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Weekly AUDIO NEWS for Oct. 1, 2003
DVD & CD or DVD-A Combo Albums - There has been a greater increase in the sales of music video DVDs lately than that of the two new hi-res audio formats. This seems to support the idea that many people accept lesser-fidelity surround sound - meaning either Dolby Digital 5.1 or in some cases DTS 5.1 - if it means they get to see their favorite performers in action. This goes for all genres of music. The stills and occasional video clip with some DVD-As are not enough for them, and the cost of a DVD video is often only slightly more than the hi-res audio disc.
In our last issue we reviewed the Simon Rattle Mahler Fifth Symphony on EMI, which provides two discs as a solution to this problem - one a widescreen video with DTS 5.1 soundtrack and the other a hi-res DVD-A with stills and some other extras. Artist House has released a series of two-disc albums in which one is a standard audio CD and the other disc is a DVD video. Some even include MP3 audio files. Now Thelonious Records has issued a two-disc album titled Monk in Paris, in which the first disc is a DVD of a live concert the quirky pianist gave in l965, and the other is bonus DVD video of a performance for Norwegian television in 1966. They titled the second disc You Havent Heard Monk Until Youve Seen Him.
Five Millionth Pioneer DVD Burner - Illustrating the rapid growth of the recordable DVD, Pioneer Electronics announced they have shipped their five millionth DVD-R & DVD-RW unit. While preserving home movies and slides to DVD and timeshifting telecasts with greatly superior visual quality to VHS is the main attraction, audiophiles have realized that they can record up to 192K/24bit resolution on DVD vs. only 44.1K/16bit on CD. Unfortunate they cant do that with a digital connection due to Hollywoods paranoia about piracy.
Naxos Releases SACDs in Hong Kong - Naxos Hong Kong has just released its tenth SACD - the soundtrack to The English Patient - licensed from Fantasy Records. Most of the previous nine releases were from Naxos massive classical catalog. Naxos USA has been releasing about one hi-res album per month recently, but they are all DVD-A rather than SACD.
PBS Series on the Blues - Blues fans are agog over the seven part video series executive produced by Martin Scorsese on The Blues, which begins this month on most PBS outlets. There is also a companion series with more music on NPR radio. In addition to the many past and present performers showing how the blues evolved from parochial folk tunes to a universal language, the film series boasts the involvement of Clint Eastwood and noted German director Wim Wenders among others.
Grammy Awards Back to LA - The 46th Annual Grammy Awards will happen in Los Angeles on Thursday December 4th this year and be carried live by CBS-TV. The show was mounted in New York City this past February. Enjoy the Music will be reporting on the show at their site.
Two Gallos Too Much - This is old news, but the fine Swiss CD label Gallo Records was leaned on by attorneys for the E. & J. Gallo Winery in Fresno, California, and directed to stop using the Gallo trademark on CDs sold in North America, to avoid confusion with the other Gallos wine and liquor production. The record label is now named Gall - which in Swiss dialect translates to something like OK? Who says the Swiss have no humor?
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Peter Fassbender's work with World Vision Canada has earned him a spot among a rather distinguished group of Canadians.
Fassbender will be awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal in a ceremony in Ontario later this month.
The City of Langley mayor and World Vision Canada board member is among 27 people who will receive the medal at a ceremony in Mississauga — headquarters of World Vision Canada — on Jan. 27.
The list of recipients includes some of Canada's biggest names in music, comedy and community activists from coast to coast.
In its release, World Vision Canada praised Fassbender as being "highly recognized in his community as an individual who has real compassion for people and is known for his strong desire to make a difference in people's lives.
"He is highly respected by elected officials at municipal, provincial and federal levels. He is decisive and sincere about bringing change to help his constituents. He is not afraid to speak his mind, yet does so with diplomacy and kindness," the release continued.
"He has been a strong promoter and participant of World Food Day in Langley for the past three years, he is a wonderful advocate for the poor resulting in approximately 1,200 senior high school students becoming aware of the needs of the hungry."
For Fassbender, the reward for his work is not the medal itself, but the results the organization's efforts have achieved.
"You don't do these things to get awards. You do it to give back," he said.
"I'm humbled by it. I appreciate that, you know, people see that what I do has maybe contributed as part of a team to make a difference".
Fassbender said he got involved with World Vision because he saw them as an organization that is getting results in the world and in Canada.
"It's well managed, well run."
Because the NGO keeps its administrative costs to a minimum, donations made to World Vision go to the places they can do the most good, he added.
Fassbender will be in Mississauga for the board's annual general meeting at the end of the month when the awards are handed out.
This will be the mayor's second Diamond Jubilee Medal. He also received a Diamond Jubilee Medal from Langley MP Mark Warawa at a ceremony on Nov. 24.

