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Many females get excited for a "little blue box", but not me! I've never really been a fan of Tiffany's actually. I like jewelry, don't get me wrong but I like more unique pieces rather than mass marketed diamond rings and key necklaces (no offense to anyone who owns or likes their products, it's just not my thing). I'm sure Bryan was excited to learn that I don't care for their products either…plenty of pressure was just lifted off of him. I told him flat-out I never want him to buy me anything from there…save your money, find something different and unique from a local artist or something.
But this post really isn't about jewelry at all, I was just thinking of the excitement woman have over that little blue box and the imagination of what it could possibly be holding. My excitement came in a little black box!! A while back I did a post of gluten-free cosmetics and I am now doing a follow-up to it. I am continually searing for gluten-free/wheat-free products especially when it comes to skin care, cosmetics and body washes/lotions. This is an extremely difficult and frustrating task. I know there are products that you can order online, however I really like to see what I am buying before doing so. I want to be able to smell these items too. The other hard thing is, I'm not a huge make-up wearer. I like to have a little bit on but I never want to feel like I am wearing anything especially in the summer time. I do understand that having a thin layer of foundation is a great protection for your skin from all the pollutants and such in the environment. So I try to do just that, and like they say – "a little bit goes a long way". My "normal" routine is foundation and eye liner. Every once in a while I will put on some eye shadow and maybe, just maybe some mascara.
When I first posted about this I contacted Bare Escentuals and they sent me the following e-mail in return:
Dear Jenny,
Thank you for contacting Bare Escentuals. I would be happy to assist you! I certainly understand your concern regarding gluten in our products!
The only products that we carry containing gluten are the 100% Natural Lipcolors, 100% Natural Lip Glosses, RareMinerals products, and the Skin Rev-er Upper contains Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract. The 100% Natural Lip Liners contain barley lipids but it has been tested to be gluten-free.
Firm, brighten and reduce fine lines and puffiness.
Our new RareMinerals Active Triple Treatment Eye Cream visibly diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, restores firmness, and reduces puffiness around your delicate eye area for smoother, firmer, brighter skin. Infused with our RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex,T this groundbreaking eye cream uses mineral electrolytes and Marine Peptides to rejuvenate skin around the eyes instantly and over time.
To learn more, just respond to this email or call us at the number below.
We hope this is helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us with any additional questions you may have via email or by phone at 1-888-795-4747 during our business hours Monday through Saturday 5 AM to 9 PM, Sunday 7 AM to 4 PM Pacific Time.
Customer satisfaction is Bare Escentuals #1 priority; we appreciate you taking the time to contact us.
Warmest Regards,
Tiffany D.
Bare Escentuals Beauty Associate
The following information is also found on their website:
While the list below shows the Wheat, Oat, Rye and Barely free products please keep in mind that these products may be made in an environment that handles Wheat, Oat, Rye and Barley derivatives.
All-Over Face Colors – all shades
bareEyes Eye Makeup Remover
Blush – All shades
Blush (SPF 20) – all shades
Brushless Mascara
Body Minerals – all shades
Eyecolor – all shades
Extreme Glimmers – all shades
Faux Tan
Faux Tan Body Moisturizer
First Base Lip Balm
Flawless Definition Mascara – all shades
Foundation (SPF 15 Original) – all shades
Foundation (SPF 15 Matte) – all shades
Gossamers – all shades
High Shine Eyecolors – all shades
Hydrating Blush – all shades
Liner Shadow – all shades
Lip Rev-er Upper
Makeup Remover Wipes
Mineral Veil – all shades
Mineral Veil (SPF 25) – all shades
MultiTasking Minerals – all shades
On the Spot Swabs
Prime Time Eyelid Primer
Prime Time Foundation Primer
Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer
Quick Change Brush Cleaner
Radiance Rocks – all shades
Soft Focus Colors – all shades
SPF 15 Lipgloss – Fiji
SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen – all shades
Weather Everything Liner Sealer
Well Cared For Brush Shampoo
Buxom Insider Liner – all shades
Buxom Lash Mascara
Buxom Lashliner – all shades
Buxom Lip Polish – all shades
I received this e-mail back in February and just last week I went to Macy's and had them match my skin tone to their foundation (another thing you can't do online) and ended up leaving with one of their starter kits!! It is $60.00 for their starter kit and includes the following:
2 shades of bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation, size Medium 1 Mineral Veil Finishing Powder, size Medium 1 Warmth All-Over Face Color, size Medium 1 Handi Buki Brush 1 Flawless Application Face Brush 1 Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush How-to DVD to show you how to Swirl, Tap, Buff your way back to the skin you were born with
Like I said before I'm not a huge makeup person, however this stuff is awesome! I love that it feels like I'm wearing nothing, yet I have an even skin tone and It is being protected from any harmful pollutants. You can buff on as little or as much as you want depending on the level of coverage you are looking for. I usually go for a light coverage and was told by the sales associate that this should last about four months and the larger size would last between six to seven. Not bad for $60.00.
They have a huge selection of blushes (which I never use because I have naturally pink cheeks), eye shadows, eye liners, brushes etc. So take a look around and if you are looking for some great gluten-free cosmetics, I would highly recommend this to you. I can't wait to play with some more of their products (eye shadows specially) but that will come in time.


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Retro floral toy mini oven gloves
Play toy oven gloves in a variety of different fabrics. Giving kids the chance to pretend that they are cooking with their toy ovens or pots and pans to becoming a budding chef!
Made to fit small hands and to give the appearance of real oven gloves, not to be used for actual cooking as they are only material.
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Unless faulty, the following types of items are non-refundable: items that are personalised, bespoke or made-to-order to your specific requirements; items which deteriorate quickly (e.g. food), personal items sold with a hygiene seal (cosmetics, underwear) in instances where the seal is broken.


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Bookseller Image
R240055634: 1934. In-8. Broché. Etat d'usage, Couv. légèrement passée, Agraffes rouillées, Intérieur acceptable. 95 pages - textes sur deux colonnes - scotch sur le dos. . . . Classification Dewey : 70.49-Presse illustrée, magazines, revues. Bookseller Inventory # R240055634
Title: PARIS THEATRE - NUMERO 26 - L'ECOLE DES ...
Publisher: IMP. GEORGES LANG
Publication Date: 1934
Binding: Couverture souple
Book Condition: bon
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Hypnosis II
By My Barbarian
Samantha Culp & Andrea Hill
Los Angeles
Both separately and together, Samantha Culp and Andrea Hill curate and produce innovative artist-led projects, most recently under the banner of their creative agency Paloma Powers.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Culp recently returned after a decade in greater China. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Artforum, New York Times T Magazine, and LEAP (艺术节) and she has curated projects for Impakt Festival, Design Shanghai, and the Los Angeles Art Book Fair.
Hill was a founding team member and Creative Director of online auction house Paddle8, and her writing has appeared in Aperture, Performa Magazine, and Collectorspace, Istanbul. As a curator, she has also produced exhibitions for galleries (The Goma, Tanja Grunert Gallery), museums (Matadero Madrid), and universities (Wesleyan's Zilkha Gallery).
- Size
- 50 x 70 cm (19.7'' x 27.6'')
- No of editions
- 50
We ship in 48 hours and if you are unhappy with your purchase, returns are free. (more info)
About My Barbarian
My Barbarian considers the importance of group dynamics
"Asking us why we choose to live in Los Angeles is like asking a bird why it lives in the sky. Birds don't live in the sky. We simply grew up, met each other and have our studios here."
Founded in Los Angeles in 2000, My Barbarian consists of trio Malik Gaines, Jade Gordon and Alexandro Segade. The collective aims to challenge the status quo, exploring group dynamics and the collective imagination. The group also creates site-specific performances and video installations, resulting in the creation of new spaces where new things can happen. My Barbarian possesses an impressive portfolio, including presentations at the MoMA, The Kitchen, New Museum, Hammer Museum, REDCAT and MOCA. Their work has also been featured in the New Yorker, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Artforum, Frieze and various international newspapers. For Absolut Art, My Barbarian has created three drawings that relate to their performances. The works revolve around group dynamics– leading, following and finding common ground across personal differences.
Our Frames
Our frames are off the wall
German crafted professional grade frames in black and white individually crafted for Absolut Art and chosen by the curators and artists to best fit the artworks.
The frames are magnetic so they are super easy to use - you can switch out your prints in a matter of minutes.
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More from My Barbarian
Portuguese Shoe Game by My Barbarian
Corporate Hypnosis by My Barbarian
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Speckled Dome and Snake Spine by Fay Ray
Microdust_82501 by Julius Göthlin


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He has been hailed as the personification of the American Dream, but some people see him as an egomaniac who only had himself to blame for his downfall
America today is enthralled by the oratorical prowess of Barack Obama, the youthful Illinois senator carrying the Democratic Party's flag during the presidential elections. If elected, he will become the first black president of the world's leading economic powerhouse. He is constantly being scrutinised and written about in this groundbreaking run-up.
