text:
AMD Opteron CPUs hit by heat stroke
'Marginal' effect, chip maker claims
Exclusive AMD today admitted it has inadvertently allowed a number of 2.6GHz and 2.8GHz single-core Opteron x52 and x54 processors that could corrupt data under extreme conditions to escape into the wild.
It is believed that the glitch is triggered when the affected chip's FPU is made to loop through a series of memory-fetch, multiplication and addition operations without any condition checks on the result of the calculations. The loop has to run over and over again for long enough to cause localised heating which together with high ambient temperatures could combine to cause the result of the operation to be recorded incorrectly, leading to data corruption.
To trigger the effect, the loop has to be run millions of time, an AMD customer source told Reg Hardware, potentially for hours at a time with no other operations being introduced during the run.
According to the source - who claimed to be party to emails highlighting the issue and sent by AMD to a number of the chip maker's major customers and partners - AMD has investigated the problem and found it was only able to reproduce the bug's effects in a synthetic benchmark test.
The problem is believed to affect only a fraction - perhaps no more than 3,000 individual CPUs - which managed to slip through AMD's screening net. It is not known how this so-called 'test escape' ocurred, but it took place "in part of 2005 and early 2006", an AMD spokesman said.
AMD said it has introduced another screening test to catch any further affected parts. Chips caught in this test in future will be re-rated at a lower clock speed to prevent the problem. The company is also working with OEMs to identify affected parts and contact customers who could be affected - if they are, they will be offered free replacements.
AMD stressed the problem was due to "a convergence of three specific simultaneous conditions", not a fault with the Opteron architecture. The company claimed the issue had not been observed on systems running commercially available applications.
"It's very hard to imagine this type of [tight FP loop] code in our [financial services] environment," Reg Hardware's source said. "The only thing I could think that would be coded this way would be some type of strange cipher code. For example, any type of 'for' loop that uses a compare operation would not have the problem." ®


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?
"Goyim were born only to serve us. Without that, they have no place in the world, only to serve the people of Israel…Why are gentiles needed? They will work, they will plow, they will reap.
We will sit like effendi and eat!"
The Rabbi, called by some "Madman Yosef" went on:
"With gentiles it will be like any person, they need to die but G-d will give them longevity.
Imagine that one's donkey would die. They would lose profit. Their donkey is their servant. The goyim is like a donkey to the Jews, they exist only to serve and are only allowed by G'd to live a long life because they are the beast of burden the Jews. Were the goyim to stop serving Jews, g-d would end their lives"
Rabbi Yosef is the spiritual head of the Shas Party, a member of the Likud coalition, which won 11 seats in the recent election and supports Prime Minister Netanyahu. Oddly, however, the Shas Party claims that the Ashkenazi Jews, those of European dissent, wrongly control Israel and are not genuinely members of "g-d's chosen." Things have been rocky for the Shas Party as their former leader, Areh Dari, onetime Minister of the Interior, was jailed in 2000 for allegedly accepting bribes. Since that time, Shas has joined with the extremist Likud Party of Netanyahu.
Yosef is said to despise Netanyahu, an American born Ashkenazi, but accepts Likud rule based on similar views of the role of goyim in the world.


text:
Footnote.com contains hundreds of documents relating to George Washington and the founding of the United States of America. This is an account of the Continental Congress selecting George Washington to command all the forces fighting against the British Army. At the time of his appointment, on June 15, 1775, Washington refused a salary for his services and told the Congress he would bill them at the end of the war. On July 1, 1783, Washington submitted to the Continental Board of Treasury his expense account.
George Washington - Stories
US Revolutionary War · US Army


text:
Up channel headlines
Rightbrain search;
Painless learning
via images. Discover hover, swipe, and refresh actions.
Mobile Apps
Tablet Apps
About TEARN
Legacy and New Media, The War
click for white paper! (http://bit.ly/datawar)
Older Post
Sponsored Links:
Click for the Most Popular This Week at the Up Channel
#UP Alec Baldwin Trashes New York Post: 'Worst Newspaper In Human History'
Sallie Mae (Student Loans) - plans to add 2000 jobs by moving itsoverseas operations back to the United States
Higgs excitation - higgs boson, Experimental detection of the Higgs boson would help explain how massless elementary particles can have mass.
WowMatrix - WoW AddOn Installer & Updater - World of Warcraft
#UP Chipper Jones Is Dating NSFW Playboy Cam Model Taylor Higgins, aka Lexi Ray
Farrah Fawcett cancer - (videos) hospitalized in Los Angeles - latest setback in her long battle with cancer
#UP Bar Refaeli kisses nerd in Go Daddy Super Bowl ad
Learn what is needed to apply to one of Walden University's online college degree programs
k2, mt everest - climb Pakistan's K2, the world's second highest mountain in the Karakoram range, belarc, disaster on k2, k 2
Obama speech march 24 - obama speech march 24 2009, obama tv, obama press conference march 24, presidential address march 24, nbc


