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The first three days of 2010 in Cuba's were spent enjoying great outdoor festivities such as bands playing in the streets throughout public areas all across the island. The shows offered dancing also so that anyone can come along and join in the fun. In Havana people had the opportunity to enjoy the outstanding Cuban orchestra for free. These new celebrations are set up to entice holidaymakers to its warmer winter climate, and if your sat reading this with as much frost bit as me then I'm sure you'll agree that won't take much persuading.
In the Cuban capital of Havana, the tourist board have announced they are finishing up on repairs of 156 rooms so to welcome holidaymakers during the upcoming busy summer season. Havana does expect to take in a few more winter season travellers in the coming year. With the repairs to many of the hotels and other facilities on the island that tourist will be required. Havana officials hope to show those visiting that Cuba offers a highly efficient and quality service to those who choose the Caribbean Island as their holiday destination.
Maria Emilia Garcia, general secretary of the Trade Union in the county, added that the members of the Hotel and Tourism Trade Union in Havana support the idea of sprucing things up in an around city. Things that have been listed are cleaning and redecoration old hotels, painting and all round restoration of old, tattered buildings and also to take advantage of the tropical surroundings that are on offer throughout Cuba.


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By Hannah Schenker
We mothers know about the wonders of breastmilk. We even joke about its wondrous and varied healing effects – "just pour a little breast milk on it!". But cancer? The scary Big-C? Research results suggest that yes – breastmilk contains a compound, nicknamed HAMLET by the researchers, that targets cancerous cells and kills them. But this research is not new. The cancer-fighting compound was discovered back in the early 90s, only the researchers' findings were met with disbelief by the medical community. It is only now, after two decades of working to prove the discovery, that the research is becoming widely accepted (source).
Professor Catharina Svanborg and her postgraduate assistant Anders Håkansson accidentally discovered the compound, at the University of Lund in Sweden back in the 90s. They were immunologists, researching infectious disease rather than working in cancer research. They discovered the promising results after researching the way breastmilk was able to fight off infection and germs. Apparently a common practice is to experiment on human cancer cells due to their ability to function like normal human cells and essentially live on forever in the lab. However, while conducting their research the cancer cells began to die, "committing suicide" in the presence of breastmilk.
"Looking down the microscope at the dying tumor cells, we were quite excited, especially when the experiment was repeated and showed the same effect twice. We had used non cancerous cells for a long time in similar experiments and they had not died," she says.
Upon closer study, they discovered that when the human milk protein alpha-lactalbumin binds to a fatty acid it has the ability to kill cancerous cells, while leaving healthy cells alone. They nicked named it HAMLET (Human Alpha-lactalbumin Made LEthal to Tumour cells), patented their discovery, and published their research in a paper in a respected journal – Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, in 1995. What happened next? They were met with disbelief because the research hadn't come out of a cancer research or phamaceutical development facility, but instead from an immunologist working in a University.

subset: commoncrawl


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Gibbins Richards was born in 1991, created by two young and adventurous estate agents, Mark Gibbins and Marc Richards. They have been bolstered by Simon Evans who also became a director in 2007. Their first office was in Taunton High Street, closely followed by a High Street office in Bridgwater and more recently opposite Waitrose in Wellington.
We have over 30 wonderful people who work with us at Gibbins Richards. They are very different, dedicated and hard working individuals who each bring something unique to our business. Results driven and rewarded for success, we are sure you will find them a pleasure to work with in our collective goal of getting your home sold.


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Caudalie Fleur De Vigne Fresh Fragrance 50ml
Please be aware that products such as batteries, perfumes, aftershaves, nail polishes and aerosols can only be shipped to the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal due to Mail restrictions. To avoid delay to the processing of your overseas order, please do not add any such products to your basket for dispatch to other countries as we will be unable to fulfil your order.
Caudalie Fleur de Vigne Fresh Fragrance
This fresh fragrance pays homage to the beautiful Fleur de Vigne (Grape Blossom), which is celebrated in splendid style in June every year, in the vineyards. When it comes out, it heralds the start of the autumn harvest 110 days later. This energising splash, delicately fragranced, is drawn from plants of aromatherapy. Enriched with essential oils and plant waters rich in oligo-elements, it refreshes and tones. It contains a vitamin-rich citrus bouquet of Bergamot (bergaptene free), Grapefruit and Mandarin. The phyto-aromatic cocktail of Blackcurrant bud and Green Maté makes it an energizing concentrate which unfolds against a warm, voluptuous, subtly woody base of Sandalwood and Cedar.
- Refreshes and tones
- Energising
- Aromatic
More Details
Delivery & Returns
Express Delivery Available - If ordered before 11pm, delivered by courier next working day. More Info »
If ordered before 11pm, delivered by courier next working day. Applies to most delivery addresses within mainland UK.
How long will it take to arrive?
Please check the stock availability notice on your item when placing your order. This item is: In stock | Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Please remember to add postal time (2-3 working days) to obtain a complete estimate of delivery to your door.
How will I know it has been sent?
You will receive an email to confirm when your item has been sent.
You can also check the status of your order and individual items by accessing My Account details and following the prompts.
Please allow 10 working days from dispatch of your order before notifying us of any late deliveries.
It may be advisable to check with your neighbours to see if a parcel has been left with them, check any outhouses you might have where it may be left if it cannot fit through your letterbox and contact your local sorting office to see if the item has been returned to the depot as undelivered and awaiting collection.
If I'm not completely happy with my item?
Please see our returns policy.


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The New Lilliput Sergeant Kirklan is made from pewter. Models are supplied unpainted and will require some assembly.
Pack contains:1 x Sergeant Kirklan1 x Stat card1 x 30mm base1 x Blue pearl1 x Blue wound marker
Space Swarm Core Game Set
Space Swarm: First Contact Expansion Set
Vampire Countess
Witch Hunter
Halfinator H-400


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Voice Lessons To The World
Vocal Articles
Daily Vocal Tips
New York Speech Coaching
NYVC Voice Teacher Training
New York Piano Teacher
New York Guitar Teachers
New York Acting Coaching
New York Speech Pathology
Nashville Speech Coaching
DC Speech Coaching
Florida Speech Coaching
Voice Lessons & Vocal Coaching from one of New York's top Vocal Studios and some of NYC's best Voice Teachers.
"By my calculations, I took 220,752,000 incorrect breaths before I started to do it right. Slow learner, I know. I'd breathed the same way for forty-two years. Then… Justin Stoney gave me a lesson."-AJ JACOBSNew York Times Best Selling Author of "The Year of Living Biblically" and "The Know It All"
"I have now worked with Justin Stoney on two separate projects - one Broadway Musical and on Broadway Dramatic Play. In both instances, through his masterful and thoroughly exhilarating technique, I felt I transitioned from 'insecure, hopeless, frustrated and strained' to confident, free and relaxed! Justin understands not only the voice and breathing, but acting and sustainable technique. I'm thankful I now have a Vocal Coach for life."-TONY SHALHOUBEmmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award WinnerTelevision, Film, and Broadway Star
"Justin and his colleagues are doing amazing work at New York Vocal Coaching. Performers of all levels can develop the skills they need in a truly safe, supportive, and nurturing atmosphere…"-RANDY SKINNER3-Time Tony Award Nominated Director and Choreographer
JUSTIN STONEY, THE FOUNDER OF NEW YORK VOCAL COACHING, is an internationally-recognized Voice Teacher and Vocal Coach. One of the leading Voice Teachers in today's music industry, he has appeared on the NBC Today Show, CBS, Fox News, Fox 5 New York, The Insider, and frequently as a guest on Huffington Post Live's interviews of celebrity singers. His teaching has been featured in publications such as Esquire Magazine, Newsweek/The Daily Beast, SELF, NME, Fox News Magazine, Discovery News, Medical Daily, UK's Daily Mail, Tech Times, and Backstage Magazine.
The Voice Lessons To The World Vocal Course is a singing resource created by internationally-renowned Voice Teacher Justin Stoney and New York Vocal Coaching Inc. This 12-Part Vocal Course takes you on a singing journey from Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced to Master.
Voice Lessons To The World - The App!
Better Business Speech: Techniques, Tricks, and Shortcuts for Public Speaking at Work by our very own Paul Geiger is now available!
"As a singer/songwriter, I have done over 15 albums and thousands of shows and more and more to come. My life really changed for the better after working with Justin Stoney and NYVC…"-JOVANOTTIItalian Recording Star and Pop Icon
Better Business Speech: Techniques, Tricks, and Shortcuts for Public Speaking at Work by our very own Paul Geiger is now available for pre-order!


