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We know companies can grow too fast; it gets out of hand, they lose control and, eventually, the whole thing comes tumbling down. My favourite examples are still the ancient case of People Express in the 1980s (one of the first, and initially most successful low-cost airlines ever) and, a few years ago, Dutch retailer Ahold.
However, companies can also try too hard to grow. Hence, it is not that there's too much growth; there's no growth at all and that's precisely because they are trying to hard! Let me explain.
Pretty much everyone attempts to grow. And when we look at different "strategies for growth" – that is, where can growth come from – we usually get presented a list of options: You can diversify, innovate, add new products to your portfolio; partnerships can help you grow, etc. Do these well, and the resulting factor will be growth.
However, what we are often inclined to overlook is that growth in and of itself is simply a lot of work. That is, even when just doing more of the same thing – without adding company partnerships, innovations or diversifying into adjacent businesses – growth taxes a firm's management capacity. For example, you have to find and manage new customer relationships, add distribution capacity, recruit and train new people and business leaders, develop management systems for a larger organisation and workforce, etc. Growing a firm is a heck of lot of work.
Yet, the options to bring about further growth (innovations, partnerships, etc.) tax your management capacity too. Finding and maintaining new collaborations is a lot of work and requires much attention. So does managing the process of innovation, and developing and commercialising its output. Diversification, internationalization and acquisitions equally are a lot of work; you have to get to know new markets, products and customers; you have to work on integration and a newly formed organisational structure, manage increasingly complex management processes, etc. Doing all of it might just be too much of a good thing.
In a recent research project I evaluated the growth rate of firms in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. This industry is turbulent and fast-changing, with a lot of entry and exit into the market. There are large potential pay-offs, but the ongoing changes in the country's economy, population and medical system also make it unpredictable. It's a market with lots of opportunity for growth, but also quite a brutal one in terms of the uncertainty of how to do this.
I measured to what extent firms in this industry engaged in various strategic vehicles aimed at fostering growth: Diversification into adjacent markets, innovation, establishing partnerships and adding new product lines to one's portfolio. The results showed that, in isolation, each of these initiatives indeed stimulated growth; yet when used excessively or in combination they actually had a negative impact and hampered a firm's growth prospects.
Hence, stop trying so hard! You might do better...
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Too much of a good thing
We know companies can grow too fast; it gets out of hand, they lose control and, eventually, the whole thing comes tumbling down. My favourite examples are still the ancient case of People Express in the 1980s (one of the first, and initially most successful low-cost airlines ever) and, a few years ago, Dutch retailer Ahold.
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
CEOs and their stock options… (oh please…)
Do you know why we so often remunerate CEOs through stock options? Because we do; that 40-50 percent of a CEO's pay consists of stock options is nothing unusual.
Of course it is to tie a CEO's pay more closely to the performance of the firm s/he is heading. Inherent in the design of CEO pay packages is the assumption – driven by what is known as "agency theory" – that if you simply put them on a fixed salary, they will be lazy, won't take any risks and certainly won't do a thing that will only show up in the company's results years from now (and hence only benefit their successor). No, these CEO types really need some pay incentives closely tied to the long-term performance of their firms.*
So, we use stock options to tie their rewards to the long-term performance of the firm. However, that could also be done through other means (e.g. shares), right? Correct; we specifically use options to also make these CEO buggers more risk-seeking.
Say what?! (you might think) More risk-seeking? Is that really what we need?! Yes, this agency theory stuff, which determines how we design CEO pay packages, assumes that CEOs are more risk averse than shareholders typically would want them to be. Therefore, in order to stimulate them to take more risks, we reward them through options.*
But what sort of risk-taking does this really lead to? Because what agency theory has not really acknowledged and explored is that there are various types of risk. Some risks may be good; some are not so good… Are we sure these stock options lead to sensible risk-taking?
No I am not so sure. Also because two strategy professors actually measured this stuff: Gerry Sanders from Rice University and Don Hambrick from the Penn State University. They examined 950 American CEOs, their stock options and their risk taking behavior. They found that CEOs with many stock options made much bigger bets; for instance, they would do more and larger acquisitions, bigger capital investments and higher R&D expenditures. That is, where CEOs with few stock options would prefer to invest $50m in a particular project, they would plunge in a $100m.
However, in addition, they would bet (that rather substantial amount of) money on things that had much higher variability. That is, if there was a project that could make them win or lose 20% of the sum invested and another project that could make them win or lose 50%, they would pick the latter; big bets with lots of variance.
Yet, I guess those could still be regarded "good risks". Gerry and Don, however, also found something else: Option-loaded CEOs delivered significantly more big losses than big gains…! They would more often lose than win the big bets. Surely that is not something anyone would want.
And why is that? Well, through these stock options, you have created individuals at the helm of your firm who only care about upside, but can't be bothered with the size of the downside; whether they lose 10 million or a 100 million, their stock options are worthless anyway.
And I guess that's not something even the biggest risk-loving shareholder would applaud. Stock options lead to risk-seeking behaviour, but they're not always the risks you'd like them to take.
* Although it always makes me wonder whether, even if these incentives would work fine, you would really want a person like that – someone who needs those type of incentives – to be heading up your firm, or whether you then shouldn't look for someone who would also do the best they can if on a fixed salary...? But anyway; that's besides my current point.
* Options – the right to buy the company's shares at a pre-determined price – have large upside potential but very little downside risk; if by the time that the CEO can exercise the option the actual share price is £10 lower than what he can buy the share at, the option is worthless. Yet, it is equally worthless if the actual share price is £50 less. Worthless is worthless (no matter how far the share price has plummeted!). In contrast, if the actual share price is higher than the price at which he is allowed to buy, he makes money. If the share price is £10 higher, he makes 10; if the share price is £50 higher, he makes 50. Thus, stock options are thought to stimulate risk taking; the owner of the option has all the upside but very little downside.
Thursday, 18 December 2008
In a downturn, manage your revenues, not your costs
Here's a hypothesis:
In prosperous times, companies often fall victim to not being able to resist the many opportunities for growth that present themselves to them. In isolation, many initiatives with respect to new products, new markets or new customers look good but when pursued in combination they have a negative effect and hamper growth. Yet, wealthy firms find all these options difficult to resist precisely because in isolation they look so good. They have the funds to spare and therefore they are inclined to do too much of a good thing.
Andrew Grove, former CEO of Intel, understood this well. Their best-selling product – microprocessors – had endowed them with much cash to spare. However, he resisted temptations to spend it on other initiatives and entering adjacent businesses, telling his people "this is all a distraction; focus on job 1 [microprocessors]". It made them one of the most successful companies ever.
In a down-turn, companies should look different
However, companies in distress – such as in a downturn – often do the reverse. In academic research, we call this the "threat-rigidity" effect. They focus on their core business, shedding all other things, doing more of what they did before, and which they consider their strongest points, while trying to reduce their cost base to weather the storm, till it all blows over and they can come out of hibernation.
By itself, minimising one's cost base is never a bad idea (also in prosperous times!) but these companies forget one thing: You have to not only manage your costs; you also need to manage your revenues. And, what's more, the composition of a revenue base in lean times will have to look different from its composition when times are good. Where in happy times firms are often seduced to spread out too much, while they would be better off focusing on job 1, in meagre times firms are often inclined to focus too much, when diversifying one's revenue base makes more sense.
Accessing different pockets of revenue
So why does spreading one's revenue base in meagre times make more sense? It is, among others, because no job will be big enough to sustain the whole firm. What keeps firms afloat is accessing a variety of smaller pockets of revenues. Hence, rather than focus on job 1, hoping it will be enough to sustain the firm, the company's effort should be aimed at identifying and creating additional sources of revenue. In the downturn, none of these additional sources will be big enough by itself. Moreover, many of these sources would not be attractive in prosperous times, because the firm would not be able to make them grow. However, this is not a time of growth, but of survival.
A diversified revenue base will also reduce dependency and with it risk. In a downturn, the probability of individual sources drying up is large, so a firm can't afford to be focused on just one or a few of them.
But will searching for additional sources of revenue not be costly? If will not be costless but, by definition, it should not be expensive. Paradoxically, firms should not be focused on winning any big accounts, major new products or customers; they should aim for many smaller ones. They are relatively cheap to access and often the firm will already have knowledge about them; they shunned them in the past considering them too small to advance at the time.
Concurrently, this strategy of exploring multiple smaller pockets of revenue will equip firms well for the economic dawn, which will inevitably come. Their diverse revenue base has laid the foundation for new sources of growth. The firm will be able to quickly benefit from the upheaval in the economy. Many of the smaller pockets of revenue will stay small – and the firm would do well to shed quite a few of them – but the newly formed strategic landscape will be conducive to different sources of revenue than before. Although you can't tell beforehand which ones it will be, some of the small pockets of revenue will be the new stars on the firm's firmament.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Mental models – let's all think within the same box
The illustrious former chairman of IBM, Thomas Watson, once said "Whenever an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress stops". What he was speaking about was that successful firms find it very hard to change, for instance in response to changes in their business environment. (Unfortunately he is also the person who allegedly said "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers" so I would say "physician heal thyself"… but I guess that doesn't make him wrong about the first bit!)
This rigidity-due-to-success effect is partly a mental thing. Once something has brought us much success for a sustained period of time, we sort of forget that there are other ways of doing things. It may even be so bad that we don't spot the changes in our business environment at all anymore. However, let's not make the mistake to think that such strong mental models of how we go about doing our business are all bad. They also bring some pretty strong advantages. Consider the following:
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and the lsat ltteer are at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.
All of the above is clearly nonsense; they're not words at all, it is just gibberish. But something makes us able to read it without a problem; that's because all the right pieces of information are there (all the letters) and roughly in the right shape. Plus, the context (the sentence) makes sense to us. Then, our brain does the rest. We can perfectly understand it precisely because we have seen the individual elements (the words) before and understand the context.
It is the same in business situations; we can quickly grasp and interpret a particular issue if we understand the context and have seen similar problems and situations before. We don't have to reinvent the wheel every time we see a similar problem but can build on our experience.
Thus, forming mental models is how we learn; they enable us to make quick decisions without the need for complete information. This is a powerful thing to have for every organisation. You don't want all people thinking out of the box all the time; a coherent group of like-minded people with lots of common experience can be a very useful asset indeed.
The negative effects of common mental models – blindness to changes and viewpoints that don't fit the model; something known as "groupthink" – you can possibly overcome through smart organisational design. For example, I've seen large organisations that created multiple similar sub-units; each of them very coherent, but also very different from each other. They attempt to get the best of both worlds: coherence within units; diversity between them.
Hence, groupthink can be a good thing, as long as you make sure to have multiple groups…
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
"Framing contests": What really happens in strategy-making meetings
One of the first series of strategy-making meetings I ever attended was in a large newspaper company. I was basically a fly on the wall, watching the process unfold with the mixture of curiosity, puzzlement and amazement, like a Martian watching a cricket game (or so I imagine).
It quickly struck me that there seemed to be a number of pre-formed sub-groups, with their own opinion and agenda. You had the people who wanted to take the company public, those who thought they should diversify into other areas of business, those who thought they should become a "green company", and so on, and those who thought they shouldn't care out of a matter of principle.
Of course there were some political motives at play but mostly these people seemed genuinely convinced that their opinion was what was best for the future of the company. And, rather than coming up with new ideas, the strategy meetings seemed to consist of the various people trying to convince each other of their view of the company, its future and the changes required.
Many years later, I read the PhD dissertation work of Sarah Kaplan, a former McKinsey consultant turned Professor at the Wharton Business School. Sarah described such strategy-meetings as "framing contests". Framing contests, she said, concern "the way actors attempt to transform their personal cognitive frames into predominant collective frames through a series of interactions in the organization". And although I had to read that sentence a couple of times (before I endeavoured to even begin to believe that I had any clue what the heck she was talking about) it gradually struck me as quite accurate.
In strategy meetings, people try to convince each other by painting a mental image of the future; what would happen if they'd continue as is, and what could happen if they'd follow the course of action proposed by them. They might throw in some numbers based on "research" (put together long after they had made up their mind), and engage in spirited debate, complete with raised voices, rolling eyes and the occasional hand gesture.
And you would win the contest if, through a series of debates, you managed to convince others and get your view of the company and its future adopted as the dominant frame, defining how the organisation sees itself and what it is trying to achieve in the market.
And this may not be a bad way of doing things. I saw the same process unfold – quite successfully – in model train maker Hornby, where the debate centred on divesting, diversifying, investing more or outsourcing production to China (the latter faction won). Similarly, it famously led Intel, over the course of several years, to abandon its memory business in favour of microprocessors.
Former Intel chief executive Andy Grove said about this: "The faction representing the x86 microprocessor business won the debate even though the 386 had not yet become the big revenue generator that it eventually would become".
Stanford professor Robert Burgelman (who spent a life-time studying Intel), wrote about this same episode: "Some managers sensed that the existing organizational strategy was no longer adequate and that there were competing views about what the new organizational strategy should be. Top management as a group, it seems, was watching how the organization sorted out the conflicting views."
Later, Andy Grove concurred that that is what happened, and quite deliberately so: "You dance around it a bit, until a wider and wider group in the company becomes clear about it. That's why continued argument is important. Intel is a very open system. No one is ever told to shut up, but you are asked to come up with better arguments".
So next time you find yourself debating your company's strategy and future, realise you're in a framing contest. Your powers of persuasion will only be as good as your mental imagery.
Sunday, 7 December 2008
Spinning clients – the McKinsey effect
Some time ago I was having lunch with three McKinsey consultants and they started talking about how different all the people in their organisation were. I was watching them during this conversation and couldn't help but notice that they even looked alike... They spoke alike, dressed alike and, clearly, thought alike. What seem like huge differences within a group may be miniscule (or even non-existent) if you're an outsider looking in.
It actually reminded me of a scene in Monty Python's "Life of Brian", in which Brian looks out of his window and sees this huge crowd gathered in front of his house waiting for him to speak. And he shouts "you are all different!" After which they dutifully reply in chorus "yes, we are all different".
[Brian] "You are all individuals!" [Chorus] "Yes! We are all individuals!"
(I particularly like the guy who subsequently says "I'm not"...)
Anyway, McKinsey, like many highly successful individuals and organisations – my great colleague Professor Dominic Houlder tends to call them the most successful religious order since the Jesuits – attracts scorn and admiration in equal measure. And I too believe they do many things right. One of them is that although the average person only stays with McKinsey for barely three years, when you join, you pretty much become a McKinsey person for life. If you "leave", you become an alumnus.
And that is a great feeling to foster if you, as an organisation, lose most of your employees to your customers. Because those people become great advocates for The Firm. McKinsey, for instance, proudly showcases them as alumni (although they have been able to keep remarkably quiet the fact that Enron's Jeff Skilling was among their most high-rising offspring…). Importantly, what do these alumni do, as soon as they start to work in the real world? Yep, they hire McKinsey consultants…
And these type of beneficial effects do not only accrue to McKinsey; mere mortal organisations can reap them too. Professors Deepak Somaya, Ian Williamson and Natalia Lorinkova, for example, examined the movement of patent attorneys between 123 US law firms and 109 Fortune 500 companies from a variety of industries. Indeed, they found that if one of those Fortune 500 firms recruited a patent attorney from a law firm, subsequently that law firm would start to get significantly more business from that company. And I am sure it works that way for many other types of companies too.
In addition, by the way, Deepak, Ian and Natalia also found the reverse: if the law firm would hire a person from one of the Fortune 500 firms, the business it received from that company tended to go up too! Moreover, if the law firm would poach an attorney from one of its competitors, it would see business go up from the companies that were on the books of that attorney's previous employer. Apparently, customers often follow a job-hopping attorney to his new law firm.
Therefore, like McKinsey, perhaps you shouldn't be too frightened of people moving. You want to hire people from your competitors and your clients, but you may also want your clients to hire yours. Rather than vilify them for leaving and cut all strings, keep them on the books as alumni, and actively cultivate relationships with them, in the form of clubs, Christmas cards and summer-evening barbeques if necessary! The only thing you don't want is for your people to move to your competitors… They too may take business with them.
Hence, people will move; if they do, just make sure it is to a (potential) client – that's the McKinsey way. And, of course, make sure to keep it quiet if they mess it up over there (like alumnus Skilling did at Enron) – that's also the McKinsey way.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Tunnel vision – "in the end, there is only flux"
We know, from running statistics on the performance of companies over time, that especially very successful firms have trouble staying successful, and adapt to changing industry conditions. We call this the "success trap", "competency traps" or the "Icarus paradox" in business.
But where does it come from? What is causing it? There are various parts to the explanation but one of them pertains to how the top managers of those very successful companies perceive the changes in their business environment.
Research by professors Allen Amason from the University of Georgia and Ann Mooney from the Stevens Institute of Technology, for example, showed that CEOs from firms with relatively high performance were significantly more likely to interpret changes in their business environment as a threat than the CEOs of poorly performing companies, who more often interpreted the changes as a positive thing.
And this is understandable. If you are the top performer in your industry, any change looks like a threat, because things can only get worse; you like things just the way they are, thank you very much! In contrast, if you currently look like a sucker because you're the CEO of a company that is not performing very well at all in comparison to your peers, any change is welcome. It represents an opportunity for things to be altered, and your only way is up.
Allan and Ann also showed that, as a consequence, the top managers of the high performing companies were much less comprehensive in formulating a response to the strategic change; they didn't spend much time evaluating potential alternative courses of action, they didn't do much research and analysis, and they sure as hell didn't seek any outside help or opinion.
Most likely, executives in such a situation are going to try to continue as is, resist the change or minimise its impact. However, if the environmental change is profound, ignoring it is likely not going to work! And this is a problem of all times. In the 1970s, The Swiss watch industry, which was superb at making mechanical watches, invented the quartz watch but they didn't do anything with it. And when companies from Hong Kong and Japan flooded the market with cheap quartz watches they denied the relevance of the change till they had a near-death experience. Around the same time, tyre maker Firestone responded to the introduction of radial technology by trying to beef up its production of bias tyres (they had a genuine death experience). More recently, traditional newspaper companies fought news-reporting on the internet by suing dot-coms and naively copying and pasting their own paper on a website, while Kodak for a long time tried to ignore digital photography mourning its spectacular margins on photo-film.
I guess you could call it old-fashioned tunnel vision. When your company is hugely successful, you don't want to see that the world is changing. And if you then, eventually, are forced to incorporate the new technology (or whatever it is that is rocking your world), you try to squeeze it into your own version of reality, rather than accept that reality has changed. But reality is that one day the likes of industry dominants like Google, Intel, or Microsoft will go down. Because as Heraclitus already said some five centuries BC: "In the end, there is only flux, everything gives way".


