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Monday, May 31, 2004
Intentia, MAPICS, SSA, and Geac--what's the deal?
There's some interesting speculation going on about Intentia, MAPICS, and SSA and I'm trying to piece it all together.
To start, Nigel Montgomery at AMR thinks that Intentia's new CEO, Bertrand Sciard, may be on the hunt to acquire another ERP vendor.Assuming Intentia can return to profitability, Mr. Sciard's plan is likely to include the swift acquisition of another ERP vendor with a strong presence in the United States. He's already considering candidates and clearly understands the art of an acquisition, based on his tenure at Geac. Intentia needs this as a springboard to grow in the region, and although he's not mentioning names, an obvious target might be MAPICS. An interesting twist would be that General Atlantic (GA), a strong investor in Intentia's rival SSA Global, also owns a slice of MAPICS. This raises the question of whether Symphony, which owns around 30% of Intentia, might seek to enlist GA, or its co-SSA Global investor Cerberus, as additional investors in the company in order to acquire. Either way, it's likely that more funds will be forthcoming once growth resumes.Montgomery's mention of SSA and MAPICS in a research note about Intentia is interesting, but I think he misses the obvious implication. It is more likely that General Atlantic Partners would want to put SSA and MAPICS together, rather than help Intentia acquire MAPICS, which would just create a stronger competitor for SSA. A month or two ago, I heard a rumor that SSA has some office space at the MAPICS headquarters in Atlanta. I have no independent confirmation of this, but if true it might indicate that a deal for SSA to acquire MAPICS is in the works.
It's possible that General Atlantic Partners would want SSA to also acquire Intentia, but that runs in the opposite direction that AMR thinks Intentia is headed.
So, if Intentia does not have a shot at MAPICS, who might be Intentia's likely acquisition target in North America? I would suggest Geac. Geac, based in Canada, is best known for its SmartStream financials system, which it picked up in 1996 from Dun & Bradstreet, and its System21 ERP suite, which it picked up in its acquisition of JBA in 1999.
I think Geac might be an attractive target for Intentia for four reasons. First, Geac has a substantial installed base in North America, which Intentia needs. Second, Geac has a good part of its installed base running the IBM iSeries (formerly AS400), which matches Intentia's installed base. Third, Geac's System21 installed base is largely in the food and beverage and apparel industries, which matches two key verticals that Intentia targets. And, finally, as Montgomery mentions in passing, Geac just happens to be the former employer of Intentia's new CEO, Bertrand Sciard, so he knows it well.
All just speculation on my part. But if readers have any other insight, please let me know.
Related posts
Intentia reaches for revival
Who's next on SSA's shopping list?
Latest word on the street concerning MAPICSby Frank Scavo, 5/31/2004 07:02:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Friday, May 28, 2004
Who's gaining in the ERP horse race?
I've been under the general impression that SAP has been gaining market share against PeopleSoft and Oracle. But a recent market study by IDC says otherwise. According to eWeek,The ... report painted an inconclusive picture of just who among the top ERP vendors—SAP AG, PeopleSoft Inc. and Oracle Corp.—is taking market share from whom.Pang indicated that several other ERP companies did see an increase in market share, such as Microsoft, SSA Global, and Sage.
The IDC numbers indicate that PeopleSoft's revenues fell nearly 8% from 2002 to 2003, while Oracle's revenues increased by nearly 8%, and SAP's grew at more than double that rate....
However, IDC research director Albert Pang, who authored the study, said there were no real gains or losses in market share among the top three vendors from 2002 to 2003. He said PeopleSoft's revenues fell largely because of the more than $100 million in maintenance revenue that the company wrote off as part of accounting for the J.D. Edwards acquisition.
Meanwhile, Oracle's gains were largely from increased maintenance revenues, not from selling new software. And SAP's 17% revenue gain came mostly from the strength of the euro, which the German-based company reports revenues in, against the dollar from 2002 to 2003. In real-dollar terms, SAP's revenues were also flat, Pang said.
"The top three were all essentially flat," Pang said.
Related posts
ERP market on the reboundby Frank Scavo, 5/28/2004 07:20:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Tuesday, May 25, 2004
PeopleSoft breathes new life into JDE World product
PeopleSoft has finally got a strategy for the old World product that it picked up with its acquisition of J.D. Edwards last year.
But first, some history. The World product was JDE's IBM iSeries (formerly AS/400) host-based product. Think of it as JDE Classic. Over a period of several years, JDE had been de-emphasizing World and was encouraging World users to migrate to its newer One World product, which is based on a cross-platform, network architecture. During the acquisition of JDE by PeopleSoft, PeopleSoft renamed these products PeopleSoft World and PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne, with PeopleSoft's own suite of products renamed PeopleSoft Enterprise.
In rationalizing its portfolio of products, PeopleSoft positioned the Enterprise Suite for large organizations, and indicated that EnterpriseOne would be best for mid-market companies. And World products would be targeted at, well, existing World users. Not a very strong story for the World products.
But now, PeopleSoft finally has found a role for World. At the Common user group earlier this month, PeopleSoft announced a bundled deal called "World Express," targeted specifically for companies between $20-100M. According to the press release, World Express includes:
The press release doesn't say so, but I'm told there is also a Web front end deployed in World Express, which would give users a GUI if they want it.
- World applications pre-installed on an iSeries box, including financials, distribution, manufacturing, HR, and project management, which should save users installation time.
- Pre-configured business processes such as vendor returns, product costing, new product introduction, purchasing, and A/R, which should simplify some of the implementation effort.
- Implementation and user training services by PeopleSoft-certified distributors.
- Ongoing support.
PeopleSoft is offering World Express through an expanded reseller channel that includes the extensive IBM reseller channel. (IBM and PeopleSoft also appear to be working on a similar arrangement for EnterpriseOne on Linux, but that's another topic).
To be honest, I like this story. In spite of JDE's past lack of focus on World, users simply refused to let the green screen version die. In addition, there are a large number of iSeries shops out there, especially small companies, that have a shrinking number of good iSeries packages to choose from. They like the reliability of the iSeries and many of them don't see any driving need to make their IT infrastructure more complex. They would like GUI for certain applications and like interoperability with Microsoft office. The World Express product is a good solution for such companies.
If IBM and other resellers can execute under this program, I think PeopleSoft may be pleasantly surprised at how well this new offering is received.
Related posts
Green screen refuses to die
PeopleSoft/JDE combination: off to a strong startby Frank Scavo, 5/25/2004 05:40:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Saturday, May 22, 2004
Solving the four problems with ERP
I received quite a bit of feedback on my post last week regarding the four problems with ERP. Most of the responses were quite positive, but some did suggest that I missed some problems, such as, "quality of the systems integrator," "turnover of user personnel," and "lack of user ownership." However, my feeling is that these all may be legitimate causes of ERP problems, but they are not separate categories or types of the problems themselves.
There's nothing wrong with looking for causes. Good problem solving techniques from six sigma to the theory of constraints teach us to fix the root causes, not just treat the symptoms. But if we don't understand the nature of the problem itself, how on earth will we ever find the cause? Too many managers immediately want to jump to solutions, without really understanding the nature of the problem.