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Health & Safety
Start of main content
You are in:
- Health & Safety
Our Safety Program LIFE is a holistic approach to implementing Health & Safety best practices throughout our business – not only at work, but also at home.
- Staff (average 2018): 900
Looking for an Incident Free Environment (LIFE) means that we are constantly designing fresh and innovative ways to train and remind our employees of best practices and where any decision affecting production, cost and time has to be taken within the context of safety, which is a non-negotiable value.
Ferrovial Agroman US & Canada works on the basis of a Safety Management System, which is OHSAS 18001 accredited.
All Ferrovial Agroman US & Canada sites conduct detailed risk assessments and implement suitable preventive measures. We provide the resources needed for each situation and make sure that our Risk Management System is properly followed and monitored. The improvements generated by the utilization of this system have led to achieving a lower incident rate than the construction industry average.
For each of our projects, we design a project-specific safety plan based upon our years of experience on similar projects. The plan is custom designed to consider project specific elements such as locale, climate, environment, scope, etc. We utilize our best practices and lessons learned from past experiences and apply the them to the safety plan. Our safety program is continually evolving, incorporating experiences to constantly enhance the safety of all employees and the traveling public.
End of main content


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A boom in recruitment by security firms guarding ships against Somali pirates has caused a stream of troops to leave elite units for lucrative contracts in the private sector.
The loss of veterans of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, particularly corporals and sergeants, "rips the skeleton" from the bodies of units like the Royal Marines and Parachute Regiment, the commander of 3 Commando during the Falklands War, Julian Thompson, has warned.
According to Ministry of Defence figures, 570 Royal Marines and 170 members of 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Parachute Regiment left the forces between 2009 and 2011.
Even though the figure for the Marines includes those who were medically discharged, the rate at which elite soldiers from both units have been leaving is around double the average.
Among the Marines, the MoD admitted, the bulk of those leaving voluntarily were senior privates, corporals and sergeants. These non-commissioned officers lead sections of around eight men, or platoons of around 30. They are responsible for life-and-death tactical decisions during fighting.
No definite data is available on what soldiers do when they leave the services but senior officers have been deeply concerned about the losses of experienced troops to the private security companies for more than a year.
"Anecdotally, between 1st June 2011 and 30th November 2011, 54 soldiers from 3 Para have applied for Premature Voluntary Release. Of these, 24 have claimed they were seeking work in the private security industry," an MoD source said.
Britain is the world leader in security companies, which have expanded rapidly into the maritime sector as a consequence of piracy in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
Recent estimates put the economic costs of piracy at \$7bn over the last three years.
At times piracy has threatened to have a strategic impact on countries like the UK because 40% of its liquid natural gas passes through the Suez Canal and interruptions in supply could have driven prices up.
A private security contractor with a background in the Marines or Paras can expect to earn around £300 a day - up to triple what they could earn in the forces. Typically they work in small teams of around four men and travel on board ships crossing the Indian Ocean. Some are armed.
Maritime security insiders say part of the reason the private sector is able to recruit so easily is that the frequency of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan has taken a heavy toll on the private lives of soldiers and their families.
They are also aware that their chances of avoiding death or a life changing injury decline with every tour on the front line. Some units who have been involved in the heaviest fighting in Afghanistan since 2006 have suffered casualty rates of one in five.
"Everyone seems to think at some stage my number might be up, whether it's one tour or two tours or however many tours," said Ben Scott, a former Royal Marine corporal who served for seven years and fought in Helmand in 2007.
"If you have that feeling it certainly puts the wind up you. You might not want to really do it anymore, it's not a risk you're going to want to take,"
He left the commandos six weeks ago and is soon to start work guarding ships in the Indian ocean for Plymouth-based Transafe Maritime.
Phil Cole, a director at Maritime Asset Security and Training, which has offices at Stansted and Plymouth in order to maintain close links to nearby Paras and Marines, said that companies looked for mature soldiers who have held leadership positions.
"The jobs on the ships require maturity and quick thinking. Our guys will be required to liaise with government officials, the ship's master, and to face off with pirates. That means that we will be looking to recruit men and women who have been leaders in the forces - often those who have retired or are leaving after a few years because they want a quieter life and better pay.
"The down side is that we don't offer the job security that the forces do. All of our people are self-employed," he added.
But recruitment of NCOs poses a risk to units because "it rips the skeleton out of the structure".
"The structure is built around the skeleton of the junior commanders and they are absolutely vital to make certain that their expertise is passed on to the young guys and they do the leading then the kitchen gets hot," Major General Thompson said.
As a result the Royal Marines have boosted the number of soldiers being trained to be corporals and sergeants.
"To compensate for a slight increase in early service leavers, the capacity at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone has been increased and extra instructors have been allocated to boost the number of Junior and Senior Command Courses that are required for promotion," the MoD said in a statement.
Marines who sign on for an extra three years beyond their existing contracts are also paid a £15,000 lump sum - and they have been spared from any cuts under the MoD's efforts to balance a budget, which has been £39bn in the red.
Public support in the UK for the war in Afghanistan has been falling. Nearly three-quarters (73%) believe it is unwinnable, according to a recent ComRes poll. In June last year the figure was 60%, while 46% of those surveyed had no idea why Britain was in Afghanistan.
Nonetheless, recruitment to the Armed Forces, including the Royal Marines and Paras, remains strong.
"We know we have a problem with our junior leaders being attracted from some units into the private sector but there is no shortage of recruits, so in the long term this will be balanced out," said an MoD source.
An official statement from the ministry said: "Those who serve in the Armed Forces build up specialist skills over the course of their Service.
"The Services place great value on these, which is why we offer a wide range of benefits to those serving, including housing, an excellent pension scheme and a clear career progression."


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Welcome to Tacoma World!You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.
As a registered member, you'll be able to:
- Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
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Great South Central US Weekend Getaway Recommendation and Some Updated Tundra Pics
Discussion in 'Travel' started by rleeharris, Jun 14, 2012.


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Electric Guitar Lessons London with London Guitar School offering high-quality guitar lessons throughout the London area. We can visit you or you can visit us.
These guitar lessons are designed to keep the students engaged and inspired, while at the same time delivering the fundamentals of a great guitar education. London Guitar School have developed a high yield guitar system that works for anyone. We are delighted to offer Beginner to Advanced Guitar Lessons in London for all ages. London Guitar School teach lots of children and adults, all levels and all electric guitar styles and we are conveniently located with studios dotted around London. We draw materials from an extensive library that is constantly growing and being updated with the best, tried and tested books and methods from the most respected experts in the field of guitar and Music study. All our brilliant teachers have experience in both playing in and leading bands, performance, songwriting and composition.London Guitar School are here to help you begin or continue your path of learning and realizing the art of making music in a comfortable and fun environment, whether you want to learn how to rock, play acoustic, Improvise, learn theory or just everything, I can get you there!! Learning guitar can be a challenge, so it always helps to have a teacher that can make things as easy as possible, giving you years and hopefully a lifetime of playing satisfaction.
We teach: Rock, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Folk, Pop, sight reading, scale studies and development, Improvising, music theory, ear training, songwriting etc.. and I love working with beginners!!!! If you want to learn a song, we will personally figure out how to play it and will make a slowed down recording of it for you to practice with. Plus, you will get accurate TAB (form or written music) to go with your song request.London Guitar School employ several different methods depending on what your specific goal is and have exercises and a method designed to help you learn to sing and play guitar at the same time, how to improvise, how to write songs or compose instrumental music, how to read music, how to play by ear, how to practice, how to solo, how to figure out how to play songs by listening and much more…We'll show you all the tricks of the trade that you will never find in any book or video and explain how how to achieve permanent success on your musical journey.Drop us a line today.
Guitar Lessons London Guitar Teacher profiles Guitar Teacher Videos


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Gruff Rhys
AlbumsSee All
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About Gruff Rhys
Best-known for his tenure in the hard-to-peg-down Welsh outfit Super Furry Animals, Gruff Rhys has a long history in British rock. Born in 1970, Rhys played in Creation Records' Emily as well as Ffa Coffi Pawb, but his first foray into the musical arts was at the ripe age of five, when he wrote an odd little number about a train driver who's contemplating his own death. In 1990, a chance meeting helped lead to the development of what would become Super Furry Animals. First a left-field techno group, then later a whacked-out guitar group, SFA got much of their character and respect from Rhys' outlandish and obscure lyrical slants. After many critically acclaimed singles and full-lengths, Rhys released his solo outing Yr Atal Genhedlaeth in 2005. And in true Gruff Rhys form, it was an entirely Welsh affair. He followed up the release with a small sampling of dates in his native homeland. When Super Furry Animals moved to Rough Trade, the label also picked up Rhys' solo work and released his second album, Candylion, early in 2007. The album was released by Team Love in the U.S. shortly afterward. That same year, Neon Neon, a collaborative project of Rhys and Boom Bip, released Stainless Style, an electro-pop concept album about auto tycoon John DeLorean. Rhys next stepped outside of SFA in 2010 for The Terror of Cosmic Loneliness, a duet album with Tony Da Gatorra. In 2011 Rhys released his third solo album, Hotel Shampoo, featuring production from Andy Votel. Rhys then returned to Neon Neon for 2013's Praxis Makes Perfect and then devoted himself to an ambitious multimedia project called American Interior. An album, a movie, and a book, American Interior traced Rhys' journey through America to track the legend of John Evans, a Welshman who searched for the legendary lost tribe of Welsh-speaking Native Americans in 1792. The project was unveiled in the spring of 2014 with the album seeing release in May of that year. ~ Chris True
- Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wal
- Alternative
- 18 Jul 1970
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A hurricane uncovers widespread pollution in a small Texas town, and a lot of human toxicity as well.
The third novel by Steinke (The Fires, 1999; Holy Skirts, 2005) alternates perspectives among a host of residents of Friendswood, where high school football, property values and Jesus Christ compete for the locals' esteem. Steinke zooms in on two in particular, though. Lee is a middle-aged woman who's been investigating carcinogen levels at a former refinery site since her teenage daughter died of cancer; Lee's discovery after the storm of a new batch of dumped chemicals has riled the town, particularly the local magnate who wants a housing development at the location. Meanwhile, Willa is a high school girl whose eagerness to get to know a boy leads to a drugged drink and gang rape by members of the football team. Steinke emphasizes the parallels in these two plotlines: Both exemplify the horrid consequences of a go-along-to-get-along culture where women are expected not to protest, and religion is deployed as an excuse to avoid asking difficult questions. A few of the characters symbolizing that ethos are a bit cardboard, particularly the parents oblivious to Willa's emotional despair and the condescending men telling Lee she's going too far. But the novel gets its spark from Lee genuinely going too far; Steinke expertly weaves in the stresses of Lee's past and present as she warms to the idea of committing acts of eco-terrorism. Steinke's message that the truth will out gives her novel the comfort of a commercial page-turner, but she hasn't simplified her lead characters to sell the notion. Willa in particular suffers from horrifying visions of creatures stalking her, and though she may learn to keep them at bay, it's clear some damage sticks around for a long time.
A sharp, observant novel about the hard realities of challenging the status quo.


