text:
This past Saturday, I went to Policon, a small, annual, private convention run by Don Corcoran. This year it was at Don’s home in Philly. Kat and I were only able to attend for one day, so I had planned to run With Great Power… and she had planned to run Serial. On Thursday, Don announced that it looked like he would have more attendees than he’d have games being run. So, prompted by my muse-in-wife’s-clothing, I volunteered to run By The Stars again. Don asked that I pare the scenario down to 6 players, due to space constraints. So Friday night was spent implementing the rules tweaks we had discovered after the first playtest.
On Saturday, there were but five of us, but a great five it was. A big “Thank You” to Kat, Don, Matt Talli, and Scott Lesher for helping to test my game. The game was, once again, fun. Most of the rules changes worked well and did what they were intended to do.
After two playtests with slightly different groups, I can begin to see the strengths and weaknesses of the design. On the positive, it does give people both a mechanical and story-based agenda. Players are kept engaged and active throughout the play time. The mechanics encourage players to create detail and engage in conflicts that they might not on their own.
On the negative side, the multiple-conflicts-at-once aspects means that each person is paying attention only to their own story, and usually missing out on everyone else’s. The disjointed nature of the narrative means that the story doesn’t build, it just sort of happens, happens, happens, and then ends. Plus, while characters are extremely active, they’re not really developed all that much.
This is all very good. The positives give me fuel to continue development. The negatives give me goals to work towards–thorny problems to fix.
In passing, for those of you keeping track of these things, the young Singularity Pilot won the day, convincing his father, the Singularity Overlord of Illyria, to leave the planet in his hands. The Prince proved his courage and, IIRC, stayed on as an advisor to the Pilot. The Pirate gave up his criminal ways to woo the Cyborg Princess, who was also sought by the Pilot. We joked that this would be the kick-off of a romantic comedy in space.
I’ve got three weeks until the next playtest and a huge list of things to think about. Maybe I’ll sign up to run it at Camp Nerdly at the beginning of May.

lowercased:
this past saturday, i went to policon, a small, annual, private convention run by don corcoran. this year it was at don’s home in philly. kat and i were only able to attend for one day, so i had planned to run with great power… and she had planned to run serial. on thursday, don announced that it looked like he would have more attendees than he’d have games being run. so, prompted by my muse-in-wife’s-clothing, i volunteered to run by the stars again. don asked that i pare the scenario down to 6 players, due to space constraints. so friday night was spent implementing the rules tweaks we had discovered after the first playtest.
on saturday, there were but five of us, but a great five it was. a big “thank you” to kat, don, matt talli, and scott lesher for helping to test my game. the game was, once again, fun. most of the rules changes worked well and did what they were intended to do.
after two playtests with slightly different groups, i can begin to see the strengths and weaknesses of the design. on the positive, it does give people both a mechanical and story-based agenda. players are kept engaged and active throughout the play time. the mechanics encourage players to create detail and engage in conflicts that they might not on their own.
on the negative side, the multiple-conflicts-at-once aspects means that each person is paying attention only to their own story, and usually missing out on everyone else’s. the disjointed nature of the narrative means that the story doesn’t build, it just sort of happens, happens, happens, and then ends. plus, while characters are extremely active, they’re not really developed all that much.
this is all very good. the positives give me fuel to continue development. the negatives give me goals to work towards–thorny problems to fix.
in passing, for those of you keeping track of these things, the young singularity pilot won the day, convincing his father, the singularity overlord of illyria, to leave the planet in his hands. the prince proved his courage and, iirc, stayed on as an advisor to the pilot. the pirate gave up his criminal ways to woo the cyborg princess, who was also sought by the pilot. we joked that this would be the kick-off of a romantic comedy in space.
i’ve got three weeks until the next playtest and a huge list of things to think about. maybe i’ll sign up to run it at camp nerdly at the beginning of may.


text:
Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to Shell’s step-by-step guide to moving from one off-base home to another. To read that article, click HERE.
When we decided to move from one off-base house this summer to another off-base house, the only thing we dreaded was the actual moving process. The thought of trying to carry large appliances and heavy furniture up and down stairs was not appealing. Although we have friends that offered to help, we didn’t want to burden them with having to carry our heavy stuff. So we decided to call around and get estimates from different moving companies. We had several come out and provide estimates, but the one we decided to go with was Budget Moving. Not only did their estimate come in lower than the others, but the estimator, Yoshitake, was extremely friendly.
He explained they could move just the heavy stuff, let us pack and they move everything, or they could pack and move us. The price difference between us packing and them packing was only 30,000 yen. When we sat down and thought about it, we decided having them pack and move us would be the most efficient and best method.
Since they were packing us also, they arrived at 8:30 a.m. (actually they were outside our house about 8:00, but I think they were waiting on additional people.) They were able to pack up and move our entire 1800 square-foot house by 5:00 p.m. that same day. Our packers/movers back in the states took three days to pack the same amount of stuff.
When they first arrived the lead guy (normally the only one that speaks English) will walk through the house with you and find out if there is anything that should not go. They will mark off the stuff. Since we have two dogs we had them blocked off in a room and they put tape across the door so no one would try to go in. A word of caution: they will pack everything, including wet towels and trash in trashcans. I thought I was safe and dumped some wet towels in a bathroom they already finished, only to go back and find they went back in and packed them! They are thorough.
Removing the stuff from our old house was easy since it was a ranch-style house, but when we got to the new house the movers put their moving ninja skills to the test. They were loading boxes and furniture over the second floor balcony from the tops of their moving trucks. One guy almost climbed up the balcony wall just to get the sofa over.
They also had these two-person harnesses they used to move the refrigerator and other heavy appliances. An added bonus, they returned to pick the used boxes after we finished unpacking.
All of the workers were extremely courteous and friendly. We made sure to have a cooler with cold water and colas available throughout the day and we provided donuts in the morning. They seemed very happy about the donuts and even asked if they could take the couple leftover ones with them, which of course we said yes to.
Overall to move our entire house, including packing, we ended up paying 110,000 yen. That seems like a lot up front, but when we sat down to start thinking of taking time off work, renting a truck, paying rent out-of-pocket to give us enough overlap days to move everything, we decided the moving cost was well worth it.
If you are looking for a local moving company, whether it is for an entire house move or just a few items, I highly recommend Budget Moving.

lowercased:
editor’s note: this is a follow-up to shell’s step-by-step guide to moving from one off-base home to another. to read that article, click here.
when we decided to move from one off-base house this summer to another off-base house, the only thing we dreaded was the actual moving process. the thought of trying to carry large appliances and heavy furniture up and down stairs was not appealing. although we have friends that offered to help, we didn’t want to burden them with having to carry our heavy stuff. so we decided to call around and get estimates from different moving companies. we had several come out and provide estimates, but the one we decided to go with was budget moving. not only did their estimate come in lower than the others, but the estimator, yoshitake, was extremely friendly.
he explained they could move just the heavy stuff, let us pack and they move everything, or they could pack and move us. the price difference between us packing and them packing was only 30,000 yen. when we sat down and thought about it, we decided having them pack and move us would be the most efficient and best method.
since they were packing us also, they arrived at 8:30 a.m. (actually they were outside our house about 8:00, but i think they were waiting on additional people.) they were able to pack up and move our entire 1800 square-foot house by 5:00 p.m. that same day. our packers/movers back in the states took three days to pack the same amount of stuff.
when they first arrived the lead guy (normally the only one that speaks english) will walk through the house with you and find out if there is anything that should not go. they will mark off the stuff. since we have two dogs we had them blocked off in a room and they put tape across the door so no one would try to go in. a word of caution: they will pack everything, including wet towels and trash in trashcans. i thought i was safe and dumped some wet towels in a bathroom they already finished, only to go back and find they went back in and packed them! they are thorough.
removing the stuff from our old house was easy since it was a ranch-style house, but when we got to the new house the movers put their moving ninja skills to the test. they were loading boxes and furniture over the second floor balcony from the tops of their moving trucks. one guy almost climbed up the balcony wall just to get the sofa over.
they also had these two-person harnesses they used to move the refrigerator and other heavy appliances. an added bonus, they returned to pick the used boxes after we finished unpacking.
all of the workers were extremely courteous and friendly. we made sure to have a cooler with cold water and colas available throughout the day and we provided donuts in the morning. they seemed very happy about the donuts and even asked if they could take the couple leftover ones with them, which of course we said yes to.
overall to move our entire house, including packing, we ended up paying 110,000 yen. that seems like a lot up front, but when we sat down to start thinking of taking time off work, renting a truck, paying rent out-of-pocket to give us enough overlap days to move everything, we decided the moving cost was well worth it.
if you are looking for a local moving company, whether it is for an entire house move or just a few items, i highly recommend budget moving.


