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Yearly Archives: 2010
Net-a-squillian -AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Net-a-Porter. Natalie Massenet
The AFR magazine December 2010
by Marion Hume
Ten years into the life of the web's most successful high- fashion salon, former journalist Natalie Massenet's Net-a-Porter is fast growing and fabulous
Natalie Massenet makes me feel like an idiot. Not because this woman who changed the way we shop isn't charming. And heavens, she's chic in her teeny white shirt layered over a long T-shirt and leather leggings, rolled up today because cropped is so this season. No, the reason is because she was so right and I was so wrong. You want some numbers on that? How about 3 million unique users, 171 countries, 1,000 employees, annual sales topping more than £300 million and – here's the zinger – the company was acquired by Richemont, the world's second-largest luxury group, in a deal valuing Net-a-Porter at £350 million. And it was me who thought, "I hope she doesn't give up the day job."
Massenet used to be a fashion editor. One morning more than a decade ago we were standing in the aisle after a Paris show and she told me about her notion to sell designer fashion over the internet, which sounded nuts because, of course, women always want to handle and try on the clothes first, don't they? But what makes my own lack of vision considerably easier to bear is that, back then, Massenet was only looking for my interest, not my investment. Imagine how idiotic those who passed on that opportunity felt in April when the Richemont deal went through. As to those who did see the light, some were to be found packing boxes the day after multiples of millions hit their bank accounts. It was a Saturday, but staffers showed up anyway to prepare for moving offices. Massenet, who pocketed £50 million, was busy vacuuming.
But it should be remembered that in the run-up to Net-a-Porter's launch in 2000, the appeal of a vast selection of skilfully curated designer pieces, available for purchase 24/7, and arriving at your door tied with a bow, did not seem the no-brainer it does today. The internet's promise of low operating costs and high profits seemed so tricky to translate to fashion back then. When Massenet launched with an £850,000 war chest raised from friends and private investors, better funded start-ups were crashing and burning around her.
She succeeded because she understood that it was about indulgence and that geek side was nothing more than a sideshow. Although she is recognised as one of the world's leading internet entrepreneurs, her big idea was a simple wish – that the things she loved in magazines could pop off the page and into her wardrobe. The beauty is that Massenet has always insisted hers is a service business, a fashion business, hence, from day one, packages done up like a special gift are part of the transaction. (Customers are able to request a discreet brown paper bag instead, where verbiage on the inside reads, "Psst… Your shopping's safe with us").
Today that shopping can also be less expensive, following the launch, last year, of the Outnet, which sells past seasons' designer fashions. From January, the first global menswear online retail destination, Mr Porter, opens its virtual doors. with labels including Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Lanvin and John Lobb. Add to this new technologies that mean no shopper has even to sit at a desk any more. Net-a-Porter's sophisticated iPhone app means you can shop as you go about your day. For the iPad, there's the interactive online magazine, updated every week, in which every item is available to buy.
Before Massenet and I meet up to chat during Paris Fashion Week, I head to west London to check out the new offices (she's not there, she's already on the Eurostar). Somewhat ironically, these are located on the top floor of a Westfield mall, thus right above the bricks and mortar competition. To say Net-a-Porter's 3,000 square metre London HQ is impressive is to underplay the wow factor. You enter through vast black lacquer doors, so you feel literally as if you are walking into one of the sumptuous black boxes that are the brand's signature.
Peppered over acres of dark carpet are white leather sofas; then there's a gigantic video screen projecting the latest from the catwalk. And that's all before a cheery, "Hello!" from a receptionist seated behind a desk so bristling with awards – 'One of 100 best companies to work for', 'UK's Top Places for Women to Work', 'Entrepreneur of the Year Award' – that you can hardly see past them to her.Behind another black-lacquered door, battalions of gorgeous young men and women called 'visual merchandisers' scurry around with armfuls of clothes as photographers (plural) snap scores of treasures on both static mannequins and living models. The scene is intensely fabulous. But not as fabulous as what's around the corner, where everything opens out into a vast open-plan cathedral, lit by natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows and a brace of truly splendid Murano glass chandeliers. Hundreds of people sit on Eames office chairs at white desks, including the tech team, who sit up in the mezzanine area. It's all so 21st century.
Everyone, of course, is at a computer and some might just be shopping – come payday, apparently, the office is stacked with black boxes containing this season's must-haves from Chloe, Rick Owens, Marc Jacobs, or packages containing last season's 'chiconomic' finds from the Outnet. "How people multitask, and whether people [should be] shopping [at] work, it would be hypocritical for me to say," comments Massenet when we meet up. (She even furnished her weekend cottage entirely online).
"People are on Facebook, they're on mobile phones, they're Twittering and carrying on 20 different conversations at the same time, and they're shopping, and they're getting things delivered to the office. But they're getting the job done. So as long as the results are there, how they [personally] manage their time is up to them." No wonder Net-a-Porter wins all those 'cool place to work' awards and that the HR department receives thousands of unsolicited resumés every month.
When Net-a-Porter first launched, every time something was sold, someone jumped up and rang a bell. Today, the item, and the location of the customer flashes up on yet another big screen, the images changing constantly while the ticker running underneath, when I glanced at it, read £455,443. Since when? "That's what's been sold this morning," I'm told, and it's still before elevensies. "It gets impressive once New York wakes up."
Natalie Massenet is 45. She was born in LA to a former Chanel model from Britain and an American journalist father to whom, she says, she owes her independent spirit. An only child, her parents split when she was 11 and, unusually, she was raised by her father. Data seems to be emerging to suggest entrepreneurs are often oldest children; often an only child, and the majority have witnessed their parents divorce. "I guess all those experiences have added up to make me the person that I am," shrugs Massenet, "although, of course, I can't tell you how I would have turned out differently."
While Massenet's young years included time spent in Paris and Madrid, where her father was a foreign correspondent, he scraped together the finance to send her to a smart private school in LA in her teens. There she witnessed how casually girls could spend and determined to be the architect of her own financial fortune. Her first summer job, before going to UCLA where she studied Japanese, was at a mens clothing store in the Beverly Centre, LA, where the other shop assistant was Lenny Kravitz.
After entering fashion journalism, Massenet moved to England for love, having met a French financier called Arnaud Massenet, who spent a decade building stock at Lehman Brothers only to see it disappear overnight when the firm went belly up in September 2008. The couple's two daughters were born at the busiest possible times; Isabella, now 11, arrived during the first round of funding for Net-a-Porter, her gestation roughly equal to the time it took the geek-squad to prove that, technically, Massenet's idea could work. Ava, who is now four, came along as the American launch was rolling out. When asked by other women for advice about setting up their own businesses, her prepared answer is this: "Find a husband who supports you; a perfect nanny and forget about any social life."
By now we've found time to get together, just before the Valentino show, to talk business. So onward to the Outnet, which in just one year matched figures it took Net-a-Porter five to achieve. "It's a different customer," explains Massenet of a woman who wants, but perhaps cannot afford, this season's designer clothes. "The Outnet is not saying 'Come and get this stuff because it's cheap'. We're saying, 'Come and get the most beautiful designer clothes from previous seasons that still have relevance'. We're educating a new consumer who, instead of buying high-street knock-offs, can get the real thing at a quality that's going to last."
To expand its reach, the site recently hosted an anniversary sale where everything was £1 or $US1, "which was absolutely crazy. It was a meltdown all over the world with people posting themselves on YouTube and going into a panic." The Outnet's in-house fashion team scour the world for the coolest clothes at a price.
As for Mr Porter, what it won't be when it launches in January is Net-a-Porter for men, because Massenet's belief is that while women usually love to shop, men usually hate to. "Yet they want to look good; they want approval; they want their colleagues and friends to know they're wearing the right things. But they don't shout about it." Massenet promises Mr Porter will be "a very private experience. And the fact that the internet is so systematised, and its functionality, speed and efficiency allow you to transact all over the world; it's about service, and it involves a computer." At this, she allows herself the faint smile of someone who knows it will be a sure-fire hit. As for the equivalent of Net-a-Porter's black box and tissue paper? "You'll have to wait."
The deal with Richemont, whose especial strengths lie in menswear (Dunhill) and watches (Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cartier, Baume et Mercier, to name a few) may appear to give a nice synergy to the upcoming Mr Porter. But Massenet insists independence will be maintained. "If Dunhill were no longer interesting, we wouldn't be carrying it," she says boldly. But, on the distaff side, surely alignment with Richemont means that the other luxury giants, LVMH and Gucci Group, many of whose brands are sold on Net-a-Porter, are less than pleased? "We are enormous partners [with them]," she counters. "If anything, it strengthens our relationship as the business is growing; our audience is growing; our buying power is growing and they're very happy to know that I'm not going anywhere."