So, I believe that my list of four types of ERP problems is an exhaustive list of the nature of all ERP problems. You could have dozens of possible causes, but the problems themselves only fall into these four types:
Now, having said that, one reader did suggest that it would be best not to just categorize the problems but indicate how to solve them. Fair enough. Once you understand the nature of the problem or problems with an ERP system, how should you go about finding solutions? Of course, each company will have different problems, different causes, and different solutions. But there are some common approaches that you can take:
- The system itself is bad
- The system is good, but it's set up incorrectly
- The system is good, but it's not being used
- The system is good, but it's being used ineffectively
1. If you've got a bad system...
You need to ask, can the system be fixed (e.g. is there a newer version, a vendor patch, or a modification you can make?). Can you work around it (i.e. can you use a procedural method to bypass the system problem)? Can you use some other piece of software instead of the part of the system that is bad? Or, should you replace the system?
But too many executives ask that last question before asking any of the others. Just because a system is bad doesn't mean it needs to be replaced. It depends on how bad it is, and whether the bad parts are fundamental or superficial.
For example, a system might have an unfriendly order entry screen. Perhaps the order entry screen could be modified to remove unneeded data elements, or it could be reconfigured to be more natural to the way your company takes orders. If the rest of the system is good, it would be foolish to replace the entire system just because of an isolated user interface problem.
On the other hand, if a company operates on an actual cost basis, and the system only supports standard costing, it is unlikely that the system could be fixed, or a work around would be viable. Or, if a process manufacturer finds itself stuck with an ERP system that is designed for discrete manufacturing, it might be advisable to bite the bullet and get a system that works for the process industry.
2. If the system is set up incorrectly...
I find it most helpful to find out why the system was set up in the way it is. That will lead you to the possible root cause. Was it just ignorance of the original implementation team? That would point to a need for training on the system. Was it because the company was trying to make the new system look like the old? That would point to a need for business process redesign, or at least to address assumptions about how the business should operate.
Recently I saw a company that was having a hard time keeping up with inventory transaction volumes. We found that the problem was that the system had been set up to serialize each unit of finished production. The company thought that this was necessary to provide full traceability of products for FDA regulatory compliance. Of course, it also exploded the number of transactions that would need to be entered every time a finished product was transacted. When we investigated, we found that the system was fully capable of providing traceability by means of lot or batch numbering, which would greatly improve productivity while maintaining compliance. We then asked why the system had been configured for serial unit control, and we found that it was because that was how the previous system had done it. When management understood the weak basis for the original decision, it was a simple matter for everyone to agree to change it.
3. If the system is not being used...
Again, you have to ask why. Is it because parts of the old system are still in use, in parallel with the new system? A client once brought me in to determine whether their new system was in fact the right system for them. Users had many perceptions about the inadequacy of the new system, most of which I suspected were incorrect. Soon I found the reason. The old system was still running for many functions that the new system could have performed. As long as management was not committed to abandon use of the old system, which users had grown accustomed to, there was no hope that they would learn to use and appreciate the new system.
There can be any number of reasons that a perfectly good system is not being used. It could be a lack of training, or a lack of resources to do the implementation, or resistance to change. I have seen cases where certain users prefer their little Access systems, Excel worksheets, or cumbersome manual systems. Why? Because those little informal systems represent job security. As long as the company depends on those users for their personal knowledge of "how things get done around here," those users are unlikely to embrace an ERP system that promises to formalize and make transparent the business process.
4. If the system is being used ineffectively...
You need to do more analysis. In this category, I like to group problems into four sub-categories.
Making effective use of ERP generally mean solving problems with business processes and organizational design. This can take you far outside of the IT department and deep into change management in user functions. Although such change can be difficult, the pay off can be huge.
- Data problems. For example, inventory inaccuracy can make MRP systems all but useless. There are dozens of other examples of how data problems can undermine ERP systems and force users to work around the system. Many companies I visit have problems with duplicate part numbers, duplicate vendor numbers, and inaccurate costing data. All of these make ERP ineffective.
- Discipline problems. Invariably, organizations making ineffective use of their ERP systems have poor or nonexistent disciplines in engineering change management, inventory control, and planning. Procedures may not exist, or if they do exist they are not followed. I once saw a company where users were complaining that the planning system didn't work. Later I found out that the VP of Sales routinely called the plant and forced them to change the day's production schedule when an important customer had a rush order. The planning system was being used, yes. But it was being used ineffectively because of poor disciplines in planning and scheduling.
- Integration problems. Enterprise systems by definition are integrated systems. But the organizations that implement them may not be integrated. Rather, there may be a strong functional orientation that creates isolated "silos" with walls between departments. ERP systems work best when they automate cross-functional processes. But if sales does not talk to production, and production does not talk to engineering, it is unlikely that the ERP system will be used effectively.
- Measurement problems. Too often companies ask managers to do one thing but measure them on something else. If you ask a factory to ship product according to customer delivery dates, but you measure the plant on "tons produced" each month, it is likely that the plant will maximize tonnage by shipping the largest orders first, instead of the ones with the earliest due dates. Yet, it is easier for management to blame the system instead of their own out-dated measurement systems. There are dozens of similar examples.
Over the past 15 years, many companies have made enormous investments in enterprise systems. Yet many are unhappy with the results. The temptation is to blame the system and even entertain the thought of replacing it. But, as we have seen, good systems can be saved, as long as management is willing to face the nature of the problems.
Related posts
Four problems with ERPby Frank Scavo, 5/22/2004 07:57:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Thursday, May 20, 2004
ERP market on the rebound
In another sign of recovery in the enterprise software market, IDC is forecasting a 7% growth for ERP sales this year, to $26.7B. Actual growth in 2003 was 5%, and in 2002 sales were flat. IDC points to the mid-market, government agencies, and certain industries such as health care as the main driver for growth.
Interestingly, IDC points out that ERP market is increasingly being dominated by the largest players. In 2002, the top 10 vendors held 46% of the market, and in 2001 they held 44%. The top five vendors are identified as SAP, PeopleSoft, Oracle, Microsoft, and Sage.
CNET has a short summary.
Related posts
High tech job market perking up
What exactly is the market for enterprise systems?by Frank Scavo, 5/20/2004 05:56:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Thursday, May 13, 2004
Four problems with ERP
Recently, a company asked my firm to do an evaluation of its ERP system. Users had become increasingly unhappy with the system, and management wanted an independent assessment to determine whether they had chosen the wrong system.
After a couple of weeks of interviewing users and studying the many complaints about the system, we sat down and analyzed the causes of each problem. In the past I have found it most helpful to group ERP problems into four categories.
Back to my client. When we looked at this company's problems, we found that out of 15 major problem areas, the breakdown by category was as follows. (Most problems had multiple factors, so the total adds up to more than 100%):
- You've got a bad system. This category includes lack of needed ERP functionality, system performance problems, lack of scalability, system bugs, and ERP processes that don't match business processes. For example, the system might lock up whenever two users attempt to update the same customer master record. Or, the company might be a process industry manufacturer that is trying to use a package that was developed for discrete manufacturing. These problems are usually quite easy to spot. But although they can be serious, they do not always mean you'll need to replace the system. Sometimes a software or hardware upgrade will do the trick, or a customization may be possible.