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Kermit the Frog is, like money, the color green, and he would seem to be a capitalist – even if, as evidenced by his new movie, "The Muppets," it's not so easy.
The film portrays Kermit as an entrepreneur struggling to revive a flagging business in a tough economy, using sweat equity and private donations instead of seeking a government bailout to create (or recreate) jobs – even if Muppets presumably don't turn up in the employment statistics.
So we're amused, if not too surprised, by a segment about "The Muppets" on Fox Business' "Follow the Money" late last week that asked – and answered with a resounding "Yes!" – the question: "Are liberals trying to brainwash your kids against capitalism?"
U.S. & World
Fox's case-in-point is the delightful movie's cartoonish villain, Tex Richman (read: "rich man"), a ruthless oil baron bent on destroying the Muppets' shuttered theater to get to the Texas tea below. Forget that the archetype, played here with over-the-top Snidely Whiplash-like glee by Chris Cooper, predates the movies, never mind the Muppets.
One "Follow the Money" guest went as far as partially blaming liberal messages fed by Hollywood to the masses since birth for the Occupy Wall Street movement. "They've been indoctrinated literally for years by this kind of stuff," Dan Gainor of the Media Research Center told Fox's Eric Bolling (see the clip via Media Matters).
The Muppets, undeniably, are being increasingly appropriated for political satire ("Gitmo" on "The Daily Show") and as symbols of movements (Ernie and Bert as the poster-puppets for gay marriage, Cookie Monster as the furry embodiment of the "one percent"), to varying degrees of effectiveness and silliness.
The Fox show's latest twist in the practice of using Muppets as political puppets falls into the silly category – it's as laughable as one of Fozzie Bear's jokes.
At the risk of taking the joy out of "The Muppets" by playing Fox's over-analyzing game, the movie doesn't attack capitalism but rather tweaks greed. This Muppet show is about working hard toward a common goal, discovering and sharing your talent and seeking joy in your friends and your (potentially lucrative) art – not to mention recognizing the value of a sense of humor. (Wokka wokka!)
If you're bent on seeking a message, look no further than the title of the bouncy Bret McKenzie-penned theme tune "Life's a Happy Song," which seems a pretty optimistic notion.
They're likely singing a happy song at Disney – a fairly large capitalist operation last we checked – with "The Muppets" pulling in more than $56 million so far. But as much as we loved the alternately touching and hilarious exercise in nostalgia for those of us who grew up on "Sesame Street," the flick likely will never come close to the nearly $2.8 billion reaped worldwide by "Avatar" – a film with a clear pro-environmental agenda that rankled some conservatives. The story of the battle to save the good blue folks of Pandora from the bad, natural-resource-stealing capitalists happened to be produced by 20th Century Fox.
Between the blue and green and the masses who plunk down hard-earned money for some escapism, there's plenty of opportunity for a rainbow – and capitalist – connection. Like Kermit, we can at least dream.
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Leopard Gecko is one of the most popular choices for reptile lovers. Caring for this species of gecko is relatively simple plus they're generally docile and do not require a large cage. They are easy to breed and come in a vast amount of designer colors.
Click here for Gecko supplies
You may house several similar size female Leopard Geckos together but even multiple females will compete for food so make sure any smaller geckos are receiving their share of the food, heat, etc. We do not recommend housing more than one male in an enclosure as males are territorial and typically will fight. One male and several females can generally be housed together but we recommend this for more seasoned reptile enthusiasts as there are multiple issues that can arise causing stress, shortened lifespan, etc. Regardless of sex, you should consider separating any vastly smaller or larger animals.
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Baby Leopard Geckos are best kept on paper towels or similar product until they are about 5 inches long. As active feeders they usually ingest some of the substrate while gobbling up crickets or mealworms and while adults can usually digest some fine sand along with their food babies cannot handle this as well or at all. We have heard of baby Leopard Geckos becoming impacted with sand and not being able to pass it so please follow this advice.
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Providing a moist shelter will enable your gecko to have a high humidity location when it is shedding. Use moistened sphagnum moss or Zoo Med Forest Floor Bedding inside your gecko's hide. If your gecko has retained skin after shedding you can place the gecko in a small plastic container lined with warm, wet paper towels. With the top of the container on, let the gecko sit for approximately 30 minutes. The high humidity in the container should loosen the skin enough to allow you to remove it easily with a pair of tweezers. If the skin has not loosened enough reheat the paper towels with warm water and provide another 30 minute session. NEVER use hot water as this can burn your gecko's sensitive skin.
Click here for Bedding
Click here for Hiding Places
It is a good idea for baby Leopard Geckos to be misted occasionally and for the entire cage to be misted several times a week. This is especially true if your gecko is getting ready to shed its skin.
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We recommend that you feed only as many crickets or mealworms as your gecko can eat in 10 to 15 minutes. It is important to select the proper prey size and the general rule for selecting the proper size of crickets is the cricket should be no longer than the length of the gecko's head. For baby geckos this usually means 3/8" crickets and for juvenile geckos 1/2" crickets and adult geckos can handle 3/4" crickets.
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Click here for Ready-to-Use Canned Foods
A lot of the information you provided is very incorrect. As a seasoned reptile owner, reading this article makes me worried about new owners who have never handled leopard geckos before. Many owners have likely lost or hurt their pets due to following the instructions in this article. Please correct your info so that others will not have to possibly deal with the loss of their pet.
I can't wait to get one
No one why waste your time criticizing people's passions
NO ONE your response was rude and unwarranted
No one cares that you want a snake
Leopard geckos of any age can still get impacted by sand. I recommend eco carpet or eco earth.
I am a reptile enthusiast and I have a baby super giant tremors albino leopard gecko. We go to expo s and shops often i want a snake but my mom hates them
Leopard geckos of any age can still get impacted by sand. I recommend eco carpet or eco earth.
I am a reptile enthusiast and I have a baby super giant tremors albino leopard gecko. We go to expo s and shops often i want a snake but my mom hates them


