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Agencies ask ERP to help them solve transparency and business intelligence challenges.
More than a decade ago, the Y2K scare had government agencies looking to enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to ensure that their IT systems could handle any computer system disruptions that might occur when the year hit 2000. Las Vegas CIO Joseph Marcella implemented the technology in 1998 for this purpose, but was also using the transition as an opportunity to consolidate services and overhaul back office systems to make business run more smoothly. Las Vegas' disparate IT systems made it difficult to make accurate business decisions about financials and municipal activity, said Marcella.
After a 12-month implementation, the city eliminated much redundancy by running finance, procurement and human resources on its ERP system. Now, 14 years later, Marcella again is requesting more from the city's ERP system than its initial purpose — this time to help meet growing demand for government transparency.
Las Vegas isn't alone. Many government agencies implemented ERP to prepare for Y2K and streamline cluttered systems. Today those agencies want the technology to make them more transparent and to deliver insight that helps leaders make tough budget calls. And software providers are working on solutions that respond to those demands.
"We didn't talk about data warehouse or business intelligence in the '90s — it sort of didn't exist," said Pallavi Verma, executive director of revenue, finance and administration practice for state and local government and higher education with Accenture. "The focus of what people are trying to get out of [ERP] has changed, and it is more oriented not on just changing the technology, but also what the business results are that you're going to achieve by changing the technology.
"That really is just taking all the data in HR and finance, pulling it together in a meaningful way for a government entity to say, 'What does all this data that I'm collecting really mean?'" Verma added.
That's the goal in Las Vegas, where the city is creating a business intelligence dashboard for government leaders, and also intends to use that data to report performance metrics to citizens, said Patricia Dues, an IT manager with the city who oversees applications development. "A lot of cities are doing it," she said. "They're presenting their numbers, their performance measures, and that's what our business intelligence is tracking now."
In 2009, Gartner and NASCIO surveyed 37 states and found ERP activity under way in 72 percent of them.
Some of those deployments lost momentum due to the recession, but they're bouncing back. "We saw a slowdown, obviously because of the economy and the local government issues, but recently we've seen a bump," said Rob Roque, senior manager of research and consulting at the Government Finance Officers Association.
Twenty-nine percent of NASCIO survey respondents had recently completed an ERP deployment; 14 percent were considering ERP; 15 percent were in the procurement phase; and 27 percent were implementing an ERP. Only five states, 14 percent, reported no ERP activity. Fifty-four percent of states in the study said their ERP project governance included multiagency participation.
The ability to combine data from multiple sources across an enterprise is big part of ERP's value, Marcella said. "It's infrastructure, or the center, of everything else you do from a business point of view."
For instance, Las Vegas' ERP aggregates data from multiple databases, making it easier to answer tough questions, like how much the city pays for public safety — a category that's broader than many people think. "We also have food inspectors and business licensing inspectors, and all of that's public safety," Marcella said. "So now all of that has to be taken into consideration."
If systems are integrated and business applications are combined, said Marcella, governments can mine internal data more easily for key performance measures to assess costs and decide how organizations will run.
With government officials facing increasingly tough financial and policy decisions, it's not surprising that ERP users want more business insight from these systems. When Gartner and NASCIO asked respondents why their states chose ERP, one of the top three reasons was the desire for tools that allowed better decision-making and organization of data resources. ERP doesn't only allow ease of business, it also allows users to extrapolate data for self-assessment and improvement.
That's reason enough for Marcella. "Today [the question is], 'What do you need to do to continue to run your business?' And that's business intelligence," he said.
Desire for better transparency was a factor in Oklahoma's ERP upgrade. "It's more of a business-driven process than I would say it's a technology-driven process," said state CIO Alex Pettit.
The state created Oklahoma OpenBooks, OpenBooks.OK.gov, a public website with state financial information, and Data.OK.gov, a site containing state data sets for public analysis. Pettit said ERP technology helped Oklahoma create both websites to meet taxpayer demands. "Everybody wanted to see what we were spending the money on," he said.
Oklahoma's ERP deployment went live in 2002, but the state recently adapted the system to support the new transparency sites. For instance, data from the ERP's accounts payable module feeds the OpenBooks site, which provides detailed information on state revenue and spending. Users can perform a variety of searches through the site, which may reduce the number of information requests fielded by state personnel, Pettit said.
"The requests that we get or the requirements that we face, they're always about: How are you spending the money? How much is the state spending on travel? How much is the state spending on education? How much is the state spending by vendor?" he said. "Every one of those could be an open records request. Well the better thing to do is just go ahead and make the data available."
Oklahoma's ERP is also a tool to increase productivity. Pettit said it can be used to determine how the state is performing against its expectations and to analyze what services or activities are ongoing. Sophisticated business intelligence functionality hadn't been deployed as of press time, but Pettit said it will be used in Oklahoma.
In Minnesota, 2009 legislation required the state to expand existing public disclosure activities by putting more expenditure data on the Internet. The state plans to have the feature available this summer. "It's quite specific in terms of what contract information needs to be out there, what expenditure information," said Lori Mo, assistant commissioner of the state's Accounting Services Division.
Requirements include a searchable database for users to query for contract, financial appropriation, state expenditure and tax expenditure information. Mo's office deployed PeopleSoft ERP for HR payroll in the mid-'90s, but used software from different vendors for accounting and procurement. The accounting and procurement systems now are obsolete, and with impending legal demands, Minnesota is replacing them with new Oracle ERP modules. Oracle acquired PeopleSoft in 2005, so now all three modules — HR payroll, accounting and procurement — will be linked through the same software.
Mo thinks that many governments may have transparency support in mind when they modify or adopt ERP. "The transparency piece has gained traction in recent years," she said.
It's a change that's also evident in North Dakota, which is using ERP to meet a legislative mandate for publicly searchable transparency data. "Our Legislature wanted us to have a transparency mechanism so the public can look at government expenditures, and it just made sense to use what we have," said Pam Sharp, director of the state's Office of Management and Budget.
The Legislature set a deadline of June 30, 2011 for agencies to meet the mandate.
The state originally deployed its ERP in 2004 to replacing aging legacy systems. "The accounting system we had at that time was more than 20 years old," Sharp said. "It was a mainframe thing. It wasn't integrated with anything at all, and the university system also had a very, very old system."
The state partnered with the North Dakota University System to launch ConnectND, North Dakota's deployment of Oracle-PeopleSoft software for finance and human resources. The technology functions statewide and also supports student administration functions.
Since deployment, the state has linked business intelligence tools to the ERP to mine for data.
Vendors, of course, are working on ways to adapt to new requirements from government agencies.
James Holincheck, research vice president at Gartner, said ERP technology has evolved from core HR, finance and procurement applications to include sophisticated performance management tools, with citizen reporting added on top.
ERP solutions aren't only growing more advanced, they're also likelier to be hosted in the future.
"I think software as a service and cloud computing in general will certainly have an impact on ERP solutions for the public sector," Holincheck said. "Maybe not short term, but longer term."
Verma agreed. "If you look at a city or county, [software as a service] is a much more cost-effective way to do something like this."
She also predicts more cross-jurisdictional collaboration in ERP's future, and some of that evidence exists today. North Dakota's ConnectND project, linking state government and higher education in one ERP environment, exemplifies it.
Government workers are game to this idea in other places as well. "They love the idea and concept about figuring out how to share administrative systems across jurisdictions," she said, "even within their own state, whether it's software as a service or they buy it themselves."


