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Debates of Oct. 5th, 2010
House of Commons Hansard #77 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was victims.
- Question Period
- Privacy Commissioner of Canada
- Protecting Canadians by Ending Sentence Discounts for Multiple Murders Act
- Committees of the House
- Income Tax Act
- Business of the House
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Standing up for Victims of White Collar Crime Act
- Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act
- Breast Cancer Awareness
- Small Business
- National Youth Centre Day in Quebec
- Holyrood Community League
- National Family Week
- Lou Gehrig's Disease
- World Sight Day
- World Teachers' Day
- Justice
- Huntington's Disease
- Justice
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
- National Women's Centres Day
- Family Caregivers
- Employment Insurance
- Government Priorities
- Ministerial Responsibility
- Foreign Takeovers
- Air Canada
- Foreign Takeovers
- Ministerial Responsibility
- Infrastructure
- Afghanistan
- Prime Minister's Office
- Veterans Affairs
- Afghanistan
- International Trade
- Census
- International Trade
- Justice
- National Defence
- Veterans Affairs
- Citizenship and Immigration
- CN Railway
- Taxation
- National Defence
- Census
- Presence in Gallery
- Privilege
- Points of Order
- Privilege
- Serious Time for the Most Serious Crime Act
- Tackling Auto Theft and Property Crime Act
- Lake of the Woods and Rainy River Basins
World Teachers' Day
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Diane Bourgeois Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Mr. Speaker, today we are marking World Teachers' Day under the theme "Recovery begins with teachers." This is a golden opportunity for us to express our support and appreciation for teachers. We should never forget that education is a basic right and it is our pleasant duty to highlight the job done by teachers who work hard every day to make this right a reality.
Since 1994, October 5 has been the day to commemorate the signing 44 years ago of the Recommendation concerning the status of teachers under the aegis of UNESCO and the International Labour Organization.
Having a background myself in the wonderful world of education, I can assure the House that teachers are totally invested in the cause of education.
Carry on, dear teachers, with the fine work you do. My colleagues in the Bloc Québécois join me in saying congratulations and thank you.
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Nina Grewal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Justice announced the reintroduction of legislation to end sentence discounts for multiple murders. It would allow judges to impose consecutive parole ineligibility periods on individuals convicted of more than one first or second degree murder.
Under the current system, criminals convicted of multiple murders serve their parole ineligibility periods concurrently and are eligible to apply for parole after just 10 to 25 years.
This is just one more step in our government's efforts to restore Canadians' faith in the justice system. We are the only party to stand up for victims and law-abiding citizens in this country and which is committed to ensuring the safety and security of our communities.
We hope that the parties opposite join us in supporting this bill, as well as Bill S-6 aimed at repealing the faint hope clause, in the days to come.
Huntington's Disease
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Frank Valeriote Guelph, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to the inauguration of the Huntington Society of Canada's Great Canadian Series which will honour the life and work of great Canadians who have been afflicted with Huntington's disease.
The disease is an inherited brain disorder that affects both body and mind. It affects thousands of Canadians across our country and, with no known cure, its victims will succumb to cognitive and physical impairment and eventually death.
The society's first honoree is former Speaker of the House, James Jerome, who became speaker in 1974, where he remained through successive Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments. He was instrumental in the development of broadcasting House proceedings and the creation of our current parliamentary page program, giving young Canadians a unique vantage point in their study of Canada's Parliament.
Having had a profound impact on the work we do here, he developed Huntington's disease later in life, eventually succumbing to it in 2005. Mr. Jerome's impact will forever be felt, as will the efforts of the Huntington Society of Canada.
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Steven Blaney Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
Mr. Speaker, today our government is reintroducing the bill to end the reduced sentences for people who commit serial murders.
The new bill will enable judges to impose consecutive periods of ineligibility to apply for parole on people found guilty of more than one murder in the first or second degree.
Under the current system, criminals found guilty of serial murders serve their periods of ineligibility simultaneously, which means that they can apply for parole after only 10 to 25 years, depending on their sentence.
Our government is determined to support the victims of crime, keep dangerous criminals off the street, and keep our communities safe. I very much hope that the opposition parties will support this bill.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Jack Harris St. John's East, NL
Mr. Speaker, hurricane Igor swept Newfoundland and Labrador on September 21 with widespread wind and water damage and wreaked unprecedented havoc on the Burin and Bonavista Peninsulas. One man died.
The damage was so severe to roads and bridges, some 90 communities were left isolated without access to hospitals and services and, in many cases, food supplies. All available emergency services came to the fore, especially volunteer fire brigades and the unselfish assistance of neighbours and friends prevented the situation from getting worse.
The Canadian Forces responded magnificently to the Newfoundland and Labrador government's request for assistance. Three ships and nearly 1,000 forces personnel, along with helicopters and equipment were engaged in reconnecting washed out roads, erecting temporary bridges and bringing medical supplies, food and clean water to the isolated communities.
Nearly all are reconnected, but the work is temporary. It is estimated that the damage exceeds $100 million and will not be fully repaired for a year. The extent of the damage requires significant federal assistance beyond existing programs and we call on the Government of Canada for a full commitment to help.
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Phil McColeman Brant, ON
Mr. Speaker, while Canadians and our Conservative government are concerned with the economy, the Liberals have different priorities. The Liberal leader's priorities are not the economy.
Last week, when Parliament was debating employment insurance, an issue important to Canadians looking for work and Canadian employees and job creators who pay the premiums, the Liberal leader made the bizarre pronouncement that the issue was the census, not EI.
Also last week, the Liberal leader said that his priority was to make it easier to possess and use an illegal drug, marijuana.
His justice spokesperson echoed those sentiments: hiking taxes on job creators, lowering the EI qualifying period to 45 days which will increase payroll taxes, increasing the GST back to 7% and billions in reckless spending, plus the Liberal leader's iPod tax. The census and marijuana. It seems like everything is a priority for the Liberal leader except the economy.
National Women's Centres Day
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Nicole Demers Laval, QC
Mr. Speaker, since 2003, the first Tuesday of October has been celebrated as National Women's Centres Day in Quebec. These centres, run by women and for women, are places where they can come together, get information, discuss issues and take action to change the world and their living conditions.
Some 25 years ago, these centres came together to form the "R des centres de femmes du Québec", a network of autonomous, feminist, community-action-based groups in Quebec.
We owe a large part of our success in maintaining the firearms registry to these women and to all women's groups that mobilized and took action with us.
Solidarity makes all the difference. That is why I encourage all women's groups, particularly the AFEAS, to not give up the fight against this backward-thinking government, which, by eliminating question 33 of the long form census, is making it impossible to quantify invisible work, including family caregivers and women who chose to stay at home.
Family Caregivers
Statements By Members
October 5th, 2010 / 2:15 p.m.
Ujjal Dosanjh Vancouver South, BC
Mr. Speaker, today, the leader of the official opposition announced our party's plan to stand with Canadian families by helping family caregivers with the cost of caring for sick or aging loved ones at home.
These are difficult economic times so that means government and Canadians must choose. The Conservatives choose tax breaks for wealthy corporations. We choose to help Canadian families. Canadians want choices when it comes to caring for their families and allowing their loved ones to live in dignity, an effort supported by Canadians like Leny Van Ryn-Bolland who is here in Ottawa today.
A Liberal government would invest $1 billion annually in a new family care plan to help reduce the pressure on hundreds of thousands of struggling Canadian families. The Liberal plan includes a new six-month family care employment insurance benefit so that more Canadians can care for gravely ill family members at home without having to quit their jobs, and a new family care tax benefit of $1,350 per year to help low and middle income family caregivers who provide—
Family Caregivers
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
The hon. member for Saskatoon—Humboldt.
Employment Insurance
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
Bradley Trost Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK
Mr. Speaker, last week, the Liberal leader called the coalition's EI bill fiscally irresponsible. His caucus then overwhelmingly voted to support that plan for a job killing 45-day work year.
That is not what Canadians want. If ever implemented, it would cost Canadians at least $7 billion a year, increasing premiums permanently by a whopping 35%. Like the Liberal leader's other taxes, this would kill jobs and stop our economic recovery in its tracks.
Canadians do not want to see rapid increases in EI premiums. Our government is listening and acting on those concerns by limiting EI premium increases to protect Canadian jobs in this time of a fragile recovery.
The bottom line for our government is that, for our recovery to continue, taxes need to remain low.
Government Priorities
Oral Questions
2:15 p.m.
Michael Ignatieff Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, today I visited a family in Gatineau. Mike has cancer and his wife Helen is sacrificing everything, including her vacation time, to care for Mike.
Why is this government insisting on cutting corporate taxes instead of taking care of families like Mike and Helen?
Government Priorities
Oral Questions
2:15 p.m.
Calgary Southwest
Stephen Harper Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, today, for the fifth time, the Liberal Party has recycled the promise of additional home care. That is the fifth time. Each time they say they will pay for it by increasing employment insurance premiums and increasing taxes on companies that create jobs. They have never delivered on home care, but they have delivered on tax increases.
Government Priorities
Oral Questions
2:15 p.m.
Michael Ignatieff Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, Mike has been suffering with cancer for five years. Helen has given up all her vacation time to care for him. Does the Prime Minister not understand that when the minister gets up and says that Helen should take more vacation time to look after him, what she fails to understand is that Helen has exhausted all her vacation time and that it is an insult to talk to her this way? Does he understand that he is letting these families down?
Government Priorities
Oral Questions
2:15 p.m.
Calgary Southwest
Stephen Harper Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, for the fifth time the Liberal Party has recycled the promise of additional home care. The fact is that party will pay for it by raising taxes on those who create jobs, by raising taxes on employers and employees.
When it came to the things this government actually did, such as increase EI compassionate care, increase the new horizons program, give income splitting and age credits, the Liberal Party always voted against tax breaks for those families and always voted for tax increases.
Government Priorities
Oral Questions
2:20 p.m.
Michael Ignatieff Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, a Liberal family care plan would provide six months of compassionate care leave. It would provide a tax benefit for families that provide care to families. This could be paid for six times with the corporate tax giveaways to which the Conservative government is committed.
Could the government explain these priorities to hard-working families, like Helen and Mike, that are trying to look after each other?