Unknown to many, however, is the story of his father, Barack Hussein Obama, a man who apparently lived before his time, was highly educated and brilliant, but whose unconventional life ended tragically after a series of misfortunes. Yet in his bestseller Dreams From My Father, Obama praises the man who inspired him to pursue politics.
In a classic rags-to-riches tale, Obama Senior, the son of a Kenyan peasant, emerged from the impoverished Kogelo village in Alego and became a Harvard-educated economist.
Throughout his life, he battled racial prejudice, anger about his interracial relationship and corruption in his homeland, but despite these trials, argue some, he spearheaded the struggle to decolonise Africa.
Back home, however, many people say Obama Senior was a long way away from being an iconic figure. Veteran journalist Philip Ochieng', who writes for The East African, portrays him as an egomaniac who only had himself to blame for his downfall.
Ochieng' writes that although Obama Senior was charming, generous and extraordinarily clever, he was also imperious, cruel and given to boasting about his intelligence and his wealth.
In 1959, at the age of 23, Obama Senior was among a few bright students, including Ochieng', who had been selected to study in America through the student airlift programme organised by Thomas Joseph Mboya, one of Kenya's independence heroes and one-time Minister for Economic Affairs. He had impressed leaders of the Kenyan independence movement with his keen interest in economics and politics.
In Dreams From My Father, Obama Junior writes that his father was selected to attend university in order "to master Western technology and bring it back to forge a new, modern Africa".
Obama Senior then headed for Hawaii, leaving behind his pregnant wife Kezia and their baby son.
While studying in Hawaii, he became smitten with Ann Dunham, a young white woman from Kansas, whom he married shortly thereafter. Barack Obama Junior was born in August 1961.
According to Prof Frederick Okatcha, an educational psychology lecturer at Kenyatta University, who was studying at Yale (one of America's Ivy League colleges - so-called because entry is only for top students), America was still very segregated at the time. It took a lot of guts for a black man, whom Obama Junior describes as "pitch black" to marry a white girl from Kansas.
At 26, after graduating top of his class in econometrics, he transferred to Harvard in New York, one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Again, he left behind a wife and a child.
For a simple Kenyan from a simple Kenyan village to be admitted to Harvard was in itself a great achievement - even more so in the 60s. "Kenyans at Harvard were countable at that time, probably two or three," says Prof Okatcha.
It was at Harvard that Obama Senior made a name for himself as an intellectual. He was studying econometrics, which Okatcha describes as "pure economics", because it involves mathematics and requires a bright mind.
His friends and documented works reveal that he was a brilliant economist, although there is little evidence that he used this knowledge and brilliance to much effect after leaving the US.
Obama Junior wrote in his memoirs about his parents' meeting and wedding: "In a Russian language course, he met an awkward, shy American girl, only 18, and they fell in love. The girl's parents, wary at first, were won over by his charm and intellect. In many parts of the South, my father could have been strung up in a tree for merely looking at my mother the wrong way,"says Obama Junior.
"Even in the more sophisticated northern cities, the hostile stares and whispers might have driven a woman in my mother's predicament into a back alley abortion.
"I carried a single image of my father, one that I sometimes rebelled against, but never questioned, one that I had tried to take as my own. The brilliant scholar, the generous friend, the upstanding leader - my father had been all of those things," Obama Junior says of the father who deserted him as a two-year-old.
As Obama Junior grew older, his interest in his biological father increased and he sought to understand the man he called 'father', but who was a complete foreigner to him.
One of the things he sought to know was why his father had abandoned them in Hawaii. "It wasn't your father's fault that he left, you know," his mother, Ann, told him. "I divorced him."
But doing the 'right thing' did not automatically gain the couple their parents' acceptance. Obama Junior explains in the book how his grandfather in Kenya wrote a long, nasty letter saying he did not approve of the marriage, nor did he want the Obama blood sullied by a white woman.
While in his stay in New York, Obama Senior acquired a taste for the finer things in life. His social life revolved around a popular student hangout called the West End bar on Broadway Avenue, says Okatcha.
Like several other Kenyan students, he became a regular there. But unlike the others, who would order regular beer and American bourbon, Obama Senior drank the more expensive Budweiser beer and Scotch whisky, which was a symbol of status among students.
He would walk in, hoist himself up onto a high seat and order his favourite drink. He would then sip this quietly, adjusting his black-rimmed spectacles, which gave him the look of a serious academic. At intervals, he would dig out a cigarette, light up and take long drags, blowing rings up towards the ceiling, remembers Okatcha. He also recalls that offering Obama Senior a drink came at a cost. If asked, "What will you have?"Obama would reply in his booming voice, "A double Scotch whisky."
"If you asked him,'With what'?" says Okatcha laughing,"He would reply "With another double Scotch whisky.'"
Ochieng' agrees that Obama Senior was excessively fond of Scotch. The two had first met in Tom Mboya's office in Nairobi, and went on to become drinking buddies.
Apart from his booming voice, today echoed in that of Senator Obama, he was noticeable for his sharp dress sense and style. "He was always in a suit and a tie, even at the bar," says Okatcha.
"He had personality and self-confidence. The fact that he was brilliant and well-educated meant he had everything [with which] to impress the girls, despite a different cultural background."
At his home in Kogelo, villagers also remember a sharply-dressed man who was rumoured to have lived and worked in America. "He was a city man and most of us just saw him a few times," says a villager, Francis Otieno, 69. "He would have been long forgotten were it not for the son."
Obama Senior's critics argue that his egocentric behaviour can be attributed to American acculturation that gave him a taste for the high life.
Returning to Kenya in the mid 60s, Obama Senior was employed by an oil company. He later served as an economist in the newly independent government. Last year, the Daily Mail in London reported that he became "prosperous with a flashy car and a good salary". But he was unable to find an avenue for his intellectual energy, and his frustration soon became evident when he increasingly turned to whisky for consolation.
Over the next couple of years, his life became a downward spiral of personal and career disappointments, that ultimately cost him his job and led to his death.
Senator Obama writes in his book that his father lost his civil service job after campaigning against corrupt African politicians. It is possible that the key to Obama Senior's fall from grace lies in an essay he wrote in 1965. The essay takes a critical look at the Kenyatta government's economic policy. A move, analysts say, that placed him in direct conflict with President Kenyatta.
Okatcha believes that Obama Senior was too open-minded and liberal to fit into the rigid and bureaucratic government system.
Others, however, like Ochieng', say boasting proved to be Obama Senior's undoing. "He [Obama Senior] said there was tribalism in it, and that left him without a job, plunged him into prolonged poverty and dangerously wounded his ego."
Okatcha would occasionally bump into him at the United Kenya Club, near the University of Nairobi. "He sat at the bar counter with a Scotch, just like he did in the US," says Okatcha. "He probably would have been better off in academia or in the private sector where people are more open and free to experiment with ideas."
His third wife, Ruth, was an American-born teacher, whom he had met at Harvard while still legally married to both Kezia and Ann. It is alleged that she left him after enduring his repeated whisky-fuelled rages and brutal beatings. According to friends, drinking blighted Obama Senior's life: he lost both his legs in a car accident while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Obama was often accused of arrogance, but Okatcha disagrees.
"He would listen carefully to your arguments and then tear into you with facts and figures," says Okatcha. "He could be very forthright and that could be annoying to some people."
Other acquaintances, however, say Obama Senior had no time for people without ideas, and that may be where the issue of his arrogance and boisterousness arose. He was a typical technocrat who believed in providing brains for a system.
"The determination and hard work is certainly a feature [the] senator has inherited from his father," Obama's grandmother, Sarah Obama, observes.
Obama Senior ended up with three wives - two Americans and one Kenyan - and by the age of 46, he had eight children. But after a road accident in Nairobi in 1982, he died a desolate man.
It is only the reflected glory of his son, Senator Barack Obama, that has brought glory to a man whose intellect was muddled in Kenya's post-independence politics and his own human flaws.


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28th November 2013, 10:46 PM
My little Chesney is now just 6yrs old. I'm a dermatologist but underwent general medical training. Tonight I could detect a systolic murmur when I auscultated his chest. I have never picked it up before. I am very worried that this may be significant. I will contact the VET tomorrow and try and get him seen next week. I know that murmurs are very common in this breed and he is asymptomatic at present but I am very worried. Any further info would be helpful. He is otherwise fit and well and in the past he did suffer haemorrhagic gastroenteritis and responded very well to treatment. He is not overweight, has 1/2 tray of nature diet every day and milky biscuits as treats and he gets regular excerise, despite the dark nights.


