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Simple Purse Project
Download the pattern to create the cube-shaped purse featured in the Dec/Jan '12 issue.
ONLINE-ONLY BONUS: Changeable Purse
Make a neutral cube bag, and then create a collection of interchangeable sheer purse covers to match different outfits.
Cut and construct the bag following the instructions, but attach only one handle before adding the lining (A).
Download the cover-side pattern. From the sheer fabric, cut four cover sides.
Set the serger for a rolled edge, following the machine manual. Serge-finish the cover-side edges, stitching from the lower edge toward the point. Serge-finish the cover-base edges. Apply a drop of seam sealant to the thread tails. Let dry; trim.
With wrong sides together, align two cover sides; pin. Stitch from the lower edge to the bag upper-edge point, as indicated on the cover-side pattern. Repeat to stitch the remaining cover sides.
With wrong sides together, stitch the cover base to the cover-side lower edges (B).
Insert the purse into the cover, aligning the side seams. Tie the two cover tails that align with the handles over the purse handle, and then tie the remaining cover tails to close the bag when in use.
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1,700 DownloadsSubmitted Aug 6, 2008 by Derek W Bateman (DG Member):
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subset: commoncrawl


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I've been on my extended Christmas holidays for three weeks and today is my first day back in the office, so the 6.20am alarm is not greeted with my customary good humour and zeal. After 10 minutes of hitting snooze, I accept reality and get up.
I'm always very organised on a Monday morning (clothes, laptop, shoes, etc., all laid out and ready) so I can glide around the house noiselessly without waking anyone else up. Oddly, after only five minutes of noiseless gliding, the entire house is awake, so before I feel the full wrath of my wife and two young children, I scarper. I pick up The Sun and The Times and start the long commute in analogue mode, before moving onto the iPad to quickly scan Huff Post, BBC and Sky Sports. By the time I'm on the Tube to Tower Hill, I'm on the Kindle.
I quickly look at my diary and see – as usual – about twice as many meetings as I was expecting. First up is 15 minutes with our Insight team to talk about our latest wave of consumer research, then a discussion about developing a training programme for our graduate recruit into commercial with Abba Newbery (director of advertising strategy). She reminds me that I can't just give our new team member "all the stuff you can't be bothered doing".
Then it's off to the monolithic Aegis building for a meeting with Steve Hobbs (director of media operations, Aegis) and Dan Hagen (head of planning, Carat). I'm with Karin Seymour (sales director) and Dylan Wyn-Pugh (head of strategy, TNL) and we talk Steve and Dan through some of the transformation work we are doing with our structure, business and how we are segmenting clients based on behaviours across our product portfolio. As ever, it is all about how we can work more effectively together and bright, forward-thinking people like Dan and Hobbo make meetings like this a pleasure.
I realise I have been reading the same book on my Kindle for about three months ('The Dog Stars' by Peter Heller) and resolve to read more and watch less TV. Unlikely, but the New Year is a time for resolutions, however laughable. In the office, I send some electronic congratulations to Paul Gilshan about his new marketing job at FreeSat, and Robert Ray, who has a new global role at PHD, looking after Unilever. Robert gave me my first job in media as a trainee media planner at MediaVest (when it was still known as The Media Centre), which I've always been grateful for (even though he blatantly doesn't remember).
I brave public transport and travel into Fitzrovia for a meeting with Bruce Daisley at Twitter. I've known Bruce since his Emap days and he's always great to catch up with. Part of the role we have in the strategy department at NI is to "bring the outside in", to ensure that we are keeping apace with the accelerating change in media and advertising, and people like Bruce are a great bellwether. Everyone knows how news stories proliferate on social media platforms, adding weight and reach to the original targeted audience, and the same is true for commercial messages, so I'm really interested in how we can work with multiple partners to make the advertising we carry even more effective.
I chair the first meeting of the Operations Board in 2013 and we discuss some small, but hopefully very effective, structural changes, before grilling Karin's PA about all the gossip from the NI Commercial Christmas party. Commendably, she refuses to cave in and gives us nothing. Maybe there wasn't any?
Back into the Fitzrovia Media Wonderland for an afternoon meeting with Sean Meikle, managing partner at PHD. I have a great deal of time for Sean (largely because he also supports Liverpool), and he's another one everyone in media can blame Robert Ray (MD of PHD International) for bringing into the industry.
I have a meeting first thing with Sean Adams, our recently appointed head of insight. He has a wealth of experience and is always good to bounce ideas off. Top of the agenda is an updated set of figures measuring our multi-platform audience across all brands. It's vital as a business that we have a clear picture of how we are delivering our content to readers across a multitude of devices, and can tell a story of growth to our clients. PwC validated this work with us last year and have made great inroads across a variety of publishing businesses in order to make this an accepted metric.
Two more internal meetings with editorial and HR respectively, and then out and about, this time to see Pete Davis at getmemedia, to get a better understanding of how that business has evolved over the last six years and how we can re-engage with our brands. On the way out, I bump into Simon Orpin, ex-ITV and now helping Pete run getme. We last crossed paths at the annual Christmas "CommReds" lunch attended by a terrifying list of LFC-supporting media luminaries. The "lunch" usually lasts about nine hours, and for lightweights like me and Simon, a strategy is required. Mine is quite simple – I don't get there until about 4.30pm.
Today is going to be Fabulous. A Fabulous research debrief. I love seeing how readers interact with our products and this work was far more insightful, useful and interesting than the usual "here's a 10-second vox-pop from a focus group" stuff that you still sometimes see in media. The two hours fly by and I agree to pick up learnings (and what we do with them) from a commercial perspective next week.
Lunchtime arrives and I realise I haven't really had lunch so far this week so, given that I don't have a contact list like Claudine Collins, I have to make do with popping round the corner with Dylan Wyn-Pugh for a sandwich. The glamour.
Head home to spend some quality time with the family. This usually involves me getting wrestled to the ground by a five-year-old in a Spiderman mask, while his sister takes the iPad off me to play 'Temple Run'. My mother's visiting, so I take advantage of this unexpected babysitting opportunity to take my wife to dinner in Weybridge and unwind properly.


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ckv815 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 155 designs submitted by 29 freelance designers.
GFX Heat Xchanger
GFX Heat Xchanger (Gravity Film Xchange) is a drain water heat recovery system (DWHR). A heat exchanger. "YOUR GREEN Savings Xchange" (tag line). It is a green renewable energy product made of all copper. It is the size of an existing drain pipe (3 or 4 inch diameter and up to 60" long) and has a coil wrapped around the outside. It captures the heat lost down the drain while you are taking a shower. It uses no energy, but saves energy- (created by electricity, natural gas, or oil), water and money. Provides an endless hot shower, more hot water for no additional cost, cuts water heating costs up to 60%, reduces carbon footprint/green house gas emissions, invented in 1980 and built in America. I want to focus on benefits to the consumer not technical features. Comfort, Convenience, Conservation. See our website at http://www.gfxtechnology.com for more information; right now it is too focused on the technical aspects; and planning on a new website soon. GFX also stands for graphics, which wasn't too prevalent in 1980/90 when we started; need to re-brand but keep "GFX", although we are undecided in keeping "Heat Xchanger" attached to logo.
Energy conscience. Green builders. Conservation programs. Residential, commercial, industrial, government. Renewable Energy Groups.
We have had our existing logo and website since the late 1990's .
We are launching a marketing campaign and think it is about time for a rebrand, including in the near future a new web site, etc.
We need a new logo which can be used for stationery, business cards and web sites.
We would like the logo to convey a professional established company that provides leading edge Green technology solutions for residential and commercial customers. The logo should try to convey comfort, convenience, conservation benefiting the consumer, green products, and energy conservation.
3 pictures attached so you can see it- actual unit (2), small sample unit and diagram of installation
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Take Your Breath. Everywhere.
AioCare keeps track of your pulmonary condition, with our platform created to keep a detailed log of your past measurement history, and algorithm to analyze each and every result with the lowest error margins possible.
AioCare is a personal, connected, handheld spirometer with dedicated mobile application.