subset: commoncrawl


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Coming Events...
A benefit will be held on March 30, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Towanda Elks Club for Dorothy Button Casselbury. A spaghetti dinner will be served—adults, $10; kids, age 6- 12, $7; under age 6, free. Basket raffle, bake sale and Chinese Auction. If you'd like to donate or help out in anyway, please call Heather at 570-250-0009. Dorothy is a member of WVHS class of 93.
Super Bingo will be held on Saturday, April 5 at the St. Francis of Assisi Hall in Mildred at 11:45 a.m. For more information, call 570-928-8276.
Monthly Breakfast at the Herrickville Fire Hall, Sunday, March 30, 2014, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. All you can eat: pancakes, French toast, ham, sausage, eggs, home fries, sausage gravy and biscuits, coffee, orange juice, real maple syrup and sugar-free syrup. Adults, $7.50; children to 12 years, $3.50; preschool, free. Benefit: Herrick Twp. Vol. Fire Co. - Dept. 4.
Lenten Vesper services will be held at the Wyalusing Presbyterian Church on Wednesdays during Lent. The dates are: March 26, April 2, 9 and 16 from 7 to 7:30 p.m.
The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints general conference will be held on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6 at noon and 2 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints building on Rt. 706 East, Montrose. For questions contact the Sister Missionaries at 570-787-1730.
A Jewish Seder Presentation will be given at the Orwell Bible Church on Sunday, March 30 at 9:30 a.m. The presenter is Peter Blitshteyn of New York City. For more information, call Pastor Rich at 570-744-1915.
Creation versus Evolution, a program by Jim Goodrich at the Wyalusing Presbyterian Church on March 30. Visit www.wyalusingpc.org for further information. Sponsored by Sugar Run Presbyterian Church.
Hunter Trapper Education Class. New two-day class. Register for class, then go to website: www.pgc.state.pa.us and take the online study. You must complete the online Today's Hunter & Trapper in PA course before attending the class. Held at Tri-County Sportsman's club, Saturday, April 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, April 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Light lunch. For more information, call Pat Beebe, 570-746-3869 or Carl Yurgatis, 869-1706. You must be 11 years old.
Annual Intergenerational Dance on May 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wyalusing Valley High School in the old gym. Free admission and lunch. Sponsored by Wyalusing FHA Club. All ages welcome.
Free soup supper at Hollenback United Methodist Church on April 9, from 5 to 6 p.m. with a Bible Study from 4:30 until 5. All welcome.
Lenten Fish Dinners on March 28, April 11. Dinner includes baked fish, macaroni and cheese, stewed tomatoes, cole slaw, applesauce, dinner roll, beverage and homemade dessert. Served 4 to 7 p.m. at St. Basil's Hall, Dushore. Adults, $8; children 12 to 6, $3; under 6 eat free. Everyone welcome. Take-outs available. Proceeds benefit local charitable activities. Knights of Columbus, Dushore, Wyalusing and Mildred Council 12406.
The annual Camptown Civic Club family-style chicken and biscuit dinner will be held on Saturday, March 29 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Camptown Community Church. Take-outs available.
"Spaghetti & All That Jazz," Saturday, April 5 at the Northeast Bradford High School cafeteria from 5 to 7 p.m. Spaghetti dinner with musical entertainment featuring: NEB Jazz Band, Show Choir, Guest Soloists. Donations accepted at the door. All proceeds benefit NEB Music Department. R11- 3p/S12-3p
The Silvara Ladies Aid dinner will be Thursday, April 3 at noon. Roast beef will be served.
Easter Events
The New Albany Area Children's Fund will be hosting their annual Easter egg hunt at the New Albany Park on Saturday, April 12 at 12 p.m. All New Albany area children ages preschool through sixth grade are invited to attend.
Easter Egg Hunt, New Albany VFW Post 384, April 12, 11 a.m. All children, age 10 and under.
VFW Post #6824, Haigh's Pond will hold their annual children's Easter egg hunt on Sunday, April 13, 1 to 3 p.m. Easter bunny arrives at 2 to 2:30 p.m. Bring your own basket. Age groups: 1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 8-10. Dress for weather, boots, rain gear, etc.
Annual Breakfast with Easter Bunny - Saturday, April 19 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Wyalusing United Methodist Church. Menu: pancakes, eggs, bacon, juice, milk and coffee. Bring the kids and your camera.
Easter Egg Hunt at the Wyalusing Borough Park on Saturday, April 19 and begins promptly at noon. Prizes will be awarded in each age category to children who find prize eggs. Sponsored by Wyalusing Valley Vol. Fire Department.
Stevensville Community Club's children's Easter party and egg hunt will be held Saturday, April 19, 1 to 3 p.m. at the hall. Community leaders are asking for donations of hardboiled eggs. Please call Tammy, 570-744-2126 or Harriet, 570-746- 3523.
Wyalusing Area Education Foundation's annual Spring Fling will be held on May 3, 2014, 7 to 10 p.m., in the Tuscarora Wayne Community Room, at Wyalusing's Chamber building, 21 Main Street. Appetizers and drinks will be served. Both a silent and vocal auction will be held. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $25 per person. All proceeds benefit the WAEF's Teacher Venture Grants. R13- 4c/S13-5c
For Your Information
The Camptown and Merryall Cemetery Association requests that all decorations and flowers be removed by April 1.
Wyalusing Kindergarten Registration will be held April 22 to 25. Please call for an appointment at 570-746-1206 ext. 1300 or 1301.
The Lacey Street Cemetery Association asks that all Christmas flowers and displays be removed from grave sites by April 15.
Working Field Day—Daylighting Apple Trees, Building Brush Piles, Browse Cut Field Day, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 29 on Pennsylvania State Game Lands #219 (northeast corner Bradford County). Public invited. Meet at PennStar Bank in Little Meadows at 9 a.m. For more information call Bob Wagner, 570-278-9363 or Jack Sorber, 570-623-2105.
Meeting Notices
AA Meeting—Wednesdays at 8 p.m. in the basement of the Wyalusing Presbyterian Church. Open meeting, nonsmoking.
S.O.S. Al-Anon—Family Group will meet on Fridays at 7 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, Hopkins Street, Sayre.
TOPS PA #1134—Laceyville, meets each Tuesday evening at the Braintrim Baptist Church in Laceyville. Weigh-ins from 5:15 to 6 p.m., meeting from 6-7 p.m. For more information, call 570-965-2493 or 570-869-1834. Toll-free 1-800-932-8677.
Recovery House Meetings— AA Group of Towanda meets Mon.-Fri., noon; Mon., Thurs., Fri., Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. NA meetings are held Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Speaker meeting every first Sunday, 8 p.m. All meetings at 205 Main St., Towanda (please use rear, lower entrance).
Compassionate Friends—of the Endless Mountains will hold their meetings on the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Endless Health Community Center, Montrose. TCF is open to all families who have lost a child from any cause at any age. There are no membership dues or fees of any kind. For more information, call 570-965-0901 (evenings) or 570-278-1658 or email email@example.com.
MOPS—(Mothers of Preschoolers) meet every first and third Wed. of the month from 9 to 11 a.m., September through May. Meetings are held at the First Presbyterian Church, 5 Court St., Towanda. All mothers of preschoolers are welcome. Child care is provided for children, ages infant through five years old. For more information, contact the church at 570-265-5575.
Al-Anon meetings in Tunkhannock—Endless Serenity Al-Anon Family Group on Monday, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, 7 p.m., Saturday, noon. All meetings are held at the Tunkhannock UM Church Education Bldg., second floor.
Diabetes Support Groupmeeting the first Thursday of every month at the Guthrie Clinic office in Towanda beginning at 5:30 p.m. There is no charge and all diabetics and family members are welcome. For more information, call Dawn at Guthrie Clinic at 570- 265-6165 during regular business hours.
The Wyalusing Masonic Lodge No. 618 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the Lodge Hall, 158 Church St., Wyalusing. For more information, call 570-721- 0008.
Memorial Hospital's monthly bereavement support group schedule for 2014 will continue to meet on the last Tuesday of each month from 3 to 4:30 p.m., located in the library on the lower level of Memorial Hospital, Towanda. The group follows the book by James Miller, "What Will Help Me?" and other authors' writings related to grief and loss. The support group is open to those who have experienced loss and is facilitated by Trudy Ventello, LSW, a social worker with Memorial Hospital's Hospice program. For more information call 570-268-2233.
Towanda-Wysox Kiwanis Club meets every second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Weigh Station Café at 7:30 a.m. in Towanda. They find ways to help the children in the community. Contact Eileen Sheets at 570-265-2350 for more information.
Addictions to Victory— Faith-based support for addictions. Program will be held the first and third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at New Generation Church, Milan, 570- 888-1967.
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group meets the second and fourth Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter's Church, 3832 State Route 6, Tunkhannock. For more information, visit www.mops.org or www.stpetestunkhannock.org. Call 570-836-2233.
AA meeting–Friday evenings at 8 p.m. at the Standing Stone Vesper Church spiritual building, River Road, Standing Stone Township. Open meeting, non-smoking.
Al-Anon meetings on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. in the upstairs kitchen of the Wyalusing Presbyterian Church. Open meeting, non-smoking.
Stevensville Birthday Club will meet Tuesday, April 1 at noon at OIP in Wyalusing. Joyce Sharer will be the baker.
American Legion Auxiliary Unit #534 — meeting will be held on April 10 at 6 p.m. at the post home. Members are urged to attend. Any member that is able to help with a dinner on April 12, please call Renee Stewart at 570-746-3370 or Ree Ann Ross, 570-746-1316 and leave a message. Also, desserts are needed.
PARSE: The Endless Mountains Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of the State Employees will meet at noon on Tuesday, April 8 at the American Legion at 912 Main St., Towanda. Please call John Benio, 570-278-2380 or Bernice Landmesser, 570-265-8812 for reservations.
Tuesday painters will meet on April 1 at St. Paul's Church in Montrose from 10 to noon. New members are encouraged to attend. For information, contact Chris Lathrop at 570-278- 2141 or email@example.com.
The annual meeting of the Retta Cemetery Association will be held at the Retta United Methodist Church with a covered dish dinner on April 5 at noon, followed by the meeting.
The North Flat Cemetery Association will hold its annual meeting on April 5 at 2 p.m. at the Jenningsville Township municipal building. All are encouraged to attend.
Wyalusing Relay for Life meeting will be held Tuesday, April 1 at the PS Bank, Rt. 6, Wyalusing. Committee meeting at 5:30 p.m.; team captain's meeting, 6 p.m. Remember submit your honorary chair by March 31.
Penny Socials
L.A.W.S. Penny Social, Saturday, March 29 at LeRaysville Community Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m. Drawing begins at 7:30. Refreshments, raffles, 50/50, door prizes.
WVHS Class of 1979 will a have a class reunion meeting at the Wyalusing Hotel on Thursday, April 3 at 6:30 p.m. Classmates are urged to call 570-721- 1396 or 570-721-1763 with current addresses.
Rummage Sales
Annual Good Stuff Yard Sale Wyalusing Presbyterian Church, Friday, April 4, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, April 5, 8 a.m. to noon.
Soup Sales
Homemade Soup Sale Saturday, March 29, 3 to 5:30 p.m. at Russell Hill United Methodist Church, Rt. 6 W, Tunkhannock. Soup, salad, rolls and homemade baked goods. No set charge, but all donations greatly appreciated. The church has containers or you may bring your own. For more information, call 570-833-2983.
Vendors Wanted
The Twin Tier Antique Tractor and Machinery Association is in search of food, crafts and flea market vendors for their 20th annual show, Tractors, Trucks and Treasures" on June 13, 14 and 15 in Rome. Please contact LaVonne Powell at 570-746-1989. Deadline for vendor application is May 10.
Look Good, Feel Better workshop on Monday, April 14 at Guthrie Cancer Center at 1:30 p.m. Please call 1-800-227- 2345 to register.
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Re: "Smoking ban gets a cool response in online CU poll," Nov. 30 news story.
Your article about the possible smoking ban at all University of Colorado campuses mentioned that only about 11 percent of the university population responded to the online poll. According to the e-mail that University of Colorado Denver students received on Nov. 13 containing the link to the survey, "access to the tobacco survey is restricted to university campus locations or through your university VPN."
I don't have a university VPN, so I would have had to use an on-campus computer to respond to the survey. As a full-time grad student at UC Denver, it's challenging enough to race from work to arrive on time to class, without trying to work in a moment to visit the computer lab. I believe there would have been more response to the survey had students been able to access it from off-campus computers.
Marissa Johnson, Littleton


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I like to treat my five- and seven-year-old sons, but I don't want them to believe Silly Bandz fall from heaven, or that my wallet is a magic dollar dispenser.
So every time they troll the grocery store with me or get tempted by the snacks for sale at summer camp, I try to impart little money lessons—and they're actually adding up.
Dollars and sense. Candy and ice cream at day camp are usually a dollar or less, and my sons didn't understand why I was reluctant to just hand over a buck or two. So I totted it up for them: $1 per boy, per day, comes to $10 a week. That number produced newfound respect for how much their snacks really cost. And respect is where responsible spending starts.
Size matters. The other day, I tossed a loaf of raisin bread in the grocery cart, remarking that it cost $3.50 a loaf. My seven-year-old piped up: "The Subway sandwich at camp is $3.50." Ding! "That's one sandwich," I said. "This is a whole loaf of bread—breakfast for you and your brother all week." And he got it. I could see him mentally comparing the idea of all those breakfasts against a measly six-inch hero.
No matter how you slice it... I let the kids buy pizza ($2 a slice)—but I usually stop them at one slice (they want more for competition's sake with their friends, not because they're hungry). I tell them: $2 may not be much money, but $4 is too much for a lunch they won't finish, especially when I have perfectly good food at home. I have to repeat myself (often!), but the other day I heard my older son say to the little guy, "You don't need two slices of pizza for lunch, you know."
Of course, I get regular reminders that this is a big learning curve for them—and me. Yesterday was supposed to be Carnival Day, and I gave the kids $5 for the games and activities. Well, the carnival was postponed due to bad weather, but guess who spent the $5 on candy anyway? Sigh.
One step forward, five bucks back.
Denise Schipani blogs at Confessions of a Mean Mommy. She is the author of Mean Moms Rule: Why Doing the Hard Stuff Now Creates Good Kids Later.


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The Higher the Heels, the Closer to Heaven
Although we may be looking ahead to the Prom 2014 season, let's not forget that the holidays are close upon us. And if you're planning to attend one of those MUST GO TO New Years Eve parties, the glitz factor is highly essential. Choose a party evening dress that's daring and bold and opt for BLACK GOLD to ring in the new year in style. Up on today's fashion radar is this classic halter dress decked out in all the right doses of magnified glitz with fierce splashes of gold along the side torsos that taper the physique from top to bottom. And don't forget to pair it with these rockstar studded pair of platform stilettos from our Camille La Vie shoe closet. After all, we can't forget to highlight this pair for Shoesday Tuesday!