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Keep track of followers, press mentions, highlights, challenges, sales, etc. in these editable monthly reports!
It is important to tell our brand story--whether you own a online store, brick and mortar business, or a blog, or offer a service. But sometimes operating our business can cause us to forget some of the things that happen month to month. In these two documents, Stats at a Glance and Monthly Reports, you can


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Portable Toilets are attracting a great deal of attention these days. You might have seen cuboid box type structures standing everywhere along the road sides. What are these structures actually? YES, these are actually the portable toilets only we are talking about.
Earlier also, these portable toilets were known to people but were not that famous due to less number of dealers in them. But today there are a number of dealers in the market who provide portable toilet hire services.
Image Source: Google
Apart from providing a safe and hygienic solution for toilet needs, they also help the environment. When we choose to hire portable toilets, we are actually doing a service for our Mother Nature as well as making things helpful for the people involved.
Here we will be discussing various points on how you can benefit the environment by finding out a one-stop-shop for all your portable toilet hire needs.
- Portable Toilets Are Water Saving
Image Source: Google
Water saving is one of the biggest benefits which we give to the environment by hiring these portable toilets. According to the experts, a single construction site that hosts ten crews working for a week uses approximately 2,500 gallons of water to manage the waste they produce if they choose to use traditional bathroom facilities.
Contrary to this, portable toilets would need only a fraction of that water amount. So by using portable toilet services, we are actually saving water and benefiting the environment.
- Portable Toilets Are Recyclable
Another benefit to environment by using portable toilets is that they can be used over and over again numerous times at a number of locations throughout their lifetime. This indirectly means they are eco-friendly option.
Further, portable toilets are made mostly of plastic with some metal pieces. Thus, they are entirely recyclable after they are no longer useful at one point of time.


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by BlueSteps
Apr 10 2012
It's not a secret that your network is one of your most important tools in your job search - be it at home or abroad. Those looking to build their career or find a job locally have the ability to attend local meetings and engage with people in person to build their network to support their goals.
However most people looking to build an international career or find work abroad don't have that luxury. Hence building your network online is a critical part of any international career acceleration or job search plan. This is why I am writing to share information with you about a top international online professional network you may not be aware of - Viadeo.
Founded in 2004, Viadeo is the second largest online professional social network in the world with over 40 million members in 226 countries. With offices and teams in 12 cities around the globe and the addition of more than 30,000 new members each day, they're expanding their size and reach at a very rapid pace.
Branded as ApnaCircle on the Indian sub-continent and as Tianji in China, Viadeo has taken a local approach to professional networking. By recognizing that networking styles are not universal across cultures, each network's features allows you to expand your network as well as develop an online presence in a more culturally relevant way.
Because companies in emerging markets like India and China are actively seeking talent outside of their borders given the lack of necessary skill sets at home, Viadeo's large member bases in these countries could be an extremely powerful tool for those looking for jobs in those areas of the world.
But Viadeo's membership is truly global. It has 16.5 million members in the Americas, 3.3 in Mexico and 3.5 in Brazil. They have 9 million members in Europe, 2 in Africa, 3.5 in India, 9 in China and 12.5 million in Asia.
Due to the value they offer the international job seeker, I've reached out to Pete Crosby, Viadeo Group's Chief Sales Officer, and asked him to share some information about how Viadeo's networks can support those looking to build international careers and businesses.
- Many thanks for agreeing to spend time sharing information with this blog's readers. Can you tell us about how Viadeo started?
Viadeo was founded in Paris in 2004 by Dan Serfaty and Thierry Lunati. They were members of a networking club which bought together entrepreneurs to meet on a regular basis in a hotel room to swap ideas and knowledge and also to invest in each other's' companies. At one point the club got too big to fit into the hotel room and also members were interested in keeping in touch between meetings so Dan and Thierry created an online professional social network to meet this need. Now, eight years later, Viadeo has offices and teams in 12 countries and a membership of 40 million professionals.
- How is Viadeo's network designed to help professionals, executives and business owners build their personal brand and global network as well as find new career and business opportunities?
As a professional social network, Viadeo helps its 40 million members worldwide:
*Increase their business opportunities - discover new clients, staff and business partners
*Enhance their visibility, their online reputation and find a job
*Manage and develop their network of professional contacts
Depending on your status and depending of your targets, you may have different strategies to achieve your goals.
For instance, if you are an entrepreneur and if you want to increase business opportunities, you are going to use your presence on the social network to connect with prospects and partners. You will highlight your expertise to gain new clients, and attend Viadeo events that will help you meet potential partners and clients and increase your visibility to grow your business.
If you have just graduated and are looking for a job, you will enhance your online reputation to increase your visibility with HR managers. You will highlight your core competencies on your profile and connect with your alumni association where there are potential recruiters in your industry and you can respond to job offers.
- Many readers may not know that Viadeo's network in China, Tianji.com, is the country's leading social network for professionals with 9 million members. Given over 80% of China's jobs are not advertised and a person's "Guanxi" (your connections) are so important to the job search, anyone targeting jobs in China would want to join Tianji.com at their first opportunity. Can you share a little bit about Tianji.com?
Viadeo is by far the leader in China with over 9 million members under our Tianji brand on our Chinese local platform - more than any other professional site in China. In addition our monthly increase of new users has doubled since the start of the year to 500,000.
The use of social networks in China to find a job is a recent phenomenon. Micro-blogging activities are already really successful in China and currently most social networks are for entertainment, informal discussions and chat. Now Chinese people are asking themselves what else they can do with social networking – and a professional social network, such as Tianji, which can help them to do business, is the answer!
Only in recent years have users in China begun to get comfortable with the idea of their real identity being on the Internet, which has been largely spurred by the gradual maturation of social networking services. Social networks such as Renren and Kaxin have started to change people's behavior, making them willing to put their real information and real friends online – a very important step for building a professional social network.
In the next 2 to 3 years we believe there will be explosive growth in the professional social network sector in China and we expect Tianji's members to reach 18 million by the end of 2012.
- How can job seekers in China best leverage it to support their career goals?
The value of professional social networks for job seekers is the same in both China and Europe – for people to search and contact business partners, recruiters or employers. But the way they use them is different in several ways:
*Jobseekers in China are more likely to use discussion forums, groups and events than in other markets so joining one of the hundreds of groups on Tianji is a great way to network and to meet recruiters.
*Most Tianji members in China are mid to upper mid-level professionals, ranging from 25 to 40 in age and are at a stage in their careers where they have something to offer their peers—adding value—but are also eager to make connections, which draws them to the site— to receive value from others. Therefore jobseekers should not feel afraid to ask other members for introductions and recommendations or to directly contact recruiters.
*The Q&A section is very popular on Tianji and asking and answering questions is a great way of demonstrating expertise.
*For jobseekers who are not certain of their next professional step Tianji has a well-utilised career "quiz" which assesses responses to suggest a career path.
And obviously Tianji has all the normal features you would expect on a social network – a personal profile which can act as a jobseeker's online CV, a jobs area where members can browse and apply for jobs, and members can also connect their Weibo and Tianji accounts to increase their visibility.
- I first learned about Viadeo merging with India's network, ApnaCircle.com, a few years ago. It's exciting to see that today it's India's leading business and career networking site. Can you describe the profile of ApnaCircle's members and what specific benefits it offers to those interested in working in India?
Being present in very different countries such as China and India, we can see there is not one universal way for our members to do business, to find a job or to develop relations through the world. It goes without saying that doing business and building professional relationships is deeply cultural. We believe that to run a professional social network successfully, you have to adapt your services to the specificities of each region.
That's why Viadeo acquired ApnaCircle, the number one local professional social network in India, with 3,5 million members in 2009. It allows Viadeo members in India and people interested in working in India to have access to local features and to the local market of recruitment, not only to international companies.
For an example of culturally specific ways of networking we can consider India. We offer an SMS feature to our Indian members. Why? Because they more frequently use their mobile and recruiters use the phone interview frequently as the first step of the recruitment process. We also have a horoscope featues as our India members start their professional day consulting their horoscope (as well as before concluding a business deal, before going to a job interview).
- I've just read about Viadeo Group's recent office openings in Russia and Morocco. Can you share about how these new openings and partnerships will translate into benefits for your members in 2012?
For those interested in Viadeo Group's expansion into Russia and the African continent and globally with their "multilocal" approach, I invite your readers to have a look at the video of our CEO Dan Serfaty speaking about the opening of their latest office in Morocco.
The Ultimate Executive Career Guide: Connecting with Executive Search
As a senior-level executive, you can use this guide to:
- Learn about executive search and how it differs from other forms of recruiting
- Discover the best ways to connect with executive search professionals
- Understand how the search process works
- Implement strategies that will help you become visible to the search community
- And more!