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Murs - The Science
Scott reports "Releases ground-breaking video treatment for his prolific track The Science off his critically acclaimed album Murs for President
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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by Lifetime |
Item # 203326
|Model # 480123 |
Product Details
About this item
- 96"L x 30"W x 29"H
- Stain resistant and easy to clean
- Powder-coated steel and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic
- Meets ANSI/BIFMA standards
price $1,616.00
Online only
Out of stock
Price includes shipping
- These indoor/outdoor picnic tables in bulk are durable, portable, and very low maintenance. Unlike wooden tables, there is no painting, varnishing, splinters, or warping. Lifetime tables are designed with smooth, rounded edges for comfortable handling when carrying. No more cuts, scratches, or painful grooves on your hands! These tables are designed with safety gravity rings to prevent legs from collapsing after set up even if they're not fully deployed. These 8' picnic tables will look as good as new through many years of constant use. Lifetime's 8' picnic tables are constructed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic and rust-resistant powder-coated steel. Tables made in the USA.
Policies & plans
- Seats up to 10 People
- Superior strength and durability
- Folds completely flat for convenient storage
- Stain resistant and easy to clean
- Will not crack, chip, rust or peel
- 96" x 30" Polyethylene tabletop
- Steel frame with powder coated all-weather finish
- Some assembly required
- 2-Year limited warranty
2 year limited manufacturer's warranty
- Cancellation of an order must be done within 48 hours of placing the order
- Please inspect your delivery before signing your receipt
- Warranted to the original purchaser to be free from defects in material or workmanship for a period of two years from the date of original retail purchase. The word defects is defined as imperfections that impair the use of the product. Defects resulting from misuse, abuse or negligence will void this warranty. This warranty does not cover defects due to alteration of accident. This warranty does not cover damage caused by vandalism, rusting, acts of nature or any other event beyond the control of the manufacturer.
- This warranty is nontransferable and is expressly limited to the repair or replacement of defective product. If the product is defective within the terms of this warranty, Lifetime Products, Inc. will repair or replace defective parts at no cost to the purchaser.
Manufacturer Info
For questions or concerns regarding this product, please contact the Manufacturer's Customer Service Department at 1.800.225.3865.
Assembled Country
Assembled Size
- 96"L x 30"W x 29"H
Component Country


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Riding With Jonah Hex: Jordi Bernet
As we've done monthly for...well, a while now, we spoke with the artist of DC's Jonah Hex with a new issue coming out. Okay, technically, Jonah Hex #32 came out a couple of weeks back, and technically, we have spoken with artist Jordi Bernet before - but a) we like the legendary European artist a lot, and b) Bernet had been under the weather when the issue hit.
So here we are, with a little more of a philosophical bent.
Cycle thorugh the images at the right for a sequence from issue #32.Newsarama: Do you think artists are born or made?
Jordi Bernet: I think an artist is born. However, I also think that this is a work that requires lots of work and self-discipline to reach any degree of success.
NRAMA: You have been able to forge a huge, successful career in Europe and yet people haven't had a lot of exposure to your work here in the states. However, the response to your involvement with Jonah Hex has been met with glowing praise and I'm sure a few job offers. Do you prefer working on Jonah Hex over other types of projects?
JB: Actually, I usually grow fond of the characters I draw. I feel very comfortable with Jonah Hex, with its atmosphere and Justin and Jimmy's scripts. I think it is a nice situation to do a good work and reach the reader.
NRAMA: Is the American market, which tends to favor styles suited to superhero fiction, something you've considered important to your career as an artist?
JB: You will find few fantastic heroes throughout my career. Rather, it's quite full of anti heroes and genre characters who come from a very day-to-day reality.
NRAMA: Time and time again one has to marvel at your sense of storytelling and execution. Is it an instinctive or deliberate choice on your part when you approach the imagery for an individual page? In otherwords do you take a mechanical approach to the page or do you allow your emotions to take over?
JB: I celebrate you like my storytelling. Actually, I always try to lend my images some "movie" rhythm. My work is not mechanic at all. There is always a previous preparation, but in overall I let myself be guided by feelings and improvisation.
NRAMA: Can you tell us a little about this issue in terms of how it may or may not be different from other Jonah Hex tales you've illustrated?
JB: I think the "Matador" story is the toughest, bloodiest story I have ever drawn for Jonah Hex. I had a great time making it.
NRAMA: Have you been to a live bullfight?
JB: Well, in fact I don't like bullfights. Actually, I hate them. I think it is a very poor thing to have a show where you must kill animals (bulls) to amuse the audience. It is a nice topic to draw, but you will never find me in a real bullfight arena.
NRAMA: How do you research for a project? Do you prefer the internet or a library for reference material?
JB: I scarcely use internet for research. I'd rather use the graphic material I can find in books and magazines.
NRAMA: What artist would you say has had the greatest influence on your career?
JB: I'm unable to mention just one specific artist. I have never had the chance to attend an arts school, but I have always been very curious of knowing and learning everything they did in such places. Many artists have influenced my work, good ones or even bad ones, from all around the world. I have always tried to learn from the talent and the good things from the former and to avoid the mistakes of the latter. I am in love with my job and I even collect original art from the artists I like, so that I can better watch their way of working
NRAMA: Is there a particular kind of story you'd like to illustrate in an upcoming issue of Jonah Hex?
JB: I like to be surprised by Jimmy and Justin's proposals. Maybe at a graphic level, and only to change the usual scenery, it would be nice to place Jonah in story set in the Florida Everglades, surrounded by swamp jungles, quicksand and alligators. But... it's better it it's Justin and Jimmy the ones who come up with the ideas.


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Hi Guys,
Wikia has teamed up with Loot Crate to run a cool Giveaway where you vote on items, some of them from Game of Thrones, to create your ultimate Loot Crate. You can then enter to win the crates and if you don't win you can still purchase them!
You can check it out here -- http://www.wikia.com/Know_Days/Loot_Crate
Happy Holidays!


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Koni Konfidential
Fernando Gabriel Sosa is a comic book artist and animator from Córdoba, Argentina. While in his teens in the 1990s, he was already contributing cartoons to Julio Olivera's humor magazine La Cañada. He studied Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Film and Animation, but his passion has always been with comics and cartoons. He started his own fanzine, El mostro Comics, and joined the Independent Association of Córdoba cartoonists (A.H.I. Cba).
He has worked for the newspapers La Voz del Interior and Alfil, the children's magazines Listos Para Jugar and Diario de Bolsillo, and as a freelancer for Arcana Comics ('Koni Konfidential'), 215 ink, Bluewater Productions and Editorial Perfil. He is affiliated to agencies like Glasshouse Graphics in the USA and Space Goat Productions, and served as an animator on the cartoon 'ORSON" for Garabato Animaciones. He additionally worked for studios and publishers in the Netherlands, Germany and Brazil. In the Netherlands he was active for Stefan de Groot's agency striptekenaars.nl and provided the artwork for a new comic book adaptation of Dick Maas' popular movie franchise 'Flodder' in 2016. The script was by Wijko Koek.
Flodder (test page)
He is co-founder and director of the publishing label Wi-Fi Digital Press, coordinator of the independent Latin-American comics group and fanzine Barricada, and was the editor of the Maria Bizca eBook and the local rock magazine Al Abordaje. He is also dedicated to the cultural management of Córdoba, that includes the Comicazo comics fair.