text:
Construction of the extension for the Michal and Renata Hornstein collection to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is on-going on Bishop street.
La construction du pavillon pour la collection de Michal et Renata Hornstein du Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal est en cours sur la rue Bishop.
I didn't know Hitler needed a new bunker.All joking aside, the Burritoville building represents a time in architecture when buildings had elegance. Just a shame that as time goes on we seem to going backwards in our building standards.

lowercased:
construction of the extension for the michal and renata hornstein collection to the montreal museum of fine arts is on-going on bishop street.
la construction du pavillon pour la collection de michal et renata hornstein du musée des beaux-arts de montréal est en cours sur la rue bishop.
i didn't know hitler needed a new bunker.all joking aside, the burritoville building represents a time in architecture when buildings had elegance. just a shame that as time goes on we seem to going backwards in our building standards.


text:
This week has once again started great. We caught our first skate, which was great. This week I have had the pleasure to be on Spectical Island. There we have finally started catching fish. Catching the skate was great, especially when it was so unexpected.
Asides from the skate we caught at least 30 crabs that really intrigued the kids. Though it seems as though I had enough fun, I got to go swimming which was hilarious because everyone was freezing, except David of course. Before heading to the adventures of Spectacle, I spent some time at the Children's Museum. It was so hot that day that we spent half of the day inside with a touch tank and lots of coloring. We were able to interact with the kids as a group which was fun. We continuously bounced off of each others knowledge to paint a picture of the sea life in the harbor. It was Amazing because when one person didn't know the answer to a question, someone else did know so they would chime in and say what they know and all together. We have an amazing amount of knowledge about the harbor.

lowercased:
this week has once again started great. we caught our first skate, which was great. this week i have had the pleasure to be on spectical island. there we have finally started catching fish. catching the skate was great, especially when it was so unexpected.
asides from the skate we caught at least 30 crabs that really intrigued the kids. though it seems as though i had enough fun, i got to go swimming which was hilarious because everyone was freezing, except david of course. before heading to the adventures of spectacle, i spent some time at the children's museum. it was so hot that day that we spent half of the day inside with a touch tank and lots of coloring. we were able to interact with the kids as a group which was fun. we continuously bounced off of each others knowledge to paint a picture of the sea life in the harbor. it was amazing because when one person didn't know the answer to a question, someone else did know so they would chime in and say what they know and all together. we have an amazing amount of knowledge about the harbor.


text:
Tarsier, the world’s smallest primate, is endangered by tourists who attempt to touch them. They are known to commit suicide after being stressed out. INQUIRER/Carol Tanjutco.
Wreck diving photo contributed by Sangat.ph divemaster Joachim Lorenz.
New York Times Travel Show 2019 at Jacob Javits Convention Center presented travel destinations in 7 continents, from Philippines to Antartica, and highlights of various states. INQUIRER/Carol Tanjutco.

lowercased:
tarsier, the world’s smallest primate, is endangered by tourists who attempt to touch them. they are known to commit suicide after being stressed out. inquirer/carol tanjutco.
wreck diving photo contributed by sangat.ph divemaster joachim lorenz.
new york times travel show 2019 at jacob javits convention center presented travel destinations in 7 continents, from philippines to antartica, and highlights of various states. inquirer/carol tanjutco.


text:
Back in February R&B singer Justine Skye filed a police report against her ex, model / rapper Sheck Wes after accusing him of attacking her and group of friends in public [click here if you missed that].
According to reports no charges will be filed against Wes because there is not enough evidence that the event took place.
Justine has not reacted publicly to the ruling.
I hope he looks around to see if any Kardashians are circling.
They seem to congregate are dead, black, meat. He looks like he may still have some life and money in him so who knows.

lowercased:
back in february r&b singer justine skye filed a police report against her ex, model / rapper sheck wes after accusing him of attacking her and group of friends in public [click here if you missed that].
according to reports no charges will be filed against wes because there is not enough evidence that the event took place.
justine has not reacted publicly to the ruling.
i hope he looks around to see if any kardashians are circling.
they seem to congregate are dead, black, meat. he looks like he may still have some life and money in him so who knows.


text:
Yahya Jammeh has stolen 109 tractors donated on behalf of Gambian farmers by the TATA company in India.
Yaya Jammeh lured former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo to buy a luxurious house in Kotu. Now Jammeh owns that house.
Yaya Jammeh gets 40 percent of commission out of the D100 Million Westfield-Sukuta road construction by COPRI Company.
Yaya Jammeh owns the building, housing the Gambian embassy in Morocco. The Gambia government is paying rent to him for the embassy in Morocco.
Yaya Jammeh owns a clothing store in USA, that is one of the reasons his wife frequently visits America to collect the dollars.
When ever Zainab Suma Jammeh takes a special chartered flight from Banjul to Dakar with only ten people, it costs The Gambian tax payers D130, 000(CFA2,000,000).
Every month Yaya Jammeh spends millions of CFA to buy animal feeding for his South American cattle, which are housed in an air condition ranch at Farato.
A convicted fraudster and criminal Aziz Tamba, is the one running his animal feeding transactions. He is attached to the embassy in Dakar.
Between August and September 2010, Yaya Jammeh received US 3 million through the Qatar ministry of Interior for the release of Yusuf Ezziden Aka Rambo, who was sentenced to death on treason charges in July 2010. Shortly after his conviction and sentence, his whereabouts became unknown to the public though his appeal was been heard at the Appeal Court.
The Qatari Prince Abdulla Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani was the Minister of State for Interior Affairs at the time. He came to Gambia with three other Qatari ministers. They came with a special flight which landed at the landing place of the presidential aircraft. They were lodged at Cocoa Ocean presidential lodge.

lowercased:
yahya jammeh has stolen 109 tractors donated on behalf of gambian farmers by the tata company in india.
yaya jammeh lured former ivorian president laurent gbagbo to buy a luxurious house in kotu. now jammeh owns that house.
yaya jammeh gets 40 percent of commission out of the d100 million westfield-sukuta road construction by copri company.
yaya jammeh owns the building, housing the gambian embassy in morocco. the gambia government is paying rent to him for the embassy in morocco.
yaya jammeh owns a clothing store in usa, that is one of the reasons his wife frequently visits america to collect the dollars.
when ever zainab suma jammeh takes a special chartered flight from banjul to dakar with only ten people, it costs the gambian tax payers d130, 000(cfa2,000,000).
every month yaya jammeh spends millions of cfa to buy animal feeding for his south american cattle, which are housed in an air condition ranch at farato.
a convicted fraudster and criminal aziz tamba, is the one running his animal feeding transactions. he is attached to the embassy in dakar.
between august and september 2010, yaya jammeh received us 3 million through the qatar ministry of interior for the release of yusuf ezziden aka rambo, who was sentenced to death on treason charges in july 2010. shortly after his conviction and sentence, his whereabouts became unknown to the public though his appeal was been heard at the appeal court.
the qatari prince abdulla bin nasser bin khalifa al thani was the minister of state for interior affairs at the time. he came to gambia with three other qatari ministers. they came with a special flight which landed at the landing place of the presidential aircraft. they were lodged at cocoa ocean presidential lodge.