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Here we will take a glance at the Gross Margin Score of Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) shares. The stock currently has a score of 50. This score is derived from the Gross Margin (Marx) stability and growth over the previous eight years. The Gross Margin score works on a scale from 1 to 100 where a score of 1 would be considered positive, and a score of 100 would be seen as negative. The score of 50 for Australis Capital Inc. indicates that a further look into the shares is needed.
Free Cash Flow Growth (FCF Growth) is the free cash flow of the current year minus the free cash flow from the previous year, divided by last year's free cash flow. The FCF Growth of Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is . Free cash flow (FCF) is the cash produced by the company minus capital expenditure. This cash is what a company uses to meet its financial obligations, such as making payments on debt or to pay out dividends. The Free Cash Flow Score (FCF Score) is a helpful tool in calculating the free cash flow growth with free cash flow stability – this gives investors the overall quality of the free cash flow. The FCF Score of Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is . Experts say the higher the value, the better, as it means that the free cash flow is high, or the variability of free cash flow is low or both.
The Return on Invested Capital (aka ROIC) for Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is -0.022514. The Return on Invested Capital is a ratio that determines whether a company is profitable or not. It tells investors how well a company is turning their capital into profits. The ROIC is calculated by dividing the net operating profit (or EBIT) by the employed capital. The employed capital is calculated by subrating current liabilities from total assets. Similarly, the Return on Invested Capital Quality ratio is a tool in evaluating the quality of a company's ROIC over the course of five years. The ROIC Quality of Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is . This is calculated by dividing the five year average ROIC by the Standard Deviation of the 5 year ROIC. The ROIC 5 year average is calculated using the five year average EBIT, five year average (net working capital and net fixed assets). The ROIC 5 year average of Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is .
Shareholder Yield
The Shareholder Yield is a way that investors can see how much money shareholders are receiving from a company through a combination of dividends, share repurchases and debt reduction. The Shareholder Yield of Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is . This percentage is calculated by adding the dividend yield plus the percentage of shares repurchased. Dividends are a common way that companies distribute cash to their shareholders. Similarly, cash repurchases and a reduction of debt can increase the shareholder value, too. Another way to determine the effectiveness of a company's distributions is by looking at the Shareholder yield (Mebane Faber). The Shareholder Yield (Mebane Faber) of Australis Capital Inc. CNSX:AUSA is . This number is calculated by looking at the sum of the dividend yield plus percentage of sales repurchased and net debt repaid yield.
The Value Composite One (VC1) is a method that investors use to determine a company's value. The VC1 of Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is 68. A company with a value of 0 is thought to be an undervalued company, while a company with a value of 100 is considered an overvalued company. The VC1 is calculated using the price to book value, price to sales, EBITDA to EV, price to cash flow, and price to earnings. Similarly, the Value Composite Two (VC2) is calculated with the same ratios, but adds the Shareholder Yield. The Value Composite Two of Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is 66.
Key Ratios
Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) presently has a current ratio of 27.77. The current ratio, also known as the working capital ratio, is a liquidity ratio that displays the proportion of current assets of a business relative to the current liabilities. The ratio is simply calculated by dividing current liabilities by current assets. The ratio may be used to provide an idea of the ability of a certain company to pay back its liabilities with assets. Typically, the higher the current ratio the better, as the company may be more capable of paying back its obligations.
Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA)'s Leverage Ratio was recently noted as . This ratio is calculated by dividing total debt by total assets plus total assets previous year, divided by two. The leverage of a company is relative to the amount of debt on the balance sheet. This ratio is often viewed as one measure of the financial health of a firm.
The Price to book ratio is the current share price of a company divided by the book value per share. The Price to Book ratio for Australis Capital Inc. CNSX:AUSA is 7.42547. A lower price to book ratio indicates that the stock might be undervalued. Similarly, Price to cash flow ratio is another helpful ratio in determining a company's value. The Price to Cash Flow for Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is -247.743809. This ratio is calculated by dividing the market value of a company by cash from operating activities. Additionally, the price to earnings ratio is another popular way for analysts and investors to determine a company's profitability. The price to earnings ratio for Australis Capital Inc. (CNSX:AUSA) is -67.340801. This ratio is found by taking the current share price and dividing by earnings per share.


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Wibros needed a new button or icon design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 37 designs submitted by 15 freelance designers.
Cuckoo Palace
The Cuckoo-Palace is an exclusive Webshop for German Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks
Our customers are mainly middle aged or older people from all over the World. Most of them come from the USA and GBR and some -but not all - have a german background.
Please submit two Banners according two the brief.
1 banner Leaderbord size
1 Banner Skyscraper size
We are looking for 2 different Banner-Ads: For the Category "German Cuckoo Clocks [text on Banner]" use these sizes
Leaderboard (728 x 90) / Wide Skyscraper (160 x 600)
Use these Product -photos if possible:
The general Design should be in the colors of the shop.
Make good use of our product Photos.. most important factor is the use of good photos. You can have more than one photo on a banner if it looks good.


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Greetings all,
My two roommates and I recently moved into an apartment in Lower Haight and we're dead-set on learning how to kiteboard. We've bought a few DVDs and an instructional land kite (Slingshot's Wasp II), and we're currently saving up money for wetsuits and lessons. The point of this post is mainly just to seek out some good advice and or assistance. Aside from a few questions that I'll list below, is there anyone out there who would like to teach three chill dudes the basics for a few hours? The lessons I've looked at seem to be running ~$300/person for three hours. The three of us would be willing to dish-out ~$500 for a few hours of good instruction. We're all coordinated 22 years old who swam in college so our safety around water shouldn't worry you whatsoever. Beers on us after the session.
General questions:
Is there a particular kind of wet suit that one should buy to kiteboard? (maybe one that restricts your arms less?)
Where's the best place to purchase used gear?
Where's the easiest / safest place for a beginner to start kiteboarding?
Thanks in advance for any advice -- have a pumpin' New Years


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Super 8 Myrtle Beach hotels are provided below. Search for cheap and discount Super 8 hotel rates in Myrtle Beach, SC for your upcoming individual or group travel. We list the best Super 8 Myrtle Beach hotels/properties so you can review the Myrtle Beach Super 8 hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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text: Remington SAUM 40X Remington Eddystone Model 1917 30.06 Remington 770 .243Win Remington Model 700 VTR Centerfire Rifle... Model 783? Synthetic Heavy Barrel Thread... Guns Rifles Remington Rifles Modern Bolt Action Non Model Tactical Remington . WIM NIB NO CC FEES | 1389 | 116 | Lc | 312.4833ms View Category Remington 700 .300 WIM NIB NO CC FEES For Sale from Shooters Vault | Positive feedback: 95% View | Verified Seller | 614 Completed Sales View Sellers Items /UserImages/122510/901555563 8399111.jpg /UserImages/122510/901555563 8399112.jpg /UserImages/122510/901555563 8399113.jpg /UserImages/122510/901555563 8399114.jpg Description: Remington 700 .300 WIM NIB NO CC FEES Bell and Carlson M40 tactical stock – solid urethane combined with aramid, graphite and fiberglass •Aluminum bedding block for added accuracy and an extra swivel for bi-pod •26" heavy contour barrel with matte finish, perfectly matched to its high-velocity caliber offerings •Concave target-style barrel crown •X-Mark Pro® externally adjustable trigger •Drilled and tapped for scope mounts Shooter's Vault DOES NOT CHARGE CREDIT CARD FEES !!! Shooter's Vault has 2 locations to choose from in Phoenix AZ. We are a Family owned brick and mortar business. Our Hours of operation are: M-F 9-7 and Sat 9-6 Like us on Facebook under Shooter's Vault and Shooter's Vault Happy Valley to see Contact info and NEW product updates. You can find us on the web. Google search for Shooter's Vault and we will pop up. We are a CLASS III NFA dealer! Call us for details on purchasing and/or filling out of paper work. Seller reserves the right to end the auction at any time. All items are sold as is no exchanges or returns. Items that are used/on consignment will have a release date per state requirements. Please refer to the description above or contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns. When you select your FFL Dealer they can fax or email their FFL Documents. Please allow 1-3 business days for items to ship once payment and FFL are received. Shipping is at the Buyers cost. We ship Long guns UPS Ground for $25.00. Handguns are shipped USPS priority mail or UPS ground for $18.00. The shipping is non insured. If buyer wants insurance we will ship at the actual insurance cost rate per item. Once payment and FFL are received we will email you a tracking/delivery confirmation number. Stop by our stores, give us a call, or email us with any questions. 3202 E Greenway Rd, Phoenix AZ, 85032 Phone (602) 971 8600 Fax (602) 971 8603 Read More Condition: New In Box Caliber: .300 Winmag Location: AZ Trades Accepted: No Read More No Credit Card Fees with any transaction. Seller reserves the right to end the auction at any time. Shooter's Vault is a retail location in Phoenix, Arizona. SO Please call, email or stop by with any questions and availability of item being bid on. You may also visit our website at Shooter's Vault does NOT charge a 3% fee for credit card purchases. Shipping Notes: BUYER PAYS SHIPPING Read More Share Item Item #: 901555563 Shooters Vault Seller Since: Aug. 2010 Seller Level: Verified This seller is an FFL City: Phoenix State: AZ Price: SOLD Shipping: $25.00 (or Arrange local transfer) Accepted Payment Methods: Returns: No Returns Your Recently Viewed Items


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dublin city gallery the hugh lane | admission free | DÁNLANN CHATHAIR BHAILE ÁTHA CLIATH
General Enquiriese: email@example.com: +353 1 222 5550
Mystical Anarchism is the title for an ongoing project that developed out of an initial collaboration between artist Clodagh Emoe and the
Sleepwalkers is the title for an investigational programming format based on 'exhibition making' where one's non-specific expectations of museums
In the world I live showcases an installation of works by internationally acclaimed Irish artist Lawrence Carroll. Carroll's works reflect the
3 – 4pm
Shades of Autumn
Sketching workshops take place in the Gallery on Sundays from 3pm-4pm.
Sunday 18th November, 3pm
Film Screening: Rodin - The Sculptors'
Avenues into Modern and Contemporary Art Saturday 6 October 2012 – Saturday 9 March 2013 (excluding October Bank Holiday
Taking place on Saturdays from 12.30pm-2.30pm and led by artists Felicity Clear and Beth O'Halloran, Life Drawing is for those
Taking place on saturday mornings from 10.00am-Noon and led by artists Felicity Clear and Beth
Dublin City of Science 2012Imaginative SkyCelebrating Dublin City of Science 2012, Imaginative
Academy Chamber EnsembleHugh Tinney pianoFionnuala Hunt violinJohn Lynch violaChristopher Marwood cello
Timpeall an ChúinneTagann Leanaí ar an SaolAnseo an Nua-Ealaín
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Local residents and businesses rely on us to help secure their financial futures, but our commitment doesn't end there. We believe that in order to build long-lasting relationships with our clients, we also have to serve the local communities in which they live and work. Here's how we are making a difference in our communities.
To the Community
Our community involvement through charitable organizations and civic events is deeply important to us and our time and resources invested are additional reasons we've earned trust from so many in this area.
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Our working environment is characterized by teamwork, trust and cooperation. We work together to serve you. We honor our commitments and hold ourselves and each other accountable. We support the best in each other and know we can be the best financial services organization in the area. We are determined to succeed.
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SACRAMENTO — California voters have yet to strongly embrace Gov. Jerry Brown's controversial plan to shift money from rich schools to poor ones, an ominous sign as he works to win support for the idea from skeptical lawmakers and the state's powerful teachers unions.
A new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found that 50% of respondents agreed with such a move, to help school districts that serve low-income children and English-language learners.
But a significant minority, 39%, opposed the plan, which is embedded in the governor's budget blueprint and is the centerpiece of his education agenda. Brown has described his bid as "a classic case of justice to unequals."
Support broke along ethnic and socioeconomic lines, with 67% of Latinos backing the proposal, compared with 42% of whites.
Voters solidly endorsed a separate Brown proposal to give school districts more control over the state funds they receive, with 59% in favor. Only 41% approved of a legislative effort to make it easier for local governments to raise more education money through parcel taxes — a priority for many Democratic lawmakers.