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The Presidency
Thank you! We will contact you when the item is available.
Your order will ship on or around the release date
- Superb age-appropriate introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects
- Covers all studies, from Animals to American History, Geography to Science
- "Words to Know" glossary clarifies subject-specific vocabulary
- "Learning More" section encourages independent study
- Index makes navigating subject matter easy
4/1/08 School Library Journal
In these updates of the old "New True" series, the graphics take center stage. These books have more color, more eye appeal, more "pop" than older approaches to these often-studied topics. Unfortunately, they have more style than substance. Of the two, Supreme Court is more focused and therefore more effective in providing information. It answers the questions students will have, and includes some entertaining trivia. Presidency takes a more scattered approach. An explanation of the system of checks and balances is greatly simplified. A few examples are listed but no attempt is made to show the full effect that each branch of government has on the others. In discussing the executive branch, the author says, "The departments and agencies of this branch do many things." She then cites the CIA, Peace Corps, and Department of Labor, perhaps to illustrate the great variety of responsibilities within that branch, but does not offer a chart or diagram showing all of the cabinet posts and their purposes. As a result, children may be left confused as to how the presidency is related to the other areas. The back covers promise "surprising, TRUE facts that will shock and amaze you!" While these titles provide visually appealing, basic introductions to the topics, few readers will be shocked or amazed. Muriel L. Dubois's The U.S. Presidency (Capstone, 2003) takes a more straightforward approach to supplying facts.
RELATED SUBJECTS: American History , The Presidency
The Presidency
Library Binding 21.75


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Google has released YouTube Capture, an app dedicated to recording videos for quick upload to YouTube, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter simultaneously. You can also touch up your videos with color correction, stabilization, trimming, and music tracks.
One of the best features of YouTube Capture is not so much for the user, but everyone else who will watch the recorded videos -- forced landscape recording! A disappointing feature of YouTube Capture, however, is that the highest quality of video you can record is 720p even if you're using a device that supports 1080p.
Google has done a great job with YouTube Capture, but given its basic functionality, I can't help but wonder why they just didn't add these feature to the official YouTube app instead of requiring that users use two different apps.
Have you had a chance to try out Google Capture, yet? What do you think? Will you use it even though it doesn't support 1080p?
- Free - Download now
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.


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Brian Gilp wrote:To be honest, yes I do often ask a lot of questions about the source of product, other ingredients, and cooking methods. Many times I end up in the kitchen talking to the chef. I don't do this at my local burger joint but I do this at places that make me think about what I am eating. I find information enhances my experience not lessens it. I find the same to exist with wine. Knowing more enhances my enjoyment as I am better able to connect what I like about a wine with the reasons why.
Yes, a healthy curiosity is great, but again, there is a time and place for it. Asking a question while you are looking at a menu or talking to the chef in the kitchen is very different than asking a bunch of questions once the plate is on the table to the point of where you are analyzing it and delaying your (and possibly others at the table) enjoyment of the meal. Do you see the difference? It's great if that routine is part of your enjoyment, but I know a lot of culinary people who will sit there and pick apart a dish (as that is what they have been trained to do) rather then just relaxing and enjoying their meal.