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If you have heard me speak or have followed my columns in recent years, you know I have discussed the great super cycle and how it brought prosperity to agriculture and rural America. On the other hand, the remainder of the economy outside of rural America, which represents 260 out of 320 million people, has seen wealth destruction in the form of stock and real estate decline, along with household income declines of 13% on average.
The prospects of agriculture and rural America are tied to the global economy with the emerging nations, that is, the BRICS and KIMT blocs, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as well as South Korea, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey. The global economy is definitely in the midst of an economic slowdown that is synchronized and interconnected.
There are three major fronts in this economic event. First, the European economy, which represents 26% of the world economy, is struggling economically and politically. The economic concerns are the high level of debt service, along with economic policy that, in some cases, stifles entrepreneurship, business creation and growth. Next year's elections in Germany will foretell the ultimate direction of the Eurozone. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, will be fighting for her political life because of her efforts to hold the Eurozone together.
China is a second front. China's trade fortunes are tied closely with the economic health of Europe. Reduced demand for consumer goods from that region and the U.S. is slowing the Chinese economy back down to rates of economic growth not seen in recent decades. The key in China will be to stimulate spending domestically by its citizens and others in the Asian and ASEAN regions. This is very unlikely given the historically high savings rates in the region. China is a key importer of agricultural and energy products. So goes China, so goes U.S. agriculture and rural America.
The final front is here in the U.S. The uncertainty in fiscal policy, taxes, health care and regulations have American businesses in a cautious investment mode. Next year could be interesting. The imbalances in the federal budget and growing debt are on an unsustainable pathway, which will require dramatic action to avoid an economic heart attack.
While the global economic status sounds dire, which it should, strong businesses with sound business acumen can still thrive in this environment. It will take management teams that think globally, but implement strategy on the local level.
Editor's note: Dave Kohl, Corn & Soybean Digest trends editor, is an ag economist specializing in business management and ag finance. He recently retired from Virginia Tech, but continues to conduct applied research and travel extensively in the U.S. and Canada, teaching ag and banking seminars and speaking to producer and agribusiness groups. He can be reached at email@example.com.


