text:
Ne. – Three days removed from the 2012 National Showcase, with one
day in the office sandwiched in between, I found myself in Omaha for
the College World Series, the pinnacle of college baseball, and a
city that has become synonymous with the event itself.
both events are among the most prominent on a national level for what
they represent, the two couldn't be more different than their purpose
and overall meaning to the sport of baseball.
defines the National Showcase, with the top 300 high school players
that are eligible for the following year's draft in attendance to
help themselves, as well as the scouting and recruiting communities,
understand how they stack up against one another. Showcases in
themselves aren't competitive by definition, although it's impossible
to remove competition from any athlete's inner being.
talent is what led the Florida Gators to the No. 1 overall seed prior
to the beginning of the College World Series, that talent on paper
has not resulted in ultimate success in Omaha. Florida lost each of
their first two games, the first to SEC rival South Carolina (who
defeated Florida in the finals a year ago), and the second to an
upstart Kent State program.
seven former PG/Aflac All-Americans, and 15 National Showcase alumni
on their roster, Florida is loaded with professional talent. 31 of
the 33 players on their roster had previously attended a Perfect Game
event, and had five players selected in the top three rounds of the
draft, including the No. 3 overall pick, catcher Mike Zunino.
sophomore and freshman classes are also loaded, most notably by
sophomores Karsten Whitson and Jonathan Crawford. Whitson has been
an early favorite to be the first player selected in the 2013 draft
ever since he stepped onto Florida's campus, and both are expected to
form the heart of the Gators' weekend rotation next season, when
expectations will continue to be high until the program figures out a
way to bring home the championship trophy.
none of that talent will be on display for the national audience in
the Championship Series this year.
roster of the two-time defending CWS champions, South Carolina, may
not have the same high-impact level talent on their roster, but there
are still plenty of recognizable names.
Gamecocks had four players selected in the top 10 rounds of the 2012
draft, and 32 of the players on their 34-man roster have previously
participated in a Perfect Game event. One of those, Ethan Carter, is
a former PG All-American, while Carter and five others have attended
the National Showcase, including team leader and slugger, Christian
Gamecocks are starting to make this whole College World Series
experience in Omaha look pretty easy. The two-time defending
champions entered Thursday with a pretty daunting task: They first
had to defeat Kent State in an early game, a game postponed from the
day before due to rain, and then had to beat Arkansas later that
night just to be able to play another day.
starters Michael Roth and Jordan Montgomery decided to pick up the
entire South Carolina team and carry them on their backs in those two
games. Roth went the distance against Kent State, allowing only 2
hits and no walks while striking out 8, and Montgomery followed that
with 8 scoreless innings of his own in a 2-0 win over Arkansas.
hero Matt Price pitched the final three innings to secure South
Carolina's second win on the day, and went on to toss the final three
innings of the team's win over Arkansas the following day to advance
to the Championship Series for the third consecutive year.
picked up his fifth win in the CWS, setting the all-time mark in that
category after playing an integral role for the 2010 and 2011 teams
(more on Price's CWS dominance is listed below).
the season on the line, Head Coach Ray Tanner was quick to turn to
his bullpen after Gamecocks starter Colby Holmes gave up a pair of
runs in the first three innings. Left-hander Tyler Webb bridged the
gap between Holmes and Price, working four scoreless frames and
handing a 2-2 ballgame over to Price in the seventh.
pitcher has been turned to as frequently as Webb this season for
South Carolina, who has made 38 appearances out of the bullpen,
posting a 6-1, 1.58 record in 57 innings of work.
bullpens for the Arkansas and South Carolina were incredibly
productive in postseason play. Prior to the go-ahead run that South
Carolina scored in the seventh on Friday, the Arkansas bullpen had
not given up a run in 25- 2/3 innings.)
when South Carolina's more clearly defined leaders weren't providing
game-winning hits, someone else always did for a program in which the
team effort is emphasized. The team plays together as a unit, which
is most evident on defense, a rare collection of disciplined players
from top to bottom that rarely beat themselves.
after current team leaders such as Roth, Price, Walker and Evan
Marzilli move on to begin their professional careers, the program
welcomed a promising crop of freshmen this past year that contributed
as everyday regulars.
English, Grayson Greiner and Joey Pankake should define the team up
the middle for the next two years, while Kyle Martin could slide in
to replace Walker at first. T.J. Costen will continue to serve in an
expanded utility role should he not find a regular defensive home in
the starting lineup.
has clearly made a strong impression this season, while Evan Beal and
Joel Seddon will look to receive increased roles next year.
course, the Gamecocks still have two wins to claim their third
consecutive CWS title, something only one other team has accomplished
(the other USC, Southern California), but the results are still
impressive no matter the outcome.
arms come up big
College World Series has never been known as a scouting event. That
said, while the amount of professional-caliber talent fluctuates from
one year to the next, there are always players that stand out as
prospects to watch at the next level.
most notable of which this year is Arkansas right-handed pitcher Ryne
Stanek, who worked six dominant innings in a win over South Carolina
earlier in the week, snapping the Gamecocks NCAA postseason record of
22 consecutive wins, as well as their 12-game consecutive win streak
at the College World Series. Armed with a 93-96 mph fastball that
regularly peaks at 97/98, and a wicked slider, Stanek joins Whitson
in the conversation for the early favorites for the No. 1 overall
2013 pick.
Stanek's Razorbacks were eliminated from Omaha by the Gamecocks on
Friday, he finished the season incredibly strong, and showed great
improvement from his freshman season in 2011.
the SEC should be loaded with draft-eligible pitching talent,
including Whitson and Crawford as detailed above, as well as Ryan
Eades of LSU and Bobby Wade of Ole Miss.
premier power arm eligible for the 2013 draft, Konner Wade, also had
a masterful performance in the CWS, shutting out UCLA, Pac-12
co-champions, 4-0 on Sunday. Wade allowed only five hits in the
complete game effort, striking out four, and he could be turned to
start Game 1 of the Championship Series against South Carolina.
the Wildcats' pitching staff should be incredibly fresh heading into
today's game. Arizona has only played one game since last Sunday, a
10-3 trouncing of Florida State on Thursday in which only two
pitchers were used to pick up the win. Starter Kurt Heyer worked the
first 7.1 innings, while Tyler Crawford worked the final 1.2.
James Farris, Matthew Troupe, Tyler Hale and Stephen Manthei, the
members of the Arizona pitching staff that have received the most
work this season, will all have had at least a week of rest, giving
Head Coach Andy Lopez the opportunity to be as creative as he likes
to get through the best-of-three series.
lineup could be one of the toughest tests the South Carolina pitching
staff has faced all season. Seven of the nine regulars have hit .324
or better, five of those with an on-base percentage greater than
.400, and four with at least 10 stolen bases. Joey Rickard and
Johnny Fields get everything started at the top of the lineup, while
Alex Mejia, Rob Refsnyder, Seth Mejias-Brean and Bobby Brown make it
difficult to go through any part of the lineup unscathed.
team also plays very strong team defense, giving them a very well
rounded team in all three phases of the game.
is a running list of the things and plays that stood out to me during
my two-day, three-game stay in Omaha.
• The
second game on Thursday was in stark contrast of the first game of
the day, when Roth went the distance against Kent State, a game that
was finished in just over two hours.
State got off to an ominous start after falling to the Wildcats in
Game 2 of the CWS nearly a week before. Leadoff hitter Sherman
Johnson led off the game with a single, only to be thrown out at
second base by left fielder Johnny Field as he tried to stretch a
double. In the bottom of the first, Brandon Liebrandt (son of
Charlie) got a chopper tailor-made for turning a double play back to
him off the bat of Field after Rickard led the game off with a
single. Liebrandt fired the throw to second into centerfield,
allowing Rickard to advance to third and Field to reach, the
beginning of a 6-run first inning for Arizona and a very short outing
for Liebrandt.
that double play been made, that game could have evolved in a much
different fashion.
• 32
of the 34 members on Florida State's roster had previously attended a
PG event, including right-handed pitcher Luke Weaver, another PG
National alum, who relieved Liebrandt in the first. Weaver showed a
live arm with a promising three-pitch mix, but just when it looked as
though he was finding his groove, he gave up three of the four runs
that Arizona scored in the fourth, leading to their big 10-3 win and
eliminating FSU from the CWS.
• Rob
Refsnyder and Bobby Brown each hit big home runs in the four-run
fourth. Refsnyder's was a solo shot yanked down the left field line,
while Brown's was a two-run shot pulled to right. Brown was the
overall star of the day, going 2-for-2 with three walks and two runs
• Overall
Florida State used eight pitchers in that game, a CWS record for a
nine inning game. Alex Mejia, the final batter in the Wildcats'
fourth, was the 30th Arizona batter that came to the plate.
• Indicative
of the loss, Seminoles captain and 2012 first-round pick (St. Louis
Cardinals), James Ramsey, went 0-5 in the contest.
• With
such a commanding lead early in the game, many didn't expect Lopez to
stick with his starter, Kurt Heyer, for long in this game. Facing
off days on both Thursday and Friday, it seemed likely that Lopez
would turn to a fresh bullpen looking for a committee effort to close
the game out while keeping Heyer's arm fresh with a lower pitch
count. That didn't happen, as Heyer tossed 123 pitches in the game,
getting one out in the eighth before being removed.
• Seth
Mejias-Brean is a rock at third base, making several plays looked
incredibly easy at the hot corner.
• In
Game 2 of the day, the aforementioned contest between South Carolina
and Arkansas, left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and reliever Matt
Price combined on a three-hit shutout in which they faced only two
batters over the minimum. Montgomery only threw 89 pitches in the
process, as he could be available to pitch in Game 3 of the
Championship Series if needed.
• The
Gamecocks scored both of their runs in the second inning off of
left-handed pitcher Randall Fant. The Razorbacks quickly turned to
their bullpen, with Brandon Moore coming in the second inning and
carrying Arkansas through the seventh. Left-hander Trent Daniel
tossed the final two frames, as the two combined to allow only four
hits, after Fant allowed four in 1- 1/3 innings.
• South
Carolina opened the second inning with back-to-back doubles by
outfielder Erik Payne and Tanner English. After running 6.37 in the
60 at the 2011 World Showcase, English showed off his speed by
stretching two. He later showed his impressive arm strength (97 from
the outfield at the World) by gunning down Bo Bigham at third base
who tried going from first to third on a single by Derrick Bleeker.
While English doesn't project to hit for much power, he's hitting on
the sunny side of .300 during his freshman year, and should enjoy a
productive college career.
made three crucial outs on the basepaths during this game.
• The
team's two catchers, Grayson Greiner (South Carolina) and Jake Wise
(Arkansas) showed incredible arm strength behind the plate. While
Greiner has the stronger of the two arms, Wise has a very quick
release making numerous accurate, online throws.
• Matt
Reynolds joined Seth Mejias-Brean as one of the more impressive
defensive players during the CWS, making a handful of diving stops
and strong throws to first base. A second round pick of the Mets,
it's easy to envision him beginning his professional career at second
• Joey
Pankake is one of the better all-around college players that I saw
all season. He doesn't have great range, but makes all of the plays
he can get to, making consistent, strong and accurate throws to first
base. He made consistent hard contact at the plate, with a knack for
driving in a run when most needed.
the team defense exhibited by Arkansas, South Carolina and Arizona
was impressive.
• Arkansas
got off to a quick start in their elimination game against South
Carolina on Friday, scoring single runs in the first and third
innings to take a 2-0 lead. As noted above, Tyler Webb and Matt
Price combined to throw the final seven innings after Colby Holmes
worked the first two, allowing only three hits while striking out
• Overall
this game moved at a fairly slow pace for such a low scoring affair.
Four Razorbacks pitchers combined to walk nine Gamecock batters,
including five by starter D.J. Baxendale. The pace was not helped by
the homeplate umpire's questionable strike zone, which was both small
and inconsistent, especially in the late innings.
Ameritrade is a beautiful facility. While Rosenblatt had more charm,
a lot of that had to do with the illustrious history of the College
World Series (and TD
doesn't exactly roll off the tongue). The stadium is very clean and
well kept, with a wide open, airy feel that makes it very inviting
while watching baseball on a hot summer night. Whether it be for the
CWS, Creighton Baseball or the Omaha Royals, if you enjoy hitting the
road to visit new cities and a variety of ballparks, be sure to put
Omaha and TD Ameritrade Park high on your wish list.
• South
Carolina pitchers Michael Roth and Matt Price have cemented their
status among the best players to ever participate in the College
World Series. Here are some fun, fast facts to help illustrate their
Roth: 4-0, 1.54 ERA, 52.2 IP, 31 H, 9 ER, 37 K, 15 BB
Price: 5-0, 0.35 ERA, 4 SV, 25.2 IP, 18 H, 1 ER, 33K, 7 BB
Price has appeared in 12 of South Carolina's 16 College World Series
games the last three years
He made an appearance in all five of South Carolina's 2011 CWS games
Two of the games that Price didn't make an appearance in were
complete game efforts by Roth
In those 12 appearances he has either won (5) or saved (4) nine of
Of the seven walks that Price has issued, five came in one game
matter how the rest of the series shakes out, Price, and to a lesser
yet still notable degree Roth, have clearly put their names among the
all-time CWS greats.


