text:
|At the graduation party with other family members
The actress and her mum were there to celebrate with the young man, Stephen Nnaji, as he graduated from the University of London (International programme)...
|At graduation dinner
|Stephen Nnaji
News, Events, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Fashion, Beauty, Inspiration and yes... Gossip! *Wink*
|At the graduation party with other family members
|At graduation dinner
|Stephen Nnaji
were is genevie's daugther
congrats young man! Genny and mum looks gud. Nice one girl! Haters hug d transformer
Simple and beautiful. I love Genevieve
Genevieve is stunning
God bless you Gene. You are much loved.
Genevieve is stunning
wow, first time i will be getting to see member(s) of her family. she is so coded when it comes to family. congrats to u genevieve's brother.
BTW, she looks like her mum.
That is one FINE brother ......... humm , Her mama born fine children.
CONGRATS to him
Aaawww....their mum is pretty!
Aaawww...their mom is pretty!
I just love Genevieve, mwah..classy woman. You never get to see the personal side of her, so its nice. And Genevieve kinda takes after her mom.
Anyway, I'm ready to read all sorts of comments...so let them roll in.
Nice. I want to see more pictures of her brother. Did not know she had such a cute brother
Congratulations on your graduation , I am single and available ***wink wink**
SHe herself should go back to school.
I love this woman i swear.she makes my heart warm. glad to see part of her family.her mother is graciously blessed and her brother is plain handsome :)
Congrats! Steve, I am happy for you buddy. It's been a long time and I am so happy for your accomplishments. I remember our undergraduate days at Unilag Akoka - You, Me and Biggie.Good times!
We need talk sometime. Check out my blog, www.akinfarmar.blogspot.com
Akin Farmar
he looks like her!congrats young man
is her daughter also in school in the UK?
Look at Genny,all poise and grace.Like we(celebrities) know how we do it for the camera.And the other family members...Do the maths.Congrats to her brother though.
which one be International Programe?
Well done!
Guess what Lin! I showed my silly husband this your post and he goes that maybe the programme is a swimmming or jogging degree!
and dis is news becos?
Her brother is HOT HOT HOT.........
international programme be say the guy do the programme here and they do their final exams and graduation in uk at the school's main campsus.
Now this is a classic example of a boy I wanna kiss! Lmao...sowiee jst had to bear ma soul....hahahahaha I really do think I jst felt cupid's arrow...and it pierced me like yummm
Interesting! Kudos to the Chap. Lovely pictures...
I miss diz boi... Vry nice nd kul dude.h he sings well too. I miss saint joseph cath church sha.
While i appreciate, Gen/her mum and bro i cannot help but wonder at this post. University of London International Programme in what. This post is almost targeted at stark illiterates much like the nollywood movies, so very annoying. I am sorry but sometimes i think our actresses are so much into out doing each other that they become frivolous and silly sounding. Clearly it is long distance learning so he just went to the UK for the graduation that is why the course has the prefix International Programme. But is it a diploma or degree? what is the area of expertise? It almost looks like some cv's that come to me and they have Bsc.... in what i think before i shove it in the shredder. This story is just about seeing lovely Genny and her family at the Barbican but nothing else was achieved by the post other than me thinking someone needs to get an education!
End of Rant! How are you Linda?!
to Anonymous
SHe herself should go back to school.
March 15, 2012 6:54 PM
To do what again the young lady has a degree already, must every1 hv a masters, all those tht hv a degree and r looking 4 jobs nko,she's got talent & has made name & money 4 herself so wetin again mumu hater how dumb can u be mchewwwww
losers so u think the guy is hot and kissable cos he is related to genevieve or he finished from a school in uk''like he is the first person dat went to school abroad..smh..so wat will u do if u met a guy that was even born abroad and studied there u will enter the computer in grab him..stupid wannabees
@ sayingitasitis that is a very unfair statement , who told you a child out of wedlock is a failure , who told you she is not proud of her daughter , because she is not throwing her to the media , and you wolves means what ? Who would not protect her child in this environment or even abroad with her status , ordinary people are protective not to talk or a star .
Though no fan of her's but I feel that was just unnecessary na pickin oooh dem no dey sell am for oyinbo market .
Beacause its genevieve!and because its a gud tn!aren't u guys just tired of hating!like seriously aren't u????...toni
Awwww...dts so sweet...btw is 'bare',not 'bear'...u welcome
Pls just say 'congrats steve' and move on.don't ask abt her child,don't ask wen she will get her degree,just be positive...Toni
Lovely Genevieve!!!.She is classy.
Linda, what kind of programme? Is it DLI programme or Open university programme or computer programme? Please, somebody should help me call Genevieve to confirm before we commence Naija Owambe
Lmao...thanx! My baaad...I blame the butterflies...*blush blush*
The boy is a cutie just like his sista......lovely
So what if he had the programme in nigeria or London. He achieved a gud thing and she's celebrating a special moment..why all d hating.Jeezzzzzzzzzzz congrats gen and congrats cute brother of gen.
Ur subjectiveness has ruled all... Please drink acid!
LooooooL ur husband just killed me ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha SMH he is not serious
I lik Genny. She is my best!
Someone is missing in that picture--> HER HUSBAND. Let her go and plant her bum in a man's house and get out of her celibacy jare.
That said, I am happy for her and her family. She has done well for herself and is looking as radiant as ever. Way to Go Genevieve. Congrats to her bro.
Seb u married ur kind a hater like u ... Put ur life out here let's talk abt u too maybe both of u ll learn how to b positive ..
U r asking for her dsughter do u can start hating too
If u new proper news to to CNN ... This is a blog pple
Toni toni,defender of the uniVerse!
Blush fire!
Rolling my eyes!
I think cupid hit u in the head!
LMAO @ MissJuwon's description of International Program......hahahahhaha!!! Choi!
Hummmmmm!!!!! 9ja! What is ur own na? Maybe she's with d dad sha????
Gbagaun!!!that's the sound of Your head!
Please explain things that you know and dnt ConfusE ppLe that don't!
Who told u that international program means PGD, na wa for u oH!
The annoying thing is tHat you went on to explain like u know it, smh!!!
Cute ooo, I want my sis to be Genevieve *tears*.
International programme is harder to pass. The guy tried o.
Lol. That ur hubby must be serious fun!
who wants his numba?
OMG! I need me some Stephen Nnaji! *Lovestruck*
ONOME says........................
I love this woman seriously :))))I love the way she keeps herself from controversies!!I love the way she has protected her daughter from the media and bad belle people.I love the fact that no media is yet to publish a picture of her daughter and most importantly I love the fact that her family seems to value education!
p.s did I mention that I love the fact that she won't be caught dead holding a BB porsche like a trophy? #sigh#
She is ageless.
I dont understand how this is suppose to be a news..is he the first to do international programme!!! abi becos na genevie broda..abeg i dey do international programme for Harvard...will send u my graduation pics in sept, pls be ready to flash the pics.
Hater! We think he is hot and kissable because he is! Get over it and move on Mr Not hot and Kissable!
OMG! He's so hot! them lips!
Is he not on facebook? *Stephen Nnaji* that is.. i bin try add him. Stalker!lol
some people should remember that Genevieve has 7 SIBLINGS!!! abeg!
I was at the graduation, i no see them dia oh. Besides, the graduation dinner was at Grand conaught hall. where dem go do dia own dinner?
And what makes you think the dude will get this message? This is Linda's blog, not Steve's.
what a Nice latest free browsing cheats blog for blogging tips, adsense tips and mobile tips and tricks.
Where is the 18 year old daughter she claims to be raising? Lovely looking family but there is something simmering under waiting to come to the surface
He go school for yaba go graduation for london. E don tey for that school o, thank God sey e graduate finally. I no come sabi wich one concern party inside edede mata o
Am not into gene but on this one no hating she has tried for her family and I can see why she dey hassle left , right and centre ,
@Seb's wife, tell ur husband say regardless of wettin d boy read at least na degree dem give am at the end of the day. plus, to skool in uk is not moin moin and ogi!
They all look alike. Dude is cuute, and Genevieve looks so classy and gorgeous. Congrats to them!
Oh, and to those saying girls say he's cute cos he's Genevieve's bro. NOPE! Even if he wasn't Genevieve's bro, he's still a good looking guy.
lmao @ the comment saying Genevieve should go back to school. How dumb!
Congratulations Stephen....
No one knoes u! So don't bother
congrats too her brother... d dude fyn shaa.
@linda: reply my mail nah, i sent it d day b4 yday.
Naija journalists/papparazi are laidback ( let me not say lazy). I trust E! In the US, someone would have leaked Genevieve's daughter's pic. So up until this day, no one knows what the daughter looks like or who she is? No paparazzi has camped outside Genevieve's house to get a glimpse of the girl? No insider has sold a story or pic to the press?? I am beyond surprised. What is journalism about then??Genevieve is like Naija's No1 celeb o!! Let's improve please.Linda this is my next assignment for you,get Genevieve's daughter's pic no matter what you do. Even if she lives abroad, pay someone to get it if you havee to *winks*
so how is this news now?? ok Linda & Genevieve clap for urselves kpa kpa kpakpakpa
Lmao, na wa oh. Now with all d comments I still never know which one be international program. E be like say I go just Google am. Congrats Steve! You all look lovely!
