was locked and these days Internet access is getting cheaper and cheaper. TIP: Bring your own unlocked smartphone, or buy a used one in Japan.
In the early days I DID have wifi on my phone and with some stealth ninja wardriving, I was able to find places where I could connect when I really needed to.
The fantastic news is that free Internet access is available now from a lot (not all at time of writing this) of JR and subway train stations. JR trains supposedly three hours at a time, and the subway for fifteen minutes (but you can log back in up to five times).
JR's access point is "JR-EAST_FREE_Wi-Fi", and Tokyo Metro is "Metro_Free_Wi-Fi". It requires that you register with an email address, but it's quick and painless (ie. English too), so if you're coming to Tokyo you won't be missing any Facebook updates. Ha Ha!
Incidently, there is also free wifi at Narita and Haneda Airports too.
Posted by Jimmy In Japan at 1:34 am 1 comments
Tuesday, 6 August 2013
ANA Maintenance Tour
Like the recent G-Cans excursion, I'm open to ideas that cost little or no money. Enter stage left, the ANA maintenance tour!
To get there you have to get the Tokyo monorail from Hamamatsucho to Shin Seibijo (470 yen). (Hamamatsucho is on the Yamanote line so it's really easy to find your way there.) From the station it's a five or so minute walk to the ANA building. It's NOT the ANA building you see as you exit the station. Give yourself at least one hour leaving from central Tokyo.
We arrived there for our 1pm tour. Most of the people were kids today. They commenced with a talk and video about the different kinds of aircraft and how planes fly. It's all in Japanese but I got the gist and the music was better than the other G-cans video presentation. I was getting a bit of Top Gun vibe here. This part lasted about forty minutes.
Next we were given hair nets and blue helmets to proceed to the maintenance area. All up the tour lasted about an hour and a half. The tour guides were very generous, allowing everyone time to take plenty of photos and didn't mind that we, meaning I, lagged behind a bit to take even more photos.
As a nice memento we were given a plastic airplane.
Like the G-Cans tour it is free, but MUST be pre-booked and gets booked out very heavily. Checking it now I see the first available day is in December! Don't give up hope though. There can be cancellations.
If you want to see something a little bit different this is an enjoyable day out. Not far away is the Haneda domestic airport so also a good (photo) opportunity for some plane spotting!
For reservations go to the ANA tour booking site (Japanese) here. Highly recommended.


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Welcome to NCIC & Awards 2012
- 2 courses
- 1 instructors
- 1 disciplines
View Summit Agenda
View Grid at a Glance
October 3rd, 4th & 5th Baltimore Maryland
- NCIC Venue
- The Baltimore Convention Center
1 West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 649-7000
Available Hotels:
Hyatt Regency Baltimore on the Inner Harbor - reservations available until 5pm Friday, September 14, 2012
Reservations: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/san1 or Call 1-888-421-1442
Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards - reservations available until 5pm Friday, September 14, 2012
Reservations: Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards or Call 1-800-228-9290 or 1-410-962-0202
- Post NCIC Courses
- Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards
110 South Eutaw Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
October 6th & 7th Baltimore Maryland
The 3rd Annual National Cybersecurity Innovation Conference & Awards will take place October 3 - 5, 2012 in Baltimore, MD, with post-conference training courses scheduled for October 6-7, 2012.
The 9 reasons nearly all the federal CISOs and CIOs are sending teams to the National Cybersecurity Innovation Conference (NCIC) and why security integrators and vendors view NCIC as the one program where they can find out what will happen next in federal cybersecurity and how broad international government consensus on the 20 Critical Controls is changing the way cybersecurity is acquired and deployed are listed below.
Here are just a few of the key policy changes and innovations they will learn about:
1. The Senior Federal Executive Panel: The Near Term Future of Federal Cybersecurity Strategy
Federal CIOs and White House cyber officials provide insight into the near term future for FISMA , continuous monitoring and mitigation, minimum standards of due care, NSTIC, NIST guidance and the 20 Critical Controls
2. Blocking Advanced Persistent Threat Techniques: The Breakthrough TTP (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures) for
Only one national government has found and implemented techniques that actually block both intrusion vectors exploited in nearly all targeted intrusions nicknamed APT. Cybersecurity executives from the lead agency that proved it worked at scale are coming to the US exclusively to speak at the NCIC and accept the 2012 US National Cybersecurity Innovation Award. They have also agreed to conduct an in-depth Q&A workshop so you can get the answers you need to replicate and build on their success.
3. Tony Sager on the New International Governance Consortium for the 20 Critical Controls
Recently retired NSA guru, Tony Sager will introduce you to the public private, international consortium that has taken over responsibility for ensuring the 20 Critical Controls are constantly up-to date with the changing cybersecurity threat picture.
4. Using the 20 Critical Controls in Security Architecture (at a Large Institution)
As the governments of the U.S., U.K., Australia and other allies achieve consensus on the most critical controls, security architects around the world are working diligently to ensure that these controls are built into systems when they are designed and delivered rather than trying to bolt them on. In this session the award-winning team that first showed how to build advanced security architectures using the 20 Critical Controls will show what they did and the lessons they learned along the way,
5. Who Discovered Low Cost Implementation Techniques for Continuous Monitoring and Mitigation
Two agencies have demonstrated that the extraordinary success of automated continuous monitoring and mitigation first proven at the U.S. Department of State can also be gained quickly and inexpensively in smaller organizations. They will show you the tools and techniques - some quite innovative - that they used.
6. How NSA's Non-Persistent Desktop Browsing Effectively Addresses The Rapidly Increasing Security Threat Stemming From Malicious Software
This previously hypothetical approach now has been shown to actually work to stop nation states, cybercrime, and rogue actors, from socially engineering people browsing the Internet to attack and penetrate systems. This is a first line of defense to stop the exfiltration of valuable information for profit or espionage.
7. How the Leading System Integrators are Making the 20 Critical Controls a Centerpiece of Their Cybersecurity Services
Two of the largest federal system integrators have found that the 20 Critical Controls are a good package to illuminate their cybersecurity capabilities. In this session they'll show you how they did that and discuss the impact it is having.
8. Which Security Tools Are Being Effectively Used in Automating the 20 Critical Controls
A series of panels will enable you to find the vendors with the right tools through user case studies where their tools are being used effectively in automating the 20 Critical Controls.
9. The Fall 2012 Updated Cybersecurity Threat Briefing
How have the attacks changed? What are the newest techniques? A fascinating peek inside the attackers' changing toolbox.
Co-located Keynotes and Expanded Expo Hall will Feature Leaders in Cybersecurity and Latest Technologies
The National Cybersecurity Innovation Conference will be co-located with top technology conferences to bring together the leading innovators and executives who are leading the charge, security solution/service providers and agency practitioners. These key players are on the front lines protecting our national cyber infrastructure, and the vendors and integrators who are building the innovative solutions that enable effective security.
The 8th Annual IT Security Automation Conference is the premier meeting of government and industry leaders shaping the future of security automation and continuous monitoring. This 3-day event will include tutorials, conference proceedings, workshops, opportunities to network and exchange ideas with your peers in the federal government and private industry sectors, and an exhibit hall that will offer a chance for the vendors of SCAP compliant tools to demonstrate how their technology meets the standards for developers, integrators and end-users.
Register here - https://itsac.g2planet.com/itsac2012/
The Trusted Computing Group Workshop and Demonstration offers demonstrated evidence that the TCG and its members provide industry accepted security solutions to any platform. Attendees learn how to use a hardware root of trust as an anchor for data leak and malware prevention; platform integrity; device and user identity; and network access.
The Solutions Track will be open to all attendees. Sessions will be hosted by sponsoring solution providers in the federal (and related) space and will highlight customers' innovative uses of technology in solving critical, security-related issues. The track will also explore emerging security trends and technology direction in response to these threats. The moderated panel format will encourage open dialog and Q&A among audience members, panelists and vendors.
Available Courses
|MGT433: Securing The Human: Building and Deploying an Effective Security Awareness Program
Lance Spitzner
|National Cybersecurity Innovation Conference