text:
When it comes to exercise and fitness training, there are a bewildering number of certifications that a person can seek, and the number continues to grow. Many of them are quite legitimate, while some of them are regarded as little more than vanity certifications, since they aren’t at all difficult to qualify for. One that has been in existence for longer than most of them, and which is seen as more prestigious by many, is the CSCS.
The National Strength and Conditioning Association conveys the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) designation, and has been doing so since 1985. To date, over 21,000 men and women have qualified for this certification.
Prepare with our CSCS Study Guide and Practice Questions. Print or eBook. Guaranteed to raise your score. Get started today!
One of the reasons the CSCS is considered to be more authentic (and prestigious) than many other fitness and exercise training certifications is that a person must possess a bachelor’s degree (or be very close to completing a bachelor’s degree) in order to be allowed to take the test.
A degree in chiropractic medicine is acceptable in lieu of a bachelor’s degree, but these days that’s pretty much moot, as just about every person who goes to chiropractic college does so only after earning a bachelor’s. With some certifications in the fitness industry, the only requirement a person has to meet in order to take the official test is to pay a fee.
CSCS Flashcards. Proven CSCS test flashcards raise your score on the CSCS test. Guaranteed.
The prerequisites don’t stop there, either. In addition to a college degree, a person must also possess current certification in CPR and AED in order to take the CSCS exam. CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and AED stands for automated external defibrillators.
It’s easy to see that the CSCS is intended only for those who have a deep commitment to the health, safety and fitness of others, in addition to being well educated. It’s precisely this exclusiveness, along with the difficulty of passing the exam, that makes the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist such a sought after designation.
Passing the exam allows a person to be known as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and this is seen as a powerful marketing advantage when it comes to acquiring clients for strength and conditioning training. While passing the exam isn’t easy, and requires a lot of in depth knowledge about fitness and strength development and training techniques, the rewards that come with a passing score on the exam make the hard work and discipline for success on the exam well worth it.
Explore our free CSCS review provided by Mometrix. Check out our premium CSCS study guide to take your studying to the next level. If you benefit from these materials, just click the link below! To compliment our CSCS book, we also offer extensive CSCS flashcards for even more CSCS test prep help. We hope you enjoy our products! Your purchase helps us make more great, free CSCS certification content for test-takers just like yourself.
*CSCS® and NSCA® are registered trademarks of The Certifying Body for the National Strength & Conditioning Association, who does not endorse, nor is affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this web site.

lowercased:
when it comes to exercise and fitness training, there are a bewildering number of certifications that a person can seek, and the number continues to grow. many of them are quite legitimate, while some of them are regarded as little more than vanity certifications, since they aren’t at all difficult to qualify for. one that has been in existence for longer than most of them, and which is seen as more prestigious by many, is the cscs.
the national strength and conditioning association conveys the certified strength and conditioning specialist (cscs) designation, and has been doing so since 1985. to date, over 21,000 men and women have qualified for this certification.
prepare with our cscs study guide and practice questions. print or ebook. guaranteed to raise your score. get started today!
one of the reasons the cscs is considered to be more authentic (and prestigious) than many other fitness and exercise training certifications is that a person must possess a bachelor’s degree (or be very close to completing a bachelor’s degree) in order to be allowed to take the test.
a degree in chiropractic medicine is acceptable in lieu of a bachelor’s degree, but these days that’s pretty much moot, as just about every person who goes to chiropractic college does so only after earning a bachelor’s. with some certifications in the fitness industry, the only requirement a person has to meet in order to take the official test is to pay a fee.
cscs flashcards. proven cscs test flashcards raise your score on the cscs test. guaranteed.
the prerequisites don’t stop there, either. in addition to a college degree, a person must also possess current certification in cpr and aed in order to take the cscs exam. cpr stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and aed stands for automated external defibrillators.
it’s easy to see that the cscs is intended only for those who have a deep commitment to the health, safety and fitness of others, in addition to being well educated. it’s precisely this exclusiveness, along with the difficulty of passing the exam, that makes the certified strength and conditioning specialist such a sought after designation.
passing the exam allows a person to be known as a certified strength and conditioning specialist, and this is seen as a powerful marketing advantage when it comes to acquiring clients for strength and conditioning training. while passing the exam isn’t easy, and requires a lot of in depth knowledge about fitness and strength development and training techniques, the rewards that come with a passing score on the exam make the hard work and discipline for success on the exam well worth it.
explore our free cscs review provided by mometrix. check out our premium cscs study guide to take your studying to the next level. if you benefit from these materials, just click the link below! to compliment our cscs book, we also offer extensive cscs flashcards for even more cscs test prep help. we hope you enjoy our products! your purchase helps us make more great, free cscs certification content for test-takers just like yourself.
*cscs® and nsca® are registered trademarks of the certifying body for the national strength & conditioning association, who does not endorse, nor is affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this web site.


text:
“Sweets” for the Sweet – Nigorimasen!
Ever tried a new type of candy? The wrapper makes it sound interesting, so you get it, and, upon gulping it down, were disappointed in that it wasn’t what it seemed? I mean, it’s an OK candy, but you were expecting more or something else. My sad little tale explains everything right and wrong with “Dagashi Kashi”. Now, to make things even more convoluted, this is one of those Japanese language puns. If you pronounce it as ’Dagashi Kashi’ it means ‘cheap sweets candy’, but if read or said as ‘Daga Shikashi’, it can also mean ‘however’. The show is like that.
If Hotaru can convince Coconuts (that’s Koko’s nickname) to take over the shop, Yo will go to Tokyo. Aiding in all of this are Coconuts’ two best friends, the brother and sister combination of Saya (her, left) and To (him, shades) who run the local café. This is where the tale goes astray. It ends up being an….E/I show! No, don’t run screaming into the sunset! Stay with me for a bit!
E/I is a designation for shows that are Educational and/or Informational. In a broad sense of the term, the series “Spice & Wolf” was an E/I, a caliber of capitalism primer and how to make it as a businessman. For this show, it began with Hotaru quizzing him about the multiplicity of candies and treats out there in the world. That makes sense: how can you sell that which you don’t understand? Do you understand that which you sell? But it ended up being a history lesson on what those Japanese will eat. Seriously, you would eat pickled radishes? Right next to the Fortune Chocolate?
So, it got bogged down with all that minutiae about fugashi and binramune and Super Scary Story Gum. The original idea is still there, but it evolved into a caliber of love-ish story and it appeared that Hotaru lost her way or her zeal or her drive. I was also amazed that she gobbled down all those sweets and never gained an ounce (and she has a stunning figure). Also, Coconuts’ drive to be a manga artist was relegated to more of comic relief (Hyuk! Hyuk!) and not more of a bone of contention or a deal breaker towards The Bet.
The artwork is a bit odd, in that the eyes have rings (you can see it in Hotaru’s eyes) and since there are a lot of close-ups, it starts to grate on one. In fact, the eyes are really weird for this show and anime eyes are usually odd to begin with. I wished that the story had stayed more on target, with everyone pushing on Coconuts to take over the candy store, BUT allow him to also pursue his dream to be a manga artist. I also had a deeper question: does this shop do so well because it is the only place like it for miles around? Then you have a captive audience and sales will be brisk, even if what you have isn’t that good.
All in all, it is a cute series, but much like devouring a box of Screaming Yellow Zonkers, you feel a bit empty at the end. You started out with Dagashi Kashi, but ended up with Daga Shikashi. Oh, just for your reference, those boxes on the highest shelf on the right? Those are plastic models of cars and ships and Gundams. It is a bit of a nostalgic trip.
It took me about 40 years and seven valiant attempts to finally enjoy anime. Whether I grew into it or the stories got better, things have been percolating along since 2004.
Tagged comedy, Dagashi Kashi, love story, Slice of Life.

lowercased:
“sweets” for the sweet – nigorimasen!
ever tried a new type of candy? the wrapper makes it sound interesting, so you get it, and, upon gulping it down, were disappointed in that it wasn’t what it seemed? i mean, it’s an ok candy, but you were expecting more or something else. my sad little tale explains everything right and wrong with “dagashi kashi”. now, to make things even more convoluted, this is one of those japanese language puns. if you pronounce it as ’dagashi kashi’ it means ‘cheap sweets candy’, but if read or said as ‘daga shikashi’, it can also mean ‘however’. the show is like that.
if hotaru can convince coconuts (that’s koko’s nickname) to take over the shop, yo will go to tokyo. aiding in all of this are coconuts’ two best friends, the brother and sister combination of saya (her, left) and to (him, shades) who run the local café. this is where the tale goes astray. it ends up being an….e/i show! no, don’t run screaming into the sunset! stay with me for a bit!
e/i is a designation for shows that are educational and/or informational. in a broad sense of the term, the series “spice & wolf” was an e/i, a caliber of capitalism primer and how to make it as a businessman. for this show, it began with hotaru quizzing him about the multiplicity of candies and treats out there in the world. that makes sense: how can you sell that which you don’t understand? do you understand that which you sell? but it ended up being a history lesson on what those japanese will eat. seriously, you would eat pickled radishes? right next to the fortune chocolate?
so, it got bogged down with all that minutiae about fugashi and binramune and super scary story gum. the original idea is still there, but it evolved into a caliber of love-ish story and it appeared that hotaru lost her way or her zeal or her drive. i was also amazed that she gobbled down all those sweets and never gained an ounce (and she has a stunning figure). also, coconuts’ drive to be a manga artist was relegated to more of comic relief (hyuk! hyuk!) and not more of a bone of contention or a deal breaker towards the bet.
the artwork is a bit odd, in that the eyes have rings (you can see it in hotaru’s eyes) and since there are a lot of close-ups, it starts to grate on one. in fact, the eyes are really weird for this show and anime eyes are usually odd to begin with. i wished that the story had stayed more on target, with everyone pushing on coconuts to take over the candy store, but allow him to also pursue his dream to be a manga artist. i also had a deeper question: does this shop do so well because it is the only place like it for miles around? then you have a captive audience and sales will be brisk, even if what you have isn’t that good.
all in all, it is a cute series, but much like devouring a box of screaming yellow zonkers, you feel a bit empty at the end. you started out with dagashi kashi, but ended up with daga shikashi. oh, just for your reference, those boxes on the highest shelf on the right? those are plastic models of cars and ships and gundams. it is a bit of a nostalgic trip.
it took me about 40 years and seven valiant attempts to finally enjoy anime. whether i grew into it or the stories got better, things have been percolating along since 2004.
tagged comedy, dagashi kashi, love story, slice of life.