text: North Carolina Officially Rolls Back 'Bathroom Bill' It's not clear whether the move will satisfy opponents, though By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Mar 30, 2017 3:46 PM CDT 181 comments In this Dec. 15, 2016 file photo, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper holds a press conference in Raleigh, NC. (Chris Seward) View 3 more images (Newser) – North Carolina rolled back its "bathroom bill" Thursday in a bid to end the yearlong backlash over transgender rights that has cost the state dearly in business projects, conventions, and basketball tournaments. The compromise plan, announced Wednesday night by the state's Democratic governor and leaders of the Republican-controlled legislature, was worked out under mounting pressure from the NCAA, which threatened to take away more sporting events from the basketball-obsessed state as long as the law, also known as House Bill 2, remained on the books. The new measure cleared the House and Senate and was signed by Gov. Roy Cooper in a matter of hours, the AP reports. Among other things, it repeals the best-known section of HB2: a requirement that transgender people use the public restrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificate. "Today's law immediately removes that restriction. It's gone," Cooper said. The American Civil Liberties Union and gay and transgender activists complained that the new bill still denies them certain protections from discrimination, and they demanded nothing less than full repeal. As a result, it was unclear whether the retreat from HB2 would stop the boycotts or satisfy the NCAA. An NCAA spokesperson didn't immediately respond to a message seeking reaction. (Read more bathroom bill stories.) View 3 more images My Take on This Story Report a story error Show results | 14% Hilarious 12% Intriguing 13% Depressing 29% Brilliant 4% Scary 28% Ridiculous

subset: commoncrawl


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A few days ago, I was searching through my music, looking for some fun tunes to play for class this week. I came across an old voice memo I recorded four years ago. I logged these thoughts, as they felt important. They seemed to be something significant, something I should both contemplate and remember.
I reflected on a story told to me during my teacher training. The woman who taught our anatomy hours had divulged that her boyfriend (a long-time Ashtanga practitioner) had just reached a point in his life where jumping from crow pose (Bakasana){.inline-media .inline-image .pose-image} to low pushup (Chaturanga Dandasana){.inline-media .inline-image .pose-image} was no longer something he could, or should, perform any longer. I remember clearly thinking That sucks, not realizing that someday I would come to that place as well.
Asanas May Come and Go
So here I was a decade later. I had learned this particular lesson more than once. I had multiple injuries that waxed and waned, my body was always in flux – postures coming and going out of my practice at different times for different reasons. Every day was and is a lesson in body awareness and ego checking.
I was teaching in New York when a new student came. She was a beautiful girl with a stunning practice. She was powerful, fluid, and flexible, all things that in that moment I was not. Watching her move gave me a pang of melancholy mixed with sadness, almost the feeling one would have when seeing an old lover with someone new.
The Ego Rises
I found it was difficult to find joy in her strength, to find happiness in her prowess, and to be pleased by her practice. My ego was rearing its head for sure. I think some of it was just human nature. We so often want what others have, even if it's not good for us. Whether it's a shiny new car or an open back, it is at times a challenge to find joy in someone else's fortune. I remembered the joy I once had while expressing those beautiful postures, but it was time to let go.
I smiled and realized that this was the yoga.
Letting Go of the Physical
Yoga is so much more than a physical practice. Sadly, we here in the West don't focus on much else. Better breathing, quieting the mind, and serving others take a back seat to the shock and awe of a deep physical practice. It's unfortunate. For all of us the day will come that the body begins to decline. It is the nature of all things. I have been fortunate that I have not experienced some monumental injury or debilitating sickness that would completely bench me from my physical practice with one fell swoop.
Lately, I have a collection of rotating injuries that impair me just enough to shift my focus and question my motives. In the past two years that I've been the most injured, I have done more charitable work than I ever have before. I have changed my practice from being so "mat-centric." My practice has been more about creating a better life experience for myself and for others, rather than creating a tighter ass.
I still practice every day, just not always on the mat. I feel good about it. Hopefully all the work I do off the mat will help others feel good also, both in their bodies and out in the world.
At the end of the day, who is going to remember my dress size or how straight my handstand was?
Hopefully they will remember the kindness offered, the food shared, the animals rescued, and the good deeds done by that nice yoga teacher with all those tattoos and the big smile.