What is moving is fashion itself. Massenet senses an 'end of an era' moment, given, "the consumer is now watching all the shows; they're just not being let in the front doors. It's like Bastille Day; they're going to come and burn down the gates and it's really exciting. Retailers moan about consumers not going into shops. Well, invite them to the show and they'll shop right then and there! Look at Burberry selling straight from the runway, as we started with McQueen, with Halston, with Roland Mouret."
Where it is certainly going to get tougher is staying ahead of the game. When Massenet set out on her online journey, she was speaking a new language. Now, her four-year-old is learning how to spell on an iPad. "A website is to e-tailing what a bricks and mortar store was to retail 10 years ago. If we don't diversify, we're going to fall off a cliff," Massenet acknowledges. "Our customer has already moved away from her desktop. She's in the back of a cab, on her mobile phone. In a few years' time, if she has some sort of holographic projection in her bedroom, that's where we need to be."
Massenet admits her personal challenge is to be fast enough, but not too fast. "I've learned to respect pace and do things beautifully and I realise that not everyone within an organisation wants to operate at the speed of light," she says, before quickly changing tack. "We've got plans stacked up for the next 10 years. I'm thinking of five right now and one of those is an entirely new business." For one terrifying moment, I think she's going to tell me more. I'm relieved that she doesn't for, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to fail to get one great idea may be regarded as a misfortune, to fail to get another – well, you'd have to be an idiot, wouldn't you?
There's a man in my sPa – AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Small is beautiful – AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Homage to the Seventies – AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
The AFR Magazine December 2010
Story by Marion Hume
What is old is new again, and the advantage for me, racking up fashion years (which multiply at twice the speed of dog years, by the way) is that I've been round this circuit before. What's the biggest trend right now? The seventies. Where did my fashion consciousness awake? Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive and wearing leg warmers.
In the 1980s, some fashion wag dubbed the '70s, "the decade that style forgot", which stuck, although it was wrong. In fact, the '70s were rich and diverse. In just ten years, I dressed my teens through hippy, glam rock, disco, punk and then, at last came chic, as captured with the ultimate '70s movie "American Gigolo" (it came out in 1980, but it was made in 1978).
Paul Schrader's movie, which opens with a scene that succeeds in making even the Los Angeles freeway look glorious, wasn't a hit in Kyoto, Japan or, if it was, Akira Isogawa – who despite still looking annoyingly youthful was very much alive in the '70s – managed to miss it. So, on his recent trip to London, I felt duty-bound to re-rig the video recorder (how clever to have kept that hidden away) and soon we were listening to the soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder and I was trying quite hard not to sing along to Blondie's "Call Me".
Much has been made of the scene in which Richard Gere prances around like a latter-day dandy (or, to be accurate, just like the male hooker of the title role), matching "griege" shirts with beige ties as if that were hard.
This is the fashion world's no. 1. favourite movie clip and certainly, I will never forget watching it WITH Richard Gere (gray around the temples, even more handsome) at the Giorgio Armani retrospective at the Guggenheim in New York a few years' ago. When I say I watched it with Gere, there were only four people in a room at the museum in which the high points of Armani's movie successes were being projected on a vast screen. Alas, I must concede that Gere is unlikely to reminisce about me being there, but watching him watch himself was a thrill all the same.
But I realised, re-watching the celebrated scene with Isogawa instead that the familiar version has actually being clipped; this to omit the opening where Gere scrapes his finger through a mountain of cocaine and rubs it vigorously into his gums before he begins the Herculean task of working out what he's going to wear. Since 1978, there have been moments at Armani shows when a little lift would not have gone amiss, but despite all you hear about us drug-addled fashionistas, I've never seen anyone go that far since.
While Gere gets the glory, actually, it is Lauren Hutton who fascinates in the movie now. Hutton began the '70s as both gap-toothed girl next door and the world's first supermodel and ended them (lucky her) kissing Gere and wearing satin blouses which look so utterly "now". While Gere's outfits changed menswear in what was then the future (think of a Hollywood agent in the '80s and you'll imagine him wearing a beige Armani suit), Hutton's outfits were a sartorial lament to a softness that was already disappearing and has taken 30 years to return. In between, womenswear has had a harder edge, starting with the "me me me" styles of the '80s.
Why is softness back? It's partly due to the achievements of a band of women who prefered dungarees when Hutton was wearing grey silk and who manned the barricades to fight for the equality we all now enjoy by law. Today's designers – many of them women – are, largely, the first generation to be the children of working mothers and they are working mothers themselves.
Hence the 70s looks at Celine, Chloe, McCartney. But who I wonder, is going to reissue the fabulous soft trench coat Hutton slips off in the movie? We'll have to wait for next season's shows for that.
Dream Team – Financial Times
What to give the fashion person who has everything? Say you were Italian designer Domenico Dolce wondering what to buy for Stefano Gabbana, for example, or Gabbana wondering what to give Dolce, who already has a yacht. Where might you start?
The growing trend among fashion powers looking for the ultimate trinket is to search for something sporty. We're not talking a fleece hoodie; we're talking a team.
To wit: Dolce & Gabbana recently treated each other to 15 muscular men in satin shorts otherwise known as an Italian boxing team that competes on the WSB international circuit and will henceforth be called Dolce & Gabbana Milano Thunder.
"For the first time, a sporting team will carry our name. This is the beginning of a new adventure for us," say the designers, neither of whom boxes. Of course, the team will also get a snazzy new kit.
This is not a sporting first for the designers. Dolce & Gabbana has a three-year agreement with Chelsea FC to kit out Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and the rest of the squad with official suits, and has created the "Dolce & Gabbana Lounge" in the West Stand at Stamford Bridge. It is more stylistically flashy than it was in its previous incarnation as "the Armani Lounge", as that earlier sponsor filled the space with muted pieces from the Armani Casa range.
Giorgio Armani was not the first fashion designer to see the literal appeal of the physical – Jean Patou dressed Suzanne Lenglen, a glamorous French tennis star, in the 1920s – but it was Armani who mined the marketing relationship between style and sport, starting in 1995, when he declared footballers "today's new style leaders" and invited David James, then Liverpool goalkeeper, both on to the catwalk and into his Emporio Armani underwear advertisements. Other players, notably David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, have joined Team Armani since, the latest in the posse being tennis world number one Rafael Nadal. Armani also owns Armani Jeans Milano basketball team.
Which is why it would be such a struggle if you drew him as your "Secret Santa" recipient; ditto Diego della Valle, Tod's chief, who already owns the Italian football team Fiorentina. And what on earth would one buy Sergio and Pier Luigi Loro Piana of the eponymous brand? They've already treated themselves to a polo team. (Surprisingly, the Polo man himself, Ralph Lauren, does not have a team of his own, though instead he sponsors the Black Watch team captained by Argentine international and Ralph Lauren model Ignacio Figueras).
Meanwhile, Hermès launched a show-jumping competition, the Saut d'Hermès, at Grand Palais in Paris in April, and Zegna has its own ski resort.
Look deeper and it's hard to find a designer not involved with sport. Emilio Pucci was an Olympic skier before he created his own line, which includes skiwear; Paul Smith, who sells bikes as well as suits, was a boy racer at the Beeston Road Club in Nottingham. Stella McCartney is charged with designing Britain's look for the the 2012 Olympics, and Donna Karan has a long-term sponsorship arrangement with baseball's New York Yankees.
"The marriage is natural," says Karan. "DKNY and Yankee Stadium are quintessentially New York in spirit. Both are a part of our culture, our streets, our collective consciousness."
Hugo Boss, however, is the company that has basketball sewn up, working with the Knicks so that during games at Madison Square Gardens, interactive voting is tallied up on the huge screens in categories such as "best-dressed fan". Boss is involved in so many sports – from golf to tennis to sailing to soccer – that it's hard to keep track. "And don't forget we've been the sponsor of McLaren at Formula One for 30 years," says Philipp Wolff, senior vice-president.
So what's in it for them, besides love? Ketty Maisonrouge of Columbia Business School and president and co-founder of the Luxury Education Foundation explains: "The sports teams selected by the fashion houses are increasingly appealing to men, which follows the movement of a certain masculinisation of fashion, as fashion houses go after this historically less-tapped market. Men feel more confident caring about themselves and their appearance, and fashion brands want to make men even more comfortable with this interest by selecting sports teams that are considered highly masculine."
Thus even brands where you think "No, never" have been bitten by the sports bug. The late Franco Moschino, who died in 1994, was a joker, not a jock. Yet which brand has just signed a deal with Aironi, the Italian rugby team formed to take part in this year's Magners League and Heineken Cup? You guessed it.
"I'm proud that a rugby team chose Moschino to dress its image around the globe," says Rossella Jardini, Moschino creative director. Consider it their gift to the brand.