text: Well as the title says I Used my DYI poncho liner under quilt this weekend with great results. Now to be honest I also use a down sleeping bag but since I always use it even in the summer I have to say it was a success. My under quilt is a no sew full length poncho liner with a original space blanket " that is the one that has grommets and is poly tarp backed." I used Velcro to attach them together then shock cord threw the short sides to attach to both sides of the hammock. I also ran two short pieces of shock cord from the sides up to the ridge line and attached them with a clip this allows the under quilt to wrap around almost like a pee pod. Friday night it got down to 51 and I was way to warm but Saturday night the storm rolled threw and the temps dropped down to 33 with constant rains and slush from midnight till 10 am. I would call this under quilt good down to mid 30's with the addition of a sleeping bag. I did use a top quilt as well, witch was another poncho liner but I draped this over the ridge line and tucked the sides under my head and in between my legs making like a tent around my chest it was amazing how much this took the chill out of the air it was quite the shock when I got up at 6am to answer the call of nature. Sorry no pictures as it was raining when it was time to break camp.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A FLYER claiming $6.6 billion of federal taxpayer money has been "wasted on illegal boat arrival cost blow-outs" is scurrilous and deceptive, according to Rural Australians for Refugees Bendigo secretary Sue Nuttall.
The Liberal Party today confirmed they had issued the flyer, which doesn't contain any mention of the party, in Bendigo.
The Australian Electoral Commission said flyers needed the name and address of the person who had authorised them, but didn't need to reveal the party.
Ms Nuttall said the flyer could have accurate information, but it appeared to have been misrepresented.
"It really is quite a scurrilous piece of information; it doesn't take into account the whole picture," she said.
"They're using something that will raise the ire of people who think their monies are being misspent without realising the whole situation.
"The actual statistics are probably right, just falsely misrepresented."
Ms Nuttall said the flyer didn't mention that only a small portion of the world's refugees came to Australia, and said many arrived by plane, not boat.
The flyer says 546 illegal boats had arrived in Australia from 2008-12.
"$6.6 billion of your taxes wasted on illegal boat arrival cost blow-outs," it reads.
"That's money that should have gone to improving hospitals, schools and roads."
The flyer contains a line saying it had been authorised by "D. Mantach", who works for the Liberal Party, but doesn't name the party.
Labor candidate for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said she wanted to avoid running a campaign based on "nasty, wedge politics".
"They're trying to hide behind the fact they're being nasty and their trying to con the electorate, distract the electorate from what the real issues are," she said.
"It's quite cowardly."
Senator Michael Ronaldson said Bendigo had been targeted by the flyers due to Ms Chesters' stance on asylum seekers.
"There was a quite remarkable comment from the Labor Party candidate that we should return to onshore processing, which was completely out of step with even her own party's policy," he said.
"It would lead to even greater cost blowouts.
"Every illegal boat is costing about $12.8 million."
Mr Ronaldson said that money spent on boat arrivals should have been spent on hospitals, schools and roads.
Comment is being sought from local Liberal candidate Greg Bickley.


text:
A home on wheels. That's what it's like to travel in a recreational vehicle.
A few years ago, our family took a five-week trip out West, our first RV experience. It was my husband's dream, so I agreed, but for months before we left, I secretly dreaded it.
I came back hooked. We all did.
Like tent camping, an RV puts you close-up to nature, while packing the creature comforts of home: beds, bathroom, a kitchen, stove, fridge, microwave, even air conditioning and heat, and a TV and DVD player. Once avid tent campers, my husband and I found we liked those creature comforts. Our kids did, too.
Many campgrounds throughout New England welcome RVs (or motorhomes). Scott Patsfield, owner of Northeast RV Rentals, says that 80 percent of his RV rentals in New England are for three to four days, up to one week. Joe Laing, marketing director of El Monte RV, headquartered in Sante Fe Springs, Calif., says the company's Boston rentals are up 38 percent over last year.
Interested? Before you roll consider these tips:
Most New England camp-grounds run May-Columbus Day. Book early, advises Julie Daly, station superviser of Moturis of Boston in Rowley. By April is good, but reserve even sooner if you're planning to travel over Memorial Day, July 4th, or Labor Day, she says. Too many families wait until school closes, which is too late.
Compare plans. Three major names for RV rentals include: Cruise America, El Monte, and Moturis RV and Camping World. In New England, there are many "mom and pop" shops, such as Northeast RV Rentals, Forest Marine & RV Center, and New England RV Rental. Search "hot deals" listed on websites. Most rental plans include: insurance, where, if you were in an accident, you'd pay a deductible; 24-hour roadside assistance to answer technical questions by phone; and vehicle assistance, if you have a flat tire, need a tow, etc. Your auto insurance will not cover RV rentals.
Find and reserve the right RV campsite. What's important to you? A simple campsite, with a three-way hook-up (for water, electricity, and sewer), a picnic table, and fire ring? Or do you long for a swimming pool? Tennis courts? Lakes, rivers, and ponds for swimming, fishing, and boating? Many campground facilities include game rooms, playgrounds, Wi-Fi, and a laundry room, but ask.
Linda Lawless of Brockton, who's traveled by RV with her husband, Jim, over 40 years, says, "It's good to start locally and not go too far away." They've RV'd brookfront at Lost River Family Campground in North Woodstock, N.H., and canalside at Scusset Beach State Reservation on Cape Cod. For five-star camping, they recommend Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort in Foxborough, a luxury camping destination between Boston and the Cape.
If driving an RV intimidates you, consider renting one that stays parked at the campsite at Adventure Bound Campgrounds, in either North Truro or Ashland, N.H. This cabin-like option conveys a sense of RV living without having to drive one.
Visit an RV salesroom or camping show. Before our first trip, we visited Moturis RV and Camping World in Rowley. After spending time inside the 25-foot RV my husband had planned to book, we realized we wanted a little more space, and, for a bit more money, rented a 28-footer. Or attend a local RV & camping show.
Decide who's driving. To rent an RV, you must be 25 years or older, have a valid driver's license and a major credit card. Additional drivers must be present at the vehicle pickup. Let co-pilots help you back into parking spots.
Don't be scared by the size of the RV. It's comparable to driving a U-Haul, and after a while, handles like a car or mini-van, says Lisa Shaughnessy, RV rental manager of Forest Marine & RV Center in Tyngsboro, but with even more visibility.
Craig Schwarze of Melrose advises first-timers to make really wide turns and to use the mirrors. But don't park in cities, his wife, Kathleen, adds. Park outside the city and take public transportation.
You want to follow "truck routes," says Jim Lawless. Consider RV resources, like a GPS made for RVing or use "Trailer Life RV Park and Campground Directory," the "bible" of experienced RVers, he says.
Map your trip. Estimate your daily and total mileage. How close is the campground to attractions, parks, and sites you plan to visit? Most rental plans are based on either 100 miles a day or a package, like 500 miles for the entire trip. It'll cost you if you go over. Balance out "big driving" days with longer stays in one spot. Buy two 500-mile packages, for example, if you plan to drive 1,000 miles total. Build in time upfront — for getting your rental, checking the operations out, and packing, and for flexibility to tweak your plan, if you find something interesting.
Involve the kids. Kids love that if they're hungry, need a nap or rest stop, you can park the RV. My kids even enjoyed cleaning it. It was like a blow-up doll-house. Sleeping in the queen-size "loft" above the driver's seat is a thrill; also sleeping on, what had been at dinner time, the kitchen table. If this is your kids' first experience camping, think about packing sleeping bags and a tent, says Eric Nyland of Melrose, whose family of four has RV'd from Camden, Maine, to Napa, Calif.
Rent the movie. Before you leave, watch "RV" with Robin Williams. (Don't let the scene of emptying the "dirty water" scare you.) Avoid "cabin fever" by giving everyone their personal space. Stay outside the RV as much as possible — explore the campgrounds, eat, read, play games at the picnic table outside, sit around the fire at night.
Practice driving and parking.
Before leaving the rental company's parking lot, have each driver practice driving and parking. Or pick your RV up one day earlier, suggests Rooker Price of Melrose. Before taking his family of four on a five-day trip to the Cape, he parked the RV in his driveway to go over the operations, load it with gear, bikes, chairs, etc. After letting his twin daughters sleep overnight in the RV, they couldn't wait to get on the road in the morning.
Check pet policies. Traveling with pets is easy with an RV, as long as you clean up after them. A cleanup fee may be included in your rental policy. Check if your campground is pet-friendly, too.
Seek advice from RVers, your rental company, and campground staff. Rental company staff are happy to recommend local attractions and driving loops for first-timers. Campground neighbors and staff, too, seem to go out of their way to help RVrs.