- You've got a good system, but you set it up incorrectly. These problems include incorrect configuration settings and other problems with how the implementation was performed. For example, users might be complaining that product costs are not accurate, but the company has not set up the system with cost elements that are detailed enough. Or, users might be complaining that inventory counts are inaccurate, but the system has been set up with one big "four wall" inventory bucket, instead of bin location level tracking.
- You've got a good system, but you aren't using it. Examples could be that the original implementation was incomplete, or that the implementation was broken into phases and Phase II was never started. Other times, the problem is ignorance. It's surprising how often companies don't know what features they have in the software they already own. I have seen companies buy additional point solutions, or modify their systems, all the while their original system could have provided the same functionality, if they had just looked for it.
- You've got a good system, but you're using it ineffectively. In this category, I lump together all kinds of problems with business practices, such as data inaccuracy, lack of user procedures, lack of training, lack of discipline, and organizational problems. The system never has a chance to perform well, because the business is not using it effectively.As can be seen in this company, only 27% of the problem areas involved problems with the ERP system directly. The bulk of the problems were simply that the company was not using the system. For example, users had come to the belief that the system was mainly an accounting system, that it had been selected by the accountants, and that it was not a good manufacturing system. However, a quick look indicated that most of the manufacturing functionality had not been implemented! Ironically, the system had been originally selected because of its strength in the type of manufacturing that this company does, not because of its accounting functionality. In fact, as an accounting system I would rate this ERP package as just average.
1. Bad system: 27% 2. Set up problems: 33% 3. Non-use of the system: 73% 4. Ineffective use: 40%
How did the company get into this position? In this case, it was due to the fact that shortly after the system was selected the company entered into a period of severe financial difficulty, causing them to short-cut the implementation. Many system features were simply never implemented. Now, several years later, as the company is in a stronger financial condition and growing, new employees are surprised to see how poorly the system supports the business. So, their first inclination is to say that "the system stinks" (or, something to that effect). But as we just saw, the main problem is that the original implementation was never finished.
As a result of our assessment, the company has now launched a series of projects to finish the implementation and get the benefits from the system that they already have.
ERP systems are an easy target for blame. Executives would do well not to let users take the easy excuse that "the system" is the problem but look at all the factors that are required to make ERP effective.
Related posts
Business changes needed to ensure enterprise system success
Large system implementations require organizational discipline
Data clean up a key prerequisite for e-procurement benefitsby Frank Scavo, 5/13/2004 08:46:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Oracle's stand depends on where it sits
Dan Gillmor thinks that Oracle is hypocritical in joining the Association for Competitive Technology (ACT), an organization it formerly tried to discredit when ACT backed Microsoft against the Justice Department's anti-trust lawsuit. Now that Oracle is on the receiving end of an anti-trust lawsuit, Oracle doesn't seem to have any problem with taking exactly the opposite position.Oracle's turnabout on ACT highlights the technology industry's frequent indifference to principle on public policy issues, at least when principle conflicts with the bottom line. Larry Ellison and his troops wanted antitrust laws to be enforced when enforcement might hurt a foe and help Oracle. Now that enforcement might work against Oracle, whoops, this is a terrible, terrible thing. (No wonder Washington finds the tech industry so shallow.)Gillmor also takes issue with academics that parrot the story line of PR firms to the press.
Related posts
Quick look at DOJ's complaint against Oracleby Frank Scavo, 5/12/2004 06:44:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Tuesday, May 11, 2004
India losing its cost advantage
Last month, I noted that the pendulum may be starting to swing back on offshore outsourcing. Now, there's more evidence. The New York Times is reporting that, as a center for outsourcing, India may be losing its cost advantage. The problem? Demand is pushing up wages and outsourcing firms are poaching employees from each other, with attrition rates now at 50-75% per year in some sectors.The data from India show that, to some extent, the offshore outsourcing phenomenon may be self-correcting. Though outsourcing shows no sign of fading, rising wages and rapid turnover in Indian hubs may reduce the savings American companies reap when they send work abroad.After reading this article, I remembered a phone call I received last week from a consultant, an Indian national working here in the U.S. on an H1B visa. His firm, which is composed of nearly all Indian H1Bs, is finding that the market is so hot in India that it wants to send most of them back to work in India rather than continuing to hunt for projects in the U.S. The problem, however, is that after living in the U.S. my consultant friend doesn't want to go back.
So, if the job market in India is so hot that even the H1Bs are being called back, how soon can it be before the Indian cost advantage is completely gone?
Related posts
Pendulum swinging back on offshoring?
Productivity risks in offshore outsourcingby Frank Scavo, 5/11/2004 06:57:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Monday, May 10, 2004
Intentia reaches for revival
Swedish ERP vendor Intentia is making a series of management changes intended to kick start growth, which has been languising the past few years. Björn Algkvist is moving out of the CEO slot and is limiting his role to board activities. He will be replaced by Bertand Sciard, who comes from GEAC. In addition, Henrick Billgren will take over R&D, and Lars Procheus will serve as Chief Marketing Officer.
Intentia certainly needs to do something. I've short listed Intentia several times for clients in the past, and I always like what I see. Its Movex product is strong--the most recent version is 100% Java, the only ERP vendor to make this claim. Yet, growth has been lagging the rest of the ERP industry. Furthermore, Intentia has been slow to gain a foothold in North America, although it has been trying to do so at least since 1997, as I recall. Although the company has broad functionality, in the U.S., it has been focused on a few verticals where it thinks it can win: food and beverage, and apparel.
Recent discussions with Intentia personnel indicate frustration with the situation. I hope the new management team is successful.
Related posts
Intentia wraps its apps around IBM--is there a Linux connection?by Frank Scavo, 5/10/2004 07:16:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Thursday, May 06, 2004
Ross riding high
They say a rising tide lifts all boats. So, its no surprise that another ERP vendor is enjoying strong financial returns in the rising market for enterprise systems. Ross Software announced this week a 20% increase in quarterly revenue, to $13.7 million, including an outstanding 56% increase in software license revenue. That latter number is generally considered most indicative of overall health of the business because it pulls along maintenance and services revenues in future periods.
In a press release, CEO J. Patrick Tinley said, "Contributing to this quarter's software license results were particularly strong increases in new customer licenses of the iRenaissance Suite of enterprise applications in North America as well as continued customer purchases of Ross' Internet Application Framework (IAF) which provides browser capabilities that increase user productivity. We are also very pleased with the revenue growth of our Supply Chain Management products. Our continued focus on the process industries including life sciences, food and beverage, chemicals, metals, and natural products has continued to generate our revenue growth."
Tinley said also that there has been an increase in demand from the food industry, due to concerns related to food safety.
This will probably be the last full quarterly report for Ross as an independent company. The firm is in the midst of being acquired by CDC Software, a unit of Chinadotcom.
Update, May 14: Ross CEO Tinley now says that the Chinadotcom acquisition of Ross is being delayed by a "routine" SEC review of Chinadotcom's business. As a result, the two firms have now extended the close date for the deal to September 1.