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Dr. Patrick Myers
(Burnaby Square, Mainland Medical, Anson Centre)
Dr. Patrick Myers, PhD is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of British Columbia #1850 and a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors #3182. He is also a board member of the People In Pain Network and contributes to the Community Engagement Committee of the BC Psychological Association.
Do you struggle with any of the following:
- Depression (feeling down, concentration difficulties, low energy, loss of pleasure, worthlessness, suicidal thoughts)
- Trauma (trauma associated with accidents, car accidents, abuse, or other incidents)
- Anxiety (panic attacks, worries, racing thoughts, fears, phobias, social anxiety, compulsive behaviours)
- Relationship issues (communications, affairs, fights over chores, finances, sex, or kids)
- Chronic pain (back pain, headaches, injury pain, car accident pain, difficulties pacing)
- Work place bullying (boss sets unreasonable goals, co-workers undermining you, toxic relationships)
- Grief (death of loved one, marital separation, retirement, loss of way of life)
- Insomnia (difficulties falling or staying asleep)
- General life stress (financial, work deadlines, family stress, assertiveness, boundaries)
- Addictions (drug and alcohol, cigarettes, gambling)
Patrick uses a variety of therapeutic approaches to help you, including:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Clinical Hypnosis
- Gottman Relationship Therapy
- Sensori-motor Processing or EMDR for trauma
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Mindfulness
In this day and age the stress of life never seems to let up. Stop just surviving and start thriving!
We will work together trying to understand what the issue is and then problem solving some solutions.
Patrick's goal is to help you build some mentally healthy skills that will enhance your wellbeing and empower you to take on life.
He uses empirically validated therapies, ongoing education, wisdom, stories, and most importantly empathy to help you.
Come talk to Patrick and let him help you rediscover your sense of balance and passion in life again.
To visit Patrick's youtube channel where you can find lectures, and relaxation tracks, click here.


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Hilton San Francisco Financial District750 Kearny Street, San Francisco, California, 94108, USA TEL: +1-415-433-6600 FAX: +1-415-765-7855
Leave your car with us, and explore The City on foot! Package includes 50% off self-parking for 1 car in the hotel's garage with in and out privileges. No over-sized vehicle parking available.
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5 Reviews
Stay connected, not cold.
Ideal for skiing, trail running, or hiking with your smartphone, the Black Diamond Midweight Screentap Liner Glove is warm, stretchy, and has the added benefit of full touchscreen functionality. Crafted with a toasty, flexible Polartec Power Stretch fleece shell, this glove's palm is also covered with U/R Powered material to allow for mid-adventure phone use without having to expose your fingers to the cold. Plus, the goat leather palm patches offer a secure grip on ski poles, dog leashes, and afternoon drinks on the patio.
- Stretchy, warm glove that keeps you surfing the web in the cold
- Polartec shell is ultra-flexible for demanding adventures
- Touchscreen-compatible construction offers adaptability
- Goat leather palm patch grips items easily
- Item #BLD00KA
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Great mid weight glove
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
Use this glove for back country skiing, nordic skiing, uphill routes at the ski resorts. It breaths great, it's holding up really well after a months use an abuse.
Trail Running Gloves
- Familiarity: I gave it as a gift but have feedback to share
I bought this as a gift for my boyfriend, he is his review. "Great pair of mid-thickness gloves to run in and hang around camp in. They're not the most durable things to do some manual labor in like a pair of leather gloves, but that's not what they're made for. Plus, I love the smart-touch material on the palm side of the fingers so now I don't have to constantly take off my gloves to shoot a picture or respond to a text when I'm on the trail."
Finally, perfect liners.
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
I have invested a small fortune in mittens and gloves over the years in an attempt to maintain functional hands in the cold. I use these while winter camping/backcountry skiing/mountaineering in 15-20 degrees or lower, with Primaloft mitts or over-mitts as needed. These are thick enough to retain warmth when my hands are taken out of the over mitts, but thin enough to maintain dexterity and dry quickly, and they have enough stretch to stay on my hands during donning/doffing of coats and mittens. There is no exposed stitching on the fingers to catch on the velcro of my coat and pack or branches, and the fabric has not shown any sign of pilling after heavy use all this season. The palm material is tough yet pliable, but does stain your sweaty hands, and gets stiff unless it is retreated with silicone or Nikwax. The touch-screen compatibility is as good as it can be with medium weight gloves--adequate to use the gps app on my phone.
I LOVE these gloves. Perfect weight. Really soft. On really cold days I wear them as liners to keep my hands extra warm. They are also great to wear on their own running or hiking. I am very happy with this purchase and recommend to anyone who needs a pair of gloves that can be used for so many different things.
An ok glove
Very comfortable. Not very warm under 30 degrees. The stitching started unraveling on the wrist of one glove pretty quickly.