text:
Serviços Personalizados
Links relacionados
- Citado por Google
- Similares em Google
South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences
versão On-line ISSN 2222-3436
versão impressa ISSN 1015-8812
S. Afr. j. econ. manag. sci. vol.17 no.4 Pretoria Abr. 2014
Seeking rigor in South African business research: Aspirational principles in contrast to a recent publication
Gregory Lee
Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand
Studies of organisational success and other aspects of management are critical in understanding and improving critical areas of African economic stability. This article seeks to urge high levels of rigor in South African research in this area, notably empirical research, proposing several aspirational research principles. First, the article considers claims of uniqueness versus the practical value of embedding research as a replication in a well-considered wider body of knowledge. Second is the desirability of conforming to sufficiently high norms of model fit and effect size and accuracy. Third is empirical comparison of South African studies with previous findings, with attendant possibilities for new theory development. Fourth is proper tests for and treatment of common method bias. Fifth is specification of appropriate sets of constructs. Finally, this article proposes specification of alternate models that will add substantial rigor to such research. In advocating these possibilities, the current article contrasts these aspirational principles to a recent SAJEMS article. This critique serves an exclusively illustrative purpose, showing some pitfalls of not conforming to the aspirational principles, the benefits of explicitly including certain easy to achieve solutions, and the ease with which greater rigor can sometimes be achieved. Ultimately, this article seeks to constructively advance African business research standards.
Key words: research methodology, empirical and quantitative research, uniqueness, common method bias, small business
1 Introduction
This article seeks to advance the rigor of South African research into the business arena. Many areas of business research are widely regarded as critical economic arenas, with substantial promise for broad-based wealth generation, job creation, and other benefits (e.g. Liedholm & Mead, 2013).
The aim of this article is to encourage greater rigor in business research by advocating certain research principles, some of which are well accepted in theory but not always applied, and others which are rarely considered but which I argue can do much to advance the standard of our quantitative methodological practices. The article uses a recent contribution to the South African small business literature by Farrington (2012) as an illustration of the pitfalls of research that does not address at least some of these principles.
The intention of this article is not to critique this example per se. Farrington (2012) is certainly not the only publication in this area which may have been used for this purpose. However, this article argues that it serves as a useful example against which the research principles advocated might be compared.
The following sections therefore discuss the specific context of the critiqued article, and thereafter address each major research principle in succession, using Farrington's (2012) article as an illustrative case.
2 The context of the critiqued article
The psychology of entrepreneurs and small business owners forms a central pillar in research investigating the drivers of small business success (e.g. Begley & Boyd, 1988; Jain 2011; Wiklund, Patzelt & Shepherd, 2009; Xavier, Kelley, Kew, Herrington & Vorderwülbecke, 2013; Frese, 2009; Rauch & Frese, 2000; Shaver, 2010).
Personality of small business owners is a fecund subset of this literature (Beugelsdijk & Noorderhaven, 2005; Brandstätter, 2011; Frank, Lueger & Korunka, 2007; Rauch & Frese, 2007; Zhao, Seibert & Lumpkin, 2010). Research has investigated a wide variety of personality constructs, including tolerance for risk, locus of control, creativity, individualism, achievement motivation, and innovation (Collins, Hanges & Locke, 2004; Farrington 2012; Stewart & Roth, 2004 & 2007; Zhao et al. 2010). The Five Factor Model (FFM) is a useful taxonomy that has enjoyed increasing attention in the context of entrepreneurial outcomes. The FFM employs the facets of Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (Emotional Stability being the positive analogue).
In this vein, Farrington (2012) provides what is probably the first South African data assessing linear relationships between the personality of small business owner-operators (as measured by the FFM) and success of their businesses as measured by growth and financial performance. (I employ capitalisation of key variables hereafter to highlight key constructs). Farrington (2012:383) suggests that no prior model can be found that uses the five-factor model of personality to explain small business success.
I do not repeat the theory underlying Personality and the FFM here, or that surrounding the use of small business Growth and Financial Performance as key outcomes. Farrington (2012) has undertaken an adequate outcome of these, and in addition she discusses in depth the various arguments for links between Personality and business Growth and Financial Performance. I refer the reader to that explication for the sake of brevity (see, for instance, Barrick & Mount (1991) and John, Naumann & Soto (2010) for more on these theory building blocks).
Farrington's (2012) linear hypotheses propose positive relationships between the personality factors of extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience and agreeableness with small business success, and negative relationships between Neuroticism and the business success.
As discussed previously, the following sections suggest some aspirational research principles for such work, and uses Farrington's (2012) article as an illustration either of the pitfalls of falling short of these or of the positive steps that can be taken to extend and improve our local research. Exclusively positive contributions are sought in this regard.
3 Embedding studies: uniqueness vs. replication
It is certainly desirable that South African researchers undertake unique research, and it would hardly be controversial to suggest that such researchers should defend any claims to uniqueness by ensuring that similar work has in fact not essentially been published elsewhere. The latter step clearly requires a careful literature review, with a sober consideration of prior research applicability to the researcher's own study.
A particular danger in this regard is the careful scrutiny of the many sub-disciplines that may contain pertinent commentary on a particular business topic. Small business research, for instance, may of course vest in 'obvious' categories of outlets such as management and business, less derivative but commonly referenced areas such as psychology, economics and sociology, and in areas perhaps less commonly accessed such as economic geography. These multiple sources of information are not always noticed. The ISI citation indices, for instance, delineate economic geography from other disciplines mentioned above because of the distinction between social science and science categories. Similar problems may arise with some search engines such as JSTOR or ABI INFORM. However, cross-cutting search engines increasingly lessen this risk.
The desirability for claims of research uniqueness, however, presents an interesting divergence from the reality of much of our publishing. Uniqueness at the highest level of application involves genuinely new theoretical ideas or linkages, which involve "the extent to which it runs ahead of existing empirical research in terms of alerting us to research opportunities hitherto unanticipated (Lakatos, 1970)" (Kilduff, 2002:252). Rynes (2002) notes that claims to uniqueness need to show high incremental contribution, a certain ability to add views that are not obvious, and importance to the management world (see also Corley & Gioia, 2011). Some South African management research indeed makes theoretical contributions, but, arguably, more work builds within the boundaries of established bodies of theory, perhaps with relatively limited twists on existing models or limited methodological or empirical uniqueness.
The alternative to claims of high-level uniqueness is to acknowledge openly that the article is (mostly) a replication or extension in a particular geographic, temporal, sectoral, or other context. The context provides some localised 'uniqueness', but really at a lower level of empirical differentiation, unless the researcher takes explicit steps to incorporate theoretically defensible additions to the core thinking (such as new theory based on cultural differences). Despite the reluctance of social science researchers to do purely derivative research - perhaps because journals are loath to publish these - replications and contextual extensions not only have value, they sometimes have even more value than does work that is completely unique (Uncles & Kwok, 2013). This is because the business world is saturated with models and theories most of which have extremely scant support. Establishing and confirming the applicability of existing theory is valuable, especially when new contexts are under investigation (e.g. see Easley, Madden & Dunn, 2000; Goldsby & Autry, 2011; Hubbard & Lindsay, 2013; Uncles & Kwok, 2013).
This article advocates for South African researchers to differentiate strongly between work that is genuinely unique at the level of new theory and that which is essentially replication or extension. Where the latter is true, the researcher should fight to embed the research in local contextual nuances that may alter effect sizes or even directions of findings, or at least lend alternative possibilities to discussions and implications of findings.
The critiqued article is perhaps a case in point. Farrington (2012:383) states that "As far as can be established, no studies using the five-factor model of personality exist attempting to investigate whether the personality dispositions of small-business owners have an influence on the success of their business" (my italics). This claim is, unfortunately, rather radically overstated. In contrast, much similar work had previously been achieved. As a possible illustration, Zhao et al. (2010) had previously published a meta-analysis of research precisely on links between the Big 5 personality factors of entrepreneurs and business performance, based partly on a 2006 Academy of Management proceeding. Some 28 months had passed between the print publication of Zhao et al. (2010) and the acceptance of Farrington's article, and the 2010 meta-analysis covers some 60 prior sources and 66 independent samples, all with at least some measure of association between FFM constructs and entrepreneurial business performance (see Table 1 below for a summary). Even if Farrington was writing her contribution at or after that of Zhao et al., the many contributions that feed into the meta-analysis were surely available to her.
An argument could perhaps be made that Farrington's study is limited to small businesses and the meta-analysis of Zhao et al. (2010) is targeted at entrepreneurs, an important distinction. However, the note above regarding looking to other fields and sub-fields seems important here. An analysis of the sources used by Zhao et al. suggests many sources that would apply to the small business context.
As stated previously, the intention of this section is not to cavil overly against Farrington's (2012) claim of uniqueness. There need be no doubt that she was unaware of this body of international research. However, it is necessary to set the record straight for the South African scientific community and embed the Farrington research in its proper international context. I take this further and compare her results to the international findings below. Generally, South African research that is embedded in a well-established milieu, even with some differences, would perhaps best be explicitly positioned as such.
4 Size and accuracy in quantitative methodologies
Since much business research utilises quantitative methodologies, this article focuses substantial comment on such routes of enquiry. Many of these studies follow correlational techniques such as correlation analysis, regression, ANOVA and the like.
As has long been noted in the broader methodological literature, claims to model fit, effect size and accuracy of parameters require careful consideration. Tenuous claims to any of these should not easily permeate research that purports to the higher standards of our discipline. Notably, models with little explanatory power, overly low effect sizes, and power issues in the accuracy of slopes should be taken at best with a proverbial pinch of salt.
As the example at hand, Farrington (2012: 392-392) makes several claims regarding her findings. Notably, she infers that her regressions fit and that they show reliable and influential linear relationships.
In reality, Farrington's (2012) results are modest at best. Analyses of R2s indicate that the Financial Performance regression explains only 7.7 per cent of dependent variable variance, while the Growth Performance regression explains only 6.1 per cent. While not zero, these are extremely low squared multiple correlations that call for caution (e.g. Cohen, Cohen, West & Aiken, 2003).
Farrington (2012) would have done well to justify her implicit claims of fit, perhaps through comparison with other entrepreneurial studies linking psychological aspects to these sorts of outcomes.
On Financial Performance there are several statistically significant slopes, including Extra-version (β = .13, p < .05), Conscientiousness (β = .14, p < .05) and Openness (β = .14, p < .05). On Growth Performance, Openness (β = .16, p < .01) and Neuroticism (β = -.13, p < .05) are statistically significant. One extra note here: Farrington's (2012) reported beta for Neuro-ticism on Growth (which she puts at β = -.065) is incorrectly reported by more than a half, which can be deduced by the fact that derived covariances from her paper result in the exact same R2 values and paths to multiple decimals excepting that for neuroticism.
In almost any standard interpretation of OLS regression results, R2 statistics of less than .10 and beta coefficients of less than .20 would usually not be seen to respectively show either fit to a linear model or strong linear relationships (e.g. Cohen et al. 2003). This conclusion carried through to correlations, which are likewise small in effect size.
To illustrate this point, consider the simulated data scatterplots in Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3, representing regression betas (assumed to be controlled for other predictors) of magnitude β = .07, .15, and .20, and noting that Farrington's (2012) smallest and largest betas with statistical significance are .07 and .16 respectively. Few researchers shown such plots would claim any serious linear relation-ships.
Farrington's (2012) claims rest largely on statistical significance of results. The statistical significance of these slopes (and presumably the ANOVA F) is perhaps more likely the result of relatively high power by virtue of sample size (Cohen 1988). To illustrate the power point, I calculate the power functions of this multiple regression using SAS PROC POWER. To achieve power of .80 with a partial correlation of only .06 with such a regression (far higher than the lowest partial correlation in both Farrington, 2012 and Zhao et al, 2010 of .01) one would need approximately 2,000 respondents. Accordingly, Farrington (2012) should not have been too quick either to embrace significance or to interpret it as substituting for large effects, a point often made in research methodology (e.g. Ziliak & McCloskey, 2004) but too little applied by researchers.
Essentially, management scientists should interpret findings such as those of Farrington (2012) somewhat cautiously, not necessarily repeating all claims of linear relationships found. Power analyses should become de rigeur where available. Moderators seeking out circumstances in which relationships are stronger would perhaps be better in studies such as the example here. This point extends to many similar studies as well - improvements in research reporting by the South African business science community should be sought by journals.
An anonymous reviewer of this article makes the valuable point that Farrington's weak findings are valuable as weak findings, in the sense that personality not affecting small business success may be as valuable a conclusion as a positive finding. This is correct. However, it is then incumbent on the researcher not to overstate the findings and to cast the conclusions in the light of weak or no findings.
An extra consideration is whether common method bias (Podsakoff, Mackenzie, Lee & Podsakoff, 2003) may have driven statistical significance, since data is drawn from a one-shot sample and survey with common measurement characteristics. Farrington (2012) explicitly acknowledges this issue. I continue in a constructive vein in Section 6 below with the discussion of common method bias, illustrating options for researchers seeking rigor.
5 Empirical validation: comparability to prior findings
The first aspirational research point urged for caution in claiming uniqueness versus actively but constructively acknowledging essential replication of prior work.
A corollary to the latter point is that researchers seeking to model known relationships in local contexts can and should compare their findings to those already found elsewhere, if possible explicitly (e.g. Hubbard & Lindsay, 2013). Where findings show similar effects to those found elsewhere - even weak or null effects - this is very useful since it allows researchers to make similar recommendations for managerial or other practice. It also adds to general knowledge regarding the similarity of business conditions to conditions elsewhere in a particular area of study. The opposite is also true: divergences from prior findings (or identification with a particular subset of findings elsewhere), enable researchers to develop genuine new ideas regarding contextual differentiation that hopefully can be explicitly developed at a high level of theoretical rigor.
In this regard, it is easy enough to formally compare study findings to those found elsewhere, especially where meta-analyses are available or can be synthesised. Such additions to South African studies can easily be achieved and will add substantial rigor and validity.
For example, having critiqued Farrington's (2012) conclusions regarding the strength of her results, I note that her findings are by no means out of line with similar studies worldwide, and show that they are stable in the presence of common method bias. To illustrate, I show and test comparisons between the results of Farrington (2012) and the meta analytical findings of Zhao et al. (2010). To do this I compare R2 statistics using the Fisher Z comparison test of multiple R statistics, and to compare two given slopes (figuratively β1 and β2) I use the slope comparison test for independent samples (Paternoster, Brame, Mazerolle & Piquero, 1998; Clogg, Petrova & Haritou, 1995) as follows:
