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- Carl, stay in the house.
- Seriously, Carl. Stay in the house
- Carl, I don't want to yell but it's the middle of the zombie apocalypse and we're going to need you to stay close by.
- Okay, buddy. Can you be a good little sheriff and stay put? I don't know, guard the living room. Yes, okay here's a special hat and you are officially on duty to protect the couch cushions. Just stay in the house.
- Carl, I'd ground you but it seems a bit trite what with the hordes of Zombies outside trying to eat our faces.
- Remember what happened when another little kid wandered off alone? You were here for that.
- It's great you're keeping your childish rebellion alive but if one of the bad guys gets you, Daddy is going to have to shoot you in the head.
- Please, Carl. Just stay here. I'll be right back. Protect the couch cushions. Make some lunch. Get back to doing that math homework we inexplicably cared about 4 episodes ago.
- Carl, I'm not fucking around. Please, Carl. Just stay in the house. Do this one fucking thing. Just stay in the house for the next 5 minutes.


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Game 7 lineups: White Sox at Jays
at 7:20 p.m. ET
Rogers Centre
1. Juan Pierre, DH
2. Gordon Beckham, 2B
3. Carlos Quentin, RF
4. Paul Konerko, 1B
5. Andruw Jones, LF
6. A.J. Pierzynski, C
7. Alex Rios, CF
8. Alexei Ramirez, SS
9. Mark Teahen, 3B
Pitching: Jake Peavy (0-0, 5.40)
1. Jose Bautista, RF
2. Alex Gonzalez, SS
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Vernon Wells, CF
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. John Buck, C
7. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
8. Travis Snider, LF
*9. John McDonald, 2B
Pitching: Brian Tallet (1-0, 2.70)
*Blue Jays placed 2B Aaron Hill (right hamstring) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 8. Hill will be eligible to return on Friday, April 23 and he told reporters that he fully expects to return on time.
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1 Comment
With all the discussion on our potential stud pitchers in the minors all the discussion has been on Drabek, Stewart, Jenkins, Cecil and Scrabble. No one talked about Henderson Alvarez all spring, so I guess he just wanted to serve notice he's in the mix in his debut in Dunedin last night.
At one point, before the Drabek trade, AA stated Alvarez was our best pitching prospect in the minors with his mid 90's fastball with hard late sink. Well, last night, Alvarez showed all that could be true.
It's not that he took a no hitter into the 5th inning that I find so impressive, although that's impressive enough. What I find to be outstanding is he pitched 7 shut out innings in his debut, and had 13 ground outs of 21 outs in total, showing that sinker is working nicely. I suspect 3-4 more outings of this caliber and he finds himself in AA along with Drabek and Stewart.

subset: commoncrawl


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Give Role Model a listen - it's a new offering from Curren$y. It was dropped on Saturday, January 1st, 2011. Curren$y's musical situation is improving with every new release, and Role Model will most definitely help the cause. It's a fine addition to the growing body of work Curren$y has been developing since stepping foot in the game. We're looking forward to what Curren$y has in store.
Check out Curren$y on Rain Delay. If you dig this, visit Curren$y's profile for the latest info, news, songs, and mixtapes.
Are y'all feeling this one?


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We've already seen the mature Miley Cyrus express herself in her music, and now the one-girl teen industry is heading dark in her movies.
Cyrus is set to star in an adaptation of Lisa McMann's paranormal thriller novel "Wake," according to The Hollywood Reporter. While she will probably leave the massive bird wings and the memorable leather outfit from her "Can't Be Tamed" video in the closet, Cyrus is looking at some dark material here.
"Wake" centers around a 17-year-old girl named Janie who has the unwanted ability to get sucked into people's dreams. Really sucked in. Not like, I had this crazy dream about Miley Cyrus kind of thing. She's in the dream and seeing things she would rather not see. Things get nasty when she becomes a participant in a nightmare.
Apparently, this nightmare will have nothing to do with Cyrus' ongoing real-life drama with blogger Perez Hilton, but there's still time to work that into the script.
Cyrus' move to mature movies roles was as inevitable as the music switch. It's fine if it keeps her from ever doing the likes of "The Last Song" again. But that movie showed her movie-making muscle even if it highlighted her limitations as a serious actress -- it grossed $230 million worldwide.
If "Wake" works, Paramount and MTV Films have bought the rights to the edgy sequels "Fade" and "Gone." These bestsellers could be the beginning of a new Cyrus franchise.


