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Sunday, August 28, 2011
Twenty Years of ERP Lessons Learned
Manufacturing ERP Experience conference in Chicago. You can watch the full presentation by clicking on the image to the right.
Because the primary attendees were end-users and prospective buyers of ERP systems, I wanted to share something on current ERP trends and best practices for success.
But this presented a challenge: I've been speaking about ERP for over 20 years. How would a presentation on this subject be different today than one I would have given 20 years ago?
So, during the keynote, I thought of at least three ways in which ERP is different today, and one way in which it is still the same.
ERP as a PlatformTwenty years ago, ERP was viewed, in effect, as the final destination. For example, CRM was not yet popularized (Siebel was founded in 1993). In most companies, business intelligence was limited to report-writing or custom-built data warehouses. Mobility apps and collaboration systems were a long way off in the future. Even email was not well-established in business communications. So, ERP was where most of the action was, especially in the manufacturing sector, where it has its roots.
Although ERP was a hot topic in the early 1990s, today we understand that ERP really doesn't do all things equally well. Even the acronym "Enterprise Resource Planning" (an evolution of "Material Requirements Planning" and "Manufacturing Resource Planning" systems of the 70s and 80s) is a misnomer. ERP is not primarily a planning system, it's a transaction processing system. Its benefits are primarily in standardizing and automating business processes. To perform what-if planning, or to understand trends hidden in the data, or to gain a 360-view of customers, for example, you need to go beyond ERP.
Does that mean ERP is just one of many investments that an organization can choose to make in enterprise systems? Not at all. ERP plays a unique role in the applications portfolio, as the foundation for so many other things that organizations want to do.
Sure, you can go out and implement CRM as a standalone system, but CRM works better when it is integrated with ERP for end-to-end business processes. Some organizations have implemented supply chain management without ERP, but SCM is more powerful when it builds upon ERP as the system of record. Likewise, business intelligence systems, collaboration systems, and mobility apps add more value when they have ERP as their foundation.
Today, ERP is critical as the transaction processing hub of the organization and the system of record for major organizational entities, such customers, suppliers, people, orders, and accounting entries. In many respects, we can think of ERP as the new IT infrastructure, as a standard platform for building out the rest of an organization's enterprise applications portfolio.
Recognition of the Risks of ERPThe second way I think things have changed is in how organizations perceive the risks of ERP. Everyone has read about he horror stories of failed ERP implementations. Names like Hershey, Waste Management, and Nike are well-known examples. Many times the understanding strikes closer to home: most business leaders by now have either experienced for themselves, or heard from their peers, what can go wrong with an ERP implementation.
This wasn't the case 20 years ago. Executives often believed the hype of software vendors who claimed that implementation could be rapid or painless, or that business leaders could go about their jobs while the vendor, or a systems integration partner, did the hard work for them.
Very few executives believe this any more.
General Acceptance of Key Success FactorsSimilarly, twenty years ago, executives were quicker to believe that new software could solve their problems, or that systems could be customized to match how the organization did business in the past. ERP projects were often viewed as "computer projects," not business projects.
Today, I find that business leaders have a better understanding of best practices for successful ERP implementation. They realize that ERP means changing now the organization does business. They usually recognize that top management needs to be committed and that it will require participation by all affected functions. They often realize that it is best to pick a system that fits the business, and as much as possible to avoid customizing software code.
But Outcomes Have Not ImprovedSo, if ERP plays a critical role, and executives understand the risks and best practices, then organizations must be more successful with ERP today then they were 20 years ago, right?
Sadly, I don't think this is the case. According to our 2011 survey, 38% of ERP projects exceed their budgets for total cost of ownership. Furthermore, as I indicated in my keynote, the risks of ERP go beyond cost overruns: ERP is particularly subject to functionality risks (the project was within budget, but the system doesn't satisfy key requirements), adoption risks (the project was within budget, but the organization is not fully using it), and benefit risks (the project was within budget, but the expected benefits are not realized).
So, what is the answer? The answer is that business leaders need to be reminded again and again about these lessons learned, and they need to execute on these best practices. So, while I could have given (and did give) much of this presentation 20 years ago, the lessons are still relevant.
You can watch a video excerpt of my presentation at the top of this post. The complete presentation is also available on Youtube. And, if you'd like a copy of the slides, please email me. My contact information is in the right hand column.
Related PostsFour problems with ERP
Solving the four problems with ERP
by Frank Scavo, 8/28/2011 02:30:00 PM | permalink | e-mail this!
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
IT Budgets vs. Tech Industry Spending: What's the Difference?
According to our research at Computer Economics, we reported that 2010 IT budgets showed no growth at the median. At the same time, IDC reported the global IT market grew by 8%.
So which is it?
Over the years, I see a lot of confusion between these two metrics, so let's start with some basic definitions.
As you can see, these are related but entirely different measures. Unfortunately, many industry observers refer to both of these metrics as "IT spending."
- IT Budgets: This is the view from within an IT organization, of all IT-related spending.
- Tech Industry Spending: This is the view of the technology industry and the investor community, of the total market for technology-related products and services.
So, What's the Difference?Even though much tech industry spending comes from corporate IT budgets, tech vendors have a lot of revenue that comes from outside IT budgets. Furthermore, corporate IT budgets contain quite a bit of spending that does not go to tech vendors. Here are the big three differences.
In addition, there are other corporate IT budget line items, such as facilities, power and utilities, and supplies that are typically not technology-related. Therefore, these show up in IT budget trends, but not in tech vendor market statistics.
- Consumer tech spending. Not all tech industry revenues come from corporate IT buyers. For example, Apple just surpassed Exxon as the world's largest corporation, by market cap. How much of Apple's revenues are derived from consumer tech spending vs. business IT spending? Surely, the majority. Microsoft has a much stronger business focus, but still a large percentage of Microsoft's revenues are consumer-related.
- Corporate IT spending outside the IT budget. Not all corporate IT spending is in the corporate IT budget. The percentage varies by organization, but typically 20-50% of what could be considered "information technology" spending can take place under departmental budget authority. Some of this is "rogue spending," for example, when a sales group buys a few seats of Salesforce.com, without approval or oversight from the IT department. But a lot of it is by design. For example, in most manufacturing companies, spending on computerized machine tools is entirely within the manufacturing operations budget. Such machinery has an enormous amount of computing power and there is typically an entire group within manufacturing devoted to programming these machines. But the machines themselves and the staff members that program them are typically outside the IT budget.
Similarly, as my friend Vinnie likes to point out, products in nearly every industry today are becoming "smart products," with embedded computing power--not just automobiles, but even washers, driers, and refrigerators have IT capabilities. Do you think the technology spending that goes into designing and building products is under the manufacturer's IT budget? My observation is, almost never. Such spending accrues to the benefit of Intel, Cisco, and other tech vendors, but it is outside the corporate IT budget.
- IT budgetary lines that are not tech industry spending. Finally, not everything in the corporate IT budget goes to technology vendors. The biggest item, of course, is personnel costs. Typically 40-50% of the corporate IT budget goes toward salaries of internal support staff, such as programmers, data center personnel, network personnel, and managers. Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco never see that money. So, right off the top, half of the IT budget does not show up in tech vendor revenues.
When to Use Each MetricEach of these measures is useful, but for different purposes. If you are a corporate CIO, you are interested in how your organization's IT spending compares against other, peer, organizations. You would like to know how your IT spending and staffing levels and their mix compares against industry standards. Therefore, you are really focused on IT budget metrics. Though they may make interesting reading, reports of tech industry revenues are not your primary focus.
On the other hand, if you are a technology vendor or an investor in the technology sector, you are really interested in how tech industry spending is expanding or contracting. You would like to know about overall tech industry revenues, and you would really like to know specifically about spending forecasts in the market you compete in. You are not interested in the typical corporate IT budget, unless your products or services are highly focused on that market.
What about consultants? If you are a consultant to IT organizations, your interest should be on IT budgetary metrics. Conversely, if you are a consultant to IT product/service providers, you probably want to focus on tech industry spending metrics.
So, when you read reports about IT spending trends, understand the context. Is the report referring to the IT budgets within user organizations, or the revenues of technology vendors? Those are two different things.
Related LinksThe IT Spending Recovery and Implications for Enterprise Software
IT Spending and Staffing Benchmarks 2011/2012
Computer Economics IT Spending and Staffing Custom Benchmarkingby Frank Scavo, 8/11/2011 09:39:00 AM | permalink | e-mail this!
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From Charlotte Douglas International Airport and all points North:
Follow signs to Interstate 85 South. Take I-85 South to Exit 26, the Belmont Abbey College exit. When you exit, you will see the campus in front of you. Turn left at the stop light, then turn right into the first entrance of the college.
From the South:
Follow Interstate 85 North to Exit 26, the Belmont Abbey College exit. Turn left at the stop sign, and left again at the stop light. You will see Belmont Abbey College to your right as you pass over I-85. Turn right into the first entrance of the college.
- New York City to Belmont 642 miles
- Atlanta to Belmont 235 miles
- Orlando to Belmont 530 miles
- Washington DC to Belmont 300 miles
- Charlotte to Belmont 10 miles
If you are visiting for an Admissions Campus Visit: turn right at the stop sign, and follow the signs to the Admissions Reception area located at the Lowry Alumni House. Visitor Parking is available at the Alumni House.
If you are visiting for a special event on campus: please reference your confirmation materials for additional information regarding visitor parking and registration.