Zhao et al. (2010) only reconstruct a regression of FFM characteristics on general firm performance, but do give meta-analytical correlations for Conscientiousness, Openness and Emotional Stability (the inverse of Neuroticism) on Growth and Financial Performance (for Extraversion and Agreeableness they only construct correlations with overall performance). To build correlation matrices from Zhao et al.'s findings that correspond with those of Farrington, I follow their approach by using the correlations between FFM characteristics derived from the Ones, Viswesvaran, and Reiss's (1996) meta-analysis. In addition, I use the Zhao et al. (2010) FFM correlations with Growth and Profitability where available. In the case of Extraversion and Agreeableness I substitute the meta-analytical correlation with general performance into the Growth and Financial Performance correlation matrices.
Table 2 shows the comparisons between Farrington's (2012) regression on Financial Performance and the regression reconstructed from Zhao et al.'s (2012) meta-analytical correlations. The final columns show the differences between parameters, including the R2 and slopes.
Table 2 suggests that Farrington's (2012) Financial Performance regression and that constructed from Zhao et al. (2010) are statistically indistinguishable even at the 90% confidence level.
Table 3 shows the comparisons between Farrington's (2012) Growth regression and that reconstructed from Zhao et al. (2012). The final columns again show and test the differences.
In this case, the R2 of Zhao et al. (2010) is .15 and that of Farrington (2012) is .06, the difference of .09 is statistically significant at p < .01. This difference is driven by statistically significant differences between the Conscientiousness path (β = .31 for Zhao et al. and .037 for Farrington, difference = .27 p < .01) and the Neuroticism path (β = -.126 for Zhao et al. and .020 for Farrington, difference = .106 p < .10). However, differences between other paths are not statistically significant.
The conclusion to be drawn from these findings is that Farrington's (2012) research is mostly comparable to the bulk of international findings, a conclusion Farrington herself largely comes to but by far less rigorous comparisons and by comparisons with less relevant literature (in that Farrington largely compares to individual performance literature). The similarities to comparable findings here encourage not only proximal comparability in the sense of Personality-Performance literature but may add ammunition to any arguments that South African small business owner managers are in many respects similar to other entrepreneurs in similar global markets, although this would be a tentative conclusion. It is an approach that accords with recent authors such as Hubbard & Lindsay's (2013) that sameness should be the focus for business research instead of difference.
Table 3 shows that the noteworthy exceptions to comparability are perhaps Conscientiousness on Growth (which has a moderate effect in the Zhao et al. 2010 meta-analysis and practically none in Farrington, 2012) and Neuroticism (which is moderate but significant in its effect on Growth in Farrington but negligible in Zhao et al. 2010). Interesting additions to the literature would perhaps be an investigation into whether these effects are systemic and endemic to South African entrepreneurship, if so why, and what this entails. As noted, the rigorous comparison of local versus prior international effects is what can really seed this sort of theoretical differentiation.
6 Stability to common method bias
While the problem of common method bias has long been a feature of cautionary methodological literature, especially in psychological research of a perceptual nature (e.g. Donaldson & Grant-Vallone, 2002; Podsakoff et al. 2003 & Podsakoff, Mackenzie & Podsakoff, 2012), explicit remedies for the issue remain all too uncommon in South African business research.
Common method bias refers to "variance that is attributable to the measurement method rather than to the constructs the measures represent" (Podsakoff et al., 2003:879). Such bias, which may spuriously inflate correlational effects between constructs, may be caused in various ways (Podsakoff et al., 2003 & 2012). These include common sources of data (notably common raters, such as all data being gathered from the same people), effects caused by measurement items (such as when answers to items in a survey are biased by social desirability, complexity, or a common answering format), common item context (such as when external effects create common mood between respondents) and measurement context (such as when a common medium such as a one-shot survey is used to gather data, or gathering measurements at the same time or place facilitates commonality of responses).
A large proportion of South African business research utilises one-shot surveys, gathered from the same respondents at a single period in time, and often using similar or even identical answer scales such as Likert response formats. As illustrated by a large body of methodological literature (e.g. Donaldson & Grant-Vallone, 2002; Podsakoff et al, 2012), this may distort, inflate or depress true relational effects between constructs, although such biases may not always occur and may have been somewhat overstated (Conway & Lance, 2010; Spector, 2006). To the extent that common method bias does distort results, it may then distort theory building (Reio, 2010).
The reader can pursue a full exposition of possible solutions to the common method bias issue in sources such as Donaldson & Grant-Vallone (2002), Podsakoff et al. (2003 & 2012) and (Reio, 2010). In summary, these include several methodological solutions, mostly involving separation of measurement. Specifically, separating the sources of outcome and predictor variable data is most desirable (e.g. gathering data on small business success outcomes from a different source - say accounting statements - than the source from which predictor variables are gathered). Researchers can also make gains by gathering outcome and predictor variables at different time periods, places, through different surveys or methods, by use of varied answer formats, and by counterbalancing question order. Ensuring anonymity and the like helps to ameliorate anxiety that may color all data, and ensuring clarity and neutrality of question and answer formats helps to avoid underlying confusion or social desirability.
In addition to methodological solutions, statistical solutions are available (see above references). Theoretically, multi-trait multi-method methods are best, but these tend to be available and practical only in scale validation exercises. Certainly, when perceptual methods predominate, at the least researchers should rule out the possibility that all measures (perhaps in a subset) are really measuring a single latent factor - this is referred to as Harmon's single factor test and is usually tested by showing bad fit for a single latent factor underlying all manifest variables in a confirmatory factor analysis (Podsakoff et al., 2003). This, however, is a weak test that can only provide an initial indication of a problem without providing a solution (although good fit for a single latent factor would probably indicate a substantial methodological problem).
Among other intermediate models that can provide partial solutions, Podsakoff et al. (2003 & 2012) suggest various solutions. The researcher can extract a large first eigenvector in an exploratory factor analysis, explicitly measure and control for a known common method issue (such as explicitly measuring social desirability and controlling for it), and -probably most feasible and balanced - model path relations between constructs while simultaneously modelling a common latent variable loading on all manifest variables (or at least those in a logical subset). The latter would normally involve a simple application of latent variable structural equation modelling. Various other models do exist.
As an illustration of the issue, but also of possible constructive remedies, consider that Farrington's (2012) study utilises a one-shot one-source survey to business owners. It uses a single answer format (a 1-5 point Likert scale) and does not seem to counterbalance questions. This study would seem widely open to common method bias issues, as indeed noted by Farrington (2012:396) in her limitation. Few South African business researchers, including the current author, could claim not to have engaged in such research.
While I would advocate for partial amelioration of the issue through more varied methodologies as described briefly above, in absence of these researchers should at least explicitly rule out a single factor that could perhaps indicate overwhelming commonality. While Farrington (2012:389-390) reports an exploratory factor analysis, she does not report eigenvalues that could be indicative. Given that pre-chosen subscales were chosen, confirmatory factor analysis should probably have been chosen in any event.
As stated above, a more remedial solution may also be desirable. To illustrate this, I employ the 'Common Methods Variance' methodology of Podsakoff et al. (2003) for dealing with common method bias, namely by adding a latent factor underneath all the major manifest indicators in re-estimating the Farrington (2012) regressions. Initial analysis suggests that the Performance variables have little loading on this common factor, and are removed, whereas Personality variables may benefit from a common method extraction. Surprisingly, as seen in Table 4, although the latent factor withdraws substantial variance from some of the personality indicators it does not change material slopes or outcomes of any of the regressions.
This finding may potentially suggest stability of this model regardless of the common method employed by Farrington (2012), which is a positive finding for her research. The point of such an observation, however, is that Farrington could easily have explicitly controlled for at least some common bias in this way, rather than merely acknowledging the problem without a solution.
This article accordingly urges for greater rigor in addressing common method bias. Authors should be required to fulfill Conway and Lance's (2012) recommendations for broad reporting requirements, namely "(a) an argument for why self-reports are appropriate, (b) construct validity evidence, (c) lack of overlap in items for different constructs, and (d) evidence that authors took proactive design steps to mitigate threats of method effects" (Conway & Lance, 2012:325).
Whether the latter requirements can stop at minimal methodological steps or whether post hoc statistical controls are desired (recommended by those like Podsakoff et al., 2012 and not as supported by others like Conway & Lance, 2012), more explicit reporting will help to elevate the rigor of South African research.
7 Rigor of specification: models, controls and constructs
This article argues for greater rigor in the specification of models and constructs, with specific reference to three points.
7.1 Controls and constructs
The requirement for properly specified construct sets is a well-established methodological concern. Of central concern is, of course, adequate measurement of core predictor and outcome constructs.
Of additional concern in this regard are adequate control variables that can provide the proper contextual background for studies, including but not limited to demographic variables such as age and size of the business and contextual variables such as economic context. Failure to include a properly specified set of constructs may weaken a study substantially, or even render its findings meaningless.
For illustration, Farrington (2012) apparently includes no control variables of any kind in her correlational analyses (she mentions none, and covariances drawn from the correlation matrix and descriptive statistics of the core variables replicate her findings, showing no partialling out of controls). A t-test of outcomes slit by two age categories hardly seems like adequate control.
This is arguably a great weakness. Firm demographics such as size and age have substantial correlation to the crucial performance outcomes (Majumdar, 1997; Brush & Chaganti, 1999; Lundvall & Battese, 2000), therefore variances in this regard should have been explicitly controlled for. In addition, Farrington's (2012) data could not have been gathered long after the worldwide economic collapse of 2008-2009. Variables controlling for economic conditions in each company's particular sector or other context may have helped explain important additional variance in the performance outcomes of the regression. Such omissions may explain weak findings in the core relationships.
In general, South African quantitative research must control as adequately as possible for the many external factors that characterise our complex environment, obviously without engaging in overly complex models that may advance limited increases in explanation at the expense of parsimony.
7.2 More complex modelling possibilities
While simple cross-sectional linear methodologies are common, researchers truly interested in exploring areas such as small business dynamics at a high level of competence may wish to consider more complex and perhaps interesting methodologies.
Times series methodologies, such as panel regression, are particularly desirable in the business context, and perhaps particularly for small business, since organisational performance and other dynamics may fluctuate over time and cross-sectional methodologies are hardly suited to pick up the subtleties of such processes. However, time series data are less available here than in many more advanced economies, and not all research questions suit such methods. For instance, Farrington's (2012) personality study could easily point to the relative stability of personalities as a reason for not bothering with change over time.
Having said this, experimental designs are a far more rigorous methodology that allow for temporal processes but with stringent controls. As one example in the context at hand, researchers could conduct a controlled contrast of business performance with stable owners versus that when business ownership changes to someone new, which would provide a natural experiment of the effect of a change or stability of owner personality. This would allow for a far more rigorous examination of the relationships in Farrington (2012). While I do not claim that such experimental data would be easy to gather, or that cross-sectional data of the Farrington ilk are worthless, these points do illustrate alternative modelling possibilities. The aforementioned experiment would, for instance, help to control against the alternate possibility that certain types of personalities tend to choose certain business options that have variable performance outcomes.
Even if time series methodologies are not available, another possibility is nonlinear modelling. It is rare indeed to see true nonlinear models in South African business research, other than power-type transformations enacted for the purposes of retaining linear modelling convenience. However, non-linear modelling may provide a fecund avenue for more interesting and powerful findings.
As an illustration, perhaps the reason for the small size of Farrington's (2012) effect sizes and squared multiple correlations is the possibility of nonlinear effects in some Personality-Performance relationships (Murphy & Dzieweczynski, 2005; Ones, Viswesvaran, Dilchert, & Judge, 2007). Specifically, inverse curvilinearity may be a possibility for certain relationships, suggested as early as Barrick and Mount (1991) and Murphy (1996).
Recent evidence exists for exactly such hypotheses. For instance, Le, Oh, Robbins, Ilies, Holland and Westrick (2011) find Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability to have curvilinear relationships with various facets of Job Performance. Low levels of Conscientiousness, for instance, leads to issues such as chaotic financial recording, whereas overly high Conscientiousness may hinder flexibility and the like. Ames and Flynn (2007) present evidence that assertiveness may have a negative curvilinear relationship with leadership, since high levels of assertiveness may negatively affect relationships and low assertiveness may stunt the leader's ability to assert him or herself. In groupwork research, Barry and Stewart (1997) find the proportion of relatively extraverted members in teams to be related curvilinearly to task focus and group performance, albeit in a small study. In terms of skills development, Cucina and Vasilopoulos (2004) find nonlinear personality-academic performance relationships, and Vasilopoulos, Cucina and Hunter (2007) find inverse linearity between both Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability on training-based proficiency.
Many academic journals at the highest levels of the management discipline will generally not publish cross-sectional, exclusively linear analysis of one-shot surveys, because of the great potential for spurious effects (such as personality affecting business choice rather than performance per se). I do argue that journals such as SAJEMS may consider following suit, unless truly interesting effects such as the nonlinear are observed. Certainly, more gathering of data observed over time and/or arranged in careful experiments would help to add rigor and validity to the field.
8 Conclusion
To truly match the higher levels of international business research, the management research community of South Africa requires a balanced standard of science that carefully considers the meaning of findings.
This article has argued for several research principles to become greater features of business and management research in South African publishing. These are not an exhaustive list, but their application should lead to more rigorous and internationally acceptable research. First, I urge a careful embedding of research in the literature, with an associated consideration of the uniqueness of research versus the benefit of acknowledging studies as essential replications. Second is the importance of conforming to norms of fit and effect analysis in quantitative studies, without tenuous claims. Third is the possibility of empirical validation against prior research of the same kind, a methodological corollary of the first point. Fourth is the much-needed treatment of common method bias, rather than mere acknowledgement of the problem. Fifth is specification of appropriate control variables for models. Fifth is specification of more rigorous models, such as times series, experimental designs, or nonlinear modelling, which are increasingly the standard of such research and which may uncover more interesting dynamics.
This paper has sought to make specific suggestions and, where possible to actually illustrate how easy many of these improvements can be. It has done so through critique of a specific contribution, without any real desire to deconstruct that article per se. It is nonetheless a secondary result of this article that Farrington's (2012) results might be interpreted as weak evidence of Personality-Performance links, not seemingly robust evidence as reported by her. In light of similar effect sizes in the bulk of historical findings, and because personality will continue to capture the imaginations of managers and is not negligible, the field needs to move on to exploring more interesting process-based models that explain why, how and when such effects may operate (as also suggested by Barrick, 2005). This article has made specific suggestions for models that may be able to achieve this, notably natural experiments. Whatever the direction, I echo Barrick (2005) in saying "Yes, personality matters: Moving on to more important matters".
In general, it is hoped that these comments may be interpreted as a more general call to greater methodological rigor in fields such as small business research, and that the illustrations given here may show that such enhancements are easily accessible to most researchers.
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Accepted: April 2014