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I'm in the same situation here in Phoenix. Of course, it depends on how we define "nearby". I haven't been to the Casa Grande ruins (about an hour or so from my house). I have been to the Science Museum, Art Museum, Heard Museum, etc. One big draw here is golf, but I don't golf.Most sites of interest I can think of are not in Phoenix. There's some stuff down south (Kitt Peak, Pima Air Museum, etc), and a lot up north (national parks, monuments, and ruins).
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text: Mach 1 "Delta" SpeedCharger Using Patented Technology is Recognized for CES Innovations and Design Award for 2004Lenmar Enterprises, Inc., a leading manufacturer of rechargeable batteries, battery chargers and accessories for consumer electronics, today announced that its award-winning Mach 1(R) SpeedCharger(TM) line has been honored for the third year in a row with the prestigious CES Innovations Award. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) presents the Best of Innovations Awards to the most highly honored products in all facets of the consumer technology industry. The Innovations 2004 Design and Engineering Showcase has honored this year's most innovative products in the accessories category. A panel of prominent industry designers, engineers and journalists judge the Innovations 2004 Design and Engineering Awards. For the ninth year, the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is endorsing and acting as advisors to the Design & Engineering Showcase. Product evaluations are based on four weighted criteria: User Value; Aesthetics; Contributions to the Quality of Life; and Innovative Qualities. Lenmar's third-year-in-a-row honor for the Mach 1 line of chargers is based on applying its patented breakthrough NeoTherm(R) technology to 6 Volt and 3.6 Volt nickel metal hydride battery products, thus meeting the needs of camcorder users. The new Mach 1 Delta benefits consumers by providing better value and improved performance for their products. "Lenmar was ecstatic to have received such a significant award three years in a row. We feel it makes a statement to the industry as to Lenmar's leadership position with differentiating, innovative power products; our Mach 1 line clearly sets the world standard for rapid charger technology," stated Marty Goldberg, Lenmar CEO. The Mach 1 SpeedCharger line is based on Lenmar's patented NeoTherm(R) technology which uses microprocessor control to deliver a rapid charge, without overcharging, by continuously monitoring and conditioning the battery. The battery temperature is stabilized as it charges, preventing overheating, thereby extending battery life up to five times longer than most charging systems and substantially improving battery performance. Mach 1 SpeedChargers fully charge the battery during rapid charge, unlike competitive products that only partially charge the battery in the rapid charge cycle. The Mach 1 line offers significant improvements in charge speed while keeping temperatures cool over competitive rapid chargers.


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Creative Technology is always looking for good people to join us.
If you would like to be considered for future openings please either email us, attaching your CV, to email@example.com or write to us at:
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Creative Technology is always looking for experienced, qualified freelance technicians in the audio, video, LED and engineering fields. Please either email us, attaching your CV, to email@example.com.
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A/N: Hi peoples! This is my new story, I just thought of like…an hour ago. I, right now am review high. I. Can't Believe. how many reviews you guys gave me for the Anagram Proposal, and the 2nd chapter of 'Infilrating Neji Hyuuga'. So thank you thank you thank you. The only reason I'm posting this is because of your support. I love you people! Also...there is quite a bit of colorful language in this chapter...
Summary: Temari loved her job, but these couples were so screwed up, they were almost beyond help. Almost. SasuSaku. NaruHina. NejiTen. Gaara…plant/vacuum?
Disclaimer: Nothing's mine.
-The Uchiha's-
Counseling. In progess.
"Please sit down." Temari said. Sasuke and Sakura immediately separated and took seats far apart from each other. Temari winced, she could literally feel the deadly waves discharging from their glares.
Temari cleared her throat.
"Hello, umm, welcome to Counseling of the Sand." she said, smiling. "I'm Temari, head supervisor of the firm. Let's start off with how long you've been married." she instructed. Sasuke sent one last glare across the room and spoke.
"Tch…I don't even want to be here." Sakura frowned.
"Well fine Sasuke, leave!"
"You'd just make me sleep on that pink couch again."
"Damn straight."
Temari cleared her throat again and sighed.
She could tell already. This was about to be a long session.
After about an hour, she managed to pry out of the feuding couple that they've been married for six months and where the problem laid.
"Well…" Sakura stated. "It all started when he invited Neji Hyuuga and his bitch of a wife, Tenten over our house yesterday.
"Oh Jesus, here we go again…"
The doorbell of the Uchiha mansion rung, and Sasuke opened the door to his Hyuuga friends.
"Hey you guys. Please, come in and sit down."
The couple nodded and sat in the large family room where the TV and radio were on. Neji and Tenten handed Sasuke their coats.
"So Sasuke, how's the married life going?" asked Tenten.
"Pretty good actually."
Tenten looked around. "Where's Sakura?" Sasuke yawned.
"She's working a late shift at the hospital. Anyways Hyuuga, let's get started…"
Sasuke turned the TV to Auxiliary one and got everything ready.
"We settle this the prodigy way. Are you sure you're ready Uchiha?" asked Neji, tying his hair back. Sasuke just smirked.
"I was born ready."
"You speak big words. Hopefully you have the moves to back it up."
"Hmph. This won't go down like last time Hyuuga. I hope your senses have sharpened. I'll be going all out." Neji sneered.
"Ha. I'm a Hyuuga, the last thing you should be worried about is my senses. You'd do better to worry about your own."
"Bring the heat."
"Don't worry. It. Will. Be. Brought."
They both stepped on 'X'.
"So you mean to tell me…you DDR'ed to the death? No fighting or anything?" asked Temari, taking notes. Sasuke nodded.
"Well besides that being…um…unethical…what's the problem?"
"There wasn't a problem until Sakura came home!"
"Don't you dare try to blame this on me!"
"Yeah, okay…"
"Sasuke-kun! I'm home early!" yelled Sakura as she angrily hung her coat up. Tsunade released her from the hospital since she was screwing up so badly; she almost lost a patient because the execution of her medical jutsu's weren't correct. Sakura was mad at herself more than anything, she hated to fail.
"Sasuke! Are you here?" There was stomping in the living room. What the hell…
"Sakura! I'm a little---DAMN FREEZE ARROW!---busy!"
"What's going---what the—" She frowned as she entered the family room. Sasuke and Neji were…dancing?
"Oh, hey Sakura!" said Tenten. Sakura jumped, not knowing Tenten was here as well.
"Umm…hey Tenten. What are they doing?"
"Nothing special, just DDR-ing." Sakura frowned.
Tenten shrugged. "Cause that just the way prodigies do things I guess…" said Sakura scratched her head, not seeing the connection between dancing video games and being a genius. Psh. Whatever.
"Well I'll get dinner started." she said, putting an apron over her hospital scrubs. Sakura was tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but since they had guests over…
She thought she'd be flattering, and cook a recipe Tenten herself lent; The Fruit/Yogurt/Egg and Cheese Salad. It was easy to prepare and delicious.
Fifteen minutes later…
"Guys! It's time to come eat!" yelled Sakura from the kitchen. The prodigies came from the family room and sat down with their wives. Sakura passed the bowl around.
"Wow Sakura! You made this really well…except you forgot the salt." said Tenten. "But no biggie, it's a common mistake…"
"Well, you never wrote down 'salt' on the recipe, so I didn't add it…" said Sakura, frowning.
"Haha. How could I forget my own recipe! You probably just over looked it."
"No you just didn't add it." said Sakura irritably.
"Oh Haruno calm down, stop being so childish…"
"Childish? You want to know what's childish? Your husband cheating my Sasuke just now! He was totally using the Byagukan on those 10-footers!" exclaimed Sakura, her bad mood surfacing further. Tenten rolled her eyes.
"Oh PLEASE! Sasuke was using the Sharingan the WHOLE TIME!---"
"Can we be excused?" interrupted Sasuke. Tenten and Sakura were occupied in their staring (glaring) contest and didn't answer.
"I'll take that as a yes. Come on Neji, let's go." continued Sasuke. "This is about to get really ugly, really fast. And I have a new unlocked song I wish to show you…." Neji nodded and left.
"You've got some nerve!" cried Sakura. "Coming in MY house talking to me in such way, you no-screen-time-getting whore!"
"This is SASUKE'S house so I can do as I please you desperate-pink-haired idiot!"
"At least I've had a LAST NAME my whole life!"
"At least I've been an USEFUL KUNOICHI my whole life!" exclaimed Tenten. "What were you doing before team 7 broke up? Running around and screaming in circles like a fucking pansy!"
"Well, I can beat your ass!" shouted Sakura. "My strength rivals that of Tsunade HERSELF! I'd screw you up so bad, not even she could heal you!"
"You expect me to be scared of your MANLY MUSCLES? That's just disgusting. And at any rate, one kunai from me to you would be your death. Unlike SOME PEOPLE, I never miss a target!"
"WOW! You throw KNIVES at people!!! Whoope-dee-fucking-doo!"
"Go swallow!"
"Screw you! NEJI! We're LEAVING!" yelled Tenten. A few minutes later a sad looking Neji came out the living room with Sasuke behind him.
"Your place next time Neji." said Sasuke, shaking his head.
"Obviously. Same time?"
"Yes. And I'll bring the Cheetos and Capri-suns as well."
"I prefer the hot-and-spicy kind if you don't mind."
"No problem."
"See you next week."
"Excellent." He and Neji shook hands, and Sasuke retreated to the back of the house.
The Hyuuga's got their coats and started to exit.
"Anal-giving whore…" muttered Tenten not-so-quietly, walking out onto the porch.
"Cunt-faced wipe…" replied Sakura.
She slammed the door behind them.
"SASUKE! Get you chicken-haired ass out here right now!" Reluctant footsteps came from their bed room.
"Don't you 'hn' me. WHY did you invite the Hyuuga's over without telling me?! And WHY didn't you back me up at dinner! You just bailed with Neji!" she shouted. Sasuke frowned.
"You were at work so I couldn't get in touch with you. And you've been doing stuff without telling me too!"
"Oh yeah! Like what?"
"How about PAINTING OUR HOUSE PINK WITHOUT EVEN ASKING!"
"You said you liked the color pink…"
"Yeah. On you!"
"Don't try to change the subject! You never answered my question!"
"Why should I? I didn't even do anything wrong!"
"Ugh!" Sakura stormed off to their bedroom and Sasuke heard a silent 'click'.
"IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING, YOU ARE NOT SLEEPING ON THE SAME BED AS ME, SINCE YOU'D PROBABLY DIE BECAUSE OUR COMFORTER IS PINK!" shrieked Sakura though the door. Sasuke sighed.
Damnit…that couch was uncomfortable…
"Oh. I see now. Hmm..."
"So what should we do?" asked Sasuke. "I mean, I love Sakura, but she keeps doing stuff without telling me! Plus, I don't think I can sleep on that couch one more night."
"Yeah, I love Sasuke-kun too, but I'm still mad. How should we compromise?"
Temari looked over her notes.
"Give me a chance to review everything, and I'll have a solution in a few days." she said. In the meantime, Sakura, let Sasuke sleep with you again, and Sasuke, refrain from letting Tenten back over. Come back in around four days or so."
The couple nodded and left and Temari's plant sprung back to life. There was a knock on her door.
"Come in!"
It was…Gaara? Temari didn't even bother to hide her shock.
"Gaara! What are you doing here? Wait…don't tell me you've finally gotten a girlfriend!!!" Her brother shook his head.
"No. But me and someone need counseling."
"…What someone?"
"Choby and I."
He sat down and placed the Chia-pet on his lap. Temari's mouth hung open.
"Er…so what's the problem…"
"Choby refuses to grow." explained Gaara. "I've done everything I could possibly do to make him happy. I just don't…know if I can go through this anymore…" Temari resisted the urge to laugh.
"Well...what exactly have you done brother…?" Gaara started to look sad.
"I've sang to it and we've gone out for ice cream and watched the Chuunin Exams together, plus a lot of other stuff! I just don't know what do!"
Temari sighed. She should have known.
"Gaara…did you water it?"
"…Well..I gave it sand." Temari chuckled.
"Gaara! Plants don't work that way! You have to give it water and sunlight to make it happy! Not take it places!"
"He's not an 'it'. He's a plant with feelings and dreams! Apologize!" Temari rolled her eyes. She got on her knees so she could be at eye-level with…him. What she would do to make Gaara happy…"I'm sorry."
"Good." said Gaara nodding. "…So all I have to do is water him?
"Yeah, I think so…"
"See you at dinner."
"…Right. Come come Choby, it's time to go. And Temari..."
"I want the Chia-gourd for my birthday."
He and 'Choby' left while Temari started to pack her things. She looked who she had on the books for tomorrow.
The Uzumaki's? What trouble could they possible have?
A/N: Please review and tell me if I should continue or not. Thank you for all the support you've given me in the past few days. Lol, if you didn't get the salad joke, go read my other story, Infiltrating Neji Hyuuga! Anyways, thanks you for reading, and tell me whether I should keep going!