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This post has been a long time coming. I originally planned to have these two as quests on my blog in December, but life has been busy/exhausting these last couple of months. Anyways here is my post about Aly & Tim.
A little background on my relationship with these two. Alyson is my only sister, and we have been through a lot. There were years where we were very close and there were years that we were very far apart. Although our relationship was rocky at times, I believe that we have come out the better for it. I think God used those rough years to teach us both valuable lessons. Tim and I don't go as far back, but I think we have become good friends in the shorter amount of time. We worked together at McDonald's for a number of years, and had similar hobbies throughout high school which allowed us to build a strong friendship. I asked Aly & Tim to answer a few questions and here are their responses.
Q: What is one hard thing about being newlyweds
A: I wouldn't say that there is a hard thing about being newlyweds, it's a learning experience and it is a lot of fun. I remember lots of people being shocked that we were newlyweds and going to school because they thought it was going to be extremely difficult to do, but it hasn't been difficult and I am glad that we can help each other out and work together. One thing that isn't fun about this semester at school is how little we see each other on Tuesdays and Thursdays so that is definitely something we are going to have to work with.
T: Learning to use the word 'we' instead of the word 'I' is a new change for my vocabulary. As long as we keep our minds open and respect each other, the learning experience Aly mentioned really is a lot of fun. We share a whole life together and we learn to take on the world as a team.
Q: What are some things you guys are currently learning about at Briercrest?
A: A lot. We are learning about all sorts. I am completing a certificate in Biblical studies so I have been taking a lot of bible courses. This semester I am taking Gospels, Intro to Psych II, History of Christianity II, Intro to Christian Theology and General Epistles.
T: Well, I learn Greek, South Asian history, Foundations in youth ministry, Geography (To fill my science requirements), and Exodus. I have taken mostly Bible, History, Theology, and TESOL classes so far.
Q: What have you learned about married life after being married for 9 months?
A: It is a lot of fun, I love being married to my amazing and cute husband. It feels so good to come home to someone you know loves and care for you. I can't imagine my life without my wonderful husband. Married life is not a piece of cake though, we both have to work through things together and sometimes we have to make difficult decisions.
T: I have learnt that we have created a new family by stepping out of our birth families and uniting into one of our own. I think this is important because it helps us put each other first. I have learnt that married life is great. It is all around a good time. You get to do everything together! Ad she listens to my rambling… which is very important for a rambler like me.
Q: How do you incorporate God in your marriage?
A: We always make sure to pray together and out loud. Often when I am getting frustrated or annoyed I get told to pray or read the Bible. We both find it very important to have God in our marriage and we both try to read the Bible and pray often. In our marriage counseling they talked a lot about communication with the Lord and asking for his guidance on our marriage.
T: Probably one of my favourite times of the day is right before we sleep. For us, this is a time to debrief the day with each other and with God. We encourage and exhort each other to live strong biblical lives, as we are an example to many other couples here who are dating, engaged, or married. We continue to give thanks for the provisions God has granted us, we pray over decisions, and continually ask for guidance in future things.
Q: What are some funny/amusing differences or habits that you learned about each other since being married?
A: I know what Tim is going to say when he answers this question. You will often see us speed walking around Caronport because Tim always like to be on time whenever we go somewhere and I am always okay with being a little late so we often struggle with that difference. For the most part I would say we work with our differences, Tim used to never put away his jacket, now he does, that sort of thing. We are both pretty honest when it comes to things that annoy each other so we work to fix them.
T: First, I don't think Aly knows how to close a closet door. To her, they must just be holes in the wall. Second, light switches. What are they for? She will never know. Lastly, Aly does not think the action of sitting can be done without another action. This second action can be anything from destroying cup lids to playing with a pencil. We joke about these things, and we have a good time. A wise man told me not to worry about the little things, and he was right. Things go a lot smoother when you just don't worry about the small stuff.
Q: If you look back on you time that you dated, what are some things you would do differently? the same?
A: Something I really liked about dating is that we spent a lot of time together, I felt like I really got know Tim during this time. While we were dating we also prayed together and read couple's devotionals together and talked about God and the future a lot. Something I would do differently is do things. We often would watch TV and talk and not do much else. We both did work full time jobs and were pretty tired after a long day's work and didn't really want to do much.
T: Aly nailed it with her answer., We were both quite tired after work during that time, but I too wish we would have wasted less time on TV. I think intenionality was a big deal for me, and I made that known. Getting to know someone takes time, so if you want to know someone better, spend more time with them. That part was not rocket science. Sharing dreams and aspirations was something I think is also important. Devotionals, prayer, and spiritual encouragement are great things that worked well for us, and I'd encourage anyone in a strong relationship to do the same.
Q: How have you been reaching out to those around to you to inspire, encourage and love them?
T: Aly & I try to be good examples in how we conduct ourselves in class and among our friends here at Briercrest. We are trying to get more out of our shell this semester and both do some volunteering. Last semester I worked at a local church on Friday nights teaching English and running short bible studies with the immigrants.
Q:Did you have to make any lifestyle changes since moving to Caronport? If so, what and why?
A: Well since we are going to school that is very different from the work lifestyle. I actually have to schedule what my week/dy is going to look like and be disciplined with myu time which I didn't do at all when I was working because it was the same thing every day. We have a dog so we have learned how to her in our day. We really learned and enhoyed our time here so far and hope to continue doing that.
Q: Are there any verses or words of encouragement that have gotten you through tough times at any point in life or during married life?
A:I have always enjoyed Paul and his letters, especially his letter to the Philippians. His words are encouraging and direct.
Philippians 4:4-9 "4 rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
T:I have five verses right above my computer. They focus me. This smattering of Scripture is to remind me why I am at school, what good my degree will do, how I am going to get it done, and who it is all for.
- Micah 6:8 -He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
- Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
- James 1:5-8 -But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
- Philippians 2:13 – For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
- Luke 10:2 – And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest that he send out workers into his harvest.
The rules to marriage are simple 1. love God 2. Love each other 3. love others. Marriage is not always simple, but God has provided guidelines in the Bible as to what it should look like. I think Tim and Aly understand these rules and if they follow them they will have a marriage filled with Joy, it won't always be easy, but it will be joyful!