Related posts
Chinadotcom rolling up enterprise system vendors?
Ross Systems gets "Shanghai'ed"by Frank Scavo, 5/06/2004 04:13:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Putting a little public relations into IT
Yesterday, I had a discussion with a CIO about the need to put a little more effort into his public relations. The gist of the discussion was that if the IT group doesn't communicate its successes, who will? On the one hand, the IT group gets plenty of free negative publicity when systems fail to meet user needs, or projects go south. But when the IT group does something right, the word doesn't get out with nearly the same velocity, if at all. It's not a matter of promoting one's self. It's a matter of promoting the benefits of good systems. If using a new system is in the best interest of the organization, shouldn't the CIO should talk about it? If a CIO doesn't believe in his own systems enough to talk about them, why should anyone else?
Shortly after this conversation, I noticed an article in CIO Magazine that says basically the same thing. In a series on running IT like a business, there is an article entitled Internal Marketing: The Secret Weapon. It says,"Marketing is absolutely critical to being internally successful," says Stephen Norman, COO of Merrill Lynch's technology group. "We live in a world where by and large our customers don't understand what we do. So we need to market internally to have a shot at building partnerships and avoiding surprises."The article goes on to talk about crafting a thematic message, writing marketing collateral, and even developing a brand for the IT group and individual projects.
Steve Sheinheit, CIO of MetLife, agrees. "That we have to communicate and market is a fact of life," he says. "If you want to get resources and support, you have to sell your message. Marketing and communications is a natural part of doing business."
One word of warning, however, is that you've got to back up the message with reality: "Be forewarned. Marketing will come off as a lot of hot air—and could even damage IT's reputation—if CIOs haven't built an organization that can consistently deliver the goods."
Check out other articles in the CIO series:
How to run IT like a business
IT management best practicesby Frank Scavo, 5/05/2004 06:37:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Monday, May 03, 2004
Wal-Mart launches RFID pilot, but will privacy concerns stall adoption?
Walmart is on track with its Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) initiative, having started its pilot test at the case and pallet level in Dallas last week. The pilot is intended to demonstrate the efficiency of using RFID tags in place of bar-codes. In addition, Walmart hopes the pilot will encourage adoption of the electronic product code (EPC) standard under management of EPCglobal that is part of MIT's AutoID Center.
Walmart's RFID pilot test so far is limited to several SuperCenters and one regional distribution center in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The eight consumer products manufacturers participating in the pilot include Gillette, HP, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft Foods, Nestle Purina PetCare Company, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever. The next milestone is in January 2005, when Walmart expects its top 100 suppliers to be including RFID tags on all cases and pallets shipped to Walmart in the Dallas area. CNET has the details on the pilot test.
As I have written previously, adoption of RFID will require major IT infrastructure investments at all levels of the supply chain for those industries where it is implemented. In addition to the retail supply chain, led by Walmart's initiative, RFID efforts are also underway in the government contracting supply chain, led by the U.S. Department of Defense, and possibly the pharmaceutical supply chain, encouraged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although the cost is significant, the potential benefits are huge in terms of improved productivity, better supply chain coordination, and ultimately lower costs to consumers.
There is, however, one issue that may stall the effort to spread RFID--concerns over consumer privacy. A lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt is being spread about RFID tags at the individual product level. I have tried to understand the exact nature of the concerns, but I'm finding it difficult to see what Walmart would do with RFID tracking that it can't already do with bar codes. Consumers give up an enormous amount of information about their shopping habits every time they use a club card in their local supermarket, but few individuals find that enough of a problem to give it up.
On the other hand, I suppose that if Joe buys a pair of underwear at Walmart, embedded with an RFID tag, it might be possible to capture Joe's identification at the point of sale and then associate Joe with the RFID tag number in some central database. Then, whenever Joe is wearing those underwear, Walmart could track his entering and exiting various Walmart stores in the future. But that's pretty unlikely, by any stretch of the imagination. And what exactly would be the point for Walmart to do that? And what if Joe was buying those underwear not for himself but for his son? I don't get it. Nevertheless, unless privacy concerns are addressed, no matter how far-fetched, they may become a significant impediment to adoption. Case in point: the California state senate has just voted to approve a measure, introduced by state Senator Debra Brown, that sets privacy standards for use of RFID in stores and libraries. California often leads the way with this sort of thing, unfortunately.
Update, May 13
Here's an RFID position statement from a group of so-called consumer advocates, describing in detail their RFID privacy concerns. After reading this entire paper, however, I still say, I don't get it. Nowhere do the authors address my point that it is the product that is being tracked, not the consumer.
Related posts
Users should push forward with RFID, despite issues
RFID coming to the pharmaceutical supply chain
Details on Wal-Mart's RFID specifications
RFID spreading to the auto industry, but competing standards threaten adoption
U.S. DoD mandates supplier adoption of RFIDby Frank Scavo, 5/03/2004 07:01:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!


text:
LE-One & Done
LE-One & Done Surprise polish is a Prototype/One of a Kind polish batch.
These polishes cannot be remade for any of the following reasons - Recipe is unknown, pigment is discontinued, some of the ingredients are no longer available, mistakes, OOPS. etc.
★★★*Please NO EMAILS*
Every bottle is created by hand with TLC.
★Don Deeva Polishes are hand mixed, meaning there may be slight variations in glitter/colour between batches. Some glitters are heavier then others and can cause some glitter settlement, however if this does occur - a quick shake will fix any issues.
★For ease of removal when using glitter heavy polishes, try a Peel off base coat. I recommend always using some form of base coat whenever using polishes to ensure you are protecting your nails.
★All Don Deeva Polishes are "5 Free." This means they don't include the following yucky chemicals: Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde Resin, or Camphor.
★ Vegan and cruelty-free
List of ingredients: Butyl Acetate, Ethyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Isobutyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymer, Silica, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, N-Butyl Alcohol, Benzophenone-1, D&C Violet #2, Stearalkowium Hectorite, Citric Acid.
★★Please Note-- Solar and Thermal★★ These polishes have to stay in a dry room temperature place.
Leaving them out can cause them to get sun burned which will kill the transition.
If you sun burn your polish there is nothing I can do once it has been sun burned it will only stay
In that one state, and will no longer transition.
I suggest keeping them in a Helmer type unit.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Bi-Weekly TENspot: Future Plans
Man a week goes by quick, hence the modification of the title. So here it is, the second "Weekly TENspot". What do wakeboarders do when their career on the water is complete? Well most of them stay within the industry designing boards, managing athletes, or marketing new products but for those who wish to venture outside of the industry, I came up with a list of possible career paths fit for the skills of an X-pro wakeboarder. Enjoy.
Tour boat driver on a Wild water Safari – Lets face it, there's no one more qualified to operate a boat like this than a professional wakeboarder. In a standard career most riders will spend over 1000 hours in the drivers seat constantly stopping going, parking, reversing, and claiming that they are the best boat driver in the world. This is their chance to prove it.