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But in the last few years, hot jazz/traditional jazz/swing/call it what you want has experienced a renaissance with musicians in their 20s and 30s. And I swear, every time I ask that question to one of those musicians, the answer is almost invariably Ambassador Satch.
At first I was surprised. Not the Hot Fives and Sevens? Not the other Columbia masterpieces like Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy or Satch Plays Fats? Not the popular albums with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald or Oscar Peterson? Nope, Ambassador Satch. And it's a funny thing because in overall jazz world (whatever that means), Ambassador Satch isn't exactly hailed as a groundbreaking work. The contemporary reviews of the 1950s were careful to put it in third place after Handy and Fats. It didn't get a proper CD reissue until 2001 and even then, Sony didn't include any new liner notes or make it a "Legacy Edition" with lots of bonuses.
Yet with the odds seemingly stacked against it, the album has continuously inspired countless musicians since it was released 60 years ago in early May 1956. Every time, I post the iconic album cover on my Facebook page, musicians young and old come out of the woodwork to discuss the impact Ambassador Satch had on them. The late Lester Bowie said, "I first heard Ambassador Satch, I guess I was about 13. I read the story of how Louis Armstrong got with King Oliver, so I used to practice with my horn aiming out the window, hoping that Louis Armstrong would ride by and hear me and hire me to play with him." Young trumpeter Bjorn Ingelstam calls it "One of the greatest albums ever." When I asked him what it means to him personally, he said, "There [are] not many words for me to use more than that this recording made all other music by other people sound like shit to me for about five years of my life. The level of music making here as a unit AND individuals on all positions is untouched by anyone including fantastic bands like Miles's, Blakey's and Oscar Peterson's trio, which is all constellations I consider to be up for discussion and I dearly love--but in my book, this is as good as it gets." Australian reed virtuoso Adrian Cunningham credits the album with making him want to be a jazz musician, saying, "I used to come home from school and put on the Louis Armstrong Ambassador Satch album, and play along with the clarinet, imagining I was in the band. What a thrill!" Trumpeter Rafael Castillo-Halvorssen recently visited and told the same story about the record, adding that he used to listen to it in awe with his mentor, the late great trumpeter Lew Soloff.
I almost thought of making this entire post a "What does Ambassador Satch mean to you?" discussion--and that can definitely be a sequel if enough people leave comments answering that question below!--but for the 60th anniversary, I thought it would be fun to just listen to the music. And to be specific, the music as issued by George Avakian in 1956.
How did I make it this far without mentioning George Avakian??? All hail, George Avakian! Ambassador Satch is a total George Avakian Production from inception to execution and he deserves nearly as much credit as Armstrong and His All Stars for the success of the album. If you're a longtime devotee of this blog, a Facebook friend, a relative or just someone who knows a little something about me, you know that I spent three years of my life working with Scott Wenzel on a 9-CD boxed set for Mosaic Records, Columbia and RCA Victor Live Recordings of Louis Armstrong and His All Stars, 1947-1958, which was released in 2014. For Ambassador Satch fans, the box is the Holy Grail as it unravels some of George's postproduction magic to present unedited takes, unissued tracks and in my 32,000 word liner notes, the entire back story of how the album came together.
Thus, if you're looking for the full story behind the album, see my notes to that set (basically the sequel to my book). But here's the short version for those looking for some quick answers as to how the album came about....and the sources George used to expertly cobble together the final product.
After recording "Mack the Knife" on September 28, 1955, the All Stars embarked on a three-month tour of Europe. Clarinetist Edmond Hall had just joined the band, raising the excitement quotient to off-the-charts levels. The rest of the band was made up of the stalwarts featured on Avakian's Handy and Fats works with Trummy Young on trombone, Billy Kyle on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass and Barrett Deems on drums.
Armstrong had always been a tremendous draw overseas but something was different on this 1955 tour: there were riots in Germany and France, major press coverage in the New York Times and U.S. News and World Report plus, on a tip from Avakian himself, the film cameras of Edward R. Murrow capturing priceless footage for an episode of See It Now that eventually morphed into the theatrical film, Satchmo the Great. Avakian knew the next album he had to record would feature excerpts from Armstrong's exceptional European tour.
He took the first steps on October 30, 1955 by recording an entire concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Neither Sony or George himself had the original master recording of the entire concert, which is a shame but a so-so quality bootleg has circulated for years and documents a very strong night by the band. However, George's notes on the concert do survive and have been uploaded to the blog of Chris Albertson. They're fascinating because they illustrate George's high standards (and his hatred of bass solos).
With Armstrong's regular show in the can, Avakian wanted to record some repertoire. But the All Stars were averaging two shows a day and had no time to put together anything new. Avakian had an idea: after the All Stars did two shows in Milan on December 20, Avakian rented out an abandoned theater and held and after-hours recording session. A few dozen wild Italian fans followed Armstrong and the All Stars to the theater and George let the tapes roll until after 5 a.m., getting different material like "West End Blues," "The Faithful Hussar," "That's a Plenty," "You Can Depend on Me," and "Tiger Rag." The Italian fans screamed their heads off but George still had to add a layer of fake applause to make the recordings seem like they were made during actual "live" shows.
Back in the States, Armstrong's previous label Decca reared its head and didn't allow Avakian to release anything Decca had released while they had Armstrong under an exclusive contract from 1951 to 1954. That eliminated a lot of what George had already recorded. Thus, he put together a full-blown studio session in Los Angeles on July 24, 1956 and waxed two more tracks for the album, "Twelfth Street Rag" and "All of Me."
After selecting ten songs (and fudging the recording dates for "Muskrat Ramble" and "Royal Garden Blues" so they could slip through the Decca restriction), Avakian went to work to give the album the true feel of what it felt like to see the All Stars live in Europe on this tour. Yes, that meant the usual practices of editing and splicing, as well as adding crowd noise, but Avakian really covered all bases: in Los Angeles, he recorded what the tape box described as "Theatre Voice Tks," a sequence of Armstrong shouting encouragement and the names of the band members to be separated and sprinkled throughout the final album like parmesan cheese on an Italian feast.
Normally on this blog, I upload audio to another site and post links to listen to it here. In this streaming era, the original album is sadly not on Spotify but it is still available as an MP3 download on Amazon. Find it there or dig it out on YouTube (it's all there) but here's some quick track-by-track notes!
Royal Garden Blues (Milan) - After a dramatic introduction from the emcee at the October 30, 1955 Amsterdam show and a shout of "Yeah!" from Armstrong that was recorded in Los Angeles (!), we move to the after-hours session in Milan for this barn-burning opening track. I've argued it for years--and it looks like I'm no longer alone!--but the Armstrong-Trummy-Hall front line was the most exciting one in All Stars history and this is a perfect illustration of it. Also, after the agile splicing work in the beginning, Avakian relaxed as the number was recorded in one complete take, plus an encore (well, there's lots of fake applause bursts but still, Avakian didn't need to break out the splicing block once the music started). For more on Pops and "Royal Garden Blues," see my 2008 blog.
Tin Roof Blues (Amsterdam) - This slow New Orleans Rhythm Kings favorite was recorded live in Amsterdam but Avakian couldn't help himself, repeating a few bars in two separate places (listen to the cymbals change early on) to cover up something he didn't like. Great lead playing by Louis and wonderful little solos by Young and Hall.
The Faithful Hussar (Milan) - Louis picked this one up in Dusseldorf as it was originally a German folk song known as "Der Treue Husar." In English, it was "The Faithful Hussar" but you can hear Louis butcher it as "Huzzah Cuzzah" in the intro. According to Avakian's handwritten notes he had two "exceptional" takes to choose from, eventually going with the bulk of take four, though the Philips single has another solo by Billy Kyle. The one really romps, powered along by the bass playing of Arvell Shaw and the rocking drums of Barrett Deems. Yes, there's some fake applause but listen through it for the real sound of the Milan fans screaming their heads off! The "yeah, yeah, yeah" as Swatson, I mean, Trummy starts to roar is also from Los Angeles.
Muskrat Ramble (Amsterdam) - Another legitimate live track with no postproduction work by Avakian. This, to me, is the great example of the Armstrong-Hall-Young band in full force. The opening ensemble choruses alone set the stage; the performance could have ended before the piano solo and no one would have complained. But the solos are wonderful, too, especially Louis with all of those quotes he unleashes throughout ("Louise," "Serenade," "Bye Bye Blackbird," the "Habanera" from "Carmen" and more. In my very first public lecture on Armstrong, done at the Institute of Jazz Studies in February 2006, I played this track from start to finish to illustrate the power and swing of this band. I can still see people's faces as they shook their head in wonderment of the interplay of this band. For more on this performance, see my old blog here.
All of Me (Los Angeles) - While in Milan, singer Ray Martino was asked to come up on stage and introduce Armstrong in Italian, which Avakian recycled for the start of side two. "All of Me" was always a feature for Velma Middleton but Avakian had the idea that Armstrong should record it since he helped put it on the map in 1932. It wasn't easy; it took the group nine takes (some very short breakdowns) to iron it out but an opening ensemble from take six and the rest coming from take nine, Avakian put together quite a winner (and the first Ambassador Satch track I ever heard as it was part of the 16 Most Requested Songs compilation that changed my life in 1995.
Twelfth Street Rag (Los Angeles) - This is a total Los Angeles special. Avakian originally recorded three takes of the introduction with Armstrong calling it "before his time" and Young and Hall inhabiting their stage personas to shout that there's nothing before his time (Hall, at one point ad libs, "He's older than Vaseline," breaking up the studio). Avakian cut it all except Armstrong's opening part, placing it over Kyle's piano introduction. The "Yeah, Edmond Hall" is another Los Angeles "theater voice track" Avakian peppered into the clarinetist's solo. This one, too, took six takes to perfect, Armstrong sounding like superman in the first few while Hall and Young didn't get sufficiently warmed up until take six. Armstrong had included this good-natured send-up of the cornier strands of Dixieland since the early days of the All Stars but this shorter version works especially well as a (somewhat) straightforward instrumental.
Undecided (Amsterdam) - Props to Avakian for allowing the other All Stars to shine on this record, too. Charlie Shavers's tune always made great fodder for Trummy to tear apart like a mad donkey (as he sometimes said), but Louis and Billy Kyle shine, too. The only editing Avakian needed to do was to fix the encore as the band had a quick collision coming in from the drum solo, all smoothed over on the final release.
Dardanella (Amsterdam) - Another All Stars feature taken from Amsterdam, this one spotlights Hall, who worked out this fun take on this 1919 song. It serves as a great intro to Hall's playing, capturing his unique tone, swinging feel and spiky exhalations.
West End Blues (Milan) - Again, it took nerve to tackle Armstrong's greatest moment from those glorious 1928 days but damn if they don't create another masterpiece. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is as important or better than the original. BUT on its own, I just love the hell out of it. For years, I, too, was biased and thought it was okay but no match for the original. And then trumpeter Ray Vega visited the Armstrong House years ago and told me he preferred the more dramatic, slower reading of the cadenza to the original. And then another trumpeter, Greg Hammontree, was working with me at the Archives and he kept having me play the last chorus over and over and he couldn't get over the high C Armstrong plays at the end after the descending arpeggios. After consulting with those two, I had a whole new appreciation, which has lasted until the current day when admittedly, I probably listen to this one more than the original! For my take on the entire "West End Blues" saga, here's the last blog I wrote about it in 2013.
Tiger Rag (Milan) - We conclude with a song that was somehow not in the All Stars's repertoire, one suggested by Edmond Hall at the after hours session in Milan. It knocked Louis out, who told a disc jockey after the album was released, "You ain't never heard 'Tiger Rag' in your life like them cats, the longer they played it." And all hail Barrett Deems! Critics loved to beat up his "heavy" style but like the Ambassador Satch album as a whole, more and more musicians I meet today just love his playing. Years ago, before the Mosaic set came out, I did an entire blog on this version, with a rehearsal and breakdown that didn't make the final set. You can read about it here.
And that's it for the finished album. Once the recordings were finished, Avakian wrote some typically evocative (if partially fictitious) liner notes and approved the album cover design, my favorite in the entire Armstrong discography. Check it out:
It's irresistible! In fact, in the August 11, 1956 issue of Billboard, a panel of "experts in the field of industrial design and graphic arts" named it the "winner of first place in the Pop category." I wonderful how many copies were sold on that cover design alone?
On April 25, Avakian wrote to Joe Moore about the album. I quoted from this in my book and the Mosaic set but here it is in full:
"Dear, Joe,
Following up our conversation with Joe Glaser at the Hickory House today, this is the information on the new Louis Armstrong album:
It was recorded in Europe last winter, in Amsterdam and Milan, in the course of his great tour. We are calling it Ambassador Satch, because I feel he is the best ambassador we have, and he is the one artist who is most universally appreciated throughout the world. I flew over just before the Ed Murrow See It Now sequences were shot in Paris, and then followed Louis to the completion of the album.
Included in the notes of the album is the story of the tour, and quotes from the New York Times article that hit the front page when Louis was in Geneva at the same time that the Big Four conferences were going on.
We announced the album yesterday to our distributors in a coast-to-coast CBS closed-circuit radio broadcast, in which we told them the background of the album and played extracts for it. ANd, I might add, solicited orders then and there. I don't think any album in record history has ever had such a send-off by any organization.
It will be out in a few days, and I will be pleased to send you a couple of copies.
Sincerely yours,
The album made its first appearance in Billboard on May 12 in an advertisement for Columbia naming it the number two Best Selling Pop Album, right behind My Fair Lady and ahead of the likes of Songs of the West (Norman Luboff and Choir), The Eddy Duchin Story, Reflections of an Indian Boy (Paul Weston and Orchestra) and It's So Peaceful in the Country (Percy Faith and Mitch Miller). And as George always points out to me, Billboard didn't tabulate the sales in the Columbia Record Club, which was a phenomenon then. Who knows how many copies it sold through the subscription-based club?
The following week, the May 19 issue of Billboard gave it a short review, saying, "A souvenir-recorded on the spot of Armstrong's concert tour of Western Europe in the fall of 1955. This LP demonstrates how Armstrong wins friends for himself--and our country--everywhere he goes. The material itself is classic: 'Royal Garden Blues,' 'Tin Roof Blues,' 'West End Blues,' 'Muskrat Ramble,' 'Tiger Rag' and so on. Every time Armstrong plays them they have a new appeal it seems. The spontaneity of his re-creation of the New Orleans vintage is particularly marked here. 'Satch' handles all vocals himself. A big volume seller on the order of other recent 'Satch' LPs."
The last line proved prophetic. In addition to remaining on Columbia's Pop Albums chart, the album soon hit Billboard's jazz charts, which debuted in the fall of 1956. On November 3, 1956, it hit the number two Jazz spot. It was number three on November 24, bumped down one slot by the new number one champion: Ella and Louis. Browsing through Google's scans of Billboard, the album didn't go anywhere, still number three on the jazz charts on March 30, 1957, almost a year after its initial release.
It was a great time to be a Louis Armstrong fan but it was also a frustrating time as it was in 1956 that negative criticism of Armstrong hit a fever pitch in the jazz world. Ambassador Satch thus, only got three stars in DownBeat, the review stating, "Of Louis' three albums for Columbia in the last two years, this is the least satisfying. A large part of the reason is his band, whose weaknesses are more open-ended on stage than in a more controlled studio context. Trombonist Trummy Young's playing has become increasingly coarsened. The rhythm section is stiff, largely because of the unremitting heaviness of drummer Barrett Deems, who has not loosened up since joining Louis....The unit never sustains one whole number in irresistible collective flight."
That was around the same time Downbeat's Jack Tracy obliterated the All Stars's appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival....and Metronome accused him of being an Uncle Tom....and the New York Times's John S. Wilson slammed THREE All Stars shows within one year. Armstrong's popularity put a target on his back in the jazz press in 1956, which is a shame, because 1956 might be my single favorite year in the Armstrong discography (add in the Chicago Concert, the footage in Satchmo the Great, all the material on the Mosaic set, High Society, Ella and Louis, the beginning of Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography....see what I mean?).
But history has been very, very kind to Ambassador Satch as it continues to inspire generations of musicians not even born when Louis Armstrong left this planet 45 years ago today. Word of mouth lasts forever and as long as jazz musicians have ears, I'm sure there'll be someone somewhere saying, "Man, you've gotta hear Ambassador Satch!"
And a closing shoutout to George Avakian one more time. Speaking of lasting forever, George continues going strong at the age of 97. On April 30, International Jazz Day, he showed up to my screening of Satchmo the Great at the Museum of the City of New York. Check out this photo my friend James Demaria shot of George at the event:
God bless George Avakian. God bless Louis Armstrong. God bless the All Stars! God bless Ambassador Satch!