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OBDMOULD super team are good at designing about the mold and developing the process with the rich experiences. Because of " the mold is the key to the products" and "the mold designing is the key to the mold" , engineers take great importance to the mold making process. CAD/CAM/CAE and the other international advanced computer design systems are extensive used by engineers in OBDMOULD.
We can provide with polishing, shot-blasting, sand-blasting, powder coating, electroplating. Our company has our own powder-coating workshop and electroplating workshop, so we can control the quality by ourselves .
-- Customer First:
Customer demand for rapid response, professional service team.
-- Quality First:
With perfect quality assurance system.
-- Design First:
Have the professional product design team.
-- Employees First:
Organize regular employees, expand training.
Packing and shipping
1. Poly bag or air bubble bag or carton for each product.
2. Cartons and wood pallet.
3. As customers requests.
Delivery: 30-40 days.
What type of drawing files can you accept?
We can accept several different types of files: UG, Pro/E, AutoCAD, CAXA, SOLIDWORK.
How long does the mould can finish?
35-45 days.
What kind of the materials can be provided?
1) Product Materials: mainly is Aluminum alloy and Zinc alloy.
2) Mould Materials: H13,3Cr2W8V,4Cr5MoVlsi,SKD61,8407, etc.
3) According to customers' requirement
What's the advantage of your factory compared to other manufacturing enterprises in China?
We have strong Mould and QC department can control the products to meet your strict requirement.
We are quality control ISO/TS16949:2009. Mainly providing excellent OEM/ODM customized services,
perfect shipping documents as customers request.
What about the payment terms?
Our payment terms is T/T in advance (30% deposit) or L/C at sight.
What is the privacy policy of your company?
We respect for all the customers, and make all the customers information confidential.
We limit the scope of the information provided to third parties, and we allow its use only the customer permits.
We have great respect for our customers, and therefore, all information given to us is kept confidential
OBDMOULD Specialized in Mould Making for served well for all the automotive parts manufacturers.
We cooperate with Guangdong Mold Technical College in mould design,mould Research and development.
Our engineer's team members are all from high Higher Vocational and Technical College.
They are all super in mould competition and excellent in mould area.
We are mainly in: Auto plastic tooling, Auto checking fixtures, these jigs are specially for the Auto plastic parts and stamping parts.
We offer: the Plastic checking fixtures, stamping checking fixutres , jigs, cooling fixtures,
holding fixtures, control fixtures, auto impact gauge.
We also provide many plastic tooling for auto repair tools, auto light, home appliance industry and other plastic or mentel tooling.
We also provide black anodized parts, precision turned parts, Precision CNC Maching parts,Checking fixture,
Auger Screw Rod,CNC machining heatsink,Sheet metal parts and so on.
Excellent Order-in-made is our advantanges. We can produce based on your drawings or samples
We could make any mould based on your Drawing format: .pdf/.dwg/.igs./.stp/x_t. etc.
We will keep all your informaiton in secret and will sign NDA(Non-disclosure Agreement) with you if you need;
Small Orders welcome. We are the one who you are worth to trust.
|Registration Date
|Buyer / Seller in EC21
|Business Type
|Year established
|Employees total
|101 - 500
|Annual revenue
|OBDMOULD Group Limited
|Factory Add:B Building, Tofuyu Industrial Park, Tongfu Village, Bao AnTown, ShenZhen ChinaShenzhenGuangdong518000China
|86 - 0755 - 22355843
|86 - 0755 - 22355843


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Kamikazebusters, Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール) Tank Top
The Kamikazebusters Tank Top is from our new BapUp collection, a simple soft tank for Summer.
- Ultra-soft cotton and polyster materials
- Skin Care Friendly
- Graphics Featuring Kamikazebusters About Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール)
- Precision manufactured
- Perfect fit and sexy
Available in 7 sizes, please select gender for the best fit as each is designed with specific body shape.
ULTRA-FIT DESIGN: The uniquely designed collar shape defines your body figure and your personalities.
MATERIAL OF COMFORTS: The meticulously selected cotton material delivers intimacy between your tops and your skins.
INTRICATE STITCHING: The double-layered edge coupled with sophisticated stitching solidifies wear resistance and diminishes deformation.
EXTRA-REFINED COTTON: When it comes to cotton materials, lint balls are the most irritating problem to have. The specially combed cotton reduces the likelihood of lint balls to a minimum, adding extra confidence and washability to the wear.
Size Chart
|Chest (inches/centimeters)
|Waist (inches/centimeters)
|36″ / 91cm
|28″ / 71cm
|37″ / 94cm
|30″ / 76cm
|40″ / 102cm
|32″ / 81cm
|42″ / 107cm
|34″ / 86cm
|45″ / 114cm
|37″ / 94cm
|47″ / 119cm
|39″ / 99cm
50″ / 127cm
|42" / 107cm
Plus, every shipment comes with an insurance policy in collaboration with major credit card institutions including Visa and MasterCard with a unique BapUp Warranty Identifier (BWI) barcode, so you don't need to worry about incidents in the production and logistics processes. Shipping and return policy may be found here. If you find it damaged, simply snap a photo of the BWI and the product and file a policy claim here.


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Manchester United, the British soccer team owned by the Florida-based Glazer family, came in under its projected IPO range of $16–$20 per share to sell at $14 per share, raising $233.3 million and giving it an enterprise value of $2.9 billion.
Bloomberg reported late Thursday that the team failed to draw as much attention at its U.S. IPO as the Glazers had hoped. Even though the valuation came out around $1 billion higher than that of Spain's Real Madrid soccer team, the world's second most valuable sports franchise valued at $1.88 billion, the family had hoped to raise considerably more. Even the New York Yankees only come in third in this competition, valued at $1.85 billion.
Still, because of a two-tier share structure, the Glazers retain nearly 99% of voting rights thanks to their Class B shares, while purchasers of the Class A shares sold together account for only 1.3%. The B shares carry 10 votes each.
Kenneth Perkins of Morningstar, a Chicago-based analyst who covers consumer companies, valued the stock lower still, at $10 per share. He said that stiffer competition for fans and corporate sponsorships from other teams, together with a costly debt load, could take a toll on earnings. In the report he was quoted saying that the company "was asking investors to pay a pretty high price and take on a lot of risk." He added, "It could work out, but the risk is to the downside."
The decision to offer the club's stock in the U.S. came after plans for IPOs in Hong Kong and Singapore were scrapped; the Singapore IPO sought to raise as much as $1 billion for the club. However, indications were that the IPO would be nowhere near as successful as hoped, so the venue was changed.
Ronald Wan, a Hong Kong-based managing director at China Merchants Securities, which oversees about $1.5 billion, said the club still might have done better to be offered in Asia, where its fan base is already large and growing.
In the report he said, "U.S. investors are not as enthusiastic about soccer as those in former British colonies like Singapore and Hong Kong. Market reactions might be slightly better if the deal was done in Asia." Soccer is nowhere near as popular in the U.S., where the club has only around 5,000 registered fan club members and soccer is poorly followed.


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The San Jose Earthquakes Youth Academy staff is excited to host a series of clinics prior to three Quakes home games.
For $15, kids will receive a 90-minute training session from our expert coaches at the Quakes official practice grounds, the Nutrilite Training Facility, as well as a goal-view ticket to the night's match. Clinic dates include: Sept. 15 (vs. Philadelphia Union), Sept. 29 (vs. Chicago Fire) and Oct. 20 (vs. Chivas USA).
Interested parents should contact Laura Cadranel at 408.556.7734 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
|September 15
|4:30-6 p.m.
|Phadelphia Union
|September 29
|5:30-7 p.m.
|Chicago Fire
|October 20
|4:30 p.m.
|Chivas USA


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For new releases go to
As we transition to our new site, you'll still find some Stats NZ information here on this archive site.
Note: All figures are for the census usually resident population count.
Note: This time series is irregular. Because the 2011 Census was cancelled after the Canterbury earthquake on 22 February 2011, the gap between this census and the last one is seven years. The change in the data between 2006 and 2013 may be greater than in the usual five-year gap between censuses. Be careful when comparing trends.
This data has been randomly rounded to protect confidentiality. Individual figures may not add up to totals, and values for the same data may vary in different text, tables and graphs. For areas with small populations, the data may not look as expected because of this rounding.