text:
By: Garin Flowers
Tallahassee, Fla. -- Florida lawmakers are trying to change the way the state awards alimony.
They say the new changes will give families more certainty.
Many of them believe one spouse should not have to pay the other for the rest of their lifetime after a divorce. This new bill could make that happen.
Many Floridians have stories of divorce within their families, and several state representatives shared theirs Thursday evening.
"It shows that this bill isn't anti-woman or this bill isn't a republican or a democrat issue, this bill is a pro-family, pro-kid piece of legislation and I'm really proud to be a part of it," Rep. Ritch Workman, (R) Melbourne, FL, said.
The house approved the reform Bill 85 to 31. Rep. Ritch Workman was a sponsor of it in the house.
"85 members of the Florida house voted, it's bi-partisan, it's actually super majority, makes the bill relatively veto proof which is exciting for me," Workman said.
The bill does give judges full discretion to make a decision on what they see fit for alimony. If the governor signs the legislation, it will take affect July 1, 2013.
The bill let's ex-spouses petition a judge to lower or end alimony payments upon retirement.
It also gets rid of permanent alimony, makes it harder to get alimony in short-term marriages and sets limits on the percentages of monthly income that could be awarded.
Representative Stafford dissented the bill and expressed her concerns.
Cynthia Stafford
"It gives an unfair advantage or protects the person paying and is unfair to the person receiving alimony," Rep. Cynthia Stafford, (D) Miami, FL, said.
Either way, the bill now goes to Governor Rick Scott's desk.


text:
Welcome to the Delaware North Australia and New Zealand Career Opportunities Page.
Whether you are seeking casual, permanent or seasonal employment, or you are building your professional career we are likely to have an opportunity for you.
Please search the current vacancies below. You can select multiple options by using the CTRL key.
If your perfect role isn't listed, please scroll down to the bottom of the page to register for future vacancies.
As we prefer to deal with our team members directly, we do not accept applications from Recruitment Agencies.
Find out how our path to greatness starts here
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text:
Pair of Officials Hat Chairs #2
These chairs are different from other hat chairs in that the ends of the top rails are shaped as deer horns. The deer, of course, symbolizes longevity, but deer horns find a place in Chinese medicine and the supposed properties of ingested deer horn include longevity. The horn motif is also found at the ends of the arms. Without a doubt, the most unusual Officials Hat Chairs I have ever owned.
Wood: Northern Elm
Province: Unknown
Dimensions: 47" x 23" x 17"
Price: $3,995 pair


text:
The 55th Annual Grammy Awards will air at 8 p.m. tonight on CBS, hosted for the second time by LL Cool J, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. In the category of Best Contemporary Christian Music Song, one of the five award nominees is "Your Presence Is Heaven," written by Lee University graduate Micah Massey and Israel Houghton. Regenerate Music of Chattanooga is listed as the publisher of the song.
Name: Regenerate Music
CEO: Christopher Garmon
Services: Artist development, music production, publicity and outreach through social media such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
Started: 2010
Web site: www.regeneratemusicco.com
As an 18-year-old college freshman in 2005, Micah Massey became the youngest chapel worship leader at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.
But for all of his musical talent, the singer-song writer credits a fellow Lee University graduate for helping turn his talent into a successful career. Massey, now 25, is nominated tonight for a Grammy music award for co-writing the best Christian song of the year. The Atlanta musician says his predecessor at the Lee Chapel, Christopher Garmon, helped harness and refine his musical skills through a 3-year-old business known as Regenerate Music.
"Chris helped me not only with my song writing, but he and his business assisted me tremendously on the business side of things," Massey said. "I love to stay on the creative end of music, but Regenerate helped to get my songs out there and communicate with people about our music."
Garmon started Regenerate Music as an alternative to the traditional business model for record labels. Garmon, 30, balks at even the term "record label," calling his business an artist development and production company.
With record sales in decline, traditional record labels have cut back on promotional activity for all but the most successful artists, Garmon said.
In their place, Garmon uses less expensive guerrilla marketing and fundraising and promotes artists via YouTube and other social media. The company has recorded artists at studios in Cleveland and Atlanta, among others. But Garmon sees his business as far more than just selling CDs and records.
"We have assembled a great community of video-graphers, photographers, designers and Web developers to create all of the media that is needed for each artist's unique needs," he said. "We help artists form a content strategy, produce videos and engage in the community to gain YouTube subscribers."
A holiday video by one of Regenerate Music's artists produced last year -- "Puppy's First Christmas" -- has been viewed nearly 6 million times on YouTube.
The video features a Shih Poo puppy playing to the music of "Let It Snow" performed by Rusty Clanton.
Garmon and Massey both said the Grammy nomination for the best Christian song should help them broaden their audience and reputation.
"I'm not sure what to expect," Massey said while preparing for the Grammy awards in Los Angeles. He is one of five finalists with a song he co-wrote with Israel Houghton, "Your Presence Is Heaven."
But for Garmon, who is moving his Regenerate Music business to Chattanooga this year, he wants to remain a boutique business targeting upcoming artists who he can help develop and grow.
"It's a new model, but so far it seems to be working," he said.


text:
The Way I See It
Unconventional wisdom in developing countries
By Sanju Patel '13
Everywhere I went in Liberia there was a story — and the stories provided perspective and an opportunity for solution-focused thinking. That was my feeling after spending two weeks in the tiny country in West Africa in October. I did so as a Jones School MBA student in Distinguished Research Professor of Management Marc Epstein's two-term course, Commercializing Technology and Social Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries.
I encountered Mo, a 29-year-old driver in the capital city of Monrovia. His dream: Go back to school and finish what he started in the fifth grade. Attempting to avoid potholes in the road, Mo explained that he left school to earn money and escaped with his family when the civil war started.
Underpinned by a constitution similar to the U.S., Liberia was formed by volunteers and freed slaves in 1847. By the mid-20th century, the country started to receive foreign investments for modernization. However, in the 1980s, a military coup set off two civil wars until 2003. The country's infrastructure, education, health care and economy collapsed. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) rushed to help, but the persistence of corruption and the decrease of funding during the global recession of 2008 presented challenges.
When I enrolled in Epstein's class to create business solutions for health care and education in developing countries, I was inspired to bring technologies designed by Rice University student engineers and affiliates to alleviate the challenges, such as a mechanical IV flow regulator to assist with rehydration therapy and a solar-powered laptop used for education.
Working in teams, assigned a local driver and given a basic cellphone, we rigorously met with government officials, NGOs, health care facilities and education institutions. Our research included interviews and observations. Meetings were always delayed. One Liberian joked, "We follow W.A.I.T. here — West Africa Independent Time."
During an excursion, village boys rushed to push a van out of the mud. Never having seen the inside of a van with a DVD player, the boys were thrilled at what looked to them to be an airplane cockpit. An innocent reminder of childhood.
Technology is unaffordable, yet cellphones from Lone Star, a local provider, can be seen in the hands of every Liberian. With Liberia's gross domestic product per capita of roughly $400, affordability means paying in smaller installments through rechargeable phone cards. Many buildings were partially constructed because owners could afford to only pay "as you go." Smaller packaging also increased affordability. Fuel, typically sold in gallons, was packaged by street vendors in recycled beer bottles from Club Beer, a local brew.
Redemption Hospital provided another perspective. Once a marketplace, the 200-bed government-funded hospital serves hundreds of patients each day and 400-600 expecting mothers each month. At the hospital entrance a sign boldly states, ""Free Services! No money business."
Tobias, the hospital's administrator, responded to a question about the budget. He squarely replied, "$2 million." The hospital's meager budget is dwarfed by that of a similar-sized facility in the U.S.
Redemption was certainly no paradise. It was humid. Patients were screaming. Rusty equipment filled the rooms. However, the hospital's dedicated stewardship provided for the community of New Kru Town what a marketplace couldn't have provided: a chance to live by providing access. From supplies to medical devices, solutions that are low in cost and result in high impact benefit Redemption.
Mo's story resonated with me after leaving Liberia and presenting our findings back at Rice. Perhaps a different approach in creating sustainable value is required. With the right business model, Mo could repair laptops while having flexibility to learn through tele-education.
Solutions like this sound simple but can only be nurtured by implementers. My call to action: Be one. I'm proud to be a Rice Owl, where I'm given the opportunity to form human connections that teach us beyond our classrooms. I'm even more proud when I think of our potential to fulfill a solution. That, to me, is unconventional wisdom.
Sanju Patel is a 2013 graduate of the Jones School's MBA program. He lives and works in Houston.