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Kewanee honored one of its fallen heroes Saturday, 45 years after he died in Vietnam.
With local veterans and National Guard troops taking part, a ceremony was held prior to the unveiling of two street signs showing that the 1000 block of North Vine Street is Honorary Sgt. Martin Rapczak Way.
Sgt. Rapczak, a 1965 Kewanee High School graduate, was killed in Vietnam on May 23, 1968.
He was one of 11 servicemen from Kewanee who were killed in Vietnam.
After color guards from the Kewanee Veterans Council, the National Guard and the Patriot Riders posted the colors and Kewanee High School band members played the national anthem, Mayor Bruce Tossell introduced the main speaker, Father Jerry Rafalko of Holy Trinity Polish National Catholic Church.
Mayor Tossell read the City Council proclamation that designated the street as a memorial to Sgt. Rapczak.
A replica of the actual street sign was presented to Sgt. Rapczak's mother, Elizabeth
"Luba" Rapczak, and his sister, Denise Loomis, before the unveiling.
Then, after a blessing from Father Jerry and playing of Taps, Rapczak family member John Devine climbed a ladder and pulled the veil from the sign at Vine and 11th streets.
The group then walked down to the south end of the block, where the sign at Vine and 10th was unveiled.
The designation of Vine Street as Sgt. Martin Rapczak Way is the second such street designation in Kewanee.
A block of Willard Street past Wethersfield Schools was designated Sgt. Schuyler Patch Way, following the death in Afghanistan of Sgt. Patch, who was also from Kewanee.
Location, ST | website.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Class 5A regional state softball playoff action is scheduled to start Oct. 12 and Rock Canyon appears ready.
The Jaguars lost three of their first five games this season, but moved into a first-place Continental League tie with Legend after a 5-1 triumph over the Titans Sept. 28.
Rock Canyon, 11-4 overall, and Legend, 12-4, are both 6-1 in the league with three regular-season games remaining.
The Titans played Castle View Sept. 30 and Highlands Ranch Oct. 2, with the league finale against Regis Jesuit scheduled Oct. 5. Legend played Heritage Sept. 30 and Chaparral Oct. 1. The Titans meet Mountain Vista Oct. 4.
"We are definitely peaking at the right time," said Rock Canyon senior pitcher Lauren Paige. "The Legend game was really needed for our confidence. We have to win out going forward into the playoffs."
Jaguars coach Debora Kortbawi notes the seven seniors on her team have been ringleaders to Rock Canyon's late season surge.
"I don't ever think you can write these girls off, they won't allow you to," she said. "Our seniors stepped up and started bringing the intensity.
"This senior class is just ridiculous. They've been through this for four years. They know what it takes to get to the Final Four. They said now is the time to bring up the intensity."
Rock Canyon has played its way into the Class 5A Final Four the past three seasons and appears to be playing well down the stretch again this year.
Freshman Sloane Stewartson delivered a two-run double down the right field line in the second inning to push the Jaquars ahead 2-0 in the showdown game against the Titans that was moved from Rock Canyon to Legend because of unplayable field conditions.
Paige had an RBI single in the third while Shen Lu Swartout and Lauren Yacks came through with run-scoring singles in the fourth and fifth innings to stake Rock Canyon to a 5-0 lead.
Legend was not able to produce the big hits despite scattering seven hits off Paige, who struck out four and worked out of jams in the fifth and sixth frames.
The Titans loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but Paige induced two ground ball force-outs to end the Legend uprising.
Legend had runners on first and second with nobody out in the sixth, but a po-up to third base and a comeback grounder to Paige that wound up as a double play because of a Titans base running blunder short-circuited another Titans' scoring opportunity.
"I have all the confidence in the world in my defense," said Paige. "I just knew if I made them put the ball in play, the defense would make some spectacular plays and they did.
"I have one of the best defenses in the entire state. I don't have to worry about doing it by myself."
Grabbing the lead early against the Titans was a key to the victory.
"The one good thing about this team this year is they are very focused," said Kortbawi. "They are very good with their communication. We had a good lead against Legend. We talked about getting the lead from the beginning. That gave us a little bit where we could focus on getting the outs and not focus on not letting the runners score."
Legend did score in the seventh after Karlee Arnold's one-out triple. She scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Brooke Doumer.
Arnold and Robyn Leighton each had two hits for the Titans.
Swartout, Paige, Stewartson and Zayne Blumberg collected two hits to lead Rock Canyon's 11-hit attack against Legend pitcher Janelle Gardner.


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Elder Davis
Elder Ty Austin Davis has been called to serve in the Kentucky-Louisville Spanish-speaking mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Davis will speak April 26 at 10:50 a.m. at the Bayshore LDS Ward Chapel, 5899 Bayshore Drive, Stansbury Park.
Elder Davis will enter the Provo missionary training center May 20.
He is the son of Tom and Laurie Davis.