text:
- Description
Deceptively simple and uniquely sculptural, the undulating molded plywood fingers on this stool by Carol Catalano interlock without a single fastener. The result is an ingenious, sturdy, and graceful seat or side table that is as fun as it is beautiful.
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- Warranty: 5-year
- Brand
By the middle of the 20th century, the name Herman Miller had become synonymous with "modern" furniture. Working with legendary designers George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames, the company produced pieces that would become classics of industrial design. Since then, Herman Miller has collaborated with some of the most outstanding designers in the world, including Alexander Girard, Isamu Noguchi, Bill Stumpf, Don Chadwick, Studio 7.5, Yves Béhar, Doug Ball, and many talented others.
Today, in addition to their classic pieces and new designs for the home, Herman Miller is a recognized innovator in contemporary interior furnishings for the home or office workspace. Headquartered in Zeeland, Michigan, Herman Miller has manufacturing facilities in the United States, China, Italy, and the United Kingdom and sales offices, dealers, licensees, and customers in over 100 countries. All of them work to design and build a better world around you.
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- Designer
Herman Miller Capelli Stool Designed by:
- Carol Catalano


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Salem Family Resources and The Upper Room, A Family Resource Center, Derry
are hosting Workshops for Early Childhood Professionals (and some for parents/family caregivers, too!)
October, 2017 through June, 2018
Please see our events page for coming workshops.
Area businesses can help strengthen families with young children in Greater Salem by sponsoring the third annual Salem Family Resources Family Fashion Show and Auction.
The event takes place Sunday, April 21, 1-3 pm at Searles Castle in Windham.
Sure to delight, the show will feature two dozen local children ranging from toddler to teen. New this year are "Dapper Dads" in addition to our"Glam Gram" segment featuring prominent residents.
Kohl's Department Store, Baldoria, and BloomingDeals will again provide fashions for this show.
We welcome Jos. A. Banks and Men's Warehouse to dress our Dapper Dads this year!
The organization, which offers a wide range of programs and resources for families with young children, will also present its 2013 Children's Champion Award to a local child advocate. Past winners have included Richard O'Shaughnessy, Nancy D'Agostino, Sheila Murray and Don Bohnwagner.
Sponsorships are available at three levels and begin at $75. Click here for a Fashion Show Sponsor form.docx.
For more information about sponsorships, event or programming of Salem Family Resources, contact director Cindy Jury at 898-5493 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Salem Family Resources is seeking nominations for its third annual Children's Champion Award.
Children¹s Champions are recognized for their significant work toward bettering the lives of children in the greater Salem area in the areas of early learning, family wellness and early development.
Previous Children's Champion Award winners were Salem residents Sheila Murray, Nancy D'Agostino and Richard O'Shaughnessy. Nominees must live or work in the greater Salem area, including the towns of Windham, Pelham, Atkinson, or Hampstead to be considered.
Know a Champion for Children? Nominate them for this award to be presented at our annual Tot to Teen Fashion Show and Tea fundraiser, Saturday, April 22, 2012 at Searles Castle in Windham, NH.
Nominations are due March 16. Nomination form can be downloaded here.