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Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Pass the Kleenex
At an SAP conference in Switzerland this week, CEO Henning Kagermann said that Oracle's chances of acquiring PeopleSoft are "now less than 50%." However, "desperate pricing" as a result of uncertainty surrounding the deal are hurting SAP. Kagermann says that in 40% of the deals where SAP competes, SAP loses on price.
Kagerman says, "If the whole industry starts to compete on price, price will never come back."
InternetWeek has more.by Frank Scavo, 9/30/2003 08:45:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Monday, September 29, 2003
Is Microsoft upstaging Great Plains, Solomon, Navision, and Axapta with "Project Green"?
By now, we all know that Microsoft (MSFT) has entered the enterprise applications space with its acquisition of Great Plains and Navision. These two acquisitions gave Microsoft four enterprise suites--Great Plains, Solomon, Navision, and Axapta--which it sells through Microsoft Business Solutions and its reseller channel. But what is not widely known is that Microsoft, at the same time, has been working on an entirely new product line, code named "Project Green," that will be tightly integrated with Microsoft server and desktop operating systems. Microsoft CRM, released in January, is an early deliverable from Project Green.
Project Green addresses one concern that I've had about Microsoft's acquisition of Great Plains and Navision--that neither vendor's products were totally aligned with Microsoft's technology. For example, Axapta, which is arguably the product with the greatest breadth of functionality, is written in a language called X++, using a development environment called MorphX, and can run on both MS SQL Server and Oracle databases--not exactly what one would call a pure Microsoft architecture. In fact, my recommendation has been that if you are looking for an ERP system built today wholly on Microsoft technology, such as Visual Studio .NET, you'll need to look outside of Microsoft to a product such as Syteline from MAPICS.
But Project Green changes all that. Microsoft clearly is not waiting for incremental upgrades to Great Plains, Solomon, Navision, and Axapta to deliver those applications under pure Microsoft technology. In parallel, it is starting from scratch and plans to begin releasing the new Green apps in 2005 in parallel with Microsoft's next-generation operating system, known as Longhorn.
Although this strategy is entirely rational from Microsoft's standpoint, it might not be so welcome if you are an existing user of Great Plains, Solomon, Navision, or Axapta. After all, if Microsoft is starting over from scratch, what does that mean for the future of your applications? Users of Axapta's CRM application might already be asking this question, after Microsoft in January launched its own CRM product. As the years go by, which CRM will Microsoft invest in: Microsoft CRM or Axapta CRM? To ask the question is to answer it.
So, why did Microsoft even bother to buy Great Plains and Navision if it was planning to write new applications from scratch? The answer, in my opinion, is that Microsoft was buying not the technology of these vendors but their customers. In this regard, Microsoft's approach is similar to that of SSA Global's: it is cheaper today to buy an existing customer base than it is create one through new sales. (See my post yesterday.)
InternetWeek has more analysis of Project Green.by Frank Scavo, 9/29/2003 09:27:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Friday, September 26, 2003
SSA's strategy: acquire customers and technology on the cheap
Line56 has a lengthy analysis of SSA Global's acquisition strategy, largely favorable, based on impressions from its recent user conference in Orlando. Line56 sums up the strategy as, "Today it is cheaper to acquire customers than to sell to them, and it is cheaper to buy technology than build it." Without a lot of fanfare, the company has been taking advantage of weaknesses in current market conditions to acquire software vendors that have substantial customer populations. In the process, it has been laying out a roadmap to preserve the technology investments of those customers. Customers these days, not eager to undergo large scale conversions to new systems, are warming to the message. As a result, SSA Global has now become the fourth largest ERP vendor, behind SAP, Oracle, and PeopleSoft.
Separately, vnunet.com is reporting that SSA has already finalized an agreement to acquire another ERP vendor (unnamed) but will not announce it until March 2004 because of the need to first integrate Baan into its offerings. In an interview, CEO Mike Greenough indicated that SSA's next acquisition will be of a privately held ERP vendor and will extend SSA's user base in a new vertical market. He further indicated that there are five to six other ERP vendors that SSA could go after. The report notes that Greenough is already on the record as stating an interest in both Manugistics and i2.
Read the whole article on vnunet.com for more details.by Frank Scavo, 9/26/2003 01:05:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Thursday, September 25, 2003
SSA Global plans to consolidate product lines
SSA Global (formerly SSA GT) has finally announced plans to merge its dozen or so products into two main product lines. One product line will bring together all of the iSeries (formerly AS/400) systems, including BPCS, Infinium, and several systems acquired from Computer Associates, such as PRMS and KBM. The other product line will bring together the Unix based products, such as the recent Baan acquisition as well as several other products acquired from CA. Integration will be based on open standards wherever possible, using Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and IBM Websphere. SSA expects the migration to take two to four years. However, the company is still promising to maintain support for older products indefinitely.
I've been expecting this move for some time now. There's no way SSA Global can be successful by maintaining so many separate product lines. As SSA's Cory Eaves says, "There's no need for us to support 12 different general ledger systems or 12 different accounting systems. It just doesn't make sense; it's not economical for us."
Rationalizing the portfolio and consolidating to two families should allow SSA to leverage product development resources across a larger base of customers and should make it easier to accommodate future acquisitions into these two families.
CNET has a good summary of SSA's direction.by Frank Scavo, 9/25/2003 11:00:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Corporate IT spending picking up for outside services
If you are an IT services provider and you're wondering whether business over the past two years has really been as bad as it seems, check out this research note from Computer Economics (CEI). From 1999 to 2002, large companies cut spending on outside IT services nearly in half, from 10.5% of their IT budgets to 5.7%. During the same period, mid-size companies cut such spending even more, from 10.4% to 5.2%. So, even if total corporate IT budgets remained relatively flat this period, spending on outside services was cut roughly in half.
But the worst may be over. According to the same study, spending in 2003 is projected to jump to 7.1% for large companies and 6.3% for mid-sized organizations. And, in 2004 spending is expected to rise to levels not seen since 1999: 8.3% for large organizations and 7.5% for the mid-tier.
CEI defines large organizations as those with over $750M in annual revenue and mid-sized organizations as those between $250M and 750M. Outside services includes contract services (e.g. help desk), project consulting, and temporary staff augmentation but does not include outsourcing of entire data centers or application development groups.by Frank Scavo, 9/23/2003 08:32:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Sunday, September 21, 2003
PeopleSoft/JDE combination: off to a strong start
Last week, I attended the PeopleSoft Connect conference in Anaheim, as an industry analyst representing Computer Economics. My main objective was to size up the just-completed acquisition of J.D. Edwards by PeopleSoft, and also to gather information regarding the offerings of the newly combined entity on the life science industries, a particular interest of mine.
On the first objective, the combination of J.D. Edwards and PeopleSoft seems off to a good start, with just one small concern.
Expansion, not consolidation. PeopleSoft is spinning the deal not as a "vendor consolidation" but as an "expansion," with the two vendors complementing the other's industry strengths and customer installed base. The story is that PeopleSoft targets large enterprises, whereas JDE targets the mid-market. PeopleSoft strength is in vertical industries such as healthcare, financial services, education, and people-oriented services (e.g. professional services), while JDE focuses on manufacturing/distribution, asset-intensive industries, and project-oriented service businesses (e.g. construction).
Intellectual property. Conference speakers continually emphasized the "IP" ("intellectual property") that the two companies bring to each other, to the extent that by the end of the week the term was becoming a bit tired. Simply put, the deal brings together some really smart people, from both companies, that are experts in certain industries and business functions. For example, PeopleSoft has undisputed thought leadership in human capital management and supplier relationship management, and JDE claims experts in supply chain management and project accounting.
Buzzword aside, PeopleSoft is right to focus on this point. Successful mergers in the software industry are delicate efforts. The major assets have feet, and keeping those assets from walking out the door is no doubt a prime objective. Based on my interviews with both PeopleSoft and JDE representatives last week, I think the odds for success are good. In one-on-one discussions, managers show a genuine excitement about the merger. Many presentations during the week were delivered jointly by PeopleSoft and JDE experts, who demonstrated respect for each other and acknowledged the expertise each brings to the deal.
Product rationalization. PeopleSoft is going out of its way to strongly signal that it intends to continue development and support for all three product lines: PeopleSoft Enterprise (the PeopleSoft 8 product line), EnterpriseOne (the network-based JDE One World product), and PeopleSoft World (the host-based JDE World Software, which runs on the IBM iSeries platform). The last thing PeopleSoft wants to do is give any hint to any JDE customer that they will see reduction in support or development dollars. This is understandable. However, at some point, PeopleSoft will have to make some choices. Does it really make sense to put as much development resources into the JDE HR module when PeopleSoft's functionality is so much stronger? I note that PeopleSoft has already put the PeopleSoft tools developers and the JDE tool developers into one group, headed by Jesper Andersen, recently brought over from Pivotal. Evolving into one tool set would be the start of any effort to reduce duplication between the product lines. Ultimately, it makes a great deal of sense for the three product lines to share some common functionality, such as HR and business analytics. But PeopleSoft can be excused from talking about such choices at this early stage.
A questionable branding decision. My one concern is with PeopleSoft's decision to rename the former JDE One World product as PeopleSoft EnterpriseOne. The problem is that the name implies that the product is for small companies, even an entry-level system. As evidence, I submit that the name is similar to SAP's offering for small companies, SAP Business One. Furthermore, PeopleSoft may be inadvertently contributing to this misunderstanding with its own (and to my mind, artificial) distinction between PeopleSoft's strength in large companies and JDE's success in the mid-tier. To my mind, there is no intrinsic limitation in JDE's One World product scaling to large organizations. The fact that JDE has had success in the mid-tier does not preclude the use of One World by large organizations, and in fact JDE claims a number of large enterprises as clients. One World is a multi-entity, multi-facility, multi-currency system with world-class functionality. Hopefully, at some point, PeopleSoft will re-brand the product to remove the implication that it is for "small companies."
Concerning the merger of PeopleSoft and JDE, so far so good.by Frank Scavo, 9/21/2003 08:18:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Wednesday, September 17, 2003
On a personal note
I will be speaking at the joint dinner meeting of APICS and ISM in San Diego, next Wednesday, Sept. 24, on the subject, "Enterprise Systems in an FDA Regulated Environment." If you'd like to attend, you can find details on the San Diego APICS web site and also on the San Diego ISM web site. I'd love to see you there.by Frank Scavo, 9/17/2003 08:21:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Sunday, September 14, 2003
The case against case studies
Among software sales reps, it's common wisdom that case studies are an essential part of the sales pitch, with few drawbacks. Buyers like them because hearing about another company gives them something they can identify with. The sales executive likes them because he can highlight the strong points of his package in the form of a story. Case studies are key to the sale, right?
After listening in on a software sales presentation last week, I'm not so sure. This well-known vendor used a case-study as the focus of a two hour meeting and failed miserably. The basic problem was that the prospect couldn't identify with the company in the case study. For example, the prospect sells direct to consumers, but the case study was from a wholesale distributor. The prospect does all drop shipments from suppliers to customers, but the case study involved shipment from inventory. So, from the get go, the prospect did not identify with the case study, which raised questions in the prospect's mind about package functionality.
Then, instead of directly answering these questions, the vendor suggested that the prospect continue listening to the whole case study and implied that perhaps the prospect might consider changing the way they do business. Needless to say, this did not go over well.
In a debrief later with the CFO and Controller, I suggested that this vendor needed more time to learn about the prospect's business. But the Controller told me that the salesperson had spent several hours interviewing her and the IT director. Therefore, there can only be two explanations. Either the sales team was incredibly dumb, or they thought that using a case study would relieve them of the need to address feature/functions point by point. I suspect the latter.
Ironically, I have evaluated this package in the past, and I suspect that this vendor has good functionality in those areas where the buyer has concerns. Unfortunately, the buyer didn't get to hear about it because the vendor was so intent on presenting his case study.
So, here's some free advice to those laboring to sell software in this difficult economy:
What about case studies? By all means, use them, as long as they are relevant to the prospect's business. And please, offer them as a side dish, not as the main course.
- Force yourself to identify the top 3-5 characteristics of the prospect's business that either are unique or that the prospect thinks are unique. Verify with the prospect before the meeting that you are on the money. Prospects love to talk about their business, and you'll score points by showing an interest.
- In the sales presentation, demonstrate that you understand these 3-5 characteristics and focus on how your solution meets the client's needs in these areas. Give the prospect something substantial to chew on.by Frank Scavo, 9/14/2003 09:36:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Thursday, September 11, 2003
Chinadotcom rolling up enterprise system vendors?
Less than a week after announcing its acquisition of Ross Systems, Chinadotcom is announcing its acquisition of Industri-Matematik International Corp (IMI) a vendor of supply chain management systems. As with Ross, IMI is being acquired by Chinadotcom's subsidiary, CDC Software.
IMI is a well-regarded name in SCM solutions for consumer product distributors, with an enviable client base that includes GE, AT&T, Starbucks, Campbell Soup, Dial, Frito Lay, and Kelloggs. Six month revenue ending June 30 were nearly $22M. Unlike many other enterprise system vendors, IMI is profitable.
Is this the beginning of a trend? Chinadotcom makes it clear that Ross and IMI are just the beginning of an acquisition strategy. In its press release, CEO Peter Yip says, "The acquisition of IMI fits our overall strategy of developing and assembling a suite of related premium enterprise software solutions that allow for synergistic cross selling opportunities as well as the ability to enhance mid and long term profit by transferring key cost centers to China."
In other words, as was the case with Ross, moving software development to China is also part of the plan for IMI. Why just provide outsourcing for the software developer when you can buy the developer outright? With weaknesses throughout the technology marketplace, it's a buyers market with few disadvantages and lots of upside.
The Chinadotcom press release has the details.by Frank Scavo, 9/11/2003 07:03:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Tuesday, September 09, 2003
Ellison's analogy hints at Oracle's attitude toward PeopleSoft customers
In a recent interview with San Francisco Chronicle editors, Oracle's Larry Ellison made an interesting, but telling, analogy in talking about Oracle's takeover bid for PeopleSoft. Ellison objected to the questioner's use of the phrase "hostile takeover." Ellison said,
The use of the word "hostile" I find utterly fascinating because the question is: hostile to whom? If you're renting a house in Pacific Heights, and I go to the owner and offer him $10 million for an $8 million house, that offer is not hostile. As a renter, I may feel that's not a welcome offer, but all we're doing is giving the owner a choice. So we want to go directly to the shareholders. The only people who consider this hostile are the renters, the managers who don't own the company, whose jobs in fact will be lost.Let's see, Larry sees three parties as stakeholders in the deal: the owner of the house (PeopleSoft shareholders), the bidder (Oracle), and the renters (PeopleSoft managers). Hmmm...who is missing in this analogy? Maybe...PeopleSoft customers?
A better analogy might be a bagel shop in Pacific Heights that is being taken over by Winchell Donuts with the intention of turning it into a donut shop. The bagel shop owner gets his price, Winchell's gets the store location, and the bagel shop managers lose their jobs. But there is one more stakeholder in this analogy: the neighborhood customers that want bagels, not donuts.
PeopleSoft's customers have a legitimate concern that Oracle's intention is not to better serve them but to eliminate an Oracle competitor. Ellison's poor choice of an analogy just reinforces that perception.by Frank Scavo, 9/09/2003 10:36:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Friday, September 05, 2003
Ross Systems gets "Shanghai'ed"
Ross Systems, a process-manufacturing ERP vendor, is being acquired by Chinadotcom and will operate as a part of its CDC Software unit. It's an perplexing move. Ross's iRenaissance suite is one of the few ERP packages focused purely on process industries, such as food and beverage and chemicals. Although, like most enterprise software vendors, Ross been through some hard times recently, it has become profitable in the last few quarters. Just three months ago, it signed up Chinadotcom as a reseller in the Far East. Now, it's selling them the store.
So who is Chinadotcom? Based in Hong Kong, it was originally a Web hosting provider. But it has been turning itself into a software developer and offshore services provider, competing with the large India services firms. Therefore, I suspect that cost savings from offshore software development is the driving force at work here. In the Chinadotcom press release, CEO Peter Yip hints at this: "Ross Systems is expected to achieve certain cost savings and synergies by outsourcing to our low cost software development center in Shanghai and developing synergies in various aspects including cross selling within the chinadotcom group of companies."
There is a nearly universal trend for enterprise system vendors to move software development offshore, avoiding high programming costs in the U.S. and Europe. Ross, selling itself to an offshore provider, just takes this trend to the next level.by Frank Scavo, 9/05/2003 09:55:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Thursday, September 04, 2003
FDA finalizes guidance for 21 CFR Part 11
FDA has just released the final version of its guidance document "Part 11, Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures - Scope and Application." At first glance, there are not many changes from the draft guidance that FDA released in February. I do note, however, that FDA has clarified that users of legacy systems (systems in use prior to Aug. 20, 1997) are not totally off the hook. The guidance now says, "You [must] have documented evidence and justification that the system is fit for its intended use (including having an acceptable level of record security and integrity, if applicable)." The term "documented evidence," in my opinion, points to some level of system validation to ensure that the system is trustworthy and reliable.
The final guidance document is available on the FDA web site.
For more background on 21 CFR Part 11, see my post regarding the draft guidance in February. For perspective on how software vendors are addressing Part 11, see my post on Oct. 16, 2002.
I will be speaking on this subject later this month at the joint meeting of APICS and ISM in San Diego.by Frank Scavo, 9/04/2003 08:25:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Tuesday, September 02, 2003
2003: a dismal year for IT budgets in large organizations
According to a research note by Computer Economics, 44% of large companies (over $750M in revenue) reported declines in their IT budgets in 2003--the highest number of declines reported since Computer Economics began tracking this statistic in 1989. At first glance, it doesn't look so bad when one notes that 40% of large companies reported budget increases. But a more careful look shows that the magnitude of the cuts are greater than the magnitude of the increases. In other words, in 2003 more companies cut budgets than increased budgets and the magnitude of the cuts was greater than the magnitude of the increases.
But hope springs eternal. Computer Economics is forecasting a recovery next year.by Frank Scavo, 9/02/2003 08:38:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Soulja Almighty (Soutern Rapper) Spits An Acapella Freestyle "I Got Bars" [User Submitted]
S reports "Is it possible a southern rapper who actually has lyrics?...Well Florida underground artist Soulja Almighty show that ain't nobody hinging with him lyrically… with his serious punch lines and metaphors he proves his point by showing that he has Bars To Waste! This is the first video of many that he'll be dropping! "
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PEARLAND — While Texans general manager Rick Smith and coach Bill O'Brien locked in on the 2014 NFL draft, linebacker Brian Cushing had a more pressing issue to attend to this weekend: his inaugural youth football camp at Pearland High School.
Teaming with area high school and college coaches, Cushing led a two-day session that featured 350 children in grades 1-8. Sunday was the finale, with Cushing lofting passes to young wide receivers as eager defensive backs attempted to deflect his throws.
For the sixth-year NFL defender, the camp was another step in Cushing's effort to strengthen his ties to a community he's increasingly become comfortable in.
"Houston is my home now and it's something that's important to me," said the 27-year-old Cushing, who is originally from New Jersey and starred in college at Southern California. "Growing up, it was just extremely critical to me to be at these camps and learn from pros. … So I know to give back and just to teach anything I know to these kids at this age, to try and instill it in them, is very important."
Cushing's primary message to the children who swarmed around him on a sunny, spring morning: If you have a dream, chase it.
"I had plenty of teachers and people telling me, 'You should probably have a goal besides playing football,' " Cushing said. "It's just one of those things that I feel like if you really want to do it and you have the tools and you stay consistent … to be the best at what you do."
Cushing has remained directly engaged with the Texans since suffering his second season-ending injury in two years. He's participated in the team's voluntary offseason conditioning workouts and was a regular presence in 2013 at the practice facility and during games, following a devastating Week 7 left fibula/lateral-collateral ligament injury.
"It's good, still. Obviously there's a lot more time to get ready for the season," said Cushing, who's been limited to 12 games the last two seasons. "But I feel I'm well on my way to 100 percent. This year has been a lot easier and better than last year, as far as just progress and where I stand at this time of year."
Cushing's participation in organized team activities (May 27 to June 13) has yet to be determined. The linebacker is focused on being 100-percent healthy Week 1 against Washington and continues to view his return as a step-by-step process, despite having already received a medical greenlight.
"We're just trying to figure out what we want to do, what kind of drills or whatnot to take part in," Cushing said. "But I think I'll be doing a good amount and we'll see where I am and how I feel and kind of just discuss it as a group."
He added: "We all kind of agree there's no rush right now. … At the same time, there's a whole new scheme that I need to get in and get as many reps as I can — get it down as best as I can right now."
As for the revamped Texans' defense, Cushing acknowledged it's still too early to say anything definitive about how new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will reshape the unit. The upcoming draft is key for the organization and four months remain before Crennel must officially put his 2014 plan into action.
"I'm excited for these next couple of months to really just perfect myself and how I feel and to get ready overall," said Cushing, who is certain he'll remain at middle linebacker.
Twitter: ChronBrianSmith