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I need to use a JavaScript code (hosted at addratings.com) several times on different pages on my site. From 50 to 200 times.
The script works fine if I go to the page and let it load for a few seconds but I frequently send my visitors to the middle of a page directly using a page jump. When I do that, none of the scripts load which defeats the point of having them. What can I do make sure the script loads even during page jumps?
page jumpCode:

this is a direct test page link (only 50 scripts):Code:
this is the same link with page jump:


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Gloria Berreth had divorced her husband Michael Ervin Berreth in 1993, but conflicts between the former couple only got worse over the next year as she filed two restraining orders against him.
Gloria Berreth, 38, had custody of their two daughters who were 5 and 11 in 1994.
She disappeared on the same day she was to meet her ex-husband at a Colorado Springs restaurant.
The case will be tougher to solve now that key evidence was mistakenly destroyed, The Denver Post previously reported.
A series of events in 1994 led Colorado Springs police to call Michael Ervin Berreth a person of interest in the disappearance of his ex-wife.
According to surviving Colorado Springs police records, detectives believe Gloria Berreth was the victim of violence.
A woman answering Michael Berreth's cellular phone Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, said that he is not interested in commenting about his former wife's disappearance.
The turbulence in the marriage between Gloria and Michael Berreth was documented in court records in the months leading up to her disappearance.
Gloria Berreth filed a restraining order against Michael Berreth, a former Army soldier, on April 22, 1994, in Colorado Springs.
Authorities filed a misdemeanor charge against Michael Berreth on May 7, 1994, for allegedly violating the restraining order. He was arraigned on the charge on June 16, 1994 before El Paso County Judge Caroline Benham.
A day before Michael Berreth was to appear in Benham's court for trial, Gloria Berreth reported that her ex-husband violated the restraining order a second time. He was hit with a new charge.


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ISS Group, a New Jersey software developer, wants to relocate to Bluffton.
In August, ISS Group joined the Don Ryan Center for Innovation with hopes of relocating and expanding its business in Bluffton.
ISS Group offers a range of software to businesses that is used to reduce the cycle time between requests and approval. IApprove, IPurchase and IQuote are three of the software applications developed by ISS Group.
The software is also mobile enabled, allowing organizations to approve requests from a smartphone.
The Don Ryan Center is designed to support new technology company formation and development. ISS Group CEO, Andy Weinstein uses the center as a meeting place with local investors and possible clients.
Weinstein was introduced to the center through Charlie Marshall, a former QAD channel manager, who worked closely with ISS Group.
"We were reconnected through my LinkedIn profile and I explained how ISS Group transitioned and that we were looking for investors," Weinstein said. "We talked about the Bluffton area and the possible investors, but he also suggested I join the center."
Over the past six months, Jordan Berliner, Don Ryan Center director, helped Weinstein develop a business network. Last week, Weinstein met with a potential investor, Ariel Savannah Angel Partners, and also potential bank clients in Bluffton.
"We have been working with ISS Group, preparing a business plan and investor presentation," Berliner said. "We also are helping them locate potential investors as well as working with them on their growth strategy."
Unlike other innovators involved with the Don Ryan Center, ISS Group is an experienced business that continues to make the transition as a software developer, Weinstein said.
"ISS Group's management is experienced and knows the business, their markets, and their customers and have already built and run a larger company," Berliner said.
Originally formed to resell Enterprise Resource Planning solutions in 1987, ISS Group recently transitioned to software development.
In the early 1990s, the company grew from four employees to 125 as it partnered with Microsoft to sell Customer Relationship Management applications. However, once making the transition from a service provider to a software developer, ISS Group now employs seven people located near New Jersey.
"Currently, there is one gentleman who lives in Bluffton acting as an outsourced vice president of sales," Weinstein said.
Once ISS Group receives funding from investors, the company plans to add employees in Bluffton. Weinstein said he plans to identify an investor relationship and receive the first round of funds.
"We call the center our home. We will use the office space there until we receive the funding necessary to add in Bluffton. The center is a great resource and getting involved let investors know we are serious about relocating. Jordan has helped develop our business plan and introduced us to great resources," Weinstein said.
Employees: Seven
Owner: Andy Weinstein
Product: Software products IApprove, IPurchase and IQuote
Details: For more information about ISS Group, go to issgroup.com


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Football Coasters, Set of 4 [$12 per unit]
Football Coasters, Set of 4 [$12 per unit]
Size: 4" x 4"
Min: 6
Cost per unit: $12
Grace Graffiti™ is an American Made company. We design, make and ship all of our handcrafted products in our studio in Historic Downtown Brunswick, Georgia. All items are hand cut and given a distressed finish, accentuating the natural grain and charm of the wood. Each piece of wood is unique, items will vary slightly from the photographs. Through this listing you are buying directly from Grace Graffiti™, not a third party seller. Thank you for supporting small businesses in the USA.
Approx. 4" x 4" & 1/2" thick.
©2010 Grace Graffiti All Rights Reserved.
Add To Cart