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Oil above $104 after US GDP, supply reports
NEW YORK — The price of oil rose above $104 a barrel Wednesday, a day after hitting a four-week low. But traders say further gains are unlikely.
Benchmark oil was up $1.25 to $104.33 per barrel at midday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil fell $1.47 Tuesday to finish at $103.08 per barrel, the lowest closing price since July 3.
Traders had plenty of data to assess Wednesday. The government said the economy grew at a better-than-expected annual rate of 1.7 percent in the second quarter. And a survey by payroll company ADP showed U.S. businesses created a healthy 200,000 jobs this month.
The Energy Department said oil supplies rose by 400,000 barrels last week — the first increase in five weeks — although supplies at the crucial Cushing, Okla., hub for benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude were down by 1.9 million barrels.
The price of benchmark WTI was up 7 percent this month as of Tuesday. Analysts say any further gains in oil prices should be limited because of abundant supplies.
The government said gasoline supplies rose as well last week, up 800,000 barrels. Demand for gasoline increased by 3.2 percent in the four weeks ended July 26 compared with a year earlier.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch issued a report Wednesday that said rising production in the U.S. and slowing growth in emerging markets should constrain oil prices. The research firm said that "unless a deteriorating geopolitical outlook in the Middle East results in further crude oil supply disruptions, the rally in WTI prices is unlikely to persist."
Later Wednesday the Federal Reserve will give an updated assessment of the U.S. economy when it wraps up a two-day meeting in Washington.
On Friday the release of employment data for July will be examined for hints about future energy demand in the world's No. 1 economy.
Brent crude, traded on the ICE Futures exchange in London, rose 13 cents to $107.04 per barrel.
In other energy futures trading on Nymex:
— Wholesale gasoline was flat at $2.97 a gallon.
— Heating oil rose 3 cents to $3.04 a gallon.
— Natural gas rose 1 cent to $3.44 per 1,000 cubic feet.


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Contact Bounce Energy
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Olympic Track Star Of The Week: Australia's Michelle Jenneke Dancing At Junior World Championship In Barcelona! (Women's 100 Meter Hurdles)
Michelle Jenneke
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Good for special occasions. Orin Swift "Abstract" Greneche Blend
More posts
- Orin swift Abstract 2014
- Orin swift abstract. Barclay prime. 32nd birthday
- 2012 Abstract from Orin Swift cellars. Only magnum ever bought, this wine is that good. Lush and ethereal. A joy to sip
- Orin swift - abstract. Couldn't pass up this cool label! $25 at Mariano's. Blend w Berry & licorice flavors
- Abstract by Orin Swift- tasted at the Republic of Texas and loved it.


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Bounti76 wrote:I found Flamewar, Hyperspeed Wheeljack and Quickblade Bumblbee at a local Wal-Mart, but they're not on the sightings page.
I saw them at the Southcenter/Tukwila Target in Washington state a couple nights ago and came to report them, but no, they aren't in the Sightings system yet.
Wheeljack has a different red pattern in car mode, but seems similar otherwise (aside from the gun instead of swords).


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Though the Irish government has been working with the Irish lobby for passage of an E-3 work visa, the U.S. elections have placed plans on hold until Congress returns at the end of November.
Speaking to media at the Irish Consulate in New York last week, Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said that while "quite a lot" of work has been done to secure eventual passage of an E-3 program that would allow the Irish to live and work in the U.S. on a temporary basis, there are no new developments to report.
Gilmore, who was in New York to lead the Irish delegation at the United Nations, also met with representatives of the Irish immigration centers throughout the country. He announced that the Irish government would once again provide funding for their work with an allocation of $2,103,000 which will be disbursed to 29 organizations.
"We had a useful discussion about the issues – social services, problems with J-1 visas, older immigrants," Gilmore said of the meeting.
"And we also talked about what needs to be done on a political level to land an E-3 visa. There's been quite an amount of work done on a cross party basis with Senator (Charles) Schumer and Senator (Scott) Brown."
Gilmore, without elaborating, said an agreed text for a possible E-3 program has been put in place. "Now what needs to be done is to look at how that is brought through the House of Representatives and brought into legislation," he added.
While in New York, Gilmore also met with Bloomberg News to speak about the Irish economy, and labor movement officials.