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UK injectable heroin trial reports remarkable progress with "entrenched" addicts
The RIOTT (randomised injectable opioid therapy trial) project run by the Institute of Psychiatry in London presented an initial overview of its data at a conference this week. The trial compared treatments using optimised oral methadone, injectable methadone and injectable diamorphine (pharmaceutical heroin).
The clients came from a "hard-to-treat" population who had benefitted little from conventional oral methadone treatments. While all three trial treatments proved effective, the injectable heroin group made the greatest gains, especially in terms of the primary outcome measure of abstinence from street heroin. Clients also made notable gains in terms of reduction in crime and in health and social functioning. The trial director, Professor John Strang, said that the results were "quite spectacular" and called for wider availability of the treatment modality.
The RIOTT study adds to a growing and increasingly powerful evidence base for Heroin Assisted Treatment. Read more.


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Twitter may be the next MySpaceMarch 27, 2014: 1:29 PM ET
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul R. La Monica. Other than Time Warner, the parent of CNNMoney, Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie, La Monica does not own positions in any individual stocks.
Maybe Ellen DeGeneres broke Twitter after all?
I'm being glib (that's for you Tom Cruise and Matt Lauer!) of course. The fact that shares of Twitter (TWTR) are down more than 15% since the selfie seen around the world is a coincidence. As Twitter phenom @ritholtz (and pretty much every economics and statistics professor) is fond of saying, correlation is not causation.
And Twitter was falling even before the Academy handed out the golden statues. Shares are down almost 30% this year! That makes it the second-worst performer in CNNMoney's Tech 30 index. Only Sina (SINA), which owns Chinese Twitter equivalent (and future IPO) Weibo, has fallen harder.
Still, Twitter's post-Oscars slide is quite astonishing. After all, the Academy Awards telecast was more like a three-and-a-half hour infomercial for Twitter than it was a celebration of the best movies of 2013.
But Twitter has not benefited from all the praise that the dance-loving voice of everybody's favorite animated blue tang fish lavished on it.
Twitter has a bigger problem than some of its most popular tweets disappearing. That glitch appears to be fixed as Ellen's start-studded tweet is back on Twitter after mysteriously vanishing earlier this week.
But Twitter's market value continues to disappear. Why? Simply put, it seems that investors have come to the realization that the company may not be the next Facebook (FB) or Google (GOOG) after all.
Even though it seems like you can't turn on the television or go online without some promotional hashtag hitting you in the face (hello #MarchMadness), I think Twitter remains an enigma to most people. The user numbers (reported by the companies themselves) bear that out.
Facebook has more than 1.2 billion active monthly users. And that doesn't include Instagram or any new users it may acquire when the WhatsApp purchase is complete.
Twitter has "only" 241 million active monthly users. The often-maligned Google+ has more than twice as many as Twitter: 540 million.
Making matters worse, Twitter is no longer adding users at a breakneck clip. The number of users rose less than 4% sequentially in the fourth quarter.
Related: Twitter forecasts slowing sales growth
So it's understandable that the stock is now in a curse word synonymous with toilet that rhymes with Twitter. (Sorry. I have a 4-year old boy. Potty humor is the height of comedy these days.)
And Twitter has so far failed to diversify as Google and Facebook have done. That's a problem.
Sure, Twitter has Vine. But short videos are not exactly a quantum leap from short blog posts.
The new photo sharing and tagging tools on Twitter are also more evolutionary than revolutionary ... and they appear to be a more a case of Twitter playing catch-up with Faceboook and Instagram.
Twitter's foray into music has been a disaster as well. The company is shutting down its #TwitterMusic app and the Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday that the company is working on a new music strategy.
It's clear that investors want Twitter to do something beyond selling ads tied to Promoted Tweets and Trends. When's the last time you actually clicked on something labeled Promoted, by the way?
Related: New tool for market junkies on Twitter
But Twitter is in a tough spot. Unless it has a great internal idea, it probably will need to buy some hot start-up ... just like Google and Facebook are. How can it successfully do that though?
Because of its sagging share price, its stock is no longer as appealing a currency to use for acquisitions as it might have been shortly after its IPO. (Remember the glory days of Twitter above $70 a share?)
Twitter also has just $2.2 billion in cash -- a small fraction of what Facebook and Google have. And while Yahoo (YHOO) has a big payday ahead of it with its stake in the upcoming Alibaba IPO, Twitter has ... nada.
Related: Marissa Mayer's war chest to grow
Twitter's growing pains wouldn't be that big of a concern if the stock were trading at a more reasonable valuation. But it is still insanely expensive.
Twitter trades at 220 times 2015 earnings estimates. That's absurd. Twitter is actually expected to post a profit this year ... but just a penny per share. So it's 2014 P/E is an even more laughable 4,600.
Now I can hear the grumbling from the momentum stock peanut gallery already about how profits don't matter for a relatively new tech company. Okay. Let's look at a price-to-sales ratio. Twitter is still no bargain.
The stock trades at 21 times estimated revenues for 2014. Google is valued at 5 times 2014 sales projections. Facebook's price-to-sales ratio using 2014 revenue estimates is 13.
Related: Facebook and Google are in a tech cold war
Hopefully Twitter will figure out a way to get more users interested in the service and also expand the experience beyond the Twitter platform. I truly love Twitter. You might say I'm addicted to it ... between the hours of 7:30 am to 4:30 pm on Mondays through Fridays at least.
Yet the more I use Twitter and realize how little I engage with the promoted stuff, I fear that the company could eventually suffer the same sad fate of MySpace and Friendster.
I'm not suggesting that Twitter start buying drone manufacturers and virtual reality device makers.
But give Facebook some credit. It realizes that it can't just be a social media company dependent on the fickle whims of advertisers if it wants to remain relevant.
I'm not sure Twitter has figured that out yet.
I'm the boy with the poetry power ... and Reader Comment of the Week! Meta alert. The next few paragraphs would not be here if Twitter did not exist.
First, I need to give a shout-out to a follower who quickly identified the band behind the lyric of my sweet-tooth themed Name that Tune challenge in honor of the King Digital (KING) IPO.
Correct, Jeff. Congrats. Although a more appropriate Jeff Tweedy song title to describe the King IPO might be Wishful Thinking. Or Poor Places.
Sticking with the Candy Crush Saga theme, one follower noted that while it may not have been good to be the KING yesterday, another publicly traded monarch was doing just fine.
Ha! Maybe King and Burger King should do a joint venture. Whopper Wipeout Saga?


