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Chris Lukesic and Leonel Manzano can be seen here, early on in the men's 1,500 meters, with Manzano running a world leader in 3:34.14! Women's events reviewed
On Monday, we will post a review of all the Rbk GP women's events!
Photo by Photorun.net.
Chris Lukesic and Leonel Manzano can be seen here, early on in the men's 1,500 meters, with Manzano running a world leader in 3:34.14! Women's events reviewed
On Monday, we will post a review of all the Rbk GP women's events!
Photo by Photorun.net.
The Reebok Grand Prix has just completed it's fifth year. And this year, from any viewpoint, was, simply, the best RGP ever. The level of competition was amazing! The crowd of 10,900 made this the best EVER RGP and the second largest elite meet in North America. And more than anything, a major track meet had become a success in New York, the media capital of the world.
Tyson Gay's first 200 meters in nearly a year was a site to behold! Photo by Lisa Coniglio/PhotoRun.net.
Event by event analysis tomorrow morning before the plane, but here is the real deal: In front of 11,000 paying fans, the second largest professional track meet in the U.S. gave the fans a real life track & field experience. Consider the following:
* Tirunesh Dibaba, gold medalist at 5,000m and 10,000 meter looses at 5,000m in world leading 14:35 to Linet Masai!
*Christin Wurth Thomas' run to the lead in the 1,500 m with six hundred meters to go, her amazing win in 4:03.96!
*Mike Rodgers wins 100m over Asafa Powell in 9.94!
* Micah Kogo holds off Bernard Lagat in 13:02.93 for 5,000m, with a four minute last mile!
* Carmelita Jeter runs 10.85 for 100 meters, beating Muna Lee and Veronica Campbell Brown!
* Leonel Manzano runs a come from behind, gutty 1,500 meters, wins in a world leading 3:34.13!
* Anna Willard, the steeplechaser, wins the 800 meters in 1:59.23!
* And Tyson Gay, who has not run a 200 meters since summer, runs a blazing 19.58, leading the world, and setting his own personal best. Wallace Spearmon broke 20.00 and was .4 back!
More details to come!
To reach RBR, email me at [email protected]
Great competitions brewing for the Reebok Grand Prix, NYC. I am getting ready for the bus in a half hour. Twitter updates per event and full report tomorrow with complete results and photos!
In an interview prior to the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, Carolina Kluft told RBR that she was using a shortened run up for the long jump, as she is still recovering from a stress fracture. " I am training well, but this is still quite early in the season. I am using a shortened run up as I am short on training and I want to be careful with my leg. I really wanted to compete in New York and visit Reebok (in Boston), so, while I am back at training, I am still a bit short of where I would like to be."
Allyson Felix has moved from the 100 meters to the 400 meters at the Reebok GP tomorrow. The athletes seen in the Shereton lobby were the stars of global track & field as athletes arrive for tomorrow's Reebok New York Grand Prix. Watch for the men and women's 400 meter hurdles. The men's high hurdles will have Terrance Trammell and Ladji Doucoure from France!
Haile Gebrselassie wants to break his own one hour run record. He will make the attempt on June 1, 2009 in Hengelo. We hope you enjoy the short video, provided by adidas, from Haile on how he is racing right now. Watch for more videos to follow!
Meseret Defar will be going for her A standard at 10,000m for the Berlin World Championships tomorrow at Stockholm Stadiu, with Aheza Kiros, who won the adidas Track Classic 5k, and Worknesh Kidane. Should be an interesting race...will she run it safe or blast it?
Photo by Photorun.net.
Just arrived in New York late last night, meetings and interviews today, preceding the Reebok NY Grand Prix. Should be an amazing meet! I am looking forward to the Men's 100 meters, and seeing if Darvis Patton can take on Asafa Powell, the Men's 200 meters, with Tyson Gay showing his stuff over 200 meters, the womens' 100 meters, with Carmelita Jeter, the 5,000 meters and the women's pole vault, to name a few. Weather is rainy in NY, supposed to be clear and 78 tomorrow!
More updates this evening!
Edwin Moses came on the scene early in my track consciousness-1976! He enthralled a generation of track fans with his tough work ethic, his amazing technique and his gutty racing! His record of wins was watched by track and sports fan alike. As a champion of drug free athletics, we congratulate Edwin on his honorary degree from UMass-Boston!
For over three decades, Walt Murphy has provided us with the most timely information on major calendar events, Indoor and cross country minutae, plus Eastern Track and XC Xpress. If you would like to get a sub to either publication, email Walt at [email protected].
Doug Logan, just short of one year as CEO of USATF, continues to reorganize USA Track & Field. In that light, Jill Geer is the new Chief Public Affairs Officer and Ivan Cropper becomes the Senior director of Marketing & Communications, two federation veterans, take on new and distinct roles. We congratulate them both in their new assignments!
Many will remember, upon us losing Mike Long two years ago, that we were asked to support his favorite foundation, the Entoto Foundation, that funds healthcare for needy kids in Ethiopia.
Tom Bedford has taken up the challenge and this weekend is running the RNR San Diego, with a goal of 2:25 or bust-read all about the 2:25 challenge!
A well respected running shoe developer has asked that I get this out so that he can make better shoes. Please take the time to influence the devleopment of a new generation of shoes! The survey is located at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=K0ypSJ4fuBXqjfxmT1X7JQ_3d_3d
I encourage all of our readers to assist on this one! Thanks!
The Reebok Grand Prix is loaded with great competitors, a great facility and a knowledgeble and enthusiastic crowd. One of the highlights will be the 100 meters with Asafa Powell. The question is, can Darvis Patton, who is undefeated this year, beat Asafa Powell? We will find out on Saturday!
As we enter the second year of recession, the footwear business in the United States has held up relatively well so far. Several companies have made personnel cuts, among them Brooks, Reebok and Zoot. But others, such as New Balance, have been able to avoid layoffs by cutting expenses, according to CEO Rob DeMartini.
Virgilijus Alekna is large of stature. One can see that when he lines up with his competitors. Alekna and Kanter had an epic battle in Turnov. I did get to meet him a few years ago, I believe at the Nike Pre. He reminded me of the picture I had in my head of Goliath. Tall, with long arms-the perfect discus thrower! The Turnov meet, the Ludvik Danek Memorial, would have been a competition to see!
Dwain Chambers hoped to be in Berlin, but ISATF Berlin has decided not to allow him to compete, so he goes to Montreuil, France on June 14, per http://www.insidethegames.com.
Philips in 400 m hurdes, 48.36, Nelson Evora, Triple Jump in 17.66m (+0.7), Brittney Reese, 7.06 (+0.7), among others this past weekend.....
A 1:44 over 800 meters by Fabiano Penhana of Brazil, a 2.33m high jump by Jesse Williams and a 20.25m shot put by Valeri Vili, highlight this meet......
When the City of Los Angeles Marathon was established in 1986, the race had a tremendous start. I ran the first two years and was fascinated with Bill Burke and Marie Patrick and their team-they had actually brought a race to Los Angeles. That Burke won the political battle over the marathon with the LA city council should have suggested then how formidable a character Burke was.
When the Devine Racing company purchased the LA Marathon, they gave away the farm to Burke, thinking that they could control him. Devine Racing showed that even in the sport of running, we can have people and organizations that do not have the needs of the runner in mind. Devine never controlled Burke or Patrick-that control was an illusion.
When Russ Pillar, Frank McCourt and their team took over the LA marathon seven months ago, they had, quite honestly, a mess. In Pillar's language, he might use the word, "challenge". An event that was officially sanctioned by the city, but that did not have support of the local running community. Burke had frustrated many over the years and Devine just added to what should have been, and what should be, the largest marathon on the West coast.
Do not underestimate the challenges Pillar have. The politics in the LA City Council is legendary. PIllar noted: "I thought this was a 26.2-mile road race, but what instead it is actually is a political asset that happens to be run in shorts and a T-shirt." To put on a major city marathon, to put on a successful city marathon, one must have the support of the entire city. (Gives one a larger appreciation for NY, Chicago, Boston marathons and the others!).
Pillar wants to have this event in a Sunday in March, and for that to happen, the City Council, which mandated this date in May for Pillar and McCourt to take over the event. In listening to the press conference today (thanks to Rich Perelman, who sent us a file of the interview.
Read Pillars' statements below. It is Road Race Management 101: observe, tie in the local running community, listen to their issues, and make the event right. Pillar has lots to do, but they are asking the right questions. After this weekend's race, the new LA marathon team will know what has worked and what has not. From Pillar's quotes, it is obvious that all parts of the race are up for improvement: course, date, communications.
We wish the new LA Marathon team the best this weekend and will follow up with reviews, comments and interviews next week!
Carolina Kluft, the Swedish athletic superstar, is the Jackie Joyner-Kersee of her generation. Her wins in Paris, Helsinki and Osaka were commanding. Her win in Athens was also part of the argument on where Kluft sits in the heptathlon firmament. Kluft has spent the last couple of years searching for new challenges. In an interview with her in 2007, after her win in the stiffling heat and humidty of Osaka, Japan, Kluft reminded us of two things: " No one is unbeatable," and " I want to focus on having fun."
An athletic superstar, with two feet in the real world, Kluft is a tremendous competitor. On May 30, at the Icahn Stadium, Carolina Kluft, one of the best athletes of her generation, will be competing for the first time at the Reebok Grand Prix, NYC!
Stephanie Trafton Brown on ATF Spring 2009 cover, photos by Photorun.net, design by Kristen Cerer.
Stephanie Trafton-Brown threw a nifty 64.75m or 212-5 at the Gary Shaw Big Throwers Classic in Salinas, CA. The Big Throwers meets were part of my favorite competitions held at Hartnell College and championed by Gary Shaw, the former coach of Hartnell for more than a decade.
From 1990-1996, I was lucky enough to coach against Gary in cross country and track-I was at Foothill College with Joe Mangan and Hank Ketels. Gary ran his team like a Marine Camp. Great guy, loved the sport, and knew how to get the most out of his kids. What was really cool was that many of his athletes were the first members of their families to ever go to college and he helped develop many young men and women to go on to four year schools. He was a coaches' coach.
It is nice to see the Big Throwers Classic now honoring Gary. In the old days, he used to get Foxy Farms to send crates of vegetables for the top ten throwers and some of the coaches. There was a junior college meet plus the Throwers Meet and it was a big deal!
Nice to see Stephanie throwing so well early this season!
adidas does not waste much time. They recently extended their Boston Marathon sponsorship and have just extended their UK Athletics sponsorship after the London Olympics, to be held in 2012. The contract now goes through 2013.
Brand development over the long term, even in these challenging times, makes a huge amount of sense. A long term sponsor, who shares the goals of long time branding and goodwill, plus helping development a program that wants to improve is a dream relationship. A tip of the hat to adidas and UK Athletics.
Christine Ohuruogu, the defending World Champion, the defending Olympic champion at the women's 400 meters, is shown in the new adidas UK Athletics kit. Courtesy of adidas communications.
Jim Tompkins, President & COO of New Balance, a member of Jim Davis' inner circle for nearly three decades, has decided to leave NB in early June. Tompkins, an affable man, well liked during his tenure, gave praise to the new CEO, Rob DeMartini, in the following release, and DeMartini did the same.
Tompkins and his team also should be applauded for the forethought in taking manufacturing techniques used in the auto industry (Toyota)-watch for an upcoming article on their US manufacturing. Tompkins and his team should also be acknowledged for the human capital that NB has invested in-especially the management team (including Rob DeMartini), who will guide New Balance through the next challenges.