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With the impending holiday season, the already stretched thin mom gets stretched even thinner. There is just so much to do. Dinners and gifts and decorating and who knows what else. There's precious little time in there to take a breath, much less take a whole afternoon off for a little pampering. So why not get that little bit of pampering now?
Before you dive into the crazy fun of the season, find an afternoon to get a rockin' hair style. Now is the time to get a great cut, maybe some highlights, or other treatment.
Sitting in your stylists chair is your opportunity to regroup a bit. If you're lucky enough to have a stylist you really trust, there's nothing like sitting down in the chair, saying, "Just make me look good," knowing when you stand up, you really will.
Check out our tips on finding a hair style that will make you look thinner.
Just before the excitement and activity of the holidays may or may not be the time to go for a whole new look. Only you know your own threshold for that kind of change. But if you do think you are
ready for a change, why not go for something spectacular? Okay, somewhat practical, too - but spectacular.
Getting a good haircut and style may seem like an indulgence - and maybe it is - but it can be so worth it. You won't just look great for the holidays because of the great way your hair looks - you'll look great because of the ego boost a great hair style gives you. Yeah, your highlights and lowlights may be quite flattering, but the real confidence will be coming from within.
And you'll see personalized content just for you whenever you click the My Feed .
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subset: commoncrawl


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Continuing its rapid growth, NEXTRA Litigation Solutions, LLC opened a fourth customized attorney review facility last month to keep pace with the increasing demand for attorney review services in complex document-intensive litigation and compliance matters.
Located between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, the 16,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility will further enhance NEXTRA's ability to deliver scalable, highly-customized review services and expertise to corporate legal and compliance departments and law firms nationwide.
The Miami-area facility follows recent openings in Raleigh and Charlotte, NC. NEXTRA is based in Columbia, SC.
NEXTRA Litigation Solutions, LLC offers comprehensive attorney review services using a unique alternative fee arrangement and a series of metrics to measure value. For further information visit www.nextralit.com or call (800) 863-8296.


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What are some alternative words for OTB?
Synonyms for OTB
This thesaurus page is about all possible synonyms, equivalent, same meaning and similar words for the term OTB.
We couldn't find direct synonyms for the term OTB.
Maybe you were looking for one of these terms?
otariidae, otaru, otary, otavite, otay, otc, otc market, otc security, otc stock, ote


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Music Professor Dies at Age 58
Posted: February 16, 2001 at 1:00 am, Last Updated: November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am
Thomas Brawley, associate professor in the Department of Music, died of cardio-respiratory arrest at his home on Sunday, Feb. 11, following a brief illness. He was 58. Brawley had been of member of the faculty since 1975. No funeral service will be held in the Northern Virginia area, although the Department of Music is planning a memorial service to be held later this semester. Details will be forthcoming.
Brawley taught courses in music history, including undergraduate offerings covering the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras, and graduate specialty courses, such as those devoted to the study of Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms. He also taught introductory courses for non majors (music appreciation and American music), coached piano ensembles, and was a faculty member in New Century College and the PAGE program.
Brawley served as the director of the department's Teaching Internship Program. As a scholar, he specialized in the music of the nineteenth century. Brawley belonged to the American Musicological Society and he served as council member and president of the Mid Atlantic chapter of the College Music Society. In 2000, he began the George Mason chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, a national music honor society.


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PS3s are the backbone of DoD supercomputers
Who feels safe? Well, when you look at the numbers behind the decision, you might. The DoD has decided the PS3 is good enough to purchase 2,200 to add to the 336-unit PS3 cluster in use by the USAF.
With respect to cell processors, a single 1U server configured with two 3.2GHz cell processors can cost up to $8K while two Sony PS3s cost approximately $600. Though a single 3.2 GHz cell processor can deliver over 200 GFLOPS, whereas the Sony PS3 configuration delivers approximately 150 GFLOPS, the approximately tenfold cost difference per GFLOP makes the Sony PS3 the only viable technology for HPC applications.
Gotta admit, it makes good sense, and as a taxpayer in this fine country I'm relieved to hear that some thought goes into the ways we spend a couple hundred grand. Thank god for that recent price cut.
Source: Ars Technica
Posted in: PS3
Tags: department of defense, dod buys ps3s, dod supercomputer upgrade, dod upgrade, PS3, ps3 block, supercomputers


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Flame-Made Nb-Doped TiO2 Ethanol and Acetone Sensors
AbstractUndoped TiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles doped with 1–5 at.% Nb were successfully produced in a single step by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). The phase and crystallite size were analyzed by XRD. The BET surface area (SSABET) of the nanoparticles was measured by nitrogen adsorption. The trend of SSABET on the doping samples increased and the BET equivalent particle diameter (dBET) (rutile) increased with the higher Nb-doping concentrations while dBET (anatase) remained the same. The morphology and accurate size of the primary particles were further investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The crystallite sizes of undoped and Nb-doped TiO2 spherical were in the range of 10–20 nm. The sensing films were prepared by spin coating technique. The mixing sample was spin-coated onto the Al2O3 substrates interdigitated with Au electrodes. The gas sensing of acetone (25–400 ppm) was studied at operating temperatures ranging from 300–400 °C in dry air, while the gas sensing of ethanol (50–1,000 ppm) was studied at operating temperatures ranging from 250–400 °C in dry air. View Full-Text
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Phanichphant, S.; Liewhiran, C.; Wetchakun, K.; Wisitsoraat, A.; Tuantranont, A. Flame-Made Nb-Doped TiO2 Ethanol and Acetone Sensors. Sensors 2011, 11, 472-484.
Phanichphant S, Liewhiran C, Wetchakun K, Wisitsoraat A, Tuantranont A. Flame-Made Nb-Doped TiO2 Ethanol and Acetone Sensors. Sensors. 2011; 11(1):472-484.Chicago/Turabian Style
Phanichphant, Sukon; Liewhiran, Chaikarn; Wetchakun, Khatcharin; Wisitsoraat, Anurat; Tuantranont, Adisorn. 2011. "Flame-Made Nb-Doped TiO2 Ethanol and Acetone Sensors." Sensors 11, no. 1: 472-484.