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Jul 24, 201311:00 AMPoint of View
The Highs and Lows of "Design Thinking"
"Design Thinking" has become fashionable in management circles; it's their latest "holy grail." Training programs are popping up all over the place. Top American business schools seem to have tapped into a new trend and topic in management, having caught the wave in innovation and society's burning issues.
Certainly, if we plan on changing the face of paradigms that breed more imagination and flexibility, we have no other choice but to think outside the box, give shape to our ideas, take the path less traveled, and approach the thought process with an open mind and a blank canvas.
When it comes to what companies need to incorporate into their business models and strategies, at the tip of the iceberg are at least three things that need to happen: Shift from mass consumption to one with meaning for both products and services; the ability to constantly adapt to market volatility and technological breakthroughs; ongoing and up-to-date training to ensure that employees are adequately armed to tackle and tame the moving targets and changes that lie ahead.
To truly grasp the extent to which this concept of Design Thinking has taken off, look inside the offices of IDEO in San Francisco or Shanghai, where you would not recognize the organizational norms of today. CEO Tim Brown's book, Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation, sheds light on organizations in pursuit of tomorrow. Brown, one of Design Thinking's gurus, has made quite a business out of it.
What makes Design Thinking so attractive in the first place, is its modularity. Everyone has his own notion of it. And putting creativity in a box in an effort to make it fit the societal and corporate mold is nothing short of ridiculous, futile, and ultimately, counterproductive.
The act of defining Design Thinking is an exercise laden with obstacles that can bring the process to a screeching halt. The mere idea of pinning a definition on it means wanting to put an end to the creative process and innovation that dwell naturally therein, rather than coming up short with a definition that does the term little or no justice. Some, though, will do everything to try and make a "science" out of it. And you can bet that it won't be long before there's mention of Design Thinking researchers. Although the title won't bring about anything life changing, it will, at least, give a handful of academics peace of mind, knowing that their pay is justified.
Let's just say that Design Thinking is a branch of management focused on "bringing together" a wide variety of competencies, be they technical, economic or social, and finding that patch of common ground that enables them to cast a collective take on tomorrow. In other words, let's put our heads together, create, innovate, and forge ahead. In corporate speak, this translates to speculation and forecasts on an organization's future, field, operations, and methods. It means reflecting on the how's and why's inherent to change and growth.
Strategy and sustainability go hand-in-hand. The timing is right and the market is ripe for this shift in approach. Companies are confronted with having to adapt to the profound changes undergone by industrial and commercial paradigms. Many are changing their business models. The question no longer revolves around improving on what we already know. It is now about being ever ready and able to do something else or differently with what we already possess. Design Thinking is the counterpart of normalization and quality-driven policies.
Doubtless, Design Thinking is in style. Master's programs are drawing in droves of students in the United States as if business schools had just discovered "Innovation Management," which could not be further from the truth. In reality, it's been there all along. A quick review of Peter Drucker's Innovation and Entrepreneurship will reveal that that there's nothing new about Design Thinking. To argue the opposite would mean believing that we could refrain from "thinking" when it comes to project-"doing." The bandwagon success that has emerged from the so-called "new" trend leaves us a bit speechless, but not for long when we realize how much consultants and trainers are pocketing from it. It is painful enough to observe that they try, let alone to pawn it off as a novel idea.
Globalization is at the root of these changes, for it depends on a kind of "sink-or-swim," "finish-or-famish" or "publish-or-perish" mentality. It's like telling Henry Ford and his theory of production to take a backseat to Darwin and his on "survival of the fittest" when it comes to running an industry. With the corporate angle aside, capitalism is now the driving force behind happiness and progress. As Denmark's Kolding School of design dean Elsebeth Gerner Nielsen wrote in "A Manifesto for global design and leadership," "The 19th and 20th centuries have forced companies to face up to two questions: What is profitable, and what is technologically possible? In the 21st century, the question has become: What makes "sense"?"
In the spirit of progress-driven logic, we can only hope that Design Thinking will set straight, once and for all, the financial tangents that have shown a tendency of being more speculative than entrepreneurial, as well as consumption-hungry marketing tactics despite a real push today on buying responsibly and reasonably.
Design schools can be thrilled knowing that their field is now associated with management. Design Thinking comes naturally to them. Designers do it just as Monsieur Jourdain did with his prose in Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme by 17th Century French playwright Molière; that is to say, constantly and unconsciously. What sweet revenge it is, especially as designers were often thought of as misfits, talented but not necessarily fit for business.
Today, designers are the key in a company and its future. Their role is a strategic one, and their technological prowess, business savvy, and proven track record fuel projects that "make sense" well before making "cents" and being technologically possible.
Designers and design schools have always done Design Thinking. Bringing engineers, marketing specialists, financial experts, philosophers and sociologists together, and getting them to work as one on the issues of tomorrow are concepts all too familiar to designers. Their competencies, coupled with a knack for devising user scenarios, set them apart from the rest. They are more valuable than ever. Not everyone is cut out to be a designer!
Christian Guellerin has been president of Cumulus, the International Association of Universities and Schools of Design, Art and Media since 2007. Under his leadership the organization grew from 80 to 178 establishments in 44 countries In 2008 ; today they're expanding to China and India. He is also the executive director of the Ecole de design Nantes Atlantique, which trains professionals to create and innovate for socio-economic development, with an interface between technology, economics, and the sciences. He writes frequenly on design and pedagogy and teaches in several schools and universities in France and abroad.
Read more posts from Christian Guellerin here.
Yes, nail on head to add to the metaphor floribund in your article. We have been practising Design Thinking since day one but only now are designers being taken seriously, head on with accountants.
Will we see the investment banks replaced b design centres of finance and retail outlets becoming centres for human centred solutions? The answer is, of course not, because they already undertake design thinking everyday but have not packaged and labelled it as such.
What Brown has done is raise the credibility of design to the board room which is no mean achievement. What the result is, is that accountants start to practice design in the boardrooom and we have products and services designed by the CEO or, worse still, committees or boards of directors.
Let's face it, any competent design driven brand knows about design thinking ...its embedded. Design Thinking has a danger of being quashed if it is not effectively central to the MBA innovation curriculum. Th design industry is its own worst enemy when it comes to self promotion....in incomprehensible bollocks as my old CEO refereed to the descriptions designers use for their work.
The concept of teaching design thinking to a money man is as equally ridiculous in reverse. The danger in designers making a move on the board room is the resistance they will meet from stockholder accountants. Taking a day course on design will create boardrooms filled with amateur designers driven by cost out not customer needs. The way I see this working is at grass roots education levels where entrepreneurial young people become the CEO of the future design driven enterprise.
Design Thinking MBA is too wishy washy and needs to be rebranded to raise its profile maybe?
"Design Thinking" as an an integral "branch" of business management is proving a productive concept, and naturally "bringing together a wide variety of competences" is a sensible way to innovate, But the design thinking outlined here misses an opportunity to be more effective when it dismisses "science." It's a weakness that many designers impose on themselves.
First an "open mind" is not a "blank canvas." The fast-moving evolutionary, ecological and neuro-sciences have been opening up insights into human biology--into an innate human nature--that shapes how we all experience a design, decide and act.
One reason the entertainment and marketing industries--and not the traditional design professions--are leading the invention and re-invention of American culture is their systematic, skillful exploitation of those contemporary human sciences. They're predicting more reliably how our publics will actually respond to creative design and innovation. And they're the ones playing the "strategic" role in business decisions.
Studying and applying this in-born human nature we all share is the subject of other on-going posts on this POV blog. See IDEO's posts on "gardening, not architecture" (working with "living things that are under your influence, but not within your control") and their projects in education and health care. And the serialized "A New Humanism" outlines a comprehensive application of this perspective to day-to-day practice .
Then the Mehaffy and Salingaros posts spell out current uses, underuses, and misuses of contemporary scientific thinking related to built environments. None of these add up to "scientific determinism" but the opposite--deploying science to advance the arts of design thinking.
And dismissing "academics" misses another opportunity. As internet information is more and more dominated by short term commercial interests, we're going to have to depend on the "academies" for teaching the long view, usable knowledge and creativity


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I know a lot of people are getting for transworld in St.Luis MI. Other then that I don't know. I don't get to go to most conventions because I feel more comfortable working behind a computer screen for Halloween. I do go out I prefer more anime conventions because I just like to be a rebel I guess and put myself in a different mind set. Do not underestimate the creativity of a bored Japanese businessman.
Just ignor me.... hey what events r coming up for the haunt world....I know about the on in LAS...
huh ?
Cry a river of tears and build a bridge and get over it.....
Hay Dan, I just read your back story and I wanted you to know, if you ever need help with scene ideas for your haunt I'm there for you.
Senior Member


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Unless something changed since OTTI 15, MountainTea ships to retail customers from California. They have a California address.
Thank you Chip.
If I remember correctly in Order to participate in the OTTI I have to live in USA right? Or is it possible for me to participate anyway.
C'mon Chip let me join please !!! (edited:forgot to say please, being courteous is always important)