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Aside from traffic, one metric that makes bloggers really feel accomplished is the volume of comments they are able to attract. A blog that generates intelligent conversation between visitors is more likely to get "sticky" visitors who will return in the future.
But all comments are not created equal.
While I am thankful to everyone who takes the time to leave a comment (well except for those annoying Russian spammers), I do think each blog commenter can be categorized into general groups.
- The Correctors.
They point out typos and factual errors. Look how smart I am. They get off on getting you with your pants down.
- The Congratulators.
A pat on the back is nice, but after awhile, it's not worth much coming from the same person over and over again. Some people think they can brown nose their way to success. This person sees something in you (yes, you should be flattered) and wants to ride your coattails to success.
- The Virgins.
For this crew, it's all about doing it first. The want to devirginize your blog post by leaving the initial comment.
- The Traffic Seekers.
They know leaving comments will drive traffic back to their site, so they latch onto your blog hoping for some clicks. If one of their comments generates some traffic for their Web properties, they'll come back for more.
- The Contest Sluts.
Driving your exit rate numbers sky high, these are one-time visitors who have stopped by to see what they can leach off of you.
- The Scum.
This group if sub-humans includes spammers, link baiters and cyber-criminal types. They'll often leave comments in other languages or post short/generic notes that they hope will get past your human filter.
What circumstance is most likely to get you to leave a comment on a blog?
Author: Andrew G. Rosen
After working for FOX News and MTV Networks, Andrew G. Rosen founded Jobacle.com, a career advice and employment news blog. He is also the author of The Exit Guide: How to Leave a Job the Right Way.


text: [i:Vibes] :: View topic - Tritonal & Sj - Hung Up feat. Emma Gatsby [OUT NOW] Guidelines FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Bookmarks Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Main Menu Frontpage News Reviews Interviews Party Reports Artist Profiles Label profiles Diaries Tutorials What is... Links Radio-info Interactive Forum User Stats Info FAQ Crew-info i:Vibes Info Site Updates Tritonal & Sj - Hung Up feat. Emma Gatsby [OUT NOW] [i:Vibes] Forum Index -> Music discussion (trance, techno, progressive and other genres) View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message KrisAHead BouncerVibes: 119.62Joined: 24 Nov 2008Member #: 26,996Posts: 573 Post subject: Tritonal & Sj - Hung Up feat. Emma Gatsby [OUT NOW] Artist: Tritonal & Sj Release: Hung Up feat. Emma Gatsby Label: Enhanced Recordings Stream / Download: https://enhanced.lnk.to/HungUp SoundCloud Preview: https://soundcloud.com/tritonalmusic/hung-up With an album & subsequent tour that surpassed all expectations, Tritonal's 2016 will go down as the duo's most prolific & successful year to date, amassing over 100 million streams and notching up their 5th Billboard Dance Airplay top 10 to boot - and they're not finished yet... 'Hung Up' delivers Tritonal's beloved style in a sublime collaboration with Sj drawing on an effortlessly arranged, emotive soundscape & heartfelt lyrics, with a vocal delivery from Emma Gatsby which is nothing short of stunning. Connect with Tritonal Facebook: https://facebook.com/Tritonal Twitter: https://twitter.com/tritonal SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/tritonalmusic Connect with Sj Facebook: https://facebook.com/hereisSJ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sethjones1 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/sethjones Connect with Emma Gatsby Facebook: https://facebook.com/EmmaGatsbyOfficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmmaGatsbyy SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/emmagatsbyofficial Connect with Enhanced: Website: http://enhancedmusic.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/EnhancedMusicLtd Twitter: http://twitter.com/enhanced_music YouTube: http://youtube.com/EnhancedRecordings SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/enhanced Instagram: http://enhan.co/EnhancedInsta Post rating: 0 Rate this post: Not logged in Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:31 pm Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First [i:Vibes] Forum Index -> Music discussion (trance, techno, progressive and other genres) All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Spam----------------Spam posts Music----------------Music discussion (trance, techno, progressive and other genres)EquipmentArtist and Label NewsRadio BroadcastsMusic Production and DJ Mix PromotionClub Listings Non-music related----------------Other discussionBuy & Sell [i:Vibes]----------------Site Feedback and Help Content Discussion----------------News DiscussionReview DiscussionInterview DiscussionTutorial DiscussionWhat is...Party ReportsArtist ProfilesLabel Profiles You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forumYou cannot attach files in this forumYou can download files in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group


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Heart and Vascular Institute
Your heart and vascular system is complex. Its care requires a comprehensive, coordinated team approach tailored to your condition and needs. That's what you'll find at Penn State Health Heart and Vascular Institute - a national model for comprehensive care, research and medical education.
Coordinated, comprehensive care from a respected team
For advanced care for heart and vascular conditions, doctors and patients from across the region and nation turn to the Penn State Health Heart and Vascular Institute.
Our team of respected physicians, skilled advanced practice providers and Magnet-recognized nurses will work with you to create a treatment plan just for you.
We offer:
- The region's only heart transplant center
- Joint Commission-accredited programs in advanced heart failure and implanting ventricular assist devices as a long-term treatment or as a bridge to heart transplant
- Options for treating structural heart disease, including TAVR, Watchman and MitraClip
- Options to take part in clinical trials of new and innovative treatments and methods — our physicians and scientists are active in research into the causes and effects of cardiovascular disease and how best to treat it.
- Physicians at the top of their field, many of whom are consistently recognized as Best Doctors in America.
Our care, technology and expertise have earned recognition from accrediting agencies and other organizations. A few examples include:
- Joint Commission advanced certification for heart failure care
- Joint Commission advanced certification in implanting left ventricular assist devices as destination therapy for patients with advanced heart failure
- Get With the Guidelines - Heart Failure Gold Plus and Target Honor Roll
- Highmark Blue Distinction Center+ for Cardiac Care*
- Aetna Institute of Quality for Cardiac Medical Intervention and Cardiac Surgery
- Aetna Institute of Quality for Rhythm Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
- Accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories
- Accredited by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories
- Certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation


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LinkedIn Learning (formerly lynda.com)
LinkedIn Learning is a vast online library of courses and instructional videos covering the latest in technology, creative, and business skills. All UTS students and staff have FREE access to LinkedIn Learning to help you achieve your career development goals.
Login with your Staff or student number and Password.
What stage is your group at?
- Time to prepare 'We've got enough time to plan our team strategies. We want to work through and understand the whole group process.'
- Fast start 'We're about to start the group assignment and we need to move fast.'
- Working through the task 'Our group work is underway and we need some help.'
- Thinking back 'We need to improve our group work so it's better next time.'
Download the Workbook PDF (376 KB) or Workbook .doc (323 KB). You can fill them in online and then print them off, or print them, then write on them.
UTS Policy on Groupwork and Assessment
Extract from UTS Coursework Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual
4.1 Group Work and Assessment (Collaborative Assessment)
Group work and collaborative assessment should be used in assessment only in such instances where there is a strong link between the need for collaborative learning, to learn about group processes, and the subject objectives. In the design of group assessment, it is recommended that the assessment task allows for the recognition of individual contribution (such as log books or learning journals) and clearly indicates the responsibilities of the individual member with the group task. It is recommended that group or collaborative work should not account for more than 30% of the total assessment in a subject. Under specific cases, this may be varied with the written permission of the RAO.
In some faculties, collaborative assessment tasks are integral to the assessment process. However, there may be some students who are unable or unwilling to participate in group work. Their reasons include:
- personal disability;
- family commitments;
- living a long way from campus (thereby making group work very difficult to coordinate);
- individual temperament; or
- reluctance to rely on other students to pull their weight.
Students who cite either of the first two reasons should be referred to the relevant Academic Liaison Officer. With respect to the third reason, the Subject Coordinator should make a decision based on advice from the Responsible Academic Officer (to ensure consistent policy across the faculty), the merits of the individual case and the availability of accommodating technology (such as 'virtual conferences').The last two reasons are usually not acceptable because an important objective of collaborative work is to assess the degree to which students can cooperate with each other in working towards a common goal. It is important that subject outlines specify the required degree of collaboration so that students have time to withdraw from the subject if they feel unable to complete that requirement.
Students should not be penalised or disadvantaged by the actions of other group members over which they have no control. Students should notify lecturers in a timely manner and provide substantiating documentation of any problems in relation to group work.
Readings and Useful Links
- Tips for online group discussion (PDF) (Univ. of St. Paul)
Companion Groupwork Site
This tutorial is for students learning in groups. The complementary website for UTS teaching staff is Enhancing Experiences of Group Work. The two websites are integrated in content and approach.