text:
General Merchandise Overview 2013
Opening the Loop
Consumers who do their banking through general purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid cards increasingly are starting to recognize the growing availability of these financial products in convenience stores, says Tim Richardson, vice president of financial services for Atlanta-based InComm.
"The reloadable or GPR category has really taken off and evolved to be a dominant player within the convenience-store space," he says, citing the growth of prepaid options such as Net Spend, Green Dot, Paypal GPR and InComm's MyVanilla.
Mercator Advisory Group forecasts the market for open-loop cards to grow by 48% from 2011 to 2014. Users are expected to load $281.7 billion onto GPR cards this year and another $353.8 billion in 2014.
"It's not inconceivable there will be more of these cards that try and get into convenience stores, because it's a broad channel, "says Ben Jackson, a senior analyst for the Maynard, Mass.-based group. Retailers generally can earn a commission based on the amount loaded onto the card, but c-stores also benefit by offering reloads.
"That brings in future income because usually the convenience store gets some portion of the reload fee," Jackson says. "It also is, of course, another visit to the store, and very few people walk in without buying something else."
The Mobile Wallet
The transformation of smart phones into mobile wallets is enabling retailers to reach consumers in ways that go beyond coupons or loyalty-program offers.
For example, Framingham, Mass.-based Cumberland Farms offers an app that lets customers pay at the pump using their mobile phone and their PayPal account.
Allen Preslar, vice president of national convenience forInComm, points to the prospect of retailers using mobile technology to sell directly to customers no matter where they are. Retailers could make it possible, for example, for customers to purchase gift cards on their smart phones and sweeten the deal with loyalty points. "If you're going to spend $50 on an Applebee's card or an Xbox card, you can have instant gratification and earn loyalty points without getting out of your house," Preslar says.
Jackson of Mercator believes many retailers will make decisions about accepting payment from bar codes on smart phones as they replace aging POS systems: "As they upgrade systems and make changes at point of sale they need to think about, 'Can I add the ability to scan a bar code off a phone and make payment? Can I give somebody the ability to tap their phone and make a payment?' "
Closing the Loop
While the performance of closed-loop cards in the coming months is expected to be mixed, the growth of no-contract wireless could create opportunities for retailers through sales of phone cards and prepaid phones, Jackson of Mercator says. C-store operators also could offer no-card phone top-ups, in which a customer could pay cash and add money to their wireless account at the c-store register.
When it comes to gift cards, however, some retailers are feeling frustrated, Jackson says. They might not have been able to attract the most popular cards and find the others not worth their time.
The category-management basic—know your customer—is critical. "If I have a c-store at a highway rest stop, people probably aren't coming there to buy a gift card," he says. "But if I have a c-store on the ground floor of an apartment building in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, somebody might grab a gift card there."
Younger c-store customers tend to seek out digital-content gift cards, such as iTunes or game cards, because they lack credit cards to purchase movies or play games online.
For Good Health
While the OTC medication segment was virtually flat in 2012, it got its biggest boost from vitamin and supplement-based products, says Tom LaManna, vice president of merchandising services for Convenience Valet, Melrose Park, Ill.
Immune-support products, such as Emergent-C and Airborne, are proving good bets for retailers. "With the economy the way it is, it makes sense that people are going to try and self-medicate more in a positive way than to go to a doctor and pay the deductible or out-of-pocket expense," LaManna says.
Products aimed at weight training and fitness fans, such as the fruit-based protein shot Protein to Go, also offer c-stores the chance to tap into a growing niche, LaManna says.
Energy Shoots a BlankOver the past year,the rate of growth for energy shots has slowed dramatically. According to figures from SymphonyIRI, c-store sales of energy shots fell 1.1% in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 30, 2012, with units off 2.1%, after years of double-digit growth. Nielsen shows dollars up one-tenth of a percent, with units down more than 2% in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2012.
A January 2013 report from Packaged Facts says the energy shot category "comprises a narrow scope of products that cater to a limited demographic of infrequent users." For the category to reach growth rates comparable to energy drinks, "makers and marketers must actively pursue new consumers and increase replenishment cycles," it says, suggesting targeting more mature audiences with promotional efforts and brand positioning.
Coughing Up Sales
Sales of cough, cold and allergy medications were down inc-stores last year, primarily due to ongoing manufacturer shortages. But Beth Noteman of Lil' Drugstore Products, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, sees new opportunities for the HBC category as products are expected to begin returning to store shelves.
"Based on our interaction with a number of manufacturers, we do see some of the manufacturing shortfalls lessening as we go into 2013 and ... greatly reduced as we go into 2014," she says. Whether the category is helped or hindered will depend on when products return, Noteman says. Will cough and cold, for example, be back before fall?
Convenience Valet's solution, LaManna says, has been to find new brand-name replacement items to fill in the gaps. "It's more about the breadth than the depth" in c-stores, he says.
But Noteman says private-label products have been profitable substitutes in the absence of top branded alternatives. And certain generic products, such as sinus and cold remedies, have been successful when paired with equivalent national brands.
Retailers are able to offer customers better value while pulling in greater profits with the private-label products, she says. New midsize OTC medications in both brand and private label also hold the potential for up selling from trial size.


text: While Melcher-Dallas fell in its season opener Friday night to East Green, Coach Ryan Conrad has some positives to take from his team. He says the second and third quarters his team stared to move the ball on East Greene and have a little success throwing the ball. The Saints only score game on a Cody Alexander 30 yard run. Conrad says Alexander has the potential of being a very good player. Melcher-Dallas will host Villisca this Friday Night.


text:
The lights are on
I don't have to tell you how popular Half-Life 2 has become over the years. However, it's one thing to know something is big and another to experience it for the first time almost 10 years after the fact. A lot has happened in the near decade since its release, but it's a testament to the game's popularity that I can still understand why it's such a phenomenon.
I can't remember why I never played Half-Life 2 when it first came out, and as the years rolled on, it was increasingly convenient to put it off in favor of newer titles on deck. However, I've always been aware of this embarrassing gap in my video game experience, and planned on righting the wrong in time. I recently started it up, and I was struck by particular elements of the title that I felt stood the test of time, providing a testament to Half-Life 2's quality.
Graphics are always the first thing to go, but looking at Half-Life 2 doesn't hurt the eyes. Sure, games nowadays shine with better textures and lighting (I played the console version, by the way), but the game has a solid look, and there are also plenty of graphical details and lighting effects to more than adequately set the mood. At one point I was even surprised when I shot a pane of glass to see it spider web and fragment. I wonder if that blew minds at the time.
In general, one of the abiding aspects of the game – and I say this never having played the first title nor harbored any particular affection for the series – is how the game effectively sets the tone. From the gritty look and location of the levels to the small incidental details you come across in the world (like the refugees or fellow rebels you interact with), you can feel the series' universe come alive. This includes the effectiveness of the minimal HUD, quality voice acting, and strength of the cutscenes.
It also says a lot about this game that there are titles these days whose enemy AI isn't even up to the caliber of Half-Life 2's. They stick to cover, move around, and are well-placed within levels, sometimes taking you by surprise or encamping far away in a prime sniping spot. Speaking of levels, the game exhibits one of the trademarks of good level design – you don't always know where to go, but you always get there in the end without getting truly lost. I was surprised how big some of the areas are (although there is loading) inviting alternate solutions to problems and making the area around City 17 feel natural.
One thing that I don't like about the game, although I can only hope it's a relic of the past, is its insistence on incorporating platforming into the mix. Given the lack of peripheral vision inherent in an FPS, I found little joy in trying to jump and land on objects; sometimes requiring pinpoint accuracy. Furthermore, for a game priding itself on its physics, jumping felt slightly floaty, and objects didn't feel weighty enough when manipulated.
There has been almost a decade of hype on Half-Life 2, and I think it lives up to it very well. Even at my snail's pace, I unfortunately imagine I'll have more than enough time to finish the other episodes before Half-Life 3 comes out...if it ever does.
Email the author Matthew Kato, or follow on Twitter, and Game Informer.