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- Home
- MSC Cruises MSC Cruises
- MSC Bellissima MSC Bellissima
- Grand Voyages Cruise Grand Voyages Cruise
$3120total per person Show cabin types
Balcony Stateroom - Fantastica ExperienceAll beds can be both single or double (on request) Spacious wardrobe, bathroom with shower or tub,...
$7717total per person Show cabin types
MSC Yacht Club Deluxe SuiteAll beds can be both single or double (on request). Spacious wardrobe, bathroom with large shower. ...
Balcony Stateroom - Fantastica Experience
- All beds can be both single or double (on request)
- Spacious wardrobe, bathroom with shower or tub, interactive TV, telephone, Wifi connection available (for a fee), mini bar, air conditioning and safe.
- Surface approxim. 19 sq.m.
*Size, layout and furniture may vary from that shown (within the same cabin category). The image is representative only.
- Fantastica Experience
Fantastica Experience offers all the benefits of the Bella Experience plus a range of extra privileges:
- Cabins on the upper decks and in the most desirable areas of the ship
- More dining flexibility. You can switch your preferred dinnertime after booking or after boarding.
- Room service 24 hours a day
- Connecting SuperFamily Cabins
- Dedicated educational and recreational activities for children such as Doremi Chef cookery courses with MSC Cruises staff
- MSC Voyagers Club points to earn discounts on your next cruise and other benefits
MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite
- All beds can be both single or double (on request). Spacious wardrobe, bathroom with large shower.
- Interactive TV, telephone. Wifi connection available (for a fee), mini bar, coffee machine, safe and air conditioning.
- Surface approxim. 28 sq.m., with balcony.
* Size, layout and furniture may vary from that shown (within the same cabin category).The image is representative only.
- MSC Yacht Club benefits
- Dedicated priority check-in and check-out
- Butler service available 24 hours
- Dedicated concierge 24 hours a day
- Relaxation amenities in each suite (including bathrobe and slippers)
- Unlimited drinks in all MSC Yacht Club areas including the mini-bar in your suite. Unlimited beverage selection will also be available in all bars and restaurants of the ship according to the drink selection available in the each venue.
- Free Thermal Suite and direct private lift to the MSC Aurea Spa
- 24-hour room service (delivery is free)
- Earn MSC Voyagers Club points
- Lavishly fitted suites with ergonomic mattresses, fine sheets, pillow menu, marble bathroom, LCD TV, ample mini-bar
- All-inclusive lunches and dinners in the private MSC Yacht Club restaurant
- Free time dining at dedicated restaurant
- Entry to exclusive areas The One Sun Deck and Top Sail Lounge
- Access to all ship's amenities (bars and lounges, specialty restaurants, pools…)
- Premium 20-hours-a-day buffet (gourmet menu for every moment of the day)
- Varied programme of Broadway-style theatre shows available almost every day
- Entertainment activities for adults, infants and children (Clubs…)
- Recreational activities for children: foreign language learning games and Doremi Chef cooking sessions with our onboard staff (subject to availability)
- Open-air sports facilities (Power Walking Track, Basketball…)
- Extremely well-equipped gym with panoramic view
Multiple Decks
Balcony Fantastica Cabin - Category B2
Multiple Decks
MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite Category YC1
Please note: All prices featured are per person (unless otherwise stated), and include non commission fares (taxes, fees and port expenses). Prices and availability are subject to change due to changes made by the Cruise Companies. Prices quoted are based on payments made via BPAY or bank transfer. Visa and Mastercard payments incur a 1.5% transaction fee.
Day 1Barcelona Depart: Mon, Nov 11, 2019 @ 20:00
Day 2Marseille
Arrive: Tue, Nov 12, 2019 @ 09:00
Depart: Tue, Nov 12, 2019 @ 17:00
Day 3Genoa
Arrive: Wed, Nov 13, 2019 @ 08:00
Depart: Wed, Nov 13, 2019 @ 18:00
Day 4Rome (Civitavecchia)
Arrive: Thu, Nov 14, 2019 @ 07:00
Depart: Thu, Nov 14, 2019 @ 17:00
Day 5At Sea
Fri, Nov 15, 2019
Day 6Heraklion (Crete)
Arrive: Sat, Nov 16, 2019 @ 13:30
Depart: Sat, Nov 16, 2019 @ 18:30
Day 7Suez Canal Transit, Egypt
Arrive: Sun, Nov 17, 2019 @ 19:00
Depart: Sun, Nov 17, 2019 @ 19:30
Day 8Suez Canal Transit, Egypt
Arrive: Mon, Nov 18, 2019 @ 15:00
Depart: Mon, Nov 18, 2019 @ 15:30
Day 9Aqaba
Arrive: Tue, Nov 19, 2019 @ 08:00
Depart: Tue, Nov 19, 2019 @ 18:00
Day 10At Sea
Wed, Nov 20, 2019
Day 11At Sea
Thu, Nov 21, 2019
Day 12At Sea
Fri, Nov 22, 2019
Day 13At Sea
Sat, Nov 23, 2019
Day 14At Sea
Sun, Nov 24, 2019
Day 15Muscat, Oman
Arrive: Mon, Nov 25, 2019 @ 09:00
Depart: Mon, Nov 25, 2019 @ 18:00
Day 16Khasab
Arrive: Tue, Nov 26, 2019 @ 09:00
Depart: Tue, Nov 26, 2019 @ 18:00
Day 17At Sea
Wed, Nov 27, 2019
Day 18Doha
Arrive: Thu, Nov 28, 2019 @ 07:00
Depart: Thu, Nov 28, 2019 @ 16:00
Day 19Dubai Arrive: Fri, Nov 29, 2019 @ 08:00
Onboard experience
- MSC Bellissima's main restaurants serve a mouthwatering blend of freshly prepared Mediterranean cuisine and international specialities in elegant surroundings.
- Open 20 hours a day, the buffet offers an impressive array of Mediterranean specialities and international dishes produced in open kitchens. Family fare, ethnic cuisine, healthy options and a multitude of other tastes and dietary needs are catered for, round the clock.
- Butcher's Cut - The American-style steakhouse serves select prime cuts from around the world, accompanied by bold New World wines and cocktails with swagger.
- Kaito Teppanyaki Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Tradition and modernity go hand in hand in this stylish teppanyaki restaurant and sushi bar. This charming venue offers deliciously authentic Asian cuisine prepared on the spot with only the freshest, highest quality ingredients.
Nightclubs & Lounges
- Party with friends, enjoy a nightcap or simply dance into the small hours at the stylish onboard nightclub.
- This high-tech, multi-purpose space houses a radio broadcast suite and a TV studio broadcasting live games, quizzes, talent contests and other fun content across the ship. It also serves as an atmospheric comedy club, karaoke bar and live music venue.
Bars and Lounges
- Champagne Bar - The stylish Champagne Bar offers a vast choice of champagne, prosecco and other bubblies from around the world, accompanied by a mouthwatering array of caviar, oysters and crab.
- Carousel Lounge - Designed to host exclusive shows by the world-famous Cirque du Soleil every evening, the 1000 m2 Carousel Lounge is also a dining venue and becomes a lively disco after the two shows each night.
Stage Shows
- Twice every night, six nights a week, here is the unique opportunity to see original shows by Cirque du Soleil, the world leader in live artistic entertainment, and savour a superb culinary experience in the same glamorous venue. The Carousel Lounge is a technology-packed, entertainment and dining venue designed especially to meet the needs of Cirque du Soleil. This custom-built lounge covers 1,000 sq.m. and can accommodate up to 450 guests, including 100 enjoying the full show-and-dining experience. *Available From 16 July 2017
Video Arcade
- For the young and the young at heart, two Formula 1 virtual-reality racing cars compete head-to-head in a race that will get hearts racing.
Sports & Fitness
- For the first time at sea, a full-size bowling alley where you can challenge friends and family until the last pin!
- The large and spacious amusement park provides a large arena where you can play sports and games during the daytime... then socialise and dance the evenings away.
Kids Club
- Baby Club - Children from 1 to 3 years old can enjoy activities and games designed in partnership with Chicco.
- Mini and Juniors clubs - Kids from 3 to 11 years of age can participate in a whole host of fun activities thanks to our partnership with LEGO®. A great selection of LEGO® bricks and equipment are available in our Mini and Juniors Clubs. What's more, every cruise includes a special event, the LEGO® Experience On Board: an entire day dedicated to fun LEGO activities for the whole family to enjoy.
- Teens clubs - MSC Meraviglia offers two teenagers'' clubs, one for 12-14 year olds and another for 15-17 year olds. In addition, a teens-only area serves as cinema, gaming room and disco ensuring, depending on the time of day, that teenagers are always entertained.
Water Activites
- One of the most intricate and exciting water parks at sea, with three twisting slides, a 'Himalayan Bridge' and a range of pools, features and activities for all ages.
With everything from premium watches to custom jewellery and classic duty-free, together with swimwear, sunglasses and designer clothing tailored to the region of your cruise, you'll find just what you're after - whether it's an essential item you forgot at home, a special gift or a unique souvenir.
Ship info
MSC Bellissima will offer a stunning array of features to rival those of her sister ship, MSC Meraviglia. First of all, innovative MSC for Me technology provides an enhanced onboard experience, connecting you to your fellow guests, the crew and the ship itself. The two-deck inside promenade features a spectacular 260-foot-long LED dome, and is lined with places to shop, eat and drink. There are 20 bars and 10 restaurants to choose from, including specialty restaurants. For entertainment, you can enjoy 2 brand new Cirque du Soleil® shows designed especially for MSC Bellissima, and relax in the desert themed Water Park - an oasis for kids and families.
- Vessel: MSC Bellissima
- Year: 2019
- Beam: 141
- Cruising speed: 23
- Casino : 1
- Gross Tonnage: 167.600 tons
- Onboard Currency: Euro
- Passenger Capacity: 5,714
- Restaurants: 2
- Aquapark
- Baby Club
- Comedy Club
- F1 Virtual-reality Racing Cars
- Full Size Bowling Alley
- Karaoke Bar
- Mini and Juniors Clubs
- Nightclub
- Sports Centre
- Teens Clubs
- TV Studio
MSC Bellissima - Deck Plans
Cruise code: BE20191111BCNDXB
20 Nights
Grand Voyages Cruise
- Departing from Barcelona
- MSC Bellissima
Book a cruise by 28 February and your beverages could be included. Ask us how much to upgrade to include this on your fare, Applicable to selected categories only
- Private ensuite
- Flat screen TV for in-cabin entertainment
- In cabin safe
- All main meals
- Musical stage shows and entertainment
- Special guest entertainers
- Latest release movies (in cabin and on big screen)
- Choice of Bars and Lounges
Terms and conditions for this cruise
You might also like these related cruise deals
You might also like these related cruise deals
Did you know?
Most cabins accommodate up to 4 guests. You might need several cabins.
No worries!
We can still help you.
- You will need to complete this booking first. Enquire now and proceed to the final steps.
- Once done, we will offer you a way to come back and book the next cabin.
Easier to talk? 1300646691