If my memory serves me well, Jim Tompkins may be the longest reigning President & COO of a major footwear company. In his tenure, at least one of his competitors had over a dozen presidents & COOs. Tompkins seems to be suggesting, in the release, that he will be looking for a new challenge, and perhaps a young business to help guide through its formative years. Jim Tompkins held the reigns at New Balance longer than any of his contemporaries in the business. Tompkins was part of Davis' inner circle of professionals who have devoted most of the past three decades, some more, to building New Balance into a global brand. A young business that works with Tompkins would be lucky indeed.
IAAF President Lamine Diack with Sangheung Shin, President of Samsung Europe, announcing a new marketing partnership between the IAAF and Samsung (Courtesy of IAAF, photo by Getty images).
In this day and age, it is a positive occasion when a global sports sponsor of the nature of Samsung, commits to renewing its sponsorship with the a major sports federation, in this case, the IAAF.
Especially with the success that athletics has had promoting itself via the web, digital TV, twitter, RSS feeds on phones, Samsung is a natural to position itself well and gain strong benefits.
Tyson Gay, shown here from Athletes Only Summer 2008, vol 13, number 2.
During the ESPN2 broadcast on Saturday night, May 16 of the adidas Track Classic, Tyson Gay made it abundantly clear that he was, " 100 percent mentally and physically." He has run two consecutive personal bests at 400 meters, 46.34 and 45.54. He will be running 200 meters at the Reebok GP on May 30, 2009, at the Icahn Stadium. All I can say is-you need to be there, if you live within six states. The meet is amazing and the season will only get better.
Bryan Clay was the 2004 Olympic Bronze medalist, the 2005 World Champion at the decathlon and the 2008 Olympic gold medalist at the decathlon. He was featured in Nike media day for their Nike Training launch. RBR was able to get Bryan on the phone for fifteen minutes, here is what we spoke about:
photo by PhotoRun.net
Dathan Ritzenhein, two time Olympian, and Brad Hudson, his coach and former prep phenom are no longer working together. We wish them both best wishes and realize that as coach and athlete relationships are part art and science, things change.
Global Weekend Catch-up, Track, Road,
Haile is showing that he is in great shape. Charging through the 5k in 13:30, Haile ran a strong 27:39 to win in Manchester. Ali El Zayedi was second in 28:13, and Sergiy Lebid was third in 28:36. Vivian Cheruiyot won the women's race in 32:01.
In the City Games, Usain Bolt ran 14.54 for 150 meters-not bad for a guy who had stitches taken out of his left foot two weeks ago.
Photo by Photorun.net.
Kerron Clement knew something was up, but, like the pro he is, he just kept hurdling.... Photo by Photorun.net
In our sports, we need places where we can celebrate the sport. Most of the time we call them track meets, athletics meets. I call them positive sanctuaries. These are the places I go to watch our sport, celebrate our sport. It is hard for me when I do not see the stands completely full. It is like the athletes, coaches and fans know the truth-our sport is exciting, our sport is about watching our heroes run, jump and throw. And competed they did in the adidas Track Classic.
This was the first years since 2004 I have missed adidas Track Classic, so I had to watch it over ESPN2. I twittered away on what I saw over the tube, but it took most of last night to get my notes from the meet, from friends who were my eyes.
I have added the complete results and my observations, along with quotes on the meet, courtesy of our friends at USATF. So, here we go!
Photo by PhotoRun.net
On Saturday, May 16, Jeremy Wariner executed one of his best races in a long time. Hitting 200 meters well, but churning the next three meters was the differenence, as Wariner came off in the lead and ran a 44.66. Good for Wariner fans, but his comments that he is working with his former coach, Clyde Hart, shows Jeremy is, as he said during the TV interview, " I am going back to where I was."
Clyde Hart, is a coaching genius, period. Speak to him, he will smile, low ball it, but the man knows the 400 meters. He gives credit to Jim Bush, Bud Winter, two of the other greats, but as with all of the top coaches, it is art and science. The good news is that Jeremy Wariner is happy, and he went back to working with Coach Hart with a high level of professionalism.
CARSON (USA): Double world champion and 2004 olympic winner at 400 m Jeremy Wariner went back to his long time coach Clyde Hart. He confirmed that in his quote after the adidas Track Classic race: "I executed better than I should have. Right now I'm just focusing on every part of the race. I recently got back with my old coach (Clyde Hart). Coach Ford is a wonderful coach. Experience made the difference. I went back with Coach Hart." He started to work with coach Michael Ford in the beginning of 2008.
Special thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.
To reach RBR, please email [email protected]
The Usain Bolt watch continues. One of the highlights of the coming Berlin 2009 championships will be the sprints and many sports fans are watching Usain Bolt and his recovery and Tyson Gay coming back into shape. Bolt races 150 meters tomorrow in Manchester, UK.
Photo by Photorun.net.
In a copyrighted AP story on Wednesday, Global Athletics & Marketing, the management of Tyson Gay and Veronica-Campbell-Brown, announced that both sprinters had pulled out of the adidas Track Classic to be held in Carson, CA on Saturday, May 16.
Veronica Campbell-Brown, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist at 200 meters, has been managing a toe injury that has caused her grief since last February. Tyson Gay, who raced on May 2 over 400 meters, where he ran his personal best of 45.54. Gay, who sustained a knee injury during training, is, according to his management team, " just not ready to race 100 or 200 meters. "
Tyson Gay will be running against former World Record Holder Asafa Powell at the Reebok NY Grand Prix on May 30.
The adidas Track Classic will be held at the Home Depot Training Center in Carson, California tomorrow, May 16, and featured LIVE on ESPN 2. The meet will feature tremendous fields in the men's 100 meters, men's 400 meters and 200 meters, men's 400 meter intermediate hurdles, where two former Olympic gold medalists will duke it out, the women's 200 meters and womens' 5,000 meters as well as a stellar field in the men's 1,500 meters. A great early season elite meet!
Photo by Photorun.net.
Usain Bolt, the three time Olympic gold medalist will run a 150 meter race in Manchester, England on Sunday, May 17. By going to the link provided below, you will be able to see the race live, courtesy of Universal Sports!
Bolt as many know, was injured in a car accident two weeks ago, and has recovered enough to begin racing again. Lots of action this weekend!
EVENT: Great City Games
DATE: Sunday, May 17
LOCATION: Manchester, UK
ONLINE: 12:00pm – 1:30pm ET (LIVE)
Jenn Stuczynski, American record holder indoors and outdoors, plus first U.S. women to clear sixteen feet, will be competing in Carson, at the Home Depot center, on Saturday, May 16. She has broken American records at past two adidas Track Classics. An all around athlete, Jenn loves her training site in upstate New York, in an old quonset hut!
But, the tough training conditions give Jenn confidence-watch for some great jumps this Saturday!
LaShawn Merritt wants to win in Berlin. His early season racing is smart-a 200 meters at adidas on May 17, a 400 meters at the Reebok NYGP on May 30, and a 300 meters at the Nike Prefontaine on June 7.
LaShawn Merritt, all of 22, is the Olympic champion at 400 meters. Some of the most exciting races of 2008 were the titanic battles between Merritt and Jeremy Wariner. This year should be even more exciting. Wariner is focused and Merritt wants the World Championship-sounds to me like a great rivalry!
Photo by Photorun.net.
Haile Gebreselassie is ready to roll! On Sunday, May 17, he will be running a 10k in Manchester, UK. Then, on June 1, at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Haile will attempt to break his own world record for the hour run, one of the most grueling of all track events.
Photo by Photorun.net.
Makau dueled with Merga at the RAK this past winter. Makau ran a 2:06.14 in his debut and Merga won Boston this year. Should be a great race in Ottowa!
Photo by Photorun.net.
Usain Bolt has confirmed that he will race the Great City Sprint 150 meters on Sunday, May 16, 2009. His last two week odyssey from rolling his BMW M3, to having thorns removed from his left foot, to last week's gentle testing of his left foot seems to have worked...and the sporting world sighs in relief.
Usain Bolt, after his 200 meter World Record, Beijing, August 2008, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Photo by Photorun.net. Allyson Felix has been a fixture in our sport since her freshman year of high school. She has appeared on the covers of California Track & Running News, Athletes Only and American Track & Field. She has also graced many a cover of Track & Field News as well.
Allyson has also always listened to her own drummer. She went pro as a freshman in college, completed her education on time, and has been a professional athlete since the age of eighteen. Her major sponsor is adidas, her coach is Bob Kersee, and her agent is Renaldo Nehemiah.
Felix is an athlete of some complexity. She is a veteran 100 meter runner. Yet, at this time, she is a one of the top two 200 meter runners in the world. However, her best event may be in front of her: the 400 meters. Besides that, she is one of the ablest 4 x100 meter and 4 x 400 meter relay runners on the planet, period.
I am fascinated about the thought and planning that goes into a footwear company picking up various athletes. I am always concerned about athletes going pro from high school. For Allyson, it has been a natural progression. adidas picked Allyson Felix, and they have definitely received their moneys' worth. Not only does she continue to shine on the world stage, Felix is an athlete who is well respected by her competitors and competitive sponsors. To be respected by one's competition, the people who spend time with you, day in, day out, is the highest complement in this sport.
Allyson Felix will be joining many of the world's top athletes in competing this coming Saturday, May 16, in Carson at the adidas Track Classic
This is one of my favorite pictures. The baby in my Grandmother's arms is me. My grandmother's name is Violet, and that is my mom, Marilu, next to her. I was about six months old and the year is 1959. I am the oldest of five children, two boys and three girls.
I have a slight remembrance of Mom taking me, my twin sisters, Beth & Lou and little sister, Kathy on a city bus to visit Grandma. I would have been four, at the time. Mom made it an adventure, which is what she would do with most of the stuff that should have stopped her cold in her tracks. By the time my Mom was twenty-four, she has had five children.
Stefanie Brown Trafton, Beijing 2008 Olympic discus champion, has had her second throw over 61 meters this season. Photo by Photorun.net.
Kara Goucher announced earlier this week to our friends at TFN, that she will be running the Berlin World Championships at the marathon distance. As Kara's first year in the marathon has garnered her thirds in the ING New York and BAA Boston, she has captured the interest of the American running media. (Watch for some interviews with Kara in Seventeen.com, Shape and many other non-running publications).
In her debut, Kara showed her toughness, fighting back from a bad patch to run a tough third place. In her second marathon, Kara ran a tough race, in the battle until the very end. Her last 800 meters were a lesson learnt only by running and racing marathons, and while she might have not been completely satisfied, the marathon is a a race where experience counts.
Alfons Juck reports that Kara Goucher is running both the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters at the US Championships in late June in Eugene, Oregon, per agency reports. No word that her focus on the Berlin WC marathon...
Photo by Photorun.net
Jeremy Wariner told RBR and the assembled press in Santa Monica that he liked the Osaka GP track and would be running there, and ran he did, a nice 44.69 meters for the win over Yuzo Kanemora (45.16) of Japan and Sean Wroe of Australia (45.32). No big distance races, but a good opening meet as the global sports picks up this weekend!
Jeremy Wariner, shown here at 2008 Brussels, photo by Photorun.net.
Some amazing runs over the men's steeple and 3,000 meter flat today in Doha! Reese Hoffa won the shot put! Watch Universal coverage of the meet!
Photo by PhotoRun.net, Reese Hoffa in Beijing.
Usain Bolt completed a light workout on Thursday, one day after the stitches were removed. He told his coach of a slight discomfort...
Photo by Photorun.net.
I met David Oliver at the Beijing USOC press conference. Affable, good sense of humor, very bright, Oliver will go places in our sport, with his aggressive racing style, his strong hurdling technique and his improved start. He opens today, in Qatar.
David Oliver, from press conference in Berlin, May 2008, photo courtesy of
Bob Ramsak.