subset: commoncrawl


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'Taken 2′ Trailer: "We Will Have Our Revenge"
'Taken 2' sees the return of Liam Neeson but instead of being the one on the hunt (remember in the original when he used his particular set of skills to save his daughter?), now he's the hunted.
The 'Taken 2′ trailer will be in theaters this weekend with 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' but via the magic of the internet, you can watch it online now.
The original 'Taken' was a surprise success that no doubt worked because of the considerable gravitas of star Liam Neeson. And in this new trailer, he pulls of some classic lines like when he daughter (you know, Maggie Grace, the one he had to save in the first one) asks him what he's going to do and he says, with that steely-eyed glare, "What I do best."
Awwww yeah.
In the film, Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, the retired CIA agent with a "particular set of skills" who stopped at nothing to save his daughter Kim from kidnappers. When the father of one of the villains Bryan killed swears revenge, and takes Bryan and his wife hostage in Istanbul, Bryan enlists Kim to help them escape. Bryan then employs his unique tactics to get his family to safety and systematically take out the kidnappers, one by one.
You can watch the 'Taken 2′ trailer below.


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These are some of the views and reports relevant to our readers that caught our attention this week.
Saving Lives In Africa With The Humble Sweet Potato
"A regular old orange-colored sweet potato might not seem too exciting to many of us.
But in parts of Africa, that sweet potato is very exciting to public health experts who see it as a living vitamin A supplement. A campaign to promote orange varieties of sweet potatoes in Mozambique and Uganda (instead of the white or yellow ones that are more commonly grown there) now seems to be succeeding. (Check out this cool infographic on the campaign.) It's a sign that a new approach to improving nutrition among the world's poor might actually work.
That approach is called biofortification: adding crucial nutrients to food biologically, by breeding better varieties of crops that poor people already eat." READ MORE
Research for Development
Risks of corruption to state legitimacy and stability in fragile situations
"Examining the cases of Liberia, Nepal and Colombia, this study asks how corruption poses risks to political legitimacy and stability in fragile situations. The report focuses on the key role of elites and their views of the state's legitimacy in determining the extent to which there will be instability or stability. Qualitative interviews of elites show that two particular patronage scenarios are seen as threatening stability. One is when the state or illegal actors sustain a corrupt network by violently eliminating opponents. The other is when corruption benefits few people, the benefits are not distributed "fairly," and the population's basic needs are not met. Public opinion data suggest that despite corruption, the legitimacy of governments and public institutions in the three countries studied is reasonably high. The impact of corruption on legitimacy and stability is mitigated by other factors. Anti-corruption initiatives potentially strengthen state legitimacy, but undermine it if they fail to deliver or become too far-reaching. In conclusion, the report makes recommendations to the international community for prioritising action on corruption." READ MORE
A first look at the Museum of AIDS in Africa with founder Stephanie Nolen
"While volunteering at the recent International AIDS Conference in Washington DC, I had the opportunity to talk with Stephanie Nolen, a foreign correspondent for The Globe and Mail in Canada and author of "28 Stories of AIDS in Africa," about her most recent project, the Museum of AIDS in Africa. The Museum is currently an online memorial with the goal of building an actual physical museum in South Africa by 2016." READ MORE
United States Institute of Peace
Blogs and Bullets II: New Media and Conflict after the Arab Spring
"An extraordinary wave of popular protest swept the Arab world in 2011. Massive popular mobilization brought down long-ruling leaders in Tunisia and Egypt, helped spark bloody struggles in Bahrain, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, and fundamentally reshaped the nature of politics in the region.
New media—at least that which uses bit.ly linkages—did not appear to play a significant role in either in-country collective action or regional diffusion during this period.
This lack of impact does not mean that social media—or digital media generally—were unimportant. Nor does it preclude the possibility that other new media technologies were significant in these contexts, or even that different Twitter or link data would show dif¬ferent results. But it does mean that at least in terms of media that use bit.ly links (especially Twitter), data do not provide strong support for claims of significant new media impact on Arab Spring political protests." READ MORE
Panos London
The village women who dare to bring change
"There is a common belief that only a law maker or an activist with backing from a powerful organisation can challenge a tradition or bring about change. But I have always believed that as individuals each one of us can be an agent of change. Today I want to share some examples of that.
In our community, men take most of the important decisions: what crop should be sown in the field, which school a child should attend and most important of all, how the money should be spent. This is often seen as a tradition, rather than something wrong.
Since this is a tradition, few want to or dare to question it. But there are women in my community who are breaking these traditions in a very subtle way, without creating conflict." READ MORE
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Region: Ribera del Duero
Country: Spain (located north-central, in Castille & Lyon)
Grape(s): The wines of Ribera del Duero are almost exclusively red. White wines are rare and not exported. The reds come primarily from a variation of Tempranillo, which goes by the name of Tinto Fino or Tinto del Pais here. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec are allowed and often used in the blend. Garnacha is used for rosados.
What's it taste like: If you're buying a bottle at $20 or less, you're likely to get black cherry and plum notes, with bright acidity and dusty, yet smooth tannins. You may find some to be smoky and others to be more jammy. It's a good idea to read tasting notes on each producer. On the higher end, expect notes of tobacco, licorice, blackberry and minerals. Firm tannins, sometimes rustic, but also with an old-world elegance. The best wines of the area are refreshing, yet sturdy and complex, with an ability to age and mature gracefully. Power + Finesse is what the best wines offer.
Rules & Regulations: Ribera del Duero is a DO, or Denominacion de Origen, which is a quality level that adheres to specific standards set down by a governing body, or Consejo Regulador, for each region. It has been one since 1982. If you care to delve in and learn the nitty gritty on the DO system and Ribera del Duero's regulations, check out Wines from Spain (www.winesfromspain.com). They know their stuff.
Producers: The most famous wine of the region is Vega Sicilia, possibly the most expensive and sought-after wine in Spain. Tasting this wine can be a magical experience. I had the honor of tasting both the '68 and the '70 in NYC once. This was 6 years ago and it is still fresh in my memory, ranking as one of the top wine tasting experiences ever.
Other producers include:
Value ($20 or under): Torres Celeste, Vina Gormaz, Abadia Retuerta – these three producers create wines that generally show intense fruit and smooth tannins.
Higher End: Emilio Moro, Condado de Haza, Pesquera, Comenge, Aalto
What are some of your favorite producers?


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This just goes to show that there is simply too much code necessary to solve this simple problem in an imperative fashion. It's not an indication that the code is poorly written, but rather, that imperative techniques are a bad fit because they obscure the overall intent.int numberOfOldTimers = 0;
for (Employee emp: employeeList) {
for (Department dept: departmentsInCompany) {
if (emp.getDepartmentId() == dept.getId()
&& emp.getYearsOfService() > dept.getAge()) {
The nested for loop isn't the goal. The goal is finding the number of employees who have been in the company longer than their department (i.e. "old timers"). As I read this code, I kept re-reading it because I thought I found a bug. I thought the code was counting all employees who have been in the company longer than any department, but that was my misreading. I kept glossing over this clause, which focuses the search to employees who have been with the company longer than their own department:
Sadly, it's too easy to fall into this trap. There's a lot of stuff to read in this small block of code, and I certainly found it easy to gloss over an important detail. Undoubtedly, the opposite problem is also common: neglecting an important detail in the middle of a series of nested loops; finding those bugs also takes skill and effort to identify and fix.
emp.getDepartmentId() == dept.getId()
Reg does a good job explaining why the goal isn't a nested for loop, and why using functional programming techniques (like generating a cartesian product, and filtering the result) bring the code closer to the goal -- counting the number of old timers.
Reg makes the point that what really matters are the functional techniques, not the language or the syntax used. Here's his revised solution, in Ruby (with an extension to support cartesian products on lazy lists):
Generating cartesian products just might be one of the fundamental ideas of computing. In an imperative language, they usually take the form of nested loops. In a language that supports list comprehensions (like Haskell or Python) it becomes a basic idea that melts away with just a little syntax:old_timers = (employees * departments).select do |emp, dept|
emp.department_id == dept.id && emp.years_of_service > dept.age
number_of_old_timers = old_timers.size
Not only are the products computed as a list, but in Haskell, they're computed lazily, so you only compute what you need.
[(x, y) | x <- [1..5], y <- [1..10]]
Here's a revised solution to the old timers problem using list comprehensions:
Note that the actual values returned in this list are inconsequential; the only thing that matters is counting the number of matches. Usinglength [1 | e <- emps, d <- depts,
(empDeptId e) == (deptId d),
(yearsOfService e) > (age d)]
length on this list comprehension highlights the fact that the goal here is to produce a count of matching elements. This intention is muddled within the nested for loops, and isn't precisely clear within the Ruby version.