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NEW YORK, Jun 26, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Towers Watson (NYSE, NASDAQ: TW), a global professional services company, today announced the release of three industry-leading software-as-a-service HR technology solutions: Talent|REWARD, HR Portal and Online Total Rewards 8.0. These updates, which are available now, include significant enhancements for employees, managers and HR administrators. Already successfully deployed with over 500 clients globally, these solutions support organizations' efforts to increase employee engagement, improve HR service delivery effectiveness and clearly articulate their employee value proposition.
"The enhancements we've made to Talent|REWARD directly support our efforts to improve the administrator and employee experience," said Chad Daugherty, global practice leader of Towers Watson's HR Technology practice. "We have materially enhanced the administrator's ability to efficiently manage the deployment without sacrificing usability. Additionally, we are seeing a higher usage of HR service center technology as organizations look to improve their employees' experience without increasing costs."
Talent|REWARD 8.0 features include:
- Compensation planning worksheets. Managers are now able to make compensation recommendations in a detailed employee-by-employee process or the familiar spreadsheet view.
- Extended pay-for-performance calibration. Keeping managers focused on the big picture is enhanced with real-time calibration via interactive displays. Robust filtering and reporting enhance the manager's ability to make the right decision prior to submission for approval.
- Improved user experience. Improved search, event details and activity views are all contributing to a more efficient user experience.
- Administrator process management. Increased control over workflow and process definitions after launch allows administrators to more easily respond to midyear business process changes. The increased flexibility supports more real-time alignment of the technology with changing business processes.
- Increased language capability. Local language support increases employee utilization and engagement, now encompassing 25 languages within the standard deployment.
HR Portal and Online Total Rewards 8.0 features include:
- Extended mobile support. Additional mobile "gestures" are supported, increasing the mobile experience for employees, managers and candidates.
- Social widgets. Support for Twitter feeds and blog posts within the HR Portal helps drive employee engagement and provides a low-cost process to keep the content current.
- Administrator user interface. An advanced administrator user experience allows for greater client control of the deployed solution.
Visit www.talentreward.com to learn more about Talent|REWARD, HR Portal and Online Total Rewards 8.0.
About Towers Watson
Towers Watson (NYSE, NASDAQ: TW) is a leading global professional services company that helps organizations improve performance through effective people, risk and financial management. The company offers consulting, technology and solutions in the areas of benefits, talent management, rewards, and risk and capital management. Towers Watson has more than 14,000 associates around the world and is located on the web at towerswatson.com.
SOURCE: Towers Watson
Media Contacts:
Ed Emerman, +1 609 275 5162
Towers Watson
Binoli Savani, +1 703 258 7648
Copyright Business Wire 2014


text: NOPR Community: http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/4108 2017-12-05T09:55:35Z MEASURING QUALITY MANAGEMENT LEVEL WITH REFERENCE TO ISO 9000 AND TQM FOR SPECIAL LIBRARIES IN INDIA http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/7476 Title: MEASURING QUALITY MANAGEMENT LEVEL WITH REFERENCE TO ISO 9000 AND TQM FOR SPECIAL LIBRARIES IN INDIA Authors: Verma, R K Abstract: The main objective of the study is to assess the impact of six factors viz., status of library; size of ALIS units; sector of organization (administrative control); type of organization (major fields of activities); resources; and quality awareness level (as independent variables) on Quality Management Level (OML) of special libraries in India. The QML is represented by nine key activities of libraries viz, Commitment by management/leadership; Education & Training; Services standards; Processes standards;' Customers' survey; Quality manuals; suggestion/ feedback systems; Quality circles; and Individual ethics for management and learning treated as dependent variables. In the study, the empirical data was collected through a questionnaire from a sample population of special libraries in India. A TQM based approach was followed by using modified form of European, Quality Model. Presents the findings on QML and its variations among special libraries in India and establishes knowledge on associative patterns between QML and six factors. The results of the survey reveal that (or proper performance measurement of LIS sector, OML depends upon a TQM oriented instrument concludes that QML is closely associated with innovation and reorganization process rather than streamlining and securing routine functions and processes which would be a conservative approach for successful Quality Management in libraries. Page(s): 141-163 2002-12-01T00:00:00Z BARCODING OF LIBRARY DOCUMENTS :PLANNING, TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/7475 Title: BARCODING OF LIBRARY DOCUMENTS :PLANNING, TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS Authors: Manjunath, G K; Pujar, S M Abstract: Barcoding though relatively an old technology, is one of the important steps in library automation and is still not widely used in libraries in India. This paper discusses the benefits of barcode technology and gives guidelines for selecting the hardware/softwares highlighting the features of scanners and printers. The paper also gives guidelines for retrospective. conversion, which becomes the core issue in any library with a very large collection. Some tips necessary for software customization have also been provided. This paper is a case study based on the barcoding and retrospective conversion project undertaken at IGIDR Library, Mumbai, India. Page(s): 119-125 2002-12-01T00:00:00Z BlBLlOMETRlC STUDIES ON AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS RES EARCH LITERATURE: A REVIEW OF AUTHORSHIP PATTERN http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/7472 Title: BlBLlOMETRlC STUDIES ON AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS RES EARCH LITERATURE: A REVIEW OF AUTHORSHIP PATTERN Authors: Udofia, Iton Udofia Abstract: Compares author collaboration in the periodical literature of African Trypanosomiasis. The study was based on the literature abstracted in the 1990- 2000 articles of Tropical Diseases Bulletin and Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Quarterly (TTQ) using the counting method. It is found that both the annual rates and the cumulation of author collaboration for the period for each of the ten years was high although the figures obtained for 1992- 1995 and 1998 -2000 were higher than those for 1990- 1991 and 1996 - 1997. Concludes that though author collaboration exists in African Trypanosomiasis literature for the ten years studied, it is generally high but each year's literature is dominated by multiple authorship, and in all, two and three authored papers were predominant. The extent of collaboration was up to 11 authors per article, and this calls for more collaboration to extend the authorship beyond 11 authors per paper, as it is noted in other scientific disciplines. The study has provided factual information in support of information services in the field of African Trypanosomiasis literature. Page(s): 45-49 2002-06-01T00:00:00Z LIS USER EDUCATION COURSES IN AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITIES: AN ANALYSIS INTO OBJECTIVES AND REALITY http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/7471 Title: LIS USER EDUCATION COURSES IN AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITIES: AN ANALYSIS INTO OBJECTIVES AND REALITY Authors: Singh, Neena Abstract: Discusses the LIS user education courses in eleven agriculture universities of India. Objectives of such courses, duration and course contents are discussed based on the data available in the syllabi followed by the agriculture universities. Concludes that introduction of such courses is an encouraging step towards user education. Page(s): 37-44 2002-06-01T00:00:00Z