Athletics is our favorite sport, that is a given. However, the sport that has benefited from digital and web TV, in my mind, has been our sport. Universal Sports, the brainchild of Carlos Silva and Claude Ruibal, will give track geeks around the world the chance to see the Super Grand Prix tomorrow! Check your local TV listings and also the web!
Photo by PhotoRun.net. David Oliver at Beijing Olympics, August 2008.
Paula Radcliffe is the fastest women ever at the marathon distance. She is a European Champion, a World Cross Country Champion, a World Champion. Yet, running 2:15: for the marathon has taken its toll. Her Olympic marathon in Athens was a nightmare. Her marathon in Beijing, I believe, showed more her class as an athlete and her belief in competing and completing an Olympic marathon. I gained even more respect for Paula after that race.
Paula has just recovered from a foot operation and is hoping to run the World Championships: only time will tell. To read the excellent interview at IAAF. org: http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/display_article.php?id=31339
Paula Radcliffe, shown here during her 2008 win, where she lead almost the entire race, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Blanka Vlasic will be one of the featured stars in Doha tomorrow, Friday, May 8...(photo by Photorun.net)
In the news today, Steve Cram notes his pleasure with the positive of Rashid Ramzi in a interview with insidethegames.com. .Plus Spain names its World Championship marathon team.
Kara Goucher is running the World Championships marathon in Berlin! Her coach, Alberto Salazar, her husband, Adam, her team and Nike met right after the Boston marathon. In a tremendous interview, done exclusively for Track & Field News, by one of our favorite track writers, Sieg Lindstrom, it is apparent that Kara and her team feel that she has something more to give this year in the marathon. She will be taking a break after Berlin. To read the interview, please click: http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/display_article.php?id=31339
Usain Bolt will start to train next week. His car skidded off the road, but also overturned in a ditch, and when he exited, he stepped on some thorns with his left foot...
Fifty-five years ago, on a very windy day at the track on Iffley road at Oxford University, Roger Bannister, Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway made sports history. The world record set by Gunder Hagg, from 1945, of 4:01.4, was broken with the first mile under four minutes.
It was that same year that Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Mt. Everest. It was less than a decade after the end of the second World War, and the world had changed dramatically. It is a story I heard as a high school student in the 1970s, and it was the first real book on running I read at the time as well.
On April 25, Micheal Coe became the 322nd American to break four minutes for the mile, with his 3:56 in windy conditions. There is magic in the mile and a sub four minute mile is still a badge of athleticism for the middle distance runner. Sir Roger Bannister, now 80 ( he celebrated his 80th on March 23, 2009, and he runs, once again, two days a week! https://www.runblogrun.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt.cgi?__mode=view&_type=entry&id=1166&blog_id=1 ).
Sir Roger Bannister lives a quiet, thoughtful life, just like the renaissance man he is. Sir Roger Bannister, like no one before him, and perhaps, no one after him, saw the beauty in a mile well run, beating the stop watch before it hit four minutes, and both the eternity in that six tenths of a second and the hope it gave to his recovering nation, and a recovering world, will never be forgotten.
To truly appreciate the importance of this event, one must see it. So, grab your coffee or tea, sit back and watch (thanks to Walt Murphy for finding this):
video of the entire race http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/6/newsid_2511000/2511575.stm
Shalane Flanagan, US record holder at 5,000 m/10,000 m outdoors and 3k and 5k indoors, will be racing against Ejegayehu and Genzebe Dibaba, sisters of Tirunesh Dibaba. Ejegayehu is hte 2004 silver medalist and 2005 bronze medalist at both 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Genezebe just won her second World XC Junior title!
They will be competing at the adidas Track Classic on May 16, 2009 at Carson, CA.
Photo by Photo Run.net
Not a good day in Herzo. However, adidas Group has been quite clear in their first quarter report: Reebok and adidas North America have to be focal points if the adidas Group is to pull out of the nightmare first quarter.
Mr. Hainer speaks of the 'unrivaled consumer experience' provided by the adidas Group. When the brands are firing on all cylinders, that is true-look at the Boston Marathon and London marathon sponsorships. The challenge, for now, is to take the consumer experience that is found in Boston and London, and take it around the world.
This year's BAA Boston Marathon jacket for 2009. adidas special apparel at Boston is a nearly complete sell out at the event.
Blanka Vlasic, photo by Photorun.net.
Blanka Vlasic is a high jump warrior. Blanka Vlasic is also a rock star. Watch the women clear 2.02, 2.05 and listen to the crowd roar and Vlasic perform! She may be at her most complete during competition.
In this interview, Blanka was very introspective. It was really during a short break in her training before she started the long drive to Berlin 2009. As a former coach, Blanka Vlasic is the coaches' dream: a natural athlete, a hard worker, and a focused athlete. In those attributes, one may also find her Achilles' heel.
The interview was conducted in English. Blanka Vlasic has many particularly American idioms down cold. Vlasic is quite comfortable in the limelight, and she knows exactly what she is saying, whichever language she chooses to speak.
Blanka Vlasic seems to have this absolute need, much like breathing, to compete almost constantly. That seems to be acknowledged after her silver at Beijing. The focus now is on Berlin this coming August.....
As I have been inundated by coaches, athletic directors who were concerned about the Swine Flu, or H1N1, I have been trying to keep up with the information. I suggest that you put on your RSS feed the following: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu.
Note that while we are hearing anecdotally, about track & field conference meets being canceled, we still suggest that decisions for such cancellations be done under the local jurisdiction.
Local cases of H1-N1 seem to be the reasons being used to close down schools, sporting events, events where groups of young, healthy 14-22 year olds-young adults now seem to be the target group-congregate. Please make sure that you have consulted a local medical professional about the situation as well before making decisions.
For coaches, please print this out and give it to your team-a nice page from the CDC:
The Transcript of the WHO live daily conference on H1-N1, courtesy of NPR, is below: (We encourage you to sign up for the NPR health podcasts-tremendous resources! )
This is the first of several interviews you will be able to read over the next week, courtesy of adidas. In the middle of March, I had the luck to spend several days in Santa Monica, with the adidas team, checking out new product, and speaking to adidas' Icon athletes.
We start with Jeremy Wariner. In 2004, Wariner won the NCAA 400 meters, Olympic Trials and Olympic 400 meters plus anchored the 4 x 400 meters for two gold medals. In 2005, Wariner won the Helsinki 400 meters and ran the 4 x400 meters-both gold medals. Same story in Osaka, as Wariner won the open 400 meters and ran on the 4 x 400 meter relay.
2008 was a different story. A change in coaches, and a real competitor in LaShawn Merritt, who gave Wariner some real races. At the Olympic Trials, Wariner took second. In Beijing, Wariner ran a brilliant semi final, but the energy was just not there in the final and LaShawn Merritt took the 400 meters.
Spring 2009 gives us a bit more contemplative Jeremy Wariner. He knows he has to train hard, improve his race and run his own race. In that way, perhaps the defeats in 2008 were good for Jeremy in the long run....
Willis's move over the last straightaway in Beijing garnered him a well earned bronze. Ramzi's positive for CERA, if the B test is positive on June 8, could garner Willis a move from bronze to silver! Photo above from Photorun.net.
Story below from Athletics International by Peter Matthews and Mel Watman:
Usain Bolt, shown here in Beijing, will be taking a week off from training, due to his surgery on Bolt's left foot to remove embedded thorns which he walked on after the accident. Photo by Photorun.net.
The Payton Jordan is one of the best meets for distance performances. From 800 meters to 1,500 meters to 5,000 meters to 10,000 meters, the crowd at the Cardinal Invitational is treated to a night of tremendous performances! Alistair Cregg and Matt Tegenkamp battled in the 5,000 meters, Anna Willard too the world lead in 1,500 meters at 4:06.90, and Matt Centrowitz, Jr., led nine men under 3:40 with his fine 3:36.92! A new US junior 5,000 meter record from the battle between Chris Derrick and German Fernandez in the 'B' 5,000 meters. Finally, congrats to Tim Nelson who ran a super 27:36.99 to take the 10,000 meters.
Matt Tegenkamp in Beijing 5,000 meters semi finals. At Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, finished second to Alistair Cregg in the 5,000 meters. Photo by Photorun.net.
Tyson Gay ran 45.27 for 400 meters on Saturday, May 2, a week after his 46.34 personal best last weekend...
This photo is of Tyson Gay in the 2008 Olympic Trials 100 meters, photo by Photorun.net.
Deena Kastor has best race since her April 2008 Olympic Trials win, with her strong win in BUPA Edinburgh Great Run. Photo by Photorun.net.
World leaders at women's 100 meters (10.92), women's 400 meters ( 50.99) and a huge surprise world leader at 400m hurdles, mens (48.42) in KIngston, Jamaica...
The positive tests for CERA of six athletes from Beijing has been around the world and then some now. Lord Sebastian Coe, the 1980 and 1984 gold medalist at 1,500 meters, and 1980 and 1984 silver medalist at 800 meters, and the Chairman of the London 2012, made some thoughtful comments on the subject of Rashid Ramzi, who was among the athletes who tested positive...
Nice start of the season by La Shawn Merritt, the 2008 Olympic champion at 400 meters. His 44.50 was in very windy conditions. This follows up his 20.17 for 200 meters from April 18, also a world leader!
Photo courtesy of Photorun.net.
As the news of the swine flu broke, I was in London for the marathon. I started to spend some time watching the BBC, Sky and CNN reports on Monday before I flew back. One of my friends, Becka, was going with her fiance to Mexico--the trip was eventually canceled. I watched, as you have, medical professionals from WHO (World Health Organization) telling people that the flu can not be contained, because it has spread to disparate parts of the world.
So, will the Swine Flu pandemic force us to cancel lots of track meets and road races. This writer is suggesting caution, but sanity in dealing with the possible pandemic. Above all else-strong sanitary habits make sense!
Photo by Lisa Congilio/Photorun.net.
Asafa Powell, from 2007, with his world record. The difference between the finely tuned machine that is an elite sprinter, and a mere shadow of the former self, is a sore ankle, hamstring, back, etc. In this case, Asafa Powell experienced a sore ankle, which was exasperated at his relay run at Penn last weekend.
Photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.
Updated May 1, 2009
Marc Bloom first came into prominence with the Harrier magazine, then his wonderful collaboration with George Hirsch and the Runner magazine. Bloom is a keen observer of our sport-he loves it and challenges it to be better. Bloom's mentor was and is James Dunaway, editor of American Track & Field and one of the best and most prolific writers on our sport in North America. Bloom is now one of the key role models for another generation of running media. His lessons have been hard won.
Bloom's writing in the Runner gave us an quite intimate view of a generation of American distance running personalities that we have missed for nearly twenty years. Bloom's heart has been in the Harrier, his salute to the purity and importance of high school cross country. As Track & Field News is the Bible of our sport, Bloom's the Harrier is the Talmud--how to run well, celebrating the good ones and challenging us as coaches and athletes to be just a bit better.
Over the past twenty years, Marc Bloom has written books, edited special newsletters for various clients, published the Harrier, and also written some of the best meet programs for both Foot Locker and Nike events. He is now, the prolific one. Marc Bloom is one of my favorite writers, but I miss him most as a wordsmith and editor at the Runner, where Marc managed one of the best magazines on our sport ever, in its most formative years (the Runner).
Marc Bloom has written a timely book: Young Runners: the complete guide for Kids running from 5 to 18. We wanted to get a few minutes with Marc to ask him his thoughts on a variety of subjects. His response, shown in its complete form below, is both entertaining and educating. I hope you concur!