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Courtesy of CNN
Apparently what happens in Vegas stays there … until your lawyer finds out about it.
Such is the lesson Janeane Garofalo and writer/producer Rob Cohen reportedly learned when they discovered they'd been married for the past 20 years, and just didn't know it.
According to the New York Post's Page Six, Garofalo recently recounted the scenario during the "Ben Stiller Show" reunion at the New York Comedy Festival. The 44-year-old comedic actress said that she married Cohen, a former writer for the "Ben Stiller Show," in Vegas as a joke, not realizing that the marriage was the real deal.
"Rob and I got married, for real, which we had to have a notary dissolve not 30 minutes before we got here tonight," Garofalo said Saturday. "We were married for 20 years until this evening."
It all began the way most things happen in Vegas (or so we hear): with plenty of drinks.
"We got married drunk …. We dated for a year, and we got married at a drive-through chapel in a cab," she recalled. "[We thought] you have to go to the downtown courthouse and sign papers and stuff, so who knew? We were married, and apparently now that [Rob] is getting married for real, his lawyer dug up something."


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How Do You Invest in Digital Art?
Auction houses are entering the market for digital art, but how does one invest in art that's so easy to replicate? Jennifer Maloney joins Digits.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... all last is going don't know when to hold the keys and digital off welcome to Digits I'm Simon Constable and John Malone The Wall Street felons and it's one that will soon is ... now investing in works thank you for being as good a very long time since tombstone ... didn't see it ... last month Philips Philips's LED number three auction house ... no missing the point is unlawful they can sell it now houses one right ... says the pecking order auction house then back physical space the show where they auction on ... the live auction and ... they are ... taking an active foray into the world of digital art ... and they're planning to ... to partner with tumbler the bombings ... to to launch their first effort to sell art auction ... but this is the opening hole in its character and an unhappy with the euro brand new logistics ... had the cell work that exists on line for example ... last Friday U ... P conditions had he set the prices for works that will continue to live on line even after ... the owner the stomach lining and ... let's go ... through some of the stuff you knew you call it aam great example when you sort ... of court right thumb to reach the worshippers it's ... Cartwright is on one of these artists that has created a huge following on line ... aam ... she has produced is webcam videos to post them on YouTube ... she actually sets a formula for pricing each artwork based on the number ... of YouTube you this ... this is one of the things that Philips is having to contend with ... a setting a price at auction ... in a range that incorporates this formula that she has created a candidate he's Apple TV is that that that something was like fourteen hundred bucks and has ... fifty six hundred ... hundred use of this great and and the more views and that's without ... the high and will be number one other things on a Novo aunts is that ... while on the phone is based on its pizza limits of mass like it because if if I'd paint a copy of the castle while I do it ... it will still momentum but the cast of himself and affordable p one plus the methods with which it was a ... with this with digital you can find the tentacle function of its absolutely had to try ... so how ... did he does a manicure on limited houses analysts ... said ... and ... fine art photography ... EU might curse as a pretext that is one of the addition of four or ten or twenty ... a lot of these works were operating similar way where the artist enters into contact with the buyer saying I will only sell ... X number of editions can be on that I will make any available ... deliverance and with with with that offer free sometimes it's a big ... one when you'll be of the asset that these to cut them into something negative was gone ... they couldn't happen right ... the Dubitsky massive magnate next to the ALM that that finally does is ... they're creating new contacts adding to figure out how to rewrite contracts ... so that would protect the buyer an artist and aam in some ... cases though even it then and ... artists cells in addition where you go home with media additional filing USB drive ... on the horse drawn ... on whether ... the banking team to live on line and the Yeovil to the public which is different ... from the traditional idea of an artwork that you have in your home or your gallery ... and public can see it unless you get permission ... and ... with some unease and keep the people who fly half to keep ... a website going as well see if the faith rightly city becomes MON s of the liability is this possible ... right so there's an artist to create websites nice website exists on its own domain name ... I'm keen and cells that remain until a buyer but the buyer has signed a contract saying that the buyer will ... at ... every new annually that coming in and keep it ... available to the public see you on to something that is public and I guess we when we know how an enforceable is that is until somebody ... doesn't do of a seventy two managers to cool but ... because that's what we really done ... a bow the testing and this is in the court system typically if the cancer that yes the court would have to evaluate the contact ... with an interesting stuff aam I tell you ten to minus OUE Ubuntu live novice of the settlement right idea ... well ... there are full of fall ... this thing is the cheaper options out there watching me like the six of the ... digital artists already have done for auction ... at ... over in a million bucks for pricing artwork so is deafening expanding market in something lots Ben Phillips is leading the way that thank you Brian much Jennifer bought me ... back to Digits I'm Simon Constable ... and this is doubly SJ lie ...