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It all started with an innocent comment to Carla Esparza.
"Oh, you're really strong for your size," the 5-foot-1 Esparza said, recalling a conversation in the weight room at Redondo High School. "You might be good at wrestling."
Bye-bye, basketball. Welcome to wrestling with the boys.
Esparza has parlayed that first foray on the mat into a career in the cage.
And now she joins 15 other women in making MMA history, starring in the first all-female season of "The Ultimate Fighter," with the winner becoming the promotion's first strawweight champion.
"I find it so crazy because imagine if that person never said that to me. I wouldn't be here today," Esparza, 26, said Wednesday as she joined six her fellow TUF competitors to promote the show Wednesday at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live.
The 20th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.
In two years at Redondo, Esparza more than held her own against boys and excelled versus girls, placing 10th and third nationally. That led to four years of wrestling at Menlo College, where she was a two-time All-American.
That led to sampling jiu-jitsu, boxing and Muay Thai before she found her way to Team Oyama in Irvine and a life as a mixed martial artist.
"Obviously, wrestling was my first love as far as combat sports go. I love that grind, that pushing as hard as you can," Esparza said. "You're in there with one other person and it's only you and them. And it's like, who wants it more?
"I love that feeling and MMA's kind of the same thing. Plus the punching and stuff, which makes it pretty hard, but I think it makes for a lot of adrenaline and aggressiveness. It's fun."
Also fun is winning, to which Esparza is well accustomed. In four years as a pro, she is 9-2 and was the Invicta FC champion when the UFC signed most of 115-pounders in order to create its own division.
Esparza was no longer the champion when she walked into the TUF house in June.
Instead, she was a target.
"It kind of all became real and I felt that pressure of like 'OK, everyone's expecting you to be No. 1 here,' and I was like, 'Oh crap,'" she said. "I had like anxiety and I didn't want to let my fans down and didn't want to let my coaches down"
After six weeks of filming in Las Vegas, the women have been done for about two weeks. All that's left is the secret finale, which will take place in December and crown a new champion.
But there is some tension over how the fighters might be portrayed. After all, you have 16 fighters split into two teams, cooped up in one house with two training sessions a day. And in 19 previous seasons that have been all men — except for Season 18, which was men and women — the in-fighting, frustrations and tears have been on display.
Only this time, it's all women.
"I'm really interested to see how they pieced it together. And I really hope they're not just all about the drama," said Huntington Beach's Jessica Penne (11-2), who was Invicta's 105-pound champion before moving up in weight for the show. "I hope they're about the good moments. There were a lot of really fun moments and there was a lot of the girls coming together and bonding.
"And I think that's so important, to show that we're not just really competitive people, but we also can find common ground and share with each other and grow with each other."
While it isn't easy to edit six weeks into a series of one-hour episodes, it does not diminish the intensity or difficulty several faced in getting through the show.
"It's just these kind of things are pressure cookers. It really is a grind every single day," said Penne, 31. "And I was just trying, day by day, 'OK, this day I'm gonna get through it. I can't even look two days down the line because I'm just trying to get through this day the best that I can.'"


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Cardinal Walter Kasper, prefect of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, delivered an important address to the council's plenary assembly on Nov. 14, 2006. In it he said that anyone who spoke "indiscriminately of retrogression, of standstill or even of an ecumenical 'ice age' betrays profound ignorance of the situation." Still, the cardinal's remarks indicate that he is well aware of the discouragement in some quarters. His address, charting the unpredictable and changing nature of the present ecumenical situation, is significant. (It was included in the Dec. 7 issue of Origins under the title "The Current Ecumenical Transition.") As a theologian long involved in ecumenism, Cardinal Kasper knows not just the language of ecumenism but also the leading participants, and he names names, which is unusual in a Roman document.
The cardinal began his talk by summarizing a few encouraging recent developments, among them the resolution of some of the Christological differences with the Oriental Orthodox churches (Coptic, Syrian and Armenian); the improvement of relations and the resumption of dialogue with the Orthodox, suspended since 2000; the acceptance by the World Methodist Council of the Lutheran/Roman Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, a 1999 agreement on the question that divided the churches in the 16th century; and the fact that almost all churches sent important representatives to the funeral of Pope John Paul II and to the inauguration of Pope Benedict XVI—something unprecedented in church history. Clearly a new spirit animates all the churches since the Second Vatican Council.
Most of Cardinal Kasper's address, however, was devoted to shifts in "the ecumenical landscape itself and the ecumenical constellation," both of which are changing rapidly. Specifically, he mentioned the following five shifts.
1. Denominational Identity
The question of denominational identity has emerged as a new element, brought on by the progress of the ecumenical movement itself. Some Protestants fear a Catholicization of their churches, while some Catholics fear the reverse. This has led to a noticeable change in the ecumenical climate. On all sides one finds some who criticize ecumenism or even reject it, fearing that it leads to doctrinal relativism, syncretism, indifferentism or to the establishment of a globalizing church.
A Catholic concern with ecclesial identity is evident in the 1992 document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Some Aspects of the Church Understood as 'Communio' and in the controversial 2000 declaration, Dominus Iesus. Similarly, some Protestant documents harsh in tone have appeared in Europe. One of them criticizes the Catholic/Lutheran Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and Dominus Iesus. Another, on ministry and ordination, "takes a backward step," to use Cardinal Kasper's words spoken last November, "with respect to the ecumenical understandings that had been previously attained," unilaterally drawing demarcation lines without mentioning what is shared in common. Also regrettable was the withdrawal of the Evangelical Church in Germany from collaboration on a "uniform translation" of the Bible. (The Vatican's 2001 decree Liturgiam Authenticam torpedoed ecumenical efforts to develop common liturgical texts, which had been underway since 1967.) In this more difficult ecumenical climate, the challenge is to allow one's ecclesial identity to be enriched by dialogue and encounter with others without sacrificing one's own identity or raising new barriers.
2. Disputes Over Foundations and Goals
An even more fundamental problem is a lack of agreement on the foundations and goal of ecumenism. Both the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches have based their ecumenical commitment on the common confession of Jesus Christ and the triune God. While the W.C.C. affirmed this in its 1991 study, Confessing the One Faith, this study can hardly be said to have been "received" by all the members of the W.C.C. While the historical churches affirm the traditional Creed in their confessional documents, Cardinal Kasper questions the extent to which it is acknowledged today. He points to the replacing of the Trinitarian baptismal formula with "inclusive" formulas in some Reformed churches; to new differences over questions involving the right to life, the family, sexual morality, bioethics and women's ordination; to a renaissance of an individualist and cultural Protestantism that juxtaposes a more individualistic Protestant theology with the Catholic emphasis on the church's role in mediating salvation; to differences on the relationship between God's word and the church (that is, the teaching office)—this is the fundamental problem for Cardinal Kasper and Pope Benedict; and even to an unwillingness to accept recent ecumenical work on Mary and the saints.
The most serious disagreement is on the goal of ecumenism. The Catholic Church and the W.C.C. have defined the goal as "visible unity," but there is no common understanding of what is meant by unity nor a common vision of what visible unity means, beyond the fact that it does not mean uniformity. While the Catholic and Orthodox churches see unity as involving one faith, the same sacraments and an apostolically grounded episcopal office, many Protestants continue to consider agreement in the teaching of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments according to the Gospel as sufficient for unity. Cardinal Kasper notes that this has made it possible for Lutheran and Reformed churches to adopt altar and pulpit fellowship, including intercommunion, while for the Catholic and Orthodox churches such acceptance is not possible without agreement on the nature of church and office. On these questions, two documents with great significance are the W.C.C. statement of 2006 on visible unity, Called to Be One Church, and the statement of the W.C.C.'s Faith and Order Commission on the nature and mission of the church that is still in preparation. Then there is the question of how the Petrine office will be exercised.
3. Evangelicals and Pentecostals
The rapid growth of evangelical, charismatic and, especially, Pentecostal communities represents a "third wave" in Christian history (after early Christianity and the Reformation). These communities are both vital and diverse, which often makes dialogue with them difficult. Some are organized like churches, others find expression in para-ecclesial structures or movements, and some have fundamentalist tendencies. They differ from Catholics in regard to ecclesiology and sacraments, but in their reaction to more liberal Protestant churches they are closer to Catholicism on Christology and ethical questions. Pentecostalism, described by observers like Philip Jenkins as "the Christianity of the future," has various expressions—classic, charismatic and neo-Pentecostal. While the Catholic Church has had good dialogue with some classic Pentecostal groups and representatives, dialogue with the neo-Pentecostals, who often preach a prosperity gospel, has rarely been possible. Significantly, Cardinal Kasper argues that the challenge represented by Pentecostalism should move the Catholic Church toward a self-critical approach and lead it to ask itself why so many leave the church (some 8,000 to 10,000 a day in Latin America) and what those who depart find in Pentecostal congregations. The Pontifical Council has conducted four major seminars in various parts of the world to address these questions, the most recent in the Philippines in February.