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Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) has always come at a premium to industry competitors Panera Bread (NASDAQ:PNRA), McDonald's (NYSE:MCD), and Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM), but now is rapidly reapproaching all-time highs of around $620 in a year that has seen the stock rise more than 12%.
With Chipotle slated to report earnings later this month, it may be time for investors to consider whether the company's growth fundamentals still merit its premium valuation.
A look at valuation
CMG P/E Ratio (TTM) data by YCharts
Chipotle has consistently traded at a hefty premium to its industry counterparts over the past half-decade. Rarely, however, has Chipotle's premium to its competitors been richer than it is currently. Yum! Brands, the next closest, trades with a P/E ratio nearly half that of Chipotle, and is currently only trading with a P/E in the 30's because of the massive hit Yum! Brands' KFC operations took in China over the past year due to the outbreak of a deadly strain of the Avian flu.
Bottom line: Chipotle's valuation is currently incredibly rich on a straight up P/E basis. However, does Chipotle's growth still provide appropriate justification for this?
A look at growth
CMG Revenue (Quarterly YoY Growth) data by YCharts
A gander at the chart above shows that Chipotle is growing at an incredibly accelerated pace in terms of revenue, but EPS-wise has dipped down into the single digits recently. Chipotle's EPS growth rate, in fact, has been on a steady descent since 2010, when growth was above 75%. In the first quarter of this year, Chipotle only managed an 8.3% year over year EPS growth rate.
In its first quarter earnings release, Chipotle cited a 150 basis point year-over-year increase in food costs, which accounted for 34.5% of its overall revenue in the quarter, as the primary cause of this slowing in EPS. It also cited a year-over-year 130 basis point increase in G&A costs (general and administrative expenses), which accounted for 7.4% of its overall revenue in the quarter.
The bad news is that neither one of these problems are anticipated to go away. CFO John Hartung commented that despite the recent rise in food prices, beef, cheese, and avocado prices are expected to continue rising throughout the rest of the year, while G&A costs are expected to rise 50% year over year on an annual basis in 2014.
A look into the future
To combat the rise in food prices, Chipotle recently implemented its first company-wide increase in menu prices in nearly three years, which will at least partially offset the recent rise in food costs.
For the current quarter, Wall Street expects EPS of $3.05, which, if met, would represent 19% year-over-year growth. Meanwhile, the revenue forecast calls for a an astounding 42% year over year increase.
How is Chipotle planning to sustain such growth past just the next quarter? Not only does Chipotle plan to open 180 to 195 new restaurants (roughly a 10% increase in total store count) this year, Chipotle also sports one of the best same-store sales (SSS) growth rates in the business. In the first quarter, when nearly everyone else was crying about how much weather conditions had negatively affected their businesses, Chipotle reported a SSS growth rate of 13.4%. Sustaining such incredible SSS growth will be key.
The Foolish takeaway
For years Chipotle has been able to trade at a hefty premium to its peers because it sustained an accelerated pace of growth. While its EPS growth has marginally slowed recently, Chipotle has taken action to deal with some of its inflated costs, and a return to higher growth is forecast for the upcoming quarter.
That's why, despite its premium valuation, Chipotle is still worth every penny. Investors must be cautious, however, for as soon as Chipotle signals that its incredible growth trajectory is slowing more permanently, Mr. Market will swap Chipotle's P/E in the 50's for one in the 40's or 30's. Something like this happening, however, is likely years down the road as Chipotle remains well-positioned to deliver astounding growth well into the future.