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Ed Balls explains hesitant Autumn Statement response
Ed Balls has said responding to the Autumn Statement was like "doing a wedding speech when you don't know either the bride or the groom".
The shadow chancellor was forced to defend his performance in the Commons yesterday after many observers thought he was caught off guard.
On BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said his hesitant start in the chamber was due to his "stammer".
But Chancellor George Osborne said that had "nothing to do with it".
"Sometimes my stammer gets the better of me," Mr Balls said.
The effect did not normally last beyond the "first minute or two" of his speeches, the Labour MP suggested, but it could be exacerbated "when I have the prime minister, and the chancellor and 300 Conservative MPs yelling at me at the tops of their voices".
He added: "But frankly that is just who I am. I don't mind that.
"What I want to do is win the arguments for what's right for Britain, for jobs, for our economy, for our deficit and for low and middle-income families in our country."
'Scene of the crime'
But Mr Balls also explained: "What happens in the House of Commons when you are responding to that statement is you have none of the figures, none of the documentation, and you have to listen to the chancellor.
"The outside forecasters were all expecting a rise in borrowing this year, because it has risen for the first seven months... it was impossible to work out in that first minute or two what was going on."
He accused the chancellor of deploying "sleight of hand" in his presentation of the UK's fiscal position.
"The chancellor decided to slip the money for the 4G mobile spectrum into this financial year, but he didn't even say that in the House of Commons," he said.
"That was the only reason... that stopped borrowing rising this year."
Later on the Today programme, Mr Osborne commented: "The Commons doesn't take Ed Balls very seriously.
"It's got nothing to do with the fact that he has got a stammer, it is because he was the chief economic adviser when it all went wrong, and he never acknowledges that.
"He never admits that he was there at the scene of the crime, and so obviously when we listen to his answers about what should happen next, we're a bit sceptical."
- Autumn Statement in six minutes 06:29
- Osborne: Britain is on the right track 02:15
- Ed Balls: 'Worst-off paying the price' 01:06
- BBC editors' analysis 08:08
- Fuel tax rise 'cancelled' 01:00
- 'Employment set to go on rising' 00:56
- Chancellor on pension pots 02:02
- Below-inflation benefits increase 02:29
- Corporation tax cut 'advert for UK' 01:55
- 'More action' to tackle tax avoidance 02:02
- Road, rail and broadband plans 03:29


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Accountability the prize of a `yes' vote
Published 4:50 pm, Friday, November 2, 2012
On Election Day, Bridgeport residents will be asked to make a critical choice about the direction of our public schools. Do we want to build on the real progress we have made over the last year? Or do we want to go back to the failed leadership and policies of the past? As a mother of a public school student, the choice here is obvious -- it's time to put progress over politics.
On the ballot is a charter-revision referendum that would give Bridgeport an appointed, accountable board of education. I know this is the right choice for our city because this approach has already delivered proven results -- for our parents, students, teachers and taxpayers.
Last year, after the Bridgeport school system had become the worst in all of Connecticut, the state stepped in, took control of the system and brought in one of the best school superintendents in the country, Paul Vallas. For the first time, with an accountable and effective board and a strong leader, our schools started making real improvements. Why would we go back to the old, broken model now?
Voting "yes" on the charter revision will restore professionalism to the board, by ensuring that those in charge of guiding our schools are qualified, committed, and held accountable. Voting "yes" will put a team in place that will work together toward a common goal of providing the most opportunities and the best education to our kids.
We started to see those possibilities over the last year under the leadership of Supt. Vallas and the appointed board. There's no denying the tremendous progress that has been made:
They closed a $19 million budget deficit without having to lay off teachers and guidance counselors or slash high school sports programs;
They created 130 new pre-K seats, more than any other district in the state;
They delivered new textbooks to every school;
They standardized the curriculum across the district; and
They grew the number of high quality high school options that enable students to take college courses for free.
Those are the opportunities I had in mind when I sent my son to school on his first day of kindergarten -- and the responsible leadership I expect when I pay my taxes.
As a parent, when it comes to educating my son, I'm looking for leadership that prioritizes students. I read to my son every day and work with him on his homework. I'm the one who taught him to count and to recite the alphabet. I've lived up to my end of the schooling bargain - now I want my school system's leaders to live up to their end.
Supt. Vallas and the previous board recognized the important role of parents and worked with us to adopt an improved parent engagement policy that will bring more voices to the conversation. They approached each issue with a problem-solving mentality rather than a confrontational one and brought all stakeholders to the table.
As parents, that's all we ask. We simply want results from our leaders and opportunities for our kids. Let's make sure our schools keep moving forward. Vote `yes' on the November 6 charter revision referendum to give every Bridgeport child the quality education they deserve.
Jessica Martinez lives in Bridgeport.


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A benefit will be held Sunday, Nov. 11, to raise funds for the family of Justin Fettig, an Apple Valley resident who was critically injured in a car accident in September.
Fettig, 31, is married and has three boys, ages 7 to 3.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Fettig collided with a semitrailer truck on southbound U.S. 52, just south of the Minnesota 55 split in Rosemount, on Sept. 4.
Fettig, whose Ford pickup was wedged beneath the semi, suffered a brain injury and was in a medically induced coma for 10 days after the accident, according to a flier promoting the fundraiser.
Fettig, who also had several broken bones and cuts, spent several weeks in the hospital and is undergoing months of rehabilitation for his injuries.
The fundraiser is from 3 to 7 p.m. at the South St. Paul V.F.W., 111 Concord Exchange.
There will be a spaghetti dinner (cost is $5 for adults and kids 13 and older, or $3 for kids 4 to 12 years old), live and silent auctions, kids games and activities and live music and comedy acts.
Monetary donations for the family can be sent to Provincial Bank, c/o Justin Fettig, Attn: Jake Johnston, P.O. Box 459, Lakeville, MN 55044.
Nick Ferraro can be reached at 651-228-2173. Follow him at twitter.com/NFerraroPiPress.


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Hank Blalock Looks to Reclaim His All-Star Form In Tampa BayMarch 9, 2010
Just a few short years ago, Hank Blalock stood among the giants of the game. Now he is fighting for his major league career.
When the Rays signed two-time All-Star Hank Blalock to a minor league contract, they gave a 29-year-old player another shot to reclaim a career that was once one of the most promising in the Majors.
Blalock finished the 2005 season as one of baseball's rising stars, batting .263 while belting 25 home runs and 92 RBI. It was Blalock's third straight season with at least 25 homers and 90 or more runs batted in.
After slumping in the 2006 season, various injuries in 2007 and 2008 (including a torn hamstring and a condition called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) robbed Blalock of playing time.
In 2009, Blalock returned to the Texas Rangers lineup, moving to first base and for the first time since his last All-Star appearance. He began to jack the ball out of the park like old times, pounding 25 homers for the Rangers last season.
Even though his power returned, Blalock had his worst performance at the plate since his rookie season, batting just .234 on the year with a career worst .277 on-base percentage.
His injury history and struggles at the dish prompted the Rangers to allow him to test free agency, where he received a pretty icy reception.
When asked why he chose to come to the Rays, he told the Tampa Tribune, "Well, I didn't have any other choice. So that's why I'm here."
The signing of Blalock provides some competition for Pat Burrell for the DH spot and gives the Rays some depth at first and third.
It's expected that Blalock likely will platoon with Burrell for the first portion of the season.
Personally, I don't blame the Rays for taking a flyer on this power hitter. He's cheap ($925,000 with the chance to make another $350,000 if he reaches incentives), he gives the Rays a left handed bat, and he might be able to push Pat Burrell to reach his potential with the Rays.
Sometimes a change of scenery can do a lot for a player, and if the Rays are forced to move Carlos Pena, Blalock could be a solution that eases the loss.