text:
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It has about 50 different links to various topics on discovery tools from evaluation reports from different university evaluation teams and taskforces, debates between competitors, presentations by vendors and took me about 4-6 hours after work to create. Please point out any other relevant resources I have missed out, so I can continue to improve it!
As I reread the material and organised my thoughts, it seems to me after the false dawn of Federated Searches and Next generation catalogues, Summon like Discovery tools might perhaps really going to be the "real deal".
That said there still remains many huge questions and very few answers.
How big will the impact of Discovery tools?
Academic libraries around the world are excited by the potential of Web Scale Discovery tools. Initial results by early adopters seem promising. GSVU for example showed that Summon seemed to be reversing the download trends of usage, average usage of the top 100 journals increased by 42% and for the top 1000 journals it was 82%
It's still early days yet with most services being barely one year ago and this might not seem that impressive but compare that to the last "great hope" , Next generation catalogues and before that federated search.
A couple of years ago, libraries were excited by the idea of "next generation catalogues" that included "Web 2.0" features like tagging, submission of reviews, facets etc. Libraries were purchasing products like Encore, Aquabrowser, Primo...
It was believed that such modern looking interfaces would win some of our users back from Amazon and maybe even Google. I haven't done much research in this area, please correct me if I'm wrong but my impression is that in general, next generation catalogues so far have failed to live up to their hype and have not done much to turn things around, the trend of users going for google and amazon if anything has accelerated . While there is some evidence that facets are appreciated and used more (most users don't do advanced searches in classical catalogue), users generally did not contribute tags or reviews to the next generation catalogues as there is little pay-off for users to do so and most libraries didnt have the mass alone for the social aspects to payoff (though Librarything for libraries and BiblioCommons seems to be promising as they overcome this lack of mass).
In short, many users continued to use Amazon, Google, and the library catalogue if it was used, was used more as a delivery tool ("obtain" in FRBR user tasks), to check whether the item they found in Amazon or Google was available in the library as opposed to a discovery tool.
I may be too pessimistic and it may be that the current next generation library catalogues need more time to show their effects or have their hearts in the right place but need to be designed better rather than just tagged on ("next next generation library catalogues anyone?), but thus far I have not seen any report showing that implementing these tools have led to a huge concrete increase of usage.
In light of this, the results so far coming out from Summon etc are astonishing, yet as I study the literature, I notice there has being some resistance by librarians against the idea. In fact I found concerns against "one-stop shops" are not new, going back to the days of federated search.
Discovery tools as a default search?
One thing about working in libraries is that you eventually get used to some odd things (and worse eventually don't see them) but still certain things give me pause. This is one. In theory, one library could offer the following options
- "Classic" catalogue (e.g. WebPac Pro)
- Next Generation Catalogue (e.g. Encore)
- Article Finder
- Federated search (e.g. Research Pro)
- WorldCat/Consortium Library or Union Catalogue
- Discovery tool (e.g Summon)
- Google Scholar (promoted by the library officially)
I don't think any library I know of offers all this, but I recall seeing libraries that come close, offering classic catalogue/next generation catalogue/Worldcat/Summon & Google scholar on the main page.
While it is good to have choices, isn't it a great relief for most users to say forget them all, just use Summon etc ? Interestingly not everyone agrees this class of products should be promoted as a default.
Leaving aside technical issues, cost and vendor trust/lock-in issues (Carl Grant of ex libris & the people at the Federated Search blog in particular warns about problems of content neutrality & hidden cost, dangers of "library bypass" by relying solely on a unified index that cannot be affected by any one library etc) , I have divided the reasons as follows
- Searching through millions of items is not necessary and tends to confuse users
- There are better more discipline specific tools such as PubMed with better features such as thesauri etc.
- It's unclear what is in the index, or if it is, whether it is full text coverage or just metadata of varying quality (related to #2)
- Encourages "quick and dirty searches", leading to lazy, poor searching techniques (related to #2)
- It is too expensive and anyway Google Scholar which is free is perfectly capable and outperforms them all.
Medical Librarian Dean Giustini is on record saying "The idea of providing one-search for users in medicine — mostly physicians and medical students — is very difficult for me to justify (and teach). Further, it's not appropriate in most search instances. " It's a interesting comment, and he gives many reasons one of which is "Some of its results for medical topics are illogical and force users to re-do searches through native tools such as OvidSP MEDLINE."
Dean also wonders if the best thing to do is to always search across millions of records. Wouldn't most undergraduates be better served by just searching across something more limited in scope like Academic Search Premier? Meredith Farkas wonders along the same lines about WorldCat Local, though her concern comes more with WorldCat Local's inability to filter out non-scholarly results, a problem that Summon doesn't suffer because of a "scholarly results only" option.
But I do get their point. The typical undergraduate is probably searching for fairly standard general topics like trying to find a paper on Kantian ethics, where the issue usually isn't not enough results but rather too many. Searching 750-1,000 million items is great, but relies heavily on the relevancy algorithm to surface relevant content.
But this argument about too many results needs to be examined closely. Larger index is not a problem, if the algothrim is capable. Being smart enough to refine using facets helps too.
I love google scholar, while speed and ease of use is no doubt a factor, but for me personally, the fact that Google Scholar has by far the largest index is more often then not a boon rather then curse.
I tend to need to search for topics concerning Singapore and Asia and if you haven't done such searches you will be surprised how quickly the number of results shrink once you add that as a search term to even the most general terms, and this is where a huge index is deeply appreciated. Discovery tools are not at the level of Google Scholar, but 700 million records (in Summon) is nothing to sneeze at.
I would guess for most researchers they tend to be doing long tail searches as well where the larger the index the better.
I do agree that the relevancy algorithm of Summon and some products I have tried seem a bit odd/weak which contributes to what Dean is saying, but in general I seldom hear that complaint of Google Scholar. Yes, you get a lot of results but the top few look relevant (precision is good enough).
I am hoping discovery tools will eventually be nearly as good.
There are better more discipline specific tools such as PubMed with better features thesauri etc.
This is probably a very strong argument for advanced sophisticated users particularly in the medical fields. I'm not a medical librarian but it seems to me medical field tends to benefit the least from Web scale discovery tools because they have Pubmed which suffers less (compared to say Social Sciences) from fragmented content across silos with a powerful search interface to boot.
But as a default search for most users and for most topics I doubt anything is much better (except google or google scholar?). Can you think of a tool that works for every situtation and every user? For sure it improves on using Classic catalogue or next generation catalogues as defaults to prevent the very common problem of users typing in article titles.
Moreover the use of database recommender systems like the one in Summon can help guide users to such high quality resources.
Also with more and more research being multidisciplinary, I wonder how good such subject specific indexes are becoming.
I suppose discovery tools are not for every situation and not every case is a nail that you have to hammer, but that doesn't mean a hammer isn't a very useful tool in many situations.
It's unclear what is in the index, or if it is, whether it is full text coverage or just metadata of varying quality
This was mentioned in a paper about librarian's response to Summon at Edith Cowan University Library. They were worried over the coverage of Summon of CINAL, Academic One File etc. This is IMHO to borrow a phrase a very "librarian concern".
While librarians are trained to think about content divided into silos, most users just don't think that way. Their concern is simpler. Did they find relevant papers? They are willing to trade off not covering 100% of some silo (which when you think about it , what's in a database is really arbitrary why worry about it) for being able to cover ultimately more ground in shorter time.
Content is not king, convenience is, see this oclc report
I think it's the librarian obsession with the certainty that they searched absolutely everything in a given silo (Academic search premier or a specific journal title) , that drives this concern.
Of course, Google Scholar is notorious for not even giving a clue what's in the index leading to dozens of papers written on this topic trying to quantify this, but to be honest I am thinking does it really help all that much if you know exactly what is and what is not in the index ? Or whether you are searching full-text?
Say you run some nursing search term in Summon. You look at the results and find either a) tons of relevant results or b) mostly non-relevant results
Does knowing Summon covers 80% of CINAL even to the extent of knowing which journals and volumes are not in, really help you in either case? Or does knowing Summon's index covers full-text or just metadata help?
A little I guess, but you will be still faced with the decision to decide whether it is worth redoing the search in CINAL and that is more a question of the amount of time you have and the costs of missing a relevant article.
Of course, known item searches are a different matter, where even searching 99% is not enough, but for topical searches, I'm not sure if knowing coverage levels is useful to a typical user or even librarian for that matter when it comes to the context of finding relevant articles (for other decisions like choosing between discovery tools this data can of course be very relevant).
Or am I misunderstanding this objection?
Encourages "quick and dirty searches", leading to lazy poor searching techniques
Still thinking about this one. I can see their point. I still teach proper search construction techniques using complicated strings of Boolean operators (synoymns connected by OR operator and grouped by parenthesis), but to be honest, I seldom do so when searching Google Scholar, unless I need to do a comprehensive search.
But am I really poorer off for it? But I just don't do complicated strings of Boolean often because it is seldom necessary if all you want is a few relevant articles .
I also generally don't use advanced thearsui features, e.g to "explode" results. Is that bad?
Note: techniques like pearl growing (forward citation, backward citation, "sideways" to find related articles) *are* useful and I use them all the time to find related articles, I don't see how use of Google scholar or discovery tools will prevent development of such skills, though admittedly some advanced databases make this easier with cited data (e.g Scopus) and generally have superior indexing.
An allied concern is that discovery tools might mislead users into thinking it covers *all* of our resources and certainly resources not indexed in discovery tools might become under-utilised. It is also speculated that such tools will lead users to have an expectation that everything is online. That is certainly valid concern.
Google Scholar is perfectly capable and outperforms them all.
I'm quite sympathetic to this point. Many libraries outright recommend Google Scholar, partnering with them via Google library links. To be perfectly frank Summon and other discovery tools was designed to be a Google and more to the point a Google Scholar killer.
But are such tools really better then Google scholar? Currently I would say no. Google Scholar is by far broader, though with a lot of material that are grey literature type and the relevancy algorithm is superior.
It's funny to say this but Summon & discovery tools are in fact easier to use then Google scholar (since when can you say a library product is easier to use!) as users tend to be frustrated by the task of determining if full text of the article they want is available via Google Scholar.
For a skilled searcher who knows his way around the library system to find what he needs and is capable of evaluating sources, probably this wouldn't be as big a factor but for most others discovery unified indexes would be easier.
I don't mean to minimize the concerns of librarians and as it stands now, discovery tools are certainly nowhere near perfect, and being so new they have many technical issues that need fixing. Aside from that a skilled searcher using more advanced tools can almost always get more and do a more through search.
But discovery tools are not necessarily for them (or us), they are for the least knowledgeable, most helpless of our users.
They are for the ones who search our OPACs by article title name and find nothing, for the ones who search google and settle for wikipedia articles. Discovery tools help the ones who who use JSTOR for every topical search because it is what they were recommended in their very first course and the ones who don't come to the reference desk to ask but rely on peers for advise.
Can they do better then using a discovery tool? Perhaps. Will they? Doubtful.
For these group of users (who may be very large), it's hard to believe discovery tools will hurt them anymore than what they are doing already. For all the others, we as librarians have influence over them anyway (or they are ones who naturally work hard to learn the tools they use) and can teach them the limitations of these tools and point out the "proper way" to do things if they so desire.
Am I dismissing the concerns of some librarians too easily? Perhaps, I suspect my own information searching skills are fairly undeveloped for a librarian, so I might easily be failing to appreciate the nuances here.
What's your take on such tools? What impact do you think they will have? What are the potential pitfalls? How do you complete the following sentence .... "Use Summon (or EDS or Worldcat local or Primo Central or...) as a first search unless ______________________ .