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U.S. Caught in Middle of Japan-China Dispute
Japan accused China's navy of locking radar onto its naval forces in recent weeks. The WSJ's Jacob Schlesinger talks about how the U.S. is caught between the two countries.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the the ... tensions between Japan and China have never been higher after ... the Chinese allegedly locked radar on to Japanese naval forces ... with me to discuss this is Jake passenger RBI chiefs in Tokyo ... take this to be blunt here ... it seems like Japan and China are heading towards the brink of war ... but what are you hearing in Japan are people panicking about this latest move ... its yield down to panic disease too strong a word ... and I think you can clearly hear each passing week it seems that they're they're taking a step closer toward what could become hostilities rather than call it ... bring the war because I think the deal will be the ones for its Latin name is advantage I think than ... the bigger concern is the state's brink of the ... some kind of ... conflict or or or military exchange ... just because they screwed up I mean ... I think that playing this game of chicken ... and on the China clearly they hadn't intended issue ... but these were trying to raise the tension level untested and an independent issue back then that is everyone ... without incident said you know once bought a stake in Accra Ghana ... tying as if they trying to rewrite the entire security arrangement in Asia and in the US obviously ... has had a cute and vested interest in this area ... and for Washington this raises a whole bunch of concerns ... tummy little bit about that what's going on in DC ... there are ... actually living there really is the ... isthe team won the presidency really did love which is ... you know I mean ... what's interesting about this um is that these does change going on in all the countries in the whole regional dynamics from ... the stamina Washington on the one hand ... they're trying to pivot toward Asia ... to ... emphasize that that that they are increasing their their emphasis on ... maintaining their relevance of what is the fastest growing most dynamic part of the world ... on the other hand you you've got a president who ... as of the campaign injury and ... most of his last term on winding down ... of the long wars that America has been and this is not a country that that that is ... eager to ... you know it is fresh new beginning of the battle even come close to one and ... I think in in China sense is that China is trying to fill ... a vacuum that China's ... into flex muscles and I think they're testing ... just how weak and how worn down American Japan ... it out what's fascinating to me not at those reading the story today ... there's a part of its that that basically there is no communication between China and Japan ... that if the Beijing ... office of it to Beijing and the Sea of Japan once again in touch with the Chinese armed forces ... to send them a fact which blew my mind ... a day it's true and that the good reporting that there were soo during Page in Bejing UK ... and Europe if you did ... the news gave them a number of examples of the fact that ... the way is wondering about this is that there's very little communication between the two countries ... ironically ... last June a day did talk about trying to create more of an emergency indication structure ... but that was one of many things that the by the wayside ones tensions ... and of course that's when you really need to have those communications ... ALM so some of it is bilateral within China and Japan some of it is just China ... aam is the story also pointed out you know there was a scary incident in the U S and China in two thousand and one ... we're a Chinese ... plane that Boeing in America when it took ... hours to be able to make ... and ... China ... will meet again I don't think it's the question that I decide once wore ... the concern is that you somehow end of the state ... nobody can talk to each other an extended period of time ... in ages can attend and we figured out what they need to do on the fly ... if that take the things that the escalating aggressively ... not only for past twelve months and ... one very interesting Hoffmann story with recapping the twenty fifth of the but the Balkans ten years ago it's basically tinderbox on water ... so the question is what's next the named after the Chinese talking this way down to that Japanese naval forces ... one when the Tennessee in the next six months ... why wasn't it the view that he needs ... to hear back some ... of which he is not as flammable is is it would be on the land but ... the of the year that the mixed metaphor ... aam you know I ... think it's the it's isn't so was this one step or two steps back to me remember the dead to a week or so ago before this latest engine was revealed ... there was optimism that your member of the ruling coalition went to China ... I literally handed a letter personally from Prime Minister of a ... threat to the new leaders China ... people thought ok innocence cooler heads are prevailing ... the contract and sells off the ledge ... you know I think they they ... think the hope is that they'll find some other way ... of ... trying to get through and it may be when these incidents will Spears insensitive people ... aam but you know they'll find some other way of testing the limits and again in the hope is ... they can keep testing without it crossing the line ... FKO from the Japan pointed it ... fitting that ... I think the new administration in Japan really equipped to handle ... these kinds of ... conflicts ... you mean it will increase is due to Japan for a long time as with ... any administration has been capable critically when you've got three ministers ... you know very last year defense ministers to bury last six months um ... I think that you know with ... the LDP one of their claims the new and old ruling Liberal Democratic Party when they came in said ... that the Democrats are featured in a mere three years and an ... overall were not equipped and I think that there was some evidence of that that ... did this to to to give up ... to get some of the benefit of doubt the current government in a lot of these engines anti flared up under the previous one ... because I think they didn't really have control of the domestic coke the political situation ... and there was no real pipeline of communications between and in between ... that China I think there was a hope that ... the LDP will make even the power that having been in power for so long what had communications with China I think what's been difficult little unnerving is that even they ... don't really seem to have any channels of communication ... I thank the much for joining take ... on this story is that it WS J dot com for Asia Today Ahmadi the Sanchanta ...


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SAN FRANCISCO — An Oakland hospital was ordered Friday to continue life support for a 13-year-old girl declared brain dead last week after having her tonsils removed.
Doctors at Children's Hospital wanted to disconnect Jahi McMath from the ventilator that has kept her alive since she began bleeding and suffered cardiac arrest after a tonsillectomy Dec. 9. She was declared brain dead three days later.
Friday afternoon, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo granted an injunction sought by Jahi's family to keep her alive until they got a second opinion. Grillo ordered the hospital to keep the eighth-grader on the ventilator through Monday, saying he would appoint a neurologist to examine her, the Oakland Tribune reported. Both sides have agreed on five neurologists who could be called on.
The judge scheduled another hearing for Monday.
"As long as she has a pulse, we want her on life support," Jahi's uncle, Omari Sealeytold the Tribune on Monday. "We want her to come home for Christmas. We want to give her presents. We want a chance for a Christmas miracle."
Jahi had feared she would not wake up from the surgery to help with sleep apnea and weight gain, her mother, Nailah Winkfield, said in a Thursday night interview with the Associated Press. Everyone was relieved when she appeared alert in the recovery room and ate a Popsicle, but about a half-hour later she began bleeding from her mouth and nose. The hemorrhaging continued, and she went into cardiac arrest that night.
Winkfield said hospital officials told the family Thursday that they wanted to take Jahi off life support quickly.
"I just looked at the doctor to his face and I told him you better not touch her," Winkfield told AP.
Hospital officials said privacy laws have prevented them from commenting on Jahi's treatment. Chief of Pediatrics David Durand released a statement late Thursday asking for permission to publicly discuss her case.
"We implore the family to allow the hospital to openly discuss what has occurred and to give us the necessary legal permission — which it has been withholding — that would bring clarity, and we believe, some measure of closure and deeper understanding of this medical case," he said.
source: usatoday