subset: commoncrawl


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Aqaulux are the UK leading supplier of shower enclosures and bath screens in the United Kingdom. If you are looking for a ground-breaking and robust shower screen or enclosure look no further, than the range offered by bathshop321. Leading on price and excellent in quality Aqualux offer products with characteristics that everyone is after, and now achievable through our discounted prices.
Spacious and comfortable the number of walk in shower enclosure available in different designs and from frameless glass to chrome decorated you are sure to find a product that will make a real statement in your bathroom.
For reassurance and peace of mind, Aqualux only use the finest materials, the majority of their products made from 5mm thick safety glass which is reinforced and has been rigorously tested. Robust and strong Aqualux remove any concerns you may have about other inadequate products. If you have any queries regarding the Aqualux products will supply please contact our friendly and experienced sales team on 0844 811 2321.


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Monday, June 4, 2012
Exciting News!
Get It Scrapped! has announced their very first Creative Team and guess what? Yes, there I am, right in the front row! (you'd think after 30+ years, I'd be used to having a last name that begins with "A", but it throws me every time!)
This is an amazing group of ladies from all over the globe who represent both paper and digital scrapbooking. We've come on board to assist in expanding the free offerings at Get It Scrapped and Easy Scrapbook Pages. Our first assignments have already been handed out and I can't wait to get creating! Along with This Memory Keeper's Life, a new podcast, and Masterful Scrapbook Design, the paid membership site, you've got an amazing quartet of wonderful ideas and amazing inspiration at your fingertips!
17 comments:
- AnonymousJune 4, 2012 at 1:18 AM
Congratulations - I'm looking forward to seeing what you create.ReplyDelete
CONGRATULATIONS!!! SUE... you deserved it... hugs...xoxoReplyDelete
Wow! That's amazing! Not at all surprising, of course, but amazing just the same -- congrats!ReplyDelete
congrats sue -- this is awesome. I am going to have to check out the site!ReplyDelete
Congratulations, Sue! You'll be a wonderful asset to their group!ReplyDelete
Congratulations, Sue!ReplyDelete
Lots of talented women there and you are one of them!! :)
Congrats! I just discovered that podcast too, and can't wait for additional episodes.ReplyDelete
Congrats on the new team! I love everything that Debbie does...have fun on this new adventure! :)ReplyDelete
Many congratulations! That's such exciting news. I have a great fondness for Get it Scrapped - at the very beginning I took lots of classes there when I knew nothing about scrapbooking. You'll be a wonderful asset to themReplyDelete
Congratulations Sue...much deserved!ReplyDelete
Alison xx
- AnonymousJune 4, 2012 at 2:44 PM
YAY!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!ReplyDelete
Congratulations! This is so exciting!ReplyDelete
Congratulations - you definitely deserve it.ReplyDelete
Congratulation Sue! Have a wonderful time with your new challenges! Always look forward to reading how your creative mind works!ReplyDelete
Congratulations Sue! Much deserved!ReplyDelete
I missed this news...I was catching up on your blog and had to click on "good news". Congrats to you, well-deserved.ReplyDelete


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Twitter IPO vs. Facebook
How "Modest" Twitter Stacks Up to Tech's Biggest IPOs
This week, Twitter announced it will list its shares between $17 to $20, for a valuation of about $11 billion in the social media giant's November IPO. That's no chump change, but in Silicon Valley where the tech industry is booming, the not-yet profitable Twitter's valuation is being called modest compared to its digital competitors. But how does the micromessaging company measure up against other tech leaders' early Wall Street showings? Find out below.
At the time of its May 18, 2012, initial public offering on the NASDAQ, the social network has raised $16 billion, making it among the world's largest stock offerings.
Google's IPO on Aug. 18, 2004, brought in $1.67 billion.
Zynga's Dec. 15, 2011, IPO raised $1 billion.
Groupon raised $700 million with its IPO on Nov. 3, 2011.
Orbitz filed its IPO on July 19, 2007, raising $510 million.
The online retailer's May 15, 1997, IPO raised $54 million.
On April 12, 1996, Yahoo's initial public offering raised $33.8 million.
Do you think Twitter is worth its current $11 billion valuation?


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Member Portal
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AlohaCare covers certain prescription drugs for our QUEST Integration members.
Click Here for a Coupon for a Free Blood Glucose Meter for AlohaCare Members
The formulary is a list of the drugs that we cover. Generally, we will cover the drugs listed on our formulary as long as the drug is medically necessary and the prescription is filled at a network pharmacy. See below for information on restrictions and limitations. We may add or remove drugs from our formulary during the year. We will provide updates when the formulary changes.
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The drugs included in our formulary
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What is the difference between a brand name drug and generic drug?
There is little difference between a brand name drug and the generic version. Generic drugs have the same ingredients as brand name drugs. They are usually a different color and shape. Generic drugs are not as expensive as brand name drugs. Your pharmacy will fill your prescription with a generic drug if it is available. Generic medications are as safe and effective as their brand name drugs.
How does AlohaCare decide what prescription drugs are covered?
AlohaCare has a committee of physicians and pharmacists that decide about our medication procedures. They review the available drugs and select the ones that they believe are the best for our members.
Are there any restrictions or limitations?
Most of the time, you will get a 30 day supply unless your doctor orders a supply for a shorter period of time, based on your need for the drug (for example, antibiotics). Some covered drugs may have additional requirements or limits on coverage. These limitations are marked next to each drug on the formulary with "LA," "PA," "QL" or "ST." Situations in which a drug limit may apply include:
Limited Access (LA):
This prescription may be available only at certain pharmacies. For more information, please call AlohaCare Member Services.
Prior Authorization (PA):
AlohaCare QI requires you or your physician to get prior authorization for certain drugs. This means that you will need to get approval before you fill your prescription. If you do not get approval, we may not cover the drug.
Quantity Limit (QL):
For certain drugs, AlohaCare QI limits the amount of the drug that we will cover.
Step Therapy (ST):
In some cases, AlohaCare QI requires you to first try one drug to treat your medical condition before we will cover another drug for that condition. For example, if Drug A and Drug B both treat your medical condition, we may require your doctor to prescribe Drug A first. If Drug A does not work for you, then we will cover Drug B.
Generic substitution or therapeutic interchange may also apply. You may be asked to take a drug that is chemically identical (not brand name) or chemically different from the drug originally prescribed. This substitution or change will have the same therapeutic purpose and will be used for the same FDA approved conditions. The pharmacist or prescriber may ask you to take this drug and will explain the reasons why he or she believes this is a better drug choice for you. You do not have to agree. If you do not agree, you or your physician may request a prior authorization (PA).
How much will my drugs cost?
There is no copayment for our drugs, unless you have Medicare. If you have Medicare, your Medicare Part D plan will cover most of your drugs though you will have a copayment. There are certain drugs and over-the-counter medications not covered by your Medicare Part D plan that AlohaCare may cover without a copayment.
What if my drug is not on AlohaCare's list of covered drugs?
If your drug is not listed, contact your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe another drug that is similar to a drug on our drug list. Or, your doctor can ask for a prior authorization (PA) by calling the pharmacy department toll free at 877-973-7418.
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Mathematica produces Medicaid administrative files, including MAX and Alpha-MAX, specifically designed for researchers. MAX contains annual, person-level data files containing Medicaid eligibility, service utilization, and payments, which are derived from the Medicaid Statistical Information System files...
David Baugh
- Medicaid data reporting systems
- Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Data
- Research on Medicaid, CHIP, and dual Medicare-Medicaid populations
- Health
- Medicaid and CHIP
David Baugh has more than 30 years of experience as a technical advisor and statistician at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where he focused on Medicaid data production and related research. He is the creator of Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX) data files, a set of person-level data files on Medicaid eligibility, service utilization, and payments. He played instrumental roles in the development of other MAX data products and the Medicaid prescription drug data compendium. At CMS, Baugh served on the CMS Privacy Board and the Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program Business Information Solutions work groups.
Since joining Mathematica in 2011, Baugh has worked on projects focusing on MAX data, the Medicaid and Statistical Information System, and learning collaboratives to support integrated and high-performing Medicaid programs. He is currently the project director for the MAX and Alpha-MAX data production project, which focuses on the continued development of data products for the research community. He has played critical roles in developing new MAX deliverables and improving existing resources, including the Mini-MAX sample, Medicaid provider characteristics data, the Medicaid chartbook series, MAX Enrollee Master data, and linkages to other data systems in CMS and other federal agencies to support research and policy analysis.
Baugh has authored many journal articles and served as an expert advisor to assist CMS, other federal agencies, and the public on research topics related to Medicaid and low-income populations. He holds a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Maryland and also held positions in the Social Security Administration, the Bureau of Data Management and Strategy, and the Health Care Financing Administration.


text:
Export 2 results:Author Title [ Type] Year
Filters: Author is Costa, A. W. [Clear All Filters]
Journal Article
Analysis of atmospheric inputs of nitrate to a temperate forest ecosystem from Δ17O isotope ratio measurements. Geophysical Research Letters. 38(15). 2011.
Coupling Between the Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles in a Forested Environment. Department of Chemistry. Doctor of Philosophy:316pp... 2011.


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An assisted living and memory care community, The Palms at Ponte Vedra has been created in the belief that aging is a creative and meaningful process to be respected, celebrated and supported. Located in the heart of North Florida, The Palms at Ponte Vedra ensures residents will receive the quality care and support they need to live remarkable lives.
|Michael Lowry


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Monthly Archives: November 2013
Fix Broken Permalinks Moving WordPress
Written on November 29, 2013 at 13:09, by federico
Very good!
Fix Broken Permalinks Moving WordPress
Written on November 29, 2013 at 13:09, by federico
Very good!
the Albanian partner of Synaptica
Written on November 13, 2013 at 12:04, by ivan
a picture from Tirana, the computer point of Ivano
Oracle Tip – Oracle data files size
Written on November 6, 2013 at 17:03, by ivan
SELECT * FROM dba_data_files; SELECT sum(bytes / (1024*1024)) "DB Size in MB" FROM dba_data_files;
Oracle Tip – Set Decimal separator for an oracle session
Written on November 6, 2013 at 15:03, by ivan
To set in a single session the decimal separator, for example when you need to cast some string in numbers you can use the next istruction : ALTER SESSION SET NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS ='. '; in this case the "decimal separator" is the point ".". if you want the parameter is set inside a […]
Oracle Tip – TO_DATE & TO_CHAR
Written on November 6, 2013 at 14:53, by ivan
In Oracle there are two usefull function to format a timestamp to string and vceversa…. To format a date to string you can use TO_CHAR function like this: SELECT TO_CHAR(sysdate, 'DD-MON-YYYY HH24:MI:SSxFF') FROM dual; For viceversa To format a string to date you can use TO_ function like this: SELECT TO_DATE('2003/07/09′, 'yyyy/mm/dd') […]
Oracle Tip – retrive oracle version
Written on November 4, 2013 at 13:17, by ivan
Per ottenere le informazioni di versione da una console Oracle o da plsql è sufficiente utilizzare il seguente predicato select * from v$version where banner like 'Oracle%';
Spettacolo linkify Android SDK
Written on November 1, 2013 at 22:54, by federico