Video game tester – Get online during a game of Halo or Call of Duty and your bound to partner up with a pro rider. There's a handful of guys who have more hours on their x-box than they do on their boats, so why don't they just get paid for their expert opinions?
Pit bull breeder – Before you can officially be dubbed "pro", you have to first put rims on your truck and second…get a pit bull. Watson and Grubb are in the club as are BT and Ruck. If they all just got together for an afternoon barbecue and the dogs accidentally did the deed, they could all be looking at a fat bonus check when the pups arrive.
Food critic – Pro riders love to eat, and when at home, have an abundance of time to do so. After a day on the water the biggest debate is where to go for dinner, and everyone has their opinions. From wine and cheese to beers and burrito's, their minds are overflowing with endless options when it comes to food. If you're looking for local knowledge on the hottest spots, ask a pro (except BT, he eats In N' Out EVERY day twice a day when in Cali and never gets tired of it).
Model – I'm just going to throw this out there; Wakeboarders have the bodies of Greek Gods. Thousands of years from now there will be marble sculptures of guys like me in the nude with wakeboard handles in our hands. Women will study our figures to earn college degree's and our sculptures will sell for 13 billion dollars on ebay.
Wrestler – Not only are wakeboarders comfortable on camera, they are also extremely strong and competitive. These are the key ingredients to becoming a pro wrestler or MMA fighter. Former pro wakeboarder Wes Brisco has already stepped into the big leagues of Wrestling and Rusty is said to have trained with real MMA fighters.
Aftermarket truck specialist – Lift Kits, custom suspension, gun racks, 35 inch wheels and 4 x 4 are standard on most trucks in our business. These guys spend so much time studying truck accessories that they may as well just open up shop and do the modifications themselves.
World Poker Tour – This is another one of those careers that involves having way too much time on your hands. The guys out in Clermont have had a love affair with the game for quite some time and several of them are actually quite good. Why not move to Vegas and spend the days drinking free cocktails and gambling? If they don't come out on top they can always fall back on a Chippendale's gig.
Pro Golfer –This is probably the least likely career path for an ex- wakeboarder, but if Danny Harf want's to take a stab at it he could have a real shot. He's only 25 and already kicks serious ass on the coarse, plus most pro golfers don't come into their prime till the 35-50 year old range. That gives him at least 10 years practice.
Pyramid scheme – If all else fails you can always just sell "a great opportunity" to 10 friends and then have them sell that same opportunity to 10 more friends and so on. I've got a Multi level business plan in the works right now to sell flavored air (so every breath tastes reminds you of flank steak). Ill sell you 5 units for 15K sound good?


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Sunday, October 17, 2010
Question from the Readers
As for how I'm getting through the winter in general w/ respect to cycling...
I was just ruminating about this yesterday! I can't believe how crazy we were as juniors, willing to go ride five hours in the snow no problem. Now if it's below 60F I have to play mind games to force myself out there!
I live in Pittsburgh, PA, USA and winters here are quite unpleasant for the cyclist - they're cold, grey, windy, and there's often freezing rain instead of snow. We get almost no sun and the cycling community here is almost non-existent to begin with in comparison to a place like Southern California, where the Montrose Ride attracts hundreds of participants every Saturday. Credit though to the local ACA for organizing an ongoing series of local races for almost four decades.
When I was racing full-time I always went somewhere warm during the winter - two years in a row I lived in Uruguay, which was "the bomb," as they used to say, and then my last two years (05, 06) I lived in Altadena, California.
So to survive from now til late-January, when I'm either going to be reborn or ... I don't want to think what the other option is ... I'd like to get an MTB and try to rediscover my love of the trails. I hope to go back to working out in a gym, snowboarding at least once per week and, like others, staying active online in the virtual cycling world, writing about cycling topics, supporting the anti-doping movement, testifying when necessary, and definitely trying to stay in positive spirits.
I notice more now the importance of community, and that's why websites like cyclingtorrents.nl are great - they foster a shared sense of commonality and inclusion amongst people who enjoy an esoteric sport that's not well-supported in certain parts of the world (especially where I reside!).
I do have a standing invite to travel to the San Diego area that I still hope to take advantage of. I'd like to see Moab and the Slick Rock (I've never been), too. For now I'd settle for just getting over being sick!
4 comments:
I've always wondered how you guys in the cold part of the world deal with riding in the winter. I'm super spoiled in SD, we ride year round and complain when its overcast and in the high 50's because we have to wear arm warmers and maybe knee warmers. Then again there's riders who break out the winter garb when its in the high 60's as if it was snowing or something. Heck I did my official first rain ride this past Sunday and it was only in the low 60's and when I say rain its like the mist you get when you run a hot shower in a small bathroom with the window closed. The streets were empty due to the mist, except for the true die hards who ride no matter what.ReplyDelete
I guess I'm no help in how to deal with the cold, other than move to the south!
Hey Jorge, thanks for your comment. By SD I take it you mean San Diego? Mmmmmm...I'm jealous. I lived for two winters in SoCal and it was amazing. Not as nice weather as when I lived in Uruguay during their summer (our winter) but still pretty darn amazing.ReplyDelete
You guys do have it way better than you realize, and in short, cycling on the roads comes to an end here in the winter, and we only get out on rare nice days. It's horrible.
When I was a junior and then a stupid U23 I didn't care though and once rode 80km in -15F temps through snow. Fuck that now.
I want desperately to move to California TODAY but unfortunately things are way more complicated for me now then they were even a few years ago.
The one upside if I'm stuck here will hopefully be snowboarding.
Enjoy the warm weather and get in some km's for us poor bastards in the northeast.
- Anonymous20 October, 2010 14:26
Joe -ReplyDelete
Do you have any tips for trainer workouts this winter? By the way, I don't have a powermeter nor do I intend to get one. As a result, I'm looking for simple, effective workouts that don't require lots of data (wattage, HR zones, etc.)
Anon, check www.cyclingtorrents.nl - they may have a section of "training" DVDs that you can download for free which would provide workouts that you can follow. Otherwise, you can do a lot of technique-based pedaling intervals and longer sub-threshold intervals...anything to avoid pedaling along aimlessly, w/o any direction or structure. lolReplyDelete
Pappillon welcomes your comments and encourages your participation. However, in commenting, you agree that you will not:1) Post material that infringes on the rights of any third party, including intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights. 2) Post material that is unlawful, obscene, defamatory, threatening, harassing, abusive, slanderous, hateful, or embarrassing to any other person or entity as determined by Pappillon in its sole discretion. 3) Impersonate another person.


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With these things in mind the elderly and the handicapped are forced to look unto the government for some kind of additional help. Some of them seek some type of employment for a little additional income. This often includes being greeters at a mercantile store, especially a major discount store. Others in an effort to obtain a little bit more money walk along highways picking up aluminum cans in order to earn a few more dollars.
Even some breadwinners in younger families have to work at more than one job in order to provide for their family.
WITH HIGH unemployment those who employ have greater opportunity to be more selective in who they hirie. Those who are just looking for a paycheck may soon find no one will hire them. After all, even employers want more productivity for the money they are dishing out to their employees.