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ULTIMA® X5000 Gas Monitor
The ULTIMA® X5000 Gas Monitor is the future of gas detection for oxygen, toxic and combustible gases. MSA XCell® gas sensors with TruCal® technology offer calibration cycles up to 18 months (local calibration respected). The gas transmitter's advanced, multi-lingual OLED display is easy to read and the unique touch-screen interface makes it simple to navigate.
General Monitors S5000 Gas Monitor
The General Monitors S5000 Gas Monitor is the ultimate gas detector for extreme environments needing to detect oxygen, toxic and combustible gases. It operates over a wide temperature range using a variety of gas sensing technologies. XCell® gas sensors with TruCal® technology extends calibration cycles up to 18 months. Dual sensing capability doubles the sensing power.
GasGard® XL Controller
Monitor up to eight remote gas sensors with the highly accurate wall-mounted GasGard XL Controller. The sensor's large, multi-language LCD display provides real-time readings, offers full-system diagnosis and shows intuitive icons. Housed in durable, fire-retardant ABS plastic, the controller is suitable for a variety of chemical, industrial and waste water environments. The sensor also features a buzzer that sounds up to 85 db.
Ultima® X Series Gas Monitors
Designed to provide thorough, continuous monitoring of many hazardous gases, the indoor/outdoor Ultima X Series Gas Monitors offer excellent performance and MSA quality craftsmanship. DuraSource™ Technology offers extended sensor life, while HART provides convenient setup, calibration and diagnostics. HART also allows for existing component install and wiring to be used. A single circuit board increases reliability, while our patented sensor disconnect-underpower feature allows all sensors to be replaced in hazardous areas without area declassification. The units are crafted from either stainless steel or polycarbonate, and the interchangeable smart sensors eliminate the need for reconfiguration. Our scrolling LCD screen display sensor reading and gas type, while the calibration process includes date stamping and the ability to calibrate locally or remotely.
9010/9020 Controller
The 9010/9020 SIL controller comes with advanced design and innovative features. Monitoring up to 20 channels, it's now also SIL 2 suitable. The 9010 controller operates with one independent sensor, while the 9020 operates with two independent sensors per control module. Each module comes with an independent AC/DC power supply for increased system reliability. Both units feature full internal diagnostics, which minimize false alarms and unexpected down time. The controller powers up the remote gas detectors, while its large four-digit LCD and LED provide crucial information such as gas concentration, alarm status and more. The 9010/9020 LCD controller monitors up to 20 channels and comes with an independent power supply. The LCD version has approvals for FM (North America) and CCCF (China) whereas the 9010/9020 SIL controller is ATEX and SIL2 certified.
Electrochemical Sensors
The General Monitors electrochemical gas sensors are highly sensitive to toxic gases including carbon monoxide, H2S, hydrogen, ammonia, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, SO2, and oxygen deficiency.
TS4000H Toxic Gas Detector
The TS4000H Intelligent Toxic Gas Detector continuously monitors a variety of toxic gases in the ppm range or oxygen deficiency, delivering highly accurate detection and protection. The unit features one person calibration and virtually self-calibrates by simply activating a magnetic switch and applying gas. It provides status indication and alarm outputs. Configurations with relays, Modbus, and HART are available to meet many needs.
Toxgard® II Gas Monitor
Simply connect the convenient ToxGard II Gas Monitor to a power source and a remote sensor, and it's ready to detect toxic gases, combustible gases and oxygen deficiency. The indoor/outdoor unit is housed in a rugged NEMA 4X enclosure and features a large LED screen, three levels of alarm and a failsafe fault relay output.
Chemgard® Photoacoustic Infrared Gas Monitor Series
The stable, durable Chemgard Photoacoustic Infrared Gas Monitor is purpose-built and detects minute amounts of a wide variety of gases. Three different enclosure styles ensure there is a configuration for wildly different situations. The instrument typically draws the gas sample via an internal pump, which allows the unit to be mounted in a convenient location if the area to be monitored is inaccessible. The unit can be expanded to monitor up to 8 locations, while an easy-to-read display shows gas concentrations and 3 levels of alarms.
MultiGard™ 5000 Multipoint Gas Sampling System
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Engineered to provide cost-efficient gas detection, the Ultima XL/XT Series Gas Monitors are simply an outstanding choice. The units boast a hand-held HART port running over 4-20mA output provides convenient setup, calibration and diagnostics. The interchangeable smart sensors eliminate the need for reconfiguration, while local calibration employs LEDS and push-buttons. Indoors or outdoors, some of these explosion-proof models feature infrared technology that eliminates the need for frequent calibrations. Some units operations are based on dual-wavelength, heated-optics technology, which compensates for temperature, humidity and aging effects. The monitors use only one circuit board for increased reliability, and they're easy to install with two-piece field-wiring connectors.
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Chillgard® NH3 Gas Monitor
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Surveyor Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detector
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Capable of detecting refrigerant gas down to 1ppm, the Chillgard RT Refrigerant Monitor is purpose-built to monitor up to eight remote areas—and is completely configurable to detect either a specific refrigerant or group of refrigerant gases.


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Hubbard Squash: Nutrition . Selection . Storage
Nutrition information for hubbard squash and tips on how to
select, store and prepare it. Health Benefits
select, store and prepare it. Health Benefits
"Squash" comes from the Narragansett Native American word askutasquash, which means "eaten raw or uncooked."
How to Select Hubbard Squash
Choose squash that has a smooth, dry, and dull rind and is free of cracks or soft spots. Choose squash that has a deep color and is heavy for its size. Look for a firm, rounded, dry stem.
How to Store Hubbard Squash
Store squash in a cool dry place for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Benefits of Hubbard Squash
Low fat, cholesterol free, low in sodium, a good source of fiber, an excellent source of vitamins A and C.
Health Benefits of Fruits & Vegetables
The natural antioxidants in fruits and vegetables will help keep your body working at its best, so consuming a diet that meets your daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to give your body a strong defense against disease. Fruits and vegetables are protective to health as they're helpful at reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and some cancers. They're also low in calories, which helps prevent obesity … a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.


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Ratings & Reviews
Special Features
- Deleted scenes with optional director's commentary
- The making of The Life Of David Gale
- The music of The Life Of David Gale
- Feature commentary with direcor Alan Parker
The mystery of one man's guilt or innocence literally becomes a matter of life and death in this drama. David Gale (Kevin Spacey) was the head of the philosophy department at Austin University and the author of several well-regarded books; he was also an active and visible member of Deathwatch, an anti-capital punishment activist group. One of Gale's best friends was Constance Harraway (Laura Linney), a fellow Deathwatch activist with whom he became especially close, particularly since Gale's wife, Sharon (Elizabeth Gast), who had taken a lover in Spain, was usually absent. One night, Gale was seduced by an attractive student from his class, Berlin (Rhona Mitra), who had too much to drink; later, the remorseful student accused Gale of rape. While Gale was eventually cleared of the charges, the negative publicity cost him his career as an educator, and with no job and no wife, Gale turned to drink. When Harraway was found raped and murdered a few years later, Gale was charged with the crime, and convicted despite the best efforts of his well-meaning but ineffectual lawyer Braxton Belyeu (Leon Rippy). Now Gale awaits execution, and less than a week before his date with the fatal injection, Gale agrees to tell his story to Bitsey Bloom (Kate Winslet), a nervy journalist from a major newsmagazine, who arrives with her assistant, Zack Stemmons (Gabriel Mann). As Bloom discusses the facts of the Harraway murder with Gale, it occurs to her that the details simply don't add up, and soon a mysterious stranger slips evidence to her that suggests Gale has been framed -- leaving Bloom and Stemmons only a few days to solve the mystery and save Gale from the executioner. The Life of David Gale was co-produced by actor Nicolas Cage, who originally commissioned the script and intended to star in the film before prior commitments led him to hand the project over to director Alan Parker. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Cast & Crew
- Kevin Spacey - Dr. Gale
- Kate Winslet - Bitsey Bloom
- Laura Linney - Constance Harraway
- Gabriel Mann - Zack Stemmons
- Matt Craven - Dusty Wright