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Utilities for sensible alternative selection
DescriptionThis package provides a number of small utilities which are used by programs to sensibly select and spawn an appropriate browser, editor, or pager. The specific utilities included are: sensible-browser sensible-editor sensible-pager
Upload more screenshots Please help extend the collection of screenshots. Just make a screenshot and upload it here. You don't need to register or anything.
Please help extend the collection of screenshots. Just make a screenshot and upload it here. You don't need to register or anything.
Upload new screenshots
Thanks for uploading more screenshots. Please note:
- Your screenshot should contain a typical scene when working with it.
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- Your screenshots must be in PNG format.
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Munich Botanical Garden
Ras Malai
Famous in India and Bengladesh, Ras Malai is a desert made of Ras (sweet milk sauce) and Malai (clotted cream with cardamom).
You can find the original recipe here
Gyoza — Japanese dumplings
Almost every country has its own version of dumplings (raviolis, pierogi, varenyky, momo, knödel, ….).
This time, I tried the Japanese version, the Gyōza (Wikipedia), fried dumpling filled with veggies and meat.
I got some issues closing the dumpling due to the moisture of my garnish preparation, they were delicious though.
- 200g of regular flour
- 2 tbsp of sesame oil
- 250mL of warm water
- 100g of minced meat
- 100g of prawns
- 4 heads of spring onion
- 4 heads of garlic
- small piece of ginger
- 2 eggs
- a small leek
- sesame oil
Dipping sauce
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
The dough
Put all the ingredients in a big bowl and start mixing them until you get an homogeneous dough. Shape it as a ball and put it in the fridge.
The garnish
Mince the leek, the garlic and grate the ginger equally in two different bowls.
Cut the prawns in small pieces and mix them with your hands in one of the bowls. Do the same with the minced meat in the other one.
Add one egg in each bowl and mix again with your hands 🙂
The dumplings
Stretch the dough with a rolling pin in order to obtain a thin layer of 1-2mm.
Using a large biscuit cutter or a glass of water (around ø 8-10mm), cut the dough into circles.
Close the dumplings by joining opposite extremities (dip a finger in the water if needed to make them sticky) and get a half moon shape.
Put the meat/prawn mixture in the centre of each circle
Fold the closing part in order to make some pleats.
The cooking
Pour some sesame oil in a pan and start frying the dumplings on one side.
Once they get brownish, pour boiling water until half of the dumpling.
Close the pan with a lid and let them cook in steam.
Serve the Gyoza, grilled side up with some soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar.
Sources of inspiration
Halwa e Zardak — Afghani desert
Desert from Afghanistan, sweet carrot pudding, "un délice!".
Preparation: 30 mins | Cooking: 3 to 6 h
- 1 kg of carrots
- 300 mL of milk
- 50g of butter
- 125g of sugar
- 50g of raisins
- a dozen of cardamom pods
- 50g of pistachios
- 50g of almond powder
Cooking the carrots
Peel and grate the carrots as thin as possible then squeeze them to remove the moisture.
Start to melt the butter in a thick pot and fry the carrots for about 5 mins at high temperature.
Once they start to turn a little bit gold, add the milk and the sugar and decrease the temperature.
Cover the pot and let the carrot cook for 3 to 6 hours.
Adding the garnish
Put a table spoon of oil in a frying pan at medium temperature.
Add the raisins and fry them until they start to increase in size.
Add the pistachios and the almond powder and keep frying at low temperature for 5 mins.
In the mean time, crush the cardamom with a wood pestle.
Mix everything from the frying pan in the carrot pot and keep heating for 5 mins.
Add the cardamom in the preparation and stop heating.
The desert is better eaten warmed up.
Roquefort, pears and walnuts tart
First entry of this blog, a sweet salty tart recipe. Pears and blue cheese "Roquefort" are going so well together.
For the dough
- 200g of regular flour
- 100g of butter
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp of water
- a pinch of salt
- a quiche plate
- baking paper
For the topping
- 150g of Roquefort
- 150mL of Crème fraîche
- 3 eggs
- 2 pears
- 40g of walnuts
- a pinch of pepper
- a pinch of nutmeg
- Preparation: 45 mins
- Baking: 30 mins
The dough
Take out the butter 30
mins before to make it smoother. Cut it into small cube of 1cm.
Put the flour, the water, the egg and the salt in a large bowl and start to mix with a spoon. Then incorporate the butter cubes with your fingers one by one and knead the dough.
Continue until you get a homogeneous paste. Then make a ball out of it, wrap it in stretch film and let it cool in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Stretch the dough using a rolling pin (or your hands) in order to get a 2-3mm thickness.
Put the baking paper in your "quiche" plate and finally fit the dough in it, you can bend it a bit on the edge to get a t
hicker external part.
Pierce the dough with a fork so that the bottom part won't inflate too much while baking.
The topping
Turn on your oven at 200°C (Thermostat 7).
Peal the pears and cut them into half a centimetre vertical thick slices. Don't forget to remove the cores.
Place them on the dough one by one, one above the other in circle starting from the outer until the centre of the plate.
Spread the crushed nuts all around the plate together with the Roquefort in crumbles.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs and mix them with the crème fraîche and the pepper. Once you get a homogeneous liquid, spread it on the tart, you'll probably need to swing the plate to spread equally the liquid.
Sprinkle some nutmeg powder (don't forget that too much is dangerous for your health !).
Finally put the plate in the oven at 175°C (Thermostat 6) for 30-40 mins.


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Rescuing Tagore from the Bengalis
Are the Bengalis doing enough to preserve the legacy of the legendary poet?
True confession: As a Bong born and raised in Kolkata, I never ever visited Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home until last month. And that was only because a friend from Paris was visiting and I needed to show him something. Agra has the Taj Mahal, Delhi has the Red Fort and we have, well, Tagore.
Tagore probably qualifies as an industry in West Bengal especially since most other industries have fled the state. He is certainly embedded in our cultural DNA. I actually love Rabindrasangeet but I just cannot get terribly excited about his 150th birth anniversary. Here are five reasons why:
• It's as ridiculous as celebrating Mother's Day in Bengal. If you look at the average Bengali son, you'll know that everyday is really mother's day here anyway. Every week is Tagore week here. There's always someone on television mournfully singing one of his songs. The biggest Bengali middle-class hit serial of the year, Gaaner Oparey, was all about a fight over who "owns" Rabindrasangeet. As our economy tanks, we sing louder, punching on that harmonium with greater vehemence.
• The first Bengali poem I ever learned was of course, by him. It was about a date palm tree standing on one leg, its head above every other tree around him. Tagore, sadly, is our date palm tree, head and shoulders above everyone else. And every time we make a new fuss about him it just draws more attention to the fact that every thing since then feels like a copy of Tagore or a reaction to Tagore. It's as if we have been on a cultural downslide since he died in 1941 with just the Satyajit Ray blip in the middle.
• We make a fuss about Tagore but we don't actually read him. Just like Bill Clinton and marijuana, we smoke him but we don't inhale. The old man had many interesting things to say, for example in his arguments with Gandhi, about civil society vs political freedom that are really relevant right now as West Bengal is on the cusp of historic political change. But all of that has been overwhelmed by Rabindrasangeet. And unlike his poems and songs, his other writings, his essays actually translate well.
• The Bengali diaspora has ruined Tagore. I think there should be a moratorium on Rabindrasangeet sessions at Banga Sammelans in San Jose and Atlantic City. It's Bengali culture by intravenous drip for the second generation. It traps Tagore in the sickly sweet amber of endless Rabindrasangeet sessions inside conference center auditoriums but rarely have programs to talk about what he means, what he said, how he is relevant today. Someone please rescue Tagore from the overseas Bengali associations.
• We have been entirely unimaginative about how we have preserved his legacy. And this was a Renaissance man, who was truly imaginative. Tagore's ancestral home is respectfully preserved but utterly dull. Rows of black and white photographs line the wall not inviting anyone but the most die-hard Tagore lover to peruse them. If you do, you'll find delightful things, a little postcard to his wife from Paris at the turn of the century, portraits with a who's who of the early 20th century. This was a remarkable life, a restless mind that has now become a bureaucrat's preserve – safe, solid, boring, steering clear of any controversy.
But there is another Tagore out there. In a column in the Hindustan Times Indrajit Hazra includes some of his most surreal writing which I never knew about.
"The Octherloney monument was near at hand; our goalkeeper started to lick it from the bottom up, all the way to the top. Badaruddin Mian, who was mending shoes in the Senate Hall, rushed up at full speed and cried, "You're a learned man, so well-versed in scriptures! How could you defile this huge things with your licks?"
Really? That's the same Rabindranath Tagore we read in school?
On his 150th birth anniversary it would be a good idea to find that Tagore – the playful one, the irreverent one, the one who talked through a spirit medium with his dead sister-in-law, not just the one who gave us "where the mind is without fear, and the head is held high."
Otherwise we might as well give up. As we were putting on our shoes after our hushed tour of Tagore's house, a Bengali tourist came up to my French friend. "Did you enjoy it?" he asked him anxiously. "Interesting," my friend replied politely. Then he turned around and told me sotto voce "It would actually make a wonderful heritage hotel."
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
also read
Sweden celebrates 100 years of Tagore's Nobel
Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel Prize centenary celebrations began here Tuesday with Bollywood icon Sharmila Tagore, who is from the same family and on her first visit here, saying that there will "be readings of Tagore poetry and prose". The opening ceremony took place in central Stockholm.
Docu on India's national anthem gets I-Day release
National anthems worldwide often become ritualised with its adherents paying little attention to the words or their underlying meaning.
Tagore's portrait unveiled at Egypt's House of Poetry
The House of Poetry is a heritage building under the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, dedicated to the promotion of poetry, where weekly poetry salons are held by leading poets.