"Shape up or ship out!" is blunt terminology of saying, "Either you better start being more productive or you'll be fired!" That expression is used in many other areas in addition to one's employment. It is a way of saying, "Your attitude is not right, you better do better or we are parting company."
How and when did that expression get started? It was first used during World War II. If a soldier was not performing his duties up to par then he might be told: "Either shape up, or ship out!" This meant if he did not change for the better in carrying out his duties he will be shipped out to a war zone. After World War II it became commonly used about poor performance or a bad attitude will not be tolerated. It has come to mean either get it right, or get out!
Dub Mowery is a Gospel preacher in the Church of Christ. A native of Southeast Oklahoma, he is the author of Colloquial Sayings & Expressions (Morris Publishing, 2008)


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Louisiana Tech Students and Professor Present Research at National Conference
From April 2-6, 2016, in San Diego, California, students and faculty from Louisiana Tech University presented their research in 3D bio-printing and regenerative medicine at the 2016 Experimental Biology (EB) meeting, part of the Federation of America Societies for Experimental Biology's Annual Meeting.
Comprised of over 14,000 scientists and exhibitors, Experimental Biology is an annual meeting representing six sponsoring societies and multiple guest societies. General fields of study include anatomy, biochemistry, molecular biology, investigative pathology, nutrition, pharmacology, and physiology. The majority of scientists participating in the event represent university and academic institutions as well as government agencies, non-profit organizations and private corporations.
The 2016 Experimental Biology meeting is a multidisciplinary, scientific meeting that features lectures, workshops, oral and posters presentation sessions, on-site career services and exhibits of equipment, supplies and publications required for research labs and experimental study.
Click here to read a press release published by Louisiana Tech University.


text: This book is a valuable aid to those who want in-depth information on goat health, diseases, diagnoses, and remedies. It covers conditions affecting goat health across the globe. Includes specific chapters on each goat body system, the mammary gland and milk production, wasting disease, sudden death, anesthesia, dehorning and descenting. An important book for veterinarians, extension agents, herd managers, and anyone interested in scholarly, in-depth, wide-ranging information. Illustrated with photographs and drawings. Lea & Febiger, 1994. 620 pages.


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Katrina Bowden co-stars in the horror-comedy sequel Piranha 3DD, which opens wide today. The 30 Rock star plays the virginal Shelby, not her first venture into the genre as she also starred in the underrated Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. Bowden can next be see in the Toronto-shot psychological thriller Nurse 3D co-starring opposite Paz de la Huerta (Into the Void, HBO's Boardwalk Empire.
Katrina, you've starred in a couple of horror films now, including Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. Are you a horror or horror-comedy fan?
I like horror-comedy. I think it's a really fun genre, and when it's done well it's really great to watch.
Horror movies I'm not so great with. I get so scared. I'm kind of a baby when it comes to that. I've never really been a horror fan myself, going out to go see the new horror movies, for the only reason being that I can't really handle them. I respect how they're made; I think it's a really cool genre to be part of it and to make.
What do you like about your character Shelby?
She's kind of like the damsel-in-distress. She's kind of shy and a little bit more reserved, but then everything bad that happens to her and has all these close calls and she almost dies. She's in no way a hero type of person, but it was fun to play a shy type of girl.
What is your director John Gulager really good at?
He's really good at making things look really gross. The blood, the vomiting scene, he was very excited to do that scene. I think I did that five times because he wanted the puke-up to be the perfect one. And he's really good at setting things up to be really shocking. He did all the Feast movies; that's kind of his thing and he does it really well, and he does it in a funny, humorous way.
What was the mood like on set?
It was fun. It was very light-hearted and fun, and we all had a good time. We all knew we were getting ourselves into something… we're going to be covered in blood and be in the water, and we were down for anything.
Without giving away too much, your character Shelby is involved in a rather nasty sexual encounter with a boy and a piranha. What was that scene like to film, especially given how bloody it gets?
It was pretty difficult. I think like any kind of love scene, it's really uncomfortable to shoot, but then you add all these extra elements into it, it becomes that much more uncomfortable and awkward for everyone.
So that was a really hard night, wondering how it was going to turn out. I wanted it to look good and be funny and realistic. It was a hard scene to shoot, but I think it turned out really well. It was worth it.
What was it like working with the piranha themselves?
That was actually really cool because the guys who did the special effects for the movie they made all that, and I just find that fascinating that they can create these kinds of things that can move and do things and spit blood. They're really beautiful in person. I think it's cool that they did so much practically instead of relying on CGI for everything.
You also star in the upcoming horror film Nurse 3D. What was it like to work with your co-star Paz de La Huerta?
She's definitely a very intense person. Not the easiest person to work with, but it really helps her craft. She just dives into a character, even if her character happens to be a psychopathic serial killer. So it doesn't really equal a fun working environment, but I think it will help the movie definitely.
Are you eager to have fans see a darker side of you in that film?
Yeah. I was really eager to do some darker roles or something more intense or different from what I've already done. I think it's challenging
Both that film and Piranha 3DD are in 3D. What are the challenges of working in 3D?
I do like 3D. I think it's a really cool way to shoot a film as an element that a lot of movies don't have. It makes it a little more difficult shooting-wise because there are more shots where you have to be conscious of where things are in terms of where the camera is. But it's fun, and it's not really that much different from shooting a regular movie.


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INTERVIEW: Land Rights and Internally Displaced Persons in Colombia
In this exclusive interview with Senior Social Development Specialist Elena Correa, we discuss the results and lessons-learned from the project on Protection of Land and Patrimony of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Colombia. To read the background paper on the workshop click here.
Alec Wescott contributed to this post.
|© Charlotte Kesl / World Bank
Q. Since its inception in 2002, your focus has developed from "land protection" to "land titling" and "land restitution". What is the difference between the two strategies, and what prompted the change?
A. Land rights protection was the starting point for the project because of the large number of population displaced. However, land right protection is not enough to diminish the risk of impoverishment of IDPs as was established as the main objective of the project. According to the circumstances and the evolution of the project, land titling was incorporated to formalize these land rights of IDPs who do not have legal titles.
Land restitution was included in the project as a result of the enactment of the Justice and Peace Law in 2005. Land restitution is the ultimate goal in the protection of land that has been lost due to displacement. The project had gathered information since its start in 2003 that could be built on to achieve land restitution. This is a good example of new emerging legislation and how the project adapted itself to the opportunities provided by this law.


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Friday, June 29, 2018
...pure delight...
Posted by Rose Marie Raccioppi at 7:14 PM
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Join a daily celebration of poetry and the arts. This blog gives voice to the academics, the arts, creativity, expression and the pursuit of TRUTH. All art forms, all academic interests are timeless reflections and revelations of the human condition. Passion, poetry and the arts fuel the creative fires that move me to expression and deep gratitude. My published book of poems, THE WIND AND THE WILLOW is available at Barnes and Noble and online booksellers nationally and internationally.