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by Pettus Read
On the first day of November, I saw two large V-formations of geese extremely high in the sky headed south. Seeing their migration movement started me to wondering if they may have some understanding of what this year's winter weather may be forming up north. Seeing a flock of geese going over has always stirred my curious mind to wonder why they do what they do. Like, why do they fly in a V? I'm sure flying in a K or an S would be hard, but nature is so far ahead of us that we do have problems understanding all that it does.
With one of the wettest summers on record just occurring and folks wondering just what this winter is going to bring, I started checking out some of the local weather determiners such as my Uncle Sid. When it comes to weather predictions, I only trust Uncle Sid to give me the real facts. Those guys in Nashville do a pretty good job for the current 12 hours, but Uncle Sid has experienced more weather changes in his lifetime and his bones than those fellows will ever see on their radar screens. Forget about climate change "experts" and talk to the folks who have lived it.
I myself have also been trained somewhat in weather folklore from numerous old timers and have reached that upper age where experience from years in nature tells me more than a Doppler radar. Living out on the farm and watching the signs of killing frosts, cornhusks and other signs of winter predictions taught to me by my grandparents is something that is really interesting. True, the predictions don't always come true, but neither does your local weatherman's very often and they have thousands of dollars of modern day equipment. All I have is a worm, a wasp and a spider to help me out.
Uncle Sid is also one of those who looks to nature to plan his winter preparedness. If you remember, I once asked him what he thought the next winter's weather would look like and he said, "Well, Aunt Sadie bought herself a brand new pair of flannel pajamas and that is a sure sign of a cold winter at our house."
The wooly worm is showing colors of a mixture of winter weather with pretty close to normal temperatures for this winter. There sure are a lot of them and they have a fairly wide range of colored bands. I've seen several solid black, which means some fairly cold days ahead.
The wooly worm is a major weather forecaster in these parts, but there are other things as well. I've noticed the cornhusks are about average and the number of late frosts this fall have also given an indication of a milder winter. The fogs in August were pretty light too, which means there will probably be few snows.
One test that Uncle Sid uses is the seed of a persimmon. I've only noticed how much possums like them, but he uses the inside seed to make predictions as well. He says, "If the seed shows a spoon shape when you cut it into, it means some snows are going to occur. A knife shape means winds will blow with cutting forces and a fork shape will mean mild conditions. I've seen the spoon shapes this year, so looks like we are going to have a few snows. That is good though, since snows help put extra nitrogen on the fields for next spring's crops and has been called the 'poor man's fertilizer' for years."
Sure, none of us really know just what the weather will be and a change of a northern wind or one of those El Niños could mean something totally different from our wooly worm predictions. However, weather folklore is something that has been a part of the farm since possibly the beginning of time. All my life I have heard the saying, "Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning. Red skies at night, sailors delight." Even Jesus said in the Bible in Matthew 16: 2-3, "When in evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: For the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and lowering." And you know, the majority of the time this bit of wisdom is right due to atmosphere and pressure systems.
Thus, don't count out the simple wooly worm, persimmon or even a few fogs when you are planning for the coming winter. Uncle Sid doesn't, and he's been around a lot longer than computers, radar and the Weather Channel.
- Pettus L. Read is editor of the Tennessee Farm Bureau News and Director of Communications for the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation. He may be contacted by e-mail at
Watch Pettus Read's video on making "Mater Saminches" on tnhomeeandfarm.com.
Watch Pettus pick out a ripe, juicy Tennessee tomato at the farmers market and follow him back to the kitchen to make his famous 'mater saminch.'
After watching the video, let him know what you think.
Send him feedback on Facebook or email at


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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Orders fullfilled by Amazon.com
This Unique Little Cowhide Footstool is so adorable & cute. It will fit into a variety of Home and Business Decors. This makes a great gift item! Quality Cowhides along with the Workmanship will create an item which should last years for your enjoyment.The item in the photo shown is the actual item shipped. Created By Husband and Wife team to supplement retirement income in a Home Workshop which is a smoke and pet free enviroment.


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Key species
Oriental white-backed and long-billed vulture, historically common in India and Nepal, are now both critically endangered.
The slender-billed vulture, has historically been uncommon, but now is regarded as extremely rare.
People involved
Nick Lindsay- prog manager
Andrew Cunningham- sci advisor
Partners and Sponsors
Mohammed bin Zayed Species Fund; Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund; Prince Bernhard Fund for Nature; UK Trust for Nature Conservation in Nepal; National Birds of Prey Trust; Friends of Conservation; AZA Falconiformes TAG; Darwin Initiative; Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW); King Mahendra UK Trust; UK Trust for Nature Conservation in Nepal.