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A renovation is expensive. Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But have you considered exactly how expensive it can be?
The average home remodeling costs for the most common type of property in Singapore is $55,000. Yet that cost can quickly climb due to unexpected developments. When you're juggling so much, it's easy to overlook the details.
Below are the top 5 hidden renovation costs you wouldn't expect.
It's in the Walls
You may think you know the condition of your home, but there's a secret story behind your walls.
Faults in plumbing or wiring can make up a huge portion of your house renovation cost. Leaks may have caused significant behind-the-scenes water damage you'll need to fix. Runaway mould might be living rent-free in your premises.
Resolving these issues could all add up to a hefty additional bill – and one you didn't see coming.
A Change of Plans
Humans aren't the most decisive creatures, and what looks good on paper may fall flat in reality. And sometimes, life simply intervenes to slash your budget.
Changing your plans midway through the process can incur new expenses as you pay for the cost of reversing work. You'll also face a completely new quote for the revised work.
Try to be as thorough as possible in the planning phases, and ensure you only renovate when you know you're in a financial place to see it through. The last thing you want happening is to abandon your renovations halfway through.
Missing the Details
Getting caught up in the big picture of renovation is easy to do. But it could cost you your budget. If you haven't taken the time to itemise every little cost of your renovation, you could soon find those small details add up to one large figure. Windows, kitchen fittings, even doors could cause significant alternations to your bill.
Give yourself plenty of time to make a complete list of everything you'll be paying for. Before any work starts, ask your contractor for exact details of what your quote covers.
Permission to Build
If you're undertaking a significant remodel to your building, then you need to put time into researching permits.
Failing to secure a permit in advance could mean you're forced to reverse your renovations. Worse, you'll need to pay the extra to do it. Avoid the possibility by getting your permits sorted in advance.
Information on permits in Singapore is easy to find as they are publicly available on HDB's website (for the majority of us who are staying in public housing). But we're still surprised that many people forget to factor in these costs when budgeting for their renovations.
Since we're in Singapore, just assume that you will need a permit for just about everything you do to your home – from replacing floor tiles to replacing windows to installing grills. Furthermore, do not forget that these permits have time limits.
A Load of Rubbish
You won't believe the amount of junk a renovation generates until you're in the thick of it.
That makes it easy to underestimate your costs for debris removal. It's manual, and you may need to rent a lorry or disposal truck so it can get quick expensive. It's also an area in which sneaky contractors can inflate the bill, so keep a close eye on what you're spending.
If any of your debris is likely to include hazardous substances, be sure to account for them in advance.
Removing Door Frame
So, you've picked out a brand new door and are excited to fit that in. But how about your old door frame? Did you know that you'll have to pay for its removal as well? There's quite a bit of work involved in removing door frames so it can get expensive fast.
Keep Renovation Costs Under Control
These are a few examples of the renovation costs that can spiral out of control. By planning for them in advance, you can limit surprises and focus on building your dream home.
Looking for more advice on building a better home? Be sure to follow AURASTONE's blog.


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"Learn to Code, Code to Learn"
Most people these days still see computer coding or programming as a highly technical or even nerdy activity that is only attractive to a minority of the population. In reality, coding is getting to be a newer type of literacy. It is a skill that is useful in everyday life, especially in today's highly digital world. For most people, having at least a basic level of skill at programming will make it easier to use a smartphone, link devices, and manage files across multiple platforms. Consider all of these benefits of supporting learning programming at a young age; by helping your kids learn some computer programming, you can even learn along with them!
When kids are introduced to coding, they gain appreciation of how digital technology work. Digital technology is a big part of many kids' lives, as they are surrounded by smart phones, video games, video entertainment, websites, and even robots. What drives this technology are software or computer programs that are created by coding. Like learning about biology and chemistry, it is important for kids to understand the building blocks of an integral part of their life. They need to realize that what happens when they use technology is not magic, and they themselves can create programs that can be useful.
But knowing what happens under the hood of modern technology is just one of the benefits of learning to code for kids and students. Many of the other benefits are related to making them learn how to think and develop skills that they will need in the future.
Some benefits of kids' learning how to code, and why coding is important for kids and students to learn:
Computational thinking
When kids learn to read and write code, they develop cognitive skills and learn a methodical, problem-solving process that resembles a computer. The process involves using abstractions and pattern recognition to represent the problem in new and different ways, logically organizing and analyzing data, breaking the problem down into smaller parts, identifying and creating the steps needed to solve the problem, running the procedures, analyzing the results, and determining if the results yielded an acceptable answer. Computational thinking can be applied to other situations aside from coding, as it is a way of thinking that solves practical problems.
Logical thinking
Logical thinking is required for coding. It consists of formulating step by step procedures to produce a desired outcome. It involves using expressions, selection, iteration, conditional and other logical statements and sentences.
Problem Solving
Coding teaches kids to break down complex problems into components. This problem-solving technique is transferable to a lot of other fields. For example, scientists solve problems by forming hypotheses and systematically testing these hypotheses one by one. Car mechanics diagnose car problems by replacing one part at a time to isolate the problem part. In coding, a programmer figures out bugs by generating intelligent hypotheses and tweaking parts of his code one component at a time to test which one solves the problem.
Children have creative and fluid minds that allow them to think in a more "out of the box" way. Coding uses so much creativity. When we code we can build our own computer games, animation movies or interactive digital artwork. This involves creating our own designs, including graphics, animations, storytelling, and building our own imaginary worlds and characters.
Coding to learn
We don't always give the students the right answer to a question. We encourage use of trial and error to find a way to solve the problem in front of us. Experimentation allows us to remember the answer better. It also allows us to be ok with not knowing the answer and to have a go at searching and having an educated guess. We learn that there is no single answer and often there are many possible answers. We may even find a correct answer that is different to the teacher's answer.
What is the best age to start coding?
Many good programmers claim that they start coding by age 5 or 6. But the best answer is when the child starts to show excitement and interest in it, like when a gamer child thinks that he can create his own game, or when he thinks he can create a program that will be useful or will entertain his friends.
A child best learns languages when he is young, and learning programming syntax is akin to learning a new language. Early exposure will shape how he thinks, and makes computational thinking second nature.
At 7 or 8, most kids have sufficiently developed logical and critical thinking skills needed for coding.
Kids as young as 10 can produce programs that achieve professional quality!
Are your kids ready for this journey? Join us now!


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A court in Vietnam has sentenced Nguyen Xuan Son, former chairman of PetroVietnam and former chief executive of Ocean Bank, to death for fraud. He was found guilty of embezzlement, intentional breaches of state rules over economic management leading to serious consequences and abuse of position and power.
The People's Court in Hanoi also sentenced Ha Van Tham, founder of Ocean Group and once one of Vietnam's most high profile tycoons, to life imprisonment. Once one of the richest people in Vietnam, the bank's ex-chairman was found guilty of embezzlement, violations of bank lending regulations and abuse of power. Dozens of other banking and energy officials were also jailed.
The death penalty had been recommended by the state prosecution. Because OceanBank is partially-state owned, Son's crime of mishandling state money was thought to be particularly serious. When he left OceanBank, he rose to be head of state oil giant PetroVietnam. In 2015, the Central Bank took over OceanBank after it failed to pay its debts. In total, 51 officials and bankers stood trial, accused of mismanagement leading to losses of $69 million.
Judge Truong Viet Toan said: "Tham and Son's behaviour is very serious, infringing on the management of state assets and causing public grievances, which requires strict punishment."
Son maintained his innocence and would appeal against the verdict from the People's Court of Hanoi, his lawyer, Le Minh Tam, told Reuters.
According to Amnesty International, Vietnam is one of the world's biggest executioners. But this is believed to be the first time in years that the death penalty has been given to such a high-flying former official.
Vietnam, ranked 113th out of 176 countries on Transparency International's corruption perceptions index, is one of the most corrupt countries in Asia. The ruling comes amid an intensifying corruption crackdown and maneuvering within the ruling Communist Party.
The government has vowed to tackle the issue in order to boost the country's economic growth. In May, a top Vietnamese official was sacked for "serious violations" while running PetroVietnam.
As bankers loot trillions from U.S. citizens and face no consequences, Vietnam shows they have a strict punishment for corruption — death. The Free Thought Project writes:
"Still, no matter the circumstances, an outcome such as this in the US remains impossible: after all it is America's very own embezzling bankers that control the legislative and judicial branches, and most recently, the executive not to mention the central bank, which is why deterrence of any substantial scale will never take place in the US and small, medium and large-scale theft will continue unabated, with the occasional slaps on the wrist, until there is nothing left to steal."


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Project Description
Vikki & Paul's Wedding at Le Petit Chateau Northumberland
Vikki and Paul met on a plane back from the Canary Islands when Vikki was cabin crew and it must have been love at first sight because they were engaged to be married shortly after. They decided on the beautiful venue of Le Petit Chateau after having lunch there and were enchanted by Le Belle Epoque Chapel, the Mediterranean garden and outstanding accommodation. The weather was beautiful for November and the staff so well organised and friendly. The food was great and the band Bay6, who got everyone up dancing, rocked the night away. Vikki's daughters were beautiful bridesmaids and the best man's daughters were just adorable as flower girls. Everyone there, including me, the photographer, will always remember the 5th November and this luxury wedding at Le Petit Château.