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Digitizing the EnterpriseDigital engagement, Digital initiatives, Digital transformation, Digitization
In my last post I talked about Digital Enterprises and why companies must adopt this new approach to remain competitive in today's world. Let me now talk about methods that organizations can adopt to digitize their operations and do it in a manner that benefits the enterprise.
It is not a question of when to start but how to get going with modernizing of our businesses. Putting the debate aside, it may be prudent to think holistically and work out solutions that are appropriate for the organization. Organizations are often flat footed in adopting new methods and this provides an opportunity for the CIO to take lead in digitizing the enterprise.
Current status in Indian enterprises
Many CEOs are generally aware of this new approach and do enquire and seek to understand. Competitive pressures today force companies to consider and leverage new digital channels like social media and mobile computing to further their business. As digitization rides the hype cycle, companies are often unsure of their approach and therefore hire consultants to advise them on the subject. While some work out clear strategies others tend to get carried away by consultants' ambitious projections. I have heard from quite a few of my friends about their digital initiatives but I find many of them lacking a concerted and a well-defined approach. Many initiatives fall short of the targets as they simply introduce mobility or get onto social networks or move a part of their applications to a cloud environment, as separate initiatives. This is where they fail to realize the full benefit of digitization.
Digital Strategy
When companies embark upon their digital journey the first thing they have to do is define the purpose and direction of this exercise. There could be many organization priorities like addressing the issue of growth, enhancing productivity, meeting customer expectations, increasing market share, revamping distribution channels etc. Many a times these business priorities are not clearly articulated and factored in the IT plans. The digital strategy here should address both the short term and long term plans of the organization. The business strategy should clearly indicate the role of IT. Specific roles and responsibilities to support the business and IT strategies should be well defined. The governance structure, processes and practices need to be laid down and practiced. The infrastructure that is needed to support this initiative should also be well thought out and planned and therefore an appropriate enterprise architecture should be drawn out to put in comprehensive plans that would support the organization into the foreseeable future. The trouble is that CIOs often install incremental facility in the form of hardware/virtualization or move a part of the applications to the cloud saying they are preparing for digitization. This belies a lack of vision or absence of strategy. One needs to create a future road map and build up to the final state slowly over time.
Challenges to overcome
Cultural issues are usually impediments to adopting digital initiatives. This requires adequate education and awareness programs to make people aware of the moves and the impact that this may have on them. Readiness is required even at the top so that they provide the right leadership and the right organization structure and policies to make implementation easier. Those at the top have also to manage and resolve all the conflicts and struggles that this may create at various levels of management. Poor understanding of the potential of these initiatives and lack of accountability of personnel involved in the efforts could derail the process and need to be addressed. Another problem often faced is the lack of talented people to drive these initiatives and to handle the changed processes. Re-skilling of the available staff and induction of new talent may be a necessity. It is also essential for the company to have a capable and empowered IT cell which can work alongside the business team to add strength to the efforts.
Digitization should therefore be viewed as a significant and strategic management program which can make a great impact on business and make it ready to face the future. Half-hearted initiatives or those lead by the IT teams may result in minor gains without providing a competitive edge to business.
The Digital EnterpriseDigital business, Digital disruption, Digital initiatives, Digital transformation
Much has been written about Digital Enterprises of late and enough buzz has been generated on digitization, which seems to have taken the industry by storm. As happens with most new technologies and new practices, digitization too has gone through the hype cycle generating noise and creating visibility. People have been told this is the future and those who don't follow this route may find themselves doomed.
I met a few CIOs and broached this subject with them. Though some were clear others displayed an air of understanding though would talk no further. They speak in generalities and say they are at the stage of planning. Some were adventurous enough to claim complete digitization in their organizations, simply meaning that they have automated a lot of stuff. I had the opportunity to teach this subject as an introduction to students of a management institution, however in the ensuing exams, half of the students described digital enterprises as ones who practice extensive automation.
It is perhaps not fair to blame them since the industry has not explained the subject rationally to people but created a buzz around the subject. Vendors would serve better selling the concept rather than their wares and develop partnership with customers. Let me attempt to demystify this topic and explain this in simple terms.
What is a Digital Enterprise (DE) ?
Digital Enterprise is an IT driven business model created in response to the emerging market place and value chains which are going digital. Companies can either take a pro-active stance and create a competitive advantage or quickly react to moves by competitors. The Digital Enterprise is built upon the use of IT to automate the processes (both internal and external) to create a digital boundary enabling all stakeholder interactions. An immense amount of information is created which needs to be consumed and acted upon. In other words 'DE' is an organization that uses technology as a competitive advantage in its internal and external operations.
There is an enabling environment which makes this shift feasible. Customers and employees today, particularly those who are digital aware, expect a new style of commerce, content and collaboration. They look for anytime, anywhere access and any-device convenience. They interact with companies through multiple channels and therefore it becomes important for companies to access these channels to understand their behavior. Vast amount of market and customer data need to be analyzed for understanding opportunities and trends. This calls for companies to be agile and to have IT infrastructure that is flexible and scalable.
The way to go
In order to take care of these requirements in this emerging scenario, organizations have to go the 'SMAC' way ; SMAC stands for 'social', 'mobility, 'analytics' and 'cloud'. These are the four pillars of a Digital Enterprise. Let me explain these terms briefly :
Social : This covers all interactions on the digital social platforms with individual users and groups which Include tweeting, texting, instant messaging and posts in blogs and on the company's website. These are important indicators for the company to address.
Mobility : There is a distinct shift towards mobility and therefore important to capture transactions from all portable devices including laptops, smart phones via wireless networks (WLAN, GSM,GPRS etc.). Policies and procedures have to be geared to meet this requirement.
Analytics : A huge amount of data is likely to be collected in the form of structured, semi-structured and unstructured data which would need analysis to draw meaning out of them. Several technologies such as Big Data, Business Intelligence (BI) can help analyze and summarize to draw conclusions and aid decision-making. This can provide huge amount of learning about customers and markets.
Cloud : For meeting all the above requirements we would need an Infrastructure that is flexible and scalable. Rather than building, it could be far more convenient and cost effective to work on infrastructure and applications as acquired services. This is where cloud computing comes in as an essential part.
It is the combination of these four themes that gives it meaning – its a catchword or an acronym but represents a comprehensive view of the solution. It is about viewing the customers through a multitude of channels and working out suitable responses. What we need is a holistic approach to digitization and a choosing an effective way to attain competitive advantage.
Managing ChangeBusiness strategy, Change management, Digital strategy, it management
We see changes that take place all around us and realize that nothing remains static. The Earth moves around in space and so do all objects in the Universe. Situations change, so does the environment people change and so do businesses. With so much going around can we afford to sit pretty and resist change? Perhaps not.
We also get bombarded with lots of phrases like 'change is the only constant', 'perish or change', 'run even if you want to stand at the same place', 'embrace change if you wish to survive' and so on. Management jargons and clichés thrown at the CIO make him run for cover. Facing such intimidation, the poor CIO reluctantly decides to go for a change. He may not be quite clear what he has to change but he knows he has to. This is where the problem takes its shape.
The change program
The CIO sometimes takes this change business a little too seriously. When he joins a new organization he notices that IT has still not achieved the star status that is should have with the previous incumbent. Loaded with the knowledge that 'change' does the trick, he tries his hand at making changes all around him. He relooks at the hardware and network architecture, changes IT vendors that the organization has been dealing with, reworks the application priority list and starts fresh dialogue with some users. If he has been in the same place for a while, he tries to reshuffle his team, rework user interface screens and may be try to aggressively introduce new technologies. However when all these measures do not seem to impress the management, the poor CIO looks crestfallen not knowing what more he could do. The same is the experience when I see CIOs executing their role as members of professional associations ; they bring about changes and when they don't work, they blame the CIO community, the vendors, the industrial environment etc.
I agree that their predicament is genuine. An era where 'change' is touted as the most powerful tool of governance, how is it that the changes carried out by him are not accepted by the organization that he works for. While he may not have the answers some others may have.
Untangling the mystery
Now let us look at a some of the reasons why organizations adopt changes ;
- Change in the marketplace – New challenges often crop up in the form of new players, new products, price wars, new methods of distribution etc. to which the organization develops its responses.
- Change in consumer behavior – Customers needs change over time and they may have different demands to which the company has to respond to.
- Internal drive to excel – When companies try to get better, improve its working and want to scale new heights.
- Change in circumstances – Like new laws, political and geographical changes etc.
- Technology developments – Necessitate use of technology to ride a few notches above the competitors.
Now when organizations set on this journey of change and in the right manner, they are aware of the objectives they are trying to meet. They are clear about their purpose and targets they are pursuing.
The lesson
CIOs can take a cue from this illustration and work out their change program to lend it purpose. A change for the sake of change leads us nowhere. It is important to have an agenda for change. He has to ask a few questions of himself when taking on this task. For example he can look at the unfulfilled business needs from the technology standpoint, he can assess if the technology infrastructure is the bottleneck, he can seek external advice to reorient his IT plans, he can find out delivery failures or inefficiencies etc. and devise programs to tackle these problems. If he finds that no IT Plan or strategy exists he should work to prepare a new document.
In the end a change has to have some end purpose which acts as a beacon to guide their path. The CIO has to define a specific business purpose that he is attempting to tackle and one that is in line with the business objectives and goals. Just making a few technology changes or restructuring his organization without a business purpose in mind does not find purchase from the management. A change is a powerful tool which could either help meet a challenge, scale new peaks or win over competition, only if it is properly targeted.
The blurring lines between Telecom and IT
We witnessed the telecom revolution over the last two decades which altered the way people communicated with each other, a change that impacted the daily lives of people. The information technology boom and the advent of internet did something similar by significantly redefining the way people dealt with tasks on a day-to-day basis and the way businesses functioned. Development on both these fronts initially went along in parallel.
The convergence of telecommunications and computing has been noted and commented on for some time now. However, there is a much richer interrelationship at present than at any time in the past. In fact, one can argue that the very terms "telecommunications" and "computing" are losing their relevance as separate identities, and also that these fields will become virtually indistinguishable in the near future.
Merging of computing, communication and entertainment has changed the landscape. Emergence of the acronym 'ICE' really signified this move towards convergence. The boundaries between telecom and computing have really been blurred with significant overlap between the two. The traditional use of a telephone to talk and use of computers to access the net & to do other tasks is giving way to a scene where we increasingly use computers and applications like skype, hangout, yahoo messenger etc. to talk to people on a audio or a video chat and use our handset for accessing our mails, for using the social; networking sites, read news and for general browsing – a role reversal of sorts.
Impact on telecom companies
Telcos have been reporting fall in the 'average revenue per user' (ARPU) and this is understandable. There has been an increasing usage of free apps like viber, jumblo, skype to talk to others riding on the web and thereby starving telcos of revenue through voice calls. Widespread use of chat facility on whatsapp, yahoo messenger, hangout etc., for messaging has resulted in revenue loss for telcos for such value-added services. Revenue from long distance calls has also seen significant drop as people use skype, hangout etc., to set up video calls connecting with anyone around the world.
Let me share my experience of communicating and net browsing when travelling abroad recently. I purchased a country specific card from one of the telecom service providers which carried call lower tariffs than international roaming charges for my regular number, and also an internet service pack. At the end of my trip I incurred very little expense over and above the fixed charges. At most places I could find access wi-fi connection like in the hotels that we stayed, most airports, train stations, shopping malls and even in the long distance bus that we were travelled. I could fetch my mails, post entries in facebook, linkedIn and twitter, send messages on whatsapp and speak to people using viber without incurring any extra charges. I am sure telcos would be ruing this revenue loss and may already be revisiting their business models to plug such loss to business.
The future scenario
While describing the current state of convergence and as we speculate what it may mean in the coming years, one can argue that as a result of the horizontal integration of all media (voice, audio, video, animation, data) in a common network and terminal infrastructure, telecommunications and networked-computing applications will no longer be distinguishable.
We are going to see cities with wi-fi connect at public places and chances are that many big cities may sport widespread free wi-fi connects covering a good part of the city. As more people use this facility, tariffs for telephone networks and internet bandwidth may undergo revision to become more realistic. Telecom companies have been charging indecently high rates for international roaming but I am sure this would change soon.
Taking the argument further it is not clear whether we would use our telecom handset for talking to others or we would use a gadget connected to the internet instead. In other words I am not sure if we will be using a phone of a telecom company which also gives access to internet or that we will we use a gadget connected to the internet and do away with the phones altogether.
Recognizing Vendor ContributionVendor management
Vendors form an essential part of our team that strives to excel in our organizations and vendors play a prominent role in the implementation of our IT plans. The vendors include those who supply and install hardware, those who put in our networks, develop software, help implement application systems, consultants, outsourcing vendors, security reviewers, audit partners etc. They work for us and work with us to ensure completion of the tasks that we work on. They do contribute to our success and do so in different measures depending on the role that they have been assigned. It will therefore be in order to acknowledge contributions made by them.
There is no doubt that vendors are bound by the contract and have to perform for the fee that they charge. However the quality of work done by them depends to a large extent on the work environment that we create. When vendors are enthused, they put their heart out and accomplish more than what we would have bargained for.
We are all advised to treat vendors as partners and to work together with them to create new solutions that work for us. Vendors may be many, some who perform critical tasks, some who carry out small and odd jobs and others who perform routine but important operations, but all play a role in our success. They are worthy of being called partners and we should be treated as such. Such an approach goes on to improve relationships and thereby their performance.
Vendor management
It is important to have a formal process to manage vendors so that we get the best out of them. The vendor base should be rationalized and there should be a defined process for vendor evaluation, selection, contract execution and their deployment. Subsequent processes including project management with periodic reviews and mapping results to the agreed deliverables are essential to ensure successful completion of projects.
Vendors Recognition
To keep vendors motivated it is important to acknowledge whatever good work that they do. While we may have punitive measures to make vendors perform, rewarding them for good work is more positive and goes on to ensure their full participation. There are multiple ways to acknowledge them. For example calling some of the critical vendors to a company function gives them a feeling of being a part of the company. Awards, rewards and recognition programs are wonderful ways of acknowledging their work. You could institute an award and choose the best vendor every year, or call over and honor a vendor if he really has been a partner in your progress and has contributed significantly. Some companies treat IT vendors on par with the material and other main suppliers and include them in their vendor conferences.
One other requirement of vendors is that we become their reference clients and speak positively about them to their potential customers. By agreeing to do so we get their appreciation and they stay committed to us. I remember whenever we had become reference points, vendors not only gave us heightened attention, they also charged us lesser so as to ensure out continued support.
Does it work ?
Well, it does. I have heard great stories from others and I have experienced it too. A small recognition goes a long way in keeping the partner enthusiastic and committed to the task. The focus should not be limited to ensuring their performance on the current projects but to keep in mind future relationships. Such vendors come back on their own to help even after they have completed their tasks and are no longer actively engaged. If they have helped us, it is but fair to acknowledge their contribution.
Big Data – Is it too big to comprehend ?Big Data, Big Data analytics, Business Intelligence