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Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Bridge Art Fair
ARTOUT artist escort service. Exquisite Artists For Rent!
Marshall Reese and Nora Ligorano, F**k Snow Globe, $150, at Fuse Works.
Fuse Works' booth was full of interesting things, mostly editioned pieces. The website is full of more good stuff... Melissa Pokorny (whose work I first saw at Aqua Miami 2005), Matt Richards' Gellochio, Ethan Crenson's bald hair model poster. WANT WANT WANT. What a great collection. I will definitely add links to all of this later.
David Kramer, Coffee Mug, $45, at Fuse Works. Want. It says "Fuck" on the back.
Allan Packer, Portal, at Fuse Works. It's a spinning mesmerizer in a grotto. Want. I would put it on top of my tv.
?, at maybe Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts? Sorry, I forget.
Peggy Cyphers, at BROADTHINKING's booth. BROADTHINKING (am I writing that correctly?) is Peggy Cypher and Chris Twomey's art collaborative/curatorial project. They did that good show at Broadway Gallery earlier this year, which included another nice painting by Cyphers.
Alexis Hubshman scoping Bridge.
Posted by Martin at 6:00 AM
Labels: Armory Week, Art Fairs
1 comment:
- eageageag said...
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Some believe, as does longtime NPS supporter retired Admiral Hank Mauz, that "NPS provides degrees of incomparable value to the services and DOD" and "no other institution has the academic agility to build new curricula to meet national-security needs in a matter of weeks, and no other school can combine research, which directly involves students, with academic programs as effectively." 5 Unfortunately, there is no anecdotal evidence that this is the case, and many believe that several U.S. academic institutions could give them a run for their money. In his February 2013 Proceedings article on the aftermath of the IG investigation, Admiral Mauz suggests that the school's $101 million budget to educate an average on-board student population of 1,800 is a good value. 6 It is certainly a good value for the students, but is it a good value for the Navy and the American taxpayer? Admiral Mauz predicts through implementation of the IG's recommendations and other cost-saving measures, the NPS will increase even further in value. 7 Some trends, however, may make that impossible for the NPS.
Outsourcing and Privatization
The military is required to look at each of its activities and identify non-inherently governmental functions. An inherently governmental function is one that "is so intimately related to the public interest as to require performance by Government employees." 8 In other words, only a person in the military or working in the government could possibly do it. The Navy's six Maritime Strategy Core Capabilities include forward deterrence, strategic deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security, and irregular warfare. 9 Those are defined as capabilities that are enduring and essential to the primary functions of naval forces and thus would be considered inherently governmental. 10 Graduate education for officers, no matter how valuable, is not a core capability or an inherently governmental function. Although privatization can be considered a trend or good idea, it is more than that. It is the law. The Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-76 directive states that unless functions are inherently governmental, they should not compete with the commercial sector and should be outsourced or privatized.
In her July 2000 Proceedings article, retired Lieutenant Commander Janice Graham suggested several options regarding this law and the NPS, including provision of vouchers to officers to use at the school of their choice, substituting certificate programs for degrees in certain technical areas, partial or wholesale outsourcing, or privatization of the NPS. 11 In a counter article the following month, Admiral Mauz and NPS Professor William Gates shot down her suggestions, noting "If the school were better understood by some of the budget-cutters in Washington, there would be greater recognition that it produces the essential corn seed of tomorrow's educated officer corps and is cost-effective in the process." 12
Many of the 68 majors that the NPS offers are administrative in nature, including international studies, business, and public policy. Instead of focusing on key areas that may be considered inherently governmental, the school has developed several new curricula requiring even more resources and faculty. Again, despite the claims that no other higher-education institution can provide the same value, there is no evidence to prove these claims. The NPS has dodged the A-76 bullet so far, but it is unlikely that it will be able to stand up to scrutiny in the future.
Increased Costs
Another trend that higher-education institutions have to battle is increasing operating costs—especially faculty and growing benefit costs. 13 Significantly impacting this is the fact that as new programs are added, it appears that the NPS has not stopped providing older programs that could be provided elsewhere. One of the major findings in the IG investigation is that the school was not following standard hiring practices to provide higher salaries for certain positions. Although Admiral Mauz noted in his Proceedings article that NPS faculty could get higher salaries elsewhere, in reality, the NPS faculty salaries are competitive or better than most institutions. 14
There are currently 718 civilian faculty members at NPS. Salaries for full professors ($162,000 average annually) were in the high-end range of educational facilities that were considered "peers" by the NPS. However, the salaries for associate professor ($157,000 average annually) and assistant professor ($137,000 average annually) were the highest of all 17 "peer" universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Carnegie-Mellon, and Rice. The NPS Strategic Plan 2008 reported there were approximately 450 civilian faculty members on board at the time. This would mean more than 200 civilian faculty members have been added in less than five years, an over 40 percent growth. 15 These high salaries combined with the rapid rate of the growth of the faculty have significantly increased the cost of an education at the NPS.
Decreasing Research Dollars
Another issue highlighted by the IG was the research conducted by the NPS, a total of $96M in 2011. 16 Without looking at this closely, it appears to be good value. The research dollars do not come out of the NPS funding but are funded by other government organizations. In addition, there is evidence that research conducted by the NPS has been successful in improving national defense in areas such as identification friend-or-foe systems, applications of nanotechnology, cyber security, and modeling and simulation of sea ice. 17
Research is big business for the military. In 2011, the Pentagon provided $81.4 billion for research, which was 55 percent of all federal research dollars. However, given today's fiscal forecast, it is a given that research funding for the military will be significantly cut as well as federal funding for university research. 18 It is unlikely the infrastructure the NPS has built to support research will be sustainable without the dollars flowing in from elsewhere. There are also numerous other Department of Defense organizations that exist solely to conduct research, such as the Naval Research Laboratory. As important as research is, is the NPS the right place to do it?
Manpower Drawdown and Budget Cuts
In a disproportionate fashion, the NPS has expanded considerably while the Navy has drawn down its manpower, from a force of 560,000 in the mid-1990s to 317,600 as of December 2012. 19 Today, only 40 percent of the students at the NPS are in the Navy. The remaining students are from the other services, other countries, or are civilian government workers. Although the international students are covered either by their country or specially designated money, and other agencies pay the Navy for tuition, this cannot make up the burden of infrastructure costs associated with the large campus. In addition, the international student numbers are predicted to drop because of budget issues in their own countries. Though the Navy is providing a first-class education for the 60 percent of students who are not in the Navy, is this the Navy's mission? This question is especially pertinent as the U.S. military heads into another round of downsizing.
With sequestration, the military is now facing billions of dollars in cuts. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has said the cuts "will cause pain" and will be felt across all the services. 20 In his recent opening remarks to the House Armed Services Committee for Defense, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert reported, "The $8.6 billion shortfall that confronts us in the operations and maintenance account has compelled us to cancel ship and aircraft maintenance, reduce operations, curtail training for forces that will soon deploy, and notify 186,000 of our civilians of a possible furlough." 21 As a matter of fact, all government civilians, including those at the NPS, recently endured a 20 percent pay reduction due to the mandated furloughs. Projected cuts also include the Navy standing down four air wings, the Air Force cutting training flight hours, and the Army curtailing training for 80 percent of its operational units. 22 These cuts will impact not only our personnel, but the economy and, even worse, defense readiness.
Everyone Has a Sacred Cow, it Seems
Many in the nation today are shaking their heads at the gridlock between our political parties and their inability to get things done. We don't understand why neither party can compromise or work together. It seems everyone has their rice bowls or sacred cows. And so it goes for the Naval Postgraduate School. Over the years, the NPS has barely survived past rounds of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) and has been challenged more than once by the Government Accountability Office and the Navy Inspector General. A command inspection conducted in 2009 made money-saving recommendations that have still not been implemented. Even an offer by the city of Monterey to take over base operations support, potentially saving millions, was disregarded. 23 Issues identified by Lieutenant Commander Graham in 2000 were not taken seriously, and her recommendations were summarily dismissed. Perhaps if they had been given proper consideration, the 2012 NPS scandal could have been avoided.
It is hard to question an institution many in the Navy feel is a national treasure and even harder to contemplate shutting it down. However, the future cannot be ignored. The trends discussed here are not going away anytime in the near future. Despite its long history, significant contributions to national defense, and distinguished graduates, it is time to scrutinize the value of the NPS and do the right thing based on the required mission. After all, didn't someone once say that sacred cows make the best hamburgers?
1. Department of the Navy, (2011). NPS value book: A strategic valued investment , 2011, http://hdl.handle.net/10945/7024 .
2. Ibid.
3. Sam Fellman, "Navy fires grad school president and provost," Navy Times , 27 November 2012, 11.
4. Ibid.
5. ADM Henry H. Mauz Jr. USN (Ret.), "Clearing the Smoke," U.S. Naval Institute. Proceedings , February 2013, 44–49.
6. Ibid., 45.
7. Ibid.
8. Office of Management and Budget, Federal activities inventory reform act of 1998 (Public Law 105-270). Washington, DC: The White House, 1998.
9. A. Baribeau, "Future USS California successfully passes sea trials," Association of the United States Navy, August 2011, 19.
10. J. Burke, Assessment of Naval core capabilities , (Alexandria, VA: Secretary of the Navy, Program and Process Assessment Office, Institute of Defense Analysis, 2009).
11. LCDR Janice Graham, "Rethinking the Naval Postgraduate School," U.S. Naval Institute. Proceedings, July 2000, 3.
12. ADM Henry H. Mauz Jr. and William R. Gates, "The Naval Postgraduate School; It's About Value," U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings , August 2000, www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2000-08/naval-postgraduate-school%E2%... .
13. John R. Dew, "Future of American higher education," World Future Review , Winter 2012, www.wfs.org/winter-2012-vol-4-no-4
14. Mauz, "Clearing the Smoke," 46.
15. U.S. Navy, (2012). NPS value book: A strategic valued investment , (Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School website, 2012): http://hdl.handle.net/10945/7024 .
16. Mauz, "Clearing the Smoke," 46–7.
17. Ibid., 47.
18. Binyamin Appelbaum, "A shrinking military budget may take neighbors with it," The New York Times , 6 January 2012..
19. Mark D. Faram, "Van Buskirk: Manning cuts were too deep," Navy Times , 12 December 2012, www.navytimes.com/news/2012/12/PRIME-navy-personnel-chief-manning-cuts-w... .
20. Jim Miklaszewski, "Chuck Hagel on defense budget cuts under sequestration: 'we're adjusting to the realities,'" NBC News , 1 March 2013, http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/01/17150556-chuck-hagel-on-...
21. ADM Jonathan Greenert, USN, (2013). HAC-D hearing opening statement , 2013, http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?reqstyleid=2&mode=form&rsid=2&reqs... .
22. Miklaszewski, "Chuck Hagel on defense budget cuts."
23. Ryan. Masters, "About face: BRAC chair suggests merging Monterey's military schools," Monterey County Weekly , 14 July 2005, www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/2005/jul/14/about-face .


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Tarek AlBishry on the Judges
AlBishry started out by explaining that the Judiciary is formed of atomic units (of independant Judges), unlike the hierarchical structure of the Executive government (power flows top down), or the flat representation of the people in Parliament (power flows bottom up). The Judiciary have no material power in hand, except their word - emblematic power (kowa ma3naweyya). They take no initiatives as issues and problems are brought to them to interpret the law (defined by Parliament) to make judgements (to be executed by the Government).
The history of their independance, first law to explicitly state the Judiciary independance by Sabry Abu Alam in 1943, and sidelining them by Nasser, then the various attempts of interference and control by the government including the "Judges Massacre" is very interesting. Baheyya wrote about that history here.
I asked him that the Judges stand these days is turning them from independant atomic units balancing the executive and parliamentary powers, into a mostly cohesive power that is confronting the government directly --which is not their traditional role. He was quickly dismissive of such notion, the notion that the Judges are taking a political stand. They are not, he said. They are simply refusing to do an incomplete job. They can't do their job if they're denied the tools to perform it properly, and so they're asking to have the adequate tools needed to do their jobs. A judge can't rule in a case without the proper facts and papers of the case infront of him, a surgeon can't operate without the proper tools in the operating room. Can't send a surgeon into an operating room bare handed. I thought it was a bit of a defensive and diplomatic answer, but apparently the Judges who are taking this stand will be coming under intense pressures and attacks in the coming period --which will be hard to survive.
When asked on how he foresees the Judges stand progressing, the probabilities of how things can turn out, and if it is likely that another "Judges Massacre" can occur, he wouldn't answer, claiming that he can't read the future.
UPDATE: Tarek AlBishry analyses the constitution amendment, elections, and reform in an article he wrote this week here.


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Roll To Dodge Standard Rules
The GM (Game Master) posts a situation the players are in. The players then post their actions, according to the conditions GM sets. The GM then rolls for the actions' results, and writes them out in his post. Then the players post actions again, ad infinitum.
The action results are defined by a six-sided die roll:
[1]: Epic Fail. Your efforts only worsened your situation.
[2]: Fail. Your skills or luck were insufficient.
[3]: Meager success: The situation didn't improve by as much as you have intended.
[4]: Success: Your efforts were sufficient to achieve your goal.
[5]: Epic Success: Your skills and luck have combined to ensure your success.
[6]: Overshot: Your efforts were more than required for the goal's completion, and your luck is such that unfortunate side-effects are inevitable.
If at any time something threatens a player, that player may make a roll to dodge the threat.
Yes, this is a Roll to Dodge about a group of people playing a Roll to Dodge game.
There are five slots available.
The first person to sign up will be the runner of the Roll to Dodge within this Roll to Dodge. He or she will need to make up a believable name for him or herself. The first action of this person in the game will be attempting to set a theme for the game in the game.
The next four people will need to give me a believable name for themselves. The first action of their fictional personae in the game will be attempting to come up with names for their own fictional personae in the game in the game. This attempt will have to be rolled for to see how successful the naming goes.
Everyone starts with 6 HP, and everyone's character's character also starts with 6 HP.
Everything else will be made up as we go.