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Hotel Preparation: Vacationing with a Peanut Allergy
Traveling has always been something that my Hubby and I enjoyed. Once our oldest son, Simon (now 2), was born, we continued to travel and by the time he turned 1, he had flown to Florida twice and once to Arizona. But with our youngest son's food allergies, it has been a bit of a game changer. While we do plan to fly with him in the near future, we so far have done only road trips until we feel comfortable flying with him on an airplane. I recently heard that Sun Country does not serve peanuts on airplanes (which is a STEP in the right direction), but more on that at a later date.
We are on our way home from a 15-day trip (including drive time) to Florida. We rented a condo near Lover's Key State Park near Fort Meyers Beach, but took day trips to Captiva, Sanibel, Naples, Miami and Orlando.
We rented a condo with a separate bedroom, family room, full kitchen and bathroom. Having a full kitchen was absolutely necessary for making allergy-friendly foods for meals in and taking in a cooler for our days out. We had been told by the owner that the condo had recently been renovated and everything in it was brand-new, including the furniture. This would sound awesome to anyone, but to a parent of a kid with food allergies, it sounded AMAZING. So, we crossed our fingers and hoped that it really was as nice as it appeared in the pictures. Let me tell you, it was AWESOME! Everything was new and clean. This made doing the initial clean upon arrival to remove any food residue that much less gross and easier of a job. Seriously, this place was spotless. Even in the places I would expect dust when I wiped it down, there wasn't. Back before we were blessed with our youngest, we would arrive at a hotel and do a quick wipe down with my packed canister of Clorox wipes before settling in. The quick wipe down included the phone, remotes, kitchen/bathroom/front door handles, and all light switches. We also would throw a fitted sheet over the cloth couch that came standard in most hotel rooms and may as well have had a sign on it that read, "Head lice, anyone?". Now, with a child with severe allergies, one being peanuts, it changed from a quick wipe down to full-out deep clean.
The first thing we did when we arrived at the condo was remove all the plush, long stringed rugs from the condo and put them in the hall closet, leaving behind wood throughout the condo and tile in the bathroom. The bedding from the bed, cloth throw pillows from the couch and the tall plant that was just asking a 1 and 2 year old to knock it over joined the rugs in the closet. The glass seashell plate and a ceramic sailboat were moved from the end table to the high dresser (not for food allergy purposes…just sanity). The fitted sheet I brought for the couch wasn't needed because this one was leather so I could just quickly wipe it down to remove any possible peanut residue without having to cover it.
Now, all we were left with was wipe-able surfaces. We had asked the owner if they could leave their Swiffer accessible so we could make sure to keep the floor clean after our messy toddlers finished their meals which they were happy to do. With the rugs all moved into the closet, a quick initial Swiffer cleaning was all that was needed on the floors. Then, a quick wipe down of all handles, counters, and all kitchen surfaces and the inside of the refrigerator to prevent any cross contamination. This may seem like a ridiculous amount of cleaning for a vacation, but it sounds like more work than it actually was. It all only took about 40 minutes thanks to Neal being preoccupied with a snack in our high chair that we brought with us and Simon being preoccupied with a new toy he got for Christmas. It was the same amount of time it took my husband to bring in the stuff out of the car. So once that 40 minutes were up, the condo was safe for Neal (1) to roam without the fear of an allergic reaction and it felt like "home" (but in much warmer weather and with a view of the ocean!!). Doing the work up front made it feel like we could fully relax –No constant exclamations of, "Gross! Don't touch that!" Or, worrying about a tiny food crumb making its way into Neal's mouth and causing an anaphylactic allergic reaction. Or, having to do a constant lunge for the fake plant vase that was next to the couch (which resided in the closet for the duration of our stay) every time one of the jokesters attempted to knock it over with their airplane riding toy (trust me, it would have happened!). As I am riding in the car on our way back home and reflecting on our trip, I truly feel like not only was it an absolute blast, but also like I was able to RELAX and feel refreshed, energized and ready to head back and get into our normal routines again.