text:
Baccarat Crystal Chandelier
- Item No.
This chandelier is a brilliant specimen of Baccarat crystal
Key Features
Click to See Complete Item Details »
- A multitude of glistening Baccarat distinguishes this fine chandelier
- Scrolling branches of doré bronze give support to this 18-light fixture
- The prisms, beads and shades are all crafted of luminous Baccarat crystal
- The beauty and quality of Baccarat crystal made it the choice of royalty throughout the world
Item Details
- Width:
39 1/2 Inches
- Height:
44 1/2 Inches
- Period:
- Origin:
Circa 1880
39 1/2" wide x 44 1/2" high
The French House of Baccarat has been internationally recognized for its magnificent glass creations for over 200 years. During the mid-19th century, their chandeliers and tableware were favored greatly by European royalty, including Louis XVIII, Charles X, Louis Phillipe, Emperor Napoleon III, Czar Nicholas II, and numerous sultans and maharajahs throughout the Middle East. The royal courts of India, in particular, provided Baccarat with some of their most astonishing commissions for such items as thrones, tombs and chandeliers such as this phenomenal example. Baccarat is still regarded as the finest glass maker in Europe and is known as both the "Crystal of Kings" and the "King of Crystal."
About the MakerBaccarat Glass of Kings
In response to a wealthy landowners request to make the best use of the natural resources of the infertile Baccarat region of France, King Louis XV created "Compagnie des Cristalleries de Baccarat" in 1765 by royal decree.
The renowned company was the first French glassworks firm established to directly compete with imported Bohemian counterparts. The Baccarat firm also made a large contribution to the nation's economy by providing work for the local wood cutters and accelerating the region's recovery following the destruction of the Seven Years War. The creation of Baccarat generated revenue for the community while creating a product that was in high demand.
Following the French Revolution, the Empire Wars and the fall of Napoleon, the economy in the region faltered. Over time, the Baccarat firm was sold numerous times as operating expenses tripled. The new owners sought to perfect the quality and craftsmanship of all the wares. Exceptional raw materials were imported from throughout the world, including America. Glassworkers underwent lengthy and meticulous training. The quest for perfection increased the quality and reputation of Baccarat glassware. Coupled with technological innovations and improved working conditions, the glassware firm was able to increase production, without sacrificing quality.
The tremendous popularity of Baccarat glass ware was evident in the numerous top awards and honors the firm has had been given in the last two centuries. Baccarat has long been internationally recognized for their magnificent creations. Most notably, at the 1823 Exposition Nationale in Paris, where they received international praise and acclaim from all in attendance. Even Louis XVIII, admired and appreciated the quality of craftsmanship and modest prices of the wares. The popularity of Baccarat flourished and became vogue among European royalty and elite.
During the mid-19th century Baccarat chandeliers and tableware were favored by European royalty, with the Russian aristocracy proving to be some of their most loyal clientele. At one point, one-third of Baccarat's workforce (over 2,000 employees), were assigned solely to fulfill the orders for the Russian court. In addition to the extravagant pieces, Baccarat created scores of stemware for the Russian market. A custom initiated by the first tsars mandated that no one should drink from a glass touched by their own lips, and many grand dukes and nobleman followed suit. Consequently, many a Baccarat crystal goblet was immediately smashed after only a single use!
The international acclaim, the royal patronage and the quantity and quality of the awards won at expositions throughout Paris and Europe have garnered a magnificent reputation for the French firm. Prized for its clarity, detail and beauty of form, Baccarat crystal is the perfect accompaniment to any dinner service.


text:
|Tecnifibre X-One Biphase String Scores
|String Movement
|Playability Duration
Some tennis strings are very basic. Think traditional poly or synthetic gut. These strings consist of one or two parts and they tend not to specialize in the more expensive luxuries of comfort, feel and power. On the other end of the spectrum there is Tecnifibre X-One Biphase, a string with many carefully chosen and meticulously arranged parts. Like natural gut, X-One Biphase is a tad pricey, but that is to be expected given the considerable technology packed into this string. In the opinion of our playtest team, the price is worth it for the player who wants an incredibly arm-friendly string loaded with pop. While X-One Biphase is not natural gut, it did give our team the kind of comfort, feel, tension maintenance and power that very few comparable multis can offer. For our two big hitters, the downside of this string was in the form of less spin-potential and control, especially compared to their favorite polys. Ultimately, though, for the player who wants outstanding shock-absorption with a uniquely comfortable (yet wonderfully crisp) feel, X-One Biphase is simply one of the best options available.
For our two playtesters, X-One Biphase delivered huge power. In fact, Brittany, with her nuclear powered backhand, required extra concentration to keep the ball in play. She said, "If I had to describe this string in one word it would be . . . Power! There was definitely a lot of power, which was especially noticeable on my groundstrokes. When I first started playtesting this string in my (also powerful) Yonex VCORE 100 S, there were definitely some balls that were launching well beyond the baseline. The stroke that took the most time to adapt to the string was my return of serve, as I had so much power that I had to dial back my normally aggressive return to keep the ball in the court."
"Power was there all right," said Karly, who got some serious pop even at higher tensions. She added, "I didn't have to try very hard to produce it with X-One Biphase. The sweetspot seemed to open up more and the ball really popped off the stringbed. No matter what shot I went for it was easy to put some pace behind my shots. At times the power was almost too much for me, so I strung it at a higher tension to get more control. Even then the strings felt really powerful. X-One Biphase is easily one of the more powerful multifilaments I've hit with."
X-One Biphase, with its sticky coating, does not snap back like a slick poly. Nor does it have the low powered response that many big hitters prefer for creating spin-friendly head speed. For these reasons, it is not surprising that Karly couldn't get enough grip on the ball. She said, "Spin was not something that came easily, if at all. The strings didn't offer much grip or bite, so it was tough putting any type of spin on the ball. Most of my shots were noticeably flatter than usual. It was somewhat frustrating because of how powerful the string was -- I couldn't rely on spin to help the ball land in and I wasn't playing as consistently."
Agreeing with Karly, Brittany also could have used a little more bite. She said, "While I did find a little bit of success with spin, I was aching for more. Since this is such a powerful string I needed every ounce of spin to keep the ball in the court. I noticed this slight lack of spin when I was reaching for a ball and would have to throw the ball up defensively. My defensive shots did not have the extra spin needed to keep the point going. The spin made a small difference in my pick up/reflex volleys as well, as I noticed they were launching slightly off of my racquet."
Boasting an army of cushiony filaments that are infused and bonded with stretchy polyurethane, X-One Biphase gave our team absolutely outstanding comfort and shock absorption. Brittany was clearly impressed, saying, "I found this to be a very, very comfortable string to hit with. It was strung at 56 lbs in my racquet and I had absolutely zero problems. I did not experience any pain or discomfort. In fact, I sometimes didn't even notice when I would mishit or hit outside the sweetspot because I couldn't feel the difference. I thought this string did a great job absorbing any shock. I also enjoyed the feel of this string, as it was very easy to use and adjust to."
Karly appreciated the expanded sweetspot. She said, "It's easy to say comfort was one of the string's standout features. I loved how soft X-One Biphase was on the arm. It was anything but stiff. I never had to worry about my arm feeling sore, even when I strung it tighter. And the string didn't feel mushy. The response was very crisp and slightly firm, but never harsh on the arm. I also thought the sweetspot increased slightly with this string, and was more responsive. The change in feel when hitting outside of the sweetspot wasn't as drastic as it is with a stiffer string. Overall, X-One Biphase was a very comfortable, lively and responsive string."
Powerful strings like X-One Biphase usually return too much energy to the ball for the biggest hitters, especially those who need the stiff response of polyester to bring the ball down. This helps explain why Brittany struggled a little with control. She said, "With the power, there came a noticeable lack of control for me with this string. I think this is mainly due to the fact I have a very fast swing speed. I was having a hard time controlling my shots and keeping them in play. I found myself trying to swing slower to keep the ball in play when going for winners. That being said, I think pairing this with a poly to create a hybrid would give me the control that I was looking for."
Sharing Brittany's sentiments, Karly also could have used more control. She said, "Given that X-One Biphase is one of the most powerful strings I've hit, control was not one of the string's strong suits. I really had to concentrate on my shot placement because the strings were so lively. It was tough when trying to hit precise shots. I even strung it at a higher tension to get more control, but I still had a hard time with all the power. Hitting with control did not come naturally with X-One Biphase."
For our team, X-One Biphase settled in nicely and offered long lasting playability. It even held up under the brutal pressure of Brittany's big strokes. She said, "I thought the playability duration was longer than expected. Compared to some other multifilaments I have playtested, I would say this string lasted a couple hitting sessions (3-5 hours) longer. I did notice a slight drop in playability after 6 or so hours of play. After that drop it held up remarkably well for the next week. The main thing I noticed was there wasn't that much change, aside from maybe a little more power."
Though she had some issues with the power, Karly found the playability to remain quite consistent after settling in. She said, "The ball seemed to really fly off the racquet, but after the first couple of hits the strings seemed to settle down a little bit. Though it still was a very powerful string even after settling in. Once it settled in the racquet, I thought it kept its tension extremely well. I also noticed that it hardly frayed at all, unlike some similar strings. I found the string to have exceptional playability."
Brittany - "I would recommend this to two different types of players. The first would be a player who likes to hit a flat ball but has a slow to medium speed stroke, and is looking for power and comfort. The second would be a player who has faster strokes and is using a poly, but is looking to add a little more pop and comfort. For this person, X-One Biphase would be perfect in a hybrid set-up."
Karly - "A player with flatter strokes who doesn't break strings easily and wants a soft, powerful string."
Brittany - "I liked that there was easy access to power (a little too much at times), the comfort and the feel of the string."
Karly - "One of the top multifilaments in power, comfort and playability."
Brittany - "Due to my faster swing speed, I need a string with more control and spin."
Karly - "It was a hard string to produce spin and control my shots with."
Brittany - "This string is very similar to Wilson NXT. There was similar power and comfort characteristics between the two strings. I would say that X-One Biphase is slightly more durable and that it has a slightly different feel than NXT (not better or worse, just different)."
Karly - "The characteristics were so similar to NRG2. Both were extremely comfortable on the arm, generated a ton of power and could've improved in the spin and control departments. I say the main differences between the two were the feel and playability. X-One Biphase had a crisper response, whereas NRG2 felt almost mushy, and X-One Biphase didn't fray as easily as NRG2. Other than those two characteristics, the strings played virtually the same."
(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)
|Brittany's Scores
|Playability Duration
|String Movement
|Karly's Scores
|Playability Duration
|String Movement
Racquet: Dunlop Biomimetic M2.0
Playtest Tension: 57 lbs
Usual String: Wilson NXT 16g
Racquet: Yonex V-Core 100 S
Playtest Tension: 57 lbs
Usual String: Polyester 16g
Review date: June 2013. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.
All content copyright 2013 Tennis Warehouse.