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The University of Copenhagen's Master Course on Disaster Management has the aim to provide national and international aid workers, government officials and other professionals interested in any or all parts of Disaster Management with a solid and holistic interdisciplinary background so that they can respect and understand the complex context of acting and working before, during and after a disaster. This course enjoys considerable success only two years after its creatiion by the Universities of Copenhagen and Lund (Sweden). The Master of Disaster Management and UNOSAT recently agreed on a collaboration model bringing UNOSAT training in the University environment to new heights. While still participating in courses in Universities in the United Sates, Switzerland, and Sweden, UNOSAT now engages in Master degree training. As of this year the Master of Disaster Management offers an intensive course in Geo Information in Disaster Situations based on a successful formula combining formal training and experience based knowledge transfer directly from UNOSAT experts and analysts. This successful methodology has already been used in several capacity development projects run by UNOSAT for UN member states and a few international organizations. The Geospatial Information course offered within the curriculum of the Master of Disaster Management at Copenhagen University will be open only to a limited number of applicants among those studying each year for the Master degree and will earn each student 6 ECTS credits. UNOSAT has consistently increased its training offer since 2008, driven by increasing demand and constantly renewed experience in several operational areas. Luca Dell'Oro disaster management specialist and analyst at UNOSAT says: "This is training of a new form: we combine our recent experience in operations and formal training to give the students hands-on, evidence-based training that enables them to better understand geographic information for managing effectively disaster situations". Ravi Santhana, urban planning specialist and analyst with UNOSAT since 2010 and himself a past graduate from the University of Copenhagen says "in a way we have studied a method to shorten the path from the generation of knowledge through research and applications to the transfer of that knowledge to experts who are in need of finding solutions in their countries and organizations". For more information on the Master Course, please visit: http://www.mdma.ku.dk/
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In case you haven't seen enough of green ogres and heard enough snide donkey jokes to last you a few years, the makers of Nintendo DS have announced that they will be releasing a new "Shrek" video game.
Known as "Shrek: Ogres and Dronkeys", the game is based on the offspring of the main characters in the Shrek movie; the Ogres are the children of Fiona and Shrek, while the Dronkeys are the children of Donkey and Dragon.
The game is rated "E" for everyone of all ages and will be available for holiday purchasing.
Let's hope that the video game gets a better review then Shrek 3 did.