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October 2, 2015: Further to AAVSO Alert Notice 511, issued in March 2015, Dr. George Rieke (University of Arizona) and colleagues' campaign to monitor planetary debris disks for variability using the Spitzer Space Telescope continues. AAVSO observations are requested to rule out variability of the stars themselves.
The second segment of observations of the four targets takes place from now into January 2016 according to the schedule below.
Campaign continued through 2017 at least. Also, campaign updated in AAVSO Special Notice #408 (20151002).
March 13, 2015: Dr. George Rieke (University of Arizona) and colleagues have requested AAVSO assistance in monitoring four stars with developing planetary systems. The targets are RZ Psc, HD 15407A, V488 Per, and HD 23514. This campaign is similar to the one conducted in 2013 (see AAVSO Alert Notice 482).


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First In - First Out: Principle
In FIFO configuration (First In - First Out), the pallets are loaded in the gravity lanes on the entry side (the highest point). The slope then carries the pallets from the loading point to the retrieval point. When a pallet is unloaded, the next pallet automatically takes its place thereby ensuring that the goods are constantly available.
FIFO stock management guarantees stock rotation as the first pallet to be loaded in a lane is the first pallet available at the picking face on the retrieval side. This management method is particularly efficient for perishable goods.


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LUXEMBOURG -- Europe made little progress Tuesday in its efforts to secure the region's stricken financial system and ensure that failing banks never risk an entire country's economy again when finance ministers from the 27-country European Union failed to agree on how a single banking supervisor should be set up.
A handful of countries made a small breakthrough at a meeting of ministers in Luxembourg, deciding to impose a tax on financial transactions in the hopes of curbing risky, speculative trades and perhaps even creating a fund that could be used to help banks in trouble. The 11 countries that support the tax still have to hammer out exactly how it will work and submit it for approval.
But the ministers were still blocked on larger issues of how the 17 countries that use the euro will move closer together economically and politically _ something they all agree is vital to the future of their currency.
Spain's finance minister, Luis de Guindos, said that only bold action would remove fears for the eurozone and that only once those fears were removed would concerns subside about his own country, which many fear may need a bailout. Spain has been coming under pressure to take up the European Central Bank's offer of buying up a country's bonds to help keep its borrowing costs down. The ECB's offer comes with strict conditions and the Spanish government is working hard to make sure those conditions will not mean further austerity measures. The country has already asked for help for its banks.
De Guindos would not say if his country was preparing to ask for a full bailout, calling the issue "delicate".
"It's logical that if there are doubts about the future of the euro, all those countries that the markets are focused on shows this uncertainty on their spreads," he told reporters, referring to the difference in interest rates charged on a struggling country's bonds and the rate of a more financially secure country such as Germany.
Progress was slow as ministers continued to debate the fine points of how Europe's banks should be supervised and how much help they can be given by the European bailout fund.
Europe is in its third year of its financial crisis, brought on in part by overspending and excessive government debt. Recessions in several countries have worsened the problem, and EU leaders have struggled to solve the twin problems of too much debt and too little growth.
Banks have played a big role in creating the eurozone's financial crisis. The government debt the banks had bought up during the boom times of the eurozone is now no longer considered a safe bet and the banks are struggling to unload it _ usually at hefty losses. Governments have been forced to step in to prop the banks up in many cases. But rescuing banks is expensive and has added to investors' concerns that European countries are simply spending too much.
The challenge now is to break this vicious cycle. Several countries want Europe's new permanent bailout fund _ the European Stability Mechanism _ to have the power to hand money to banks directly, rather than lending it through national governments as it does now.
Leaders have agreed that for that to happen, the ECB must be put in charge as the supervisor of the banks. Many countries are pushing for that to happen by the end of the year. But some countries, like Germany and the Netherlands, are dragging their feet and also quibbling over which banks would be eligible.
"It is clear that the current state is not yet a solution. Work has to continue," said German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble. "Quality supervision must take priority over an unrealistic timeframe."
But Commissioner Michel Barnier, whose portfolio includes banking, stuck to his original timetable, which is supported by France, notably.
"We want to reach a political decision by the end of the year," Barnier told reporters after the meeting.
His call was echoed by ECB President Mario Draghi who told a European Parliament hearing in Brussels on Tuesday that the region must push ahead with making the bank a common banking supervisor. And he pressed them to go further and create a Europe-wide bailout fund to keep bank failures from wrecking government finances.
The fund would put Europe in a position "where we could afford to let fail an important institution," Draghi said, and avoid losses to taxpayers or the kind of disruption that followed the failure of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers in 2008.
"You need to have a common resolution framework, which you don't have now," Draghi said.
Meanwhile, 11 countries agreed to coordinate the implementation of a financial transaction tax: Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. They still need to work out the details, though the EU Commission has suggested that trades in bonds and shares be taxed at 0.1 percent and trades in derivatives be taxed at 0.01 percent. Other countries could join later if they want to.
It's still unclear exactly how the funds raised would be used, although some supporters of the tax have suggested they could create a security net for banks and help to fund the EU's budget.
France and Germany, which led the charge for the tax, had originally hoped it would be adopted by the whole European Union _ but several countries, like the Britain and the Netherlands, expressed concern about its economic impact.
As was expected, the finance ministers also approved a break for Portugal on its deficit reduction targets. The country, which is funding itself with a (EURO)78 billion bailout _ will reduce its deficit to 4.5 percent next year and 2.5 percent in 2014. It was originally supposed to be under 3 percent by 2013.
David Montero and David McHugh contributed to this report. Don Melvin can be reached at http://twitter.com/Don_Melvin and Sarah DiLorenzo can be reached at http://twitter.com/sdilorenzo .