text:
- Product Details
- Fabric Estimator
- Rewards
A lightweight silk taffeta that comes in seven pastel shades. Timeless fabric for special occasion outfits.
Color: Pale Gold
Width: 59"
Content: SILK
Learn about fabric careHOW TO CARE FOR SILK:Dry cleaning is recommended for all silks.Mood strongly recommends test-laundering a swatch, if you plan to wash your garment or home furnishings yourself.
PLEASE NOTE: The above numbers are estimations only. Please take into account garment size, lining and fabric width.


text:
USA TODAY Sports breaks down the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Veteran turf writer Jennie Rees of The (Louisville) Courier-Journal looks at the nine-horse Preakness field for Saturday's race, in order of post position:
Saddlecloth: No. 1. Odds: Even.
Record, earnings: 8: 5-0-1 ($2,335,850)
Last start: Won Kentucky Derby, May 4
Best Beyer speed figure: 104
Sire: Malibu Moon
Dam: Lady Liberty (Unbridled)
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Trainer: Shug McGaughey
Owners-breeders: Stuart Janney III
LLC & Phipps Stable
Why he can win: As his five-race winning streak indicates, Orb is simply the best horse, bred for these classic distances and continuing to improve. He came very wide to win the Derby and won't have as many horses to go around this time.
Why he can't: Since Bally Ache in 1960, only Tabasco Cat in 1994 has won from the rail. His being measurably better than the competition is an illusion. Other Derby horses might have hated the Churchill Downs mud and pull a surprise here.
Saddlecloth: No. 2. Odds: 8-1.
Record, earnings: 7: 4-1-0 ($1,250,000)
Last start: 17th, Kentucky Derby, May 4
Best Beyer: 105
Sire: Into Mischief
Dam: Golden Works (Into Gold)
Jockey: Kevin Krigger
Trainer: Doug O'Neill
Owners: W. C. Racing, Dave Kenney and RAP Racing
Breeders: Rosecrest Farm & Karyn Pirrello
Why he can win: He had never run a poor race until encountering a surface he hated when 17th in the Derby, and he's never lost two in a row. His 105 Beyer speed figure in the Santa Anita Derby is the fastest of this group. They'll have to catch him from the No. 2 post. Louis Quatorze won the Preakness after finishing 16th in the 1996 Kentucky Derby — and did it wire-to-wire.
Why he can't: No horse has come from 17th in the Derby to win the Preakness. (Fairness note: No other 17th-place Derby finishers ran in the Preakness. But there's a reason for that.)
Notable: Goldencents is partly owned by Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. He won't be at Pimlico, but his son, new Minnesota hoops coach Richard Pitino, will represent Dad.
Titletown Five
Saddlecloth: No. 3. Odds: 30-1.
Record, earnings: 7: 1-2-1 ($87,398)
Last start: 4th, Derby Trial, April 27
Best Beyer: 98
Sire: Tiznow
Dam: D'Wildcat Speed (Forest Wildcat)
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Owner: Group that includes Paul Hornung, Willie Davis and Lukas
Breeder: Stonestreet LLC
Why he can win: If anyone knows about winning championships, it's five-time Preakness winner Lukas and the owner partnership that includes former Green Bay Packers and Pro Football Hall of Famers Hornung and Davis.
Why he can't: He's a very nice horse who doesn't want to run that far. He's the only horse in the field with only one win.
Saddlecloth: No. 4. Odds: 6-1.
Record, earnings: 5: 4-0-1 ($628,000)
Last start: Won Illinois Derby, April 20
Best Beyer: 97
Sire: War Front
Dam: Leave (Pulpit)
Jockey: Brian Hernandez
Trainer: Al Stall
Owner-breeder: Claiborne Farm
Why he can win: The Illinois Derby victor is an improving horse, with four wins and a third (in the Louisiana Derby) in five starts. The Louisiana Derby was the most underrated prep of the season. The racing gods want to jerk Churchill Downs' chain for leaving the Illinois Derby out of its new points system.
Why he can't: He hasn't improved as much as Orb. There's a reason Churchill Downs left the Illinois Derby out of its points system.
Saddlecloth: No. 5. Odds: 5-1.
Record, earnings: 10: 2-3-2 ( $477,695)
Last start: Fifth, Kentucky Derby, May 4
Best Beyer: 93
Sire: Midnight Lute
Dam: Stage Stop (Valid Expectations)
Jockey: Rosie Napravnik
Trainer: Tom Amoss
Owners: GoldMark Farm & Whisper Hills Farm
Breeder: Mike G. Rutherford
Why he can win: He is thriving at the right time and was just a neck out of finishing third in the Derby. He'll be flying at the end, and the shorter distance will help. The racing gods would love for Napravnik to be the first female jockey to win the Preakness.
Why he can't: He had basically the same trip as Orb in the Derby and finished fifth.
Notable: Napravnik started her career at Pimlico and got her first win there.
Saddlecloth: No. 6. Odds: 15-1.
Record, earnings:10: 2-1-1 ($383,500)
Last start: 6th, Kentucky Derby, May 4
Best Beyer: 95
Sire: Awesome Again
Dam: Tizamazing (Cee's Tizzy)
Jockey: Gary Stevens
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Owner: Calumet Farm
Breeder: Colts Neck Stables LLC
Why he can win: He was the only horse up close to the pace early who was competitive into the final furlong of the Derby. A different pace scenario and shorter distance let him get the job done.
Why he can't: He's not as fast as others in this field.
Will Take Charge
Saddlecloth: No. 7. Odds:12-1.
Record, earnings: 8: 3-1-0 ($545,371)
Last start: 8th, Kentucky Derby, May 4
Best Beyer: 95
Sire: Unbridled's Song
Dam: Take Charge Lady (Dehere)
Jockey: Mike Smith
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Owner: Willis D. Horton
Breeder: Eaton
Why he can win: He was moving with Orb when he was forced to a halt as Verrazano stopped and swerved in front of him in the Derby. With a clean trip, he'll make things interesting at a price.
Why he can't: He doesn't want to run that far.
Govenor Charlie
Saddlecloth: No. 8. Odds: 12-1.
Record, earnings: 3: 2-1-0 ($444,800)
Last start: Won Sunland Derby, March 24
Best Beyer: 95
Sire: Midnight Lute
Dam: Silverbulletway (Storm Cat)
Jockey: Martin Garcia
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Owner-breeder: Mike E. Pegram
Why he can win: Like Lukas, Baffert is a five-time Preakness winner who knows how to win this race. His outside post is perfect for his up-close but stalking style. He has raced three times and has improved by leaps and bounds each time, with form similar to another unraced 2-year-old who won the 2006 Preakness in his fourth start: Bernardini.
Why he can't: There's a reason few horses win the Preakness without first running in the Kentucky Derby (Bernardini being an exception). That's because the best 3-year-olds, at least in the spring at classic distances, are in the Derby.
Saddlecloth: No. 9. Odds:10-1.
Record, earnings: 11: 5-2-1 ($625,600)
Last start: 15th, Kentucky Derby, May 4
Best Beyer: 104
Sire: Lawyer Ron
Dam: Viva La Slew (Doneraile Court)
Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Eddie Plesa Jr.
Owners: Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa
Breeders: Liberation Farm and Brandywine Farm
Why he can win: He hated the Derby slop. He looked too good and trained too well to run that poorly for a horse who finished second (as the favorite) off a layoff in the Florida Derby to Orb. He picks up Velazquez as rider.
Why he can't: Same as the Derby: He doesn't want to run that far.