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I'm going to miss Troll Warfork.
Remember when his magically exploding ankle ruined the season and got RichRod fired? Or on second thought, maybe not.
After years and years of everyone getting his name wrong despite it being the same name as a famous Michigan tailback who happens to be his dad, Troy Woolfolk wakes up today and tomorrow hoping to see a team next to his name on the NFL draft tracker. Aaaaaand…
…oof. Fine, thinks Woolfolk. I didn't want to be part of your stupid dlaft anyway.
Hopefully this marks the retirement of the "Tloy Wolfork" tag, but I'm guessing it'll make at least one more appearance. Now on to everyone calling our new quarkback "Dennis Northfleet."
I'm going to miss Troll Warfork.
Remember when his magically exploding ankle ruined the season and got RichRod fired? Or on second thought, maybe not.
So you're saying his injury was like Anthony Base's?
Quarkback is too close to Quarterback.
Every time I see it, think to myself "hurr, Brian put the wrong position down for that guy".
I love Mbroblog!
Best of luck to Troy.
This reminds me, however, of a woman I knew at UM named Sam who was a sportswriter for the Daily (and I think the very first woman sportswriter at the Daily). I remember seeing her in the spring of 1982 on the day the draft was going to start. She told me how excited she was to watch the draft and see who would pick Woolfolk. My thought at the time was: who in the heck watches the NFL draft? It was a different time, no interwebs, barely any cable news, no ESPN (I think). Sam was a hell of a sports fan and writer.
So, here's hoping for good luck for Woolfolk in the draft.
She was particularly mentioned in one of Bo's books. Bo would meet her in the hallway outside the lockerroom in order to review the day's events for her articles in the Daily. Had to set it up special since she could not go into the lockerroom like the other sportswriters. This was way before they had the interview room, etc. that they have now..
She went on to become an expert re Middle East affairs. worked for the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times among others. She continues to be a regular on the Sunday Morning talking head shows on the networks. Originally from Ann Arbor. Used to date my old friend the center fielder for Michigan.
Interesting, thanks. I've read Robin Wright's articles. I didn't know the back story.
Seriously? How do you mess up Woolfolk? Especially with all the other names out there
some of the others are much worse than Woolfolk, from a "this is a really easy name to misspell" perspective.
Massaquoi, Osemele, Silatolu, Stahovich, Trevathan, Zusevics. I wonder how badly ESPN butchered those guy's names.
ESPN never makes mistakes. They're simply spelling these players names the proper way. Shame on their parents for getting it wrong all these years....and these aren't the droids you're looking for.
Was also a fun one while it lasted.
Thanks Mgoblog, this made me laugh just moments after dealing with a wireless service trying to make me spend money to remain a customer, of 10 years.
And they won't have me to kick around anymore either.
Evan Smotrich
Something I've noticed this year is that every half wit analyst is using the word "intangibles."
"He has great intangibles."
That's nice, why don't you share what they might be - leadership, drive, excellent under pressure, heart, attitude, toughness....??? Or not. Just say he is athletic and has great intangibles. You've earned every dollar of your salary...
Also, somewhere Ty Issaccs is having a good laugh at Troy Woolford's expense.
Whenever an analysts mentions a player's intangibles, I want to ask him why of his qualities are tangible. Too often, the word intangible is used where the word "immeasurable" should be used. I agree that leadership is intangible. So is a 40 time, or "strength." None of those are tangible.
However, "heart" is tangible, but not practical to do so. Probably not in the context of the ever-knowing analysts though. The debate rages on...
Don't you mean "Tie"?
(tie me up with one of your ties, Ty")
I was playing church league softball a couple years back and a guy who went to the '09 Spring Game was telling everyone how great "Rob Roundtree" and "Tate Forseer" looked. He also said he couldn't wait for "Denard Richardson" to join the team in the summer. Amazing.


text:
I was in the process of ordering a gorgeous leather sleeved sweater in December when I kept getting postal code entry errors, then my size sold out. Worst. Luck. Ever.
So I am back to my leather sleeve love, as seen here on the Jasper jacket by Veda.
Fun fact: the one she got a couple of seasons ago and is wearing so beautifully here retailed for $398. This one, although shorter, costs almost double now *evil glare*
a) I find something similar in New York
b) I get distracted by something shiny
c) it goes on sale
d) I cave
Hope you're having a fantastic weekend.


text:
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4.5 out of 5 rating is our rating for PlumbersStock, we got that rating because we have lots of experience and great people with expertise in plumbing. BUT WE WANT YOUR HELP. This product doesn't have any reviews yet, and we don't want to write our own reviews. It is more valuable to us that the customers get to share their experience with our products. Please, if you have any experience with this product, take a moment to share and help someone else who is trying to make a decision. Thank you!


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text:
Does the pain we feel from rejection and loss have the same effect as physical pain? How does our brain respond to social interactions? In his new book Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect , social neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman describes the biology behind how our brains engage with the social world.
Logging In to the Brain's Social Network
By editor • Oct 18, 2013


text:
I hope no on tells PETA that NASA is irradiating a guinea pig with a probe.
No, the probe is a metaphorical Guinea Pig, meaning only sensors in the probe will be exposed. It'll be looking for Quantum.
Wouldn't that be "quanta" instead of "quantum"?
More than one kind of radiation in a cme gas cloud... doesn't make sense to measure only one.
Wouldn't that be "quanta" instead of "quantum"?
More than one kind of radiation in a cme gas cloud... doesn't make sense to measure only one.
You measure Quanta with Koala Bears*, not Guine Pigs.
*Substitutable with Drop-bears, if you can find any.
You measure Quanta with Koala Bears*, not Guine Pigs.
No, no, no -- you measure Qantas with koala bears. Sheesh, what are they teaching the kids these days...
Pedant mode on: koalas are not bears. It's just a koala, not a koala bear.
I thought you Time Qantas with koala bears, or you CAN...
No, the probe is a metaphorical Guinea Pig...
Be careful with people understanding five-syllable words...
Don't worry they'll just label it a "*Space kitten*" and then make ads calling for its protection and try to get hipster celebs on board.
*._ for those that don't get the joke please look up "PETA Seakittens" for a shocking example of how a group once upon a time was for the ethical treatment of food animals past the batshit exit about 30 miles back...wow.
I'm sure Citizen #64226 would be interested in hearing about the failure to stop the latest invader from the blue planet, but he's busy trying to regrow his gelsacs...
The last remnant of the invading force sickens us with its decadent, passive, lackadaisical attitude. Even as one of its bastard progeny spirals inward to a fiery doom in the toxic atmosphere of the blue world, and its nuclear-powered cousin bakes in the radiation of a solar flare, the last so-called warrior still act
I'm sure Citizen #64226 would be interested in hearing about the failure to stop the latest invader from the blue planet, but he's busy trying to regrow his gelsacs...
I am not a number, I am a free man. - #6
This problem could make a manned trip to Mars impossible. The radiation in open space from one solar flare would fry a bunch of astronauts. Sending people to Mars becomes a gamble on the odds of a solar event occurring. Worse yet. There is no technology within reach that can protect astronauts from this type of radiation. A few feet of lead shielding might help some, but the weight would be too much to get into space. Plus, try slowing down all that mass when you arrive at Mars. Perhaps a nuclear powered wire loop ( super conducting??? ) with a circumference of a mile or two? Something with enough kick to deflect super high speed charged particles a few meters - enough to keep them away from the crew?...
I don't see any way to get people to mars with an acceptably high probability of survival.
Rather then a physical shield, a strong magnetic shield (much like how the earth shields us) might be a possible method to shield astronauts. A nuclear reactor could power a shield as well as possibly some from of nuclear propulsion in the far off future. Though by that time, material science may have caught up to solve this problem.
Really, I wouldn't call it impossible, just very far off should radiation become a problem.
Mining/manufacturing the massive shielding on Luna would make it rather cheaper to launch into interplanetary space, not to mention the water from Luna's poles... And you don't necessarily have to land the radiation shielding (though you might want to, given Mars' lack of a magnetosphere), you could park it in orbit and pick it up for the trip back. Fine ladies and gents have been using parasols to shield themselves on a sunny day for a long time...
Magnetic shielding sounds like it would take too much power
We're not going to Mars. Period. Get over it. At the rate we're going we'll be lucky to feed ourselves by 2025...
Earth AND Mars are both death-traps.
This isn't about our individual survival.
It is about having our species survive beyond the Sun's lifespan AND beyond a localized event in this part of the galaxy.
Humans need to spread out across the galaxy or we will be killed off. Period.
Wow. First you say there's nothing wrong with being trapped on earth, then you suggest we're going to run out of food in a decade. You don't think that's a good enough reason to find more space to live?
Personally, I don't agree that we're anywhere near that close to running out of food. Or living space, for that matter. But world population is doubling about every fifty years, and at some point we're going to be in trouble. Or by "if you take care of the place" did you mean that we should adhere to a s
There's nothing wrong with being trapped on earth *if you take care of the place*.
take care of the place. Reduce your numbers. grow the fuck up and deal with the limitations the earth requires. It's not your planet. You just live here.
If lots of hydrogen works well, specifically what material are you referring to? For instance, is water good? Methane?
How much would it take to stop something such as 5 MeV protons?
Please detail what you mean by "small storm shelter".
About the Magnetic field. You should be able to deflect high energy charged particles as long as you have a strong enough magnetic field. Small and powerful or larger and weaker would work. If the ship has any computers, a powerful magnetic field might cause problems. I h
When we studied manned Mars missions at Boeing, and ate samples of the long term food, we placed the "storm shelter" in the middle of the food storage lockers. Food contains water and carbohydrates which contain hydrogen, which is good shielding. If you have a once-through food system, the waste goes back in the same lockers, and maintains the shielding. If you have a regenerative life support, with a greenhouse, the storm shelter goes in the middle of the growing area/water tanks/food storage. Even wit
The radiation in open space from one solar flare would fry a bunch of astronauts.
Unless the solar flare actually directly hits the spacecraft this isn't a big worry. In fact, to some extent under the right circumstances things are safe during a solar flare since there will be less exposure to cosmic rays due to the Forbush effect- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbush_decrease [wikipedia.org]. And magnetic shielding can easily handle any indirect solar flare, while direct hits are extremely rare (the ISS for example has been in space for about a decade and has never gotten a serious direct hit). In gene
(the ISS for example has been in space for about a decade and has never gotten a serious direct hit).
The ISS doesn't need shielding because the earth is shielding it. The ISS is in low earth orbit - that's 200 miles up. Solar flares *sometimes* penetrate the earth's magnetosphere and hit geostationary satellites. Those are 22,000 miles up. Nothing gets down to 200 miles so ISS is safe. Interplanetary space is not.
Is the ISS close enough to the earth to be protected somewhat by Earth's magnetic field? How do they get away with it?
It would not make it impossible. It merely would make it about as risky as attempting to cross an ocean in the 1600s. A risk that was acceptable back then and should be acceptable to any people that actually want to get somewhere today.
Newt was not the first to propose an ambitious space project. [google.com]
Mars, bitches!
And this, my fellow Americans, is why we need to have our first real black president.
Does anyone else think that the guys who built and deployed the first nuclear bomb were 100% confident that the nuclear reaction would not start a chain reaction in the atmosphere?
They weren't 100% sure. And the people making the first trains worried that traveling 35 mph or faster would prevent you from breathing. New things always trigger "OMG, what if" and nearly none of them have ever come true.
If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend watching the Curiosity Launch Video [youtube.com]. I don't think the rover has to worry about radiation so much as the landing. I'd like to start a pool on which part of the untested landing sequence will fail and deliver a smoking hole in Mars instead of the rover.
I seriously hope it works - if it does it will be one of humanity's most amazing technological feats. But I fear the worst.
Quick, call NASA! Screw the rocket scientists and engineers who designed the thing and whose work almost certainly includes detailed failure rate estimates which ended up being acceptably low for the project to proceed. We may as well press the self-destruct button now and get it over with.
This is the part of
I agree it seems overly complex and therefore bound to fail.
Quick, call NASA! Screw the rocket scientists and engineers who designed the thing and whose work almost certainly includes detailed failure rate estimates which ended up being acceptably low for the project to proceed. We may as well press the self-destruct button now and get it over with.
This is the part of
I disagree with GP, though they might be trying to express sarcasm at GGP, but from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars [wikipedia.org]:
The exploration of Mars has come at a considerable financial cost with roughly two-thirds of all spacecraft destined for Mars failing before completing their missions, with some failing before they even begin.
At least GGP made no indication he thought that NASA was somehow wrong or dumb, but ya gotta admit, that linked-to video's landing sequence is rather Rube-Golbergian.
So when it wound up with a parachute I thought, "Ahh, Lazarus was exaggerating, this ain't so bad."
Then it deployed a rocket lander and I thought, "Oh, maybe he's right."
Then it popped the rover out on a Mars yo-yo, and I said, "Oh, come on!"
Then it gently releases the rover and goes shooting off over the horizon and I just started chuckling.
If this thing works, NASA rules.
The more pressing question is, where does that sky crane fly off to? Perhaps a secret mission to bomb the Martians' base?
Needs a lot of water, if you were to locate the water in between hull layers it acts as quite a nice radiation shield.
And perhaps, though I'm not certain and currently feeling lazy, a micro meteorite shield as well.
Nondeterminism means never having to say you are wrong.