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BACKGROUND IMAGE: iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
- FeatureOur view: Overstating the obvious
- FeatureHard drive prices down across the board
- FeatureMicrosoft wants to resurrect DAS
- FeatureStorage software sales still brisk
- FeatureFive things that mess up your backups
- FeatureFibre Channel favored for virtual servers: Survey says
- FeatureFibre Channel over Ethernet: Storage 101
- FeatureShow-me state shows how to consolidate storage
- FeatureDeduplication now focusing on primary storage
- FeatureForging a long-term retention plan
- FeatureData classification still mostly a piecemeal approach
- FeatureData migration tips
- FeatureDisaster recovery planning by the numbers
- FeatureWhat software tools do you use to manage your storage systems?
- FeatureToo busy to archive your email?
- FeatureEconomy down, salaries up
- FeatureA turning point for storage networking: Hot Spots
- FeatureThe year of iSCSI storage--finally! (Editorial)
- FeatureOutsourcing clouds the green issue: Storage Bin 2.0
- FeatureIt's time to pay attention to storage power use: Best Practices
iSTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
Show-me state shows how to consolidate storage
Whether it's the result of a merger or just good housekeeping, at some point in time storage managers will have a storage consolidation project. The Missouri state government embarked on a major storage consolidation project that included numerous political and technical hurdles.
| The Missouri state government embarked on a major storage consolidation project that included numerous technical and political hurdles.
When matt blunt ran for the Missouri governorship in 2004, he made IT consolidation a major piece of his platform for saving money. Dan Ross, a career Missouri bureaucrat, saw candidate Blunt make that promise on the news and turned to his wife, remarking: "What a monster of a task for some poor fool!"
A few weeks after Blunt became governor, he called Ross and offered him the consolidated CIO job. "At first I thought he had misspoken and meant to offer me another job," recalls Ross, who had no serious IT experience. "I wasn't even what you would call a 'power user,'" he adds. It didn't matter, the governor told him; the CIO job needed someone with Ross' top administrative skills. He took the job.
The monster job consisted of consolidating the IT operations of 16 state cabinet agencies--each with independent IT budgets, staffs and decision making--into the state's central mainframe data center, which was wrapping up a mainframe consolidation effort. At the time, Ross calculated his consolidated IT budget would be $205 million in 2005 once he painstakingly pulled "well-camouflaged money into a visible pile," he says.
Today, the consolidated IT budget stands at $218 million. It should be closer to $250 million, but legislators have repeatedly dipped into the budget to redirect anticipated consolidation-related savings to other projects. "That's just too much money not to attract legislator interest," says Ross, who spends much of his time riding herd on this aggregated budget drawn from 121 separate funding sources and 161 appropriations, many of which are earmarked for specific programs--in short, an accounting nightmare.
The actual technical consolidation fell to the central data center staff. Howard Carter, the data center director, had a mixed reaction when he heard then-candidate Blunt's promise of big savings from IT consolidation. "I thought it could be good for state government, but I knew it would be a big increase in our workload," he says.
Multiple data centers
To achieve the promised savings, the data center team has to squeeze every possible dollar out of its storage acquisitions. Two rules determine every choice: an agency can have whatever it wants for storage if it can pay for it, and dollars drive every decision. To date, "the consolidation activities have or will result in a total savings and cost avoidance of $52.3 million," reports Ross.
The Missouri state data center itself is the result of a consolidation effort that began years before Blunt made IT consolidation a priority. The initial consolidation involved only the state's biggest mainframe users. A second mainframe consolidation in 1996 pulled in the last of the state's mainframes. The current mainframe is IBM Corp.'s biggest--the System z10 configured for almost 6,000 general-purpose MIPS and another 3,000 MIPS from various assist processors.
Open-systems storage growth
The initial couple of dozen servers have grown to more than 500 consolidated servers, approximately 150 of which are virtual. When the consolidation began, the CIO's office had identified 1,400 servers. Many consolidated servers run as IBM server blades in the central data center, while others run as rack-mounted Dell Inc. servers. The standard server is a quad-core, dual-processor, dual-sockets machine, although a few four-processor, quad-core servers have been added.
For the open systems, the data center brought in IBM's SAN Volume Controller (SVC) and set up a SAN behind SVC. Storage currently consists of two IBM DS8000 arrays and five IBM DS4700 arrays, reports David Kassabaum, the data center's internal consultant (which is a state-employee position).
The DS8000 arrays are used for mainframe and open-systems storage with one DS8000 used exclusively for open systems. One DS8000, with 25TB of Fibre Channel (FC) storage consisting of 146GB drives, handles mainly mainframe storage with only 1.5TB of open-systems storage. The other DS8000, with 50TB of FC disk, handles only open-systems data. The rest of the storage is divided among the five DS4700 arrays, three designated for SATA only and two for FC. The five DS4700 arrays are used exclusively for open-systems storage.
With the consolidation, data center storage has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 25%. The growth comes mainly from the open systems, which run Windows. "We haven't added new mainframe applications, although the existing applications continue to grow," says Carter.
To accommodate the open-systems storage traffic, the data center boosted the network fabric. It brought in two Cisco Systems Inc. 9513 switches, increasing the port count to 300 ports, notes Kassabaum.
Implementing the consolidation
Old equipment is classified as surplus and sold whenever possible. Each agency's workload was put on new servers and storage. Surprisingly, very little storage and data was actually transferred to the data center. A big piece was moving and consolidating the Exchange email application and data; that migration was handled by an outside service company. In other cases, the agency's IT staff simply copied over the data.
At the data center, storage resides behind SVC, which allocates the storage as Vdisks, which are equivalent to LUNs. "The storage is allocated based on the agency's request and budget," says Kassabaum. "The agency pays for its storage."
Agencies have a choice of 15,000 rpm FC disk drives or 7,200 rpm SATA drives. The state's standard FC disk is 300GB and SATA drives are 750GB. Both drive types are configured for RAID 5.
The five DS4700 arrays are either FC or SATA. "We tried to mix FC and SATA, but it didn't work," says Kassabaum. The problem revolved around incompatibilities in the microcode. It was faster and easier just to segregate the different drive types.
Although the data center had been a longtime IBM mainframe shop, IBM still had to compete for the consolidated storage. "We looked at the other vendors where we had a state contract. It came down to the DS4700 or the EMC Clariion," says Kassabaum. SVC actually limited the choices, so whatever they chose had to work with SVC.
The capacity of each array was determined by pricing trends. "Everything is cost driven. We aim to get the best price per terabyte," says Kassabaum. As a result, the storage team often finds itself buying more storage than its immediate need. "But we always end up using it," he adds.
The data center ran an informal negotiation, not a formal bid process, which gave EMC multiple chances to compete against IBM and come up with a lower bid. Each time EMC was more expensive. Both machines did what the state wanted, other features were superfluous bells and whistles that didn't impact the selection. "Dollars drove every decision," says Kassabaum.
SVC proved instrumental. The staff relies on SVC to stripe the data across multiple arrays, not just multiple disks. SVC also includes a large upfront cache. Between the multi-array striping and the large cache, SVC allows the staff to coax better performance out of the SATA disks, reports Kassabaum.
The staff also relies on IBM's TotalStorage Productivity Center (TSPC) to do whatever storage management they perform. With TSPC, they can see how the storage is allocated among agencies and the size of the Vdisks. "If it gets really busy, we might move storage around to reduce bottlenecks," says Kassabaum. Otherwise, they don't optimize for storage performance.
Allocating storage
Kassabaum and Washburn don't actively manage the storage beyond the basic allocation. They set up the client agency requests and leave the actual management of the storage to the assigned IT staff. "After we allocate the storage, we don't know how it's used," says Kassabaum. An agency might have 10TB allocated, but whether they're storing 1MB of data or 9.9TB, Kassabaum and Washburn won't know. As a result, they allocate storage at a very high utilization rate, typically 90% to 95%, but have no idea how much is actually being used.
"We're always adding storage. We've gone from zero to 200TB of open-systems storage in just a few years. Just yesterday I had a request for 2TB," says Washburn, adding that "our biggest challenge is keeping ahead of agency requests." Many requests are unexpected, leaving the team scrambling to come up with capacity.
The data center staff also relies on SVC to move data around. "When a customer has really sensitive data, we use SVC to move it to an enterprise [DS8000] box," says Kassabaum. To ensure security, the storage teams map each LUN or Vdisk to a single host and zone the fabric so a designated host can see only its LUN.
The data center relies on IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) for backup and recovery. Backups are made daily to tape and shipped offsite. Ross recently signed an outsourcing contract with IBM for a remote hot site for the recovery of the mainframe and those open-system servers running mission-critical apps.
The biggest technical challenge turned out to be not the servers or storage but the network. "We didn't have the luxury of planning the fabric," says Kassabaum. The state wanted to capture the savings from consolidation as fast as possible, so the data center team began with the older switches they had, 34-port McData (now owned by Brocade) switches.
They didn't get very far along when the data center began running out of ports. "We couldn't just add more switches because we would encounter hop counts that were too large," explains Kassabaum. That's when they turned to the big Cisco switches.
Playing politics
"It would be very hard for a CIO from the outside to come in and do this. My strength lay in being a long-term bureaucrat who had worked for both parties," says Ross. "This [consolidation] doesn't have a lot to do with technology," he adds, it has more to do with budgets, funding, appropriations and accounting.
Ross immediately brought in three top deputies to help him. One was a strategic planner, the second was the financial wizard and the third, Chris Wilkerson, was the true technologist.
Resistance to consolidation was expected from the start. "Yes, you lose autonomy, but there's no loss of [IT] service," says Ross. Resistance was about control, not service delivery. Ross made sure that every agency's service-level agreement was honored or they negotiated changes. Unlike past CIOs, who could make recommendations for change but had no power, Ross came to the task with the full power of the Governor's office behind him. He could transfer budgets and staff as required.
Jobs were another concern, as civil service employees are protected. Ross opened all top IT positions for anyone to apply. Some staffers chose to retire. "Nobody would lose their job due to the consolidation. No one was laid off," says Ross.
However, people would be asked to change and many would have to learn new IT skills. "We had one person who wouldn't take new training," recalls Ross. Without training, they couldn't do the job and were gone. "If they wanted job security they had to be prepared to learn new skills and change," he says.
The IT consolidation drove the demand for and growth of IT. But the consolidated IT organization is now 51 positions smaller than when Ross started. "We were able to leverage technology to keep staffing down," he says, which is good because Governor Blunt capped overall Missouri government at 60,000 employees. The consolidated IT organization has 1,186 employees.
Agencies also played politics with the savings they would see from IT consolidation. "We automated a process that saved one agency $500,000 in postage expenses," says Ross. But the agency had to spend those savings before legislators grabbed it for use elsewhere (see "Lessons learned," below).
Future direction
By the end of summer 2008, a few of the agencies in the Missouri IT consolidation project had yet to be combined. With an election looming this month and Governor Blunt choosing not to run, the consolidation project will lose its biggest and most powerful champion. There's a possibility the new administration won't continue the consolidation or that some agencies may take it as an opportunity to bolt.
"But it will be hard to go back," says Carter. Ross, who has been reciting the mantra of budget savings and cost avoidance, expresses confidence that it won't be rolled back. Still, it's all politics, so anything can happen.