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Walter Reed Army Medical Center closed down operations during summer 2011, moving its outpatients to new facilities at Bethesda and Fort Belvoir. Originally, the plan was conceived by the Defense Department as a way to reduce traffic congestion in the area, though the move increased Bethesda's workforce by 44 percent.
Research done by Walter Reed found a slight decrease in vehicle traffic during peak morning and evening rush hours after the consolidation. However, conflicting research done by outside traffic analysts found that the decrease could be a result of vehicles overclogging the roads, allowing fewer drivers to reach points measured in the research.
Concern has also grown over the demand for parking at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, as an investigation has begun on the usage of fake parking permits by some employees.
How has this medical consolidation worked for employees? Has your commute been affected? Has service member medical care improved?
Tell the Federal Eye and Govloop for this week's Federal Buzz question of the week . Fill out the form below or tweet your response using #FedBuzz.
Read more on PostPolitics and the Fed Page


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Engine Performance problem
2000 Toyota Sienna 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 70000 miles
The "check engine" light came up on our minivan. My wife noticed it was running slightly rough that morning and when the light came on, she was right around the corner of a service station we often use. She drove right in. They told her they didn't have the time to check it out right then but it was safe to drive. She drove it home (less than 4 miles) and it stayed in the garage until I took it in two days later for a thorough check. They told me it would take about an hour but it took about 2 and a half hours. I was told it needed a tune up and I scheduled it for the next day. I couldn't wait any longer. It took about half an hour for the mechanic to put it back together and he assured me it was safe to drive. All the way home, it rode horribly rough. It seemed to get worse as it was going on. It was bucking and jumping with acceleration and didn't get above 30-35 mph. At first, I thought it was just cold but half way home, I realized it was getting worse. I called the shop when I got home and the mechanic told me he "didn't put it together completely." My wife brought it back the next day and it drove the same way (maybe worse). She and my children also noticed a heavy fuel odor that she told the mechanic about. They did the repairs they talked about but check engine light came back on after a week. I took it to a Toyota dealer and they told me the catalytic converter is fried. I have done a significant amount of research about this and all of the mechanics I talk to are convinced that between the diagnostic appointment and the repair work, the 8 miles of driving in the poor condition caused the damage to the catalytic converter. They have told me the wires were not placed replaced correctly when they did the diagnostic check and the 8 miles we drove allowed unburned fuel to be dumped into the catalytic converter and that most likely caused the failure. When I told this to the service station, the told me the Electric Control Module would prevent any such damage. Toyota says it will handle minor amounts of fuel but that the driving condition I described would not be prevented from causing damage. Can you help in sorting this out?
have the same problem?
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 AT 10:09 AM


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I kiss her 2 or 3 times at school!Visitor's Question from a 16-20 year old Male
hello george! its being a while since i last asked for advice!
im 17 and she is 16 and we have been goin out for almost 2 wonderful months now! we cant do many things after school coz its cold and i have asked her once before to hang out at her house sometime but she didnt say anythin although last nite she txted me and told me that she would like towatch this film with me at her house or her room and then i would leave! all i want to do is to make her happy!! she is really special ! she is guiet shy sensitive with a gd family she doesnt go out alot she just stays home most of the times or she can go somewher with her mum but she doesnt hang out with friends she has a great character and i dont wanna loose her !!
should i ask her tommorow to hang out at her house and maybe walk our dogs or somethin like that?
i keep tellin her how much i love her and that she is really special to me etc. and i mean these things! should i keep tellin her these stuff? wot else do u think our relationship needs to continue be inlove with each other?
we mostly c each other at school! i kiss her 2 or 3 times at school! do u think i should make out with her more?
RomanceClass.com Advice
You are doing excellent so far.
Hope you got to spend some time with her recently. Hanging out at her house and also walking dogs is a good idea.
You should try to make out with her more and not just at school.
You've got a good thing going. Have fun! George
-- from George
One of Your Friendly Advisors at RomanceClass.com
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This excerpt taken from the WMT DEF 14A filed Apr 20, 2009.
Resolved: That the shareholders of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Company) request that the Board of Directors Executive Compensation Committee adopt a Pay for Superior Performance principle by establishing an executive compensation plan for senior executives (Plan) that does the following:
Supporting Statement: We feel it is imperative that executive compensation plans for senior executives be designed and implemented to promote long-term corporate value. A critical feature of a well-conceived executive compensation plan is a close correlation between the level of pay and the level of corporate performance. The pay-for-performance concept has received considerable attention, yet all too often executive pay plans provide generous compensation for average or below average performance when measured against peer performance. We believe the failure to tie executive compensation to superior corporate performance has fueled the escalation of executive compensation and detracted from the goal of enhancing long-term corporate value.
We believe that the Pay for Superior Performance principle presents a straightforward formulation for senior executive incentive compensation that will help establish more rigorous pay for performance features in the Companys Plan. A strong pay and performance nexus will be established when reasonable incentive compensation target pay levels are established; demanding performance goals are set in comparison to peer company performance; and incentive payments are awarded only when median peer performance is exceeded.
We believe the Companys Plan fails to promote the Pay for Superior Performance principle in several important ways. Our analysis of the Companys executive compensation plan reveals the following features that do not promote the Pay for Superior Performance principle:
Table of Contents
We believe a plan designed to reward superior corporate performance relative to peer companies will help moderate executive compensation and focus senior executives on building sustainable long-term corporate value.


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Teetering on the Edge of Disaster: House Should Not Vote on Farm Bill
Let's set the stage for the farm bill discussion underway in Congress right now: We are approaching $17 trillion in debt. Yet, House Republicans want to hastily, and nonsensically we might add, move ahead with an outdated farm bill that is in dire need of reform and that is a huge burden to taxpayers and consumers.
Our $17 trillion debt is a massive problem, by any rational estimation. Adding hundreds of billions to that level of debt is extremely ill advised.
If Congress moves forward with the farm portion of the farm bill, they'll do just that. Not only is the farm bill unaffordable, but large corporate farmers – the primary beneficiaries of farm bill handouts — do not need taxpayer assistance! As we noted last week:
Central planning never works well; the agriculture industry is no exception. Farmers are sophisticated, innovative business leaders, evinced by their record high incomes. They don't need subsidies upon subsidies. Really, they can take care of themselves.
They can manage risk – through futures contracts and hedging, crop diversification, credit reserves, and private insurance — without taxpayer subsidies.
Still, some obstinate – and politically motivated – lawmakers want to barge forward and pass a farm bill that has not been reformed in any meaningful way. If it becomes law, taxpayers will be stuck footing the bill for Depression era subsidies for today's millionaires.
The state of play right now is that House Republican leaders have decided to drop food stamps from the farm bill and are whipping the farm-only portion of the bill for a vote that will likely come this week. If that occurs, the legislation will almost certainly become law.
We outlined last week the various ways in which the farm bill can and should be reformed. If Congress would put the good of Americans before political expediency, they might cool their jets and consider these reforms.
House Republicans need to remove the blinders. The farm bill is riddled with wasteful programs and passing it would be a huge mistake and injustice.