Amebor...I'm sure u were roaming up nd down lookin 4 every1 dt was thr...mtcheeeww....say congrats nd move on ojare...
anyday anytime genny is d babe to beat,simple and elegant.wish her broda d best of luck
anyday anytime genny is d babe to beat,simple and elegant.wish her broda d best of luck
Ms Juwon, i do not believe your pointless comments should be shared.And quite frankly, i always find your comments in the past irritating too!!
She looks like her mum. Pretty! Congrats to her brother!
linda hook me up wif ds boi naa...hs soooooo cute wooow...:)
@ Onome, just google genevieve and daughter and u will see pics of n her daughter. They look like sisters.
If they value education so much why did they allow her 2 drop out of secondary school just cos she got pregnant?
To be sincere Linda, i read a lot of blogs and i have never come across one that always has hateful comments! it is so sad!
Wateva happned to just being happy for the fam n sayin congrats? jeez! u guys always have sth nasty to say! mschew!!!
I don't understand your rant? He has a first degree from Unilag so he must have gone for a post graduate degree. PS, when u say PGD, in Nigerian context it means a post graduate diploma totally different from what the initial poster said.
An international programme is one that the person did long distance and he just came for the graduation.
So what is your bile about his post? You actually sound like the ignorant one with an empty head. #Gbagaun.
Well done mama, ur kids are doing well.
why do some ppl just like to hate. abeg get a life jor, loosers. mshewwwwwwwww.
why do ppl just like to hate, as if u r any better. abeg get a life jor, loosers. msheeeewwwwww
wow, what a beauty to behold. Genevive Nnaji Nigeria's N0 1 celeb. She is the photocopy of her mama, Congrats to Steve the great achiever. For those who said they've not seen her child google Genevieve Nnaji and daughter you will see her, she is so beautiful like her mum.
Fine family. Their Mum is so pretty. I see where their good looks are from.
@seb wife. international programme is an external programme ie long distance.it is the same as the internal programme same same degree.
G babe you are always whaoooo: cute family
@jobsfornaija che nah everybody we de there you see abi nah people you go count for there,
Pls Linda,what do u mean by international program?Abi u too no go school?Even if dem tell u say International program,use ur head na,ask more questions like 'international program in what?'Abeg,u sef.
@Fearless u are just one sick fella(in a good way)*trolllllinggg*
ONOME yaff kill me wit laugh oooooo
"Holding a BB porsche like world cup"
Hahahaha Hehehehehe huhuhuhu
Lol in tongue....................
Looool @replies. Evulzzz!!!:D
Abi oo, go and look for him on FB.
Plz keep it in ur album except ur Omotolas Brother.
Why do U̶̲̥̅̊ want to se her daughter? Will U̶̲̥̅̊ pay linda for this job? Abeg U̶̲̥̅̊ go and find her urself.
see how ppl can kill them self over other ppl's palava. whether it is diploma or pgd or woreva. just say congrats or shut up 4 life. STOP HATING!
@ fearless! You need a shrink! Calm d hell down..silly
@blog lord u took the words right out of my mouth.
it's good she is coded cos if she is nt the tabloids for use her gook ofe oha lol.
congratz stephen
linda why is this news????
Mom has very strong genes because both of her children favor her. She looks great. Congratulations, Mr. Nnaji. You've done well.
U wey don go skool finish who know u..did u not just write anonymous as ur name..people can't just mind dir biznez.
Thank u for dat Lovely reply..lol.
Linda,pls try not to upload hateful comments frm peeps.dis blog is gradually turnin to a hate zone.Let's Be happy for people so dat good things will come our way too.
congratulations brother
dearest Gen I Love you
there are so much cheap girls on dis blog triping 4 a guy u dnt knw just bcos he graduated frm UK and answer genevive brother shame on u girls dieying for material tings dis is y guys just use girls lk u and dump u lk trash cos of ur smal brain and dat is wat u desearve, u hv no focus,cheap ass lk u,u can trip 4 d guy if u lk but let me remind u that after sleeping wt u he wil 4get ur name imidietly and look 4 another avialable fool lk u,hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i hate cheap and senseless ladies.
and as for u jenevive wat are u doing here i hv abandoned u 4 lolo and lalaland now u hv cm looking 4 me in dis linda ikeja blog where i hv cm to hide pls stay away frm dis blog is nt mearnt 4 expired products like u coss all i see here are fresh,new and special people nt old people lk u so pls stay away cos i dnt wnt to insult u dnt cm here wt ur wicked face and remind me of ur wickedness rubish.
oh well,i checked d cute guy out on fbk and nothing really shows he studied d course in naija and went for d graduation in london.all of his pictures showed he;s in d uk studying for d course i believe.
omg!!u guys are sad sha.fine boy like dis with no sin and u all are still hating on him.some of u here are still struggling to pass jamb o or even strugling to pass a mere 4 year course and u are hating on someone that has a degree already.oshisko!!
Please what is Linda's email address?
You BIG fool!!! Pls do ur reserch before running ur mouth!! Genny even said it herself on TBF show! She did not drop out of secondary school FYI, she finished in imo state. She left her theatre arts studies in Unilag to work instead. And from the look of things, she didn't need a degree in arts to be successful?? Those who went to acting school should go and learn some acting skills from Genny. Hers is all natatural. BANK THAT HATERZZZZ!!!! *Kmt*
nice one,hear the latest news.....http://www.plentynews.com/
@ITK FEARLESS..ur own is to be attacking people's comments here and there. And again only the comments of those who defend Genny. U should change ur name to coward cause that's what u r. If u were fealess u would make a statement of ur own and stand for something. Follow! follow! Bad belle! Nonsense! Mtcheeeeewwwwww....
This blog seems to be a place where people come to pour all their frustrations. This blog needs to be exorcised.
The bad belle is vile and just EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sharrap ya mouth you......
Reading thru d comments...menn, some people have energy to diss others shaa.... n some hateful comments here aint necessary. Be it International programme, lasu programme or yaba tech programme, d main gist is he has graduated n d celebration of it is the resultant picture we all r looking at.
Bros congrats ohh! End!
congrates steve, u still own me an appointment with your sis, guess who? 4@4
Wow! So he had an International program degree in Obodo Oyibo. *Chai* I cannot wait for him to come back to Nigeria and grab a job. I hope there is plenty jobs waiting for him. it is not easy to be an Internationaly educated programmer. Infact there are many international opportunities available in the Local security menace for instance Boko haram and liquidity. Also he can even become my tweeting representation as he will add loads of International World class to my handle. Once more, i celebrated you Sir. It is not easy to read in the hot sun of Las Gidi and catapult to graduation in the cold snow of America soooory London. I love your Sister. Maybe she can pay her brideprice so we can marry. Dbanj is wasting her time and finally You are a lucky chap to be trained suddenly in India... Sorry UK.
Congrat cute stephen.......is that not an engagement ring on genny's finger?wow! Who is d lucky guy cos i heard dbanj is history.cute family
Some Nigerians are very envious and empty headed. End if Genevieve went to London shopping, it would still be news because she is a star.
As for those who assumed that long distance British university degree programmes are easy PLEASE enroll today and shut up. British education is the hardest in the world.
It's Genie's brother, that's why it's news. Period. She's one of Naija's biggest. Period. If you don't like it, jump into a lagoon. Period. If you have a complex, please don't show it here. Even if Genie had gone for her bro's graduation at Otta, it would still have been news. If it's anything to do with Genevieve,it's news on an entertainment blog/site. Hating shouldn't make you foolish.
To Genny's haters,
Say it loud and clear, Genevieve Nnaji is a GODDESS. Gongrats to her brother. Continue to shine and enjoy life, Genny.
Sooo cuute!...I love n admire Genevieve a lottt! She got maaad style,VERY CLASSY plus a GOOD ACTRESS!!!
Congrats Steve!...Nice one!
And @FEARLESS!...Must u always freaking respond to everyone's comment on here?!?With all ur very silly uncalled for attacks all the time?!?Are u Linda's assistant?!?...Abeg FOH with ur ways already!!!U'r soooo freaking annoying mehn! Mtcheeeeeeeewwww!
I love Genie! Wonderful things come to my mind always whenever she does. Congrats to her bro! I can imagine how proud her mum is.
May the lord almighty himself continue to prosper pretty miss genevieve nnaji and her family. And a big congrats to you, lil stephen nnaji.
....and how is this news Linda? Hiss!
Behind a talented, gorgeous person are haters who are miserable with their lives.
Genny, keep being you, and congrats to your bro. Mom looks good too.