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I don't usually respond to comments made about other people's writings (for obvious reasons). But I feel compelled to put in my two cents on a comment Blake Woodard made about fi360/AdvisorOne's 2012 Fiduciary Survey, because it raises a rather important point about an important survey which I wrote about in my blog on June 20.
"Shame on the two entities conducting this survey for misinterpreting the results to imply that registered reps are in favor the expanding the fiduciary standard for securities sales or the fiduciary definition for ERISA," Woodard wrote. "The raw results, shown in this article, do not give any such indication. While the article says that 45% of respondents are either registered reps or dually registered as reps and IARs, only 10% of the respondents were pure registered reps. Attributing the responses of dually registered reps to pure registered reps is deceptive at best… The fiduciary standard and fiduciary definition issues are hotly debated and divisive topics, and this fi360/AdvisorOne Survey does not help the situation with its misleading interpretation of a statistically invalid sampling of pure registered reps."
As I wrote last week, it seems to me that despite its relatively small sampling—380 advisors—the fi360/AdvisorOne Survey provides compelling results about the regulation debate due to frequent agreement between RIAs, registered reps and dually registered advisors on key issues. While it's true that "only 10%" of the responders were, if not "pure" RRs, only registered reps. Yet the survey carefully reported the percentages of each of the three groups in agreement or disagreement of each question, eliminating any confusion about the results. And, at least to my mind, what's revealed in the agreement between those three groups raises serious questions about how "divisive" the fiduciary issue really is.
Consider the answers to these questions:
Do you believe a uniform fiduciary standard for brokers and advisors that is "no less stringent" than what is currently required of RIAs would help restore investors' confidence in financial service providers?
65.4% answered "yes": 71.8% RIA/IAR; 53.3% RR; 59.0% Dually Registered. While it's true that RRs had the lowest agreement, 53.3% is still a healthy majority (The Obama administration would be more than happy with that number come November).
Do you believe a uniform fiduciary standard for brokers and advisors that is "no less stringent' than what is currently required of RIAs would raise the credibility of financial service providers?
70.1% answered "yes": 74.7% RIA/IAR; 63.3% RR; 65.0% Dually Registered. Not a lot of difference here.
Do you believe a fiduciary duty for brokers who provide advice would reduce product and service choice for investors?
64.9% answered "no": 69.2% RIA/IAR; 50.0% RR; 62.4% Dually Registered. A bigger difference here, but still, a surprising half of RRs don't believe investor choice would be limited.
Do you believe that advisors are adequately knowledgeable and trained to practice under the fiduciary standard?
74.3% answered "no": 75.1% RIA/IAR; 76.7% RR; 72.4% Dually Registered; A pretty striking degree of agreement here, as well.
As these figures rather neatly show, the fi360/AdvisorOne Survey does in fact "help the situation" in that it provides real data that challenges the claims by some folks about how divisive an issue a uniform fiduciary standard is: the vast majority of Registered Reps and RIAs are far more in agreement about the positive effects of one standard—and the need for more advisor education—than many would have us believe. Shame on them.


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Illinois Drafts Layout for Planned Peotone Airport
Illinois has completed a draft layout for a proposed airport in the far southern Chicago suburb of Peotone and submitted it to the Federal Aviation Administration for review.
Gov. Pat Quinn announced the draft submission Thursday, saying the South Suburban Airport will be an economic engine for Illinois.
Department of Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider says the draft layout is the "biggest step yet'' toward making the airport a reality.
Illinois has invested $30 million toward the purchase of land. The Department of Transportation is asking state lawmakers to appropriate another $70 million to buy the rest of the site, expected to require nearly 6,000 acres.
It would be the Chicago area's third major airport. Supporters say it will create jobs and relieve congestion at O'Hare and Midway.


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Fenway Park has been in the news a lot of late. There was the touching Field of Dreams-inspired story of the father and son who built their own replica Fenway in the vastness of Oregon. Then the drunken awkwardness of those loveable idiots, Cowboy Up himself and the Yankees' favorite son. And, of course, the stirring, Field of Dreams-inspired celebration itself where even Bill Buckner was greeted to a chorus of cheers.
It was such a feel good couple of days for people who loved Field of Dreams, Boston fans and anyone else who loves treacly ceremonies honoring the past and wheelchairing old players onto the infield—not just for Yankees fans anymore, by the way. And then they played the game and Clay Buchholz gave up home run after home run. And then the New York Post shat all over the whole thing in the most New York Post-y of ways.
100 years at "America's Most Beloved Ballpark," summed up in one bizarre headline (the season being honored, for example, was the worst in New York franchise history). There is no better tribute to baseball in Boston, New York—America, really—than a newspaper's nonsensical coverage.
[NY Post]


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Pop queen Madonna says she's open to the idea of adding more to her family court.
The 51-year-old singer, who has already adopted son David Banda and daughter Mercy from Malawi, told Ben Shephard of Britain's GMTV that she's open to the idea of adopting more children.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Madonna - Music's Royal Madgesty!
"Never say never…Why are you looking for parents?" Madonna told Ben after he asked, "Could you see yourself adopting more?"
As for her charity work in Malawi, where the singer is building a school for girls, Madonna said she's pleased with her efforts in the poverty-stricken nation.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebs Who Opt To Adopt
"I'm really proud of the work that I'm doing in Africa. I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment in terms of my career and the work that I have done. I'm, you know, I have four children now and I'd like to think I'm a good mother. So yeah, I mean I feel a great sense of satisfaction in many areas of my life." she said.
As for life in London, where she previously resided with ex-husband Guy Ritchie, the pop star said she only misses part of the city.
"I miss being able to walk around my neighborhood. It's much more mellow and laid-back and relaxed than Manhattan," Madonna explained.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood's Hottest Moms & Their Loveable Little Ones
But what about missing London's pub life?
"No," Madonna said with laugh.
As for the ales she began enjoying while spending time at Guy's Mayfair pub, the singer said she has trouble finding them stateside.
"I went to pubs all the time," she said during the interview. "But they don't have any pubs in New York."
The pop star also explained that she's keeping up with her famous intense workout regime.
"It's for health reasons, and for aesthetic reasons," Madonna said of why she keeps fit. "If I have to go out on stage and jump around in a pair of hot pants, I have to look good."
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Madonna, Justin & More At 2009 Met Costume Institute Gala
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Madonna - Adoption - MTV - TV - Guy Ritchie


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Latest Diet & Weight Management News
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have the popular plastic surgery procedure known as liposuction may be trading one form of fat for another, as a new study reveals that the sudden removal of abdominal fat seems to trigger a buildup of fat around the internal organs.
At issue, the Brazilian researchers said, is an apparent trade-off between two kinds of fat, with the removal of "subcutaneous fat" spurring the growth of "visceral fat."
Subcutaneous fat, located directly under the skin, is the primary target of liposuction. Visceral fat wraps itself around internal organs, and its accumulation has been strongly linked to a higher risk for diabetes and heart disease.
Here's the good news: The same research team found that liposuction patients who adopted an exercise program shortly after surgery both enjoyed the benefits of abdominal fat removal while largely preventing the post-surgical growth of visceral fat.
"Importantly, a four-month, supervised exercise program prevented this compensatory visceral fat increase, increased fat-free mass and improved physical capacity and insulin sensitivity," the team, led by Fabiana Benatti from the University of Sao Paulo, reported.
Benatti and her colleagues detail the findings in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The authors focused on the experience of 36 healthy Brazilian women between the ages of 20 and 35, all of whom underwent abdominal liposuction between 2010 and 2011 in Sao Paulo.
None of the women had a body-mass index (BMI) over 30 prior to the procedure, meaning that while they were overweight none was obese. All of the surgeries were also described as being "small-volume" in nature.
Two months post-surgery, the women were divided into two groups: the first embarked on a four-month (three times per week) exercise regimen, while the second essentially maintained a sedentary lifestyle.
Both groups were deemed to have experienced similar drops in body weight and overall fat mass as a result of their surgery, and both followed comparable diets post-procedure.
Those in the exercise group engaged in aerobic and anaerobic (weight training) training through the four-month period.
The result: Six months after their operation, neither group had regained fat in the abdominal region that was the target area of the liposuction surgery, leading the team to describe the procedure as "cosmetically efficient."
However, patients in the sedentary group experienced a roughly 10 percent increase in visceral fat, equating to what the authors described as a "significant regain of total fat mass." In contrast, those in the exercise group did not.
Benatti's team said that it is not yet clear exactly how liposuction raises the risk for visceral fat growth. What is clear, however, is that exercise seems to mitigate that risk.
Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas, expressed little surprise with the findings.
"You oftentime have this snapback of the fats," she said. "Sure, you can get rid of some of it with surgery. But if you don't change your lifestyle, it doesn't stay away forever. And certainly if you've spent all this money and incurred the risk of undergoing liposuction -- and it's not a risk-free option, by any means -- why wouldn't you want to do what you can to preserve the gain?"
"So, no, I don't think it's surprising that exercise helps after surgery," Sandon added. "And in that respect, cardiovascular exercise, in particular, is one of the best ways to go. That means jogging, swimming, biking, roller blading, getting your heart rate up for an extended period of time and burning calories. Even walking helps to decrease visceral fat, even in people who have not had liposuction. And so I would expect it would work the same for people who have had liposuction."
Connie Diekman, director of nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, seconded the notion.
"This is a small study," she cautioned. "And it raises the question of how this might play out among women who were significantly more overweight than those included in this study."
"But I think there is a very important message here," Diekman added, "in that this study is an example of how you can make a positive change with exercise. It may not ultimately prevent the return of body fat, but clearly it can change its distribution or delay its return. And that is very good news."
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