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Do electric cars really cause less air pollution? The answer is not as obvious as you might think. Gasoline hybrid cars, which create power from the car's own mechanical energy waste, certainly create much less air pollution than traditional internal combustion engine automobiles. And plug-in battery cars do not actually exhaust any pollutants because there is no exhaust. However, the electricity coming from the wall socket may have a not-so-clean origin.
If the electricity comes from wind energy or a hydroelectric dam, then it is clean. But about 75 per cent of American electricity is generated from fossil fuels, and this conversion creates air pollution. Of course, electric car motors do not run on oil imported from other parts of the world. So there remain many good reasons to drive an electric car. But in some ways, it might be a stretch to call them "green."


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Organize your favourite listings
Sign up to keep track of your favourite spaces and revisit them later.
2,750 square feet with grade loading and yard storage. Excellent parking and truck access to yard storage and loading door.
Close to major roadways including 50 Street, Sherwood Park Freeway and Anthony Henday


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It's not that Micayla Lange is afraid of the clinking she hears coming from the first floor of the empty McMansion she's housesitting for her uncle Nicco. She's a cop, after all. It's just that finding out her boyfriend was cheating on her was enough drama for one night. Now she's alone on New Year's Eve, wearing flannel pajamas and wielding a Glock 22 as she zeroes in on the unmistakable source of the sound: Uncle Nicco's private office.
Jason Davis steals things for a living, so unexpected developments are a natural part of the job. Getting caught red-handed by a hot, pigtail-sporting police officer in what is supposed to be a gangster's deserted house is just one more twist in the game. Kind of like finding incriminating photos in Nicco Marino's safe, only to discover the cop - and the security cameras - have gotten a real good look at his face.Unfortunately for Mick, she also got a good look at the damned pictures. Her "uncle" might love her like family, but if he knows she's seen evidence that implicates him in the murder of a city councilman, she doesn't like her chances. Which is why she's having a hard time reconciling her professional instincts with what she is rapidly concluding is an inescapable fact: She's about to help a criminal get away with a suitcase full of stolen money. And she's going with him.
Mick and Jason's race for their lives hurtles them through the dangerous Michigan wilderness on speedboat and snowmobile. As their adventure heats up and their enemies close in, Mick is torn between her duty to the force and the combustible passion engulfing her and her unlikely partner in crime. She'll have to turn Jason in sooner or later... if they survive. But will they ever get a second chance at love?
©2011 Karen Robards (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.
There are no listener reviews for this title yet.
"Narrator sucks!"
Can't get thourgh it. Narration is too bad...She always sounds out of breath and like a 15 year old.
Joyce Bean
"Waaaay too drawn out"
Would have been a fun short story but the author really stretched it out, mainly with too much repetition. For example, it took about 2 hours of listening time to get through the first 15 minutes of action. The characters were likable though the narrator did make the heroine sound like a whiny 12 year old at times. If you're interested in the sexual relationship between the main characters, it was sparse and brief--more of a story about how a law-abiding cop deals with being placed in an unlawful position to stay alive. Interesting enough for a second listen in the future.
"Not the best but still"
This story is kind of the story you read a thousand times - not really a surprise, not bad but not remarkable in any way. If you have not read something with a similar plot before then it is as good as any of the others. Would have expected more from this author, who's books I generally enjoy. If you listen to it and dont like it, then dont let it discourage you from reading her other book - most of them are very good.
"Drawn out"
Narrator no good. Story okay but a lot longer than it needed to be. Not Ms. Robards best.
"Good but frustrating"
This was a good story but the female character got annoying because of her ignorant and righteous attitude.
"Great story!"
The story line was captivating from the first chapter. I enjoyed the characters and how they developed throughout the story.
newer novels by Elizabeth Lowell
"Fell Asleep"
The story line was good but it seemed like Karen filled in a lot with too many details on minor things.The bulk of the story WAS details.The Narrator was alright.At times you didn't know which character was talking because she seemed to forget to get into character. Over all though,it was a pretty good book.
"Great Story."
Yes. It was a great story. Now that I know the end, I wouldn't have to be on pins and needles
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The Columbus Blue Jackets are better off without Rick Nash. Long-time fans and die-hards may not yet believe this, but soon you will. Given enough time, you will be glad you traded your best asset to the New York Rangers for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a first round pick in next year's draft, because considering he no longer wanted to be in Columbus, this is a pretty decent return.
Also considering how little the franchise accomplished in all these years with the superstar winger as their leader, the fact that they were able to trade him for pieces that will upgrade their roster in key positions, as well as an extra draft choice in what is considered to be a very deep draft, is something to celebrate.
In Dubinsky, the Blue Jackets have added a gritty two-way forward who is a force in the faceoff circle. In terms of point production, he is on par with or superior to every other center on the roster, and his prowess at winning faceoffs cannot be understated. In his five years in the league, he has never won less than 51.4% of his faceoffs, and once even reached 53.4%, both of which are numbers that the previously faceoff-challenged Blue Jackets have to be salivating over. Between his ability to play solidly on both ends of the ice and impact the Blue Jackets' chances of starting plays with the puck instead of having to chase after it, Dubinsky gives the team a chance to be more solid when he is on the ice.
Anisimov and Erixon will bring significant depth to the Blue Jackets' roster. Anisimov will get a chance to flourish in the center position away from the pressures of the New York City media and, like Dubinsky, he is not a significant step down for Columbus at the center position.
Erixon is widely considered to be one of the NHL's best defensive prospects, and in addition to the recently drafted Ryan Murray, he will soon develop into a solid blueliner, which is something the Blue Jackets continue to need more of.
This addition will bolster the back end and give whoever is in net at least a chance of not having to stand on his head for 60 minutes a night just to make sure the team doesn't lose by several goals. Erixon will help his team actually prevent their opponents from scoring at will, so this is a win for the team.
Yes, Nash is one of the league's elite talents, and yes, the Blue Jackets will miss his roughly 32 goals per season. The Blue Jackets will obviously miss his presence too, particularly on the power play, but when year in and year out he is essentially the only player that opponents really have to key in on, the greater issue becomes fixing your depth–not worrying about losing your only bankable superstar.
If you want to improve as a franchise, sometimes you have to give up your best player in order to get better, and that is what Columbus has done here. And depending on whom they end up taking in the draft (presumably late in the first round, given New York's recent success), their future might end up being even brighter.


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Writing external scripts to perform complex data handling is a tedious affair. The best way to automate tasks straightaway into the server is by using Stored Procedures. It is very useful to make them as flexible as possible, as it facilitates easy identification of any errors and can be used for executing a variety of tasks as well.
Stored procedures are set of SQL commands that are stored in the database data server. After the storing of the commands is done, the tasks can be performed or executed continuously, without being repeatedly sent to the server. This also helps in decreasing the traffic in the networks and also reduces the CPU load.There are many advantages of using stored procedures, which include:
For few years, Oracle and Microsoft SQL servers were having one upper hand over MySQL by having the facility to use the advantage of Stored Procedures. But this advantage has become a thing of the past now. With MySQL 5, you can use Stored Procedures the way you have been utilizing with other servers.
The syntax for using Stored Procedures is as follows:
MySQL Stored Procedures can be applied in absolutely any place. Right from complex applications to simple procedures, these stored procedures can be utilized in absolutely any place.Few of the many places that MySQL Stored procedures can be used are:
Though not as mature as Oracle, DB2 or the SQL Server, the MySQL Stored Procedures is definitely worth a try. If the structure of the database is the same, the same stored procedures can be used for all.
To calculate the area of a circle with given radius R, the following commands can be given