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text: Landa Designs has been manufacturing and designing prom dresses and evening dresses since 1987 for glamorous people around the world. Our headquarters is located in Lincolnshire, Illinois, United States of America. Landa's success of producing award winning prom dresses is backed with a dedicated customer service team that will ensure you with complete satisfaction.


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The last one isn't the slow one
Sometimes, in traffic, you will naturally start classifying people as
slow or fast. I'm not entirely sure what goes into classifying them,
but you know as well as I do, that you do this. Without going into the
degrees of good-fast versus reckless or good-slow versus
idi-effing-ot, I was thinking about it and I realised that I consider
myself pretty quick through traffic. And for a fair amount of time,
I'm last or nearly last in traffic. Does that describe you too?
I figure that it's because my take-off from the traffic lights and
progress through traffic tends to be on the rapid side, and most of
the time, I catch up with the traffic that's ahead of me. In
traffic/transport planner terms, a group of traffic that leaves
together from a traffic light is called a platoon. Each cycle of
greens causes a platoon. Er, the point is, that I'm usually at the end
of the platoon. Doing what? Passing them, of course. And I'm sure
there's more riders like this out there.
Point? Don't automatically dismiss those at the end of the platoon,
they're probably just taking some time to get ahead. I think this
point has wider meanings that purely in traffic, but that's purely


text:
A county official says a dispatcher followed general protocols when she pleaded with an independent living facility nurse to perform CPR on a woman who later died in California.
The statement came Monday after the facility defended the nurse, saying she also had followed policy.
Kern County Fire Department spokesman Sean Collins says dispatcher Tracey Halvorson had more passion in her voice than normal during the call because she thought she was talking with a registered nurse who was refusing to save the woman's life.
At the beginning of the Tuesday morning call aired by several media outlets on Sunday, the nurse asked for paramedics to come and help the 87-year-old woman who had collapsed in the facility and was barely breathing.
The woman was later declared dead at Mercy Southwest Hospital.
Collins says Halvorson is an experienced dispatcher and has worked for the county center for at least a decade.
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text: job details posted 21 July 2019 location eastern suburbs melbourne, victoria specialism education & training job type temporary working hours Part-Time reference number 90M0370436_1563667203 contact jackline farah, randstad apply now Apply with email this job print job description We are looking for educators who want to be a part of a team that cares about your career. Through an easy online & free registration process we can offer you above award pay rates. You will be able to work in a variety of childcare centres for both ongoing and casual shifts. Providing you with flexibility to suit your schedule, you will be able to develop your career whist maintaining a healthy work/ life balance. If you are passionate to assist the development of children aged 0-5 and become a valued team member here at Randstad Education, we want to hear from you today!Key Requirements:Qualified with a Certificate III, Diploma or Bachelors in Early ChildhoodExcellent communication and interpersonal skillsWorking with Children Employer Check CardTransport to assist you in travelling to shiftsFirst Aid QualificationIf you believe you meet the requirements listed above then please don't hesitate to contact us today! You can apply by clicking the 'Apply' button where applicable. Alternatively, send your resume to us at firstname.lastname@example.com or call us on 1300 360 014.Our commitment to safeguarding children and young people.Randstad Education is committed to the safety and well being of all children and young people. We take steps to achieve this through our candidate application process. All applicants are required to provide a valid state-based Working with Children Check which is thoroughly screened. In some circumstances, a Federal Police Check and an International Police Clearance is also required. Your consultant will be able to advise if this is applicable to you. Lastly, references are conducted in relation to the applicant's interactions with children using an online platform that has an inbuilt fraud alert. Employment is subject to clearance of all these checks to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people.Refer a friend and you could earn $250Are you looking for a permanent position in education or know someone who is? Sign up to Randstad Education or refer a friend and you could earn a $250 voucher! Call 1300 360 014 to find out more. Conditions apply. skills Diploma|Early Childhood Education|Child Care|Childcare|Early Years qualification Qualified with a Certificate III in early childhood education OR Qualified with a Early Childhood Teacher ORQualified with a Diploma in early childhood education educational requirements College/Pre-University share Facebook LinkedIn Twitter