text: During the CBC's tv network coverage of the Grand Prix Final they were promoting the following; Doc Zone episode entitled:Ice. Sweat & Tears (a CBC 1hr. documentary style show) which airs on Thurs. evenings @ 9pm). It is a behind the scenes look at figure skating. It is scheduled to air on Thurs. Mar. 7 2013. Note: I posted this originally on FSU under the thread: Figure Skating on Canadian TV. I started it's own thread for easier noticeability.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Each year, Hospitality Technology calls on the collective wisdom of its advisory board to provide insight into the top technologies and trends shaping hospitality in the year ahead. In addition to offering a look at the projects on their to-do lists, the advisory board talks candidly about areas where technology innovation is ready to make a big impact in hotels and restaurants, and where it's falling flat. Our board agrees that mobile POS and payment solutions will be a game-changer; but there's both enthusiasm for their potential positive impact, and frustration at the lack of a standard solution. Many board members reveal plans to migrate systems into the cloud, and several offer tips for areas of "low-hanging fruit," that is, areas for improvement that require only modest effort. One thing is very clear: the change coming to hospitality IT is more than new tech. It also calls for new skills, and will require an evolution on the part of its people from tech-guru to business leader.
What technology projects are on your company's priority list for 2014?
JOHN BOLLEN: Chief Digital Officer, MGM Resorts International.
MGM Resorts (www.mgmresorts.com) has moved away from individual IT projects and toward a program we've identified as the Guest Experience Platform. This platform includes touch points, features, underlying technology functions, and organizational management for execution.
The largest technology project in the company is a digital marketing platform powered by Adobe's Experience Manager, Analytics, and Target solutions (www.adobe.com), that a consultant is implementing. The digital marketing platform is the underlying technology that will deliver content to our touch points, the first of which will be web, mobile web, and mobile app.
STEVE BROOKS: Director of Information Services/ Business Analyst, Tubleweed Southwest Grill.
Tumbleweed (www.tumbleweedrestaurants.com) is working on several projects, and among them are streamlining loss prevention and changing loyalty to "surprise and delight." Our objective with loss prevention is to not only see manager and server activity that is out of the ordinary, but see explanations and trends by user. Today in MIRUS (www.mirus.com) all exception data is there, but investigations would be streamlined if the patterns were organized by user, by manager authorizing, and if explanations were side-by-side with the exceptions. As for our loyalty program, what we've traditionally offered was a percentage-of-sale that could be redeemed when the reward reached $5 or more. We are personalizing this to a surprise and delight program to improve guest frequency.
MIKE UWE DICKERSBACH: VP of Information Technology, Thayer Lodging Group.
Thayer Lodging (www.thayerlodging.com) has a variety of IT projects under way across its portfolio of properties. Several of the highlights include major infrastructure upgrades in our Los Cabos Hilton location. We're also performing a major renovation at our newest Ritz Carlton property, and with that will be upgrading the HSIA, room locks, HDTV, and adding a large video wall in the ballroom.
BRIAN GARAVUSO: EVP & CIO, Diamond Resorts International.
A few of Diamond Resorts' (www.diamondresorts.com) projects for 2014 will focus on mobility, business intelligence, website functionality and sales systems. With regard to mobility, we will design responsive systems that conform to various form factors and be platform agnostic. Projects are focused around our internal as well as customer-facing applications. Our business intelligence system will be more graphically designed and enabled for mobile device access as well.
As we continue to refine receiving real-time comments and suggestions about the functionality of our website from owners, members and guests, we have established processes to quickly prioritize and develop the requested enhancements.
Another focus for 2014 is enabling our sales force with tools to put more information about our customers at their fingertips, with improved security and data projection. We will also provide them with mobile applications to enhance the sales process and related analytical data.
NELSON GARRIDO: VP of Information Technology, Noble Interstate Management Group.
Interstate Hotels & Resorts (www.interstatehotels.com) has several efforts underway around workforce: we're upgrading our human resources information system (HRIS) to a cloud-hosted product called Workday (www.workday.com), with integrated workflow for our 25,000 employees worldwide. We'll be moving our current in-house payroll system over to ADP Enterprise (www.adp.com), and are migrating our in-house time-keeping platform to their Timesaver hosted platform. We'll also be implementing a multi-discipline SharePoint (www.office.microsoft.com/sharepoint) site globally, which will become the hub of our internal communications and collaboration.
JEFF GENGLER: VP, Business Technology, Papa Murphy's International.
Our top IT initiatives at Papa Murphy's (www.papamurphys.com) continue to be POS and Back Office implementations, including integrated online ordering and improved customer data. Our objectives are to effectively support field and corporate operations as they help our franchisees grow sales and improve profitability, and also use online/mobile ordering to grow check averages, bring in new guests, increase guest satisfaction, and add to our customer database for future targeted marketing efforts, engagement, and advocacy programs and applications. In order for Papa Murphy's to deliver an exceptional customer experience, we need to provide customer specific and relevant information to any touch-point at any time about any customer. These top initiatives will provide us that ability to improve our customer's experience.
DAVID LEHN: VP of Information Technology, Noodles & Company.
We've done substantial work at Noodles & Company (www.noodles.com) around human capital management (HCM). We will complete our initial implementation of the Workday solution (www.workday.com) in Q2 of this coming year. We will have invested more than a year into what will be our largest ever technology-based solution: evaluating and defining our HCM strategy; developing an RFI; reviewing multiple solutions; and then setting up and rolling out our new system. This system will provide new, easy-to-access insights into our work force as well as streamline core business processes that are needed to help support future growth plans. Key people metrics such as tenure, turnover and transfers will be accessible by leaders throughout the organization to enable more informed and rapid decision making. Increased use of self-service features along with robust workflows should help support our goal to be an employer-of-choice and premier brand.
ROCKY LUCIA: Director, Information Technology, B.R. Guest Restaurants.
B.R. Guest (www.brguesthospitality.com) is kicking off 2014 with two major projects. First we are moving our email to a hosted exchange provider. This will allow us to retire a server, and the disaster recovery element is built in. We can still access and manage users' mailboxes like we always have, but the headache of managing hardware, updates and backups are gone. Plus, we can retire our SPAM filter as well because that's built in the hosted product. We are also embarking on a major POS upgrade. Depending on the location and age of the system, this upgrade can be anything, ranging from a simple software version upgrade all the way up to replacing the entire system, including the server, in some locations. We are also making sure all locations have IP printers. This upgrade, first and foremost, will ensure we remain PCI compliant and will drastically cut down on service calls we currently receive.
JAMES LUX: VP of Information Technology, Boloco.
Boloco (www.boloco.com) will focus on rolling out a single sign-on solution for guests across Wi-Fi, in-store kiosk ordering, online ordering, mobile ordering and loyalty. This will significantly simplify the ordering, loyalty and account management process for guests while providing a more holistic view of the customer. We're also working to improve our platform integration so that the POS drives kiosks, menu boards, mobile ordering and online ordering. This will dramatically simplify menu and systems management.
BRIAN PEARSON: CIO, Stacked Restaurants.
At Stacked (www.stacked.com), we have a heavy focus on customer-facing technology, primarily in the areas of loyalty and engagement. A key driver for us is offering guests the ability to interact more effectively with one another and with us. We are also doing everything we can to reduce the technology footprint on infrastructure. We went big initially, not knowing what would be required for redundancy and up-time with 80-100 devices continually sending information throughout the enterprise. We've definitely evolved our philosophy on what's required to keep it all running smoothly.
DARRIN PINKHAM: CTO, Highgate Hotels.
Highgate Hotels (www.highgatecareers.com) has several projects. We're upgrading HSIA Wi-Fi across all properties and in the guestroom are focusing on "best in class" HDTVs and HD content, including offering guests the ability to wirelessly display their own content on the TVs. We're also upgrading our enterprise back office solutions with rich data warehouse reporting capabilities across various types of data, including financial GL/AP/IJ, PMS, POS, payroll, and others. We'll layer this data into user-specific executive dashboards, all in real time. We're also moving to encrypted, cloud-based solutions for hosting email and other communication tools, and are enhancing our internal Help Desk system to offer associates visibility into the status of their ticket. We'll also ensure we are getting the root cause of issues so they don't reoccur.
R.P. RAMA: VP & CTO, JHM Hotels.
We're implementing SharePoint across the JHM Hotels (www.jhmhotels.com) corporate environment. The objective is to create a one-stop shop for all information that staff members would need to perform their work and to increase productivity, while also improving processes and sharing best practices. It will also house the important document archival system for any and all documents with all parties — for example allowing access to contracts for hotel managers so they can review and be alerted to future renewals and notices. It will be a common method for teamwork and related projects.
MATTHEW SEIM: SVP of Information Technology, Sage Hospitality.
Beyond upgrades of infrastructure, there are a number of projects Sage Hospitality (www.sagehospitality.com) is focusing on in 2014. In particular we will be moving forward with a corporate initiative to bring BI/data analytics to all levels of the organization. This project will involve not only the management of data and analytical tools, but also the organizational change management required to ensure buy-in. We're also expanding the corporate Intranet to function as a communication tool for properties, departments, regions, and corporate to reach the employees. Finally, we're continuing to push forward with deploying tiered bandwidth, with a charge model for guest HSIA.
JOE TENCZAR: VP, Information and Technology / CIO, Sonny's BBQ.