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Our family hosted Easter this year; it's been a blast, a wonderful blur of mess making in the kitchen over the past week as we sampled, tested, tweaked and tried out a variety of new recipes. In our house most holidays revolve around food and family (what else is there, really?) and this was no exception.
We wanted to do bite sized snacks but I've never had much luck with cake pops– they just always seem like so much work, and I'm an incredibly lazy baker.
But these were the perfect solution: little bite sized cake bites, made in the Holstein Cake Bite maker! You just plug it in, mix up the batter and scoop it in. It does the rest for you. And then I was like, "Okay, I can make these after all!"
The kids always have a lot of say of what comes out of the kitchen. They're tough critics and quick to tell me when they don't approve of our creations, so we played around with this recipe quite a bit to make it just right. The end result is a really light and buttery little ball of deliciousness. Sweetened with maple syrup and a bit of raw vanilla sugar (we just put some vanilla beans in our sugar jar), then for looks and a bit of extra decadence give them a dusting of powdered sugar.
And since it's Springtime, pairing this sweet treat with some fresh fruit is a must! My kids decided that serving with strawberries is the way to go. I agree.
Just fill each little hole with your batter, close the lid and bake. Then remove and devour. That's it!
These treats– and treat maker!– are the perfect addition to your Springtime cooking. You know those days when the weather outside is just perfect (not too hot, not too cold) and the thought of spending the day in the kitchen seems like such a chore? Just bring this tiny, portable little cake bite maker outside with you! It's the perfect size for patio cooking and your kids will love baking alongside with you!
Serves 2 dozen
5 minCook Time
5 minTotal Time
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 t baking soda
- 1 t baking pwder
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup milk
- Preheat your cake pop maker.
- In a large bowl, combine ingredients and blend until well incorporated.
- Scoop batter into your cake pop maker, filling each cavity. Close the lid and bake for 5 minutes.
- Immediately remove and allow to cool. Toss with powdered sugar and enjoy!


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Ispy May 2014 Review
Yay! I'm so excited that I got my first Ispy bag in on Thursday! For those of you that don't know, Ispy is a subscription makeup box that sends you 4 or 5 items to try every month. I signed up because I wanted to build up my makeup collection and try out new things. I'm not really makeup savvy and usually just wear the basics when I wear makeup at all. I love all the new makeup styles that[Read more]


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Can Remote Working Help or Hinder Your Startup?By Lauren Ebelt on October 17th, 2013 /
Most mornings – particularly as the temperatures begin to drop – I have no interest in getting out of bed. It's where I can curl up with a mug of hot tea and my slippers and think "if only it was Saturday and I didn't have to get out of my pajamas."
For some start-ups, that day could be every day – if you connect with Sqwiggle.
Part digital workroom, part instant messaging system, and part staying in the comfort of your own home, Sqwiggle is the answer for companies who are spread across the map looking for a bit of center.
Sqwiggle helps you interact with remote members of your team by allowing you to video chat, seeing what your team members are up to, and share your work. All it takes is a click of the mouse or a touch of the keyboard to let this technology come alive. It's a "no call, no wait" system designed to run all day and to operate even in low bandwidth situations.
The kinks of remote-working are ironed out with the program. Sqwiggle doesn't have any limits on the size of how many team members can be on at one time, and it gives you all the spaces you need to interact with your team.
"Think of it like your office in the clouds," said co-founder Matt Boyd. "[With Sqwiggle], you own your own schedule and work on your own terms."
So – will remote working with Sqwiggle help your startup?
The answer is up to you.
Yes, you can work in your pajamas. And yes, your work schedule can be as flexible as you want – which means more time with friends and family.
But, what if you need to collaborate, and your team member is not online? What if you get distracted by Netflix? This is not to mention that you might feel lonely not being part of an office environment.
Sqwiggle removes a lot of the hesitancies people once had about working remote, but it doesn't cure distractions.
One thing that can help, Boyd says about Sqwiggle and working from home, is that there is a "feeling of freedom and ownership in your work. The work is higher quality and generally more focused."
Our take: take off the power suit and power up your computers. With opportunity and flexibility comes creativity – and with creativity comes an innovative startup company that the world is waiting for.
Intrigued by the idea of a remote startup? Let Sqwiggle help you along the way. Sqwiggle will provide a 25% discount for the first six months for Michipreneur readers. Click this link to get started: https://www.sqwiggle.com/signup?coupon=michipreneur
For more information on Sqwiggle, please visit their website: https://www.sqwiggle.com/
Image via Sqwiggle.


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The Committee will represent and assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibility to the shareowners relating to the integrity of the Company's financial statements and the financial reporting process, the systems of internal accounting and financial controls, the internal audit function, the annual independent audit of the Company's financial statements, the Company's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and its ethics programs as established by management and the Board, including the Company's Codes of Business Conduct. The Committee shall also oversee the independent auditors' qualifications and independence. The Committee will evaluate the performance of the Company's internal audit function (responsibilities, budget and staffing) and the Company's independent auditors, including a review and evaluation of the lead assurance engagement partner and global coordinating partner. In so doing, it is the responsibility of the Committee to act independently while maintaining free and open communication between the Committee, the independent auditors, the internal auditors and management of the Company. The Committee is also responsible for producing an annual report for inclusion in the Company's proxy statement.
Committee Membership
The Committee shall be appointed by the Board and shall comprise at least three directors. Each Committee member shall meet the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange listing standards, and federal laws and regulations, with respect to audit committees, as they may become applicable from time to time, as well as the requirements of the Company's Corporate Governance Guidelines. No member may serve on the audit committees of more than three public companies, unless the Board of Directors shall have affirmatively determined that the Director will be able to devote sufficient time and attention to the business of the Committee. All Committee members will be financially literate, and at least one member of the Committee will meet the definition of "audit committee financial expert" set forth in the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Board will designate a Chairman for the Committee. The Committee may form and delegate authority to subcommittees when appropriate.
Committee Authority and Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of the Committee is to oversee the Company's financial controls and reporting processes on behalf of the Board and report the results of its activities to the Board. Management is responsible for preparing the Company's financial statements, and the independent auditors are responsible for auditing those financial statements. The Committee in carrying out its responsibilities believes its policies and procedures should remain flexible, in order to best react to changing conditions and circumstances. The Committee should take the appropriate actions to set the overall corporate "tone" for quality financial reporting, sound business risk practices, and ethical behavior.
The following shall be the principal recurring processes of the Committee in carrying out its oversight responsibilities. The Committee may perform such other duties and responsibilities as are consistent with its purpose and as the Board or the Committee deems appropriate.
1. Independent Auditors. The Committee shall have a clear understanding with management and the independent auditors that the independent auditors are ultimately accountable to the Committee and the Board. The Committee shall have the sole authority and responsibility to hire, evaluate and, where appropriate, replace the independent auditors and, in its capacity as a committee of the Board, shall be directly responsible for the appointment, retention, compensation and general oversight of the work of the independent auditors. The Committee shall discuss the auditors' qualifications and independence from management and the Company, including whether the auditors' performance of permissible non-audit services is compatible with their independence. This process will include, at least annually, the Committee's receipt of a report by the independent auditors describing their internal control procedures, and any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or inspections by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), of the independent auditors, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years, respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the independent auditors, and any steps taken to deal with any such issues; and (to assess the auditors' independence) receipt of a report on all relationships between the independent auditors and the Company, or persons in a financial reporting oversight role at the Company, that may reasonably be thought to bear on independence. The Committee will discuss the matters required to be communicated to the Committee by the independent auditors under auditing standards established from time to time by the PCAOB and by SEC rules.
The Committee will evaluate the performance of the Company's independent auditors, including the senior audit engagement team, each year and determine whether to reengage the current independent auditors or consider other audit firms. In doing so, the Committee will consider the quality and efficiency of the services provided by the auditors, the auditors' global capabilities, the auditors' technical expertise and knowledge of the Company's global operations and industry, and any other applicable factors as determined by the Committee. In connection with the mandated rotation of the Independent Auditors' lead assurance engagement partner and global coordinating partner, the Audit Committee and its chairperson shall be directly involved in the selection of the new lead assurance engagement partner and the global coordinating partner. As a matter of good corporate governance, the Committee shall submit its selection of the independent auditors to our shareowners for ratification. If the shareowners should not ratify the appointment of the independent auditors, the Committee will reconsider the appointment.
2. Audit Services. The Committee shall discuss with the internal auditors and the independent auditors the overall scope and plans for their respective audits including their respective responsibilities and the adequacy of staffing and the internal audit department's operating budget. The Committee shall approve in advance all audit engagement fees and the terms of all audit services to be provided by the independent auditors.
3. Permissible Non-Audit Services; Pre-Approval Policy. The Committee shall approve in advance all permissible non-audit services to be provided by the independent auditors. The Committee shall establish policies and procedures for the engagement of the independent auditors to provide permissible audit and non-audit services. The Committee will consider and, if appropriate, give advance approvals to specified classes of non-audit services in accordance with policies adopted by the Committee. No non-audit services shall be provided by the independent auditors, except as approved in advance by the Committee.
4. Review of Interim Financial Statements and Earnings Releases. The Committee shall meet and review the interim financial statements, and the Company's disclosures under Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, with management and the independent auditors prior to the filing of each of the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 1O-Q. The Committee will discuss the Company's policies and procedures with respect to earnings releases and review financial information included in releases and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies. The Committee will discuss the results of the quarterly review with the independent auditors.
5. Review of Annual Audited Financial Statements. The Committee shall meet and review with management and the independent auditors the financial statements to be included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K (or the annual report to shareowners if distributed prior to the filing of the Form 10-K), including (a) the clarity of the disclosures in the financial statements; and (b) the Company's disclosures under Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, including critical accounting policies.
The Committee will review and discuss with the independent auditors the matters required to be communicated to the Committee by the independent auditors under auditing standards established from time to time by the PCAOB, including any difficulties the independent auditors encountered in the course of their audit work, including any restrictions on the scope of the auditors' activities or on access to requested information, and any significant disagreements with management, and management's response to such difficulties. The Committee will also review and discuss with management and the independent auditors the annual report on internal controls by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and the report on the effectiveness of the Company's internal controls prepared by the independent auditors.
Based on these reviews, the Committee will make a recommendation to the Board as to whether the audited financial statements should be included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.
6. Risk Oversight. The Committee will oversee risks related to the Company's financial statements, the financial reporting process, accounting and legal matters. The Committee will oversee the internal audit function, the Company's ethical compliance programs, including the Company's Codes of Business Conduct, and the Company's quality and food safety programs, workplace and distribution safety programs, and information technology security programs. The Committee will periodically receive reports on and discuss governance of the Company's risk assessment and risk management processes and will review significant risks and exposures identified to the Committee by management, the internal auditors or the independent auditors (whether financial, operating or otherwise), and management's steps to address them. In connection with its oversight of these matters, the Committee members will regularly meet separately with the Company's General Counsel, Chief of Internal Audit and representatives of the independent auditors.
7. Internal Controls, Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Committee will discuss with management, the internal auditors, and the independent auditors the Company's internal controls (with particular emphasis on the scope and performance of the internal audit function), and review and discuss with the internal auditors the results of the internal audit program. The Committee will review and discuss the Company's disclosure controls and procedures, and the quarterly assessments of such controls and procedures by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The Committee shall consider issues involving related person transactions with the Chairman of the Board (if he is an employee of the Company) or the Chief Executive Officer or any holder of 5% or more of the Company's common stock. The Committee shall have the authority to consider for approval any such related person transactions and if possible approve such transactions before they are entered into, and will periodically review other significant related party transactions (as defined by applicable accounting standards) identified by management.
8. Complaint Procedures. The Committee shall establish and oversee procedures for handling complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing, and federal securities law matters, including procedures for confidential, anonymous submission of concerns by employees regarding accounting, auditing, and federal securities law matters.
9. Compliance Programs. The Committee shall periodically review and discuss with management, the internal auditors, and the independent auditors the overall adequacy and effectiveness of the Company's legal, regulatory and ethics and compliance programs, including the Company's Codes of Business Conduct, and the Committee shall meet at least annually with the Company's Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, who shall have the access to communicate directly to the Audit Committee about actual and alleged violations of law or any matters involving criminal or potential criminal conduct.
10. Report for Inclusion in Proxy Statement. The Committee shall prepare the report that SEC rules require to be included in the Company's annual proxy statement.
11. Hiring of Auditor Personnel. The Committee shall set hiring policies with regard to employees and former employees of the independent auditors.
12. Charter. The Committee shall at least annually review and reassess the adequacy of this Charter and recommend any proposed changes to the Board for approval.
13. Annual Performance Evaluation. The Committee shall annually review its own performance.
14. Investigative Authority. In discharging its oversight role, the Committee is empowered to investigate any matter brought to its attention with full access to all books, records, facilities and personnel of the Company.
Outside Advisors
The Committee shall have the authority to retain such outside counsel, accountants, experts and other advisors as it deems appropriate to assist the Committee in the performance of its functions. The Committee shall be provided with appropriate funding, as determined by the Committee, for payment of compensation to such outside counsel, accountants, experts and other advisors.
The Committee will meet as often as may be deemed necessary or appropriate in its judgment, at least quarterly each year, and at such times and places as the Committee shall determine. The majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The Committee will meet separately, at least quarterly, with the internal auditors, the independent auditors, the general counsel and other senior management to discuss any matters that they wish to bring to the Committee's attention or that the Committee wishes to bring to their attention.
The Committee shall report to the Board with respect to its meetings, including any significant issues that arise with respect to the quality or integrity of the Company's financial statements, the Company's compliance with legal or regulatory requirements, the performance and independence of the Company's independent auditors, or the performance of the internal audit function.
Last updated: February, 2019