text:
OTTAWA, March 13, 2015 — The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has updated its forecast for home sales activity via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of Canadian real estate Boards and Associations for 2015 and extended it to 2016.
The further decline in oil prices since CREA's last forecast has shaken consumer confidence in the Prairies, pushing potential homebuyers to the sidelines and prompting more homeowners to put their home on the market. This has led to a rapid shift in market balance in Alberta, and to a lesser extent, Saskatchewan. Annual sales in these provinces are expected to come in well below elevated levels posted last year, with small declines in average residential prices in 2015.
Additionally, the Canadian dollar has weakened further against the U.S. dollar, mortgage rates have declined and the U.S. economy has strengthened since CREA's last forecast, which taken together are expected to benefit economic and job growth in other provinces. Accordingly, CREA has upwardly revised its forecast for sales activity for much of the rest of the country.
The balance between supply and demand continues to tighten in British Columbia and Ontario. These are the only two provinces where tight supply relative to demand is expected to result in average price gains that surpass inflation this year.
By contrast, average prices in Quebec and the Atlantic region are expected to remain relatively stable, as sales deplete elevated levels of supply.
On balance, the forecast for national sales has been revised lower, reflecting downward revisions to the outlook for sales in Alberta. National sales are now projected to reach 475,700 units in 2015, representing an annual decline of 1.1 per cent. This would place annual activity slightly above but still broadly in line with its 10-year average.
British Columbia is projected to post the largest annual increase in activity in 2015 (+4.9 per cent) followed closely by Nova Scotia (+3.7 per cent), Quebec (+2.5 per cent), New Brunswick (+2.5 per cent), Ontario (+1.9 per cent), and Prince Edward Island (+1.4 per cent). These numbers represent upward revisions to CREA's previous forecast.
Alberta is expected to post the largest annual decline in sales this year (-19.3 per cent), though the trend for activity is expected to begin recovering from a weak start to the year as consumer confidence recovers. Sales are also forecast to decline on an annual basis in Saskatchewan (-11.2 per cent), Manitoba (-1.3 per cent), and New Brunswick (-0.4 per cent).
The national average home price is now forecast to rise by two per cent to $416,200 in 2015. Only British Columbia (+3.4 per cent) and Ontario (+2.5 per cent) are forecast to see gains in excess of the national increase.
Prices are projected to remain largely stable elsewhere, with increases or decreases of around one per cent or less this year. The exception is Alberta, where average price is forecast to fall by 3.4 per cent, reflecting a pullback in sales for luxury properties compared to homes in more affordable price segments.
In 2016, national sales activity is forecast to reach 482,700 units, representing an annual increase of 1.7 per cent. Much of the annual increase reflects an anticipated recovery for sales activity in Alberta and Saskatchewan in line with expected economic improvement in those provinces.
Strengthening economic prospects are expected to result in improving sales activity in other provinces where sales have struggled, keeping prices more affordable amid ample supply. Meanwhile, anticipated mortgage rate increases are expected to keep activity in check in markets where homes are already less affordable and prices have continued rising.
The national average price is forecast to rise by a further 1.9 per cent to $424,100 in 2016. Given an ongoing shortage of supply for single family homes in and around the Greater Toronto Area, price growth in 2016 is forecast to be strongest in Ontario (+2.5 per cent) and Alberta (+2.4 per cent).
Gains of around two per cent are forecast for British Columbia and Manitoba, and around one per cent for Saskatchewan and Quebec. Average home price in the Atlantic region is forecast to hold steady in 2016.
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada's largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 109,000 real estate Brokers/agents and salespeople working through some 90 real estate Boards and Associations..

lowercased:
ottawa, march 13, 2015 — the canadian real estate association (crea) has updated its forecast for home sales activity via the multiple listing service® (mls®) systems of canadian real estate boards and associations for 2015 and extended it to 2016.
the further decline in oil prices since crea's last forecast has shaken consumer confidence in the prairies, pushing potential homebuyers to the sidelines and prompting more homeowners to put their home on the market. this has led to a rapid shift in market balance in alberta, and to a lesser extent, saskatchewan. annual sales in these provinces are expected to come in well below elevated levels posted last year, with small declines in average residential prices in 2015.
additionally, the canadian dollar has weakened further against the u.s. dollar, mortgage rates have declined and the u.s. economy has strengthened since crea's last forecast, which taken together are expected to benefit economic and job growth in other provinces. accordingly, crea has upwardly revised its forecast for sales activity for much of the rest of the country.
the balance between supply and demand continues to tighten in british columbia and ontario. these are the only two provinces where tight supply relative to demand is expected to result in average price gains that surpass inflation this year.
by contrast, average prices in quebec and the atlantic region are expected to remain relatively stable, as sales deplete elevated levels of supply.
on balance, the forecast for national sales has been revised lower, reflecting downward revisions to the outlook for sales in alberta. national sales are now projected to reach 475,700 units in 2015, representing an annual decline of 1.1 per cent. this would place annual activity slightly above but still broadly in line with its 10-year average.
british columbia is projected to post the largest annual increase in activity in 2015 (+4.9 per cent) followed closely by nova scotia (+3.7 per cent), quebec (+2.5 per cent), new brunswick (+2.5 per cent), ontario (+1.9 per cent), and prince edward island (+1.4 per cent). these numbers represent upward revisions to crea's previous forecast.
alberta is expected to post the largest annual decline in sales this year (-19.3 per cent), though the trend for activity is expected to begin recovering from a weak start to the year as consumer confidence recovers. sales are also forecast to decline on an annual basis in saskatchewan (-11.2 per cent), manitoba (-1.3 per cent), and new brunswick (-0.4 per cent).
the national average home price is now forecast to rise by two per cent to $416,200 in 2015. only british columbia (+3.4 per cent) and ontario (+2.5 per cent) are forecast to see gains in excess of the national increase.
prices are projected to remain largely stable elsewhere, with increases or decreases of around one per cent or less this year. the exception is alberta, where average price is forecast to fall by 3.4 per cent, reflecting a pullback in sales for luxury properties compared to homes in more affordable price segments.
in 2016, national sales activity is forecast to reach 482,700 units, representing an annual increase of 1.7 per cent. much of the annual increase reflects an anticipated recovery for sales activity in alberta and saskatchewan in line with expected economic improvement in those provinces.
strengthening economic prospects are expected to result in improving sales activity in other provinces where sales have struggled, keeping prices more affordable amid ample supply. meanwhile, anticipated mortgage rate increases are expected to keep activity in check in markets where homes are already less affordable and prices have continued rising.
the national average price is forecast to rise by a further 1.9 per cent to $424,100 in 2016. given an ongoing shortage of supply for single family homes in and around the greater toronto area, price growth in 2016 is forecast to be strongest in ontario (+2.5 per cent) and alberta (+2.4 per cent).
gains of around two per cent are forecast for british columbia and manitoba, and around one per cent for saskatchewan and quebec. average home price in the atlantic region is forecast to hold steady in 2016.
the canadian real estate association (crea) is one of canada's largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 109,000 real estate brokers/agents and salespeople working through some 90 real estate boards and associations..