Not so long ago, while we were still grappling with the implementation of Business Intelligence and trying to shape up for Business Analytics, the concept of 'Big Data' hit the market like many other technologies do. We know most new introductions come in with a high dose of publicity and shrill marketing which tries to sell but does very little to explain what it means. For example when 'cloud computing' arrived with all fanfare it did create a stir but it took quite a while for glamour to fade away and for the reality to hit the user. The constant bombardment of the scene with new terms leaves the users bewildered.
The truth is that I am also confused and trying to make sense of this new concept in town. Let me therefore try to arrive at some understanding to help remove the haze from our vision. I remember the time I had started with Business Intelligence long ago trying to support business with new found knowledge from analyzing business data and making information easily accessible. While I was happy with what we did, we were suddenly stumped with the term 'business analytics' which took us on a tizzy till we got back our senses. When we are adjusting to the new definition we were teased again with the new term 'Big Data'. I am sure many of our friends are also trying to comprehend this new development. I will make an attempt to understand the differentiation between these terms.
Business Intelligence
BI is not a new concept. Data warehouses, data mining, and database technologies have existed in various forms for years and we have been using them merrily. Big data as a term might be new, but many IT professionals have worked with large amounts of data in various industries for years. Business Intelligence (BI) encompasses a variety of tools and methods that can help organizations make better decisions by analyzing "their" data. Therefore, Data Analytics in my opinion should be a part of BI. Is BI then the mother concept and the other off-shoots of it ?
Business analytics (BA)
BA is comprised of solutions used to build analysis models and simulations to create scenarios, understand realities and predict future states. Business analytics includes data mining, predictive analytics, applied analytics and statistics, and is delivered as an application suitable for a business user. These analytics solutions often come with prebuilt industry content that is targeted at an industry business process (for example, claims, underwriting, financial analysis or a specific regulatory requirement). BA therefore could be a specialized tool that analyses data in depth and makes multiple correlations to unravel stories that not visible from a simple analysis. This perhaps puts BA in a slightly different league and has a leg up when compared with BI.
Big Data
Big data may not just be about large amounts of data, as the name may suggest. Going beyond the conventional process of analyzing structured data as present in our databases, this approach involves digging and analyzing a lot of semi-structured and unstructured data. Fifteen years ago, we didn't analyze email messages, PDF files, or videos. The Internet was just a fad; all information there was of a secondary nature there were no social networking sites or other discussion groups that give valuable information and insights into consumer behavior. Similarly, wanting to predict the future isn't a new concept, but being able to access and store all the data that is created is new.
Various sources claim that 90 percent of the data that exists today is only two years old. And that data is growing fast. If 90 percent of all the data in the world was created in the past two years, what does that say about the data?
Now organizations with huge amounts of data would find it hard and time consuming to analyze and interpret them to generate meaningful information on time. Old technology platforms are slow and inefficient and now we need computer systems and technologies that can handle big data and solve the velocity-volume-variety problem. The new in-memory systems technologies provide a breakthrough solution for big data analytics.
The way ahead
We are therefore in a new era where information processing dons a new dimension and acquires the capability of accepting, storing, processing and huge and a diverse set of data and putting them through any complex analysis to generate meaningful information for business. It requires our skills in making use of this technology to our benefit.
Talent Acquisitionbest practices, Talent acquisition
Talent acquisition has always been a challenge and we all struggle to find and get right people on board. We complain but still go about our process, managing to select persons who appear closest to the requirement that we defined at the start. In doing so we miss out getting the right talent and end up in a compromise citing various constraints to justify our stand.
There is a difference between talent acquisition and recruitment. While recruitment is about filling up a position, talent acquisition refers to the selection of the right person in the right position. Many a times we try to fit a square peg in the round hole, resulting in the incumbent's dissatisfaction, low productivity and slow progress.
I have seen companies going through the process of recruiting CIOs and have also seen CIOs trying to appoint senior members to assist them in their work. They follow the normal process of recruitment and do sometimes manage to get good people but they also falter on many occasions. It may be useful to discuss a few factors or practices which can make talent acquisition more targeted and effective.
Defining the need
The requirement for a person could arise due to several reasons. It may arise when a new project or a new area is being taken up or when a new technology is being introduced. It could be to acquire a talent or expertise which the company does not have or could simply be to replace a person who has left. Whatever be the reason, it is necessary to know clearly the need for the person and his role in the organization. In the case of a replacement there is often a tendency to get a person with similar profile instead of reassessing the position and the need. In many organizations roles are assigned to persons to suit their capabilities but they do not review the role when a new person with a different skill set takes the position. For new positions too, the need should be clearly defined and understood by all.
The organization structure and his fitment
This is an area which requires more attention and a casual handling of this aspects leads to long term problems. The organization structure in some companies is not formally recorded and approved and in other cases it is not reviewed at regular intervals to match the new emerging realities. It is important to know the position, designation and the reporting relationship for the new inductee. This helps in specifying the suggested profile, seniority and skill set for searching and short listing candidates for the position. Some companies often tweak the position depending on the candidate they have chosen which I think is not proper. While some flexibility could be in order but the organization structure and the requirement should not be played around with. I do not sometimes find the requirement to have a direct connect with the organization strategies and goals. For example when I left an organization my position (reporting to the CEO) was filled up with a person who was relatively junior and since he was three levels lower in hierarchy they changed the structure made him report to the finance function. The importance of IT and its value to business seemed unclear in this case.
Job or position description
All such positions should have a formal document describing the role, responsibilities and expectations from the incumbent. Such clarity is important when assessing candidates and in understanding their suitability. It is not uncommon to find non availability of a formal document authorized by the HR. On many occasions I have been handed over a quickly written paper listing down a few tasks that the candidate is expected to perform. For example when a CIO wanted a person to head infrastructure management, the job description said that he should know Unix/Windows, server management, database management and handling of LAN & WAN networks but nothing more.
While we lament unavailability of right candidates, we hear well deserving candidates complain lack of good opportunities. There is obviously a disconnect, which can be addressed to some extent if we are clear, objective and focused in our talent acquisition drive. Getting the right person adds synergy to the environment and serves our objective well.
The Annual Performance Appraisal
As we start with the new financial year in April, two of our main obligations come to fore. One is seeking approval for the annual budget already presented and the other one is the year end appraisal of our staff members. While the former is important for working out our plans for the year, the latter I feel is more important as it helps in setting up the morale of the work force and helps enhance their productivity in the period ahead.
I have seen many a drama enacted during the appraisal process when staffs' performance is assessed and later when the final ratings are announced. The whole exercise leaves a few people happy but many others sad and is a situation which is tough but has to be managed with tact. A lot depends on the process adopted by the organization and the way the manager and the HR deal with this sensitive matter. Some companies have a mature and an equitable system while some others have a process not so well defined and followed more in default than in compliance. Let us examine various elements that can make the assessment process better and enjoyable rather than one that is intimidating and disliked.
We are dealing with a valuable human resource here and therefore there is need for us to be more considerate. The HR department should come out with clear policies which are well communicated. Let us discussing a few good practices below ;
Making the process participatory : Breaking away from the old practice of assessor making unilateral assessment, the process should be made participatory with the appraisee having a say in the assessment. He should be allowed to voice his complaints about factors that hindered his performance or suggestions for improvement.
Assigning of goals : Every employee should be aware of the expectations of him. He need to be assigned clear tasks and told of the desired outcome in the form of deliverables or goals. Only then we can assess his performance vis-à-vis his targets.
Self appraisal and supervisor assessment : It is always a good practice to let the appraisee assess his own performance first and then let the appraiser agree or note down his disagreement. Serious differences could then be resolved by HR.
Appraisal discussions : Oftentimes discussion turn too formal and geared towards on assigning scores for performance. This should change with the discussion focus more on development and helping the candidate get over his failings and build further on his strengths.
Make the process transparent : Employees often wait with a bated breath not knowing how the news will hit them. The assessment is kept secretive and there is an element of suspense. This is undesirable and unfair. The process must be transparent and the appriasee should be aware of the manner of his assessment and the areas that he should have done better. Proper documentation and a process of consultation would make the process much more meaningful. Many companies use an automated work flow with pre-defined rules to enter goals/targets, self assessment, evaluation, remarks etc. thereby making the process transparent.
Avoid rigid adherence to the bell curve : The often talked of 'Bell Curve' formula sometimes makes us force fit people into slots of excellent, good and the poor performance. Though this could be a general guideline, a small deviation will be in order at times to make possible a fair assessment.
Periodic assessment : In a traditional set up, the appraisal is carried out at the end of the year which means that the candidate comes to know of his shortcomings, if any, only then when the year has run out. A periodic and a formal assessment, say every quarter, can give him an opportunity to improve upon his performance based on the feedback he gets. Such a step would be positive, supportive and fair on the appraisee.
The award : The final give-away is in the form of salary increment or promotion to the next level. People tend to mix up the intent of these issues thereby causing heart burn. Increments are incentives for good performers, a step by which they encourage sincerity, hard work and delivery. On the other hand people who show promise and capability of handling higher responsibilities, are elevated to the next level. This needs to be understood by assessors.
Performance appraisal should therefore be an exercise that people look forward to rather than being an activity that people dread. If it is an ongoing exercise with an intent to develop people and provide encouragement for performing better, this exercise could be enjoyable and productive.
When Companies Hibernate
I often come across companies that start IT projects with all fanfare, complete the initial tasks but cool off later. I first enquire, then nudge them and finally try persuading the folks to continue but they somehow go into a period of hibernation and wake up much later. I have wondered about the reasons for such phenomena and tried to analyze but have yet to come out with proper answers.
This is not a rare state that companies get into but a situation I have observed with regular frequency. Companies have always a lot of explanations to offer and look perfectly justified in their approach. To an external observer however such position doesn't look so normal and convincing and he is at a loss to understand this period of stagnation. The blame could lay with the CIO for not being pushy enough, the users for their uncooperative attitude or with the management for turning a blind eye to the IT projects. For instance one of the companies that I am advising discussed seriously about restructuring the IT infrastructure which was in a highly decentralized mode but postponed it for two months till the start of the new financial year citing budget constraints but it has been now been several months since. Another company was to start off with their BI project and bought the product as well but couldn't get its act together to implement for over several months now. If I try to analyze the reasons for such delays, some of the following points emerge :
Lack of budget : This is a reason often cited by the CIO or the management. Budget constraints could be true in certain cases when companies reel under depressed sales or eroded margins but in most cases it is either lack of drive or unwillingness to invest further in terms of company's resources or funds that stalls these projects.
Not convinced of the project : The management may not be sold out to the idea and hence could hold back their approvals. The CIO may not have been able to work out a proper business justification or that the management themselves not made efforts to understand the proposal and the impact on the company.
Ignorance on IT : While the managements may profess to know, their ignorance of IT is hard to cover up. They still hold the view that the company has survived and prospered without IT so far and hence further such investment would be overkill. They would rather invest these funds in a marketing campaign or for capacity build up.
Unsure of the future plans : Managements may not be ready with their immediate business plans due to market uncertainties or may have business plans but refrain from talking of IT plans. It becomes convenient to put such investments on hold.
Conflict amongst the main stake holders : I have experienced this situation more than once. When talking of Supply Chain Management (SCM), Business Intelligence (BI) or Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), I found the main stakeholders standing their ground and not coming to a consensus, thereby holding up the project. Poor coordination at the top ensures indefinite delay in the execution of such projects.
Plain lethargy : This last point takes the cake. Sluggish companies not seriously affected by market conditions, or the ones that are happy with moderate growth or those who are monopolies, take it easy and do not see the need for hurry. They can wait and take a look at the proposal when they are in a mood to do so.
Such periods of inaction are rather intriguing. Irrespective of the reasons for delay one wonders if this stretch of time benefits anyone. Perhaps none, except the companies who are able to postpone their investments. It was amusing to hear of a senior manger patting himself on his back for holding back decision saying that the delay has really helped because they can now work on the new version of the software, not realizing the fact that they had lost the opportunity in not being to make use of the facility before. Lethargy, indecision and procrastination are qualities or habits that we can do away with and move ahead with a greater sense of purpose.
Effective use of BI
It was during a seminar a few years ago, organized by a leading software vendor, that I listened to the IT head of a large organization, a customer, about implementation of Business Intelligence (BI) suite in their organization. This lecture was a part of the key note session and it had a large attendance. The speaker spoke at length about the project describing how they had been able to generate multiple reports for decision making. Following the talk, a person from the audience raised a pertinent question. Remarking that he did not hear any reference to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or its equivalent, he wanted to know if they had identified critical areas in the organization which they wanted to address with information analysis. The speaker could not adequately answer the question and admitted that they had reserved such an approach for the next stage.
I later discovered that this was nothing new and that many organizations implementing BI use it for generating standard MIS reports that they have been using for a while. Being familiar using such reports they don't see the need for a change. The advantage they derive is easy processing of reports, greater accuracy and timely reporting. The question is if they just get a little more with this wonderful piece of software, is it really worth investing so much and going through the entire grind of implementing BI.
One of the customers that I am currently advising was going through a similar phase. On my advising them to consider BI, they promptly agreed to evaluate, negotiate and buy a package. The implementation partner they spoke to lead them through the familiar approach of taking out routine reports first. The client also seemed to agree as they as they were in a familiar territory. I had then to intervene and explain to them how BI could help them address specific business challenges rather than using this tool to generate reports they already get out of the old systems. The ROI factor hit the CFO mind and he then supported the need to define KPIs for all functions before starting with BI.
The need to define KPIs
Businesses use IT to help enhance their efficiency and effectiveness in dealing with competition and market forces and information plays a key role here. Information however needs to be targeted and this can be done only if we identify the key performance parameters that we like to be met and work out a way to need to monitor them regularly. Let us first understand what KPIs are.
A key performance indicator (KPI) is a business metric used to evaluate factors that are crucial to the success of an organization. KPIs differ for every organization, for example business KPIs may be net revenue, customer loyalty metric, customer-wise profitability, sales performance, performance against competition etc.
Before KPIs can be identified, organization should conduct an exercise defining business objectives, working out measures for success, outlining approach for remedying variances etc. KPIs help an organization assess progress toward the declared goals.
To make the information easily accessible to the senior management personnel, organizations go further and create executive dashboards. Dashboards provide a visually intuitive display of data for monitoring enterprise activity and help organizations track performance from a single screen, thus optimizing decision-making. The purpose is to offer an at-a-glance understanding of the organization's health to executives, managers, and business users. There are frameworks which are in vogue, like creating a business scorecard to improve business performance which define the overall goals and break down those goals into a series of objectives that will enable them to meet the goals. The 'Balanced Score Card' framework originated by Dr. Robert Kaplan and Dr. David Norton is the most popular and this approach adds strategic non-financial performance measures to traditional financial metrics to give managers and executives a more 'balanced' view of organizational performance.
It is important that organizations implementing Business Intelligence packages make the most of what the software offers. Companies should go beyond conventional reporting and look for strategic use of information to help meet it's objectives and goals. Identifying KPIs and creating dashboards are some of the ways to achieve the purpose and organizations should take that path for effective use of the opportunity with them.