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Intermediate variables are useful to decrease the complexity of the model. These variables store temporary calculations with results that are not reported in the final solution reports. In many models, the temporary variables outnumber the regular variables by many factors. This model reduction often aides the solver in finding a solution by reducing the problem size.
Intermediate variables are declared in the Intermediates ... End Intermediates section of the model file. The intermediate variables may be defined in one section or in multiple declarations throughout the model. Intermediate variables are parsed sequentially, from top to bottom. To avoid inadvertent overwrites, intermediate variable can be defined once. In the case of intermediate variables, the order of declaration is critical. If a variable is used before it's definition, it will contain a default value of 1.
The intermediate variables are processed before the implicit equation residuals, every time the solver requests model information. As opposed to implicitly calculated variables, the explicit variables are calculated once and substituted into other explicit or implicit equations.
When the intermediate variable is solely a function of parameters (not variables), the value may be clipped. This is accomplished by adding inequalities to the expression, separated by a comma. The inequalities may also be a function of other intermediate or regular variables.
APMonitor is designed to encourage the user to construct well-posed models for numerical solution. One limitation that may be encountered is the 100 variable limit in each equation. Excessive use of intermediate variables may lead to the violation of this limit. If this limit is encountered, the user can remediate this problem by converting an intermediate variable to a regular implicit variable.
$$\max_{T(t)} x_2 \left( t_f \right)$$ $$\mathrm{subject \; to}$$ $$\frac{dx_1}{dt}=-k_1 \, x_1^2$$ $$\frac{dx_2}{dt}=k_1 \, x_1^2 - k_2 \, x_2$$ $$k_1 = 4000 \, \exp{\left(-\frac{2500}{T}\right)}$$ $$k_2 = 6.2e5 \, \exp{\left(-\frac{5000}{T}\right)}$$ $$x(0) = [1 \; 0]^T$$ $$298 \le T \le 398$$ $$t_f=1$$


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Upbeat First Day For The New Guy At The Hartford
Kenneth R. Gosselin
October 02, 2009
Hi. Call me Liam."
On his first day as The Hartford's new chairman and chief executive officer, Liam McGee breezed through the rear atrium of the company's headquarters in Hartford, introducing himself to employees and quickly making it clear that they could drop the Mr. McGee stuff.
He could easily have been the local banker greeting customers in the branch. After all, he'd worked as a teller in college and in the decades that followed rose to run Bank of America's sprawling 6,100-branch network.
His upbeat mood was shared by many of those he shook hands with Thursday.
"There's such a renewed sense of energy," said Diane Goodwin, who works in the marketing department. "People are very excited."
"If that changes," McGee said quickly, "you send me an e-mail."
As with many big-company CEOs meeting reporters on their first day, the walk-through, at lunchtime Thursday, was somewhat staged. Still, it was clear McGee aims to make employees at ease as he succeeds longtime CEO Ramani Ayer at a tumultuous time for the 199-year-old company.
Over the past year, The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. was battered by bad investments and problems in its variable annuity business, enough so that it sought a $3.4 billion U.S. Treasury bailout.
The 55-year-old McGee, tall and trim with graying hair, cut an approachable figure, sporting a lapel pin with The Hartford's stag, a nod to his conviction that the company's strong brand will be key to its prospering in the future.
McGee regularly wore a lapel pin with Bank of America's chevron-style logo when he worked at the bank. He quickly adopted the practice for The Hartford, and it is expected employees will follow suit.
Thursday's stroll wasn't the first time McGee spoke to employees. On Wednesday, he held a "town hall" meeting for about 450 with thousands more hooked in from remote locations.
"Wish you said you were a Giants fan rather than for the Patriots," joked Brian Boyer of internal communications, a die-hard fan of the New York team.
McGee laughed.
"But when you said you were a fan of the Red Sox, you made up for that," Goodwin piped up.
McGee, an Irish immigrant raised in California, the son of a bus driver, explained how he had been a fan of the Sox ever since the "Impossible Dream" year of 1967, when Carl Yastrzemski won the batting triple crown.
At one point when he was by himself, McGee looked up at the poster-size pictures of customers in the atrium. He said it was his first time seeing them.
As he walked from the atrium located in the imposing, Neoclassical Revival-style building that was The Hartford's first building in Asylum Hill down a set of stairs through a cafeteria, he entered a tunnel that connects to the campus's high-rise. Employees had a lot of questions for McGee but not about jobs.
"That question has not been asked in any form," McGee said.
Not yet, that is. The Hartford is cutting jobs. By the end of this year, the company says it will eliminate 2,800 jobs globally. As of June, The Hartford had cut 1,100 jobs worldwide, 475 of them in Connecticut. Layoffs have continued, but the company has not provided updated figures.
The Hartford has 12,000 employees in central Connecticut, and McGee said he couldn't imagine The Hartford not having a substantial presence in its namesake city.
Going forward, the company will focus on its property casualty and wealth management businesses. While its variable annuities business the source of some of its recent ills will remain important as part of wealth management, it won't have as prominent a profile, company officials said.
McGee ended his walk in the lobby of the high-rise building. He now had another appointment.
The new guy looked toward the employees from marketing who had escorted him for some direction.
"Is it OK if I go back?"
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Carol Juntunen
firstname.lastname@example.com Cell: 224.523.2217 Office: 847.524.4444
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In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
The corruption of Hadith and the "Chinese Whispers"
We all know that the WHOLE Quran was completely written down when the prophet Muhammed died. We also know that he left clear instructions to the Quran writer about the position of every sura and verse in the Quran.
What we now call Prophet Muhammed's hadiths was collected over two hundred years after his death and then allowed to be written years after all the four guided Khalifas refused to permit such writing. The prophet Muhammed himself when he died had no idea about any Hadiths books. Actually, these books recorded more than one hadiths in which the Prophet ordered the true believers not to write ANYTHING but the Quran.
Now to the 'Chinese whispers' ..........
To understand the reason the hadiths we have today that were attributed to our beloved prophet Muhammed have been so vastly corrupted, I will have to remind you with the "Chinese Whispers".
The lecturer in a college course was talking about the verbal transfer of information, demonstrating the effect of verbal transfer of information on altering an original message
What he did was ask 10 people to come forward from his audience .....he then asked 9 of them to leave the hall, and then gave the one in the hall a small piece of paper to read out to the audience .....
The man read the following extract from the Bible :
"After this Jesus went down to Capernaun in company with his mother and followers and his disciples, but they did not stay there long. As it was near the time of the jewish passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. There he found in the temple the dealers in cattle, sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Jesus made a whip of cords and drove them out of the temple, sheep, cattle, and all."
After that the lecturer took the piece of paper from the first man put it in his pocket , called the 2nd man in , and asked the first man to repeat to the 2nd man the words that he just read out of the paper.
The man said the following ;
"After this Jesus went down to Capernaun in company with his mother and his disciples, and they stayed a long time. After that Jesus went back to Jerusalem. Beside the temple he saw people who were buying cattle and pigeons, he also saw money-changers. Jesus kicked them all out."
Now the lecturer asked the third man to come in and asked the second man to repeat what he just heard from the 1st man ....... he in turn said :
"After this Jesus went down to Jerusalem with his mother and some of his disciples and stayed for a couple of days .... After that Jesus went back to the temple. Beside the temple he saw people who were buying cattle and pigs, he also saw money-changers. Jesus shouted at them and told them theywere wicked."
Once again the next man came in , and the message was repeated as follows :
"One day Jesus was in Jerusalem with his mother where he was was for many years .... but one day Jesus left Jerusalem and went to a far away. Beside the temple he saw people who were buying horses and pigs, he shouted at them for having so much money and told them that money was wicked."
By the time the next man narrated the same story it was :
"Jesus was born in Jerusalem and lived with his mother for many years there .... one day Jesus went to the market place in Jerusalem and in the market he saw people who were riding horses and selling pigs, he shouted at them for having so much animals and money asked them to give their money to charity for it is wicked."
In turn, the next man said the following :
"Jesus was born in Jerusalem and lived with his mother all his life .... one day Jesus went to the market place in Jerusalem and in the market he saw people who were riding horses and selling pigs, he shouted at them for their cruelty to the animals and asked them to give up all their money or to make sure their animals are well fed."
In turn the words were changed to :
"Jesus was born in Jerusalem and lived near a market place where there were lots of people mistreating the poor pigs and whipping their horses......... one day Jesus went to the market place and saw those wicked people who were only interested in selling their pigs, they were very loud and rude to him, so he did not reply back but cursed their money and left ..."
Now any of you can go back and read the first account of this story and then once again read this last one which was only the 6th new narration.
Moreover, what is important here, is that this incident took place in a period of 10 minutes in a lecture ........
What would it be for thousands of saying , most of them many pages long that were transmitted through many people and over a period of 200 years ???
You must also note that the ten men in the lecture were all honestly trying to repeat the story as best as they can remember ...... thus we cannot accuse them of deliberately trying to corrupt the story they were narrating .........
Similarly , many of the narrators of the hadith were honest people , but how accurate can a story be narrated across 200 years andby 6 to 10 different men in a chain ????
We should not be surprised to see that GOD DELIBERATELY permitted this 99% corruption of Hadiths and Sunna, so His true believers can realize easily that their ONLY salvation is through HIS WORDS, the Quran, and nothing else.