As I am new to Sonny's BBQ (www.sonnysbbq.com), it is premature to comment on specific technology projects, but I do know that we will be focusing on enhancing information-based decisions. Most companies collect an incredible amount of data, but few maximize the value from it. In many companies, the addition of much-hyped "Big Data" makes the marketing department happy, but just adds complexity and increases storage needs if you don't have a plan. You must carefully weigh what data is necessary before bringing in every terabyte available. If you want to look for correlations and do some predictive analysis, bring small subsets of data back to find what may be important to influence your business. Then you can bring in and store what will provide the most value for the effort and cost.
SCOTT WISE: CEO, Scottys Brew House.
In 2014, Scotty's Brewhouse (www.scottysbrewhouse.com) is looking at POS upgrades to not only hardware, but a major overhaul of our menu database programming. This will allow better reporting for sales, inventory, and financials, as well as decrease the amount of training time necessary for new staff members to learn the POS, which should help to decrease our overall training costs. Updating our hardware as part of our normal refresh cycle should also trend down the amount of support time currently being used for hardware-related issues in our restaurants.
We will also be implementing a mobile payment system that integrates with social media, allowing our guests to order items at the table, pay their tab, and leave a review on social media all from the same platform on their smartphone or tablet. This will allow faster table-turns, higher tip averages, and allow us to gain greater insight into our guests' feelings regarding their visit. The back-end of the social integration will help in our marketing efforts as well.
What emerging technology has you excited for its potential to positively impact the hospitality industry?
DICKERSBACH: I believe the lodging industry is ever evolving, and if we take away the things we focus on a lot, such as hardware and infrastructure, and look at what's going on around us, we see guests are arriving into our hotels in new and evolving ways. Take, for example, TripBam (www.tripbam.com). The website [which dubs itself "the ultimate hotel shopping service"] has a unique interface that lets consumers monitor a group of hotels of their choosing based on arrival date and room preferences, then provides updates on rates on a daily basis, ultimately saving you money. Another unique travel site, Hipmunk (www.hipmunk.com), lets users easily plug in travel dates for hotel or airfare and quickly see all available options in an easy to use calendar-style matrix. Guests are smarter, and the tools they use are becoming more and more robust.
GARAVUSO: We continue to be interested in emerging technologies around facial recognition as well as non-traditional PBX installations. I would like to see innovative ways for customer recognition. With almost 500,000 vacation club members in our system, we are constantly striving to globally recognize them and greet them by name and provide them additional services.
GARRIDO: It would have to be Samsung Link (AllShare Play; link.samsung.com) technology, which allows guests to stream their own content from their devices to televisions in the guest room. Further adoption of this technology will allow more consumers to use their own content on the television we have in our guest rooms and reduce our costs for providing more premium content.
LEHN: Payments and loyalty; call it the Starbucks model to drive frequency and reduce cost. Granted it helps (a lot) to have a product that is extremely desirable/addictive and routinely consumed on a daily basis, but what Starbucks has been doing with their My Starbucks Rewards app is brilliant in both its simplicity and effectiveness. Other than Amazon, I don't think there is another restaurant/retail establishment that makes it so easy to spend their money with them again and again. I'm both envious and inspired to bring the key attributes of this program to bear within our organization to help grow our top-line sales with the support of additional, loyal guests.
LUCIA: The emergence of POS mobility has me very excited. We have been waiting for POS mobility to evolve for a long time now. We use Micros 3700 POS (www.micros.com) and Micros now has some great mobility solutions that have not only come down in price — some cost no more than a wired terminal — but also now render our custom POS screens properly. We have several large locations and outdoor cafes, and mobile POS workstations will enhance the level of service we provide.
PEARSON: Augmented Reality (AR) is the next big thing for all of retail. While smartphones and tablets were the catalysts for getting the consumer to think of the Internet as something that's always with them, AR tools like Glass and iOptik and even Yahoo Monocle are going to deliver on what tablets and smartphones only aspire to. I also see them becoming the BYOD of choice for the smart retailer, providing heads-up information when necessary, and driving a whole new level of efficiency in operations.
PINKHAM: There are several exciting developments for hotels, all tied to our guests' mobile devices. Remote check-in can let guests choose their room type and, for a fee, upgrade if available, all prior to arrival. That mobile device can then be a guest's room key, bypassing the whole front desk experience if desired. This self-service model is what some of our younger-generation guests are expecting, and we must get there quickly to meet their growing occupancy demands. Inside the guest room, exciting new innovations include touchscreen HDTVs that incorporate phone-type functionality (such as access to 911 and other guest request features), and can be controlled via the guest's mobile device. Next, powering that or any mobile device will be done wirelessly, by just placing it on the bedside table to charge. Eventually, we'll be able to eliminate all standalone devices in guest rooms: clocks, phones, jack packs, remote controls, etc.
SEIM: While not necessarily new, we are taking a serious look at Single Sign On (SSO) technologies. As more of our applications are moving to web-based apps that have separate log-ons, users are finding it difficult to remember all of the various credentials. In addition, IT is finding it difficult to manage the access controls as employees transition into and out of the organization.
TENCZAR: I continue to be encouraged and excited about the next generation of payment methods. Digital wallets hold a lot of promise, but the specific wallet types need to be evaluated based upon individual business needs. Many companies are taking the "wait and see" stance, but there are business types and situations that make eWallets viable options today. Also, PCI 3.0 is out and with it comes the expected, expanded scope. Costs are continually rising for QSAs and systems to secure in-scope systems. It is past due that full-service restaurants look at point-to-point encryption solutions to reduce their PCI burden. If they aren't already, the major POS vendors should be working with payment processors to make fully-integrated P2P encrypted solutions for this restaurant segment as painless as possible.
WISE: From Google Wallet (www.google.com/wallet) to other propriety digital payment options, digital payment seems to be the one technology that is poised to change our business. The challenge is there are too many solutions. With so many options comes a lack of understanding and comfort level. As a dominate player in this area emerges, these methods of payment should become the norm in our industry.
Where has technology innovation been lacking, or underserved, in the hospitality industry?
BOLLEN: To over-simplify this, I believe CRM is lacking in our industry because hospitality solutions are so disparate. So much information is stored in separate systems and our vendors do not integrate. In addition, new solutions or innovative platforms create new guest experiences, but also create another data silo that has an operational impact on the property and can lead to a poor guest experience.
DICKERSBACH: We are finally starting to see some new property management systems (PMS) come to market, and yes they are underdogs, but some show potential. I like to compare the hospitality PMS arena to that of Microsoft and Google from years ago. Microsoft was mostly a physical, software-based company and Google a web-based software company. The PMS area is the same; and let me clarify that I do not consider a PMS web-based if it is still running traditional software, requires some sort of local installation and/or is simply accessed through remote technologies such as Citrix or RDP. The industry is wide open for innovation, and building a robust, true web-based PMS that scales is certainly an entertaining idea and also still a challenge.
LUCIA: I think pay at the table technology and restaurant reservation systems are both lacking and under-served. With pay at the table, while this is a great idea, the lack of a standard is frustrating. Everyone seems to tout a mobile device or an app but there is not one or even a few that this industry has fully embraced and I feel that until this happens, this technology will lag. With regard to reservation systems, consumers use Open Table, but our industry needs more than just a reservation system. We need a great CRM tool that easily integrates POS data and guest information to enable us to better "wow" the guest.
WISE: One major area that is lacking in restaurants is the ability for all of our guest platforms to be integrated. We are heavy users of social media, guest loyalty, and basic point-of-sale platforms. There is currently no good way to integrate these platforms and create a unique guest experience. The ability to reward a guest for a social media post with loyalty perks, or to recognize via our POS those guests that are influential on social, could revolutionize the way we interact with the guest and they with us.
Where do you see opportunities for "low-hanging fruit" for improvement?
BOLLEN: Website Analytics are low-hanging fruit in our industry. For years we have used free tools from Google and other providers that do not provide insight into our booking channels. As Online Travel Agents (OTAs) are driving investment in their websites, the hospitality company becomes less competitive. Investing in solutions like Adobe's Analytics Software-as-a-Service provides comprehensive tools and insight into the behaviors that are preventing website conversions.
BROOKS: I see low-hanging fruit in the use of the cloud for Outlook 360, versus buying an Exchange server. Rather than buying a new server with software, we plan to buy licenses for Outlook 360. It would take five and a half years for the monthly cost to accumulate to the cost of the server, routine maintenance and software. This would be a cost effective way to upgrade mail servers for many small- to medium-sized companies. The only investment is $4 per-user per-month; about 8% less if we purchase a year at a time. It requires very little effort and less maintenance going forward.
GARRIDO: An internal and cost enhancement area for "low hanging fruit" is the telecom department in hotels. This is often a neglected area that has a big potential for savings and enhancements to the hotel P&L. We could be offering simpler products to hotels that cut the high cost of operating their telephone systems.
PEARSON: Leveraging big data to give unit operators more insight and better direction; we've gotten much better as an industry at having the data.