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I love salads, and the weather is warming up... that means fresh local produce and the Hubbards Farmers Market! I know, I know I am a little early, as it is only March but all this sunshine is getting me excited for spring and summer.
I went to the bulk barn last week and bought enough beans and grains to last a month, which is good. I hate going to the grocery store. I feel like I am there WAY to much. If its not soymilk we are out of, its bread.
I have been looking into the soy milk maker machines...does any one own one of these? It must be a better product then the boxed stuff, I mean fresh milk at your disposal, and in 15 minutes?I would love to know if it is worth it.
This is a great salad, it keeps well in the fridge. Make a big batch and take it to work for lunches.
The falafel patty you see in the background is a great addition...chickpea patty recipe
- 1 cup cooked Israeli couscous
- 1/2 cucumber- small diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper- small diced
- 2 green onions-minced
- 4 tbsp fresh cilantro-minced
- 1 lemon-juiced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper


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Freedom of information
A statement of specific items is required under Section 8 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and is included here:
The Australian Institute of Marine Science is the leading national organisation researching tropical marine ecosystems through themes of discovery, process understanding, conservation, and sustainable use of living resources. The Institute has 220 staff operating from bases in Townsville, Perth and Darwin, which provides access to the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, Torres Strait, Ningaloo Reef and Kimberley coast, Timor and Arafura Seas. AIMS has world-class laboratory facilities, two modern research vessels and extensive technical support. AIMS is responsible for much of the infrastructure of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System deployed in the tropics. Facilities at AIMS sites in Darwin and Townsville are being enhanced with $55M of capital funds from the Australian Government. In Townsville, this will include a state-of-the-art experimental Ocean Simulator in an extensive seawater precinct to support innovative research into coral spawning, water quality and climate change. This infrastructure supports five multidisciplinary Research Teams that in 2009 published 145 peer-reviewed outputs covering:
- Biodiversity surveys and ecological/evolutionary processes;
- Long-term monitoring and sustainable resource use;
- Biogeochemical processes and ecosystem health;
- History and impacts of climate change; and
- Molecular and genetic mechanisms of marine symbioses
Arrangements for Outside Participation
The Institute's expertise in tropical marine ecosystems, combined with a multidisciplinary capability, makes possible the full spectrum of scientific investigation from the seafloor to the lab bench. AIMS works collaboratively with national and international organisations and researchers to improve understanding of complex marine ecosystems. The Institute carries out internationally renowned research in marine biodiversity, impacts and adaptation to climate change, water quality and ecosystem health, tropical aquaculture and the emerging area of marine microbiology. The Institute's research programs are formulated by AIMS' Management Group and endorsed by the AIMS' Council. The Institute collaborates with a range of user's which includes universities, private enterprise, government and government funded organisations and regularly receives advice and is reviewed periodically as requested by Government.
Categories of Documents
The Institute maintains copies of administrative manuals, research publications and its Annual Reports.
FOI Procedures and Initial Contact Point
Facilities for consulting documents are provided at AIMS. General enquiries concerning access to documents, or other matters relating to FOI, should be directed to:
Freedom of Information Officer
Australian Institute of Marine Science
PMB No 3, Townsville MC, Qld 4810
Telephone: +61 7 4753 4444
Fax: +61 7 4772 5852
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Ryan Gosling & Eva Mendes: Thanksgiving Stroll in New York City!
Ryan Gosling walks arm in arm with his girlfriend Eva Mendes during a Thanksgiving morning stroll on Thursday (November 22) in New York City.
In case you missed it, check out the 31-year-old actor looking battered in the newly released poster of his new film Only God Forgives.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Ryan Gosling
It was recently announced that Ryan has cast Ben Mendelsohn in his debut directed film How to Catch a Monster.
Monster centers on "a mother (Christina Hendricks) and her two sons, one of whom discovers a secret underwater town. With mother in tow, young Bones enters the dark, macabre place he's stumbled upon."
FYI: Eva is wearing a Max Mara coat.