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The Chevrolet Impala embodies everything that s wrong with GM. It s not a bad car; it s just not a great one. The Impala struggles vainly to make a marque in a class filled with deeply-entrenched, top-notch competition. Road & Track s First Drive review of the new Chevrolet Impala embodies everything that s wrong with buff books. It s not an obsequious review; it s just not an honest one. Road & Track struggles vainly to maintain fading street cred in a new media world filled with editorially liberated content. In that sense, it s ironic that Shaun Bailey s apologia begins by harkening back to less demanding times...
Back in the 1960s, Chevrolet s Impala made sales records with sharp-styling, 6-person capacity and V8 power. Today s Impala is linked to the past only by its leaping antelope emblem. Although modern Impalas are completely different animals, Chevrolet s objective to provide classy, spacious and practical transportation has not been lost.
Bailey s lead displays all the emotionally repressed worthiness of corporate sales copy. The second sentence s focus on the big Chevy s leaping Impala seems carefully designed to tie-in with Chevrolet s current ad campaign, which animates the car s animism. Even if it s an unfortunate coincidence, Bailey s assertion that the new Impala has no significant connection to Impalas of yore is patently false — as he points out in the third sentence.
Immediately after this dull, dissonant start, Bailey deploys a familiar trick of the why good reviews happen to bad cars trade: stacking the deck.
The new Impala offers more of what the modern consumer wants: reliability, fuel economy, practicality, passenger space and a good air-conditioning system. Performance and the thrill of tackling a back road are not high on the list. The Impala and its competition are about the Interstate; room for the kids in the back seat and being a responsible adult. And the newest Impala is scads better that the previous-generation car and now a true competitor to the Honda Accord and Chrysler 300.
You can almost hear the page-swishing sound of thousands of enthusiasts bailing on Bailey. They don t need me to read between the lines on this one. They know exactly what happens next: the Impala scores highly in R&T s highly rigged competition. Besides, what enthusiast wants to wade through a car review as a responsible adult ? Luckily, Bailey dropped a curious crumb for OCD pistonheads: an insistence that a good air conditioning system rates higher on the modern (if elderly) buyer s list than performance. Hmmm.
In paragraph three, we learn that the new Impala is based on the old platform. So much for the no link to the past theory. Paragraph five serves-up an entire spinning platter of unintentional yucks, of the piercing-glimpse-into-the-obvious, damned-by-faint-praise variety. Bailey lauds the Impala for having separate knobs for volume and tuning (there s that pesky link to the past again), reveals that leather adds to the interior s appeal and discloses that the audio input jack is convenient for connecting any external audio device such as an MP3 player. So now you know.
Unfortunately, reality bites. When Bailey is forced to confront the Impala s engine issue, he resorts to another trusty avoidance technique: bait and switch. The moment after he mentions the base models ancient, asthmatic pushrod V6, the critic launches a discussion of the Impala SS and its V8. Of course, the leap lands Bailey straight in the front-wheel drive torque steer minefield — which he negotiates with all the blind bravado of a GM PR flack.
Although the Impala SS isn t rear-wheel drive, it s still a sporting sedan. Larger anti-roll bars, 18-inch wheels with 235/50R-18 Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires and stiffer springs see to that. The exhaust burble and rapid rate of acceleration let others know it, too.
Oh please. It takes more than a burble, some bolt-on bits and a few [unmeasured] accelerative bursts to convince readers that GM has transformed its plain vanilla wrong-wheel-drive sedan into something intoxicating enough to impress anyone, ever. Bailey knows this, but before he fights his predictable rear-guard (front drive) battle, he feels obliged to tell us that the Impala s standard air con coped in weather with a heat index of 120 degrees. (Hence the initial AC mention.) And they say GM lags behind the competition. Anyway, back to defending the indefensible
Though it s not exactly a competitor to Chrysler s SRT products, it s every bit as sporty as a Honda Accord or Chrysler 300C. Body roll is well controlled and tire noise is kept at bay while cornering hard. Front-wheel-drive burnouts are simple, but, thanks to traction control, not accidental.
Bailey s use of the word exactly is a perfect illustration of the reason why enthusiasts have lost faith in R&T. Anyone who reads a car magazine knows that the Chevy s SS isn't in the same performance universe as Chrysler s rear-wheel-drive 300C SRT-8. By making the comparison and throwing in the qualifier with such condescending insouciance, Bailey sacrifices any remaining credibility. To wit: where s the evidence for his assertion that the Impala can run with the Accord or 300C? The fact that the Impala produces minimal tire noise while cornering? And does anyone else think that a man who uses the words "scads" and kept at bay isn't the best person to judge the relative merits of front vs. rear burnouts?
In case you think my depiction of Bailey as a fusty, fork-tongued elitist is OTT, check out his conclusion:
While enthusiasts understanding the redeeming qualities of rear-wheel drive, the majority of consumers do not care. Does that mean R&T readers should ignore the Impala? Absolutely not. It s a fine car for your more normal friends and family; you know, the ones who would never consider forgoing the highway for that time-consuming (though much more fun) twisty two-lane stretch. But when you take them to the Chevy dealer to check out the new Impala, make sure you take a test drive of the new SS yourself.
Here s an idea: let s not, and say we didn t. Instead, let s spare a moment to mourn the passing of GM, and those who spend their precious moments on planet Earth bending over backwards for The General s benefit.
[Jalopnik s Between the Lines column parses the rhetoric of the automotive industry, and the media that covers it, from the point of view of that kid at the back of the class with ADD, a genius IQ and a thirst for mayhem.]
Between the Lines: Road & Track s Bentley Supplement [internal]