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It was a long, drawn-out harvest season this year, with a seemingly endless string of 12-, 14- and 17-hour days.
As we were standing in the yard, doing some machinery maintenance one day, there was suddenly a loud break in the serenity. And, no, I'm not talking about an impact wrench or a pneumatic chisel being put to use. It was a vehicle coming down the road from the west. This was not just any vehicle, though. No, it was a vehicle driven by someone whose Midas Muffler punch card wasn't close to full. The loud roar from the oncoming unit was quite impressive. Without seeing it, we were all pretty confident it wouldn't be a Buick with a blue-haired lady behind the wheel and her seatbelt hanging out the bottom of the door. It would probably be some kid in something of the hopped-up variety.
Not to be outdone in the audio arena, the roar of the un-muffled muffler was quickly overshadowed by another vehicle with a distinctly whining sound.
A siren.
My, my, my! Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we were about to have us a high-speed chase right here in our midst! Talk about your front-row seats!
Sure enough, an ATV went zipping by at an exceedingly high rate of speed and an exceedingly high decibel level. Not far behind it was a plain-Jane, half-ton Ford pickup with its siren wailing like mad. Off the top of my head, I can't say that I'd ever seen an undercover cop driving a vanilla pickup, and I was pretty sure most farmers didn't have cop-quality sirens in their trucks. Of course, the brief glimpse we had of the chase didn't really give me or anyone else enough time to thoroughly observe and memorize the truck. Maybe we missed a decal or something and it was Walker, Texas Ranger behind the wheel.
Nevertheless, the chase proceeded down the road to the east of us. Then, just as quickly as it began, it changed course. Johnny Lightning on the ATV decided to ditch the guy with the siren. His escape route of choice? Take a sharp right, drive down through the semi-steep ditch and then head out across MY HAYFIELD!
Interesting theory on Johnny's part. Seeing as how it's a large field (about 55 acres), he'd have plenty of real estate to cover to get away from The Heat, a.k.a. Chuck Norris. The field is shaped somewhat like the state of Nevada and it appears to extend well beyond the horizon. What Johnny Lightning didn't know was that the horizon actually has a fence just on the other side of it before you get to the timber. The other thing he didn't realize is that we have shortages of many things here in our operation, but field driveways are not on that list. Less than 50 yards away from Johnny's daring ditch maneuver was a driveway. Walker, Texas Ranger motored down the road the full 44 yards and then made a sharp right into the field.
That sort of changed the whole game. We'd gone from a narrow, defined field of play to more of a wide-open spaces kind of a thing. It was like switching from a slot car race from the 1970s to more of an air-hockey match. Keep in mind that Guy No. 1, The Chairman Emeritus and I were watching the whole thing from right across the road. We knew the layout of the course, and we had a pretty good idea how the game was going to end. The fun part was that the hayfield in question would be going to corn next season, so any damage to my hay would be of no consequence. More damage sort of meant more entertainment, as far as we were concerned. We were hoping maybe a demo derby of sorts would break out, or at least an episode of Destroyed in Seconds.
Sure enough, we were not disappointed. Johnny Lightning made a couple of attempts to outfox Chuck Norris by trying to zig when Chuck zagged. It was a valiant attempt, but fruitless.
In this Nevada-shaped field, there's a small corner similar to the area near Las Vegas. That area of Nevada has the Hoover Dam to contain the Colorado River on a daily basis. That area of my hayfield has an electric fence to contain my cows on a periodic basis. Johnny Lightning didn't stop to get his fence tester out first to see if the fence was hot. He decided to play the lottery and go through the fence. What Johnny didn't realize is that I've made fence for a while and have halfway figured out how to keep it tight when critters try to go through it on a regular basis. Sure, it's not a barbwire fence, but if you've ever seen a vet use a wire saw to remove horns or deliver a calf in pieces that had died during the birth process, you know how the concept of small wire and fast friction works. If you don't, let's just say . . . it does.
My fence rearranged Johnny's GPS coordinates. He apparently took a header over the front rack of his ATV when it met the fence. That pretty much sealed his fate in the getaway portion of the competition he was having with Chuck Norris. Chuck stayed with Johnny the whole time, because Chuck is no Barney Fife. In fact, I think he earned a great deal of respect from young Johnny during their escapade. Johnny finally came to a stop in the middle of the field, fully aware that getting away from Chuck Norris is not the same as eluding some town cop in a Dodge Diplomat.
By that time, they were far enough into the hayfield that we couldn't tell exactly what was going on, but I had my camera handy to document the outcome. I took the attached photo as soon as the dust settled, so to speak. No, Johnny Lightning is not standing there in a peaceful, respectful, contemplative manner, leaning forward, deep in thought. His hands are CUFFED behind his back.
We watched for a little while and didn't really see much else going on, so I decided to proceed with the afternoon's activities. I had a load of round bales on behind the Ranch Hand. They were to be delivered to a customer not far away. With the situation in the field apparently in check, I hopped in the Ranch Hand and embarked on my delivery. Just as I got in the cab and fired up the engine, Chuck Norris pulled into the driveway and parked to one side. I stopped to get out and chat with him to see what was up and whether he wanted me to retrieve the ATV from the field.
Chuck said someone would be there to pick it up. He and Johnny would just wait there in the driveway until the rest of the posse arrived. Chuck, as it turns out, is an Iowa Department of Natural Resources officer. Johnny got busted by a game warden. Not exactly an episode of NYPD Blue. More like The Rockford Files. Okay, maybe Reno911!
I got in the Ranch Hand and headed down the road. I didn't get very far when I looked in my mirror and saw a vaguely familiar sight. It was the Cresco Rural Fire Department's rescue vehicle. That's the same one they brought to my round baler fire last fall. I pulled into the nearby field driveway. (See? We got 'em EVERYWHERE!) and got out of the cab to talk to the fire crew. They shot right past me and kept going south as I walked to the roadway. Not far behind them was a guy who was driving his Iowa State Patrol car. Looked to me like we were getting the full gamut of badges, lights and sirens that day.
I waved the officer down as he went by. He quickly threw it in Reverse and pulled up next to me on the shoulder. I asked if he was looking for a high-speed pursuit. He smiled broadly and sheepishly admitted he was. So then I told him to go back to the corner he just passed, take a right and go a half mile east. The suspect would be waiting for him at the end of the driveway in the back seat of Chuck Norris's truck.
The trooper thanked me kindly. I figured he would then either pull into my field driveway and turn around, or do a three-point turn on the extremely wide roadway and be on his way.
Nope and nope. With no engine revving, no dust, no spin-outs, and no tracks whatsoever, the guy made one smooth motion and did a complete one-eighty right in front of me like his Crown Vic was on some sort of Gravel Lazy Susan.
This guy and his car had the agility of the GuyNo2Mobile when it comes to turning around in tight spaces! For all of the times I had been to the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy to help my sister teach a class to new recruits, I should have skipped the classroom part on eyewitness reports and stuck around for the offensive driving portion of the curriculum. Learning a maneuver like that would be worth it!
I proceeded to deliver my load of hay without incident. This was probably the second-best "pressed-for-time-because..." story I've ever had with a delivery. My best story was when I took a load to guy around 4:45 in the afternoon on February 23, 1999. I told him I needed to get going, because I had to be in Des Moines the next morning.
"Oh, for another Cattlemen's Association meeting?" he inquired.
"Uh, no. I need to be at the hospital at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Gonna have brain surgery."
That sort of captures a person's attention and pretty much gives you the floor for discussion. I told him it wasn't as bad as it sounded, and he'd be able to watch it himself, because the whole thing would be on KWWL in another week or so.
So that's why rolling into a yard and announcing, "I'da been here sooner, but there was this high-speed chase...." sort of comes in second behind "Gotta go have televised brain surgery."
In my world, it's all just another day at the office.
Once I got back home, I noticed that Johnny Lightning's chariot was still parked in the field. Chuck Norris and the state trooper had gone out to the scene to inspect things. They had Guy No. 1 go with them to get an idea of what things were supposed to look like before all the commotion. Sort of a victim impact statement, I guess. They looked at the electric fence and asked, "Was it hot when he went through it?"
Guy No. 1 informed them that it was not juiced. They seemed a little disappointed.
I made some calls and did some research that night and the next day. Turns out that Johnny Lightning is very, very familiar with Lady Justice. They've been going steady for years. If you look up "recidivist" in the dictionary, you will see Johnny's picture. Look up the word in a thesaurus and he's pictured there, too.
I'll admit it. I slept a little better that night knowing that an officer like Chuck Norris is in charge of protecting the deer, turkeys and trout in my area. I'll also have way more respect for wimpy little Plain-Jane half-ton trucks, too, especially if Chuck Norris is behind the wheel.
Why? Because Chuck Norris once ordered a Big Mac at a Burger King…and got one.
Guy No. 2


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Our lawn care range has a product for everyone who wants to care for, or repair their lawn. With big brands like Aftercut and Westland, these products help with everything from patching, controlling weeds and moss, and even child and pet friendly fertilisers.
We aim to make the best products for your garden, so you can get the best results!
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This jacket in lightweight nylon by Moncler Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara, collection no. 7 of the Moncler Genius project, nods to the backstage of concerts. The rounded shape is detailed in ultra lightweight materials, perfect to be worn anytime in the city.
- Product details
Product details
- Lightweight nylon packable jacket
- Down quilted
- Snap storm placket closure
- Die-cast zipper side pockets
- Collection code printed on left sleeve Printed lightning bolt logo on back Tricolour Moncler FRAGMENT® label at bottom back
- Short length
- Composition & Care
Item Composition & Care
CompositionEXTERIOR: 100% Polyamide / Nylon; LINING: 100% Polyamide / Nylon; PADDING: 90% Down, 10% Feather; OUTER APPLICATION: 100% Polyester
Hand wash; Do not bleach; Do not tumble dry; Ironing maximum temperature 110°C - without steam; Do not dry clean; Do not professionally wet clean; Dry flat; Do not twist or wring; Do not iron decorations; Remove detachable accessories before washing; It is advisable to wash and iron with the garment on reverse.
- Product Advice
Product AdviceOur style advisors are available for tips and information about this item from Monday to Friday, from 10am to 7pm CET
- Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
We offer a speedy Express shipping service. We also provide free pick up for your returns: you have 15 days from delivery to follow our quick and easy return procedure. For further information visit the Returns and Refunds section.
Thanks to the "Pick up in Boutique" option you can choose to pick up your order in one of the Moncler boutiques. This service is complimentary.
Military green
Pastel blue


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Or at least that is what I keep telling myself. I realize there are those of you out there who may be frowning at someone who is hoping for a bit of cooler weather, after all this is Wisconsin and it'll be here sooner then any of us wants it. However, I must confess that Fall is one of my favorite seasons, the crispness in the air and of course those foods that we enjoy as the days and nights turn cooler. I mean I just can't say that I can't wait to dig into a bracing hot bowl of soup….when it's 90+ degrees outside. My dear friend and neighbor (when we lived in our last home), we would joke that it wasn't officially Fall until Miss Lisa made her pumpkin bars, which if I may say are completely scrumptious. So I realize Lisa may not have made her pumpkin bars, but I decided to throw caution to the wind on this beautiful labor day weekend morning and try a new recipe that I found on Pinterest. It turns out that these pumpkin poppers are absolutely fabulous and quite easy and to answer your next question…our guests enjoyed them. One woman even asked to take the 2 she couldn't eat with her and enjoy them tomorrow. Personally for me I am sure if I had those in the car with me, they wouldn't make it all the way home (; So here is the Pumpkin Popper recipe that I first discovered on a blog called Just the Little things, and it turns out who we have to ultimately thank for this delicious recipe is a blog called Domestically Speaking, either way these are a winner and give them a try……your family and friends will thank you.
Pumpkin Poppers recipe from Domestically Speaking and Just the Little Things
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup pumpkin
- 1/2 cup milk
For Coating
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted (I used salted butter, I don't usually have unsalted butter on hand)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. cinnamon (I used Penzey's Spices Cinnamon)
Preheat oven to 350 F and spray mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine flour, baking soda,salt, and spices in a bowl and whisk until combine.
In another bowl, mix oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk. Pour in flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fill mini muffin tins until almost full and bake 10-12 minutes.
Melt butter in small bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl. After popper cool for a few minutes, dip them in the butter and roll them in the sugar mixture.


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Experimental Search for Quantum Gravity
Gravity Induced Grand Unification
Motivated by the lack of evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model in the TeV region, we discussed an alternative path for grand unification. We show that simple grand unification models based on e.g. SU(5) can work successfully even without low scale supersymmetry. In particular quantum gravitational effects could easily modify the unification conditions for the gauge and Yukawa couplings.
The three discrete symmetries of Quantum Mechanics, charge conjugation, parity, and time reversal, are all violated, singly or in pairs.
Quantum Gravity and the Weak Interactions
Non-thermal quantum black holes
The LHC has been running for over 2 years and the different experiments have accumulated enough data to find a new particle which could well be the Higgs boson, achieve Standard Model measurements with precision at the percent level, and seriously constrain a large variety of new physics scenarios, giving important hints on what the physics beyond the Standard Model can be and what it cannot be. This presentation will focus on ATLAS and CMS latest searches for new physics in events featuring signatures relevant to theories of quantum gravity.
Is aether technically natural?
I will discuss whether higher energy Lorentz violation should be considered a natural expectation in theories of quantum gravity with a preferred frame.
If spacetime is a causal set then Lorentz symmetry is unbroken
Quantum superpositions of the speed of light
Dynamical dimensional reduction and Asymptotic Safety
The effective average action approach to Quantum Einstein Gravity (QEG) is discussed as a natural framework for exploring the scale dependent Riemannian geometry and multifractal micro-structure of the effective spacetimes predicted by QEG. Their fractal properties are related to the functional RG flow on theory space, and the special role of the running cosmological constant is emphasized. The prospects of an experimental verification will also be discussed.
Dark Matter and Dark Energy as a Possible Manifestation of a Fundamental Scale
If we take the idea of the Planck length as a fundamental (minimum) scale and if additionally we impose the Cosmological Constant ($Lambda$) as and infrared (IR) cut-off parameter. Then it is possible to demonstrate that Dark Matter effects can emerge as a consequence of an IR-UV mix effect. This opens the possibility of unifying the Dark Energy and Dark matter effects in a single approach.
Quantum-gravity effects as noise for
gravity-wave detectors
I discuss a mechanism that can allow Planck scale effects to manifest themselves as a source of lof-frequency noise for interferometers. The mechanism requires a discrete formulation of dynamics at the Planck scale.
Dancing in the Dark: Images of Quantum Black Holes
There have recently been a number of rather surprising suggestions
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a cubic-kilometer-scale neutrino detector built into the ice sheet at the geographic South Pole. Completed in December 2010, the detector consists of an array of photomultiplier tubes deployed along 86 cables ("strings") at depths of 1450 to 2450 m, as well as the IceTop air shower array of surface Cherenkov tanks. IceCube is detecting atmospheric neutrinos of energies above approximately 100 GeV at a rate of ~6 per hour, and is currently searching for extraterrestrial neutrinos from cosmic ray accelerators. A measurement of the atmospheric neutr
Quantum Gravity at the origin of seeds of cosmic