text:
With the availability of movie rentals on both the Android and iOS platform, PlayBook users may be feeling a little left out. Never fear; we have a solution for the movie-rental-less PlayBook users: YouTube Movies. This simple guide will show you how to rent a movie from YouTube using the PlayBook's browser.
RIM has been pushing hard to make sure consumers know that the BlackBerry PlayBook browser has Flash built in, a capability Apple's iPad is lacking. With the capability of Flash in the PlayBook's browser, the door is opened to playing video content that is designed for Flash capable devices. Enter YouTube Movies. This simple guide will show you how you can rent movies from YouTube and watch them on your PlayBook.
The first thing you'll need to do is open the Browser on the PlayBook and navigate to youtube.com/movies.
Once the page loads you will see advertisements for various movies offered on the site; In all, there are more than 3,000 offerings. Some of the movies are free, while others will range from $1.99-$3.99.
In the top right-hand corner is a Sign In link; tap on it.
Log in with your Google account credentials; you may be prompted to link your Google account to a YouTube account. As long as you follow the instructions, the process goes quick.
Once you are logged in you should be redirected back to the main page. Scroll through and find a movie you want to rent, and tap on it.
The next page will give you all of the details about the movie: price, length, reviews, and even a short preview. All paid movies are limited to a 24-hour viewing period. What that means is that once you start the movie, your rental period is started. You then have 24 hours to watch the movie as many times as you like. You have 30 days from the time of payment to start the rental. Tap on the 24 hr Pass - $2.99 button when you have picked a flick.
If you have previously added payment information to your Google account, you will be shown a pop-up like the one above. On the left you can see the name of the movie, as well as the payment source. On the right is the price and a Complete Your Purchase button.
If you haven't added payment information to your Google account, follow the steps to add a credit card.
Once you are happy with the payment source, tap on the Complete Your Purchase button.
When the payment has cleared, you will be shown a pop-up to confirm a successful payment. You can either tap on "Watch Now" or get back to browsing the movies.
If you elected not to watch the movie right away, when you return to the YouTube Movies main page, you will be reminded of the movies you have waiting for you.
Depending on your Internet speed, the quality of the video may vary. YouTube doesn't allow you to download the movie to your PlayBook, it can only be streamed from the site, thus the importance of a strong connection. This solution is good for a lazy day around the house, in an office or coffee shop, and not for a long Wi-Fi-less flight.

lowercased:
with the availability of movie rentals on both the android and ios platform, playbook users may be feeling a little left out. never fear; we have a solution for the movie-rental-less playbook users: youtube movies. this simple guide will show you how to rent a movie from youtube using the playbook's browser.
rim has been pushing hard to make sure consumers know that the blackberry playbook browser has flash built in, a capability apple's ipad is lacking. with the capability of flash in the playbook's browser, the door is opened to playing video content that is designed for flash capable devices. enter youtube movies. this simple guide will show you how you can rent movies from youtube and watch them on your playbook.
the first thing you'll need to do is open the browser on the playbook and navigate to youtube.com/movies.
once the page loads you will see advertisements for various movies offered on the site; in all, there are more than 3,000 offerings. some of the movies are free, while others will range from $1.99-$3.99.
in the top right-hand corner is a sign in link; tap on it.
log in with your google account credentials; you may be prompted to link your google account to a youtube account. as long as you follow the instructions, the process goes quick.
once you are logged in you should be redirected back to the main page. scroll through and find a movie you want to rent, and tap on it.
the next page will give you all of the details about the movie: price, length, reviews, and even a short preview. all paid movies are limited to a 24-hour viewing period. what that means is that once you start the movie, your rental period is started. you then have 24 hours to watch the movie as many times as you like. you have 30 days from the time of payment to start the rental. tap on the 24 hr pass - $2.99 button when you have picked a flick.
if you have previously added payment information to your google account, you will be shown a pop-up like the one above. on the left you can see the name of the movie, as well as the payment source. on the right is the price and a complete your purchase button.
if you haven't added payment information to your google account, follow the steps to add a credit card.
once you are happy with the payment source, tap on the complete your purchase button.
when the payment has cleared, you will be shown a pop-up to confirm a successful payment. you can either tap on "watch now" or get back to browsing the movies.
if you elected not to watch the movie right away, when you return to the youtube movies main page, you will be reminded of the movies you have waiting for you.
depending on your internet speed, the quality of the video may vary. youtube doesn't allow you to download the movie to your playbook, it can only be streamed from the site, thus the importance of a strong connection. this solution is good for a lazy day around the house, in an office or coffee shop, and not for a long wi-fi-less flight.


text:
Piatt County is located in central Illinois. The County Seat is Monticello and the largest city is Monticello. The Official Web Site is located at http://www.piattcounty.org/. The 2014 population estimate is 16,431 and the 2010 census population was 16,727. The land area is 439.20 square miles and there are 38.1 persons per square mile.
97.7% of the population is White, 0.5% is Black or African American, 1.1% is Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% is Asian, 0.2% is American Indian or Alaska Native, 0% is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 1.1% is two or more races. 92.7% have a high school degree or higher, and 26.5% have a Bachelor degree or higher.
The median home value is $120,800, there are 6,546 households, an average of 2.52 persons per household. The per capita income is $31,190, the median household income is $63,027, and 6.2% of the persons in Piatt County are considered below poverty level.
The total number of firms, at last estimate, was 1,407. Retail sales (in $1000) were $118,815, and sales per capita were $7,220.
Find county government information from Piatt County. Includes contacts, services, elected officials, departments, calendars, public hearings, and much more.
Provided by: Piatt County Circuit Clerk's Office. Search this Judici service for court records by name or case number.
123 NORTH MAIN STREET, PIATT, ATWOOD, IL, 61913.
349 SOUTH MACON STREET, PIATT, BEMENT, IL, 61813.
100 SOUTH MADISON STREET, PIATT, CERRO GORDO, IL, 61818.
330 NORTH ELDON STREET, PIATT, CISCO, IL, 61830.
220 NORTH HIGHWAY AVENUE, PIATT, DELAND, IL, 61839.
116 EAST OLIVER STREET, PIATT, MANSFIELD, IL, 61854.
201 NORTH STATE STREET, PIATT, MONTICELLO, IL, 61856.

lowercased:
piatt county is located in central illinois. the county seat is monticello and the largest city is monticello. the official web site is located at http://www.piattcounty.org/. the 2014 population estimate is 16,431 and the 2010 census population was 16,727. the land area is 439.20 square miles and there are 38.1 persons per square mile.
97.7% of the population is white, 0.5% is black or african american, 1.1% is hispanic or latino, 0.4% is asian, 0.2% is american indian or alaska native, 0% is native hawaiian or pacific islander, and 1.1% is two or more races. 92.7% have a high school degree or higher, and 26.5% have a bachelor degree or higher.
the median home value is $120,800, there are 6,546 households, an average of 2.52 persons per household. the per capita income is $31,190, the median household income is $63,027, and 6.2% of the persons in piatt county are considered below poverty level.
the total number of firms, at last estimate, was 1,407. retail sales (in $1000) were $118,815, and sales per capita were $7,220.
find county government information from piatt county. includes contacts, services, elected officials, departments, calendars, public hearings, and much more.
provided by: piatt county circuit clerk's office. search this judici service for court records by name or case number.
123 north main street, piatt, atwood, il, 61913.
349 south macon street, piatt, bement, il, 61813.
100 south madison street, piatt, cerro gordo, il, 61818.
330 north eldon street, piatt, cisco, il, 61830.
220 north highway avenue, piatt, deland, il, 61839.
116 east oliver street, piatt, mansfield, il, 61854.
201 north state street, piatt, monticello, il, 61856.