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Farmhouse Arched Top Saloon Doors | Swinging Café Doors Arched Top and Arched Panel
Doors will be custom made to fit any door opening between 24" - 60". We do the hard work for you.... we will calculate the correct door sizes allowing clearance for the hardware and between the swinging doors. Sending you a ready to hang set of beautiful doors perfectly sized to fit your opening. No cutting, shimming or demo work required. Farmhouse Arched Top Saloon Doors can be used in commercial or residential setting.
Select door height from options listed above. The default height is 38" (at the tallest point).
Purchase includes a pair of doors as shown in the image.
Farmhouse Saloon Door Features
• HAND CRAFTED from SOLID WOOD- See Available Wood Options
• Raised Panels on both sides of the doors- Arch cut into each Panel on both sides
• Strong 1 3/8" Thick Doors
• Custom made to fit your opening and delivered in Perfect Condition
• Doors are Made in the USA in a small woodshop with American Hardwood!
• Easy to install
• Choose from Unfinished Doors (Completely sanded and ready for paint or stain) or Professionally Finished Doors (Red Oak Stained or Painted)
• For Home or Business
• Provides privacy, yet allows light, air & conversation
• Doors swing both ways & automatically returns to center
Farmhouse Saloon Door Wood Materials (See Examples Above)
All doors are custom created using the finest natural woods available and are finished by hand.
• Poplar – Unfinished wood, A strong hardwood that is creamy white in color and may include streaks varying from pale yellowish brown to olive green (Paint Grade)
• Eastern White Pine - Unfinished wood, Commonly has knots and is a pale brown, with occasional reddish brown streaks (Stain Grade)
• Soft Maple - Unfinished wood, Mostly straight grained sapwood, light blond with a gray cast sometimes; heartwood color varies from light to dark reddish brown with occasional dark brown flecks (Stain Grade)
• Ash – Unfinished wood, A light color to nearly white with heartwood varying from grayish to light brown. The wood is generally straight grained and uniform in texture (Stain Grade)
• Red Oak – Unfinished wood, Medium range of color variability from lighter tan tones with pinkish highlights to darker browns. (Stain Grade, Professional Staining Available)
• Sapele – Unfinished wood, An African hardwood, highly sought after and similar to Mahogany. Sapele's colors are slightly redder than that of Mahogany (Stain Grade)
• Rustic Alder - Unfinished wood, A hardwood of medium density that features a color range of light browns with reddish hues it can features large split knots and open knots (Stain Grade)
• Cherry - Unfinished wood, As a fine uniform straight grain varies in color from rich red to reddish brown (Stain Grade)
• Professionally Finished Doors- Maple Wood with a sprayed lacquer paint finish. Pure White- Sherwin Williams 7005, Snowbound- Sherwin Williams 7004, Creme-Sherwin Williams 7556, Proper Gray-Sherwin Williams 6003, Gauntlet Gray-Sherwin Williams 7019 Custom Color - We can match any Sherwin Williams color. Red Oak Stained- Minwax stain colors and then 2 top coats of clear lacquer to ensure long lasting durable finishing. Natural (209), Golden Oak (210B), Provincial (211), Red Oak (215), Puritan Pine (218), Ipswich Pine (211), Sedona Red (222), Colonial Maple (223), Special Walnut (224), Red Mahogany (225), Early American (230), Gunstock (231), Red Chestnut (232), English Chestnut (233), Cherry (235), Fruitwood (241), Golden Pecan (245), Pickled Oak (260)
Farmhouse Saloon Door Hardware
(See Examples Above)- All hardware is double action; allowing the doors to swing in both directions and self return to center
• Standard Gravity Hardware- Hinges available in Brass, Satin Chrome or Oil Rubbed Bronze
• Premium Gravity Hinges- Heavy duty hinges includes "hold open" feature (Brass Finish only)
• Commercial Grade Spring Hinges- Non-Hold Open, adjustable tension; Available in Brass, Gloss Black, Satin Chrome, & Oil Rubbed Bronze
• Commercial Grade Gravity Hinges- Allows for wider doors and includes "hold open" feature; Available in Brass, Gloss Black, Satin Chrome, & Oil Rubbed Bronze
Optional Farmhouse Saloon Door Upgrades
The following upgrades can be added to your cart with this set of doors. (Scroll down to the bottom of this page to choose from the options below or Click on "Saloon/Cafe Door Upgrades" sub-category at the top of the page under DOORS.)
• Commercial Grade- 30% Stronger Doors
• Trim Boards- to finish your door opening, trim boards will be fastened to the wall; the door hardware will be fastened to the trim boards
• Door Pull Handles- Allows the doors to push or pull open
• Commercial Grade Doors with Push Plates- 30% stronger with Door Push Plates included- Adds strength and protection


text:
It seems that some things which Sencha Touch inherits from the "sencha platform" (i.e., stuff shared between Touch and Ext JS) are missing from the Touch API docs.
For example, the Touch API docs for Ext.Container excludes the "items" config option and add() function. It's mentioned in the overall description, but not in the "Config Options" and "Public Methods" sections.
Probably not high-priority, but as a newbie, this was pretty confusing (especially since items and add() are fundamental parts of every app).
(Apologies if this is already known/being tracked.)


text:
The Core i7 980X Review: Intel's First 6-Core Desktop CPUby Anand Lal Shimpi on March 11, 2010 12:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- CPUs
A 12MB L3 Cache: 50% Larger, 14% Higher Latency
Gulftown sticks to Ronak's 2MB of L3 per core rule and has a full, 12MB shared L3 cache that's accessible by any or all of the six cores. It's actually because of the large unified L3 cache that performance in applications that don't use all six cores can be higher than quad-core Core i7s.
The added cache does come at the expense of higher access latency. Nehalem and Lynnfield had a 42-cycle 8MB L3, Gulftown has a 48 cycle 12MB L3. A 14% higher latency for a 50% increase in size. Not an insignificant penalty, but a tradeoff that makes sense.
Identical Power Consumption to the Core i7 975
Raja has been busy with his DC clamp meter measuring actual power consumption of CPUs themselves rather than measuring power consumption at the wall. The results below compare the actual power draw of the 32nm Core i7 980X to the 45nm Core i7 975. These values are just the CPU itself, the rest of the system is completely removed from the equation:
|Intel Core i7 980X
|Intel Core i7 975
Thanks to power gating, both of these chips idle at 6.3W. That's ridiculous for a 1.17B transistor chip. Under full load, the two are virtually identical - both drawing around 136W.
Westmere Goodness
The Core i7 980X is the first LGA-1366 processor based on Intel's Westmere architecture, but unlike Clarkdale it does not have an on-die PCIe controller or on-package graphics. If anything, Gulftown really looks like a 6-core, 32nm version of Bloomfield rather than a scaled up Clarkdale. The similarities to Bloomfield extend all the way to the memory controller. Gulftown only officially supports three channels of DDR3-1066 memory, not 1333MHz like Lynnfield or Clarkdale. Of course running DDR3-1333 memory is possible, but the memory controller is technically operating out of spec at that frequency.
The processor does retain the Westmere specific features. The first Core i7 did not power gate its L3 cache, Lynnfield added it and Gulftown has it as well. While Mainly improved power efficiency and AES-NI instructions. I looked at the performance improvement offered by AES-NI acceleration in our Clarkdale review. If you use BitLocker or do a lot of archive encryption/decryption, you'll appreciate Gulftown's AES-NI.
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Anand Lal Shimpi - Thursday, March 11, 2010 - linkThat depends on the board I believe. Intel's DX58SO may not post without the BIOS update.
Take care,
Anand Reply
Jammrock - Thursday, March 11, 2010 - linkOne small title error. Intel's Xeon X7000-series CPUs are the first hex-core processors from Intel. Those are server only, but they are out there.
Gulftown is the first desktop hex-core though. Reply
Anand Lal Shimpi - Thursday, March 11, 2010 - linkCorrected :)
Take care,
Anand Reply
artifex - Thursday, March 11, 2010 - link3x cores and threads for less than 2x the TDP of their dual cores? sexy! Reply
Isaac the k - Thursday, March 11, 2010 - linkI must say, I do find this rather exciting.
But since I'm running a poorly threaded data-simulation app with extremely high throughput, I'm debating whether the extra latency vs. the larger shared cache could potentially harm performance.
If it wouldn't, I might actually request one for what my office is doing right now... Reply
mikeblas - Thursday, March 11, 2010 - linkAren't the Xeon E7450, Xeon L7455, and Xeon X7460 all six-core Intel processors that were released before this processor? Reply
semo - Thursday, March 11, 2010 - linkIf I understand this right Nahalem is the name of the micro architecture and not any CPU in particular. On page 2, the first die shot is captioned Nehalem. Shouldn't it be Bloomfield?
BTW Anand, you are doing a good job demystifying desktop products but the mobile space is even worse
arandale http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?codeNa...">http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?codeNa... vs clarkdale http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?codeNa...">http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?codeNa...
vPro is even more confusing. E.g. AMT KVM is supposed to work on AMT 6.0 + on chip GPU yet the i3 don't apply... or the i5-661 http://communities.intel.com/community/openportit/...">http://communities.intel.com/community/...ote-cont...
it would be useful if we could get some articles on mobile chips and/or vPro Reply
iwodo - Thursday, March 11, 2010 - linkWaiting for Sandy Bridge- which will hopefully be the true successor of Core 2 Duo.
PCI - Express 3.0, SATA 3.0, USB 3.0 ( Light Peak will be even better ), Bluetooth 4.0. Reply
AnnonymousCoward - Saturday, March 13, 2010 - linkLight Peak is kinda dumb...I think that's just multi-lane USB3/PCIe, and using light instead of wires is pointless since no one needs really long point-to-point cables. Apple just wants it since they're all about marketing new flashy things. USB3 could just as easily use as many lanes as you want, but it'd be unnecessarily expensive since 1 lane at 5Gbps is much faster than anything. Reply
Pessimism - Thursday, March 11, 2010 - linkThis is not intel's first 6 core CPU. The 6 core Xeon 7400 was announced in 2008. Reply