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New from Leatherman, the Style Series of multi-tools. Leatherman knows their multi-tools. In Leatherman's time-honored tradition they have miniaturized the most important features. Both Styles are made of 420HC steel and have a blade, scissors, file, flat head screwdriver, and a pair of tweezers. The Style has a great key ring feature while the Style CS comes with carabiner. Just think, you can now handle life's everyday emergencies with Style, and 5 little tools. They are available in black, red, pink, or blue so add some color to your keyring. These tools are so Stylish, its a shame to keep them in your pocket or purse. This new product brings Style and flair to any keyring for an unbelievable price. You can see them and their features at www.knifecenter.com.
Here are the specifications from Leatherman: Continue Reading


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Boyfriend Punches His Girl In The Face Because She Wouldn't Give Him His TV! (Front Of His Kids)
" woman has uploaded her video to the internet showing her getting punched by her husband, a disturbing case of domestic abuse. The worst part is her kids were in the room to witness the whole thing.". Submitted by @aj904
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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MIDDLEBURY — The federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program in association with local agencies is extending a lifeline to local citizens in need of help filing their taxes.
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Seniors Eat Steak, Share Memories, Donate Moneyby Joe Klen • April 27, 2006 Share:
Nearly two-thirds of the Class of 2006 gathered for the annual National Association of Wabash Men sponsored senior cookout on Wednesday evening. Members of the faculty and staff joined the seniors in Chadwick Court for great conversation and delicious food as a way of welcoming the Class of 2006 to the ranks of Wabash Alumni.
Tom Runge '71, Director of Alumni & Parent Relations spoke to the group about the National Association of Wabash Men and the importance of staying connected to the College. Jake Koenemen, one of the two Class Agents for the Class of 2006 urged his class to stay connected to each other and the College no matter where life takes them after graduation.
Taylor Backs, who was selected as the other Class Agent for the Class of 2006, was unable to join the group as he was traveling with the Wabash Baseball team during a busy last week of classes.
Joe Klen, the College's Director of Annual Giving then spoke to the group about the importance of giving back to the College. "There are many ways to give back to Wabash, including referring prospective students and offering assistance to students who might need help through the Schroeder Career Center."
Klen also talked about the annual Senior Gift Campaign and the importance of philanthropy at Wabash, reminding seniors that their scholarships and financial aid during their time at the College were the result of alumni who have given so much over the years.
"It's not how much you give that is important, but that you give something back so that students who come after you will have similar opportunities as you have had," said Klen. He then announced that 117 members of he Class of 2006 have pledged over $11,000 to the 2006 Senior Gift Campaign, while 76 of the 117 made their first gift to the College for over $2,300.
Each senior is asked to pledge $25 per year, one gift during their senior year, and one gift each of their first two years after graduation.
Those seniors who made their first gift toward their pledge by the time of the Senior Cookout were eligible for a handful of incentive prizes including diploma frames and other Wabash College memorabilia. In addition, each year a Wabash alumnus donates two airline tickets to be raffled as the top incentive of the Senior Gift Campaign. The Class of 2006 incentive winners were Andrew DeYoung, Greg Mahoney, Phillip Eubanks, Justin Herd, and Raul Gonzalez. Chris Bly was the winner of the airline tickets to any destination in the continental United States.
The Senior Gift Campaign Living Unit Percentages as of April 27, 2006 are:
Beta Theta Pi (100%)
Delta Tau Delta (81%)
Kappa Sigma (85%)
Lambda Chi Alpha (59%)
Phi Delta Theta (100%)
Phi Gamma Delta (81%)
Phi Kappa Psi (100%)
Sigma Chi (80%)
Tau Kappa Epsilon (100%)
Theta Delta Chi (0%)
Independents (29%)
Class of 2006 Total: 61%
The Senior Gift Campaign and NAWM Cookout mark a great beginning to a season of recognition and celebration for the Class of 2006.
In the photos:
Top right: Jake Koeneman, Class Agent, chats with President Andy Ford H'03.
Middle: Greg Mahoney signs in with Roger Busch
Bottom right: Dean of Students Tom Bambrey dines with Brandon Roop.


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Rees needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 171 designs submitted by 54 freelance designers.
Captive Audience Captive-audience.com
We've been providing custom message on hold service for business phone systems since 1985. Thousands of clients come to our web site daily to refresh their audio program for their business phone system hold circuit. We also provide other marketing services like video production and overhead music. "Shoemakers with holes in our shoes", we need a logo to tout our brand!
Business to business only.
We provide effective marketing service to businesses of all types. If they have a hold button on their phones, they need us. Major financial institutions, hospitals, Car dealers, Mom and pop shops, Veterinarians, Salons. We work in just about any industry.
Logo should match our site in development:
Logo should work well as a favicon.
Logo should work for stationary, etc.
Color scheme should work with site in development.
We love the 99design style.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Fabric Information
|9.6 oz per yard
|60" inches wide
|Cool and Stretchy
|Swimsuit, Bathing Suit, Leotard
|75% 4-way
Product Details
Quality royalty purple colored swimsuit fabric perfect for dance costumes, bodysuits and tights, competition dance wear, activewear, swimwear, sportswear, theatrical costumes and figure skating costumes. Machine wash cold with like colors. Do not bleach. Tumble dry medium setting. Remove Promptly. Cool iron if necessary.
Fabric Help
Fabric Care
Fabrics should be washed in the same manner before sewing as they will be washed once a garment is constructed.Learn More
Fabric Matching
Not sure about which fabrics will work together? View the coordinates below or simply call or email us with the fabric you are looking to match.Learn More


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No huge surprises here, but it sounds like iPad 3 prices and storage capacities will be identical to iPad 2, which were identical to the original iPad. 9to5Macs Mark Gurman has the details:
We've gotten word that iPad pricing is going to be the same across the board as the current iPad 2 models which should be no big surprise given Apple's history – they rarely raise prices. Even better, some countries with currencies doing better than the US dollar should expect to see marginal drops in prices.
This directly contradicts some of the zanier rumors heard earlier in the week, which included seemingly random price hikes and the bizarre exclusion of the 64GB model.
Unfortunately, if accurate, it also means there won't be a 128GB model, which some users have been hoping for. It's possible 24nm 128GB NAND Flash chips are still prohibitively expensive, even in the quantities Apple typically buys.
Source: 9to5Mac


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- 1 Chavín de Huántar Archaeological Acoustics Project
Chavín de Huántar Archaeological Acoustics Project
Acoustic Measurement, Archiving, Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation/Installation
A collaboration between members of the archaeology and music departments at Stanford, this project seeks to explore the acoustic significance of the architecture and instruments of Chavín de Huántar, a monumental World Heritage archaeological site [1] in the Peruvian highlands predating Inca society by over 2000 years. Measurement and analysis of site and instrument acoustics will provide data for computational physical models that will be used to generate public interfaces, and academic and creative work.
Since 1995 Professor John Rick and Stanford teams have been excavating the site [2], revealing unique architectural features in both surface and underground structures. It is the underground structures, a complex of labyrinthine galleries, corridors, shafts and drains, that are of particular interest to this project, because explanations for their purpose and function have led to Rick's hypothesis that they were constructed, at enormous cost in labor, to establish social hierarchy through sensory manipulation in the context of religious ritual: a priest-elite over the novitiates. Also, most of the underground galleries are original – all four walls, ceiling, and floor are still present and complete – an unusually intact condition for ancient architecture.