text:
Strategy Dynamics explains how business performance has developed up to the current date, and how to develop and implement strategies to improve future performance. The approach emphasises building and sustaining the resources and capabilities needed to succeed.
Why is performance following its current path?
Where will performance go if we continue as we are doing today?
How can we design a robust strategy to radically improve that performance into the future?
The chart shows how these questions might look for Starbucks in 2008.
The trajectory that performance is following at any time depends, strongly and unavoidably, on what has occurred over the organization's history. The method therefore starts from a time-chart of the organization's performance over its relevant history, and into the future, as measured by one or more conventional indicators [e.g. revenue or profits].
Each element is mapped on a diagram, whether on paper, white-board or in software. Any non-constant item, such as the performance outcome itself, is shown with a time-chart of its past values, and estimated into the future.
After a few steps, this drill-back process reaches one or more 'resources', known technically as 'accumulating asset-stocks'. These resources have a very specific behavior - they fill up and drain away over time. Customers, cash, people, product range, and capacity are the most common examples. The Logical causality rule still applies. Sales volume = customers x sales-per-customer. Total salaries = staff x average salary.
But this is equally true of every other asset-stock, i.e. resources. The number of customers today is equal to every customer that was ever won, minus every customer that was ever lost. There is no other reliable explanation for that number. It cannot be estimated from marketing spend, price levels, number of competitors or anything else, because it is 100.0% explained by historic gains and losses - and if you can't explain 'customers' with other factors, then you can't explain anything that depends on customers either, e.g. revenues and profits! Following the same logic, today's staff is the sum of every person ever hired, minus every person ever lost. Today's product range is the sum of every product we ever launched, minus every product we ever discontinued. This is why today's performance and future performance are both unavoidably dependent on history.
Management Decisions [e.g. the amount of money spent on marketing drives the customer win-rate. The salaries offered are influencing staff attrition.
Existing Resource-levels [e.g. customer loss rates depend on service quality, which depends on adequate staff numbers]. All of this is populated with quantitative time-path information.
When combined, the principles create an integrated diagram that depicts the 'physics' of the system, known as the 'strategic architecture' and how this system determines performance through time. These pictures are very similar to the flow-charts found in chemical process plants or power-transmission systems, for example. These display not only a diagram of the system, but also where material or objects are located, how quickly they are moving and what human controls are acting on to make the system perform as we want.
the impact of intangible factors - how reputation affects customer acquisition, or how morale influences staff turnover.
competitive rivalry for resources, such as the likely rate at which rivals may win a newly-developing customer segment.
the impact of organizational capabilities, and how they can be developed.
The underlying science of the method is System Dynamics originated by Prof Jay Forrester at MIT in the 1960s.
The three stages outlined above (identify resources -> identify flows -> identify the causes of in- and out-flows to the resources) apply far more widely than to businesses or other organizations. They explain how many kinds of situation behave over time - in ecology, economics, biology, and so on.
What strategy dynamics does is focus on them primarily in business contexts, although governmental and non-profit issues can also benefit - recent examples we have worked on being Quality of Life indicators in London (Video: 33 mins) and cross-border trade in a developing country (Video: 8 mins).
So: "Strategy Dynamics" is simply a translation of system dynamics into business, in terms business people can understand and exploit.
Strategy dynamics also differs from 'Systems Thinking' approaches [Peter Senge, 1990, The Fifth Discipline, Doubleday] in emphasizing resource-accumulation and the importance of quantifying change-through-time, in contrast to the qualitative, feedback orientation of systems thinking.
For more on the theory of the method see the Wikipedia page on strategy dynamics.
The method works for every kind of enterprise - commercial, public-service, or voluntary - as well as to every function within an enterprise.
The method is strongly evidence-based and rigorous, offering a solid understanding of what causes current performance and confidence in the future performance.
Being evidence-based, it can solve differences of opinion amongst team-members. It also allows each individual, both amongst the management team and in the wider organization beyond, to see where their activity contributes to the whole, and on whom they depend.
Since it highlights exactly where management actions and decisions exert control, it provides clear and specific strategies and action plans, that can be adapted as the future unfolds.
The method provides a solid foundation for methods such as the Balanced Scorecard and Value Based Management, and is a means of integrating other established strategy frameworks and approaches, such as PEST, Core Competence and Value Chain.
These benefits do not come for free, however. The method takes time and effort, but not excessively so, given the value that can be had from improved strategies and decisions. There are significant limits to the reliable measurement of some items that limit the certainty the method can offer, e.g. measures for reputation or capability, and to some important causal relationships, e.g. to what extent reputation influences the rate of customer acquisition.
To have the greatest impact, the method needs extensive factual evidence, including history, about many aspects of the enterprise and its performance. Frequently, these key numbers are unknown, in which case the team must be prepared to exercise its judgment in estimating what those missing values might be, and what impact they may have. The approach also depends on management's willingness and ability to be quantitative in their decision-making, which not all cultures find easy.
We developed "Sysdea" - online system dynamics software for dynamic modelling and simulation. Sysdea is especially suitable for education or working with teams new to dynamic modelling.
Note: Runs in your browser - latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari or IE9 - there is nothing to install.
Like many powerful frameworks strategy dynamics can be described as "simple but not easy". Reading the outline above the process appears straightforward but it is necessary to understand the approach in a lot more detail before being able to apply it.
Book: Strategy Dynamics Essentials: a condensed version of the full Strategic Management Dynamics textbook.
The Business Modeling Course. This course can also optionally include guidance from Kim Warren on applying to your own case. The course is also available in two sections - Core frameworks and Extensions.

lowercased:
strategy dynamics explains how business performance has developed up to the current date, and how to develop and implement strategies to improve future performance. the approach emphasises building and sustaining the resources and capabilities needed to succeed.
why is performance following its current path?
where will performance go if we continue as we are doing today?
how can we design a robust strategy to radically improve that performance into the future?
the chart shows how these questions might look for starbucks in 2008.
the trajectory that performance is following at any time depends, strongly and unavoidably, on what has occurred over the organization's history. the method therefore starts from a time-chart of the organization's performance over its relevant history, and into the future, as measured by one or more conventional indicators [e.g. revenue or profits].
each element is mapped on a diagram, whether on paper, white-board or in software. any non-constant item, such as the performance outcome itself, is shown with a time-chart of its past values, and estimated into the future.
after a few steps, this drill-back process reaches one or more 'resources', known technically as 'accumulating asset-stocks'. these resources have a very specific behavior - they fill up and drain away over time. customers, cash, people, product range, and capacity are the most common examples. the logical causality rule still applies. sales volume = customers x sales-per-customer. total salaries = staff x average salary.
but this is equally true of every other asset-stock, i.e. resources. the number of customers today is equal to every customer that was ever won, minus every customer that was ever lost. there is no other reliable explanation for that number. it cannot be estimated from marketing spend, price levels, number of competitors or anything else, because it is 100.0% explained by historic gains and losses - and if you can't explain 'customers' with other factors, then you can't explain anything that depends on customers either, e.g. revenues and profits! following the same logic, today's staff is the sum of every person ever hired, minus every person ever lost. today's product range is the sum of every product we ever launched, minus every product we ever discontinued. this is why today's performance and future performance are both unavoidably dependent on history.
management decisions [e.g. the amount of money spent on marketing drives the customer win-rate. the salaries offered are influencing staff attrition.
existing resource-levels [e.g. customer loss rates depend on service quality, which depends on adequate staff numbers]. all of this is populated with quantitative time-path information.
when combined, the principles create an integrated diagram that depicts the 'physics' of the system, known as the 'strategic architecture' and how this system determines performance through time. these pictures are very similar to the flow-charts found in chemical process plants or power-transmission systems, for example. these display not only a diagram of the system, but also where material or objects are located, how quickly they are moving and what human controls are acting on to make the system perform as we want.
the impact of intangible factors - how reputation affects customer acquisition, or how morale influences staff turnover.
competitive rivalry for resources, such as the likely rate at which rivals may win a newly-developing customer segment.
the impact of organizational capabilities, and how they can be developed.
the underlying science of the method is system dynamics originated by prof jay forrester at mit in the 1960s.
the three stages outlined above (identify resources -> identify flows -> identify the causes of in- and out-flows to the resources) apply far more widely than to businesses or other organizations. they explain how many kinds of situation behave over time - in ecology, economics, biology, and so on.
what strategy dynamics does is focus on them primarily in business contexts, although governmental and non-profit issues can also benefit - recent examples we have worked on being quality of life indicators in london (video: 33 mins) and cross-border trade in a developing country (video: 8 mins).
so: "strategy dynamics" is simply a translation of system dynamics into business, in terms business people can understand and exploit.
strategy dynamics also differs from 'systems thinking' approaches [peter senge, 1990, the fifth discipline, doubleday] in emphasizing resource-accumulation and the importance of quantifying change-through-time, in contrast to the qualitative, feedback orientation of systems thinking.
for more on the theory of the method see the wikipedia page on strategy dynamics.
the method works for every kind of enterprise - commercial, public-service, or voluntary - as well as to every function within an enterprise.
the method is strongly evidence-based and rigorous, offering a solid understanding of what causes current performance and confidence in the future performance.
being evidence-based, it can solve differences of opinion amongst team-members. it also allows each individual, both amongst the management team and in the wider organization beyond, to see where their activity contributes to the whole, and on whom they depend.
since it highlights exactly where management actions and decisions exert control, it provides clear and specific strategies and action plans, that can be adapted as the future unfolds.
the method provides a solid foundation for methods such as the balanced scorecard and value based management, and is a means of integrating other established strategy frameworks and approaches, such as pest, core competence and value chain.
these benefits do not come for free, however. the method takes time and effort, but not excessively so, given the value that can be had from improved strategies and decisions. there are significant limits to the reliable measurement of some items that limit the certainty the method can offer, e.g. measures for reputation or capability, and to some important causal relationships, e.g. to what extent reputation influences the rate of customer acquisition.
to have the greatest impact, the method needs extensive factual evidence, including history, about many aspects of the enterprise and its performance. frequently, these key numbers are unknown, in which case the team must be prepared to exercise its judgment in estimating what those missing values might be, and what impact they may have. the approach also depends on management's willingness and ability to be quantitative in their decision-making, which not all cultures find easy.
we developed "sysdea" - online system dynamics software for dynamic modelling and simulation. sysdea is especially suitable for education or working with teams new to dynamic modelling.
note: runs in your browser - latest versions of chrome, firefox, safari or ie9 - there is nothing to install.
like many powerful frameworks strategy dynamics can be described as "simple but not easy". reading the outline above the process appears straightforward but it is necessary to understand the approach in a lot more detail before being able to apply it.
book: strategy dynamics essentials: a condensed version of the full strategic management dynamics textbook.
the business modeling course. this course can also optionally include guidance from kim warren on applying to your own case. the course is also available in two sections - core frameworks and extensions.