text:
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text:
Amarillo is expected to remain dry through the weekend while high temperatures could reach the mid-60s or 70 degrees by Sunday, forecasters said.
"We're going to have some pretty nice days ahead," National Weather Service Amarillo Meteorologist Sarah Johnson said.
Temperatures should be in the 50s Friday, while southeastern parts of the Panhandle could reach 60, Johnson said. Temperatures could warm into the low 60s Saturday, she said.
She said winds should come from the south and southwest and range between 10 and 20 mph throughout the weekend. There is no chance of rain through Sunday, she said.
Johnson said temperatures should be in the 40s at kickoff for Friday night's playoff football games and remain steady throughout the evening, dropping to about 40 degrees by the end of the games.


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The Dog Days Extended…
So far, September has not been kind…
The month started with so much promise when the
Yankees won from September 1st through 4th, but since
then, wins have been hard to come by.
They won only one game during the second week of the month, and so far,
have only two wins this week pending the outcome of Saturday night's game. A few weeks ago, the question was whether the
Yankees would win the AL East with the Tampa Bay Rays taking the Wild
Card. At a time they should have been
able to put away the Boston Red Sox, the Sox still have hope, only 7 games
behind the Yankees (6 ½ behind the Rays).
Sure, the Yankees are in first place, with a very
thin lead. However, the schedule the
rest of the way is brutal. After the
Yankees leave Baltimore (the Orioles have certainly not been a slouch by any
stretch of the imagination, particularly since former Yankees manager Buck
Showalter took over), they face a Murderer's Row-like lineup of Tampa Bay,
Boston, and Toronto. The Rays and Red
Sox are the obvious rivals, but the Blue Jays have played the Yanks very tough
this year. It is a schedule that will
prove what the 2010 Yankees are made of.
Last night's game was very exciting. Hopefully, it will be one that the team can
build upon. In the 9th inning
with two outs and two runs down, it looked like it would be another loss. Fortunately, Alex Rodriguez saved the day
with his second home run of the day, a three-run shot that gave the Yankees the
margin of victory, 4-3.
In looking ahead, the Yankees play a three-game
series against the Boston Red Sox next weekend in the Bronx. For the series, Julia (of Julia's Rants) and
I will hold another wager. For this
series, the loser must wear the opposing team's hat for a photo on his/her
blog. Also, through previous wagers,
Julia has acquired a Yankees t-shirt and I have a Red Sox t-shirt so we'd have
to include those shirts. I know this is
a tame wager, but the Yankees and Red Sox close out the regular season with a
three-game series in Boston so we'll be looking to close out the year with a
bang. As long as the Yankees win both
series, I am cool with it! J
I have to admit that I had very mixed feelings when
I first heard that Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre had decided to step
down at the end of the season, and was handing the reins to one of my all-time
favorite Yankees, Don Mattingly. I had
quietly harbored hopes that Donnie Baseball could find his way back to the
Bronx, perhaps as a potential replacement for manager Joe Girardi if Joe
decides to go to Chicago. Realistically,
it would probably never happen because Don does not have any major or minor
league managerial experience and that's a pre-requisite in New York.
Gene J. Puskar/AP
None of this means that I want Joe Girardi to
leave. I am just bracing for the possibility. There is no telling how strong his Chicago
roots might be pulling him to return home.
It would be very intriguing to be the guy who brought the World Series
to Wrigley Field. Winning World
Championship #28 for the Yankees wouldn't forever etch Girardi's name into
baseball legend like winning one for the Cubs would. Hopefully, the Steinbrenner Family will do
what it takes to lock up Joe long-term so that there is no possibility for a
managerial search after the season.
As for Joe Torre, I am not convinced he is
finished. None of his words have implied
that he is ready to hang it up. I am not
sure that he'd be a good fit for the Cubs, but perhaps the Mets if they fire
Jerry Manuel. I've wondered if the
Yankees would try to bring him back if Girardi leaves, but outside of George
Steinbrenner's departure, the senior executives who were against Torre in his
latter years with the team are still in place.
Plus, there's always the issue with the book Torre wrote. Whatever happens, I don't want to see Bobby
Valentine in the Bronx…
Since I started writing this post, the Yankees have
defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 11-3, for their second consecutive
victory. It is a much-needed win and
hopefully they'll begin gaining momentum for the challenging late month series
coming up. Congratulations to CC
Sabathia (20-6) for his first 20-win season!
I am very happy to see CC finally nab the elusive victory (it was his
third attempt at 20).
US Presswire
A late Rays rally
against the Los Angeles Angels prevented the Yankees from gaining any ground,
but the Boston Red Sox did lose to fall 8 games back.
On Sunday, Andy Pettitte will make his
much-anticipated return from the DL. Clearly,
he is a key for the post-season so hopefully he can pick up where he left off
as he was pitching brilliantly prior to the injury. A Pettitte win on Sunday would make it a
terrific weekend!


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Petroceltic International plc ("Petroceltic" or "the Company"), the upstream oil and gas exploration and production company focused on North Africa, the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, today provides an operational update on its near term drilling and development activities.
Operated Drilling
Drilling operations on the Mesaha-1 frontier exploration well in southern Egypt have commenced; this is the first exploration well to be drilled in the 43,000 square kilometre Mesaha concession, which contains one of the larger untested sedimentary basins in East Africa. The well is being drilled into a major tilted fault block and will provide information on the stratigraphy of the basin and the possible presence of effective reservoir and hydrocarbon source rocks. The planned well depth is 9900 feet and it is expected to take approximately two months to drill at a cost of $8.0 million (gross). Petroceltic operates and holds a 40%working interest in the concession.
In addition to Mesaha-1, Petroceltic has also contracted a second rig to drill two shallow wells in the Nile Delta. The first well will be the North Tarif-1 exploration well (previously referred to as Mustafa-1) which is targeting a four-way dip closure in the Mansoura concession five kilometres to the east of the East Dikirnis field. The prospective resources are estimated at 2 MMbbl of oil and 16 Bcf of gas. The well will cost approximately $4.0 million and is planned to spud in early December.
If successful the well will be tied back to East Dikirnis and producing within a few months of the discovery.
The rig will then move to drill a development well on the South Damas gas field in the South East Mansoura concession. This field has out-performed since inception and the additional production well is required to effectively access the proved plus probable reserves of 50 Bcf. The well is estimated to cost approximately $4.0 million to drill and complete. Petroceltic has a 100% working interest in its Nile Delta concessions.
Bulgaria and Romania
The Company has signed a letter of intent with Grup Servicii Petroliere S.A. for the provision of a jack-up drilling rig to perform four well operations in the western Black Sea, commencing in the first quarter 2013.
The rig will first be used to drill the Kamchia-1 exploration well in the Galata block (Petroceltic 100% working interest), targeting prospective resources of 27 Bcf of gas. In the event of success, the well could be rapidly tied back to the Galata platform for production using similar subsea technology employed for the Kavarna and Kaliakra developments.
A further seven exploration leads and prospects have been identified in the vicinity of the Kamchia structure containing combined prospective resources of 102 Bcf of gas.
Subsequently, the rig will complete the suspended Kaliakra discovery well to enable it to be tied back for production. This operation, coupled with the reinstatement of production from the Galata field, should allow the Company to maintain its planned Bulgarian production levels in 2013 with the re-phasing of the Kavarna East development into 2014.
The two remaining rig slots will be used to drill the Company's first exploration wells offshore Romania, one on each of the Muridava and East Cobalcescu blocks (Petroceltic 40%working interest). The prospects to be tested by these wells remain subject to the ongoing interpretation of the recently acquired 3D seismic data which has confirmed the presence of the main exploration plays identified in older vintage 2D seismic data. These include Eocene and Cretaceous oil plays and Pliocene and Miocene gas plays with the gross potential resources on the blocks estimated to be in the range of 1 Tcfe to 2 Tcfe.
Source: Petroceltic International plc
To access over 3,000 of the latest oil projects from across the world visit Projects OGP for free trial today