4. Ecumenical Fragmentation and New Networks
Cardinal Kasper notes that that the "relatively free" Protestant understanding of church unity as well as the new evangelical and charismatic groupings have resulted in a fragmenting of the ecumenical landscape, which makes the situation unpredictable. But there are also Protestant monasteries, communities and fellowships that emphasize a more Catholic experience of the church. Ecumenically oriented monasteries like Taizé, Bose and Chevetogne and movements like Focolare, Sant'Egidio or Chemin Neuf, which have ecumenical communities within them, are all hopeful signs.
5. Secular Ecumenism and Fundamental Ecumenism
The cardinal raises the issue of secular ecumenism, the "new paradigm" based not on theological agreement but on the common efforts for justice, peace and freedom called for by Konrad Raiser, former general secretary of the W.C.C. And while common efforts for peace and justice do indeed bring Christians closer together, the cardinal argues that old controversies cannot simply be put aside. Cardinal Kasper acknowledges that many young people simply do not understand traditional doctrinal distinctions. In their place he calls for developing "a new elementary vocabulary," a more spiritual "fundamental ecumenism" in contrast to the still necessary if occasionally alienating academic theology.
Back to the Future
For the future, Cardinal Kasper emphasizes the need for a dialogue of truth based on love and a return to the sources in Scripture and the liturgy. He places spiritual ecumenism at the heart of the movement, asks how we can respond to the phenomenon of Pentecostalism and the new sects and calls for practical cooperation as well as common witness. Ultimately, we must recognize that the unity of the church is God's work, not our own.
If theological dialogue is to remain important, the cardinal's address suggests that spiritual ecumenism, building bridges, giving common witness in social and cultural areas and working for peace in the ecumenism of everyday life will be increasingly important. Indeed Cardinal Kasper said in his November talk, "either the ecumenism of the future will be spiritual ecumenism or it will cease to be." In a real sense, this emphasis, which calls for the involvement of individuals, congregations, fellowships and ecumenical networks, brings ecumenism back to the local level where it needs to be rooted.
In the immediate future, more progress seems possible with the Orthodox. Relations have improved dramatically in recent months. The Orthodox are increasingly concerned about the growing secularism of Europe, both East and West, as well as with the influence of Islam. Moreover, the Russian Patriarch Alexi II is much more comfortable with Pope Benedict XVI, a German, than he was with Pope John Paul II, a Pole.
Catholics and Protestants will continue to work together, but full communion with sacramental sharing will remain a more distant goal. Ecclesiological differences are still significant. Many Protestants are stressing diversity not just in ministerial and theological expression but in the nature of the church itself. In Germany, the expression "ecumenism of profiles" describes such a juxtaposition of diverse if not contradictory forms of church, which are seen not as an obstacle to unity but as an important source of religious identity. Cardinal Kasper, though, has described this as "far too little."
Throughout his long career, Pope Benedict XVI has emphasized the apostolic succession as the basic form of the church's identity, linking the interpretation of the Scripture to the church's episcopal teaching authority (see his Principles of Catholic Theology: Building Stones for a Fundamental Theology, 1987), a linkage rejected, in his view, by the Reformation. Last June Cardinal Kasper made clear that the elevation of women to the episcopacy in the Church of England would destroy any chance for full unity with the Catholic and Orthodox churches, adding that the Catholic Church would inevitably refuse to recognize the validity of Anglican orders. On the other hand, there is little evidence that the Anglican and Protestant churches will reverse themselves on these questions.
Cardinal Kasper's call for self-critical reflection in light of the astonishing growth of Pentecostalism is encouraging. Renate Poblete, a Chilean Jesuit, attributes the effectiveness of the Pentecostals to their emphasis on a subjective experience of God, something long lost sight of in Western theology, and he notes that the Latin American bishops at Santo Domingo (1988) acknowledged the superficiality of the Latin American Catholic Church's mode of evangelization (see Renato Poblate, S.J., "The Catholic Church and Latin America's Pentecostals," Origins 27/43, 1998). For too long the Catholic Church has taken the faith of Latin Americans for granted. The Catholic Charismatic renewal may be an underappreciated resource for Hispanic Catholics. Gastón Espinosa notes that the movement is one of the largest and fastest growing in both Latin America and the United States today. He has written: "Research indicates that there are actually more Latino Catholic Charismatics than Protestant Pentecostals in Latin America and in the U.S." ("The Impact of Pluralism on Trends in Latin American and U.S. Latino Religions and Society," Perspectivas, "Hispanic Theological Initiative Occasional Paper Series," Issue Seven, Fall 2003). In the United States, Catholic/evangelical relations are often warmer than elsewhere.
Finally, the Catholic Church might profitably reflect more deeply on its own claim to catholicity, which means more than simply universality. Catholicity means to embrace the whole (kath'holu), to include within ecclesial communion all legitimate expressions of life in Christ, even if from its own perspective some remain less than full or complete. Perhaps in a changing ecumenical landscape, the Catholic Church might ask how it can better embrace other churches and ecclesial communities.


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One of the oldest settlements in the Baja California peninsula, this beautiful destination carries you deep into a Mexico of legends and colonial splendor, whether you're wandering its winding streets, exploring caves and admiring prehistoric cave paintings, or enjoying a dip in the Sea of Cortez. Loreto is guarded by the great Sierra de la Giganta and made up of the stunning Coronado, Del Carmen, Danzante, Monserrat and Santa Catalina islands. You'll enjoy unsurpassable natural surroundings including beautiful beaches, breathtaking cliffs, impressive rock formations and, of course, a closer look at where the colonization of Baja California all began. It was here that the first Mission was established, laying the groundwork for the establishment of the Church of Our Lady of Loreto.
More than 300 years of history combine to make the oldest settlement on the Baja California peninsula what it is today. You'll be amazed by the vivid contrast of the deep azure of the sea against the rich greens of island vegetation. There are many nooks and stretches of sand to explore along the beautiful bays, where those with a taste for extreme sports can choose between kayaking, snorkeling and sailing.
You might fancy scheduling a pleasant tour along the gentle, calm waves of the Sea of Cortez to reach more secluded places such as the gorgeous beaches of Isla Del Carmen, the stunning cliffs and perfect diving conditions of Isla Danzante, or Isla Catalina, an ideal excursion for the ecologically-minded or those who simply enjoy admiring the indigenous flora and fauna. Loreto also offers sport fishing, and species such as the mahi mahi, wahoo and tuna abound in local waters. If you're looking for a more exclusive experience in Lareto, you can play golf to your heart's content on its renowned golf courses; or, if your preference is for adrenaline-fuelled activities such as diving, surfing, mountain biking or rappelling, there's plenty on offer. Those on a winter getaway won't want to miss the chance to take a whale watching tour; grey whales can be sighted just 90 minutes off the coast of Loreto.
Loreto is rich in culture, as you'll see when you witness its colorful traditions and festivities. The most important celebration in this picturesque city, the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto, is held on September 8th in honor of its beloved patron saint. On that day, the effigy of Our Lady of Loreto is accompanied by pilgrims and novenas throughout the city, combining worship with a joyful, explosive celebration. Sports are an integral part of the festivities, and fishing tournaments and other activities are held throughout the region. Music, exhibitions, traditional dance and callejoneadas – in which groups of revelers stream through the streets to the rhythm of the music – are part of another important regional celebration, the Jesuit Missions Festival. This festival is celebrated a few days before the regional fair of Loreto – the festival celebrating the founding of Loreto – in October. Both cultural festivals highlight Loreto's many traditions and vibrant street life.
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Where God Happens
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The place "where God happens," according to Rowan Williams's striking new reading of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, is between each other. It's a truth that we of the twenty-first century most urgently need to learn in order to heal the experience of alienation that has become endemic to our age, and these odd and appealing ancient figures, surprisingly, hold keys to this healing.
The fourth-century Christian hermits of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine understood the truth of Christian community profoundly, and their lives demonstrate it vividly—even though they often lived in solitude and isolation. The author breaks through our preconceived ideas of the Desert Fathers to reveal them in a new light: as true and worthy role models—even for us in our modern lives—who have much to teach us about dealing with the anxieties, uncertainties, and sense of isolation that have become hallmarks of modern life. They especially embody valuable insights about community, about how to live together in an intimate and meaningful way. Williams makes these radical figures, who clearly have a special place in his heart, come to life in a new way for everyone.