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Sunday, 14 December 2014
classmates' cards...
13 comments:
These are all brilliant cards for anyone to make - never mind a 6 yr old! They are lovely Massimo, very well done xxReplyDelete
No need to be kind Theresa.... They are all fantastic! I love the holly ones but my favourite are the colourful teacher ones!!! I'd be delighted to receive a card like that! Well done! They are lovely Massimo! XReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks Jane. if you come and teach at his school, you might get some off him ;) xxDelete
Massimo is a very talented crafter, and you should both be very proud of these cards; they are wonderful! XxxReplyDeleteReplies
thanks Barbara xxDelete
Wow! Clever boy, they are terrific xx Zoe xxReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
They are beautiful, well done Massimo.ReplyDelete
Hi, hope you are well and playing with your melt pot. Just been on sue wilson blog and I think you have won a prize, I hope you have..happy christmas, hope to see u on a workshop soon. X sam.ReplyDeleteReplies
hi Sam. i think so. nearly didn't look and then it caught my eye. Happy christmas and new year to you and yours xxDelete


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The Graybar Building: Lease Offices in an Iconic New York City Office Building
Located adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, the Graybar Building was originally home to the Graybar Electric Company. It is a limestone and brick-clad Art Deco tower with a prominent entry canopy supported by cables. The entrance is flanked by ornate bas reliefs. The Graybar Building was designed by architects Sloan & Robertson, who also designed several other Art Deco towers in New York City including the Chanin Building and 29 Broadway.
Current tenants of the Graybar Building include Bank Leumi, New Plan Excel Realty Trust, Inc., New York Life Insurance Company and an Equinox gym. The building features a renovated lobby, elevators, corridors, bathrooms and new operable windows. Other amenities include onsite management, a messenger center, and tenant controlled HVAC. Tenants also enjoy direct access to Grand Central Terminal, with many retail shops and multiple transportation options, including Amtrak and Metro North service as well as 4, 5, 6 and 7 subways.
|420 Lexington Avenue
|Cross Streets:
|43rd & 44th Streets
|Year built:
|Sloan & Robertson
Nearby Listings
Midtown Manhattan
3,200 SF | United Nations
Midtown Manhattan
544 SF | Grand Central
Midtown Manhattan
1,137 SF | Grand Central


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main(713) 222-2273
Schedule an appointment online with ScheduleNow
Pediatric Ear, Nose & Throat
To search Houston doctors, please select a specialty & submit your Zip Code below.
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A thyroglossal duct cyst is a freely movable cystic mass that lies high in the neck at the midline and is attached to the base of the tongue. It is a remnant of fetal development.
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Children' s Memorial Hermann Hospital6411 FanninHouston, Texas 77030
Phone: (713) 222-2273
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20 December 2013
The European Banking Authority (EBA) published today its fourth semi-annual report on risks and vulnerabilities of the EU banking sector. The report identifies improvements in market confidence, funding and capital positions. However, it cautions about ongoing uncertainties on asset valuations and future profitability in a fragile economic environment. The report also draws attention to the risks of detrimental business practices and puts forward possible measures for addressing such vulnerabilities through coordinated policy and supervisory actions.
Throughout the second semester of 2013, the EU banking sector observed overall improvements in market confidence from both debt and equity investors, with several indicators showing that confidence is returning. Funding conditions improved across the EU, in connection with an increasing demand from EU and non-EU investors for European bank debt. EU banks continued to strengthen their liquidity and funding positions by attracting more deposits. Nonetheless, the persistent high reliance on central bank funding, the side-effects of monetary accommodation and the existence of a weak macroeconomic environment, remain matters of concern.
Following the EBA's recapitalisation exercise, capital levels have continued to improve, despite the challenging conditions in financial markets, and are now in line with major international peers, as shown in the EBA's latest transparency exercise.
On the contrary, the continuous deterioration of the quality of banks' loan portfolios, as well as low profitability levels, may pose challenges in maintaining adequate capital levels. Uncertainties about asset valuation were found to persist and remain a fundamental issue in the EU, heightening the need for rigorous Asset Quality Reviews (AQRs), with consistent definitions across the EU. The EBA recommendation on the need to conduct AQRs across major EU banks and the publication of the final draft Technical Standards on supervisory reporting on forbearance and non-performing exposures in October 2013 are preconditions for reliable AQRs. Banks are taking pre-emptive actions ahead of the supervisory actions resulting from the AQR, focusing on quantitative assessment of provisions, collateralisation and the values of exposures.
EU bank's profitability continued to face significant headwinds, which are not likely to dissipate in 2014. The low interest rates environment creates pressure on bank net interest margins and earnings may not be sufficient to cover rising bad loans, leaving question marks over some banks' future profitability and viability. The need for bank restructuring and changes to business models will remain a key challenge and it is fundamental that supervisors create a more coordinated and robust analysis of banks' business models across the EU.
Some uncertainties also remain in view of the entrance into force of the new regulatory framework, with significant strategic and implementation challenges, as well as the developments on bail-in requirements. The institutional reforms at EU level are key to breaking the sovereign-bank pernicious linkage, in particular the establishment of the banking union, including the creation of a more integrated framework for bank resolution and a single deposit guarantee scheme.
A number of detrimental business practices of EU banks have also affected consumer confidence and increased reputational risks linked to the relationship between banks and consumers. As well as reputational risk, the potential prudential impact of conduct-related redress remains a concern. This will require heightened supervisory oversight and improvements in institutions' risk management functions, and a more general reassessment of the relationship between banks and their customers.
A coordinated policy action remains fundamental for the coherence of the single market. The EU banking sector continues to be fragmented and the need for continued regulatory and supervisory convergence across the EU will remain a key challenge for the EBA.
This report provides an update on risks and vulnerabilities in the EU banking sector. With this report and that prepared in July 2012, the EBA discharges its responsibility pursuant to Recital 43 of Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 to monitor and assess market developments and provide information to other EU institutions and the general public.