In 2001, twenty intact engraved, identically prepared Strombus (conch) shell trumpets were discovered by Rick in a gallery at Chavín, reinforcing his hypothesis that the acoustic properties of the site were fundamental to ancient ritual and perhaps even a determinant in architectural layout and design. What are the sonic characteristics of these trumpets and architectural structures? What can be determined regarding the relationship between the Strombus trumpets and the acoustic features of the site? Is there evidence of intentional acoustic design in Chavín architecture, and what would it imply for ancient cultural abilities and political strategies? Acoustic measurements, analysis, and models will help answer such questions, providing Rick with data to elaborate and refine his hypothesis regarding the importance of sensory manipulation in Chavín ritual.
Since an important area of research at CCRMA is computational physical modeling of acoustic sources and reverberant spaces, we saw the opportunity to join two disciplines with the purpose of extending Rick's team's mappings and CAD renderings of Chavín to include computer simulation of site acoustics, using recorded excitation sources such as Strombus trumpets, rushing water through canals, and human voice. Chavín de Huántar presents intact enclosures primarily without post-period modification; thus, acoustic measurements can be made throughout the site that reflect original conditions. Such an opportunity to research and archive unmodified ancient architectural structures is rare and timely: Chavín de Huántar is an important tourist attraction, and upcoming required site conservation work will inevitably cause irreversible alteration of its acoustics. It is therefore imperative that onsite measurements be made soon, precisely, and thoroughly. Given adequate funding, our team will be able to do this field work in summer 2008.
Our project is divided into three phases as noted in the timeline below. Phase 1, in progress since autumn 2007, has involved planning, data collection, analysis, and work on an invited paper to be presented at Acoustics08 in Paris this July; given adequate funding, Phase 1 will culminate with field work in Peru to generate a comprehensive acoustic analysis of the site, its materials and musical instruments. The academic and creative work of Phases 2 and 3 will not be possible without this data collection. The models developed in Phase 2 will provide a rich research base with which to simulate and evaluate a variety of acoustic conditions, architectural geometries, source placements and listening positions. In order to provide a public interface during Phases 1 and 2, a website chronicling the developing work and ideas using sounds and images will be constructed and maintained. Phase 3 will be a site-independent simulation to reconstruct the auditory-visual experience of the original galleries, exhibited at Stanford and potentially also in the Chavín museum in Peru. Additional creative projects are anticipated; for instance, it is likely that an Earth Sciences component will be added to help characterize and determine the presence of wall plastering within galleries. We would like to develop and/or consider other opportunities for engaging the Stanford community with our work in progress.
Phase 1: Preparation and Onsite Measurements (work in progress since autumn '07) Phase 2: Analysis and Generation of Computational Physical Model (projected autumn '08-'09) Phase 3: Electroacoustic Simulation and Public Interface (projected '09-'10)
Team Information
- John Rick, PhD, Professor, Stanford University, Archaeology/Anthropology
- Julius O. Smith, PhD, Professor, Stanford University, Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA)/Electrical Engineering (by courtesy)
- Jonathan S. Abel, PhD, Consulting Professor, Stanford University, CCRMA
- Patty Huang, MA, PhD Candidate, Stanford University, CCRMA
- Miriam Kolar, MFA, PhD Candidate, Stanford University, CCRMA
- John Chowning, DMA, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, CCRMA/Music
Local Collaborators:
- Christian Mesia, Ph.D, Instituto Nacional de Cultura, Lima
Team Background:
- John Rick has been heading excavations and directing research at the Chavín site since 1995
- Digital waveguide techniques were pioneered at CCRMA by Julius O. Smith III
- Julius O. Smith and Jonathan S. Abel have been working together on acoustic array processing and related problems since 1985
- Patty Huang is a PhD student working under Abel on physical modeling and analysis of reverberant spaces
- Miriam Kolar is a PhD student with extensive field experience in recording engineering
- John Chowning is a composer having long standing interest in spatial modeling
- CCRMA has expertise in field measurements, psychoacoustics, digital signal processing, and artificial reverberation
Phase 1. Preparation and Onsite Measurements
- Preliminary on-site tests [completed 12/07]
- Preliminary on-site tests [completed 2/08]
- Specification of equipment [ongoing]
- Purchasing and assembly of gear [2/08 & ongoing]
- Data analysis for Acoustics'08 invited paper [ongoing]
Simulation Trials in Stanford environments
- CCRMA stairwell, hallways, "Pit"
- SU subsurface spaces-"famous" steam tunnels
- Outdoor space similar to Chavín Circular Plaza?
Specify Provisional Mapping (for sound source-receiver placements from CAD rendering) [in progress]
- from each chamber to main space
- least damaged areas
- with and without plastering
- peculiar geometries (e.g. , adjoining (comb-like) chambers, etc.)
Onsite Measurements at Chavín [projected summer '08]
- Plastering of section of Chavín (selection of plastered sections is critical (soon after arrival to allow for drying)
- Adjust mapping of source-receiver points
Measurements -- Sources
- balloon pops
- speaker-generated sinusoidal chirps
- other signals
- strombus trumpet live/recorded
- record stream/water sound, wind noise
- live/recorded human voice
Measurements -- Receivers
- distributed mics
- in-ear-canal mics
- $3,000 (2/08) equipment -- funded by SICA grant
- $13,500 (summer 2008) equipment, data collection costs, logistical support [estimated; final costs TBD]
- $8,000 travel and accommodations (2 weeks on site) for 3 faculty, 2 graduate students
- $500 (summer 2008) on site wall-building, plastering, and removal
Potential Sources of Funding
Equipment Loan
- Sennheiser Research Lab
Acoustics'08 Paper
- Presentation in Paris, June-July 2008
Phase 2. Analysis and Generation of Computational Physical Model
- compare plastered and unplastered and extrapolate to the entire structure
- IR measurement to render the modeled spaces
- measurement processing to model the pristine state
- Strombus trumpet
Physical Model
- calculate acoustical properties of materials
- rendering from architectural models
- use waveguide mesh processing
- Stanford invention of and current work with waveguide mesh allows effective method to address computation/simulation of acoustical spaces
- process and match/fit measurements then extend to parts of site that aren't necessarily intact or accessible for comprehensive measurements (plastering).
Potential Funding Sources
- National Endowment for the Humanities- Collaborative Research Grants [3]
- National Science Foundation- Archaeology and Archaeometry [4]
Phase 3. Electroacoustic Simulation & Public Interface
- Stanford
- National Museum of Chavín
Public Interfaces
- Work-in-progress documentation website
- Virtual walkthrough (headphone tour) in present condition
- Virtual walkthrough (headphone tour) in reconstructed condition
- Enhanced reverberation system for visitor experience
- Installations of replica in various formats (online, DVD, museum, show, etc.)
Conservation & Reconstruction
- Quantify and compensate for support structures
- Simulation of plastered walls


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Shazam!: The IMAX 2D Experience
2 hr 12 min
TCL Chinese Theatres + IMAX
6925 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
Chinese Theatres Age Policy
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