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Beach MahjongPlay the alltime favorite tile game in summer style.
Sugar MahjongConnect all the candy mahjong stones. Sugar Mahjong has a hundred levels for you to enjoy.
Gold HuntDig a mine to find the hidden treasures! Destroy the blocks by matching blocks of the same color. Golden blocks and gem blocks give additional score!
ShuigoIn Shuigo you must connect 2 similar tiles. The line cannot bend more than 3 times.
Coffee MahjongDrink a cup of coffee with this relaxing Mahjong Solitaire game.
China Mahjong
Rate this game
Discover ancient China in this Mahjong Solitaire game. Combine 2 of the same mahjong tiles to remove them from the playing field.


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This may just be music to your ears if you are a home owner struggling with an underwater loan. The 2000's introduced creative financing to the home loan marketplace, and today many home owners struggle with refinancing their high interest mortgages. Fortunately, Bay Equity Home Loans can help eligible homeowners refinance into a low fixed rate mortgage. Determining eligibility takes just a few minutes, but the result can be life changing. Not every loan is eligible to so contact a Bay Equity Loan Officer to see if you can qualify.
What are the benefits of a refinancing with HARP?
This program is intended for Home Owners with negative equity whose loans are owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The loan must have been closed and sold to the investor prior to June 1, 2009. Bay Equity Home Loans is a mortgage lender specifically approved by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to offer this program to eligible home owners.


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Nawaf Bitar
Senior Vice President and General Manager, Security Business Unit, Juniper Networks, Inc.Nawaf Bitar joined Juniper Networks in April 2011 and today is Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Security Business Unit. In this role, Bitar is responsible for Juniper's security business including the overall strategy and execution. He is also a Venture Partner at Allegis Capital. Prior to joining Juniper, he served as Vice President of Engineering and Operations of Security Technology at Cisco Systems, Inc. He joined Cisco in 2007 when it acquired IronPort Systems, where he served as Senior Vice President of Engineering. Previously he served as Vice President of File Systems and Services at Network Appliance, Inc and held roles at Silicon Graphics, Inc. and Apollo Computer, Inc. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. degree.
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Green Wave fall to Bunnell, Vann in OT
NEW MILFORD -- New Milford had its chances, but Bunnell had Issac Vann and in the end that was the difference.
Vann scored six of his 22 points in overtime and Bunnell won its third straight game with a 53-50 victory over the Green Wave in an SWC matchup Monday at New Milford High School.
The game was a matchup of one of the SWC's top teams in Bunnell and a young New Milford team still learning how to win close games. The Bulldogs improved to 13-4 overall and 10-2 in the SWC, while the Green Wave fell to 4-13, 2-10.
"I'm really proud of the way we fought and how we played defense," New Milford coach Wayne Thrall said. "We did a good job making it hard for them, especially in the second half. We just didn't finish a few plays on offense down the stretch."
Sports Videos
The Green Wave made Vann and the Bulldogs work for their points for most of the game, and when the Bulldogs did get open looks, they were often unable to knock them down.
"We started out all right, but went cold and didn't really shoot the ball well," Bunnell coach Pat Yerina said. "We knew New Milford would play hard and sometimes you have these kind of games during a season and you have to find a way to pull it out."
Bunnell was fortunate to even get to overtime after a hectic closing sequence that pretty much summed up New Milford's season to date.
The Green Wave's Joey McKay made one of two free throws with 20 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 47. Teammate Drew Hansen rebounded McKay's miss and New Milford called a timeout.
The Bulldogs kept the ball away from McKay after he inbounded it, and New Milford turned it over on a traveling violation in the corner with 11 seconds on the clock.
Bunnell returned the favor with a walk with 2.4 seconds left and a last-second heave by New Milford was well short, sending the game to overtime.
"That has kind of been the story of the season for us," Thrall said. "We have some young kids out there in big spots and they are still learning, and as a team we are still learning how to win the close games."
It took nearly three minutes for someone to score in the extra period and that someone was Vann, who got isolated at the top of the key and hit a pull-up 15-footer to give Bunnell a 49-47 lead. New Milford missed a jumper that Vann rebounded and the senior hit both ends of a one-and-one to extend the lead to 51-47 with 12.3 seconds to play.
New Milford missed a 3 on the other end and Vann iced it with another pair of free throws. McKay scored the Green Wave's only points in overtime with a three-quarter-court 3-pointer at the horn.
"We are in a good spot. We are in the playoffs and have played pretty well lately," Yerina said. "We weren't flat and we didn't look past them. We hadn't played in a week and we had some really good practices, so we'll just move on. These kind of games can be good for you."
The Bulldogs got off to a fast start and led 17-7 after a first quarter paced by six points apiece by Vann and Ryan Pittman. The Green Wave cut the lead to 32-26 at the break and 42-38 entering the fourth.
While Vann finished with 22, he had just six in the third and four quarters combined as the Bulldogs managed only 15 points in that span and the Green Wave battled back.
Bunnell (13-4, 10-2)
Ryan Pittman 5 1-1 13, Kendall Streeter 2 0-0 5, Justin Townsend 2 2-4 7, Aaron Woods 1 0-0 2, Issac Vann 8 5-7 22, Donte Peeler 1 0-0 2, Romklyns Joseph 1 0-0 2. Totals: 20 8-12 53.
New Milford (4-13, 2-10)
Cam Cunningham 6 0-1 13, A.J. MacDonald 1 0-0 2, Drew Hansen 2 4-6 9, Joey McKay 3 1-2 8, Max Vaughey 2 0-0 5, Jake Pitser 1 0-0 2, Nick Piexoto 2 2-4 6, Tyler Hansen 2 0-0 5. Totals: 19 7-13 50.
Bunnell 17 15 10 5 6--53
New Milford 7 19 12 9 3 --50
3-pointers: NM--Cunningham, D. Hansen, McKay, Vaughey, T. Hansen. B--Pittman 2, Streeter, Townsend, Vann.