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Last month, the textbook publishers Pearson, Cengage Learning, and Macmillan Higher Education filed a joint copyright lawsuit against the open education resource start-up company Boundless Learning. The publishers allege that the one year old company violated their intellectual property rights by producing open education resources that use the creative expression of their authors and editors.
In order to understand the publisher's argument, it is essential to understand how Boundless Learning produces their textbooks. When a user visits Boundless, they input the textbook they were assigned by their professor and then the company will begin to create a free comparable alternative. Boundless gathers content from a range of different open-education sources and combines the information to build a textbook that is similar to the professor's recommended textbook. The company calls this "alignment" or the mapping of a printed book to open material. The publishing giants say that the alignment procedure creates a finished product that is "created from, based upon, and overwhelmingly similar" to the textbooks Boundless are trying to replace, violating the publishers' copyrights
Ariel Diaz, the chief executive of Boundless, was interviewed by The Chronicle and he denied the publishers' copyright infringement claims and noted that they are not charging students for access to their textbooks. He accused the publishers of "using litigation to protect an antiquated business model," employing "anti-competitive tactics" to insulate themselves from market forces, and trying to monopolize elements of learning that should be freely available. However, when Mr. Diaz was asked to describe how Boundless gathers the content for their open-education textbooks and if they hire individuals to copy and paraphrase from the publishers' textbooks, he declined to elaborate in order to not hinder their litigation.
Cengage Learning declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing a company policy against discussing pending litigation. Pearson and Macmillan Higher Education did not respond to requests for comment at the time of the article's publication.
If you would like to read the full article, you can visit:


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Get access to the FULL LOFS temperament test
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You might be a FountainOcean and your partner a LakeSnow. What does this mean? More importantly, after you find out that you are indeed different, how do you do life together?
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Marriage Capsule
Does your partner truly understand what makes you tick? What you need to feel valued, heard and supported?
Is your marriage everything you expected? Do you wonder if you perhaps married the wrong person? Or are you simply looking for ways to enrich your marriage?
Every couple has a different reason for wanting a strong marriage; fulfillment, commitment, support, love, companionship and setting an example for their kids often top the list. However, one thing is universally true: healthy, happy marriages don't happen by accident. There's always potential to make your marriage happier and healthier than ever before!
Marriage Capsule will take you on a journey of discovery! We'll start by asking the question "Is marriage worth it?", we'll help you find your unique temperaments (are you a Lake, Ocean, Fountain or Snow?), we'll teach you the one thing your husband really wants and the one thing your wife really wants, before we look at communication and intimacy… and end off with actionable plans on how to design the perfect marriage!
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Uyamukelwa osukwini lokuqala lwezinhlelo ezithi Iviki Lomshado. Sithemba ukuthi wena nomyeni wakho nizothatha amagx - athu amakhulu ukuya phambili ngalolu hlelo lwemfundo ngomshado. Lufundeni ndawonye, nixoxe ngalo ngokuphumisela ngokuzwakalayo futhi ninikane ithuba lokuveza imibono engafani nalokho enitshelana kona
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O a amogelwa mo letsatsing la ntlha la dithulaganyo tsa Beke ya Lenyalo. Re dumela gore wena le monna wa gago le tla tswelela ka botlalo mo dikhosong tseno tsa lenyalo. E buiseng yotlhe mmogo, e buisaneng le buela kwa godimo mme le letlelelaneng gore mongwe le mongwe a ntshe maikutlo a gagwe le pego.
Click here to download the course FREE of charge


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In what was likely their last joint press briefing before the Nov. 6 elections, Panetta and Dempsey presented a wish list of what they want from the upcoming lame duck session of Congress after the election, with the main focus on avoiding sequestration that would devastate defense budgets and planning.
"When Congress returns to town after the election, there's a great deal of critical work that needs to be done," Panetta said.
Number one on the agenda is avoiding the mandatory cuts on Jan. 2 under sequestration that could add another $500 billion in defense cuts -- $55 billion next year alone – over the next 10 years on top of $487 billion in cuts already underway, Panetta said.
Pulling back from the "fiscal cliff" will "require Democrats and Republicans to work together," Panetta said.
"I don't know what I'm gonna' get for 2013, much less 2014," Panetta said, leaving him at a loss for planning the department's future. "For me to put a strategy in place, I have to have some kind of stability," Panetta said.
Panetta said he also requested the lame duck session pass a defense authorization bill and legislation to strengthen cyber security defenses.
He also called on the Senate to approve the nominations of Marine Gen. John Allen as the new head NATO commander, and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford as the commander of international forces in Afghanistan.