However, we haven't necessarily gotten better at recognizing that humans can only assimilate so much. I've seen so many "dashboard" solutions that look like airplane cockpits, which are next to useless. I only want to see five indicators or less, and only information that drives behavior in the direction I want. Anything else should be relegated to weekly or monthly reporting decks.
PINKHAM: Implement consolidated social media reporting and monitoring solutions so you can see what your guest's and others are saying about your property. This allows you to be a part of this interactive dialogue, directly with your guests, and hopefully avoid any negative reviews that will impact future reservation stay opportunities.
SEIM: We continue to find significant cost savings through renegotiation of our phone, data, and support contracts. In particular we have found that we can increase data speeds coming into our properties while maintaining or reducing our monthly spend. In some cases, we are using the savings to fund other technology initiatives for the properties.
What skills are important for technology leaders to possess, moving forward?
DICKERSBACH: If you read any CIO trade magazine you will inevitably come across an article about the CIO having a seat at the executive round table, and the struggles to lose the stigma that technology is just an endless hole without an ROI. While poorly managed and communicated projects can be exactly that, a well-managed project can both deliver on new services and come in on budget. One of the many important skills starts with knowing how and who to hire. Focusing more on his or her personality — and a little less on making sure their certifications are up to date — could leave you with a great new team member. Putting the right people into the right positions enables the CIO to focus on innovation, planning, and how to move the business — from a technology perspective — from point A to point B. This requires business acumen, and more importantly, the ability to speak in plain English to the executive team.
GENGLER: Today's technology leaders need to have the skills to play many different roles: service manager, technology wiz, transformational change agent, and strategic partner. Creating value for our partners and the business in each of these roles is the key to our continued success. We all have to find more efficient and economical ways for our teams to "keep the lights on;" to maintain flexibility for introducing technological advancements; and to quickly adapt to new business needs. Continually seek to improve operations throughout the organization, break down walls and silos, and leverage relationships and cross-functional teams. These things make it possible for us to evolve into highly effective change agents, and eventually strategic partners of the business.
Skills needed to succeed in this evolution are having and communicating a clear vision; the ability to build and maintain strong teams and business relationships; being patient and able to seek to understand; and having a clear and deep understanding of the business, its analytics, and the related environment.
LEHN: Change management. There continues to be pressure across our industry and businesses in general for rapid, game-changing
innovation. Whether it's upgrading an existing system to leverage new functionality or maintain support; integrating a brand new technology into a complex system infrastructure; or completely turning a business process on its head, a successful IT leader needs to be able to manage this change with extreme grace. S/he can really stand out from the crowd and earn or solidify the proverbial seat-at-the-table if able to intelligently lay out a plan for change that can be successfully absorbed by the company. And it needn't be limited to technology-based changes, as time and again even a "simple" routine change (think of your last LTO) can really detract from the business at hand if folks aren't given the appropriate advance notice and made to see how vital their role is in the success of a new initiative. I think that the critical thinking and deliberate methodologies that have been a hallmark of IT can really have a positive influence and demonstrate a much needed skillset across our organizations, as change is coming at us more rapidly than ever.
LUX: I'd name two things: first, understanding data and the interaction of systems. We as IT executives need to clearly understand analytics so that we position our systems to provide information in a holistic form. And second, cloud technologies; the days of being experts in networking, servers and virtualization are winding down. We need to shift to the new paradigm, much like we did when client-server became the norm.
RAMA: Technology leaders will need to manage IT projects with less resources, be it capital or human. Skill levels are evolving and the most engaged leaders will be successful if they share their knowledge and skills amongst each other, as each person has something to contribute. Open and candid discussions have to take place and platforms have to be created for this to happen at conferences, user-groups or summits.
SEIM: Effective vendor management is one skill that has continued to increase in importance within the IT space, especially hospitality. As an organization we outsource tier-1 support of our 60+ hotels and restaurants and use third parties for commodity-based services such as log monitoring. This skill set covers everything from contracts, SLA, and pricing negotiations at the outset of an agreement, to an ability to identify and track KPIs that can measure the health of a relationship, and handle conflict resolution when disagreements inevitably do occur.
TENCZAR: Number one by far is an awareness of marketing. This answer has a couple of facets: first, the obvious reference to the vast array of marketing and technology overlapping solutions. Consumer use of social and other preference-based technologies has driven a multitude of requirements for direct-to-consumer marketing. Expectations are rising to provide personalized and highly-targeted messaging. Fifteen years ago, IT and finance teams were closely tied due to the large number of corporate systems applied to run the business. Today, the financial systems make up only a small fraction of the technology running the business. Now, the top relationship tends to be between IT and marketing.
The second facet of marketing is the promotion of IT and how it should be in the forefront of the company's strategy and decisions. There are still many companies that believe IT is an enabling function or in an order-taker role. This is absolutely not the case any longer, and if a company feels that way then it may be because the head of IT has not spent enough time showing the company the value of IT within the business. No longer can a CIO be just the head geek, they must have the experience and knowledge to discuss solutions in business terms and market IT as a true business partner.


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Ticket-to-Work Program Manager (PM) Management Information System
Effective Date: June 15 2001
System number: 60-0300
System name:
Ticket-to-Work Program Manager (PM) Management Information System
System classification:
System location:
Applications Development
1149 Sunset Hills Road
Reston, Virginia 20190-5207
Categories of individuals covered by the system:
All title II and title XVI Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities who are eligible to receive or have received a Ticket, who are receiving services from Employment Networks (ENs), who have been placed on inactive status, or who have had their Tickets terminated.
Categories of records in the system:
The information maintained will consist of the title II or title XVI beneficiary's name, Social Security number (SSN), date of birth, telephone number (if any), addresses (foreign or domestic), sex, association with a representative payee or legal guardian, as well as the individual's disability type and the period of eligibility to a disability benefit.
Also, information pertinent to the beneficiary's relationship with an EN and status of ticket utilization will be maintained, e.g., the date the Ticket was mailed, the date the beneficiary assigned the Ticket to an EN, the name and identifying information of the EN and the date of the agreement between the beneficiary and EN, Individual Work Plan (IWP) data, Ticket in/out of use status, employment earnings data reported by the EN or by the beneficicary, (the EN will obtain this information from the beneficiary), verified earnings data (earnings data received by SSA from IRS is excluded under the Internal Revenue Code), data on any dispute between the beneficiary and any entity serving under the Ticket-to-Work Program, work review data or timely progress data, and any data relative to suspension of benefits (this information will be received from SSA).
Additional information will be added to the system of records for each beneficiary as contact is made between them and the PM. This data will include records of telephone and mail requests for information.
Authority for maintenance of the system:
Section 1148 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. §1320(b)(19)).
Information in this system of records will be used for management information purposes associated with implementing, administering and evaluating the Ticket Program. The PM will use this information to fulfill their duties in assisting SSA in administering the Ticket program. Information in this system will also be used to produce, with the PM's assistance, management information data, program evaluation data, and reports providing such information as:
· Number and classification of beneficiaries being served by ENs.
· Number and classification of beneficiaries with increased work activity.
· Classifications of ENs providing service.
· Status changes relating to the use of the ticket.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:
Disclosures may be made for routine uses as indicated below. However, disclosure of any information constituting "returns or return information" within the scope of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) (26 U.S.C. § 6103) will not be disclosed unless disclosure is authorized by that statute.
1. To the Office of the President for the purpose of responding to an individual pursuant to an inquiry received from that individual or from a third party on his or her behalf.
2. To a congressional office in response to an inquiry from that office made at the request of the subject of a record.
3. To student volunteers and other workers, who technically do not have the status of Federal employees, when they are performing work for SSA as authorized by law, and they need access to personally identifiable information in SSA records in order to perform their assigned Agency functions.
4. Disclosure to contractors and other Federal agencies, as necessary, for the purpose of assisting SSA in the efficient administration of its programs relating to this system of records.
5. Non-tax return information which is not restricted from disclosure by federal law may be disclosed to the General Services Administration (GSA) and the National Archives and Records Management (NARA) under 44 U.S.C. § 2904 and § 2906, as amended by NARA Act of 1984, for the use of those agencies in conducting records management studies.
6. To the Department of Justice (DOJ), a court, or other tribunal, or other party before such tribunal, when:
(a) SSA, or any component thereof; or
(b) Any SSA employee in his/her official capacity; or
(c) Any SSA employee in his/her individual capacity where DOJ (or SSA where it is authorized to do so) has agreed to represent the employee; or
(d) The United States or any agency thereof where SSA determines that the litigation is likely to affect the operations of SSA or any of its components, is party to litigation or has an interest in such litigation, and SSA determines that the use of such records by DOJ, a court, or other tribunal is relevant and necessary to the litigation, provided, however, that each case, SSA determines that such disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were collected.
Wage and other information which are subject to the disclosure provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 6103) will not be disclosed under this routine use unless disclosure is expressly permitted by the IRC.
7. Information may be disclosed to State or Employment Networks having an approved business arrangement with SSA to perform vocational rehabilitation services for SSA disability beneficiaries and recipients.