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India's industrial production index rose at its fastest annual pace in nearly a year in October, after unexpectedly contracting in September, aided by a statistical spurt in infrastructure-related output, a Reuters poll found.
The index of industrial production (IIP) probably grew 4.5 percent annually in October, after contracting by 0.4 percent in September, according to a survey of 25 economists.
While such a positive number could bring much-needed relief to a battered economy, economists warn it would not imply a sustainable turnaround ahead.
Many analysts are attributing positive factory output growth in October to a weak statistical base from a year ago when it shrank 5 percent, rather than an improvement in actual production.
"To be completely frank, it is not that industry has recovered in a big way," said Vishnu Varathan, economist at Mizuho Corporate Bank.
"Its a very, very light incremental boost despite how the headline numbers look ... because base effects account for the lion's share there."
Industrial output has averaged a meagre 0.4 percent so far in 2012 and even the expected 4.5 percent growth for October would be a far cry from the double-digit rates witnessed before the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008.
"We are not looking at growth of more than 2 percent in the industrial sector for the entire year," said Madan Sabnavis, an economist at CARE Ratings.
"Growth has bottomed out, there will only be a gradual improvement."
A 6.5 percent year-on-year growth in India's October infrastructure output or core sector output, which accounts for about 40 percent of total industrial output, will buoy the overall number.
Weak demand from the country's top export destinations, the United States and Europe, resulted in a 1.6 percent drop in India's October exports.
Such a performance would be far behind that of Asian rival China where factory output growth for the same month rose at a faster-than-expected 9.6 percent annually.
Last week, data showed that annual economic growth continued to languish at a near three-year low of 5.3 percent in the quarter to September, keeping the economy on track to record its worst year in a decade.


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Still got "it": Crenshaw's 20-year itch
If you are like me, you have had more late night conversations revolving around the statement "Generally speaking, meaningful pop musicians just lose it after a few years of productivity," than you've had birthdays (and by "pop," I mean "popular," as in rock/folk/pop/R&B, etc.).
The "it," of course, refers to that which can't be described, that nebulous aligning of the stars and planets, of practice, hard work, and maybe the right cocktail of intoxication (of any kind) that turns a great musician into what lies beyond. Few musicians ever get "it," but those who do seem to feel the warm bath of knowledge's light only for a short period of time.
Singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw will be playing Starr Hill on May 21, and as I own copies of his latest 1999 release, #447, and his self-titled 1982 debut, I thought it might be an interesting study to compare the two with the concept of "it," and "losing it" subtly dwelling in the back of my mind. For this experiment I will look at each album's big single in an attempt to rein in the sample size and make it easier for yours truly.
When it was released, Crenshaw's self-titled debut was hailed by critics as the next big thing, and though it did make a respectable climb up the Billboard charts of that year, it did not exactly set the world ablaze.
Listening to "Someday Someway" from that album now, its timeless nature is apparent– although something of the early '80s musical climate clings to the track. "I can't stand to see you sad, I can't bear to hear you cry," Crenshaw sings with a melody so simple it spans only four notes.
The track sounds great, even all these years later, which has surely something to do with Crenshaw's songwriting style– imagine Buddy Holly, time-warped into the early '80s New Wave scene, and you have a pretty good idea of what's going on with Crenshaw's muse.
Of course, the first thing that strikes you when you put on "Television Light," the first single off #447, is the innovation in recording technology in the last 20 years, but even making room for the jump in production value, the track still pulses with the energy of Crenshaw the Younger.
Some of the elements that made his debut stand out are missing– gone is the superbly textured '50s echo, and the instrumentation, along with the songwriting, have both taken a quantum leaps forward in complexity. But what was truly endearing about Crenshaw then is still found in spades on #447– an emphasis on a catchy, strong melody.
The fact of the matter is, whatever the "it" Crenshaw had on his 1982 debut album, it can still be heard almost 20 years later on #447– meaning, young scientists, that you should get your lab-coated selves down to Starr Hill and check out what 20 years of "it" means to a set list.
Marshall Crenshaw performs with David Sickmen at Starr Hill May 21. $15, 9pm.


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2 orders will be shipped separately and it will take a few weeks to get all the orders out. they did start with simpler orders. such as single wristband orders. and international. so everyone just relax.
.................................................. ..............
She added the phrase "meany head" to my profile.I hardly think I'm an attention whore.I train birds of prey and am I licensed falconer
Yeah, that's what I was thinking/hoping for... no need to bother the people working hard at frontgate when I can just bother all of you!
Coachella Weekend #1
Wow...beautiful pass porn guys! Looking forward to my email and passes.
I got my email
Has anyone who ordered two passes received anything yet? I'm hopeful that there will be two box/sticker/swag so my brother and I can have one. I got 4 last year... Which was a bit much, but each wristband should get one
That's an interesting question cutter. Both of the people I know that have their confirmations only ordered one each. I'm hopeful that I get mine sooner rather then later.
Put my week 1 order in they day they went on sale. called gv the other day and they had my order on file. no email yet
Just saw a shipping email:
-Ordered 2 weekend one passes.
-Purchased right when layaway started over the summer
-North of LA.
It'll be here March 2. Cmon Friday!
anyone have any idea if there will be any difference between weekend 1 wristbands and weekend 2? ie: different colors or something..
Impatiently waiting on my shipping confirmation up here in Canada.... i did order 4+camping though...
This is so awesome that it bears repeating. I've been using this service for a couple of months and I love love love it. Sign up now if you want to have an easy and stress-free package delivery.
You can set it to send you text messages (or emails or voicemails) whenever any UPS package is on its way whether you already have a tracking number or not. It gives you the tracking info so you can then track it online as well. It can text you when your package is out for delivery to your house, can text you when its been delivered, and once they've tried once at your delivery address, it lets you go online to change its destination, including having it delivered to any UPS store rather than trying at your delivery address over and over. Then you can pick it up there at your leisure. It's seriously improved my life and I'm totally not stressing about Coachella pass/ticket delivery for the first time since 2005. Wunderbar.
i suspect that so far they have only shipped out passes to those who bought presale...
They are supposedly sending smaller orders and international orders out first, regardless of when they were purchased
Yay im tracking my passes!! They are super close only 30 miles north!!! hope i get them today
I signed up, but it won't allow me to add my work address because it's a commercial address.
Tix have arrived! Best friend got hers this morning. Ill try and get some pics up after work.
06', 07', 08', 09', 10', 11', 12', 13'
dude i love your pic ron swanson rules lol
^ Not sure if that is the case, but my friend got 1 ticket wk1. She lives in Haze Kansas (middle of nowhere).
06', 07', 08', 09', 10', 11', 12', 13'


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May 17, 2011 > Ohlone College Appoints New Trustee
Vivien Larsen was appointed as the newest member of the Ohlone College Board of Trustees, representing Newark, at the May 11, 2011 meeting. Larsen is a former high school counselor at Newark Memorial who has been instrumental in helping many students transition to college and implement high school to career pathways into various STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines.Her career, spanning over 30 years, has been largely involved with education and community and public service. She has been involved in Avanzando, a group that was formed in 2008, to advance and empower Latino youth, their families and their community. Larsen played a vital role in the preparation of the City of Newark Master Plan and East Bay Regional Parks Master Plan which she feels gives her insight in "strategically planning for the future."Ms. Larsen replaces trustee Bill McMillin who passed away in March after a long battle with cancer.


text: The low-profile CMAXX dust and fume cartridge collector is designed with patented PD technology to maximize cleaning performance and extend filter life for a wide range of applications. By eliminating the negative-pressure "dead zone" associated with standard-pulse systems, the CMAXX delivers 100% total pulse distribution across the filter media. Energy-efficiency and high cleaning power are achieved by deploying Goyn GoCo cone nozzles in proximity to filter media, and manifold-mounted pulse valves. In response to customer demands, the CMAXX also features 10% more filter media, with 20% more area around the filters, than typical vertical cartridge collectors. This enables more dust to drop into the hopper before attaching to the filters. The result is enhanced filter life and lower operational costs. Optimizing the system, DeltaMAXX cartridge filters offer the advantages of advanced nanofiber technology, MERV15 filtration, reduced pulse cleaning, and longer filter life. Imperial Systems Inc., Jackson Center, PA 800-918-3013 www.isystemsweb.comImperial Systems Inc.