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Ailey Gay bars and clubs by distance
- Roys Hideaway (24.1m) Roys Hideaway is a members only LGBT campground in Collins, Ga. They have RV space, tent camping and cabin rental. They have a 400...more
Ailey Gay Bars and Clubs from ClubFly
ClubFly provides a gay bar, club, nightlife and GLBT center mapper for Ailey, Georgia and the rest of the USA. Ailey gay bars and clubs are mapped in your gayborhood with ratings, tags, videos, tips, transit/walking directions, and driving directions.


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Vitamin D and Osteoporosis Prevention in Elderly African American Women (NIHD)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01153568
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : June 30, 2010
Last Update Posted : October 3, 2018
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Determine Effect of Vitamin D on Bone Health in Elderly African American Women
|Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D 3 Other: placebo
|Phase 3
The long-term goal of this project is to develop strategies for the prevention of osteoporotic fractures in African Americans. Most intervention studies have excluded African Americans because of the erroneous belief that osteoporosis is not a major health problem in this population. In fact, the incidence rate of hip fracture in blacks is 50% of the rate in whites. Since longevity is increasing in the black population, osteoporotic fractures will become an even greater problem for this ethnic minority in the future. Furthermore, morbidity and mortality from osteoporotic fractures is greater in blacks. The elderly require higher intake of vitamin D to prevent bone loss resulting from secondary hyperparathyroidism. Calcium with sufficient vitamin D supplementation may decrease fractures in elderly white populations as a result of reduction in bone loss and falls (improved physical performance). The only fracture intervention study to include African Americans—the Women's Health Initiative—used an inadequate dose of vitamin D (400 IU), a dose unlikely to achieve the vitamin D status proposed by U.S. experts: serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration above 75 nmol/L. No calcium/vitamin D intervention studies on fall prevention or physical performance have included African Americans.
As a result of increased skin pigmentation, blacks synthesize less vitamin D from sun exposure. As a result, serum 25(OH)D levels are often in the "insufficient" range. This is accompanied by secondary hyperparathyroidism, but adult blacks have a relative skeletal resistance to PTH, so that they have lower bone turnover. They also have more efficient renal conservation of calcium starting in childhood. Addition of vitamin D3 to a calcium-sufficient African American postmenopausal population does not prevent bone loss. The calcium/vitamin D requirements of black adults may be lower than white adults through midlife. However, the elderly require more vitamin D to produce the higher 25(OH)D levels required to overcome the hyperparathyroidism associated with aging. The skeleton of elderly African Americans appears to be susceptible to the increasing parathyroid hormone levels of old age. Bone loss accelerates and bone turnover markers increase in elderly African Americans just as in whites. The specific aims of this project are to determine if dietary supplementation with calcium/vitamin D will safely reduce bone loss and bone turnover and improve physical performance in elderly African Americans. We will enroll 250 African American women in a four-year vitamin D3 intervention trial where serum 25(OH)D will be maintained at an optimum level above 75 nmol/L. Adequate calcium intake will be ensured. Functional markers of vitamin D including bone density, serum PTH, and bone turnover will be measured. The NIH Conference on Vitamin D and Health in the 21st Century, September 5-6, 2007 concluded that research in this population is a high priority.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|260 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Vitamin D and Osteoporosis Prevention in Elderly African American Women: A 4-year Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Investigate the Effect of Vitamin D Status in Elderly African American Women
|Study Start Date :
|August 2010
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|October 2016
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|October 2016
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Other: placebo
placebo tablets
Experimental: Vitamin D 3
Vitamin D3 will be available in doses of 60, 90, 120, and 150 µg
Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D 3
Patients will bew given a single capsule to take once daily
- 1. To determine if vitamin D supplementation sufficient to raise serum 25(OH)D levels above 75 nmol/L (30 ng/mL) for four years will reduce bone density loss, markers of bone turnover, and serum PTH in elderly black women [ Time Frame: 4 years ]2. To determine whether such supplementation will inhibit the decline in physical performance with aging.
- To evaluate the harms of vitamin D intakes that raise 25(OH)D levels above 75 nmol/L for four years in a calcium sufficient population [ Time Frame: 4 years ]This research will fill an important gap in knowledge about the potential benefit of vitamin D supplementation in elderly black women. While many experts agree that vitamin D intake should be increased in the elderly, few pertinent studies have included black participants, who represent a vulnerable population due to their low serum 25(OH)D. If vitamin D supplementation proves to be beneficial in this minority group, that would suggest the appropriateness of intake recommendations similar to those proposed for white populations.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|60 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Ambulatory women older than 60 years of age. Self declared as African Americans.
- 20 nmol/L < serum 25(OH)D level < 65 nmol/L.
- Willingness to take study drug and participate for four years in the trial.
- Willingness to refrain from the use of self-administered supplements during the trial.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Serum 25(OH)D levels ≤ 20 nmol/L or ≥ 65 nmol/L.
- BMD total hip below - 2.5 standard deviation (using NHANES III adult young white men and women as the point of reference) or history of osteoporotic fracture.
- Moderate to severe fracture in one or more vertebrae by Instant Vertebral Assessment on DXA.
- Treatment with HRT, SERMS, calcitonin, PTH, androgens, bisphosphonates, phosphate or anabolic steroids during 6 months prior to entry.
- Use of systemic corticosteroids (oral or IV) within the last year at an average dose of greater than 5 mg per day of oral prednisone or equivalent for a period of three months or more prior to screening.
- Hypercalcemia (serum calcium > 10.6 mg (dl) or history of primary hyperparathyroidism.
- History of chronic liver disease, chronic renal insufficiency, Parkinson's, metabolic bone disease, hematologic tumors, rheumatologic disease requiring steroids, malabsorption or new diagnosis or active treat-ment of cancer 12 months prior to inclusion.
- Use of medications that influence bone metabolism (e.g. anticonvulsants).
- Significant deviation from normal in either: history, physical examination or laboratory tests as evaluated by the Principle Investigator. Participants with a history of hypercalciuria, nephrolithiasis and active sarcoidosis will also be excluded.
- Participation in another investigational trial 30 days prior to screening.
- Spinal disease that affects interpretation of bone densitometry like scoliosis with a Cobb angle greater than 15o, history of surgery at lumbosacral spine.
- Bilateral hip replacement.
- Currently smoking more than 10 cigarettes daily.
- Body width on DXA > 25 cm.
Patients who are deemed unsafe to perform muscular function testing as evaluated by the investigator.
---------- Study participants should live close to the study site, as this study requires multiple visits over a four year period.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01153568
|United States, New York
|Winthrop University Hospital
|Mineola, New York, United States, 11501
|Principal Investigator:
|John F. Aloia, MD
|Winthrop University Hospital
Additional Information:
Publications of Results:
Other Publications:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|John F. Aloia, MD, Chief Academic Officer, Winthrop University Hospital
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01153568 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
R01AG032440 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
|First Posted:
|June 30, 2010 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|October 3, 2018
|Last Verified:
|June 2018
Vitamin D
african american women
Bone Diseases, Metabolic
Bone Diseases
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Metabolic Diseases
Vitamin D
Growth Substances
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Bone Density Conservation Agents
Calcium-Regulating Hormones and Agents