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A collection of British Classics Department web sites for enjoyment and for picking up ideas for your own school site.
I have collected these sites by searching the web, rather than from any submitted list, so I trust that these pages do not breach any confidentiality or data protection law. If, however, any school wishes for their entry to be removed I shall do as they ask.
Originally, the sites were divided and organised by size. Whilst it remains true that the space allocated to subjects varies greatly from school to school, it seemed much more helpful for the revised list to be organised by region. The Association often receives enquiries about the availability of Classics in this or that city or county.
Working through all of these school websites has been an interesting but painstaking and often frustrating task.
In the infancy of the internet I was warned about the 3 clicks rule. If the visitor to your site fails to find what he is looking for after 3 clicks of the mouse -
Here are some observations and star ratings:
5 star Site home page has link to departments, from which there is a link to Classics and/or Latin, and plenty of information about the department. Has a site map.
4 Site home page has link to curriculum areas, e.g. Humanities, or Languages, from which there is a link to a Classics home page and information about the department. Has a site map.
3 Site home page has link to curriculum areas ie. GCSE, AS/A level, from which there is a list of all the subjects offered at these levels -
2 Site home page has a link to curriculum areas and a list of subjects available -
1 Site home page has no clear link to curriculum at all! On more than one occasion I only found out that Classics was or was not on the curriculum only by looking at the results pdf. Then the search was on for a page that may or may not exist. Has no site map. May have a site search box, but brings up no meaningful reference.
1 Site home page has no clear links to the curriculum and expects you to download and read a 30 page glossy prospectus, largely taken up with large pictures of smiling pupils and trite captions. Has no site map. May have a site search box, but brings up no meaningful reference
1 Site home page has no obvious links to the curriculum and worse, expects you to contact the school for a copy of their prospectus. Has no site map. May have a site search box, but brings up no meaningful reference
I am aware that some Classics sites may exist only on intranets, and are not visible to the world in general. My suggestion is that Classics departments ask the school for a link to another part of the site, and there do their own thing.
This is a work in progress and more schools and institutions will be added as and when possible.
I have linked to schools which may have no Latin, but do have Classical Civilisation. If there is a Classicist in the School, then the hope is that Latin may yet be a possibility one day.
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Bloggy Buddy Forever
For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .
At a tech social two months ago, you talked to a woman, an independent contractor like yourself. She's a person who you keep meeting at such events. You hadn't spent much time with her, but this time you got to know her, what she does, and her business views.
She told you that she has clients in many cities, that she travels 6-12 days a month. You discussed how you both dislike hotel rooms, how isolating they are. She seemed vibrant, intelligent, and curious. You left the tech social thinking of her as extra help for your business when you need it.
She sent you a CD you had talked about as a thank you for the tech social conversation!
One month ago, you met her at Panera and spent a work session together. As a friend, you introduced her to blogging. You thought that blogging might help her business and give her something to do when she's on the road.
Every day since, she has linked to every post you put up. People are talking about your new blogging buddy — especially after someone mentioned the roses your new friend sent you to thank you for teaching her blogging.
You seem to have. . . um . . . a "needy" blogging buddy forever.
How do you respond?
–ME "Liz" Strauss
Related articles
Bloggy Question 34: Time Is Money, but Content Is Free for the Paraphrasing!
Bloggy Question 33: You've Changed, Man — DON'T Look at Yourself
Bloggy Question 32: Blogger Alert! Where Is She? What Should You Do?
Bloggy Question 31: Do You Send Away the Idea of a Lifetime?
Bloggy Life Question 30 — How Does He Get the Book to Readers?


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Warm Beluga Lentils with Gingerbread Spice and Prawn Kebab
Ingredients for 2 portions
Per portion: 3411 kJ / 815 kcal
Preparation time: 30 mins
To make the marinade, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic clove, chilli and stir-fry sauce with a stick blender. Wash, dab dry and finely chop the parsley. Put one tablespoon of parsley in a bowl with the prawns. Pour the marinade over them, mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge. Cook the lentils in the stock at low heat for approx. 20 minutes. Wash the vegetables and cut them into small cubes. Sauté the vegetables and cashew nuts in very hot olive oil, then add the lentils and the rest of the stock, bring to the boil briefly and season with a pinch of gingerbread spice, pepper and stir-fry sauce. Finally, add the rest of the parsley.
Put the prawns on the wooden skewers and sauté briefly in the marinade. Then cook slowly on medium heat until done and serve with the lentils.