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Mein Hanzy:
Early last week I happily rolled my old and dependable 944 from her winter birth into the first encouraging rays of a tentative New England spring. It had been many months since sunshine lapped at her paint, and now squatting in my driveway I could see her blinking in the sunlight like a hungry and matted bear emerging from a long winter's hibernation. Careful observation revealed a front tire not quite up to snuff, and I felt that the diligent application of a few pounds of additional air pressure would answer the situation well. I immediately fired her up and took a short drive to my local and reputedly inexpensive repair center. Upon my appearance, the wrenching-class cognoscenti immediately espied my straits and instructed me to pull my car into bay number one, where my slightest whim would ostensibly be attended to, immediately, of course. But before I could conjure any explanation for my visit, and clarify that all I actually needed was a couple of pounds of air carefully applied to my left front tire, they had clamped my car onto the lift and in a moment both myself and my car were hydraulically whisked into the stratosphere of expert automotive repair. There were wrenches and mechanical implements of all manner and description employed to the underside of my car, generating a great and immense din that swallowed all my feeble protestations regarding this unprovoked assault on my otherwise intact 944. When they were done with their clanking business, a fellow with the name of "Sid" embroidered on his shirt announced that my Mazda would now handle every bit as well as a Porsche.
This I fully believed; and after paying $189 and getting a quick squirt from the air pump, I resolved to escort my Mazda 944 to her favorite playground, where she can kick-up her heels and feel like a teenager again. I dipped into the first turn with a measure of restraint, which in hindsight was a very providential thing to do, for instead of being met with the most benign of handling I was immediately astounded by an enormity of understeer, not unlike that of a wheelbarrow attempting to negotiate a muddy tract. I went way wide at the mushy apex, of course, and knew that something was seriously wrong with my settings. I went back to my expert and he said, "You got this here Finotony Rod, and frankly, I don't like the looks of it. Appears outsourced." So I immediately authorized him to replace it, and instructed him to waste not a moment in the accomplishment of this deed yet keep it tightly under budget... even though I had no idea of what a Finotony Rod could be about.
At the appointed day and hour I retrieved my car and immediately applied her to the task at hand, tossing her into a long sweeper and hoping that Sid got it close to right. But of course she tripped over herself and stumbled into the turn like a tipsy reveler, knocking over anything in her reach and pretending it didn't happen, so that I found myself once again in the need of an expert in automotive mechanics, and once again the pronouncement was dire: "Yes, clearly it is a transeptular disagreement between the axles," he brightly declared. "I've seen it before, but not typically in a Mazda. Perhaps it is a recent permutation?" he opined, hoping that someone would be jotting down his vital emanations. But alas I did not have a pencil and his genius will remain unrecorded for posterity, because I proceeded to reach for the torque wrench and swung it around to the side of his head with sufficient force to guarantee that any future pronouncements he would convey would be delivered from either his eternal bliss or woe, but decidedly not from this world. I'm not entirely sure, but I think I may have muttered "Die Tyrant Die" as the torque wrench rendered its final measurement, a surprisingly poetic expression of mind over complex gray matter, torqued, as it were, to spec.
So now I'm on the run in my Porsche/Mazda 944 Wheelbarrow, the transeptular disagreement becoming more argumentative and spiteful with each mile. My final criminal act of the day was to snatch a roadmap to Canada, and I figure that if I avoid all the mountains I could sail into Toronto a free and happy man. I understand there is a favorable exchange rate.


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Tattoo Gone Wrong: Belgian Teens Asks For 3 Stars On Her Face, But When She Wakes Up She Finds 56!
Reuters reports "A Belgian teenager has told police how she emerged from a tattoo parlor with 56 stars over one side of her face, rather than the three she had asked for, prosecutors said on Tuesday
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Sumter Speedway is presenting The Battle Of The South on Saturday, Nov. 7.
The night's headliner will be the $1,000-to-win Mid-Atlantic Street Stock Series, paying $800 to win in the Stock 4 Division.
Other divisions running will be SECA Crate Late Models, Super Street, Street Stock, Stock V8 and Extreme 4. Pits admission is $25 and $15 for the grandstands.
In the stands, all active military, retired military and children, age 11 and under, are free.
The USCS Winged Outlaw Sprint Cars will be highlighting two area Carolinas race tracks Friday and Saturday night this weekend, Oct. 30 and 31.
Tonight, Friday, the USCS Winged Outlaw Sprint Cars will highlight racing action at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C., along with Limited Late Models $1,500 to win, SECA Crate Sportsman $500, Street Stock $500, Renegades $500 and USCS 600 Mini Sprints.
Gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7:20. Heat races are set for 8. Admission prices are $20 for the grandstands and $30 for the pits.
The 2015 racing season was one to dream about for "The Rock Hill Bad Boy," Ben Watkins.
Watkins started the racing season in a Super Late Model for the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series for the first time.
This season was Watkins first full year racing a Super Late Model car. In previous seasons, Watkins had raced Lancaster Super Speedway, I-77 Speedway and Carolina Speedway in the Crate Sportsman and the Cherokee Speedway in Limited Late Models.
Early on, Watkins enjoyed success with some finishes up front.
Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney will host the 25th annual Blue Gray 100 this weekend.
Action begins tonight, Oct. 23 and continues Saturday, Oct. 24.
The racing event is highlighted by the $12,000-to-win Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series main event Saturday night.
The racing order tonight is the Thunder Bombers, Extreme 4 and Young Guns 4-Cylinders will qualify and run main events. The Stock 4 will qualify and run heat races, and an open practice for all other divisions is slated.
Lancaster Super Speedway drivers ventured across the state line over the weekend for the King of The Carolina's Races at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C.
Lancaster Super Speedway drivers had a strong showing throughout the weekend, with Ben Watkins posting a seventh-place finish in the Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series main event.
Josh Langley was 17th in the Clash Super Late Model Series main after getting caught up in a wreck on the front straight away.
The "Rock Hill Bad Boy" Ben Watkins is set to defend his Carolina Clash points lead this weekend at the King of the Carolinas race.
The racing focus will be on Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C., for two busy nights for the driver known as the "Rock Hill Bad Boy," Watkins.
On Friday night, tonight, Watkins will be in his No. 16 Sandwood Racing Limited Late Model car at Carolina.
The action has qualifying and the main event for the Limited Late Model Division.
The dirt track racing focus is on Carolina Speedway in Gastonia for the next week.
Carolina Speedway will host the third annual King of the Carolinas racing event Oct. 15-17.
The major racing event drew over 200 cars last year, with that many or more expected to compete at the Carolina Speedway track next week.
With the 2015 Lancaster Super Speedway season completed, a host of LSS drivers are expected to be in the mix for the titles at the Carolina track.
The 2015 racing season at Lancaster Super Speedway has come to an end, the last two races won by Mother Nature.
Rainy weather wiped out the final two races on the 2015 season, including action last Saturday night.
The season has been competitive as ever at the famous half-mile dirt track.
Lancaster Super Speedway will hold its final points race of the 2015 season Saturday, Oct. 3.
Divisions running will be the Faith Funderburke Realty Super Stock, paying $500 to win, $50 to start, with a $100 bounty on Brandy Baker.
If Baker chooses to start in the rear of the field for the main event, and if he wins the race, he will collect the $100 bounty.
Deal 1 Auto Sales SECA Crate Sportsman has $500 to win and $50 to start.
The Cauthen Motors Renegades has $500 to win and $50 to start.
Rain washed out racing action Saturday, Sept. 26, and the race has been rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3.
The race is the final points race for the 2015 LSS season.
Divisions running will be the Faith Funderburke Realty Super Stock, paying $500 to win, $50 to start, with a $100 bounty on Brandy Baker.
If Baker chooses to start in the rear of the field for the main event and if he wins the race, he will collect the $100 bounty.
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