8. We may disclose information to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, entities, and persons when (1) we suspect or confirm that the security or confidentiality of information in this system of records has been compromised; (2) we determine that as a result of the suspected or confirmed compromise there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, identity theft or fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this system or other systems or programs of SSA that rely upon the compromised information; and (3) we determine that disclosing the information to such agencies, entities, and persons is necessary to assist in our efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm. SSA will use this routine use to respond only to those incidents involving an unintentional release of its records.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining and disposing of records in the system:
Data are stored in electronic form, computer data systems and paper form.
Records in this system are retrieved by name and SSN of the beneficiary.
Only authorized SSA personnel and contractor personnel who have a need for the information in their performance of their official duties will be permitted access to the information in this system of records.
Security measures include the use of access codes to enter the computer systems and storage of the computerized records in secured areas that are accessible only to employees who require the information in performing their official duties. Any manually maintained records will be kept in locked cabinets or in otherwise secure areas. Also, all entrances and exits to the contractor Ticket-to-Work Project Site buildings are controlled by card entry (proximity) systems and receptionists. Contractor personnel having access to data in the system of records and contractor personnel involved in the evaluation of the Ticket Program will be required to adhere to SSA rules concerning safeguards, access and use of the data. SSA and PM personnel having access to the data on this system will be informed of the criminal penalties of the Privacy Act for unauthorized access to or disclosure of information maintained in this system. See 5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(1). Further, this data will be stored on a secure server separate from other health benefit information the PM contractor maintains.
Retention and disposal:
Payment and management information maintained in this system are retained 10 years or until it is determined that they are no longer needed. Means of disposal is appropriate to storage medium (e.g., deletion of individual records from the electronic sites when appropriate or shredding of paper records that are produced from the system).
System manager(s) and address:
Associate Commissioner
Office of Disability and Income Security Programs
Office of Employment Support Programs
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, Maryland 21235
Notification procedure:
An individual can determine if this system contains a record about him/her by writing to the systems manager(s) at the above address and providing his/her name, SSN or other information that may be in the system of records that will identify him/her. An individual requesting notification of records in person should provide the same information, as well as provide an identity document, preferably with a photograph, such as a driver's license or some other means of identification, such as a voter registration card, credit card, etc. If an individual does not have any identification documents sufficient to establish his/her identity, the individual must certify in writing that he/she is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.
If notification is requested by telephone, an individual must verify his/her identity by providing identifying information that parallels the record to which notification is being requested. If it is determined that the identifying information provided by telephone is insufficient, the individual will be required to submit a request in writing or in person. If an individual is requesting information by telephone on behalf of another individual, the subject individual must be connected with SSA and the requesting individual in the same phone call. SSA will establish the subject individual's identity (his/her name, SSN, address, date of birth and place of birth along with one other piece of information such as mother's maiden name) and ask for his/her consent in providing information to the requesting individual.
If a request for notification is submitted by mail, an individual must include a notarized statement to SSA to verify his/her identity or must certify in the request that he/she is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations
Record access procedure(s):
Same as notification procedure. Requesters also should reasonably specify the record contents they are seeking. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR § 401.50).
Contesting record procedure(s):
Same as notification procedure. Requesters should also reasonably identify the record, specify the information they are contesting, and state the corrective action sought and the reasons for the correction with supporting justification showing how the record is untimely, incomplete, inaccurate, or irrelevant. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR § 401.65).
Record source categories:
Data contained in the Ticket-to-Work Program Manager (PM) Management Information System are obtained from the Ticket-to-Work and Self-Sufficiency Program Payment Database, 60-0295, from ENs and Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities. Records from this system are also derived from the Supplemental Security Income Record and Special Veterans Benefits, 60-0103, Master Beneficiary Record, 60-0090, the Disability Determination Service Processing File, 60-0044 and the Completed Determination Record -–Continuing Disability Determinations, 60-0050.
Systems exempt from certain provisions of the Privacy Act:


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London weekend deals and great rates in Manchester.
Looking for a weekend deal? Here at Radisson Blu Edwardian hotels we are committed to our promise of always offering you the best online rate, and to make it even easier you can check the best rates all on one page.
Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow hotel is one of our most popular hotels - and it's not just for frequent flyers. With under 30 minutes to central London, the great expanses of Windsor Great Park nearby and the Pegasus spa, the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow hotel makes for the perfect weekend getaway.
If you're looking for a central London base for this weekend, we also have a wide selection of properties; from Soho hotels to South Kensington, Radisson Blu Edwardian hotels are based in the best locations for you to enjoy all that London has to offer.
Travelling with friends? You may get an even better deal by booking single rooms. Check our Sussex hotel in Marble Arch, Kenilworth hotel near Covent Garden, Vanderbilt hotel in South Kensington or Grafton hotel near Tottenham Court Road.
Terms and conditions


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Here is a list of Disneyland Secrets you can impress your friends with while you are at the park. If you have an iPhone – you can access this list INSIDE of the MouseWait iPhone app – download it for FREE here! Feel free to comment below to add your own secrets – or lets us know if you think these are not true! We are adding to this list daily. PLEASE COMMENT BELOW!
- The Plaza Inn is one of the best food deals in Disneyland – their full fried chicken dinner is awesome and it is only $13.49 (that is how much an omelette costs across the street at IHOP if you can believe that). The Cast Members are always super friendly here, it has tons of seating, and the Christmas decorations are awesome. Also, you can get unlimited refills on drinks there (self-serve) and they will even give you to go cups when you are done. We go here all the time and use our Annual Passholder discount – the corn dog cart is next door for the kids!
- Photopass TIP (Updated Nov 12): Instead of buying individual pictures, buy the CD – they put all of your pictures on one disk for one price (I think it is $59 at this time) – this is a great deal because you can put an UNLIMITED amount of pictures on one disk! The Photopass card is good for 30 days, so if you are an Annual Passholder, you can load as many pictures on there as you want for 30 days, then put them all on one disk for one price! I also heard that if you wait for around 25 days to login to the Photopass site to see your pictures, you get an additional 30 days to load the card up! Great deal and the Disneyland photographers are the best!
- Nursing mother rooms: Did you know that at the end of Main Street on the right side next to the Little Red Wagon Corn Dog Cart, Disneyland has a nursing mother's room called the Baby Care center that has a dark quiet room with rocking chairs, a feeding area with high chairs cleaned after every use, a changing room with multiple changing stations that are cleaned and sanitized after every use, and mini potty chairs for toddlers that are sanitized after every use. It is really an amazing setup.
- Did you know you can get WIFI inside of California Adventure (great for iPod Touch users)? Just sit in one of the inlets across from the Rushin' River Outfitters and you can get on to the Grand Californian Wifi – it has a very strong signal, I was still connected walking all the way down past the Redwook Creek Challenge Trail. The key is to stay close to the hotel and you should be able to stay online.
- BALLOONS AND SOUVENIRS REPLACED: Also, if you buy a balloon and it pops or is damaged, any vendor will give you a free balloon (they should since they cost $12!) – we do know this is true because they replaced one of our balloons less than a month ago. Also, they usually will replace any souvenir that breaks – my son has broken many pirate swords while we were at the park. We just take the broken one in and they always replace it for us.
- There is a Magic Lamp in a store across from the Jungle Cruise – for a buck you can rub the lamp and hear funny jokes
- The Goofy Water in Toon Town (at the gas station) turns colors at night.
- The Matterhorn basketball court: Some say that in an effort to pass a city ordinance, Disney had to install a full court basketball court inside Matterhorn mountain so it qualified as a sports facility. Some even say it was certified as an official Olympic Stadium in 1984. According to Snopes, this is not true. They say there is only a small attic-like space near the top of the Matterhorn that does contain a half court complete with a hoop. This area is used as a rest area for costumed climbers. Check out the video proof of the Matterhorn Basketball court here
- Call Disneyland and get a live person: Did you know that you can call and get a live person at this number 714-781-4565
- Main Street is supposed to be set in 1910 and Tomorrowland is set for 1986. These years were picked because they were the years of Hailey's Comet
- Prior to opening day, Walt visited a few of the local churches and invited a handful of the best behaved children from the Sunday School classes to attend the opening day festivities (source HiddenMickeys.org)
- Did you know you can ride in the front car of the monorail if you ask?
- Did you know you can ride in the front of the Disneyland train with the conductor too? (tip thanks to MickeyFan below)
- CAT HOUSES: Reportedly there are cat houses in Disneyland, one is behind the Hungry Bear restaurant and you can see them if you look to the right while on the train.
- Disneyland vendors will replace broken spray bottles, broken swords, pretty much anything you buy there, if it breaks, they will give you a new one.
- Everyone knows that Walt Disney had an apartment located above the Fire Station next to City Hall. The light in that apartment is always left on to remind everyone he is always there with him. However, this light is turned off when his daughters are in the park, out of respect for their loss. (Source: FindingMickey.com)
- Club 33 has been a part of New Orleans Square since 1967, it is the only place where alcohol is served and it supposedly has a 5 year waiting list for memberships. Membership fees range from $9500 to $25000 with annual fees of $3000+!