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Crisp, crunchy red fruits, small intense alpine and red berry flavours gripped by firm, binding tannins. A fine south facing sandy clay and limestone vineyard in the Annunziata sub zone of La Morra. A tiny production of just 1600 bottles in 2014
Contains Sulphites.
Roberto Voerzio is undeniably one of the finest stars of Piedmont and a Barolo producer with a world-wide following, his philosophy is a simple one; from the healthiest vines, in the greatest plots, come the very finest wines. He is one of those rare producers who has near mythical status as a vine grower. His vineyard management is meticulous, tending to treat each vine individually like parents would do with their children. This attention to details sees him amongst the vines throughout the season, green harvesting, pruning, and leaf thinning which, together with his policy of having high planting density, result in an exceptional small production. The yields are the lowest in the region, 500g of fruit per vine for the crus and even 1kg per vine for Dolcetto and Barberas - the yield of most top growers' best crus. In the winery Roberto's vision is to make the purest expression of Nebbiolo as possible. Fermentations are with wild yeasts, extractions are very gentle using the light "pumping over" technique, elevage takes place in both french oak with a maximum of 30% new, both large casks and barriques. The wines are an exquisite mix of intensity and lightness, measured concentration and bright juicy, moreish flavours. The Voerzios are not afraid to reject a cuvee either, if hail or a fermentation deviation prevents quality from being tip top, as with Cerequio in 2011 and La Serra in 2006. Some of Italy's greatest wines.
Barolo is the greatest, most intense and expressive display of the Northern Italian grape variety Nebbiolo. The name is given to bottles from the Piedmont area, made exclusively from Nebbiolo, and coming from the five core towns of Barolo, La Morra, Serralunga d'Alba, Castiglione Falletto and Monforte d'Alba, along with certain other peripherary villages. The wines offer power, aromatics and longevity that is almost unmatched elsewhere in Italy, perhaps the world. Top, forward thinking producers have pushed huge changes in the winemaking culture of the area, and as a result finer, purer Barolo is being produced than ever before.
Arguably Italy's greatest red grape variety, responsible in North-West Italy's Piedmont region for the great reds of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. At its best it produces wines of an aromatic complexity and subtlety similar to that of great Burgundy, a region from where many pioneering producers such as Elio Altare drew their inspiration. The aromas and flavours are very different in profile to Pinot Noir however, usually characterised by roses, tar and truffle. Naturally tannic and acidic, Nebbiolo wines are excellent for long term ageing.
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IB stands for In Bond. Wines that are stored In Bond have not had UK Duty and VAT paid on them.
Most of our wines are available for purchase under bond, as fine wines often need to be laid down in order to allow them to mature. Many clients choose therefore to store them in our bonded warehouse and pay the tax as and when they wish to get the wines delivered. Please note that Wines purchased In Bond can be exported to non-EU countries without the need for Duty and VAT to be paid.
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All taxes must be paid in order for us to be authorised to ship or deliver wine (unless the wine is bonded and being moved to another bonded warehouse or being shipped directly outside of the EU.)
EP stands for En Primeur. These wines are currently held with the Estate and Domaine's we work with and will be shipped in due course.
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In 2014, NACPO members conducted more than 9,000 casino parties which provided an exciting
and memorable event for more than 1,200,000 guests.
Find a NACPO Member near you for your next Casino Event!
The National Association of Casino Party Operators (NACPO) is a national trade group specializing in casino parties, casino night fundraisers and casino themed events. NACPO is dedicated to promoting high ethical and quality standards in the Casino Party Industry. NACPO members are among the most experienced casino party operators in the country and are your trusted source for a professional and high quality casino party!
Whether you are planning a private birthday party for 25 guests, a fundraiser for 200 or a corporate event for 1000 guests, there is a NACPO member in your area with the expertise to make your casino night an event to remember!
Don't gamble on your party, corporate event or fundraiser, with just any casino party company. All casino party companies are not equal. NACPO members are among the most experienced, most trusted casino party companies in the US and Canada.


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All this to say, I'm all out of whack and off
What was I saying? Oh, my girl's lunch the other day. Here it is:
Cute lunch contents:
- reindeer dashing through the snow (grilled cheese and marshmallows)
- blueberries in a mini heart-shaped silicone cup
- applesauce with holly sprinkles
- pine tree cucumbers
I love that giant reindeer cutter. It's much bigger than most standard cookie cutters. I'm not sure where I got it from, World Market, I think? perhaps? Despite its big size, it still leaves a lot of scraps. Perfect to chop into bite-sized pieces for my toddler boy.
My camera battery went kaput just as soon as I took Paige's lunch picture (technology is out to get me, I tell ya!), so this one was taken with my phone. Somehow in the phone-fetching process I got the background turned around so the stripes are now in a different direction. Whoops!
Tyler had:
- grilled cheese bites
- marshmallows, blueberries, yogurt covered pretzels in a pine tree shaped silicone cup
- cucumber scraps (leftovers from Paige's cut-outs)
- applesauce with holly sprinkles
Both meals are packed in EasyLunchboxes. To make sure the applesauce didn't seep or leak I added a tiny piece of plastic wrap to that one section before putting the lid on. They were carried in an "official" EasyLunchboxes carry bag, keeping the containers upright, so there wasn't any mess. :)


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Ubi Caritas crowns Mardi Gras king, queen
Queens and kings and cakes … Ubi Caritas hosted the sixth annual Mardi Gras Dinner & Dance this past Friday evening for a roomful of generous revelers. Candidates from St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Jean Moncla and Thad Heartfield, were one upped in fundraising by St. Mark's Episcopal Church candidates Tressa Clarke and Steve McGrade, who were crowned Mardi Gras Queen and King. Immediate past royalty Julie Scott and Tim Schreck were on hand to do the honors. Kudos to co-chairs Jerome Dick and Julie Scott and their party planning committee members Ann Butler,Cindy Bloodsworth,James Grant,Chris Stedman,Nancy Grove,Richard Swope,Christina Monkhouse,David Lowell,Sherry Peddy,Mike Peyton,Laurel Shrontz,Gail Davis and Rachel Grove. Enjoying the delicious dinner and dancing to the sounds of Mid Life Crisis were Monica and John Cobb, Jennifer and Justus Swantner, Sandy and Joseph Fertitta, Betty and Hal Clarke, Lettie and Warren Goehringer, Katy Ware, Blair Clarke, Kerry and Brian Glenn, Lauren and Cash Williams, Elaine and Charlie Jabbie, Melissa and Lenny Cabellero, Jennifer and Gerald Condon, Grace Nichols,Nancy McGrade,Dottie and Gene Schulz, Sally Bundy,J. Earl Brickhouse,Ida Pyle,John Scott,Virginia and Ralph Jordan, Camille and Chris Ohmstede, Lindsay and Hubert Oxford IV, and too many more to mention. What better way to get into the Mardi Gras madness than giving back to a worthy cause!
Habitat hunks … The contestants are gearing up for the Mr. Habitat 2012 contest to be held this Saturday, Feb, 25, at the Holiday Inn Plaza. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with individual tickets going for $45, or $350 for a table of eight. Call (409) 832-5853. Please come out for all the fun and support your favorite candidate!
Once upon a twirl … Beaumont Civic Ballet will present Fairy Tales in Dance, a two-act performance that includes the BCB Junior Company dancing a rendition of "It's a Hard-Knock Life" from the hit musical "Annie," a pas de deux from "Don Quixote," plus two all-time favorite fairy tales, "Peter and the Wolf" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." These dances are all performed by local children. The public performance is Sunday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m., and the school performances are Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the Julie Rogers Theatre with tickets beginning at $5. Call 838-3435, ext. 1, for more information.
Art mentoring … Artworks from 25 local high school seniors have been chosen to be exhibited in the 26th Annual Protégé Competition and Exhibition at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET). The pieces will be unveiled to the public and winners announced at the opening reception and awards ceremony from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23. The Protégé Competition and Exhibition is a program that offers area 12th-grade students the opportunity to begin taking the steps necessary to become part of the greater world of art through learning how the exhibition process works. For more information. call (409) 832-3432.
Candles and cakes … Belated best to Sue Meagher,Gigi Mazzola,Scarlett Snider,Carl Griffith Jr.,Joelle Rogers,Joseph Ramey andGerald Farha. Champagne toasts to Summer Lydick,Lindsay Oxford,Jennifer Pate,April Lindsay,Kathryn Hornsberger,Rachel Grove,Lila Stevens,Ashley Carter,Tara Cook,Davd Verde,Reggie Ramirez,Alyssa Henke,Laurie Chaudhury,Lysle Shaw,Susan Kirwin,Miriam Thompson,Camille Mouton,Donna Gwynn andCrissy Clarke.
Until the next RSVP!