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Saturday, July 27, 2002
Business case for Linux is seen at Boscov's
Boscov's, a privately held $1B department store chain in Pennsylvania, is in process of moving major portions of its IT infrastructure to Linux. According to Harry Roberts, CIO, the initial driver for Linux was the expense of managing a growing Windows NT server farm, which required one full time administrator for every 10-12 servers. Rather than continue to add Windows servers at the rate of one per month, Boscov's decided to upgrade its IBM mainframe to the IBM Z-series, which can run both IBM's OS/390 operating system as well as multiple instances of Linux. This would effectively allow a single mainframe to run all of Boscov's mainframe applications as well as function like hundreds or thousands of Linux systems.
As a first step, Boscov's moved file and print services as well as non-critical applications from Windows to Linux, immediately eliminating Windows boxes and increasing up-time. Roberts says, "I used to reboot our print server every two or three weeks. It's been over a year, and I haven't rebooted our Linux print server once." Then, after successfully converting e-mail and network management functions to Linux, Boscov's converted its bridal registry and invoice processing systems, which are heavy transaction processing systems requiring integration to other corporate systems, such as Peoplesoft.
Future plans include converting 3,000 POS devices from MS DOS to Linux in order to avoid the cost of upgrading to Windows, which carries an ongoing license expense and additional upgrades every 24-36 months. Roberts estimates that upgrading Windows costs about $200 in administrative costs per system, plus the cost of Windows itself. In contrast, he feels that Linux systems can be more easily upgraded remotely and require no additional license fees. Roberts is even considering replacing Windows with Linux on the company's 2,500 desktops and is evaluating Sun's StarOffice as an alternative to MS Office.
Forbes has the full story.by Frank Scavo, 7/27/2002 01:21:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
Thursday, July 25, 2002
More light at the end of the tunnel?
IDC is now projecting an upturn in worldwide IT spending for 2002 and 2003. Spending this year should reach $981 billion, which is an increase of 3.7% over 2001. Although hardware will show a decrease of 4% this year, a projected growth of spending on software and services should more than offset it. For 2003, IDC is forecasting a 9% increase. If these projections hold, it will be good news for providers of IT systems and services, although IDC believes that major new projects will not begin until 2003, when a new budget cycle begins. This projected upturn is consistent with personal observations and anecdotal reports from vendors, which indicate some recent uptick in presales activity.by Frank Scavo, 7/25/2002 12:34:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Web services in B2B applications may need a "provisioning" process. Web services are designed to provide open, ad-hoc, access to an application by means of a standard set of interfaces that customers can simply "discover" and query to gain access. The Web services standard that provides open discovery is called UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration). Although most Web services so far have been deployed behind the firewall to enable integration of internal systems, some large-scale implementations of Web services are begining to emerge and are testing the approach of open discovery.
One such example is the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), with its Web services interface to its enrollment database under development. With hundreds of thousands of employers, credit card companies, and insurers needing rapid access to NSC's database to determine whether someone is currently enrolled in an institution, web services would seem a natural way to provide integration.
At first NSC attempted to use UDDI to allow customers to dynamically establish integration but found that it was not sufficient to handle the multiple steps required to set up a new customer. NSC found that a "provisioning" process would be needed to initially establish service level agreements, transport protocols, and security. NSC is now pilot testing Web services management tools from Flamenco Networks to provide security and network management capabilities for new customer provisioning.
It appears that the dynamic discovery approach offered by UDDI may be most appropriate for general purpose, ad-hoc, public Web services. But for business-to-business applications, with established trusted trading partners, a more robust and complex process of "provisioning" is required.
InternetWeek has the report.by Frank Scavo, 7/24/2002 09:14:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Will web services kill packaged CRM applications? Emerging web services standards may hold the key to providing integration between CRM point solutions and legacy applications. Or, at least that is the thrust of this article in CRMDaily. No doubt, integration with legacy systems is a key success factor for CRM. But I don't quite see how Web services as an integration solution spells the death of packaged CRM suites. If anything, web services would seem to offer a way for the Seibels of the world to offer individual pieces of functionality as components, lowering the cost of entry and helping them win more smaller deals.by Frank Scavo, 7/23/2002 08:02:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Thursday, July 18, 2002
Little-bang supply chain management saves big bucks. Josh Greenbaum, writing for Datamation, promotes the merits of "little-bang" SCM projects, in contrast to big-bang implementations of the past decade that cost too much, delivered too little, and carried way too much risk. Although i2 and Manugistics are suffering the demise of big-bang SCM, companies such as Otis Spunkmeyer are realizing the benefits of a more incremental approach.by Frank Scavo, 7/18/2002 01:08:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Wall Street an early adopter of Linux for the enterprise
Linux has been making strong inroads on Wall Street, where it has moved beyond small, non-essential applications to true enterprise class systems. Linux is attractive not only because of its low-cost but especially because of its high performance in real-time transaction processing, a key requirement for large brokerage firms.
Although such firms are notoriously tight-lipped about their technology initiatives, it appears that enterprise-class Linux systems are fully operational at Credit Suisse First Boston, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Reuters. Vendors pushing Linux on Wall Street include H-P, Oracle, Sun., and IBM, which is building a porting and testing center in New York to help firms migrate to Linux.
"Every major Wall Street firm has at least a pilot going on with Linux," says Vern Brownell, former CTO of Goldman Sachs, "and more than half of them are probably in production with mission critical applications."
CIO Information Network has the story.by Frank Scavo, 7/18/2002 08:19:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
It pays to read the fine print. CNet has a good article on the need for buyers to understand and be willing to challenge language in software vendor contracts, which are often one-sided agreements favoring the vendor. Among the recommendations:
- Clarify definitions: e.g. what is a "named user?" Is it an individual, or a client machine? Is it an account on the system, or only active accounts? What is a "concurrent user?" Are casual web inquiries included, or only local users?
- Understand what's included in "basic support," especially when renewing contracts where vendors definition of "basic" may change.
- Determine the planned support window for the current version, especially if you plan customizations or additional development around it.
- Watch out of "entity based pricing" or "right of use" clauses that limit your ability to use the system at a sister division or subsidiary, or that do not allow you to transfer the license to a new corporate entity in the event of a merger or divestiture.
- Avoid "compliance or mandatory audit clauses" that give vendors the right to periodically audit your compliance and can lead to costly disputes and renegotiation.by Frank Scavo, 7/17/2002 09:30:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Friday, July 12, 2002
Weather report for IT spending, 2002. Recent discussions with clients and vendors regarding IT spending trends in the current economic climate can be summarized in a few main points.
- "Tactical" wins over "strategic." Companies are willing to make small incremental investments that have a clear, short-term payback. There is little immediate interest in making large bet-the-farm bets that may result in "strategic advantage."
- But...investments for cost reduction are no slam dunk. In some industries, even initiatives that have a clear cost savings are being deferred simply because CFOs do not want to write a check.
- Compliance is king. IT investments involving regulatory compliance are more likely to be considered. Examples include HIPAA compliance, FDA regulatory compliance, and state-level compliance of financial service offerings. Privacy and security initiatives, even if not strictly mandated for compliance, are also high on the list.
In spite of depressed spending, there is not a general disenchantment with the role of IT in business. Companies have simply become much more realistic in their expectations for what is needed to make technology succeed and are biting off only as much as they can chew at one time. When spending levels do recover, the winners will be vendors that can deploy technology in smaller chunks and interface easily with legacy or third-party systems.by Frank Scavo, 7/12/2002 10:27:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Thursday, July 11, 2002
Companies still spending on IT, just more selectively. A recent AMR survey of 500 midsize to large companies finds significant differences in IT spending levels and priorities by industry. Although spending across the board dropped to 3% of revenue in 2002, from 4% in 2001, there are pockets of increased spending and indications of further increases in 2003. Stronger areas include HIPAA compliance in the healthcare industry, supply chain synchronization (CFPR) among consumer packaged goods manufacturers, CRM in telecom and financial services, and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the area of clinical trials and FDA regulatory compliance for electronic records.by Frank Scavo, 7/11/2002 09:41:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Wednesday, July 10, 2002
When CRM Means "Client Relationship Managment"
Richard Karpinski writing for InternetWeek points out the things that make CRM in professional services--such as law firms, accounting firms, and consulting firms--different from CRM in product-based businesses. Key characteristics of professional services include the lack of formal sales organization or call centers, partners doing their own selling, and sales opportunities being highly episodic. Here it is truly intelligence about the client relationship that must be maintained and not just the pipeline of sales opportunities. Ultimately, CRM should allow such firms to leverage existing relationships throughout the organization while respecting the professional's need to keep some client information confidential.
Karpinski identifies Interface Software as one vendor that offers CRM specifically for professional service firms. Its product, Interaction 5, focuses on four key CRM business processes: relationship discovery (seeing and leveraging existing relationships), relationship management (tools to maintain client data), client services automation (creating relationship-based marketing programs), and knowledge delivery (interfacing with existing systems and information channels). Some interesting features include watch lists, whereby a professional can track all activities or changes taking place for key contacts, and relationship maps with "who-knows-whom" features to help professionals discover not-so-obvious opportunities to leverage relationships.by Frank Scavo, 7/10/2002 05:15:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
Monday, July 08, 2002
Leading SCM vendors continue to tank
AMR reports on the latest quarterly results from supply chain leaders i2 and Manugistics. Both vendors report continued fall off in license revenues. It is tempting to simply lump SCM in with the rest of the Internet bubble, but that would be a mistake. It's more a case of client expectations for supply chain management becoming more realistic. Both i2 and Manugistics have excellent products, but no piece of software, especially one with an entry point of multiple millions of dollars, is going to generate supply chain efficiencies by itself. It takes software, plus quite a bit of education, process improvement, and organizational change. The future for both vendors will likely be one of smaller deals and phased implementation by clients.by Frank Scavo, 7/08/2002 09:15:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
Tuesday, July 02, 2002
Manugistics V7 seeks to deliver profit optimization in small bites
Manugistics recently announced version 7, which includes web-based component solutions for pricing and revenue optimization (PRO). PRO is a class of applications now being introduced by some of the supply chain vendors such as i2 and Manugistics, as well as point solutions from vendors such as Vendavo. Manugistics claims that its PRO solution analyzes pricing for all of a company's products across its distribution channels to determine the optimal price for each product. Specific functionality includes price list optimization, price quotation optimization, profitable promotions management, and revenue management.
Although PRO applications may be considered somewhat leading-edge, they do have an appeal in the current economic climate, where top line growth may be limited and companies are seeking to maximize profit from whatever level of sales they have. Manugistics is wise to deploy V7, including PRO, as a component-based architecture, which allows clients to implement it a bite a time, realizing important benefits quickly before committing to additional capital expenditures.
Aberdeen has a good summary of V7.by Frank Scavo, 7/02/2002 02:01:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
Adoption of CPFR remains slow. Computerworld reports that in spite of clear benefits to all trading partners, adoption of Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) in the consumer goods industry remains slow. Contributing factors include costs, resource requirements, lack of tools, difficulty in extracting data from legacy systems, and lack of trust between trading partners. In my opinion, the current economic climate forces companies to place a higher priority on simple cost-cutting initiatives. Although the benefits of CPFR are clear, they tend to be more strategic and longer term, and hence, lower priority. Conversely, now is the time to for retailers and their suppliers to take real steps in implementing CPFR, in order to reap the benefits when the economy ultimately turns around.by Frank Scavo, 7/02/2002 12:09:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Get ready to meet Victoria Van Orr and enjoy this summer beach read.
Available in both digital and paperback formats.
Coming May 26, 2016 from Boroughs Publishing.
Contemporary Romance, Lasting Love, Romantic Fiction
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LUXURY MODEL WIFE has received the 2017 HOLT Medallion Award of Merit. Real Love...Beyond Price.
LUXURY MODEL WIFE has received the 2017 HOLT Medallion Award of Merit
BLUE COLLAR: Boys Behaving Badly multi-author anthology. Includes UPSIDE DOWN LOVE by Adele Downs. Only .99!
HER IMMORTAL VIKING *WON* the 2016 HOLT Medallion Award "for outstanding literary achievement in the Romance Novella category."
HER IMMORTAL VIKING is a 2016 Award of Excellence contest finalist.
LIP SERVICE. Light Paranormal Romance Novel. Numerous 5-Star Reviews. Boroughs Publishing.
Vampire short story available on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, B&N for .99!
KISSING HER COWBOY, Amazon Top 100 Best-Selling Western, Western Romance, & Short Romance! Only .99!
HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY, stand alone sequel to KISSING HER COWBOY, Amazon Top 100 Best-Selling Short Romance! Only .99!
SANTA TO THE RESCUE, Reader's Choice Award Winner! From Entangled Publishing. Only .99!
New Release! Eight popular stories from Boroughs Publishing Group authors. Includes HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY by Adele Downs.
12 Tales For Christmas Anthology from Boroughs Publishing Group! Includes KISSING HER COWBOY by Adele Downs
BAKE, LOVE, WRITE Anthology! Dessert recipes & advice on love & writing, including a retro peach pie recipe from author Adele Downs.
Check out this fun interview!
Join Adele Downs' Convertible Crew on Facebook! (Street Team)
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