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Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Julia Child's Waterzooi Recipe - well, almost
Ruth Van Waerebeek describes this famous Belgian dish in her book Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook as "a confusion of a soup with a stew, chock-full of herbs and vegetables". Julia Child names this as 'the most interesting recipe she's clipped'. Originally made with fish (perch, preferrably), this dish from the Ghent area of Belgium is now more commonly made with chicken. The chicken is poached alongside julienne of vegetables in a mixture of stock and vermouth, and thickened at the end with heavy rcream and egg yolks. When researching the recipe, I did come across recipes for waterzooi using lemon juice instead of vermouth, but vermouth - as used by Julia Child - sounded so much better :) Eventually I settled for Julia Child's recipe (available here), but adapting it slightly. We thought it was really delicious and rather elegant, and wouldn't look out of place on a slightly more special dinner party.
Now, I wonder what the most famous Belgian of all times, Hercule Poirot, thought of Waterzooi. :D
I used a packet of chicken fillet strips, but sliced chicken fillets or boneless chicken thighs would work as well. You can obviously play around with vegetables, but leeks and carrots are a must here - one for the flavour, the other for the colour.
Belgian Chicken Stew Waterzooi
Serves 4
3 large carrots
1 large leek (white and tender green part only)
1 medium sized onion
4 celery ribs/sticks
1 tsp dried tarragon
50 g butter (2 Tbsp)
0.5 tsp salt
450-500 g chicken filet strips (1 pound)
250 ml (1 cup) extra dry vermouth (I used Italian Filipeti)
250 ml (1 cup) light chicken or veal broth
100 ml (just under 1/2 cup) heavy/whipping cream
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp cornstarch
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a large handful of finely chopped fresh parsley
Trim and wash the vegetables. Cut carrots, leek and celery ribs into 4-5 cm (2 inch) julienne matchsticks. Peel and halve the onion, then cut into thin slices.
Heat the butter in a heavy casserole dish, add the vegetables, half a teaspoonful of salt and dried tarragon. Sauté for about 5 minutes, without browning! Transfer 2/3 of the vegetables into a bowl.
Layer the sautéed vegetables and chicken strips into the casserole dish in this order, starting from the bottom: a third of vegetables, half of chicken strips, a third of vegetables, half of chicken strips, a third of vegetables.
Pour over the vermouth and chicken or veal broth, so the chicken and vegetables are just covered (you may need a bit more broth). Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and chicken cooked through.
Now strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Whisk egg yolks, cream and cornflour until combined, then add the hot cooking liquid, spoonful at the time in the beginning ('to temper' the egg yolk mixture). Pour the sauce back into the casserole dish over the chicken and vegetables, stir in most of the parsley and heat until the first bubbles appear. Remove immediately (overheating will cause the egg yolks to curdle).
Divide into hot soup bowls and serve with boiled new potatoes, gnocchi, noodles or good French bread.
7 comments:
This sounds and looks sooo delicious! Can't wait to try this out. Really pretty pics too.
- 7:52 pm, May 19, 2009
- Siri said...
How could I not love a post that mentions two of my favorite people of all time (Julia and Poroit)?!
- 9:24 pm, May 19, 2009
That food looks amazing and very tested.
thanks for the information on this blog! I find it very interesting and entertaining! hopefully soon have updates that I love your post!
- 1:11 am, October 06, 2010
This was great! I don't stock vermouth, though, so I subbed in 2/3 white wine and 1/3 Bombay Sapphire. Worked excellently.
- 5:57 am, December 28, 2010
I added some extra tarragon, so it came out sweeter than I generally like. But I'll make it again, hopefully for a Belgian who can tell me if I did it right or not. :)
- 11:54 am, March 04, 2011
Hello. I'm Belgian and this is one of my favourite recipes in our home cooking. Please DO NOT use alcohol in this recipe, especially not things such as vermouth or Bombay Saphire. This is barbaric. You're killing the recipe. If you really want to add a bit of alcohol into that, then do it the Belgian way: use beer! Many of our dishes use beer with stirring and making sauces. With waterzooi, when the meat is getting dry in the pan, pour a bit of beer to avoid burning. Just plain normal lagger will do.
- 8:22 pm, September 14, 2012
- Sarah said...
I made this last night for friends when we had a Belgian-themed evening and it was so tasty. I'd definitely make it again! We had it with fries and then Belgian waffles with chocolate sauce for pudding. Seriously yum! Thanks
- 2:34 pm, September 12, 2013


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Insalata di Patate e Calamari was a dish discovered years ago. A light potato salad with baby squid and a black olive tapenade spread mixed into the dressing. The flavours were out of this world. It wasn't very pleasing to the eye, however, as the tapenade tinged the potatoes grey. Enter the purple potato. These babies do loose a bit of vibrancy when boiled, but when spritzed with the lemon afterwards, bounce right back to a startling violet hue. Perfect for salads.
I've used strictly calamari in the past, but this time went for a calamari-based seafood mix I'd picked up. The seafood is brought to life in a quick aromatic boil of wine and herbs, then cooled to be mixed with the potatoes. Not at all overly fishy for a salad, and would serve well as a light lunch or side to a grilled meaty main.
Next time violet potatoes present themselves, I'm trying Apron and Sneaker's salad with tomatoes, pancetta, and blue cheese. But for now, while biding my time for proper fresh tomatoes, this bright salad from the sea is just what the mid-winter blahs needs.
Continue to Recipe...
{Insalata di Patate e Calamari}
Adapted from BBC Food
- Jo