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Consider a commutative group $G$ of finite type, a subgroup of finite index $H\subseteq G$, a noetherian commutative ring $A$, and a $G$-graded $A$-algebra $R=\bigoplus_{g\in G}R_g$ with no zero-divisors, and denote by $R_H=\bigoplus_{g\in H}R_g$ the degree restriction of $R$ to $H$.
It is well-known that if $R$ is of finite type over $A$, then so is $R_H$. So, we can ask whether the following statement is true:
(+) If $R_H$ is of finite type over $A$, then so is $R$.
Using the fact that $R$ is integral over $R_H$, one can show that (+) holds in the following two cases:
$R_H$ is integrally closed and the field of fractions of $R$ is a separable extension of the field of fractions of $R_H$;
$R_H$ is a japanese ring (see EGA 0$_{\rm IV}$.23).
In particular, (+) holds if $A$ is universally japanese, e.g. excellent, e.g. of finite type over a field.
My question is now as follows:
Is there an example where (+) does not hold?


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Sultan's Pleasure
(Hunkar Begendi - Ottoman Kitchen)
Lamb ingredients:
750 gr boneless lamb stew chunks
2 cups water
1 onion, sliced
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped
1 large tomato, seeds removed and diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 tbsp crushed tomato
Eggplant ingredients:
1 kg eggplant
3 cups water with juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
2 tbsp mozzarella, grated
First cook lamb with 2 cups of water. While cooking, remove the foam from surface as it forms. When there is little water left, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat. Add the cubanelle pepper, tomato, crushed tomato, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium-low heat. Keep an eye on the water during this time, if there's none left, add a bit more.
Heat the oven on broil. Before putting in the oven, make holes on the eggplants with a fork so that it will soften and cook better. Then place on the tray and roast for about 35 minutes, or until the eggplants soften. Then, peel the eggplants with a knife (picture) and cut off the tops (picture). Remove any hard and large pulp inside the eggplants. Put the water with lemon juice and salt in a large bowl. Soak the eggplants in it, so that their colour won't be dark later. Drain and squeeze with your palms after a few minutes.
Melt the butter in a large pot, then add flour, salt and pepper (picture). Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until blended well. Put in the eggplants (picture) and mash with a fork (picture). Slowly pour in the milk and beat with a small egg beater (picture). Make sure there are no big eggplant pieces left. Pour in the mozzarella and beat again (picture).
Place the mashed eggplants on a serving dish with the center empty as shown here. Put the lamb in the center. Serve while still warm.
This recipe is one of the most popular and traditional dishes in Turkish cuisine. The name, "Hunkar Begendi", literally means "The Sultan liked it".
Labels: Lamb- Beef -Veal


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In beginner strength training the way it is usually recommended, how much is soreness, DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), and inflammation associated with the productive muscle breakdown that creates stronger muscle as one recovers?
Put another way, how much pain is necessary for strength gains? Bonus points for describing optimal training with minimum soreness while still making progress.


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Chrysler: Romney's statement that Jeep production is moving to China is 'not true'
Chrysler Group LLC's top executive said any statements by presidential candidate Mitt Romney suggesting the company was moving Jeep production from its assembly complex in Toledo, Ohio was simply not true.
"Chrysler Group's production plans for the Jeep brand have become the focus of public debate," Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a statement on Tuesday.
"I feel obliged to unambiguously restate our position: Jeep production will not be moved from the United States to China," he continued. "Jeep assembly lines will remain in operation in the United States and will constitute the backbone of the brand. ... It is inaccurate to suggest anything different."
Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has begun running ads in Ohio, stating Chrysler planned to move Jeep production to China. Analysts described the ads as part of Romney's efforts to pry the state's pivotal 18 electoral votes from President Barack Obama.
Obama's support of the 2009 auto bailout has been central to his effort to line up support in Ohio, particularly among blue collar workers.
In contradicting the assertions in the Republican ads, Marchionne said North American production was critical to reaching Chrysler's goal of selling 800,000 Jeep vehicles by 2014.
"In fact, U.S. production of our Jeep models has nearly tripled since 2009 in order to keep up with global demand," he said.
The production of Jeep models is expected to be up 185 percent.
In his statement, Marchionne said, "We also are investing to improve and expand our entire U.S. operations, including our Jeep facilities. The numbers tell the story. We will invest more than $1.7 billion to develop and produce the next generation Jeep SUV, the successor of the Jeep Liberty -- including $500 million directly to tool and expand our Toledo Assembly Complex and will be adding about 1,100 jobs on a second shift by 2013."
"At our Jefferson North Assembly Plant, where we build the Jeep Grand Cherokee, we have created 2,000 jobs since June 2009 and have invested more than $1.8 billion."
Marchionne said that, with the increase in demand for Chrysler vehicles, especially Jeep branded vehicles, more than 11,200 U.S. jobs have been added since 2009.
Plants producing Jeep branded vehicles alone have seen the number of people invested in the success of the Jeep brand grow to more than 9,300 hourly jobs from 4,700. This will increase by an additional 1,100 as the Liberty successor, which will be produced in Toledo, is introduced for global distribution in the second quarter of 2013.
Marchionnne also said Chrysler will expand Jeep production in China.
"We are working to establish a global enterprise and previously announced our intent to return Jeep production to China, the world's largest auto market, in order to satisfy local market demand, which would not otherwise be accessible," he said. "Chrysler Group is interested in expanding the customer base for our award-winning Jeep vehicles, which can only be done by establishing local production. This will ultimately help bolster the Jeep brand, and solidify the resilience of U.S. jobs."
He continued, "Jeep is one of our truly global brands with uniquely American roots. This will never change. So much so that we committed that the iconic Wrangler nameplate, currently produced in our Toledo, Ohio plant, will never see full production outside the United States."
American Motors, the company once headed by Romney's father, began building Jeeps in China in the early 1980s. Chrysler took over the venture in 1987 when it acquired AMC.
After Chrysler's 1998 merger with Daimler-Benz, what was the Beijing Jeep venture became the center for the launch of production of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in China.
After Daimler sold Chrysler to Cerberus in 2007, the German automaker retained its ownership of the Beijing Jeep venture, which effectively shut Chrysler out of the China, which is now the largest automotive market in the world.