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2011 has been a great reading year for me. I tend to take into account the quality of what I read and not the number of books I read. Sometimes, a single book can change your life in ways that fifty other books did not. So, I am happy to say that I read books that reminded me of how much I love sitting on my bed, with a blankett and a good book. Or how it can help me to read a few chapters of a book I love to keep on working on those awfully boring papers for school.
Here you have, Books and Reviews' best books of 2011!
Lamb (Christopher Moore) 4,5/5 – A humoristic re-writing of Jesus Christ' life narrated by his childhood bestfriend who accompanied him until her death. Sweet and funny, incredibly full of values to live your life by. Review here.
Alias Grace (Margaret Atwood) 4,5/5 – What can I say about Margaret Atwood? I simply adore everything she writes. This book was a journey into a 19th century woman's mind and how she managed being accused of murder. Review here.
Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier) 4/5 – A Classic. It was dark, thrilling, and very psychological, in every sense of the word you can imagine. You can read my review here.
The Weird Sisters (Eleanor Brown) 4,5/5 – A book I bought for light reading and loved so much as to want to re-read it. The Andrea sisters just reminded me how much I love books: from the font, to the quiality of the paper or the design of the cover. A must read. Also, the author was kind enough to let me interview here. You can read my review here and the interview here.
When Will there be Good News? (Kate Atkinson) 4/5 – Everyone kept insisting on how wonderful Kate Atkinson is and I did not belive them. Shame.on.me. She is as wonderful as an English female author of detective fiction can get, which is awesome. Review here.
The Dinosaur Feather (Sisel Jo Gazan) 4,5/5 – A crime novel set on a college and with the incredible combination of dinosaurs, academics and a thesis. Simply perfect! Review here.
Two of my passions: reading and bunnies.
I am incredibly proud of myself for having reviewed all these books that I loved so much. I wanted to share them with all of you and, hopefully, having helped you to discover new titles. But, the best part, is that we got to share opinions.
I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve and 2012 is full of happiness, health, love, projects and books for all of you. Thanks for visiting Books and Reviews and a especial thanks to those who took time to comment, enriching the blog and fulfilling its mission: spread the literary love.


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Diversity at Western Michigan University encompasses inclusion, acceptance, respect and empowerment. This means understanding that each individual is unique and that our commonalities and differences make the contributions we have to offer all the more valuable. Diversity includes the dimensions of race, ethnicity, and national and regional origins; sex, gender identity and sexual orientation; socioeconomic status, age, physical attributes and abilities; and religious, political, cultural, and intellectual ideologies and practices.
Diversity and Multiculturalism Action Plan
The Diversity and Multiculturalism Action Plan (DMAP) was adopted by the Board of Trustees in 2006. It is the strategic plan for the University as it relates to diversity and inclusion.
Diversity and Multicultural Action Plan
Campus Climate Survey
The 2013 Campus Climate Study at WMU was the product of a multiyear effort, employed both a survey instrument and focus groups. It was commissioned by the University to take an in-depth look at diversity and inclusion issues on campus and identify those areas where improvement is needed. Campus officials say they're pleased at the overall views detailed in study results, and gratified that the work uncovered specific issues that need to be addressed and corrected.
"We asked Dr. Worthington to really dive deeply into the campus culture and uncover those areas in which we can and should make improvements to ensure that ours is a welcoming and inclusive environment in which every individual feels valued and included," says WMU President John M. Dunn.


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A new look for the award winning headset
The MMX 300 with a New Look and Feel: beyerdynamic Makes the Ultimate Gaming Headset Even Better
The MMX 300 with a New Look and Feel: beyerdynamic Makes the Ultimate Gaming Headset Even Better
Heilbronn/Germany, October 2012: The MMX 300 premium headset is in a league of its own. When gamers and multimedia fans want the highest quality in terms of sound, performance and comfort, they turn to this high-end product from beyerdynamic. The large number of positive test results and the MMX 300's status as a point of reference among industry experts testify to its high quality.
But it gets even better with the new 2012 version of the MMX 300. The audio specialists from Heilbronn, Germany, have given their premium model a makeover and optimised numerous features. Decorative rings and yokes made of black anodised aluminium along with black velour ear pads add still more professional touches to the ear cups' sleek carbon design. You can tell just by looking: This headset is a born winner.
The new headband was designed by beyerdynamic's expert development team. The push-buttons on the top make it simple to clean and easy to replace. The 2.5 meter connection cable is made of rugged polyurethane material. It lies smoothly without getting tangled, and can handle even rough treatment – for example if the wire ends up under the wheels of a desk chair in the heat of an online battle.
The professional screw-locking jack plugs and a 3.5 to 6.35 mm jack socket adapter mean that you can use this high-end headset anywhere. Symbols and the coloured insulating rings on the microphone and headphone jack plugs make it easier to connect them to your PC.
The new model features the same amazing sound quality as the previous version. Essentially, the MMX 300 combines the qualities of hi-fi headphones with cockpit-tested headsets developed for private aviation. For example, the European Space Agency (ESA) uses the MMX 300's professional equivalent, the HS 800 Digital, to train astronauts. The closed design reduces ambient noise by 18 decibels. This high level of noise attenuation is an invaluable advantage at LAN parties.
The MMX300 features a condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern for extraordinarily effective noise compensation. It reliably cancels out interfering outside noise so the people you're talking to only hear what you want them to. At the same time, the sound quality is so high that the microphone capsule is technically suitable for recording music.
As always, individualists can design their own customised MMX 300s down to the last details in the one-of-a-kind beyerdynamic MANUFAKTUR portal (www.beyerdynamic.com/manufaktur). New options include a 600 ohm version that teases out the last ounce of sound quality from especially powerful sound cards or home hi-fi systems, as well as gel ear pads like those used in aviation.
With these updates, the MMX 300 will continue to set the standard for multimedia headsets – whether for gaming, Skyping on your PC, or for relaxed music sessions. The new MMX 300 will be available for purchase from specialist retailers or at www.beyerdynamic.com starting in November.
Technical specifications
|Transducer type
|Operating principle
Frequency response
|5 - 30.000 Hz
Nominal impedance
|32 ohms per system
|Nominal SPL
|96 dB
|< 0,2%
|Sound coupling to the ear
|Power handling capacity
|100 mW
|Ambient noise attenuation
|approx. 18 dBA
|Headband pressure
|approx. 3.5 N
|Weight (with microphone and cable)
|380 g
|Length and type of cable
|2.5 m, straight cable
|gold plated stereo jack plug (3.5 mm)
and ¼" adapter (6.35 mm)
|Transducer Type
|condenser (back electret)
|Operating principle
|pressure gradient
|Polar pattern
Frequency response
|30 - 18.000 Hz
|Max. SPL
|120 dB
|< 0,2% at f = 1 kHz
|Length microphone boom
|approx. 150 mm
|Capsule diameter
|13 mm
|gold vaporised mini stereo jack plug (3.5 mm)
|Recommended retail price
|299 Euro
Number of charakters (with spaces): 3,974
Number of lines: 97
Reprint free of charge, copy requested
Press contact for
more information and
request for sample products:
Please contact our distributors directly:
Select your country at
and look for distributors, responsible for headphones und headsets
(Consumer). Our distributors will be glad to support you.
>> product page of the new MMX 300 - version 2012