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Happy 4th of July to all of you! I thought I would share some simple treats that I made for a cookout today.
Oreo Rice Krispie Bars:
You will need: 6 cups of Kellog's Rice Krispies cereal, 1 package (10 oz.) of JET PUFFED marshmellows, 3 tablespoons butter, 10-12 oreos
First, melt the butter in large saucepan. Then, add the marshmellows. Next, add Rice Krispie's cereal and stir until coated. Then, mix in crushed oreos. Using a buttered spatula, press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Let cool and then cut into small squares and serve.
White Chocolate Coated Blueberry Skewers:
You will need: 2 containers of fresh blueberries, 1 large package of white chocolate squares for baking, bamboo skewers
First, wash blueberries thoroughly. Then, add desired amount of blueberries to skewer (I used about 15-20). Then, melt white chocolate squares on stovetop using a double boiler. Then, take spoon and coat the blueberries. Next, lay the skewers on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Then, put in refrigerator to allow the chocolate to harden and then serve.
It's that easy! Enjoy your weekend and have a safe and happy 4th of July!! Thanks for reading!


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First launched all the way back in 1987, Square Enix's Final Fantasy series has become one of the most popular video game franchises in history. Over the course of numerous sequels and spinoffs across countless platforms, and with plenty of tie-in media along the way, the game has long been praised for its ever-expanding cast and plot, layered storytelling, and visually stimulating graphics. Combining the best of both RPGs and action-adventure games, the various games have proven themselves so popular that characters have even crossed over into the acclaimed Kingdom Hearts series along with many of Disney's most iconic creations.
The announcement of a new Final Fantasy game is always cause for celebration among fans, but the six year gap between entries has brought the excitement to a fever pitch. What's more, the latest installment of the franchise has been in development since 2006. So when Final Fantasy XV was announced earlier this year, along with the reveal that it would be accompanied by a film and an anime series, the gaming community went justifiably nuts. Fans have spent years spinning all manner of crazy theories and trying to come up with answers to some of the series' greatest mysteries. Knowing the love people have for the franchise, it's hardly surprising that the latest game is the fastest-selling in history.
Debuting just two days ago, Square Enix put out a press release today stating that the game had already sold five million units during its first day on the market.
SQUARE ENIX announced that the day one shipment and digital sales for FINAL FANTASY XV, released simultaneously across the globe earlier this week, has exceeded five million units – becoming the fastest selling game in the history of the FINAL FANTASY series.
Following the epic journey of Prince Noctis and his comrades-in-arms as they attempt to defeat the chaos wrought by the empire of Niflheim, the game is already being praised by fans and critics for its immersive world, stunning design, and sprawling open-world gameplay. Given the popularity of the previous games, and the time it's taken for the latest title to be released, it's understandable that fans would be eager to get their hands on a copy. Like Pokémon, the other long-running Japanese game franchise that just released its own new installment to record sales, Final Fantasy has garnered a dedicated following thanks to almost three decades of producing some of the best games out there.
The press release also mentions the fact that Final Fantasy XV is the first game in the series to launch globally on the same day. This world-wide release is surely another major factor that helped contribute to the record-shattering sales for the company. Knowing that, Square Enix and many other game companies will likely start adhering to this tactic more consistently in the future. Not only does it allow them to boast of their amazing sales feats, but it allows fans and players all over the world the chance to simultaneously experience the new game at the same time and share their stories (and buzz for the title) on social media. If you're not in the know about the new game, here's everything you need to get caught up before you inevitably go grab a copy yourself.
Final Fantasy XV is globally available in stores and online now.


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About the Role:
We are seeking an intelligent, experienced digital creative specialist with a passion for storytelling and the power it has to impact marketing objectives. The Marketing Storytelling Specialist will lead the content process from ideation to publication. The Marketing Storytelling Specialist will be responsible for implementing creative strategy, outlining content plans and concepts, maintaining editorial calendars, capturing photography and videography, editing the content to create the final cut, and publishing content on web and social media.
About the Ideal Candidate:
You need to be detail-oriented, adaptable, empathetic, and a creative storyteller and communicator. Your listening and written communication skills combined with patience and quick thinking will get you through resolving any challenge that comes your way. Your self-starter mindset and personal accountability will allow you to master the content planning process to enable the execution of high-quality digital content on an ongoing basis. You are a self-motivated, strategic thinker with a solution-oriented mindset and a working knowledge of the nonprofit landscape. You are comfortable setting and reporting on marketing goals for the content you create. You have an awareness and sensitivities in working with diverse cultures and communities. A background in video production, blogging, journalism, and/or graphics creation, and an obsession with storytelling and creating viral content, is paramount.
Resume should include URL to candidate's on-line portfolio
Apply at: https://www.bigthought.org/careers/
What the Role will do:
Content Planning + Strategy:
Content Creation:
Community Management:
Role Requirements & Skills:
Additional Desired Skills:
Additional Information:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job, but are not all inclusive:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee may regularly be required to:
NOTE: This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. The CEO and/or designee has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.
Employees of Big Thought are expected, as required in their specific job functions, to participate in activities, meetings, and committees; to interact and work cooperatively in order to accomplish various goals; to represent one's self and Big Thought in a positive, professional manner; and to safeguard sensitive or confidential information from intentional or unintentional disclosure.
Employees are expected to maintain current working knowledge of policies, procedures and guidelines necessary to answer work-related questions and to provide assistance in a timely and courteous manner. Employees are also expected to perform other duties as may be assigned by their supervisor and to contribute to the team efforts of the department and to assist the organization in achieving its strategic goals. Employees must abide by all laws, Big Thought policies, and guidelines.