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Vintage Shoe Company Molly Lace-Up Boot
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Item # 273619
Vintage Shoe Company provides classic styling with modern updates in the Molly Boot. Full lace-up detailing gives this casual boot an extra edge.
- Leather upper and leather lined
- Oxford style lacing
- Perforated cap toe
- 9" shaft height, lace-up
- 12" leg opening
- Rubber lug sole
- Made in the U.S.A.
By: Joansey
Location: San Diego
February 05, 2013
Nice quality
"A high quality shoe and the leather is very soft and supple. No zipper on the inside, which I thought I would like but is actually a pain in the butt. It runs long, maybe 1/2 to one full size. I had to return it because they were too big."
Click anywhere to close this.


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New fixed ropes installed on the Matterhorn
Like every year, Zermatt's mountain guides have attached new fixed ropes in the upper section of the Matterhorn. The safe ascent from the 'Matterhorn Base Camp' is now guaranteed, just in time for the summer season.
With the Hörnlihütte closed for renovation throughout the summer 2014, the 'Matterhorn Base Camp' will be set up as an alternative accommodation facility at the end of June 2014. It will be open from 15th July to 15th September. The Hörnlihütte will re-open in July 2015 on the occasion the 150th anniversary of the first Matterhorn ascent.
Fixed ropes guarantee safety
The fixed ropes are attached in the section between 4,250 and 4,300 m below the peak of the Matterhorn (4,478 m). They make the ascent safer for all Alpinists who choose the Hörnligrat route.
According to the online portal 1815.ch, mountain guides Kurt Lauber (warden of the Hörnlihütte), Urs Lerjen, Richard Lehner und Thomas Zumtaugwald took on the complex job of attaching the fixed ropes on Monday and Tuesday, 9 and 10 June on behalf of the Alpin Center Zermatt. The guides and ropes were flown to the area of operation by Air Zermatt.
This year was, however, exceptional: All of the fixed ropes were replaced in preparation of the 150th anniversary of the first Matterhorn ascent.


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Epistle Reading
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St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 6:18-24
Prokeimenon. Grave Mode.
Psalm 98.9,1
Exalt the Lord our God.
Verse: The Lord reigns; let the people tremble.
BRETHREN, pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Now that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicos the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.
Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love undying. Amen.
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The English text of the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles is based on the Revised Standard Version from "The Apostolos" by Holy Cross Press, Brookline, MA.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible is copyrighted 1946, 1952, 1971, and 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. and used by permission.


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Posted on January 23, 2014
According to the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, National Handwriting Day was established to "recognise the reward of composing a handwritten note using a high quality writing instrument." The day they chose is January 23rd, the anniversary of the birth of John Hancock - the first man to sign the Declaration of Independence, with his famous bold signature.
A large part of doing genealogy involves reading original documents. When we're lucky, these include beautifully written letters in our ancestors' own hand. The details of day-to-day life along with the personal touch of their handwriting helps bring the person to life. Was their writing bold like Hancock's? Did they have a delicate hand or was it shaky from old age?
Or perhaps you had a grandparent, who like mine, received a certificate of achievement in the Palmer Method. We have the self-study book if you want to give it a try!
- Palmer, A. N. Business and high school edition of the Palmer method of business writing. A series of self-teaching lessons in rapid, plain, unshaded, coarse-pen, muscular movement writing. New York, Chicago [etc.] : The A.N. Palmer Co., c1917. Call no. Z 201 .656
Penmanship is both an art and a science. The Newberry has an extensive collection of books on penmanship and calligraphy, with titles range from the practical to the obscure.
- Kirkham, E. Kay. The Handwriting Of American Records For A Period Of 300 Years. Logan, Utah : Everton Publishers, 1973. Call no. Z 1 .469.
- Teacher of penmanship, monthly, devoted to the development & advancement of the art of penmanship (volumes 1868 Feb-1869, Dec). Call no. Wing folio ZW 8831 .867.
- The Science Of Practical Penmanship, Deduced From The Principles Of Physiology And The Anatomy Of The Hand And Arm …: To Which Is Added A Complete System Of Pen-making : The Whole Accompanied By A Chirographic Atlas Of Twenty-four Engraved Plates. New York : Collins, Keese & Co., 1837. Call no. Wing ZW 883 .D685.
To complement these holdings, the Newberry has assembled more than 600 original calligraphic manuscripts comprising a representative selection of scripts and formats covering the fifteenth century to the mid-twentieth century.


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In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Birkenhead like this:
Birkenhead, mun. and parl. bor. and seaport town, Cheshire, opposite Liverpool, on the left hank of the Mersey, 13 miles NNW. of Chester, and 194 miles from London by rail, 3849 ac., pop. 84,006; 2 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. It is of modern growth, its prosperity being due to its large docks, and has wide and regular streets, with many fine buildings, and an extensive public park. It possesses a free public library, and a theological college (St Aidan's) for the training of students as clergymen for foreign missions. ...
The water supply is derived from abundant springs within the bor. itself, the water being forced, by pumping, into reservoirs built on the heights of the town. Its chief industries are shipbuilding and machinery mfr. Communication with Liverpool is kept up by fine large steamboats plying from each side of the River every 10 minutes, and has been further improved by the Mersey Tunnel Ry. (The shipping statistics are included in those of the port of Liverpool.) Birkenhead was made a parl. bor. in 1861, and a mun. bor. in 1877. It returns 1 member to Parliament.
Birkenhead through time
A Vision of Britain through Time includes a large library of local statistics for administrative units. For the best overall sense of how the area containing Birkenhead has changed, please see our redistricted information for the modern district of Wirral. More detailed statistical data are available under Units and statistics, which includes both administrative units covering Birkenhead and units named after it.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Birkenhead, in Wirral and Cheshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/249
Date accessed: 27th February 2017
Not where you were looking for?
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Britain through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Birkenhead".