- The organ that was in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is presently located in the ballroom of the Haunted Mansion
- Johnny Depp frequently stays at the Grand Californian Hotel, some say here is there once every two months with his family.
- Smellitzers on Main Street: Candy Palace & Candy Kitchen – Main Street USA: A photo of the Candy Kitchen Cast Members hard at work. Under the window is a vent that sends the wonderful candy aromas out onto Main Street. Note: Invented at Walt Disney World by Imagineer Bob McCarthy, the Smellitzer, is akin to the famed artillery howitzer – used to launch smells instead of shells. (Courtesy of FindingMickey.com)
- Tarzan's Treehouse: Take a good look around the kitchen area underneath Tarzan's Treehouse. Mrs. Potts and Chip, from Beauty & the Beast, can be sitting on top of a wooden crate. (Source: FindingMickey.com)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark Mercedes Truck: Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye: An interesting Disney detail is parked outside of the Indiana Jones attraction. The olive green truck appears to be the one from the famous Raiders of the Lost Ark chase scene, in which Indy chases after the Nazi convoy transporting the Ark of the Covenant. The truck's body type, license plate and missing hood ornament, match features from the vehicle used in the famous Raiders of the Lost Ark stunt sequence. (Source: FindingMickey.com)
- Go to Toon Town right when the park opens, it isn't as busy then.
- Eeyore Parking Sign in the Indiana Jones Ride: An old Eeyore parking sign is hidden up in the rafters high above the projection room (in the queue). The sign pays homage to the Eeyore Parking Lot, which gave way to the current Indiana Jones attraction. (Source: FindingMickey.com)
- Forced Perspective: Disneyland is famous for using a photographic illusion called "forced perspective". This gives the buildings on Main Street the illusion of height. The second story windows, signs, and accessories of the buildings on Main Street are smaller than the first level. Also the buildings angle slightly inward which creates the illusion that the Castle is much farther than it actually is. When you leave Disneyland the reverse effect happens – it doesn't look that far away so you tend to want to walk slower and visit the shops. The Matterhorn is also designed using forced perspective – larger trees are placed toward the bottom, but as you go up, the trees get smaller. Disney used two foot pinion trees at the treeline of the Matterhorn to make it look bigger than it actually is (it is only 147 feet).
- Lines are usually shorter at dinner time when people are eating.
- Start from Adventureland and go clockwise: This saves time because you are not criss-crossing throughout the park and most people seem to go counterclock-wise starting with Tomorrowland. (Source: DisneylandVacationTips.com)
- The Matterhorn line that wraps around the Tomorrowland side is usually shorter. Also the left track is a faster ride than the right.
This is a cool Disney Secrets tour of Frontierland:
We are adding more daily so check back!
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ELON, N.C. – Metro State, the No. 1 ranked team at the NCAA Division II level, shot 51.7 percent from the field as a team and turned 14 Canisius turnovers into 23 points en route to an 83-69 win over the Golden Griffins Tuesday night in the NIT Season Tip Off Consolation Round in Alumni Gym at Elon University. The loss for the Canisius ended the Griffs' two-game winning streak and evened the Blue and Gold's record to 3-3 on the year. The game was an exhibition contest for the Roadrunners.
Three Metro State players scored in double figures, led by junior guard Mitch McCarron and his game-high 28 points. Junior center Nicholas Kay added 21 points, five rebounds and four assists, while senior Brandon Jefferson was good for 17 points and four assists. The Roadrunners outrebounded the Griffs by a 32-28 count and ended the night shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point land after going 9-for-21 from long range.
For Canisius, redshirt sophomore Dominique Raney scored a career-high 17 points and recorded two steals, while senior guard Billy Baron posted 15 points and three rebounds. Senior Chris Perez chipped in 12 points to the Griffs' losing effort, which saw Canisius end its run in the NIT Season Tip Off with a 2-2 record.
"We had too many crucial turnovers at key points and each time it was a killer," Canisius head coach Jim Baron said. "When you play against a fast team like Metro State, you have to be under control and not let them force you into mistakes. We made too many mistakes at both ends of the floor and [Mitch] McCarron hit big shot after big shot that kept us trying to get back into the game. That team has won three games this year against Division I schools, but we didn't help ourselves with all turnovers."
The Roadrunners (2-0) jumped out to an early 6-2 lead 2:35 into the game and never looked back. Canisius trailed Metro State 36-28 at the break after the Roadrunner shot 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point land in the game's first 20 minutes against Canisius' 37.5 percent effort from the floor. In the second half, Canisius scored the first four points on the stanza on a lay-up by Jordan Heath and a break-away dunk by Raney, but seven-straight points by Metro State made it an 11-point game at 43-32 with 16:54 left in the contest. Canisius was able to get within six points at 46-40 with 13:10 left to play after Chris Manhertz grabbed an offensive rebound and laid one over the front-iron, by McCarron came down and ended the Griffs' hopes with a 3-pointer from the top of the key on Metro State's next possession to push the Roadrunners' cushion back to nine at 49-40 with 12:46 left to play.
Manhertz scored seven points to go with six rebounds in the loss for Canisius, while Jordan Heath chipped in six points, four rebounds and a game-high two blocked shots. Canisius had just three assists in the loss and shot 65.4 percent from the charity stripe.
The Griffs will be off until Dec. 6, when the team returns home to open MAAC play against Saint Peter's in the Koessler Athletic Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.Game Notes: Canisius and Metro State met for the first time on Tuesday night… Baron has now scored 713 career points in 40 games as a Griff… Manhertz's six rebounds against Metro State moved him past 600 in his career… Jordan Heath now has two blocks in four of the team's first six games this season… Junior Josiah Heath played in his 70th career game as a Griff, which is every game for the team since the start of the 2011-12 season.


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CLARION, Pa. -- North Carolina won back-to-back duals Saturday each by a two point margin. First, the Tar Heels defeated Michigan State 23 to 21, their first dual win against a Big Ten team since facing Purdue in 2007, and then posted a 21 to 19 victory over Clarion.
No. 17 Joey Ward (133) and No. 6 Evan Henderson (141) recorded pins for North Carolina in the first dual.
The Tar Heels opened up against the Spartans with a 16-0 lead following the pins by Ward and Henderson in addition to a major decision by No.12 Nathan Kraisser (125) in the first match of the day.
Kraisser's 15-5 major decision over Brenan Lyon began the day for the Tar Heels with a 4-0 lead.
Ward's pin over Brandon Fifield and Henderson's pin over Nick Trimble extended the deficit to 16 in favor of UNC.
Michigan State picked up decisions at 149 and 157 pounds to come within ten points of the Tar Heel lead, 16-6.
No. 20 Dan Osterman claimed a 5-2 victory over UNC's Nick Heilmann, and No. 20 David Cheza recorded a 7-3 decision over Jake Crawford.
John Staudenmayer (165) posted a major decision, 13-0, over Nick Proctor to push UNC to a 20-6 lead.
Tanner Eitel (174) defeated Jordan Wohlfert by way of a decision to further extend the Tar Heel lead to 23-6.
Michigan State took the upper weight classes with three straight victories to close out the dual.
At 184 pounds, John Rizqallah defeated No. 19 Alex Utley in a decision win.
Luke Jones and No. 4 Michael McClure picked up pins for the Spartans over Frank Abbondanza (197) and Cody Klempay (HWT), respectively.
The Tar Heels retained the lead and the victory despite these losses to finish with a 23-21 win.
Carolina once again jumped out to a quick lead with victories in the first three weight classes.
Kraisser posted a 10-7 decision over Tyler Fraley in the first match of the dual at 125 pounds.
In the 133 pounds weight class, Ward won with an 8-2 decision over Clarion's Joe Waltko.
Henderson won a 6-0 decision over Devin Cook to give the Tar Heels a 9-0 lead for the dual.
Carolina's Christian Barber (149) lost a close 3-2 match to Tyler Bedelyon, putting Clarion on the board with three points.
At 157 pounds, Crawford fell to No. 4 James Fleming. This victory by pin knotted things up at 9 between Carolina and the Golden Eagles.
Staudenmayer registered a major decision, 9-1, over Nick Milano at 165 pounds to regain the lead for the Tar Heels.
Eitel and Utley continued the trend, each posting major decisions of their own. At 174 pounds, Eitel won with an 8-0 major decision over Ryan Darch, pushing the Tar Heels to a 17-9 lead.
Utley's 10-2 major decision over Steven Cressley extended the lead to 21-9 in favor of Carolina.
The Golden Eagles claimed the final two matches. Abbondanza lost by major decision at 197 pounds to Justin Ortega.
In the final match of the day for the Tar Heels, Clarion's Phil Catrucco defeated Klempay by pin, earning six points for Clarion.
The Tar Heels retained the lead, posting a 21-19 final score in the dual.
Up next for the Tar Heels is trip to Philadelphia, Pa., to face Drexel Sunday.