text: Listen to If You Let Me by Marvin97 on Artist Sounds. Marvin97 is looking to make a big name for himself with his new hip-hop song "If You Let Me" on Soundcloud. Now Marvin97 isn't just your ordinary rapper he is also known for switching things up a bit with a little rnb. Get familiar with your boy Marvin97 for this won't be the last time you hear his name in your household.

lowercased: listen to if you let me by marvin97 on artist sounds. marvin97 is looking to make a big name for himself with his new hip-hop song "if you let me" on soundcloud. now marvin97 isn't just your ordinary rapper he is also known for switching things up a bit with a little rnb. get familiar with your boy marvin97 for this won't be the last time you hear his name in your household.


text: The Armenian Orthodox Church has welcomed the legislation of the Georgian government to allow the registration of Georgia's minority religious organizations, which was recently signed into law by President Mikheil Saakashvili. The groundwork for the legislation was apparently laid during the visit last month of Catholicos-Patriarch Karekin II (Nersessian) of Echmiadzin with the Georgian president. More here.

lowercased: the armenian orthodox church has welcomed the legislation of the georgian government to allow the registration of georgia's minority religious organizations, which was recently signed into law by president mikheil saakashvili. the groundwork for the legislation was apparently laid during the visit last month of catholicos-patriarch karekin ii (nersessian) of echmiadzin with the georgian president. more here.


text:
School of Mathematics and Allied Sciences, Jiwaji University, Gwalior (M.P.), India.
In this paper, the authors have derived the (p, q)-analogue of I-function by using the (p, q) generalization of the Gamma and Beta functions. Some particular cases of these results in terms of (p, q)-analogue of H-Function which appear to be new, and G-function, defined earlier by Swati et. al. has also been obtained.
Keywords and phrases: (p, q)-analogue of I-Function, (p, q)-analogue of G-Function, (p, q)-derivatives, (p, q)-Gamma function.

lowercased:
school of mathematics and allied sciences, jiwaji university, gwalior (m.p.), india.
in this paper, the authors have derived the (p, q)-analogue of i-function by using the (p, q) generalization of the gamma and beta functions. some particular cases of these results in terms of (p, q)-analogue of h-function which appear to be new, and g-function, defined earlier by swati et. al. has also been obtained.
keywords and phrases: (p, q)-analogue of i-function, (p, q)-analogue of g-function, (p, q)-derivatives, (p, q)-gamma function.


text:
Published : Mar 8th, 2018 HTML5Seek out street fights and win.
Published : Dec 2nd, 2017 HTML5A game similar to Tekken, where you'll be fighting against an opponent.
Published : Nov 17th, 2017 HTML5A popular game where you'll be dealing with monsters.
Published : Oct 13th, 2017 HTML5A great 3D fighting game that will keep you up for hours.

lowercased:
published : mar 8th, 2018 html5seek out street fights and win.
published : dec 2nd, 2017 html5a game similar to tekken, where you'll be fighting against an opponent.
published : nov 17th, 2017 html5a popular game where you'll be dealing with monsters.
published : oct 13th, 2017 html5a great 3d fighting game that will keep you up for hours.


text:
SODIUM OLIVATE, SODIUM COCOATE, SODIUM RAPESEEDATE, AQUA, GLYCERIN, SODIUM SHEA BUTTERATE, CITRUSSINENSIS PEEL OIL EXPRESSED, CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS LEAF OIL,COFFEA ARABICA SEED POWDER, CITRAL, CITRONELLOL,GERANIOL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL.
Product added on June 7, 2016 at 12:26:15 PM CEST by segundo.
Last edit of product page on April 26, 2018 at 1:37:42 PM CEST by tacite.

lowercased:
sodium olivate, sodium cocoate, sodium rapeseedate, aqua, glycerin, sodium shea butterate, citrussinensis peel oil expressed, cymbopogon citratus leaf oil,coffea arabica seed powder, citral, citronellol,geraniol, limonene, linalool.
product added on june 7, 2016 at 12:26:15 pm cest by segundo.
last edit of product page on april 26, 2018 at 1:37:42 pm cest by tacite.


text:
The lawyers involved in the federal Lipitor litigation are scheduled to meet this week, in order to discuss the structure and organization of the recently formed Lipitor MDL,. This is a standard part of any mass tort cases. The judge is going to work with the parties to figure out how these lawsuits should best proceed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Getting to this point took some doing. At first, a panel of federal judges previously denied plaintiffs’ lawyers first attempt to consolidate all of the Lipitor diabetes cases into a class action. Thankfully and correctly, the judges changed their mind last month. What flipped them? One simple thing: these cases are being filed now in massive numbers.
This MDL centralizes the management of the federal Lipitor cases filed by women – just women – who allege the drug maker failed to adequately warn about the risk of diabetes from Lipitor side effects. Is this a class action suit? Yes and no. The MDL make the cases a “class action for a while.” The parties conduct pre-trial discovery on issues that are central to all of the cases. After effort to reach a settlement – and perhaps the trial of a few cases – the cases would head back to their home jurisdictions. The hope, for plaintiffs and for Pfizer I suspect, is that these cases are settled long before we get to the point where these cases are remanded to their home jurisdictions.
Today, more than 250 lawsuits have been transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. I think there will be several thousands of cases filed before this is over.
Lipitor has been around forever. What is the problem?
Lipitor, amongst others in its class known as statins, is prescribed to people who have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Though the reason is currently unknown, medical research indicates that people who have taken Lipitor and other statin drugs are at an increased risk to become diabetic than those who have not taken the drug. The increase has varied from study to study, with some reporting an increased risk as high as 28 percent, while other report a 9 percent risk.
Regardless of the percentage of increased risk, the risk is clear, and Plaintiffs claim that Pfizer knew or reasonably should have known about the diabetes risk. Pfizer, maker of Lipitor, is being accused of placing profits before consumer safely by withholding this information from the medical community.
The FDA first required new diabetes warnings for Lipitor and other similar statins in February 2012. Users were informed that they may face an increased risk of changes to blood glucose levels. Plaintiffs allege though, that Pfizer was well aware of the possible risk long before the warnings were issued, with some studies connecting statins to diabetes are far back as 2004.
While there has been a connection made between men who have taken Lipitor and an increased risk of diabetes, the data seems to suggest that women are more vulnerable to getting diabetes, and there is further evidence that indicates that Lipitor is less effective in women. The MDL, therefore, involves those cases filed by women only.
With the creation of the MDL, it is expected that a small group of cases will be prepared for early trial dates known as “bellwether” cases. These early trials are designed to get some preliminary data on how juries react to the cases, so that the parties can make informed decisions on settlement.
In the meantime, the U.S. District Judge assigned to oversee the centralized proceedings, Judge Richard K. Gergel, is expected to discuss the appointment of liaison counsel and a group of lawyers to serve in various leadership roles throughout the litigation.
If you or a loved one has taken Lipitor or any of the other statins, and have been diagnosed with diabetes, call us to discuss your concerns. While most of the current litigation involves women who have been diagnosed, we are still investigating cases involving men. If you would like us to review your case, contact us at 800-553-8082 or online here and we will evaluate your case and tell you whether we thing you have a claim that may entitle you to compensation.