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Adding Comments to a .htaccess File
Using the .htaccess file in Apache web server is a bit of a pain, although its hard to steer away from it. To help organise your htaccess file, like any other code, it is useful to add comments.
How To Add Comments
Simply enough, it is a case of using the # (hash) symbol.
So for example for Daft Logic, we may have a file such as ...
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www.daftlogic.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.daftlogic.com/$1 [R=301]
RewriteRule ^(['_A-Za-z0-9-]+).htm$ /?showpage=$1 [L]
Could be re-written as...
RewriteEngine On
#Redirect all non-www traffic to the www version of site (prevents possible duplicate content)
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www.daftlogic.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.daftlogic.com/$1 [R=301]
#Rewrite all pages ending in .htm to the index page, with the preceding string as the showpage GET variable
RewriteRule ^(['_A-Za-z0-9-]+).htm$ /?showpage=$1 [L]
As far as Apache sees there is no difference as it ignores the lines starting with #, but it can be much easier to see what's going on. This is helpful because the nature of the htaccess file means you do not use it day in day out, but are more likely to forget about it for a few months and when you look at it again it is easy to forget why it is what it is.
Comments For This Page
Hi Bruce, Unfortunately not.
It is fussy about the hash only appearing as the first character on a line. If the hash appears after another command it will likely cause an internal server error.
By Daft Logic on 10th April 2017
Must a comment always start on a new line? Could I for instance put a comment at the end of a line eg
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www.daftlogic.com$ [NC] #Redirect all non-www traffic to the www version ?
By Bruce on 10th April 2017
Perfect Answer, Thanks!
On 8th June 2016
By Alex on 20th April 2016
Thanks, Daft Logic.
By Luis on 27th March 2016
On 18th January 2016
Hi, this requires you use multiple # symbols per line, so no, there is no multi line method.
By Daft Logic on 18th March 2015
Any way to make a block comment e.g., for multiple lines?
On 18th March 2015
Thanks !
On 8th December 2014
On 30th November 2013
Thanks, comes in v.useful
By Jamie on 18th December 2012
ThanK You
On 8th August 2012
awesome. thanks.
On 4th March 2011
Just what I needed to know! Cheers
On 30th June 2009
On 23rd February 2008
Add your own comment below and let others know what you think:


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While you were sleeping: Day 12
Andy Murray (above), who beat David Ferrer on Friday, is one win from becoming the first British male to win a major singles title since 1936. (AP)
Friday's weather: Sunny, high of 73 degrees.
What Happened?
• Murray outlasts Ferrer. Spanish underdog David Ferrer won the first set of Friday's men's semifinal and held set point in the second, but Andy Murray rallied for a 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-1, 7-6(2) victory. The 23-year-old Scot will face Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final (3 a.m. ET, ESPN2).
• Dulko, Pennetta win women's doubles title. The top-seeded team of Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta -- they of the tandem Twitter feed -- rallied from a 2-6, 1-4 deficit to capture the Australian Open women's doubles title over Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko.
Oz Clicks
Li Na on the front page of Friday's China Daily, the English-language broadsheet based in Beijing ... How the women rescued this year's Australian Open ... Andy Murray drew a crowd for Friday's pre-match practice session ... The commercialization of the Australian Open is pricing out the average fan according to one former tournament director ... The great Linda Pearce on Li Na and the changing face of the game.
Photo of the Day
Li Na holds up her national flag for photographers at the Australian Open (from SI.com's Best Shots from Day 12 at the Australian Open).
Go Figure
7 ... Age difference in days between men's finalists Andy Murray (born May 15, 1987) and Novak Djokovic (born May 22, 1987).
330,000,000 ... Estimated number of households in China that will be able to watch Saturday's women's singles final between Li Na and Kim Clijsters.
0 ... Number of Asian players (male or female) who have won a Grand Slam singles title since the Open era began in 1968.
Must-See Video
Dive-bombing birds provided a Hitchcockian moment during the Murray-Ferrer match.
What's Happening Today
ESPN2 has live coverage of the women's final between No. 9 Li Na and No. 3 Kim Clijsters starting at 3 a.m. ET. (Clip and save the complete TV schedule.)
Tennis Channel's coverage of the men's doubles final between the top-seeded Bryan brothers and the third-seeded team of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes starts at 5:30 a.m. ET.
The complete order of play for Day 13 can be found here.
They Said It
"I would rather be in the final than be watching Roger and Rafa at home playing again."
--Andy Murray, on playing in the first Grand Slam final since January 2008 featuring neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal


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Registration Kindly print the registration form below, fill it in & send it to our center along with the requisite fees for the course you have selected or drop it at the center at the following address: Alliance Française de Trivandrum, Sudharsana, Forest Office Lane, Vazhutacaud, Trivandrum. E-mail: Click here Enrolments terms and conditions Payments must be made ... Read More »
Author Archives: trivandrumadm
Diplomas and Certificates
THE DELF AND DALF DELF (Diplôme d'Études en Langue Française) and DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) are official qualifications issued by the French Ministry of Education to certify French language proficiency of foreign students. The DELF and DALF qualifications are consistent with: The international standards for test development (www.alte.org). The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) (www.coe.int). ... Read More »
Tourism and Hotel Industry
Objective: The objective of the course is to provide a basic knowledge of general French useful for tourism and hotel industries and catering business. The professions where employees are required to deal with a francophone clientele are as follows: Tourist Information Bureau; Tourism Associations; Travel Agencies: Tour Operators, distributors; Airline companies; Hotel, Hotel Chain; Residential hotels, youth hostels; Restaurants; ... Read More »
Conversational Skills
Curriculum, length and frequency of the training will be customized to meet your own needs and budget. Please contact the Alliance Française for details. We also organize Conversation workshops with role plays, board game sessions and other activities, every third Thursdays of the month from 6.00 pm till 7:30 pm at the Alliance Française to encourage the practise of French ... Read More »
Corporate Courses
Alliance Française de Trivandrum offers convenient and flexible tailor-made corporate in-house French language courses to meet specific requirements. While using the latest French teaching methods, teachers integrate them into the business, cultural and professional backgrounds of the participants. They are trained through role-playing for various situations they might encounter in French. Topics of interest are introduced within a functional framework, ... Read More »
Specific Objectives
Within a given period of time you need to be able to carry out professional or personal activities which require a specific use of the French language……. Our courses in French for specific purposes are specially tailored to meet the requirements of a large diversity of professional people: Working in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Businesspeople And also the needs ... Read More »
General Courses
From Beginner to Superior levels, courses focus on active student participation in conversational French as well as writing skills. At the end of each level, you can appear for the corresponding Diploma. BASIC Level Duration Book Exams A1 120 hours Echo A1 DELF A1 A2 140 hours Echo A2 DELF A2 INDEPENDENT Level Duration Book Exams B1 150 hours ... Read More »
We promote Communicative approach, interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of study. We promote the teaching by immersion using French from the first minute, first day onwards. New technologies are good supports to learn; Alliance Française de Trivandrum is equipped with: interactive whiteboard, video projector and WIFI in every classroom… Each level comes with a set of books and CDs. ... Read More »
A communicative and action oriented approach: At Alliance française, the place of the learner is of primordial importance. Thanks to this approach, learners are able to acquire oral and written communication skills, comprehension and expression skills, through communicative tasks. Learners are active, they develop observation and reflection abilities, all learning strategies which will lead them progressively to autonomy. Our teaching ... Read More »
French Classes
Why learn French French is ranked the second most influential language in the world French is the ... Read More »


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What are your memories?
This image appears in the gallery:
Katherine Jenkins and a host of classical stars celebrate VE Day at 70 at the Royal Albert Hall
21. What are your memories?
Do you, or members of your family have recollections of that day in May 1945. John Brunning read some of your memories, reflections and stories, and we continue to share more on ClassicFM.com. Do get in touch!


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Serves 8
Ingredients I
2 butternut squash, cubed
1 small bag baby carrots (or 2 cups), chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 head of garlic
Olive oil for drizzling
Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients II
1 - 14oz can of diced tomatoes
10 cups of water or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
Ingredients III
1 - 14oz can of white kidney beans, thoroughly rinsed
1 bunch kale, chopped into bite size pieces
Place your chopped batch of Ingredients I on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings. Bake at 425F for 40 minutes, stirring about half way through.
Remove garlic from bulb. For more on roasting your own garlic, head here.
Toward the tail end of roasting, put all of Ingredients II -except the bay leaf- in a large pot, and blend with your handheld immersion blender. Then, bring to a boil. Don't season this just yet - your roasted vegetables will add all sorts of flavour once added to your broth. Right, now add your bay leaf.
Add your roasted vegetables to your new broth. Then, add in all of Ingredients III. Continue to boil for ten minutes, then let simmer for at least 15 minutes (or until your kale and beans are soft enough for you)
Now that your soup is done, give'r a taste a see if you'd need to add any seasonings! By now, the flavours have started blending nicely together. It's just up and up from here.
Originally posted to my blog, here


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I am thrilled and honored to welcome you to the Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois.
My goal is to maintain an outstanding Department of Medicine that synergizes innovative investigative and education missions with a vigorous commitment to deliver exceptional healthcare to populations vulnerable to marginality in heath care delivery.
Patricia W. Finn
Earl M. Bane Professor and Head
Department of Medicine
We emphasize the culture of medicine at its most laudable core: commitment to the best possible care for patients and scientific creativity with a focus on the next generation of physician scientists. Scientific investigative possibilities are compelling and hopeful, as these extraordinary times present unique opportunities to mesh the science and art of medicine. Multidisciplinary approaches incorporating innovative technology and medical bioinformatics offer new directions.
The intangibles that we stress include pride in service, whether in the local community or in global health. We promote service to our institution and community as essential to the mission of the Department of Medicine.
INSTRUCTIONS: In order to add a sidebar anchor:
- Duplicate the existing item, listed as a 1/6 text field. (Or create a 1/6 column and add a text field, modify the class so it's exactly "additionalAnchor").
- Modify the text field inside the 1/6 column. Inside there, modify the HYPERLINK so that it would go to a corresponding section with a "#" in front of it. (Example, we have a "chief" section on the page, then it would make sense to have the hyperlink go to "#chief")
- Then change the hyperlink TEXT to a appropriate label.
- IMPORTANT: If not done already, go into that CONTAINER that corresponds to your anchor (i.e. Meet The Chiefs), and add an ID matching the anchor's HYPERLINK WITHOUT the "#", i.e. "chief".
- (If using side bar widget box, then there's a saved copy of a widget box COLUMN, grab it in the column library, it should 1/6 of a length of a column.)
NOTE: Order added to the sidebar is from last to first.