UNC 23, Michigan State 21
Clarion, Pa. Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium
Official Results
125- #12 Nathan Kaisser (NC) maj. dec. Brenan Lyon (MS) 15-5
133- #17 Joey Ward (NC) wbf Brandon Fifield (MS) 4:15
141- #6 Evan Henderson (NC) wbf Nick Trimble (MS) 2:13
149- #20 Dan Osterman (MS) dec. Nick Heilman (NC) 6-2
157- #20 David Cheza (MS)dec. Jake Crawford (NC) 7-3
165- John Staudenmayer (NC) maj. dec. Nick Proctor (MS) 13-0
174- Tanner Eitel (NC) dec. Jordan Wohlfert (MS) 6-5
184- John Rizqallah (MS) dec. #19 Alex Utley (NC) 6-0
197- Luke Jones (MS) wbf Frank Abbondanza (NC) 4:25
285- #4 Mike McClure (MS) wbf Cody Klempay (NC) 3:00
UNC 21, Clarion 19
Clarion, Pa. Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium
Official Results
125- #12 Nathan Kraisser (NC) dec. Tyler Fraley (CL) 10-7
133- #17 Joey Ward (NC) dec. Joe Waltko (CL) 8-2
141- #6 Evan Henderson (NC) dec. Devin Cook (CL) 6-0
149- Tyler Bedelyon (CL) dec. Christian Barber (NC) 3-2
157- #4 James Fleming (CL) wbf Jake Crawford (NC) 4:08
165- John Staudenmayer (NC) maj. dec. Nick Milano (CL) 9-1
174- Tanner Eitel (NC) maj. dec. Ryan Darch (CL) 8-0
184- #19 Alex Utley (NC) maj. dec. Steven Cressley (CL) 10-2
197- Justin Ortega (CL) maj. dec. Frank Abbondanza (NC) 9-0
285- Phil Catrucco (CL) wbf Cody Klempay (NC) 4:18


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And they'll sell... A dozen.
Why TF they can't bring over (or build here) one with a V6 or turbo 4, market it as THE OMG KING OF MPGEEES IN TRUCKS, and sell it starting at $25k or so?
Also, before the inevitable happens... These utes are REAL trucks. The current gen has a higher payload capacity than an F150, and can tow almost as much. This is NOT comparable to a Baja.
This thing only seats two, there aren't heavy duty versions (even if this is capable as it sits), there's no 4wd option and this one sits low like a car. Truck guys like sitting high.
The plusses for it? Mileage, it drives like a car and it sits lower. Non truck guys like sitting lower.
Originally Posted by Boyz in da Park
Boiler Up!
Make it three yards mother****er and we'll have an automobile race
i want this only in Buick trim and a turbo charged V6 - they can call it a GNX
i'll wake up now
Boiler Up!
Make it three yards mother****er and we'll have an automobile race
Originally Posted by Boyz in da Park
My brother had one of these when I was a kid.
'11 TTS Coupe
'08 A4 Avant 2.0t S-line Titanium
'01 A4 Avant 1.8t S-line (Sold)
'90 Coupe Quattro 20v (Sold)
'95 "Getta" VR6 (Sold)
Looks like they might be borrowing (hopefully) some cues from the Coupe 60:
More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Coupe_60
Just give me one of these. Either one.
We all talk with knives.
Last edited by Turbio!; 05-17-2012 at 09:24 PM.
"This couldn't possibly break, I'll put it way the **** down there." -every German car engineer.
I just dawned on me that in 2014-ish, a person can walk into one of those midwestern GM megaplexes and be able to choose from the following:
BTS-V(?) Coupe
Now, if GMC would resurrect the Typhoon.
The Paddock - Motorsport : Past and Present - Like us!
IG - mwoodski
Would I say the same about a traditional pick-up? Not on your life.
tl;dr I have no desire to ever own a "truck", but I'd happily have a Ute.
My Cousin Vinnie.... best damn movie of all time, period......
Cause Chevy didn't make a 327 in '55, the 327 didn't come out till '62. And it wasn't offered in the Bel Air with a four-barrel carb till '64. However, in 1964, the correct ignition timing would be four degrees before top-dead-center."Oh, a counter-offer. That's what we lawyers - I'm a lawyer - we lawyers call that a counter-offer. This is a tough decision here. Get my ass kicked or collect $200. Let me think... I could use a good ass-kickin', I'll be very honest with you... nah, I think I'll just go with the two hundred.
Oh yeah... great looking car, btw. I do, however, prefer the Holden front end.
The ute doesn't appeal to me, and I like weird things and things that can haul without being truck-ish. I dunno why. The styling is off or something.
I'd rather have the wagon. It looks very slick. Much cleaner design than the pug-awkward D-pillar of the CTS wagon.
Splinter - Team Post-Killing Ninja
I don't practice llanteria


text:
Evenflo Euro Trek Travel System - Spheres
by Evenflo | Item #: 514308 |
We're sorry, this item is not available in your selected Club. Check another Club
About this item
The Evenflo Euro Trek Travel System offers parents various features of a high end stroller with the convenience of lightweight aluminum stroller. The ComfortGlide wheel system and 4 wheel suspension system provide a smooth, comfortable ride on even rough surfaces. Comes with the SecureRide 35 infant car seat with quick connectors to make installation a breeze! Baby will be comfortable riding in this stroller and parent's will love all of the features!!
- Euro Trek Stroller offers a one hand fold with no bending required and adjustable handle to accomodate parent's of any height
- Wheel system includes front and rear suspension
- Full coverage canopy keeps baby shaded and the full recline keeps baby comfy
- Parent console with 2 drink holders and a pivoting childs tray with a cup and removable, dishwasher safe snack tray
- Oversized storage basket to hold all of baby's necessities
- Travel system comes with the SecureRide 35 Infant Car Seat
- Quick Connectors make installation quick and easy
- Stay-in-car base means you only have to install it one time
- Infinite Slide harness simply slides up and down for an accurate fit with no re-threading required
- Infant car seat is intended for use with babies from 5 lbs. to 35 lbs. and up to 32" in height
Assembled Country
Assembled Size
33"L x 21"W x 41.5"H
Component Country


text:
MSNBC now has a script editor
posted at 1:13 pm on January 6, 2014 by Ed Morrissey
You mean they didn't have one before? NRO's Eliana Johnson argues that the hard-left cable channel has had a de facto managing editor, one who apparently has little regard for reality — at least in terms of its conflict with her ideology:
MSNBC, the left-leaning cable-news network, has settled on one solution to its recent problems. It now has an executive reviewing scripts before they go on the air. The role, which has fallen to Rich Stockwell, a former executive producer of The Ed Show and Countdown with Keith Olbermann who now oversees special projects at the network, was created as several of the network's hosts have, to the embarrassment of network brass, conducted a master class in political incorrectness. In recent months, Alec Baldwin, Martin Bashir, and, most recently, Melissa Harris-Perry have awkwardly crashed into the trinity of sexual orientation, gender, and race, leading many to wonder if there are any adults in charge at MSNBC.
There is one such adult, actually, and her name is Rachel Maddow. Though she provides the network's ideological vision — MSNBC president Phil Griffin has called her "our quarterback" — she's neither an executive nor a manager. Griffin, who wears both hats, is, from all appearances, letting the inmates run the asylum. …
Maddow appeared regularly on Carlson's show and began substituting for former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann. Then she got her own show in the summer of 2008, when Griffin decided to make the network, which had once employed conservatives such as Carlson, Pat Buchanan, and Michael Savage, a refuge for liberals and an answer to Fox News. It was a business calculation, not an ideological move.
Maddow, by contrast, is motivated by ideology. "If you debate for a living, you're going to lose sometimes. Sometimes your preconceptions are wrong — that has never happened to her one time," says a former colleague. "She is actually not that interested in reality; she is the most ideological person I've ever met. That is not somebody you want in charge of your programming, because she might put on a great show, but she cannot make rational decisions — her agenda is changing America. . . . She really thinks she is changing America for the better. You can't have somebody like that in charge of your programming."
It's worth pointing out that the script executive probably would have had no effect on some of the more controversial segments over the last few weeks. Someone with a lick of common sense would have put a leash on Martin Bashir, for instance, or on Joy Reid's slam at Sarah Palin for having a Christmas tree. The Melissa Harris-Perry segment was not scripted, though; panel discussions are spontaneous, and any agreement on how to handle a topic in the show prep wouldn't end up on Stockwell's desk. And Alec Baldwin's offense didn't even occur on air.
This will only limit the damage, not fix all of the reasons why the channel keeps embarrassing itself. That won't change until the personnel changes, and that's going to be Phil Griffin's call — or Comcast's — eventually. On that note, John Podhoretz wonders when Griffin might start exerting some control over his division:
Ever notice that people at MSNBC are forever giving interviews suggesting their boss, Phil Griffin, is an idiot?
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) January 6, 2014
I've met Griffin and I think Eliana is on target in her piece — as long as he makes money and builds a devoted following, I think Griffin couldn't care less about what people say about him.


text:
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Posts Tagged 'David Young Allen'
Robert Duncan as Visual Artist April 28, 2014: Over dinner last night with Paule Anglim I realized this was the perfect time to ask about Robert Duncan as a visual artist. As many of you know, Paule Anglim is a San Francisco gallerist who [...]