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Toy guitars, laser tag, and fairy dolls are all tried and true playthings, but toy maker WowWeeis betting it can take these concepts and put a new twist on them with a little help from technology.
It's a formula that has worked for them in the past.
Last Christmas, Paper Jamz stood out as one of a handful of really hot toys. The product line featured cardboard-thin guitars, drum sets and amplifers with touch sensors that allowed kids and adults to either play along with a pre-loaded song or freestyle on their own.
The product's price as well as its novel look and feel helped win it numerous fans. All the while, WowWee grabbed more store shelf space—a sure sign of its success.
"Last year was massively successful because of Paper Jamz," said Marc Rosenberg, a spokesman for the company.
Rosenberg attributed the company's success to its ability to be nimble and flexible and create a toy that offered an opportunity for a lot of playtime at a very low price.
This year, WowWee's not content to sit still with the Paper Jamz brand. The company is rolling out a line of "Pro-Series" guitars and drums as well as a microphone that helps autotune a person's voice as they sing. The best part of these products israther than having one or two pre-set songs, as the original Paper Jamz had, songs can be downloaded from a computer.
But Paper Jamz isn't the company's only priority. This year, it's also bringing two other brands to market, Light Strike, a laser tag game, and Lite Sprites, a line of fairy dolls.
Notably, none of these products costs more than $40 each. That's a huge difference from the product that sealed WowWee's reputation as a leader in robotics, Robosapian. The product was the first commericially available biomorphic robot, and it broke new ground when it was introduced in 2004.
However, in the wake of the recession, consumers don't have much of an appetite for $300, or even $100, robotic toys.
Paper Jamz is a good example of how WowWee found a way to take technology and commercialize it in an affordable way. The sensors used helped to make the product thinner and more responsive to the motions required to play a guitar.
Their microphone, which is expected to hit store shelves in August, also does a great job of improving a person's singing performance as they are singing—a point the company will be demonstrating at numerous marketing events this summer at Six Flags amusement parks in six cities in the U.S. and Canada and at minor league baseball games across the country, and on Radio Disney.
WowWee is also putting this strategy to work for Light Strike and Lite Sprites in order to get the word out, and it hopes, create excitement for the products, ahead of their launches in late July and August. The events should help because the "wow" factor of these two products may be a little harder to communicate than it was for Paper Jamz.
But there have been some positive reviews. Rosenberg said retailer support for Light Strike has been "phenomenal."
Tech blog Engadget described Light Strike as laser tag with a "Paper Jamz aesthetic," but WowWee's corporate pitch describes it as a way to bring "video game action into the real world."
One example of how it does that is by providing a player's health status on the guns. That's a detail that is very common in the videogame world, but not as common in other laser tag games.
The line includes a set of laser tag guns, which are priced starting at about $40, and accessories that feature fingerprint ID, long-range LED targeting, built-in health and ammo meters, and the ability to play with as many as four teams of unlimited size.
With Lite Sprites, the main attraction is a wand that is capable of picking up the color from any flat surface and transfering it to the Lite Sprite dolls and playsets.
Without the wand and the technology behind it, the toy might not be too much different from other fairy playsets. But the wand attempts to add a magical touch to captivate the imaginations of the young girls who make up the target audience for this product.
In order to do this, several patented technologies are being combined to detect the colors from surfaces and convery the color signal into a form that can be transmitted wirelessly to the toys and from toy to toy.
This week, WowWee is expected to launch a website that will help flesh out the stories of the characters in the product line. The site will tell the tale of four faires—Prisma, Meadow, Astra, and Brook—who live in Lite-Topia. There also is a fourth fairy, Bleak, who is a rebel and rejects color and uses her "powers" to disrupt the color of Lite-Topia.
To help explain all this, the company tapping into its network of bloggers, who will host pajama parties where girls aged four to nine years old can view a video that also tells the characters' stories, giving the kids a place to jump off from with their own tales they will create as they play.
Building buzz in the summer months is becoming a crucial part of how well toy sales fare in the months leading up to the all-important Christmas holiday season, when the bulk of toy sales occur.
And without a license such as Walt Disney's Tinker Bell to provide an automatic fan base from which to draw, Lite Sprites has a real challenge ahead of it.
But fortunately, in the wake of a big success such as Paper Jamz, retailers are often more likely to take a chance with a company's new product.
Then it's up to the kids to decide.
"You can't fool one seven-year-old and tell them that a toy is good if it's not," Rosenberg said.
Questions? Comments? Email us at email@example.com. Follow Christina Cheddar Berk on Twitter .