The book includes an appendix of selections from the teachings of the Desert Fathers.News & Reviews
"Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the Anglican Church, has penned a remarkable little book that makes it all both relevant and accessible. Even if the names of these monks and nuns are foreign to you, their pearls of wisdom are not. This is a great introduction to the early hermits. For those interested in learning more, the book ends with a wonderful chapter on monastic wisdom, with detailed notes and suggestions for further reading." —The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
"Rowan Williams is a scholar and priest, a mystic and a poet, a contemplative and an advocate for social justice—all rare combinations for a church leader. In Where God Happens, he combines his roles by examining the ancient wisdom of the Desert Fathers and interpreting the relevance of their teaching for Christian spirituality today. In the early monastics' search for the experience of God and an alternative style of community, he finds a new and deeper faith for the postmodern world. This compelling work of scholarship and spirituality shows why the Archbishop of Canterbury is truly a breath of fresh air and one of the most important and hopeful church leaders we have today." —Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine and author of God's Politics
"Rowan Williams calls for a Church renewed in contemplation. In the raucous circus of contemporary culture and religion nothing could be more important. And this book is immensely practical—nailing us just where we are—teaching us that the spiritual life is 'not only about how prayer is to be experienced but about how humanity is to be understood.' There's a liberating sanity here in the simplicity of the message: 'our life is with our neighbor,' and 'being is communion.' This is required reading for spiritual pilgrims of all traditions." —Alan Jones, Dean of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, and author of Soul Making and Reimagining Christianity
"This book is a marvelous introduction to the first Christian monks, the Desert Fathers, and makes their wisdom available and relevant for the twenty-first-century reader; but it does more, since it is written in the same spirit as the texts from the desert, that is, as a clear window that will give direct access to God." —Benedicta Ward, translator of Sayings of the Desert Fathers and The Wisdom of the Desert FathersReader Reviews


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As America pauses to mark the anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton have declared a truce in their war of words over race. But the Democratic presidential contest has been altered nonetheless.
No longer can Senator Obama, the nation's first African-American presidential candidate with a serious chance of winning the election, make allusions to the historic nature of his candidacy without sparking memories of the charges and countercharges that took the Democratic contest away from issues and onto the politics of identity.
And no longer can anyone claim that Obama has succeeded in transcending race in a country with such a troubled racial history. In the latest wrinkle, Obama now faces questions about the magazine published by his church in Chicago, and its decision last year to honor the controversial black minister Louis Farrakhan. Such a remote connection to Obama might never have been worthy of comment in a mainstream publication like The Washington Post, but all the recent race talk has provided the peg.
The most immediate, measurable impact of the race flap on the Democratic contest may be in polls showing that African-American voters have shifted dramatically away from supporting Senator Clinton and toward supporting Obama. The latest Washington Post poll shows African-American Democrats now prefer Obama 60 percent to 32 percent compared with a month ago, when they favored Clinton 52 percent to 39 percent. Other polls, such as the latest CBS News poll, also show Obama now beating Clinton among blacks.
Another factor that may have affected black opinion could be Obama's victory in the Iowa caucuses – a largely white state. In the past, many African-Americans had stated a reluctance to support Obama because they felt that the country wasn't ready to elect a black president. Obama also looks strong heading into the South Carolina primary on Jan. 26, where nearly half the Democratic electorate is black, and could do well in the Nevada caucuses this Saturday, especially after winning the endorsement of the state's most powerful union, the culinary workers.
"I think they [the Clintons] have lost some goodwill among the black community over what happened," says David Bositis, an expert on the black vote at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington. "The question is, how bad is it?"
The next question is, why would Clinton and her husband, the ex-president, deliberately appear to go after Obama in a way that targeted him racially, implying, for example, that Obama was comparing himself to Dr. King. While campaigning in New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton described herself as representing "the real change," and derided Obama's message of hope as raising "false hopes."
Obama joined the battle in his reply on the stump, that King and President Kennedy would never have pushed the nation on race and on space travel if they had not had hope. But in the view of some analysts of racial politics, it was Clinton and her surrogates who took the discussion in an unwarranted direction. Clinton herself raised the hackles of many black voters when her comments on President Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Act seemed to diminish the role of civil rights activists like King.
Clinton surrogates also stirred the pot – including Bill Clinton, who described Obama's history on the Iraq war as a "fairy tale," a comment that some African-Americans took to refer to his entire candidacy. Clinton friend Bob Johnson, the wealthy founder of Black Entertainment Television, also raised eyebrows when he seemed to compare Obama to actor Sidney Poitier's character in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," a black man trying to fit into white society.
The Clintons had long enjoyed significant support among black voters, going back to Bill Clinton's presidency, when writer Toni Morrison famous dubbed him the nation's "first black president." Facing the prospect of an actual black president, who would in the process deny Hillary Clinton her own history-making role as the first woman president, the Clintons appeared to calculate that they had to stop Obama's momentum, and force him into a topic that he had largely avoided on the campaign trail, his race, say critics of the Clintons.
Ron Walters, director of the African American Leadership Center at the University of Maryland and a onetime policy aide to the Rev. Jesse Jackson, sees the Clintons as having deliberately sparked the controversy.
"When you look at Hillary's wide expanse of people who went after Barack – that had to be some kind of campaign strategy," says Mr. Walters. "I think [it happened] mainly born of fear and frustration that he was closing very rapidly, and could win not only Iowa but New Hampshire and overtake her in the polls. And they had to do something to begin to bring his numbers down."
He agrees that Clinton could lose black votes by highlighting Obama's race, but the upside for her may be a gain in white votes. "Some of the more conservative aspects of his constituency could pull away," he says.
Black leaders who have declined to take sides, such as Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 House Democrat, sought to put the debate to rest earlier this week, in a press conference. He praised Obama, Clinton, and the third leading Democratic candidate John Edwards for their "commitment to equality." But there's little doubt that if the race issue flares up again, the party as a whole will suffer, especially if black voters opt to sit out the November election, if Clinton is the nominee, analysts say.
"Everyone lost to some degree," says Mr. Bositis. "The Democrats didn't need that to come up."


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I remember a bad hand-off once, long ago. It was the classic admitted patient, long forgotten two shifts after a bed had been ordered, but hanging out in the ER waiting for the assigned bed to be vacated and cleaned. It was a chest pain admission, a "low-risk rule-out," meaning that the patient was to get a blood tests to rule out a heart attack and then a stress test. Turns out the diagnosis was quite wrong: it was an aortic dissection, and when the patient crashed, there was chaos because nobody remembered why the patient was there and who was responsible for him.
In that case, there were other problems: the nurses in the ED had been quite content to ignore the patient while he slept. No vital signs were obtained, at one point the cardiac monitoring had been discontinued for the patient to go to the bathroom, and the schedule of blood tests designed to detect an evolving heart attack were not drawn.
The outcome was bad, and we as an organization learned a lot from it.
Doctor RW writes about this topic today, linking to an interesting article in Today's Hospitalist. RW's recommendation is good, but does not go far enough:
Hospitalist groups should meet with their emergency medicine colleagues regularly to discuss cases, offer feedback and improve professional relationships.To be sure, this is necessary and I won't disagree with it. But the fact is this: if the patient is physically in your ED after "admission," they remain your responsibility, and as a department, you must have procedures in place to ensure the patient will continue to receive excellent care during the transition.
Key points which such procedures must address include:
- There must be an ED physician who is the designated responsible provider and who is aware of the patient. This is pretty standard and is easily accomplished with most patient tracking system, be they simple grease boards or sophisticated EMRs.
- Transfer of care to the hospitalist does not take place until the patient has either left the ED or until the hospitalist has physically seen the patient in the ED.
- The ED doc must perform interval assessments of the "boarding" patients in the ED, regardless of whether the hospitalist has seen them. If they're in the ED, they're still your responsibility. Generally, stable patients don't take much attention, but sicker patients, ICU admits, etc will require this assessment. If nothing else, it can add to your critical care time!
- Once the hospitalist has seen the "boarded" patient, they are the primary caregiver, and simple questions or non-urgent issues can be directed to them. But the ED doc must remain available for urgent issues and to keep tabs on the patient's condition.
- Inpatient admitting orders should be written at the time the patient is designated as "admitted." The ED nursing staff need to follow these orders as if the patient were in their inpatient bed, especially if the patient will be boarding more than a couple of hours.
- If you are in the enviable position of sending patients upstairs before the admitting doc has seen them, you need to write adequate holding orders.
My opinion is that by writing good holding orders, the ER docs improve patient care, help the hospitalists, and reduce everybody's risk. The key is that these orders do not need to be comprehensive, but they do need to be adequate. In my opinion, the minimum acceptable holding order set includes:
- The name of the responsible admitting doc.