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Sergio Aguero has been ruled out of City's clash with Sunderland this weekend after suffering what Roberto Mancini called a "stupid" injury.
The City manager refused to specify the exact nature of Aguero's injury, but did reveal the Argentinian striker could be out for up to two weeks.
Elsewhere Arsene Wenger has been handed a three-match ban and a €40,000 fine by UEFA for "improper conduct" when Arsenal faced Milan.
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has ruled out a move to Manchester, amid rumours he could be on his way to the Etihad Stadium. (Sky Sports)
Chelsea could resurrect a move for Ajax full back Gregory van der Wiel after the Dutchman's proposed move to Valencia collapsed. (talkSPORT)
And finally, Liverpool are facing competition from Italian side Inter Milan for Barcelona's Ibrahim Afellay after the Nerazzurri's poor season. (Goal)
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Margaret Eimers, a senior majoring in psychology at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and Chelsea Miller, a senior majoring in supply chain management in the Smeal College of Business, have been named recipients of the 2014 Ralph Dorn Hetzel Memorial Award.
Named for Penn State's 10th president, the Hetzel Award recognizes a combination of high scholastic attainment together with good citizenship, and participation and leadership in student activities.
Eimers, from Erie, Pa., is president of the Penn State Behrend Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, has served as vice president of the Society of Undergraduate Economists and is a member of Psi Chi International Psychology Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success. She is a Fast Start Friends peer mentor, has served as an ambassador for adult student open houses and is a career counseling intern at the Academic and Career Planning Center. Off campus, she chairs the Superintendency Committee of the Erie/Meadville District of the Western Pa. Conference of the United Methodist Church.
"Many adult students struggle to find a work-school-life balance, but Maggie excels in her various roles, often taking on leadership responsibilities," a nominator said. Eimers has a 3.94 grade point average, was a finalist for the 2013 Athena Erie Young Professional Award and was awarded the 2012 Penn State USA Today Student Leadership Award and the Penn State Behrend T. Reed Ferguson Award.
Miller, from Wysox, Pa., is president of the student chapter of the Operations Management Association and secretary/webmaster for the Penn State chapter of the Council for Supply Chain Management Professionals. She has served as a communications committee member for THON, the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, and as an eco representative for the Campus Sustainability Office, helping students living in residence halls to engage in environmentally friendly practices. While maintaining a 3.91 grade point average, she has served internships at ConocoPhillips Company in Houston, Texas, and BASF Chemical Corporation in Florham Park, N.J., and a co-op experience at Mondelez International in Wilkes-Barre.


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Cisco Pricing Undercut By $100M In Big Cal State University Network Project 220
alphadogg writes "The $100 million price differential between the Alcatel-Lucent and Cisco proposals to refresh California State University's 23-campus network revealed earlier this week was based on an identical number of switches and routers in various configurations. CSU allowed Network World to review spreadsheets calculating the eight-year total cost of ownership of each of the five bidders for the project. 'Everybody had to comply with this spreadsheet,' said CSU's director of cyberinfrastructure. 'Alcatel-Lucent won the project with a bid of $22 million. Cisco was the high bidder with a cost just under $123 million. Not only was Cisco's bid more than five-and-a-half times that of Alcatel-Lucent's, it was three times that of the next highest bidder: HP, at $41 million.'"


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April 4, 2014
In case you missed our coverage this week in ThreatWatch, Nextgov's regularly updated index of cyber breaches:
Security camera DVRs make for stupid bitcoin miners
Hackers have been infecting recording devices to steal processing power for making the virtual currency.
Texas liquor chain waited a year and a half to say anything about customer data breach
Banking information on over half a million customers might have been compromised at Spec's alcohol stores statewide.
Personal data on 158,000 online TV watchers leaked
Hackers crept into a forum for users of Boxee.tv, and then dumped member names, email addresses, message histories and partially protected passwords.
Hacked Pinterest accounts blast butt photos
Users of the picture-sharing site reported that their feeds also were being used to post weight loss spam.
ThreatWatch is a regularly updated catalog of data breaches successfully striking every sector of the globe, as reported by journalists, researchers and the victims themselves.
April 4, 2014


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Juke joints, flappers, and dancing the Charleston. For Clint and Jessica's engagement shoot, the 20's came roaring into the new millennium. Photography by Tyler Boye.
We're only seven years from living in the 20's again, but that bygone era has left its mark on this couple. They share a love of all things vintage. They even participate in the Dandies and Quaintrelle Tweed Ride in DC. Dandies and Quaintrelles is a Washington, DC social group that hosts vintage-inspired events for good causes.
The event begins with a bike ride around DC and ends with a swingin' party. Many participants ride vintage bikes. Clint bought Jessica a vintage bike and restored it for her.
This rustic barn provides the perfect scenery for this engagement shoot. Who wants to play horseshoes?
Every aspect of the shoot is infected with vintage details. The groom's stopwatch, the bride's lacy gloves and pearls; these photos could have easily been shot a century ago without changing a thing. We guess this couple takes their vintage collecting very seriously!
Jessica and Clint enjoy a romantic moment, sharing a book.
Don't you just love the bride's cloche hat? How fitting that this classic style has come back in vogue.
Thanks to the Jessica and Clint and Tyler Boye for sharing these lovely and inspired pictures!


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17 Jan, 2012
First Camaro ZL1 Reviews Are In!
Posted by: admin In: Main
Finally, the very first official Camaro ZL1 performance reviews are in, together with real life performance specs and data. We've compiled (and will continue adding) the ZL1 reviews so far at the link above. The first few to be posted are from Automobile, Autoweek, Car and Driver, and Motor Trend. Click on through for links [...]


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What were they thinking?
It' the top of the 9th, leading a meaningless game Reds leading
8-4, Cubbies haven't scored in 4 innings, and who does Wayne put in to "mop up"?
Why does it matter?
If Stanton has 140 appearances in 2007-2008 his contract becomes guaranteed for 2009 at $2,750,000
Today's effort puts him at 69. If he hadn't gone on the DL earlier this year he would be more than half way there.
If I knew how to set up a poll, I would, feel free to do one with this if you know how.
Is there anyone out there who wants to:
1. have him on the roster in 09
2. pay him that kind of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
For reference, all of you Coffey haters out their, Stanton and Coffey have almost identical stats, (except age) for 2007


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Strategies: 'User Experience' upgrade helps website improve sales
In the retail world, the success of a physical store relies not just on what's sold and for what price, but also on how much consumers enjoy the shopping experience. Store managers focus on this experience since they understand that happy shoppers stay longer, purchase more often and are more likely to return.
Store managers use surveys, research firms and other surveillance to analyze data on who's visiting, how they navigate the store, how long they browse before buying, what sections they visit and in what order, and whether they interact with in-store promotions.
The goal is to identify and remove as many obstacles to a sale as possible. Obstacles could be obvious ones, such as a confusing store layout or not enough checkout counters, to more subtle ones, such as poor lighting or annoying music.
Stores have optimized the in-store shopping experience for decades, but its application to online stores is new. It's a rapidly emerging field called "user experience" (UX), which refers to the emotions a computer user experiences when visiting a website.
Good UX is vital if you run a website, since it takes merely a distracted mind plus one simple click for a shopper to abandon your store. Indeed, Forrester Research reports that on average, 97 percent of all online retail visitors don't make a purchase. Unfortunately for online retailers, the Internet is a perfect tool for browsing.
Savvy retailers now understand that improving their UX can dramatically enhance their bottom line. Decreasing that 97 percent average by one point, for example, results in a 33 percent increase in sales.
UX is becoming a must-have title (and sometimes entire department) for online retailers. But they face the challenge of finding someone with UX skills, which tend to be a mix of research, psychology, marketing, web design and analytics.
"Finding a UX professional that fits the specific needs of a business can be frustrating," said Josh Tyson, managing editor of UX Magazine. "While the concepts, processes and practices behind user-centered design have been around for many years, the field is relatively immature. There's not a lot of agreement within the web community as to what a UX person should do, and companies new to the world of UX are still unsure what to look for."
Once you find your UX expert, here are a few best practices on how to use them.
Build a team. UX is a team sport that extends beyond developers and designers. Seek a broad spectrum of input from across the company, including market researchers, web analysts, brand managers, marketers and the CEO.
Be inviting. Make sure the home page is simple and intuitive to quickly engage the user and encourage them to explore further. Give them clear tools for navigating the rest of the site, highlight a few popular items, and keep the most important clicks and images visible without needing to scroll (i.e., above the fold). Visit Zappos.com for an example of a simple, inviting and helpful home page.
Give them options. Your web users will take the form of several different personas, each with a distinct reason for visiting your site and a varying comfort level with online shopping. Excellent UX provides clear links for certain users to learn more, receive suggestions and access customer service, but won't provide too much information up front to scare off your returning and more expert users.
Get personal. UX is a very personal thing. When possible, personalize your web experience for visitors using anything you know about them, including previous pages visited, completed forms or past purchases. Think how Amazon personalizes its recommendations for returning users. Also, don't be afraid to show a little personality on your site. People like to connect with real people, not a faceless business.
Never stop monitoring. Because it's essentially an emotion, your UX constantly changes as your users change. Schedule regular meetings to measure the UX of your site, compare it to competitors and advancements in the industry (i.e. re-targeting and other forms of personalization), and plan out improvements. Two great sites that provide quick and inexpensive feedback from your users are UserTesting.com and GutCheckIt.com.
Don't rush. When your next website project falls behind schedule, which many do, it'll be very tempting to reduce or even eliminate your allotted time for UX. Good UX is the foundation for any high-performing website, however, so don't sacrifice this crucial step in the name of a deadline.
Website managers are trained to focus on the numerical performance of their websites. The emerging practice of UX teaches us that a precursor to numerical success is a focus on the emotional well-being of a website's visitors. Focus on happy shoppers and both your sales numbers, and CEO, will be happy.
Ken Barber, vice president of marketing and product development for mShopper, a mobile-commerce company in Boulder, can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I have a 7 year old female CKCS who has been having recurrent urinary tract infections for over the past 6 months. She gets a sterile catch form the vet and then is recultured after the appropriate antibiotics. She has had e-coli and enterococcus. She has recession of the vulva probably from early spaying at 4 1/2 months. The vet is now talking about vulvar resection. Do you know anything about this condition. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Barbara from NY