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By DAVID GREEN
It was the toughest call Morenci coach Scott Clark was ever forced to make: calling off a match in the state finals, when his own son was wrestling.
"It wasn't a call I wanted to make," Clark said Monday.
But only about 30 seconds into the championship bout of the 140-pound weight class, the referee came over to Clark and asked if his wrestler was all right.
Clark knew he wasn't. Jeffery Nofziger, the Bulldogs' top wrestler this season, suffered a shoulder injury in the semifinals the night before and he was obviously hurting.
"He's wrestled through pain in the past, so we had to give him a shot," Clark said.
Nofziger made it through two rounds and wanted to go for more, but Coach Clark had seen all he could take. The match was halted in an injury default and Nofziger learned later that he tore a shoulder muscle in the rotator cuff.
Nofziger advanced to the finals but never really had the chance to try for the top spot.
"He didn't have an overpowering opponent," Clark said. "Jeff just couldn't do anything with one arm."
Nofziger opened the tournament with an impressive 22-5 technical win against Kaleb Myer (38-20) of Dansville. Next came William Hodge (28-4) of Bangor and Nofziger posted an 8-1 victory.
The score shows a clear win for Nofziger, but the tall, lanky Hodge put up a challenge.
"His height made it more difficult for me," Nofziger said. "I'm used to wrestling shorter kids."
Nofziger's favorite match of the weekend came in the semifinals when he faced Cassopolis senior Cory Lowe (45-4).
"He was pretty tough, but I got three takedowns on him," Nofziger said.
Nofziger took the match 12-3, and it brought a special feeling: "I realized I was that close to reaching my dream."
But before the match ended, Lowe was on top and Nofziger was working hard to escape.
"I was trying to get out and stretched my arm and it popped," Nofziger said. "I still had a lot of adrenaline so I didn't really feel it. I just hung in for the last three minutes."
He still scored six more points and when the match ended, medics at the Palace suspected a shoulder displacement.
But the damage was done, Clark said. You just can't wrestle with one arm and Aaron Smith (50-4) of Mio claimed the top spot.
Up until the finals, Nofziger never gave up a point other than those he gave away through intentional escapes.
"That was a good run," Clark said. "I figured he could end up in the top three."
He finished his senior season with a 37-4 mark, with two losses coming from state champs.
DUSTIN ROLLER—Morenci's 130-pound junior, Dustin Roller, didn't come up with a win at the state tournament, but he showed some skills at the Palace.
"He looked good in both matches," Coach Clark said. "He wasn't outclassed. He proved that he belonged there."
Roller missed five weeks of competition due to an injury and returned to action not long before qualifying tournaments got underway.
He opened action Thursday against Bronson senior Preston Lucas (32-8) who ended up fifth in the state.
"Dustin scored a take-down right off the whistle and almost had him on his back," Clark said.
Lucas recovered to score a 10-4 decision.
In his second match Friday, Roller took on Dansville senior Cody Mulhollen (41-13). Roller was trailing 4-7 when he was pinned in the final period. Mulhollen went on to place eighth.


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Connect with Your Elected Officials This Summer! - (July 2, 2010)
Washington, D.C. - Your advocacy in the coming weeks can strengthen federal support for orchestras and improve the perception of the performing arts among policymakers. Congress is set to take two summer breaks before returning to D.C. to make key policy decisions about tax incentives for charitable giving and art and education funding. Independence Day Recess runs through July 12, and the Summer Recess is August 9 through September 12. As Congress returns to home states and districts, meet with federal lawmakers and their staff to remind them of the vital benefits your orchestra provides in your community.
This effort is being undertaken in collaboration with the Performing Arts Alliance, so consider being in touch with other local performing arts organizations and coordinate to capture the attention of your members of Congress while they are back home. Click on one of the following issues to find key talking points prepared for you:
Key Issues
Music Education
Tax and 501(c)(3) Policy
Visa and Tax for Foreign Guest Artists
NEA Funding
Orchestras and Community Vitality
One of the best ways to convince elected officials of the public value of your orchestra is to show them - firsthand - an orchestra experience. Before inviting members of Congress to your events, brush up on the Congressional gift rules , crafted by the Performing Arts Alliance, of which the League is a founding member. As always, we invite you to share your advocacy stories with us and contact League Government Affairs staff with any questions.
Contact Congress Today!
The League is a member of the Performing Arts Alliance, a coalition of national performing arts service organizations dedicated to advocating for national policies that recognize, enhance, and foster the contributions the performing arts make to America


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What's in the exam?
- Pieces
- Scale requirements
- Sight-reading
- Aural tests
Latest exam updates
Practical Update
We appreciate how much the cancellation of our exams has affected learners and we are working hard on solutions to ensure learners can gain their qualifications at the earliest opportunity.
However, on the basis of official and local advice due to COVID-19, we have made the decision to cancel all Practical exams in Macau until further notice. This decision affects all 2020 bookings for Graded Music Exams, ARSM, Diploma, Choral Singing and Ensemble exams, but does not currently affect any bookings for Music Theory exams. Following this decision, we will process 100% refunds for all existing Practical exam bookings and our Representatives will provide further guidance in due course.
We are sorry for the impact on teachers and candidates and thank you for your loyalty and support while these restrictions remain in place. We are continuing to review when live Practical exams can resume in Macau and will offer them again at the earliest possible opportunity.
Our new remotely-assessed Performance Grades provide an alternative progression route for students during this period of disruption. The Performance Grades are equivalent to our Practical Grades in demand, recognition and value. They are based on the same repertoire and syllabuses, assessment criteria and quality assurance measures as our existing exams and will be assessed by the same highly trained examiners. Booking will open in Macau before the end of the year and you can record your video submission any time from now on. Find out more here.
Practice material for candidates preparing for Organ exams.
Practice material for students preparing for Organ exams.
Practice examples of the aural tests to use when preparing for an exam.


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Slumping Cespedes not in starting lineup
BALTIMORE -- Oakland left fielder Yoenis Cespedes has been struggling at the plate and got the day off in the series finale Sunday against Baltimore.
He went 0-4 in Saturday's 2-1 victory and is batting .227 with 20 homers and 58 RBIs.
"He's just having a little tough time right now," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "When you're grinding as hard as some guys are at this point of time in the season, and you're struggling some, sometimes a day off mentally just as much physically, you can benefit by it. I just felt he needed a day off the way he's been swinging the bat recently."
Melvin said one of Cespendes' issues is that he's been overaggressive at times and pitchers are adjusting to him. Melvin spoke to Cespedes about the day off and he did not have a problem with it.
In July, Cespedes became the first player to win the Home Run Derby after not being chosen to play in the All-Star Game.


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