text: 01 Aug 2013 10:00 Dane Kondic has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Air Serbia, and will lead the airline formally known as JatAirways, upon completion of regulatory approvals. Mr Kondic has more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry, having held senior positions in sales, marketing, customer management, and strategic change management. He has dual Australian and Serbian citizenship and speaks Serbian.Aleksandar Vučić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Serbian Government, said: "These are exciting times for JatAirways as it becomes Air Serbia, and we are delighted to appoint Dane, a highly talented and driven professional, as the airline's Chief Executive Officer."Dane has a strong record for delivering results at several leading global aviation companies and this, combined with his understanding of the Serbian business community, as well as the Serbian language, will ensure the airline begins its new life in great hands."Mr Kondic has gained his experience in roles across theaviation industry, including positions at Malaysia Airlines and Qantas, as well as in the agency, wholesale and content areas of the travel business.Mr Kondic said: "It is a great honour to be given this opportunity to lead Air Serbia as the airline enters an exciting new era. The national carrier is very important to the Serbian people and I, alongside my new colleagues, look forward to building a truly world class company."Between August 2012 and August 2013 Mr Kondic held the position of Sabre Airline Solutions' Regional Director for South East Asia. Prior to that,he was Vice President Commercial, at Abacus International in Asia.He also held the positions of Vice President North Asia for GTA by Travelport; Managing Director Kuoni Travel China Ltd; and General Manager of Worldwide Sales for Malaysia Airlines. お問い合わせ エティハド航空は国際的な航空会社として、徐々に世界にネットワークを広げています。 お近くのエティハド航空への連絡方法は、こちらをご覧ください。お問い合わせ先を見る ご意見・ご要望 ご意見・ご感想、激励、苦情、ご質問などがございましたら、こちらをクリックして、入力フォームからご送信ください。 いいね! フェイスブックで弊社のページをご覧ください! ご覧ください エティハドの YouTube チャンネルを見る Twitter(ツイッター) エティハド航空 | エティハドの特典 | エティハドヘルプ | エティハドのリワード


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...more >>
Corn Masa Flour, Water, Cellulose Gum, Propionic Acid (to Preserve Freshness), Benzoic Acid (to Preserve Freshness), Phosphoric Acid (Preservative), Guar Gum, Amylase.
Microwave: Place 4 to 6 tortillas between two damp paper towels. Microwave 30 to 45 seconds or until heated through. Wrap in a cloth or Mission tortilla keeper until ready to serve. Tortillas may be heated on a skillet or electric griddle, on the grill, or in the microwave. For best results, heat tortillas on an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 seconds. Flip and heat for another 5 to 10 seconds.
Always refer to the actual package for the most accurate information


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Geysers at Te Puia are springing back to life
For the second time in less than six months, a previously dormant geyser has bubbled back into life at Te Puia in Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley.
Yet another previously dormant geyser has bubbled back into life and can be seen at Te Puia|New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) in Rotorua's Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley.
Te Puia guides recently noticed the Puapua Geyser bubbling, with a nearby vent spurting a substantial amount of steam and water into the air.
The current eruptions of the geyser feature associated with Puapua are coupled with the highest observed water levels in over a decade. The nearby Wairoa Geyser's water levels have also peaked for the first time in more than 30 years.
The regeneration of Puapua Geyser is another significant geothermal development in the Valley, following Papakura Geyser's revival in September last year. It has been attributed to the closing of a number of geothermal bores in Rotorua between 1986 and 1992.
Article by
Te Puia
Te Puia is home to the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Insitute and the world famous Pohutu geyser.


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Commercial, Personal/Corporate
By R&W Staff | March 1, 2008
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AN INTERNATIONAL COALITION OF manufacturers, regulators, operators, and customers aims to convince the helicopter world to embrace safety management systems as critical tools for both improving the industry's reputation and managing businesses more effectively.
The coalition, the International Helicopter Safety Team, formed in late 2005 with the goal of slashing the helicopter accident rate 80 percent within 10 years. In the last five months, it has taken on the challenge of figuring out how to implement the most promising means of reducing or eliminating accidents.
That implementation effort follows nearly two years of analytical work to identify the most common contributors to helicopter accidents and prioritize how to attack them.
The international team's subgroup in charge of that implementation effort is seeking operators willing to join it in honing pragmatic and cost-effective accident-mitigation measures.
Even before that subgroup's work started, team members said, they recognized that helicopter operators individually and the industry as a whole would benefit from incorporating some form of a safety management system in day-to-day activities. The reason, they said, is that a safety management system would set the framework on which accident-mitigation measures would be built. Without one, they argued, no other measures could be fully effective.
"A good, strong safety management system is a springboard," said Fred Brisbois, director of aviation and product safety for Sikorsky Aircraft and a member of the international team's subgroup, the Joint Helicopter Safety Implementation Team.
"We needed something to start this structure" of accident-mitigation measures, said Roy Fox, chief of flight safety at Bell Helicopter.
So Fox, Brisbois, and other members of the implementation team developed an online "tool kit" to make it easier for individual outfits to craft and adopt a safety management system that works for their operations.
Leaders of the team will brief Heli-Expo attendees on the concept of the safety management system and the benefits of their tool kit during a session at the show. It will be held Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 1-3:00 p.m. Organizers said all helicopter operators are invited to attend. The tool kit is available at www.ihst.org.
The industry's reputation is at the heart of the International Helicopter Safety Team's efforts. Created at the urging of the American Helicopter Society International and backed by the Helicopter Assn International, the U.S. FAA and other regulators, manufacturers, and major operators, the group recognized that most people outside the rotorcraft industry don't consider helicopters a safe form of transportation. That fosters public and political obstacles to helicopter operations and obviously stymies the growth of the industry.
Advocates argue that safety management systems make good business sense, too. Sound business practices don't tolerate knowingly putting financial health in danger through unnecessary or overlooked risks, they maintain, or jeopardizing the welfare of staff. In the same vein, they say, no flight operation should unnecessarily or unknowingly put its aircraft and flight crews in jeopardy. Safety management systems are an extension of sound business practices to aviation operations, these advocates contend, and a means for managers and crews to become fully aware of hazards and take steps to reduce them.
The International Helicopter Safety Team calls a safety management system "a proven process for managing risk that ties all elements of the organization together laterally and vertically and ensures appropriate allocation of resources to safety issues." It says that the term "safety management" should be taken to mean safety, security, health, and environmental management. The key focus of such a system, it argues, "is the safe operations of airworthy aircraft."
Safety management systems originated in the rail, petrochemical, and nuclear industries in the 1990s. In 1999, the U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority published what would become Civil Aviation Publication (CAP) 712, "Safety Management Systems for Commercial Air Transport Operations," in league with the aviation industry. Subsequently, other aviation authorities mandated the use of such systems by airlines and other operators. The FAA has published advisory material but not required their use.
Major operators are adopting safety management systems. For instance, the International Assn of Oil and Gas Producers, whose members contract for offshore helicopter support around the world, recommends that helicopter vendors use such systems.
But the real challenge lies in persuading the typical helicopter operator, who has five or fewer helicopters, that a safety management system is practical and worthwhile for him.
"The real target audience is the operator of two to five helicopters," said Hooper Harris, manager of the FAA's Accident Investigation Div. and co-chair of the implementation team with Greg Wyght, vice president of safety and quality for CHC Helicopter Corp.


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Gucci Small GG Marmont 2.0 Bag
Last time we introduced the Gucci Small GG Marmont 2.0 Bag in Velvet, but perhaps it was not intriguing enough. Or 'Velvet' was the wrong approach. So we're going to reintroduce again in leather version.
This bag is amazing – the look and the functionality, they're both stunning. First, take a look at the mix-quilted stitching. The patterns are unique and you can only find them at Gucci.
Then you have the nice flap. But before you go into the interior, take another look at the iconic GG signature.
The back is also wonderful, it's crafted with a 'heart-shaped' stitching – the heart is so big that it touches your heart. The golden chains, especially if you choose the color white, will leave an impression behind wherever you go.
The interior features one internal zip pocket and an internal patch pocket. Crafted from calfskin, the small size is measured 15 x 26 x 7 (H x W x D) in cm, priced at $1890 USD or €1490 euro.
The mini size is measured 13 x 22 x 6 (H x W x D) in cm, priced at $1590 USD €1290 euro.