- A clear statement that for problems, questions, or changes in condition, the admitting doc should be promptly notified.
- A defined time during which your holding orders are valid (i.e. an expiration time for your orders, by which time the admitting doc needs to have seen the patient).
- Any critical patient safety information (ie allergies, NPO, fall precautions, etc)
- Any scheduled tests or treatments which will forseeably be needed before the patient may be seen (serial enzymes, nebs, pain meds, blood sugars, e.g.)
- Parameters to notify the admitting doc (vitals, test results, etc)
This is a pretty important topic. Change of shift is the most dangerous time in any ER, and the transfer of care is fraught with risk. It's curious, now that I think about it, that this has received so little attention in the evolving culture of patient safety and the Quality measures being developed. Look for this to gain prominence in coming years.


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Study Aids | News
The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) this week launched Question Bank, an online study aid designed to help medical students prepare for their US and UK clinical board exams.
The Question Bank, which is available from desktops as well as mobile devices, includes more than 1,000 questions, contributed by "experts in the field and scientific associations as well as private databases on such varied material as transfusion medicine, chemistry, coagulation, toxicology, hematology, immunology, hematopathology, microbiology, blood bank, bacteriology, mycology, and parasitology," according to a statement from AACC. Members of the College of American Pathologists, the American Society for Clinical Pathology, and the Association for Clinical Biochemistry also submitted questions for the study tool. The organization plans to add new questions each quarter.
All Question Bank courses are made up of 10 questions. Each course includes three levels of difficulty. The system calculates the user's score at the end of each course. Students achieving a score of 80 percent or higher receive a certificate, which can also be forwarded to his or her mentor.
The Web tool is available to all members of AACC's Clinical ChemistryTrainee Council at no charge. For additional information about the Question Bank, visit www.aacc.org.
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Kanoe Namahoe is online editor for 1105 Media's Education Group. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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iPad mini rumors will not go away, with the latest set centering around it being manufactured exclusively in Brazil. According to Macotakara, this information comes from a "Chinese reliable source". Here's just some of what they had to say:
This source, who seems to look a prototype, told that new tablet (iPad mini?) had same hight with Nexus 7 and slight larger width. Even though front projection size is larger than rivals, thickness of that new tablet is considered to be thinner than current most thinnest tablet Kindle Fire, and to be similar with iPod touch (4th generation) by this source.
Foxconn has invested heavily in iPad production in Brazil.
With regards to the 7-inch iPad being same height as the Nexus 7 but slightly wider, the width increase would make sense as Apple prefers the 4:3 aspect ratio for iPad screens where as other manufacturers seem to like the 16:9 ratio. 16:9 is the standard for movies but not the best ratio for apps, web surfing and most other tasks.
iMore reported on the 7-inch iPad pricing and release date back in may. The date we are hearing is October 2012, which would put it right alongside the new iPhone. Our sources also told us that the iPad mini would be identical to the current iPad but, just a scaled down version.
Source: Macotakara


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Phil Stott
August 19, 2014
It's been quite a year for changes in the consulting industry, which is apropos for the launch of our 2015 Consulting Industry ranking—the pendulum for "Best Consulting Firm to Work For" has swung back to Bain this year, with the firm beating McKinsey to pole position by the slenderest of margins, powered by incredible performance across our individual Best to Work For categories.
Out in the industry, the biggest change is easy to identify: the deal that saw Booz & Co. join forces with PwC, creating Strategy& in the process. If the combination of Booz's expertise and PwC's global reach and ability to execute hasn't made consulting leaders sit up and take notice, then not much will. Who knows: maybe in years to come, they'll crack the holy trinity at the top of our prestige rankings. Until, then, there's not a huge amount of surprise in store for those who follow the industry: this year, it's McKinsey, BCG and Bain, in that order. Again.
While the industry is certainly growing, in a year that has seen so much narrowing of the middle (the Booz deal is merely the largest consolidation of the year—there are plenty of other examples out there), it's imperative that would-be consultants keep their options open. For that reason, we have launched an all-new ranking this year, aimed at identifying the Best Boutique Consulting Firm to Work For. The inaugural winner, Insight Sourcing Group, thoroughly deserves the crown.
Finally, one other new ranking to pay attention to is a new Best to Work For category—Exit Opportunities. Based on feedback from previous years, we created the ranking to help aspiring consultants to understand which of the firms out there would give them the best platform for launching their post-consulting career—whether that's through helping facilitate placements with clients, grad school applications, or simply the gold-plating that a top firm's name can add to your resume. While there are no prizes for guessing which firm came top—McKinsey—some of the other names on the list might surprise you. For example, Putnam Associates might be a new name to you, but it's increasingly well known within the life sciences sector, and is a great place for those interested in the field to launch a career.
Read on for the press release announcing the rankings below, or click the link to dive straight into the 2015 Vault Consulting Rankings.
The Top 10 Best Firms to Work for Based on Vault's Annual Consulting Survey are:
Bain missed out on the top spot last year by a mere .17 points and was able to regain the crown this year based on its strong performance in Vault's Best to Work For Rankings, coming out ahead of the pack in 16 different categories. But even when Bain was not No. 1, the firm scored high enough across the board to overtake McKinsey as the Best to Work For in 2015.
"Bain makes a great effort with everything from onboarding new hires, to training, career development and, of course, compensation," noted Stott. "One of the areas where they've had most success is in their efforts to mitigate work-life balance issues--that's something that comes across really strongly in the ratings and comments we see from employees. It's been a growing trend in the industry over the past few years, and Bain is definitely a leader among large consulting firms in that respect."
Consultants at Bain agree. "I came to Bain because of the firm's culture and I have stayed here for 4+ years because of the culture," noted one survey respondent. "Embedded in the DNA of every person at Bain is a sense of collaboration and relationship building. As a direct result, my quality of life and ability to balance my personal and professional satisfaction is higher than I ever imagined. Working with people who all want to help me out massively makes the job more enjoyable."
Only .030 points separated Bain from its closest rival. While there's no doubt that McKinsey is the most prestigious firm in the industry, its commitment to quality of life issues also comes across in the rankings and comments from employees. "This is a demanding job and we provide outstanding impact for our clients, but this takes hard work and sometimes long hours," explained one McKinsey consultant. "The best thing, in my opinion, is the respect for boundaries. There are certain things I won't do to compromise my life balance, and I have had Partners take the load to protect that."
Other changes taking place in the Top 10 included Deloitte Consulting jumping two places to No. 5, dropping PricewaterhouseCoopers back one spot to No. 6. Deloitte moved up in the rankings because survey respondents believe the firm is making a truly concentrated effort on addressing the needs of its consultants. "We are a consulting firm in transition on how we manage quality of life," noted one Deloitte consultant. "Career flexibility has always been created for individuals because of the culture of the firm, but initiatives such as "Go Flex" and others have formalized our commitment to innovate the model for aligning our work to the individual needs of each of our practitioners."
The Brattle Group, a boutique firm, climbed into the Consulting 50 Top 10, its appearance at No. 7 causing Oliver Wyman to drop two spots to No. 8. "Brattle has made a concerted effort to propagate the collegial "small firm" feel that it has had since it was founded," noted one consultant at the firm. "And these efforts have largely been successful. It's a friendly environment where you can know virtually everyone in the firm by their first name. We regularly have in-office happy hours and several annual events, like baseball games and holiday parties."
Another boutique appearing in the Top 10 is The Cambridge Group, which sits at No. 9 this year. Consultants at the firm believe Cambridge provides a balanced working experience. "People work very hard, but there is a culture of flexibility to allow people to work where/when/how they want to when possible," said one respondent. "Travel is less than other institutional consulting firms, which means most of the time I get home in time to put my little girls to bed, which is important to me."
As a result of The Cambridge Group's ranking, A.T. Kearney fell out of the Top 10 for 2015. The Boston Consulting Group (No. 3), Strategy & (formerly Booz & Co) (No. 4), and Accenture (No. 10) all held on to their spots this year.
New Category Looks at Boutique Consulting Firms – Insight Sourcing Group No. 1
While bigger firms tend to make the headlines, smaller firms also offer a number of opportunities for consultants to grow in their field. Offering a narrower focus and an alternative to larger, generalized firms, these boutique firms tend to offer better work-life balance opportunities, while some staff employees locally, as opposed to firms that operate on 80-100% travel models. Others, still, offer a greater specialization in specific practice areas. Because Vault's research indicated that consultants who work at boutique firms tend to discount prestige as a factor in their choice of employer, Vault's editors paid closer attention to quality of life factors when ranking boutique firms, weighting the ranking based on firm culture, job satisfaction, work-life balance, ability to challenge, compensation, business outlook and promotion policies.