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JERUSALEM, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Israel Corp, one of Israel's largest holding companies, reported lower quarterly profit that was weighed down by losses at its Oil Refineries unit and electric car venture and a smaller profit at its chemicals subsidiary. Israel Corp said on Tuesday it earned second-quarter profit of $83 million, down from $115 million a year earlier. Oil Refineries, Israel's biggest refinery, swung to a quarterly loss of $98.8 million due to ...
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Birch Completes Debt Offering
Birch completes debt offering that will provide up to $75 million in total capital.
Jun 30, 2010, 11:23 ET from Birch Communications, Inc.
ATLANTA, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Birch Communications, Inc. ("Birch") announced today that it has completed a private debt offering that was previously announced in November 2009. This private debt offering is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933.
This debt offering includes the Company's working capital facility and senior secured notes which have a combined value of $60 million in funded or committed capital. The working capital facility was provided by Silicon Valley Bank and the lenders providing the senior secured financing include PennantPark Investment Corporation and TICC Capital Corporation. In addition to this debt offering, Birch intends to secure $15 million in debt capital which is expected to close in the coming months.
"The progress in our financing initiatives underscores the fact that the financial markets are confident about Birch's fundamental stability and growth potential," noted Edward James, Birch's chief financial officer.
Birch will use the net proceeds from this private debt offering to repay outstanding indebtedness and for general corporate purposes, including future acquisitions.
"This funding affirms and further enables our efforts to continue to execute on our dual corporate strategy of building out the Birch IP network, which increases our operating margins, as well as completing additional highly-accretive acquisitions," said Vincent M. Oddo, Birch's president and chief executive officer.
The placement agent for the Company's senior secured notes offering was Knight subsidiary Knight Libertas LLC. Redwood Capital acted as financial advisor to Birch Communications in connection with the senior secured notes offering.
About Birch Communications
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Birch Communications is one of the largest IP-based telecommunications and managed services providers serving small business customers in 32 states in the southeast, southwest and midwest. Birch is the first in its class to deploy a private IP-Network utilizing soft switch technology to deliver innovative, high quality, affordable voice and broadband communications services to small and medium-sized business customers. Please visit www.birch.com for more information.
About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for companies in the technology, life science, venture capital, private equity and premium wine industries. SVB provides a comprehensive suite of financing solutions, treasury management, corporate investment and international banking services to its clients worldwide. Through its focus on specialized markets and extensive knowledge of the people and business issues driving them, Silicon Valley Bank provides a level of service and partnership that measurably impacts its clients' success. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 26 U.S. offices and five international operations. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB), along with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital, SVB Global and SVB Private Client Services. More information on Silicon Valley Bank can be found at www.svb.com.
About Knight
Knight Capital Group, Inc. (NYSE Euronext: KCG) is global financial services firm that provides market access and trade execution services across multiple asset classes to buy- and sell side firms. Knight's hybrid market model features complementary electronic and voice trade execution services in global equities and fixed income as well as foreign exchange, futures and options. The firm is consistently ranked as the leading source of liquidity in U.S. equities by share volume. Knight also offers capital markets services to corporate issuers. Knight is headquartered in Jersey City, NJ with a growing global presence across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. For more information, please go to www.knight.com.
About Redwood Capital Group, LLC
Redwood Capital Group is an investment banking firm serving the technology, communications and media & business services industries. The firm focuses on mergers & acquisitions, debt and equity financings and financial advisory services for its clients worldwide. Additional information can be found at www.redcapgroup.com.
About PennantPark Investment Corporation
PennantPark Investment Corporation is a business development company which principally invests in U.S. middle-market private companies in the form of mezzanine debt, senior secured loans and equity investments. From time to time, the Company may also invest in public companies whose securities are thinly traded or that have a market capitalization of less than $250 million. PennantPark Investment Corporation is managed by PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC. Additional information can be found at www.pennantpark.com.
About TICC Capital Corp.
TICC a publicly traded business development company principally engaged in providing capital to small to mid-size technology-related companies. While the structures of their financings vary, TICC looks to invest primarily in the debt of established technology-related businesses. Additional information can be found at www.ticc.com.
SOURCE Birch Communications, Inc.


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Thank you for these. In the minutes for day 1 there are mentions of 6 slide sets but only one of these is linked to. Can I assume that all the slide sets will be made available and referenced before the minutes are approved? Dave Christian de Sainte Marie wrote: > Dear all, > > I just finished cleaning the minutes of F2F2 (eventually!). > > Here are the drafts for you all to review and improve. > > ChristianReceived on Tuesday, 21 March 2006 10:55:28 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 21:47:37 UTC


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A violent Athens sex offender has been jailed because she failed to register her address with the sheriff's office and didn't show up in court on an aggravated assault charge.
Judith Ann Miracle, 59, served two stints in state prison, once for the violent sexual assault of a child in Barrow County.
In October 2010, Miracle was staying in the Spring Court apartment of 51-year-old Alfred Lorenzo "Shorty" Harris when an ex-boyfriend of Miracle's killed Harris by bludgeoning his head with a ceramic toilet tank as the victim lay helpless on a couch, his back turned toward his attacker.
Miracle was not charged in connection with the murder, but she witnessed the slaying and told police that her former boyfriend raped her while still in the apartment where Harris' body was.
William Thomas Valentine Jr. was convicted of murdering Harris, but not for sexually assaulting Miracle.
In 1993, Miracle was convicted in Barrow County of several felonies, including burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal discharge of a firearm near a public road, child molestation and child cruelty.
Court records on the child molestation case were not immediately available.
But the seriousness of offenses by Miracle and her husband were suggested in a Georgia Court of Appeals decision issued in 1996, after Miracle contested the Department of Family and Children Services' termination of her parental rights.
"The record amply supports the trial court's determination that aggravating circumstances existed in that the parents were found guilty of molesting their own children and of cruelty to children and that the children are afraid of their parents," Justice G. Alan Blackburn wrote in the opinion.
The opinion also mentioned Miracle's addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine.
Miracle had served nearly nine years of a 15-year sentence on the child molestation and other charges when she was released from prison in September 2002. She then moved frequently, authorities said, often staying with friends or telling police she was homeless.
Under the sex offender registry law, Miracle last listed her address as a home on Shoal Creek Drive in Winterville. But when arrested Friday, she was booked into jail with an address of 2095 Hollis St. in Athens, and was charged with two counts of failure to register as a convicted sex offender.
She also was charged with failing to appear in court on the 2010 aggravated assault charge.
In that case, according to police, Miracle was homeless, but staying at a woman's home in Athens. She became enraged when other people came to the home who she didn't want there, and took a butcher knife she had concealed in the small of her back and threatened to stab her host, police said.


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|Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei's Regular Press Conference on September 6, 2012
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei held a press conference on September 6, 2012.
Q: Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie has wrapped up his visit to India. What is China's comment on this visit?
A: State Councillor and Defence Minister General Liang Guanglie has paid a successful visit to India. He had an in-depth exchange of views with Indian leaders and military officials on military-to-military relations, international and regional security as well as other issues of common interest, reaching broad consensus. Both sides agreed to advance China-India relations, promote military-to-military exchanges and cooperation, constantly enhance communication, strengthen mutual trust and push for the sound and stable development of bilateral and military-to-military relations. You may refer to the information of the visit we have released in detail.
Q: It is reported that the strained China-Japan relations have delivered a blow to the sales of Japanese cars in the Chinese market. What is China's comment?
A: The development of China-Japan relations is being severely affected for reasons known to all. To change the current situation, the Japanese side must immediately stop its erroneous actions that harm China's territorial sovereignty.