text:
The messages I heard from my SOTM subjects during my trip around the world fell into various categories.
Some were of hope, of ambition, of a wish for a better world. Others of advice, wisdom passed between generations. Sometimes they were a desire for loved ones not to follow the same path as the person who spoke to them.
Some were just plain sad. Others, hilarious. But they showed how much fun it is, how difficult it can be and how fragile a thing it is to be alive and around others.
I'm pleased that I got the breadth I was looking for in my subjects. I visited townships in South Africa, wealthy apartments in Dubai, a Korean school for girls, Japanese guest houses and the Australian outback, among so many other places. I found people willing to share their stories in all of them.
As difficult a task as it's been to make such choices, here are some of my favourite SOTMs from the trip that circled the globe which I undertook from June 2013 to May 2014, across 20 countries, capturing hundreds of people's stories along the way.
There are many more that are similarly great, and my original plan of choosing a top 10 was soon abandoned. So this isn't a definitive list, and there are many gems from the tour not seen here but visible on the SOTM site. Just browse the map, or for World Tour in the site's search engine, to see them all.
Click on any of the images here to see their page on the Someone Once Told Me website and, where appropriate, their translation pictures.
I spotted Boy in Manila's North Cemetery in the Philippine capital. I was taken with how he looked, just as he was, with the tomb where he lived in the background. So that's exactly where I took his photograph.
His friend, who was ill himself, once told him: "Stop Smoking And Drinking"
I met Timmy in Club Charles, a hipstery bar in Baltimore, USA. Film director John Waters was also in there, as apparently it's one of his favourite bars.
After his photo, Timmy told me a story of how he wanted to be prom king, and how his girlfriend provided a twist to his quite gripping tale.
The whole time I was wondering how come he was talking about a girlfriend, because he was clearly a gay man.
Afterwards he explained how he now had a wonderful boyfriend, and it all made sense again.
I'm a big fan of proverbs. They're very much in the same vein as Someone Once Told Me quotes, and this one is a sort of proverb, excitingly in Khmer.
Malin told me in Phnom Penh how her Cambodian father once told her: "Don't Live Like A Snake, Don't Die Like A Frog" What excellent advice.
Lisa chose to share a fable that she heard from a Kenyan conservationist. Again, fables are just up the SOTM street, being passed on through the generations and lodging in memories along the way.
We met at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Lisa plans to do her bit for conservation, and got inspiration from this phrase which is a wonderful lesson about doing what you can, no matter how little influence it will have.
I later learned that Mandela never visited the university, even though it had been named after him – but then, many things are named after him and he probably didn't have time to see them all.
Mel's story is one of love, coming from the mouth of her grandmother who had Alzheimer's. Mel clearly didn't like being in front of the camera, but I'm really glad she agreed to pose by the sea in Sliema, Malta.
Her grandmother once told her: "You Are Beautiful"
Miu's story, captured in Kyoto, Japan, is one of a passion for education, a parent's desire for their children to be educated. Her mother, tight for money, would tell her: "I'll Buy You Any Books You Want"
Israel's story is a lesson worth remembering. A financial expert, he explained to me in New Orleans, USA that a client of his taught him how whatever you save for, whatever you plan for, something will always crop up and need money to be spent on it.
So get used to it, because that's just life.
Matt once talked to a homeless guy in the States, who told him this.
I told him I agreed, how it was a great and upbeat phrase, not one you'd think someone who's homeless would come up with.
"Thanks," Matt said. "Can I interest you in a 'Best Day Of My Life, No Big Deal' wristband?'
That was in January 2014, in Manila, Philippines. I'm still wearing it now.
Aldo is a brave soul, because he's the goalkeeper for San Marino, an international football team which doesn't have many players to choose from, on account of the nation having some 30,000 inhabitants. He once let in eight goals against England and, famously, 13 against Germany.
However, he also once stood between the sticks against the might of the Italian national side, who peppered his goal with shots. He let in four but it should have been much more, if it weren't for his cat-like performance that day.
After the game, a fan tweeted him a message that literally translated as: "You Played Incredible"
This is a cute story, told by the adventurous and not a little handsome Cameron. But it also features a wriggling baby crocodile in Darwin, Australia, so simply had to make this list.
Aruna has a beautiful tale of how her father cheered her up, by sending her this message on a postcard when she was a lonely teenager. She posed on the Thai island of Koh Lanta with a little help from her son Shaan, who's holding the postcard in question.
The phrase means: "The Good That One Does Has No Immediate Recompense: It Will Come By & Of Itself"
I met two women in South Africa's Port Elizabeth called Mama Gladys. Both looked after children, one in an orphanage, the other a creche. The latter is the Mama Gladys that you see above.
She runs a creche in Walmer township, a rather tough place. She said she was concerned about the welfare of some of the local children, so she began a place where their parents could leave them when they went to work, or were just unable to look after them.
Her quote, written in Xhosa, means: "The Creche Is The Good Idea" which one of her friends told her, when encouraging her to start the venture up.
But something remarkable happened when I was perched on a rickety chair, taking two photographs of Mama Gladys – one in Xhosa, the other in English – and her wriggling charges.
She dug a mobile out of her considerable bosom, took a call, then tucked the device away again, revealing softly that her sister in law had died.
You can see the difference in her expression in the two photos on the SOTM site.
Fabio Lamborghini is the definition of charisma, as you might expect from the nephew of Ferrucio, the inventor of the supercar which still bears his surname today.
Fabio said his Italian uncle once told him: "Fabio, The First Secret For Getting Money Is To Economise. Don't Spend Too Much. Remember!"
Fabio didn't seem to see much irony in his millionaire uncle, who made cars that only the super-rich can afford, telling his family to watch their spending.
He also said he took one of the Lamborghinis out each weekend.
Me: "Do you drive fast?"
Fabio: "Yeeeees."
Me: "What do the local police think about that?"
Fabio: "Nooooo, they are very happy. Sometimes I give them the keys to one of the cars and tell them to borrow it for the weekend. So they are happy."
Everyone's a winner here, clearly.
This one gets on the list because Michele, a bar owner in the tiny town of Bagno di Romagna in Emilia Romagna, Italy, once heard soldiers from the French Foreign Legion singing it in Albania. And I love that.
It means: "Doubt Maybe… Give Up Never"
Not only do I totally agree with this, it also contains Benedicta's dazzling smile and a view of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. The line at the top of the pad, above the 'n' in 'things' is a hair pin, because the page ripped. It wasn't one of mine.
I wrote about Pete soon after I'd met him in Hong Kong. He went from compering at a comedy club and rolling out the laughs for the entire audience, to weeping in my arms an hour or so later, after recounting the story of his dead mother. One of my most remarkable SOTM experiences.
First time in Austra, and Vienna. There I met a rocket scientist, Ryan – another first. Turns out he was once told this, as well. Brilliant.
Not only a great quote, this sums up the Google generation and yet, according to Julika, it came from a Latin teacher who looked like Julius Caesar. I was pleased to get a slightly different view of the Eiffel Tower in the background. Her SOTM reads: "You Don't Have To Know Everything – You Just Have To Know Where To Find The Answers!"
Duncan is dsylexic and wanted his SOTM, taken at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, to be written in his own way. So that's what we did. An admirable chap. His SOTM says: "You Can't Use Your Disability As An Excus"
I took this picture of Doris at the Missionvale Care Centre, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Life there is tough, with high rates of unemployment, extreme poverty and widespread HIV infection.
So it was heartbreaking to hear Doris' story, which clearly made a hard life even tougher. Her SOTM says: "Your Husband Went To Transkei" He left without a word and Doris doesn't know why.
Atakan was told: "Don't Even Trust Your Father!" by his father as he was leaving home to travel to Istanbul for university.
What I like about it is that afterwards, Atakan told me fathers and sons have a close relationship in Turkey. His story demonstrated this.
Another one from Missionvale Care Centre, a place I can't get out of my head.
Linda, who helps run the place, said a handymen called Bishop was working hard one day, and when she asked him why he told her this. These pots are in the centre's garden and commemorate people who have helped the place with their work, but who have now passed away.
Some months after this photo, Bishop, who showed me around the township on foot so I could photograph it, caught pneumonia and died. So his name will be on a pot now, I think. A really sad end to a powerful story, but I will cherish my afternoon wandering around Missionvale township, with Bishop, for the rest of my life.
Sally was a shy girl, as were all her classmates. But I got a number of them to think of SOTM stories. This one was my favourite.
My love of proverbs means that I was always going to be charmed by this phrase, which is apparently such an old expression in Korea that Sally actually wrote it in Chinese characters.
It means: "After A Typhoon There Are Pears To Gather Up"
I like it so much I even use that quote myself, which is perfectly in the spirit of SOTM, of course.
It has been a blessing to have learned so much from so many fine people around the world.