The Top 10 Best Boutique Firms to Work for Based on Vault's Annual Consulting Survey are:
"The top 5 boutique firms all have average scores above 9 out of 10, which is an incredibly high level, given that the score represents a weighted average of a number of different factors," added Stott. "Having said that, Insight Sourcing Group thoroughly deserves its position at the top of the boutique ranking--the consultants we surveyed literally did not have a bad thing to say about the firm, and went out of their way to praise it for the quality of life they enjoy there."
Survey respondents explained what separates Insight Sourcing Group from the rest of the pack, with one stating, "Quality of life is one of the primary reasons I chose ISG over larger firms. The difference is that this is one of the main areas that this firm was built on and has a vision for, and not just something to put on paper to compete with other businesses. For example, at the slightest hint of diminishing quality of life, a huge initiative was put in place involving every single member of the firm to ensure everyone's concerns were addressed."
Bain and McKinsey Continue to Dominate Individual Best to Work For Categories
Bain took the No. 1 spot in 16 of the Best to Work For categories – Ability to Challenge, Business Outlook, Compensation, Firm Culture, Firm Leadership, Formal and Informal Training, Internal Mobility, Promotion Policies, Relationships w/ Supervisors, Overall Satisfaction, and five of the six diversity categories - Diversity-Disabled, Diversity-LGBT, Diversity-Minorities, Diversity-Women and Overall Diversity.
Consultants at Bain believe that their stressful jobs are made easier by a leadership that understands their needs. "What we do is inherently difficult and stressful -- we're working on the most important issues facing a company and its leaders," said one survey respondent. "Having said that, Bain leaders all have lives and understand that we do, too. They work hard to make sure that we stay balanced, sometimes going so far as pushing teams NOT to work on weekends, even when they express a desire to do so. It's gratifying to be part of a culture as balanced as Bain's."
McKinsey also scored strongly in all Best to Work For categories, while taking the top spot for International Opportunities, Exit Opportunities, Clint Interactions Benefits, Innovation in the Industry, Hiring Process and Diversity with respect to Military Veterans.
"McKinsey makes available many individual opportunities to balance work with personal life/goals, such as part-time, take-time, and sabbatical programs," said one McKinsey employee. "These programs are not only designed with quality of life in mind, they do actually improve quality of life in a demanding career of a McKinsey consultant. It is not possible to deliver the impact that matters to clients and the world without some travel to work side-by-side with clients."
In other Best to Work For categories, the following firms were No. 1 (along with quotes from employees):
McKinsey & Company Remains Most Prestigious; Tops Six Practice Area Rankings
It was lucky number 13 for McKinsey & Company. The global consulting giant was not only named the Most Prestigious firm by its peers for the 13th straight year; it also came out on top in six practice areas – Energy Consulting, Economic Consulting, Healthcare Consulting, Management Consulting, Retail Consulting and Strategy Consulting.
Peer consultants at rival firms noted about McKinsey that "they "define 'prestige,'" with others calling the firm "innovative," "innovative," "top tier," "thought leaders," "formidable," the "gold standard," "incredibly impressive," and "strategy consulting at its best."
The only other firms to score multiple wins in this year's Practice Area category were Deloitte and Accenture. Deloitte, which respondents note is "stating to compete with the big three," due to its "strong relationships and "good consultants," took the top spot in both Financial Consulting and Operations Consulting. Accenture, who consultants said was "techy," "innovative," and known "more for big technology projects," took the No. 1 ranking in IT Strategy Consulting and IT Operations Consulting.
In other Practice Area Rankings news, Booz Allen Hamilton continued to reign supreme in Public Sector Consulting. Respondents believe Booz is a "leader in the public sector," "intellectual," a "top consulting firm," and offer clients "well researched insight and coaching."
Mercer also repeated as the HR Consulting champions with peer consultants noting that the firm is "credible, detail oriented," "extremely accomplished," "solution driven," and "the best in HR."
And Lockheed Martin Corporation was No. 1 for Aerospace Defense Consulting with respondents calling the firm a "legitimate defense contractor" and a "leading aerospace company."
View the entire Vault Consulting Rankings
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Vault is the most comprehensive resource for employer, university and internship program rankings, ratings and insight. Vault's influential rankings and reviews are sourced from directed surveys of professionals and students, and evaluate companies, schools and internships in terms of prestige, best place to work, diversity, quality of life, compensation and other categories. Vault provides users with in-depth information on employers, industries, interviews, and available jobs and internships. In addition, Vault partners with employers to help build their brands and assist with recruiting efforts, and with universities to help their students with employment placement and career selection.
Dan Williams
Phil Stott
"Don't Choose this Firm!" What the Unhappiest Consultants Say About Their Companies
August 5, 2014
How to Get a Job in Consulting
June 18, 2014
6 of the Best: Consulting Research Paper Roundup
February 19, 2014
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NEW YORK (AP) — The weather was much better at the U.S. Open on Sunday. So was Novak Djokovic.
Under a cloudless blue sky, in only a hint of wind, defending champion Djokovic got his game into high gear and reached his third consecutive final at Flushing Meadows by beating fourth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in a match suspended a day earlier.
Ferrer led a shaky Djokovic 5-2 in the semifinal's opening set Saturday, when wind was whipping at more than 20 mph and play was halted because of an impending rainstorm. When they resumed about 18 hours later, Ferrer held serve to take that set — and then Djokovic quickly took control, using the brand of defense-to-offense baseline excellence that has carried the Serb to four of the past seven Grand Slam titles.
"We were all praying for less wind today," Djokovic said. "He handled the wind much better than I did. I came into today as a different player."
In Monday's final, Djokovic will face Olympic champion Andy Murray, who beat Tomas Berdych 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7) on Saturday. It's the fifth consecutive year the U.S. Open men's title match has been played a day later than planned.
The women's final between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka that was supposed to be played Saturday night was shifted to Sunday afternoon, the fourth time since 2008 the women's event went long, too.
Murray was able to enjoy a day off Sunday, while Djokovic had to put in some work. But in the end, it wasn't too taxing: Djokovic played only about two hours and was finished with Ferrer by 1:20 p.m., giving him more than 24 hours to rest before taking on Murray.
Murray is one of only two men to lose each of his first four major finals — his coach, Ivan Lendl, is the other — and he'll try to avoid dropping to 0-5. He'll also try to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win any of tennis' four most important tournaments.
"I don't think there's any clear favorite," said five-time major champion Djokovic, who leads the head-to-head series against Murray 8-6 but lost their most recent matchup in the semifinals of the London Games. "He's looking for his first Grand Slam title. I'm sure he's going to be very motivated, and hopefully we can come up with our best tennis for this crowd."
Djokovic extended his winning streak in Grand Slam matches played on hard courts to 27, including titles at last year's U.S. Open and the Australian Open in 2011 and 2012. He slides along the surface as though it were red clay, allowing him to use his elastic limbs to contort and stretch to get to opponents' shots that appear to be winners.
Over and over and over again Sunday, Djokovic would prolong points until he could gain an advantage or Ferrer would flub a groundstroke. After ending one 25-stroke exchange by snapping off a cross-court backhand winner while serving out the second set, Djokovic bellowed and spread his arms wide, holding a pose, as his parents rose to their feet in his guest box.
By late in the third set, when Djokovic took 12 of 14 points to go from a 3-2 deficit to 5-3 lead, Ferrer was muttering to himself and in the direction of his coach in the stands, the very picture of frustration.
The loss dropped Ferrer to 0-4 in Grand Slam semifinals, with another of those defeats also coming against Djokovic at the U.S. Open, back in 2007.
Djokovic was playing in his 10th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal, equaling Rod Laver and Lendl for the second-longest streak behind Roger Federer's record of 23.
And after dropping that first set of this semifinal — the only set he's lost all tournament — Djokovic immediately began turning things around, breaking Ferrer twice in a row en route to a 5-0 lead in the second. In the third, Ferrer made a little charge, taking three games in a row to briefly lead that set.
But the difficulty that dealing with Djokovic presents began to wear on Ferrer. He would rush shots, trying to sneak balls past Djokovic, and that simply was not going to work on this day. Ferrer made three unforced errors to get broken and fall behind 4-3 in the key third set, and when Djokovic eventually served it out with a 123 mph ace, their match pretty much was over.
In earning his tour-leading 60th match win of 2012, Djokovic also moved a step closer to being able to say he's had the best season. Yes, he will stay at No. 2 in the rankings behind Wimbledon champion Federer, but Djokovic is the only man with a chance to claim two Grand Slam trophies this year, after grabbing three in 2011.