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Nonprofit Tech Clubs provide free, friendly events for nonprofit staffers to learn about technology. Meet up with your peers to talk about tech and program management, fundraising and development, marketing and communications, leadership, and, of course, IT.
You don't have to identify as a techie to use tech like a superhero! All are welcome.
Nonprofit Tech Clubs are a program of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN). NTEN supports organizations by convening the nonprofit community, offering professional credentials and training, and facilitating an open exchange of ideas. Learn more at nten.org.


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The plane is called a Great Lakes, they are flying out of Van Nuys California and along the coast of Malibu and back. Doing flips and rolls and all kind of stuff. The kat flying the plane is also the builder named Stu. Stu's shop is only about 30 yards from Doug's shop so we have been watching them put this thing together from scratch. A very talented group of individuals, the plane is just unbelievably gorgeous! Doug made a nice video with his Go-Pro's.
Flying in the Great Lakes from Doug Snow on Vimeo.
This video is about Flying in the Great Lakes


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The Mouse Click That Roared.
I haven't always agreed with John Battelle, but ever since we worked on opposite coasts for Wired Magazine in 1994 I've had no doubt that he was an ambitious and provocative thinker. "The Search" is required reading for anyone trying to understand the center of gravity in the digital age. And now, on his "searchblog," John offers a very original and refreshing take on the lasting global contribution of… the banner ad.
"Why the Banner Ad is Heroic, and Adtech is our Greatest Artifact" offers up a truly original thought: Long after actual banner ads fade from memory (much the way television cigarette ads have at this point) the infrastructure created to deliver them will endure, serving mankind in a myriad of ways. "Programmatic adtech is the heir to the database of intentions," Battelle writes. "At present, the end result of this vastly complicated "Request – Process – Response" system is, more often than not, the proffering of a banner ad. But that's just an artifact of a far more interesting future state." The man is right. Currently a click on a link, the call of a page or a bit of mobile content catalyzes billions of computing cycles to process a personalized response. The process itself is an awesome accomplishment. That we are currently using it to carpet-bomb consumers with redundant direct-response ads and follow them around the web with their abandoned shoe purchases is beside the point: those are symptoms of our lack of imagination.
This week's Drift is proudly underwritten by PubMatic. With PubMatic's platform, publishers have the ability to offer their inventory to over 400 global Demand Partners – ad networks, demand side platforms, ad exchanges, and agency trading desks – and have on demand access to all the software, tools and services they need to realize the full potential of their digital assets.
Battelle imagines a world in which the stimulus won't be a page request, but rather a decision made in a retail shop or the filing of a health claim. And the processing will yield rich troves of information, content, choice…context. "What we today call 'adtech' will tomorrow become the worldwide real-time processing layer driving much of society's transactions," he writes. It's enough to make one proud to have been part of our pedestrian beginnings!
I can't improve on John's meme, so I'll just offer a mid-range simplification. I've thought for many years that ad-serving/adtech was an awesome delivery system which could be used to ship far more interesting stuff. Sticking close to marketing and advertising, we're already seeing companies like Outbrain using ad-like-tech to intelligently distribute content. But that's just the beginning. In the near term, I believe we need our digital publishers, marketers and agencies to shed the intellectual strait-jacket of "ad delivery" and move into the information delivery age. Anything and everything can move through the pipes we've created. The only bottleneck is our own imagination. I'll close with something I wrote back in 2005, which seems like an appropriate call to arms:
The tail has already started to wag the dog. Nearly all of the really interesting and important questions in the media world are either being answered online… Now is the time for a new level of dialogue with marketers; a dialogue rooted in confidence and opportunity.
Thanks John. And Happy Thanksgiving to all.


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Why you need Contracts in your business
Anytime you enter into a business relationship (e.g. hiring web designers, hiring employees/interns, selling products or services to customers, working with another company, hosting an event or giveaway etc.) you need a contract. A clearly drafted contract will serve as the instruction book for your business relationship, and can capture even the smallest details that need to be included.
Without the proper contracts in place, you are leaving your business (and yourself) wide open for potential hassles that a carefully drafted contract could eliminate or at least prevent.
A carefully drafted contract will do 3 important things:
(1) help ensure both parties are comfortable with their duties and obligations;
(2) make clear the intentions, requirements, costs and expectations each party has of the other party; and
(3) include a remedy within the contract in the event there is a breach such as non-payment (what I like to call "when the shit hits the fan") which could save time and money down the road by having this addressed upfront.
What should be in my business contracts?
You don't need to speak legalese to create a valid business contract. In fact, the contrary often holds true, as the best business contracts are written in everyday language and understood by all. There are a few basic fundamentals that every business contract should include such as:
- The date of the contract;
- The names of all parties or entities involved;
- Payment amounts and due dates;
- Contract expiration dates;
- An escape plan/termination clauses to include information about what to do if either party needs to break the contract; and
- Potential damages for breach of contract, missed deadlines or incomplete services
I'm just starting out and not sure what contracts I need to have.
You may be wondering which contracts you need in your business to get going on the right track. It really depends on the nature of the work you are doing in your business, but there are 3 in particular you should have on deck and ready to go.
No.1: Independent Contractor Agreement – If you are thinking about hiring help in your business, an Independent Contractor Agreement is a must-have. This agreement allows for peace of mind between the primary and secondary individuals in a business contractual relationship such an assistant, graphic designer, or consultant you plan to work with.
No.2: Non-Disclosure Agreement – A Non-Disclosure Agreement (also known as a Confidentiality Agreement) enforces the confidential relationship between two parties that wish to share information, knowledge or information with one another for particular purposes. This will ensure that important information about your business will be protected before you share it with third parties.
No.3: Intern Agreement – If you are a business owner who regularly hires interns to work in your business, you need to have an Intern Agreement in place. There are rules about what qualifies for a legal unpaid internship program so you want to ensure you understand the requirements + clearly document the terms of the internship program in a contract.
These are just a few of the common agreements I work with clients on, especially those that are just starting out. In short, business contracts are unavoidable and are truly a must-have in your business. Working with a business lawyer is a practical next step to ensure that you have the right contracts in place and that your interests will be protected.