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- All
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- Ten Commandments
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Historical Propaganda
Dan Brown's blockbuster novel, The Da Vinci Code, represents an undeniable publishing phenomenon. Sadly, it also represents a direct attack upon the central truths of the Christian faith — and a misrepresentation of historical fact. Indeed, the novel is really …Read More
The Fool's Folly Uncovered
The many biblical errors of the The Da Vinci Code are clustered in two vitally important portions of the story of Dan Brown's blockbuster fictional work. First, the vast majority of statements concerning the Bible appear in the narration of …Read More
The Da Vinci Conspiracy
Yes, Virginia, there really is a lunatic fringe on the ideological spectrum. We commonly hear perspectives described as left-wing or right-wing. Beyond that, the descriptions become more precise in terms of radical right and radical left. If we cross the …Read More
Decoding Da Vinci
It should be no surprise to know that in 2005 the Louvre museum in Paris attracted more visitors, 7.3 million to be exact, than in any previous year since the Louvre was established as a museum in 1793. The museum …Read More
A Holy Foundation
As I began to prepare to write this article, many memories from 1979 overcame me. That was the year my wife, Sherrie, and I were married. It was also the year I became a Christian. One could say it was …Read More
Holy Grief
In the coming days, we will see a lot of what Scripture has to say about God's holiness. We will also see how His holiness informs both His love and His wrath. No doubt, too, we will recognize that God …Read More
The Covenant Keeper
Two important words emerge in the story of Noah that will echo throughout the pages of Scripture: grace (Gen. 6:8, ESV has "favor") and covenant (v. 18). In a context where the sinfulness of man is said to be "great" …Read More
Established Boundaries
The Eastern and Western churches have understood the Trinity in rather different ways, each with distinct problems. For the East, the person of the Father is the center of divine unity. The potential danger is a subordinationist tendency, with the …Read More
The Definition of Orthodoxy
The Arian controversy in the fourth century was arguably the greatest theological controversy in the history of the church. As Protestants, we might think that the Reformation controversies of the sixteenth century were the most momentous. Without wishing to minimize …Read More
Triune Monarchy
The most basic affirmation the Scriptures make regarding the nature of God is that He is one. The shema of Deuteronomy 6 reads as follows: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one" (v. 4). These words …Read More


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The Beta Males: The Train Job
Show type: Edinburgh Fringe 2011
Critically-acclaimed sketch troupe, The Beta Males, welcome you aboard a comedy thrillride - a sketch-show hurtling like a juggernaut through a world of hard-boiled cops, gentlemen thieves and a disgraced former Secretary of State for Transport. This train calls at Suspense, Conspiracy and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Older Comments
Giulia - 04/07/2012
They are brilliant. Go see them!


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Classic Reversible Buckle Chassis Leather Belt
£ 250
DescriptionClassic reversible buckle with a choice of iconic Chassis or smooth leather strap. Buckle has a gunmetal finish with dunhill longtail logo, a Chassis leather insert, and a twist mechanism for easy reversal. Width: 35 mm
Metallic buckle closure
This belt has been designed to be cut to the exact length, meaning you have a belt that has been specially and uniquely fitted to you, rather than having to buy a belt that is only approximately the right length. The belt strap is simple to cut with a sharp pair of scissors and can be done either as a free service in one of our dunhill stores or at home. To ensure that you cut it to the right length, you can either measure yourself around the waist, or measure the belt that you normally wear from the end of the strap by the buckle to the hole normally use. To remove the strap, release the mechanism on the back of the buckle and measure the same length on the strap of the new belt – make sure you do this from the centre hole, or the one you prefer to use, to the end where the buckle fits. Always cut the belt a little longer than you measured – this will allow you to make further adjustments when you try it on for size.
Composition 90% Calf-skin leatherHeight 1.4 inches
Shipping & ReturnsWe offer both Standard and Express shipping: choose the service that best meets your needs at Checkout. We also provide free pick up for your returns: you have 14 days from delivery to follow our quick and easy return procedure.
For additional information, please consult the Return Policy.
The size shown for this item is the size indicated by the designer on the label.
Select size


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|That's the hero talking to the heroine through the letter, though it doubles as exactly what the villain could be saying —and is probably thinking, since he, not the hero, is nearby.
|For example, if you're being stalked, don't open packages that are left at your door anonymously.
|Inspired by Phoebe Cates?
Not just the scenarios and dialogue but so much of his basic posture and blocking added to our sense of who Rahul is and what he's thinking. For example, the first time we really see him, he is quite literally already on the edge of death.
|Expand, contract.
|Glad he had time after recovering from the chest wounds but before rescuing his wife from a murderer to stop and find black cloth to tie around his head.


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Bandwagon Ho
Stephen Webb
October 21 2010 12:23PM
In the world of the 1950s, the worst thing you could be called is a communist. You weren't dedicated to your country, in fact you were probably actively trying to take it down from within, and gosh darn it, you really just hated freedom. Well, in the world of Canuck fandom, another word carries a similar weight "Bandwagon".
Just like with the communist tag, the bandwagon accusation gets thrown around liberally in this town. You criticise the Canucks, you're a bandwagon fan. Suggest Luongo's not the greatest goalie, bandwagon fan. Miss a midweek game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets to attend your Grandpa's funeral, you know it, bandwagon fan.
To me, this makes absolutely no sense. True love is not based on blind adulation, and neither should sports fandom. To go the other way is descend into some cult like state with a big ole toothy grin and intense yet somehow vacant set of eyes (think Tom Cruise) while spewing platitudes about how everything is great. Add bizarre shaking to the mix and you've got Gary Bettman.
A true bandwagon fan isn't someone who argues thar Rick Rypien should be suspended for at least ten games, a bandwagon fan is someone who hasn't watched a minute of hockey all year and will buy a Rick Rypien jersey during the playoff run because it was the cheapest one at the remainder store and wonder why he isn't playing.
A bandwagon fan is someone whose favourite hockey was the Detroit Red Wings, until it was the Pittsburgh Penguins, until it became the Chicago Blackhawks. A bandwagon fan is someone who lives in Minnesota, a state blessed with all four major sports teams, yet loves the Yankees, Cowboys and Lakers.
So say no to the cultists and their hue and cry about bandwagoners. Just because we wonder if $5 million should get you more than one garbage goal, doesn't mean we can't all stand up and cheer when Ryan Kesler finally pots another one.
October 21 2010, 01:03PM
Good stuff. The problem I find with messageboards is that any interesting discussion eventually devolves into partisan sniping and social signaling between the in-group of "faithful fans" and the outgroup of "haters and bandwagoners".
October 22 2010, 02:28PM
I agreed with everything you said until the last paragraph. And even then, I only have one gripe within that paragraph. Ryan Kesler's goal was anything but a garbage goal. I don't know what highlight you saw or what your definition of a garbage goal is, but a one-timer blast from the left faceoff circle is not a garbage goal. If it was, Steven Stamkos would basically qualify to be called straight-up garbage.


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Elyse Mills and Jeff Humphrey are pleased to announce their upcoming marriage on July 16, 2011.
A celebration held in their honor will be at "The Garden of Dry Creek", 877 N. 100 E. in Lehi from 7 to 9 p.m.
Elyse is the daughter of Clark and Sharon Mills, of El Dorado, Kan., formerly of Cleveland.
Jeff is the son of Jay Mark Humphrey and the late Joy Lynn Humphrey, of Orangeville.
All friends and relatives are invited to attend.


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Author of Ed Engoron's Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
In Charles Perrault's lovely fairytale Cinderella, the fairly godmother turns a pumpkin into a magical, horse-drawn royal coach. This holiday season you too can transform a pumpkin into something wonderful—a scrumptious Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Quick Bread. This recipe has a mild subtle spiced pumpkin flavor with accents of chocolate. It is not overly sweet and is perfect with a turkey dinner or a surprisingly delicious toasted breakfast treat. It uses the whole 14-ounce of canned pumpkin puree (typically contained in a single can) so you don't have to try to figure out what to do with the rest.
This recipe makes 3 large loaves. Eat one now and freeze the other two for later. You can also turn loaves into muffins; simply by cupping the batter and baking in muffin tins for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. I'm sure that my Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Quick Bread will become part of your new All-American Thanksgiving tradition.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour
Ready In: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 3 large loaves
1 sticks (1/2-pound) unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2/3 cup water
4 large eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup Choclatique Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3 teaspoons crystalline sugar
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Butter and flour three 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, cream the sugar with the butter then add the pumpkin puree, water and eggs. Beat the mixture until smooth.
- Blend in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Do not overmix.
- Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.
- Fill the loaf pans 3/4 full. Tap on the bottom to settle.
- Sprinkle each loaf with 1 teaspoon of crystalline sugar.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool on wire racks before removing from pans.
ChefSecret: Crystalline Sugar (sanding sugar or sparkling sugar) adds a sweet crunch and sparkle to everything from cookies and scones to muffins, quick breads, cake, sweet breads and pie crust. It's a simple touch that elevates the look and taste of your baked quick breads from good to gorgeous.
Tags: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Muffins, Recipe, Thanksgiving