lowercased:
the lawyers involved in the federal lipitor litigation are scheduled to meet this week, in order to discuss the structure and organization of the recently formed lipitor mdl,. this is a standard part of any mass tort cases. the judge is going to work with the parties to figure out how these lawsuits should best proceed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
getting to this point took some doing. at first, a panel of federal judges previously denied plaintiffs’ lawyers first attempt to consolidate all of the lipitor diabetes cases into a class action. thankfully and correctly, the judges changed their mind last month. what flipped them? one simple thing: these cases are being filed now in massive numbers.
this mdl centralizes the management of the federal lipitor cases filed by women – just women – who allege the drug maker failed to adequately warn about the risk of diabetes from lipitor side effects. is this a class action suit? yes and no. the mdl make the cases a “class action for a while.” the parties conduct pre-trial discovery on issues that are central to all of the cases. after effort to reach a settlement – and perhaps the trial of a few cases – the cases would head back to their home jurisdictions. the hope, for plaintiffs and for pfizer i suspect, is that these cases are settled long before we get to the point where these cases are remanded to their home jurisdictions.
today, more than 250 lawsuits have been transferred to the u.s. district court for the district of south carolina. i think there will be several thousands of cases filed before this is over.
lipitor has been around forever. what is the problem?
lipitor, amongst others in its class known as statins, is prescribed to people who have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. though the reason is currently unknown, medical research indicates that people who have taken lipitor and other statin drugs are at an increased risk to become diabetic than those who have not taken the drug. the increase has varied from study to study, with some reporting an increased risk as high as 28 percent, while other report a 9 percent risk.
regardless of the percentage of increased risk, the risk is clear, and plaintiffs claim that pfizer knew or reasonably should have known about the diabetes risk. pfizer, maker of lipitor, is being accused of placing profits before consumer safely by withholding this information from the medical community.
the fda first required new diabetes warnings for lipitor and other similar statins in february 2012. users were informed that they may face an increased risk of changes to blood glucose levels. plaintiffs allege though, that pfizer was well aware of the possible risk long before the warnings were issued, with some studies connecting statins to diabetes are far back as 2004.
while there has been a connection made between men who have taken lipitor and an increased risk of diabetes, the data seems to suggest that women are more vulnerable to getting diabetes, and there is further evidence that indicates that lipitor is less effective in women. the mdl, therefore, involves those cases filed by women only.
with the creation of the mdl, it is expected that a small group of cases will be prepared for early trial dates known as “bellwether” cases. these early trials are designed to get some preliminary data on how juries react to the cases, so that the parties can make informed decisions on settlement.
in the meantime, the u.s. district judge assigned to oversee the centralized proceedings, judge richard k. gergel, is expected to discuss the appointment of liaison counsel and a group of lawyers to serve in various leadership roles throughout the litigation.
if you or a loved one has taken lipitor or any of the other statins, and have been diagnosed with diabetes, call us to discuss your concerns. while most of the current litigation involves women who have been diagnosed, we are still investigating cases involving men. if you would like us to review your case, contact us at 800-553-8082 or online here and we will evaluate your case and tell you whether we thing you have a claim that may entitle you to compensation.


text:
Brighton boxer Freedom Eubank led police on a high speed pursuit through the city, ran a red light and drove the wrong way up a one-way street.
The 28-year-old claimed again and again that he was merely the passenger in the Vauxhall Vectra car, but today finally admitted his guilt at Hove Crown Court.
Eubank, of St Helen’s Road in Brighton, was today jailed for 15 months for ‘driving like an idiot’.
He had been convicted of dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance at an earlier hearing.
About 2.10am on December 1 last year, police were alerted to the driving of the Vectra car, the court heard.
Prosecutor Richard Cherrill said: “They made an attempt to stop it at Bloomsbury Place unsuccessfully.
The court heard that Eubank drove along Bear Road – which has a speed limit of 20mph – at speeds ‘in excess of 80mph’.
The car eventually stopped and Eubank was seen to leave the vehicle. He was arrested by officers not long afterwards.
Throughout the police interview and his trial at magistrates’ court Eubank claimed that he had been the passenger in the car, not the driver, the court heard.
Defence barrister William England told the court that the reason Eubank sped off when police confronted him was because he feared being caught driving would make it harder to see his daughter.
He added: “He is utterly ashamed of himself.
Mr England added: “His real passion – as appears to be a family passion – is boxing.
Sentencing Eubank, Recorder Adrian Chaplin said Eubank had been ‘driving like an idiot’ and his actions were ‘atrocious’.
Eubank was jailed for 15 months and was banned from driving for 43 and a half months.

lowercased:
brighton boxer freedom eubank led police on a high speed pursuit through the city, ran a red light and drove the wrong way up a one-way street.
the 28-year-old claimed again and again that he was merely the passenger in the vauxhall vectra car, but today finally admitted his guilt at hove crown court.
eubank, of st helen’s road in brighton, was today jailed for 15 months for ‘driving like an idiot’.
he had been convicted of dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance at an earlier hearing.
about 2.10am on december 1 last year, police were alerted to the driving of the vectra car, the court heard.
prosecutor richard cherrill said: “they made an attempt to stop it at bloomsbury place unsuccessfully.
the court heard that eubank drove along bear road – which has a speed limit of 20mph – at speeds ‘in excess of 80mph’.
the car eventually stopped and eubank was seen to leave the vehicle. he was arrested by officers not long afterwards.
throughout the police interview and his trial at magistrates’ court eubank claimed that he had been the passenger in the car, not the driver, the court heard.
defence barrister william england told the court that the reason eubank sped off when police confronted him was because he feared being caught driving would make it harder to see his daughter.
he added: “he is utterly ashamed of himself.
mr england added: “his real passion – as appears to be a family passion – is boxing.
sentencing eubank, recorder adrian chaplin said eubank had been ‘driving like an idiot’ and his actions were ‘atrocious’.
eubank was jailed for 15 months and was banned from driving for 43 and a half months.


text:
(Photo:The North Atlantic Treaty was signed by US President Harry S. Truman in Washington, on 4 April 1949 and was ratified by the United States in August 1949.
Blaise Misztal is the director of BPC’s national security program. He previously served as the project’s associate director and senior policy analyst. At BPC, Misztal has researched a variety national security issues, including Iran and its nuclear program, Turkey, cybersecurity, stabilizing fragile states, and public diplomacy in the 21st century. Misztal wrote and directed the 2009 “Cyber ShockWave” simulation that aired on CNN. Prior to joining BPC, Misztal spent a year as a Nuffield Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford University. He was selected as a future leader by the Foreign Policy Initiative in 2010 and named as a national security fellow by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in 2011.

lowercased:
(photo:the north atlantic treaty was signed by us president harry s. truman in washington, on 4 april 1949 and was ratified by the united states in august 1949.
blaise misztal is the director of bpc’s national security program. he previously served as the project’s associate director and senior policy analyst. at bpc, misztal has researched a variety national security issues, including iran and its nuclear program, turkey, cybersecurity, stabilizing fragile states, and public diplomacy in the 21st century. misztal wrote and directed the 2009 “cyber shockwave” simulation that aired on cnn. prior to joining bpc, misztal spent a year as a nuffield fellow at nuffield college, oxford university. he was selected as a future leader by the foreign policy initiative in 2010 and named as a national security fellow by the foundation for defense of democracies in 2011.


text: Olympic gold medalist Jacobus “Jim” Thorpe was born in Oklahoma Indian Territory. He is the only person ever to win both the Olympic Pentathlon and the Decathlon. He holds the as yet unbroken scoring record for a single intercollegiate football season (198 points) while making 25 touchdowns, another as yet unsurpassed total. He also played major league baseball and professional football, for which he was the first premier player. Mr. Thorpe served as Professional Football’s first President. Mr. Thorpe played baseball for a Rocky Mount minor league team before his appearance in the 1912 Olympics. He died in 1953.

lowercased: olympic gold medalist jacobus “jim” thorpe was born in oklahoma indian territory. he is the only person ever to win both the olympic pentathlon and the decathlon. he holds the as yet unbroken scoring record for a single intercollegiate football season (198 points) while making 25 touchdowns, another as yet unsurpassed total. he also played major league baseball and professional football, for which he was the first premier player. mr. thorpe served as professional football’s first president. mr. thorpe played baseball for a rocky mount minor league team before his appearance in the 1912 olympics. he died in 1953.