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I have used and recommended coffee grounds as an organic fertilizer for years, but they have another important use. To control slugs, snails and pillbugs, broadcast coffee grounds around plants troubled by the little beasts. To run pests off effectively, use anywhere from 2 – 5 lbs of coffee grounds per 100 square feet.
Slugs in most cases come right up to coffee grounds but wouldn't cross over. Not only is the product organic and works great, but it also replaces one of the worst toxic pesticides on the market, Metaldehyde. Diluted coffee is also an excellent organic fertilizer, especially for orchids, African violets and may have some of the same pest control powers. It's probably worth a try.
Coffee contains N-P-K, trace minerals and the food stuff to stimulate the growth of beneficial microbes. The best part is that coffee grounds are basically free. Just ask your local restaurants or coffee shops to put them in a container provided by you. At the least, save and use your own coffee grounds at home. We do every day.
Coffee tends to develop a green or blue-green fungus that looks like mold. Don't worry - that's good. The green fungus is really beneficial (Trichoderma species) while the blue-green one is reported to be moderately beneficial. In any case, moldy coffee is great to use directly in the garden, compost pile and on interior plants.
Here is some research on the subject from USDA – ARS.
COFFEE - Slugs and snails hate caffeine, researchers have discovered. Robert Hollingsworth of the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Hilo, Hawaii, and his colleagues discovered this secret while testing caffeine sprays against the coqui frog, an introduced species that infests potted plants. They found that a 1 to 2 percent caffeine solution killed most of the slugs and snails in two days. Concentrations as low as 0.01 percent repelled the pests. A cup of instant coffee contains about 0.05 percent caffeine, and brewed coffee has more.
Coffee grounds can also be used to repel slugs and snails, but a caffeine solution is much more effective. Caffeine is more effective against slugs than metaldehyde products. The United States bans metaldehyde residues in food, but classifies caffeine as safe. It may even qualify as organic, adds Hollingsworth.
Robert Hollingsworth of the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Hilo, Hawaii, and his colleagues were testing caffeine sprays. Click Here for full article.
Please forward this newsletter to everyone in your address book and all your friends on facebook and twitter. Shop in the Green Living Store for all of the products that I recommend in the Organic Program.
If you have questions on this newsletter or any other topic, tune in this Sunday from 8am - 11am CST to the Dirt Doctor Radio Show. Listen on the internet or Check hereto find a station in your area.
Naturally yours,
Howard Garrett


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Wind Computer
The Wind Computer application is a graphical simulation of the wind side of a CRP-1/E-6B flight computer. It also provides IAS/TAS calculations and automatic calculation of a wind-star for diversion planning.
The following pictures show the initial Wind Computer screen.
|Starting screen
|Running on a NexusOne
|Wind Computer in landscape mode
Calculation Mode
Click on the large arrow or result boxes to change the calculation mode.
The wind computer cycles through 5 of the most common calculations, to compute Heading & Groundspeed, Wind Direction & Velocity, Heading & True Airspeed, Track & Groundspeed and Track & True Airspeed.
|Selecting the calculation mode
Changing Values
The orange input border indicates which values are currently receiving input.
As you spin the wind computer around, it changes the direction value of the currently selected input pair. There are also a pair of 'nudge' arrows at the top, to help with fine control on smaller devices.
To change the currently selected speed value, you can use the 'trim wheel' at the side to scroll up and down through the speed range.
|Selecting the input values
If you click again on the column which is already selected, it will deselect that column, so there is no input selected. You can then spin the wind computer around freely without affecting the values. For example to align it north up, to visualise your course against your chart.
|Wind computer in 'free' mode
IAS/TAS conversion
If you press the menu button, and then select IAS/TAS, you will bring up the IAS/TAS conversion utility.
You can alter parameters such as your altitude and the OAT, and it will convert between IAS and TAS as well as displaying the effective density altitude.
Note that if the computer is in a mode where the TAS is one of the calculated values, then the IAS & TAS field will be locked, and any changes you make to altitude or temperature will indicate the IAS you need to fly the previously calculated TAS.
|IAS/TAS conversion
Wind Star
If you press the menu button, and then select Wind Star, you will bring up the diversion wind-star page.
The wind-star calculates your ground speed and the correction you need to apply to your heading if you need to make an unplanned diversion in that direction. E.g. if you had to divert to the north-east, the example below show that you would have a ground speed of 77kts and you would need to make a wind correction angle of 8° left.
|Diversion wind-star


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Traders Eyeing Housing Data and More Earnings
Alexandra Scaggs previews the day on Wall Street, including traders keeping a careful eye on housing data and more corporate earnings expected to roll out this week. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... it's going to be a busy week for corporate earnings but money markets are in limbo and that people are too excited Alex Scaggs from the Wall Street Journal joins me now to talk about the markets ... Alex nowhere were about flat and into the human ... flying around ... the flat line here ... on that this whining traders again be watching on existing home sales in emerging areas for just talking about the housing market ... than what people attacking on ... the ... rise of one point nine percent ... and this is especially important because housing starts for June when a terrible terrible disappointment ... ok they felt like Lady Bay ... and causing the isn't really that operates by and it's really helped out the latest rally ok ok now let's jump over to ... the big thing the studios have this weaker corporate yes yes that's really what people are watching on ... screen for example this morning I McDonald's ... is it's really the big report ... so they actually miss expectations shares are down in the pre market phenomenon is particularly interesting because they have such a global exposure ... that sales are there are they blaming China for instance for some this is gonna go in terms of in the dying Asia in general the slowdown over there so they've likely names international sales basically don't Europe China and ... you know they're ... they're everywhere to sell really that that the funny thing is that everywhere except for the US ... has been ... struggling to ... sell and that's and that's been reflected in her for another one you're looking at God Netflix ... Netflix is after the bell today ... I did find Ki shares are already up in the pre market on the last few corners the banner really came to ... be this really beat expectations and just kind of climb out of the water and shares have rallied really strongly ... and so I'm not sure if ... anyone is wanting to China where is the new black incidents that this issue I have been watching quite a bit about lately it's it's in the real ... money every day and we send you your binge watch the media if the stock price ... okay last helper that's up a little that the market ends as BP expectations on both sales and revenue ... in the key thing there is actually their revenue be because not very many companies have actually been beating on sales this quarter him ... on sales got to think is below fifty percent of companies that beat on sales so far ... and that really shows slower growth ... with spina people are really worried about re now


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Artist's description:
An original intuitive abstract painting. I let the viewer create their own story for a painting. What do you see? What do you feel? What you see is the truth, let your imagination run wild without being given direction.
It is sold on the stretch frame with the sides painted. It could be hung directly or boxed framed if desired. It will require a hook on back before hanging.
The painting is finished with a protective satin varnish. I have signed the painting on the back, giving you the freedom to hang it as you feel suits your space.
I use the highest quality acrylic paints and combined techniques of palette knife, brushes, scrapers. This painting has lots of texture.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions!
Materials used:
Acrylic, canvas, varnish,
Culture Clash (2015)
Acrylic painting by Emma-Louise Ball
$293.64 Sold
- Acrylic painting on Canvas
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 27.56 x 27.56 x 1.57 in (unframed) / 27.56 x 27.56 in (actual image size)
- Signed on the back
- Style: Organic
- Subject: Abstract and non-figurative
This artwork is sold by Emma-Louise Ball from Australia


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Up to 60 video and game rental stores in Western Australia are being audited by the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Areas in the audit campaign include Perth, Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, Esperance, Kalgoorlie and Mandurah.
Stores are being checked to ensure shop assistants are receiving correct wages and in line with minimum standards and penalty rates.
Employees are also being checked to ensure they are keeping correct records and adhering to pay slip obligations.
"This campaign is an ideal opportunity for operators of video and game stores in WA to ensure they understand their obligations under workplace laws," Nicholas Wilson, Fair Work ombudsman, said in a statement.
"It is important we ensure that employers are aware of their obligations and that employees are receiving their full lawful entitlements."
Employees were previously award-free but are now covered by the General Retail Industry Modern Award 2010.
Follow Stephanie McDonald on Twitter: @stephmcdonald0
Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU


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Heat, Bucks both look to fix issues before Game 2
MIAMI -- Long after just about every Miami Heat player left the practice court on Monday, LeBron James stayed behind for a 3-point shooting contest against Ray Allen and Mario Chalmers.
He yelled. He trash-talked.
And he won, getting to watch his teammates do 20 push-ups as his reward.
There is a certain irony in James staying on the court after practice to work on his shooting, especially since there are nights he controls games without looking to score. When he took 11 shots in an NBA Finals game two years ago, he became a lightning rod for criticism.
These days, an 11-shot game from James -- like what he had Sunday when the Heat won Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against Milwaukee -- gets celebrated for effective brilliance. He's controlling the game in any number of ways, and will try to continue doing so when the Heat and Bucks meet in Game 2 of the best-of-seven matchup on Tuesday night in Miami.
"The narrative has changed about him, about our team," Heat forward Shane Battier said. "A championship changes that. I don't think LeBron's changed. That's who LeBron is. LeBron's going to make the smart basketball play. He's going to make the right play. If that entails him taking 11 shots and we win, he's going to do it. If it entails him taking 30 shots, he's going to do it."
James will likely be named as the NBA's MVP for the fourth time in five seasons sometime in the not-too-distant future, and with each season, he still seems to be getting better.
He made 9 of 11 shots on Sunday in Miami's 110-87 win, finishing with 27 points and two assists shy of a triple-double. In his first seven-plus seasons, James never shot better than 75 percent in any game in which he took more than 10 shots. Since April 2011, he's done it 11 times, including Sunday, and the Heat are 11-0 in those games.
"We don't take his talent for granted because he does whatever it takes to help you win," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
When the Bucks broke down film after Game 1, coach Jim Boylan paid particular attention to the way his team defended James, a job that fell largely onto the shoulders of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.
Boylan raved about Mbah a Moute's effort after seeing that film. James was just too good in Game 1.
"It's hard to say, `You didn't do this, you didn't do that' because Luc was into him the whole time," Boylan said. "LeBron just had a great game."
So now the trick for the Bucks -- who are 1-4 against Miami this season -- is finding ways to get Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis some help on the offensive end. Jennings and Ellis combined for 48 points in Game 1; their teammates chipped in only 39 more.
If that becomes a trend, the Bucks know they'll be on vacation by early next week.
"No one's in a panic," Boylan said. "We've played one game. It's time for us to take a look and see what we can do and figure out how we can help those guys."
There were some encouraging signs for the Bucks on Monday.
Center Larry Sanders, who has battled back pain in recent weeks and was marred by foul trouble that kept him from finding anything close to a rhythm in Game 1, said he felt as good Monday -- 80 percent right was his estimation -- as he has in a while. And Boylan said Ersan Ilyasova, who has dealt with a wrist problem, shouldn't still be adversely affected by that issue.
"For us, I don't think we look at it as it's a seven-game series and we've got to win four out of seven," Bucks forward Mike Dunleavy said. "We've got to win one game. When we win one game, then we'll say, `Hey, we've got to win another one game.' To look at it as a whole and say we've got to beat these guys four times out of seven when they haven't lost four times out of 50, it's monumental."
That team that Dunleavy said hasn't lost four times out of 50 -- actually, the Heat are 43-4 in their last 47 games -- looked at itself with very critical eyes on Monday.
The videotape session that Spoelstra arranged for the Heat at the start of practice Monday lasted an hour, and the clips were not ones the team particularly enjoyed seeing. A night loaded with mistakes were on display in high-definition. Some, including Dwyane Wade, said the scene had a day-after-a-loss feel.
And remember, it was actually after a 23-point win.
"That's one thing Coach Spo does a great job of," Wade said. "He's always making sure that we move on and we move into the new moment. That moment has passed. That's one thing he's been very consistent at."
One area where the Heat struggled in Game 1 was 3-point shooting, where they went 7 for 23. So maybe that was why James lured Allen and Chalmers into that post-practice contest.
He would yell at his shots, pleading with them to "Get up" or "Sit down." When Chalmers or Allen would miss, James would shout "That's what I needed." And when he took his final attempt, the one that clinched the game, James knew he'd won when the ball was still in flight, saying "Game time" just before the shot went down.
"I've got to stay ready, I guess," James said. "I've got to stay ready."
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press
This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index
- Haberstroh: NBA's best duo?
- Ford/Pelton: Is Russell a future Lakers star?
- Pelton: Curry a unanimous MVP?
- 5-on-5: Celtics boast best second-half upside
- Ford: Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram?


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ATHENS, Ga. -- Behind a stellar performance from newcomer Stuart Tierney, the Lipscomb men's tennis team returned to Nashville after posting eight wins in the "Southern Intercollegiate Championships" hosted by the University of Georgia.
Tierney led the Bisons', picking up four wins before losing in the finals to Calum Gee from Davidson 6-1, 6-4. The Hillsboro, Ore., native breezed through the first three rounds, beating Elberet Beekman from Atlantic Sun foe Mercer 6-1, 6-2 before topping Citadel's Peter Bleach 6-2, 6-1. In third-round action, he dominated North Carolina State's Beck Bond, only dropping two games before he went on to beat Minnesota's Eric Frueh in the semifinals 6-3, 6-4. Only Davidson's Calum Gee could stop Tierney's run downing the rookie 6-1, 6-4 in the championship of the bracket.
"The Bisons played hard, despite the high level of competition this weekend," assistant coach Mike Sherman said. "The coaching staff is especially proud of Stuart Tierney, making his way to the finals. There is no denying his special talent, and we are excited to see what he can do when the spring season rolls around. Congratulations to him."
Junior Colby Shaw also posted a win for the Bisons, winning his first round match over Mississippi State's Trey Seymour 6-1, 6-3.
Freshman Daniel Hernandez added two wins to the total with victories in the first two rounds over Citadel's Elliot Sperr and Kentucky's Ryuju Wardell, 6-3, 6-4 and 6-0, 6-1 respectively.
Senior Chad Pierron picked up a win in the consolation bracket by defeating Mercer's John Bauerle 6-2, 6-4.
The Bisons were unable to record a doubles win for the weekend but Sherman said, given the level of competition, the men are continuing to improve in all aspects.
"From a team standpoint, doubles continues to improve from week to week," Sherman said. "Looking forward, we are now going to put more emphasis on the mental side of the game. We want our guys to be mentally tough, no matter the surrounding circumstances. That statement is easy to say, but very hard to do."
The Bisons will hit the practice courts to prepare for their next tournament. Lipscomb heads to Clarksville, Tenn. on Oct. 7 to compete in a tournament at Austin Peay.
Rok Bonin (12), Minnesota def. Miguel Cortez, Lipscomb, 6-2, 6-2
Carson Kadi, Samford def. Miguel Cortez, Lipscomb, 6-1, 6-1
Nassim Slilam (7), Florida def. Olivier Strecker, Lipscomb, 6-2, 6-1
James Turbervill, LSU def. Olivier Strecker, Lipscomb, w/o
Colby Shaw, Lipscomb def. Trey Seymour, Miss. State, 6-1, 6-3
Juan Pablo Gutierrez, Ga. State def. Colby Shaw, Lipscomb, 6-3, 6-3
Lucas Lopasso, Auburn def. Tanner Brown, Lipscomb, 7-5, 3-2, ret. inj.
Stuart Tierney, Lipscomb def. Elberet Beekman, Mercer, 6-1, 6-2
Stuart Tierney, Lipscomb def. Peter Bleach, Citadel, 6-2, 6-1
Stuart Tierney, Lipscomb def. Beck Bond, NCSU, 6-2, 6-0
Stuart Tierney, Lipscomb def. Eric Frueh, Minnesota, 6-3, 6-4
Calum Gee, Davidson def. Stuart Tierney, Lipscomb, 6-1, 6-4
Daniel Hernandez, Lipscomb def. Elliot Sperr, Citadel, 6-3, 6-4
Daniel Hernandez, Lipscomb def. Ryuji Wardell, Kentucky, 6-0, 6-1
Eric Frueh, Minnesota def. Daniel Hernandez, Lipscomb, 6-2, 7-6(4)
Kyle Hoffman, Ga. Southern def. Chad Pierron, Lipscomb, 6-4, 6-2
Chad Pierron, Lipscomb def. John Bauerle, Mercer, 6-2, 6-4
Alex Sajonz, Samford def. Chad Pierron, Lipscomb, 4-6, 6-1, 1-0(11-9)
Tripper Carleton/Spencer Newman, Florida def. Miguel Cortez/Olivier Strecker, Lipscomb, 8-4
Jon Pine/Zach Pine, Va. Tech def. Daniel Hernandez, Lipscomb/Collin Edwards, Ga. Tech, 8-2
Suresh Eswaran/Michael Retta, Vanderbilt def. Tanner Brown/Stuart Tierney, Lipscomb, w/o
Beck Bond/Ivan Sanchez Gomez, NCSU def. Chad Pierron/Colby Shaw, Lipscomb, 9-8(2)