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Local pro mixed martial arts fighter Beau Hamilton is heading back to his hometown of Stockton for a bout.
On Saturday, he is facing Adrian Adona in the 155-pound division at the Nick Diaz Promotions presents WAR MMA event.
Hamilton trains in Yreka at Dosomthin Athletics. Also on the card is fellow pro fighter D.J. Linderman. Linderman lived in Yreka for a number of years and trained with Hamilton, a good friend of his. He now trains at a gym in Santa Rosa.
Linderman is facing Mike Hayes in a heavyweight bout. A story on Linderman ran in the June 13 edition of the Daily News.
There will be a live viewing party at Miner Street Sports Bar in Yreka starting at 5 p.m.
Hamilton comes in with a 2-3 pro MMA record. Below, Hamilton answers questions about his Saturday bout.
What can you tell me about this fight?
It's going to take place in my hometown. I'm pretty excited about that. I had one fight there already, but I wasn't able to get a win. This time I really want to go out there and get back in the win (column) and start building off that.
How important is this bout for you?
It's a big fight for me. I'm coming off two losses. Three losses in a row really sets you back a little bit. It kind of makes you rethink if this is what you want to do in your life. I know this is what I want to do, so I want to put on a good show for my hometown friends and family.
Tell me a bit about your background and what it's like to return to Stockton.
Yeah, this is where I was born and raised. You can say I'm from the wrong side of the tracks. I probably was not supposed to make it out of there. It's a rough town to grow up in, but if you stay out of the gangs and trouble, you can make it out and be able to come back and fight in the biggest arena there. It kind of makes me feel like I did a full circle. Growing up, I dreamed about this and the fact that it's happening is a great feeling I won't take for granted.
How many friends and family are going to be there rooting you on?
I have a lot of family and friends that are still in the Stockton area that will be there – from aunts, to cousins, to my sister. I got a lot of support down there, plus a lot of friends from the Yreka area will be making the trip. It's a true blessing for me.
Who is your opponent and what do you have to do to earn a win?
Adrian Adona is making his pro debut at 155 pounds. This will be my second fight at this weight. I think my main key is my experience. I've been doing this for 8 years and had about 20 fights all together, including my amateur and pro MMA and boxing career. I need to pressure this guy into making a mistake. I think it will be a good day for me and my team.
What would a win mean for your MMA career?
This will be big for me to get a win and hopefully start a winning streak in my hometown. I have been going through some rough times in this sport lately, but that's going to happen in any sport. The key is to not to give up and just keep pushing. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel.
I know D.J. is also fighting. What does it mean to you to have a good friend like D.J. also taking part?
This is a great chance for both of us. We haven't fought on the same card in a long time. We have fought on the same day but on different sides of the world or U.S. It's great to be able to fight on the card with my Thuderbuddy.
Anything else you would like to add?
Thanks to all my sponsors. Thanks Yreka for the support. Make sure you check out my gym, Dosomthin Athletics. Visit the website at www.dosomthinathletics.com.
Local MMA fighter Hamilton ready to rumble
Local pro mixed martial arts fighter Beau Hamilton is heading back to his hometown of Stockton for a bout.


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PBS NewsHour Weekend full episode December 30, 2017
12/30/2017 | 24m 22s
On this edition for Saturday, Dec. 30, anti-government protests continue across Iran, and the Lada, an old school Russian car, is embraced by the youth. Also, a look at the debate over public lands being declared national monuments. Alison Stewart anchors from New York.
Aired: 12/30/17Video has closed captioning.


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Next Episode of The Phone (2009) is
not planed. TV Show was canceled.
"The game starts... now."
The sound of a ringing telephone is nothing out of the ordinary. But for those who dare to answer The Phone, you can be certain that a hair-raising adventure awaits. An intense thriller of action and suspense, The Phone is unlike any show you've ever seen. In each episode, players will see their day go from average to insane as they're plunged into a dangerous high-stakes game with $50,000 on the line. One minute they might be sipping on a latte, watching the world go by. One phone call later, they could find themselves hanging from the edge of Seattle's Space Needle or racing into a burning building to save the life of a man about to be executed.
In each episode, four strangers will get a call. Soon after they answer, they'll be paired off to create two teams that will go head-to-head as they race to survive a potentially deadly game. There's no studio audience, no wheels to spin and no canned ham behind the curtain. There are only perilous predicaments and the real possibility of walking away with 50 grand if you complete the mission ... and survive.
Could you stop a mad bomber before he strikes again? Can you take down the mob to save a police officer's life? Will you recover a piece of secret military technology before it lands in the hands of terrorists? Some players will rise to the challenge of "The Phone", while others will crack under the pressure. The true nature of each player will be revealed as their courage is measured, their loyalty examined and their resolve put to the test under the most extreme circumstances imaginable.
From executive producer Justin Timberlake, The Phone is nothing short of the most dangerous game on television. Will you answer the call? (Source: MTV)
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The latest available AMD Catalyst Windows Beta and Linux driver are also available here:
AMD Catalyst Beta for Windows: http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-article ... -beta.aspx
AMD Catalyst Beta for Linux: http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-article ... river.aspx
Typically the beta releases includes additional performance improvements and fixes not found in the latest certified AMD Catalyst releases. AMD Catalyst 13.12 it includes all of updates found within AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta V9.5.
Coming soon next year: AMD Catalyst 14.1 Beta!!
Feature Highlights of AMD Catalyst™ 13.12 Microsoft certified driver (vs. AMD Catalyst 13.9)
· Support for the following new products:
o AMD Radeon™ R9 290, 280, and 270 Series
o AMD Radeon™ R7 260, 250, and 240 Series
· Improved AMD CrossFire™ scaling for the following game titles:
o Call of Duty®: Ghosts (multiplayer component)
o Splinter Cell Blacklist
o Saints Row 4
o Metro Last Light
· New AMD Enduro™ Technology profiles for the following game titles:
o XCOM: Enemy Unknown
o Need for Speed Rivals
o Total War™: Rome 2
o Battlefield 4
o Saints Row 4
o Splinter Cell Blacklist
o FIFA 14
· Support For AMD CrossFire frame pacing
o Frame pacing ensures that frames rendered across multiple GPUs in an AMD CrossFire configuration will be displayed at an even and regular pace
o Frame pacing is enabled through the AMD Catalyst Control Center, or on a per application basis
o Frame pacing is supported on DirectX® 10 and DirectX 11 applications using resolutions up to (and including) 2560x1600 on a single display
Resolved issue highlights of AMD Catalyst™ 13.12 (vs. AMD Catalyst 13.9)
May resolve intermittent black screens or display loss observed on some AMD Radeon™ R9 290X and AMD Radeon R9 290 graphics cards
Resolves intermittent crashes seen in legacy DirectX® 9 applications
AMD Radeon™ R9 290 Series - Power Tune update to reduce variance of fan speed / RPM
PCI-E bus speed is no longer set to x1 on the secondary GPU when running in CrossFire configurations
· Resolves intermittent flickering seen on some AMD Radeon R9 270X graphics cards
· Resolves Corruption issues found in Starcraft
· Resolves image corruption seen in Autodesk Investor 2014
· Resolves intermittent black screen when resuming from a S3/S4 sleep state if the display is unplugged during the sleep state on systems supporting AMD Enduro Technology
· Resolves intermittent crashes experienced with Battlefield 4 on Windows 8 based systems
Resolved issue highlights of AMD Catalyst™ 13.12 Linux Driver:
The Following issues have been resolved in the AMD Catalyst 13.12 Linux driver
Ultra slow dota2 fps
System hang when startx after enable Eyefinity
System hang when run Unigine Heaven 4.0
Fix the procfs permission issue on kernel 3.10 and later
System hang when run some OpenGL stress test
Glxtest failed with force AA
Fail to launch cairo-dock
AC/DC switching is broken
Tear-Free Desktop sets V-Sync to 30Hz instead of 60Hz
Steam crashes and games hang on a black screen when Force AA is on
Glxtest failed on SLED11 SP3
Display corruption when using rotation


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The R8 Spyder with the 5.2-liter V10 engine is coming west as a 2011 model. The manual version will cost $161,000 and the model with the R tronic transmission will be an extra $9,000. That's not including destination, taxes, title, or dealer charges. At least it will have 525 hp and thermal-resistant leather to enjoy in the four seconds this hand-made car takes to hit 60 mph from standstill and then max out at 195 mph.
And keep the fanfares blaring for the RS 5. Yes, a version of the comely S5 coupe with an even harder core has 450 hp blasting from its 4.2-liter V8. That's more than one version of the R8. It will have all-wheel drive and a seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox. The best bit: It's going on sale in the U.S. in 2012. But for how much, we'll have to wait and see.