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Explore Albuquerque
Close to the University of New Mexico and Albuquerque International Airport
Feel refreshed during your visit to sunny New Mexico at our Days Inn Albuquerque West hotel. Located off I-40, our hotel near Old Town offers easy access to the University of New Mexico. Scenic parks, museums, universities, and popular landmarks are all nearby. Albuquerque International Airport is also close to our hotel.


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Which Social Media Marketing Platforms to Target
Strong social influence marketing (SIM) campaigns target multiple social networks. Because consumers rarely use just one social platform (for example, only Facebook or Twitter), your marketing campaign should reach each of these social media platforms:
Facebook: The largest social network in the world, Facebook is ideal for marketing at the awareness and consideration stage of the marketing funnel. Fan pages, wall posts, virtual gifts, applications, social ads, and technologies like Facebook Connect make the platform a popular choice.
MySpace: With its roots in music, MySpace is still considered the best platform for music and entertainment-related marketing activities. Traditional banner advertisements, sponsored music samples, and brand profiles present the greatest opportunities.
Twitter: Evolving into a news, brand marketing, and customer service tool, Twitter is ideal for reaching out to influencers, handling customer service queries, and forging personal relationships with customers. Sponsored tweets are an emerging ad format on Twitter.
YouTube: With custom channels and the ability to upload an unlimited number of clips, YouTube is a powerful marketing platform if you have engaging branded content. But don't treat it as a push channel through which to funnel TV advertisements. Focus on building social currency with subscribers and users.
Blogosphere: Blogger outreach programs are a must, but make sure that you identify the bloggers carefully and reach out to them using blogger outreach best practices. Otherwise, you'll turn them off.
Niche social platforms: Your users may be very active on the niche social platforms. Conduct research to learn where they're participating and explore the marketing opportunities on those platforms. Try LinkedIn, Ning, CafeMom, deviantART, and Gather.


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$25: What Scammers Pay for Your Identity
By Sid Kirchheimer , February 27, 2014 10:22 AM
Consider it the law of Evil Economics: With the identity theft business booming, prices for stolen personal information sold on the black market have reached record low prices.
"It's simple supply and demand," explains Jon Ramsey, chief technology officer at Dell SecureWorks, a division of the computer behemoth. "The identity theft business is so good that there's a glut on the market" of everything crooks need to commit financial fraud.
The result: It costs them less to obtain your stolen identity than what you pay for dinner out on date night - including most Early Bird Specials.
For just $25, according to a Dell SecureWorks report, scammers can purchase "fullz" - the name for an electronic dossier containing everything needed to open fraudulent accounts in your identity: name, home and email addresses, phone numbers and date of birth, as well as Social Security number and information on bank and credit card accounts.
That's a 37 percent drop in "fullz" prices from just two years ago, and about half from the last decade.
For those preferring to scam a la carte, stolen credit cards - complete with CVV security codes - sell for as little as $4, while online banking accounts with balances between $75,000 to $150,000 retail for up to $300.
For just $400, scammers can get a targeted business knocked offline with a distributed denial of service (DDoS) for-hire attack, while personal computers remotely infected with malware to be spam-sending "botnets" on behalf of scammers are a real bargain: just $20 for 1,000 compromised computers or $250 for 15,000 "bots."
>> Sign up for the AARP Money newsletter
Much of the stolen information covered in the Dell SecureWorks review was gleaned online - through data breaches, distribution of malware and other types of hacking. While you can't prevent corporate data breaches, here's how to protect your computer for reduced risk of identity theft:
- Don't click on links or attachments in emails from those you don't know - or those in unsolicited emails alleged to be from the government or your financial institution. Even if you recognize the sender, it's wise to confirm those links before clicking (they could result from your friend's computer being hijacked as a botnet).
- Keep close tabs on your financial accounts - online and with mailed statements. Immediately report any unrecognized or unauthorized activity.
- Don't use "trial" versions of anti-virus protection as your primary security defense. Stick with tried-and-true versions that, unlike trials, issue automatic updates.
- Think twice before providing personal details online or otherwise - such as when you get unsolicited phone calls asking you to verify account or personal information.
- Don't download apps, screensavers or programs (including self-described "accelerators" and "spyware removal tools") without first doing some online research about their legitimacy. To do that, simply type its name and words such as "reviews" or "complaints." (Websites recommended by Scam Alert have been properly vetted before publicized.)
- Don't believe "Tech Support" scammers who call claiming there is a virus or problem with your computer. They try to get remote access or install malware, and then charge you for bogus repairs.
- Ideally, try to use one computer that's specifically dedicated to online banking and bill-paying and another for cruising the Internet for other purposes. Never use any computer on a public WiFi network to do online shopping, banking or bill-paying.
- When notified of a corporate data breach - or if you're a customer of a hacked company - pay especially close attention to your payment cards and personal information. Contact your bank or credit card companies about the possibility of getting new account numbers.
- Keep tabs on your credit report. Under federal law, every American is entitled to three no-cost reports per year at www.annualcreditreport.com. Use that website exclusively; others that promise free credit reports may lock you into costly credit monitoring services.
Photo: Don Hankins/Flickr
For information about other scams, sign up for the Fraud Watch Network . You'll receive free email alerts with tips and resources to help you spot and avoid identity theft and fraud. You'll also gain access to a network of experts, law enforcement and people in your community who will keep you up to date on the latest scams in your area.
>> Get discounts on financial services with your AARP Member Advantages.
Also of Interest
- New Twist on the Hostage Scam and Other 'Gotchas'
- Top 10 Free Things to Do in America
- Get free assistance with tax-return preparation from Tax-Aide
- Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being
See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more


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From $489.00 USD
About Panama City , Panama
, the most cosmopolitan capital in Central America. Founded in 1519 by the Spanish, it quickly became an important center of government and church authorities, only to be destroyed in 1671 by Welsh pirate Henry Morgan, later the governor of Jamaica. Gone forever were several beautiful churches, thousands of colonial homes and hundreds of warehouses stocked with foreign goods. Panama City today has several major attractions, among which are these popular four: Panamá Viejo on the eastern edge, whose scattered stone ruins cover a large area; "downtown" or the "new" city of Casco Viejo (Old Compound), re-built by the Spanish just a few miles southwest of the original site, with narrow cobblestone streets and a mix of architectural styles; the lovely residential suburbs with gracious villas, modern hotels, gardens and pools and of course, the 48- mile long Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Central Holidays' tailor-created When in features a variety of options and additions that cater to all different budgets. Each "When In" includes accommodations per the program, and breakfast daily, as well as sightseeing, excursions, and experiential activities based on the package selected…Travel In Simplicity, Travel In Style, or Travel In Luxury.
Terms, conditions and restrictions apply; pricing, availability, and other details subject to change and/ or apply to US or Canadian residents. Please confirm details and booking information with your travel advisor.


text: Hi Everybody! Just a quick post to introduce myself and express how excited I am to be joining the Keatley Photo team! I've recently taken the role of Marketing Director, and couldn't be more ecstatic about both the role, and the amazing people (and animals) I am working with. I mean, who doesn't want an adorable 2 year old with self-styled hair and a fist full of Cheerios waltzing past your desk from time to time to keep things light? Or a precocious Pomeranian greeting you in the morning? This all on top of the amazing artistic environment of working with John. We have some fantastic projects planned for this new year, and even in week 4, things are off to an amazing start of exciting endeavors. We are diving in head first, and I cannot wait for you to see the results as they unfold! So, hello Keatley fans, it is nice to meet you, and know this is not the last you will be hearing from me. Oh, and even though I often introduce myself as Elizabeth, many of my friends call me Izzy, so feel free to do the same. Happy New Year!! –Izzy


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- This event has passed.
Harvest Kitchen Café Open
August 28 @ 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
The Harvest Kitchen Café is located on the corner of Main Street and Bayley Street in downtown Pawtucket. We're open Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
We focus on offering locally grown and locally made foods that are both delicious and nutritious. Stop by to see what's fresh!